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Abstract Background Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels have been reported to be associated with infectious mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Peritonitis is the most common and fatal infectious complication, resulting in technique failure, hospital admission and mortality. Whether PTH is associated with peritonitis episodes remains unclear. Methods We examined the association of PTH levels and peritonitis incidence in a 7-year cohort of 270 incident PD patients who were maintained on dialysis between January 2012 and December 2018 using Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Patients were categorized into three groups by serum PTH levels as follows: low-PTH group, PTH 300 pg/mL. Results During a median follow-up of 29.5 (interquartile range 16–49) months, the incidence rate of peritonitis was 0.10 episodes per patient-year. Gram-positive organisms were the most common causative microorganisms (36.2%), and higher percentage of Gram-negative organisms was noted in patients with low PTH levels. Low PTH levels were associated with older age, higher eGFR, higher hemoglobin, calcium levels and lower phosphate, alkaline phosphatase levels. After multivariate adjustment, lower PTH levels were identified as an independent risk factor for peritonitis episodes [hazard ratio 1.643, 95% confidence interval 1.014–2.663, P = 0.044]. Conclusions Low PTH levels are independently associated with peritonitis in incident PD patients.

Abstract Background Previous studies have focused on the clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Limited data are available for convalescent patients. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of discharged COVID-19 patients. Methods In this retrospective study, we extracted data for 134 convalescent patients with COVID-19 in Guizhou Provincial Staff Hospital from February 15 to March 31, 2020. Cases were analyzed on the basis of demographic, clinical, and laboratory data as well as radiological features. Results Of 134 convalescent patients with COVID-19, 19 (14.2%) were severe cases, while 115 (85.8%) were non-severe cases. The median patient age was 33 years (IQR, 21.8 to 46.3), and the cohort included 69 men and 65 women. Compared with non-severe cases, severe patients were older and had more chronic comorbidities, especially hypertension, diabetes, and thyroid disease (P

Background: There is a paucity of information regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. We aimed to estimate the cumulative attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 in hemodialysis patients in China using a serological test. Methods: We enrolled all hemodialysis patients from 8 hemodialysis facilities in Honghu and Jingzhou of Hubei province and Guangzhou and Foshan of Guangdong province in China. We screened these patients for SARS-CoV-2 infection by both a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for viral RNA and a serological test for IgG and IgM antibodies. Data on demographics and clinical characteristics were collected via case report forms. We also enrolled the health care workers from the participating hospitals and compared the seropositive rate between hemodialysis patients and health care workers in the same region. Results: Among 1542 hemodialysis patients, 5 (0.32%) and 51 (3.3%) were tested positive by the RT-PCR test and the serological test, respectively. The seropositive rate in Hubei (3.6%) was higher than that in Guangdong (2.8%), although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.5). Most of the seropositive patients were asymptomatic. Independent risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection were being older than 65 years, having manifestation of lung infection in imaging examinations, and having a lower level of serum albumin. In comparison, the seropositive rate in 3205 health care workers was 1.2%，which was significantly lower than that observed in the hemodialysis patients (P < .001). Conclusion: The cumulative rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hemodialysis patients in China was high at 3.3%. Serological test detected 10 times more cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection than the RT-PCR test and should be the preferred tool for estimating the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary kidney disease, with a prevalence of 1/2,500–1/1,000, and it affects 1.25 million people in China. ADPKD is responsible for nearly 5% of end-stage renal disease cases, which leads to a major burden on public health. In 2016, the Chinese working group developed guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of ADPKD, which promoted the clinical management of ADPKD in China. In the last 3 years, Chinese clinicians have deepened their understanding and standardized the management of ADPKD, and several basic and clinical studies on ADPKD have been conducted. In combination with international guidelines and research results, the working group updated the ADPKD guidelines in China. This guideline includes 5 chapters: introduction, diagnosis, kidney disease progression monitoring, treatment, and family planning. We highlight the main recommendations and suggestions of the ADPKD guidelines in this summary.

Overproduction of cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a hallmark of severe COVID-19 and is believed to play a critical role in exacerbating the excessive inflammatory response. Polymorphisms in IL-6

Objective: A comparative analysis was performed to investigate the potential risk factors of Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) after receiving different booster vaccines. Methods: From 18 January 2021 to 21 January 2022, the Health Care Workers (HCWs) of Guizhou Provincial Staff Hospital (Guizhou Province, China) who received a third Booster vaccine, that was either homologous (i.e., (i) a total of three doses of Vero cell vaccine or (ii) three doses of CHO cell vaccine) or (iii) heterologous with two first doses of Vero cell vaccine, being either CHO cell vaccine or adenovirus type-5 (Ad5) vectored COVID-19 vaccine, were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire form to provide information on any AEFI that may have occurred in the first 3 days after vaccination with the booster. The frequency of AEFI corresponding to the three different booster vaccines was compared, and the risk factors for predicting AEFI were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 904 HCWs who completed the survey, 792 met the inclusion criteria. The rates of AEFI were 9.8% (62/635) in the homologous Vero cell booster group, 17.3% (13/75) in the homologous CHO cell booster group, and 20.7% (17/82) in the heterologous mixed vaccines booster group, and the rates were significantly different (χ2 = 11.5, p = 0.004) between the three groups of vaccines. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that: (1) compared to the homologous Vero cell booster group, the risk of AEFI was about 2.1 times higher (OR = 2.095, 95% CI: 1.056–4.157, p = 0.034) in the CHO cell booster group and 2.5 times higher (OR = 2.476, 95% CI: 1.352–4.533, p = 0.003) in the mixed vaccines group; (2) the odds for women experiencing AEFI were about 2.8 times higher (OR = 2.792, 95% CI: 1.407–5.543, p = 0.003) than men; and (3) compared to the non-frontline HCWs, the risk of AEFI was about 2.6 times higher (OR = 2.648, 95% CI: 1.473–4.760, p = 0.001) in the doctors. Conclusion: The AEFI in all three booster groups are acceptable, and serious adverse events are rare. The risk of AEFI was higher in doctors, which may be related to the high stress during the COVID-19 epidemic. Support from government and non-governmental agencies is important for ensuring the physical and mental health of HCWs.

