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Abstract Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (AZIBs) and Zn‐ion hybrid supercapacitors (AZHSCs) are considered promising energy‐storage alternatives to Li‐ion batteries due to the attractive merits of low‐price and high‐safety. However, the lack of suitable cathode materials always hinders their large‐scale application. Herein, amorphous K‐buserite microspheres (denoted as K‐MnOx) are reported as cathode materials for both AZIBs and AZHSCs, and the energy‐storage mechanism is systematically revealed. It is found that K‐MnOx is composed of rich amorphous K‐buserite units, which can irreversibly be transformed into amorphous Zn‐buserite units in the first discharge cycle. Innovatively, the transformed Zn‐buserite acts as active materials in the following cycles and is highly active/stable for fast Zn‐diffusion and superhigh pseudocapacitance, enabling the achievement of high‐efficiency energy storage. In the AZIBs, K‐MnOx delivers 306 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 with 102% capacity retention, while in the AZHSCs, it shows 515.0/116.0 F g−1 at 0.15/20.0 A g−1 with 92.9% capacitance retention at 5.0 A g−1 after 20 000 cycles. Besides, the power/energy density of AZHSCs device can reach up to 16.94 kW kg−1 (at 20 A g−1)/206.7 Wh kg−1 (at 0.15 A g−1). This work may provide some references for designing next‐generation aqueous energy‐storage devices with high energy/power density.

Abstract: It is a long tradition of Chinese culture and education to have children recite cannons, which is thought to have many negative consequences. But when Xue Yong dismissed Jiang Qing's theory of reciting cannons as "a conservatism leading to obscurantism", Qiu Feng immediately came to Jiang's defence. These two different conceptions of children and accordingly two different theories of education will inevitably result in two different kinds of childhood, o(life and even of man. The conflict between these two different conceptions of children and their education is actually the confrontation between the modern and traditional education. After making a full understanding of the debate between Xue and Qiu and of the original statements of Jiang's theory of Children's reciting cannons, we can find that the difference between Qiu and Xue is far smaller than the differences between Jiang and Xue and that between Jiang and Qiu. This very issue actually renders a bit odd the debate between Qiu and Xue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As major contributor to the blue carbon sink, intertidal zones play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. In recent years, more attention has been given to the carbon cycle in intertidal wetlands. However, due to highly variable and uncertain environmental conditions, it is difficult to clarify the quantitative relationship between soil respiration and environmental factors through in-situ experiments. In this study, the response of soil respiration characteristics to variations in the temperature and water table was investigated using a monitoring apparatus of CO2 flux at the soil–air interface in the intertidal zone. The results showed that soil respiration flux was significantly correlated with temperature, and the correlation best fitted the DoseResp function. Meanwhile, the respiration flux was enhanced with the descent of water table, a relationship could be described by a quadratic function. The effect of the water table on soil respiration became more pronounced with the rise of temperature. These results provide significant clarification of the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle in bare intertidal zones and as well as support for numerical simulations of the carbon cycle in bare intertidal zones.

Background: Triazole antifungals are widely used as broad-spectrum antifungal activity; however, there are many undetected and unreported adverse events (AEs). Methods: Data from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from the first quarter (Q1) of 2004 to the third quarter (Q3) of 2021 were selected for disproportionality analysis to assess the connection between antifungal triazoles, and AEs and important medical events (IMEs). Results: A total of 22,566 records associated with triazole antifungals were identified, with 9584 triazole antifungal–IME pairs. The following system organ classes (SOCs) appeared as significant signals: ‘Endocrine disorders’ [reported odds ratio (ROR) = 167.94], ‘Metabolism and nutrition disorders’ (ROR = 46.30), and ‘Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders’ (ROR = 21.37). Strong signals were observed with respiratory failure, rash, hepatic function abnormal, and hypokalemia. Uncommon security signals included a change in the QT interval, neurotoxicity, pseudoaldosteronism, and hallucinations. Conclusion: Various triazole antifungals cause AEs of different types and intensities of association. Our results are broadly consistent with prescribing information and previous studies; however, additional pharmacoepidemiological studies are required to verify AEs with modest incidence but high signal. Plain Language Summary A study on the adverse effects of triazole antifungals Introduction: The triazole antifungals we studied include fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole. Triazole antifungals are widely used as broad-spectrum antifungals; however, there are many undetected and unreported adverse events (AEs). Materials and Methods: The Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database contains AEs reported to the FDA by different countries regarding post-marketing drugs. Through the FAERS database, we retrieved a total of 22,566 AE reports related to triazole antifungals. We not only counted information about patients’ gender, age, weight, reporting country, outcome indicators, and indications but also analyzed the system organ classes (SOCs) of AEs, and the number of reported drug-related AEs and the degree of relevance. Results: We found a total of 22,566 records related to triazole antifungal agents, of which 9584 reports made important medical events (IMEs) about triazole antifungal agents, which are serious AEs. The following SOCs appear as important signals: ‘endocrine disorders’, ‘metabolic and nutritional disorders’, and ‘skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders’. Triazole antifungals produce AEs, such as respiratory failure, rash, hepatic function abnormal, and hypokalemia. They also produce uncommon AEs, including changes in the QT interval, neurotoxicity, pseudoaldosteronism, and hallucinations. Conclusion: By analyzing data from the FAERS database, we identified more AEs associated with these five triazole antifungals than were indicated in the instructions and our findings provide additional insight into triazole-related AEs to inform clinicians before and during treatment.

