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The purpose of this study is to explore the survival strategy of Phoebe bournei seedlings in natural communities under extremely low light environment. Two-year-old seedlings of P. bournei were used as experimental materials. Leaf morphology, anatomical structure and photosynthetic physiological characteristics of P. bournei seedlings were measured by simulating different light environments (100%, 35% and 10% light transmittance), and to explore the internal relationship between seedling morphology, physiological plasticity and light adaptation. The results were as follows: (1) The leaf length, leaf width, leaf area and specific leaf area (SLA) of seedlings increased with the decrease of light intensity. The leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness, spongy tissue thickness and palisade/spongy (palisade tissue thickness/spongy tissue thickness) of 10% light transmittance were the minimum. (2) The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), light utilization efficiency (LUE), photochemical quenching coefficient (qp), non photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ), effective photosynthetic quantum yield (Fv′/Fm′) and potential photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fo) of photosystem Ⅱ of 35% light transmittance were significantly higher than those of 100% and 10% light transmittances. (3) Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, total chlorophyll and maximal photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) all increased with the decrease of light intensity, but chlorophyll a/b decreased with the decrease of light intensity. (4) The phenotypic plasticity indexes of seedling structure and physiology showed that photosynthetic pigment content characteristics > morphological characteristics > photosynthetic characteristics > anatomical structure characteristics > chlorophyll fluorescence parameter characteristics, among which, the phenotypic plasticity indexes of leaf area, SLA, Pn, Gs, LUE and photosynthetic pigment content ranged from 0.455 to 0.755. To sum up, P. bournei seedlings are not suitable to grow under full light, and perform well under about 35% light transmittance; under extremely low light with 10% light transmittance, P. bournei leaves can improve light energy capture by increasing leaf area, SLA, Pn and photosynthetic pigment content; the seedlings of P. bournei mainly adapt to the low light environment by adjusting the plasticity of photosynthetic pigment content and morphology, coordinating with the changes of anatomical structure, photosynthetic physiology and chlorophyll fluorescence parameter plasticity. This study can provide theoretical reference for the management and selection of light environment of P. bournei for future cultivation.

The microstructure and morphology of the alloy were characterized by metallographic microscope and thermasimulation test and other equipment， and the thermal deformation parameters were set at different strain temperatures of 850-1150 ℃ and strain rates of 0. 1-10 s-1. It was analyzed by combining the stress-strain curve of thermal simulation compression test and the microstructure morphology， the thermal deformation behavior and microsturcture morphology evolution process of 4J32 super invar alloy （Fe-32Ni-4Co） at high temperature 850-1 150 ℃ were systematically studied. It is found that no dynamic recrystallization occurs during hot deformation of 4J32 super invar alloy below 900 ℃， and there are a lot of deformed grain structures in the alloy. When the thermal deformation temperature is greater than 1 050 ℃， the dynamic recrystallization of the alloy begins， and the faster the strain rate， the higher the dynamic recrystallization degree.The results show that the optimum thermal deformation temperature of super invar alloy is greater than 1100 ℃ and the strain rate is 10 s-1.

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the associations between household air pollution (HAP), measured by cooking fuel use, sensory impairments (SI), and their transitions in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Methods Participants were recruited from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and were subsequently followed up until 2018. Data on SI were collected by self-reported hearing and vision impairments, which were divided into three categories: non-SI, single SI (hearing or vision impairment), and dual SI (DSI). Cooking fuels, including solid and clean fuels, are proxies for HAP. The transitions of cooking fuels and SI refer to the switching of the fuel type or SI status from baseline to follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to explore associations, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the strength of the association. Results The prevalence of non-SI, single SI, and DSI was 59.6%, 31.8%, and 8.6%, respectively, among the 15,643 participants at baseline in this study. Over a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 5,223 worsening SI transitions were observed. In the fully adjusted model, solid fuel use for cooking was associated with a higher risk of worsening SI transitions, including from non-SI to single SI (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01–1.16) and from non-SI to DSI (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.09–1.47), but not from single SI to DSI. In addition, compared to those who always used solid fuels, participants who switched from solid to clean fuel for cooking appeared to have attenuated the risk of worsening SI transitions. The statistical significance of the associations remained in the set of sensitivity analyses. Conclusion Solid fuel use was associated with higher risks of worsening SI transitions, while converting the type of cooking fuel from solid to clean fuels may reduce the risk of worsening SI transitions. Our study suggests that tailored clean fuel interventions, especially in developing countries, should be implemented to prevent sensory impairments and hence reduce the burden of sensory impairment-related disability.

