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Abstract Background Determining the optimal timing of surgical intervention for Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) poses significant challenges. This study develops a predictive model using the long short-term memory network (LSTM) with a focal loss (FL) to identify infants at risk of developing Bell IIB + NEC early and issue timely surgical warnings. Methods Data from 791 neonates diagnosed with NEC are gathered from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), encompassing 35 selected features. Infants are categorized into those requiring surgical intervention (n = 257) and those managed medically (n = 534) based on the Mod-Bell criteria. A fivefold cross-validation approach is employed for training and testing. The LSTM algorithm is utilized to capture and utilize temporal relationships in the dataset, with FL employed as a loss function to address class imbalance. Model performance metrics include precision, recall, F1 score, and average precision (AP). Results The model tested on a real dataset demonstrated high performance. Predicting surgical risk 1 day in advance achieved precision (0.913 ± 0.034), recall (0.841 ± 0.053), F1 score (0.874 ± 0.029), and AP (0.917 ± 0.025). The 2-days-in-advance predictions yielded (0.905 ± 0.036), recall (0.815 ± 0.057), F1 score (0.857 ± 0.035), and AP (0.905 ± 0.029). Conclusion The LSTM model with FL exhibits high precision and recall in forecasting the need for surgical intervention 1 or 2 days ahead. This predictive capability holds promise for enhancing infants’ outcomes by facilitating timely clinical decisions.

Abstract Ranula is a mucous cyst that occurs in the sublingual gland (SLG) in the floor of the mouth. It can be classified into two types based on origins: One is the the lesser sublingual gland (LSLG) in the anterior segment and the Rivini duct, which is connected to it, and the other is the greater sublingual gland (GSLG) in the posterior segment. Because of the anatomical characteristics, surgical resection of the cysts carries the risk of damaging adjacent tissues and has a high recurrence rate. Intralesional injection of sclerotherapy may be a better alternative treatment. We summarized 65 cases of ranula treated with intralesional injections of bleomycin(BML). According to the origin of the ranula, 60 cases were from the LSLG and the Rivini duct, and 5 cases were from the GSLG. The results showed that 60 cases of ranula from LSLG and Rivini ducts were 100% cured during the follow-up period. The median number of injections for all patients was 1.16. All 5 cases of ranula from the GSLG did not wholly recover. This study confirmed that BLM intralesional injection is a safe and effective treatment modality for cysts from LSLG or the ducts of Rivini rather than GSLG. Therefore, before treatment, it is necessary to determine the type and origin of the cyst by characterizing its morphology to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment.

Abstract Background Mutations in the SLC5A7 gene cause congenital myasthenia, a rare genetic disorder. Mutation points in the SLC5A7 gene differ among individuals and encompass various genetic variations; however, exon deletion variants have yet to be reported in related cases. This study aims to explore the clinical phenotype and genetic traits of a patient with congenital myasthenic syndrome due to SLC5A7 gene variation and those of their family members. Case presentation We describe a case of a Chinese male with congenital myasthenic syndrome presenting fluctuating limb weakness. Genetic testing revealed a heterozygous deletion mutation spanning exons 1–9 in the SLC5A7 gene. QPCR confirmed a deletion in exon 9 of the SLC5A7 gene in the patient’s mother and brother. Clinical symptoms of myasthenia improved following treatment with pyridostigmine. Conclusion Exons 1, 5, and 9 of the SLC5A7 gene encode the choline transporter’s transmembrane region. Mutations in these exons can impact the stability and plasma membrane levels of the choline transporter. Thus, a heterozygous deletion in exons 1–9 of the SLC5A7 gene could be the pathogenic cause for this patient. In patients exhibiting fluctuating weakness, positive RNS, and seronegativity for myasthenia gravis antibodies, a detailed family history should be considered, and enhanced genetic testing is recommended to determine the cause.

As a by-product of oil extraction, walnut meal was often used as feed or discarded, resulting in a waste of a large amount of high-quality protein resources. In this paper, for the high-value utilization of walnut meal resources, the highest content of glutelin was used as raw material to prepare walnut glutelin bacteriostatic peptide by solid-state fermentation with Bacillus subtilis and alkaline protease. The polypeptide content and the diameter of the inhibition zone of Staphylococcus aureus were used as the response values to optimize the optimal bacterial enzyme synergistic solid-state fermentation process parameters by single factor test. and response surface test. The thermal stability of the prepared glutelin bacteriostatic peptide was investigated. The results showed that the single factor test showed that the glutelin bacteriostatic peptide had a certain inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The optimal fermentation process parameters under the response surface test were as follows: Inoculation amount 5%, solid-liquid ratio 1:1.5, fermentation temperature 43 ℃, fermentation time 3 d, and enzyme dosage 400 U/g. Under the optimal process conditions, the peptide content reached 26.35±1.29 mg/g, and the diameter of the inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus was 15.50±1.53 mm. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that glutelin antimicrobial peptides had higher thermal stability than glutelin. This study showed that the bacteriostatic peptide prepared by solid-state fermentation of walnut glutelin with enzyme has a good bacteriostatic effect and relatively stable structure.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the psychological stress experienced by frontline medical staff during the Yangbi Earthquake and to understand how coping strategies and social support influence stress responses.MethodsFrom days 3 to 14 post-earthquake, online questionnaires were administered to frontline medical staff to assess perceived social support, coping strategies, and psychological stress responses using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Trait Coping Strategies Questionnaire (TCSQ), and Stress Response Questionnaire (SRQ). Data analysis included correlation analysis to explore relationships between variables, multiple linear regression to identify key predictors of stress, and path analysis to determine direct and indirect effects.ResultsA total of 253 valid questionnaires were analyzed, with a participant composition of 81.82% females and 18.18% males, and the majority being nurses (62.06%). Psychological stress responses varied by gender and age, with females and older age groups showing higher physical stress responses (P < 0.05). Correlation and regression analyses indicated that negative coping and lower levels of social support were associated with increased stress responses (P < 0.05). Path analysis revealed that intra-family and extra-family support influenced stress responses directly and indirectly through coping strategies (P < 0.05).ConclusionThis study suggests that perceived social support directly influences stress responses in frontline medical personnel during disasters, with coping strategies mediating this effect. Future research should explore these dynamics over time through longitudinal studies.

