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Background: Snub-nosed monkeys are highly endangered primates and their population continues to decline with the habitat fragmentation. Artificial feeding and breeding is an important auxiliary conservation strategy. Studies have shown that changes and imbalances in the gut microbiota often cause gastrointestinal problems in captive snub-nosed monkeys. Here, we compare the gut microbiota composition, diversity, and predicted metabolic function of three endangered species of snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti, R. brelichi, and R. roxellana) under the same captive conditions to further our understanding of the microbiota of these endangered primates and inform captive conservation strategies. 16 S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on fecal samples from 15 individuals (R. bieti N = 5, R. brelichi N = 5, R. roxellana N = 5). Results: The results showed that the three Rhinopithecus species shared 24.70% of their amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), indicating that the composition of the gut microbiota varied among the three Rhinopithecus species. The phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes represented 69.74% and 18.45% of the core microbiota. In particular, analysis of microbiota diversity and predicted metabolic function revealed a profound impact of host species on the gut microbiota. At the genus level, significant enrichment of cellulolytic genera including Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Ruminococcus, Christensenellaceae R7 group, UCG 004 from Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, and UCG 002 and UCG 005 from Oscillospiraceae, and carbohydrate metabolism including propionate and butyrate metabolic pathways in the gut of R. bieti indicated that R. bieti potentially has a stronger ability to use plant fibers as energy substances. Bacteroides, unclassified Muribaculaceae, Treponema, and unclassified Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group were significantly enriched in R. brelichi. Prevotella 9, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, and unclassified UCG 010 from Oscillospirales UCG 010 were significantly enriched in R. roxellana. Among the predicted secondary metabolic pathways, the glycan biosynthesis and metabolism had significantly higher relative abundance in the gut of R. brelichi and R. roxellana than in the gut of R. bieti. The above results suggest that different Rhinopithecus species may have different strategies for carbohydrate metabolism. The Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering tree revealed fewer differences between the gut microbiota of R. brelichi and R. roxellana. Correspondingly, no differences were detected in the relative abundances of functional genes between the two Rhinopithecus species. Conclusion: Taken together, the study highlights that host species have an effect on the composition and function of the gut microbiota of snub-nosed monkeys. Therefore, the host species should be considered when developing nutritional strategies and investigating the effects of niche on the gut microbiota of snub-nosed monkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our previous studies showed that strontium (Sr)‐modified sand‐blasted, large grit, acid etched titanium surface (Sr‐SLA) is beneficial for osseointegration; however, the supporting mechanisms have not been explored in detail. Materials and Methods: Whole‐transcriptome RNA sequencing of peri‐implant bone tissue was performed, and CDH2 was selected as a key mediator of Sr‐SLA‐mediated osseointegration. To test this hypothesis, a lentivirus‐mediated vector targeting the silencing of the CDH2 gene was used in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) prior to seeding on Ti substrates. The effects of CDH2 interference on MSCs vitality, differentiation, and β‐catenin signaling activity were evaluated. In vivo, a recombinant adeno‐associated virus 9 vector carrying an artificial siRNA that target CDH2 (AAV9‐CDH2i) was intravenously injected in mice, followed by tibial surgery with implant placement. Osseointegration were monitored using micro‐CT analysis. Results: CDH2 expression in MSCs on Sr‐SLA was higher than the control group, which was in parallel with the enhanced cell migration, adhesion, and upregulation of early osteogenic markers. Knocking down CDH2 in MSCs resulted in decreased cell viability and osteogenic differentiation, and the elevated biocompatibility and osteoinductive effect of Sr‐SLA were greatly diminished. Surprisingly, Sr‐SLA‐induced upregulation of CDH2 was not followed by restriction of β‐catenin signaling because Sr‐SLA also promoted the expression and nuclear translocation of β‐catenin. Systemic administration of AAV9‐CDH2i effectively knocked down CDH2 expression in bone marrow cells, and in turn, inhibited bone formation induced by Sr‐SLA. Conclusions: The results indicated that CDH2 is required for Sr‐SLA‐mediated bone regeneration, which reveals a new mechanism to explain the osteoinductive effect of Sr‐SLA. Thus, biomaterial modifications targeting CDH2 may help improve early osseointegration and bone healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and facile generation of tiny droplets is critical to many cutting-edge applications, such as flexible electronic skin, customized circuits, and micro-electro-mechanical systems. However, conventional piezoelectric inkjet printing techniques show more prominent problems of high driving voltage and relatively low printing frequency. Here, a novel principle for high-throughput droplet dispensing was proposed based on the resonance of the liquid column within the glass capillary. The mechanisms of this high-throughput piezoelectric droplet dispensing technique were studied both experimentally and theoretically. It is demonstrated experimentally that the resonance frequencies of different orders of the liquid column in the capillary fit perfectly with the theoretical value. It is further demonstrated that when the working frequency is close to the resonant frequency of piezoelectric ceramic, droplets can be ejected out by a driving voltage as low as 1 V. This ultra-low driving voltage and power consumption make this dispenser compatible with various digital transistor–transistor logic or complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor drive circuits without any power amplifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several clinical trials have recently been conducted to elucidate the effectiveness of photofunctionalization. The aim of this review was to systematically analyze the clinical effects of photofunctionalization on implant stability and marginal bone loss (MBL). Methods: An electronic search in four databases and a manual search were conducted in September 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), clinical controlled trials (CCTs), and cohort and case-control studies evaluating the effects of photofunctionalization on implant stability or marginal bone loss (MBL) in humans were included. The methodological quality assessment using RoB 2.0 and the ROBINS-I tool was performed based on different study designs. Results: Seven studies were included for a qualitative analysis, and five of them were chosen for a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that photofunctionalization significantly improved the stability of the implant 2 months after implantation (p = 0.04; MD = 3.48; 95% CI = −0.23 to 6.73) and increased the osseointegration speed index (OSI) (p = 0.007; MD = 2.13; 95% CI = 0.57 to 3.68). However, no significant improvements of implant stability were observed 2 weeks (p = 0.62), 4 weeks (p = 0.31), nor 4 months (p = 0.24) after implantation. The evaluation presented no significant reductions in MBL. Conclusions: Based on the positive effect of photofunctionalization on the rate of establishing implant stability, photofunctionalization may provide an effective and practical strategy to achieve faster osseointegration and reduce the overall healing time. Photofunctionalization appears to improve the implant stability. However, the clinical effect of photofunctionalization on MBL remains unclear due to the shortage of available studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient patterns can significantly influence the growth and development of fruit trees, especially fruit quality. In order to clarify the appropriate ratio of inorganic and organic fertilizers, six treatments with different ratios of cow manure and chemical fertilizers were set up in this study to evaluate the effects of different treatments on fruit yield, appearance quality, intrinsic quality and volatile substances. The results showed that, after replacing some chemical fertilizers with cow manure, the content of sugar, titratable acid, organic acid and aroma substance in the fruit increased, the fruit yield and colour did not change significantly, and the fruit weight per fruit decreased. Among the treatments of cow manure with chemical fertilizer, the fruits of 50% chemical fertilizer with 50% cow manure treatment had higher titratable acid (0.4%), malic acid (4.15 mg/g), sorbitol (0.51%), glucose (1.30%), fructose (5.81%) content and total aroma substance content (1047.82 μg/g) than chemical fertilizer alone. Compared to the fertilizer treatment alone, the application of cow manure instead of 50% of the chemical fertilizer had a positive effect on fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand long-term precipitation changes in arid Central Asia, reconstruction of past precipitation is critical. This paper analyzed the core sediments of Balikun lake in eastern Xinjiang. We analyzed 