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Cardiovascular events are a leading cause of firefighter duty-related death, with the greatest risk occurring during or shortly after fire suppression activity. Increased cardiovascular risk potentially manifests from detrimental changes in ventricular function, vascular load, and their interaction, described as ventricular-vascular coupling. To determine the effect of live-fire training on ventricular-vascular coupling. Sixty-eight male (28 $$\pm $$ 7 years, 26.9 $$\pm $$ 3.9 kg/m2) and fifteen female (36 $$\pm $$ 8 years, 24.3 $$\pm $$ 3.9 kg/m2) firefighters completed hemodynamic and cardiac measures before and after 3 h of intermittent live-fire training. Left ventricular function was assessed as ejection fraction (EF) and ventricular elastance (ELV: end systolic pressure [ESP]/end systolic volume) via echocardiography and applanation tonometry-estimated ESP. Vascular load was assessed as arterial elastance (EA: ESP/stroke volume [SV]). Ventricular-vascular coupling (VVC) was quantified as the ratio of EA to ELV and indexed to body surface area (EAI, ELVI). Following firefighting EF decreased (p

While the field of exercise oncology has substantially progressed in recent years, a significant void exists in the inclusion of and focus on minority patients diagnosed with cancer, particularly blacks and Hispanics. Blacks and Hispanics are less physically active, experience higher rates of comorbid conditions, and have poorer cancer prognosis when compared to white counterparts. Exercise prevents and reduces an array of health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and risk of certain cancers. However, black and Hispanic cancer survivors are underrepresented across exercise intervention trials. In this review, we discuss previous explorations among minority cancer survivors with a focus on exercise prescription, targeted outcomes, patient demographics, and barriers to exercise. We also discuss knowledge gaps and future directions necessary to progress the field of exercise oncology to include a more diverse cancer survivor cohort. In brief, we found few studies have evaluated the effect of exercise on physiologic health outcomes in black and Hispanic cancer survivors, with much research focused on psychosocial health. A majority of minority population-based research specifically targets the black breast cancer survivor population, with reported exercise-induced improvements observed in weekly physical activity, cardiorespira-tory fitness, muscle strength, quality of life, and fatigue. Minority cancer survivors also face unique challenges and barriers to exercise participation despite acknowledgement of the benefits with physical activity. Future investigations warrant explorations of exercise timing across the cancer continuum, inclusion of different types of cancer survivors, and novel exercise strategies with inclusion of culturally tailored educational and behavioral components.

Improving China's agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emission efficiency has become an important way to cope with climate change in an ecologically-and ethically responsible manner. In this paper, we use a global slacks-based inefficiency model to evaluate the agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emission efficiency levels in China during 2000-2015. The regional disparity of China's GHG emission efficiency is examined by using a Dagum Gini coefficient. A spatial Markov chain technique is also employed to investigate the spatial dynamic evolution of agricultural GHG emission efficiency. The results show that: (1) China's agricultural GHG emission efficiency increased steadily during the study period; a certain gap in efficiency among provinces and regions also exists. (2) Between-group disparity is the main source of the overall regional disparities in China's agricultural GHG emission efficiency. The disparities between regions are on the rise, while the disparities within regions are relatively stable. (3) China's agricultural GHG emission efficiency demonstrates significant spatial dependence. This study provides policy implications for the sustainable development of China's agricultural sector.

SARS-CoV-2 causes a spectrum of illness, ranging from an asymptomatic state to life-threatening multi-organ failure, and imposes a high socioeconomic burden on its sufferers and on society (Chen et al. 2020; Pan et al. 2020). Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed by assay with quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), presented neither clinical symptom nor radiographic abnormality (Pan et al. 2020). While T cell responses are crucial for viral control, viral infection also induces significant count decrease and function impairment of T cells (Chen et al. 2020; Qin et al. 2020). Despite high rate of SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infections (Black et al. 2020), T cell responses of this population are still largely unknown. Here, we reported the kinetics of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected case.

Background and aims: Xuanfei Baidu decoction (XFBD), a traditional Chinese medicine formulation, was designed and successfully applied for COVID-19 disease treatment in China, while the mechanism is still not clear.Methods: To evaluate the protective effect of XFBD on immunosuppression in cyclophosphamide (CY)-treated mice, XFBD was orally administrated, the body weight was measured, and the immune organ index was calculated. HE staining was performed to analyze the pathological structures of the liver, spleen, and thymus. The levels of cytokines and immunoglobulin in the serum and spleen were evaluated by ELISA and RT-PCR. Splenic lymphocytes were isolated, and LPS-stimulated cell proliferation and the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were evaluated.Results: XFBD significantly suppressed body weight loss and increased the indices of spleen and thymus. The pathological alteration was much improved after XFBD administration. The reductions of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IgG, and IgM levels in serum and IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 expressions in the spleen were all significantly alleviated by XFBD. Splenic lymphocyte proliferation in response to LPS was further enhanced after treatment with XFBD. The reduction of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in CY-treated mice was also highly increased in XFBD groups.Conclusion: Our findings suggested that XFBD played a crucial role in protection against immunosuppression in CY-treated mice and could be a potential candidate for immune modification and therapy.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism for post-transcriptional gene regulation mediated by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA. siRNA-based therapy holds significant promise for the treatment of a wide-range of arthritic diseases. siRNA selectively suppresses the expression of a gene product and can thus achieve the specificity that is lacking in small molecule inhibitors. The potential use of siRNA-based therapy in arthritis, however, has not progressed to clinical trials despite ample evidence for efficacy in pre-clinical studies. One of the main challenges to clinical translation is the lack of a suitable delivery vehicle to efficiently and safely access diverse pathologies. Moreover, the ideal targets in treatment of arthritides remain elusive given the complexity and heterogeneity of these disease pathogeneses. Herein, we review recent preclinical studies that use RNAi-based drug delivery systems to mitigate inflammation in models of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. We discuss a self-assembling peptide-based nanostructure that demonstrates the potential of overcoming many of the critical barriers preventing the translation of this technology to the clinic.