Abstract Background This study aims to identify the risk factors contributing to spinal cord injury (SCI) following a type A acute aortic dissection (TA-AAD). Methods This retrospective study was conducted at a single center and involved 481 patients who received frozen elephant trunk stent implantation for TA-AAD. Additionally, these patients underwent total arch replacement with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. This study was performed at Fuwai Hospital between September 2016 and April 2020. Results The resulting data of the multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that preoperative platelet count (odds ratio [OR] = 0.774) and D-dimer levels (OR = 2.247) could serve as independent predictors for postoperative SCI in patients with TA-AAD. Conclusion The findings indicate that preoperative platelet count and D-dimer levels are independent risk factors for postoperative SCI in patients with TA-AAD. This study holds significant clinical implications regarding the prognosis and therapeutic responses for patients with TA-AAD.

Abstract In recent decades, winter Arctic sea-ice concentration (SIC) has experienced a most prominent decline over Barents-Kara Seas (BKS). However, what regulates the time scale and spatial structure of the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic is unclear. Here, we find that the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic exhibits two major modes: decadal dipole mode with antiphase variation between the BKS and East Greenland (EG), and interannual monopole mode with in-phase variation between the BKS and EG. This decadal mode mainly results from interdecadal changes in ocean heat transports (OHTs) through Barents Sea Opening (BSO) and EG, lagging the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation by 7–16 years. The positive SIC dipole mode with a decrease over the BKS and an increase over the EG is also tied to the negative Arctic Oscillation comprised of Ural blocking and the negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). However, the SIC loss of the interannual monopole mode mainly stems from the positive Arctic dipole comprised of Ural blocking and positive NAO through interannual changes in the BSO OHT and atmospheric moisture or heat transport. We further highlight that interannual atmospheric transports and BSO OHT associated with the Arctic dipole contribute to ~66% and ~34% of the interannual variability of the Eurasian Arctic SIC during 1960-2017, respectively. On decadal timescales, the relative contributions of atmospheric transports associated with Arctic Oscillation and OHT to the Eurasian Arctic SIC variability are ~19% and ~81%, respectively. Especially, the contribution of decadal atmospheric transports is significantly intensified during 2000–2017.

Abstract The development of stable and efficient ligands is of vital significance to enhance the catalytic performance of carbonylation reactions of alkenes. Herein, an aryldiphosphine ligand (L11) bearing the [Ph2P(ortho-C6H4)]2CH2 skeleton is reported for palladium-catalyzed regioselective carbonylation of alkenes. Compared with the industrially successful Pd/1,2-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)benzene catalyst, catalytic efficiency catalyzed by Pd/L11 on methoxycarbonylation of ethylene is obtained, exhibiting better catalytic performance (TON: >2,390,000; TOF: 100,000 h−1; selectivity: >99%) and stronger oxygen-resistance stability. Moreover, a substrate compatibility (122 examples) including chiral and bioactive alkenes or alcohols is achieved with up to 99% yield and 99% regioselectivity. Experimental and computational investigations show that the appropriate bite angle of aryldiphosphine ligand and the favorable interaction of 1,4-dioxane with Pd/L11 synergistically contribute to high activity and selectivity while the electron deficient phosphines originated from electron delocalization endow L11 with excellent oxygen-resistance stability.

Introduction: G protein-coupled bile acid receptor (TGR5), the first G protein-coupled receptor for bile acids identified, is capable of activating a variety of intracellular signaling pathways after interacting with bile acids. TGR5 plays an important role in multiple physiological processes and is considered to be a potential target for the treatment of various metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Evidence has emerged that genetic deletion of TGR5 results in an increase in basal urine output, suggesting that it may play a critical role in renal water and salt reabsorption. The present study aims to elucidate the effect and mechanism of TGR5 activation on urine concentration. Methods: Mice were treated with TGR5 agonists (LCA and INT-777) for 3 days. The 24-h urine of mice was collected and analyzed for urine biochemical parameters. The mRNA expressions were detected by real-time PCR, and the protein expressions were detected by western blot. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were performed to examine the cellular location of proteins. The cultured primary medullary collecting duct cells were pretreated with H89 (a PKA inhibitor) for 1 h, followed by 12-h treatment of LCA and INT-777. Luciferase reporter assays were used to detect the effect of CREB on the gene transcription of AQPs. Gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to analyze DNA–protein interactions. Results: Treatment of mice with the TGR5 agonist LCA and INT-777 markedly reduced urine output and increased urine osmolality, accompanied by a marked increase in AQP2 and AQP3 protein expression and membrane translocation. In cultured primary medullary collecting duct cells, LCA and INT-777 dose-dependently upregulated AQP2 and AQP3 expression in a cAMP/PKA-dependent manner. Mechanistically, both AQP2 and AQP3 gene promoter contains a putative CREB-binding site, which can be bound and activated by CREB as assessed by both gene promoter-driven luciferase and gel shift assays. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings demonstrate that activation of TGR5 can promote urine concentration by upregulation of AQP2 and AQP3 expression in renal collecting ducts. TGR5 may represent an attractive target for the treatment of patients with urine concentration defect.