200 pollen samples, combined with 441 surface pollen samples and a radiocarbon chronology, using the Weighted Averaging Partial Least Sequence (WA-PLS) method, to characterize the Holocene high-resolution precipitation change process in Balikun basin. And, Combined with the vegetation types reconstructed by biome method, we discussed the landscape evolution of Balikun basin. Results show that the mean annual precipitation during the Holocene can be broken into three phases: Early Holocene (11,750–8030 cal yr B.P.), which averaged about 130 mm; Middle Holocene (8030–4420 cal yr B.P.), which averaged about 250 mm; and Late Holocene (4420–0 cal yr B.P.), which averaged about 210 mm. The vegetation changed from desert to steppe during the Holocene, and the wetlands gradually expanded, which was mainly informed by precipitation and glacial melt water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel high-speed dry electrical discharge machining (EDM) method was proposed in this study. Using this method, the material can be rapidly melted by extremely high discharge energy and flushed out of the discharge gap by high-pressure and high-speed air flow. The material removal rate (MRR) of dry EDM was significantly improved by the proposed method. The MRR of dry EDM is usually in tens mm 3 /min, whereas the MRR of the proposed method can be as high as 5162 mm 3 /min, which improves the MRR by 2nd to 3rd order of magnitude. Investigation was conducted systemically. The influences of work piece polarity, discharge current, pulse duration time, gas pressure, and electrode rotation speed on machining performance were studied. The machining mechanism of this method was thoroughly analyzed. Moreover, the re-solidified layer, surface morphology, elementary composition, and phase of AISI 304 stainless steel for high-speed dry EDM were also investigated. Theoretical and technical foundations were laid for the industry application of dry EDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breakup process of the inviscid liquid bridge sandwiched between two coaxial and equal-sized rods is investigated by tracking its profile. Here, the focus is on the quasi-static profile of the liquid bridge close to rupture and its influence on the subsequent dynamic breakup behaviors. With the increasing distance between the two rods, the profile of the liquid bridge close to rupture undergoes a transition from symmetry to asymmetry. We found there exists a critical slenderness above which the liquid bridge will be asymmetric and present a profile that can be well fitted by one cycle of the sine wave. It is demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically that the ratio of the length of the bridge to its equivalent radius, defined as geometric mean of the radii at the peak and trough of the bridge, is always 2 π for the asymmetric bridge close to rupture. Different with the symmetric evolution of the short bridge, the long asymmetric bridge pinches off first from the side near the bigger sessile drop and then from the other side, which endows the satellite droplet with a lateral momentum, resulting in the satellite re-collected by the sessile drop. The influence of the slenderness on the time interval among the asymmetric pinch-off, velocity, destination, and size of the satellite was investigated. A scaling law was proposed to describe the relationship between the lateral momentum of the satellite and the time interval between two pinch-off. This work is expected to benefit the utilizing or suppressing the satellite in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aims to find the novel lncRNAs closely related to the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by comprehensively analyzing microarray. Methods. Chip dataset GSE84805 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, lncRNA expression profiles of OSCC and paracancerous tissue were obtained, probes sequences reannotation was conducted, and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Finally, these data were analyzed by constructing the lncRNA-function enrichment network. Results. We found that 465 lncRNAs are differentially expressed consisting of 193 upregulated lncRNAs and 272 downregulated lncRNAs. Meanwhile, 811 DEGs were identified with 498 upregulated genes and 313 downregulated genes. Analysis of the lncRNA-function enrichment network showed that these aberrant lncRNAs may be related to focal adhesion, inflammatory response pathway, cell cycle, matrix metalloproteinases, and other biological functions. Also, we found that some key lncRNAs such as LINC00152 and HOXA11-AS have been shown to play an important role in tumor proliferation and migration. Conclusion. The key lncRNAs may serve as potential molecular markers or therapeutic targets in OSCC formation and development. It can also help us to understand the molecular mechanism of occurrence and development in OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate identification of faulty photovoltaic (PV) modules is crucial for the effective operation and maintenance of PV systems. Deep learning (DL) algorithms exhibit promising potential for classifying PV fault (PVF) from thermal infrared (TIR) images captured by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), contingent upon the availability of extensive and high-quality labeled data. However, existing TIR PVF datasets are limited by low image resolution and incomplete coverage of fault types. This study proposes a high-resolution TIR PVF dataset with 10 classes, named PVF-10, comprising 5579 cropped images of PV panels collected from 8 PV power plants. These classes are further categorized into two groups according to the repairability of PVF, with 5 repairable and 5 irreparable classes each. Additionally, the circuit mechanisms underlying the TIR image features of typical PVF types are analyzed, supported by high-resolution images, thereby providing comprehensive information for PV operators. Finally, five state-of-the-art DL algorithms are trained and validated based on the PVF-10 dataset using three levels of resampling strategy. The results show that the overall accuracy (OA) of these algorithms exceeds 83%, with the highest OA reaching 93.32%. Moreover, the preprocessing procedure involving resampling and padding strategies are beneficial for improving PVF classification accuracy using PVF-10 datasets. The developed PVF-10 dataset is expected to stimulate further research and innovation in PVF classification. • A high-resolution and fine-grained PVF classification dataset (PVF-10) is proposed. • The image features and circuit mechanisms of PVFs were comprehensively analyzed. • Five SOTA models were employed to rigorously test PVF-10 as the benchmark. • The CoaT-ls model achieved an OA of 93.32% for PVF classification on PVF-10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confined interface vibration inkjet printing (CIVIJP) in another immiscible liquid phase has been investigated previously as a novel strategy proposed for actively generating ultra-fine droplets, which can be dozens of times smaller than the orifice from which they are ejected. However, the working frequency of this novel CIVIJP technique is much lower than the traditional inkjet printing, and the unique droplet generation mechanism and the interface behavior of CIVIJP are still unapprehended at high working frequency. Here, the CIVIJP working at high frequency was explored to reveal the droplet generation mechanism and improve its printing efficiency. The subharmonic resonance and antiresonance effects which have a final influence on the interface behavior and size of the droplets were found in the case of high working frequency. The droplets' size will fluctuate regularly with the increasing printing frequency induced by the residual vibrations. The subharmonic resonance and antiresonance depend on whether the residual movement of the meniscus is in-phase or out-of-phase with the next droplet formation cycle. The mechanism of this phenomenon was delineated in detail, and the theoretical predicted optimal resonance frequencies were in good agreement with the experimental values. Based on the above mechanisms, a new route was proposed to regulate the size of the droplets facilely. The antiresonance effect was successfully utilized to develop an unprecedented droplet propelling regime after the droplet being dispensed with the same nozzle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We applied stable carbon isotopes, ultraviolet-visible absorption (UV-Vis), fluorescence excitation-emission matrices spectroscopy (EEMs), and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) to investigate the chemical composition and sources of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) in both the water column and pore water in Xiangshan Bay, a representative semi-enclosed and eutrophic bay in Zhejiang Province, China. One protein-like fluorescent component (C1) and two humic-like fluorescent components (C2 and C3) were identified by PARAFAC modeling. