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Atenolol, a cardioselective β1‐blocker, exhibits efficacy in treating cardiovascular diseases. We conducted a single‐center, randomized, open, single‐dose, 2‐preparation, 2‐cycle, 2‐sequence, double‐crossover trial with a 7‐day washout period to investigate the pharmacokinetics, bioequivalence (BE), and safety of test and reference atenolol tablets (25 mg) in healthy Chinese volunteers. Forty‐eight healthy participants were randomized into the fasting and fed arms. After administering a single oral dose of the test or reference formulation (25 mg), plasma atenolol concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained from concentration‐time profiles. In total, 23 and 24 individuals were included in the fasting and fed arms, respectively. The mean concentration‐time profiles for both formulations were similar, and Cmax, AUC0‐t, and AUC0‐∞ were within the BE range of 80%‐125%. Thirteen adverse events (AEs) were observed in 7 participants in the fasting arm; 1 withdrew from the trial early owing to an AE. In the fed arm, 20 AEs were observed in 8 participants, and none withdrew from the trial. All adverse reactions were grade I, with no serious AEs or deaths. Therefore, the 2 tablets are bioequivalent in healthy Chinese individuals under fasting and fed conditions, supporting their further clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To explore the mechanisms of labor by investigating the autophagy of placental and fetal membranes tissue in normal pregnant women. Methods: Placenta and fetal membranes were collected from women with singleton pregnancies without any medical complications and from women who delivered vaginally (labor‐initiated group; L group) or by caesarean section (labor‐noninitiated group; NL group). Autophagosomes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Immunofluorescence and western blotting (WB) were used to detect protein levels of the autophagy markers LC3A and LC3B. TEM, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and WB were used to compare autophagy in different parts of the placenta and fetal membranes in the L and NL groups. The expression of LC3B/LC3A, ROCK1, and ROCK2 in the placenta of nonpregnant and pregnant rats was detected by WB and IHC. Results: TEM and IHC results showed an increase in the number of autophagosomes and autophagic lysosomes in the L group, and WB results indicated an increase in the LC3B/A ratio between the placenta and fetal membranes in the L group. Autophagy was significantly increased on the maternal side of the placenta in the L group, and the level of autophagy became higher near rupture in the fetal membranes and near the point where the umbilical cord joins the placenta in the L group. The LC3B/A ratio increased and ROCK1 and ROCK2 levels decreased in postnatal rats. Discussion: Autophagy can occur in the placenta and fetal membranes and its activity is higher at the onset of labor, suggesting a role in labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Spectacle lenses with peripheral lenslets have shown promise for myopia control by providing peripheral myopic defocus signals. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of prolonged exposure (>6 months) to peripheral myopic defocus on visual information processing in myopic children. Methods: The study included 30 myopic children who habitually wore spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL group) and 34 children who habitually wore single‐vision (SV group) spectacles. The quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) was used to measure contrast sensitivity (CS) under conditions of no or high noise. Both groups were tested with HAL and SV lenses. The perceptual template model was utilised to fit the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and determine differences in information processing efficiency through internal additive noise (Nadd) and perceptual template gain (β). Results: The areas under the log CSF in the SV group were significantly higher than for the HAL group in both zero‐noise conditions with the SV test lens (p = 0.03) and high‐noise conditions with the HAL test lens (p = 0.02). For 2 cycle per degree (cpd) stimuli, β was significantly higher in the SV group with the HAL test lens than in the HAL group (p = 0.02), while there was a trend towards a significant difference in β for 6 cpd stimuli (p = 0.07). However, there were no significant differences in Nadd between the two groups, with or without noise interference. Conclusion: The reduced CS observed in myopic children wearing HAL lenses for 6 months or more may be due to decreased β. This suggests that prolonged use of spectacle lenses with peripheral myopic defocus signals may compromise the central visual system's ability to process additional external noise, resulting in decreased efficiency in visual information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avascular necrosis frequently occurs as a complication following surgery involving the distal perforator flap. Dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) can protect tissue from ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, but its specific role in multizone perforator flaps remains unclear. In this study, the prospective target of DHC in the context of I/R injury was predicted using network pharmacology analysis. Flap viability was determined through survival area analysis, laser Doppler blood flow, angiograms, and histological examination. The expressions of angiogenesis, apoptosis, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, oxidative stress, and molecules related to cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)‐adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS)‐interferon gene stimulant (STING) pathway were assessed using western blotting, immunofluorescence, TUNEL staining, and dihydroethidium (DHE) staining. Our finding revealed that DHC promoted the perforator flap survival, which involves the cGAS–STING pathway, oxidative stress, NLRP3 inflammasome, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. DHC induced oxidative stress resistance and suppressed the NLRP3 inflammasome, preventing apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. Through regulation of STING pathway, DHC controlled oxidative stress in endothelial cells and NLRP3 levels in ischemic flaps. However, activation of the cGAS–STING pathway led to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and NLRP3 inflammasome, thereby diminishing the protective role of DHC. DHC enhanced the survival of multidomain perforator flaps by suppressing the cGAS–STING pathway, oxidative stress, and the formation of NLRP3 inflammasome. These findings unveil a potentially novel mechanism with clinical significance for promoting the survival of multidomain perforator flaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various amounts of TiSi2 (30, 40, and 50 wt.