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Abstract Background The ectoparasite Psoroptes ovis var. cuniculi causes substantial economic losses to the global rabbit industry. Currently, microscopy for identifying Psoroptes mite in skin scrapings, as the “diagnosis gold standard,” remains a challenge owing to its poor sensitivity in detecting low-level and/or early stage mite infestations. Additionally, Psoroptes infestations rapidly trigger cutaneous inflammation, thus the mites might produce some molecules to deal with the harmful effects of inflammation for their long-time survival on the host skin, but these molecules are still mostly unknown. Methods To seek a sensitive diagnostic method and illuminate the new antiinflammatory molecules, we characterized a novel cystatin of P. ovis var. cuniculi (PsoCys) using bioinformatics and molecular biology methods. Results The results showed that PsoCys comprised the classical features of the type II cystatin superfamily including an N-terminal glycine residue, a central QXVXG motif, and a C-terminal LW motif. In mixed stages of mites, the transcription level of PsoCys was significantly higher in “fed” mites than in “starved” mites (P

Objective: To investigate the relationship between entrance surface dose (ESD) of gonads and physiological parameters such as sex, age, height, and weight in digital X-ray exposure of both lower limbs and to explore the feasibility of full-width long-plate imaging with single-dose radiation exposure. Methods: A total of 300 patients at a weight-bearing position of both lower limbs were prospectively enrolled in a hospital in Beijing, including 129 males and 171 females. The TLD detectors were set at the gonads on both sides of the patient during scanning. After exposure, the TLD detectors were measured with an RGD-3B thermoluminescence dosimeter, and the corresponding dose values were obtained and analyzed. Results: The average triple exposure dose (AP+bilateral view) in the full-length plate adult mode was (1281±202) µGy, which was approximately three times the single exposure dose (429±99) µGy. The triple exposure dose (AP+bilateral view) was significantly lower than the radiation dose recommended by international standards. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only height and weight affected gonadal radiation dose. Under the scanning parameters of children, the ESD dose was (359±27) µGy and (627±155) µGy when the height was less or more than 160 cm, respectively, with a significant statistical difference. In adult mode, height and weight did not affect the ESD dose. Conclusions: This study showed that the exposure dose of gonads during full-length scanning of both lower limbs in a weight-bearing position with a single exposure was affected by height and weight. The dose received by the gonads was within the safe range, and a single exposure of the full-length plate radiation dose is feasible in clinical practice.

Abstract The deep connection among braids, knots and topological physics has provided valuable insights into studying topological states in various physical systems. However, identifying distinct braid groups and knot topology embedded in non-Hermitian systems is challenging and requires significant efforts. Here, we demonstrate that an unsupervised learning with the representation basis of s u(n) Lie algebra on n-fold extended non-Hermitian bands can fully classify braid group and knot topology therein, without requiring any prior mathematical knowledge or any pre-defined topological invariants. We demonstrate that the approach successfully identifies different topological elements, such as unlink, unknot, Hopf link, Solomon ring, trefoil, and so on, by employing generalized Gell-Mann matrices in non-Hermitian models with n=2 and n=3 energy bands. Moreover, since eigenstate information of non-Hermitian bands is incorporated in addition to eigenvalues, the approach distinguishes the different parity-time symmetry and breaking phases, recognizes the opposite chirality of braids and knots, and identifies out distinct topological phases that were overlooked before. Our study shows significant potential of machine learning in classification of knots, braid groups, and non-Hermitian topological phases.

The northwestern continental margin of the South China Sea, extending from the broad shelf and canyon-growth slope across the Xisha Trough, represents a relic crustal rift that eventually connects to the abyssal plain. However, the provenance and source-to-sink process of sediments in this special topography remains unclear. In this study, we present the detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of surface sediments from the northwestern margin of the South China Sea to identify the sediment provenance, track the transport pathway, and understand the source-to-sink process in this margin. The results showed that detrital zircons exhibit a wide range of U-Pb ages from 3,062.9 to 41.5 Ma and are characterized by peaks centered on 140–154 Ma, 240–258 Ma, 425–452 Ma, and 738–991 Ma. Statistical analysis indicated that the clastic sediments on the shelf closely resemble those sourced from the Pearl River system. Conversely, sediments on the slope and abyssal plain demonstrated characteristics indicative of multiple sources, primarily originating from the Pearl River, with a minor contribution from the Red River. Further quantitative study revealed a progressive increase (from 8.2% to 43.2%) in the prevalence of Red River-derived sediments with ascending water depth on the shelf and slope, whereas sediment influx in the deepest sector remains predominantly sourced from the Pearl River. This study emphasizes the controls of topography and currents in modulating the transportation of coarse-grained and fine-grained sediments within the source-to-sink system and provides a favorable solution for reconstructing the sedimentary process in continental margins.

In this paper, a spiral motion computation method based on transformation optics for computing the microwave heating processes with irregular food is presented. Firstly, the theoretical derivations of the rotating, lifting, and overlapping regions caused by rotating and lifting are conducted. Secondly, the electric field distribution computed by the proposed method is verified, and the computation accuracy and time are compared with implicit function and level set methods (IFLSM). It was found that the root-mean-square-errors (RMSEs) of the port reflection coefficients for rotating motion, lifting motion, and spiral motion are 0.021, 0.164, and 0.151, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method in computing the spiral motion of irregular food shapes. Finally, the computation of spiral microwave heating of irregular-shaped bears with different materials under different motion states is studied, and the industrial application of cookies in secondary processing is analyzed.

Abstract Two-dimensional nanofluidics based on naturally abundant clay are good candidates for harvesting osmotic energy between the sea and river from the perspective of commercialization and environmental sustainability. However, clay-based nanofluidics outputting long-term considerable osmotic power remains extremely challenging to achieve due to the lack of surface charge and mechanical strength. Here, a two-dimensional all-natural nanofluidic (2D-NNF) is developed as a robust and highly efficient osmotic energy generator based on an interlocking configuration of stacked montmorillonite nanosheets (from natural clay) and their intercalated cellulose nanofibers (from natural wood). The generated nano-confined interlamellar channels with abundant surface and space negative charges facilitate selective and fast hopping transport of cations in the 2D-NNF. This contributes to an osmotic power output of ~8.61 W m−2 by mixing artificial seawater and river water, higher than other reported state-of-the-art 2D nanofluidics. According to detailed life cycle assessments (LCA), the 2D-NNF demonstrates great advantages in resource consumption (1/14), greenhouse gas emissions (1/9), and production costs (1/13) compared with the mainstream 2D nanofluidics, promising good sustainability for large-scale and highly-efficient osmotic power generation.