Background: The cuff catheter is one of the most common routes of vascular access in hemodialysis patients, while severe complications can occur during cuff catheter placement, such as bleeding, hematoma, and artery or vein damage. During catheterization, brachiocephalic vein perforation associated with a mediastinal lesion is rare. Open chest repair is effective for brachiocephalic vein perforation during catheter placement, but it entails a risk of potentially lethal trauma. Interventional treatment can be considered to reduce injury in this context, but relevant reports are limited.Case report: Herein, we describe our experience with a 68-year-old male hemodialyzed patient in whom cuff catheter vascular access was required for regular hemodialysis. He complained of mild pain in the left side of his chest during cuff catheter placement. The surgeon immediately checked the location of the catheter. Digital subtraction angiography revealed that the hemodialysis cuff catheter had punctured the mediastinal area from the left brachiocephalic vein. The patient was diagnosed with left brachiocephalic vein perforation (d ≈ 5 mm). Fortunately, the brachiocephalic vein perforation was successfully repaired with two embolization microcoils after comprehensive assessment and multidisciplinary consultation.Conclusion: Brachiocephalic vein perforation can be repaired with embolization microcoils during hemodialysis catheter placement, and this method of interventional treatment is safe and effective.

Cadmium (Cd) has attained top priority among all the toxic trace elements, and it easily accumulates in the human body through various pathways. The current pot study was focused on the impacts of foliar spray zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) (0, 50, 75, 100 mg·L−1), alone or combined with soil-applied bamboo biochar (1.0% w/w), on the maize growth and Cd and Zn accumulations in the grains of maize under Cd-contaminated soil. The results showed that the maize-growth, photosynthesis, and gas-exchange attributes were accelerated by the foliar-applied ZnO NPs, and this effect was further enhanced by the bamboo biochar application in combination with ZnO NPs. All the amendments decreased the electrolyte leakage (EL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents, and they enhanced the activities of the antioxidant enzymes in the leaves and roots of the maize more than the control. The Cd concentrations in the shoots decreased by 74.55%, in the roots 66.38%, and in the grains by 76.19% after the bamboo biochar combined with a foliar spray of 100 mg·L−1 ZnO NPs. The current study concluded that the combination of the foliar spray of ZnO NPs and soil-applied bamboo biochar is a feasible strategy for safely growing crops on Cd-contaminated soils.

Objective: A retrospective survey was conducted of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) experienced by health care workers (HCWs) in a relatively remote ethnic region in southwest China (Guizhou Province) who received COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: From 18 January 2021 to 21 January 2022, all HCWs of Guizhou Provincial Staff Hospital, China, who received at least one dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (Vero cell), recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine (CHO cell), or one dose of adenovirus type-5 (Ad5) vectored COVID-19 vaccine were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire to provide information on any adverse events that may have occurred in the first 3 days after injection. The frequency of AEFI corresponding to the three types of vaccines were compared and the potential risks of AEFI due to the three different vaccines were predicted by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 904 HCWs who completed the survey, the rates of AEFI were 10.1% (80/794) due to Vero cell, 16.3% (13/80) due to CHO cell, and 46.67% (14/30) due to Ad5 vectored vaccines, and the rates were significantly different (χ2 = 38.7, p < 001) between the three vaccines. Multivariate logistic regression models predict that (1) compared to the Ad 5 vectored group, the risk of AEFI occurrence in the Vero cell group was reduced by about 85.9% (OR = 0.141, 95% CI: 0.065–0.306, p < 0.001) and in the CHO cell group by about 72.1% (OR = 0.279, 95% CI: 0.107–0.723, p = 0.009), (2) the odds for women experiencing AEFI were about 2.1 (OR = 2.093, 95% CI: 1.171–3.742, p = 0.013) times as high as those of men, and (3) the risk of AEFI for HCWs with a Bachelor’s degree or above was about 2.2 (OR = 2.237, 95% CI: 1.434–3.489, p = 0.001) times higher than in HCWs who do not have a Bachelor’s degree. Conclusions: 1. The inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (Vero cell), recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine (CHO cell), and adenovirus type-5 (Ad5) vectored COVID-19 vaccine made in China are safe and relatively broad-spectrum. 2. The prevalence of AEFI is more common in women healthcare workers. 3. The risk of AEFI was higher in those with a Bachelor’s degree or above and may be related to the psychological and social effects triggered by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: mRNA-based cancer vaccines have been considered a promising anticancer therapeutic approach against various cancers, yet their efficacy for malignant mesothelioma (MESO) is still not clear. The present study is designed to identify MESO antigens that have the potential for mRNA vaccine development, and to determine the immune subtypes for the selection of suitable patients. Methods: A total of 87 MESO datasets were used for the retrieval of RNA sequencing and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. The possible antigens were identified by a survival and a genome analysis. The samples were divided into two immune subtypes by the application of a consensus clustering algorithm. The functional annotation was also carried out by using the DAVID program. Furthermore, the characterization of each immune subtype related to the immune microenvironment was integrated by an immunogenomic analysis. A protein–protein interaction network was established to categorize the hub genes. Results: The five tumor antigens were identified in MESO. FAM134B, ALDH3A2, SAV1, and RORC were correlated with superior prognoses and the infiltration of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), while FN1 was associated with poor survival and the infiltration of APCs. Two immune subtypes were identified; TM2 exhibited significantly improved survival and was more likely to benefit from vaccination compared with TM1. TM1 was associated with a relatively quiet microenvironment, high tumor mutation burden, and enriched DNA damage repair pathways. The immune checkpoints and immunogenic cell death modulators were also differentially expressed between two subtypes. Finally, FN1 was identified to be the hub gene. Conclusions: FAM134B, ALDH3A2, SAV1, RORC, and FN1 are considered as possible and effective mRNA anti-MESO antigens for the development of an mRNA vaccine, and TM2 patients are the most suitable for vaccination.

