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BackgroundGlycolysis dysfunction is an important pathogenesis of podocyte injury in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Foot process fusion of podocytes and increased albuminuria are markers of early DKD. Moreover, cytoskeletal remodeling has been found to be involved in the foot process fusion of podocytes. However, the connections between cytoskeletal remodeling and alterations of glycolysis in podocytes in DKD have not been clarified.MethodsmRNA sequencing of glomeruli obtained from db/db and db/m mice with albuminuria was performed to analyze the expression profiling of genes in glucose metabolism. Expressions of phosphofructokinase platelet type (PFKP) in the glomeruli of DKD patients were detected. Clotrimazole (CTZ) was used to explore the renal effects of PFKP inhibition in diabetic mice. Using Pfkp siRNA or recombinant plasmid to manipulate PFKP expression, the effects of PFKP on high glucose (HG) induced podocyte damage were assessed in vitro. The levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) were measured. Targeted metabolomics was performed to observe the alterations of the metabolites in glucose metabolism after HG stimulation. Furthermore, aldolase type b (Aldob) siRNA or recombinant plasmid were applied to evaluate the influence of FBP level alteration on podocytes. FBP was directly added to podocyte culture media. Db/db mice were treated with FBP to investigate its effects on their kidney.ResultsmRNA sequencing showed that glycolysis enzyme genes were altered, characterized by upregulation of upstream genes (Hk1, and Pfkp) and down-regulation of downstream genes of glycolysis (Pkm, and Ldha). Moreover, the expression of PFKP was increased in glomeruli of DKD patients. The CTZ group presented more severe renal damage. In vitro, the Pfkp siRNA group and ALDOB overexpression group showed much more induced cytoskeletal remodeling in podocytes, while overexpression of PFKP and suppression of ALDOB in vitro rescued podocytes from cytoskeletal remodeling through regulation of FBP levels and inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway. Furthermore, targeted metabolomics showed FBP level was significantly increased in HG group compared with the control group. Exogenous FBP addition reduced podocyte cytoskeletal remodeling and renal damage of db/db mice.ConclusionsThese findings provide evidence that PFKP may be a potential target for podocyte injury in DN and provide a rationale for applying podocyte glycolysis enhancing agents in patients with DKD.

The research on emergency response systems usually only considers the role of professional rescuers in emergency rescue or the activities taken by the victims in the process of self-rescue, and the joint research of the victims and rescuers in the same environment is relatively few. Multiagent modeling technology is a promising tool for simulating natural disaster emergency response systems. Based on the background of the earthquake rescue operation, this paper studies the related contents of the cooperative emergency response system of disaster victims and rescuers by using the modeling and simulation method of the multiagent. On the premise of making full use of the victims’ ability to obtain information and move, it is proposed that the rescuers and the victims move together to the cluster point to complete the treatment to reduce the time wasted by the rescuers moving among the victims. This paper simulates different degrees of disaster through many experiments and simulates the influence of the relative speed of victims and rescuers by changing the moving speed of victims. It can be found that when there are many disaster victims, the collective rescue operation can reduce the overall emergency response time; when the movement speed of the victims is lower than that of the rescuers, the effect of the clustered rescue is similar to that of the victims waiting for rescue. When the movement speed of the victims is similar to that of the rescuers, the clustered emergency response is better than that of the victims waiting.

In order to investigate the microscopic response mechanism of limestone deterioration under alternating water-rock action in the acidic environment, the porosity, water absorption, mass loss characteristic, and microcrack propagation characteristic were analyzed by laboratory wetting-drying cyclic tests. The results show that, with increasing the number of cycles, the porosity, water absorption, and mass deterioration of the limestone specimens showed an overall increasing trend; moreover, at the beginning of the cycles, the physical deterioration of the specimen was significantly affected by the wetting-drying cycles, and at the end of the cycles, the physical deterioration of the specimen tended to be stable. The porosity deterioration degree reached 30.324% at the beginning of the cycles; there is a slight fluctuation in 20 cycles and then decreases as the number of cycles increases. The growth rate of water absorption increases slowly in 5~15 cycles and reaches the peak value in 20 cycles, and the growth rate decreases rapidly in the latter stages of the cycles. The increase rate of mass deterioration degree decreases with the increase of cycle number, the maximum average value can reach 61.887% at the beginning of cycles and is relatively stable at 20~25 cycles, and the average value at the end of cycle is obviously reduced by 3.167%. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test shows that the number and size of pores in the rock gradually increase with the increase of the number of wetting-drying cycles, and the wetting-drying cycles aggravate the internal damage of the rock. The number of shear cracks and fragmentation of the specimens increase as the increase of the number of cycles, and the failure of the specimens is mainly in the form of shear damage in the uniaxial compression test.

Aiming at the problems of eutrophication of water bodies and the shortage of phosphorus resources, the struvite method for treating high-concentration nitrogen and phosphorus-containing wastewater has been widely used because of its high efficiency and low consumption. This paper summarizes the research progress on the treatment efficiency, influencing factors and stability of high concentration nitrogen and phosphorus mixed wastewater in recent years, and on this basis, the feasibility and development prospect of MAP method in the treatment of high concentration nitrogen and phosphorus wastewater are proposed.

The human tibiofibular complex has undergone a long evolutionary process, giving its structure a high bearing-capacity. The distinct tibiofibular shape can be used in engineering to acquire excellent mechanical properties. In this paper, four types of bionic tubes were designed by extracting the dimensions of different cross-sections of human tibia–fibula. They had the same outer profiles, but different inner shapes. The concept of specific stiffness was introduced to evaluate the mechanical properties of the four tubes. Finite-element simulations and physical bending-tests using a universal testing machine were conducted, to compare their mechanical properties. The simulations showed that the type 2 bionic tube, i.e., the one closest to the human counterpart, obtained the largest specific-stiffness (ε = 6.46 × 104), followed by the type 4 (ε = 6.40 × 104) and the type 1 (ε = 6.39 × 104). The type 3 had the largest mass but the least stiffness (ε = 6.07 × 104). The specific stiffness of the type 2 bionic tube increased by approximately 25.8%, compared with that of the type 3. The physical tests depicted similar findings. This demonstrates that the bionic tube inspired by the human tibiofibular shape has excellent effectiveness and bending properties, and could be used in the fields of healthcare engineering, such as robotics and prosthetics.

Abstract A well-established method for treating cancerous tumors is magnetic hyperthermia, which uses localized heat generated by the relaxation mechanism of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in a high-frequency alternating magnetic field. In this work, we investigate the heating efficiency of cylindrical NiFe MNPs, fabricated by template-assisted pulsed electrodeposition combined with differential chemical etching. The cylindrical geometry of the MNP enables the formation of the triple vortex state, which increases the heat generation efficiency by four times. Using time-dependent calorimetric measurements, the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the MNPs was determined and compared with the numerical calculations from micromagnetic simulations and vibrating sample magnetometer measurements. The magnetization reversal of high aspect ratios MNPs showed higher remanent magnetization and low-field susceptibility leading to higher hysteresis losses, which was reflected in higher experimental and theoretical SAR values. The SAR dependence on magnetic field strength exhibited small SAR values at low magnetic fields and saturates at high magnetic fields, which is correlated to the coercive field of the MNPs and a characteristic feature of ferromagnetic MNPs. The optimization of cylindrical NiFe MNPs will play a pivotal role in producing high heating performance and biocompatible magnetic hyperthermia agents.