Abstract Background Laminin-α5, a major component of the basal lamina, is predominantly synthesized by endothelial and mural cells (pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells) in the CNS. Loss of laminin-α5 in either population fails to induce any abnormalities due to functional redundancy. Thus, the functional significance of laminin-α5 in neurovascular integrity remains unknown. Here, we hypothesize that ablation of laminin-α5 in both endothelial and mural cells increases neurovascular permeability. Methods The compound knockout mice were generated by crossing laminin-α5 floxed mice with Tie2-Cre and PDGFRβ-Cre, which target endothelial cells and mural cells, respectively. Neurovascular permeability in these mutants was determined with both exogenous and endogenous tracers. Endothelial paracellular and transcellular permeability was assessed by examining the expression of tight junction proteins and transcytosis-associated proteins. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to visualize tight junction ultrastructure and endothelial caveolae vesicles. Defects in pericytes and astrocytes were investigated by examining pericyte coverage/contact and astrocyte polarity. Results Elevated neurovascular permeability was observed in the mutants. Subsequent studies found increased Caveolin-1 and decreased major facilitator superfamily domain-containing protein 2a (MFSD2A) expression, but unaltered Claudin-5 or zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) expression. Consistent with these results, mutant mice exhibited increased endothelial caveolae vesicle number with intact tight junction structure under TEM. Additionally, pericyte coverage and contact were also decreased in the mutant mice, while astrocyte polarity was unaffected. Conclusions These results strongly indicate that endothelial and mural cell-derived laminin-α5 actively maintains neurovascular integrity via the transcellular rather than paracellular mechanism.

Abstract Background Chinese National Essential Public Health Service Package (NEPHSP) has mandated primary health care providers to provide falls prevention for community-dwelling older people. But no implementation framework is available to guide better integration of falls prevention for older people within the primary health care system. Methods This is a two-stage online participatory design study consisting of eight workshops with stakeholders from three purposively selected cities. First, two workshops were organised at each study site to jointly develop the framework prototype. Second, to refine, optimise and finalise the prototype via two workshops with all study participants. Data analysis and synthesis occurred concurrently with data collection, supported by Tencent Cloud Meeting software. Results All participants confirmed that the integration of falls prevention for older people within the NEPHSP was weak and reached a consensus on five opportunities to better integrate falls prevention, including workforce training, community health promotion, health check-ups, health education and scheduled follow-up, during the delivery of NEPHSP. Three regional-tailored prototypes were then jointly developed and further synthesised into a generic implementation framework by researchers and end-users. Guided by this framework, 11 implementation strategies were co-developed under five themes. Conclusions The current integration of falls prevention in the NEPHSP is weak. Five opportunities for integrating falls prevention in the NEPHSP and a five-themed implementation framework with strategies are co-identified and developed, using a participatory design approach. These findings may also provide other regions or countries, facing similar challenges, with insights for promoting falls prevention for older people.

Abstract Background Vitamin D deficiency and systemic inflammation share common pathological mechanisms in muscle loss, cardio-pulmonary function decline, and abnormal metabolism, which are linked to chronic conditions, senescence, and early mortality. However, their combined effect on mortality in older adults has not been well established. This study longitudinal aimed to explore the independent and combined associations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) with mortality risk in Chinese community-based older people. Methods 3072 older adults (86.07 ± 11.87 years, 54.52% female) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2012–2018) were enrolled. Baseline 25(OH)D and hs-CRP levels were collected, and survival information was recorded in the 2014 and 2018 follow-up waves. Cox proportional hazard regressions were conducted to explore the associations between 25(OH)D, hs-CRP, and mortality. Demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and chronic disease biomarkers were adjusted. Results During 10,622.3 person-years of follow-up (median: 3.51 years), 1321 older adults died, including 448 deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Increased mortality risk was associated with lower 25(OH)D and higher hs-CRP quantiles, even after adjusting for each other and multiple covariates (all P-trend 0). Conclusions Low 25(OH)D and high hs-CRP, both independently and jointly, increase mortality risk in Chinese community-dwelling older adults. Thus, priority should be given to early detection and appropriate intervention in older individuals with combined vitamin D deficiency and systemic inflammation. Molecular mechanisms of related adverse health effect are worthy of further investigation.