%) were added to 3 mol% yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y‐TZP) to fabricate 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites by vacuum sintering. The effects of the TiSi2 added amount, as well as the sintering temperature on the microstructure, mechanical, and electrical characteristics of the 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites were examined. The sintered samples consisted of three phases: tetragonal (t‐ZrO2), TiSi2, and reaction product Ti5Si3. The maximum bending strength and relative density of the composites, reaching 501.20 MPa and 98.59% respectively, were achieved at a TiSi2 content of 30 wt.% and sintering temperature of 1500°C. The resistivity of 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites showed a nonlinear decrease with increasing TiSi2 content. These results indicated that 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites had a typical percolation threshold phenomenon due to the different TiSi2 content and a conductivity model of 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites at room temperature was founded on the generalized effective medium equation. The resistivity of the composites could optionally adjust between 102 and 10−4Ω·cm with 30–50 wt.% TiSi2 under room temperature. Overall, the 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites show great potential for applications in the heat‐not‐burn tobacco field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the short‐term effects of three myopia‐control lenses, which impose peripheral myopic defocus while providing clear central vision, on central and peripheral visual performance in myopic children. Methods: Twenty‐one myopic children were enrolled in the study. Central visual performance was assessed using the quick contrast sensitivity function. Peripheral visual performance was evaluated by measuring peripheral contrast threshold and global motion perception, while subjects maintained fixation through the central portion of the lens. Single‐vision spectacle lenses (SVL), spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) and defocus‐incorporated soft contact (DISC) lenses were evaluated in random order, followed by orthokeratology (OK) lenses. All tests were performed monocularly on the right eye. Results: The area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) with DISC lenses was lower than that with SVL (1.14 vs. 1.40, p < 0.001) and HAL (1.14 vs. 1.33, p = 0.001). HAL increased the temporal visual field contrast threshold compared with OK lenses (p = 0.04), and OK lenses decreased the superior visual field contrast threshold compared with that of SVL (p = 0.04) and HAL (p = 0.005). HAL also increased the peripheral coherence threshold for identifying the contraction movement compared with OK lenses (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The short‐term use of these optical interventions for myopia control exhibited measurable differences in central and peripheral visual performance. Relevant attention could be paid to these differences, especially when children switch to different treatments. DISC lenses exhibited worse central contrast sensitivity than SVL and HAL. Imposing peripheral defocus signals did not affect children's peripheral visual performance compared with SVL. However, considering the poorer peripheral visual performance provided by HAL, OK lenses are recommended for children if there are specific demands for global scene recognition and motion perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image‐to‐image translation (I2IT) task aims to transform images from the source domain into the specified target domain. State‐of‐the‐art CycleGAN‐based translation algorithms typically use cycle consistency loss and latent regression loss to constrain translation. In this work, it is demonstrated that the model parameters constrained by the cycle consistency loss and the latent regression loss are equivalent to optimizing the medians of the data distribution and the generative distribution. In addition, there is a style bias in the translation. This bias interacts between the generator and the style encoder and visually exhibits translation errors, e.g. the style of the generated image is not equal to the style of the reference image. To address these issues, a new I2IT model termed high‐quality‐I2IT (HQ‐I2IT) is proposed. The optimization scheme is redesigned to prevent the model from optimizing the median of the data distribution. In addition, by separating the optimization of the generator and the latent code estimator, the redesigned model avoids error interactions and gradually corrects errors during training, thereby avoiding learning the median of the generated distribution. The experimental results demonstrate that the visual quality of the images produced by HQ‐I2IT is significantly improved without changing the generator structure, especially when guided by the reference images. Specifically, the Fréchet inception distance on the AFHQ and CelebA‐HQ datasets are reduced from 19.8 to 10.2 and from 23.8 to 17.0, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To evaluate eye growth of children wearing spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL), slightly aspherical lenslets (SAL) and single‐vision lenses (SVL) compared to eye growth patterns in non‐myopes in Wenzhou, China. Methods: The randomised trial had 170 myopic children (aged 8–13 years) randomly assigned to the HAL, SAL or SVL group. Normal eye growth was examined using 700 non‐myopic schoolchildren (aged 7–9 years) in the Wenzhou Medical University‐Essilor Progression and Onset of Myopia (WEPrOM) cohort study using logistic function models. Slow, normal and fast eye growth was defined as range of values <25th, 25th–75th and >75th percentiles, respectively. Results: The predicted upper limits of slow eye growth (25th percentile) among non‐myopes aged 7–10 years and 11–13 years were 0.20–0.13 and 0.08–0.01 mm (after 2‐year period; 0.37–0.33 and 0.29–0.14 mm), respectively, while the upper limits of normal eye growth (75th percentile) were 0.32–0.31 and 0.28–0.10 mm (after 2‐year period; 0.58–0.55 and 0.50–0.24 mm), respectively. The 2‐year trial had 157 children, 96 of whom wore their lenses full time (everyday ≥12 h/day). The mean 2‐year axial length change for HAL, SAL and SVL was 0.34, 0.51 and 0.69 mm (0.28, 0.46 and 0.69 mm in full‐time wear), respectively. Slow eye growth was found in 35%, 17% and 2% (44%, 29% and 3% in full‐time wear); normal eye growth in 35%, 26% and 12% (44%, 32% and 9% in full‐time wear) and fast eye growth in 30%, 57% and 86% (12%, 39% and 88% in full‐time