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To reduce the temperature difference of the heat exchanger and improve the thermal performance of organic Rankine cycle (ORC), a novel geothermal ORC-bypass flash system (ORC-f) is proposed. In this system, the latent heat proportion of working fluid and the saturated temperature of heat source are used as the basis for judgments. Further, the influence of heat source temperature and evaporation temperature on the ORC-f system is analyzed with different working fluids and compared with that of ORC system. The results show that when the heat source temperature is 403.15 K, the evaporation temperature is 313 K and 397 K, using R123 with higher latent heat proportion as working fluid, the net output power of ORC-f system is increased by 6.3 kW and 551.23 kW than that of the ORC system; using R114 with lower latent heat proportion as working fluid, the net output power of the ORC-f system is increased by 3.8 kW and 547.4 kW than that of the ORC system. When the saturated heat source temperature is not reached, the working fluid with higher latent heat proportion is used, the net output power and exergy efficiency of the ORC-f system are larger; When the saturated heat source temperature is reached, there is no need to increase the bypass flash system. Further, the thermal performance of the different working fluids of the ORC-f system is similar, and the ORC-f system can reduce the influence of the working fluid on the thermal performance.

Background Sepsis is a disease caused by multiple microbial infections resulting in excessive immune activation and multiple organ failure. Schistosoma japonicum cystatin (Sj-Cys) is a cysteine protease inhibitor and strong immunomodulator that stimulates M2 macrophages and alleviates inflammatory damage caused by sepsis. We would like to investigate whether exosomes derived from Sj-Cys treated macrophages convey the anti-inflammatory responses to mice with sepsis. Methods RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with rSj-Cys (2 µg/mL) for 48 h, the exosomes were obtained from the cell culture supernatant by ultracentrifugation and identified by transmission electron microscope, flow cytometry and Western blot assay. Sepsis was induced in BALB/c mice by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The mice with CLP-induced sepsis were treated with exosomes via intraperitoneal injection (10 µg/mouse). The therapeutic effect of exosomes on sepsis was assessed by observing the survival rate of mice up to 72 hours after CLP surgery and by measuring serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, liver/kidney damage biomarkers alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) in sera and observing pathological changes in tissue sections. The tissue levels of M1(iNOS), M2 (Arg-1) macrophage surface markers and TRL2/MyD88 were measured to explore possible mechanisms. Results Exosomes derived from Sj-Cys-treated macrophages exhibited significant therapeutic effect on CLP-induced sepsis in mice with prolonged survival rate and less damage of critical organs by down-regulating the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 and up-regulating the anti-inflammatory factor TGF-β. The therapeutic effect of exosomes is associated with macrophage polarization from M1 (iNOS+) to M2 (Arg-1+) in infected tissues via down-regulating TRL2/MyD88 inflammatory pathway. Conclusions Exosomes derived from Sj-Cys-treated macrophages attenuated sepsis in mice through promoting macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 and reducing inflammatory responses, possibly via down-regulating TLR2/MyD88 inflammatory signaling pathway.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) makes corneal endothelial cells (CECs) suffer from more severe ultraviolet A (UVA)-induced oxidative damage and explore its mechanisms via measuring the oxidant level and the antioxidant level in vitro.Corneas of spontaneous T2DM db/db mice and non-diabetes littermate control mice were irradiated with UVA, leading to oxidative damage of CECs. Anterior segment-optical coherence tomography, corneal image, and CECs immunohistochemistry staining were taken thereafter to measure central corneal thickness, corneal edema degree, and damage extent of CECs. In vitro, human corneal endothelial cells line B4G12 (HCECs) treated with high glucose (HG) and low glucose (LG) were exposed to UVA light separately. Subsequently, cellular proliferation, apoptosis, pro-oxidant factors, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant factors including Parkinson's disease protein 7 (DJ-1), nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), phosphorylated-Nrf2, and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) were measured.T2DM mice presented greater oxidant damage of CECs and more distinct corneal edema compared with control mice when they were irradiated with the 150 J/cm2 UVA light. In vitro, HCECs in HG condition showed a significant decrease of proliferation, higher apoptosis extent, more ROS generation, lower expressions of DJ-1/Nrf2/NQO1, and distinct reduction of Nrf2 nuclear translocation compared to those in LG condition after exposing to 5 J/cm2 UVA light.Increase of ROS, downregulation of DJ-1/Nrf2/NQO1 expressions, and decrease of Nrf2 nuclear translocation could result in that T2DM makes CECs more vulnerable to oxidative damage.

