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IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to place an unprecedented strain on the US healthcare system, and primary care is no exception. Primary care services have shifted toward a team-based approach for delivering care in the last decade. COVID-19 placed extraordinary stress on primary care teams at the forefront of the pandemic response efforts. The current work applies the science of effective teams to examine the impact of COVID-19—a crisis or adverse event—on primary care team resilience.MethodsLittle empirical research has been done testing the theory of team resilience during an extremely adverse crisis event in an applied team setting. Therefore, we conducted an archival study by using large-scale national data from the Veterans Health Administration to understand the characteristics and performance of 7,023 Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs) during COVID-19.ResultsOur study found that primary care teams maintained performance in the presence of adversity, indicating possible team resilience. Further, team coordination positively predicted team performance (B = 0.53) regardless of the level of adversity a team was experiencing.DiscussionThese findings in turn attest to the need to preserve team coordination in the presence of adversity. Results carry implications for creating opportunities for teams to learn and adjust to an adverse event to maintain performance and optimize team-member well-being. Teamwork can act as a protective factor against high levels of workload, burnout, and turnover, and should be studied further for its role in promoting team resilience.

Objective: Pro-peptide precursors are processed into biologically active peptide hormones or neurotransmitters, each playing an essential role in physiology and disease. Genetic loss of function of a pro-peptide precursor results in the simultaneous ablation of all biologically-active peptides within that precursor, often leading to a composite phenotype that can be difficult to align with the loss of specific peptide components. Due to this biological constraint and technical limitations, mice carrying the selective ablation of individual peptides encoded by pro-peptide precursor genes, while leaving the other peptides unaffected, have remained largely unaddressed. Methods: We developed and characterized a mouse model carrying the selective knockout of the TLQP-21 neuropeptide (ΔTLQP-21) encoded by the Vgf gene. To achieve this goal, we used a knowledge-based approach by mutating a codon in the Vgf sequence leading to the substitution of the C-terminal Arginine of TLQP-21, which is the pharmacophore as well as an essential cleavage site from its precursor, into Alanine (R21→A). Results: We provide several independent validations of this mouse, including a novel in-gel digestion targeted mass spectrometry identification of the unnatural mutant sequence, exclusive to the mutant mouse. ΔTLQP-21 mice do not manifest gross behavioral and metabolic abnormalities and reproduce well, yet they have a unique metabolic phenotype characterized by an environmental temperature-dependent resistance to diet-induced obesity and activation of the brown adipose tissue. Conclusions: The ΔTLQP-21 mouse line can be a valuable resource to conduct mechanistic studies on the necessary role of TLQP-21 in physiology and disease, while also serving as a platform to test the specificity of novel antibodies or immunoassays directed at TLQP-21. Our approach also has far-reaching implications by informing the development of knowledge-based genetic engineering approaches to generate selective loss of function of other peptides encoded by pro-hormones genes, leaving all other peptides within the pro-protein precursor intact and unmodified.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are natural nanocarriers characterized by a phospholipid bilayer structure, are released by living cells. They play a crucial role in the intercellular transport of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and metabolites, facilitating substance delivery and information exchange between cells. In light of recent numerous studies, EVs has been found to transcend their basic role as mere delivery vehicle. Instead, they demonstrate an impressive array of biological activities, displaying preventive and therapeutic potential in mitigating various pathological processes encompassing cancer, neoplastic proliferation, infectious diseases, and oxidative trauma. Particularly, EVs derived from edible plants (EPDEVs) have been emphasized for their extensive range of physiological regulatory functions in animals and humans, with the potential for targeted drug delivery through oral administration. Leveraging these advantages, EPDEVs are expected to have excellent competitiveness in clinical applications or preventive healthcare products. This review provides a brief overview of the biogenesis, structure, and composition of EPDEVs, and summarizes their biological functions and mechanisms. It also analyzes the methods for isolating and purifying plant-EVs, assessing their advantages and disadvantages; discusses the latest advancements in biomedical applications, and concludes with a prospective insight into the research and development directions of EPDEVs.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The correction of spinopelvic parameters is associated with better outcomes in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD). This study presents a novel artificial intelligence (AI) tool that automatically predicts spinopelvic parameters from spine x-rays with high accuracy and without need for any manual entry. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The AI model was trained/validated on 761 sagittal whole-spine x-rays to predict the following parameters: Sagittal Vertical Axis (SVA), Pelvic Tilt (PT), Pelvic Incidence (PI), Sacral Slope (SS), Lumbar Lordosis (LL), T1-Pelvic Angle (T1PA), and L1-Pelvic Angle (L1PA). A separate test set of 40 x-rays was labeled by 4 reviewers including fellowship-trained spine surgeons and a neuroradiologist. Median errors relative to the most senior reviewer were calculated to determine model accuracy on test and cropped-test (i.e. lumbosacral) images. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess inter-rater reliability RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The AI model exhibited the following median (IQR) parameter errors: SVA[2.1mm (8.5mm), p=0.97], PT [1.5° (1.4°), p=0.52], PI[2.3° (2.4°), p=0.27], SS[1.7° (2.2°), p=0.64], LL [2.6° (4.0°), p=0.89], T1PA [1.3° (1.1°), p=0.41], and L1PA [1.3° (1.2°), p=0.51]. The parameter errors on cropped lumbosacral images were: LL[2.9° (2.6°), p=0.80] and SS[1.9° (2.2°), p=0.78]. The AI model exhibited excellent reliability at all parameters in both whole-spine (ICC: 0.92-1.0) and lumbosacral x-rays: (ICC: 0.92-0.93). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our AI model accurately predicts spinopelvic parameters with excellent reliability comparable to fellowship-trained spine surgeons and neuroradiologists. Utilization of predictive AI tools in spine-imaging can substantially aid in patient selection and surgical planning.

