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Abstract To explore the performance of 99mTc-diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) SPECT/CT texture analysis in evaluating the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) . This retrospective study examined 115 TAO patients from a single institution as an internal cohort and 58 TAO patients from another institution as an external validation set. Patients in the internal cohort were randomly divided into training (n = 81) and internal validation sets (n = 34). Radiomics signatures were constructed with the minimal redundancy maximal relevance and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithms in training set. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a clinical model and a combined clinical–radiomics model. Diagnostic performance of models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration curves and decision curve analysis. Compared with CT and SPECT radiomics models, Rad-scoreSPECT/CT demonstrated the best performance with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.94 and 0.91 in the training and test sets, respectively. The combined clinical-radiomics model exhibited significantly better performance in evaluating TAO activity. Our results demonstrate the validity of a multimodal radiomic model of 99mTc-DTPA-SPECT/CT to assess TAO activity. The combined clinical-radiomics model exhibited significantly better diagnostic performance than the clinical model.

Abstract Data-driven decision making (DDDM) is becoming an indispensable component of work across various fields, and the perception of aberrant data (PAD) has emerged as an essential skill. Nonetheless, the neural processing mechanisms underpinning PAD remain incompletely elucidated. Direct evidence linking neural oscillations to PAD is currently lacking, and the impact of cognitive load remains ambiguous. We address this issue using EEG time-frequency analysis. Data were collected from 21 healthy participants. The experiment employed a 2 (low vs. high cognitive load) × 2 [PAD+ (aberrant data accurately identified as aberrant) vs. PAD- (non-aberrant data correctly recognized as normal)] within-subject laboratory design. Results indicate that upper β band oscillations (26–30 Hz) were significantly enhanced in the PAD + condition compared to PAD-, with consistent activity observed in the frontal (p

Abstract Background Several studies have reported that combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) enhances the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance rate in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1/Hepatitis B Virus (HIV/HBV) coinfected patients, yet the associated immunological characteristics remain unclear. Methods Global and specific immune phenotypic profiles were examined in 48 patients with HIV/HBV coinfection before cART and at 1-year, and 3-year after cART using flow cytometry. In addition, 61 patients with HBV monoinfection were included for comparison. Results HBsAg response (sAg-R) was defined as > 0.5 log decrease within six months of cART initiation, and 16 patients achieved it. Patients with sAg-R (the sAg-R group) exhibited distinct immune phenotypes compared to those of HBsAg-retained patients (the sAg-NR group). Notably, patients with sAg-R had lower CD4+ T cell counts and a higher number of HBcAg-specific T cells. Further, the sAg-R group exhibited upregulation of HLA-DR, Ki67, and PD-1 in CD4+ T cells and heightened HLA-DR and T-bet in CD8+ T cells. However, the sAg-R group had fewer TEMRA cells but more TEM and Th17 cells than those in the sAg-NR group. Expression of various markers, including HLA-DR+CD4+, Ki67+CD4+, PD-1+CD4+, CD38+CD8+, HLA-DR+CD8+, TIM-3+CD8+, HBV-specific CD4+ T cell secreting IFN-γ and IL-2, and specific CD8+ T cell secreting IFN-γ and IL-2, correlated with HBsAg decrease. Conclusion The decline in HBsAg levels during cART in HIV/HBV coinfection involves significant alterations in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells phenotypes, offering a novel perspective on a functional HBV cure.

Objectives To evaluate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) value for acupuncture treatment in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), providing guidance for its application in CSU management.Design Secondary analysis of data from a multicentre randomised controlled trial.Setting Three tertiary hospitals across three cities in China.Participants 103 CSU patients (78.7% female) with an average age of 39.97 years.Interventions Participants received acupuncture treatment for 4 weeks in the original study.Outcome measures MCID and minimal detectable change (MDC) for the Urticaria Activity Score over 7 days (UAS7) in acupuncture treatment of CSU. Convergent validity assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Responsiveness evaluated through Spearman correlation between UAS7 improvements and anchor tools (physician’s and patient’s assessments). MDC calculated using SE of measurement of changes in UAS7 scores. MCID estimated using distribution-based and anchor-based methods.Results The ICC for UAS7 was 0.86. Improvements in UAS7 scores were significantly correlated with patient (r=0.44, p

Abstract. Background:. Given the recent updates in cancer burden estimates by GLOBOCAN 2022, this study was undertaken to provide pertinent perspectives within the context of the Human Development Index (HDI) and major world economies. Methods:. Datasets sourced from GLOBOCAN encompassed cancer cases and deaths across all cancer types in 2022, alongside projections up to 2050. Cancer incidences and deaths of the top 10 cancers within China and four distinct HDI-classified regions were compared using descriptive analyses. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and mortality rates (ASMRs) worldwide for the most prevalent cancers in 2022 across ten largest economies and four-tier HDIs were examined. The top five cancer types concerning both incidence and mortality in China were delineated by sex and age group. Results:. In males, prostate cancer predominated in countries with low, high (except China), and very high HDI. Prostate and liver cancers were prominent causes of death in countries with low HDI. In females, breast and cervical cancers predominated in countries with low-to-medium HDI. Lung and colorectal cancer incidence and deaths increased with high HDI for both sexes. ASIRs and ASMRs for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers in the top 10 economies were higher than the global average. However, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers in most Western countries exhibited lower rates. In China, hematologic malignancies (43%) were prevalent among children aged 0–14 years, whereas thyroid cancer led among adolescents and young adults aged 15–39 years. Regarding incidence and mortality, lung cancer predominated for individuals over 40 years, except for females aged 40–59 years, in whom breast cancer predominated. Projected trends indicated substantial increases in new cancer cases (76.6%) and deaths (89.7%) over the next three decades. Conclusions:. Infection- and poverty-related cancer burdens are offset by increased prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer incidence associated with rapid societal and economic transitions. Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in China feature characteristics of developed and developing countries, necessitating tailored, evidence-based, and comprehensive strategies for effective cancer prevention and control.

Abstract Intercropping with Pleurotus ostreatus has been demonstrated to increase the tea yield and alleviate soil acidification in tea gardens. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, high-throughput sequencing and Biolog Eco analysis were performed to identify changes in the community structure and abundance of soil microorganisms in the P. ostreatus intercropped tea garden at different seasons (April and September). The results showed that the soil microbial diversity of rhizosphere decreased in April, while rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microbial diversity increased in September in the P. ostreatus intercropped tea garden. The diversity of tea tree root microorganisms increased in both periods. In addition, the number of fungi associated with organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, such as Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Trechispora, was significantly higher in the intercropped group than in the control group. Intercropping with P. ostreatus increased the levels of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and available phosphorus (AP) in the soil. It also improved the content of secondary metabolites, such as tea catechins, and polysaccharides in tea buds. Microbial network analysis showed that Unclassified_o__Helotiales, and Devosia were positively correlated with soil TN and pH, while Lactobacillus, Acidothermus, and Monascus were positively correlated with flavone, AE, and catechins in tea trees. In conclusion, intercropping with P. ostreatus can improve the physical and chemical properties of soil and the composition and structure of microbial communities in tea gardens, which has significant potential for application in monoculture tea gardens with acidic soils.