Objective: Systematic comparison of the efficacy and safety of nebulized corticosteroids and systemic corticosteroids for treating acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease reported by high-quality, real-world observational studies and randomized controlled trials.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from the database creation date to 1 April 2022. Eligible observational studies and randomized controlled trials with changes in lung function and blood gas analysis results as the primary endpoints of interest, and the numbers of deteriorations and adverse events as the secondary endpoints were sought.Results: Of the 2,837 identified studies, 22 were eligible and included in our analysis (N = 5,764 patients). Compared with systemic corticosteroids, nebulized corticosteroids resulted in comparable improvements in predicted FEV1%, FEV1, PaO2, PaCO2, and SaO2 at the treatment endpoint; however, observational studies reported more significant treatment outcomes with nebulized corticosteroids for FEV1 [mean difference, 0.26; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17–0.35; p < 0.005]. In terms of adverse reactions, the risks of gastrointestinal symptoms were 11% [Log risk ratio (LogRR) = 0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.15; p < 0.005] higher for systemic corticosteroids than for nebulized corticosteroids in randomized controlled trials, while the risks of hyperglycemia were 6% (LogRR = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01–0.11; p = 0.01) and 13% (LogRR = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.09–0.16; p < 0.005) higher in observational studies and randomized controlled trials, respectively.Conclusion: According to our meta-analysis, either study type supported that nebulized corticosteroids can be used as an alternative to systemic corticosteroids for treating acute exacerbation of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, more well-designed prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal dose of nebulized corticosteroids and the advantages of sequential therapy.

BackgroundDeveloping effective approaches for postoperative delirium has been hampered due to the lack of a pathophysiologically similar animal model to offer insights into the pathogenesis. The study, therefore, aimed to develop a delirium-like mouse model and explore the underlying mechanism.MethodsThe three cycles of 10-min clamp following 5-min reopening of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were performed in adult male C57BL/6 mice to induce a delirium-like phenotype. Composite Z score calculated based on the results of Open Field, Y Maze and Buried Food Tests was employed to assess the delirium phenotype in mice. Microglia activities were monitored by immunofluorescence staining and comprehensive morphological analysis. Systemic administration of minocycline (MINO), IL-6 antibody or IL-6 neutralizing antibody, was applied to manipulate microglia. The expressions of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) and quinolinic acid (QUIN) were examined by RT-PCR and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, respectively. Cytokines were measured using fluorescence activated cell sorting method.ResultsThe repeated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) surgery caused significant anxiety (P < 0.05) and cognition decline in working memory and orientation (P < 0.05) in mice at postoperative 24 h. The composite Z score, indicating an overall disturbance of brain function, fluctuated over 24 h after I/R surgery (P < 0.001). Immunofluorescent staining showed that the percentage of microglia in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) (P < 0.05) was reactivated after I/R surgery and was negatively correlated with dwell time at Y maze (R = −0.759, P = 0.035). Inhibiting microglia activities by MINO reduced QUIN productions (P < 0.01) that improved cognitive deficits (P < 0.05). The peripheral IL-6 might cause IL-6 elevation in the BLA. Systemic administration of IL-6 antibodies suppressed I/R-induced IL-6 elevations (P < 0.05), microglial reactivations (P < 0.05), IDO-1 expressions (P < 0.01), and neuroactive metabolite QUIN productions (P < 0.05) in the BLA, resulting in a recovery of cognitive deficits (P < 0.05). Injection of IL-6 exerted opposite effects.ConclusionThe repeated intestinal I/R surgery-induced mouse model is a simple and reproducible one of postoperative delirium. Peripheral IL-6-associated microglial QUIN elevations in the BLA contributed to cognitive dysfunction in the model of postoperative delirium.