The phenotype of nitrogen permease regulator-like 2 (NPRL2) gene-related epilepsy clinically manifests as a range of epilepsy syndromes, including familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF), sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE), temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), and infantile spasms (IS). The association between phenotype and genotype of NPRL2 variants has not been widely explored. This study aimed to explore the phenotype and genotype spectrum of NPRL2-related epilepsy. Here, we presented two clinical cases with NPRL2-related epilepsy, and discussed the characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment processes in the context of existing literature. Two novel NPRL2 likely pathogenic variants were identified by next-generation sequencing, including one splicing mutation (c.933-1G>A), and one frameshift mutation (c.257delG). The results of literature review showed that there were a total of 20 patients with NPRL2-related epilepsy whose mutations were mostly missense and hereditary. These findings indicate that the possibility of NPRL2 gene mutations in focal epilepsy should be considered for patients with family history, and that patients carrying different NPRL2 variants have different clinical manifestations. Our study expanded the genotype spectrum of NPRL2 and suggested that the type of NPRL2 variants might provide important information for the prognosis evaluation.

"The Belt and Road Initiative " (BR Using the UE4 as the main technology development platform, it will show one's "The Belt and Road Initiative " style to the experiencer. [1]

The interactive experience of virtual scenes is a computer-generated virtual scene. This virtual scene allows users to temporarily detach from reality, immerse themselves in it and interact with the objects in the scene. This is conducive to mobilizing the user's enthusiasm to use, while adding a touch of comfort to the traveler in the tired journey, will experience a different fun from the real life. At the same times, this scenario will also allow the user to experience it in a way that will also inspire or connect with the mind. The two scenes selected for this project are "porthole" and "listening, moving in the sky". The first scene does not change the interaction between the user and the screen, and enables the user to experience the scenic spots of chinese distinctive cultural heritage and traditional culture, and in the age of the internet, it reflects chinese friendliness to people all over the world, and at the same time better spreads and protects chinese traditional culture. The second landscape allows children to experience the feeling of stepping into the sky in the game, reducing the anxiety brought to children by long waiting time, and the interaction of the connection between the speaker and the horn can effectively promote the communication between children.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in the development of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We hypothesized that germline variants in the major EMT regulatory genes (SNAIL1, ZEB1, ZEB2, TWIST1) may influence the development of HBV-related HCC. We included 421 cases of HBsAg-positive patients with HCC, 1371 cases of HBsAg-positive subjects without HCC [patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or liver cirrhosis (LC)] and 618 cases of healthy controls in the case-control study. Genotype, allele, and haplotype associations in the major EMT regulatory genes were tested. Environment-gene and gene-gene interactions were analysed using the non-parametric model-free multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method. The SNAIL1rs4647958T>C was associated with a significantly increased risk of both HCC (CT+CC vs. TT: OR=1.559; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.073-2.264; P=0.020) and CHB+LC (CT+CC vs. TT: OR=1.509; 95% CI, 1.145-1.988; P=0.003). Carriers of the TWIST1rs2285681G>C (genotypes CT+CC) had an increased risk of HCC (CG+CC vs. GG: OR=1.407; 95% CI, 1.065-1.858; P=0.016). The ZEB2rs3806475T>C was associated with significantly increased risk of both HCC (Precessive =0.001) and CHB+LC (PrecessiveP=0.0347). Meanwhile, the CT haplotype of the rs2285681/rs2285682 haplotype block was associated with significant differences between CHB+LC and HCC patients (P=0.0123). In MDR analysis, the combination of TWIST1rs2285681, ZEB2rs3806475, SNAIL1rs4647958 exhibited the most significant association with CHB+LC and Health control in the three-locus model. Our results suggest significant single-gene associations and environment-gene/gene-gene interactions of EMT-related genes with HBV-related HCC.

Inflammation after joint injury leads to joint responses that result in eventual osteoarthritis development. Blockade of inflammation, by suppressing NF-κB expression, has been shown to reduce joint injury-induced chondrocyte apoptosis and reactive synovitis in vivo. Herein, we demonstrate that the suppression of NF-κB p65 expression also significantly mitigates the acute pain sensitivity induced by mechanical injury to the joint. These results suggest that early intervention with anti-NF-κB nanotherapy mitigates both structural and pain-related outcomes, which in turn may impact the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

HBV infection is recognized as a serious global health problem, and hepatitis B virus infection is a complicated chronic disease leading to liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). New biochemical serum markers could be used to advance the diagnosis and prognosis of HBV-associated liver diseases during the progression of chronic hepatitis B into cirrhosis and HCC. We determined whether the 4210 Da and 1866 Da polypeptides are serum metabolite biomarkers of hepatopathy with hepatitis B virus. A total of 570 subjects were divided into five groups: healthy controls, those with natural clearance, and patients with CHB, LC, and HCC. The 1866 Da and 4210 Da polypeptides were measured by Clin-ToF II MALDI-TOF–MS. There were significant differences in 4210 Da and 1866 Da levels among the five groups (P P P

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been successfully applied worldwide in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the pharmacological mechanisms underlying this success remain unclear. Hence, the aim of this review is to combine pharmacological assays based on the theory of TCM in order to elucidate the potential signaling pathways, targets, active compounds, and formulas of herbs that are involved in the TCM treatment of COVID-19, which exhibits combatting viral infections, immune regulation, and amelioration of lung injury and fibrosis. Extensive reports on target screening are elucidated using virtual prediction via docking analysis or network pharmacology based on existing data. The results of these reports indicate that an intricate regulatory mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Therefore, more pharmacological research on the natural herbs used in TCM should be conducted in order to determine the association between TCM and COVID-19 and account for the observed therapeutic effects of TCM against COVID-19.

Summary Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of serious acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants and the elderly. The lack of a licensed RSV vaccine calls for the development of vaccines with other targets and vaccination strategies. Here, we construct a recombinant protein, designated P-KFD1, comprising RSV phosphoprotein (P) and the E.-coli-K12-strain-derived flagellin variant KFD1. Intranasal immunization with P-KFD1 inhibits RSV replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract and protects mice against lung disease without vaccine-enhanced disease (VED). The P-specific CD4+ T cells provoked by P-KFD1 intranasal (i.n.) immunization either reside in or migrate to the respiratory tract and mediate protection against RSV infection. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-labeled cell transfer further characterize the Th1 and Th17 responses induced by P-KFD1. Finally, we find that anti-viral protection depends on either interferon-γ (IFN-γ) or interleukin-17A (IL-17A). Collectively, P-KFD1 is a promising safe and effective mucosal vaccine candidate for the prevention of RSV infection.