The risk factors of severe infections in children during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak in Beijing remain elusive. SARS-CoV-2-positive children admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with collected plasma specimens were enrolled and screened for common pathogens using capillary electrophoresis-based multiplex PCR from December 12, 2022, to January 24, 2023. The SARS-CoV-2 sub-variants were identified using next-generation sequencing. Plasma was positive for two (positive; P), one (suspicious; S), or no (negative; N) SARS-CoV-2 genes were classified as plasmatic RNA-positive (RNAemia; P + S) or without RNAemia (N). Clinical and laboratory data of the enrolled cases were then collected and analyzed. The 34 enrolled children included 26 males and 24 younger than three years. All were negative for other respiratory pathogens. BF.7.14 (18/29) was the predominant subvariant. Viral loads in respiratory specimens, hours from symptom onset to the first respiratory specimen collection (time-variable), with comorbidities and BF.7.14 and BA.5.2 distributions were significantly different in P vs. N and RNAemia vs. without RNAemia group. Among most cases, the T lymphocyte ratios decreased, while the cytokine level and the B lymphocyte ratio increased. The time variables were 2.22 ± 2.05 and 4.00 ± 2.49 days in BF.7.14 and BA.5.2 infections, respectively. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 was more likely to cause severe infections among males aged ≤ 3 years old with comorbidities during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Beijing, while RNAemia is more common in children at the early stage of severe BF.7.14 infections, and most had high cytokine levels and B-cell activation.

Abstract Early and accurate diagnosis of ear deformities in newborns is crucial for an effective non-surgical correction treatment, since this commonly seen ear anomalies would affect aesthetics and cause mental problems if untreated. It is not easy even for experienced physicians to diagnose the auricular deformities of newborns and the classification of the sub-types, because of the rich bio-metric features embedded in the ear shape. Machine learning has already been introduced to analyze the auricular shape. However, there is little publicly available datasets of ear images from newborns. We released a dataset that contains quality-controlled photos of 3,852 ears from 1,926 newborns. The dataset also contains medical diagnosis of the ear shape, and the health data of each newborn and its mother. Our aim is to provide a freely accessible dataset, which would facilitate researches related with ear anatomies, such as the AI-aided detection and classification of auricular deformities and medical risk analysis.

Abstract Background Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a frequent complication following hip arthroplasty. There still has been a lack of studies analyzing the perioperative risk factors of DVT following hip arthroplasty via direct anterior approach (DAA). Methods Patients who underwent unilateral primary hip arthroplasty via DAA in our hospital from August 2015 to January 2022 were included. Patients’ data, including demographic data, clinical features, past medical history, operative data, and laboratory data, were analyzed and compared between patients with and without DVT. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the best cutoff value of continuous variables with statistical significance. Result A total of 651 patients were included. The incidence of DVT before and after hip arthroplasty was 12.7% and 6.7%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age ≥ 65 years (OR 4.594, 95% CI 1.994–10.587), women (OR 2.331, 95% CI 1.285–4.227), and cerebral infarction (OR 1.984, 95% CI 1.138–3.460) were independent risk factors for preoperative DVT. And age ≥ 65 years (OR 4.859, 95% CI 1.062–22.226), tumor (OR 3.622, 95% CI 1.108–11.841), and preoperative D-dimer (OR 1.040, 95% CI 1.004–1.078) were risk factors for postoperative DVT. The ROC curve analysis showed that the best cutoff value of preoperative D-dimer for the diagnosis of postoperative DVT is 1.44 mg/L. Conclusions The incidence of DVT in patients undergoing DAA hip arthroplasty was low and the occurrence of DVT before and after unilateral primary hip arthroplasty performed through DAA was related to multiple factors.

Extracts of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant leaves contain a mixture of diterpene glycosides which possess high sweetness and are used as non-caloric sweeteners in foods and beverages. One of the most abundant of these steviol glycosides is Rebaudioside C (Reb C), which bears one esterified β-D-glucose and one glycosidically linked α-L-rhamnosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-glucosyl-(1→4)]-D-glucose trisaccharide. In this work, we isolated Reb C from commercial Stevia extracts using an orthogonal normal-phase × reversed-phase purification strategy. We then demonstrated that Reb C could be used as a donor substrate for enzymatic trans glycosylation reactions using chemically synthesized 1-deoxy-1-fluoro-D-glucose and 1-deoxy-1-fluoro-D-galactose donors and two engineered glycosynthases derived from Agrobacterium and Streptomyces β-glycosidases. This chemoenzymatic glucosylation/galactosylation strategy may be of use to extend the current repertoire of steviol glycosides analogues for analysis or the sensory evaluation of these novel steviol glycosides.

