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The relationship between toxic metals in the environment and clinical stroke risk remains unclear, although their role as immunotoxicants and carcinogens has been well established. We conducted a systematic review of the relationship between five metals (arsenic, mercury, copper, cadmium, and lead) and stroke. First, we comprehensively searched 3 databases (Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane) from inception until June 2021. Random-effects meta-analyses, pooled relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied to evaluate the effect value. We finally identified 38 studies involving 642,014 non-overlapping participants. Comparing the highest vs. lowest baseline levels, chronic exposure to lead (RR = 1.07; 95%CI,1.00-1.14), cadmium (RR = 1.30; 95%CI,1.13-1.48), and copper (RR = 1.19; 95%CI,1.04-1.36) were significantly associated with stroke risks. However, the other two metals (arsenic and mercury) had less effect on stroke risk. Further analysis indicated that the association was likely in a metal dose-dependent manner. The results may further support the possibility that environmental toxic metal contaminants in recent years are associated with the increased risk of stroke., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Among nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs), NOD-like receptor X1 ( NLRX1 ) is the only known NLR family member that is targeted to the mitochondria, which contains a C-terminal leucine-rich repeat domain, a central conserved nucleotide-binding domain, and an unconventional N-terminal effector domain. It is unique due to several atypical features, such as mitochondrial localization, noninflammasome forming, and relatively undefined N-terminal domain. NLRX1 has multiple functions, including negative regulation of type-I interferon signaling, attenuation of proinflammatory nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, autophagy induction, modulation of reactive oxygen species production, cell death regulation, and participating in cellular senescence. In addition, due to its diverse functions, NLRX1 has been associated with various human diseases, including respiratory, circulatory, motor, urinary, nervous, and digestive systems, to name but a few. However, the exact regulatory mechanisms of NLRX1 are still unclear in many related diseases since conflicting and controversial topics on NLRX1 in the previous studies remain. In this review, we review recent research advances on the underlying mechanisms and related disorders behind the complex regulatory role of NLRX1 , which may provide a promising target to prevent and/or treat the corresponding diseases.

Acid-induced cellular senescence is a critical underlying mechanism of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD). Acid stimulation activates a variety of biological changes including autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and related unfolded protein response (UPR), which are important regulators of cellular senescence. However, the precise mechanism of acid-mediated UPR and autophagy in nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) senescence has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we used acid to mimic the acidic microenvironment of IVD, and rat NPCs were cultured with or without autophagy or UPR signaling small-interfering RNAs. The related proteins and genes were assessed by immunofluorescence staining assay, Western blot analyses, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to monitor the activation of these signals and classify the molecular mechanisms underlying the correlation between autophagy and UPR pathway. Cell cycle analyses, senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining, gene expression, and immunoblotting analyses were performed to observe NPC senescence. Results showed that acid stimulation not only induced NPC senescence, but also initiated UPR and autophagy. Silencing the binding immunoglobulin protein signaling of UPR or autophagy signaling promoted rat NPC senescence. Knock-down of the UPR also blocked NPC autophagy. Taken together, UPR inhibits NPC senescence under acidic condition by activating autophagy. Hence, UPR-dependent autophagy could be an effective biologic target for the treatment of IDD in the future., (© 2022 International Federation for Cell Biology.)

Ruthenium complexes with good biological properties have attracted increasing attention in recent decades. In this work, three ruthenium polypyridine complexes containing 5-fluorouracil derivatives as ligands, [Ru(bpy) 2 (L)] 2+ (Ru1), [Ru(phen) 2 (L)] 2+ (Ru2), [Ru(dip) 2 (L)] 2+ (Ru3) (L = 1-((1,10-phenanthroline-5-amino) pentyl)-5-fluorouracil; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; phen =1,10-phenanthroline; dip = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline), were synthesized and characterized. Based on in vitro cytotoxicity tests, Ru3 (IC 50  = 7.35 ± 0.39 μM) showed the best anticancer activity among three compounds in the selected cell lines. It is worth noting that Ru3 also exerts less cytotoxicity on LO2 cell lines, with an IC 50 value 5 times higher than that on HeLa cells, indicating its selective activity. Mechanism studies revealed that Ru3 can specifically target lysosomes and induce cell apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. Specifically, Ru3 can arrest cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, increase the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and then damage DNA. In short, Ru3 can eventually cause cell death through the synergy of inducing apoptosis and autophagy, which was further proven by western blot assay results., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Minimally invasive repair strategies are a very promising approach for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). In recent years, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) secreted from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown great potential in alleviating IDD. However, in vitro experiments, MSCs are usually exposed to a normoxic micro-environment, which differs greatly from the hypoxic micro-environment in vivo. The primary purpose of our research was to determine whether sEVs isolated from MSCs under hypoxic status (H-sEVs) exhibit a more beneficial effect on protecting IDD compared with sEVs derived from MSCs under normoxic status (N-sEVs). A tail IDD rat model and a series of experiments in vitro were conducted to compare the beneficial effects of PBS, N-sEVs, and H-sEVs treatment. Then, to validate the role of sEVs miRNAs in IDD, a miRNA microarray sequencing analysis and a series of rescue experiments were conducted. Luciferase activity, RNA-ChIP and western blot were performed to explore the potential mechanisms. The results indicate that sEVs alleviate IDD by ameliorating the homeostatic imbalance between anabolism and catabolism in vivo and in vitro. Microarray sequencing result shows that miR-17-5p is maximally enriched in H-sEVs. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was determined to be a target downstream gene of miR-17-5p. Finally, it was found that H-sEVs miR-17-5p may modulate proliferation and synthesis of human nucleus pulposus cells (HNPCs) matrix via TLR4 pathway. In conclusion, H-sEVs miR-17-5p alleviate IDD via promoting HNPCs matrix proliferation and synthesis, providing new therapeutic targets for IDD. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the primary cause of low back pain (LBP), which is a huge burden to society. Our research demonstrates for the first time that hypoxic pretreatment of small extracellular vesicles (H-sEVs) effectively alleviated the progress of IDD. In short, in the present research, we found that H-sEVs miR-17-5p could modulate proliferation and synthesis of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) matrix via TLR4/PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, hypoxic pre-treatment is a prospective and efficient method to optimize the therapeutic effect of MSCs-derived sEVs. miRNA and MSCs-derived sEVs combination may be a promising therapeutic approach for IDD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Harringtonolide ( HO , 1 ) is a bioactive diterpenoid tropone isolated from Cephalotaxus harringtonia with antiproliferation activity. Until now there have been no reports to elucidate its anticancer mechanism. Herein we report the synthesis of HO -derived probes ( 10 , 11 , and 12 ) to identify the possible target of HO . As a result, the application of a novel photoaffinity alkyne-tagged probe from HO (compound 12 ) showed direct engagement between HO and receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1). Furthermore, HO could suppress the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and inhibit activation of the FAK/Src/STAT3 signaling pathway in A375 cells. This study provides a groundwork for HO as an effective antitumor agent that targets RACK1 to suppress cancer cell migration., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 American Chemical Society.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of laparoscopic surgery in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE) on the recovery and quality of life (QOL) of patients., Material and Methods: Ninety-two eligible patients were randomly assigned into two groups: the traditional laparoscopy group (L group, n  = 46) and the laparoscopic transanal specimen extraction group (NL group, n  = 46). General data, surgery-related indicators, postoperative recovery, and prognosis were compared and analyzed between the two groups., Results: A total of 46 patients in each group were enrolled in this study. The general data and surgery-related indicators were comparable between the two groups (all p >  .05). There were no significant differences in the time of first flatus, bleeding, obstruction, constipation, and infectious complications between the two groups (all p >  .05). The differences in the incidence of postoperative diarrhea, pain degree, and satisfaction on the aesthetics of the abdominal wall showed significant differences (χ 2 = 6.133, p =  .013; χ 2 = 12.116, p =  .017; χ 2 = 13.463, p =  .004). The postoperative follow-up time was 3-53 months. There were no significant differences in the postoperative hospital stay, medical costs, hospital readmission rate, incidence of incisional hernia, overall survival, disease-free survival, and QOL between the two groups (all p >  .05). Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery with NOSE for eligible patients with CRC was a feasible choice.