Programmed cell death is a tightly regulated genetically controlled process that leads to cell suicide and eliminates cells that are either no longer needed or damaged/harmful. Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat proteins have recently emerged as a novel class of Ca2+-permeable channels that operate in plant immune responses. This viewpoint argues that the unique structure of this channel, its permeability to other cations, and specificity of its operation make it an ideal candidate to mediate cell signaling and adaptive responses not only to pathogens but also to a broad range of abiotic stress factors.

Consumption of used products has the potential to symbolically connect present and previous users of these products, something that may appeal to lonely consumers. Accordingly, across seven studies, feeling lonely increased consumers’ preference for previously owned products. Specifically, the authors found that the proportion of lone shoppers was higher in a used versus a regular bookstore, lone individuals (vs. those sitting in pairs) were more likely to select a used over a new product, people without (vs. with) a date on Valentine’s Day expressed stronger preference for used products, and individual differences in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic predicted interest in used products. Other studies documented that the desire to symbolically connect underlies the effect of loneliness on consumption. At a time when loneliness is on the rise, the authors discuss implications for the marketing of used products and how loneliness might motivate consumers to reduce waste.

Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disease, and abnormal blood lipid metabolism is an important risk factor. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and its receptor (TGF-ßR) can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors through the SMAD pathway-mediated immune response, thereby suppressing the progression of CAD. Endoglin (TGF-ßRIII), a TGF-ßR family homologous receptor protein, is directly involved in the immunoregulatory process, but the exact mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the pathophysiological effects of endoglin on the development of atherosclerosis and to explore the mechanism of the signalling pathway. Methods We downloaded the GEO dataset to perform a functional analysis of SMAD family activity and TGF-ß receptor protein expression in the monocyte expression profiles of patients with familial hyperlipidaemia (FH). The effect of endoglin on endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis was examined by disrupting the endoglin gene in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and validated by western blotting. The related genes and pathways regulated by endoglin were obtained by analysing the sequencing data. Results Research has shown that interference with endoglin can promote the proliferation and migration and significantly inhibit the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. Interference with endoglin particularly encourages the expression of VEGFB in vascular endothelial cells. Conclusion The endoglin gene in vascular endothelial cells regulates the PI3K-Akt, Wnt, TNF, and cellular metabolism pathways by activating the SMAD pathway. RAB26, MR1, CCL2, SLC29A4, IBTK, VEGFB, and GOLGA8B play critical roles. Endoglin interacts closely with 11 proteins such as CCL2 and SEPRINE1, which participate in the vital pathway of plaque formation. Interference with endoglin can alter the course of coronary atherosclerosis.