In large-capacity energy storage systems, instructions are decomposed typically using an equalized power distribution strategy, where clusters/modules operate at the same power and durations. When dispatching shifts from stable single conditions to intricate coupled conditions, this distribution strategy inevitably results in increased inconsistency and hastened system aging. This paper presents a novel differentiated power distribution strategy comprising three control variables: the rotation status, and the operating boundaries for both depth of discharge (DOD) and C-rates (C) within a control period. The proposed strategy integrates an aging cost prediction model developed to express the mapping relationship between these control variables and aging costs. Additionally, it incorporates the multi-colony particle swarm optimization (Mc-PSO) algorithm into the optimization model to minimize aging costs. The aging cost prediction model consists of three functions: predicting health features (HFs) based on the cumulative charge/discharge throughput quantity and operating boundaries, characterizing HFs as comprehensive scores, and calculating aging costs using both comprehensive scores and residual equipment value. Further, we elaborated on the engineering application process for the proposed control strategy. In the simulation scenarios, this strategy prolonged the service life by 14.62%, reduced the overall aging cost by 6.61%, and improved module consistency by 21.98%, compared with the traditional equalized distribution strategy. In summary, the proposed strategy proves effective in elongating service life, reducing overall aging costs, and increasing the benefit of energy storage systems in particular application scenarios.

Au nanoparticles (NPs) were designed to be embedded into III-V semiconductors to form Au/GaAs Schottky heterostructures, which were used as top-modified cover layers for quantum dot semiconductor saturable absorption mirrors (QD-SESAMs). By harnessing the distinctive localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect exhibited by Au NPs, a remarkable enhancement in photogenerated carrier concentration is achieved at the heterojunction interface. Consequently, this leads to a significant improvement in the nonlinear optical characteristics of the device. The modulation depth (MD) and saturation fluence of the device are optimized from the initial 2.2% and 16.1 MW/cm2 to 2.8% and 8.3 MW/cm2, respectively. Based on the optimized device, a Q-switched laser has been developed with an impressive output power of 17.61 mW and a single pulse energy of 274.9 nJ. These results unequivocally showcase the exceptional advantages offered by utilizing Au NPs to optimize the nonlinear optical characteristics of III-V semiconductor devices, thereby highlighting its immense potential for practical applications in various fields.

The B-fiber texture in friction-stir welding of Mg–4.6Al–1.2Sn–0.7Zn magnesium alloy was investigated using electron-backscatter diffraction technique. The {0001} base plane of texture tended strongly to align with the effective geometric shear plane induced by the combined effect of the tool shoulder and the pin. The texture intensity is symmetrically distributed with respect to the weld centerline in shoulder-affected zone, while increases gradually from retreating side to advancing side in pin-affected zone. The inhomogeneous shear plastic strain and material transfer resulted in non-uniform distribution of texture on the welded joint.

Thermal health concerns have gained significant attention due to the heightened health risks faced by workers who are exposed to extreme thermal environments for prolonged periods. To ensure the occupational health and safety of such workers, and to enhance work efficiency, it is imperative to examine the characteristics of thermal health in the working environment. This study proposes three key elements of thermal health in the working environment, namely thermal health states, absence of heat-related illnesses, and heat adaptability, which can be used to develop a safety management framework for thermal health. By exploring the interconnections between these elements, the study summarizes their features and outlines the necessary precautions to safeguard them. The PDCA (plan/do/check/action) cycle management mode is utilized as a framework, with the three components of thermal health forming the core, to establish a safety management mode for thermal health. To ensure that employees work in a safe, healthy, comfortable, and productive environment, the assessment and control objectives of the thermal environment are regularly revised through the use of labor protection technology and thermal environment control technology. This paper presents a PDCA cycle safety management mode based on the characteristics of thermal health, which offers novel insights and approaches for assessing and managing workers’ thermal health.

Abstract Tumor‐associated macrophage (TAM) infiltration facilitates glioma malignancy, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, it is reported that TAMs secrete exosomal LINC01232 to induce tumor immune escape. Mechanistically, LINC01232 is found to directly bind E2F2 and promote E2F2 entry into the nucleus; the two synergistically promots the transcription of NBR1. The increase in binding between NBR1 binding and the ubiquitinating MHC‐I protein through the ubiquitin domain causes an increase in the degradation of MHC‐I in autophagolysosomes and a decrease in the expression of MHC‐I on the surface of tumor cells, which in turn led to tumor cell escape from CD8+ CTL immune attack. Disruption of E2F2/NBR1/MHC‐I signaling with shRNAs or blockade with the corresponding antibodies largely abolishes the tumor‐supportive effects of LINC01232 and inhibits tumor growth driven by M2‐type macrophages. Importantly, knockdown of LINC01232 enhances the expression of MHC‐I on the surface of tumor cells and improves the response to reinfusion with CD8+ T cells. This study reveals the existence of critical molecular crosstalk between TAMs and glioma mediates through the LINC01232/E2F2/NBR1/MHC‐I axis to support malignant tumor growth, indicating that targeting this axis may have therapeutic potential.

Abstract Background Low back pain or sciatic pain because of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LDH) is caused by mechanical compression and/or an inflammatory component on the nerve root. However, it is difficult to define to what extent each component contributes to the pain. This study attempted to explore the effects of macrophage polarization on clinical symptoms in patients experiencing LDH after surgery, and investigated the association between macrophage cell percentages and clinical efficacy. Methods This study retrospectively harvested nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue samples from 117 patients. Clinical symptoms and efficacy using the visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were evaluated at different time points preoperatively and postoperatively. CD68, CCR7, CD163, and CD206 were selected as macrophage phenotypic markers. Results Seventy‐six samples showed positive expression of macrophage markers in NP samples of patients with LDH, whereas 41 patients displayed negative results. No significant differences were detected between the two groups, involvement of several demographic data, and preoperative clinical findings. With respect to the macrophage‐positive group, no significant correlation was detected between the positive rate of the four markers and the VAS score or ODI after surgery. However, patients with NP samples positive for CD68 and CCR7 expression showed significantly lower VAS scores 1 week after surgery compared with those in the negative group. Moreover, the improvement in VAS score showed a strong positive correlation with CD68‐ and CCR7‐positive cell percentages. Conclusions Our results indicated that pro‐inflammatory M1 macrophages may be associated with the reduction of chronic pain after surgery. Therefore, these findings contribute to better personalized pharmacological interventions for patients with LDH, considering the heterogeneity of pain.