Background/Aim: Renal fibrosis is essential for the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Macrophages accumulate in diabetic kidneys and are involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a vital mechanism leading to renal fibrosis. Recently, high-mobility group nucleosome-binding protein 1(HMGN1) was documented in promoting the recruitment and activation of antigen-presenting cells. In this study, we first reported its roles in renal fibrosis and the underlying mechanism associated with macrophage filtration and EMT. Methods: Twenty C57BL/6J mice were administered streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes for 6 weeks and then divided into 4 groups: normal control group; DN group; benazepril-treated group, and insulin-treated group. Blood glucose, creatinine, and albumin in urine, hematoxylin and eosin, and Sirius red staining of kidney tissues were used to assess the renal pathology. ELISA, immunochemistry, and in situ hybridization were performed to determine the expression of HMGN1, CD68, F4/80, α-smooth muscle actin, and E-cadherin. Results: The renal expression levels of HMGN1, macrophage markers, and EMT makers were increased in DN group, and insulin treatment could reduce the overexpression of these indicators with a better effect than benazepril treatment. Both treatments could not obviously ameliorate urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, collagen expression, and renal histological changes in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Correlation analysis indicated that there was a relationship among HMGN1, macrophage markers, EMT markers, and collagen expression in DN mice. Conclusion: HMGN1 may promote macrophages accumulation and EMT, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for preventing renal fibrosis development in DN.

Abstract Background Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis. To detect RVF virus (RVFV) infection, indirect immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) which utilize recombinant RVFV nucleocapsid (RVFV-N) protein as assay antigen, have reportedly been used, however, there is still a need to develop more sensitive and specific methods of detection. Methods RVFV-N protein was expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and purified by histidine-tag based affinity chromatography. This recombinant RVFV-N (rRVFV-N) protein was then used as antigen to develop an IgG sandwich ELISA and IgM capture ELISAs for human sera. Ninety six serum samples collected from healthy volunteers during the RVF surveillance programme in Kenya in 2013, and 93 serum samples collected from RVF-suspected patients during the 2006–2007 RVF outbreak in Kenya were used respectively, to evaluate the newly established rRVFV-N protein-based IgG sandwich ELISA and IgM capture ELISA systems in comparison with the inactivated virus-based ELISA systems. Results rRVFV-N protein-based-IgG sandwich ELISA and IgM capture ELISA for human sera were established. Both the new ELISA systems were in 100% concordance with the inactivated virus-based ELISA systems, with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Conclusions Recombinant RVFV-N is a safe and affordable antigen for RVF diagnosis. Our rRVFV-N-based ELISA systems are safe and reliable tools for diagnosis of RVFV infection in humans and especially useful in large-scale epidemiological investigation and for application in developing countries.

The biological activity of vitamin D, which mediated by the vitamin D receptor, is widespread throughout the body. The present study aimed to define whether 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) can protect against the progression of peritoneum fibrosis (PF) through its impact on the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) in vivo and in vitro. The male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of PF were induced by daily intraperitoneally injection of chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) for 4 wks. PF Rats were also treated with calcitriol (i.p. 6 ng/100g*d) from initiation of the CG. In calcitriol rats, the ultrafiltration and the ratio of dialysate urea nitrogen to blood urea nitrogen were improved (P < 0.05), pathological changes and peritoneal thickness were milder than that of the PF group. Calcitriol ameliorated high glucose-induced HSP47 expression in peritoneal mesothelial cells via CTGF down-regulation both at the mRNA level and protein level. Furthermore, calcitriol prevented angiogenic mediators of fibrosis by reduced the expression of CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The present study demonstrated that 1,25-(OH)2D3 intervention had a partially protective effect on peritoneum fibrosis, which might inhibit CTGF/HSP47 and CD34/VEGF in the peritoneum tissues.

