Search

Yun-Hua Chai,1 Hui Yang,2 Gai-Ping Huang,1 Ting Wu,1 Yan Dong3 1Department of Geriatrics, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Nursing College of Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Respiratory and Critical Illness, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yun-Hua ChaiDepartment of Geriatrics, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85 Jiefang South Road, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, 030001, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 15203405557Email chai_121yh@126.comBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a physical and mental disease, and there is currently no cure, so the health guidance of COPD patients after discharge from hospital is crucial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nursing outcomes and risk factors for patients with COPD discharged from hospital.Methods: In this study, a total of 200 patients with COPD who were stable and ready to be discharged from two tertiary hospitals in Taiyuan were surveyed by the Nursing Outcome Evaluation Form for COPD patients, and the relevant risk factors of these patients were analysed.Results: The results of this study showed that patients with COPD who were to be discharged from hospital had low scores in the perceived health domain (1.9708 ± 0.70525) and psychosocial health domain (1.5267 ± 0.68289), while the scores in the rest of the domains were above the medium level. The main factors affecting the two domains of the nursing outcome were degree of education, dietary habits, complications (perceived health domain), drinking, marital status, medical insurance and smoking (psychosocial health domain) (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Clinical nurses should pay attention to the perceived and psychosocial health domains when educating COPD patients who are to be discharged from hospital, and should primarily focus on the risk factors of smoking and drinking status, degree of education, dietary habits, complications, marital status and medical insurance.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, discharge, core nursing outcomes, risk factors

Background: Genetic screening for breast cancer gene 1 ( BRCA ) 1 / 2 mutations can inform breast/ovarian/pancreatic cancer patients of suitable therapeutic interventions. Four to seven percent of pancreatic cancer patients have germline BRCA mutations. BRCA genes aid in DNA repair, especially homologous recombination, which impacts genomic stability and cancer cell growth. BRCA1 regulates the cell cycle, ubiquitination, and chromatin remodeling, whereas BRCA2 stimulates the immune response. They predict the efficacy of platinum chemotherapy or polymerase (PARP) inhibitors such as olaparib., Aim: To determine the trends and future directions in the use of olaparib for pancreatic cancer treatment., Methods: To evaluate the trends in how olaparib works in pancreatic cancer, we performed a bibliometric analysis. One hundred and ninety-six related publications were accessed from the Web of Science Core Collection and were published between 2009 and 2022. The analytic parameters included publications, related citations, productive countries and institutes, influential authors, and keyword development., Results: This study visualizes and discusses the current research, including the present global trends and future directions in olaparib and pancreatic cancer. Overall, this study sheds light on optimizing the use of olaparib in pancreatic cancer treatment, offering valuable guidance for researchers in this field., Conclusion: Our findings identified trends in olaparib and pancreatic cancer, with China and the USA leading and with global cooperation tightening. O'Reilly EM's team and Memorial Sloan-Kettering had the highest output. The Journal of Clinical Oncology was the most cited journal. More PARP inhibitors are emerging, and combination therapy is suggested for future therapeutic trends., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between measures of kidney function and impaired lung function in individuals with diabetes and to assess all-cause mortality risk associated with having chronic kidney disease (CKD) and or impaired lung function., Design: Cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study., Setting: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012., Participants: A total of 10 809 participants aged over 20 years were included in this study: 9503 with normal spirometry, 951 with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) and 355 with variable obstruction (VO)., Exposure and Outcome Measures: Kidney function measures, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), were considered exposure variables. PRISm and VO were outcome variables. PRISm was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)<80% predicted and an FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio≥0.7, while VO was defined as an FEV1/FVC ratio <0.7 prebronchodilator and ≥0.7 postbronchodilator. In the cross-sectional analysis, multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between kidney function measures and spirometry findings. In the retrospective cohort analysis, Cox proportional hazards models were employed to evaluate the impact of having PRISm or VO, combined with CKD, on all-cause mortality., Results: An increase in UACR was significantly associated with higher odds of PRISm (OR (95% CI)=1.10 (1.01, 1.21), p=0.03). Additionally, eGFR <60 was associated with the odds of variable obstructive lung function (OR (95% CI)=1.72 (1.07, 2.74), p=0.03) compared with eGFR >60. After adjustments, an increase in UACR was associated with higher odds of PRISm in individuals with diabetes (OR (95% CI)=1.21 (1.08, 1.36), p=0.002), and UACR ≥300 mg/g significantly increased odds of having PRISm in idividuals with diabetes (OR (95% CI)=2.34 (1.23, 4.47), p=0.01). During a mean follow-up of 12.3 years, 10 500 deaths occurred. In the diabetic group, compared with normal spirometry without CKD, those with both PRISm and CKD had a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR (95% CI)=3.46 (1.94, 6.16), p<0.0001)., Conclusion: An elevated UACR and albuminuria were linked to a higher risk of PRISm. Our study emphasises that kidney and lung function are correlated. Further research is necessary to confirm our findings., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Radionuclide contamination has become a global environmental concern due to the high mobility and toxicity of certain isotopes. Bioreduction mediated by electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) with unique extracellular electron transfer (EET) capability is recognized as a promising approach for nuclear waste treatment. However, it is difficult to achieve bidirectional regulation of EET pathway through traditional genetic manipulation, limiting the bioremediation application of EAB. Here, we designed and optimized a novel Esa quorum sensing (EQS) system for highly efficient gene expression and interleaved cellular functional output. By promoting dimethyl sulfoxide reductase at low cell density and increasing the synthesis of electron conductive complex and flavins at high cell density, the EQS system dynamically switched the extracellular respiratory pathway of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 according to cell density. The engineered strain exhibited precise switching and substantial improvement in the extracellular remediation of multiple nuclides, sequentially increasing the reduction of iodine IO 3 - and uranium U(VI) by 2.51- and 2.05-fold compared with the control, respectively. Furthermore, a mobile bacterial biofilm material was fabricated for collecting uranium precipitates coupled with U(VI) reduction. This work clearly demonstrates that EQS system contributes to the bidirectional regulation of EET pathway in EAB, providing an effective and refined strategy for bioremediation of multi-nuclide contamination., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Triply interlocked [2]catenane complexes featuring two identical, mechanically interlocked units are extraordinarily rare chemical compounds, whose properties and applications remain open to detailed studies. Herein, we introduce the rational design of a new ligand precursor, L1, suitable for the synthesis of six triply interlocked [2]catenanes by coordination-driven self-assembly. The interlocked compounds can be reversibly converted into the corresponding simple triangular prism metallacage by addition of H 2 O or DMF solvents to their CH 3 OH solutions, thereby demonstrating the importance of π⋅⋅⋅π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions in the formation of triply interlocked [2]catenanes. Moreover, extensive studies have been conducted to assess the remarkable photothermal conversion performance. Complex 6 a, exhibiting outstanding photothermal conversion performance (conversion efficiency in solution : 31.82 %), is used to prepare novel photoresponsive elastomer in combination with thermally activated liquid crystal elastomer. The resultant material displays robust response to near-infrared (NIR) laser and the capability of completely reforming the shape and reversible actuation, paving the way for the application of half-sandwich organometallic units in photo-responsive smart materials., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre- and early-symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early-onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with post-symptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over nine years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within two months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with post-symptomatic juvenile MLD., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Higher Education Press.)