Although millions of patients have clinically recovered from COVID-19, little is known about the immune status of lymphocytes in these individuals. In this study, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a clinically recovered (CR) cohort were comparatively analyzed with those of an age- and sex-matched healthy donor cohort. We found that CD8+ T cells in the CR cohort had higher numbers of effector T cells and effector memory T cells but lower Tc1 (IFN-γ+), Tc2 (IL-4+), and Tc17 (IL-17A+) cell frequencies. The CD4+ T cells of the CR cohort were decreased in frequency, especially the central memory T cell subset. Moreover, CD4+ T cells in the CR cohort showed lower programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) expression and had lower frequencies of Th1 (IFN-γ+), Th2 (IL-4+), Th17 (IL-17A+), and circulating follicular helper T (CXCR5+PD-1+) cells. Accordingly, the proportion of isotype-switched memory B cells (IgM−CD20hi) among B cells in the CR cohort showed a significantly lower proportion, although the level of the activation marker CD71 was elevated. For CD3−HLA-DR− lymphocytes in the CR cohort, in addition to lower levels of IFN-γ, granzyme B and T-bet, the correlation between T-bet and IFN-γ was not observed. Additionally, by taking into account the number of days after discharge, all the phenotypes associated with reduced function did not show a tendency toward recovery within 4‒11 weeks. The remarkable phenotypic alterations in lymphocytes in the CR cohort suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection profoundly affects lymphocytes and potentially results in dysfunction even after clinical recovery.

SUMMARYRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of serious acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants and the elderly. No licensed RSV vaccine available thus far calls for the development of vaccines with new target(s) and vaccination strategies. Here, we constructed a recombinant protein, designated P-KFD1, comprised of RSV phosphoprotein (P) and E. coli K12 strain-derived flagellin variant KFD1. Intranasal (i.n.) immunization with P-KFD1 inhibits RSV replication in both upper and lower respiratory tract, and protects mice against lung disease without vaccine-enhanced disease (VED). The P-specific CD4+ T cells provoked by P-KFD1 i.n. immunization, either reside in or migrate to respiratory tract, mediate protection against RSV infection. Sc-RNA seq and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeled cell transfer further characterized the Th1 and Th17 responses induced by P-KFD1. Finally, we found the anti-viral protection depends on either IFN-γ or IL-17A. Collectively, P-KFD1 is promising as a safe and effective mucosal vaccine candidate to prevent RSV infection.HIGHLIGHTSA new subunit RSV vaccine candidate with new target and vaccination strategy, P-KFD1, is designed and generatedIntranasal immunization with P-KFD1 protects mice against RSV infection and averts vaccine-enhanced diseaseSc-RNA seq and CFSE-labelled cell transfer identified characteristics of the protective CD4+ T cellsLocal and peripheral CD4+ T cells provide protection against RSV infection dependent on either IFN-γ or IL-17A

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection, is a global health crisis. While many patients have clinically recovered, little is known about long-term alterations in T cell responses of COVID-19 convalescents. In this study, T cell responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a long-time COVID-19 clinically recovered (20–26 weeks) cohort (LCR) were measured via flow cytometry and ELISpot. The T cell responses of LCR were comparatively analyzed against an age and sex matched short-time clinically recovered (4–9 weeks) cohort (SCR) and a healthy donor cohort (HD). All volunteers were recruited from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, China. Phenotypic analysis showed that activation marker PD-1 expressing on CD4+ T cells of LCR was still significantly lower than that of HD. Functional analysis indicated that frequencies of Tc2, Th2 and Th17 in LCR were comparable to those of HD, but Tc17 was higher than that of HD. In LCR, compared to the HD, there were fewer IFN-γ producing T cells but more IL-2 secreting T cells. In addition, the circulating Tfh cells in LCR were still slightly lower compared to HD, though the subsets composition had recovered. Remarkably, SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses in LCR were comparable to that of SCR. Collectively, T cell responses experienced long-term alterations in phenotype and functional potential of LCR cohort. However, after clinical recovery, SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses could be sustained at least for six months, which may be helpful in resisting re-infection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12250-021-00348-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Improving the urban livability status has become the core goal of urban development, and reasonable assessment of the urban livability status and impact is crucial. By combining an objective environment with residents’ subjective cognition, an artificial society (urban livability change artificial society, ULC-AS) is constructed. The ULC-AS includes four types of agents, namely, government, family, resident and safety facility management agency agents, and recognizes dynamic interaction among various agents and between agents and the environment. Taking the Futian District of Shenzhen as an example, this paper examines factors such as migrants, birth policies, and government investment. We simulate the interactions among resident satisfaction changes, relocation decision-making behavior and urban safety livability and analyze the change processes and development trends of urban safety livability under multiple scenarios. Our main result indicates that population change and investment construction are important factors affecting urban safety livability. At present, the population of the Futian District is saturated. Therefore, the government must assess the urban safety livability and increase investment in high-demand areas. Through this method, the goals of urban resource allocation optimization and coordinated urban development can be achieved.

RSV is a major cause of serious acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants and the elderly. No licensed RSV vaccine available thus far calls for the development of vaccines with new target(s) and vaccination strategies. Here, we constructed a recombinant protein, designated P-KFD1, comprised of RSV phosphoprotein (P) and E. coli K12 strain-derived flagellin variant KFD1. Intranasal (i.n.) immunization with P-KFD1 inhibits RSV replication in both upper and lower respiratory tract, and protects mice against lung disease without vaccine-enhanced disease (VED). The P-specific CD4+ T cells provoked by P-KFD1 i.n. immunization, either reside in or migrate to respiratory tract, mediate protection against RSV infection. Sc-RNA seq and CFSE-labeled cell transfer further characterized the Th1 and Th17 responses induced by P-KFD1. Finally, we found the anti-viral protection depends on either IFN-γ or IL-17A. Collectively, P-KFD1 is promising as a safe and effective mucosal vaccine candidate to prevent RSV infection.