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the relative intensities of C2, C3, and black carbon-like compounds are all negatively correlated with salinity, indicating that there is a dilution effect of terrestrial signals by seawater in Xiangshan Bay. The differences in light penetration ability of Xiangshan Bay cause different degrees of photo-degradation, which may play an important role in the transformation of organic matter in Xiangshan Bay. The weak correlation between the C1 fluorescent component and salinity indicates that autochthonous sources cannot dominate the protein-like FDOM in the Xiangshan Bay drainage area. Multiple sources (such as anthropogenic inputs and release of pore water) also affect the distribution of the protein-like fluorescent component under eutrophication conditions. The relative proportion of the protein-like fluorescent component in Xiangshan Bay is on a medium level in China and anthropogenic inputs may be a significant source of DOM in coastal bays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of a new crosslinking (CXL) method, induced by enzymes, on porcine corneas. Corneal strip (10x3 mm) pairs obtained from 60 fresh porcine eyes were harvested and divided into four groups, Groups A-D. Each pair of corneal strips was incised from the central part of the same cornea; one was incubated in transglutaminase (Tgase) solution (microbial Tgase 2 produced by tissue engineering) and the other remained untreated as a control. CXL strips of Groups A-D were incubated with 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.25 U/ml Tgase solution, respectively at 37˚C for 30 min. After that, tensile strain measurements were performed for all strips. One cornea from each group was chosen randomly for hematoxylin and eosin, and Masson staining to identify histological morphology changes. The elastic modulus of treated corneas of Groups A-D were 6.56±2.93, 4.72±1.29, 5.24±2.13 and 3.48±1.60 MPa (mean ± SD), respectively at a strain of 20%, and had a 66, 43, 36 and -6% increase compared with those of their control strips. Compared with the control strips, the elastic modulus of the treated strips significantly increased in Groups A-C. The central corneal thickness of the treated corneas in Groups A-D were 1.54±0.14, 1.41±0.15, 1.47±0.11 and 1.43±0.13 µm, respectively; however, there was not a statistically significant difference compared with the control group. No reduction in corneal transparency was observed, and no obvious abnormalities were found in corneal morphology. CXL mediated by enzymes can lead to a notable enhancement in the biomechanical characteristics of the cornea while maintaining its structural integrity. Enzyme-induced CXL could be a new generation CXL method for strengthening the cornea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In metal additive manufacturing, thermal behavior significantly influences the quality of formed parts. Direct writing metal additive manufacturing (DWMAM) technology distinguishes itself from other metal additive manufacturing technologies, which use laser or electron beam as the heat source, due to its extremely low heat input and slow heating and cooling rate. This greatly reduce the difficulty of regulating the thermal behavior during the additive manufacturing processes. This article focuses on a systematic investigation into the thermal behavior of the DWMAM process, employing theoretical analysis, simulations, and experimental research. A transient heat transfer model was established to characterize the formation of the first layer, followed by comprehensive simulations and experimental investigations of both the first-layer formation and the subsequent deposition of multiple layers. The temperature variation predicted by the mathematical model is consistent with the simulation and experimental results. The results showed that the maximum heating and cooling rates in DWMAM processes are hundreds of K/s. Additionally, slower writing speeds and higher heating powers result in increased thermal input. An appropriate thermal input can achieve favorable interlayer metallurgical bonding and high-quality formed parts. The research conducted in this study on the thermal behavior of the writing process will provide theoretical and experimental guidance for DWMAM and lay a solid foundation for the further advancement of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel spirobifluorene derivatives containing arylamine groups, SPF-M and SPF-P were synthesized. As the protonation of the aromatic amine N atoms, SPF-M and SPF-P showed significant pH-dependent spectral properties. The pK a values are below 3.0 and they are suitable for extremely acid conditions. Under the UV light, SPF-M permit detection with the “naked eye” which makes it particularly attractive. To our knowledge, SPF-M and SPF-P represent the first examples that two-photon pH sensors were used to measure the extremely acidic pH value. When the pH is higher than 4.0, SPF-M and SPF-P exhibited strong one- and two-photon excited fluorescence and showed no dramatic spectral changes toward pH variations. Thus, the feasibility of SPF-M and SPF-P as multiphoton luminescence bioprobe under physiological conditions is demonstrated by two-photon scanning microscopy imaging experiments on 293T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upstream pumping mechanical seal has been widely used in recent years because of its excellent seal performance. However, it is difficult to machine using the common manufacturing technology because of its complex microgroove structure, high machining accuracy requirement, and difficult-to-machine material application. In this work, a novel method that combines composite electroplating and gradient composite brush electroplating is developed for manufacturing the upstream pumping mechanical seal. The effects of the hybrid composite electroplating parameters, such as the SiC concentration in the electroplating liquid, current density, stirring speed of the electroplating solution, on the microstructure of the growth layer, and wear performance, are investigated. Results show that the SiC distribution on the surface of the growth layer is uniform, the quantity of the SiC particle deposited in the growth layer, and the microhardness of the growth layer increases gradually from the bottom to the top of the metal matrix ring. Moreover, slight abrasive wearing occurs with appropriate manufacturing parameters: a SiC concentration of 40 g/L, current density of 4.5 A dm, and stirring speed of 300 r/min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with laser additive manufacturing, direct writing metal additive manufacturing has the advantages of simple principle, small equipment size and low manufacturing cost. However, the current direct writing metal additive manufacturing technology widely uses metallic-powder-laden suspension as the "ink", which needs sintering after forming and always results in poor mechanical properties. The pneumatic extrusion technique, which uses pure molten metal as the "ink", also has the problem of poor forming performance due to the inability of accurately control the flow rate at the orifice. Here, a novel ultrasonic-assisted metal direct writing technique is proposed. Using the extrusion effect of fed metal wire and the crushing impact of ultrasonic on molten slag, the clogging phenomenon caused by the adsorption and aggregation of molten slag is avoided. This method can realize real-time control of the metal flow rate at the orifice, and the smooth writing for a long time. 3D metal parts with good forming quality are printed using the homemade desktop printer by modifying a commercial 3D printer, which is designed for writing plastics, demonstrating the feasibility and capacity of "writing metal as writing plastics". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the driving force is significant to understand the impact of climate variation and human activities on grassland degradation. In this study, we selected net primary productivity (NPP) as an indicator to quantitatively assess the relative roles of climate variation and human activities in China, Mongolia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan from 2000 to 2013. The results showed that 1.9% of grassland areas experienced degradation in Uzbekistan. By contrast, 29.6%, 16%, and 32.5% of grassland areas underwent restoration in China, Mongolia and Pakistan, respectively. Furthermore, 83.9%, 85.1%, 6.7% of restored grassland areas were influenced by climate variation and 65%, 79.1%, 11.6% of degraded areas were affected by human activities in Mongolia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, respectively. The NPP variation also could be calculated to evaluate the impacts of these factors and results were consistent with the findings based on area. Therefore, climate variation dominated grassland restoration, human activities dominated degradation in Mongolia and Pakistan, and Uzbekistan was just the opposite. In China, 38.5% of the grassland restoration areas was caused by climate variations compared with 38% induced by human activities. On the contrary, 37.4% of grassland degradation was caused by climate variation and 30% resulted from human activities. In addition, the results based on NPP variation revealed that 39.2% of restored grassland areas were influenced by human activities and 38.2% of degraded areas were affected by climate variation. Therefore, climate variation dominated grassland degradation and the driving force of restoration was determined by the effectiveness of environmental protection programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 25 MdSPXs, belong to four subfamilies, were identified and characterised in Malus domestica , specific PSR element P1BS were found in the promoter of 16 MdSPXs. • 15 and 13 MdSPX2 responded to P and N deficiency, respectively, and the response exhibited apparent tissue-specificity. • The PSR involved in MdSPX1, MdSPX2 , and MdSPX5 depended on nitrogen availability. • MdSPXs were predicted to interact with multiple nitrate and phosphate signaling response proteins and transcription factors. • The expression of six MdSPX2 were affected by bZIP transcription factor MdTGA4. Phosphate (Pi) and nitrate (Ni) deficiencies are the major constraints for apple, significantly impacting the fruit yield and quality. SPX domain-containing