Brittle fracture of girth weld metal is the main failure form of high strength steel oil and gas pipeline facilities, which is related to the deterioration of mechanical properties of weld metal at low temperature, especially the fracture toughness. In order to improve the strength and fracture toughness, tempering and intercritical quenching-tempering treatment are used in X80 girth weld metal. The results demonstrate that the heat treatment processes not only decomposed M-A constituent, but also increased grain size, reduced dislocation density and increased precipitated phase content. In the intercritical quenching-tempering treatment, small size retained austenite was produced, which was rich in carbon and manganese elements. The tempering and intercritical quenching-tempering treatment process significantly improved the tensile properties and fracture toughness, so that the Rt0.5 increased from 598 MPa to 629 MPa and 648 MPa, and the value of crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) increased from 0.05 mm to 0.12 mm and 0.23 mm, respectively. (Nb,Ti)C precipitated during heat treatment could effectively improve the yield strength, and the increase of precipitation strengthening is much higher than the strength loss caused by grain size increase and dislocation density reduction. Transformation induced plasticity effect of stable retained austenite formed by intercritical quenching-tempering treatment could effectively inhibit crack propagation and improve fracture toughness. The combined effect of retained austenite and nano-precipitated (Nb,Ti)C significantly improves the strength and fracture toughness of the weld metal. Generally, the research results have important scientific value and engineering significance for explaining the strength and toughness mechanism of girth weld and practical pipeline engineering application.

Background This study assesses the diagnostic utility of strain parameters from cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking across all cardiac chambers in patients with acute myocarditis, stratified by ejection fraction. Methods and Results Our cohort included 65 patients with acute myocarditis and 25 healthy controls; all underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on left ventricular ejection fraction (EF)with a 55% cutoff: acute myocarditis with preserved EF, EF ≥55%, n=48; and acute myocarditis with reduced EF, EF

This study focused on binary hydrogels constructed from lotus rhizome starch (LRS) and three types of carrageenan (κ-C, ι-C, and λ-C). The enthalpy of LRS gelatinization was reduced by 32.1%-88.4% with the incorporation of carrageenan. Compared with ι-C and λ-C, the conformations of κ-C more facilitated the development of the binary hydrogel network structure. The ability of the LRS/carrageenan binary hydrogel to immobilize water was mainly related to the effect of different types of carrageenan on starch molecular ordering. LRS-based hydrogels were recognized as level 4 in the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework. Nevertheless, the incorporation of carrageenan significantly reduced the ability of the LRS hydrogel to resist stress under large deformations, which might be favorable to oral processing and swallowing. This research provides preliminary evidence for relevant industries to use carrageenan to adjust LRS hydrogel properties and improve the quality of starch-based foods for dysphagia management.

[Objective] It is inevitable that construction of new tunnels or other underground engineering projects will pass through some building structures, causing disturbances to the existing structural foundations. Therefore, it is essential to study the required support force for tunnel excavation beneath existing structural foundations and its variation under different conditions. [Method] Considering two scenarios of tunnels directly beneath and laterally passing existing structural foundations, mechanical analysis models for tunneling beneath existing structural foundations are constructed. Using the upper-bound theorem, theoretical formulas for calculating the required support force and critical foundation base pressure are derived. The impact of factors such as crossing position, soil mechanics parameters, and foundation pressure on the required support force for new tunnel excavation is analyzed. [Result & Conclusion] The relative position between the new tunnel and the existing structural foundation significantly influences the safety of the tunnel and the required support force. Compared to lateral crossing scenarios, tunnels directly under-passing existing structural foundations pose a greater risk to tunnel structural integrity. The required support force of the tunnel is negatively correlated with the tunnel-foundation burial depth difference, soil mass cohesion and internal friction angle, and positively correlated with soil mass weight and critical foundation base pressure.

With increasing urbanization and the demand for efficient, flexible transportation solutions, demand-responsive transportation services (DTRS) has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional public transit. However, determining the optimal fleet size to balance the investment and operational revenue remains a significant challenge for service providers. In this article, we address the optimization of fleet size in point-to-point shared demand DRTS, which widely operates within many cities. To capture the uncertain passenger demands in the future when planning the fleet size currently, we model this problem with a framework of two-stage stochastic programming with recourse. Fleet sizing decisions are made in the first stage before the uncertain demands are revealed. After the uncertainty is revealed, the second stage involves making additional decisions to maximize operational revenue. The objective is to optimize the total revenue of the first-stage decisions and the expected revenue of the recourse actions. To solve this practical problem, we resort to the Model Predictive Control method (MPC) and propose a network decomposition approach that first converts the transportation network to a nodal tree structure and then develops a Nodal Tree Recourse with Dependent Arc Capacities (NTRDAC) algorithm to obtain the exact value of the expected recourse functions. In the experiments, NTRDAC is able to produce results within seconds for transportation networks with over 30 nodes. In contrast, a commercial solver is only capable of solving networks with up to five nodes. The stability tests show that NTRDAC remains robust as the problem size varies. Lastly, the value of the stochastic solution (VSS) was evaluated, and the results indicate that it consistently outperforms the expected value solutions. Numerical experiments show that the performance of the NTRDAC algorithm is quite encouraging and fit for large-scale practical problems.

The expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and the rapid increase in data in smart grid business scenarios have led to a need for more dynamic and adaptive security strategies. Traditional static security measures struggle to meet the evolving low-voltage security requirements of state grid systems under this new IoT-driven environment. By incorporating symmetry in metaheuristic algorithms, we can further improve performance and robustness. Symmetrical properties have the potential to lead to more efficient and balanced solutions, improving the overall stability of the grid. We propose a gnn-enhanced ant colony optimization method for orchestrating grid security strategies, which trains across combinatorial optimization problems (COPs) that are representative scenarios in the state grid business scenarios, to learn specific mappings from instances to their heuristic measures. The learned heuristic metrics are embedded into the ant colony optimization (ACO) to generate the optimal security policy adapted to the current security situation. Compared to the ACO and adaptive elite ACO, our method reduces the average time consumption of finding a path within a limited time in the capacitated vehicle routing problem by 67.09% and 66.98%, respectively. Additionally, ablation experiments verify the effectiveness and necessity of the individual functional modules.

In order to expand the application of melatonin in gel food, convenient gummies loaded with melatonin and Lycium barbarum L. were developed in this study. The comprehensive effects of gelatin dose, Lycium barbarum L. powder level and drying time on the properties of melatonin gummies were investigated by color difference analysis, texture analysis, low field NMR analysis and sensory evaluation. The results showed that the gummies containing with 0.4% Lycium barbarum L. powder, 18% gelatin, 5% carrageenan, 17.5% sorbitol, 17.5% erythritol and drying for 18 h were elastic and palatable with smooth surface. The gummies had moisture content less than 20% and melatonin retention rate of 92.0%~97.7%, and high sensory evaluation with potential practical application.

Abstract Background When estimating the causal effect on survival outcomes in observational studies, it is necessary to adjust confounding factors due to unbalanced covariates between treatment and control groups. There is no study on multiple robust method for estimating the difference in survival functions. In this study, we propose a multiply robust (MR) estimator, allowing multiple propensity score models and outcome regression models, to provide multiple protection. Method Based on the previous MR estimator (Han 2014) and pseudo-observation approach, we proposed a new MR estimator for estimating the difference in survival functions. The proposed MR estimator based on the pseudo-observation approach has several advantages. First, the proposed estimator has a small bias when any PS and OR models were correctly specified. Second, the proposed estimator considers the advantage pf the pseudo-observation approach, which avoids proportional hazards assumption. A Monte Carlo simulation study was performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed estimator. And the proposed estimator was used to estimate the effect of chemotherapy on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in real data. Results The simulation studies showed that the bias of the proposed estimator was small, and the coverage rate was close to 95% when any model for propensity score or outcome regression is correctly specified regardless of whether the proportional hazard assumption holds, finite sample size and censoring rate. And the simulation results also showed that even though the propensity score models are misspecified, the bias of the proposed estimator was still small when there is a correct model in candidate outcome regression models. And we applied the proposed estimator in real data, finding that chemotherapy could improve the prognosis of TNBC. Conclusions The proposed estimator, allowing multiple propensity score and outcome regression models, provides multiple protection for estimating the difference in survival functions. The proposed estimator provided a new choice when researchers have a "difficult time" choosing only one model for their studies.