Abstract Background Information pertaining to nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal over successive years can help to better our understanding of how birds respond to nest predation. Methods By using mist nets and tracking the color banded individuals, we investigated nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal by Common Tailorbirds (Orthotomus sutorius) throughout a year and between successive years in 2017–2018. Results The present study showed that Common Tailorbirds could produce up to four clutches per breeding season. When multiple broods were produced within a year, breeding pairs remained together, and the nest rebuilding rate was up to 92.2%, with only four cases (7.8%) in which birds reused their old nests. The dispersal distance between the nests during multiple breeding was found to be 10.0 ± 10.5 m, and nest-site fidelity within the same year was 90.0%. By the second year of breeding, 76.2% of individuals remained in the original breeding pairs, while for those that did switch partners, the females remained in the nest from the previous year and paired with new males. The dispersal distance between years was 26.5 ± 41.9 m, and nest-site fidelity between different years was 80.1%. There was no significant difference between within-year and between-year dispersal distances. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the dispersal distance of rebuilt nests between birds that had experienced nest predation and those that had not. Conclusions Our findings suggest that Common Tailorbirds maintain a high degree of fidelity to mates and nest-sites, and nest predation had no significant effect on territorial changes or breeding dispersal distance between each breeding attempt.

Magnesium based laminates have been successfully prepared by various methods. Their microstructure and mechanical properties have also been fully discussed. However, there are few reports on their formability which is essential to further manufacture and application of laminates. In this paper, hot-rolled Al/Mg/Al laminates were used to conduct deep drawing at various temperatures, and microstructure evolution of three typical regions including bottom, corner and wall taken from the drawn cylindrical part with the largest limit drawing ratio (LDR) was also investigated. No delamination is observed in deep drawing. The value of LDR grows with increasing forming temperature, reaching a peak value of 3.1 at 200 °C, which is higher than that of as-rolled Mg or Al sheet, although there exists brittle intermetallics at Mg/Al interface. The reason is that varying degrees of fracture in intermetallic layers helps to release stored energy and facilitate coordinated deformation. At corner region of cylindrical part drawn at 200 °C, fragment is observed in intermetallics. For cylindrical part drawn at 200 °C, Mg layer at bottom, corner and wall regions all exhibit basal texture, but c-axes of Mg grains gradually change orientation from tilting toward the RD to tilting toward the TD. The increasing extent of DRX greatly refine the Mg grains and weaken the basal texture. Continuous recrystallization changes the texture of Al layer. The corner region shows a random texture with the lowest intensity of 4.14, and the bottom and wall regions both exhibit cubic texture. Keywords: Al/Mg/Al laminates, Deep drawing, LDR, Texture, DRX

The emergence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infections is a major global public health threat. Rapid and accurate detection of pathogenic bacteria is essential to optimize treatment and timely avoid further transmission of these bacteria. Here, we aimed to develop a rapid on site visualization detection method for CPE using improved recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow strip (LFS) method, based on four most popular carbapenemase genes: blaKPC, blaNDM, blaOXA-48-like, and blaIMP. All available allelic variants of the above carbapenemases were downloaded from the β-lactamase database, and the conserved regions were used as targets for RPA assay. Five primer sets were designed targeting to each carbapenemase gene and the RPA amplification products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. FITC-labeled specific probes were selected, combined with the best performance primer set (Biotin-labeled on the reverse primer), and detected by RPA-LFS. Mismatches were made to exclude the false positive signals interference. This assay was evaluated in 207 clinically validated carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) isolates and made a comparison with conventional PCR. Results showed that the established RPA-LFS assay for CPE could be realized within 30 min at a constant temperature of 37°C and visually detected amplification products without the need for special equipment. This assay could specifically differentiate the four classes of carbapenemases without cross-reactivity and shared a minimum detection limit of 100 fg/reaction (for blaKPC, blaNDM, and blaOXA-48-like) or 1000 fg/reaction (for blaIMP), which is ten times more sensitive than PCR. Furthermore, the detection of 207 pre-validated clinically CRE strains using the RPA-LFS method resulted in 134 blaKPC, 69 blaNDM, 3 blaOXA-48-like, and 1 blaIMP. The results of the RPA-LFS assay were in consistent with PCR, indicating that this method shared high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, the RPA-LFS method for CPE may be a simple, specific, and sensitive method for the rapid diagnosis of carbapenemase Enterobacterales.

Background: Older adult quality of life (QoL) is facing huge challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. New normal lifestyle behaviors, including getting adequate physical activity (PA), consuming sufficient fruits and vegetables (FV) and enacting individual preventive behaviors (frequent hand washing, facemask wearing, and social distancing), as a significant determinant for QoL, have not been adequately addressed in older adults during the pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of QoL in Chinese older adults after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei China. The objective of the study was to examine any associations of lifestyle behaviors with QoL, and to identify the moderating role of socioeconomic indicators in the associations identified.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hubei, China, from June 15, 2020, to July 10, 2020. Five hundred sixteen older adults completed an online survey (mean age = 67.6 ± 6.6; 57.9% women). The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, covariates (chronic diseases and infected cases of acquaintances), lifestyle behaviors [PA stage, FV intake (FVI) stage and three preventive behaviors], and QoL. T-tests, ANOVA tests, multiple linear regression models with simple slope analyses were used to test the hypotheses.Results: QoL significantly differed in relation to economic situation, chronic diseases, marital status, education, living situation, age group, and professional status. Participants' economic situation (βaverage vs. below average = 0.17, p < 0.01; βabove average vs. below average = 0.15, p < 0.01), chronic diseases (βyes vs. no = 0.19, p < 0.001), FVI stage (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), and preventive behaviors (β = 0.10, p < 0.05) indicated a significant association with QoL. Education level and economic situation significantly interacted with preventive behaviors on QoL, respectively (βpreventive behaviors × educational level = −1.3, p < 0.01; βpreventive behaviors × economic situation = −0.97, p < 0.05).Conclusions: Findings emphasize the importance of enhancing FVI and preventive behaviors on QoL improvement in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults who are in a lower economic situation with lower education levels should be given priority when implementing interventions to improve preventive behaviors and QoL in older adults.

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) activities during the COVID-19 pandemic have been curtailed in many countries. The impact of various policies restricting LT on outcomes of potential LT candidates is unclear. Methods: We studied all patients on the nationwide LT waitlists in Hong Kong and Singapore between January 2016 and May 2020. We used continuous time Markov chains to model the effects of different scenarios and varying durations of disruption on LT candidates. Findings: With complete cessation of LT, the projected 1-year overall survival (OS) decreased by 3•6%, 10•51% and 19•21% for a 1-, 3- and 6-month disruption respectively versus no limitation to LT, while 2-year OS decreased by 4•1%, 12•55%, and 23•43% respectively. When only urgent (acute-on-chronic liver failure [ACLF] or acute liver failure) LT was allowed, the projected 1-year OS decreased by a similar proportion: 3•1%, 8•41% and 15•20% respectively. When deceased donor LT (DDLT) and urgent living donor LT (LDLT) were allowed, 1-year projected OS decreased by 1•2%, 5•1% and 8•85% for a 1-, 3- and 6-month disruption respectively. OS was similar when only DDLT was allowed. Complete cessation of LT activities for 3-months resulted in an increased projected incidence of ACLF and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) dropout at 1-year by 49•1% and 107•96% respectively. When only urgent LT was allowed, HCC dropout and ACLF incidence were comparable to the rates seen in the scenario of complete LT cessation. Interpretation: A short and wide-ranging disruption to LT results in better outcomes compared with a longer duration of partial restrictions. Funding: None to disclose.