IntroductioncGMP-dependent protein kinase 1 (PRKG1) has shown to be associated with some tumorigenesis, while the role of PRKG1 in bladder cancer is unclear.MethodsTo investigate the biological and clinical significance of PRKG1 in bladder cancer, we detected the expression of PRKG1 and explored the function of PRKG1 in bladder cancer cells. The PRKG1 transcripts data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and immunohistochemistry staining was conducted on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample tissues. Relationship between clinical characteristics of patients and expression of PRKG1 was analyzed in FFPE samples, TCGA database, and GSE19423 dataset. PRKG1 was over-expressed, and cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and spheroidizing ability were then detected. Chemosensitivity to cisplatin was detected with cell viability, and half-maximal drug inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated. In addition, the relation between PRKG1 expression and the infiltration level of tumor immune cells in tumor microenvironment were analyzed.ResultsThe results showed expression of PRKG1 was lower in bladder cancer, compared with normal tissues both at protein and transcript levels. Lower PRKG1 expression was related to higher tumor grade, T stage, and muscle invasion, also predicted worse overall survival and recurrence free survival in patients treated with Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) intravesical immunotherapy. Analysis of tumor immune cells infiltration showed lower PRKG1 was associated with non-inflamed tumor microenvironment.ConclusionThe present study firstly identified the anti-tumor role and tumor immune regulatory role of PRKG1, also found loss of PRKG1 could be used as a prognosis factor. The present study provided a potential biomarker and therapy target to bladder cancer.

To ensure a safe and stable CO2 storage, pressure responses at an observation well are expected to be an important and useful field monitoring item to estimate the CO2 storage behaviors and the aquifer parameters during and after injecting CO2, because it can detect whether the injected CO2 leaks to the ground surface or the bottom of the sea. In this study, pressure responses were simulated to present design factors such as well location and pressure transmitter of the observation well. Numerical simulations on the pressure response and the time-delay from pressure build-up after CO2 injection were conducted by considering aquifer parameters and distance from the CO2 injection well to an observation well. The measurement resolution of a pressure transmitter installed in the observation well was presented based on numerical simulation results of the pressure response against pressure build-up at the injection well and CO2 plume front propagations. Furthermore, the pressure response at an observation well was estimated by comparing the numerical simulation results with the curve of CO2 saturation and relative permeability. It was also suggested that the analytical solution can be used for the analysis of the pressure response tendency using pressure build-up and dimensionless parameters of hydraulic diffusivity. Thus, a criterion was established for selecting a pressure transducer installed at an observation well to monitor the pressure responses with sufficient accuracy and resolution, considering the distance from the injection well and the pressure build-up at the injection well, for future carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major inducement of nosocomial infections and its biofilm formation render the high tolerance to conventional antibiotics, which highlights the requirement to develop new antimicrobial agents urgently. In this study, we identified a fluorinated benzimidazole derivative, TFBZ, with potent antibacterial efficacy toward planktonic MRSA (MIC = 4 μg/mL, MBC = 8 μg/mL) and its persistent biofilms (≥99%, MBEC = 8 μg/mL). TFBZ manifested significant irreversible time-dependent killing against MRSA as characterized by diminished cell viability, bacterial morphological change and protein leakage. Furthermore, the results from CBD devices, crystal violet assay in conjunction with live/dead staining and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that TFBZ was capable of eradicating preformed MRSA biofilms with high efficiency. Simultaneously, TFBZ reduced the bacterial invasiveness and exerted negligible hemolysis and cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells, which ensuring the robust therapeutic effect on mouse skin abscess model. The transcriptome profiling and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that a set of encoding genes associated with cell adhesion, biofilm formation, translation process, cell wall biosynthesis was consistently downregulated in MRSA biofilms upon exposure to TFBZ. In conclusion, TFBZ holds promise as a valuable candidate for therapeutic applications against MRSA chronic infections.

Background: Cardiac fibrosis increases with age. Fibroblast activation plays an essential role in cardiac fibrosis. Histone modifications are involved in various chromatin-dependent processes. Attenuation of the histone H3 trimethylation on lysine 27 demethylase UTX by RNA interference or heterozygous mutation extends lifespan in worm. The objective of this study was to explore whether epigenetic silencing of UTX mitigates aging-associated cardiac fibrosis. Methods: Middle-aged mice (15 months old) were used and started to receive adeno-associated virus-scrambled-small hairpin RNA and adeno-associated virus-UTX-small hairpin RNA every 3 months from 15 months to 21 months, respectively. The mice were euthanized at 24 months of age (length of the study). Results: Adeno-associated virus-UTX-small hairpin RNA delivery significantly attenuated aging-associated increase in blood pressure, especially in diastolic blood pressure, indicating silencing of UTX rescued aging-associated cardiac dysfunction. Aging-associated cardiac fibrosis is characterized by fibroblast activation and abundant extracellular matrix deposition, including collagen deposition and alpha smooth muscle actin activation. Silencing of UTX abolished collagen deposition and alpha smooth muscle actin activation, decreased serum transforming growth factor β, blocked cardiac fibroblasts-to-myofi brobl asts trans-differentiation by elevation of cardiac resident mature fibroblast markers, TCF21, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, which are important proteins for maintaining cardiac fibroblast physiological function. In the mechanistic study, adeno-associated virus-UTX-small hairpin RNA blocked transforming growth factor β-induced cardiac fibroblasts-to-myofibroblasts trans-differentiation in isolated fibroblasts from 24-month-old mouse heart. The same results demonstrated as the in vivo study. Conclusions: Silencing of UTX attenuates aging-associated cardiac fibrosis via blocking cardiac fibroblasts-to-myofibroblasts trans-differentiation and consequently attenuates aging-associated cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis.

Abstract Retrosynthesis is a procedure where a target molecule is transformed into potential reactants and thus the synthesis routes can be identified. Recently, computational approaches have been developed to accelerate the design of synthesis routes. In this paper,we develop a generative framework G 2 Retro for one-step retrosynthesis prediction. G 2 Retro imitates the reversed logic of synthetic reactions. It first predicts the reaction centers in the target molecules (products), identifies the synthons needed to assemble the products, and transforms these synthons into reactants. G 2 Retro defines a comprehensive set of reaction center types, and learns from the molecular graphs of the products to predict potential reaction centers. To complete synthons into reactants, G 2 Retro considers all the involved synthon structures and the product structures to identify the optimal completion paths, and accordingly attaches small substructures sequentially to the synthons. Here we show that G 2 Retro is able to better predict the reactants for given products in the benchmark dataset than the state-of-the-art methods.

Deformable support systems are a new support technology for preventing geo-hazards such as large deformations of engineering rock masses, rock bursts, and roof falling. An intelligent terminal structure (ITS) is a device that consists of a memory tooth and a yield ring. It is assembled at the end of a traditional cable bolt and has the dual functions of adapting to the large deformation of rock masses and sensing the deformation of surrounding rock masses. This study focuses on adapting support systems to the deformation of rock masses dilation of tunnels and other underground engineering projects and monitoring the support systems. The design principle of the ITS of a cable bolt and the technical method for the perception of the deformation of a rock mass are proposed. The results determined that the CB-T6.0-R4.5 design parameters of the ITS of a cable bolt for a deformation support system of surrounding rock masses. This is beneficial for accurately recording the stress and deformation behavior of rock masses through the deformation of the ITS of a cable bolt. Therefore, the cable bolt with an ITS has important value for applications in deformable support technology and safety monitoring of engineering rock mass reinforcement.