Abstract Background Fine motor skills are closely related to cognitive function. However, there is currently no comprehensive assessment of fine motor movement and how it corresponds with cognitive function. To conduct a complete assessment of fine motor and clarify the relationship between various dimensions of fine motor and cognitive function. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 267 community-based participants aged ≥ 60 years in Beijing, China. We assessed four tests performance and gathered detailed fine motor indicators using Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) motion capture technology. The wearable MEMS device provided us with precise fine motion metrics, while Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess cognitive function. We adopted logistic regression to analyze the relationship between fine motor movement and cognitive function. Results 129 (48.3%) of the participants had cognitive impairment. The vast majority of fine motor movements have independent linear correlations with MoCA-BJ scores. According to logistic regression analysis, completion time in the Same-pattern tapping test (OR = 1.033, 95%CI = 1.003–1.063), Completion time of non-dominant hand in the Pieces flipping test (OR = 1.006, 95%CI = 1.000-1.011), and trajectory distance of dominant hand in the Pegboard test (OR = 1.044, 95%CI = 1.010–1.068), which represents dexterity, are related to cognitive impairment. Coordination, represented by lag time between hands in the Same-pattern tapping (OR = 1.663, 95%CI = 1.131–2.444), is correlated with cognitive impairment. Coverage in the Dual-hand drawing test as an important indicator of stability is negatively correlated with cognitive function (OR = 0.709, 95%CI = 0.6501–0.959). Based on the above 5-feature model showed consistently high accuracy and sensitivity at the MoCA-BJ score (ACU = 0.80–0.87). Conclusions The results of a comprehensive fine-motor assessment that integrates dexterity, coordination, and stability are closely related to cognitive functioning. Fine motor movement has the potential to be a reliable predictor of cognitive impairment.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is currently a promising therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, clinical studies have shown that there is an obvious individual difference in the efficacy of FMT. Therefore, it is a pressing issue to identify the factors that influence the efficacy of FMT and find ways to screen the most suitable patients for this therapy. In this work, we targeted the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), a DNA-sensing protein that regulates host-defense. By comparing the differential efficacy of FMT in mice with different expression level of STING, it is revealed that FMT therapy provides treatment for DSS-induced colitis in a STING-dependent manner. Mechanistically, FMT exerts a regulatory effect on the differentiation of intestinal Th17 cells and macrophages, splenic Th1 and Th2 cells, as well as Th1 cells of the mesenteric lymph nodes via STING, down-regulating the colonic M1/M2 and splenic Th1/Th2 cell ratios, thereby improving the imbalanced immune homeostasis in the inflamed intestine. Meanwhile, based on the 16SrDNA sequencing of mice fecal samples, STING was found to facilitate the donor strain colonization in recipients’ gut, mainly Lactobacillales, thereby reshaping the gut microbiota disturbed by colitis. Consequently, we proposed that STING, as a key target of FMT therapy, is potentially a biomarker for screening the most suitable individuals for FMT to optimize treatment regimens and enhance clinical benefit.

Mining latent information from human trajectories for understanding our cities has been persistent endeavors in urban studies and spatial information science. Many previous studies relied on manually crafted features and followed a supervised learning pipeline for a particular task, e.g. land use classification. However, such methods often overlook some types of latent information and the commonalities between varying urban sensing tasks, making the features engineered for one specific task sometimes not useful in other tasks. To tackle the limitations, we propose a multi-view trajectory embedding (MTE) approach to learn the features of urban regions (region representations) in an unsupervised manner, which does not rely on a specific task and thus can be generalized to varying urban sensing tasks. Specifically, MTE incorporates three salient information views carried by human trajectories, i.e. transition, spatial, and temporal views. We utilize skip-gram to model human transition patterns exhibited from massive amounts of human trajectories, where long-range dependency is meaningful. Subsequently, we leverage unsupervised graph representation learning to model spatial adjacency and temporal pattern similarities, where short-range dependency is favorable. We perform extensive experiments on three downstream tasks, i.e. land use classification, population density estimation, and house price prediction. The results indicate that MTE considerably outperforms a series of competitive baselines in all three tasks, and different information views have varying levels of effectiveness in particular downstream tasks, e.g. the temporal view is more effective than the spatial view in land use classification, while it is the opposite in house price prediction.