Abstract Background Though (1S, 3R)-RSL3 has been used widely in basic research as a small molecular inducer of ferroptosis, the toxicity on normal cells and poor pharmacokinetic properties of RSL3 limited its clinical application. Here, we investigated the synergism of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and low-concentration RSL3 and attempted to rise the sensitivity of NSCLC cells on RSL3. Methods CCK-8 assay was employed to detect the change of cell viability. Microscopy and flowcytometry were applied to identify lipid peroxidation, cell death and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level respectively. The molecular mechanism was inspected with western blot and RT-qPCR. A xenograft mice model was adopted to investigate the effect of NTP and RSL3. Results We found the synergism of NTP and low-concentration RSL3 triggered severe mitochondria damage, more cell death and rapid ferroptosis occurrence in vitro and in vivo. NTP and RSL3 synergistically induced xCT lysosomal degradation through ROS/AMPK/mTOR signaling. Furthermore, we revealed mitochondrial ROS was the main executor for ferroptosis induced by the combined treatment. Conclusion Our research shows NTP treatment promoted the toxic effect of RSL3 by inducing more ferroptosis rapidly and provided possibility of RSL3 clinical application. Graphical Abstract Video Abstract

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology has become one of the standard tools for studying biological mechanisms at the transcriptome level. Advances in RNA-seq technology have led to the development of numerous publicly available tools for RNA-seq data analysis. Most of these tools target linear genome sequences despite the necessity of studying organisms with circular genome sequences. For example, studying the infection mechanisms of viroids which comprise 246–401 nucleotides circular RNAs and target plants may prevent tremendous economic and agricultural damage. Unfortunately, using the available tools to construct workflows for the analysis of circular genome sequences is difficult, especially for non-bioinformaticians. To overcome this limitation, we present CircSeqAlignTk, an easy-to-use and richly documented R package. CircSeqAlignTk offers both command line and graphical user interfaces for end-to-end RNA-seq data analysis, spanning alignment to the visualisation of circular genome sequences, via a series of functions. Moreover, it includes a feature to generate synthetic sequencing data that mirrors real RNA-seq data from biological experiments. CircSeqAlignTk not only provides an easy-to-use analysis interface for novice users but also allows developers to evaluate the performance of alignment tools and new workflows.

Abstract Because of the limited effectiveness of prevailing phylogenetic methods when applied to highly divergent protein sequences, the phylogenetic analysis problem remains challenging. Here, we propose a sequence-based evolutionary distance algorithm termed sequence distance (SD), which innovatively incorporates site-to-site correlation within protein sequences into the distance estimation. In protein superfamilies, SD can effectively distinguish evolutionary relationships both within and between protein families, producing phylogenetic trees that closely align with those based on structural information, even with sequence identity less than 20%. SD is highly correlated with the similarity of the protein structure, and can calculate evolutionary distances for thousands of protein pairs within seconds using a single CPU, which is significantly faster than most protein structure prediction methods that demand high computational resources and long run times. The development of SD will significantly advance phylogenetics, providing researchers with a more accurate and reliable tool for exploring evolutionary relationships.

Abstract Background The relationship between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels or H-type hypertension in different populations is inconsistent. This study aimed to explore the association between the MTHFR rs1801133 SNP and serum Hcy levels of Zhuang hypertensive patients in the central region of Guangxi. Methods A total of 606 Zhuang inpatients with essential hypertension were recruited in our hospital from August 2016 to December 2018. The patients were divided into H-type hypertension (Hcy > 10 µmol/L, n = 528) and non–H-type hypertension (Hcy ≤ 10 µmol/L, n = 78) groups. At the same time, an age- and sex-matched group of 379 subjects with normal physical examination in our hospital were selected as the control group. Blood biochemical measurements and genotyping of the MTHFR rs1801133 SNP were performed. Results The prevalence of H-type hypertension was 87.13%. The levels of serum Hcy in patients with hypertension were higher than those in control group (14.20 ± 5.78 μmol/L vs. 11.97 ± 5.39 μmol/L, P

Exosomes are lipid bilayer membrane vesicles that are widely distributed in peripheral blood， saliva， urine， ascites and other fluids. A variety of tumor-related genes in exosomes are involved in the information exchange between cancer cells and normal cells， as well as the process of tumor cell proliferation and metastasis， play an important role in tumor development， and are potential biomarkers for tumor liquid biopsy. In recent years， surface plasmon resonance （SPR） is considered to have great application potential in the characterization of exosomes due to its high sensitivity， small sample size required for testing， short detection time and low background interference， etc. In this article， the basic principle of SPR and the application prospect of SPR-based biosensing platform in exosomes characterization were mainly illustrated.

Abstract. Background:. The effect of arteriosclerotic intracranial arterial vessel wall enhancement (IAVWE) on downstream collateral flow found in vessel wall imaging (VWI) is not clear. Regardless of the mechanism underlying IAVWE on VWI, damage to the patient's nervous system caused by IAVWE is likely achieved by affecting downstream cerebral blood flow. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of arteriosclerotic IAVWE on downstream collateral flow. Methods:. The present study recruited 63 consecutive patients at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2021 to November 2021 with underlying atherosclerotic diseases and unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) M1-segment stenosis who underwent an magnetic resonance scan within 3 days of symptom onset. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to IAVWE and the stenosis ratio (Group 1, n = 17; Group 2, n = 19; Group 3, n = 13; Group 4, n = 14), and downstream collateral flow was analyzed using three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) and RAPID software. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of the patients were also recorded. Two-factor multivariate analysis of variance using Pillai's trace was used as the main statistical method. Results:. No statistically significant difference was found in baseline demographic characteristics among the groups. IAVWE, but not the stenosis ratio, had a statistically significant significance on the late-arriving retrograde flow proportion (LARFP), hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR), and NIHSS scores (F = 20.941, P

Background Overweight/obese women are a growing population with high incidence of depression, anxiety and psychological abnormalities. Due to lack of effective responsive measures to emotions and behaviors, weight loss outcomes are often unsatisfactory in overweight/obese women with anxiety and depression. And less attention has been paid to weight loss outcomes and emotions in this group.Objective To explore the effect of daily self-weighing supported by online supervision on body composition and emotions in overweight/obese women with anxiety and depression.Methods A prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted with 92 overweight/obese women with mild to moderate anxiety and depression voluntarily recruited from Beijing's Haidian District from October to December 2019. The subjects were randomized into an experimental group (n=46) and a control group (n=46) at a ratio of 1∶1, and treated with weight control interventions for three months: besides eating the appropriate food combinations with scientific and individualized guidance and excising rationally, the experimental group measured their body weight daily with online supervision from the special member of our research group and reported the data to the group, while the control group measured their body weight per month, which was collected by our research group through monthly telephone follow-up. Body composition measurement result, anxiety assessed using Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and depression assessed using Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were compared at baseline and three months after the intervention.Results All the participants completed the questionnaire assessment and follow-up. After the intervention, the control group had higher average body weight, BMI, body fat percentage and body fat as well as larger average visceral fat area than the experimental group （P

Abstract This paper focuses on designing a power allocation strategy for a fuel cell ship. The performance of the fuel cell varies during operation, so a power allocation strategy considering fuel cell performance differences is proposed, which consists of two layers. In the first layer, the maximum power and maximum efficiency of each fuel cell system (FCS) are updated in real-time with an online parameter identification model, which is composed of the fuel cell semi-empirical model and adaptive Kalman filter. The second layer takes the state of charge of the battery energy storage system, the maximum power, and the maximum efficiency as inputs for power allocation. Compared with the equal allocation strategy and daisy chain strategy, the total hydrogen consumption reduces by 5.3% and 15.1% and the total output power of the FCS with poor performance reduces by 14.1% and 15.7%. The results show that the proposed method can improve the efficiency of the ship power system and reduce the operational burden of the FCS with poor performance.