COVID-19 has recently become the most serious threat to public health, and its prevalence has been increasing at an alarming rate. The incubation period for the virus is ~1–14 days and all age groups may be susceptible to a fatality rate of about 5.9%. COVID-19 is caused by a novel single-stranded, positive (+) sense RNA beta coronavirus. The development of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent need worldwide. Immunoinformatics approaches are both cost-effective and convenient, as in silico predictions can reduce the number of experiments needed. In this study, with the aid of immunoinformatics tools, we tried to design a multi-epitope vaccine that can be used for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The epitopes were computed by using B cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), and helper T lymphocytes (HTL) base on the proteins of SARS-CoV-2. A vaccine was devised by fusing together the B cell, HTL, and CTL epitopes with linkers. To enhance the immunogenicity, the β-defensin (45 mer) amino acid sequence, and pan-HLA DR binding epitopes (13aa) were adjoined to the N-terminal of the vaccine with the help of the EAAAK linker. To enable the intracellular delivery of the modeled vaccine, a TAT sequence (11aa) was appended to C-terminal. Linkers play vital roles in producing an extended conformation (flexibility), protein folding, and separation of functional domains, and therefore, make the protein structure more stable. The secondary and three-dimensional (3D) structure of the final vaccine was then predicted. Furthermore, the complex between the final vaccine and immune receptors (toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3), major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I), and MHC-II) were evaluated by molecular docking. Lastly, to confirm the expression of the designed vaccine, the mRNA of the vaccine was enhanced with the aid of the Java Codon Adaptation Tool, and the secondary structure was generated from Mfold. Then we performed in silico cloning. The final vaccine requires experimental validation to determine its safety and efficacy in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Abstract Background Obesity is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, it is unknown which measure of adiposity best relates to atherosclerosis in relatively lean maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. We aimed to explore and compare the associations between different adiposity indices reflecting general, abdominal, visceral adiposity and arteriosclerosis risk with atherogenic index of plasma(AIP) in relatively lean MHD patients. Methods We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. General/abdominal adiposity indices like body mass index (BMI), waist circumference(WC), waist-height ratio(WHtR), conicity index (Ci) and visceral obesity indices including visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP) and the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype (HW phenotype) were recorded. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used. Results All adiposity indices correlated positively with AIP in univariate analysis both in men and women except for Ci. After adjustment for age and traditional atherosclerosis risk factors, BMI, WC, WHtR, VAI and LAP still had associations with AIP both in men (β = 0.265, 0.153, 0.16, 0.788 and 0.74, respectively, all P

Abstract Background Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is closely associated with the cytoskeleton, inflammation, wound healing, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and myocardial regeneration, but the effects of Tβ4 treatment on chronic renal tubular interstitial fibrosis (CRTIF) are poorly known. This study aimed to examine the effects of Tβ4 on the renal apoptosis and the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF-β), E-cadherin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in CRTIF rat models. Methods Male SD rats were randomized into four groups (sham group, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) group, UUO + low-dose Tβ4 group, and UUO + high-dose Tβ4 group). The pathological changes of kidney tissue and its function were assessed two weeks after UUO. In renal interstitial tissue,TGF-β, E-cadherin and α-SMA expression was detected by western blot. In tubular epithelial cells, E-cadherin and α-SMA expression was detected using Real-time qPCR and western blot. Cell apoptosis of rat renal interstitial tissue and tubular epithelial cells was evaluated by immunofluorescence and western blot. Results Two weeks after UUO, no differences in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were observed between the four groups (P > 0.05). Compared to the UUO group, Tβ4 treatment decreased the 24-h proteinuria (P

The improvement of soil productivity depends on a rational input of water and nutrients, optimal field management, and the increase of basic soil productivity (BSP). In this study, BSP is defined as the productive capacity of a farmland soil with its own physical and chemical properties for a specific crop season under local field management. Based on 19-yr data of the long-term agronomic experiments (1989–2008) on a fluvo-aquic soil in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer (DSSAT ver. 4.0) crop growth model was used to simulate yields by BSP of winter wheat (Triticum aestivium L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) to examine the relationship between BSP and soil organic carbon (SOC) under long-term fertilization. Five treatments were included: (1) no fertilization (control), (2) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (NPK), (3) NPK plus manure (NPKM), (4) 1.5 times of NPKM (1.5NPKM), and (5) NPK plus straw (NPKS). After 19 yr of treatments, the SOC stock increased 16.7, 44.2, 69.9, and 25.2% under the NPK, NPKM, 1.5NPKM, and NPKS, respectively, compared to the initial value. Among various nutrient factors affecting contribution percentage of BSP to winter wheat and summer maize, SOC was a major affecting factor for BSP in the fluvo-aquic soil. There were significant positive correlations between SOC stock and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize (P