The flagellin epitope flg22, a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), binds to the receptor-like kinase FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2), and triggers Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane (PM). The flg22-induced increases in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ) (FICA) play a crucial role in plant innate immunity. It's well established that the receptor FLS2 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst undergo sensitivity adaptation after flg22 stimulation, referred to as desensitization and resensitization, to prevent over responses to pathogens. However, whether FICA also mount adaptation mechanisms to ensure appropriate and efficient responses against pathogens remains poorly understood. Here, we analyzed systematically [Ca2+ ]i increases upon two successive flg22 treatments, recorded and characterized rapid desensitization but slow resensitization of FICA in Arabidopsis thaliana. Pharmacological analyses showed that the rapid desensitization might be synergistically regulated by ligand-induced FLS2 endocytosis as well as the PM depolarization. The resensitization of FICA might require de novo FLS2 protein synthesis. FICA resensitization appeared significantly slower than FLS2 protein recovery, suggesting additional regulatory mechanisms of other components, such as flg22-related Ca2+ permeable channels. Taken together, we have carefully defined the FICA sensitivity adaptation, which will facilitate further molecular and genetic dissection of the Ca2+ -mediated adaptive mechanisms in PAMP-triggered immunity. We recorded and characterized the rapid desensitization but slow resensitization of flg22-induced Ca2+ increases (FICA) in Arabidopsis thaliana. The FICA desensitization and resensitization are likely involved in FLS2 protein trafficking in the plasma membrane and de novo synthesis, respectively. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Little is known about the impact of modifiable risk factors on blood pressure (BP) trajectories and their associations with hypertension (HTN). We aimed to identify BP trajectories in normotensive Chinese adults and explore their influencing factors and associations with HTN. We used data from 3436 adults with at least four BP measurements between 1989 and 2018 in the China Health and Nutrition Survey, an ongoing cohort study. We measured BP using mercury sphygmomanometers with appropriate cuff sizes in all surveys. We used group-based trajectory modelling to identify BP trajectories between 1989 and 2009 and multiple logistic and Cox regression models to analyse their influencing factors and associations with HTN in 2011–2018. We identified five systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectories, ‘Low-increasing (LI)’, ‘Low–stable (LS)’, ‘Moderate-increasing (MI)’, ‘High-stable (HS)’ and ‘Moderate-decreasing (MD)’, and four diastolic blood pressure (DBP) trajectories classified as ‘Low-increasing (LI)’, ‘Moderate–stable (MS)’, ‘Low-stable (LS)’ and ‘High-increasing (HI)’. People with higher physical activity (PA) levels and lower waist circumferences (WC) were less likely to be in the SBP LI, MI, HS and MD groups (P < 0·05). People with higher fruit and vegetable intakes, lower WCs and salt intakes and higher PA levels were less likely to be in the DBP LI, MS and HI groups (P < 0·05). Participants in the SBP HS group (hazard ratio (HR) 2·01) or the DBP LI, MS and HI groups (HR 1·38, 1·40, 1·71, respectively) had higher risks of HTN (P < 0·05). This study suggests that BP monitoring is necessary to prevent HTN in the Chinese population.

Owing to the increasing application of high-performance and multifunctional mid-infrared (MIR) optoelectronic devices, it is important to achieve a high emission efficiency and broadband tunable luminescence. In this study, nanocrystalline units with unique properties were integrated into an amorphous frame with high transmittance and infinite ductility to achieve an enhanced MIR emission. In the single active ion-doped system, owing to the combination of the lower phonon energy of the crystal, the fixed position of the crystal lattice, and the glass transparency, a substantial increase in the infrared fluorescence intensity was achieved. Particularly, an excellent 3 μm luminescence was realized by the stable composite material. In the co-doped system, a bottom-up strategy was adopted to achieve full coverage of the 2 μm MIR atmospheric window, and the results confirmed that the spatial distribution of the optically active nanocrystal units in the glass frame effectively controlled the energy transfer processes.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common head and neck malignancies. The aim of this study is to explore the role of circRNA Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) (circGOLPH3) in OSCC.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot were performed to detect changes in the levels of circGOLPH3, microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p), and lysine demethylase 2A (KDM2A). The functions of circGOLPH3 were assessed using in vitro and in vivo assays. Dual-luciferase reporter assay detected the interaction of miR-145-5p with circGOLPH3 or KDM2A.circGOLPH3 expression was upregulated in OSCC. circGOLPH3 downregulation inhibited cell growth, metastasis, and glycolysis in vitro, and in vivo experiments revealed that circGOLPH3 inhibited tumor growth. In addition, circGOLPH3 bound to miR-145-5p and competitively inhibited KDM2A expression, thereby regulating OSCC cell behaviors as well as glycolysis.circGOLPH3 exerted pro-oncogenic effects through the miR-145-5p/KDM2A axis to regulate OSCC cell behaviors.

HIV is a highly stigmatized and stressful condition for people with HIV (PWH). As a country heavily influenced by religion, especially Buddhism, we explore how the perceived stress from HIV stigma interacts with the mediator of mindfulness on PWH in Myanmar. From January to July 2020, a sample of 248 eligible PWH was recruited by quasi-random sampling methods from a private Facebook group in Myanmar. Data on demographics, HIV stigma, mindfulness, and perceived stress were collected. The bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method was used to test multiple mediation analyses. The path from perceived HIV stigma to perceived stress (direct effect β = 0.16) and the mediating effect of mindfulness on that stress were significant (indirect effect accounts for 45.15% of total effect). The findings indicate that interventions enhancing mindfulness-based practice should be considered to reduce HIV stigma and, therefore, lower perceived stress among PWH in Myanmar.