Abstract Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure (HF) are highly prevalent, aggravate each other, and account for substantial mortality. However, the mechanisms underlying cardiorenal interaction and the role of kidney afferent nerves and their precise central pathway remain limited. Here, we combined virus tracing techniques with optogenetic techniques to map a polysynaptic central pathway linking kidney afferent nerves to subfornical organ (SFO) and thereby to paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and rostral ventrolateral medulla that modulates sympathetic outflow. This kidney-brain neural circuit was overactivated in mouse models of CKD or HF and subsequently enhanced the sympathetic discharge to both the kidney and the heart in each model. Interruption of the pathway by kidney deafferentation, selective deletion of angiotensin II type 1a receptor (AT1a) in SFO, or optogenetic silence of the kidney-SFO or SFO-PVN projection decreased the sympathetic discharge and lessened structural damage and dysfunction of both kidney and heart in models of CKD and HF. Thus, kidney afferent nerves activate a kidney-brain neural circuit in CKD and HF that drives the sympathetic nervous system to accelerate disease progression in both organs. These results demonstrate the crucial role of kidney afferent nerves and their central connections in engaging cardiorenal interactions under both physiological and disease conditions. This suggests novel therapies for CKD or HF targeting this kidney-brain neural circuit.

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects about 2% of children. Due to the shortage of clinicians, there is an urgent demand for a convenient and effective tool based on regular videos to assess the symptom. Computer-aided technologies have become widely used in clinical diagnosis, simplifying the diagnosis process while saving time and standardizing the procedure. In this study, we proposed a computer vision-based motion trajectory detection approach assisted with machine learning techniques, facilitating an objective and effective way to extract participants’ movement features (MFs) to identify and evaluate children’s activity levels that correspond to clinicians’ professional ratings. The designed technique includes two key parts: (1) Extracting MFs of participants’ different body key points in various activities segmented from autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) videos, and (2) Identifying the most relevant MFs through established correlations with existing data sets of participants’ activity level scores evaluated by clinicians. The research investigated two types of MFs, i.e., pixel distance (PD) and instantaneous pixel velocity (IPV), three participants’ body key points, i.e., neck, right wrist, and middle hip, and five activities, including Table-play, Birthday-party, Joint-attention, Balloon-play, and Bubble-play segmented from ADOS videos. Among different combinations, the high correlations with the activity level scores evaluated by the clinicians (greater than 0.6 with p

Abstract. Background:. Non-smokers account for a large proportion of lung cancer patients, especially in Asia, but the attention paid to them is limited compared with smokers. In non-smokers, males display a risk for lung cancer incidence distinct from the females—even after excluding the influence of smoking; but the knowledge regarding the factors causing the difference is sparse. Based on a large multicenter prospective cancer screening cohort in China, we aimed to elucidate the interpretable sex differences caused by known factors and provide clues for primary and secondary prevention. Methods:. Risk factors including demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, family history of cancer, and baseline comorbidity were obtained from 796,283 Chinese non-smoking participants by the baseline risk assessment completed in 2013 to 2018. Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the sex difference in the risk of lung cancer, and the hazard ratios (HRs) that were adjusted for different known factors were calculated and compared to determine the proportion of excess risk and to explain the existing risk factors. Results:. With a median follow-up of 4.80 years, 3351 subjects who were diagnosed with lung cancer were selected in the analysis. The lung cancer risk of males was significantly higher than that of females; the HRs in all male non-smokers were 1.29 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–1.38) after adjusting for the age and 1.38 (95% CI: 1.28–1.50) after adjusting for all factors, which suggested that known factors could not explain the sex difference in the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers. Known factors were 7% (|1.29–1.38|/1.29) more harmful in women than in men. For adenocarcinoma, women showed excess risk higher than men, contrary to squamous cell carcinoma; after adjusting for all factors, 47% ([1.30–1.16]/[1.30–1]) and 4% ([7.02–6.75]/[7.02–1])) of the excess risk was explainable in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The main causes of gender differences in lung cancer risk were lifestyle factors, baseline comorbidity, and family history. Conclusions:. Significant gender differences in the risk of lung cancer were discovered in China non-smokers. Existing risk factors did not explain the excess lung cancer risk of all non-smoking men, and the internal causes for the excess risk still need to be explored; most known risk factors were more harmful to non-smoking women; further exploring the causes of the sex difference would help to improve the prevention and screening programs and protect the non-smoking males from lung cancers.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (POP) is a chronic disease of bone metabolism that occurs in middle-aged and elderly women. POP can cause abnormalities of the skeletal system in the whole body, and the jaw bone is also impacted, affecting the function of the oral and maxillofacial regions. Mandibular bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MBMSCs) play an important role in mandibular bone metabolism, and abnormal differentiation of MBMSCs can affect the metabolic balance between new and old bone. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can induce the differentiation of MBMSCs. In this study, the changes in biological characteristics of mandible and MBMSCs in the bone microenvironment of postmenopausal osteoporosis were firstly analyzed, and then the key miRNAs screened from miRNAs gene chips were sorted out for verification and functional exploration. It was found that miR-344d-3p promoted the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 and MBMSCs. It inhibited the adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 and MBMSCs. In addition, Dnmt3a may be the target gene of miR-344d-3p. In conclusion, this study found new biological indicators related to bone metabolism, which are of great significance in the field of bone reconstruction.