wear), respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The eye growth pattern in approximately 90% wearing HAL full time (compared with about 10% wearing SVL full time) was similar or slower than that of non‐myopic children both after 1‐ and 2‐year periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has confirmed that parental control is related to children's aggressive behavior. However, few studies have focused on proactive and reactive aggression to distinguish the different effects of parental psychological and behavioral control. Moreover, additional longitudinal evidence is needed to understand these links. In the current paper, a three‐wave longitudinal study was conducted to examine the developmental characteristics of proactive and reactive aggression and the role of parental control in China. A total of 484 4th‐ and 7th‐grade students participated at wave 1 (51.65% in 4th‐grade, Mage = 11.66 ± 1.52 years), 465 students (52.04% in 4th‐grade) at wave 2, and 447 children (51.90% in 4th‐grade) at wave 3. The results showed that: (1) Proactive aggression in late childhood remained stable overall, while reactive aggression displayed a clear upward trend. (2) In proactive aggression, boys and girls had a consistent developmental trend. The initial level of boys was higher than that of girls. In reactive aggression, the growth rate was inversely associated with their initial level and the initial level of boys in 7th‐grade was significantly higher than that of girls. (3) Both parental psychological and behavioral control positively predicted students' reactive aggression in 4th‐ and 7th‐grade, whereas only parental behavioral control positively predicted proactive aggression in 7th‐grade students, with no gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short‐term effects of peripheral gradient high‐addition multifocal soft contact lenses (MFSCLs) and orthokeratology (Ortho‐K lenses) on visual performance in myopic children. Methods: Thirty myopic children participated in this prospective study. Each participant wore different sets of lenses in the following sequence: single‐vision spectacles (SVSPs) as a control, MFSCLs and Ortho‐K lenses. Ocular aberrations, topography, high‐contrast visual acuity (HCVA), low‐contrast visual acuity (LCVA) and accommodation of the right eye were measured with each type of correction on a different day. Results: Compared with SVSPs, high‐addition MFSCLs and Ortho‐K lenses significantly increased all items of aberrations (all p < 0.05) except trefoil (p = 0.17). MFSCLs induced less coma, root mean square of the third‐order aberration (RMS3) and higher order aberrations than Ortho‐K lenses (all p < 0.05). No significant difference in HCVA was found across the three correction types (F = 1.19, p = 0.39). In terms of LCVA, MFSCLs performed significantly poorer than SVSPs (difference, 0.16 logMAR; p = 0.001) and slightly worse than Ortho‐K lenses (difference, 0.08 logMAR; p = 0.35). No significant difference in decentration was found between the two types of contact lenses, and no associations were observed between decentration and visual acuity at both high‐ and low‐contrast levels (all p > 0.05). For MFSCLs, decentration was positively related to coma (r = 0.43, p = 0.02) and RMS3 (r = 0.44, p = 0.02), which was not the case for Ortho‐K lenses. Accommodative facility was worse with MFSCLs than Ortho‐K lenses (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Multifocal soft contact lenses differed from Ortho‐K lenses in aberration profile and LCVA, although decentration was similar. Decentration <1 mm had minimal influence on both HCVA and LCVA for either type of correction, but significantly increased third‐order aberrations for MFSCLs, but not Ortho‐K lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying perpetration and victimization are common and problematic occurrences during adolescence. Typically, bullying incidents involve different bullying roles. However, little is known about the developmental stability and changes in these roles. In the present study, we aimed to assess the stability and changes in bullying roles and examine risk and protective factors associated with bullying involvement. A total of 1711 Chinese early adolescents (47.4% girls, Mage = 11.99) participated in the study at two time points approximately 6 months apart. Three subgroups of bullying were identified: bully‐victims, victims, and the uninvolved. In terms of stability and changes, the uninvolved were the most stable over time, while victims and bully‐victims tended to become the uninvolved. Bully‐victims also tended to become victims. Early adolescents with higher levels of parental psychological control and depression symptoms were more likely to be victims or bully‐victims. Higher levels of depression symptoms increased the risk of transitioning from being the uninvolved or bully‐victims to becoming victims. Higher levels of friendship quality were associated with higher odds of being the uninvolved or transitioning from being victims or bully‐victims to becoming the uninvolved. Our findings indicate that bullying roles were relatively stable, with some changes over time. The results also highlight the important function that parental psychological control, friendship quality, and depression symptoms can play in preventing and intervening in bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To identify patients at low risk of synchronous bone metastasis who should not receive bone scans when initially diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: In total, 6652 patients were enrolled in the training cohort and 1919 patients in the multicenter external validation cohort. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess independent predictors of synchronous bone metastasis for the nomogram model. Results: After risk stratification, 46.3% (3081/6652) patients were separated into the low‐risk group with an incidence of 0.71% for synchronous bone metastasis. The odds ratio of the intermediate and high‐risk groups was 5.61 and 23.82 times that of the low‐risk group, respectively. For patients with high EBV DNA, we recommend routine screening for N2‐3 female patients, but that all male subgroups are screened. Conclusions: Bone scans should not be routine. Patients in the low‐risk group should not be screened, which would avoid excessive radiation and economize iatrical resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of the devastating bacterial wilt disease, is of particular interest to the scientific community. The repertoire of type III effectors plays an important role in the evasion of plant immunity, but tolerance to plant immunity is also crucial for the survival and virulence of R. solanacearum. Nevertheless, a systematic study of R. solanacearum tolerance