The purpose of this paper was to examine the benefits of dance in providing a realistic and viable alternative to the provision of traditional physical activities for dementia patients. Physical activity, while beneficial for increasing the components of health and fitness in general populations, may not be dementia friendly. Dance seems to be more suited as a physical activity form for dementia patients providing specific benefits including cerebrovascular enhancement. The usefulness of dance in relation to the physiological, psychological, and societal benefits for dementia patients’ needs serious consideration as a future complementary/alternative physical therapy intervention.

Many species produce alarm calls in response to predators, and the anti-predator signals are often used by other species. Eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm calls has been widely found in bird and mammal species. Other taxa, such as reptiles and amphibians, however, receive limited attention at present. Here, we selected three types of alarm calls of Japanese Tits (Parus minor) that were evoked by the Siberian Chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus), Eurasian Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter nisus), and model snake (Elaphe spp.), respectively, and then carried out playback experiments to test whether three frog species changed their behaviors in response to the three treatments of Japanese Tit calls while the tit’s territory song was used as a control. The results showed that Little Torrent Frogs (Amolops torrentis), Ornamented Pygmy Frogs (Microhyla fissipes) and Spot-legged Treefrogs (Polypedates megacephalus) did not jump off their positions in response to the same four acoustic signals. They also did not change their calling behaviors in response to the alarm calls of Japanese Tits. This study found no evidence that these anuran species can eavesdrop on heterospecific tits’ alarm signals.

Updated concrete construction robots are designed to optimize equipment operation, improve safety, enhance workspace awareness, and further ensure a proper working environment for construction workers. The importance of concrete construction robots has been constantly highlighted, as they have a profound impact on construction quality and efficiency. Autonomous vehicle driving monitoring has been widely employed in concrete construction robots; however, they lack clear relevance to the key functions in the building process. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by systematically classifying and summarizing the existing concrete construction robots, analyzing their existing problems, and providing direction for their future development. The prescription criteria and selection of robots depend on the concrete construction process, which includes six common functional levels: distribution, leveling and compaction, floor finishing, surface painting, 3D printing, and surveillance. Misunderstood functions and the improper adjustment of construction robots may lead to increased cost, reduced effectiveness, and restricted application scenarios. Our review identifies current commercial and recently studied concrete construction robots to facilitate the standardization and optimization of robotic construction design. Moreover, this study may be able to guide future research and technology development efforts for autonomous robots in concrete construction.

In order to study the macro-meso shear mechanical characteristics of natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments, the direct shear simulations of natural gas hydrate-bearing sediment specimens with different saturations under different normal stress boundary conditions were carried out using the discrete element simulation program of particle flow, and the macro-meso shear mechanical characteristics of the specimens and their evolution laws were obtained, and their shear damage mechanisms were revealed. The results show that the peak intensity of natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments increases with the increase in normal stress and hydrate saturation. Hydrate particles and sand particles jointly participate in the formation and evolution of the force chain, and sand particles account for the majority of the force chain particles and take the main shear resistance role. The number of cracks produced by shear increases with hydrate saturation and normal stress. The average porosity in the shear zone shows an evolutionary pattern of decreasing and then increasing during the shear process.

Reproduction is believed to contribute to the frequently observed seasonal cycles in parasite loads in many organisms, as an investment in reproduction by the host could result in a higher susceptibility to parasites. In this study, we examined the impact of breeding season on haemosporidian infection in free-range chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). We sampled a total of 122 chickens (66 chickens during the breeding season of April 2017 and 56 chickens during the non-breeding season of January 2017) to test for haemosporidian infections. The result showed that 56 out of 66 chickens examined during the breeding season tested positive for parasites (84.8% parasite prevalence), whereas 39 out of 56 chickens tested positive for parasites during the non-breeding season (69.6% parasite prevalence). Moreover, among the 11 Leucocytozoon lineages and 2 Plasmodium lineages identified, the parasite lineages that infected chickens during the breeding season were more diversified than those that affected chickens during the non-breeding season. This study indicated that chickens have a higher incidence of haemosporidian infection and a greater diversity of haemosporidian parasite lineages during the breeding season relative to the non-breeding season.

In the existing research on prosthetic footplates, rehabilitation insoles, and robot feet, the cushioning parts are basically based on simple mechanisms and elastic pads. Most of them are unable to provide adequate impact resistance especially during contact with the ground. This paper developed a bioinspired heel pad by optimizing the inner structures inspired from human heel pad which has great cushioning performance. The distinct structures of the human heel pad were determined through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology and related literatures. Five-layer pads with and without inner structures by using two materials (soft rubber and resin) were obtained, resulting in four bionic heel pads. Three finite element simulations (static, impact, and walking) were conducted to compare the cushioning effects in terms of deformations, ground reactions, and principal stress. The optimal pad with bionic structures and soft rubber material reduced 28.0% peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) during walking compared with the unstructured resin pad. Human walking tests by a healthy subject wearing the 3D printed bionic pads also showed similar findings, with an almost 20% decrease in peak vertical GRF at normal speed. The soft rubber heel pad with bionic structures has the best cushioning performance, while the unstructured resin pad depicts the poorest. This study proves that with proper design of the inner structures and materials, the bionic pads will demonstrate distinct cushioning properties, which could be applied to the engineering fields, including lower limb prosthesis, robotics, and rehabilitations.

The kidney is a mitochondria-rich organ, and kidney diseases are recognized as mitochondria-related pathologies. Intact mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintains normal mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial dysfunction caused by mtDNA damage, including impaired mtDNA replication, mtDNA mutation, mtDNA leakage, and mtDNA methylation, is involved in the progression of kidney diseases. Herein, we review the roles of mtDNA damage in different setting of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In a variety of kidney diseases, mtDNA damage is closely associated with loss of kidney function. The level of mtDNA in peripheral serum and urine also reflects the status of kidney injury. Alleviating mtDNA damage can promote the recovery of mitochondrial function by exogenous drug treatment and thus reduce kidney injury. In short, we conclude that mtDNA damage may serve as a novel biomarker for assessing kidney injury in different causes of renal dysfunction, which provides a new theoretical basis for mtDNA-targeted intervention as a therapeutic option for kidney diseases.

Alien and rare plants tend to adapt to contrasting biotic and abiotic conditions. However, adaptability assessments of alien and rare plants using biological and habitat characteristics in stressful and disturbed environments are limited. We collected and demonstrated the biological and habitat characteristics and assessed the adaptive capacity of alien and rare plants in China using the analytic hierarchy process. Biological characteristics, such as dispersal strategy, sexual and asexual reproduction modes, life form, and habitat characteristics (e.g., habitat type and distribution spatial extent), are important indicators of the adaptability of alien and rare plants to stressful and disturbed environments. Alien plants have a higher adaptive capacity to disturbed environments than rare plants, while rare plants have a higher adaptive capacity to stressful environments than alien plants. Stressful and disturbed environments constrain the adaptive capacity of alien and rare plants, respectively. However, the constraint on alien plants from stressful environments is weaker than that on rare plants from disturbed environments. Understanding the adaptive capacity of alien and rare plants will help researchers and policymakers develop strategies for preventing the invasion of alien plants as well as protecting rare and endangered plants.