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have attracted increasing attention. In this study, the abundance of ARB and resistance genes tet32 and defA1 were investigated using high-throughput sequencing and high-throughput qPCR in water samples collected from the inlet of the biological treatment pool and outlet of Beilun Yandong WWTP in Ningbo, China. The result shows there was a high level of ARGs in the water of both the inlets and outlets in 2017 and 2018, whereas no ARGs were detected after adding a new baffled bioreactor (BBR) water treatment process in 2019. The BBR process uses Bacillus subtilis, B. thuringiensis, B. megaterium, B. licheniformis and B. amyloliquefaciens to effectively eliminate the ARGs in wastewater. Notably, this process did not significantly change the bacterial community structure of outlet water samples. The findings demonstrate an effective new method for removing ARGs from sewage., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The emergence of novel plasmid-mediated high-level tigecycline resistance genes tet(X) in the Enterobacteriaceae has increased public health risk for treating severe bacterial infections. Despite growing reports of tet(X)-positive isolates detected in animal sources, the epidemiological association of animal- and environment-derived isolates with human-derived isolates remains unclear. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of tet(X4)-positive Escherichia coli isolates collected in a hospital in Guangdong province, China. A total of 48 tet(X4)-positive E. coli isolates were obtained from 1001 fecal samples. The tet(X4)-positive E. coli isolates were genetically diverse but certain strains that belonged to ST48, ST10, and ST877 etc. also have clonally transmitted. Most of the tet(X4) genes from these patient isolates were located on conjugative plasmids that were successfully transferred (64.6%) and generally coexisted with other antibiotic resistance genes including aadA, floR, bla TEM and qnrS. More importantly, we found the IncX1 type plasmid was a common vector for tet(X4) and was prevalent in these patient-derived strains (31.3%). This plasmid type has been detected in animal-derived strains from different species in different regions demonstrating its strong transmission ability and wide host range. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis revealed that certain strains of patient and animal origin were closely related indicating that the tet(X4)-positive E. coli isolates were likely to have cross-sectorial clonal transmission between humans, animals, and farm environments. Our research greatly expands the limited epidemiological knowledge of tet(X4)-positive strains in clinical settings and provides definitive evidence for the epidemiological link between human-derived tet(X4)-positive isolates and animal-derived isolates., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Decades of spaceflight studies have provided abundant evidence that individual cells in vitro are capable of sensing space microgravity and responding with cellular changes both structurally and functionally. However, how microgravity is perceived, transmitted, and converted to biochemical signals by single cells remains unrevealed. Here in this review, over 40 cellular biology studies of real space fights were summarized. Studies on cells of the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, and immune system were covered. Among all the reported cellular changes in response to space microgravity, cytoskeleton (CSK) reorganization emerges as a key indicator. Based on the evidence of CSK reorganization from space flight research, a possible mechanism from the standpoint of "cellular mechanical equilibrium" is proposed for the explanation of cellular response to space microgravity. Cytoskeletal equilibrium is broken by the gravitational change from ground to space and is followed by cellular morphological changes, cell mechanical properties changes, extracellular matrix reorganization, as well as signaling pathway activation/inactivation, all of which ultimately lead to the cell functional changes in space microgravity., (© 2022 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Multinary rare-earth chalcogenides with d-block transition metals have attracted considerable attention owing to their intriguing structural architectures and promising practical applications. In this work, three quaternary rare-earth sulfides, Ba 4 RE 2 Cd 3 S 10 (RE = Sm, Gd, or Tb), have been obtained by the high-temperature solid-state method. These compounds are isostructural and belong to the noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic space group Cmc 2 1 (No. 36). The basic structural unit contains unique two-dimensional anionic [RE 2 Cd 3 S 10 ] 8- layers, which are separated by Ba 2+ cations. Remarkably, Ba 4 Sm 2 Cd 3 S 10 exhibits a high second-harmonic-generation intensity (1.8 times that of AgGaS 2 ) and a significantly higher laser-induced damage threshold (14.3 times that of AgGaS 2 ), which is the first case possessing an infrared (IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) property in the quaternary AE/RE/TM/Q (AE = alkaline-earth metals; RE = rare-earth metals; TM = d-block transition metals; and Q = chalcogen) systems. Moreover, theoretical investigations of the structure-property relationship indicate that the combined action of various types of NLO-active units makes the main contribution to the SHG activity. This discovery may shed light on broadening the frontiers of IR-NLO materials.

Nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are widely applied in information technology, micro-manufacturing and medical treatment. Herein, a new lead mixed halide with strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) response, Cs 3 Pb 2 (CH 3 COO) 2 Br 3 I 2 , has been designed and rationally synthesized. Cs 3 Pb 2 (CH 3 COO) 2 Br 3 I 2 represents the rare NLO crystal featuring that three different anions (I - , Br - and O 2- ) simultaneously coordinate the Pb(II) atom to form a severely distorted [PbBr 2 I 2 O 2 ] polyhedron with a large polarizability. Remarkably, Cs 3 Pb 2 (CH 3 COO) 2 Br 3 I 2 not only exhibits a very strong phase-matching SHG response of 9×KH 2 PO 4 (KDP), but also possesses a large birefringence (0.27@1064 nm) and high laser damage threshold (LDT). The strong SHG effect of Cs 3 Pb 2 (CH 3 COO) 2 Br 3 I 2 mainly originates from the oriented arrangement of [Pb 2 Br 3 I 2 ] chains. This study points out an effective strategy to develop new NLO crystals with strong SHG response., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To verify the superiority of Fu 's acupuncture for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CSA) based on Cheng 's Tongtuo method., Methods: A total of 150 patients with CSA were randomly divided into a Tongtuo Fu's acupuncture group, a Tongtuo acupuncture group and a conventional Fu's acupuncture group, 50 cases in each group. Under the guidance of the theory of Tongtuo method, the Tongtuo Fu's acupuncture group was treated with Fu 's acupuncture, the distal Tong method was performed at the distal myofascial trigger point (MTrP) of the dorsal forearm, and then the Tuo method was performed at the proximal MTrP of the cervical muscle group. In the Tongtuo acupuncture group, acupuncture was given at distal acupoints (Neiguan [PC 6], Quchi [LI 11], Taichong [LR 3], Xingjian [LR 2], etc.), and then at proximal acupoints (Fengchi [GB 20] and Baihui [GV 20]). In the conventional Fu's acupuncture group, Fu 's acupuncture was only performed at the MTrP of cervical muscle group. Each group was treated once a day, 3 days were taken as one course, and 2 courses were given. The score of cervical vertigo symptoms and function evaluation scale, peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistance index (RI) of vertebral artery were observed before and after treatment in the 3 groups., Results: After treatment, the scores of cervical vertigo symptoms and function evaluation scale and PSV in each group were higher than those before treatment ( P <0.01), and the RI was lower than that before treatment ( P <0.01). The score of cervical vertigo symptoms and function evaluation scale and PSV in Tongtuo Fu's acupuncture group were higher than those in the other two groups ( P <0.01), and the RI was lower than that in the other two groups ( P <0.01)., Conclusion: Fu 's acupuncture based on Tongtuo method could improve the symptoms of cervical vertigo and the blood flow state of vertebral artery in patients with CSA, and the curative effect is better than Tongtuo acupuncture and conventional Fu 's acupuncture.

Background: Current studies on the number of removed lymph nodes (LNs) and their prognostic value in small-bowel neuroendocrine tumors (SBNETs) are limited. This study aimed to clarify the prognostic value of removed LNs for SBNETs., Methods: SBNET patients without distant metastasis from 2004 to 2017 in the SEER database were included. The optimal cutoff values of examined LNs (ELNs) and negative LNs (NLNs) were calculated by the X-tile software. Propensity score matching (PSM) was done to match patients 1:1 on clinicopathological characteristics between the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test and multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression model were used to evaluate the prognostic effect of removed LNs., Results: The cutoff values of 14 for ELNs and 9 for NLNs could well distinguish patients with different prognoses. After 1:1 PSM, the differences in clinicopathological characteristics between the two groups were significantly reduced (all P > 0.05). Removal of more than one LN significantly improved the prognosis of the patients (P < 0.001). The number of lymphatic metastasis in the sufficiently radical resection group (SRR, 3.74 ± 3.278, ELN > 14 and NLN > 9) was significantly more than that in the insufficiently radical resection group (ISRR, 2.72 ± 3.19, ELN < 14 or NLN < 9). The 10-year overall survival (OS) of the SRR was significantly better than that of the ISRR (HR = 1.65, P = 0.001, 95% CI: 1.24-2.19)., Conclusion: Both ELNs and NLNs can well predict the OS of patients. Systematic removal of more than 14 LNs and more than 9 NLNs can increase the OS of SBNET patients., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: To introduce a novel technique of using incisional vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) after 1-stage incision suture combined with closed suction irrigation system (CSIS) for treating early deep surgical site infection (SSI) after posterior lumbar fusion with instrumentation and to compare it with traditional CSIS., Methods: This was a retrospective study. Patients with early deep SSI after posterior lumbar fusion with instrumentation from January 2013 to May 2020 who were treated by meticulous debridement followed by either CSIS or incisional VAC after 1-stage incision suture combined with CSIS were identified. The demographic characteristics, treatment features, and outcomes were analyzed and compared between the 2 treatment methods., Results: A total of 48 patients (48/5016, 0.96%) developed early deep SSI, 46 of whom were enrolled in this study. This included 24 patients in the CSIS group (group 1) and 22 patients in the incisional VAC after 1-stage incision suture combined with CSIS group (group 2). All patients received follow-up, with an average of 19.7 months (range, 13-30 months). There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics in both groups (P > 0.05). The number of VAC foam dressing or ordinary dressing changes (P < 0.001), number of debridements (P = 0.028), intravenous antibiotic duration (P = 0.042), oral antibiotic duration (P = 0.019), and hospital stay (P = 0.029) in group 1 were significantly higher than those in group 2. The irrigation duration in group 1 was significantly shorter than that in group 2 (P = 0.007). All patients were eventually cured with satisfactory outcomes., Conclusions: Compared with CSIS, incisional VAC after 1-stage incision suture combined with CSIS may be recommended considering that it has fewer dressing changes, fewer debridements, longer irrigation duration, shorter duration of antibiotic use, shorter hospital stay, and more convenient nursing care., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Evidence has shown that effects from inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction lead to pyroptosis and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Damaged mitochondria release dangerous molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), activating the NLRP3 inflammasome. SS-31 is a mitochondria-targeting peptide that has been used in the treatment of many diseases by scavenging ROS and ameliorating mitochondrial function. This study found that SS-31 ameliorated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced loss of cell viability, ROS production, and apoptosis in NP cells. Moreover, mitochondrial dynamics and ATP synthesis were restored on pretreatment with SS-31 compared with the LPS group. For the molecular mechanism research, SS-31 stabilized mitochondrial morphology and inhibited the activation of the NF-κB pathway and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. To evaluate whether the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by SS-31 is dependent on the clearance of mitochondrial ROS, we comparatively analyzed the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in NP cells pretreated with SS-31 and the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). The results indicate that SS-31 could inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation by limiting the production of mitochondrial ROS. To sum up, our results revealed that SS-31 inhibits LPS-induced apoptosis, pyroptosis, and inflammation in NP cells via scavenging ROS and maintaining the stability of mitochondrial dynamics, which could be considered a promising therapeutic intervention for disk degeneration.