Abstract Background In observational studies, double robust or multiply robust (MR) approaches provide more protection from model misspecification than the inverse probability weighting and g-computation for estimating the average treatment effect (ATE). However, the approaches are based on parametric models, leading to biased estimates when all models are incorrectly specified. Nonparametric methods, such as machine learning or nonparametric double robust approaches, are robust to model misspecification, but the efficiency of nonparametric methods is low. Method In the study, we proposed an improved MR method combining parametric and nonparametric models based on the previous MR method (Han, JASA 109(507):1159-73, 2014) to improve the robustness to model misspecification and the efficiency. We performed comprehensive simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Results Our simulation study showed that the MR estimators with only outcome regression (OR) models, where one of the models was a nonparametric model, were the most recommended because of the robustness to model misspecification and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) when including a correct parametric OR model. And the performance of the recommended estimators was comparative, even if all parametric models were misspecified. As an application, the proposed method was used to estimate the effect of social activity on depression levels in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study dataset. Conclusions The proposed estimator with nonparametric and parametric models is more robust to model misspecification.

Abstract Background When data is distributed across multiple sites, sharing information at the individual level among sites may be difficult. In these multi-site studies, propensity score model can be fitted with data within each site or data from all sites when using inverse probability-weighted Cox regression to estimate overall hazard ratio. However, when there is unknown heterogeneity of covariates in different sites, either approach may lead to potential bias or reduced efficiency. In this study, we proposed a method to estimate propensity score based on covariate balance-related criterion and estimate the overall hazard ratio while overcoming data sharing constraints across sites. Methods The proposed propensity score was generated by choosing between global and local propensity score based on covariate balance-related criterion, combining the global propensity score fitted in the entire population and the local propensity score fitted within each site. We used this proposed propensity score to estimate overall hazard ratio of distributed survival data with multiple sites, while requiring only the summary-level information across sites. We conducted simulation studies to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Besides, we applied the proposed method to real-world data to examine the effect of radiation therapy on time to death among breast cancer patients. Results The simulation studies showed that the proposed method improved the performance in estimating overall hazard ratio comparing with global and local propensity score method, regardless of the number of sites and sample size in each site. Similar results were observed under both homogeneous and heterogeneous settings. Besides, the proposed method yielded identical results to the pooled individual-level data analysis. The real-world data analysis indicated that the proposed method was more likely to find a significant effect of radiation therapy on mortality compared to the global propensity score method and local propensity score method. Conclusions The proposed covariate balance-related propensity score in multi-site distributed survival data outperformed the global propensity score estimated using data from the entire population or the local propensity score estimated within each site in estimating the overall hazard ratio. The proposed approach can be performed without individual-level data transfer between sites and would yield the same results as the corresponding pooled individual-level data analysis.

Channel encroachment and financing decisions are prevalent in practice. Utilizing the Stackelberg game framework, we investigate the impact of a retailer’s capital position and financing strategies on supply chain dynamics in which a supplier considers establishing a direct sales channel. We find that the retailer’s equilibrium financing strategy is impacted by demand volatility and the initial working capital. The supplier’s encroachment decision hinges on the entry cost when neither trade credit financing nor bank credit financing is available. When both types of credit are available, the choice of financing is a complex interplay involving initial working capital, entry cost, and demand volatility. Notably, the supplier’s decision to encroach may shift from a binary stance of either encroaching or not encroaching, or it may oscillate from encroachment to non-encroachment and back to encroachment, particularly with an increase in demand volatility when the entry cost is moderate. The novelty of this study lies in its integration of supplier channel decisions with retailer operational decisions and financing strategies, examining how the capital position and financing strategies impact channel decisions. This study provides managerial insights into the interplay between supplier’s channel dynamics and retailer’s financial considerations, shedding light on unexplored aspects of channel management. In future studies, some assumptions in this study can be modified to obtain more managerial insights.

Abstract Background C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9), which is involved in the pathological processes of various human cancers, has become a hot topic in recent years. We developed a radiomic model to identify CXCL9 status in ovarian cancer (OC) and evaluated its prognostic significance. Methods We analyzed enhanced CT scans, transcriptome sequencing data, and corresponding clinical characteristics of CXCL9 in OC using the TCIA and TCGA databases. We used the repeat least absolute shrinkage (LASSO) and recursive feature elimination(RFE) methods to determine radiomic features after extraction and normalization. We constructed a radiomic model for CXCL9 prediction based on logistic regression and internal tenfold cross-validation. Finally, a 60-month overall survival (OS) nomogram was established to analyze survival data based on Cox regression. Results CXCL9 mRNA levels and several other genes involving in T-cell infiltration were significantly relevant to OS in OC patients. The radiomic score (rad_score) of our radiomic model was calculated based on the five features for CXCL9 prediction. The areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC-ROC) for the training cohort was 0.781, while that for the validation cohort was 0.743. Patients with a high rad_score had better overall survival (P

IntroductionGlioblastoma (GBM) presents significant challenges due to its malignancy and limited treatment options. Precision treatment requires subtyping patients based on prognosis. Disulfidptosis, a novel cell death mechanism, is linked to aberrant glucose metabolism and disulfide stress, particularly in tumors expressing high levels of SLC7A11. The exploration of disulfidptosis may provide a new perspective for precise diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma.MethodsTranscriptome sequencing was conducted on samples from GBM patients treated at Tiantan Hospital (January 2022 - December 2023). Data from CGGA and TCGA databases were collected. Consensus clustering based on disulfidptosis features categorized GBM patients into two subtypes (DRGclusters). Tumor immune microenvironment, response to immunotherapy, and drug sensitivity were analyzed. An 8-gene disulfidptosis-based subtype predictor was developed using LASSO machine learning algorithm and validated on CGGA dataset.ResultsPatients in DRGcluster A exhibited improved overall survival (OS) compared to DRGcluster B. DRGcluster subtypes showed differences in tumor immune microenvironment and response to immunotherapy. The predictor effectively stratified patients into high and low-risk groups. Significant differences in IC50 values for chemotherapy and targeted therapy were observed between risk groups.DiscussionDisulfidptosis-based classification offers promise as a prognostic predictor for GBM. It provides insights into tumor immune microenvironment and response to therapy. The predictor aids in patient stratification and personalized treatment selection, potentially improving outcomes for GBM patients.

Abstract The realization of large‐scale industrial application of alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogen generation is severely hampered by the cost of electricity. Therefore, it is currently necessary to synthesize highly efficient electrocatalysts with excellent stability and low overpotential under an industrial‐level current density. Herein, Ir‐incorporated in partially oxidized Ru aerogel has been designed and synthesized via a simple in situ reduction strategy and subsequent oxidation process. The electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the optimized Ru98Ir2‐350 electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in an alkaline environment (1 M KOH). Especially, at the large current density of 1000 mA cm−2, the overpotential is as low as 121 mV, far exceeding the benchmark Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, the Ru98Ir2‐350 catalyst also displays excellent stability over 1500 h at 1000 mA cm−2, denoting its industrial applicability. This work provides an efficient route for developing highly active and ultra‐stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen generation under industrial‐level current density.

Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates/κ-carrageenan (SK) double cross-linking network hydrogels were constructed as curcumin (Cur) delivery vehicles with good gel mechanical property and homogeneous honeycomb microstructures. Compared with Cur + DSS group, weight loss and colon length in SK-Cur + DSS group increased about 1.04 and 1.06 folds, while the disease active index (DAI) scores decreased about 13 %. Moreover, SK-Cur showed superior effect on intestinal barrier improvement, oxidative stress modulation, and inflammatory expression regulation, reflected by 1.1 folds increment of epithelial tight junction proteins, 16 % and 27 % decline in MPO and iNOS levels, 20 % decline in NF-κB expression, 4 %, 7 %, 6 % decline in TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 expression in serum, and 9 %, 20 %, 7 % decline in TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 expression in colon tissue. Furthermore, SK-Cur enriched alpha diversity and restored taxonomic composition with increasing Bacteroides and Verrucomicrobia abundance accompanied by decreasing Firmicutes in DSS-induced UC mice, roughly to a normal gut flora state.

Abstract Speech emotion recognition (SER) is a hot topic in speech signal processing. With the advanced development of the cheap computing power and proliferation of research in data-driven methods, deep learning approaches are prominent solutions to SER nowadays. SER is a challenging task due to the scarcity of datasets and the lack of emotion perception. Most existing networks of SER are based on computer vision and natural language processing, so the applicability for extracting emotion is not strong. Drawing on the research results of brain science on emotion computing and inspired by the emotional perceptive process of the human brain, we propose an approach based on emotional perception, which designs a human-like implicit emotional attribute classification and introduces implicit emotional information through multi-task learning. Preliminary experiments show that the unweighted accuracy (UA) of the proposed method has increased by 2.44%, and weighted accuracy (WA) 3.18% (both absolute values) on the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture (IEMOCAP) dataset, which verifies the effectiveness of our method.

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in irreversible sensory and motor disability with no effective treatment currently. After SCI, infiltrated macrophages accumulate in epicenter through destructed blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB). Further, great majority of macrophages are preferentially polarized to M1 phenotype, with only a few transient M2 phenotype. The purpose of this study was to explore roles of vascular endothelial cells in microglia/macrophages polarization and the underlying mechanism. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to pretreat BV2 microglia and RAW264.7 macrophages followed by administration of conditioned medium from microvascular endothelial cell line bEnd.3 cells (ECM). Analyses were then performed to determine the effects of exosomes on microglia/macrophages polarization and mitochondrial function. The findings demonstrated that administration of ECM shifted microglia/macrophages towards M2 polarization, ameliorated mitochondrial impairment, and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in vitro. Notably, administration of GW4869, an exosomal secretion inhibitor, significantly reversed these observed benefits. Further results revealed that exosomes derived from bEnd.3 cells (Exos) promote motor rehabilitation and M2 polarization of microglia/macrophages in vivo. Ubiquitin-specific protease 13 (USP13) was shown to be significantly enriched in BV2 microglia treated with Exos. USP13 binds to, deubiquitinates and stabilizes the NF-κB inhibitor alpha (IκBα), thus regulating microglia/macrophages polarization. Administration of the selective IκBα inhibitor betulinic acid (BA) inhibited the beneficial effect of Exos in vivo. These findings uncovered the potential mechanism underlying the communications between vascular endothelial cells and microglia/macrophages after SCI. In addition, this study indicates exosomes might be a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI treatment.

Investigating the effects of natural rainfall on the soil moisture for sloping farmland is extremely important for comprehending a variety of hydrological processes. Rainfall regimes can elicit different responses to soil moisture at the depth of soil layers, and the responses may differ depending on the landscape position of the sloping farmland. This paper utilized the surface runoff natural rainfall and soil moisture measured on sloping farmland with conventional tillage and contour tillage in the red soil area of China to investigate the influence of natural rainfall events on soil moisture content and to evaluate if the response results were consistent across the four rainfall regimes. Natural rainfall events were classified into different four regimes in line with rainfall duration, rainfall amount, and the maximum 30 min rainfall intensity (I30) by the k-means clustering method, including advanced, intermediate, uniform and delayed regimes. The result showed that the advanced regime was the predominant one in the study area, which represented 45.9% of the total rainfall events. The rainfall regimes influenced the surface runoff coefficient and runoff depth on sloping farmland for conventional and contour tillage, with the uniform regime generating the highest runoff coefficient (5.20% and 5.82%) and runoff depth (2.00% and 2.05%), respectively. For the conventional tillage, soil moisture at a depth of 0–20 cm increased appreciably when the rainfall amount was larger than 20 mm and larger than 30 mm for the advanced regime. For the contour tillage, soil moisture in 20–40 cm layer increased for the advanced regime when the rainfall amount was larger than 15 mm and 30 mm, while the values were modified with rainfall duration and the antecedent dry day (ADD). A longer rainfall duration had a more obvious effect on soil moisture increasing in deep soil. At a depth of 20 cm, the ADD showed an appreciably positive correlation with the increment in soil moisture, which means that a brief ADD produces a compounding effect for a natural rainfall event. The present results underline the complexity of the effect of the rainfall events on soil moisture under two tillage measures for different rainfall regimes and suggest that the advanced regime significantly affects the distinction of soil moisture and the contour tillage can effectively reduce soil water loss and enhance water storage on the sloping farmland with red soil, presenting a theoretical basis for local soil and water conservation research and sloping farmland conservation tillage management.

Raman flow cytometry (RFC) uniquely integrates the “label-free” capability of Raman spectroscopy with the “high-throughput” attribute of traditional flow cytometry (FCM), offering exceptional performance in cell characterization and sorting. Unlike conventional FCM, RFC stands out for its elimination of the dependency on fluorescent labels, thereby reducing interference with the natural state of cells. Furthermore, it significantly enhances the detection information, providing a more comprehensive chemical fingerprint of cells. This review thoroughly discusses the fundamental principles and technological advantages of RFC and elaborates on its various applications in the biomedical field, from identifying and characterizing cancer cells for in vivo cancer detection and surveillance to sorting stem cells, paving the way for cell therapy, and identifying metabolic products of microbial cells, enabling the differentiation of microbial subgroups. Moreover, we delve into the current challenges and future directions regarding the improvement in sensitivity and throughput. This holds significant implications for the field of cell analysis, especially for the advancement of metabolomics.

Abstract Blood vessels play a role in osteogenesis and osteoporosis; however, the role of vascular metabolism in these processes remains unclear. The present study finds that ovariectomized mice exhibit reduced blood vessel density in the bone and reduced expression of the endothelial glycolytic regulator pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). Endothelial cell (EC)‐specific deletion of Pkm2 impairs osteogenesis and worsens osteoporosis in mice. This is attributed to the impaired ability of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to differentiate into osteoblasts. Mechanistically, EC‐specific deletion of Pkm2 reduces serum lactate levels secreted by ECs, which affect histone lactylation in BMSCs. Using joint CUT&Tag and RNA sequencing analyses, collagen type I alpha 2 chain (COL1A2), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), and transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2) as osteogenic genes regulated by histone H3K18la lactylation are identified. PKM2 overexpression in ECs, lactate addition, and exercise restore the phenotype of endothelial PKM2‐deficient mice. Furthermore, serum metabolomics indicate that patients with osteoporosis have relatively low lactate levels. Additionally, histone lactylation and related osteogenic genes of BMSCs are downregulated in patients with osteoporosis. In conclusion, glycolysis in ECs fuels BMSC differentiation into osteoblasts through histone lactylation, and exercise partially ameliorates osteoporosis by increasing serum lactate levels.