To investigate the impact of prepackaged food consumption on fat intake in 16 provinces of China in 2018.Data used in present study was derived from the eleventh round of China Health and Nutrition Survey(CHNS), 17312 residents aged 6 and over were selected and their consumed information of pre-packaged food was collected. The consumption of pre-packaged food and fat intake from pre-packaged food in urban and rural areas, different age groups, different regions and different genders were calculated and compared.The median intake of fat from pre-packaged food among subjects and consumers were 33.6 g/d and 34.7 g/d, respectively.73.5% of the intake of fat from pre-packaged food comes from vegetable oil.Vegetable oil was the main source of fat from pre-packaged food for Chinese residents.

Higher levels of physical activity (PA) may be associated with more favorable measures of adiposity, and sedentary time (ST) is associated with adverse health outcomes independent of PA. We hypothesized that multiple trajectories of different intensities of PA combined with ST would be associated with coexisting latent waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) trajectories among Chinese adults. Thus, we aimed to determine multiple trajectories of PA and ST and their associations with trajectories of WC and BMI. We used data from 13 137 adults in the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 2004 -2018. Using group-based multi-trajectory modeling, we determined multiple trajectories of light-, moderate-, vigorous- intensity PA (LPA, MPA, VPA), and ST (hereinafter referred to as “PA trajectories”) and concurrent WC and BMI trajectories. Then, we explored logit regressions between them. We identified four PA trajectories. The majority (high LPA, 43.5%) exhibited decreasing high LPA levels. The rest were High ST (9.0%), decreased MPA (15.8%) and high VPA (31.7%). People with high ST showed higher odds of having abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.23) or severe abdominal obesity (OR=1.73) than those with decreased MPA (OR = 1.85 and 1.71) and high LPA (OR = 1.43 for abdominal obesity). They also showed higher odds of being overweight (OR=1.73) than those with decreased MPA (OR =1.58) and high LPA (OR=1.39). Any level of PA is better than sustained ST for improving adiposity indicators among Chinese adults.

International audience; Quantum dot (QD)-embedded glass, which is a high-performance multifunctional optical material, has the combined advantages of excellent optical properties of QDs and easy processing of glass. In this study, an inorganic PbS QD embedded multicomponent glass, which produces variable emission at different ultra-violet (UV) excitation wavelengths, is synthesized. The samples are fabricated via a facile melt-quenching method and their structural, optical, photoluminescent, and morphological properties are discussed. The QD glass exhibits broad-band UV excitation in the range of 250-400 nm, and the full width at half max-imum of the emission peaks of the QD glasses reaches 177.8 and 158.5 nm at room temperature under an excitation of 365 and 310 nm, respectively. Notably, white light emission with a high color rendering index is obtained under UV excitation at 350 and 365 nm by doping blue light emitting rare earth (RE) Tm3+ ions into the system. The doped samples exhibit excellent color stability and their CIE coordinates shift along the Planck blackbody locus with increasing temperature. Further, based on the differences in the luminescence mechanisms of the PbS QDs and Tm3+ ions, the application potential of the RE-doped PbS QD-embedded glasses in optical thermometry is discussed. The results demonstrate the application potential of these optically multifunctional inorganic QD glasses in the fields of optical conversion, anti-counterfeiting, white light illumination, and non-contact optical temperature measurement.

The practical application of the metallic lithium anode is suppressed by the highly unstable interface between electrolytes and lithium metal during the process of lithium plating/stripping. A perfect solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) can inhibit detrimental parasitic reactions, thereby improving the cycling performance of the metallic lithium anode. In this work, a high-purity solid lithium difluorobis(oxalato) phosphate (LiDFOP) is synthesized and an outstanding organic-inorganic hybrid SEI is obtained in an ether-based electrolyte for the first time induced by LiDFOP. The preferential reduction of LiDFOP can form an SEI rich in LiF and LixPOyFz species, thereby improving the conductivity and stability of the SEI. In addition, cationic-induced ring-opening polymerization between LiDFOP and 1,3-dioxolane endows the SEI with excellent adaptability to the reiterative volume change of the metallic lithium anode. Therefore, the Li/Cu battery maintains a high coulombic efficiency of 98.37% at a current density of 2 mA/cm2 for 200 cycles, and the Li/Li symmetrical battery shows stable voltage hysteresis over 1000 h even under the condition of 5 mA/cm2. The Li/S battery fabricated employing the electrolyte with LiDFOP shows significant improvement of cycling performance as well. These results manifest that the formation of an organic-inorganic hybrid SEI from LiDFOP can be employed as a new strategy to overcome the problem from the unstable SEI in metallic lithium batteries.