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are obligatory symbionts of parasitoid wasps and play an important role in suppressing host immune defenses. Although PDV genes that inhibit host melanization are known in Microplitis bracovirus, the functional homologs in Cotesia bracoviruses remain unknown. Here, we find that Cotesia vestalis bracovirus (CvBV) can inhibit hemolymph melanization of its host, Plutella xylostella larvae, during the early stages of parasitization, and that overexpression of highly expressed CvBV genes reduced host phenoloxidase activity. Furthermore, CvBV-7-1 in particular reduced host phenoloxidase activity within 12 h, and the injection of anti-CvBV-7-1 antibody increased the melanization of parasitized host larvae. Further analyses showed that CvBV-7-1 and three homologs from other Cotesia bracoviruses possessed a C-terminal leucine/isoleucine-rich region and had a similar function in inhibiting melanization. Therefore, a new family of bracovirus genes was proposed and named as C-terminal Leucine/isoleucine-rich Protein (CLP). Ectopic expression of CvBV-7-1 in Drosophila hemocytes increased susceptibility to bacterial repression of melanization and reduced the melanotic encapsulation of parasitized D. melanogaster by the parasitoid Leptopilina boulardi. The formation rate of wasp pupae and the eclosion rate of C. vestalis were affected when the function of CvBV-7-1 was blocked. Our findings suggest that CLP genes from Cotesia bracoviruses encoded proteins that contain a C-terminal leucine/isoleucine-rich region and function as melanization inhibitors during the early stage of parasitization, which is important for successful parasitization., (© 2020 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

The unity of structure-property design and practical synthesis is a key to develop nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. However, many designed structures are hard to get because of the incapability of controlling the arrangement of structural motifs. After careful synthesis, we successfully obtained a new NLO crystal with expected properties, KWO 3 F, which features a long-range anion-ordered while directed parallel arrangement of [WO 5 F] d 0 transition metal fluorooxo-functional (d 0 [TMOF]) motifs. This arrangement is vital to achieve a strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) response, which is proved by dipole moment analyses and theoretical calculations. Remarkably, KWO 3 F possesses a strong phase-matching SHG response (3 × KDP), high thermal stability (stable up to 350 °C in air), a large laser damage threshold (LDT, 129.7 MW/cm 2 ), a wide transparent window (0.5-10 μm), and a suitable birefringence (0.088 @ 1064 nm). Our research demonstrated that the introduction of the NLO-active d 0 [TMOF] motif is an effective strategy to design new potential NLO materials.

Infrared (IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are the core devices to realize IR laser output, which are of vital importance in civilian and military fields. Non-centrosymmetric chalcogenide and pnictide compounds have already been widely accepted as favorable systems for IR-NLO materials. Compared to the extensively investigated IR-NLO chalcogenides during the past few decades, the research of non-centrosymmetric phosphides as IR-NLO materials is relatively scarce. In this frontier article, the recent progress of pnictides as emerging IR-NLO candidates has been highlighted based on the perspective of new crystal exploration. These IR-NLO pnictides recently reported were divided into three groups from binary to quaternary according to their chemical compositions. The synthetic methods, structural chemistry, and structure-activity relationships are analyzed and summarized in detail. Finally, current problems and the future development of this field are also proposed., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The discovery of new nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals with excellent properties is in urgently demand because of their ability to generate coherent light. Herein, we report an unique NLO lead bromide formate, KCs 2 [Pb 2 Br 5 (HCOO) 2 ], which has been synthesized by a mix-solvothermal method. KCs 2 [Pb 2 Br 5 (HCOO) 2 ] exhibits strong phase-matching second-harmonic generation (SHG) response (6.5×KDP), large birefringence (0.16@ 1064 nm), and a wide transparent window in most visible light and mid-IR region. Interestingly, KCs 2 [Pb 2 Br 5 (HCOO) 2 ] features a polar 3D lead-bromide framework in which adjacent Pb-Br layers containing coplanar Pb 6 Br 6 rings are not only parallel to each other, but also orient in the same direction. These oriented arrangements are responsible for the strong SHG response and large birefringence that are elucidated by both local dipole moment and theoretical calculations. This research provides a new strategy to explore subsequent NLO crystals., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Osteocytes are extremely sensitive to mechanical loading and govern bone remodeling process. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have the capacity to induce osteocyte apoptosis. In order to investigate the effects of AGEs on the mechanosensitivity of osteocytes, the osteocytic-like cells (MLO-Y4) were treated with low (50 μg/ml) and high (400 μg/ml) concentrations of AGEs for 1day and exposed to 15 dyne/cm 2 of fluid shear stress. Then the F-actin cytoskeleton, prostaglandin E2(PGE2), Nitric oxide (NO), the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity mRNA expressions were detected for osteocytes mechanical response changes; osteocalcin (OCN) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) were detected for the regulation on bone remodeling function of osteocytes. The results showed that AGEs accumulation inhibited the sense of osteocytes to external mechincal loading, promoted shear-induced NO and PGE2 release, suppressed the mechanosensitivity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and furthermore promoted OCN and RANKL/OPG mRNA expressions. These indicated AGEs had an adverse impact on the mechanosensitivity of osteocytes, and led to a negative effect on their regulation of bone remodeling process under mechanical stimulation. This work provides a new perspective to interpret the alteration mechanism of osteocytes mechanosensitivity and provides a novel clue for exploring the mechanism of osteoporosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The synthesis and characterization of Class II-III mixed valence complexes have been an interesting topic due to their special intermediate behaviour between localized and delocalized mixed valence complexes. To investigate the influence of the isocyanidometal bridge on metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) properties, a family of new isocyanidometal-bridged complexes and their one-electron oxidation products cis-[Cp(dppe)Fe-CN-Ru(L) 2 -NC-Fe(dppe)Cp][PF 6 ] n (n=2, 3) (Cp=1,3-cyclopentadiene, dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, L=2,2'-bipyridine (bpy, 1[PF 6 ] n ), 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl (5,5'-dmbpy, 2[PF 6 ] n ) and 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl (4,4'-dmbpy, 3[PF 6 ] n )) have been synthesized and fully characterized. The experimental results suggest that all the one-electron oxidation products may belong to Class II-III mixed valence complexes, supported by TDDFT calculations. With the change of the substituents of the bipyridyl ligand on the Ru centre from H, 5,5'-dimethyl to 4,4'-dimethyl, the energy of MMCT for the one-electron oxidation complexes changes in the order: 1 3+ <2 3+ <3 3+ , and that for the two-electron oxidation complexes decreases in the order 1 4+ >3 4+ >2 4+ . The potential splitting (ΔE 1/2 (2)) between the two terminal Fe centres for N[PF 6 ] 2 are the largest potential splitting for the cyanido-bridged complexes reported so far. This work shows that the smaller potential difference between the bridging and the terminal metal centres would result in the more delocalized mixed valence complex., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The first direct and selective 3,6-di-alkylation of carbazoles via iron-catalyzed hydroarylation of styrenes is demonstrated. This simple, general and efficient method could deliver a wide range of di-benzyl-carbazoles with high chemo- and regio-selectivity at room temperature in up to 96% yield with no need for a noble-metal catalyst, directing group or additives.