The influence of minor SiCp on the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and dynamic precipitation behaviors of the Mg-5Zn matrix were investigated through the hot compression test. The results showed that the addition of SiCp improved the DRXed ratio of Mg-5Zn matrix, but the recrystallized grains in 1 vol.% 5 μm SiCp/Mg-5Zn material were mainly formed by the “bulging” nucleation of the grain boundary at a low compressive strain (~0.05, ~0.1 and ~0.35), and PDZ (particle deformation zone) around SiCp had little effect on the recrystallization nucleation. However, the fine recrystallized grains appeared around the particles when the compressive strain reached ~0.7, which was attributed to the promotion effect of PDZ on recrystallization nucleation. This shows that PDZ around particles can promote DRX nucleation under large strain. Meanwhile, compared to the Mg-5Zn alloy, the volume fraction and size of the secondary phase in the SiCp/Mg-5Zn material increased due to the influence of SiCp on the recrystallization behavior of Mg-5Zn matrix.

Rhizome fragmentation and sand burial are common phenomena in rhizomatous clonal plants. These traits serve as an adaptive strategy for survival in stressful environments. Thus far, some studies have been carried out on the effects of rhizome fragmentation and sand burial, but how the interaction between rhizome fragmentation and sand burial affects the growth and reproduction of rhizomatous clonal plants is unclear. We investigated the effect of the burial depth and rhizome fragment size on the survival and growth of the rhizomatous herb Phragmites communis using 288 clonal fragments (6 burial depths × 8 clonal fragment sizes × 6 replicates) in a field rhizome severing experiment. The ramet survival of the rhizomatous species significantly increased with the sand burial depth and clonal fragment size (p < 0.01), and the effects of the clonal fragment size on ramet survival depended on the sand burial depth. Sand burial enhanced both the vertical and horizontal biomass (p < 0.05), while the clonal fragment size affected the vertical biomass rather than the horizontal biomass. Sand burial facilitated the vertical growth of ramets (p < 0.05) while the number of newly produced ramets firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing clonal fragment size, and the maximal value appeared in four clonal fragments under a heavy sand burial depth. There is an interaction between the burial depth and rhizome fragment size in the growth of rhizome herbaceous plants. The population growth increases in the increase of sand burial depth, and reaches the maximum under severe sand burial and moderate rhizome fragmentation.

Globally, increasing temperatures due to climate change have severely affected natural ecosystems in several regions of the world; however, the impact on the alpine plant may be particularly profound, further raising the risk of extinction for rare and endangered alpine plants. To identify how alpine species have responded to past climate change and to predict the potential geographic distribution of species under future climate change, we investigated the distribution records of A. chensiensis, an endangered alpine plant in the Qinling Mountains listed in the Red List. In this study, the optimized MaxEnt model was used to analyse the key environmental variables related to the distribution of A. chensiensis based on 93 wild distribution records and six environmental variables. The potential distribution areas of A. chensiensis in the last interglacial (LIG), the last glacial maximum (LGM), the current period, and the 2050s and 2070s were simulated. Our results showed that temperature is critical to the distribution of A. chensiensis, with the mean temperature of the coldest quarter being the most important climatic factor affecting the distribution of this species. In addition, ecological niche modeling analysis showed that the A. chensiensis distribution area in the last interglacial experiencing population expansion and, during the last glacial maximum occurring, a population contraction. Under the emission scenarios in the 2050s and 2070s, the suitable distribution area would contract significantly, and the migration routes of the centroids tended to migrate toward the southern high-altitude mountains, suggesting a strong response from the A. chensiensis distribution to climate change. Collectively, the results of this study provide a comprehensive and multidimensional perspective on the geographic distribution pattern and history of population dynamics for the endemic, rare, and endangered species, A. chensiensis, and it underscores the significant impact of geological and climatic changes on the geographic pattern of alpine species populations.

Aging is an inevitable physiological process accompanied by a decline in body physiology, including male fertility. A preparation from Ganoderma lucidum (GL) containing triterpenes and polysaccharides has been shown to have anti-aging properties. In the current study, the effects of GL on mating ability, testosterone secretion, and testicular structure and function were observed in middle-aged male mice. The GL preparation was administered orally to mice for 2 to 5 months, and then behavioral, serological, and histopathological examinations were performed. Results showed that in the GL group of mice, the mating latency was shortened, the number of pursuits within 20 min was increased, and the mating success rate was higher compared to control mice. Additionally, the levels of serum testosterone, cell proliferation (Ki67), and sperm-specific lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-C4 were increased, while the levels of senescence-related protein p16 and cellular apoptosis were decreased in GL mice. Testicular spermatogenic cells and sperm and stromal cells were reduced and exhibited structural disorder in 11- and 14-month-old control mice, while these changes were improved compared to age-matched mice receiving the GL preparation. Furthermore, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the pro-apoptotic protein Bax were decreased, while the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was increased in GL mice. Finally, the mitochondrial structure was relatively complete in GL mice compared to controls. Therefore, GL has the potential to improve testicular structure and function in middle-aged male mice by alleviating oxidative stress, maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, and reducing cellular apoptosis.

Objective: This review aimed to systematically summarize and meta-analyze the association between eating speed and metabolic syndrome (MetS).Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews, and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and EMBASE) were searched until March 2021 to identify eligible articles based on a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Heterogeneity was examined using I2 statistics. Using random-effects models, the pooled odds ratios (ORs), and 95% CIs were calculated to evaluate the association between eating speed with MetS and its components, including central obesity, blood pressure (BP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglyceride (TG), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG).Results: Of the 8,500 original hits generated by the systematic search, 29 eligible studies with moderate-to-high quality were included, involving 465,155 subjects. The meta-analysis revealed that eating faster was significantly associated with higher risks of MetS (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.27–1.86), central obesity (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.37–1.73), elevated BP (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.13–1.40), low HDL (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.15–1.31), elevated TG (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18–1.42), and elevated FPG (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.06–1.27) compared to eating slowly.Conclusions: The results of the review indicated that eating speed was significantly associated with MetS and its components. Interventions related to decreasing eating speed may be beneficial for the management of MetS.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021242213, identifier: CRD42021242213.