High-strength-modulus glass fiber is widely used in military, transportation, electronics, chemical industry, environmental protection and other industries. In recent years, with the development of new energy, the research of high-strength-modulus glass fiber which can be applied in the large size fan blade is gradually being paid attention to. It is important to find an excellent glass component for the production of high-strength glass fibers. As is well known, silicate glass has a stable glass-forming region and mature drawing processes into fibers. In this study, to obtain enhanced mechanical properties, glasses with a composition of SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-CaO-B2O3-Fe2O3 were synthesized using TiO2 and CeO2. When the amount of TiO2 and CeO2 is less than 2 wt%, the mechanical properties increase with increases in the TiO2 and CeO2. However, as the amount of TiO2 and CeO2 increases from 2 to 3.5 wt%, the mechanical properties decrease. Co-doping with 1 wt% TiO2 and 1 wt% CeO2 was found to be the optimum approach, with a density, bending strength, compression strength, and compression modulus of 2.626 g/cm3, 108.36 MPa, 240.18 MPa, and 115.03 GPa, respectively. The optical band gap and Raman spectroscopy proved that, as long as the content of oxygen bonds reaches the maximum level, a kind of best structural stability and mechanical properties will be achieved. Hence, this high-strength-modulus silicate glass can be used to make optical fibres for military defence, wind power generation and transportation.

COVID-19 infection can cause psychological distress and profoundly impact patients’ lives, but it can also lead to positive changes and post-traumatic growth (PTG), or positive psychological change in response to challenging life circumstances. Current research on the influence of COVID-19 infection has mainly focused on its negative effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with COVID-19 in China experienced PTG and, if so, what changed for them during the process of PTG. We used a qualitative descriptive approach to conduct this study. Using the purposive sampling recruitment method, patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were recruited from a COVID-19 designated hospital in Shanghai, China, from April to July 2020. Data were collected using semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted via cell phone or in person while social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Forty confirmed COVID-19 patients (19–68 years old) were recruited. Several prominent themes and subthemes were extracted from the interview responses regarding participants’ experiences of PTG. The following are among the positive changesthat occurred for these participants after their diagnosis of COVID-19: (1) Reevaluation of their life priorities, which included a greater appreciation of being alive and re-evaluating their values and goals, (2) Improved relationships within their social circles, which included establishing or maintaining closer relationships with family and friends and a greater willingness to help others, and (3) Perceived changes regarding themselves, which included personal growth and increased awareness of the importance of their health. The study identified potential positive impacts of COVID-19 on patients, which could be helpful in the implementation of interventions to facilitate PTG among COVID-19 survivors.

PurposeThe study aimed to identify latent classes of demoralization and examine their association with depression and with quality of life (QOL) among patients with cancer.MethodsCross-sectional data from 874 patients with cancer from three tertiary hospitals in Fujian province were collected using a convenience sampling method. Demoralization, depression, and QOL were assessed using the Chinese version of the Demoralization Scale-II, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire. Latent class analysis was performed on demoralization profiles. Binary logistic regression and multiple stepwise linear regression were used to examine the identified classes’ associations with depression and QOL.ResultsThree latent classes of demoralization were identified: the “low demoralization and emotional disturbance” class (Class 1; 49.6%); “moderate demoralization and meaninglessness” class (Class 2; 29.1%); and “high demoralization and existential despair” class (Class 3; 21.3%). The severity of depression increased and the levels of QOL decreased with the three classes of demoralization. Patients with cancer in Classes 1 and 2 were 0.128 and 0.018 times more likely to be depressed than those in Class 3, respectively, whereas the magnitudes of decrease in QOL scores for Classes 2 and 3 were 0.378 and 0.629, respectively. ConclusionThis study revealed three heterogeneous classes of demoralization in Chinese patients with cancer and indicated that increased classes were associated with more severe depression and decreased QOL. Targeted, step-by-step psychological interventions should be developed and implemented according to the characteristics of each class of demoralization to effectively promote psychological well-being among patients with cancer.