Increasing basic farmland soil productivity has significance in reducing fertilizer application and maintaining high yield of crops. In this study, we defined that the basic soil productivity (BSP) is the production capacity of a farmland soil with its own physical and chemical properties for a specific crop season under local environment and field management. Based on 22-yr (1990–2011) long-term experimental data on black soil (Typic hapludoll) in Gongzhuling, Jilin Province, Northeast China, the decision support system for an agro-technology transfer (DSSAT)-CERES-Maize model was applied to simulate the yield by BSP of spring maize (Zea mays L.) to examine the effects of long-term fertilization on changes of BSP and explore the mechanisms of BSP increasing. Five treatments were examined: (1) no-fertilization control (control); (2) chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK); (3) NPK plus farmyard manure (NPKM); (4) 1.5 time of NPKM (1.5NPKM) and (5) NPK plus straw (NPKS). Results showed that after 22-yr fertilization, the yield by BSP of spring maize significantly increased 78.0, 101.2, and 69.4% under the NPKM, 1.5NPKM and NPKS, respectively, compared to the initial value (in 1992), but not significant under NPK (26.9% increase) and the control (8.9% decrease). The contribution percentage of BSP showed a significant rising trend (PNPKM>NPK≈NPKS, indicating that organic manure combined with chemical fertilizers (1.5NPKM and NPKM) could more effectively increase BSP compared with the inorganic fertilizer application alone (NPK) in the black soil. This study showed that soil organic matter (SOM) was the key factor among various fertility factors that could affect BSP in the black soil, and total N, total P and/or available P also played important role in BSP increasing. Compared with the chemical fertilization, a balanced chemical plus manure or straw fertilization (NPKM or NPKS) not only increased the concentrations of soil nutrient, but also improved the soil physical properties, and structure and diversity of soil microbial population, resulting in an iincrease of BSP. We recommend that a balanced chemical plus manure or straw fertilization (NPKM or NPKS) should be the fertilization practices to enhance spring maize yield and improve BSP in the black soil of Northeast China.

A new method for converting a microdroplet on a piezoelectric substrate into continuous fluid flow in microchannels is presented. An interdigital transducer with 27.5 MHz center frequency is fabricated on a 1280 yx-LiNbO3 piezoelectric substrate for exciting surface acoustic wave. A PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) microchannel is mounted on the piezoelectric substrate. One end of the microchannel is connected with water absorbing paper, while the other end of the microchannel is in touch with a droplet to be converted. The surface acoustic wave is used for controlling the evaporation velocity of the fluid in the microchannel. Part of fluid in the droplet can be entered into the microchannel and transported there due to the evaporation and capillary effects. Red dye solution is used to demonstrate the conversion of the droplet and the transportation of the fluid in the microchannel. Results show that the droplet on the piezoelectric substrate can successfully be converted into continuous fluid. The flow velocity is increased with the power of the electric signal applied to the interdigital transducer. Average flow velocity is 0.0235μl/s when the power of the electric signal is 30.0dBm. The work is helpful for piezoelectric microfluidic devices for biochemical analysis.

Elevated protein catabolism and protein malnutrition are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). The underlying etiology includes, but is not limited to, metabolic acidosis intestinal dysbiosis; systemic inflammation with activation of complements, endothelin‐1 and renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone (RAAS) axis; anabolic hormone resistance; energy expenditure elevation; and uremic toxin accumulation. All of these derangements can further worsen kidney function, leading to poor patient outcomes. Many of these CKD‐related derangements can be prevented and substantially reversed, representing an area of great potential to improve CKD and ESRD care. This review integrates known information and recent advances in the area of protein nutrition and malnutrition in CKD and ESRD. Management recommendations are summarized. Thorough understanding the pathogenesis and etiology of protein malnutrition in CKD and ESRD patients will undoubtedly facilitate the design and development of more effective strategies to optimize protein nutrition and improve outcomes.

This paper describes the use of a printed circuit technology to generate hydrophilic channels in a filter paper. Patterns of channels were designed using Protel soft, and printed on a blank paper. Then, the patterns were transferred to a sheet copper using a thermal transfer printer. The sheet copper with patterns was dipped into ferric chloride solution to etch the whole patterns of the sheet copper. At last, the etched sheet copper was coated with a film of paraffin and then a filter paper. An electric iron was used to heat the other side of the sheet copper. The melting paraffin penetrated full thickness of the filter paper and formed a hydrophobic “wall”. Colorimetric assays for the presence of protein and glucose were demonstrated using the paper-based device. The work is helpful to researchers to fabricate paper-based microfluidic devices for monitoring health and detecting disease.

A new method for splitting a droplet with oil encapsulation is presented. An interdigital transducer and a reflector are fabricated on a 128° yx-LiNbO3 piezoelectric substrate using microelectric technology. An electric signal with the power of 12.3 dBm is applied to the interdigital transducer to generate surface acoustic wave, which is radiated into a droplet with oil encapsulation, leading to surface acoustic wave streaming force. When the electric signal is suddenly moved off, the breakup of the droplet occurs due to inertial force. Color dye solution droplets encapsulated by oil droplets are demonstrated. The effects of electric power, the volume ratio of color dye solution to oil, and the volume of mother droplet on the breakup of droplets are studied. As applications, the presented method is successfully applied to mixture operation and color development reaction of two droplets. The method provides a new sample preparation technique, which is helpful for microfluidic biochemical analysis in a piezoelectric microfluidic system.