In the food refrigeration industry, the single-stage compression refrigerating system cannot meet the operating conditions of a high-pressure ratio when the evaporating temperature decreases. The cascade refrigerating system (CRS) is an alternative technical solution to solving the mentioned problem. This paper studied single-refrigerant pairs used in CRS. The single-refrigerant pairs R32/R32, R125/R125, R1270/R1270, R143a/R143a, R404A/R404A, R407A/R407A, R410A/R410A, and R507A/R507A were adopted to evaluate their operating characteristics compared with those of the traditional R23/R404A CRS. The operation adaptability of the compressor, the optimal operating parameters, the coefficient of performance (COP), and the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) were analyzed under different single-refrigerant pairs. The results show that the COP of the traditional CRS can be improved by using single-refrigerant pairs. The COP of R32/R32, R125/R125, R1270/R1270, R143a/R143a, R404A/R404A, R410A/R410A, and R507A/R507A were improved by 19.48%, 8.08%, 21.54%, 14.33%, 11.00%, 15.64%, and 12.11%, respectively. In addition, the SEER of the single-refrigerant CRS was higher than that of R23/R404A CRS. This could reduce energy consumption and save energy in typical cities in five major climatic zones of China. Considering COP, flammability, and safety, the application of R1270/R1270 and R32/R32 in a CRS with a low refrigerant charge is recommended. Meanwhile, R410A/R410A may be used in a CRS with a large refrigerant charge. These results provide a theoretical basis for the application of the single-refrigerant CRS.

In order to determine the heat transfer rate of CO2, heat transfer criterion equations were selected and validated using experiment data. The impacts of various operating conditions and structural parameters on CO2 air coolers were numerical simulation investigated. The results show that the inlet dryness and mass flow rate are proportional to heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and pressure drop (PD). When the mass flow reaches 240 kg/h, CO2 reaches the critical state, and further increasing the mass flow rate has little effect on the HTC. The HTC reaches its maximum value at a dryness of 0.2, after which, it decreases due to the flow pattern changing from wavy/intermittent flow to annular flow. Moreover, the tube spacing, tube diameter, and fin spacing affect the HTC, heat exchange area, and heat exchange capacity differently. Hence, a thoroughly consideration of the structural parameter design is crucial during the actual design process.

Sun et al. has studied the genetically encodable halotyrosines in proteins of the prokaryotic cell division machinery to elucidate the general role of halogenation in cellular lifespan and oxidative damage-induced diseases such as aging and cancer.

BackgroundNon-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques offer new therapeutic options for modifying pathological neuroplasticity and have been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the role of NIBS in treating catatonia.Materials and methodsWe conducted a systematic search to identify meta-analyses or systematic reviews on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and studies on the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on patients with catatonia from the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet, Wanfang, and China Science and Technology Journal databases from inception until 31 July 2022. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with the AMSTAR2 or Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare changes in catatonia symptom scores after rTMS or tDCS.ResultsA total of 13 systematic reviews and one meta-analysis on ECT, two systematic reviews and 12 case reports on rTMS, and seven studies of 14 cases applying tDCS were identified. Systematic reviews of ECT consistently described improvement in catatonia symptoms across catatonia types and patient age groups. After treatment with rTMS (t = 4.489, p = 0.006) and tDCS (z = −3.065, p = 0.002), patients exhibited significant improvement.ConclusionECT, rTMS, and tDCS were effective in treating catatonia. Early intervention with NIBS techniques may help improve catatonia symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. It may be advantageous to use rTMS or tDCS to maintain this improvement. NIBS techniques may thus represent a promising treatment for catatonia, but additional high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed.

Phototherapy, which generally refers to photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), has received significant attention over the past few years since it is non-invasive, has effective selectivity, and has few side effects. As a result, it has become a promising alternative to traditional clinical treatments. At present, two-dimensional materials (2D materials) have proven to be at the forefront of the development of advanced nanomaterials due to their ultrathin structures and fascinating optical properties. As a result, much work has been put into developing phototherapy platforms based on 2D materials. This review summarizes the current developments in 2D materials beyond graphene for phototherapy, focusing on the novel approaches of PTT and PDT. New methods are being developed to go above and beyond conventional treatment to fully use the potential of 2D materials. Additionally, the efficacy of cutting-edge phototherapy is assessed, and the existing difficulties and future prospects of 2D materials for phototherapy are covered.

Limited stem cells and mismatched interface fusion have plagued biomaterial-mediated cranial reconstruction. Here, the authors engineer an instantly fixable and self-adaptive scaffold to promote calcium chelation and interface integration, regulate macrophage M2 polarization, and recruit endogenous stem cells.

Snakebite envenoming can be a life-threatening medical emergency that requires prompt medical intervention to neutralise the effects of venom toxins. Each year up to 138,000 people die from snakebites and threefold more victims suffer life-altering disabilities. The current treatment of snakebite relies solely on antivenom—polyclonal antibodies isolated from the plasma of hyperimmunised animals—which is associated with numerous deficiencies. The ADDovenom project seeks to deliver a novel snakebite therapy, through the use of an innovative protein-based scaffold as a next-generation antivenom. The ADDomer is a megadalton-sized, thermostable synthetic nanoparticle derived from the adenovirus penton base protein; it has 60 high-avidity binding sites to neutralise venom toxins. Here, we outline our experimental strategies to achieve this goal using state-of-the-art protein engineering, expression technology and mass spectrometry, as well as in vitro and in vivo venom neutralisation assays. We anticipate that the approaches described here will produce antivenom with unparalleled efficacy, safety and affordability.

Energy is an essential topic owing to the severe environmental problems faced worldwide, especially in underdeveloped rural areas. Energy literacy is closely related to energy consumption and conservation behaviors in daily life. Although the energy attitudes and behaviors of communities can determine the sustainable development of rural tourism, less attention has been paid to the energy literacy of rural communities. This study adopted a measurable scale to compare the energy literacy levels between 188 questionnaires from rural residents in tourism communities and 195 questionnaires from non-tourism communities both in the Jizhou District, China. A theoretical model was constructed to investigate the relationships between the variables. Additionally, this study verified the influence of rural tourism activities on communities’ energy literacy by comparing different villages. The results showed that rural communities have high levels of energy literacy in the knowledge, attitude, and behavioral sectors. Positive relationships between knowledge and attitude and between attitudes and behaviors were estimated. However, the positive impact of knowledge on behavior was inconspicuous. The most important theoretical contribution of this study is the confirmation of the significant differences in energy literacy between traditional and rural tourism destination communities, thus proving the improvement in communities’ energy literacy induced by tourism development. Finally, this study presents practical implications for policymakers.