A series of Rb

Melamine (MEL) has raised human concern since the 2008 milk scandal. Co-exposure to MEL and one of its analogues, cyanuric acid (CYA), has been reported to have a synergistic effect on promoting urolithiasis. However, few epidemiological studies have reported urolithiasis in association with exposure to CYA based on our knowledge. We therefore conducted a case-control study to investigate whether cases of urolithiasis had higher excretion of urinary CYA than the controls. Spot urine samples from 70 adult cases and first-morning urine samples from 70 controls (matched by age and sex) were collected for the measurement of MEL, CYA, and other two analogues in urine. The case group also had 2.81-fold higher concentration of urinary CYA than the control group (34.87 versus 12.43 ng/mL, p-value < 0.001). Multivariate conditional logistic regression models adjusting potential confounders of personal characteristics identified the risk factor of urinary CYA as a continuous variable with odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, 95%CI) of 1.11 (1.02–1.21) (p-value = 0.021) and having meals at restaurants with OR of 5.71 (1.01–32.31) (p-value = 0.049). Compared to the participants having the lowest quartile of CYA concentration in urine, participants at the second, third, and fourth quartile groups had ORs of 13.94, 83.69, and 118.65 with p-values of 0.004

KM3NeT is a multi-purpose cubic-kilometer neutrino observatory under construction in two different sites of the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of ORCA and ARCA (for Oscillation and Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss, respectively) telescopes, currently taking data with the first set of detection lines in operation. Although having different primary goals, both detectors can be used for neutrino astronomy over a wide energy range, from a few tens of MeVs to PeV energies. In view of the growing field of time-domain astronomy, it is crucial to be able to promptly identify neutrino candidates. Real-time searches can significantly increase the discovery potential of transient cosmic accelerators and refine the pointing directions in the case of poorly localized triggers, such as gravitational waves. KM3NeT is implementing a fast online reconstruction and classification system for both detectors. Neutrino alerts will be sent nearly real-time to the astronomy community and they will consist of both self-triggered events of interest, such as multiplets and VHE events, and the results of online search for time/space coincidence given external electromagnetic and multi-messenger triggers. This poster presents KM3NeT online multi-messenger activities, the alert format, alert definitions, and the expected timeline of issuing public alerts.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) will lead to irreversible damage of sensory and motor function of central nervous system, which seriously affects patient's quality of life. A variety of nerve engineering materials carrying various stem cells and cell growth factors had used to promote the repair of SCI, but they could not mimic the actual matric niche at spinal cord to promote cell proliferation and differentiation. Thus, developing novel biomaterial providing better niche of spinal cord is a new strategy to treat the severe SCI. In this study, we constructed porcine spinal cord decellularized matrix scaffold (SC-DM) with biocompatibility to load engineered basic fibroblast growth factor-overexpressing human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (bFGF-HUCMSCs) for treating SCI. The continuously released bioactive bFGF factors from grafted bFGF-HUCMSCs and three-dimensional niche by SC-DM promoted the differentiation of endogenous stem cells into neurons with nerve conduction function, leading a markedly motor function recovery of SCI. These results indicated that the functional bFGF-HUCMSCs/SC-DM scaffold provided more suitable matric niche for nerve cells, that would be a promising strategy for the clinical application of SCI.