proteins play important roles in Pi homeostasis and Pi signaling pathway, as well as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) nutrient balance in plants. However, SPX domain-containing proteins have not been analysed systematically in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). In this study, a total of 25 MdSPXs were identified in M. domestica. According to phylogenetic relationships and C-terminal domains analyses, these MdSPXs were divided into four subfamilies: SPX (6), SPX-EXS (12), SPX-MFS (3), and SPX-RING (4).16 MdSPX s from these four subfamiles contain Phosphate starvation response 1-binding site (P1BS) in the promoter region. The expression profiles showed that 15 MdSPX s responded to P deficiency as well as N and P deficiencies, respectively, 13 MdSPX s responded to N deficiency in hydroponic 'M26' seedlings. The response of 11 common differentially expressed genes exhibited apparent tissue-specificity. Pi starvation response (PSR) involved in MdSPX1, MdSPX2 , and MdSPX5 depended on the N availability. In the predicted protein-protein interaction network, MdSPXs interact with important components of the P signaling network such as MdPHO2, MdPHRs, MdSIZ1, and MdPHTs, etc., and components of the N signaling network such as with MdNRTs and MdNLP6, etc., in addition to several TFs such as bZIP TF MdTGA4, an important Ni-responsive TF. Overexpression of MdTGA4 changed the expression of MdSPX2, MdSPX4, MdPHO1;6, MdPHO1;7, MdPHO1 ;9 and MdMFS2 in the transgenic apple calluses, and these genes contain as -1, a special binding element of TGA, in the promoter region. These results preliminarily confirmed the key role of MdSPXs in Pi homeostasis and Pi signaling pathway as well as Ni signaling pathway, offered a valuable guide for integrating N-P interactive regulation pathways in apple, and provided important genetic resources for the future research on the efficient utilization of P and N nutrients in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed near dry electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a novel and promising machining method, which obtains higher material removal rate, lower surface roughness and thinner width of overcut compared with that of high-speed dry EDM. Moreover, debris deposition on the machined surface and electrodes are significantly reduced and an obviously thin heat affected zone is obtained using the near dry dielectric (mist). In this study, a low-flux pump is utilized to supply deionized water at a controlled rate to the high-speed air pipe, which affords a mist dielectric to the machining process. Compared with dry EDM, the high-speed near dry EDM improves the cooling capacity and increases the dielectric strength of the dielectric. Furthermore, electrode injection flushing assisted by side flushing of high-speed mist was used to reduce debris deposition and improve cooling capacity. Comparative milling experiments of Ti6Al4V were conducted under the dry and near dry conditions using the different flushing ways. The effects of current, pressure, droplet size, electrode rotation speed, and droplet density on the material removal rate, surface roughness, width of overcut in continuous machining and material removal weight, trace length, trace width in single pulse machining were studied. In addition, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, energy dispersive spectrometer, and micro-hardness tester were also used to study the micro-characters of the machined materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milling experiments on Ti6Al4V using high-speed compound machining with high-speed air dielectric were conducted in this study. The new and efficient compound machining combines arc machining and electrical discharge machining (EDM) together, both of them are working in parallel. Ti6Al4V can be quickly melted by significantly high processing energy and rapidly expelled by high-speed air flow and high-speed electrode rotation. The maximum material removal rate (MRR) of 5862 mm 3 /min was obtained, which was hundred times higher than that of conventional dry EDM. The influences of air flow rate, inner diameter of the tubular electrode, peak current of arc machining, peak voltage of EDM, and electrode rotation speed on MRR, relative electrode wear rate and surface roughness were studied. Moreover, the re-solidified layer, surface morphology and elementary composition were also investigated. This study demonstrates that high-speed dry compound machining of Ti6Al4V can be processed efficiently using the proper machining parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Risk perception of COVID-19 negatively correlated to willingness to help. • Interpersonal alienation partially mediated the link between risk perception of COVID-19 and willingness to help. • Expressive suppression moderated the associations between interpersonal alienation and willingness to help. Previous studies have revealed that situational risk factors have a significant influence on the willingness to help. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, maybe risk perception of COVID-19 is also correlated to the willingness to help. This study examined the mediating effect of interpersonal alienation and the moderating effect of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression in the relationship between risk perception of COVID-19 and willingness to help. Data from a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2, 163) completed the measures of risk perception of COVID-19, willingness to help, interpersonal alienation, emotion regulation strategies including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. The results indicated that the risk perception of COVID-19 negatively correlated to willingness to help. Interpersonal alienation partially mediated the link between risk perception of COVID-19 and willingness to help. College students' expressive suppression moderated the associations between interpersonal alienation and willingness to help. And who adopted more expressive suppression, the connection between interpersonal alienation and willingness to help was weaker compared to students who reported less expressive suppression. But cognitive reappraisal did not moderate the relationship between risk perception of COVID-19 and interpersonal alienation. Implications of the present paper for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse functional alginate fibers have played irreplaceable roles in life science, precision measurement, etc., drawing considerable attention from numerous researchers. However, further application of multifunctional fibers is greatly restricted by the preparation efficiency and the flexibility of equipment. Herein, modified anti-Rayleigh-Plateau-Instability sodium alginate solution filament and homemade piezoelectric ejector have been prepared to develop an efficient dry-jet wet spinning and encapsulating system for preparing functional fibers. This method has two working modes, which can readily realize the fabrication of conventional hollow fibers or fibers wrapping super large bubbles and functionalized fibers encapsulating reagents with on-demand size (ranging from 1 to 100 µm) and interval distance (ranging from several microns to a few centimeters) with excellent flexibility. Furthermore, the fiber size can be facilely tuned by regulating the flow rate and the rolling speed, up to 1 m s−1, higher than all the wet spinning techniques ever reported. Functional reagents with different sizes and shapes have been encapsulated in fibers to verify the feasibility and practicality of this approach, demonstrating the potential for further applications in drug delivery, even cell encapsulation and culture. [Display omitted] • A novel open wet spinning and encapsulating method was proposed for preparing fibers. • A Na-Alg solution with property of anti-Rayleigh-Plateau-Instability was developed. • Hollow and knotted fibers with different size and morphology can be fabricated. • Reagents droplets ranging from 1 to 200 µm can be encapsulated into the fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of dried probiotic bacterial cells that are shelf stable at room temperature remains challenging. In this work, the potential of encapsulation of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri using heteroprotein complex coacervation (type-A gelatin/sodium caseinate, GE/Cas) was compared to a protein/polysaccharide complex coacervation (type-A gelatin/gum arabic, GE/GA). The optimal pH and GE/Cas ratio for formation of water-in-water emulsions were found to be pH = 6.0 and GE/Cas = 2.0. L. reuteri TMW1.656 survived spray drying without loss of viability; the survival after simulated digestion, heating and ambient storage decreased in the order GE/Cas ≥ Cas > GE/GA > GE. The improved protection of the GE/Cas matrix was related to a reduced hygroscopicity, solubilization and wettability, and may be caused by the relatively higher hydrophobicity of GE/Cas heteroprotein coacervation system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study employing heteroprotein coacervation to encapsulate probiotics. Image 1 • Heteroprotein coacervation with W/W emulsion structure was firstly reported. • GE/Cas coacervation provided better probiotic protection than GE/GA coacervation. • Microcapsule properties were related with cell survivals under different stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a metric that provides a more accurate measure of feed efficiency. The lower the RFI, the higher the feed efficiency. The changes in the host microbiome and metabolome contribute to the greater feed efficiency of low RFI (LRFI) animals. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in rumen microorganisms, rumen metabolites and plasma metabolites of Hu sheep with differing RFI through the microbiome and metabolome. A total of 80 Hu sheep were used. The experiment consisted of a 15-d pretrial period and a 128-d experimental period. The RFI in the experimental period was calculated for all sheep, and the sheep were screened into high RFI (HRFI, n  = 8) and LRFI ( n  = 8) groups. The HRFI and LRFI sheep did not differ in their initial and final body weights, average daily gain and body measurements, but the dry matter intake of LRFI sheep was significantly decreased (28.4%, P  < 0.001). The sheep with LRFI had higher digestibility of crude protein ( P  = 0.010) and ether extract ( P  = 0.010) compared to HRFI group. The concentrations of acetate ( P  = 0.036), propionate ( P  = 0.010), valerate ( P  = 0.027) and total volatile fatty acids ( P  = 0.048) in rumen of LRFI group were higher compared to HRFI group. The results of 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that the sheep with LRFI had higher proportions of Prevotella genus in rumen liquid ( P  = 0.031). The rumen metabolome and plasma metabolome results showed that the citrate cycle, pyruvate metabolism and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism processes were more active for sheep in LRFI group, which provided more energy substrate such as malic acid, oxoglutaric acid and citric acid. In conclusion, sheep with LRFI can utilize feed more efficiently, and the more active energy metabolism pathway and the production of energy substances may account for the higher feed efficiency., Competing Interests: We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, and there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the content of this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: Muscle dysfunction caused by repetitive work or strain in the neck region can interfere muscle responses. Muscle dysfunction can be an important factor in causing cervical spondylosis. However, there has been no research on how the biomechanical properties of the upper cervical spine change when the suboccipital muscle group experiences dysfunction. The objective of this study was to investigate the biomechanical evidence for cervical spondylosis by utilizing the finite element (FE) approach, thus and to provide guidance for clinicians performing acupoint therapy., Methods: By varying the elastic modulus of the suboccipital muscle, the four FE models of C0-C3 motion segments were reconstructed under the conditions of normal muscle function and muscle dysfunction. For the two normal condition FE models, the elastic modulus for suboccipital muscles on both sides of the C0-C3 motion segments was equal and within the normal range In one muscle dysfunction FE model, the elastic modulus on both sides was equal and greater than 37 kPa, which represented muscle hypertonia; in the other, the elastic modulus of the left and right suboccipital muscles was different, indicating muscle imbalance. The biomechanical behavior of the lateral atlantoaxial joint (LAAJ), atlanto-odontoid joint (ADJ), and intervertebral disc (IVD) was analyzed by simulations, which were carried out under the six loadings of flexion, extension, left and right lateral bending, left and right axial rotation., Results: Under flexion, the maximum stress in LAAJ with muscle imbalance was higher than that with normal muscle and hypertonia, while the maximum stress in IVD in the hypertonic model was higher than that in the normal and imbalance models. The maximum stress in ADJ was the largest under extension among all loadings for all models. Muscle imbalance and hypertonia did not cause overstress and stress distribution abnormalities in ADJ., Conclusion: Muscle dysfunction increases the stress in LAAJ and in IVD, but it does not affect ADJ., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Taurine has a prominent lipid-lowering effect on hyperlipidemia. However, a comprehensive analysis of the effects of taurine on endogenous metabolites in hyperlipidemia has not been documented. This study aimed to explore the impact of taurine on multiple metabolites associated with hyperlipidemia., Methods: The hyperlipidemic mouse model was induced by high-fat diet (HFD). Taurine was administered via oral gavage at doses of 700  mg/kg/day for 14  weeks. Evaluation of body weight, serum lipid levels, and histopathology of the liver and adipose tissue was performed to confirm the lipid-lowering effect of taurine. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)-based metabonomics analyses of serum, urine, feces, and liver, coupled with multivariate data analysis, were conducted to assess changes in the endogenous metabolites., Results and Discussion: Biochemical and histological examinations demonstrated that taurine administration prevented weight gain and dyslipidemia, and alleviated lipid deposition in the liver and adipose tissue in hyperlipidemic mice. A total of 76 differential metabolites were identified by UPLC-MS-based metabolomics approach, mainly involving BAs, GPs, SMs, DGs, TGs, PUFAs and amino acids. Taurine was found to partially prevent HFDinduced abnormalities in the aforementioned metabolites. Using KEGG database and MetaboAnalyst software, it was determined that taurine effectively alleviates metabolic abnormalities caused by HFD, including fatty acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, diacylglycerol metabolism, amino acid metabolism, bile acid and taurine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. Moreover, DGs, GPs and SMs, and taurine itself may serve as active metabolites in facilitating various anti-hyperlipidemia signal pathways associated with taurine. This study provides new evidence for taurine to prevent hyperlipidemia., 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 © 2024 Guo, Ou, Yang, Song, Zhu, Mi, Zhang, Zhang, Chen and Guo.)

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a self-constructed modified apical negative pressure irrigation (ANPI) system employing commonly used clinical instruments in nonsurgical root canal therapy (NSRCT) for large cyst-like periapical lesions (LCPLs)., Methods: From 2017 to 2022, 35 patients diagnosed with LCPLs (5-15 mm) via preoperative clinical and radiographic evaluations of endodontic origin underwent NSRCT combined with ANPI. These patients were subjected to postoperative clinical and radiographic follow-up at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years, with a CBCT scan specifically conducted at 6-month follow-up. Through the reconstruction of three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data, an early prognosis was facilitated by monitoring changes in lesion volume. Various treatment predictors-including sex, type of treatment, lesion size, preoperative pain, jaw, type of teeth involved, sealer extrusion, and the number of root canals-were meticulously analyzed. The evaluation of post-treatment outcomes leveraged both clinical observations and radiographic data collected during the follow-up periods. The Kruskal‒Wallis test and one-way ANOVA were also conducted to determine the independent factors influencing treatment outcomes. A significance level of 5% was established., Results: Thirty-five teeth from 35 patients with a median age of 28 years (range 24-34) were treated; the median follow-up duration was 19 months (range 12-26). The overall success rate was 91.4%, with a median lesion reduction of 77.0% (range 54.2-96.4%) at 6 months. Patients under 30 years of age exhibited a significantly greater success rate than older patients did (100.0% vs. 80.0%, p = 0.037). Other factors, such as sex, jaw, treatment type, preoperative pain, cyst size, tooth location, sealer extrusion, and the number of roots, did not significantly impact treatment outcomes., Conclusions: Despite limitations related to the observational case-series study design and relatively small sample size, our findings suggest that utilizing the ANPI in the NSRCT for LCPLs may hold promise. The notably higher success rate in patients younger than 30 years is worth noting., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease with complex pathogenesis, including alterations in the gut microbiota. Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Decoction (GSZD), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has shown efficacy in RA treatment, but its impact on intestinal microflora remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of GSZD combined with leflunomide on the gut microbiota of RA patients., Methods: The study enrolled 48 RA patients who were randomly assigned to either a control group receiving leflunomide or a treatment group receiving GSZD combined with leflunomide for 12 weeks. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed pre- and post-intervention using 16S rDNA sequencing. Changes in microbial diversity, abundance, and metabolic functions were assessed., Results: Post-treatment, both groups exhibited significant alterations in gut microbiota composition. GSZD combined with leflunomide led to an increased Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and a reduction in Actinobacteria compared to leflunomide alone. This was associated with beneficial shifts in microbial genera and metabolic pathways, suggesting improved gut health and systemic immune modulation., Conclusion: GSZD combined with leflunomide significantly modulates the gut microbiota in RA patients. This study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of GSZD and highlights the potential of integrating traditional Chinese medicine with conventional treatments in managing RA., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2024.)