Objective This systematic review aims to examine the influencing factors of undergraduates’ depressive symptoms by summarizing the categories and intensity of the factors, to lay a foundation for subsequent research. Methods Two authors independently searched in Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopu, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP Database), China National Knowledge database (CNKI), and the WanFang database for cohort studies related to the influencing factors affecting depressive symptoms among undergraduates published prior to September 12, 2022. Adjusted Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to assess the risk of bias. Meta-analyses of regression coefficient estimates were performed to calculate pooled estimates with R 4.0.3 software. Results A total of 73 cohort studies were included, involving 46362 participants from 11 countries. Factors affecting depressive symptoms were classified into relational, psychological, predictors of response to trauma, occupational, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. In Meta-analysis, 4 of 7 influencing factors were revealed to be statistically significant: negative coping (B = 0.98, 95%CI: 0.22–1.74), rumination (B = 0.06, 95%CI: 0.01–0.11), stress (OR = 0.22, 95%CI: 0.16–0.28) and childhood abuse (B = 0.42, 95%CI:0.13–0.71). No significant association was found in positive coping, gender and ethnicity. Limitations The current studies have the problems of inconsistent use of scales and large heterogeneity of research design, making it difficult to summarize, which is expected to be further improved in future research. Conclusion This review evidences the importance of several influencing factors of depressive symptoms among undergraduates. We advocate for more high-quality studies with more coherent and appropriate study designs and outcome measurement approaches in this field. Trial registration Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration CRD42021267841.

Background. To primarily investigate the effect of using a clinical decision support system (CDSS) in community health centers in Shanghai, China, on the proportion of patients prescribed guideline-directed antithrombotic therapy. This study also gauged the general practitioner (GP)’s acceptance of the CDSS who worked in the atrial fibrillation (AF) special consulting room of the CDSS group. Methods. This was a prospective cohort study that included a semistructured interview and a feasibility study for a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Eligible patients who sought medical care in the AF special consulting rooms in two community health centers in Shanghai, China, between April 1, 2020, and October 1, 2020, were enrolled, and their medical records from the enrollment date, up to October 1, 2021, were extracted. Based on whether the GPs in the AF special consulting rooms of the two sites used the CDSS or not, we classified the two sites as a software group and a control group. The CDSS could automatically assess the risks of stroke and bleeding and provide suggestions on treatment, follow-up, adjustment of anticoagulants or dosage, and other items. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients prescribed guideline-directed antithrombotic therapy. We also conducted a semistructured interview with the GP in the AF special consulting rooms of the software group regarding the acceptance of the CDSS and suggestions on the optimization of the CDSS and the study protocol of the cluster-randomized controlled trial in the future. Results. Eighty-four patients completed the follow-up. The mean age of these subjects was 75.71 years, the median time of clinical visits was six times per person, and the follow-up duration was 15 months. The basic demographics were similar between the two groups, except for age (t = 2.109, p = 0.038) and the HAS-BLED score (χ2 = 4.363, p = 0.037). The primary outcome in the software group was 8.071 times higher than that in the control group (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 8.071, 95% confidence interval (2.570–25.344), p

Higher education is coming under increasing pressure. Central to this is the global growth in disruptive technologies, accelerated by responses to the recent global pandemic. The pressure on how education is taught is immense, especially as concurrently there is a change in the career objectives of graduates, and the skill sets required by employers, with transferability high on the wish list. This paper provides a discussion and case study of how one institution has taken up this challenge through the development of a new educational model, named Syntegrative Education. It highlights how Syntegrative Education, through symbiotic partnerships with industry, creates an industry-oriented ecosystem, embracing learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and social interaction, matching the learning experience with dynamic AI oriented industry employability demands, ensuring all graduates are future ready with entrepreneurial graduate attributes. The case study focuses specifically on the innovative change to delivery and assessment. Through the industry partnerships, students are introduced to research and inquiry based learning through real-life problems, proposed and initiated by industry. Industry also works as mentors for the students alongside academics. The article concludes by highlighting the potential for other institutions who wish to follow the same route of curriculum development.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder that can have three phenotypical presentations: inattentive (I-ADHD), hyperactive-impulsive (HI-ADHD), and combined (C-ADHD). Environmental factors correlated with the gut microbiota community have been implicated in the development of ADHD. However, whether different ADHD symptomatic presentations are associated with distinct microbiota compositions and whether patients could benefit from the correction of aberrant bacterial colonization are still largely unclear. We carried out metagenomic shotgun analysis with 207 human fecal samples to characterize the gut microbial profiles of patients with ADHD grouped according to their phenotypical presentation. Then, we transplanted the candidate low-abundance bacteria identified in patient subgroups into ADHD rats and evaluated ADHD-associated behaviors and neuronal activation in these rats. Patients with C-ADHD had a different gut microbial composition from that of healthy controls (HCs) (p = .02), but not from that of I-ADHD patients. Eight species became progressively attenuated or enriched when comparing the compositions of HCs to those of I-ADHD and C-ADHD; in particular, the abundance of Bacteroides ovatus was depleted in patients with C-ADHD. In turn, Bacteroides ovatus supplementation ameliorated spatial working memory deficits and reversed θ electroencephalogram rhythm alterations in ADHD rats. In addition, Bacteroides ovatus induced enhanced neuronal activation in the hippocampal CA1 subregion. These findings indicate that gut microbial characteristics that are unique to patients with C-ADHD may be masked when considering a more heterogeneous group of patients. We link the gut microbiota to brain function in an ADHD animal model, suggesting the relevance of testing a potential bacteria-based intervention for some aspects of ADHD.

Abstract Background Urban birth and upbringing show consistent associations with psychotic illness but the key urban exposures remain unknown. Associations with psychotic-like experiences (PEs) are inconsistent. These could be confounded by common mental disorders associated with PEs. Furthermore, associations between PEs and urban exposures may not extrapolate to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Methods Annual cross-sectional surveys among first year Chinese undergraduates 2014–2019 (n = 47,004). Self-reported, hierarchical categorisation of psychosis: from psychoticism, paranoid ideation, schizotypal symptoms, nuclear syndrome using SCL-90-R, to clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia. Depressive symptoms using PHQ 9. Dissociative symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measured using PCL-C. Etiological factors of family history and childhood disadvantage. We studied effects of urban birth, urban living and critical times of exposure in childhood on psychosis phenotypes. Results Associations with urbanicity were found only after adjustments for depression. Urban birth was associated with paranoia (AOR 1.34, 1.18–1.53), schizotypal symptoms (AOR 1.59, 1.29–1.96), and schizophrenia (AOR 2.07, 1.10–3.87). The same phenotypes showed associations with urban residence > 10 years. Only schizophrenia showed an association with urban exposure birth-3 years (AOR 7.01, 1.90–25.86). Child maltreatment was associated with both psychosis and depression. Urbanicity measured across the total sample did not show any associations with demography, family history of psychosis, or child maltreatment. Sensitivity analysis additionally adjusting for dissociative symptoms and PTSD showed the same pattern of findings. Conclusions Urban birth and urban living showed a hierarchical pattern of increasing associations from paranoid ideation to schizotypal disorder to schizophrenia, confirming that associations for psychotic experiences could be extrapolated to schizophrenia, but only after adjusting for confounding from depression, dissociative symptoms and PTSD. Several etiological factors were the same for psychosis and depression. Future studies of PEs should adjust for confounding from common mental disorders and dissociative symptoms. Effects of urbanicity on psychosis were not explained by demography, family history of mental disorder, or child maltreatment.