Background. Ambient fine particulate matter≤2.5 mm(PM2.5) air pollution exposure has been identified as a global health threat, the epidemiological evidence suggests that PM2.5 increased the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among the diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Despite the growing body of research on PM2.5 exposure, there has been limited investigation into its impact on the kidneys and the underlying mechanisms. Past studies have demonstrated that PM2.5 exposure can lead to lipid metabolism disorder, which has been linked to the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods. In this study, db/db mice were exposed to different dosage PM2.5 for 8 weeks. The effect of PM2.5 exposure was analysis by assessment of renal function, pathological staining, immunohistochemical (IHC), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC≥MS/MS) based metabolomic analyses. Results. The increasing of Oil Red staining area and adipose differentiation related protein (ADRP) expression detected by IHC staining indicated more ectopic lipid accumulation in kidney after PM2.5 exposure, and the increasing of SREBP-1 and the declining of ATGL detected by IHC staining and qPCR indicated the disorder of lipid synthesisandlipolysis inDKDmice kidney afterPM2.5 exposure. The expressions of high mobility group nucleosome binding protein 1 (HMGN1) and kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) that are associated with kidney damage increased in kidney after PM2.5 exposure. Correlation analysis indicated that there was a relationship betweenHMGN1-KIM-1 and lipid metabolic markers. In addition, kidneys of mice were analyzed using LC≥MS/MS based metabolomic analyses. PM2.5 exposure altered metabolic profiles in the mice kidney, including 50 metabolites. In conclusion the results of this study show that PM2.5 exposure lead to abnormal renal function and further promotes renal injury by disturbance of renal lipid metabolism and alter metabolic profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Using e + e − annihilation data sets corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.5 fb −1, collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies between 4.600 and 4.699 GeV, we report the first measurements of the absolute branching fractions B Λ c + → p K L 0 $$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_L^0\right) $$ = (1.67 ± 0.06 ± 0.04)%, B Λ c + → p K L 0 π + π − $$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_L^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-}\right) $$ = (1.69 ± 0.10 ± 0.05)%, and B Λ c + → p K L 0 π 0 $$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_L^0{\pi}^0\right) $$ = (2.02 ± 0.13 ± 0.05)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Combining with the known branching fractions of Λ c + → p K S 0 $$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$ , Λ c + → p K S 0 π + π − $$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-} $$ , and Λ c + → p K S 0 π 0 $$ {\Lambda}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0{\pi}^0 $$ , we present the first measurements of the K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ - K L 0 $$ {K}_L^0 $$ asymmetries R Λ c + K S , L 0 X = B Λ c + → K S 0 X − B Λ c + → K L 0 X B Λ c + → K S 0 X + B Λ c + → K L 0 X $$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},{K}_{S,L}^0X\right)=\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_S^0X\right)-\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_L^0X\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_S^0X\right)+\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^{+}\to {K}_L^0X\right)} $$ in charmed baryon decays: R Λ c + p K S , L 0 = − 0.025 ± 0.031 $$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},p{K}_{S,L}^0\right)=-0.025\pm 0.031 $$ , R Λ c + p K S , L 0 π + π − = − 0.027 ± 0.048 $$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},p{K}_{S,L}^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-}\right)=-0.027\pm 0.048 $$ and R Λ c + p K S , L 0 π 0 = − 0.015 ± 0.046 $$ R\left({\Lambda}_c^{+},p{K}_{S,L}^0{\pi}^0\right)=-0.015\pm 0.046 $$ . No significant asymmetries with statistical significance are observed.

Abstract Background A 3.0-mm ultrathin bronchoscope (UTB) with a 1.7-mm working channel provides better accessibility to peripheral bronchi. A 4.0-mm thin bronchoscope with a larger 2.0-mm working channel facilitates the use of a guide sheath (GS), ensuring repeated sampling from the same location. The 1.1-mm ultrathin cryoprobe has a smaller diameter, overcoming the limitation of the size of biopsy instruments used with UTB. In this study, we compared the endobronchial ultrasound localization rate and diagnostic yield of peripheral lung lesions by cryobiopsy using UTB and thin bronchoscopy combined with GS. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 133 patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions with a diameter less than 30 mm who underwent bronchoscopy with either thin bronchoscope or UTB from May 2019 to May 2023. A 3.0-mm UTB combined with rEBUS was used in the UTB group, whereas a 4.0-mm thin bronchoscope combined with rEBUS and GS was used for the thin bronchoscope group. A 1.1-mm ultrathin cryoprobe was used for cryobiopsy in the two groups. Results Among the 133 patients, peripheral pulmonary nodules in 85 subjects were visualized using r-EBUS. The ultrasound localization rate was significantly higher in the UTB group than in the thin bronchoscope group (96.0% vs. 44.6%, respectively; P