The overlapped transmitters IPT system with multi-inverters in parallel can effectively improve the power capacity. Compared with single transmitting coil, the overlapped transmitters IPT system can avoid the generation of circulating current. Aiming at the imbalanced current due to the deviation of resonant inductors and the delay of driving signal. A phase synchronization strategy based on PS-PWM is proposed. In this method, the phase difference of the resonant currents flows in the primary coils can be reduced. At the same time, the current sharing among different modules can be realized synchronously. A 2 kW equipment with two overlapped transmitters IPT System is established. The results showed that the methods can reduce the imbalanced current from 2 A to 0.2 A, and the phase difference of the resonant current is less than 5°. The efficiency of the whole modular IPT system can reach to 92.8% when the power is 2 kW.

BACKGROUND The determination of iodine in geochemical samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is treated mainly by closed sample melting, mixed acid solution, alkali fusion and semi-melting method. However, due to the complex existent morphology of iodine in soil and sediment samples, including periodate, iodate and iodide ions, and the first ionization energy of iodine being high as a halogen group element, there are problems such as incomplete dissolution, strong memory effect and poor precision during sample processing and measurement. OBJECTIVES To improve the determination of iodine in geochemical samples by ICP-MS. METHODS The samples were treated by sodium carbonate-zinc oxide semi-melting method, extracted with boiling water-ethanol, and separated by 732 cation exchange resin. Following this, iodine in the solution was determined by ICP-MS using an internal standard method. RESULTS The optimized detection limit of iodine was 0.045μg/g, the lower limit of detection was 0.15μg/g. The precision (RSD, n=12) and the accuracy (△logC) of the method were ≤5.93% and ≤0.01, respectively, which satisfied the analysis standards of geochemical survey sample. CONCLUSIONS This method meets the requirements of sample analysis for geochemical investigation, and can be used for the analysis of iodine in large quantities of soil and sediment samples.

BACKGROUND At present, the main methods of soil available boron analysis are spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The spectrophotometric method has a long process, cumbersome operation, low analysis efficiency and easy environmental pollution, high requirements on the experience of the analyst, and unstable measurement results. The existing ICP-OES method has shortcomings such as long extraction time and high extraction temperature. It has low efficiency in analyzing large quantities of samples, wastes electrical energy and has the risk of scalding during operation. OBJECTIVES In order to improve the ICP-OES method with water bath extraction for determination of available boron in soil. METHODS The polyethylene stoppered plastic bottle was used instead of a quartz conical flask and a reflux device. Ultrapure hot water was added as the extractant. After leaching in a hot water bath, the ICP-OES method was used to determine the available boron content. RESULTS The optimal extraction conditions were determined through experiments: using 85℃ ultrapure hot water as the extractant, soil-liquid ratio of 1∶2, water bath extraction temperature of 85℃, extraction time of 6min, using ICP-OES method after hot centrifugation to determine the available boron content. The detection limit of the method was 0.02mg/kg, the precision (RSD, n=12) was less than 3%, and the standard substances NSA-1, NSA-2, NSA-3, NSA-6 and GBW07497 (HTSB-5) and GBW07498 (HTSB-6) were tested, and the relative errors of the measurement results were all less than 4%, which was consistent with the recommended value. CONCLUSIONS This method can be used to determine available boron in soil with quick, efficient, safe and cost-effective potentials.

A Ni-based MOF catalyst is reported to facilitate the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO, a low-value product. In tandem, the as-produced CO is used as a reactant in the Pd-catalyzed carbonylation of aryl halides and other fine organic chemicals.

This work focuses on clarifying the relationship of material flow and texture evolution in friction stir welding (FSW) of magnesium alloys and the influence of the texture on the tensile properties of joints. Two types of material arrangements, with ZK60 or Mg-4.6Al-1.2Sn-0.7Zn alloys at advancing side (AS), were applied for dissimilar FSW. The material flow velocity was calculated based on the flow patterns, and the texture evolution was analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction. The results showed that the metal in the rotation layer was pushed flowing upward by the right-hand thread tool pin with clockwise rotation, and three regions with significantly different flow behavior and texture distribution were formed in stir zone (SZ). The rotation angle of the c-axis of magnesium hexagonal unit cell at each region was consistent with the material flow behavior around the tool pin approximately. The greater the flow velocity and the moving distance of deformation metal, the greater the texture intensity. Moreover, when ZK60 with superior plastic deformability was placed at AS, the relatively higher flow velocity in SZ was produced. This caused the relatively higher texture intensity, which lead to the lower tensile strength of joints. The tensile fracture of both joints with two arrangement types occurred at the interface between SZ and thermo-mechanical affected zone at AS due to the uncoordinated plastic deformation caused by the inhomogeneous severe texture distribution. This investigation can provide a new insight into FSW process optimization of magnesium alloys.

Abstract As a rare low‐calorie sugar with special medicinal value, d‐tagatose is widely used in the field of food, beverages, medicine, and cosmetics. However, enzymatic d‐tagatose production in vitro is commonly limited to low conversion efficiency and poor thermo‐stability. Herein, taking advantage of the self‐assembling property of protein scaffold EutM (ethanolamine bacterial microcompartments), Spy and Snoop peptide pairs was used to drive the linkage between the EutM and cargo proteins, β‐galactosidase (BagB), and l‐arabinose isomerase (TMAI) to construct a dual‐enzymes cascade and realize the d‐tagatose production from lactose. The optimal conditions of the cascade were shown to be pH of 8.0, temperature of 60°C, 100 g/L lactose as substrate with supplementing 5 mM Mn2+. When the ratio of immobilized enzymes to EutM scaffold reached 1:6, the d‐tagatose productivity of the dual‐enzymes cascade could reach 1.03 g/L/h, which was 1.24‐fold higher than free enzymes. In addition, the EutM‐based scaffold could efficiently improve the stability of immobilized enzymes, in which 45% of the activity remained after 12 h, 2.14‐fold higher than the free one. Overall, an attractive EutM‐based self‐assembling platform immobilizing BagB and TMAI was developed, showing enhanced catalysis efficiency and enzyme thermo‐stability for d‐tagatose production.