A mixed Chinese herbal formula, Xiao-Qing-Long-Decoction (XQLD), may contribute to sustained remission in allergic rhinitis (AR), but it is unknown which factors determine such long-term effect. Here, we aimed to identify bacterial signatures associated with sustained remission. To this end, samples from AR patients at four different times were analyzed to compare the dynamic bacterial community and structure shifts. Diversity indices Chao1 showed significant difference across different time (p

BackgroundeHealth literacy (EHL) refers to a variety of capabilities that enable individuals to obtain health information from electronic resources and apply it to solve health problems. With the digitization of health care and the wide availability of health apps, a more diverse range of eHealth skills is required to properly use such health facilities. Existing EHL measurements focus mainly on the skill of obtaining health information (Web 1.0), whereas skills for web-based interactions (Web 2.0) and self-managing health data and applying information (Web 3.0) have not been well measured. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop an EHL scale (eHLS) termed eHLS-Web3.0 comprising a comprehensive spectrum of Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 skills to measure EHL, and evaluate its validity and reliability along with the measurement invariance among college students. MethodsIn study 1, 421 Chinese college students (mean age 20.5, SD 1.4 years; 51.8% female) and 8 health experts (mean age 38.3, SD 5.9 years; 87.5% female) were involved to develop the eHLS-Web3.0. The scale development included three steps: item pool generation, content validation, and exploratory factor analysis. In study 2, 741 college students (mean age 21.3, SD 1.4 years; 52.2% female) were recruited from 4 Chinese cities to validate the newly developed eHLS-Web3.0. The construct validity, convergent validity, concurrent validity, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across genders, majors, and regions were examined by a series of statistical analyses, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multigroup CFAs using SPSS and Mplus software packages. ResultsBased on the item pool of 374 statements collected during the conceptual development, 24 items (4-10 items per subscale) were generated and adjusted after cognitive testing and content validity examination. Through exploratory factor analysis, a 3-factor eHLS-Web3.0 was finally developed, and it included acquisition (8 items), verification (6 items), and application (10 items). In study 2, CFAs supported the construct validity of the 24-item 3D eHLS-Web3.0 (χ2244=903.076, χ2244=3.701, comparative fit index=0.924, Tucker-Lewis index=0.914, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.06, and standardized root mean residual [SRMR]=0.051). The average variance extracted (AVE) value of 0.58 and high correlation between eHLS-Web3.0 subscales and the eHealth Literacy Scale (r=0.725-0.880, P

Triclosan (TCS) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), which is used ubiquitously as an antimicrobial ingredient in healthcare products and causes contamination in the environment such as air, water, and biosolid-amended soil. Exposure to TCS may increase the risk of reproduction diseases and health issues. Several groups, including ours, have proved that TCS increased the biosynthesis of steroid hormones in different types of steroidogenic cells. However, the precise mechanism of toxic action of TCS on increased steroidogenesis at a molecular level remains to be elucidated. In this study, we try to address the mode of action that TCS affects energy metabolism with increased steroidogenesis. We evaluated the adverse effects of TCS on energy metabolism and steroidogenesis in human ovarian granulosa cells. The goal is to elucidate how increased steroidogenesis can occur with a shortage of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) whereas mitochondria-based energy metabolism is impaired. Our results demonstrated TCS increased estradiol and progesterone levels with upregulated steroidogenesis gene expression at concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 µM. Besides, glucose consumption, lactate level, and pyruvate kinase transcription were increased. Interestingly, the lactate level was attenuated with increased steroidogenesis, suggesting that pyruvate fate was shifted away from the formation of lactate towards steroidogenesis. Our study is gathering evidence suggesting a mode of action that TCS changes energy metabolism by predominating glucose flow towards the biosynthesis of steroid hormones. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that TCS presents such toxic action in disrupting hormone homeostasis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common opportunistic pathogen that causes acute nosocomial necrotizing pneumonia and is the predominant source of chronic lung infections in patients with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis. Early diagnosis in infected patients and monitoring P. aeruginosa contamination is therefore of great importance in controlling disease spread and development with timely drugs intervention treatment and cut off infection source. Traditional culture-biochemical methods are time consuming and highly dependent on technicians and expensive instruments. To address these challenges, the present study aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and specific, on-site detection method for P. aeruginosa based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow strip (LFS) technology. The experimental process included screening and modification of primer and probe sets targeting the unique virulence gene elastase B (lasB); specificity detection in 29 strains of P. aeruginosa and 23 closely-related pathogenic bacteria; sensitivity measurements with gradient-diluted P. aeruginosa genomic DNA and probit regression analysis; and clinical application evaluation using 574 patients samples and calculating coincidence rate and kappa index value in comparison with the culture-biochemical method. The P. aeruginosa RPA-LFS assay could complete the amplification process at 37°C constant temperature within 30 min and results could be visualized by the naked eye within 10 min on LFS. The assay displayed high sensitivity with a limit of detection of 3.05 CFU/reaction. It also demonstrated high specificity by showing no cross reaction with other pathogenic bacteria, and rapidness by being completed in less than an hour. Furthermore, when used with clinical samples, the assay had a coincidence rate of 98.26% with the culture-biochemical method and a kappa index value of 0.9433. These data indicate that the RPA-LFS assay represents a major improvement for P. aeruginosa detection, especially in resource-limited areas.

Sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) is a recently approved drug that is commonly used for treatment of heart failure. Several studies indicated that Sac/Val also regulated the secretion of inflammatory factors. However, the effect and mechanism of this drug modulation of inflammatory immune responses are uncertain. In this study, an experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) mouse model was established by injection of α-myosin-heavy chain peptides. The effect of oral Sac/Val on EAM was evaluated by histological staining of heart tissues, measurements of cardiac troponin T and inflammatory markers (IL-6 and hsCRP). The effects of Sac/Val on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and Th1/Th17 cell differentiation were also determined. To further explore the signaling pathways, the expressions of cardiac soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and NF-κB p65 were investigated. The results showed that Sac/Val downregulated the inflammatory response and attenuated the severity of EAM, but did not influence NLRP3 inflammasomes activation. Moreover, Sac/Val treatment inhibited cardiac Th17 cell differentiation, and this might be associated with sGC/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway. These findings indicate the potential use of Sac/Val for treatment of myocarditis.

Dry eye disease is a common and frequently occurring ophthalmology with complex and diverse causes, and its incidence is on the upward trend. The pathogenesis of DED is still completely clear. However, the immune response based on inflammation has been recognized as the core basis of this disease. In this review, we will systematically review the previous research on the treatment of DED in immune inflammation, analyze the latest views and research hotspots, and provide reference for the prevention and treatment of DED.

The abundance and the diversity of insects in Europe have declined considerably during recent decades, while it remains unclear whether similar changes may also have occurred elsewhere. Here we used citizen science for quantifying the abundance of flying insects on windshields of cars across Europe and to a smaller extent in China. We used the abundance of insects killed against windshields of cars during 3,530 transects for a total distance of 83,019 km made by 50 observers as estimates of insect abundance. A total of 124,606 insects were recorded, or approximately 1.5 insect per km. The abundance of insects killed against windshields was highly repeatable among days for the same locality, showing consistent estimates of abundance. The main determinants of insect abundance were features of cars (driving speed and car model that can be considered noise of no biological significance), local weather (temperature, cloud cover and wind speed) and variation across the season and the day. We tested for differences in the abundance of flying insects killed on windshields of cars predicting and finding (1) a reduction in insect abundance in areas with ionizing radiation at Chernobyl compared to uncontaminated control sites in the neighborhood, (2) a reduction in the abundance of flying insects in Western compared to Eastern Europe, (3) a reduction in the abundance of flying insects killed on windshields from southern to northern Europe compared to latitudinal samples of insects from southern to northern China, and (4) a difference in abundance of insects killed on windshields of cars in Spain with a significant interaction between Spain and Denmark. Thus a number of abiotic and biotic factors accounted for temporal and spatial heterogeneity in abundance of insects, providing a useful tool for monitoring and studying determinants of spatial and temporal patterns of insect abundance. This also implies that our estimate of insect abundance may be relevant for the study of competition and for interactions at higher trophic levels.