Understanding the spatial distribution of urban forest ecosystem services is essential for urban planners and managers to effectively manage cities and is an essential part of sustainable urban development. Mapping the spatial distribution of urban forest ecosystem services and improving the accuracy of its assessment scale will undoubtedly provide a more accurate reference basis for later management. In this study, we used the i-Tree Eco model and kriging interpolation to quantify and map urban forest ecosystem services and their spatial distribution in Zhengzhou, a city along the lower reaches of the Yellow River in China; analyzed the mapping errors and applicable conditions; and further explored the spatial differences using geographic probes. The i-Tree Eco model estimation results showed that the total carbon storage in the urban forest of Zhengzhou city was 75.7 tons, the annual carbon sequestration was 14.66 tons, the trees and shrubs in the urban area of Zhengzhou city could effectively avoid a total of 307.86 m3 of surface runoff per year, and trees and shrubs removed 411.8 kg/year of air pollution (O3, CO, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and SO2). The spatial distribution of all urban forest ecosystem services showed significant heterogeneity, but the spatial evaluation precision of different factors varied. GDP and population data showed a negative correlation with ecosystem services, and ecosystem services were abundant in watershed and woodland areas. This study differs from traditional assessments based on regional data due to its improved spatial evaluation accuracy, and the results, discussion, and analysis not only help Zhengzhou's own urban development, but also provide a basis for the future construction and management of other cities, the Central Plains urban agglomeration, and the surrounding larger regions. This will contribute to the enhancement of ecosystem services and thus improve the ecological conditions of the region. This will also have a positive effect on the health of urban residents.

Empathy involves both empathic ability and empathic motivation. An important topic has been how to measure empathic ability and motivation simultaneously in both clinical and non-clinical samples and across different cultures. The Empathy Components Questionnaire (ECQ) is a self-report questionnaire that measures empathic ability and motivation in a questionnaire. The current study aimed to validate the Mandarin Chinese version of the ECQ (ECQ-Chinese) in three Chinese samples. In study 1, a total of 538 Chinese participants (Sample 1) completed the ECQ-Chinese via an online survey, and existing measures of empathy and related constructs which were used for criterion validity. In study 2, a total of 104 participants (Sample 2) were recruited again from sample 1 and completed the ECQ-Chinese three weeks later to investigate test-retest reliability. In study 3, a further 324 participants (Sample 3) completed the ECQ-Chinese for confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that the ECQ-Chinese has a good internal consistency reliability, split-half reliability, and criterion validity (Study 1), and a good test-retest reliability (Study 2). Further, Study 3 found that a 22-item ECQ-Chinese consisting of five subscales had a good construct validity, convergence validity and discriminate validity, demonstrating it to be a suitable tool for the measurement of empathic ability and motivation in Chinese samples and to carry out cross-cultural studies of empathy and its components.

Abstract China accounts for 25% of the global greening. There are temporal and spatial differences of China’s greening and intrinsic driving forces. Thus, it is crucial to determinize the contributions of human activities and climate change on greening at region scale. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region (BTHR) is one of the most active areas with human activities in China. It is necessary to explore negative or positive impacts of human activities on the regional greening or browning under climate change. A time series of annual vegetation coverage from satellite data was selected to quantify regional greening in the BTHR from 2000 to 2019 and their responses to climate change and human activities. Results showed generally widespread greening over the last 20 years at an average increased rate of 0.036 decade−1 in vegetation coverage (P

Background Current antiretroviral regimens have, for the most part, achieved optimal antiretroviral efficacy and tolerability, transforming HIV infection from a deadly disease into a manageable chronic condition. However, adherence to daily oral drug intake remains an issue, as it is the most important determinant for sustained viral suppression and prevention of the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains. The long-acting injection antiretroviral cabotegravir and rilpivirine combination, a novel drug delivery approach, is about to revolutionise the therapy for people living with HIV. In this protocol, we aim to generate a clinically useful summary of the interventions based on their efficacy.Methods and analysis We searched the literature for eligible studies published from inception up to 16 August 2022 through PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus and ClinicalTrials.gov. Two methodologically trained researchers will select the qualified studies for data extraction independently. Cochrane Risk of Bias tool will be used to assess the risk of bias in included studies. Statistical heterogeneity will be computed by Cochrane X2 and I2 tests. Sensitivity analysis will be conducted to evaluate the stability of the results. Publication biases will be evaluated by Begg’s and Egger’s tests. The quality of evidence will be assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. The RevMan V.5.3 and Stata V.14.0 software will be applied for statistical analyses.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval will not be required for this systematic review because the data used are not linked to the individual patient. The results of this review will be disseminated by being published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022310414

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology has now become one of the standard tools for studying biological mechanisms at the transcriptome level. Advances in RNA-seq technology have led to the emergence of a large number of publicly available tools for RNA-seq data analysis. Most of them target linear genome sequences although it is necessary to study organisms with circular genome sequences. For example, by studying the infection mechanisms of viroids which comprise 246–401 nucleotides circular RNAs and target plants, tremendous economic and agricultural damage may be prevented. Unfortunately, using the available tools to construct workflows for the analysis of circular genome sequences is difficult, especially for non-bioinformaticians. To overcome this limitation, we present CircSeqAlignTk, an easy-to-use and richly documented R package. CircSeqAlignTk performs end-to-end RNA-seq data analysis, from alignment to the visualization of circular genome sequences, through a series of functions. Additionally, it implements a function to generate synthetic sequencing data that mimics real RNA-seq data obtained from biological experiments. CircSeqAlignTk not only provides an easy-to-use analysis interface for novice users but also allows developers to evaluate the performance of alignment tools and new workflows.

Abstract A comprehensive analysis of the humoral immune response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential in understanding COVID-19 pathogenesis and developing antibody-based diagnostics and therapy. In this work, we performed a longitudinal analysis of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 proteins in 104 serum samples from 49 critical COVID-19 patients using a peptide-based SARS-CoV-2 proteome microarray. Our data show that the binding epitopes of IgM and IgG antibodies differ across SARS-CoV-2 proteins and even within the same protein. Moreover, most IgM and IgG epitopes are located within nonstructural proteins (nsps), which are critical in inactivating the host’s innate immune response and enabling SARS-CoV-2 replication, transcription, and polyprotein processing. IgM antibodies are associated with a good prognosis and target nsp3 and nsp5 proteases, whereas IgG antibodies are associated with high mortality and target structural proteins (Nucleocapsid, Spike, ORF3a). The epitopes targeted by antibodies in patients with a high mortality rate were further validated using an independent serum cohort (n = 56) and using global correlation mapping analysis with the clinical variables that are associated with COVID-19 severity. Our data provide fundamental insight into humoral immunity during SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 immunogenic epitopes identified in this work could also help direct antibody-based COVID-19 treatment and triage patients.