Sustainable crop grain production and food security is a grand societal challenge. Substantial investments in China's agriculture have been made in the past decades, but our knowledge on cropland gross primary production in China remains limited. Here we analyzed gross primary production (GPP), solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), terrestrial water storage, crop grain production, and agricultural investment and policy during 2000–2018. We found that based on croplands in 2000, approximately 52 × 106 ha (~37%) had continuous increasing trends in GPP during 2000–2018, which were mainly located in northern China. GPP for 63% of croplands was stagnant, declined, or had no significant change. At the national scale, annual cropland GPP increased during 2000–2008 but became stagnant in 2009–2018, which was inconsistent with the interannual trend in the crop grain production data for 2009–2018. The spatial mismatch between crop production and water availability became worse. The major grain exporting provinces, mostly located in water-stressed regions, experienced increased water resource constraints, which posed a challenge for sustainable grain production. The stagnant cropland GPP and increasing water resource constraints highlight the urgent need for sustainable management for crop production and food security in China.

Objective SARS‐CoV‐2 has caused a worldwide pandemic of COVID‐19. The existence of prolonged SARS‐CoV‐2 positivity (PP) has further increased the burden on the health system. Since T cells are vital for viral control, we aimed to evaluate the characteristics of T‐cell responses associated with PP. Methods We established a PP cohort and two age‐ and sex‐matched control cohorts: a regular clinical recovery (CR) cohort and a healthy donor (HD) cohort. The mean time for RNA negativity conversion in the PP cohort was markedly longer than that in the CR cohort (66.2 vs 25.3 days), while the time from illness onset to sampling was not significantly different. T‐cell responses in the PP cohort were assayed, analysed and compared with those in the CR and HD cohorts by flow cytometry and ELISpot analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results Compared with the CR cohort, the proliferation, activation and functional potential of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in the PP cohort were not significantly different. However, the frequencies and counts of Teff and Tem in CD8+ but not in CD4+ T cells of the PP cohort were prominently lower. Moreover, a weaker SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein‐specific IFN‐γ+ T‐cell response and a higher frequency of Tregs were detected in the PP cohort. Conclusion Suppressed CD8+ T‐cell differentiation is associated with PP and may be an indicator for the prediction of prolonged SARS‐CoV‐2 positivity in COVID‐19 patients. The association between suppressed CD8+ T‐cell differentiation and elevated Tregs warrants studies in the future., In this study, the characteristics of T‐cell responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a COVID‐19 cohort with prolonged SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive (Pht P) were comparatively assayed and analysed with those in clinically recovered (CR) and healthy donor (HD) cohorts by FACS and ELISpot analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The results showed that the frequencies of Teff and Tem in CD8+ but not in CD4+ of the PP cohort were prominently lower than those of the CR cohort. Moreover, lowered SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein‐specific IFN‐γ+ T‐cell response and higher frequency of Tregs were detected in the PP cohort.

The aim of this study is to explore the clinical outcome and indications in treating anterior ring injury of Tile C pelvic fracture with minimally invasive internal fixation.We retrospectively reviewed 18 patients (aged 25-62, 34.2 ±â€Š7.4) with 26 pelvic anterior ring injuries of Tile C pelvic fracture treated with minimally invasive internal fixation in our hospital were from January 2012 to August 2016. Two cases were pubic symphysis diastasis, 15 were anterior ring fracture (7 were bilateral), and 1 was vertical displacement of pubic symphysis associated with pubic ramus fracture. According to Tile classification, 8, 4, and 6 cases were types C1, C2, and C3, respectively. All patients accepted the operation of pelvic fractures on both rings, while the anterior ring injuries were treated with minimally invasive internal fixation. The period from injury to operation was 5 to 32 days (11.2 ±â€Š3.7). Four patients had pubic symphysis diastasis or pelvic anterior ring fracture medial obturator foramen reduced with modified Pfannenstiel incision and fixed with cannulated screws, 14 patients (22 fractures) had a fractured lateral obturator foramen reduced with modified Pfannenstiel incision associated with small iliac crest incision and fixed with locking reconstruction plates. Clinical data, such as operation time, intraoperative bleeding, Matta standard to assess the reduction quality of fracture, and complications, were collected and analyzed.The operation time ranged from 30 to 65 minutes (42.8 ±â€Š18.7), and the intraoperative bleeding volume was 30 to 150 mL (66.5 ±â€Š22.8). All cases were continuously followed-up for 16 to 42 months (30.2 ±â€Š4.6). All fractures were healed between 3 and 9 months postoperatively (4.9 ±â€Š2.7 months). According to the Matta standard assessment, 18, 7, and 1 cases were excellent, good, and fair, respectively, with a 96.2% (25/26) rate of satisfaction. Neither reduction loss, fixation failure, nor infection occurred; complications included 1 patient with fatal liquefaction, 1 patient had lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury, and 1 patient complained of discomfort in the inguinal area due to fixation stimulation.Minimally invasive internal fixation for pelvic anterior ring injury in Tile C pelvic fracture has the advantages of less damage, safer manipulation, less complications, and good prognosis.

SummaryBackgroundLymphopenia is a typical symptom in the COVID-19 patients. While millions of patients are clinical recovered, little is known about the immune status of lymphocytes in these individuals.MethodsA clinical recovered cohort (CR) of 55 COVID-19 individuals (discharged from hospital 4 to 11 weeks), and 55 age and sex matched healthy donors cohort (HD) were recruited. Detailed analysis on phenotype of the lymphocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed by flow cytometry.FindingsCompared with cohort HD, the CD8+T cells in cohort CR had higher Teff and Tem, but lower Tc1 (IFN-γ+), Tc2 (IL-4+) and Tc17 (IL-17A+) frequencies. The CD4+T cells of CR had decreased frequency, especially on the Tcm subset. Moreover, CD4+T cells of CR expressed lower PD-1 and had lower frequencies of Th1 (IFN-γ+), Th2 (IL-4+), Th17 (IL-17A+) as well as circulating Tfh (CXCR5+PD-1+). Accordingly, isotype-switched memory B cell (IgM-CD20hi) in CR had significantly lower proportion in B cells, though level of activation marker CD71 elevated. For CD3-HLA-DRlolymphocytes of CR, besides levels of IFN-γ, Granzyme B and T-bet were lower, the correlation between T-bet and IFN-γ became irrelevant. In addition, taken into account of discharged days, all the lowered function associated phenotypes showed no recovery tendency within whole observation period.InterpretationThe CR COVID-19 individuals still showed remarkable phenotypic alterations in lymphocytes after clinical recovery 4 to 11 weeks. This suggests SARS-CoV-2 infection imprints profoundly on lymphocytes and results in long-lasting potential dysfunctions.FundingKunming Science and Technology Department (2020-1-N-037)

Background: microRNAs have drawn more attention due to their function on the inflammatory process. The association between microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression and risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) remain inconclusive. This study was aimed to acquire a more exact estimation of this relationship. Methods: Relevant studies were identified through searching PubMed, Embase, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. Pooled standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effect model. Publication bias test, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis were carried out. Results: A total of 20 relevant articles comprising 540 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 459 patients with Crohn disease (CD) and 511 non-IBD controls were included in this analysis. The expression of miR-21 was significantly increased in colon tissue of both UC and CD patients compared with non-IBD controls. However, there were no significant differences between patients with UC and CD. Moreover, increased miR-21 expression was associated with disease activity status in UC patients, but not in CD patients. Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrates that the higher miR-21 expression in colon tissue is positively associated with the development of UC and CD, and miR-21 might serve as a disease marker of IBD.