As a beneficial supplement to radio frequency communication, Visible Light Communication (VLC) can provide highspeed, ultra-low delay, green, low-cost, safe and reliable communication services. However, limited coverage range has become the bottleneck of long distance and reliable communication in VLC system. Since the coverage range of VLC is limited, an effective method is proposed to use relay technology in VLC system. The paper starts from the functional characteristics of relay technology, and analyzes the relay system model. Then we give a review on several key technologies of relay-assisted VLC, including the application scenario, network mode, transfer agreement, modulation mode, working mode and non-orthogonal multiple access. The reliable performance, safety and energy efficiency with the corresponding key technologies are analyzed. Finally, we point out a research emphasis and direction in VLC by adopting the heterogeneous network, non-orthogonal multiple access, multi-input and multi-output, full-duplex mode multiple and relays collaboration for the next generation communication network.

This study analyzed the trend in semen quality of infertile male patients in Wenzhou, China, based on the data obtained from 38 905 patients during 2008–2016 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China). The results showed that only 24.9% of the patients had normal semen quality. For the semen quality of infertile male patients, that of the workers and 40-year-olds was significantly worse than the other occupational and age groups. For all the infertile patients, low semen volume, asthenozoospermia, and teratozoospermia accounted for 8.4%, 50.5%, and 54.1%, respectively. During 2008–2016, the annual mean percentage of fast forward motile spermatozoa, percentage of total forward motile spermatozoa, and percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology decreased linearly with slopes of −2.11, −2.59, and −0.70, respectively. The proportion of patients with asthenozoospermia and multi-abnormal spermatozoa increased during 2008–2016 with slopes of 4.70 and 4.87, respectively, while for low semen volume, it decreased with a slope of −0.47 in the same time period. The proportion of patients with teratozoospermia increased from 2008 to 2011 and from 2011 to 2016 with slopes of 17.10 and 2.09, respectively. In general, the deteriorating trend of semen quality of infertile male patients in Wenzhou was obvious. Future efforts should be made to reveal the adverse influences on semen quality, such as occupational exposure, environmental quality, and living habits. Furthermore, more pervasive reproduction health education is necessary.

The bursa of Fabricius plays an essential role in B lymphocyte development, which is controlled not only by proteins but by noncoding RNA. Circular RNA (circRNA) are expressed in diverse tissues in eukaryotes. To acquire a deeper perception of the molecular mechanism of bursal development, RNA sequencing was used to identify the circRNA during varied evolving stages of the chicken bursa of Fabricius. We identified 13,689 circRNA. All these circRNA were originated from 4565 chicken genes. Among them, only 1 circRNA was yielded from those 4131 parental genes, and 2 or more circular isoforms were generated from the remaining genes. There were 27 circRNA found to be differentially expressed between the embryonic day 20 and day 2 developmental stages. The 5 isoforms of immunoglobulin lambda-like polypeptide 1 circRNA were tested to validate the RNA sequencing data, and their targeted genes were also analyzed with quantitative reverse transcription PCR. These data indicate that cirRNA are abundant and essential during bursal development and may play essential roles in the development of bursa of Fabricius.