Background: Previous reports concerning deep surgical site infection (SSI) after posterior spinal instrumentation treated with vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) system indicated that most patients must suffer from a delayed incision suture. To date, there are no published reports about the application of incisional VAC following a one-stage incision suture in the treatment of spinal infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using an incisional VAC system following a one-stage incision suture combined with continuous irrigation to treat early deep SSI after posterior lumbar fusion with instrumentation., Methods: Twenty-one patients who were identified as early deep SSI after posterior lumbar fusion with instrumentation were treated by incisional VAC following a one-stage incision suture combined with continuous irrigation at our spine surgery center between January 2014 and March 2020. Detailed data from medical records were collected and analyzed, including age, gender, primary diagnosis, original operation, number of VAC dressing changes, duration of continuous irrigation, hospital stay, risk factors for infection, bacteria type, and laboratory data. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain and Kirkaldy-Willis functional criteria by regular follow-up., Results: All the patients were cured and retained implants with an average of 1.9 times of VAC dressing replacement, and an average of 10.2 days of continuous irrigation. There were significant differences between pre-operation and post-operation in ESR, CRP, and VAS score of back pain, respectively (P < 0.05). The satisfactory rate was 90.5% according to Kirkaldy-Willis functional criteria. One patient developed a back skin rash with itching around the wound because of long-time contact with the VAC dressing. There was no recurrent infection or other complications during follow-up., Conclusions: Our preliminary results support that the treatment protocol is feasible and effective to treat early deep SSI following posterior lumbar fusion with instrumentation., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Despite the fact that nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals such as AgGaS 2 and AgGaSe 2 have been widely used in the infrared (IR) range due to their large second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients and wide range of IR transparency windows, the small laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) remains a great issue hindering their high-power applications. Herein, three noncentrosymmetric (NCS) chalcogenides AZn 4 Ga 5 Se 12 (A = K, Rb, or Cs) are successfully obtained through an appropriate flux method after the extensive design and synthesis of the A/Zn/Ga/Q system. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data demonstrate that they adopt trigonal space group R 3 (No. 146) with three-dimensional diamond-like frameworks composed of [M 9 Se 24 ] layers (M = Zn or Ga) stacking in the same direction and filled by charge-balancing A + cations. Noticeably, they all exhibit strong powder SHG responses (2.8-3.7 × AgGaS 2 ) and amazing LIDTs (19.2-23.4 × AgGaS 2 ). In addition, theoretical calculations are performed to further determine the relationship between NCS structures and NLO properties. This work provides effective solutions for overcoming the trade-off between strong SHG and high LIDT in IR-NLO materials.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for increased surgical drain output after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)., Methods: Patients who underwent TLIF in a single center from June 2017 to January 2020 were included in this study. They were divided into the increased surgical drain output group and no increased surgical drain output group according to the boundary of the median drain output. Patients' demographic and clinical parameters were compared between the 2 groups. Risk factors for increased surgical drain output were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis., Results: This study enrolled 368 patients who underwent TLIF. Among them, 187 patients had increased surgical drain output (drain output ≥50th percentile or 480 mL). Univariate analysis showed that age (P < 0.001), smoking status (P = 0.002), number of fused levels (P < 0.001), intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001), intraoperative end plate injury (P < 0.001), administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) (P = 0.002), and surgical duration (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased surgical drain output. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (P = 0.001), smoking (P = 0.005), more fused levels (P < 0.001), and intraoperative end plate injury (P = 0.017) were the independent risk factors, while administration of TXA (P = 0.012) was a protective factor., Conclusions: This study showed that older age, smoking, more fused levels, and intraoperative end plate injury were the independent risk factors, while administration of TXA was a protective factor for increased surgical drain output after TLIF., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the clinical efficacy of one-stage percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for symptomatic double-level contiguous adolescent lumbar disc herniation (ALDH)., Methods: This retrospective study included 16 patients who presented with back and/or leg pain due to double-level disc herniation underwent PELD for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (0.27%,16/5877) from January 2014 to September 2019. After follow-up period of 17.3 months in average, numeric rating scale (NRS) scores and modified Macnab criteria were used to assess the preoperative and postoperative clinical results. Quantitative data were expressed as mean standard deviation (SD) and the data for the variation in the NRS scores before and after the operation were compared using the Wilcoxon two-sample test. Analyses were performed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 19.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Values of P < 0.05 were considered significantly different., Results: There were 11 male and 5 female patients, with an average age of 19.3 years (range, 15-22 years). One case affected the L 2 - L 3 /L 3 -L 4 level, seven cases affected the L 3 - L 4 /L 4 - L 5 level, and eight cases affected the L 4 - L 5 /L 5 -S 1 level. The NRS scores decreased significantly in both early and late follow-up evaluations and these scores demonstrated significant improvement in late follow-up (P < 0.05). For the modified Macnab criteria, the final outcome results were excellent in 14 patients (87.5%), good in 1 patient (6.25%), fair in 1 patient (6.25%), and the overall success rate was 93.75%., Conclusion: This study's data suggest that one-stage PELD is promising treatment strategy for selected symptomatic double-level contiguous adolescent lumbar disc herniation., (© 2021 The Authors. Orthopaedic Surgery published by Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into value-added fuels using an electrochemical method has been regarded as a compelling sustainable energy conversion technology. However, high-performance electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) with high formate selectivity and good stability need to be improved. Earth-abundant Bi has been demonstrated to be active for CO 2 RR to formate. Herein, we fabricated an extremely active and selective bismuth nanosheet (Bi-NSs) assembly via an in situ electrochemical transformation of (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanostructures. The as-prepared material exhibits high activity and selectivity for CO 2 RR to formate, with nearly 94% faradaic efficiency at -1.03 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE)) and stable selectivity (>90%) in a large potential window ranging from -0.83 to -1.18 V (vs. RHE) and excellent durability during 12 h continuous electrolysis. In addition, the Bi-NSs based CO 2 RR/methanol oxidation reaction (CO 2 RR/MOR) electrolytic system for overall CO 2 splitting was constructed, evidencing the feasibility of its practical implementation., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zhengyuan capsule () when treating Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in lung cancer patients undergoing surgical operation., Methods/design: This is a single-center, double-blinded, prospective, and randomized controlled trial in the Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: a treatment group receiving an 8-week Zhengyuan capsule regimen therapy and a control group receiving an 8-week placebo capsule regimen therapy. Evaluation will be carried out at four timelines: the participants' screening period, baseline period, the middle of the intervention period, and the end of the intervention period. The primary outcome assessment is fatigue scoring using the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) measurement system. Secondary measurements include fatigue severity assessment using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) measurement system, Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome pattern differentiation, levels of immunologic indicators (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1, T lymphocytes subsets and B lymphocyte subsets), patient's pulmonary function, performance status scale (PS), self-rating scale of sleep (SRSS), and adverse events (AEs)., Discussion: The trial results can provide efficacy and safety data of Zhengyuan capsule when treating CRF in clinic. The data can also be imported into the management and treatment guidelines for CRF in lung cancer patients undergoing operation throughout China.