Atherosclerotic heart disease (AHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels is a key strategy to prevent and treat AHD. Inclisiran is a novel siRNA drug that targets proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) gene expression and reduces LDL-C levels with only two or three injections per year. This review summarizes the mechanism, efficacy, safety, and applications of Inclisiran in various populations and settings, based on recent literature. It also compares Inclisiran with other lipid-lowering drugs, especially other PCSK9 inhibitors. We conclude that Inclisiran is a promising lipid-lowering agent that can provide convenience and effectiveness for patients with high cardiovascular risk. However, some challenges and limitations remain for Inclisiran, such as its long-term safety and efficacy, its cost-effectiveness and accessibility, and its interactions and synergies with other drugs. These issues need further investigation and evaluation in future studies., 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 Zhang, Chen, Hong, Wang, Li, Zhang, Li, Yang and Liu.)

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) in screening for copy number variations (CNVs)., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by combining our study results with those reported in other articles. We retrospectively collected the data of pregnant women with NIPS testing in the Hangzhou Women's Hospital from December 2019 to February 2022. Simultaneously, a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science was carried out to identify all relevant peer-reviewed publications. Statistical analysis was performed based on the random-effects model to determine a pooled estimate of the positive predictive value (PPV)., Results: A total of 29 studies involving 2,667 women were included for analysis. The pooled PPV of NIPS in the detection of CNVs was 32.86% (95% confidence interval [24.61-41.64]). Statistical heterogeneity was high, while no significant publication bias was found in this meta-analysis. There were insufficient data to accurately determine sensitivity and specificity, as most studies only performed confirmatory tests on high-risk women., Conclusions: The PPV of NIPS in screening for CNVs was approximately 33%. Cautions should be kept in mind for the pretest guidance and subsequent after-test counseling when offering such genome-wide NIPS tests.

Previous studies have found that adverse childhood experiences can lead to depressive symptoms. But the underlying mechanisms have not been determined. Guided by the 3-P model of insomnia and acceptance and commitment therapy, this study examined the mediating role of poor sleep quality and psychological inflexibility in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 996 senior high school students in China (Mage = 16.57 years; SD = 1.03) completed the self-report measures of adverse childhood experiences, depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, and psychological inflexibility. Multiple mediation analysis revealed that adverse childhood experiences were related to depressive symptoms through poor sleep quality and psychological inflexibility, serially. These findings point to potential targets in the prevention of and intervention in adolescent depressive symptoms.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential phytomacronutrients, and deficiencies in these two elements limit growth and yield in apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.). The rootstock plays a key role in the nutrient uptake and environmental adaptation of apple. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of N and/or P deficiency on hydroponically-grown dwarfing rootstock 'M9-T337' seedlings, particularly the roots, by performing an integrated physiological, transcriptomics-, and metabolomics-based analyses. Compared to N and P sufficiency, N and/or P deficiency inhibited aboveground growth, increased the partitioning of total N and total P in roots, enhanced the total number of tips, length, volume, and surface area of roots, and improved the root-to-shoot ratio. P and/or N deficiency inhibited NO 3   - influx into roots, and H + pumps played a important role in the response to P and/or N deficiency. Conjoint analysis of differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated metabolites in roots revealed that N and/or P deficiency altered the biosynthesis of cell wall components such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin. The expression of MdEXPA4 and MdEXLB1 , two cell wall expansin genes, were shown to be induced by N and/or P deficiency. Overexpression of MdEXPA4 enhanced root development and improved tolerance to N and/or P deficiency in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. In addition, overexpression of MdEXLB1 in transgenic Solanum lycopersicum seedlings increased the root surface area and promoted acquisition of N and P, thereby facilitating plant growth and adaptation to N and/or P deficiency. Collectively, these results provided a reference for improving root architecture in dwarfing rootstock and furthering our understanding of integration between N and P signaling pathways., 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 Xie, Chen, Zhang, An, Li, Yang, Kang, Zhou and Cheng.)

Purpose: To compare the choroidal sublayer morphologic features between idiopathic macular hole (IMH) and idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) on spectral-domain optical coherent tomography (SD-OCT) using an automatic segmentation model., Methods: Thirty-three patients with idiopathic IMHs and 44 with iERMs who underwent vitrectomies were involved. The enhanced depth imaging mode of SD-OCT was used to obtain the B-scan image after single line scanning of the macular fovea. The choroidal sublayer automatic analysis model divides the choroidal into the choroidal large vessel layer, the middle vessel layer and the small vessel layer (LVCL, MVCL and SVCL, respectively) and calculates the choroidal thickness (overall, LVCL, MVCL and SVCL) and vascular index (overall, LVCL, MVCL and SVCL). The morphological characteristics of the choroidal sublayer in the ERM eyes and the IMH eyes were compared., Results: The mean choroidal thickness in the macular centre of the IMH eyes was significantly thinner than that of the ERM eyes (206.35 ± 81.72 vs. 273.33 ± 82.31 μm; P < 0.001). The analysis of the choroidal sublayer showed that the MVCL and SVCL macular centres and 0.5-1.5 mm of the nasal and temporal macula were significantly thinner in the IMH eyes than in the ERM eyes (P < 0.05), and there was a difference in the macular centre of the LVCL between the two groups (P < 0.05). In contrast, the choroidal vascular index of the macular centre in the IMH eyes was significantly higher than that in iERM eyes (0.2480 ± 0.0536 vs. 0.2120 ± 0.0616; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the CVI of other parts of the macula, the LVCL or MVCL between the two groups., Conclusion: The choroidal thickness of the IMH eyes was significantly thinner than that of the iERM eyes, which was mainly observed in 3 mm of the macular centre and the MVCL and SVCL layers of the choroid. The choroidal vascular index of the IMH eyes was higher than that of the iERM eyes. These findings suggest that the choroid may be involved in the pathogenesis of IMH and iERM., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: To describe a tobacco cessation intervention using personalized mobile phone text messages based on behaviour change theory and to assess why the intervention was effective., Methods: We conducted a two-arm, double-blind, randomized controlled trial in five cities in China from April to July 2021. We recruited daily or weekly smokers aged 18 years or older. The 90-day intervention was delivered using a mobile phone chat application. At different stages of quitting, intervention group participants received personalized text messages based on analyses of the strength of their intention to quit, their motivation to quit and their self-reported success at quitting. Control group participants received non-personalized text messages. The primary outcome was the biochemically verified 6-month abstinence rate. Secondary outcomes were changes in scores on the components of protection motivation theory. All analyses were by intention to treat., Findings: We randomly assigned 722 participants to intervention or control groups. Biochemically verified continuous abstinence at 6 months was 6.9% (25/360) in the intervention group and 3.0% (11/362) in the control group. Smokers who received the personalized intervention had lower scores on intrinsic rewards of smoking and response costs of quitting in the protection motivation theory analysis. These two variables were also determinants of sustained abstinence, thus explaining why the intervention group had a higher quitting rate., Conclusion: The study confirmed the psychological determinants of long-term abstinence from smoking and provided a framework to explore why such an intervention is effective. This approach may be applicable to the development or analysis of interventions targeting other health behaviours., ((c) 2023 The authors; licensee World Health Organization.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on gut microbiota using a mouse model of metabolic syndrome (MS) induced by a high-fat diet. Forty-eight male mice were randomly divided into four groups, control group (C), high-fat diet-fed model group (H), high fat plus low intake of fruits and vegetables diet-fed group (H.LFV), high fat plus high intake of fruits and vegetables diet-fed group (H.HFV), and each group were fed for 60 days. During the experiment, mouse body weights were recorded and fecal samples were collected. Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method was used to extract fecal bacterial DNA, and the purity and concentration of the DNA were detected by electrophoresis. DNA samples underwent PCR amplification (primers in 16 S V4 (515F and 806R)). Raw sequencing data were processed, and sample complexity and multiple-sample comparisons were investigated. Mouse organ coefficient, serum lipid levels, fecal TC (total cholesterol) and TBA (total bile acid) levels, and hepatic glutathione and malondialdehyde levels were determined. Compared to the H group, the fecal TC and TBA levels decreased significantly in the H.HFV group ( p  < .05), and hepatic glutathione and malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly in both H.LFV and H.HFV groups ( p  < .05). Decreased abundance of Firmicutes, Burkholderiales, Syntrophomonas, and Pseudomonadales in gut microbiota was observed in H.LFV and H.HFV groups compared to the H group. The Anosim results showed significant differences in pairwise comparison between groups. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) results showed that k&#95;bacteria not only exhibited statistically differences between H and C groups but also among H.LFV, H.LFV, and H groups, and hence, could be used as a biomarker between groups. To sum up, fruit and vegetable powder could increase the fecal excretion of TC and TBA, and the antioxidant capacity in C57BL/6N mice. Meanwhile, the mechanism that fruit and vegetable powder could prevent MS in C57BL/6N mice was related to the decreased abundance of gut microbiota, including Firmicutes, Syntrophomonadales, and Pseudomonadales. Hence, fruit and vegetable powder could be used as a recommended food to regulate gut microbiota and prevent the occurrence of MS-related diseases., (© 2022 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The current study examined the mediating roles of emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and resilience in the relationship between perceived parental support and depressive symptoms among college students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A large sample of Chinese college students ( N  = 2, 423) participated in this investigation. Results indicated that perceived parental support was negatively related to depressive symptoms. The two emotion regulation strategies and resilience partially and serially mediated the relation between perceived parental support and depressive symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022.)