Social isolation during the juvenile stage results in structural and functional impairment of the brain and deviant adult aggression. However, the specific subregions and cell types that underpin this deviant behavior are still largely unknown. Here, we found that adolescent social isolation led to a shortened latency to attack onset and extended the average attack time, accompanied by anxiety-like behavior and deficits in social preference in adult mice. However, when exposed to social isolation during adulthood, the mice did not show these phenotypes. We also found that the structural plasticity of prefrontal pyramidal neurons, including the dendritic complexity and spine ratio, was impaired in mice exposed to adolescent social isolation. The parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in the prefrontal infralimbic cortex (IL) are highly vulnerable to juvenile social isolation and exhibit decreased cell numbers and reduced activation in adulthood. Moreover, chemogenetic inactivation of IL-PV interneurons can mimic juvenile social isolation-induced deviant aggression and social preference. Conversely, artificial activation of IL-PV interneurons significantly attenuated deviant aggression and rescued social preference during adulthood in mice exposed to adolescent social isolation. These findings implicate juvenile social isolation-induced damage to IL-PV interneurons in long-term aggressive behavior in adulthood.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of African swine fever, a highly fatal hemorrhagic disease of pigs, which has resulted in great economic losses to the global pork industry, especially in Asia. ASFV particles are comprised of multiple layers encompassing the genomic DNA. Though the capsid structure has been determined, very little is known about the structure of the core shell. The precursor polyprotein pp62 is the structural component of the core shell that gives rise to the p35 and p15 proteins. Herein, we describe the crystal structure of p15 at a resolution of 2.2 Å. The structure of p15 exhibits as a trimeric conformation that is mainly mediated by intermolecular disulfide bonds and supported by multiple hydrogen bond interactions. The button conformation on the surface of adjacent molecules may also play a role in trimeric formation of the ASFV p15. The center of the p15 trimer exhibits opposite electrostatic characteristics on each side. These findings benefit our understanding of ASFV core shell assembly and will aid in the design of antiviral drugs and vaccines.

Abstract Background The ablation targets of atrial fibrillation (AF) are adjacent to bronchi and pulmonary arteries (PAs). We used computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the anatomical correlation between left atrium (LA)-pulmonary vein (PV) and adjacent structures. Methods Data were collected from 126 consecutive patients using coronary artery CT angiography. The LA roof was divided into three layers and nine points. The minimal spatial distances from the nine points and four PV orifices to the adjacent bronchi and PAs were measured. The distances from the PV orifices to the nearest contact points of the PVs, bronchi, and PAs were measured. Results The anterior points of the LA roof were farther to the bronchi than the middle or posterior points. The distances from the nine points to the PAs were shorter than those to the bronchi (5.19 ± 3.33 mm vs 8.62 ± 3.07 mm; P

Abstract Background Residential mobility during childhood increases risk of psychopathology in adulthood and is a common experience among Chinese children. This study investigated associations between number and age of first move, etiological risk factors for psychopathology, and common mental disorders in adolescence and early adulthood. Methods The sample included 39,531 undergraduates (84.5% completion rate) age 15–34 years in their first year at a Chinese comprehensive university in annual cross-sectional surveys during 2014–2018. Common mental disorders measured using standardised self-report instruments. Data analysed using logistic regression models and interaction analysis. Results Half of all students experienced one or more moves of residence before age 15 years. Outcomes of Depression, Somatisation, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Hallucinations and Delusions, and Suicide attempts showed dose-response relationships with increasing number of moves. Other etiological risk factors, including childhood disadvantage and maltreatment, showed similar dose response relationships but did not confound associations with mobility. We found interactions between reporting any move and being a left-behind child on depression and somatisation; number of moves and younger age at first move on depression, somatisation, suicide attempts and hallucinations and delusions. Conclusions Residential mobility in childhood is associated with psychopathology in adulthood and this association increases with increasing number of moves. Mobility is also associated with childhood disadvantage and maltreatment but associations with psychopathology are independent of these factors. Multiplicative effects were shown for multiple moves starting at a younger age and if the participant had been a left-behind child.

The Tibetan Plateau is a high-elevation area in Asia and contains the largest volumes of glaciers outside the polar regions. Reconstruction of the glacier surface temperature history in this area is crucial for better understanding of the process of climate change in the Tibetan Plateau. The Tikhonov regularization method has been used on borehole temperatures measured at Malan Glacier, located on the north Tibetan Plateau, to reconstruct the surface temperature history in the twentieth century. We found that the glacier surface temperature, which rose significantly after the 1960s, increased about 1.1°C over the last century. The warmest period occurred in the 1980s to the 1990s and the highest temperature variation could be 1.5°C to 1.6°C. The results were also compared with those of nearby instrumental temperatures by Wudaoliang meteorological station and the stable oxygen isotope ($${\delta ^{18}}O$$) from the Malan ice core.

Existing text sentiment analysis methods mostly rely on a large number of language knowledge and sentiment resources. This paper proposes the Multi-channel convolution and bidirectional GRU multi-head attention capsule (AT-MC-BiGRU-Capsule), which uses vector neurons to replace scalar neurons to model text emotions, and uses capsules to characterize text emotions. In addition, traditional methods cannot extract the multi-level features of text sequence well. Multi-head attention can encode the dependencies between words, capture sentiment words in text, and using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Bidirectional gated recurrent unit network (Bi-GRU) to extract local features and global semantic features of text respectively, the global average pooling layer is introduced to obtain the multi-level feature representation of the text sequence more comprehensively. This paper selects three English datasets and one Chinese dataset in the general corpus of sentiment classification to conduct experiments, and achieves better results than other baseline models.

PurposeUniversity students experience high levels of stress, and the prevalence of depression is higher than in the general population. The reason is not clear. More effective interventions and better prevention are needed.MethodsWe did annual cross-sectional surveys of Chinese undergraduates 2014–2018 (mean age 18.7 [SD 2.1], N = 39,573). We measured adaptation to university life using the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) and common mental disorders using standardized self-report instruments. Regression analyses identified associations between childhood maltreatment, current family problems, stress in adaptation to undergraduate life, and psychiatric morbidity. Mediation analyses further tested relationships between these factors.ResultsChildhood maltreatment, current family problems, stress in adaptation, and psychiatric morbidity were all significantly associated with each other. The strongest association between childhood experiences and psychiatric morbidity was for sexual abuse and depression (OR = 3.39, 95%CI: 2.38–4.83, p < 0.001) and between stress from adaptation and somatic disorder (OR = 4.54, 95%CI: 3.62–5.68, p < 0.001). Associations between childhood maltreatment and stress from university life were partly mediated by psychiatric morbidity. Associations between family problems and psychiatric morbidity were mediated by stress from university life.ConclusionsStress from adaptation to university life and pressures from academic study exert stronger effects on psychiatric morbidity among students than childhood traumatic experiences and current family problems, although these factors are closely interrelated. Mental health services for students should focus on adaptation to university life and pressures from academic study as well as external factors of childhood trauma and family problems.