Electrosynthesis of formic acid/formate is a promising alternative protocol to industrial processes. Herein, a pioneering pair-electrosynthesis tactic is reported for exclusively producing formate via coupling selectively electrocatalytic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR), in which the electrode derived from Ni-based metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF) nanosheet arrays (Ni-NF-Af), as well as the Bi-MOF-derived ultrathin bismuthenes (Bi-enes), both obtained through an in situ electrochemical conversion process, are used as efficient anodic and cathodic electrocatalysts, respectively, achieving concurrent yielding of the same high-value product at both electrodes with greatly reduced energy input. The as-prepared Ni-NF-Af only needs quite low potentials to reach large current densities (e.g., 100 mA cm -2 @1.345 V) with ≈100% selectivity for anodic methanol-to-formate conversion. Meanwhile, for CO 2 RR in the cathode, the as-prepared Bi-enes can simultaneously exhibit near-unity selectivity, large current densities, and good stability in a wide potential window toward formate production. Consequently, the coupled MOR//CO 2 RR system based on the distinctive MOF-derived catalysts displays excellent performance for pair-electrosynthesis of formate, delivering high current densities and nearly 100% selectivity for formate production in both the anode and the cathode. This work provides a novel way to design advanced MOF-derived electrocatalysts and innovative electrolytic systems for electrochemical production of value-added feedstocks., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Herein, we report a one-step synthesis of a hollow Fe-N/C catalyst via a hard-templating strategy, in which FeNx sites are well dispersed on the carbon sphere. In particular, we found an optimal iron ratio on the catalyst surface for an enhanced alkaline oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalyst with a high specific surface area of 311.71 m2 g-1 exposes abundant electroactive sites that facilitate the adsorption of oxygen intermediates, thus exhibiting superior ORR activity in alkaline solution.

Background: The number of negative lymph nodes (NLNs) and tumor size are associated with prognosis in rectal cancer patients undergoing surgical resection. However, little is known about the prognostic significance of the NLN count after adjusting for tumor size., Aim: To assess the prognostic impact of the log odds of NLN/tumor size (LONS) in rectal cancer patients., Methods: Data of patients with stage I-III rectal cancer were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database. These patients were randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the prognostic value of the LONS. The optimal cutoff values of LONS were calculated using the "X-tile" program. Stratified analysis of the effect of LONS on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were performed. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was used to plot the survival curve and compare the survival data among the different groups., Results: In all, 41080 patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a training cohort ( n = 28775, 70%) and a validation cohort ( n = 12325, 30%). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the continuous variable LONS as an independent prognostic factor for CSS [training cohort: Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-0.51, P < 0.001; validation cohort: HR = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.41-0.52, P < 0.001] and OS (training cohort: HR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.49-0.56, P < 0.001; validation cohort: HR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.42-0.52, P < 0.001). The X-tile program indicated that the difference in CSS was the most significant for LONS of -0.8, and the cutoff value of -0.4 can further distinguish patients with a better prognosis in the high LONS group. Stratified analysis of the effect of the categorical variable LONS on CSS and OS revealed that LONS was also an independent predictor, independent of pN stage, pT stage, tumor-node-metastasis stage, site, age, sex, the number of examined lymph nodes, race, preoperative radiotherapy and carcinoembryonic antigen level., Conclusion: LONS is associated with improved survival of rectal cancer patients independent of other clinicopathological factors., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

This research explored the effect of L-cysteine on the browning of fresh wet noodles (FWN). With the increasing addition of L-cysteine (0.02-0.1%), the Δ L * decreased and Δ a *, Δ b * increased. The L-cysteine could reduce the pH value and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and increase the retention rate of polyphenol of FWN. It suggested that L-cysteine could inhibit the browning of FWN by decreasing pH value, PPO activity, and the oxidation of polyphenols. In the in vitro PPO solution, the inhibitory effect of L-cysteine on PPO activity was related to the decrease in pH and the ability of chelating Cu 2+ . According to UPLC-TOF-MS analysis, L-cysteine could reduce the generation of browning products, which suggested that L-cysteine could react with the browning intermediate product (quinone) and generate a light-colored substance (-C 9 H 10 NO 4 S). L-cysteine effectively inhibited the browning of FWN and had the potential to be used in noodle industry.