Abstract. Background. Dysuria is one of the main symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, which causes serious disruption to the normal life of peri-menopausal women. Studies have shown that it is related to decrease of detrusor contractile function, but the exact mechanism is still poorly understood. Previous results have suggested that the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) pathway can regulate detrusor contraction, and this pathway is affected by estrogen in various tissues. However, how estrogen affects this pathway in the detrusor has not been investigated. In this study, we detected changes of the S1P/RhoA/Rho associated kinases (ROCK)/myosin light chain (MLC) pathway in the detrusor of ovariectomized rats in order to explore the underlying mechanism of dysuria during peri-menopause. Methods. Thirty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into SHAM (sham operation), OVX (ovariectomy), and E groups (ovariectomy + estrogen), with 12 rats in each group. We obtained bladder detrusor tissues from each group and examined the mRNA and protein levels of the major components of the S1P/RhoA/ROCK/MLC pathway using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. We also quantified the content of S1P in the detrusor using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, we compared results between the groups with one-way analysis of variance. Results. The components of the S1P pathway and the RhoA/ROCK/MLC pathway of the OVX group were significantly decreased, as compared with SHAM group. The percent decreases of the components in the S1P pathway were as follows: sphingosine kinase 1 (mRNA: 39%, protein: 45%) (both P 0.05). The percent decreases of the components in the RhoA/ROCK/MLC pathway were as follows: ROCK2 (protein: 41%, mRNA: 36%) (both P 0.05). In addition, all of the above-mentioned decreases could be reversed after estrogen supplementation (E group vs. SHAM group) (all P > 0.05). Conclusion. In this study, we confirmed that ovariectomy is closely associated with the down-regulation of the S1P/RhoA/ROCK/MLC pathway in the rat detrusor, which may be one mechanism of dysuria caused by decreased contractile function of the female detrusor during peri-menopause.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy lacking effective treatment. The Cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6) and PI3K/AKT signal pathways play pivotal roles in carcinogenesis and are promising therapeutic targets for HCC. Here we identified a new CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT multi-kinase inhibitor for the treatment of HCC.Methods: Using a repurposing and ensemble docking methodology, we screened a library of worldwide approved drugs to identify candidate CDK4/6 inhibitors. By MTT, apoptosis, and flow cytometry analysis, we investigated the effects of candidate drug in reducing cell-viability,inducing apoptosis, and causing cell-cycle arrest. The drug combination and thermal proteomic profiling (TPP) method were used to investigate whether the candidate drug produced antagonistic effect. The in vivo anti-cancer effect was performed in BALB/C nude mice subcutaneously xenografted with Huh7 cells.Results: We demonstrated for the first time that the anti-plasmodium drug aminoquinol is a new CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT inhibitor. Aminoquinol significantly decreased cell viability, induced apoptosis, increased the percentage of cells in G1 phase. Drug combination screening indicated that aminoquinol could produce antagonistic effect with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. TPP analysis confirmed that aminoquinol significantly stabilized CDK4, CDK6, PI3K and AKT proteins. Finally, in vivo study in Huh7 cells xenografted nude mice demonstrated that aminoquinol exhibited strong anti-tumor activity, comparable to that of the leading cancer drug 5-fluorouracil with the combination treatment showed the highest therapeutic effect.Conclusion: The present study indicates for the first time the discovery of a new CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT multi-kinase inhibitor aminoquinol. It could be used alone or as a combination therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC.

Summary: The evolution of the Asian monsoon from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene is poorly understood. Here, we first reconstruct the precipitation data of central Tibet during 26–16 million years ago (Ma), applying the coexistence approach to sedimentary pollen data, and detect an intensified Asian monsoon with ∼1.35 Ma and ∼0.33 Ma cycles. Paleoclimate modeling is used to show the importance of paleogeographic location in the development of the paleomonsoon. In addition, the results of spectral analysis suggest that the fluctuations in the Asian monsoon during 26–16 Ma can be attributed to the long-period cyclicities in obliquity (∼1.2 Ma). These findings provide climate data that can be used to understand the Asian monsoon evolution during the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene and highlight the effects of paleogeographic patterns and long-period orbital forcings on the tectonic-scale evolution of the Asian monsoon.

In this study, a two-dimensional flow-pollutant coupled model was developed based on a quadtree grid. This model was established to allow the accurate simulation of wind-driven flow in a large-scale shallow lake with irregular natural boundaries when focusing on important small-scale localized flow features. The quadtree grid was created by domain decomposition. The governing equations were solved using the finite volume method, and the normal fluxes of mass, momentum, and pollutants across the interface between cells were computed by means of a Godunov-type Osher scheme. The model was employed to simulate wind-driven flow in a circular basin with non-uniform depth. The computed values were in agreement with analytical data. The results indicate that the quadtree grid has fine local resolution and high efficiency, and is convenient for local refinement. It is clear that the quadtree grid model is effective when applied to complex flow domains. Finally, the model was used to calculate the flow field and concentration field of Taihu Lake, demonstrating its ability to predict the flow and concentration fields in an actual water area with complex geometry. Keywords: Numerical simulation, Wind-driven circulation, Pollutant transport, Quadtree grid, Shallow-flow hydrodynamics, Taihu Lake