Objective During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the N95 mask is an essential piece of protective equipment for healthcare workers. However, the N95 mask may inhibit air exchange and odor penetration. Our study aimed to determine whether the use of N95 masks affects the odor discrimination ability of healthcare workers. Methods In our study, all the participants were asked to complete three olfactory tests. Each test involved 12 different odors. The participants completed the test while wearing an N95 mask, a surgical mask, and no mask. The score for each olfactory test was documented. Results The olfactory test score was significantly lower when the participants wore N95 masks than when they did not wear a mask (7 vs. 10, p

The survival of microglia depends on the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) signaling pathway under physiological conditions. Ki20227 is a highly selective CSF1R inhibitor that has been shown to change the morphology of microglia. However, the effects of Ki20227 on the progression of ischemic stroke are unclear. In this study, male C57BL/6 mouse models of focal cerebral ischemic injury were established through the occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and then administered 3 mg/g Ki20227 for 3 successive days. The results revealed that the number of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1/bromodeoxyuridine double positive cells in the infarct tissue was reduced, the degree of edema was increased, neurological deficits were aggravated, infarct volume was increased, and the number of peri-infarct Nissl bodies was reduced. The number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells in the peri-infarct tissue was increased. The expression levels of Bax and Cleaved caspase-3 were up-regulated. Bcl-2 expression was downregulated. The expression levels of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress-associated factors were increased. These findings suggested that Ki20227 blocked microglial proliferation and aggravated the pathological progression of ischemia/reperfusion injury in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Lanzhou University Second Hospital (approval No. D2020-68) on March 6, 2020.

Woody plants have to experience various abiotic stresses due to their immobility and perennial characteristics. However, woody plants have evolved a series of specific regulation pathways in physiological and molecular mechanisms to deal with adverse environments. Compared with herbaceous plants, perennial woody plants have the advantages of developed roots and hard stems, and increased secondary xylem, which can strengthen the vascular system of the plants. The lignification process involves the lignin deposition on the cell wall by oxidation and polymerization of lignin monomer, which plays an important role in abiotic stress tolerance. This review focuses on recent progress in the biosynthesis, content, and accumulation of lignin in response to various abiotic stresses in plants. The role of transcription factors is also discussed in regulating lignin biosynthesis to enhance abiotic stress tolerance via changing cell wall lignification. Although woody plants shared similar lignin biosynthesis mechanisms with herbaceous plants, the temporal and spatial expression and stress response profiles of lignin biosynthetic genes provide the basis for the differences in stress tolerance of various species. An in-depth understanding of the role of lignin in the abiotic stress tolerance of woody plants will lay the foundation for the next step in tree resistance breeding through genetic engineering.

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles that play a crucial role in molecular trafficking, intercellular transport and the egress of unwanted proteins. They have been implicated in many diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration. EVs are detected in all bodily fluids, and their protein and nucleic acid content offers a means of assessing the status of the cells from which they originated. As such, they provide opportunities in biomarker discovery for diagnosis, prognosis or the stratification of diseases as well as an objective monitoring of therapies. The simultaneous assaying of multiple EV-derived markers will be required for an impactful practical application, and multiplexing platforms have evolved with the potential to achieve this. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the currently available multiplexing platforms for EV analysis, with a primary focus on miniaturized and integrated devices that offer potential step changes in analytical power, throughput and consistency.

In view of the low efficiency of manual processing of repeated power supply security control image, based on the perceptual Hash algorithm (PHA), PHA based on block discrete cosine transform hash (BDCT) was proposed, abbreviated as BDCT-PHA. BDCT-PHA was used for image duplication removal. The algorithm could process the JPEG compressed image, and had high duplication removal accuracy and low misjudgment rate. Then, the ResNet network structure was improved, and the convolutional neural network (CNN) was selected for image classification. Firstly, the image was transformed into the format of VOC data set, and then trained. This method prevented the gradient disappearance when the network model was deepened, and improved the classification efficiency while reducing the amount of calculation. Simulation results show that the proposed method can accurately identify duplicate images and indicate the number of similar images. When classifying power supply safety management and control images, the loss function value can converge to 4.785% and the classification accuracy is as high as 94.46%.

BackgroundNicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism is involved in a series of cancer pathogenesis processes, and is considered a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. However, a comprehensive analysis of NAD+ metabolism events on immune regulation and cancer survival has not yet been conducted. Here, we constructed a prognostic NAD+ metabolism-related gene signature (NMRGS) associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy in glioma.Methods40 NAD+ metabolism-related genes (NMRGs) were obtained from the Reactome database and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Glioma cases with transcriptome data and clinical information were obtained from Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). NMRGS was constructed based on the calculated risk score using univariate analysis, Kaplan–Meier analysis, multivariate Cox regression, and nomogram. This NMRGS was verified in training (CGGA693) and validation (TCGA and CGGA325) cohorts. The immune characteristics, mutation profile, and response to ICI therapy were subsequently analyzed for different NMRGS subgroups.ResultsSix NAD+ metabolism-related genes, including CD38, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK), nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase (NAPRT), nicotinamide/nicotinic acid mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 3 (NMNAT3), poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase family member 6 (PARP6), and poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase family member 9 (PARP9), were ultimately used to construct a comprehensive risk model for glioma patients. Patients in the NMRGS-high group showed a poorer survival outcome than those in the NMRGS-low group. The area under curve (AUC) indicated that NMRGS has good potential in glioma prognostic prediction. A nomogram with improved accuracy was established based on independent prognostic factors (NMRGS score, 1p19q codeletion status, and WHO grade). Furthermore, patients in the NMRGS-high group showed a more immunosuppressive microenvironment, higher tumor mutation burden (TMB), higher human leucocyte antigen (HLA) expression and a more therapeutic response to ICI therapy.ConclusionsThis study constructed a prognostic NAD+ metabolism-related signature associated with the immune landscape in glioma, which can be used for guiding individualized ICI therapy.