The emergence of the plasmid-mediated high-level tigecycline resistance mechanism Tet(X) threatens the role of tigecycline as the "last-resort" antibiotic in the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Compared with that of the prototypical Tet(X), the enzymatic activities of Tet(X3) and Tet(X4) were significantly enhanced, correlating with high-level tigecycline resistance, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we probed the key amino acid changes leading to the enhancement of Tet(X) function and clarified the structural characteristics and evolutionary path of Tet(X) based upon the key residue changes. Through domain exchange and site-directed mutagenesis experiments, we successfully identified five candidate residues mutations (L282S, A339T, D340N, V350I, and K351E), involved in Tet(X2) activity enhancement. Importantly, these 5 residue changes were 100% conserved among all reported high-activity Tet(X) orthologs, Tet(X3) to Tet(X7), suggesting the important role of these residue changes in the molecular evolution of Tet(X). Structural analysis suggested that the mutant residues did not directly participate in the substrate and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) recognition or binding, but indirectly altered the conformational dynamics of the enzyme through the interaction with adjacent residues. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and UV full-wavelength scanning experiments confirmed that each mutation led to an increase in activity without changing the biochemical properties of the Tet(X) enzyme. Further phylogenetic analysis suggested that Riemerella anatipestifer served as an important incubator and a main bridge vector for the resistance enhancement and spread of Tet(X). This study expands the knowledge of the structure and function of Tet(X) and provides insights into the evolutionary relationship between Tet(X) orthologs. IMPORTANCE The newly emerged tigecycline-inactivating enzymes Tet(X3) and Tet(X4), which are associated with high-level tigecycline resistance, demonstrated significantly higher activities in comparison to that of the prototypical Tet(X) enzyme, threatening the clinical efficacy of tigecycline as a last-resort antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to high-level tigecycline resistance remain elusive. Here, we identified 5 key residue changes that lead to enhanced Tet(X) activity through domain swapping and site-directed mutagenesis. Instead of direct involvement with substrate binding or catalysis, these residue changes indirectly alter the conformational dynamics and allosterically affect enzyme activities. These findings further broaden the understanding of the structural characteristics and functional evolution of Tet(X) and provide a basis for the subsequent screening of specific inhibitors and the development of novel tetracycline antibiotics., (Copyright © 2021 Cui et al.)

In order to investigate the influence of the auxiliary ligand of the cyanidometal bridge on metal to metal charge transfer (MMCT) in cyanidometal-bridged complexes, two groups of heterotrimetallic cyanidometal-bridged complexes, trans-[Cp*(dppe)Fe-NC-Ru(L)2-CN-Fe(dppe)Cp*][PF6]n (L = bpy, 1(PF6)n; L = 4,4'-dmbpy, 2(PF6)n; n = 2, 3, 4) (Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadiene, dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, 4,4'-dmbpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl) were synthesized and fully characterized. The MMCT of the one-electron oxidation mixed valence complexes is mainly attributed to RuII and FeII → FeIII MMCT transitions, and the MMCT of the two-electron oxidation complexes is mainly attributed to RuII → FeIII MMCT transitions. The energy of the MMCT of the four complexes decreases with the increase of the electron donating ability of the auxiliary ligand of the cyanidometal bridge. The IR, EPR, and Mössbauer spectra, and the solvent independence of MMCT characterizations indicate that the one-electron oxidation mixed valence complexes may belong to Class II-III systems, and the two-electron oxidation complexes may be localized at low temperature but delocalized at room temperature on the EPR timescale.

A general, efficient, and substrate-controlled regiodivergent trifluoroacetylation of carbazoles has been developed through Friedel-Crafts acylation. This strategy was applicable to a wide scope of readily available substituted carbazoles at air atmosphere without using a metal catalyst, affording the corresponding trifluoroacetylated carbazoles in up to 99% yield. The divergency of the products and the orientation rules have been illustrated based on different substituents on carbazole rings. This method could also be extended to the synthesis of chlorodifluoroacetylated and pentafluoropropionylated carbazoles, which have been achieved for the first time.

An electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) is an appealing route to obtain the value-added feedstocks and alleviate the energy crisis. However, how to achieve high-performance electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction to formate is challenging owing to the poor intrinsic activity, insufficient conductivity, and low surface density of active sites. Herein, we fabricated an extremely active and selective hydrangea-like superstructured micro/nanoreactor of ultrathin bismuth nanosheets through an in situ electrochemical topotactic transformation of hierarchical bismuth oxide formate (BiOCOOH). The resulted bismuth nanosheet superstructure is in the form of three-dimensional intercrossed networks of ultrathin nanosheets, forming an ordered open porous structure through self-assembly, which can be used as a micro/nanoreactor to enable a large electrochemically active surface area as well as high atomic utilization. Such a distinctive nanostructure endows the material with high electrocatalytic performances for CO 2 reduction to formate with near-unity Faradaic selectivity (>95%) in a wide potential window from -0.78 to -1.18 V. Furthermore, this micro/nanoreactor can give the high current densities over 300 mA cm -2 at low applied potentials without compromising selectivity in a flow cell reactor. Density functional theory (DFT) and in situ attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy ( in situ ATR-IR) were further conducted to interpret the CO 2 RR mechanisms.

Nonlinear-optical (NLO) crystal is an important photoelectric functional material. In this work, a new NLO titanium iodate, (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 , along with Ti(IO 3 ) 4 has been synthesized under facile conditions. The space group of (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 is the chiral noncentrosymmetric group R 3 (No. 146), with an interesting three-dimensional framework, while that of Ti(IO 3 ) 4 is the centrosymmetric space group P 1̅ (No. 2) containing one-dimensional chains. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 and Ti(IO 3 ) 4 have no weight loss below 220 and 390 °C, respectively. In addition, (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 not only is thermally stable up to 200 °C in an air atmosphere but also is stable in water. (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 has a moderate-intensity second-harmonic-generation (SHG) response (1.4×KDP), a large laser-induced damage threshold (46×AgGaS 2 ), and high transmittance in the wavelength ranges of 0.5-1.4 and 2.5-10 μm. Both local dipole moment and systematic theoretical calculations reveal that the SHG response of (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 is mainly because of the combined effect of [TiO 6 ] octahedra and IO 3 and IO 4 units. In a word, (H 3 O) 2 Ti(IO 3 ) 6 exhibits good NLO performances, as well as water resistance and facile growth of a single crystal with high quality, indicating its potential application as NLO materials in the visible and mid-IR regions, especially the visible region.

We report the draft genome sequence of Thermomonas sp. strain XSG, isolated from a marine sediment. The genome is 3,047,478 bp long with a GC content of 68.5%. Strain XSG was found to be closely related to strain NBRC 101115 of Thermomonas koreensis ., (Copyright © 2021 Wu et al.)