to plant immunity is lacking. In this study, we used exogenous salicylic acid (SA) to improve the immunity of tomato plants, followed by transposon insertion sequencing (Tn‐seq) analysis and the identification of R. solanacearum genes associated with tolerance to plant immunity. Target gene deletion revealed that the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production genes RS_RS02830, RS_RS03460, and RS_RS03465 are essential for R. solanacearum tolerance to plant immunity, and their expression is induced by plant immunity, thereby expanding our knowledge of the pathogenic function of R. solanacearum LPS. SA treatment increased the relative abundance of transposon insertion mutants of four genes, including two genes with unknown function, RS_RS11975 and RS_RS07760. Further verification revealed that deletion of RS_RS11975 or RS_RS07760 resulted in reduced in vivo competitive indexes but increased tolerance to plant immunity induced by SA treatment, suggesting that these two genes contribute to the trade‐off between tolerance to plant immunity and fitness cost. In conclusion, this work identified and validated R. solanacearum genes required for tolerance to plant immunity and provided essential information for a more complete view of the interaction between R. solanacearum and the host plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site elevation is one of the most important factors for successful mangrove restoration. Understanding how site elevation influences mangrove roots is critical for evaluating mangrove primary productivity, carbon dynamics and nutrient cycles. Root biomass and organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) stocks were compared through an in situ experiment among 11‐year‐old Kandelia obovata mangrove forests planted under three intertidal elevations. Compared with site upper elevation, biomass of total root, live root, dead root, fine root, and coarse root decreased approximately 74.62, 79.82, 26.65, 42.52, and 87.09%, respectively, but contribution rates of fine root to total root increased 35.40% at site lower elevation. Biomass of total root and fine root at the three sites decreased with soil depth increases. Stocks of OC, N, and P in the total root decreased approximately 70, 52.92, and 47.30% from site upper elevation to site lower elevation owing to decreases in the total root biomass. Stocks of OC, N, and P in the total root and fine root also decreased with soil depth increases, while only OC stock of coarse root had a decreasing trend with soil depth increases. These indicated that decreases in site elevation will reduce mangrove primary productivity, carbon dynamics, and nutrient cycles due to decreases in root biomass. For K.obovata forests, upper elevation should be used in the future mangrove forest restoration projects to improve mangrove blue carbon capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether the treatment zone (TZ) decentration in orthokeratology (OK) lenses affects retinal expansion in Chinese children with myopia. Methods: Children aged 8 to 13 years (n = 30) were assessed over 13 months comprising 12 months of OK lens wear followed by discontinuation of lens wear for 1 month. Corneal topography was measured at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 13 months. TZ decentration of the OK lens was calculated, and subjects were subdivided into a small decentration group (group S) and a large decentration group (group L) based on the median value of the weighted average decentration (dave). Central axial length (AL) and peripheral eye lengths (PELs) at the central retina, as well as 10°, 20° and 30° nasally and temporally were measured at 0 and 13 months under cycloplegia. Second‐order polynomial (y = ax2 + bx + c) and linear fits (y = Kx + B) were applied to the peripheral relative eye length (PREL), and the coefficients 'a' and 'K' were used to describe the shape of the eye. Results: Mean AL growth for one year was 0.28 ± 0.17 mm. In a multiple linear regression model, AL elongation was related to the baseline age (β = −0.41, p = 0.01) and the dave (β = −0.37, p = 0.03) (R2 = 0.34, p = 0.002). When compared with smaller dave (0.45 ± 0.15 mm), a larger dave (0.89 ± 0.17 mm) was associated with slower ocular growth (central: 0.20 ± 0.13 mm vs. 0.35 ± 0.17 mm, p = 0.009; 10° nasal: 0.26 ± 0.18 mm vs. 0.45 ± 0.21 mm, p = 0.02; 10° temporal: 0.17 ± 0.14 mm vs. 0.32 ± 0.19 mm, p = 0.02) and more oblate retina shape ('a': −0.13 ± 0.02 vs. −0.14 ± 0.02, p = 0.02; Knasal: 0.35 ± 0.11 vs. 0.39 ± 0.09, p = 0.02; Ktemporal: −0.42 ± 0.08 vs. −0.46 ± 0.08, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Greater TZ decentration with the use of OK lenses was associated with slower axial growth and a more oblate retinal shape. TZ decentration caused local defocusing changes, which may inhibit myopic progression. These findings may have important implications for improving optical designs for myopia control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is a major environmental pollutant in the aquatic system that poses a great threat to the health of shrimp. Macrobrachium nipponense, as one of the large‐yield farmed shrimp, is facing germplasm degradation. Genetic improvement through hybridization is one of the effective methods to solve this problem. However, there are few studies on the effects of ammonia nitrogen on the germplasm resources of M. nipponense. In this study, the broodstock populations (Dianshan, DS) and hybrid offspring (DS ♀ × CD [Changjiang, CJ ♂ × Dongting, DT ♀], SCD) were exposed to 0, 5, or 20 mg/L of ammonia for 96 h. The survival rate of the SCD group was greater than the DS group, although there were no significant differences in weight gain rate and length gain rate (p > 0.05). The number of positive cells and apoptosis rates in the DS group were significantly greater than in the SCD group after ammonia exposure (p < 0.05). As the ammonia concentration increased, the antioxidant enzyme activities in the SCD group were significantly higher than DS group, while the hepatotoxicity enzyme activities in the SCD group were significantly lower than DS group (p < 0.05). The trends in the expression of antioxidant‐ and immune‐related genes were generally consistent with the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Our study found that the hybrid population had stronger stress resistance than their parent populations at the same ammonia concentration. This study confirms our speculation that hybrid population has a greater advantage in antioxidant immunity, which also provides reference for the follow‐up study of chronic ammonia toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of orthokeratology (OK) on accommodative function and aberrations, to explore the correlations between them and determine