Abstract. Background:. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, but its burden is not uniform. GLOBOCAN 2020 has newly updated the estimates of cancer burden. This study summarizes the most recent changing profiles of cancer burden worldwide and in China and compares the cancer data of China with those of other regions. Methods:. We conducted a descriptive secondary analysis of the GLOBOCAN 2020 data. To depict the changing global profile of the leading cancer types in 2020 compared with 2018, we extracted the numbers of cases and deaths in 2018 from GLOBOCAN 2018. We also obtained cancer incidence and mortality from the 2015 National Cancer Registry Report in China when sorting the leading cancer types by new cases and deaths. For the leading cancer types according to sex in China, we summarized the estimated numbers of incidence and mortality, and calculated China's percentage of the global new cases and deaths. Results:. Breast cancer displaced lung cancer to become the most leading diagnosed cancer worldwide in 2020. Lung, liver, stomach, breast, and colon cancers were the top five leading causes of cancer-related death, among which liver cancer changed from the third-highest cancer mortality in 2018 to the second-highest in 2020. China accounted for 24% of newly diagnosed cases and 30% of the cancer-related deaths worldwide in 2020. Among the 185 countries included in the database, China's age-standardized incidence rate (204.8 per 100,000) ranked 65th and the age-standardized mortality rate (129.4 per 100,000) ranked 13th. The two rates were above the global average. Lung cancer remained the most common cancer type and the leading cause of cancer death in China. However, breast cancer became the most frequent cancer type among women if the incidence was stratified by sex. Incidences of colorectal cancer and breast cancer increased rapidly. The leading causes of cancer death varied minimally in ranking from 2015 to 2020 in China. Gastrointestinal cancers, including stomach, colorectal, liver, and esophageal cancers, contributed to a massive burden of cancer for both sexes. Conclusions:. The burden of breast cancer is increasing globally. China is undergoing cancer transition with an increasing burden of lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and breast cancers. The mortality rate of cancer in China is high. Comprehensive strategies are urgently needed to target China's changing profiles of the cancer burden.

Abstract In addition to their use in relieving the symptoms of various diseases, ketogenic diets (KDs) have also been adopted by healthy individuals to prevent being overweight. Herein, we reported that prolonged KD exposure induced cardiac fibrosis. In rats, KD or frequent deep fasting decreased mitochondrial biogenesis, reduced cell respiration, and increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, increased levels of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB), an HDAC2 inhibitor, promoted histone acetylation of the Sirt7 promoter and activated Sirt7 transcription. This in turn inhibited the transcription of mitochondrial ribosome-encoding genes and mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis. Exogenous β-OHB administration mimicked the effects of a KD in rats. Notably, increased β-OHB levels and SIRT7 expression, decreased mitochondrial biogenesis, and increased cardiac fibrosis were detected in human atrial fibrillation heart tissues. Our results highlighted the unknown detrimental effects of KDs and provided insights into strategies for preventing cardiac fibrosis in patients for whom KDs are medically necessary.

AbstractObjective To investigate the effect of antimalarials on cancer risk in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from their inception to October 3, 2020. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to evaluate the results. Subgroup analyses were used to assess heterogeneity. A funnel plot was used to explore publication bias. STATA was applied for all analyses.Results A total of nine studies consisted of four nested case–control, two case–cohort and three cohort studies were included. The results showed that antimalarials might reduce the risk of cancer in SLE (RR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.55–0.85). In the subgroup analysis of four nested case–control and two case–cohort studies, the pooled RR was estimated as 0.69 (95% CI: 0.60–0.80). In four studies about hydroxychloroquine, the pooled RR was estimated as 0.70 (95% CI: 0.53–0.93). Antimalarials might reduce the risk of cancer in SLE among the Asian population (RR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.49–0.88) (I2 = 43.1%, p = .173). And the consistent result was also found in SLE from multiple centres (RR = 0.72; 95%CI: 0.60–0.87) (I2 = 0%, p = .671). On disease course- and comorbidities-matched studies, the pooled RRs were 0.69 (95% CI: 0.52–0.93) and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.46–0.75), respectively.Conclusion Results of this meta-analysis showed that antimalarial drugs might be protective factors for cancer in SLE. Hydroxychloroquine might be a protective factor for cancer in SLE patients.KEY MESSAGESAntimalarials might be protective factors for cancer in SLE.Hydroxychloroquine might be a protective factor for cancer in SLE patients.The first article to perform the meta-analysis of antimalarial drugs on the risk of cancer in SLE patients.

Urban heat islands are major factors hindering the quality of present-day urban habitats. The ongoing acceleration of the worldwide urbanization process is leading to an exacerbation of the urban heat island effect; however, urban forestry can mitigate it. For a sustainable urban development, it is particularly important to evaluate the dual effect of both factors on the urban heat island phenomenon. In this study, we focused on Zhengzhou City (China), at the center of the Central Plains Forest City Cluster. The spatial and temporal evolutions of the local urban heat island and vegetation coverage were measured from Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 remote sensing images taken between 2006-2020 and the effects of urban construction and urban forestry on the urban heat island effect were evaluated. The results showed that, in the past 15 years, the high-temperature zone in the urban area of Zhengzhou City has gradually spread from its center to surrounding areas. Within the same period, the whole urban heat island has deteriorated and gradually improved: its area increased by 138.72 km2 between 2006-2014 and decreased by 135.66 km2 between 2014-2020. Notably, the development of vegetation coverage occurred consistently with the improvement of the heat island. A quantitative analysis of the relationship between urban construction, the urban forest, and the urban heat island has shown that factors like population density (representing urban construction), urban planning, and vegetation cover (representing the urban forest) all have an impact on the urban heat island. Based on the dynamic changes of the urban heat island in the urban area of Zhengzhou City between 2006-2020, we conclude that urban forest construction strategies are beginning to bear fruit. Overall, the findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for future urban construction and urban forest construction plans; moreover, they can support landscape pattern optimization and urban heat island mitigation.

Background: Understanding immune responses after HBV vaccination is important to prevent HBV infection in PLWH and to achieve successful treatment. Methods: Thirty-two PLWHs with CD4+ cell count > 350 cells/µL and HIV RNA < 200 copies/mL were vaccinated with 20 µg of HBV vaccine at weeks 0, 4, and 24 in this prospective study. We measured total HIV DNA levels, HBsAb titers and HBsAg-specific T-cell responses during follow-up time. Results: All patients achieved protective HBsAb titer after immunization. The magnitude of the IFN-r and TNF-a response to HBsAg was 22.0 (IQR: 6.5–65.0) and 106.50 (IQR: 58.5–203.0) spot-forming cells (SFC)/105 PBMC, respectively at week 0. The level of IFN-r secreted at weeks 12 and weeks 36 to 48 was comparable with that at week 0. However, IFN-r response was higher at weeks 12 than that at weeks 36 to 48 (p = 0.02). The level of TNF-a secreted at weeks 12 was higher than that at week 0 (p < 0.001). Total HIV DNA levels were 2.76 (IQR: 2.47–3.07), 2.77 (IQR: 2.50–3.09), 2.77 (IQR: 2.41–2.89) log10 copies/106 PBMCs at weeks 0, 12, 36 to 48, respectively. No correlation was observed between IFN-r and TNF-a levels and HBsAb titer as well as total HIV DNA levels after immunization. Conclusion: Humoral immunity was satisfactory, but cellular immunity and decline in HIV reservoir were not optimal after HBV vaccine immunization in these patients.