BackgroundThere is insufficient evidence to support the use of acupuncture for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and there is no consensus on its efficacy. This review aimed to determine the acupuncture effect in patients with MCI.MethodsRelevant and potentially eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for MCI were obtained from four Chinese databases, four English databases, and additional resources up to 1 August 2022. The primary outcome was the improvement in overall cognitive function (OCF). Secondary outcomes were improved memory function (MF) and activities of daily living (ADLs). The revised Cochrane collaboration risk of bias (ROB) assessment tool (ROB 2.0) was applied to evaluate their methodological quality. The Review Manager software v 5.4 was used for analyses. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) 0.9.5.10 β software was used to estimate the required sample size and test the reliability of the pooled outcome. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool.ResultsThis meta-analysis included 11 RCTs with a total of 602 patients. The methodological quality of all trials was moderate. Low-quality evidence showed that acupuncture significantly improved OCF (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): mean difference (MD) = 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78–1.66; the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA): MD = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.47–1.97). In subgroup analyses, it was revealed that acupuncture significantly increased OCF in patients with MCI when compared to conventional medicine (CM) and sham acupuncture (SA). TSA's findings indicated that the evidence of improving OCF with acupuncture for patients with MCI was conclusive. Meanwhile, there is no statistical difference in the improvement of MF and ADL between acupuncture and CM. TSA showed that the evidence of improving MF and ADL for patients who had MCI and received acupuncture was inconclusive. The shreds of evidence of improving MF and ADL were ranked from low to critically low.ConclusionAcupuncture appears to be an effective clinical application method for improving OCF in patients with MCI. However, due to low-quality evidence, more relevant and high-quality research is needed in this field.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021291284, PROSPERO, No. CRD42021291284.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the different predictive values of depression among patients with different cardiac systolic function levels.MethodsFour hundred eighty-three consecutive patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) were included the depressive state was assessed using the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). Depression was defined as have depressive symptoms with a PHQ-9 score ≥5. The level of cardiac systolic function was classified as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50 and

A major sign of aging is wrinkles (dynamic lines and static lines) on the surface of the skin. In spite of Botulinum toxin’s favorable therapeutic effect today, there have been several reports of its toxicity and side effects. Therefore, the development of an effective and safe wrinkle-fighting compound is imperative. An antioxidant-wrinkle effect was demonstrated by the peptide that we developed and synthesized, termed Skin Peptide. Aiming at the intrinsic defects of the peptide such as hydrolysis and poor membrane penetration, we developed a general approach to transform the Skin Peptide targeting intracellular protein-protein interaction into a bioavailable peptide-gold spherical nano-hybrid, Skin Pcluster. As expected, the results revealed that Skin Pcluster reduced the content of acetylcholine released by neurons in vitro, and then inhibit neuromuscular signal transmission. Additionally, human experiments demonstrated a significant de-wrinkle effect. Moreover, Skin Pcluster is characterized by a reliable safety profile. Consequently, anti-wrinkle peptides and Skin Pcluster nanohybrids demonstrated innovative anti-wrinkle treatments and have significant potential applications.

Flag leaf size is a crucial trait influencing plant architecture and yield potential in wheat. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross of W7268 and Chuanyu 12 was employed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling flag leaf length (FLL), flag leaf width (FLW), and flag leaf area (FLA) in six environments and the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) datasets. Using a 55 K SNP-based genetic map, six major and stable QTL were detected with 6.33–53.12% of explained phenotypic variation. Except for QFlw.cib-4B.3, the other five major QTL were co-located within two intervals on chromosomes 2B and 2D, namely QFll/Fla.cib-2B and QFll/Flw/Fla.cib-2D, respectively. Their interactions and effects on the corresponding traits and yield-related traits were also assessed based on flanking markers. QFll/Fla.cib-2B showed pleiotropic effects on spikelet number per spike (SNS). QFlw.cib-4B.3 and QFll/Flw/Fla.cib-2D had effects on grain number per spike (GNS) and thousand-grain weight (TGW). Comparison analysis suggested that QFll/Fla.cib-2B was likely a new locus. Two candidate genes, TraesCS2B03G0222800 and TraesCS2B03G0230000, associated with leaf development within the interval of QFll/Fla.cib-2B were identified based on expression-pattern analysis, gene annotation, ortholog analysis, and sequence variation. The major QTL and markers reported here provide valuable information for understanding the genetic mechanism underlying flag leaf size as well as breeding utilization in wheat.

Polystyrene (PS) possesses numerous remarkable properties like high transparency, impressive mechanical strength, and a large specific surface area, making it an excellent mask plate or template for the preparation of anti-opal structures. Moreover, it should be noted that PS also exhibits exceptional nonlinear properties due to the subwavelength periodic configuration. In this paper, a self-assembled PS microsphere photonic crystal saturable absorber (PSM-SA) has been proposed and fabricated. It exhibits impressive properties including high stability, high damage threshold, high refractive index, and large specific surface area. It is suggested that the periodic structure of PS in the film has a significant impact on the photonic band gap, resulting in excellent adjustable optical nonlinear characteristics. By integrating PSM-SA into a self-built ring fiber laser system, a Q-switched laser with a pulse width of approximately 2 μs and a repetition rate of 40 kHz at a wavelength of 1562 nm is obtained. These findings demonstrate its potential for enabling efficient and adjustable nonlinear optical functionalities in various optical devices, contributing to the expanding realm of PS microsphere photonic crystals and their significant impact on advancing nonlinear optics technology.

The Au ion implantation process has emerged as an effective and simple method to be utilized for the fabrication of opto-electronic materials and devices due to numerous fascinating features of Au nanoparticles such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), large third-order nonlinearity and a fast response time. In this paper, we describe the fabrication of a novel Au nanoparticle saturable absorber (Au NP-SA) by embedding the Au NPs into a SiO2 thin film using the ion implantation process, which shows excellent saturable absorption features due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of Au NPs. A stable and high-quality pulsed laser with a repetition rate of 33.3 kHz and a single pulse energy of 11.7 nJ was successfully constructed with the Au NP-SA. Both the stable operation characteristic of the obtained Q-switched pulsed laser and the high repeatability of the fabrication process of the Au NP-SA were demonstrated. In addition, the simple feasibility and maturity of the ion implantation process allow for the plasmonic nanoparticles to be easily integrated into other types of opto-electronic materials and devices to further improve their performance, and shows immense potential for the production of wafer-level products.