Vegetation is an important part of the ecological channel, and flow structure over vegetation in ecological channel is rather complex. The vegetation resistance to flow is affected by many factors, and there is still no general calculation method to express it. Thus, it is necessary to explore the mechanism of flow resistance over vegetation in open channel. In this paper, the rigid cylindrical sticks arranged in the open channel were used to simulate the stems of non-submerged vegetation in order to investigate the effects of vegetation on the flow. Through theoretical analysis and experimental verification, it shows the form drag caused by vegetation is closely related to the vortex volume created by vegetation. In addition, the total resistance of vegetated channel can be determined by two methods based on vegetation density and flow resistance partitioning, respectively, and both of them are verified by the experimental results. What's more, for rigid vegetation, the drag coefficient is closely related to vegetation density, spacing between vegetation patches and the Reynolds number. The empirical formula among them was established through the experimental results.

The flow structure over vegetation in ecological channel is rather complex and the resistance caused by vegetation is affected by many factors, such as discharge, flow depth, vegetation density and patch arrangement types, etc. In order to simplify vegetation characteristics, the rigid cylindrical sticks arranged in the open channel were used to simulate the stems of non-submerged vegetation. The volume of the vortex structure near the vegetation patch can be determined through velocity distribution in vegetated channel and the velocity distribution is measured by Acoustic Doppler Velocity meter. A new formula of equivalent roughness based on the vortex volume near the vegetation patch has been proposed and the form drag can be further determined by the new equivalent roughness. Based on theoretical analysis and experimental results, it shows the vortex volume plays an important role on flow resistance caused by vegetation. The theoretical and experimental results on form drag achieve a good agreement on various experimental conditions. The relation between the relative roughness and relative vortex length was also derived and verified by different experimental conductions. For the dependence of relative roughness on vegetation density, the empirical formula between relative roughness and vegetation density was further proposed and analyzed.

Background and Objective: Clopidogrel (CLOP) is commonly used in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with or without diabetes (DM), but these patients often suffer CLOP resistance, especially those with diabetes. This study was aimed to develop a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PBPK-PD) model to describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel active metabolite (CLOP-AM) in CAD patients with or without DM.Methods: The PBPK-PD model was first established and validated in healthy subjects and then in CAD patients with or without DM. The influences of CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), gastrointestinal transit rates (Kt,i) and platelets response to CLOP-AM (kirre) on predicted pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics were investigated, followed with their individual and integrated effects on CLOP-AM pharmacokinetics due to changes in DM status.Results: Most predictions fell within 0.5–2.0 folds of observations, indicating successful predictions. Sensitivity analysis showed that contributions of interested factors to pharmacodynamics were CES1> kirre> Kt,i> CYP2C19 > CYP3A4> CYP2C9. Mimicked analysis showed that the decreased exposure of CLOP-AM by DM was mainly attributed to increased CES1 activity, followed by decreased CYP2C19 activity.Conclusion: The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CLOP-AM were successfully predicted using the developed PBPK-PD model. Clopidogrel resistance by DM was the integrated effects of altered Kt,i, CYP2C19, CYP3A4, CES1 and kirre.

Based on the SM2 digital signature standard,a proxy-protected proxy signature scheme was designed.Through the design of the agent authorization mechanism,the protection of the proxy signer was realized.The proxy signature was realized by the proxy signer who represents the original signer through the improvement of the SM2 digital signature algorithm.The security analysis shows that the designed algorithm is verifiable,identifiable,distinguishable,non-repudiation,and strong unforgeability.Finally,the program was implemented using the C language and the Polarssl library,and the performance was compared with the SM2 digital signature.The analysis shows that the algorithm has good usability in performance.