The geometrical significance of winding number is used to study the topological characteristics of a single-excitation Heisenberg XY spin model represented by the Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model. Due to the presence of topological edge states, the quantum state may be conveyed from the first site to the last site with a high degree of fidelity. Also examined is a Heisenberg XY model on the kagome lattice. In the topological phase of the kagome lattice, the three corner states are not affected by the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) interactions. For the kagome lattice with and without the DM interactions, the state of a spin on one corner site can be transferred to the other two corner sites in various ways during the topological phase. The quantum state transfer (QST) for the XY model on the kagome lattice without the DM interactions is symmetrical and can only produce a three-body entangled state. In contrast, the QST for the XY model on the kagome lattice with the DM interactions is in an asymmetrical form, similar to one-way propagation, and it can produce both product states and three-body entangled states.

Single cell dispensing techniques mainly include limiting dilution, fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) and microfluidic approaches. Limiting dilution process is complicated by statistical analysis of clonally derived cell lines. Flow cytometry and conventional microfluidic chip methods utilize excitation fluorescence signals for detection, potentially causing a non-negligible effect on cell activity. In this paper, we implement a nearly non-destructive single-cell dispensing method based on object detection algorithm. To realize single cell detection, we have built automated image acquisition system and then employed PP-YOLO neural network model as detection framework. Through architecture comparison and parameter optimization, we select ResNet-18vd as backbone for feature extraction. We train and evaluate the flow cell detection model on train and test set consisting of 4076 and 453 annotated images respectively. Experiments show that the model inference an image of 320 × 320 pixels at least 0.9 ms with the precision of 98.6% on a NVidia A100 GPU, achieving a good balance of detection speed and accuracy.

Objective Intraoperative O‐arm navigation systems improve the accuracy of spinal instrumentation placement. However, deviation of the pedicle screw from the guide line might occur. The aim of the present study was to explore the causes of and countermeasures for the drift phenomenon during pedicle screw implantation with the aid of an O‐arm three‐dimensional navigation system in spinal deformity surgery. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 341 patients with spinal deformity who underwent O‐arm navigation system‐assisted pedicle screw placement from July 2015 to June 2019. The patient's general condition, Cobb angle, apical vertebra position, softness index, spinal release status, fixed reference frame position, and distance between the navigation vertebral body and the reference frame were collected and compared by independent‐samples t test or Pearson's chi‐square analysis. The potential risk factors for the drift phenomenon were identified using binary logistic regression analysis. Results The drift phenomenon occurred in 57 patients during the first navigation‐assisted pedicle screw placement, for an incidence of 16.7% (57/341). There were significant differences in factors such as the apical vertebra position, softness index, spinal release status, and distance between the vertebral body and the reference frame when the drift phenomenon occurred (P

Abstract Background Estimating the average effect of a treatment, exposure, or intervention on health outcomes is a primary aim of many medical studies. However, unbalanced covariates between groups can lead to confounding bias when using observational data to estimate the average treatment effect (ATE). In this study, we proposed an estimator to correct confounding bias and provide multiple protection for estimation consistency. Methods With reference to the kernel function-based double-index propensity score (Ker.DiPS) estimator, we proposed the artificial neural network-based multi-index propensity score (ANN.MiPS) estimator. The ANN.MiPS estimator employed the artificial neural network to estimate the MiPS that combines the information from multiple candidate models for propensity score and outcome regression. A Monte Carlo simulation study was designed to evaluate the performance of the proposed ANN.MiPS estimator. Furthermore, we applied our estimator to real data to discuss its practicability. Results The simulation study showed the bias of the ANN.MiPS estimators is very small and the standard error is similar if any one of the candidate models is correctly specified under all evaluated sample sizes, treatment rates, and covariate types. Compared to the kernel function-based estimator, the ANN.MiPS estimator usually yields smaller standard error when the correct model is incorporated in the estimator. The empirical study indicated the point estimation for ATE and its bootstrap standard error of the ANN.MiPS estimator is stable under different model specifications. Conclusions The proposed estimator extended the combination of information from two models to multiple models and achieved multiply robust estimation for ATE. Extra efficiency was gained by our estimator compared to the kernel-based estimator. The proposed estimator provided a novel approach for estimating the causal effects in observational studies.

Abstract Objective The most severe complication associated with giant coronary aneurysm in children with Kawasaki disease is ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) caused by thrombosis. Addition of tissue plasminogen activator, Alteplase, in the treatment regimen can be an efficient thrombolytic therapy, and therefore can have a significantly positive impact on patients’ quality of life in long term. Methods Total four male KD patients with central thromboses in coronary aneurysm were treated in Pediatric Cardiology Department of Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, from January 2020 to August 2021. These patients received thrombolytic treatments including Alteplase once + Heparin for 1 week followed by continuous oral Warfarin + Aspirin + Clopidogrel. Results 4 young male KD patients had coronary aneurysm (CAA) complicated with total 7 occurrences of central thrombosis. These patients were given alteplase and heparin/oral Warfarin + Aspirin + Clopidogrel treatment. 9 days to 2 months later, thromboses were significantly dissolved. The treatment successfully diminished the thrombosis complication. Conclusion 1. Pediatric KD patients complicated with coronary aneurysm thrombosis are prone to recurrence of thrombosis. 2. In KD patients complicated with coronary aneurysm thrombosis, treatments described in Method can be used for treating either small thromboses formed less than 1 month with strong echo and convex lumen or large thromboses with mixed strong and weak echo. With these treatments, coronary artery blood flow can be improved or completely recovered. 3. Clinical experiences at our center in treating these KD patients suggest that Alteplase can be considered in thrombolytic treatment beyond the limitation of less than 12 h of thrombosis occurrence.

Abstract Background The empirical evidence remains inconclusive for an association between diabetes mellitus (DM) in children and early-onset kidney disease later in life, and little is known about the effects of DM types (i.e., type 1 diabetes [T1DM] and type 2 diabetes [T2DM]) in childhood on type-specific kidney diseases. We aimed to evaluate the association of childhood DM with overall and type-specific early-onset kidney diseases later in life. Methods The population-based matched cohort study included 9356 individuals with DM (T1DM: 8470, T2DM: 886) diagnosed in childhood (

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death. Oxidative stress is an important pathological process of a variety of CVDs. Xinshuaining preparation has a therapeutic effect on the heart failure. However, the anti-oxidative stress role of Xinshuaining preparation in H9c2 cells is still unclear. Methods The medicated serum of Xinshuaining preparation was acquired and utilized to hatch with H2O2-induced H9c2 cells. Main components in the Xinshuaining preparation were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The effect of medicated serum on the cell viability, apoptosis rate, the oxidative stress indicators (SOD, GSH-Px, and MDA), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and ROS level was evaluated by CCK-8, flow cytometry, commercial biochemical detection kits, and JC-1 staining. Additionally, the associated mechanism was determined by the detection of the protein levels (PI3K, phosphorylated PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt, and Nrf-2) through western blot assays, which was also further assessed with the application of LY294002. Results The medicated serum of Xinshuaining preparation notably increased the H2O2-reduced, the cell viability, the concentration of SOD and GSH-Px, MMP level and the relative protein expression level of phosphorylated PI3K and Akt and Nrf-2, while dampened the H2O2-elevated the level of the cell apoptosis rate, MDA, and ROS. However, Xinshuaining preparation on the cell viability, apoptosis, and oxidative stress was notably antagonized by LY294002 pre-treatment. Conclusions The medicated serum of Xinshuaining preparation increased the cell viability and suppressed apoptosis and oxidative stress via the PI3K/Akt/Nrf-2 signaling pathway.