Few studies have examined factors that might explain or affect the relationship between psychological flexibility and university students' COVID-19 burnout. The present study tested a moderated mediation model with perceived COVID-19 stress as the mediator and social support, a moderator, among 2377 Chinese college students. After controlling for gender, age, family location, and year of study (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors), psychological flexibility was significantly associated with COVID-19 burnout, and this link was mediated by perceived COVID-19 stress. Social support buffered the adverse effects of perceived COVID-19 stress on psychological flexibility, as well as the correlation between perceived COVID-19 stress and burnout., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present study mainly focused on college students amidst the COVID-19 outbreak and aimed to develop and examine a moderated mediation model between access to epidemic information and life satisfaction. Friendship quality as a moderator, and perceived stress as a mediator. A sample of 1032 college students participated in this study and completed questionnaires regarding access to epidemic information, perceived stress, friendship quality, and life satisfaction. Findings indicated that 1) access to epidemic information was strongly related to life satisfaction; 2) perceived stress acts as a mediator in the positive relationship between access to epidemic information and life satisfaction; 3) friendship quality moderated the relationship between access to epidemic information and perceived stress as well as perceived stress and life satisfaction, and such that there was a stronger association between access to epidemic information and perceived stress for college students with high friendship quality. But the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction became weaker for college students with high friendship quality. The results illuminate the mechanism to theoretical and practical implications for improving college students' life satisfaction during the pandemic., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) and Springer Nature B.V. 2021.)

Emerging evidence suggests that ADP-ribosylation factor like-4c (Arl4c) may be a potential choice for cancer treatment. However, its role in pancreatic cancer, especially in tumor-stroma interactions and drug resistance, is still unknown. In the current study, we examined the proliferation and drug resistance effect of Arl4c on pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, we explored the contribution of Arl4c high expression in pancreatic stellate cell (PSC) activation. We found that high Arl4c expression is associated with cell proliferation, drug resistance, and PSC activation. In detail, Arl4c regulates connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) paracrine, further induces autophagic flux in PSCs, resulting in PSC activation. TGFβ1 secreted by activated PSCs enhances cancer cell stem cell properties via smad2 signaling, further increasing cell drug resistance. YAP is an important mediator of the Arl4c-CTGF loop. Taken together, these results suggest that Arl4c is essential for pancreatic cancer progression and may be an effective therapeutic choice., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: To evaluate macular microstructure alterations in the parafoveal nonperfusion areas of eyes with branch retinal vein occlusions (BRVO), and to investigate their impact on retinal sensitivity., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including thirteen BRVO patients with parafoveal capillary nonperfusion areas (NPA). Multiple modalities including microperimetry, optical coherence tomography angiography, and optical coherence tomography were performed to measure retinal sensitivity and thickness, and to identify the microstructure changes and perfusion status., Results: The retinal sensitivity and thickness in the NPA were significantly lower than those in the perfusion areas (PA) (P = 0.001, P = 0.003). Microstructure changes, including disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL), disruption of the outer retinal layers, and cysts were more frequently observed in NPA (P = 0.002, P = 0.018, P = 0.068). Within NPA, the retinal sensitivity of areas with DRIL, and outer retinal layers disruption was significantly lower than that of the areas without DRIL (P = 0.016), and with intact outer retinal layers (P < 0.001), respectively. 1dB increase in retinal sensitivity was correlated with 2.2 μm (95 % confidence interval, 1.71-2.7) increase of the thickness (P < 0.001). The retinal sensitivity was significantly lower at points with both DRIL and outer retinal layers disruption than at the points with DRIL or outer retina layers disruption alone (P = 0.001, P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Alterations in the macular microstructure are associated with ischemia, especially DRIL. DRIL and outer retinal layers disruption are imaging features that have important implications for local retinal sensitivity in the ischemic areas, and where the microstructure of both inner and outer retinal layers is disrupted the function is further destructed., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play crucial roles in the progression of various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). SP1 (Sp1 transcription factor) is a well-recognized oncogene in CRC and is deemed to trigger the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The present study was designed to investigate the role of circRNAs which shared the same pre-mRNA with SP1 in CRC cells. We identified that hsa&#95;circ&#95;0026628 (circ&#95;0026628), a circular RNA that originated from SP1 pre-mRNA, was upregulated in CRC cells. Sanger sequencing and agarose gel electrophoresis verified the circular characteristic of circ&#95;0026628. Functional assays including CCK-8, colony formation, transwell, immunofluorescence staining, and sphere formation assay revealed the function of circ&#95;0026628. RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry disclosed the proteins interacting with circ&#95;0026628. Mechanistic assays including RIP, RNA pull-down, CoIP, ChIP, and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated the interplays between molecules. The results depicted that circ&#95;0026628 functioned as a contributor to CRC cell proliferation, migration, EMT, and stemness. Mechanistically, circ&#95;0026628 served as the endogenous sponge of miR-346 and FUS to elevate SP1 expression at the post-transcriptional level, thus strengthening the interaction between SP1 and β-catenin to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In turn, the downstream gene of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, SOX2 (SRY-box transcription factor 2), transcriptionally activated SP1 and therefore boosted circ&#95;0026628 level. On the whole, SOX2-induced circ&#95;0026628 sponged miR-346 and recruited FUS protein to augment SP1, triggering the downstream Wnt/β-catenin pathway to facilitate CRC progression., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Vulnerable plaque detection is important to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnosis. In recent years, intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) imaging has been used for vulnerable plaque detection. Current automated detection methods adopt the traditional image classification and object detection algorithms, such as the logistic regression model, SVM, and Haar-Adaboost, to detect vulnerable plaques. The detection quality of these methods is relatively low. The aim of this study is to improve the detection quality of vulnerable plaque., Methods: We propose an automatic detection system of vulnerable plaque for IVOCT images based on deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). The system is mainly composed of four modules: pre-processing, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs), post-processing, and ensemble. The IVOCT images input to DCNNs are firstly pre-processed by using the methods of de-noising and data augmentation. Then multiple DCNNs are used to detect the vulnerable plaques in the IVOCT images; the vulnerable plaque regions and their corresponding labels and scores are output. Next, the output results of each network are processed by the post-processing module. We propose three algorithms, union of intersecting regions, duplicated region processing, and small gaps removal for post-processing. Finally, the output detection results of multiple networks are combined using a proposed combining method in ensemble module., Results: We evaluated the proposed method in a dataset of 300 IVOCT images. Experimental results show that our system can achieve a precision rate of 88.84%, a recall rate of 95.02%, and an overlap rate of 85.09%; the detection quality score is 88.46%., Conclusions: The proposed algorithms can detect vulnerable plaques with superior performance; our system can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for vulnerable plaque detection in IVOCT images.