Photoluminescence lifetime imaging of upconverting nanoparticles is useful for optical thermometry, but is limited for dynamic samples. Here, the authors present a wide-field and single shot approach based on compressive sensing, for video-rate upconversion temperature sensing of moving samples.

In many high-power AC drives, with the increase of the switching frequency of the converter, the generated harmonic and electromagnetic interference(EMI) noise are getting higher and higher. Aiming at the serious problems of harmonics and EMI noise of three-level neutral-point-clamped(NPC)high-frequency converters, based on the space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) strategy, a random SVPWM method based on Markov chain was proposed. In this method, the random number generated by Markov chain could be applied to SVPWM strategy, so that the actual frequency change could be more randomly and evenly distributed on both sides of the theoretical switching frequency, with the output voltage harmonic noise of the actual system with also dispersed in a wide frequency band, and the EMI noise of the converter was also reduced. The simulation results show that the modulation strategy proposed in this paper has a significant improvement in the harmonic distribution compared with the traditional SVPWM strategy, and the conducted EMI noise is also reduced from 140 dB/μV to 120 dB/μV.

Abstract This paper mainly establishes the cost‐benefit model for techno‐economic evaluation on typical integrated energy technologies matching different companies including photovoltaic, electric heat storage, ground source heat pump etc. The techno‐economic evaluation indicators such as net present value, investment payback period, and financial internal rate of return are considered. The proposed evaluation method is applied to separately analyze two real companies such as poultry and wood industry to conduct integrated energy technology matching, and then to analyze whether the configuration plan is feasible. The energy consumption and nature of the two enterprises are different, and the matched integrated energy technologies and the corresponding magnitudes are different. The results of the real case analyses show that the use of integrated energy technology will improve energy efficiency and reduce the energy costs.

Since the pandemic of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in addition to the harm caused by the disease itself, the psychological damage caused to the public by the pandemic is also a serious problem. The aim of our study was to summarize the systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) of the prevalence of anxiety, depression and insomnia in different populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and to qualitatively evaluate these SRs/MAs. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed and Web of Science to obtain SRs/MAs related to anxiety, depression, and insomnia in different populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main populations we studied were healthcare workers (HCWs), college students (CSs), COVID-19 patients (CPs), and the general populations (GPs). A subgroup analysis was performed of the prevalence of psychological disorders. A total of 42 SRs/MAs (8,200,330 participants) were included in calculating and assessing the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia in these populations. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of anxiety in different populations were: HCWs (20–44%), CSs (24–41%), CPs (15–47%), and GPs (22–38%). The prevalence of depression were: HCWs (22–38%), CSs (22–52%), CPs (38–45%), and GPs (16–35%), statistically significant differences between subgroups (p < 0.05). The prevalence of insomnia were: HCWs (28–45%), CSs (27–33%), CPs (34–48%), and GPs (28–35%), statistically significant differences between subgroups (p < 0.05). The comparison revealed a higher prevalence of psychological disorders in the CP group, with insomnia being the most pronounced. The methodological quality of the included SRs/MAs was then evaluated using AMSTAR 2 tool. The results of the methodological quality evaluation showed that 13 SRs/MAs were rated “medium,” 13 were rated “low,” and 16 were rated “very low.” Through the subgroup analysis and evaluation of methodological quality, we found a higher prevalence of insomnia than anxiety and depression among the psychological disorders occurring in different populations during the pandemic, but the sample size on insomnia is small and more high-quality studies are needed to complement our findings.

Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (TRPS) is a rare autosomal dominant malformation caused by mutations involving the TRPS1 gene. Patients with TRPS exhibit distinctive craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities. This report presents three intra-familial cases with TRPS1 gene mutations that showed the characteristic features of TRPS. A 13-year-old boy was admitted to Department of Endocrinology for the evaluation of short stature. Physical examination revealed that the boy had thin sparse hair, pear-shaped nose, protruding ears, small jaw and brachydactyly. A survey of his family history indicated that the boy's sister and mother shared the same clinical features. Radiological techniques demonstrated a different degree of skeletal abnormalities in these siblings. Next-generation sequencing and quantitative PCR were performed and showed a novel deletion mutation in exons 3–5 in the three familial cases, confirming the diagnosis of TRPS I. The healthy father did not carry the deletion mutation. Currently, there was no specific therapy for TRPS I; however, genetic consultation may be useful for family planning

Abstract The release of neuropeptides from dense core vesicles (DCVs) modulates neuronal activity and plays a critical role in cognitive function and emotion. The granin family is considered a master regulator of DCV biogenesis and the release of DCV cargo molecules. The expression of the VGF protein (nonacronymic), a secreted neuropeptide precursor that also belongs to the extended granin family, has been previously shown to be induced in the brain by hippocampus-dependent learning, and its downregulation is mechanistically linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other mood disorders. Currently, whether changes in translational efficiency of Vgf and other granin mRNAs may be associated and regulated with learning associated neural activity remains largely unknown. Here, we show that either contextual fear memory training or the administration of TLQP-62, a peptide derived from the C-terminal region of the VGF precursor, acutely increases the translation of VGF and other granin proteins, such as CgB and Scg2, via an mTOR-dependent signaling pathway in the absence of measurable increases in mRNA expression. Luciferase-based reporter assays confirmed that the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of the Vgf mRNA represses VGF translation. Consistently, the truncation of the endogenous Vgf mRNA 3′UTR results in substantial increases in VGF protein expression both in cultured primary neurons and in brain tissues from knock in mice expressing a 3′UTR-truncation mutant encoded by the modified Vgf gene. Importantly, Vgf 3′UTR-truncated mice exhibit enhanced memory performance and reduced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Our results therefore reveal a rapid, transcription-independent induction of VGF and other granin proteins after learning that are triggered by the VGF-derived peptide TLQP-62. Our findings suggest that the rapid, positive feedforward increase in the synthesis of granin family proteins might be a general mechanism to replenish DCV cargo molecules that have been released in response to neuronal activation and is crucial for memory function and mood stability.