Background Currently, several studies have explored the association between the modified creatinine index (mCI) and prognosis in patients on hemodialysis (HD). However, some of their results are contradictory. Therefore, this study was conducted to comprehensively assess the role of mCI in predicting prognosis in HD patients through meta-analysis.Methods We searched and screened literature from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases from their establishment until March 2024. Relevant data were extracted. The statistical analysis was performed using Stata 15.0, RevMan 5.4, and Meta DiSc 1.4 software.Results The results showed a positive association between mCI and nutritional status in HD patients (BMI r = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.1–0.28, p = .000; albumin r = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.33–0.39, p = .000; normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) r = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.13–0.38, p = .000). In addition, mCI in deceased HD patients was significantly lower than that in HD survivors (SMD = −0.94, 95% CI: −1.46 to −0.42, p = .000). A low mCI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death in HD patients (HR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.57–2.42, p = .000). In addition, a low mCI was significantly associated with decreased overall survival (OS) in HD patients (HR = 3.01, 95% CI: 2.44–3.70, p = .000). mCI showed moderate diagnostic accuracy for sarcopenia in both male and female HD patients (male AUC = 0.7891; female AUC = 0.759).Conclusions The mCI can be used as a prognostic marker for HD patients, and monitoring mCI may help to optimize the management of HD and improve overall prognosis in patients.

AbstractIt has been reported that CDK8 plays a key role in acute myeloid leukaemia. Here, a total of 40 compounds were rational designed and synthesised based on the previous SAR. Among them, compound 12 (3-(3-(furan-3-yl)-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yl)benzamide) showed the most potent inhibiting activity against CDK8 with an IC50 value of 39.2 ± 6.3 nM and anti AML cell proliferation activity (molm-13 GC50 = 0.02 ± 0.01 μM, MV4-11 GC50 = 0.03 ± 0.01 μM). Mechanistic studies revealed that this compound 12 could inhibit the phosphorylation of STAT-1 and STAT-5. Importantly, compound 12 showed relative good bioavailability (F = 38.80%) and low toxicity in vivo. This study has great significance for the discovery of more efficient CDK8 inhibitors and the development of drugs for treating AML in the future.

ABSTRACTMissing person crimes can seriously affect the well-being of Chinese families, and missing person destination prediction can help to solve this problem. Using nongovernmental organization (NGO) data to predict the locations of missing persons by random forest (RF) model has made progress. However, studies using these data have ignored the mass of oral information. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of oral information in detecting missing persons, but the impact on destination prediction remains unexplored. Therefore, this study proposes a missing person prediction (MP-Net) framework to incorporate oral information into missing person destination prediction and quantitatively describe the effect of different word properties on the prediction. The results show that compared to the baseline RF model, the proposed framework achieves a higher recall rate (87.18%) in the location prediction of missing persons. According to a quantitative word analysis, verbs and nouns in oral information significantly contributed to location prediction. After adjectives that might cause adverse effects were removed, the stability of the model was improved considerably. Overall, the findings of the proposed model and quantitative word analysis can help police or NGOs collect descriptive information in a targeted manner and make more accurate predictions about the whereabouts of missing persons.

The present study examined the effect of language background and topic on productive formulaic competence. Guided by usage-based theory of language learning, this study used a distribution-based approach to the examination of the native-likeness of formulaic usage in English timed argumentative writing. Six indices informed by a large-scale native corpus were chosen to gauge the frequency and association strength of bigrams and trigrams in a total of 778 English timed independent argumentative essays on two topics by 100 native speaker writers, 210 English as a foreign language (EFL) writers and 79 English as a second language (ESL) writers in Asia. Results of a series of linear mixed-effects regression analyses showed that, while EFL writers scored lower on most of the indices than both NS writers and ESL writers, ESL writers did not differ much from NS writers in their use of n-grams across topics. Meanwhile, the topic that was deemed more cognitively demanding and of a stronger technical nature elicited more native-like performance in bigram and trigram use across all three language groups. Findings of the study highlight the important effect of input on the development of formulaic competence in a second language, offer empirical support to the use of cognitively complex topics in second language writing practice, and carry important implications for L2 writing pedagogy.

Platinum silicide (PtSi) presents a promising superconductor for achieving silicon-based Josephson field-effect transistors (JoFETs). In a viable process flow to realize self-aligned PtSi formation, thermal oxidation at 600 °C is required to form a protective oxide layer on the surface of the as-formed PtSi selectively against Pt to facilitate subsequent selective etch in aqua regia. However, sub-10 nm PtSi films tend to agglomerate and even break into discrete PtSi islands upon thermal treatments above 500 °C. To achieve nanoscale JoFETs, we have developed a simple alternative with chemical oxidation at room temperature leading to the formation of homogeneous sub-5 nm PtSi films. The critical temperature of the resultant superconducting PtSi films is found to increase from 0.66 to 0.90 K when the PtSi thickness is raised from 3.1 to 12.7 nm, while, concurrently, the PtSi grains grow larger in thicker films. The critical temperature also increases from 0.53 to 0.66 K for the 3.1 nm PtSi film when the formation temperature is raised from 400 to 500 °C.