SummaryBackgroundLimited data are available on the T cell responses for the asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection case.MethodsAn imported SARS-CoV-2 infection case in Wuhan was admitted in hospital for quarantine and observation. The T cell responses were followed up by flow cytometry analysis of the peripheral blood nonnuclear cells (PBMCs) at days 7, 13, 22, and 28 after admission.FindingsWe found the imported SARS-CoV-2 infection in Wuhan is an asymptomatic case. His T cell differentiation, proliferation and activation matched the classical kinetics of T cell responses induced by viral infection, but the activation maintained at a relatively low level. Function analysis indicated frequencies of IFN-γ producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were notably lower than that of the healthy controls (HC) at day 7, and then rebound gradually. But IFN-γ+CD8+ T cells were detained at a significant lower level even at day 28, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus had already become undetectable for 3 weeks. Moreover, percentage of IL-17 producing CD4+ T cells was also detained constantly at a much lower level compared to HC. At day 7, although percentage of Tregs was in normal range, the frequency of activated Treg (aTreg) was remarkably as high as 4·4-fold of that in HC.InterpretationThe T cell activation in the asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection experienced a significant suppression and presented impairment of Th1/Th17 and CD8+ T cell functions. Early elevation of the aTregs might play role in the activation and function of T cells in the asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Assessment and analysis of ecological carrying capacity are significant issues in regional sustainable development. Large-scale ecological carrying capacity research consume a lot of time and labor costs. In this paper, considering redundant storage, on-demand computing, and multi-scale representation, a block storage and analysis model (BSAM) is proposed to make computation faster. Taking “The Belt and Road Initiative” as an example, the ecological carrying capacity evaluation system (ECCES) was developed. The results show that the problems of low calculation efficiency and high time cost were effectively solved with improved data storage, analysis, and expression approaches used by the ECCES. And the calculation speed is improved with the BSAM. Moreover, in the BSAM, the complexity of the original data is under a more significant impact on computing speed. In contrast, the complexity of an algorithm has a smaller influence on computing speed. Furthermore, the early warning push function and automated report function can generate the ecological carrying capacity states or changes automatically, which can improve the real-time, usability, and convenience of the ecological carrying capacity assessment.

The instability of international trade can threaten the resource security of resource-importing countries, while international trade helps address spatial mismatches between regional populations, economies, and resources. Ecological products are the basis for human survival and development, in which agri-livestock products are especially sensitive to trade fluctuation and closely related to human well-being. The external dependence is an important indicator to reveal the external supply risk of regional resources. Scientific understanding the external dependence of ecological products can reveal the potential risks of trade fluctuations to human well-being and ecological sustainability. In this study, the global status and trend of countries' external dependence of agri-livestock ecological products are investigated. The results showed that nearly 80% (141) of countries relied on imports to meet ecological product demands in 2018, in which Asian-African-Latin countries accounted for about 78%, which indicated that the instability of international trade would threaten the ecological resource security in 80% of the world's countries, especially for underdeveloped countries. Even worse, 68% of countries are increasing their external dependence of ecological products. Even if the intensity of ecological resource exploitation reaches the maximum sustainable utilization level, 60% (113) of countries are expected to need imports for meeting their ecological product demands in 2050. Moreover, even considering the agricultural technological upgrade and the consumption transformation, more than 50% (94) of countries are still net importers of ecological products. Therefore, trade liberalization is still one of the important means to reduce resource security risks caused by trade instability. More notably, half of the countries in the world may sacrifice ecological sustainability to meet basic human well-being in the future under deglobalization.

Multiple cropping index (MCI) is the ratio of total sown area and cropland area in a region, which represents the regional time intensity of planting crops. Multiple cropping systems have effectively improved the utilization efficiency and production of cropland by increasing cropping frequency in one year. Meanwhile, it has also significantly altered biogeochemical cycles. Therefore, exploring the spatio-temporal dynamics of multiple cropping intensity is of great significance for ensuring food and ecological security. In this study, MCI of Huang-Huai-Hai agricultural region with intensive cropping practices was extracted based on a cropping intensity mapping algorithm using MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time series at 500-m spatial resolution and 8-day time intervals. Then the physical characteristics and landscape pattern of MCI trends were analyzed from 2000–2012. Results showed that MCI in Huang-Huai-Hai agricultural region has increased from 152% to 156% in the 12 years. Topography is a primary factor in determining the spatial pattern dynamics of MCI, which is more stable in hilly area than in plain area. An increase from 158% to 164% of MCI occurred in plain area while there was almost no change in hilly area with single cropping. The most active region of MCI change was the intersection zone between the hilly area and plain area. In spatial patterns, landscape of multiple cropping systems tended to be homogenized reflected by a reduction in the degree of fragmentation and an increase in the degree of concentration of cropland with the same cropping system.

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis affecting approximately 85% of adolescents. There are many factors contributing to the development of this ailment. A recent study indicated that gut microbiota takes part in the pathogenesis of acne. We aimed to investigate the link between acne vulgaris and gut microbiota. A total of 31 moderate to severe acne vulgaris patients and 31 healthy controls were enrolled. We collected their feces, and gut microbiota was evaluated by the hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA genes through high-throughput sequencing. We identified links between acne vulgaris and changes of gut microbiota. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria (0.89% in acne patients and 2.84% in normal controls, P = 0.004) was decreased and Proteobacteria (8.35% in acne patients and 7.01% in normal controls, P = 0.031) was increased. At the genus level, Bifidobacterium, Butyricicoccus, Coprobacillus, Lactobacillus and Allobaculum were all decreased. The observed difference in genera between acne patients and healthy controls provides a new insight into the link between gut microbiota changes and acne vulgaris risk.