what role they play in myopia control. Methods: In this prospective case‐controlled study, 61 children were divided into an OK (n = 30) and a single‐vision spectacles (SVS) (n = 31) group. Accommodation and ocular wavefront aberrations in the OK group were measured at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of OK wear, and again at 1 month after stopping OK (13th month). The same procedure was performed in the SVS group at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months. Axial length (AL), accommodative lag area and aberrations including spherical aberration (SA), coma and total higher‐order aberrations (HOAs) were analysed. Results: During OK wear, the accommodative lag area at each visit was lower than the baseline level (all p < 0.01); all aberrations at each visit were higher than pre‐treatment (all p < 0.001). After 1 month of OK treatment, changes in accommodative lag area and SA did not show significant correlation (p = 0.16), but after OK cessation these changes were correlated (p = 0.01). In the OK group, multivariate regression analysis showed changes in accommodative lag area were associated with AL progression in the first 6 months but not in the 1‐year analysis. For the SVS group, there were no significant changes in the accommodative lag area or any aberrations during the study period. Conclusions: Increased HOAs and improved accommodative accuracy were observed during OK treatment, but began to regress after the cessation of OK. A significant positive correlation between improved accommodative accuracy and slowed axial elongation was only observed during the first 6 months of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the relationship between rumination (deliberate or intrusive), emotional expressivity (positive or negative), and posttraumatic growth among patients within 1 month after an accidental injury. Using a cross‐sectional design, 313 patients were investigated in two comprehensive hospitals. The results revealed that intrusive rumination had a significant positive effect on posttraumatic growth, partly through four different pathways: (i) the mediating role of deliberate rumination; (ii) the chain mediating role of deliberate rumination and negative emotional expressivity; (iii) the chain mediating role of negative emotional expressivity and positive emotional expressivity; and (iv) the chain mediating role of negative emotional expressivity, positive emotional expressivity, and deliberate rumination. Interventions to encourage emotional expressivity and facilitate the transition from intrusive rumination to deliberate rumination may promote posttraumatic growth soon after an accidental injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In patients with beta‐thalassaemia intermedia or major, hepcidin induces iron overload by continuously promoting iron absorption. There have been no studies in pregnant women with beta‐thalassaemia minor combined with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), examining whether hepcidin is inhibited by GDF15, as may occur in patients with beta‐thalassaemia intermedia or major, or whether the iron metabolism characteristics and the effect of iron supplementation are consistent with simple IDA in pregnancy. We compared and analysed routine blood parameters, iron metabolism parameters, the GDF15 levels, and the hepcidin levels among four groups, namely the beta‐thalassaemia (β) + IDA, β, IDA, and normal groups. In addition, the β + IDA and IDA groups received iron supplementation for four weeks. We found no statistically significant correlation between hepcidin and GDF15 in any group, but a positive correlation was observed between hepcidin and ferritin. After iron supplementation, the routine blood parameters and iron metabolism parameters in the β + IDA group were improved, and the hepcidin content was significantly increased. These results suggest that in pregnant women with beta‐thalassaemia minor, hepcidin functions normally to maintain iron homeostasis, and that iron supplementation is effective and safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Hong Qu (HQ) is a fermentation starter used to brew Hong Qu rice wine (HQ wine). The regional characteristics and discrimination of HQ are not fully understood. This study elucidates fermentation characteristics of HQ through sensory evaluation and the analysis of six physicochemical characteristics of HQ wine brewed by twenty‐nine HQ from different regions. Results showed that the complex physicochemical indices of HQ wine would be reduced to three principal components – total acidity, total sugars and non‐sugar solids by principal component analysis. Twenty‐nine HQ samples were classified into four clusters by hierarchical cluster analysis – Cluster A, B, C and D. Cluster B only included Gutian HQ (GTQ) brewing base liquors with a fresh and soft taste, the highest sensory scores and low coefficient of variation (CV). The rest three Clusters mainly included Wuyi HQ (WYQ) brewing base liquors with full‐bodied and tasteful flavours, high CV values and different sensory scores. WYQ could brew more good and less below standard liquors, while the quality of HQ wine brewed using GTQ was more even than that of WYQ. Conclusively, the geographical location and processing technology of HQ are the main external factors contributing to the regional characteristics of HQ wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow cytometric sorting is a vital tool in biological research and clinical diagnostics. Theoretically, a high‐speed jet‐in‐air sorter is a fluorescent‐activated cell sorting sorter that ideally processes cells with high purity, yield, and viability. However, high‐speed jet‐in‐air sorting is a complex process due to its inherent requirements for high fluidic stability and electronic and timing precision. Here, we report that an additional manual correction of drop delay leads to improved cell yield. Adding 2% FBS to the loading buffer had no significant effect on the fate of sorted cells in 4 h. However, the addition of a suitable concentration of FBS/BSA in the collecting buffer resulted in a notable increase in cell count and proliferation and a significant decrease in cell apoptosis for cell lines and primary cells. Moreover, the level of gene expression remained steady in the 5% FBS collecting buffer. In summary, here we demonstrate techniques that can be easily followed to refine sorted yields of healthy cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Hybridization is an effective method for the genetic improvement of farmed species. In this study, three broodstock populations (Changjiang, CJ, Dongting, DT, and Dianshan, DS) of oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense were used, and DS was used as the female broodstock. Through