‘Lane Late’, a late-maturing navel orange cultivar, is mainly distributed in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, which matures in the late March of the next year and needs overwintering cultivation. Citrus fruit granulation is a physiological disorder, which is characterized by lignification and dehydration of juice sac cells, seriously affecting the commercial value of citrus fruits. The pre-harvest granulation of late-maturing navel orange is main caused by low temperature in the winter, but its mechanism and regulation pattern remain unclear. In this study, a SG2-type R2R3-MYB transcription factor, CsMYB15, was identified from Citrus sinensis, which was significantly induced by both juice sac granulation and low temperature treatment. Subcellular localization analysis and transcriptional activation assay revealed that CsMYB15 protein was localized to the nucleus, and it exhibited transcriptional activation activity in yeast. Over-expression of CsMYB15 by stable transformation in navel orange calli and transient transformation in kumquat fruits and navel orange juice sacs significantly increased lignin content in the transgenic lines. Further, Yeast one hybrid, EMSA, and LUC assays demonstrated that CsMYB15 directly bound to the Cs4CL2 promoter and activated its expression, thereby causing a high accumulation of lignin in citrus. Taken together, these results elucidated the biological function of CsMYB15 in regulating Cs4CL2-mediated lignin biosynthesis, and provided novel insight into the transcriptional regulation mechanism underlying the juice sac granulation of late-maturing navel orange.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary tumor in the central nervous system. There is no standard of care for patients with recurrent GBM. Honokiol is a pleiotropic lignan and has the potential to be a potent and safe anticancer agent in human GBM when it is encapsulated by liposomes. We report an efficient and safe response to three phases of treatment with liposomal honokiol in a patient with recurrent glioblastoma.

Preferential pathways in soil lead to nutrient leaching and groundwater contamination. However, the evolution of preferential flow with straw application remains uncertain. This study aims to experimentally determine the hypothesis that, depending on how it is applied, straw will either promote or inhibit the movement of soil preferential flow. Treatments with straw application rates of 0, 5, 10, and 15 t/ha and decomposition time points of 0, 60, and 240 d were set up for the potassium iodide–starch dye-tracer method. The results showed that the straw decomposition rate slowed down in the later stages. At 0 d, the preferential flow coefficients of straw application of 0, 5, 10, and 15 t/ha were 0.13, 0.14, 0.23, and 0.17, respectively. At 60 d, the preferential flow coefficients were approximately 0.17, 0.11, 0.22, and 0.12. Soil properties and irrigation quality improved at 0 d and 60 d. However, a marked increase of 0.31, 0.35, and 0.17 in the preferential flow coefficient was observed at 240 d. Soil properties and irrigation quality deteriorated at 240 d. These results indicate that the effect of straw incorporation and decomposition on preferential flow was initially inhibited and subsequently promoted. Soil properties and irrigation quality were initially improved and subsequently deteriorated. The study serves as a reference for rational utilization of agricultural residuals and scientific irrigation, suggesting that the optimal method of straw incorporation should be adopted based on the growth cycle of the crops.

Moistube irrigation is an efficient method that accurately irrigates and fertilizes agricultural crops. Investigation into the mechanisms of infiltration behaviors under an adjusted working head (WKH) benefits a timely and artificially regulating moisture condition within root zones, as adapted to evapotranspiration. This study explores the laws of Moistube irrigated soil water movement under constant and adjusted working heads. Lysimeter experiments were conducted to measure Moistube irrigation cumulative infiltration, infiltration rate, and to observe wetting front area and water content distribution using digital image processing and time domain reflectometry, respectively. Treatments of constant heads (0, 1, and 2 m), increasing heads (0 to 1, 0 to 2 and 1 to 2 m) and deceasing heads (1 to 0, 2 to 0 and 2 to 1 m) were designed. The results show that (1) under constant heads, the cumulative infiltration increases linearly over time. The infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration are positively correlated with the pressure head. When WKH is increased or decreased, the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration curves significantly change, followed by a gradual stabilization. The more the head is increased or decreased, the more evident this tendency will be. (2) When WKH is increased, the wetting front migration rate and the wetted soil moisture content marked increase; when WKH is decreased, the wetting front migration rate sharply decelerates, and the water content of the wetted soil slowly grows. They both tend to equilibrium with time. (3) By regarding the same cumulative infiltration of increased WKH and constant WKH treatments as a similar initial condition, we proposed a cumulative infiltration empirical model for Moistube irrigation under variable working head. Additionally, we treat the Moistube as a clayey porous medium and construct a HYDRUS-2D numerical model to predict the infiltration behaviors under variable WKH. The validity of the two models were well proven, with MRE and NRMSE close to 0 and NSE greater than 0.867, indicating good agreements with the experimental results. This model breaks through the limitation of constant boundary of traditional numerical model and applies variable head boundary to the boundary of the Moistube pipe, which can also effectively simulate the response mechanism of Moistube irrigation to variable WKH. The research results further confirmed the feasibility of manually adjusting the WKH to regulate the discharge of the Moistube pipe and soil moisture state. Based on the HYDRUS-2D numerical model simulation results and the root distribution and water demand of typical facility crops, the selection range of placement depth and the adjustable range of WKH of Moistube irrigation were proposed. The research results provide a theoretical reference for manual adjustment or automatic control of Moistube irrigation WKH to adapt to real-time crop water demand in agricultural production.

ABSTRACT: A cannabidiol (CBD)-loaded oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by a whey protein (WP)-maltodextrin (MD) conjugate and rosmarinic acid (RA) complex was fabricated, and its stability characteristics were investigated under various environmental conditions. The WP-MD conjugates were formed via dry-heating. The interaction between WP and MD was assessed by browning intensity, reduced amount of free amino groups, the formation of high molecular weight components in sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, and changes in secondary structure of whey proteins. The WP-MD-RA noncovalent complex was prepared and confirmed by fluorescence quenching and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectra. Emulsions stabilized by WP, WP-MD, and WP-RA were used as references to evaluate the effect of WP-MD-RA as a novel emulsifier. Results showed that WP-MD-RA was an effective emulsifier to produce fine droplets for a CBD-loaded emulsion and remarkably improved the pH and salt stabilities of emulsions in comparison with WP. An emulsion prepared with WP-MD-RA showed the highest protection of CBD against UV and heat-induced degradation among all emulsions. The ternary complex kept emulsions in small particle size during storage at 4°C. Data from the current study may offer useful information for designing emulsion-based delivery systems which can protect active substance against environmental stresses.