Diamond-like (DL) chalcophosphates, which possess the merits of impressive second-harmonic-generation (SHG) responses, strong laser-induced damage thresholds, and low melting points, are highly desirable for IR nonlinear-optical (NLO) applications. Herein, a new quaternary DL chalcophosphate, Cu 5 Zn 0.5 P 2 S 8 , is successfully discovered, taking known Cu 3 PS 4 as the template via a single-site aliovalent-substitution strategy. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with noncentrosymmetric space group Pmn 2 1 , and the 3D DL structure is built by corner-shared [(Cu/Zn)S 4 ], [CuS 4 ], and [PS 4 ] tetrahedra. Compared with its parent Cu 3 PS 4 , Cu 5 Zn 0.5 P 2 S 8 exhibits a good phase-matching capability and a sharply enhanced SHG effect (10Cu 3 PS 4 ) benefiting from partial Zn substitution. Moreover, the structure-performance relationships have been illustrated by means of theoretical investigations. Such an aliovalent-substitution strategy based on known DL semiconductors might be widely applied for the discovery of high-performance IR NLO crystals.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan with worldwide distribution that infects birds and mammals, including humans. The consumption of free-range chicken meat is a common practice in many parts of the world. However, little information is available concerning the molecular prevalence and genotypes of T. gondii infection in free-range chickens intended for human consumption in China. In this study, a total of 1360 serum samples were collected from food markets in Hunan province of China for detecting T. gondii antibodies by indirect hemagglutination assay. In addition, 650 brain tissues were also collected to investigate T. gondii DNA by amplification of B1 gene with a seminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the positive DNA samples were typed at 10 genetic markers using multilocus PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 457 of the examined serum samples (33.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.1-36.1), and 72 DNA samples (11.1%; 95% CI: 8.6-13.4) were positive for the T. gondii B1 gene. In this study, region and age of free-range chickens were shown to be risk factors for T. gondii infection ( p  < 0.01). Two genotypes (ToxoDB#9 and ToxoDB#52) were identified from two samples with complete genotyping results. Our study revealed a high prevalence of T. gondii infection in free-range chickens intended for human consumption in Hunan province, suggesting that recommendations to consumers should be made, especially in some regions of China where consumption of undercooked chicken meat is common. This is the first genetic characterization of T. gondii in free-range chickens intended for human consumption in Hunan province, China, and also the first report of genotype ToxoDB#52 in China.

Purpose: To investigate radiological risk factors for recurrent lumbar disc herniation (rLDH) after percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED)., Methods: Patients who underwent PTED due to a single-level L4-L5 or L5-S1 disc herniation from January 2013 to May 2019 were enrolled in this study. A matched case-control design was carried out in a single institution. Cases were defined as those who developed rLDH, and controls were matched from those patients without rLDH according to corresponding clinical characteristics. The radiological parameters were compared between two groups. The radiological risk factors for rLDH after PTED were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis., Results: A total of 2186 patients who underwent PTED at L4-L5 or L5-S1 level were enrolled in this study. Sixty-eight patients were diagnosed with rLDH, and 136 patients were selected from the remaining 2118 nonrecurrent patients as matched controls. Univariate analysis demonstrated that herniation type (P = 0.009), surgical-level disc degeneration (P < 0.001), adjacent-level disc degeneration (P = 0.017), disc height index (DHI) (P = 0.003), and sagittal range of motion (sROM) (P < 0.001) were significantly related to rLDH. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that low grade of surgical-level disc degeneration (P < 0.001), senior grade of adjacent-level disc degeneration (P < 0.001), a high DHI (P = 0.012), and a large sROM (P < 0.001) were the radiological independent risk factors., Conclusion: This study showed that low grade of surgical-level disc degeneration, senior grade of adjacent-level disc degeneration, a high DHI, and a large sROM were the radiological independent risk factors for rLDH after PTED.

Purpose: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and risk of the gastric, small bowel and colorectal cancer., Methods: We searched the PubMed and Web of Science for observational studies published before June 2020, and the quality of each included study was evaluated according to the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale., Results: Twenty-six studies comprising 531 449 IBD patients and more than 65 million reference individuals were included. Although IBD was significantly associated with 67% increased risk of the total gastric, small bowel and colorectal cancer. After stratifying by cancer location, IBD mainly increased the risk of intestinal cancer instead of gastric cancer. Furthermore, Crohn's disease (CD) significantly increased the risk of both small bowel cancer and colorectal cancer, while ulcerative colitis (UC) only increased the risk of colorectal cancer. In subgroup analysis, associations between IBD and risk of total gastric, small bowel and colorectal cancer were similar between male and female, except for that male IBD patients but not female had a significantly higher risk of small bowel cancer. Additionally, IBD patients in different geographical areas had different associations with risk of various gastrointestinal tract cancers., Conclusions: IBD is mainly associated with increased risk of cancers in the lower gastrointestinal tract, including small bowel cancer and colorectal cancer. Because studies about the association between IBD and risk of gastric cancer and the populations in Asia are limited, more observational studies are required in the future.

Currently, non-centrosymmetric oxychalcogenides, a class of newly developed heteroanionic compounds, have emerged as promising candidates for IR nonlinear optical (NLO) materials due to the fact that they can combine the impressive second-harmonic generation (SHG) responses of chalcogenides with the wide energy gaps of oxides. Moreover, multiple combinations of chalcogens and the oxygen element would, in principle, lead to more new frequency-doubling building units, enabling the extensive seeking and design of new NLO-active oxychalcogenides. In this Frontiers article, the recent developments of oxychalcogenides as IR-NLO candidates are summarized. These materials can be grouped into three types in terms of their structural dimensions: (i) two-dimensional layered CaZnOS, SrZn 2 OS 2 , Sr 8 Ga 8 O 3 S 14 , Sr 6 Cd 2 Sb 6 O 7 S 10 and Sr 4 Pb 1.5 Sb 5 O 5 Se 8 ; (ii) one-dimensional chain-typed AEGeOQ 2 (AE = Sr and Ba; Q = S and Se); and (iii) zero-dimensional molecular Sr 3 Ge 2 O 4 Se 3 and α-Na 3 PO 3 S. We discuss the rich coordination environment of mixed-anion frequency-doubling building units focusing on the correlations between their non-centrosymmetric structures and NLO properties, as well as their synthetic methods. Finally, the present challenges and future perspectives in this field are also proposed.

Background: Proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction (DTR) has been used for upper third gastric cancer as a function-preserving procedure. However, the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (LPG) with DTR remain uncertain. This study compared open proximal gastrectomy (OPG) with DTR and LPG with DTR for proximal gastric cancer., Methods: Sixty-four patients who had undergone OPG with DTR and forty-six patients who had undergone LPG with DTR were enrolled in this case-control study. The clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes and postoperative nutrition index were analysed retrospectively., Results: The operation time was significantly longer in the LGP group than in the OPG group (258.3 min vs 205.8 min; p = 0.00). However, the time to first flatus and postoperative hospital stay were shorter in the LPG group [4.0 days vs 3.5 days (p = 0.00) and 10.6 days vs 9.2 days (p = 0.001), respectively]. No significant difference was found between the two groups in the number of retrieved lymph nodes, complications or reflux oesophagitis. The nutrition status was assessed using the haemoglobin, albumin, prealbumin and weight levels from pre-operation to six months after surgery. No significant difference was found between the groups., Conclusion: LPG with DTR can be safely performed for proximal gastric cancer patients by experienced surgeons.