Abstract Background On March 16th 2024, the first case of Human infection with avian influenza H10N3 since the end of the global COVID-19 Pandemic was reported in Kunming, China. To enhance comprehension of the source of infection and risk factors of the H10N3 virus infection, this case report summarizes the clinical features, epidemiological investigation, and laboratory test results. Provides recommendations for the prevention and control of Human infection with avian influenza H10N3. Case presentation A 51-year-old male with a history of COVID-19 infection and a smoking habit of 30 years, worked in livestock breeding and was exposed to sick and dead poultry before falling ill with fever and chills on 28th February 2024. A week later, he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, influenza, and respiratory failure by the Third People's Hospital of Kunming(KM-TPH). He was discharged on 17th April and none of his 6 close contacts showed any symptoms of illness. Environmental samples taken from the epidemic spot revealed that peacock feces tested positive for avian influenza sub-type H9 and waterfowl specimens showed positive results for avian influenza sub-type H5. Gene sequencing conducted on positive specimens from the patient's respiratory tract by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) showed a high degree of similarity (98.6–99.5%) with the strain responsible for the second global case of human infected with H10N3 (reported from Zhejiang, China 2022). Conclusions According to the available epidemiological information, there is limited evidence to suggest that H10N3 viruses are excessively lethal. However, adaptive site mutations have been observed in the H10N3 isoform of mammals. While it is unlikely that the H10N3 virus will spread among humans, the possibility of additional cases cannot be entirely ruled out. Symptoms of human infection with H10N3 avian influenza are similar to those of common respiratory infections, which may result in them being overlooked during initial clinical consultations. Therefore, it is essential to improve surveillance of the H10 sub-type of avian influenza and to increase the awareness of hospital-related workers of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin.

Abstract Background Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an essential leguminous forage with high nutrition and strong adaptability. The TIFY family is a plant-specific transcription factor identified in many plants. However, few reports have been reported on the phylogenetic analysis and gene expression profiling of TIFY family genes in alfalfa. Result A total of 84 TIFY genes belonging to 4 categories were identified in alfalfa, including 58 MsJAZs, 18 MsZMLs, 4 MsTIFYs and 4 MsPPDs, respectively. qRT-PCR data from 8 genes in different tissues revealed that most MsTIFY genes were highly expressed in roots. The expression of MsTIFY14 was up-regulated after different times in both thrips-resistant and susceptible alfalfa after thrips feeding, and the expression of the remaining MsTIFYs had a strong correlation with the time of thrips feeding. Different abiotic stresses, including drought, salt, and cold, could induce or inhibit the expression of MsTIFY genes to varying degrees. In addition, the eight genes were all significantly up-regulated by JA and/or SA. Interestingly, MsTIFY77 was induced considerably by all the biotic, abiotic, or plant hormones (JA or SA) except ABA. Conclusion Our study identified members of the TIFY gene family in alfalfa and analyzed their structures and possible functions. It laid the foundation for further research on the molecular functions of TIFYs in alfalfa.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of zoledronic acid (ZA) on postoperative healing and functional rehabilitation in osteoporotic patients with rotator cuff (RC) injury. 96 Patients were divided into three groups according to bone mineral density and ZA use (Group A: normal BMD; Group B: osteoporosis and intravenous ZA use; Group C: osteoporosis, without ZA use). Radiologic, functional and Serological outcomes were evaluated 6 months after surgery. The functional scores in all groups exhibited significant improvement 6 months after surgery. Inter-group comparison showed that Constant Shoulder joint function Score (CSS) of group A not significantly differing from that of group B, the other indicators were significantly better than those of group B and C. There were no significant differences in shoulder forward flexion, abductive Range of Motion between group B and C. Other indicators of group B were significantly improved compared to group C. The retear rate in group C (30.3%, 10/33) was higher than group A (6.1%, 2/33) and group B (13.3%, 4/30). In conclusion, the application of ZA can significantly reduce the rate of RC retear in elderly patients with osteoporosis after surgery, which is significant for postoperative shoulder joint functional rehabilitation.

Abstract Fine-grained management of rice fields can enhance the yield and quality of rice crops. Challenges in achieving fine classification include interference from similar vegetation, the irregularity of natural field shapes, and complex scale variations. This paper introduces Rice Attention Cascade Network (RACNet), for the fine classification of rice fields in high-resolution satellite remote sensing imagery. The network employs the Hybrid Task Cascade network as the base framework and uses spectral and indices mixed multimodal data as input to reinforce the feature differentiation of similar vegetation. Initially, a Channel Attention Deformable-ResNet (CAD-ResNet) was designed to enhance the feature representation of rice on different channels. Deformable convolution improves the ability of CAD-ResNet to capture irregular field shapes. Then, to address the issue of complex scale changes, the multi-scale features extracted by the CAD-ResNet are progressively fused using an Asymptotic Feature Pyramid, reducing the loss of scale information between non-adjacent layers. Experiments on the Meishan rice dataset show that the proposed method is capable of accurate instance segmentation for fragmented or irregularly shaped rice fields. The evaluation metric AP50 of RACNet reaches 50.8%.

Abstract. Background:. The association and its population heterogeneities between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality remain unknown. We aimed to examine the dose-dependent associations of LDL-C levels with specific types of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and heterogeneities in the associations among different population subgroups. Methods:. A total of 2,968,462 participants aged 35–75 years from China Health Evaluation And risk Reduction through nationwide Teamwork (ChinaHEART) (2014–2019) were included. Cox proportional hazard models and Fine–Gray subdistribution hazard models were used to estimate associations between LDL-C categories (

Abstract Resistance to stress is a key determinant for mammalian functioning. While many studies have revealed neural circuits and substrates responsible for initiating and mediating stress responses, little is known about how the brain resists to stress and prevents overreactions. Here, we identified a previously uncharacterized neuropeptide Y (NPY) neuronal population in the dorsal raphe nucleus and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray region (DRN/vlPAG) with anxiolytic effects in male mice. NPYDRN/vlPAG neurons are rapidly activated by various stressful stimuli. Inhibiting these neurons exacerbated hypophagic and anxiety responses during stress, while activation significantly ameliorates acute stress-induced hypophagia and anxiety levels and transmits positive valence. Furthermore, NPYDRN/vlPAG neurons exert differential but synergic anxiolytic effects via inhibitory projections to the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) and the lateral hypothalamic area (LH). Together, our findings reveal a feedforward inhibition neural mechanism underlying stress resistance and suggest NPYDRN/vlPAG neurons as a potential therapeutic target for stress-related disorders.