Abstract. Background. Some porous materials have been developed to enhance biologic fusion of the implants to bone in spine fusion surgeries. However, there are several inherent limitations. In this study, a novel biomedical porous tantalum was applied to in vitro and in vivo experiments to test its biocompatibility and osteocompatibility. Methods. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were cultured on porous tantalum implant. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay were used to evaluate the cell toxicity and biocompatibility. Twenty-four rabbits were performed discectomy only (control group), discectomy with autologous bone implanted (autograft group), and discectomy with porous tantalum implanted (tantalum group) at 3 levels: L3–L4, L4–L5, and L5–L6 in random order. All the 24 rabbits were randomly sacrificed at the different post-operative times (2, 4, 6, and 12 months; n = 6 at each time point). Histologic examination and micro-computed tomography scans were done to evaluate the fusion process. Comparison of fusion index scores between groups was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Other comparisons of numerical variables between groups were made by Student t test. Results. All rabbits survived and recovered without any symptoms of nerve injury. Radiographic fusion index scores at 12 months post-operatively between autograft and tantalum groups showed no significant difference (2.89 ± 0.32 vs. 2.83 ± 0.38, F = 244.60, P = 0.709). Cell Counting Kit-8 assay showed no significant difference of absorbance values between the leaching liquor group and control group (1.25 ± 0.06 vs. 1.23 ± 0.04, t = –0.644, P = 0.545), which indicated the BMSC proliferation without toxicity. SEM images showed that these cells had irregular shapes with long spindles adhered to the surface of tantalum implant. No implant degradation, wear debris, or osteolysis was observed. Histologic results showed solid fusion in the porous tantalum and autologous bone implanted intervertebral spaces. Conclusion. This novel porous tantalum implant showed a good biocompatibility and osteocompatibility, which could be a valid biomaterial for interbody fusion cages.

This study examines local residents' place attachment (PA) to the city or town they live and investigates how this attachment influences their perceptions and support for tourism development (ST), as well as comparing the differences of these relationships among the city and town residents in a linear World Heritage Site (WHS) setting. Structural equation model was used to analyze samples of 226 city residents and 235 town residents along the Grand Canal Yangzhou Section, China. The findings suggested that residents' PA is positively correlated their ST. Results also suggested that the PA-ST effect is partially mediated by residents' positive perceptions in the city area while fully mediated by residents' positive and negative perceptions in the town areas. This study could help local governments make heritage development and management policies accordingly for cities and towns along the Grand Canal area.

More voices are calling for a quicker transition towards clean energy. The exploration and exploitation of clean energy such as wind energy and solar energy are effective means to optimise energy structure and improve energy efficiency. To provide in-depth understanding of clean energy transition, this paper utilises a combination of multiple bibliometric mapping techniques, including HistCite, CiteSpace and R Bibliometrix, to conduct a systematic review on 2,191 clean energy related articles obtained from Web of Science (WoS). We identify five current main research streams in the clean energy field, including Energy Transition, Clean Energy and Carbon Emission Policy, Impact of Oil Price on Alternative Energy Stocks, Clean Energy and Economics, and Venture Capital Investments in Clean Energy. Clearly, the effectiveness of policy-driven and market-driven energy transition is an important ongoing debate. Emerging research topics are also discussed and classified into six areas: Clean Energy Conversion Technology and Biomass Energy Utilisation, Optimisation of Energy Generation Technology, Policy-Making in Clean Energy Transition, Impact of Clean Energy Use and Economic Development on Carbon Emissions, Household Use of Clean Energy, and Clean Energy Stock Markets. Accordingly, more and more research attention has been paid to how to improve energy efficiency through advanced clean energy technology, and how to make targeted policies for clean energy transition and energy market development. This article moves beyond the traditional literature review methods and delineates a systematic research agenda for clean energy research, providing research directions for achieving low-carbon development through the clean energy transition.

Background This study aimed to develop multi-RNA-based models using a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network to provide survival risk prediction in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods All long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and mRNA expression data and clinicopathological features related to HNSCC were derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Differentially expressed RNAs were calculated using R. Prognostic factors were identified using univariate Cox regression analysis. Functional analysis was performed using GO, KEGG pathways, and PPI network. Based on the results, we derived a risk signature and compared high- and low-risk subgroups using LASSO regression analysis. Survival analysis and the relationship between risk signature and clinicopathological features were performed using log-rank tests and Cox regression analysis. A ceRNA regulatory network was constructed, and prognostic lncRNAs and miRNA expression levels were validated in vitro and in vivo. Results A list of 207 lncRNAs, 18 miRNAs and 362 mRNAs related to overall survival was established. Five lncRNAs (HOTTIP, LINC00460, RMST, SFTA1P, and TM4SF19-AS1), one miRNA (hsa-miR-206), and one mRNA (STC2) were used to construct the ceRNA network. Three prognostic models contained 13 lncRNAs, eight miRNAs, and 17 mRNAs, which correlated with the patient status, disease-free survival (DFS), stage, grade, T stage, N stage, TP53 mutation status, angiolymphatic invasion, HPV status, and extracapsular spread. KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of “Transcriptional misregulation in cancer” and “Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction.” In addition, HOTTIP, LINC00460, miR-206 and STC2 were validated in GTEx data, GEO microarrays and six HNSCC cell lines. Conclusions Our findings clarify the interaction of ceRNA regulatory networks and crucial clinicopathological features. These results show that prognostic biomarkers can be identified by constructing multi-RNA-based prognostic models, which can be used for survival risk prediction in patients with HNSCC.

Introduction Chronic pruritus (CP) frequently occurs in many skin and systemic diseases, and adversely affects quality of life. This systematic review aims to evaluate treatment effects of acupuncture on CP.Methods and analysis An electronic and manual search will be conducted for all acupuncture treatments for CP, from the inception date of predefined database up to 28 February 2020. Databases include PubMed, Embase, Springer, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trial Registration Platform, the Chinese Medicine Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the China Science Journal Database and the Wanfang Database. Other sources, including existing systematic reviews, conference proceedings and reference lists of identified publications will also be searched. Additionally, any clinical randomised controlled trials related to acupuncture treatment for CP, regardless of the publication status and language limitations, will be included. Study selection, data extraction and research quality assessments will be conducted independently by two researchers. The primary outcome measures include the Visual Analogue Scale, Urdu 5D-Itch Scale or other validated scales implemented after at least 2 weeks of treatment. Secondary outcomes include the effective rate, Quality of Life Scale (eg, the EQ-5D third level, the Dermatology Life Quality Index, etc.), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, recurrence rate during the follow-up period and adverse events. If possible, meta-analyses will be performed using RevMan V.5.3 statistical software; otherwise, a descriptive analysis or subgroup analysis will be conducted. The results will be presented as the risk ratio of the binary data and the mean difference (MD) or standardised MD of the continuous data.Ethics and dissemination This systematic review protocol does not require formal ethical approval because the data are not personalised. It will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international academic conferences.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019136727.