Aeromonas sobria, a common conditional pathogenic bacteria, is widely distributed in the environment and causes gastroenteritis in humans or septicemia in fish. Of all Aeromonas species, A. sobria is the most frequently isolated from human infections especially in immunocompromised subjects. Innate immunity is the first protection system of organism to resist non-specific pathogens invasion; however, the immune response process of hosts against A. sobria infection re\mains unexplored. The present study established an A. sobria infection model using primary mouse peritoneal macrophages (PMφs). The adherence and cytotoxicity of A. sobria on PMφs were determined by May-Grünwald Giemsa staining and LDH release measurement. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression levels were measured using qPCR, western blotting, and ELISA methods. We also investigated the levels of ASC oligomerization and determined the roles of active caspase-1 in IL-1β secretion through inhibition assays and explored the activated pattern recognition receptors through immunofluorescence. We further elucidated the roles of activated inflammasome in regulating the host’s inflammatory response through inhibition combined with ELISA assays. Our results showed that A. sobria induced lytic cell death and LDH release, whereas it had no adhesive properties on PMφs. A. sobria triggered various proinflammatory cytokine transcription level upregulation, and IL-1β occupied the highest levels. The pro-IL-1β protein expression levels increased in a dose-dependent manner with MOI ranging from 1 to 100. This process was regulated by ASC-dependent inflammasome, which cleavage pro-IL-1β into active IL-1β p17 with activated caspase-1 p20. Meanwhile, the expression levels of NLRP3 receptor significantly increased, location analysis revealed puncta-like surrounding nuclear, and inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome downregulated caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion. Blocking of NLRP3 inflammasome activation through K+ efflux and cathepsin B or caspase approaches downregulated A. sobria–induced proinflammatory cytokine production. Overall, these data indicated that A. sobria induced proinflammatory cytokine production in PMφs through activating NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathways.

With the aim of ensuring secure transmission in high-mobility wireless scenarios, this paper proposes a 2D permutation-aided Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) secure transmission scheme, which uses the Gosudarstvennyi Standard (GOST) algorithm to perform disturbance control on the OTFS modulation domain. Furthermore, we develop an improved SeLective Mapping (SLM) algorithm, which can significantly improve the Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) problem with very low complexity. In addition, we carry out the security analysis, investigating the proposed scheme’s resistance performance to a range of effective attacks. Finally, our numerical results show that our proposed transmission scheme can guarantee the underlying security property of OTFS.

Geographic variability in acoustic signals has been documented in many bird species. However, geographic variations in alarm calls have been so far neglected despite their crucial role on reducing risk to group members and relatives. We analyzed the note types and acoustic parameters of Japanese tit (Parus minor) alarm calls to three types of intruders (a nest predator, an adult predator, and a harmless species) from three populations in China. Our results revealed that tits in the same population produce similar note types to different intruders, but the three populations only shared six note types and each population had unique note types. The frequency and duration parameters of three shared common note types were significantly different among populations. The three populations belong to the same species, thus they have shared note types. We suspect that the unique note types occurring in each population may be related to three potential reasons: founder effect, predation pressure, and vocal learning. The differences in acoustic parameters of common notes among populations may be a consequence of adaptations to their environments. We suggest that population differences in the note levels of bird alarm calls do exist.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical applications of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) in the identification of pathogens in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI), peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP), central venous catheter related blood infections (CRBIs), and lung infections in the nephrology department. Methods: Midstream urine samples from 112 patients with UTI, peritoneal fluid samples from 67 patients with PDAP, blood samples from 15 patients with CRBI, and sputum specimens from 53 patients with lung infection were collected. The HTS and ordinary culture methods were carried out in parallel to identify the pathogens in each sample. Pathogen detection positive rate and efficacy were compared between the two methods. Results: The pathogen positive detection rates of HTS in UTI, PDAP, CRBI, and lung infection were strikingly higher than those of the culture method (84.8% vs. 35.7, 71.6% vs. 23.9%, 75% vs. 46.7%, 84.9% vs. 5.7%, p < 0.05, respectively). HTS was superior to the culture method in the sensitivity of detecting bacteria, fungi, atypical pathogens, and mixed microorganisms in those infections. In patients who had empirically used antibiotics before the test being conducted, HTS still exhibited a considerably higher positive rate than the culture method (81.6% vs. 39.0%, 68.1% vs. 14.9%, 72.7% vs. 36.4%, 83.3% vs. 4.2%, p < 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: HTS is remarkably more efficient than the culture method in detecting pathogens in diverse infectious diseases in nephrology, and is particularly potential in identifying the pathogens that are unable to be identified by the common culture method, such as in cases of complex infection with specific pathogens or subclinical infection due to preemptive use of antibiotics.

To solve the problem of poor formability of magnesium alloys, the bending and straightening process was used to successfully introduce large-volume 101¯2 tensile twins and dynamic recrystallization into the plates, and the comprehensive mechanical properties of the plates were improved, in which the anisotropy index (Lankford value: r¯) decreased by 77%, and the corresponding Erishen value (IE) increased by 88%. The research shows that most of the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) inherit the grain orientation of the parent grains, and a few have deviations from the parent grains. The twinning-assisted dynamic recrystallization (TDRX) can effectively inherit the grain orientation of the parent grain and retain the orientation relationship of the 101¯2 tensile twin. The cooperation of the pre-set tensile twinning and various dynamic recrystallization processes leads to the deflection of the basal plane, which effectively weakens the basal texture and promotes the activation of various non-basal slip systems. Combined with grain refinement strengthening and dislocation strengthening, the magnesium alloy plate, after bending and straightening, obtains good comprehensive mechanical properties.

In this paper, quasi-in situ experiments were carried out on rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets to track the recrystallization behavior of the rolled microstructure during the heat treatment process and the plastic deformation behavior during the stretching process. The as-rolled microstructures are classified into five characteristics and their plastic deformation behaviors are described. The research shows that annealing recrystallization leads to grain reorganization, resulting in the diversity of grain orientation, and it is easier to activate basal slip. Recrystallization preferentially nucleates in the regions with high stress, while it is difficult for recrystallization to occur in regions with low stress, which leads to the uneven distribution of the as-rolled structure of magnesium alloys. Slip can be better transmitted between small grains, while deformation between large and small grains is difficult to transmit, which can easily lead to the generation of ledges. Incomplete recrystallization is more likely to accumulate dislocations than complete recrystallization, and ledges are formed in the early stage of deformation. Microcracks are more likely to occur between strain-incompatible grains. It is of great significance to promote the application of rolled AZ31 magnesium alloys for the development of heat treatment and subsequent plastic working of rolled magnesium alloys.

Backfilling is commonly used in underground mines to improve the stability of overlying strata. The performance of the backfill and its interaction with surrounding rock are the key issues in backfill mining research. In this paper, the displacement and stress field evolution characteristics of the overlying strata in backfill mining were analyzed by a physical model, as well as the interaction between the backfill and surrounding rock. The research results show that when backfill mining is employed, the backfill mass and the unexcavated rock mass jointly bear the loads of the overlying strata. The loads of the overlying strata are transferred to the dense backfill mass and the surrounding rock. The stress in the near-field area of the surrounding rock increases and stabilizes gradually. The backfill mass improves the stress distribution state and reduces the stress concentration of the surrounding rock, which is conducive to preventing the progressive damage of the overlying strata. In addition, the backfill mass excavation has a significant influence on the stability of the overlying strata and the surrounding rock stress field. The backfill mass is a passive force-bearing structure that can effectively manage the deformation of the overlying strata and the phenomenon of underground pressure.