Abstract Background Root hydraulic conductance is primarily determined by the conductance of living tissues to radial water flow. Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) in root cortical cells are important for plants to take up water and are believed to be directly involved in cell growth. Results In this study, we found that constitutive overexpression of the poplar root-specific gene PtoPIP1;1 in Arabidopsis accelerated bolting and flowering. At the early stage of the developmental process, PtoPIP1;1 OE Arabidopsis exhibited faster cell growth in both leaves and roots. The turgor pressure of plants was correspondingly increased in PtoPIP1;1 OE Arabidopsis, and the water status was changed. At the same time, the expression levels of flowering-related genes (CRY1, CRY2 and FCA) and hub genes in the regulatory networks underlying floral timing (FT and SOC1) were significantly upregulated in OE plants, while the floral repressor FLC gene was significantly downregulated. Conclusions Taken together, the results of our study indicate that constitutive overexpression of PtoPIP1;1 in Arabidopsis accelerates bolting and flowering through faster cell growth in both the leaf and root at an early stage of the developmental process. The autonomous pathway of flowering regulation may be executed by monitoring developmental age. The increase in turgor and changes in water status with PtoPIP1;1 overexpression play a role in promoting cell growth.

The content of Cu2+ in lubricants is an essential indicator for determining the quality of the lubricant and predicting mechanical failure. Finding an effective and sensitive method for detecting Cu2+ in lubricants is of great importance in oil monitoring. In this work, AgInS2 (AIS) and AgInS2-ZnS (ZAIS) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a simple one-step approach via in-situ surface modification by oleylamine. The as-synthesized AIS and ZAIS NPs exhibit good dispersion stability in various apolar media. The photoluminescence (PL) of AIS and ZAIS NPs as lubricating additives could reflect and monitor the lubrication state of steel-copper pairs due to the quenching effect of Cu2+ from the friction process. With an optimum concentration of 0.5 wt% in paraffin oil, the friction coefficient of the AIS and ZAIS NPs at 100 N was decreased by 56.8 and 52.1% for steel-steel contacts, respectively. ZAIS was observed to be more effective than AIS in improving anti-wear (AW) and extreme pressure (EP) properties, with a load-bearing capacity of up to 1100 N. Characterization of the wear tracks by SEM and XPS indicates that a tribofilm composed of metal sulfides and oxides was formed during the lubricating process. This work not only reveals AIS and ZAIS NPs as a new class of promising candidates for lubricating additives but also unveils their potential for monitoring lubricant conditions and exploring lubricant service life.

Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has become an international public health problem, and antibiotic-based triple or quadruple therapy is currently the mainstay of treatment. However, the effectiveness of these therapies decreases due to resistance to multiple commonly used antibiotics. Sanguisorba officinalis L. (S. officinalis), a traditional Chinese medicine clinically used for hemostasis and treatment of diarrhea, has various pharmacological activities. In this study, in vitro antimicrobial activity was used for the preliminary evaluation of S. officinalis against H. pylori. And a pharmacology analysis approach was also utilized to elucidate its underlying mechanisms against H. pylori infection. Methods Micro-broth dilution method, agar dilution method, checkerboard assay, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for the assessment of anti-bacterial activity. Active ingredients screening, GO analysis, KEGG analysis, construction of PPI network, molecular docking, and RT-qPCR were used to elucidate the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of S. officinalis against H. pylori infection. Results The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of S. officinalis against multiple H. pylori strains including clinically isolated multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains were ranging from 160 to 320 µg/ml. These results showed that S. officinalis had additive interaction with four commonly used antibiotics and could exert antibacterial effect by changing the morphology of bacteria without developing drug resistance. Through network pharmacology analysis, 8 active ingredients in S. officinalis were screened out for subsequent studies. Among 222 putative targets of S. officinalis, 49 targets were identified as potential targets for treatment of H. pylori infection. And these 49 targets were significantly enriched in GO processes such as protein kinase B signaling, protein kinase activity, protein kinase binding, and KEGG pathways such as Pathways in cancer, MicroRNAs in cancer, and TNF signaling pathway. Protein-protein interaction analysis yielded 5 core targets (AKT1, VEGFA, EGFR, SRC, CCND1), which were validated by molecular docking and RT-qPCR. Conclusions Overall, this study confirmed the in vitro inhibitory activity of S. officinalis against H. pylori and explored the possible pharmacological mechanisms, laying the foundation for further research and clinical application.

In October 2019, with the nationwide implementation of mobile number portability, MIIT and SASAC strengthened industry competition supervision and initiated the industry co-competition of the three major telecom operators in China.The short-term development trend of China mobile communications market was predicted by utilizing Markov chain model to analyze the changes in the market share of mobile communication market, and the state transition probability matrixes before and after the change of the industry’s competitive environment caused by regulatory policies were innovatively compared.The study shows that the impact of industry co-competition reform is greater the nationwide implementation of MNP, the probability of mobile users to lock-in has increased.According to the prediction of the state transition probability matrix after industry co-competition, China Telecom’s mobile market share will increase, while China Mobile and China Unicom Mobile’s market share will decline in the short and medium term.However, China Mobile will continue to maintain its dominant position.To accelerate 5G high-quality development and open up a new pattern in the mobile communication market, the industry co-competition environment needs to be further optimized to strengthen regulatory policy, 5Gco-construction, and operation management.