Flow characteristics of thermally stratified shear flow in braided rivers are particularly complicated and poorly understood. In this study, a series of typical flow patterns was examined and their critical criteria were determined. Four flow patterns were identified: mixed, locally unstable, continuously stratified, and two-layer flow. Temperature distributions of the four types of flow patterns were analyzed and compared. The critical Froude numbers for unstable flow, FDcr1, and stable flow, FDcr2, were determined to be 6 and 1, respectively, and comparison of FDcr1 and FDcr2 to the peak Froude numbers, FD1 at the outer bank and FD2 at the inner bank along the anabranch, allowed the flow patterns to be assessed. Then, a discriminant based on initial Jeffreys-Keulegan stability parameters was established to distinguish the flow stages from two-layer flow to completely mixed flow. It is indicated that the three critical Jeffreys-Keulegan parameters increased with the diversion angle of braided rivers. Results also show that, compared to the stratified flow in straight and curved channels, it was more difficult for braided stratified flow to maintain as two-layer flow, and it more easily became mixed flow. Consequently, empirical expressions for stability criteria of the thermally stratified shear flow in braided rivers are presented.

The Longshoushan Metallogenic Belt (northwestern China) is known for its word-class Jinchuan Ni-Cu sulfide (Pt) deposit and is also an important uranium metallogenic belt. The Jiling uranium deposit in this belt is a typical Na-metasomatic uranium deposit, which rarely occurs in China. Mineralization in the Jiling uranium deposit is hosted in granitoids that have suffered a Na-metasomatic alteration. There are three kinds of uranium minerals, including uraninite, pitchblende, and coffinite in the Jiling uranium deposit. Pitchblende is the predominant uranium mineral. Integrating the mineralogy and geochemistry of uranium minerals, and in situ electron microprobe analyzer (EMPA) U-Th-Pb chemical dating, we aimed to unravel the age and nature of the mineralization, to decipher the characteristics of the hydrothermal alteration and the U mineralization process. Based on the microtextural features and compositional variations, primary uraninite was altered to uraninite A and B, and fresh pitchblende was altered to pitchblende A and B. The best-preserved uraninite crystals displayed a euhedral-shape with high Pb and low SiO2, CaO, FeO, and Al2O3 contents, and was interpreted as primary uraninite. The EMPA U-Th-Pb chemical ages revealed that uraninite may have formed at 435.9 ± 3.3 Ma. High ThO2 + ΣREE2O3 + Y2O3 contents illustrated that the best preserved uraninite crystallized at a high temperature. Altered pitchblende A showed a relatively brighter gray color in backscattered electron (BSE) images and with a lower SiO2 content than B. Three analysis spots of the fresh pitchblende showed low contents of ΣSiO2 + CaO, indicating no obvious alteration. EMPA U-Th-Pb chemical dating gave a mean chemical age of 361 Ma. The low Th + ΣREE2O3 contents indicated that this pitchblende formed at a relatively low temperature. According to the different characteristics of occurrence and chemical composition, the coffinite in the Jiling uranium deposit can be divided into coffinite A and B, respectively. The compositional variation of the fresh and altered uraninite and pitchblende indicated that both uraninite and pitchblende underwent at least two discrete hydrothermal fluid alterations. The U mineralization was divided into two stages; uraninite was formed at a high temperature and possibly from a magmatic-hydrothermal fluid during ore stage I. Then, pitchblende was formed at a low temperature, during ore stage II. According to the petrographic observations and their chemical compositions, coffinite A and B resulted from the alterations of uraninite and pitchblende, respectively.

Evidence has shown that hyperlipidemia is associated with retinoid dyshomeostasis. In liver, retinol is mainly oxidized to retinal by retinol dehydrogenases (RDHs) and alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs), further converted to retinoic acid by retinal dehydrogenases (RALDHs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether high-fat diet (HFD) induced hyperlipidemia affected activity and expression of hepatic ADHs/RDHs and RALDHs in rats. Results showed that retinol levels in liver, kidney and adipose tissue of HFD rats were significantly increased, while plasma retinol and hepatic retinal levels were markedly decreased. HFD rats exhibited significantly downregulated hepatic ADHs/RDHs activity and Adh1, Rdh10 and Dhrs9 expression. Oppositely, hepatic RALDHs activity and Raldh1 expression were upregulated in HFD rats. In HepG2 cells, treatment of HFD rat serum inhibited ADHs/RDHs activity and induced RALDHs activity. Among the tested abnormally altered components in HFD rat serum, cholesterol reduced ADHs/RDHs activity and RDH10 expression, while induced RALDHs activity and RALDH1 expression in HepG2 cells. Contrary to the effect of cholesterol, cholesterol-lowering agent pravastatin upregulated ADHs/RDHs activity and RDH10 expression, while suppressed RALDHs activity and RALDH1 expression. In conclusion, hyperlipidemia oppositely altered activity and expression of hepatic ADHs/RDHs and RALDHs, which is partially due to the elevated cholesterol levels.