As smart devices and mobile positioning technologies improve, location-based services (LBS) have grown in popularity. The LBS environment provides considerable convenience to users, but it also poses a significant threat to their privacy. A large number of research works have emerged to protect users’ privacy. Dummy-based location privacy protection solutions have been widely adopted for their simplicity and enhanced privacy protection results, but there are few reviews on dummy-based location privacy protection. Or, for existing works, some focus on aspects of cryptography, anonymity, or other comprehensive reviews that do not provide enough reviews on dummy-based privacy protection. In this paper, the authors provide a review of dummy-based location privacy protection techniques for location-based services. More specifically, the connection between the level of privacy protection, the quality of service, and the system overhead is summarized. The difference and connection between various location privacy protection techniques are also described. The dummy-based attack models are presented. Then, the algorithms for dummy location selection are analyzed and evaluated. Finally, we thoroughly evaluate different dummy location selection methods and arrive at a highly useful evaluation result. This result is valuable both to users and researchers who are studying this field.

Owing to the high power density, excellent operational stability and fast charge/discharge rate, and environmental friendliness, the lead-free Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT)-based relaxor ferroelectrics exhibit great potential in pulsed power capacitors. Herein, novel lead-free (1−x)(0.7Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.3Sr0.7Bi0.2TiO3)-xBi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 (NBT-SBT-xBMZ) relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were successfully fabricated using a solid-state reaction method and designed via compositional tailoring. The microstructure, dielectric properties, ferroelectric properties, and energy storage performance were investigated. The results indicate that appropriate Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 content can effectively enhance the relaxor ferroelectric characteristics and improve the dielectric breakdown strength by forming fine grain sizes and diminishing oxygen vacancy concentrations. Therefore, the optimal Wrec of 6.75 J/cm3 and a η of 79.44% were simultaneously obtained in NBT-SBT-0.15BMZ at 20 °C and 385 kV/cm. Meanwhile, thermal stability (20–180 °C) and frequency stability (1–200 Hz) associated with the ultrafast discharge time of ~49.1 ns were also procured in the same composition, providing a promising material system for applications in power pulse devices.

There is still a considerable proportion of patients with inherited peripheral neuropathy (IPN) whose pathogenic genes are unknown. This study was intended to investigate whether the GGC repeat expansion in the NOTCH2NLC is presented in some patients with IPN. A total of 142 unrelated mainland Chinese patients with highly suspected diagnosis of IPN without any known causative gene were recruited. Repeat-primed polymerase chain reaction (RP-PCR) was performed to screen GGC repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC, followed by fluorescence amplicon length analysis-PCR (AL-PCR) to determine the GGC repeat size. Detailed clinical data as well as nerve, muscle, and skin biopsy were reviewed and analyzed in the NOTCH2NLC-related IPN patients. In total, five of the 142 patients (3.52%) were found to have pathogenic GGC expansion in NOTCH2NLC, with repeat size ranging from 126 to 206 repeats. All the NOTCH2NLC-related IPN patients presented with adult-onset motor–sensory and autonomic neuropathy that predominantly affected the motor component of peripheral nerves. While tremor and irritating dry cough were noted in four-fifths of the patients, no other signs of the central nervous system were presented. Electrophysiological studies revealed both demyelinating and axonal changes of polyneuropathy that were more severe in lower limbs and asymmetrically in upper limbs. Sural nerve pathology was characterized by multiple fibers with thin myelination, indicating a predominant demyelinating process. Muscle pathology was consistent with neuropathic changes. P62-positive intranuclear inclusions were observed in nerve, skin, and muscle tissues. Our study has demonstrated that GGC expansion in NOTCH2NLC is associated with IPN presenting as predominant motor–sensory and autonomic neuropathy, which expands the phenotype of the NOTCH2NLC-related repeat expansion spectrum. Screening of GGC repeat expansions in the NOTCH2NLC should be considered in patients presenting with peripheral neuropathy with tremor and irritating dry cough.

Background: Research suggest that albuminuria is not only an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure but may also act as a biomarker for predicting adverse outcomes. To date, no study has synthesized evidence on its role as a prognostic indicator. Thus, the current study aimed to quantitatively assess the prognostic utility of albuminuria as well as dipstick proteinuria in predicting mortality in heart failure patients.Methods: PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to October 10, 2020. All studies reporting multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for albuminuria or dipstick proteinuria for mortality and/or hospitalization in heart failure patients were included.Results: Eleven studies were included. Seven assessed albuminuria and five assessed dipstick proteinuria. Our analysis revealed a statistically significant increased risk of all-cause mortality with microalbuminuria (HR: 1.54; 95% CI, 1.23–1.93; I2 = 79%; p = 0.0002) and macroalbuminuria (HR: 1.76; 95% CI, 1.21–2.56; I2 = 88%; p = 0.003) in heart failure patients. The risk of all-cause mortality and hospitalization was also significantly increased with macroalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria was associated with significantly increased cardiovascular mortality and combined cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization. Positive dipstick test for proteinuria was significantly associated with mortality in heart failure (HR: 1.54; 95% CI, 1.28–1.84; I2 = 67%; p < 0.00001).Conclusion: Both microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria are predictors of mortality in patients with heart failure. Dipstick proteinuria may be used as a rapid screening test to predict mortality in these patients.

Postharvest processing plays a very important role in improving the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. According to previous studies, smoke-drying could significantly promote the accumulation of the bioactive components and pharmacological activities of rhubarb, but so far, the molecular mechanism has not been studied yet. In this research, to study the molecular mechanisms of postharvest processing for rhubarb during shade-drying and smoke-drying, label-free proteomic analyses were conducted. In total, 1,927 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified from rhubarb samples treated by different drying methods. These DAPs were mainly involved in response and defense, signal transduction, starch, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, and anthraquinone and phenolic acid biosynthesis. Smoke-drying significantly enhanced the expression of proteins involved in these metabolic pathways. Accordingly, the molecular mechanism of the accumulation of effective ingredients of rhubarb was clarified, which provided a novel insight into the biosynthesis of active ingredients that occur during the rhubarb dry process.

Abstract Niche differentiation is a key concept in the field of ecology and refers to the process by which competing species within an ecological community partition utilization of environmental resources to achieve coexistence. The existence of niche differentiation is uniquely difficult to prove on account of the fact that historical interaction among species, which plays a key role in elucidating the current state of coexistence among species, is not well known. We created continuous niche gradients in nest‐site resources between two sympatric secondary cavity‐nesting birds, the green‐backed tit (Parus monticolus) and the russet sparrow (Passer cinnamomeus), and investigated whether nesting site is a factor contributing to limiting breeding overlap by regular inspection and 388,160 min of film recording. Our results indicate that although we manipulated nest site availability to be uniformly high along the habitat gradient, the two bird species have little overlap in nest sites and rarely compete for them. Furthermore, the green‐backed tit possessed a wide range of fundamental niche that covered that of the russet sparrow, while their reproductive time was largely segregated. The sparrow was more aggressive and outcompeted the tit in their overlapped range. These results suggest that even though nesting sites are crucial to the reproduction of cavity‐nesting birds, some other factor plays a more important role in limiting niche overlap between sparrows and tits in space and time. Given that these two cavity‐nesting birds continued to use different habitats and breed in segregated time after our manipulation, their relationship is better explained by the ghost of competition past theory.