Coronavirus main protease is essential for viral polyprotein processing and maturation. Here Fu et al. report efficient inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication using two inhibitors - Boceprevir and GC376 - targeting the active site of the main viral protease.

Abstract Background Variability in the anatomy and orientation of the triangle of Koch (TK) complicates ablation procedures involving the atrioventricular (AV) node. We used CT angiography (CTA) to assess the anatomical TK orientation, the CS ostium direction, and the relationship between the two, and we validated an individualized CS-guided projection during ablation procedures. Methods In 104 patients without structural heart disease undergoing computed tomography (CT) angiography, TK orientations were determined in relation to the coronary sinus ostium (CSo) as well as two standard right anterior oblique (RAO) projection angles (30o and 45o) commonly used in ablation procedures. Results A CS-guided RAO projection (RAOCS) was shown to best track the orientation of the TK compared to RAO30° and 45°, with TK orientation strongly correlating with the CSo direction (r = 0.86, P

Abstract Background Many treatments are currently available for amblyopic patients; although, the comparative efficacy of these therapies is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to establish the relative efficacy of these treatments for amblyopia. Methods Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) were systematically searched from inception to Sep. 2019. Only Randomized clinical trials comparing any two or three of the following treatments were included: refractive correction (spectacles alone), patching of 2 h per day (patch 2H), patch 6H, patch 12H, patch 2H + near activities (N), patch 2H + distant activities (D), atropine (Atr) daily, Atr weekly, Atr weekly + plano lens over the sound eye (Plano), optical penalization and binocular therapy. The reviewers independently extracted the data according to the PRISMA guidelines; assessed study quality by Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. The primary outcome measure was the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) expressed as log MAR lines. Direct comparisons and a Bayesian meta-analysis were performed to synthesize data. Results Twenty-three studies with 3279 patients were included. In the network meta-analysis, optical penalization was the least effective of all the treatments for the change of visual acuity, spectacles (mean difference [MD], 2.9 Log MAR lines; 95% credibility interval [CrI], 1.8–4.0), patch 2H (MD, 3.3; 95% CrI, 2.3–4.3), patch 6H (MD, 3.6; 95% CrI, 2.6–4.6), patch 12H (MD, 3.4; 95% CrI, 2.3–4.5), patch 2H + N (MD, 3.7; 95% CrI, 2.5–5.0), patch 2H + D (MD, 3.5; 95% CrI, 2.1–5.0), Atr daily (MD, 3.2; 95% CrI, 2.2–4.3), Atr weekly (MD, 3.2; 95% CrI, 2.2–4.3), Atr weekly + Plano (MD, 3.7; 95% CrI, 2.7–4.7), binocular therapy (MD, 3.1; 95% CrI, 2.0–4.2). The patch 6H and patch 2H + N were better than spectacles ([MD, 0.73; 95% Crl, 0.10–1.40]; [MD, 0.84; 95% CrI, 0.19–1.50]). Conclusions The NMA indicated that the efficacy of the most of the examined treatment modalities for amblyopia were comparable, with no significant difference. Further high quality randomized controlled trials are required to determine their efficacy and acceptability. Systematic review registration CRD42019119843.

ObjectiveTo explore the cardioprotective effects of exercise-derived β-aminoisobutyric (BAIBA) on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and energy metabolism in a rat model of heart failure (HF).MethodsIn male Sprague-Dawley rats (8-week-old), myocardial infarction (MI) was used to induce HF by ligating the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery. In the Sham group, the coronary artery was threaded but not ligated. After HF development, Sham and HF rats were exercised 60 min daily, 5 days/week on a treadmill for 8 weeks (50–60% maximal intensity) and exercise-induced cardiac remodeling after MI were assessed using echocardiography, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson's Trichrome, and TUNEL staining for the detection of apoptosis-associated factors in cardiac tissue. High-throughput sequencing and mass spectrometry were used to measure BAIBA production and to explore its cardioprotective effects and molecular actions. To further characterize the cardioprotective effects of BAIBA, an in vitro model of apoptosis was generated by applying H2O2 to H9C2 cells to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, cells were transfected with either a miR-208b analog or a miR-208b inhibitor. Apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western Blotting (WB). ATP production was also assessed by luminometry. After administration of BAIBA and Compound C, the expression of proteins related to apoptosis, mitochondrial function, lipid uptake, and β-oxidative were determined. Changes in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed by fluorescence microscopy. In addition, alterations in membrane potential (δψm) were obtained by confocal microscopy.ResultsRats with HF after MI are accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic stress and apoptosis. Reduced expression of apoptosis-related proteins was observed, together with increased ATP production and reduced mitochondrial dysfunction in the exercised compared with the Sham (non-exercised) HF group. Importantly, exercise increased the production of BAIBA, irrespective of the presence of HF. To assess whether BAIBA had similar effects to exercise in ameliorating HF-induced adverse cardiac remodeling, rats were treated with 75 mg/kg/ day of BAIBA and we found BAIBA had a similar cardioprotective effect. Transcriptomic analyses found that the expression of miR-208b was increased after BAIBA administration, and subsequent transfection with an miR-208b analog ameliorated both the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and energy metabolism in H2O2-treated H9C2 cells. In combining transcriptomic with metabolomic analyses, we identified AMPK as a downstream target for BAIBA in attenuating metabolic stress in HF. Further cell experiments confirmed that BAIBA increased AMPK phosphorylation and had a cardioprotective effect on downstream fatty acid uptake, oxidative efficiency, and mitochondrial function, which was prevented by the AMPK inhibitor Compound C.ConclusionExercise-generated BAIBA can reduce cardiomyocyte metabolic stress and apoptosis induced by mitochondrial dysfunction through the miR-208b/AMPK pathway.

Myocardial infarction (MI) permanently damages cardiac tissue. Tissue engineering exhibits tremendous potential as a strategy for developing engineered tissue to repair congenital abnormalities in the heart and/or cardiovascular tissue. Electroconductive hydrogels (EHs) are prepared from synthetic or natural biodegradable polymers and conductive components that could partially restore the myocardial/ventricular electromechanical coupling and synchronized heartbeats. Also, EHs are ideal materials for the preparation of cell culture and induction carriers, engineered scaffolds, and patches, as well as cell and gene delivery carriers, all of which aid in tissue formation. Except for a brief introduction to the classification and synthesis of EHs, this review discussed the recent progress and challenges of EHs applied in cardiac repair and regeneration to provide a reference for the further application of EHs in treating cardiovascular diseases. Figure abstract: the EHs categorization and the potential application of heart repair and regeneration in this review.