Introduction A patient record review study conducted in 2006 in a random sample of 21 Dutch hospitals found that 51%–77% of adverse events are related to perioperative care, while Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data in USA in 2013 estimated that the medical error is the third-leading cause of mortality. To capitalise on the potential of apps to enhance perioperative medical quality, there is a need for interventions developed in consultation with real-world users designed to support integrated management for perioperative adverse events (PAEs). This study aims: (1) to access the knowledge, attitude and practices for PAEs among physicians, nurses and administrators, and to identify the needs of healthcare providers for a mobile-based PAEs tool; (2) to develop a data-driven app for integrated PAE management that meets those needs and (3) to test the usability, clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the developed app.Methods and analysis We will adopt an embedded mixed-methods research technique; qualitative data will be used to assess user needs and app adoption, while quantitative data will provide crucial insights to establish the demand for the app, and measure the app effects. Phase 1 will enrol surgery-related healthcare providers from the West China Hospital and identify their latent demand for mobile-based PAEs management using a self-designed questionnaire underpinned by the knowledge, attitude and practice model, as well as expert interviews. In phase 2, we will develop the app for integrated PAE management and test its effectiveness and sustainability. In phase 3, the effects on the total number and severity of reported PAEs will be evaluated using Poisson regression with interrupted time-series analysis over a 2-year period, while users’ engagement, adherence, process evaluation and cost-effectiveness will be evaluated using quarterly surveys and interviews.Ethics and dissemination The West China Hospital of Sichuan University’s Institutional Review Board authorised this study after approving the study protocol, permission forms and questionnaires (number: 2022-1364). Participants will be provided with study information, and informed written consent will be obtained. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Left ventricular non-compaction is a complex cardiomyopathy and the third largest childhood cardiomyopathy, for which limited knowledge is available. Both pathogenesis and prognosis are still under investigation. Currently, no effective treatment strategy exists to reduce its incidence or severity, and symptomatic treatment is the only clinical treatment strategy. Treatment strategies are constantly explored in clinical practice, and some progress has been made in coping with the corresponding symptoms because the prognosis of children with left ventricular non-compaction is usually poor if there are complications. In this review, we summarized and discussed the coping methods for different left ventricular non-compaction symptoms.

IntroductionTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered the most common traumatic neurological disease, is associated with high mortality and long-term complications, and is a global public health issue. However, there has been little progress in serum markers for TBI research. Therefore, there is an urgent need for biomarkers that can sufficiently function in TBI diagnosis and evaluation.MethodsExosomal microRNA (ExomiR), a stable circulating marker in the serum, has aroused widespread interest among researchers. To explore the level of serum ExomiR after TBI, we quantified ExomiR expression levels in serum exosomes extracted from patients with TBI using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and explored potential biomarkers using bioinformatics screening.ResultsCompared with the control group, there were 245 ExomiR (136 up-regulated and 109 down-regulated) in the serum of the TBI group that changed significantly. We observed serum ExomiRs expression profiles associated with neurovascular remodeling, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, neuroinflammation, and a cascade of secondary injury, including eight up-regulated ExomiRs (ExomiR-124-3p, ExomiR-137-3p, ExomiR-9-3p, ExomiR-133a-5p, ExomiR-204-3p, ExomiR-519a-5p, ExomiR-4732-5p, and ExomiR-206) and 2 down-regulated ExomiR (ExomiR-21-3p and ExomiR-199a-5).DiscussionThe results revealed that serum ExomiRs might become a new research direction and breakthrough for the diagnosis and pathophysiological treatment of patients with TBI.

ObjectiveTo propose and validate a new classification of surgical methods for patients with subaxial cervical hemivertebrae.MethodThis article reviewed cases diagnosed with subaxial cervical hemivertebrae in our hospital from January 2008 to December 2019. The results of preoperative (initial visit), postoperative and/or final follow-up were assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, spinal balance parameters, and Scoliosis Research Society-22 Questionnaire (SRS-22). We also performed a reliability study to assess this classification.ResultThe classification includes three types. Each type can be divided into two subtypes, and a preliminary algorithm is proposed. Type I: There is an obvious appearance deformity in the neck, there are hemivertebrae in the cervical spine, and only a single hemivertebra of the subaxial cervical hemivertebra needs to be resected. Type II: There is an obvious appearance deformity in the neck, there are hemivertebrae in the cervical spine, and multiple subaxial cervical hemivertebrae need to be removed. Type III: No apparent deformity in the neck, at least one subaxial cervical hemivertebra existed or Klipper-Feil syndrome. Each type is divided into two subtypes, A and B, according to whether the upper and lower adjacent vertebral bodies of the rescected hemivertebra(e) are fused. We propose corresponding treatment methods for different types. We included a total of 121 patients and reviewed the prognosis for each type of patient. All patients achieved satisfactory results. The reliability study showed that the mean interobserver agreement was 91.8% (89.3%–93.4%), and the κ value was 0.845 (0.800–0.875). The intraobserver agreement ranged from 93.4% to 97.5%, with a mean κ value of 0.929 (0.881 to 0.954).ConclusionIn our study, we proposed and validated a new classification of subaxial cervical hemivertebrae and proposed corresponding treatment plans for different classifications.

BackgroundAs one of the essential nutrients for the human body, minerals participate in various physiological activities of the body and are closely related to many cancers. However, the population study on glioma is not sufficient.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between five dietary minerals and glioma.MethodsA total of 506 adult patients with glioma and 506 healthy controls were matched 1:1 according to age (±5 years) and sex. The food intake of the subjects in the past year was collected through the food frequency questionnaire, and the intakes of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper in the diet were calculated. The logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for dietary minerals to gliomas.ResultsAfter adjusting for confounders, higher intakes of calcium (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.57–0.74), magnesium (OR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.11–0.29), iron (OR = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02–0.11), zinc (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.54–0.73), and copper (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.13–0.39) were associated with a significantly decreased risk of glioma. Similar results were observed in gliomas of different pathological types and pathological grades. The restriction cubic spline function suggested significant linear dose-response relationships between intakes of five minerals and the risk of glioma. When the dietary minerals exceeded a particular intake, the risk of glioma stabilized.ConclusionOur study suggests that higher dietary intakes of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper are associated with a decreased risk of glioma. However, the results of this study require further exploration of potential mechanisms in the future better to elucidate the effects of mineral intake on gliomas.

BackgroundDietary antioxidants have long been thought to be likely to prevent the development of gliomas. Previous studies have reported vitamin A, C, and E protective effects against gliomas. B vitamins, one of the main vitamins in the diet, are closely related to human health, but the association with gliomas has rarely been reported.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the relationship between five B vitamins and glioma.MethodsIn this Chinese population-based case–control study, 506 glioma cases and 506 matched (age and sex) controls were included. The dietary intake of study participants was assessed using a valid 111-item food frequency questionnaire. The intake of five B vitamins was calculated based on participants’ dietary information from the food frequency questionnaire. The logistic regression model was used to examine the association between B vitamins and glioma, and the restriction cubic spline evaluated the dose–response relationship between the two.ResultsAfter adjusting for confounding factors, thiamine (OR = 0.09, 95%CI: 0.05–0.20), riboflavin (OR = 0.12, 95%CI: 0.06–0.25), nicotinic acid (OR = 0.24, 95%CI: 0.12–0.47), folate (OR = 0.07, 95%CI: 0.03–0.15) and biotin (OR = 0.14, 95%CI: 0.07–0.30) in the highest tertile were associated with a significantly decreased risk of glioma compared with the lowest tertile. The results of thiamine and biotin in glioma with different pathological types and grades were different. The restricted cubic spline function showed significant dose–response relationships between the intake of five B vitamins and the risk of glioma. When B vitamins exceeded a specific intake, the risk of glioma did not change.ConclusionOur study suggests that higher dietary intake of thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, and folate are associated with a decreased risk of glioma, but the results of biotin are not consistent among different populations. In the future, prospective studies should be conducted better to validate the effects of B vitamins on gliomas.