Chironomidae is the most ecologically diverse insects in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats. Propsilocerus akamusi (Tokunaga) is a dominant and ubiquitous chironomid species in Eastern Asia and its morphologically unique larvae are also considered as indicator organisms to detect water contamination, potential toxicity and waterborne pathogens. Since few studies to date have focused on the olfactory system of P. akamusi, our study aims to elucidate the potential functions of chemosensory genes in P. akamusi. In our study, we found that although signals released from male groups might attract female swarmers, it was a completely male-dominated mating process. Sequencing the transcriptome of P. akamusi on an Illumina HiSeq platform generated 4.42, 4.46 and 4.53 Gb of clean reads for heads, legs, and antennae, respectively. 27,609 unigenes, 20,379 coding sequences (CDSs), and 8,073 simple sequence repeats were finally obtained. The gene-level differential expression analysis demonstrated variants among three different tissues, including 2,019 genes specifically expressed in heads, 1,540 genes in legs, and 2,071 genes in antennae. Additionally, we identified an assortment of putative olfactory genes consisting of 34 odorant binding proteins, 17 odorant receptors, 32 gustatory receptors, 22 ionotropic receptors, six chemosensory proteins as well as 3 sensory neuron membrane proteins; their relative abundances in the above three tissues were also determined by RT-qPCR. Our finding could allow a more plausible understanding of certain olfaction-mediated behaviors in groups of this macroinvertebrate.

OBJECTIVE:Based on the theoretical basis of Gabor wavelet transformation, the application effects of feature extraction algorithm in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the role of feature extraction algorithm in the diagnosis of lumbar vertebra degenerative diseases were explored. METHOD:The structure of lumbar vertebra and degenerative changes were respectively introduced to clarify the onset mechanism and pathological changes of lumbar vertebra degenerative changes. Most importantly, the theoretical basis of Gabor wavelet transformation and the extraction effect of feature information in lumbar vertebra MRI images were introduced. The differentiation effects of feature information extraction algorithm on annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus were analyzed. In this study, the data of lumbar spine MRI was randomly selected from the Wenzhou Lumbar Spine Research Database as research objects. A total of 130 discs were successfully fitted, and 109 images were graded by a doctor after observation, which was compared with the results of the artificial diagnosis. Through the comparison with the results of observation and diagnosis by professional doctors, the accuracy of feature extraction algorithm based on Gabor wavelet transformation in the diagnosis of lumbar vertebra degenerative changes was analyzed. RESULTS:1. Compared with the results of the manual diagnosis, the accuracy of the classification method was 88.3%. In addition, the specificity (SPE), accuracy (ACC), and sensitivity (SEN) of the classification method were respectively 89.5%, 92.4%, and 87.6%. 2. The mutual information method and the KLT algorithm were utilized for vertebral body tracking. The maximum mutual information method was more effective in the case of fewer image sequences; however, with the increase of image frames, the accumulation of errors would make the tracking effects of images get worse. Based on the KLT algorithm, the enhanced vertebral boundary information was selected; the soft tissues showed in the obtained images were smooth, the boundary information of vertebral body was enhanced, and the results were more accurate. CONCLUSION:The feature extraction algorithm based on Gabor wavelet transformation could easily and quickly realize the localization of the lumbar intervertebral disc, and the accuracy of the results was ensured. In addition, from the aspect of vertebral body tracking, the tracking effects based on the KLT algorithm were better and faster than those based on the maximum mutual information method.

ObjectiveAt present, current didactic teaching delivery method help nursing students apply theory to clinical situations in an inefficient way. The flipped classroom (FC), a novel teaching mode emphasizing self-study and critical thinking, has generated interest in nursing education in China. However, there are a gap in the literature and no consistent outcomes of current studies which compared FC and lecture-based learning (LBL), and no systematic review has comprehensively compared theoretical scores as an affected outcome in FC versus LBL modes.MethodsIn this review, we analyze flipped-learning nursing students' scores, and aim to assess the efficacy and provide a deeper understanding of the FC in nursing education. Following the inclusion criteria, articles were obtained by searching PubMed, Embase and Chinese data, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP database until 3 January 2020. Data were extracted from eligible articles and quality was assessed. A meta-analysis was then performed using a random effects model with a standardized mean value (SMD) and a 95% confidence interval (CI).32 studies were included after reviewing 2,439 citations. All studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The FC theoretical knowledge scores in FC were significantly positively affected compared to those of the traditional classroom (SMD = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.64; P < 0.001). In addition, 23 studies reported skill scores, indicating significant difference between the FC mode and LBL mode (SMD = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.23-1.93; P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe results of this meta-analysis suggest that compared to the LBL teaching method, the FC mode dose significantly improve Chinese nursing students' theoretical scores. However, the problems of heterogeneity and publication bias in this study need to be remedied high-quality future studies.

Alkali-activated materials (AAMs), sometimes called geopolymers, are eco-friendly cementitious materials with reduced carbon emissions when compared to ordinary Portland cement. However, the availability of most precursors used for AAM production may decline in the future because of changes in industrial sectors. Thus, new precursors must be developed. Recently there has been increased interest in synthetic glass precursors. One major concern with using synthetic glasses is ensuring that they react sufficiently under alkaline conditions. Reactivity is a necessary, although not sufficient, requirement for a suitable precursor for AAMs. This work involves the synthesis, characterization, and estimation of alkaline reactivity of Na-Mg aluminosilicate glasses. Structural characterization showed that replacing Na with Mg led to more depolymerization. Alkaline reactivity studies indicated that, as Mg replaced Na, reactivity of glasses increased at first, reached an optimal value, and then declined. This trend in reactivity could not be explained by the conventional parameters used for estimating glass reactivity: the non-bridging oxygen fraction (which predicts similar reactivity for all glasses) and optical basicity (which predicts a decrease in reactivity with an increase in Mg replacement). The reactivity of the studied glasses was found to depend on two main factors: depolymerization (as indicated by structural characterization) and optical basicity. Depolymerization dominated initially, which led to an increase in reactivity, while the effect of optical basicity dominated later, leading to a decrease in reactivity. Hence, while designing reactive synthetic glasses for alkali activation, structural study of glasses should be given due consideration in addition to the conventional factors.