Poor suppression of lipolysis and blunted increase in blood flow following meal ingestion in obese adults may indicate resistance to the antilipolytic action of insulin. Exercise may be used to normalize lipolytic responses to food intake by increasing insulin sensitivity. PURPOSE: To determine if acute bouts of aerobic exercise and/or excise training alter lipolytic and blood flow responses to food intake in lean (LN) and obese (OB) children. METHODS: Sixty-five children (9–11 yrs) were randomized into acute exercise (EX: 16 LN and 28 OB) or control (CON: 9 LN and 12 OB) groups that exercised (EX), or rested (CON) between standardized breakfast and lunch. Microdialysis probes were inserted into the subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue to monitor interstitial glycerol (lipolysis) and blood flow. Changes in interstitial glycerol and nutritive flow were calculated from dialysate samples before and after each meal. A subgroup (OB=15 and LN=9) from the acute exercise group underwent 16 weeks of aerobic exercise training. RESULTS: Poor suppression of lipolysis and a blunted increase in adipose tissue nutritive blood flow in response to breakfast was associated with BMI percentile (r=0.3, p

In order to increase of husbandry production and to have a sustainable development of pastures, it is important to accelerate the construction of ecological grass-animal husbandry, to promote the grassland ecological carrying capacity and to reach the equilibrium in the grassland-livestock balance. We chose twenty-four farms and ranches in Hulunbuir Agricultural Reclamation Group as study area, satellite imagery from 500-m MODIS, 30-m Landsat, and 4-m GF-2 are used together with annual report data of farms and ranches. We mapped the spatial distribution and the status of degradation of grassland and we computed the net primary productivity (NPP) of farms and ranches in Hulunbuir Agricultural Reclamation Group, using remote sensing images as input data in a Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM). We then analyzed the carrying capacity of grassland and its over-grazing degree and proposed the construction of artificial grassland mode of ecological grass-animal husbandry in farms and ranches. We found that about 66.16% of natural grassland has been subject to serious degradation in different degrees in the twenty-four farms and ranches, mainly manifested in the decline of grassland vegetation productivity and coverage. The grassland fragmentation area was about 1.55% of the total grassland area. Based on remote sensing the result that annual average grassland yield was about 34.07×104 t, ranging from 27.43×104 t in 2001 to 48.89×104 t in 2013 of farms and ranches in Hulunbuir Agricultural Reclamation Group. The actual grazing capacity was 164.19×104 sheep units while the theoretical grazing capacity was only 86.83×104 sheep units in Hulunbuir Agricultural Reclamation Group in 2015. The forage gap was 42.35×104 t and overload rate reached 89% without the consideration of the silage grass and purchased forage. The cultivated land area is 3.95×103 km2 in Hulunbuir Agricultural Reclamation Group. Converting 10% of the cultivated land area into artificial grassland could provide grass yield amounting to 5.86×103 km2 of the natural grassland, which would meet with the forage demand of livestock in Hulunbuir Agricultural Reclamation Group. The implementation of the Grain-Warp-Feed and the Grass-Crop rotation production mode, and the establishment of artificial grassland on cultivated land can improve the grassland quality, grassland-livestock balance, and reduce grassland degradation, which is critical to promoting the ability of the sustainable development of husbandry and ecological protection in pastures. As a measure of agricultural supply side reform, the strategy of transforming grain into forage aims to achieve effective allocation of resources.

Land use intensity quantifies the impacts of human activities on natural ecosystems, which have become the major driver of global environmental change, and thus it serves as an essential measurement for assessing land use sustainability. To date, land-change studies have mainly focused on changes in land cover and their effects on ecological processes, whereas land use intensity has not yet received the attention it deserves and for which spatially-explicit representation studies have only just begun. In this paper, according to the degree and reversibility of surface disturbance by human activities, there are four main classes of land use intensity: artificial land, semi-artificial land, semi-natural land, and natural land. These were further divided into 22 subclasses based on key indicators, such as human population density and the cropping intensity. Land use intensity map of China at a 1-km spatial resolution was obtained based on satellite images and statistical data. The area proportions of artificial land, semi-artificial land, semi-natural land, and natural land were 0.71%, 19.36%, 58.93%, and 21%, respectively. Human and economic carrying capacity increased with the increase of land use intensity. Artificial land supports 24.58% and 35.62% of the total population and GDP, using only 0.71% of the total land, while semi-artificial land supported 58.24% and 49.61% of human population and GDP with 19.36% of China’s total land area.

Objective— The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of in vivo reactive oxygen species (ROS) on microvascular endothelial function in obese human subjects and the efficacy of an aerobic exercise intervention on alleviating obesity-associated dysfunctionality. Approach and Results— Young, sedentary men and women were divided into lean (body mass index 18–25; n=14), intermediate (body mass index 28–32.5; n=13), and obese (body mass index 33–40; n=15) groups. A novel microdialysis technique was utilized to detect elevated interstitial hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and superoxide levels in the vastus lateralis of obese compared with both lean and intermediate subjects. Nutritive blood flow was monitored in the vastus lateralis via the microdialysis-ethanol technique. A decrement in acetylcholine-stimulated blood flow revealed impaired microvascular endothelial function in the obese subjects. Perfusion of apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, lowered (normalized) H 2 O 2 and superoxide levels, and reversed microvascular endothelial dysfunction in obese subjects. After 8 weeks of exercise, H 2 O 2 levels were decreased in the obese subjects and microvascular endothelial function in these subjects was restored to levels similar to lean subjects. Skeletal muscle protein expression of the NADPH oxidase subunits p22 phox , p47 phox , and p67 phox was increased in obese relative to lean subjects, where p22 phox and p67 phox expression was attenuated by exercise training in obese subjects. Conclusions— This study implicates NADPH oxidase as a source of excessive ROS production in skeletal muscle of obese individuals and links excessive NADPH oxidase–derived ROS to microvascular endothelial dysfunction in obesity. Furthermore, aerobic exercise training proved to be an effective strategy for alleviating these maladies.