Background: Stigma is a prominent issue among nurses working with patients with infectious diseases, but the unavailability of validated measures of such stigma. The aim of our study was to adapt, modify, and validate the COVID-19 Stigma Instrument-Nurse -Version 3 (CSI-N-3) with both classical test theory and item response theory (IRT) analysis.Methods: We administered the scale to 249 eligible nurses who worked in a COVID-19 designed hospital in Shanghai, China. Results: The two-factor structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. The 15-item CSI-N-3 achieved Cronbach's α of 0.64 to 0.84. Convergent validity was also demonstrated. In IRT analysis, the CSI-N-3 has ordered response thresholds, with the appropriate item difficulty and infit and outfit mean squares. Self-reported social support was the only factor influencing nurses' COVID-19 stigma (standardized coefficients β=-0.21). Conclusions: The CSI-N-3 is an instrument with sound psychometric properties that can be used to measure COVID-19 stigma during the COVID-19 outbreak or afterward among nurses.

Confronted with the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, students, teachers, educators and other stakeholders have to make the best of online learning from home and look at ways of optimizing remote learning experience. Embedded in the nature of inclusive schooling and organized in a specific public secondary school in Victoria, Australia, this study explores the effectiveness of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) on English as an additional language (EAL) students’ online learning proficiency. The research findings indicate that in the discipline of EAL, with the assistance of multiple means of representation, expression and engagement as well as a range of information-communication technologies (ICTs), UDL has positive effects on students’ academic performance and can trigger their positive attitudes towards online learning experience. This sheds light on the feasibility of improving remote learning quality and promoting inclusive online schooling that engages every student via the implementation of UDL integrated with different assistive technologies, which can be summarized as that UDL is one of the possible solutions to online learning that affords ample opportunities or more precisely, technical promises for the implementation of UDL.

The robust Bi7.53Co0.47O11.92 nanoflowers on the nickel foam are first designed by a simple solvent thermal reaction followed by calcining. For its unique structural stability and good electrical conductivity, the Bi7.53Co0.47O11.92 nanoflowers exhibit high specific capacitance of 1046 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and outstanding rate capability (81.7% capacitance retention at 10 A g−1) along with good cycling stability (80.5% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles). The asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with Bi7.53Co0.47O11.92 and activated carbon delivers a high energy density of 41.1 Wh kg−1. This research provides a guiding strategy for the synthesis of high-performance supercapacitor electrode material based on the bismuth. Robust Bi7.53Co0.47O11.92 nanoflowers were first designed by a feasible method and exhibited high specific capacitance and outstanding rate capability.

How to activate adaptive coping strategies has an important and practical meaning for the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV); however, few studies have focused on the effects of sleep disturbances and HIV-related physical symptoms on coping strategies. The specific relationships among coping strategies, sleep disturbances and HIV-related physical symptoms were unknown. We performed a path analysis to examine the proposed model of relationships among sleep disturbances, physical symptoms, and coping strategies. A convenience sample of 69 HIV-positive Asian Americans in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City were recruited and data were collected on demographics, sleep disturbances, HIV-related physical symptoms, and coping strategies. Sleep disturbances directly affect maladaptive coping (β = 0.34), and physical symptoms directly affect adaptive coping (β = 0.30) and maladaptive coping (β = 0.24). Interventions designed to decrease sleep disturbances and physical symptoms should be developed to enhance adaptive coping and reduce maladaptive coping among Asian Americans with HIV.

The effect of hydrostatic pressure (HP) on the corrosion behaviour of X80 steel is investigated to assist the development of deep-sea oil and gas resources. The results show that the corrosion curr...

Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme E2 C (UBE2C) has a key oncogenic role in many human malignancies, including gastric cancer. However, it remains largely unknow at which level UBE2C expression is altered, as well as what are the downstream targets of UBE2C. In this study, we show that UBE2C is frequently overexpressed in gastric cancer patients. Interestingly, high expression of UBE2C mRNA instead of genome amplification is the predominant alterations observed in both stomach adenocarcinoma. We then confirmed that silencing UBE2C not only suppresses gastric cancer colony formation, but also inhibits DNA biosynthesis. Furthermore, we discovered that microRNA-300 is able to suppress gastric cancer progression through reducing UBE2C mRNA abundance, which is protected by an RNA binding protein HuR. Lastly, through an analysis of genes whose expressions correlate with that of UBE2C from gastric cancer cell lines, we have proposed several key genes that can be regulated by UBE2C, contributing to its oncogenic activity.