Background Colletotrichum species are among the most common pathogens in agriculture and forestry, and their control is urgently needed. Methods In this study, a total of 68 strains of biocontrol bacteria were isolated and identified from Photinia × fraseri rhizosphere soil. Results The isolates were identified as Brevibacillus brevis by 16S rRNA. The inhibitory effect of TR-4 on Colletotrichum was confirmed by an in vitro antagonistic experiment. The inhibitory effect of TR-4 was 98% at a concentration of 10 µl/ml bacterial solution, protection of the plant and inhibition of C. siamense was evident. Moreover, the secretion of cellulase and chitosan enzymes in the TR-4 fermentation liquid cultured for three days was 9.07 mol/L and 2.15 µl/mol, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that TR-4 destroyed the cell wall of C. siamense, resulting in leakage of the cell contents, thus weakening the pathogenicity of the bacteria.

Currently, the drugs used in clinical to treat psoriasis mainly broadly suppress cellular immunity. However, these drugs can only provide temporary and partial symptom relief, they do not cure the condition and may lead to recurrence or even serious toxic side effects. In this study, we describe the discovery of a novel potent CDK8 inhibitor as a treatment for psoriasis. Through structure-based design, compound 46 was identified as the most promising candidate, exhibiting a strong inhibitory effect on CDK8 (IC50 value of 57 nM) along with favourable inhibition against NF-κB. Additionally, it demonstrated a positive effect in an in vitro psoriasis model induced by TNF-α. Furthermore, this compound enhanced the thermal stability of CDK8 and exerted evident effects on the biological function of CDK8, and it had favourable selectivity across the CDK family and tyrosine kinase. This compound showed no obvious inhibitory effect on CYP450 enzyme. Further studies confirmed that compound 46 exhibited therapeutic effect on IMQ-induced psoriasis, alleviated the inflammatory response in mice, and enhanced the expression of Foxp3 and IL-10 in the dorsal skin in vivo. This discovery provides a new strategy for developing selective CDK8 inhibitors with anti-inflammatory activity for the treatment of psoriasis.

Ecosystems and agroecosystems strongly influences the global warming by nitrogen oxide (N2O) emission. In a recent climate change scenario, nitrogen and carbon sequestration is obligatory under different land-use patterns. However, soil nitrogen elements and carbon content in the recover process of degraded environmental conditions on the Dingxi Loess Plateau has not been clearly understood. Thus, in this current study, we selected four representative land use patterns, including picea asperata (PA), which is based on forest land; Medicago sativa (MS), which is based on grassland; abandoned bare land (AL), which is based on abandoned land; and wheat field (WF), which is based on farmland, to study soil quality indicators and N2O greenhouse gas and relationships amongst environmental factors and N2O flux. Our results depicted that PA and MS significantly increased organic carbon (SOC), total phosphorous (TP), gravimetric water content (SWC), soil bulk density (BD), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) whist decreased soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) content and soil pH value over AL land-use pattern. However, WF land-use pattern showed reduced trend of above mention studied parameters than AL. Additionally, compared to AL, PA and MS significantly reduced the total soil N2O emissions, with reductions of 24.91% and 14.77% in 2021 and 29.08% and 17.53% in 2022, respectively. The WF significantly increased the total N2O emissions, increasing by 53.18% and 40.37% in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Moreover, environmental variables for instance aerial temperature, precipitation had significant correlation with soil N2O based on linear regression analysis, soil NO3--N and soil temperature had significant positive correlation with soil N2O flux while NH4+-N, BD, and SWC were negatively correlated with N2O flux. The Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM) indicates that soil temperature and soil moisture was the dominant factor for controlling soil N2O emissions followed by soil nutrients and land use patterns. Accordingly, in the context of vegetation restoration process of the study area, the proportion of forest land and grassland should be increase to cope with future climate change scenario. This research result can provide theoretical basis and technical support for scientific understanding and evaluation of soil N2O emission mechanisms and nitrogen sink functions under different land-use patterns in semi-arid region of China.