Objective To investigate the effects of inverse ratio ventilation combined with lung-protective ventilation on pulmonary function and inflammatory factors in severe burn patients undergoing surgery. Populations and Methods: Eighty patients with severe burns undergoing elective surgery were divided randomly into two groups: control (CG, n = 40) and experiment (EG, n = 40). The CG had conventional ventilation, whereas the EG were ventilated with tidal volume (TV) of 6–8 ml/kg, I (inspiration): E (expiration) of 2:1, and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 5 cm H2O. The following variables were evaluated before (T0), 1 h after start of surgery (T1) and after surgery (T2): oxygenation index (OI), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), TV, peak airway pressure (Ppeak), mean airway pressure (Pmean), PEEP, pulmonary dynamic compliance (Cdyn), alveolar–arterial difference of oxygen partial pressure D(A-a)O2, lactic acid (Lac), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10, and lung complications. Results: At T1 and T2 time points, the OI, Pmean and Cdyn were significantly greater in the EG than in the CG while the TV, Ppeak, D(A-a)O2, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly smaller in the EG than in the CG. At the end of the surgery, the Lac was significantly smaller in the EG than in the CG (1.28 ± 0.19 vs. 1.40 ± 0.23 mmol/L). Twenty-four hours after the surgery, significantly more patients had hypoxemia (27.5 vs. 10.0%), increased expectoration (45.0 vs. 22.5%), increased lung texture or exudation (37.5 vs. 17.5%) in the CG than in the EG. Conclusions: Inverse ratio ventilation combined with lung-protective ventilation can reduce Ppeak, increase Pmean and Cdyn, improve the pulmonary oxygenation function, and decrease ILs in severe burn surgery patients.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) complicates chronic kidney disease (CKD). We tested the hypothesis that CKD activates a broad reflex response from the kidneys and the white adipose tissue to impair peripheral glucose uptake and investigated the role of salt intake in this process. Methods: 5/6-nephrectomized rats were administered normal- or high-salt for 3 weeks. Conclusions were tested in 100 non-diabetic patients with stage 3–5 CKD. Findings: High-salt in 5/6-nephrectomized rats decreased insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake >25% via a sympathetic nervous system (SNS) reflex that linked the IR to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in brain and peripheral tissues. Salt-loading in CKD enhanced inflammation in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and enhanced the impairment of insulin signaling and Glut4 trafficking. Denervation of the kidneys or adipose tissue or deafferentation of adipose tissue improved IR >40%. In patients with non-diabetic CKD, IR was positively correlated with salt intake after controlling for cofounders (r = 0.334, P = 0.001) and was linked to activation of the RAS/SNS and to impaired glucose uptake in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, all of which depended on salt intake. Interpretation: CKD engages a renal/adipose-cerebral-peripheral sympathetic reflex that activates the RAS/ROS axes to promote IR via local inflammation and impaired Glut4 trafficking that are enhanced by high-salt intake. The findings point to a role for blockade of RAS or α-and-β-adrenergic receptors to reduce IR in patients with CKD. Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China. Keywords: Insulin resistance, Salt, Sympathetic reflex, Adipose tissue, Renin-angiotensin system, Chronic kidney disease

Background: In a small proportion of cases, spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK) involves the medial tibial plateau (MT). Here, we introduced the clinical characteristics of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the MT and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) as the favorable treatment for this situation based on a retrospective case study. Methods: Patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the MT, confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (China) from March 2015 to June 2016, were included as a case serial and analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent Oxford Medial UKA. The characteristics of their lesions, corresponding treatment, and results of follow-up were presented. The lesion scores and grade were determined according to the criteria of Ficat and Arlet. Results: In total, 22 patients (5 men, 17 women; mean age, 64.1 years) with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the MT were analyzed. The lesion stages assessment showed that 3 (14%) were Stage II, 10 (45%) were Stage III, 7 (32%) were Stage IV, and 2 (9%) were Stage V. In the sagittal plane, 7 (32%) were in the anterior region (MTa) and 15 (68%) were central (MTc). The lesion volume averaged 2.24 ± 0.79 cm3 (range: 1.57–3.08 cm3). Seventeen patients (77%) had Level III posterior medial meniscus root tears (MMRTs). All the patients underwent UKA. Average follow-up was 30.0 ± 6.4 months with a range of 23.0–38.0 months. The visual analog scale score was 7.78 ± 0.67 before surgery while decreased to 2.22 ± 1.09 at the final follow-up (P < 0.001). The Hospital for Special Surgery scores of pre-/post-surgery were 65.67 ± 5.45 and 84.10 ± 4.20, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusions: SONK often occurs in the anterior and central tibial plateau due to abnormal stresses. Most of the patients had Level III posterior medial meniscus root tears. MRI is recommended for suspected cases to identify SONK at an early stage. The use of the Oxford Medial UKA for SONK of the MT is reliable both immediately and at follow-up.

Abstract Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been emerging as critical regulators in various tissues and biological processes, little is known about their expression and regulation during the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) in inflammatory microenvironment. In this study, we have identified 63 lncRNAs that are not annotated in previous database. These novel lncRNAs were not randomly located in the genome but preferentially located near protein-coding genes related to particular functions and diseases, such as stem cell maintenance and differentiation, development disorders and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, we have identified 650 differentially expressed lncRNAs among different subsets of PDLSCs. Pathway enrichment analysis for neighboring protein-coding genes of these differentially expressed lncRNAs revealed stem cell differentiation related functions. Many of these differentially expressed lncRNAs function as competing endogenous RNAs that regulate protein-coding transcripts through competing shared miRNAs.

Abstract Metasurfaces offer exciting opportunities that enable precise control of light propagation, optical intensity, phase and polarization. Plasmonic metasurface based quarter-wave plates have been recently studied to realize the conversion between linear polarization and circular polarization. However, it is still quite challenging to directly measure the birefringent phase retardation introduced by metasurface wave plates with a reliable technique. Here, we report a high-performance broadband metasurface quarter-wave plate made of anisotropic T-shaped plasmonic antennas in near-infrared wavelength range, where the achromatic nearly 90° transmitted phase retardation through the metasurface is precisely characterized with an optical vortex based interferometric approach. Based on the measured transmission amplitude and phase of two orthogonal linear polarization components, nearly unit degree of linear polarization is extracted from the Stokes parameters, indicating excellent broadband polarization conversion between linearly and circularly polarized light through the metasurface. Our results will be an important step forward in the advancement of integrated metasurface devices for polarization conversion and beam manipulation, structured light control, as well as new spectroscopic and interferometric techniques for metasurface characterization.

Abstract In this work, we present laser coloration on 304 stainless steel using nanosecond laser. Surface modifications are tuned by adjusting laser parameters of scanning speed, repetition rate, and pulse width. A comprehensive study of the physical mechanism leading to the appearance is presented. Microscopic patterns are measured and employed as input to simulate light-matter interferences, while chemical states and crystal structures of composites to figure out intrinsic colors. Quantitative analysis clarifies the final colors and RGB values are the combinations of structural colors and intrinsic colors from the oxidized pigments, with the latter dominating. Therefore, the engineering and scientific insights of nanosecond laser coloration highlight large-scale utilization of the present route for colorful and resistant steels.

Abstract Deep learning-based radiomics (DLR) was developed to extract deep information from multiple modalities of magnetic resonance (MR) images. The performance of DLR for predicting the mutation status of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) was validated in a dataset of 151 patients with low-grade glioma. A modified convolutional neural network (CNN) structure with 6 convolutional layers and a fully connected layer with 4096 neurons was used to segment tumors. Instead of calculating image features from segmented images, as typically performed for normal radiomics approaches, image features were obtained by normalizing the information of the last convolutional layers of the CNN. Fisher vector was used to encode the CNN features from image slices of different sizes. High-throughput features with dimensionality greater than 1.6*104 were obtained from the CNN. Paired t-tests and F-scores were used to select CNN features that were able to discriminate IDH1. With the same dataset, the area under the operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the normal radiomics method was 86% for IDH1 estimation, whereas for DLR the AUC was 92%. The AUC of IDH1 estimation was further improved to 95% using DLR based on multiple-modality MR images. DLR could be a powerful way to extract deep information from medical images.