BACKGROUND Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been widely used in the determination of trace elements in carbonate rocks. Due to the low Ni (1.6-50.5μg/g) and Sc (0.3-6μg/g) in carbonate rocks, the signal values are obviously interfered by high CaO (up to 56%) and MgO (up to 21%) during ICP-MS determination, resulting in the test value much higher than the true value. OBJECTIVES To solve the problem of non-mass spectrum interference and mass spectrum interference of Ni and Sc during ICP-MS analysis of carbonate rocks and use appropriate correction method. METHODS The single standard series of Ca and Mg and national first-level reference materials of carbonate rocks were used to study the interference of high content of Ca and Mg on Ni and Sc in the carbonate during ICP-MS analysis. Testing of the single standard series was aim to explore ways of interference on Ni and Sc by high content of Ca and Mg in solution. The national first-level reference material of carbonate rock was further selected as the calibration carrier to eliminate the matrix effect of Mg. At the same time, according to the good linear relationship between the content of CaO in the sample solution and the interference degree of Ni and Sc, the interference equations of CaO and △Ni and △Sc were fitted respectively, and used for interference deduction of Ni and Sc in several national first-level reference materials and unknown samples of carbonate rocks. The accurate test values of Ni and Sc in carbonate rocks by ICP-MS were obtained. RESULTS It was found that the high content of Mg had a non-mass spectrometric interference matrix effect on the analysis of Ni and Sc. High content of Ca forms oxides, hydroxides and polyatomic ions, resulting in mass spectrometric interference on Ni and Sc. The degree of interference had a good linear relationship with the Ca content in the solution. Compared with a single standard to perform interference correction on actual samples, this method used national first-level standard materials as the calibration carrier, which overcomed the interference of matrix effects. Verified by GBW07108 and other five national primary standard materials of carbonate rocks, test values agreed with the standard values, with a relative standard deviation (RSD, n=10) of less than 5.5%. Correction results of the unknown carbonate samples were compared with the results of the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), respectively, the relative deviation was less than 15%. CONCLUSIONS The correction method proposed in this paper has solved the mass spectral interference and non-mass spectral interference in ICP-MS analysis of Ni and Sc in carbonate rocks. The method is simple and feasible, and the results are accurate and reliable.

In the cold regions of China, lignin-rich corn straw accumulates at high levels due to low temperatures. The application of psychrotrophic lignin-degrading bacteria should be an effective means of overcoming the low-temperature limit for lignin degradation and promoting the utilization of corn straw. However, this application is limited by the lack of suitable strains for decomposition of lignin; furthermore, the metabolic mechanism of psychrotrophic lignin-degrading bacteria is unclear. Here, the whole genome of the psychrotrophic lignin-degrading bacterium Arthrobacter sp. C2, isolated in our previous work, was sequenced. Comparative genomics revealed that C2 contained unique genes related to lignin degradation and low-temperature adaptability. DyP may participate in lignin degradation and may be a cold-adapted enzyme. Moreover, DyP was proven to catalyze lignin Cα-Cβ bond cleavage. Deletion and complementation of the DyP gene verified its ability to catalyze the first-step reaction of lignin degradation. Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed that the transcriptional expression of the DyP gene was upregulated, and the genetic compensation mechanism allowed C2ΔDyP to degrade lignin, which provided novel insights into the survival strategy of the psychrotrophic mutant strain C2ΔdyP. This study improved our understanding of the metabolic mechanism of psychrotrophic lignin-degrading bacteria and provided potential application options for energy-saving production using cold-adapted lignin-degrading enzymes.

While existing studies have explored factors that affect knowledge sharing among employees from different perspectives, there are still research gaps regarding whether health belief affects knowledge sharing among employees, specifically against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how such effects work. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of bank employees’ health beliefs about COVID-19 on knowledge sharing mediated by their self-efficacy. From the perspective of social cognitive theory and the health belief model, this study investigates whether employees’ perception of susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 affects formal as well as informal knowledge sharing through knowledge sharing self-efficacy. A sample of 407 bank employees (200 women and 207 men) in China was used for the study. The formulated hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping. The results showed that employees’ perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 significantly undermines formal and informal knowledge sharing self-efficacy. However, there was no significant difference in the extent of its indirect effects on formal and informal knowledge sharing. Further, employees’ perceived severity of COVID-19 had no effect on knowledge sharing self-efficacy and on formal and informal knowledge sharing, which could have resulted from the COVID-19 outbreak in China.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an ultimately fatal, degenerative brain disease in the elderly people. In the current work, we assessed the defensive capability of isovitexin (IVX) through an intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced AD mouse model.

To investigate the molecular foundation of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Beckmann et al. constructed multiscale causal networks on a large human AD multi-omics dataset, detecting AD-associated networks and their top predicted regulator, VGF, with extensive validation in the 5xFAD mouse model.

Abstract Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus have been used for hundreds of years to treat hypertension in China. In previous research, there was not a suitable quality control of method for the formulas of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus. It is urgent and essential to develop modern analytical methods for Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus to ensure the quality of the formulas. A rapid approach for simultaneous determination of hyperoside, isoquercitrin and eleutheroside E in Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was described and validated. The full method validation, including the linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, repeatability, stability and recovery, was examined. All target components, including isomers of hyperoside and isoquercitrin, were baseline separated in 35 min. The developed method was sensitive, reliable and feasible. With this method, the optimal decoction conditions of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus were selected, and their quality analysis was carried out. Furthermore, an herbal compatibility study of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus based on detecting variations in the content of their active ingredients was performed by the developed HPLC method. It could be an alternative for the quantitative analysis of herbs that contain hyperoside, isoquercitrin or (and) eleutheroside E in the future.

Abstract Background Academically talented high school students (ATHSSs), an exceptional cohort, are not well studied for their career expectations, especially for those with medical career expectation (MCE). Nowadays, the public perception of the medical profession is changing in China. The purpose of this study was to answer questions about ‘is medicine attractive for ATHSSs and ‘what factors affect medical career expectations (MCE) for ATHSSs’ in China. Methods A total of 16,479 representative ATHSSs in senior three completed a questionnaire and four different academic tests. Frequency statistics showed the proportion of ATHSSs with MCE. Unpaired t-tests were performed to find out the differences in demographics, family background, and academic performance between students with and without MCE. The logit models analysis were applied to explore the potential factors that affected the MCE of this exceptional group of students. Results ATHSSs with MCE accounted for 20.6% (ranking 7/18) of the respondents. They were more likely to be female, came from relatively poorer families, lived in a rural area, and performed significantly worse in all academic tests except for mathematics, compared with those without MCE. In addition, the results revealed that gender (β = − 0.436, p