Clozapine (CLZ) was reported to be associated with hepatotoxicity. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) has a liver protective effect. Our preliminary experiments showed that GA aggravated rather than attenuated CLZ-induced hepatotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. The study aimed to describe the enhancing effect of GA on CLZ-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. Data from primary cultured rat hepatocytes showed the decreased formation of metabolites demethylclozapine (nor-CLZ) and clozapine N-oxide (CLZ N-oxide). The results in vivo showed that 7-day CLZ treatment led to marked accumulation of triglyceride (TG) and increase in γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) activity, liver weight, and serum AST in rats. Co-administration of GA enhanced the increases in hepatic TG, γ-GT, liver weight, and serum total cholesterol induced by CLZ. GA decreased plasma concentrations of nor-CLZ and CLZ N-oxide. Compared with control rats, hepatic microsomes of GA rats exhibited the decreased formations of nor-CLZ and CLZ N-oxide, accompanied by decreases in activities of CYP2C11 and CYP2C19 and increased activity of CYP1A2. QT-PCR analysis demonstrated that GA enhanced expression of CYP1A2, but suppressed expression of CYP2C11 and CYP2C13. All these results support the conclusion that GA aggravated CLZ-induced hepatotoxicity, which was partly via inhibiting CYP2C11 and CYP2C13 or inducing CYP1A2. Keywords:: glycyrrhetinic acid, clozapine, hepatotoxicity, CYP2C11, CYP1A2

Pennisetum sinese is a good forage grass with high biomass production and crude proteins. However, little is known about the endophytic fungi diversity of P. sinese, which might play an important role in the plant’s growth and biomass production. Here, we used high throughput sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences based on primers ITS5-1737 and ITS2-2043R to investigate the endophytic fungi diversity of P. sinese roots at the maturity stage, as collected from four provinces (Shaanxi province, SX; Fujian province, FJ; the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous prefecture, XJ and Inner Mongolia, including sand (NS) and saline-alkali land (NY), China). The ITS sequences were processed using QIIME and R software. A total of 374,875 effective tags were obtained, and 708 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were yielded with 97% identity in the five samples. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the two dominant phyla in the five samples, and the genera Khuskia and Heydenia were the most abundant in the FJ and XJ samples, respectively, while the most abundant tags in the other three samples could not be annotated at the genus level. In addition, our study revealed that the FJ sample possessed the highest OTU numbers (242) and the NS sample had the lowest (86). Moreover, only 22 OTUs were present in all samples simultaneously. The beta diversity analysis suggested a division of two endophytic fungi groups: the FJ sample from the south of China and the other four samples from north or northwest China. Correlation analysis between the environmental factors and endophytic fungi at the class level revealed that Sordariomycetes and Pucciniomycetes had extremely significant positive correlations with the total carbon, annual average precipitation, and annual average temperature, while Leotiomycetes showed an extremely significant negative correlation with quick acting potassium. The results revealed significant differences in the root endophytic fungi diversity of P. sinese in different provinces and might be useful for growth promotion and biomass production in the future.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of methionine deficiency on cellular immune function by determining morphological and ultrastructural changes of thymus, thymic cell cycle and apoptosis, peripheral blood T-cell subsets, T-cell proliferation function and the serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) contents. 120 1-d-old broilers were randomly divided into two groups (6 replicates in each group and 10 broilers in each replicate) and fed on a control diet or methionine deficient diet for 42 d. Lesions were observed in experiment. Histopathologically, lymphopenia and congestion were observed in the medulla of thymic lobule. Ultrastructurally, there were more apoptosis lymphocytes, and the mitochondria of lymphocytes were swelled in thymus of methionine deficiency. The G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle of the thymus was much higher (P