three‐line hybridization, two hybrid populations were finally obtained. The F3 generation of the broodstock population and the F1 generation of the hybrid population were cultured indoors for 3 months. Through morphological analysis (cluster analysis, discriminant analysis and path analysis) it was found that the hybrid population and the broodstock had some differences, but not enough to reach the subspecies level, and the dominant traits exhibited differentiation and reorganization. This study identified SNP genetic markers, carried out systematic evolution analysis and genetic diversity analysis and found that the nucleotide diversity π and heterozygosity Het of the hybrid population were higher than those of the broodstock. Among broodstocks, the differentiation index (Fst) of SCD and SDC was smallest (0.055). This research provides some valuable reference for genetic breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient synthesis of long, branched, and complex carbohydrates containing multiple 1,2‐cis glycosidic linkages is a long‐standing challenge. Here, we report a merging reagent modulation and 6‐O‐levulinoyl remote anchimeric assistance glycosylation strategy, which is successfully applied to the first highly stereoselective synthesis of the branched Dendrobium Huoshanense glycans and the linear Longan glycans containing up to 30 contiguous 1,2‐cis glucosidic bonds. DFT calculations shed light on the origin of the much higher stereoselectivities of 1,2‐cis glucosylation with 6‐O‐levulinoyl group than 6‐O‐acetyl or 6‐O‐benzoyl groups. Orthogonal one‐pot glycosylation strategy based on glycosyl ortho‐alkynylbenzoates and ortho‐(1‐phenylvinyl)benzoates has been demonstrated in the efficient synthesis of complex glycans, precluding such issues as aglycon transfer inherent to orthogonal one‐pot synthesis based on thioglycosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The rapid development of the rice wine industry has increased the demand for raw materials worldwide. A fungal strain with good adaptability to rice wine brewing conditions, which can also enhance the utilization rate of raw materials (URRM), thus increasing the production efficiency, was sought in the present research. RESULTS: The strain FJMR24 was successfully isolated and screened from 35 fermentation starters and exhibited high amylase activity (2200.9 ± 18.5 U g−1) and high glucoamylase activity (2330.4 ± 31.9 U g−1). Based on a morphological examination and a sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene and β‐tubulin gene, FJMR24 was identified as Monascus purpureus, which is an edible and versatile fungus that plays a dominant role in the processing of Hong Qu. A moderate pH of 5–6 under incubation at 35 °C for 5–6 days was favorable for the growth and enzyme production of FJMR24. The strain could also tolerate the extreme conditions of 15–45 °C, 18% ethanol (v/v), and an acidity of pH 2. The excellent fermentation adaptability of FJMR24 might enable it to retain high enzyme activity during rice wine brewing. As a result of the action of FJMR24, the URRM of the base liquor increased by around 26% due to increased starch hydrolysis efficiency, which was mainly due to the high unit enzyme activity of FJMR24. CONCLUSION: This study provides perspectives for the application of a M. purpureus strain with high starch hydrolysis activity for enhancing the URRM in traditional rice wine brewing. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) help to identify cancer patients who will benefit from immunotherapy. Protein kinase, DNA‐activated, catalytic subunit (PRKDC) is an important gene for DNA double‐strand break (DSB) repair and central T‐cell tolerance. We aimed to investigate the association between PRKDC mutations and tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor microenvironment (TME), and response to ICI. Whole‐exome sequencing data of 4023 solid tumor samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and panel‐based sequencing data of 3877 solid tumor samples from Geneplus‐Beijing, China, were used to analyze the TMB. The mRNA expression data of 3541 solid tumor samples from TCGA were used to explore the effect of PRKDC mutations on the TME. Four ICI‐treated cohorts were analyzed for verifying the correlation between PRKDC mutations and the response to ICI. In both the TCGA and Geneplus datasets, we found that the TMB in PRKDC mutation samples was significantly higher than in PRKDC wild‐type samples (P < 0.05 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Further, TCGA datasets showed that PRKDC mutation samples were associated with a significantly increased expression of CD8+ T cells, NK cells, immune checkpoint, chemokines, etc. compared to PRKDC wild‐type samples (P < 0.05). In ICI‐treated cohorts, we also found the PRKDC mutations were associated with increased survival (median PFS, not reached vs. 6.8 months, HR, 0.2893; 95% CI, 0.1255–0.6672; P = 0.0650, Hellmann cohort; median OS, 1184 days vs. 250 days, HR, 0.5126; 95% CI, 0.2715–0.9679; P = 0.1020, Allen cohort), and the increase was significant in multivariate analysis (HR, 0.361; 95% CI, 0.155–0.841; P = 0.018, Allen cohort; HR, 0.240 95% CI, 0.058–0.998; P = 0.050, Hellmann cohort). In summary, we found that PRKDC mutation often appeared to co‐exist with deficiency in some other DNA damage repair mechanism and is nonetheless one of the important factors associated with increased TMB, inflamed TME, and better response to ICI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L‐cysteine plays a vital role in organisms, and is an important biomarker for many pathological diseases that seriously affect human health. In the study, a photoelectrochemical (PEC) probe with zinc‐tetramine phthalocyanine covalently grafted to graphene oxide (ZnTAPc‐Gr) was developed for L‐cysteine detection. Graphene oxide (GO) with carboxyl was used to immobilize zinc‐tetramine phthalocyanine (ZnTAPc) with amidogen (a graft structure formed by an amide covalent bond), which could firmly immobilize ZnTAPc, thereby improving the photoelectrochemical performance and stability. L‐cysteine molecule, an electron acceptor, was specifically recognized by the PEC probe, exhibiting a decrease in the photocurrent signal. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the fabricated PEC probe exhibited excellent performance in L‐cysteine analysis within a linear range of 0.25–113 μM and a detection limit of 11.4 nM. The PEC probe showed high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. The method described herein provides an effective strategy for PEC probe construction for L‐cysteine detection, and can also serve as a promising PEC platform for the analyses of other small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of long, branched, and complex carbohydrate sequences remains a challenging task in chemical synthesis. Reported here is an efficient and modular one‐pot synthesis of a nona‐decasaccharide and shorter sequences from Psidium guajava polysaccharides, which have the potent α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity. The synthetic strategy features: 1) several one‐pot glycosylation reactions on the basis of N‐phenyltrifluoroacetimidate (PTFAI) and Yu glycosylation to streamline the chemical synthesis of oligosaccharides, 2) the successful and efficient assembly sequences (first O3′, second O5′, final O2′) toward the challenging 2,3,5‐branched Araf motif, 3) the stereoselective 1,2‐cis‐glucosylation by reagent control, and 4) the convergent [6+6+7] one‐pot coupling reaction for the final assembly of the target nona‐decasaccharide. This orthogonal one‐pot glycosylation strategy can streamline the chemical synthesis of long, branched, and complicated carbohydrate chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the fabrication and characterization of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) rifampicin sensor based on graphene oxide grafted with Ni tetraamino phthalocyanine was described, which presents an excellent PEC activity, sensitivity, and material stability. The synthesized graphene oxide grafted with Ni tetraamino phthalocyanine was characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. Specifically, detection for rifampicin was based on the reduction of photocurrent caused by binding of the analyte to the sensing electrode surface. The fabricated sensor was characterized in a broad linear response range (0.025–71.3 μM) and with a low detection limit (2.5 nM), outperforming the previously reported sensors and thus being well suited for quality control and other applications, as confirmed by successful real‐life sample testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on the copper tetraamino‐phthalocyanine‐modified ITO electrode (CuTAPc/ITO) was designed for the determination of nifedipine. The prepared CuTAPc materials were characterized using UV–Visible spectrophotometry (UVS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Then, the CuTAPc solution was coated on the ITO electrode surface to fabricate a simple PEC sensing platform. Then, the photoelectrochemical behavior of nifedipine at the CuTAPc/ITO electrode was investigated by chronoamperometry under ultraviolet light irradiation. The obtained results indicated that the modified electrode showed a higher response signal than the blank electrode. The photocurrent of CuTAPc/ITO increased with the increasing concentration of nifedipine. The peak photocurrents were linearly dependent on the nifedipine concentration in the range of 0.25–18.0 μmol/L, thereby providing the detection limit of 0.15 μmol/L (S/N = 3). Due to the good responses for the determination of nifedipine, this sensor can be used as an alternative analysis tool for the detection of nifedipine in various real samples with high sensitivity, low detection limit, and wide linearity range. Scheme 1: The schematic of electron transfer of PEC sensor based on CuTAPc/ITO electrode.PEC sensor detection mechanism: The electron‐transfer mechanism of the PEC sensor with CuTAPc/ITO as the working electrode was proposed in the B‐R electrolyte containing NP (shown in Scheme). The light was turned ON/OFF every 20 s. The sensitivity (A/V) was 10−6 and the applied potential was 0.26 V. When CuTAPc/ITO was stimulated by UV light, the photogenerated electrons transferred on the CuTAPc from the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB) results in the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Electrons of CB transfer to ITO electrode. Meanwhile, NP was served as an outstanding electron donor and transfer electron to the hole of valence simultaneously, thus photocurrent signals were generated and further prevented the reorganization of photogenerated electrons and holes. If the content of NP is different, the photocurrent of the modified electrode will change. According to the above mechanism, PEC sensor based on CuTAPc/ITO electrode can be developed to determine NP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quantum dot light‐emitting devices (QLEDs), originally developed for displays, were recently demonstrated to be promising light sources for various photomedical applications, including photodynamic therapy cancer cell treatment and photobimodulation cell metabolism enhancement. With exceptional emission wavelength tunability and potential flexibility, QLEDs could enable wearable, targeted photomedicine with maximized absorption of different medical photosensitizers. In this paper, we report, for the first time, the in vitro study to demonstrate that QLEDs‐based photodynamic therapy can effectively kill Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic‐resistant bacterium. We then present successful synthesis of highly efficient quantum dots with narrow spectra and specific peak wavelengths to match the absorption peaks of different photosensitizers for targeted photomedicine. Flexible QLEDs with a peak external quantum efficiency of 8.2% and a luminance of over 20,000 cd/m2 at a low driving voltage of 6 V were achieved. The tunable, flexible QLEDs could be employed for oral cancer treatment or diabetic wound repairs in the near future. These results represent one fresh stride toward realizing QLEDs' long‐term goal to enable the wide clinical adoption of photomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in developed countries. Most academic research efforts in cardiovascular disease management focus on pharmacological interventions, or are concerned with discovering new disease markers for diagnosis and monitoring. Nonpharmacological interventions with therapeutic devices, conversely, are driven largely by novel materials and device design. Examples of such devices include coronary stents, heart valves, ventricular assist devices, and occluders for septal defects. Until recently, development of such devices remained largely with medical device companies. We trace the materials evolution story in two of these devices (stents and occluders), while also highlighting academic contributions, including our own, to the evolution story. Specifically, it addresses not only our successes, but also the challenges facing the translatability of concepts generated via academic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While OLEDs have struggled to find a niche lighting application that can fully take advantage of their unique form factors as thin, flexible, lightweight and uniformly large-area luminaire, photomedical researchers have been in search of low-cost, effective illumination devices with such form factors that could facilitate widespread clinical