Objective: This study sought to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) on colonic contractile disorders induced by chronic water avoidance stress (WAS)., Methods: Male SD rats were exposed to daily 1-h WAS or sham WAS for 10 consecutive days. The presence of TRH in the serum and colonic mucosa were determined using enzyme immunoassay kits. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were performed to detect the expression of TRH receptor 1 (TRH-R1). The contractions of proximal colonic smooth muscle were studied in an organ bath system. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record the currents of both L-type calcium currents (I Ca,L ) and large conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + (BK Ca ) channels in colonic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) isolated from adult rats., Results: Enzyme immunoassay revealed that TRH was present in both serum and colonic mucosa and that this expression increased in the WAS group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the TRH-R1 level increased in colons devoid of mucosa and submucosa from the stressed rats as compared with the control group. TRH increased the spontaneous contractions of the longitudinal muscle and circular muscle strips in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. The effect was also confirmed in an vivo experiment, where an intraperitoneal injection of TRH in rats significantly increased fecal pellet output during a 24-h period as compared with the control group. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of a non-specific TRH receptor antagonist, chlordiazepoxide and a TRH-R1 antibody, partially decreased the fecal pellets of WAS rats during the 10-day stress period. Furthermore, TRH increased the peak current of L-type channels in colonic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) at a membrane potential of 0 mV, while the current of large conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + (BK Ca ) channels was not changed following the addition of TRH., Conclusion: TRH may be involved in the dysmotility induced by chronic stress and may have some potential clinical therapeutic use in regulating gut motility., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to propose the effectiveness of convolution approach to predict pharmacokinetics of tramadol hydrochloride floating tablets, prepared by using various ratios of carbopol, HPMC K100M, and Hibiscus rosa Sinensis as excipient. The in vitro dissolution test was conducted using paddle method in 900 mL of HCl buffer with pH 1.2 to simulate the gastric condition. The stirring speed of paddles was set at 70 rpm. Temperature of dissolution medium was adjusted at 37 ± 5 °C. At predetermined time points, 5 mL of dissolution samples were taken with a replacement of same volume using fresh medium. The obtained samples were analyzed at 271 nm using UV visible spectrophotometer. The values of predicted pharmacokinetic parameters like Cmax (maximum blood drug level), Tmax (time required to attain maximum blood drug level), and AUC (area under blood drug concentration curve) ranged between 80.8 ± 3.2-119.6 ± 4.7 ng/mL, 11.4 ± 0.2-12.2 ± 0.2 h, and 1430.5 ± 209.5-1970.6 ± 287.4 ng.h/mL, respectively. This certainly is a desired feature required at the formulation development step, where the formulator requires the development of a formulation using desired in vivo features on the basis of only accessible in vitro data. It can be concluded from the results that convolution method is a practical method for the prediction of drug concentration in blood and for quality control.

Background: Few research projects have looked at patient satisfaction with treatment outcome and factors contributing to satisfaction. The aim of this study was to examine treatment motivation and expectation associated with treatment-outcome satisfaction in a group of adolescent nonextraction orthodontic patients. We hypothesized that there would be significant correlations among treatment-outcome satisfaction, motivation, and expectations., Subjects and Methods: A sample of 120 patients who received orthodontic treatment at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine completed two questionnaires. Before treatment, questionnaire 1 was given to patients to assess treatment motivation and expectations. When treatment had been completed, questionnaire 2, concerning treatment satisfaction, was assessed. Spearman's rank correlation and regression analyses were used to assess the relationships among treatment satisfaction, expectations, and motivation., Results: A total of 110 patients completed the two questionnaires. There was a tendency toward significant correlations between treatment motivation and overall satisfaction with treatment (β-coefficient -0.264, 95% confidence interval -0.456 to 2.314; P<0.001). However, correlations among treatment motivation and satisfaction with changes made and satisfaction with one's appearance posttreatment were more fragmented. No relationship between treatment expectation and satisfaction was found (β-coefficient -0.126; 95% confidence interval -0.024 to 0.524; P>0.05)., Conclusion: Motivation was correlated with satisfaction with treatment outcome. Patients' expectations had no correlation with treatment satisfaction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess treatment outcomes of the Invisalign and compare results with braces., Methods: One hundred and fifty-two adult orthodontic patients, referred to two Orthodontic Specialist Clinics, were randomized to receive either invisalign or brace treatment. All patients were evaluated by using methods from the American Board of Orthodontics Phase III examination. The discrepancy index was used to analyze pretreatment records to control for initial severity of malocclusion. The objective grading system was used to systematically grade posttreatment records. The Wilcoxon 2-sample tests were used to evaluate treatment outcome of Invisalign and braces., Results: The total mean scores of the objective grading system categories were improved after treatment in both groups. The improvements were not statistically significant in scores for alignment, marginal ridges, occlusal relations, over jet, inter-proximal contacts, and root angulation. Invisalign scores were consistently lower than braces scores for buccolingual inclination and occlusal contacts., Conclusions: The overall improvement in OGS scores indicate that both Invisalign and fixed appliances were successful in treating Class I adult extraction cases in this sample.

Objective: To measure the root anatomic topography of mandibular first molar using cone beam CT (CBCT), calculate the proper space for dowel preparation., Methods: The roots of 121 mandibular first molars from 71 patients were scanned by CBCT, the images from cross section, sagittal plane, and coronal plane were got respectively. The dowel preparation spaces according to established three dimensional images and dowel preparation requirements were analyzed., Results: Three dowels could be prepared. The dowel length for distal-root was (7.19 +/- 0.91) mm, dowel diameter was (0.80 +/- 0.12) mm on the level of 4mm above root apex. The dowel length for mesio-root was (6.92 +/- 1.02) mm, and dowel diameter was (0.71 +/- 0.08) mm on the lever of 4 mm above root apex for buccal side and (0.71 +/- 0.07) mm for lingual side. Dowel should be prepared cone-shaped., Conclusion: Many factors affect dowel preparation, individualized design is needed. CBCT can provide reliable radiographic evidence.

Objective: To assess whether the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene 4G/5G polymorphism is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese patients., Methods: PAI-1 gene 4G /5G polymorphism was analyzed in normal group (121 individuals) and CHD group (126 cases) by a combination of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)., Results: The 4G allele and 4G/4G genotype frequencies of PAI-1 gene (0.60 and 0.397) for CHD patients were higher than those (0.48 and 0.190) for healthy controls(chi-square=7.63 P<0.01; chi-square=12.67, P<0.01). The odds ratios(OR) for CHD in subjects with the 5G/5G (and 4G/5G) genotypes were 2.54 (95% CI 1.22-5.27, P<0.05) and 1.28(95% CI 1.45-2.38, P>0.05), respectively., Conclusion: These results suggest that the PAI-1 4G/4G genotype is associated with an increased risk for CHD in Chinese patients. The subjects with the 4G/4G genotype had a higher prevalence of CHD, compared to those with the 5G/5G PAI-1 genotype.