Background and Aim. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have attracted attention due to their important role in tumor immune escape. Several studies have investigated the involvement of MDSCs into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, due to the difference of MDSC phenotype, patient types, and sample source among the studies, the results were inconsistent and controversial. The present study aimed to confirm the expression and clinical significance of MDSCs in HBV-related HCC patients. Methods. The percentages of MDSCs, IFN-γ-producing CD4 and CD8 T cells in the peripheral blood of HCC patients, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, and healthy controls (HC) were determined by flow cytometry. The serum concentrations of IL-10 and TNF-α were determined by ELISA. The association of the percentages of MDSCs with tumor burden, liver function parameters, systemic inflammation-related indexes, and IFN-γ-producing T cells was assessed. Results. The percentages of MDSCs and PMN-MDSCs were significantly higher in HCC patients than those in CHB patients and HC. The level of MDSCs was correlated with indirect bilirubin and prealbumin, as well as systemic inflammation response index, monocyte/lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte counts. The frequency of IFN-γ-producing CD8 T cells of HCC patients was lower than that of HC. However, there was no relationship between MDSCs and IFN-γ-producing CD8 T cells. The level of IL-10 in HCC patients was significantly higher than that in CHB patients. Conclusion. MDSCs seem to play an important role in the process leading from chronic HBV infection to HCC. Early inhibiting these cells could affect tumor progression.

With the rapid development of the Internet, the rise of Wechat not only promotes people's communication, facilitates people's lives, but also provides people with employment opportunities. By 2017, the number of Wechat users has reached 902 million, and the influence of Wechat is growing. At the same time, Wechat shopping is also on the rise, but because Wechat shopping is different from Taobao, it does not have the supervision and protection of third-party platform, so the initial trust research on consumer Wechat shopping can not only explore the factors of consumer trust in Wechat businesses, but also provide suggestions for the better development of Wechat businesses. This paper uses questionnaire survey and regression analysis to explore the influencing factors of consumers' initial trust in Wechat shopping, and also explores the influence of business gender on consumers' initial trust. The results show that in our hypothesis, trust tendency, perceived reputation and interaction have positive effects on consumers' initial trust in Wechat shopping, perceived risk has negative effects on consumers' Wechat shopping, and perceived usefulness has no significant effect on consumers' Wechat shopping. At the same time, it is concluded that consumers who choose female sellers have significant influence on the trust tendency, perceived reputation, interaction and perceived risk of Wechat shopping, while consumers who choose male sellers have significant influence on the trust and perceived risk of Wechat shopping.

With the popularity of the Internet and the continuous development of mobile communication technology, the new shopping mode of online group buying attracts a large number of consumers quickly. In order to improve consumers ‘willingness to use group-buying mobile applications developed by group-buying enterprises, this study takes the group-buying mobile applications as an example, based on UTAUT model and combined with factor analysis and regression analysis of the collected questionnaire data, to explore the influencing factors of consumers’ willingness to use group-buying mobile applications. The results show that among the six factors we studied, consumer perceived reputation, social impact, individual innovation, performance expectation and effort expectation have a significant positive impact on consumers' willingness to use group-buying mobile applications, while consumer perceived risk has no significant impact on consumers' willingness to use group-buying mobile applications.

When coherent light propagates through scattering media, it is scattered by the uneven particles in scattering media, resulting in a seemingly random speckle pattern. However, researchers have demonstrated that the information of the object is still preserved in the speckle pattern. In this paper, the convolutional neural network (CNN), which has a powerful ability to automatically extract nonlinear features, was used to recognize phase objects displayed on the spatial light modulator through scattering media. The experimental results showed that the CNN architecture can recognize faces images hidden by ground glass with a recognition accuracy of 97%. In addition to applying CNN to binary classification problems, we also verified that CNN could be effectively applied to multi-classification tasks, and the classification accuracy of handwritten digital data sets reached 95%.

Intestinal-barrier damage plays an important pathogenic role in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). In this study, we explored the characteristics of the intestinal barrier in rats with IgAN.We randomly divided 17 Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats into a normal control group (NC; n = 9) and an IgAN model group (n = 8). Feces in the distal ileum were taken for intestinal-microbiota 16sDNA sequencing. We also took a segment of terminal ileum to analyze intestinal morphology and to detect mRNA and protein expression of the tight-junction proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin (OCLN), as well as of mucin 2 (MUC2). We then measured levels of serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactic acid (D-LA), the biomarkers of intestinal permeability.Compared with the NC group, mRNA expression levels of ZO-1 (t = 4.216, P = 0.0007), OCLN (t = 2.413, P = 0.029) and MUC2 (t = 0.859, P0.0001) were significantly decreased in the IgAN model group. Protein expression of ZO-1 (t = 7.349, P0.0001) and OCLN (t = 6.367, P0.0001) was also decreased in the IgAN model group. Conversely, serum DAO (t = 3.758, P = 0.0024) and D-LA (t = 2.246, P = 0.0427) levels increased in this group. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus2 (P = 0.0086) was increased in the IgAN model group.Decreased expression of ZO-1, OCLN and MUC2, plus intestinal-microbiota dysbiosis, are associated with intestinal-barrier damage in IgAN rats.

Macrophages play an important role in the inflammatory process that contributes to the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Studies of human and mouse AAA tissue reveal expanded populations of macrophages producing an abundance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-12p40 and high level of metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9) at the late stages of disease. Herein, we show that blockade of IL-12p40 in the early phase of aneurysm development suppresses macrophage expansion, inflammatory cytokine and MMP-9 production and mitigates AAA development. Since IL-12 and IL-23 are related cytokines that share the common p40 subunit, we also evaluate the effect of direct IL-23 blockade on the development of AAA. Specific IL-23p19 blockade prevents AAA progression with the same efficiency as IL-12p40 antagonism, suggesting that the efficacy of anti-IL-12p40 treatment may reflect IL-23 blockade. IL-12p40 and IL-23p19 are also abundantly expressed in human AAA tissue. Our findings have potential translational value since IL-12p40 and IL-23p19 antagonists already exist as FDA-approved therapeutics for various chronic inflammatory conditions.