applications of photodynamic therapy (PDT) or photobiomodulation (PBM). Although existing OLEDs with either fluorescent or phosphorescent emitters cannot achieve the required high power density at the right wavelength windows for photomedicine, the recently developed ultrabright and efficient deep red quantum dot light emitting devices (QLEDs) can nicely fit into this niche. Here, we report for the first time the in-vitro study to demonstrate that this QLED-based photomedical approach could increase cell metabolism over control systems for PBM and kill cancerous cells efficiently for PDT. The perspective of developing wavelength-specific, flexible QLEDs for two critical photomedical fields (wound repair and cancer treatment) will be presented with their potential impacts summarized. The work promises to generate flexible QLED-based light sources that could enable the widespread use and clinical acceptance of photomedical strategies including PDT and PBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Mg-doped LiNbO3 nanoparticles are prepared and their photocatalytic ability is studied for bioorganic degradation application. It is found that their photocatalytic ability shows a pronounced dependence on the Mg-doping levels, and in particular an unusual threshold effect exists at the 2-mol%-doping level. Moreover, X-ray diffraction ( XRD), SEM, and differential scanning calorimetry ( DSC) analyses show that the similar threshold effect also exists in the Mg-doping dependences of the crystalline anisotropy, morphology, and endothermic behavior of these LiNbO3 nanoparticles. The relevance between the basic properties and the photocatalytic activity of the LiNbO3 nanoparticles is discussed, and their Mg-doping dependences are finally connected with the (NbLi)4+ and (MgNb)3− defects in the lattice. It is suggested that both the morphology and the lattice defects of LiNbO3 nanoparticles contribute to the photocatalytic activity and that trapping holes is the essential way through which the (MgNb)3− defects make the contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasible route toward the sustainable synthesis of chemicals was provided via the transformation of monoterpene pinenes into pinane. This article discusses the conversion of pinenes to pinane over spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (SFCCC)-supported nickel (Ni/SFCCC) at 110-130 °C and 2-6 MPa. The Ni/SFCCC catalyst was characterized by BET, XRD, SEM-EDS, ICP, and FTIR. These measurements revealed that not only did the noble metal-free catalyst Ni/SFCCC enhance the hydrogenation of pinenes to pinane, but a high cis-trans ratio was also obtained: the conversion of pinenes and the cis-trans ratio reached 98.48 % and 13.89, respectively. By fitting the kinetic data via the power-law model, the hydrogenation of pinenes followed first-order reaction kinetics, with the apparent activation energies for the hydrogenation of pinenes to cis- and trans-pinane being 59.42 kJ/mol and 98.38 kJ/mol, respectively. The kinetic models described the formation of cis- and trans-pinane well, with satisfactory accuracy compared to experimental observations. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism was derived via the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RATIONALE With the increased mass accuracy and resolution in commercialized mass spectrometers, new developments on shotgun lipidomics could be expected with increased speed, dynamic range, and coverage over lipid species and classes. However, we found that the major issue by using high mass accuracy/resolution instruments to search lipid species is the partial overlap between the two-13C-atom-containing isotopologue of a species M (i.e., M+2 isotopologue) and the ion of a species with one less double bond than M (assigned here as L). This partial overlap alone could cause a mass shift of the species L to the lower mass end up to 12 ppm around m/z 750 as well as significant peak broadening. METHODS We developed an approach for accurate mass searching by exploring one of the major features of shotgun lipidomics data that lipid species of a class are present in ion clusters where neighboring masses from different species differ by one or a few double bonds. In the approach, a mass-searching window of 18 ppm (from -15 to 3 ppm) was first searched for an entire group of species of a lipid class. Then accurate mass searching of the plus one 13C isotopologue of individual species was used to eliminate the potential false positive. RESULTS The approach was extensively validated through comparing with the species determined by the multi-dimensional MS-based shotgun lipidomics platform. The newly developed strategy of accurate mass searching enables the overlapped L species to be identified and the corresponding peak intensities to be acquired. CONCLUSIONS We believe that this novel approach could substantially broaden the applications of high mass accurate/resolution mass spectrometry for shotgun lipidomics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Xylanases have attracted considerable interest in recent years owing to their various applications in industry and agriculture. The use of transgenic plants to produce xylanases is a less expensive alternative to biotechnological programmes. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether introducing a foreign xylanase gene ATX into rice had any adverse effect on plant growth and development. RESULTS: A recombinant xylanase gene ATX was introduced into rice variety Zhonghua 11 through Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation. The T2 generation of transgenic rice was compared with the control (non‐transgenic plants). Exogenous xylanase gene ATX was expressed in rice, and all examined transgenic lines exhibited xylanase activity. The transgenic lines (T2, ‘X1‐3’ and ‘X2‐5’) appeared to grow and develop normally. There were no differences in net photosynthetic rate between transgenic rice lines (‘X1‐3’ and ‘X2‐5’) and wild type (WT) rice plants at the heading/flowering stage. Xylanases are key enzymes in the degradation of plant cell walls. Cell wall composition analysis showed that that there were no changes in cell wall polysaccharides in the root apex but some alterations in leaves in transgenic rice plants. The results also showed that the expression of exogenous xylanase gene ATX in rice would increase the expression of endogenous xylanase inhibitor gene RIXI, which could play a role in plant defence. Thus the stress resistance of transgenic rice plants might be improved. CONCLUSION: Exogenous xylanase gene ATX could be successfully expressed in rice, and the exogenous protein had no apparent harmful effects on growth and development in transgenic rice plants. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]