In the title compound, C19H14N2O3, all bond lengths and angles show normal values. The mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming dimers which are arranged parallel to the a axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The inflammatory factor YKL-40 is associated with various inflammatory diseases and is key to remodeling inflammatory cells and tissues. YKL-40 (Chi3l1) promotes the activation of tissue factor (TF), leading to intrahepatic vascular coagulation (IAOC) and liver injury. TF is a key promoter of the exogenous coagulation cascade and is also involved in several signaling involving cell proliferation, apoptosis, charring, migration and inflammatory diseases pathways. However, the effect of YKL-40-induced TF-PAR1 pathway on the expression of downstream chemokines remains unknown. Methods: We established a liver injury model using Concanavalin A (ConA) in C57 BL/6 mice. By adopting various experimental techniques, the effect of YKL-40 induced TF-PAR1 pathway on the expression of downstream chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and IP-10 was verified. Results: We found that overexpression of YKL-40 increased the expression of TF, protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1), CCL2 and IP-10 in mice and exacerbated the severity of liver injury. However, blocking the expression of TF significantly reversed the extent of liver injury. Conclusion: We found that YKL-40 promotes the expression of downstream chemokines ligand 2 (CCL2) and IP-10 by activating the TF-PAR1 pathway, leading to increased recruitment of inflammatory cells and exacerbating the progression of liver injury. This provides a new approach for the clinical treatment of drug-induced liver injury., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jing-Lun, Shuang, Li-Mei and Xiao-Dong.)

In addition to the rhizobia, other non-rhizobial endophytes (NREs) have been simultaneously isolated from the root nodules. The existence of NREs in leguminous root nodules is a universal phenomenon, and they have the potential to enhance legume survival, especially under conditions of environmental stress. However, the diversity and biogeographic patterns of microbial communities inhabiting root nodules are not well studied or understood. Here, we explored and characterized the diversity of NRE bacteria by using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Additionally, we compared the biogeography and co-occurrence patterns in review of the bacterial microbiota inhabiting the rhizosphere, the bulk soil and the root nodule bacterial communities associated with Sophora davidii , a native N-fixing wild leguminous shrub in hilly and gully regions of the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed the presence of a large diversity of bacteria belonging to 81 phyla, 154 classes, 333 orders, 463 families, and 732 genera inside the nodules. Proteobacteria were dominant in the nodule and rhizosphere soil samples, and Actinomycetes were dominant in the bulk soil samples. Mesorhizobium was the dominant genus in the nodules, accounting for between 60.15 and 83.74% of the bacteria. The microbial community composition of the NRE in the root nodules differed from that in the rhizosphere soil and the bulk soil of S . davidii . Moreover, we found that the biogeographic patterns and assembly process of the rhizobia and non-rhizobia communities differed in the root nodule, the rhizosphere soil and the bulk soil. Furthermore, the correlation analysis between the soil's physical and chemical properties and the bacteria showed that available phosphorus was the predominant factor affecting the bacterial diversity within the rhizosphere soil. Finally, our results revealed that the microbial network diagram of co-occurrence patterns showed more complexes in the soil than in the root nodules. This indicates that only specific microorganisms could colonize and thrive in the rhizosphere through the selection and filtering effects of roots. In conclusion, there are significant differences in bacterial community composition in the nodules, rhizosphere and bulk soil in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau, which is the result of environmental filtration. Our study improves the understanding of the biogeographic patterns and diversity of bacterial microbiota inhabiting root nodules and can help quantify and define the root nodule assemblage process of S . davidii ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Jing, Jia-min, Xiao-dong, Ying-ying, Chao-chao, Rui-hua and Zhen-shan.)

This study was performed to examine the epidemiological features of maxillofacial fracture, including the incidence, causes, age and sex distribution, methods of treatment, and prognosis, in a local area.A retrospective study was performed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of 829 patients with maxillofacial fractures treated in a hospital in northern China from August 2011 to July 2019. Sex, age, etiology, fracture site, and treatment method were obtained from the medical records.The average age of all 829 patients was 36.1 years, and most patients were in the 20- to 29-year age group. The male to female ratio was 3.04:1.00. Traffic accidents were the main cause of the maxillofacial fractures. The mandible was the most commonly fractured bone, and the parasymphysis was the most frequently affected site. Head injury was the most common associated injury. Open surgery with internal fixation was the first-choice treatment for most cases.Traffic accidents were the main cause of maxillofacial fractures, followed by falling. Open surgery with internal fixation was the leading treatment choice. Both functional and esthetic outcomes should be considered in the treatment of maxillofacial fractures.