Intraspinal inflammatory and immune responses are considered to play central roles in the pathological development of spinal cord injury. This study aimed to decipher the dynamics of systemic immune responses, initiated by spinal cord injury. The spinal cord in mice was completely transected at T8. Changes in the in vivo inflammatory response, between the acute and subacute stages, were observed. A rapid decrease in C-reactive protein levels, circulating leukocytes and lymphocytes, spleen-derived CD4+ interferon-γ+ T-helper cells, and inflammatory cytokines, and a marked increase in neutrophils, monocytes, and CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells were observed during the acute phase. These systemic immune alterations were gradually restored to basal levels during the sub-acute phase. During the acute phase of spinal cord injury, systemic immune cells and factors showed significant inhibition; however, this inhibition was transient, and the indicators of these serious disorders gradually returned to baseline levels during the subacute phase. All experiments were performed in accordance with the institutional animal care guidelines, approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Experimental Animal Center of Drum Tower Hospital, China (approval No. 2019AE01040) on June 25, 2019.

For potential clinical applications in the future, we investigated the distinct biological features of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from different origin areas of human placenta and individual heterogeneity among different donors. Chorionic plate MSCs (CP-MSCs), amniotic membrane MSCs (AM-MSCs), and decidual plate MSCs (DP-MSCs) were isolated from 5 human placentae and were analyzed in terms of main features of MSCs including surface marker profile, growth, differentiation potential, immune regulation capability, and tubulin acetylation (Ac-tubulin). The expression profile of surface markers in the 3 types of MSCs derived from the 5 donors was relatively stable. Heterogeneity was found in growth, differentiation potential, and immune regulation among MSCs according to the different areas of isolation and different donors. CP-MSCs and AM-MSCs derived from the placentae of donors 1–3 had a higher osteogenic differentiation potential than the corresponding DP-MSCs, but those derived from the placentae of donors 4 and 5 had a markedly lower osteogenic differentiation potential than DP-MSCs. All CP-MSCs derived from donors 1–3 had the highest adipogenic differentiation potential, but CP-MSCs derived from donors 4 and 5 did not show strong capability of adipogenic differentiation. CP-MSCs markedly inhibited the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) induced by phytohemagglutinin, whereas AM- and DP-MSCs did not. All MSCs decreased the proportion of CD3+/CD8–/IFN-γ+ Th1 and CD3+/CD8–/IL17+ Th17 cells, but increased the proportion of Treg cells in PBMCs, with individual differences among the 5 donors. DP-MSCs from donors 1 and 2 had higher levels of Ac-tubulin compared with CP- and AM-MSCs. However, the levels of Ac-tubulin in AM-MSCs from donors 3 and 5 were higher than those of the other 2 types of MSCs. Our results revealed that there was tissue-specific heterogeneity among the 3 types of MSCs from different origin tissues of placenta and individual heterogeneity among donors. In future, the pre-selected placenta-derived MSCs with specific biological advantages may improve the curative effect of cell therapy in different situations.

Nowadays, there is enthusiastic effort to develop luminescent thermometers used for remote and high-sensitivity temperature readout over a wide sensing range. Herein, Pr3+ and Gd3+ co-doped ZrO2 nanocrystals are designed, prepared and investigated by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, TEM, EDS, DRS, PLE and PL spectroscopy. Upon 275 nm irradiation, the PL spectrum of ZrO2:Pr3+,Gd3+ is found to be composed of a narrow emission peak at 314 nm (Gd3+ 6P7/2–8S7/2), a broad defect-related emission band at 400 nm, and several emission peaks in the wavelength region of 585–700 nm (Pr3+ 1D2–3H4, 3P0–3H6, and 3P0–3F2), which exhibit different thermal responses owing to the effects of the various non-radiative relaxation processes and trap energy levels. Accordingly, the luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) between the Pr3+ 1D2–3H4 and Gd3+ 6P7/2–8S7/2 transitions demonstrates excellent relative sensing sensitivity values ((2.32 ± 0.01)% K−1–(8.32 ± 0.05)% K−1) and low temperature uncertainties (0.08 K–0.28 K) over a wide temperature sensing range of 303 K to 573 K, which are remarkably better than those of many other luminescence thermometers. What is discussed in the present study may be conducive to broadening the research region of RE3+ doped luminescence thermometric phosphors, especially for materials with rich 4f–4f transition lines and defect-related luminescence.