Gully erosion is the major soil erosion type in the black soil region of Northeast China. However, studies on multifactor synthesis at a large scale and on the driving mechanism of spatial differentiation are still relatively lacking for gully erosion in this region. In this study, the simulation of gully erosion and its quantitative attribution analysis have been conducted in the Sancha River catchment in Northeast China, based on high-resolution satellite imagery mapping and the geodetector method. A total of 18 indicators in 6 categories, including topography, climate and weather, soil properties, lithology, land use, have been taken into consideration. The influence of each influencing factor and its interactive influence on gully erosion were quantitatively evaluated. The results showed that at the large catchment scale, the submeter images had a strong capacity for the recognition of a permanent gully and obtained satisfactory results. According to the results of the geodetector, lithology and soil type are the main factors that affect the spatial differentiation of gully erosion in the Sancha River basin, because their interpretation power for gully density and gully intensity was close to 10%. The lithology belonged to gray–white matter rhyolite, spherulite rhyolite, and crystal clastic tuff, with the highest gully density and intensity. The interpretation power of the secondary factors, including rainfall erosivity, watershed area, elevation, soil erodibility, land use pattern, slope, and distance from the river, amounted to more than 1%. The interactions among most driving factors showed nonlinear enhancement. The influence of the interaction between lithology and soil type appeared to be the largest. In particular, the lithology of different soil types accounted for 28.7% and 32.5% of the gully density and gully intensity. The interaction of factors had a stronger influence on the spatial differentiation of gully erosion than any single factor.

PurposeTo compare conventional diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion imaging (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating malignant and benign lung lesions.MethodFifty-five consecutive patients with lung lesions underwent multiple b-value DWI. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), IVIM and DKI parameters were calculated using postprocessing software and compared between the malignant and benign groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for all parameters.ResultsADC and D were lower in malignant lesions than in benign lesions, while Kapp was higher (P < 0.05). The differences in D*, f, and Dapp between the two groups were not significant (P > 0.05). The areas under the curves (AUCs) of ADC, D, and Kapp were 0.816, 0.864, and 0.822. The combination of all the significant parameters yielded an AUC of 0.880. There were no significant differences in diagnostic efficacy among ADC, D, Kapp and the predictor factor (PRE).ConclusionsIn this study, traditional DWI (ADC), IVIM (D), and DKI (Kapp) all had good diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant lung lesions from benign lesions, but the combination of ADC, D, and Kapp value had better diagnostic efficacy than these parameters alone.

This paper used the energy, exergy, and economic analysis of a carbon dioxide (CO2) transcritical two-stage compression system based on organic Rankine cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery technology. When the intermediate pressure and high-pressure compressor outlet pressure were changed, respectively, this study simulated the change in system energy efficiency by adding the ORC for waste heat recovery, calculated the ratio of exergy loss of each component, and performed an economic analysis of the coupled system. The results show that adding waste heat recovery can effectively increase the energy efficiency of the system, and among all components, the heat exchanger had the largest exergy loss, while the evaporator had the highest capital investment and maintenance costs.

Heart failure is induced by multiple pathological mechanisms, and current therapies are ineffective against heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). As there are limited animal models of HFpEF, its underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, we employed the descending aortic constriction (DAC) technique to induce chronic pressure overload in the left ventricles of Tibetan minipigs for 12 weeks. Cardiac function, pathological and cellular changes, fibrotic signaling activation, and gene expression profiles were explored. The left ventricles developed concentric hypertrophy from weeks 4 to 6 and transition to dilation starting in week 10. Notably, the left ventricular ejection fraction was maintained at >50% in the DAC group during the 12-week period. Pathological examination, biochemical analyses, and gene profile analysis revealed evidence of inflammation, fibrosis, cell death, and myofilament dephosphorylation in the myocardium of HFpEF model animals, together with gene expression shifts promoting cardiac remodeling and downregulating metabolic pathways. Furthermore, we noted the activation of several signaling proteins that impact cardiac fibrosis and remodeling, including transforming growth factor-β/SMAD family members 2/3, type I/III/V collagens, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 and 2, interleukins 6 and 1β, and inhibitor of κBα/nuclear factor-κB. Our findings demonstrate that this chronic pressure overload-induced porcine HFpEF model is a powerful tool to elucidate the mechanisms of this disease and translate preclinical findings.

Effective embeddedness in the host country is an important issue for immigrant and transnational entrepreneurs. However, prior research has mainly focused on subsidiaries’ local embeddedness of multinational companies (MNCs). While a limited number of studies have examined transnational enterprises, few have explored how transnational entrepreneurs embed in the host country where they immigrate to. Employing 7 in-depth case studies of Chinese small transnational enterprises operating in the UK, we construct a dynamic dual process model which consists of 3 dimensions: structural embeddedness; institutional embeddedness; and cognitive embeddedness. Our findings make a theoretical contribution by offering insights into how transnational migrant entrepreneurs embed in a dual cross-border business environment.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship of amino acid metabolism with hypertriglyceridemia in diabetic patients under statins free of prior cardiovascular diseases.Methods: Two independent cross-sectional hospital based cohorts, i.e., Liaoning Medical University First Affiliated Hospital (LMUFAH, n = 146) and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University (SAHDMU, n = 294) were included in the current analysis. Hypertriglyceridemia was defined as triglyceride ≥1.7 mmol/L, and well-controlled LDL-C was defined as

Polylactic acid/Hydroxyapatite (PLA/HA) composite was widely studied and applied in the field of biomaterials for its good processability, bioactivity, and mechanical properties. In addition to traditional preparation methods, additive manufacturing has also been adopted to prepare PLA/HA composites with customized geometries. This work combined the comprehensive optimized PLLA (L-polylactic acid)/nano-HA (nHA) composite with the low-cost and stable Fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology to successfully prepare PLLA/nHA porous bone repair scaffolds. The results showed that PLLA/nHA composite ink satisfied the smoothness of printing, and the accuracy also met the requirements of personalized bone repair application. The high loaded nHA scaffold had suitable compressive strength was significantly higher than those of pure HA ceramic scaffold and cancellous bone. Besides, in vitro bone-like apatite formation on the surface in the degradation process and in vivo evaluations further verified its good osteogenic property. Compared with other complex and cutting-edge 3D printing technologies, this study provides a low-cost, stable, simple and fast way to realize personalized printing of bone repair scaffolds, which is undoubtedly conductive to the improvement and rapid deployment of personalized biomaterials in clinical applications.