Soil alkalinity is a major factor that restricts the growth of apple roots. To analyze the response of apple roots to alkali stress, the root structure and endogenous hormones of two apple rootstocks, Malus prunifolia (alkali-tolerant) and Malus hupehensis (alkali-sensitive), were compared. To understand alkali tolerance of M. prunifolia at the molecular level, transcriptome analysis was performed. When plants were cultured in alkaline conditions for 15 d, the root growth of M. hupehensis with weak alkali tolerance decreased significantly. Analysis of endogenous hormone levels showed that the concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and zeatin riboside (ZR) in M. hupehensis under alkali stress were lower than those in the control. However, the trend for IAA and ZR in M. prunifolia was the opposite. The concentration of abscisic acid (ABA) in the roots of the two apple rootstocks under alkali stress increased, but the concentration of ABA in the roots of M. prunifolia was higher than that in M. hupehensis. The expression of IAA-related genes ARF5, GH3.6, SAUR36, and SAUR32 and the Cytokinin (CTK)-related gene IPT5 in M. prunifolia was higher than those in the control, but the expression of these genes in M. hupehensis was lower than those in the control. The expression of ABA-related genes CIPK1 and AHK1 increased in the two apple rootstocks under alkali stress, but the expression of CIPK1 and AHK1 in M. prunifolia was higher than in M. hupehensis. These results demonstrated that under alkali stress, the increase of IAA, ZR, and ABA in roots and the increase of the expression of related genes promoted the growth of roots and improved the alkali tolerance of apple rootstocks.

Abstract Background Brood parasitic birds such as cuckoos (Cuculus spp.) can reduce their host’s reproductive success. Such selection pressure on the hosts has driven the evolution of defense behaviors such as egg rejection against cuckoo parasitism. Studies have shown that Cinereous Tits (Parus cinereus) in China have a good ability for recognizing foreign eggs. However, it is unclear whether egg spots play a role in egg recognition. The aims of our study were to investigate the egg recognition ability of two Cinereous Tit populations in China and to explore the role of spots in egg recognition. Methods To test the effect of eggshell spots on egg recognition, pure white eggs of the White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata) and eggs of White-rumped Munia painted with red brown spots were used to simulate experimental parasitism. Results Egg experiments showed that Cinereous Tits rejected 51.5% of pure white eggs of the White-rumped Munia, but only 14.3% of spotted eggs of the White-rumped Munia. There was a significant difference in egg recognition and rejection rate between the two egg types. Conclusions We conclude that eggshell spots on Cinereous Tit eggs had a signaling function and may be essential to tits for recognizing and rejecting parasitic eggs.

Abstract Background Timing of breeding season of temperate passerines has been considered to be adjusted to their food availability. There is little work to reveal the cell stress responses of the nestlings hatched asynchronized with the food abundance peak, which is important for understanding the physiological link between the timing of breeding and the fitness of offspring. Methods Using gene expression level of blood HSP70 and HSP90 as indicators, we compared the cell stress response of Asian Short-toed Lark (Calandrella cheleensis) nestlings hatched under conditions of low, mid or high food (grasshopper nymph) availability in 2017. Results Nymph biomass, sample time and interaction of these two factors significantly influenced the blood gene expression level of HSP70 and HSP90 of Asian Short-toed Lark nestlings. HSP70 and HSP90 gene expression levels of the nestlings at 14:00 were significantly higher than those at 5:00. At either 5:00 or 14:00, the gene expression levels of HSP70 and HSP90 increase with the decrease of nymph biomass. Conclusions These results indicate that food availability is an important environment factor inducing cellular stress of Asian Short-toed Lark nestlings. The interactive effect of the nymph abundance and sample time on the HSPs response may be related with the daily temperature variation of the grassland. Over cell stress response may be one of physiological factor mediating the effect of food availability and the nestling’s fitness.

Aims: Previous studies showed that abnormal mitochondrial structure and function were involved in the pathological process of diabetic nephropathy (DN). The dynamic mitochondrial processes, including fusion and fission, maintain the mass and quantity of mitochondria. Podocyte injury is a critical factor in the development and progression of DN. The present study evaluated the mitochondrial fission of pod ocytes in patients with DN. Methods: We recruited 31 patients with biopsy-confirmed DN. A quantitati ve analysis of the mitochondrial morphology was conducted with electron microscopy using a computer-assisted morphometric analysis application to calculate the aspect ratio values. Immunofluorescence assays were used to evaluate protein colocalization in the glomeruli of patients. Results: The urine protein level was significantly increased in DN patie nts compared to non-DN patients (P < 0.001), and the mitochondria in the podocytes from DN patien ts were more fragmentated than those from patients without DN. The mitochondrial aspect ratio values were negatively correlated with the proteinuria levels (r = −0.574, P = 0.01), and multiple regression analysis verified that the mitochondrial aspect ratio was significantly and independently associated with the urine pr otein level (β = −0.519, P = 0.007). In addition, Drp1, a mitochondrial fission factor, preferentially combines with AKAP1, which is located in the mitochondrial membrane. Conclusions: In the podocytes of DN patients, mitochondrial fragmentation was increased, and mitochondrial aspect ratio values were correlated with the proteinuria levels. The AKAP1-Drp1 pathway may contribute to mitochondrial fission in th e pathogenesis of DN.

Abstract Background This study aimed to describe the design and present the baseline characteristics of a web-based lifestyle intervention program, which comprises of sequentially and simultaneously delivered intervention modules targeting physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) in Chinese college students. Methods The study adopted a randomized placebo-controlled trial, using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) and the Compensatory Carry-Over Action Model (CCAM) as the theoretical backdrops. 556 Chinese college students participated in the 8-week web-based lifestyle intervention program. All eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) the PA-first arm which received a 4-week intervention addressing PA followed by a 4-week intervention addressing FVC; 2) the FVC-first arm which received a 4-week intervention addressing FVC followed by a 4-week intervention addressing PA; 3) the PA + FVC simultaneous arm that received an 8-week intervention addressing both PA and FVC at the same time; and 4) the placebo-control arm that received 8 weeks of general health information, which is not relevant for changing actual PA and FVC behaviors. Data collection includes four time-points: at the beginning and end of the intervention, and a 3-month and 12-month follow-up after the intervention. Results At baseline, 41.7% of participants were male and 58.3% were female. 41.0% of the participants did not meet the standard PA-recommendations, while 69.6% did not adhere to the standard FVC-recommendations. In total, only 19.6% of participants met both PA and FVC recommendations. Baseline characteristics across the four groups had no significant differences (all P = .17–.99), indicating successful randomization. Conclusions The preliminary results indicate a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles in college students in China, which further supports the need for web-based health intervention programs. This is also the first study that examines the comparative effectiveness of simultaneously and sequentially delivered lifestyle interventions in the Chinese population. These findings may contribute to the creation of future web-based health behavior change interventions. Trial registration ClinicalTrails.gov: NCT03627949, 14 August, 2018.