To clarify the mechanism of lower temperatures promoted the solidification of preserved egg yolk, the effects of temperature (4 °C, 10 °C and 25 °C) on the physicochemical properties, microstructure and protein structure of preserved egg yolk were studied. Results showed that the exterior egg yolk (EEY) exhibited higher pH, hardness and free sulfhydryl content at low-temperature pickling. The microstructure showed that the EEY gradually formed a denser gel network structure at lower temperatures. Electrophoresis results and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that there were different degrees of protein degradation and cross-linking of proteins in the IEY (the interior egg yolk) and EEY and the decrease of β-sheets in the secondary structure was accompanied by an increase of β-turns during the formation of egg yolk gels. These results indicated that egg yolk solidification was faster and denser gel structure at 4 °C and 10 °C.

Background: This paper aims to analyse the active components of Semen cuscutae (SC) by network pharmacology and screen the most stable compounds with tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) by molecular docking to explore the mechanisms of SC treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) and provide a theoretical basis for drug development.Methods: The active compounds of SC and the potential inflammatory targets of RSA were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and GeneCards, respectively. The RSA-SC target gene interaction network was obtained and visualized using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were obtained from DAVID to further explore the RSA mechanism and therapeutic effects of SC. Interactions between TNF-α and drugs were analysed by molecular docking. Treatment of human trophoblast cells with sesamin and TNF-α was carried out to detect their proliferative and apoptotic abilities, and WB assay was carried out to detect EGFR, PTGS2, and CASP3 protein expression.Results: Ten compounds and 128 target genes were screened from SC, of which 79 overlapped with RSA target inflammatory genes, which were considered potential therapeutic targets. Network pharmacological analysis showed that sesamin, matrine, matrol, and other SC compounds had a good correlation with the inflammatory target genes of RSA. Related genes included PGR, PTGS1, PTGS2, TGFB1, and CHRNA7. Several signalling pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of RSA, such as the TNF-α signalling pathway, HIF-1 signalling pathway, oestrogen signalling pathway, proteoglycans in cancer cells, and FoxO signalling pathway. Molecular docking results suggested that sesamin was the most suitable natural tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi). Sesamin can promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in human trophoblasts by downregulating EGFR and CASP3 expression and upregulating PTGS2 expression.Conclusion: Our findings play an important role and basis for further research into the molecular mechanism of SC treatment of RSA and drug development of TNFi.

Abstract Ginseng rusty root symptoms (GRS) is a primary disease of ginseng, which seriously decreases the yield and quality of ginseng and causes enormous losses to ginseng production. GRS prevention and control is still challenging due to its unclear etiology. In this study, the phloem tissue of healthy Panax ginseng (AG), the nonred tissue of the phloem epidermis around the lesion (BG), and the red lesion site tissue of GRS (CG) were extracted for mRNA transcriptomic analysis; 35,958 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and were associated with multiple stress resistance pathways, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and iron ion binding. Further study showed that the contents of O2•‐, H2O2, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly increased in BG and CG tissues. Under anaerobic conditions caused by excessive soil moisture, the overproduction of ROS destroys cell membranes, simultaneously converting Fe2+ to Fe3+ and depositing it in the cell wall, which results in GRS, as evidenced by the success of the GRS induction test.

Urban land use patterns can be more accurately mapped by fusing multimodal data. However, many studies only consider socioeconomic and physical attributes within land parcels, neglecting spatial interaction and uncertainty caused by multimodal data. To address these issues, we constructed a multimodal data fusion model (MDFNet) to extract natural physical, socioeconomic, and spatial connectivity ancillary information from multimodal data. We also established an uncertainty analysis framework based on a generalized additive model and learnable weight module to explain data-driven uncertainty. Shenzhen was chosen as the demonstration area. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method, with a test accuracy of 0.882 and a Kappa of 0.858. Uncertainty analysis indicated the contributions in overall task of 0.361, 0.308, and 0.232 for remote sensing, social sensing, and taxi trajectory data, respectively. The study also illuminates the collaborative mechanism of multimodal data in various land use categories, offering an accurate and interpretable method for mapping urban distribution patterns.

BackgroundThe European League of Rheumatology(EULAR)guidelines recommend Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors for patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are insensitive or under-responsive to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). But there was no recommendation for which one was preferred in five currently approved JAK inhibitors. The objective of this network meta-analysis study was to evaluate the efficacy of five JAK inhibitors as monotherapy and combination therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis.MethodsThe randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of tofacitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib, filgotinib and peficitinib as monotherapy or combined with csDMARD in the treatment of active RA were searched in database of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, up to December 2023. The control group included placebo or csDMARD. Outcome indicators included American College of Rheumatology 20% response (ACR20), ACR50, ACR70 and the percentage of patients achieving 28-joint disease activity score using C-reactive protein (DAS28(CRP))