The black soil region of northeast China is experiencing severe gully erosion. The lack of periodic, high-resolution, short–medium-term, annual, and seasonal observations considerably limit the comprehensive understanding of the processes and mechanisms of gully erosion caused by multiple forces at the watershed scale. Therefore, in this study, we periodically monitored the geomorphic, morphological, and volume changes of a stabilized gully both annually and seasonally in a small agricultural watershed (6 ha) in the southern black soil region in northeast China based on the centimeter-level resolution of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-derived orthoimages and digital terrain models (DTMs) from 2015 to 2020. Compared with submeter-resolution satellite images, the multitemporal UAV data exhibited strong adaptability and various advantages for the assessment of short–medium-term (≤5 years) gully erosion rates in this region. The results demonstrated that the gully has an actively retreating headcut that was always the main source of sediment yield. The linear, areal, and volumetric gully headcut retreat (GHR) rates were 0.74 m year−1, 7.29 m2 year−1, and 9.66 m3 year−1, respectively. GHR in the rainy season accounted for 94.62% of the annual linear erosion and 87.64% of the areal erosion. In particular, sidewall collapse and gully head expansion dominated in the early rainy season, which accounted for 66.67% of the annual linear erosion and 49% of the areal erosion. Our results provide high-resolution orthoimages and a DTM time series produced by a UAV to evaluate short–medium-term (5 years) GHR rate and quantify the contribution of freeze–thaw processes, snowmelt, and rainfall to gully erosion in the region. The findings contribute to understanding the gully erosion processes induced by multiple forces in the southern black soil region of northeast China.

Jaw bone repair requires scaffold with bone regeneration, antibacterial function and personalized size. This study proposed 3D printed degradable calcium phosphate scaffolds with antibacterial functions for regeneration of jaw bone. Calcium phosphate powders and berberine were combined to modulate the printing inks. Porous scaffolds were fabricated by direct extrusion 3D printing and cross-linked with sodium alginate in situ. The dimensional size, shape and porosity of scaffolds were precisely customized by 3D printing. Berberine-loaded scaffolds show sustained release of antimicrobial drugs. By adjusting the concentration and cross-linking time of calcium chloride, the cross-linking degree of the scaffold can be adjusted and the drug load of the scaffold can be controlled. The young's modulus of 3DP scaffold was about 1.3 MPa. After freeze-drying, the shrinkage was about 24.4% and less swelling was observed, indicating that the scaffold had sufficient structural stability. In vitro biological test showed that the 3DP scaffold had low cytotoxicity and it was beneficial to MC3T3 cell adhesion and proliferation. 3D printed calcium phosphate scaffolds with controlled-release antibacterial properties is a promising biomaterials for jaw repair. Keywords: 3D printing, Bone tissue engineering, Calcium phosphate, scaffolds, Antibacterial functions

Natural protein-based hydrogels possess excellent biocompatibility; however, most of them are weak or brittle. In the present work, high strength hybrid dual-crosslinking BSA gels (BSA DC gels), which have both chemical cross-linking and physical cross-linking, were fabricated by a facile photoreaction-heating process. BSA DC gels showed high transparency (light transmittance of ~90%) and high strength. At optimal conditions, BSA DC gel exhibited high compressive strength (σc,f) of 37.81 ± 2.61 MPa and tensile strength (σt,f) of 0.62 ± 0.078 MPa, showing it to be much stronger than physically cross-linked BSA gel (BSA PC gel) and chemically cross-linked BSA gel (BSA CC gel). More importantly, BSA DC gel displayed non-swelling properties while maintaining high strength in DI water, pH = 3.0, and pH = 10.0. Moreover, BSA DC gel also demonstrated large hysteresis, rapid self-recovery, and excellent fatigue resistance properties. It is believed that our BSA DC gel can potentially be applied in biomedical fields.

Nonlinear catastrophes caused by geological fluids are a fundamental issue in rock mechanics and the geoengineering hazard field. For the consideration of hydrodynamic force on red-bed mudstone softening damage, X-ray visualization tests on the fissure flow in mudstone block failure under hydrodynamic force was performed in this study based on block scale, and the physical phenomena of fissure seepage and nonlinear diffusion were further explored. A new method for evaluating the hydro-damage degrees of rocks using an X-ray image analysis was proposed, and the quantitative relation of diffusion coefficients of hydro-damage and seepage was established. The research results revealed that the hydrodynamic force promoted the fluid-filled fissure behavior in mudstone specimen failure. Furthermore, the seepage and diffusion phenomena of fluid in rocks during failures were indicated using X-ray imaging. A dual mechanical behavior was presented in the nonlinear seepage and abnormal diffusion of a red mudstone geological body under hydrodynamic conditions. The damaged degree of mudstone was aggravated by the effect of hydrodynamic force, and the initial seepage–diffusion coefficient with respect to lower hydro-damage was larger than the final seepage–diffusion coefficient with respect to higher hydro-damage of rocks with a decreasing nonlinear trend.

Significant progress has been achieved in the use of heterosis in soybean and several soybean hybrids have been released in China. However, broad use of hybrid soybean seed is limited due to low seed setting of female parents. Breeding cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines with high out-crossing rate is necessary to solve the problem. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between out-crossing rate of CMS lines and their nectar secretion. The daily nectar secretion rhythm, meteorological effect on nectar secretion, and differences in nectar secretion among genotypes and years were investigated in 27 soybean CMS lines (A-lines) with their maintainers (B-lines) and restorers (R-lines). The correlation between out-crossing rate of CMS lines and nectar production was also evaluated. Nectar secretion had diurnal variation. Secretion initiated at about 06:00 for most materials and reached a peak at 07:00–08:30 after flower opened, then the nectar secretion decreased gradually. A sub-peak appeared at about 13:00, while the nectar could not be detected at 17:00. Nectar secretion was greatly influenced by the weather conditions. The amount of nectar secretion increased gradually over time during periods of high temperature and no rainfall for several days. Rainy weather and low temperatures inhibited nectar secretion. There were obvious variations of nectar amount among different genotypes tested. Significant nectar variation within a genotype among years was also observed, and the highest nectar secretion was 3-fold higher than the lowest. The amount of nectar secretion from R-lines was significantly higher than that of A- and B-lines. There was no significant difference in nectar secretion between A- and B-lines. A- and B-lines with higher out-crossing rates secreted more nectar. The amount of nectar secretion of A- and B-lines were significantly positively correlated with the out-crossing rate of A-lines.

Abstract Background Increasing numbers of systematic reviews (SRs) on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) have been published in recent years, but their quality has been unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the methodological quality of SRs on TKA and THA. Methods We searched Ovid-Medline, Ovid-Embase, Cochrane Databases (including HTA, DARE, and CDSR), CBM, CNKI, Wang Fang, and VIP, from January 2014 to December 2015 for THA and TKA. The quality of SRs was assessed using the modified 25-item “Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews” (mod-AMSTAR) tool, which was based on the AMSTAR scale. A T-test, nonparametric test, and linear regression were conducted to assess the relationship between bibliographical characteristics and methodological quality. Results Sixty-three SRs were included, from which the majority of SRs (50, 79.4%) were conducted in Asia. Only 4 reviews were rated as high quality, and most were weak in providing a priori design (6, 9.5%), not limiting the publication type (8, 13%), providing an excluded primary studies list (4, 6.3%) and reporting support for the included primary studies (1, 1.6%). Reviews published in English journals performed better than did Chinese journals in duplicate data extraction (81.3% vs 46.7%, p = 0.017; 70.8% vs 33.3%, p = 0.009) and providing source of support for the SR (87.5% vs 33.3%, P