The Yangtze River is the mother river of China. To promote the aquatic ecosystem protection of the great river, the Project of Yangtze Fisheries Resources and Environment Investigation (2017–2021) supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, P. R. China carried out by 24 institutes and universities that located in the Yangtze River basin surveys the status of (1) fish species composition and spatial distribution, (2) current fish abundance, (3) endangered fishes, (4) Yangtze finless porpoise, (5) aquatic eco-environments, (6) water-level fluctuation areas, (7) capture fisheries and recreational fisheries of the Yangtze River mainstream and 10 of its main tributaries, including Yalong River, Heng River, Min River (including Dadu River), Chishui River, Tuo River, Jialing River, Wu River, Han River, Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake. The results showed that there were 443 fish species (belonging to 163 genus, 37 families, and 18 orders) before 2017, but only 323 fish species (including 15 new recorded exotic species) were recorded in the project of 2017–2021. Among them, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius auratus, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, Coilia brachygnathus, Silurus asotus, Saurogobio dabryi, Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Pelteobagrus nitidus, Hemiculter leucisculus, Siniperca chuatsi, Coreius heterodon, Culter alburnus, Parabramis pekinensis, and Aristichthys nobilis were the dominant species across the whole Yangtze River system. It is estimated that there were 886 million individuals weighing 124.8 million kg, merely equivalent to 27.3% of the resources in 1950s, 30.9% of the resources in 1960s, or 58.7% of the resources in 1980s. In the new list of protected fishes that recorded in the Yangtze River system, only 15 of 29 were collected in this project of 2017–2021. Psephurus gladius has been affirmed to be Extinct by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The wild individuals of Tenualosa reevesii and Luciobrama macrocephalus have disappeared for many years and maybe have been extinct already. Acipenser dabryanus has been affirmed to be Extinct in the Wild by IUCN. The natural propagations of A. sinensis, Myxocyprinus asiaticus and Trachidermus fasciatus have been interrupted for many years. The populations of Yangtze finless porpoise in the Yangtze River mainstream, Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake have steadily rising sizes and expanding distributions in 2017–2021. Parts of them migrate from one region to another with the seasons, which would result in the fluctuation of Yangtze finless porpoise population within some regions. The conventional indicators of water quality in the Yangtze River system were good and conformed to the water quality criteria of fishery in 2017–2021. In the last 40 years, the maximum surface water area in the Yangtze River basin extended to approximately 63,360 km2, the minimum surface water area covered approximately 26,396 km2, and the seasonal water-level fluctuation areas occupied approximately 36,964 km2. Compared with 1984–2000 period, the 2001–2020 period witnessed an overall decreasing trend in the frequency of surface water occurrence within about 25,869 km2 of aquatic areas. From 1984 to 2000 period to 2001–2020 period, permanent surface water has decreased by nearly 8,750 km2. In 2017, the fishermen were mainly 40–60 years old and their educational levels were mainly lower than junior high school. In 2017, most anglers were older than 40 and used hand rod and/or sea rod. Their average catch of each time was mainly less than 1 kg. Results suggested that the fishing ban in key waters of the Yangtze River basin is not only an ecological project of aquatic ecosystem conservation, but also a livelihood project for the fisherman to embrace industrial transformation and improve their living conditions. After the implementation of the fishing ban, the fisheries resources would gradually recover, and the Yangtze finless porpoise population size would also see a steady increase. However, the endangered species would remain threatened for a long time. The degraded waterbodies and water-level fluctuation areas would be the key restrictive factors for future aquatic ecosystem recovery in the Yangtze River basin. Since this survey was carried out before the fishing ban, the current results could provide a baseline for future evaluation of the effect of the Yangtze River fishing ban.

Objective: This study aims to elucidate and quantify the composition of Jiangtang Qingre formula (JQF), delineate the absorbed components in the bloodstream, predict the major biologically active components, and identify potential targets for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). Materials and Methods: The chemical composition and metabolites of JQF were elucidated using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-linear ion trap quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). The various components of JQF were concurrently determined using UHPLC-triple–quadrupole MS. Network pharmacological analysis was employed to explore the bioactive components and potential therapeutic targets in DM. Results: A total of 63 compounds were identified and provisionally characterized, with flavones, organic acids, and alkaloids emerging as the major chemical constituents. A robust analytical method that enables the simultaneous quantification of 24 representative components was successfully developed. The contents of 11 batches of samples were assessed. Ten prototype components were identified in rat plasma. The pathways associated with the efficacy of JQF in DM treatment were linked to signal transduction, endocrine and immune systems, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Conclusion: This study systematically and comprehensively characterized the major chemical components and patterns in JQF, laying the groundwork for understanding its pharmacodynamic mechanisms and clinical applications.