Abstract Background The position of the aorta relative to the spine in kyphosis secondary to Pott's deformity is little understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomic relationship between the aorta and the spine in patients with Pott’s deformity and to compare it with the normal people. Methods Seventy-six patients with Pott’s deformity (Group TB) and seventy-two age- and sex-matched patients with a normal spine (group NC) were enrolled in this study. The relative position of aorta to the spine was evaluated from T4 to L4 on the computed tomographic angiography scans for controls and at the apex level for TB patient, and was classified into 4 kinds of degrees. Results The left pedicle-aorta angle in group TB was significantly larger than that in group NC at the T6-L3 levels. Group TB exhibited significantly smaller left pedicle-aorta distance, pedicular line-aorta distance and vertebra/rib-aorta distance than those in group NC at the T5-T10 levels, but bigger at the L1-3 levels. Patients with grade 3 and 4 aorta had more segments involved compared with those with grade 1 aorta. Patients with grade 2, 3, and 4 aorta showed larger kyphotic angles than those with grade 1. Conclusions Patients whose morbid segments involved only thoracic vertebrae presented with an “Ω” shaped aorta in sagittal plane, and 4 different kinds of degrees of aorta relative to the vertebra/rib in axial plane. Patients whose morbid segments covered lumbar vertebrae presented with an “M” shaped aorta in sagittal plane, and the aorta shifted further from apex vertebra but was located in close proximity to the vertebral body at levels above and below the osteotomy levels in axial plane.

Abstract Background Citrus is one of the most important fresh fruit crops worldwide. Juice sac granulation is a physiological disorder, which leads to a reduction in soluble solid concentration, total sugar, and titratable acidity of citrus fruits. Pectin methylesterase (PME) catalyzes the de-methylesterification of homogalacturonans and plays crucial roles in cell wall modification during plant development and fruit ripening. Although PME family has been well investigated in various model plants, little is known regarding the evolutionary property and biological function of PME family genes in citrus. Results In this study, 53 non-redundant PME genes were identified from Citrus sinensis genome, and these PME genes were divided into four clades based on the phylogenetic relationship. Subsequently, bioinformatics analyses of gene structure, conserved domain, chromosome localization, gene duplication, and collinearity were performed on CsPME genes, providing important clues for further research on the functions of CsPME genes. The expression profiles of CsPME genes in response to juice sac granulation and low-temperature stress revealed that CsPME genes were involved in the low temperature-induced juice sac granulation in navel orange fruits. Subcellular localization analysis suggested that CsPME genes were localized on the apoplast, endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membrane, and vacuole membrane. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid screening and dual luciferase activity assay revealed that the transcription factor CsRVE1 directly bound to the promoter of CsPME3 and activated its activity. Conclusion In summary, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the PME gene family in citrus, and provides a novel insight into the biological functions and regulation patterns of CsPME genes during juice sac granulation of citrus.

Levofloxacin is an emerging contaminant that threatens the aquatic organisms and human health. Bi2WO6-based heterojunction materials exhibit positive photocatalytic degradation activity under visible light with highly stable hierarchical nanostructures for levofloxacin remediation. However, recycling in practical applications is challenging. Herein, a hybrid nanofibrous film comprising BiOBr nanoplates on a layered Bi2WO6 nanofiber was successfully synthesized using electrospinning, a solvothermal method, and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). The size and quantity of BiOBr nanoplates grown on the fibers are controlled by adjusting the number of SILAR cycles. The BiOBr nanostructure obtained on the surface of the nanofibers controlled the photocatalytic activity of the sample. The resulting film exhibited superior degradation efficiency toward levofloxacin under visible-light irradiation due to its solid heterostructure, large specific surface area, high porosity, and enhanced visible-light response. The degradation efficiency of levofloxacin reached 95.25% after the system was exposed to visible light for 120 min, and five cyclic experiments demonstrated its excellent stability and reuesability. The Bi2WO6/BiOBr/polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous film provides a new strategy for developing high-tech equipment and other applications in environmental remediation.

As a traditional and popular dietary supplement, lotus rhizome starch (LRS) has health benefits for its many nutritional components and is especially suitable for teenagers and seniors. In this paper, the approximate composition, apparent amylose content (AAC), and structural characteristics of five LRS samples from different regions were investigated, and their correlations with the physicochemical properties of granular and gelatinized LRS were revealed. LRS exhibited rod-shaped and ellipsoidal starch granules, with AAC ranging from 26.6% to 31.7%. LRS-3, from Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, exhibited a deeper hydrogel color and contained more ash, with 302.6 mg/kg iron, and it could reach the pasting temperature of 62.6 °C. In comparison, LRS-5, from Baoshan, Yunnan Province, exhibited smoother granule surface, less fragmentation, and higher AAC, resulting in better swelling power and freeze-thaw stability. The resistant starch contents of LRS-3 and LRS-5 were the lowest (15.3%) and highest (69.7%), respectively. The enzymatic digestion performance of LRS was positively correlated with ash content and short- and long-term ordered structures but negatively correlated with AAC. Furthermore, the color and network firmness of gelatinized LRS was negatively correlated with its ash content, and the retrograde trend and freeze-thaw stability were more closely correlated with AAC and structural characteristics. These results revealed the physicochemical properties of LRS from different regions and suggested their advantages in appropriate applications as a hydrogel matrix.

Recent studies have revealed a putative relationship between diet and glioma development and prognosis, but few studies have examined the association between overall diet and glioma risk. This study, conducted in China, employed a hospital-based case-control approach. The researchers utilized an a priori method based on dietary data to evaluate compliance scores for five healthy dietary patterns (the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, the Mediterranean-DASH diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, the Paleolithic diet, and the Planetary Health Diet) in 1012 participants. At the same time, data-driven methods were used to explore the association between dietary patterns and glioma via principal component analysis (PCA). In the multivariate model, adhering to the Mediterranean diet (odds ratio (OR) = 0.29; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.17–0.52), the DASH diet (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.04–0.18), the MIND diet (OR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.14–0.44), and the Paleolithic diet (OR = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.06–0.25) was associated with a reduced glioma risk. The results of PCA suggested that increasing the intake of plant-based foods and fish and limiting foods rich in carbohydrates, fats, and salts were associated with a reduced glioma risk. There was a substantial nonlinear dose–response association between glioma and the Mediterranean diet score. However, the DASH diet score, the MIND diet score, and the Paleolithic diet score exhibited linear dose–response relationships. Therefore, this study finds that dietary patterns may be an influencing factor for glioma risk.