INTRODUCTION African-Americans are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared with their white counterparts, potentially due to greater arterial stiffness and reduced vasodilatory capacity. Racial differences also exist in arterial stiffness and blood pressure (BP) following maximal aerobic exercise; African-Americans do not exhibit central post exercise BP reductions. Whether impaired vasodilatory function contributes to the lack of BP response is unknown. PURPOSE To evaluate vasodilatory function, arterial stiffness, and hemodynamics following a maximal aerobic exercise test in young, healthy African-American and white adults. METHODS Twenty-seven African-American and 35 white adults completed measures at baseline, 15 and 30 min after a maximal exercise test. Measures included vasodilatory capacity of forearm resistance arteries, central pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid artery stiffness (β). RESULTS Forearm reactive hyperemia was greater in white but increased similarly following exercise in both groups (P

BackgroundVascular grafts are widely used as a treatment in coronary artery bypass surgery, hemodialysis, peripheral arterial bypass and congenital heart disease. Various types of synthetic and natural materials were experimented to produce tissue engineering vascular grafts. In this study, we investigated in vivo tissue engineering technology in miniature pigs to prepare decellularized autologous extracellular matrix-based grafts that could be used as vascular grafts for small-diameter vascular bypass surgery.MethodsAutologous tissue conduits (3.9mm in diameter) were fabricated by embedding Teflon tubings in the subcutaneous pocket of female miniature pigs (n = 8, body weight 25-30kg) for 4weeks. They were then decellularized by CHAPS decellularization solution. Heparin was covalently-linked to decellularized tissue conduits by Sulfo-NHS/EDC. We implanted these decellularized, completely autologous extracellular matrix-based grafts into the carotid arteries of miniature pigs, then sacrificed the pigs at 1 or 2months after implantation and evaluated the patency rate and explants histologically.ResultsAfter 1month, the patency rate was 100% (5/5) while the inner diameter of the grafts was 3.43 ± 0.05mm (n = 5). After 2months, the patency rate was 67% (2/3) while the inner diameter of the grafts was 2.32 ± 0.14mm (n = 3). Histological staining confirmed successful cell infiltration, and collagen and elastin deposition in 2-month samples. A monolayer of endothelial cells was observed along the inner lumen while smooth muscle cells were dominant in the graft wall.ConclusionA completely autologous acellular conduit with excellent performance in mechanical properties can be remodeled into a neoartery in a minipig model. This proof-of-concept study in the large animal model is very encouraging and indicates that this is a highly feasible idea worthy of further study in non-human primates before clinical translation.

Background and aimsMany studies have investigated the association between the level of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and clinical features and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the results remain controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to summarize all available data and estimate the relationship.MethodsA comprehensive literature review was carried out using Medline, Embase and Web of Science database through December 2018 to identify relevant studies. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were utilized for evaluating continuous outcomes and survival analysis, respectively. All statistical analyses were performed by STATA 14.0 software.ResultsA total of 13 studies with 1002 HCC patients were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the proportion of MDSCs in HCC patients was higher than that in healthy controls (SMD = 4.49, 95% CI = 2.53-6.46, PConclusionThe results of this systematic review suggest that elevated MDSCs level appears to be associated with an increased risk for disease progression and poor prognosis for HCC.

The importance of sex differences in the control of blood pressure responses to exercise is controversial. It is unknown whether the potential sex differences are a result of magnitude differences in forward or reflected pressure waves. The purpose of this study was to investigate sex differences in BP following acute exercise using wave separation analysis. Sixty-eight adults (36 females) participated in the study. Aerobic capacity was measured during a graded cycle ergometry test. Central pulse wave analysis was derived from the radial pulse using applanation tonometry and separated into forward and reflected pressure waves before, and 15 min and 30 min after maximum aerobic exercise. Both males and females exhibited significantly decreased brachial SBP (p

Land cover and its dynamic information is the basis for characterizing surface conditions, supporting land resource management and optimization, and assessing the impacts of climate change and human activities. In land cover information extraction, the traditional convolutional neural network (CNN) method has several problems, such as the inability to be applied to multispectral and hyperspectral satellite imagery, the weak generalization ability of the model and the difficulty of automating the construction of a training database. To solve these problems, this study proposes a new type of deep convolutional neural network based on Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery. The network integrates cascaded cross-channel parametric pooling and average pooling layer, applies a hierarchical sampling strategy to realize the automatic construction of the training dataset, determines the technical scheme of model-related parameters, and finally performs the automatic classification of remote sensing images. This study used the new type of deep convolutional neural network to extract land cover information from Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, and compared the experimental results with those obtained by traditional methods. The results show that: (1) The proposed deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) model can automatically construct the training dataset and classify images. This model performs the classification of multispectral and hyperspectral satellite images using deep neural networks, which improves the generalization ability of the model and simplifies the application of the model. (2) The proposed DCNN model provides the best classification results in the Qinhuangdao area. The overall accuracy of the land cover data obtained is 82.0%, and the kappa coefficient is 0.76. The overall accuracy is improved by 5% and 14% compared to the support vector machine method and the maximum likelihood classification method, respectively.

Immune system is essential for our survival and healthy for it being able to exert diverse functions including innate immunity and adaptive immune responses. While our immune system has architecture of precise regulation and fine-tuned functionality, their loss of regulations or balances will lead to serious consequences including transplant rejection, autoimmune disease, allergy and cancer. Therefore, the key for effective therapies is how we are able to selectively shut off specific immune response.

AB African Americans (AA) have increased carotid artery intima-media thickness and decreased vascular function compared with their Caucasian (CA) peers. Aerobic exercise prevents and potentially reverses arterial dysfunction. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 8 wk of moderate- to high-intensity aerobic training in young healthy sedentary AA and CA men and women. Methods: Sixty-four healthy volunteers (men, 28; women, 36) with mean age 24 yr underwent measures of arterial structure, function, and blood pressure (BP) variables at baseline, after the 4-wk control period, and 8 wk after training. Results: There was a significant increase in V[spacing dot above]O2peak among both groups after exercise training. Brachial systolic BP decreased significantly after the control period in both groups but not after exercise training. Carotid pulse pressure decreased significantly in both groups after exercise training as compared with that in baseline. There was no change in any of the other BP variables. AA had higher intima-media thickness at baseline and after the control period but it significantly decreased after exercise training compared with that of CA. AA had significantly lower baseline forearm blood flow and reactive hyperemia compared with those of CA, but exercise training had no effect on these variables. There was no significant difference in arterial stiffness (central pulse wave velocity) and wave-reflection (augmentation index) between the two groups at any time point. Conclusions: This is the first study to show that 8 wk of aerobic exercise training causes significant improvement in the arterial structure in young, healthy AA, making it comparable with the CA and with minimal effects on BP variables