This research explicitly investigates the utilization of Chlorella Vulgaris sp. microalgae as a renewable source for lipid production, focusing on its application in bioplastic manufacturing. This study employed the supercritical fluid extraction technique employing supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2 ) as a green technology to selectively extract and produce PHA's precursor utilizing CO 2 solvent as a cleaner solvent compared to conventional extraction method. The study assessed the effects of three extraction parameters, namely temperature (40-60 °C), pressure (15-35 MPa), and solvent flow rate (4-8 ml/min). The pressure, flowrate, and temperature were found to be the most significant parameters affecting the sCO 2 extraction. Through Taguchi optimization, the optimal parameters were determined as 60 °C, 35 MPa, and 4 ml/min with the highest lipid yield of 46.74 wt%; above-average findings were reported. Furthermore, the pretreatment process involved significant effects such as crumpled and exhaustive structure, facilitating the efficient extraction of total lipids from the microalgae matrix. This study investigated the microstructure of microalgae biomatrix before and after extraction using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was utilized to assess the potential of the extracted material as a precursor for biodegradable plastic production, with a focus on reduced heavy metal content through inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis. The lipid extracted from Chlorella Vulgaris sp. microalgae was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), identifying key constituents, including oleic acid (C 18 H 34 O 2 ), n-Hexadecanoic acid (C 16 H 32 O 2 ), and octadecanoic acid (C 18 H 36 O 2 ), essential for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) formation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that hyperglycemia is a possible risk factor for mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) has been identified as a risk factor for dementia in patients with diabetes., Objective: This study aimed to investigate the causal relationships between DR and brain structure, cognitive function, and dementia., Methods: We performed bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization for DR, brain structure, cognitive function, and dementia using the inverse-variance weighted method., Results: Inverse-variance weighted analysis showed the association of DR with vascular dementia (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.01-2.82), and dementia was significantly associated with the increased risk of non-proliferative DR (NPDR) (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-2.98). Furthermore, better cognitive performance was significantly associated with a reduced risk of NPDR (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.98). No association was observed between DR and brain structure., Conclusions: These findings suggest that the association of DR with vascular dementia. The reciprocal effect of cognitive performance and dementia on NPDR risk highlights the potential benefits of dementia prevention for reducing the burden of DR.

Predictive maintenance is a proactive approach to maintenance in which equipment and machinery are monitored and analyzed to predict when maintenance is needed. Instead of relying on fixed schedules or reacting to breakdowns, predictive maintenance uses data and analytics to determine the appropriate time to perform maintenance activities. In industrial applications, machine boxes can be used to collect and transmit the feature information of manufacturing machines. The collected data are essential to identify the status of working machines. This paper investigates the design and implementation of a machine box based on the ROS framework. Several types of communication interfaces are included that can be adopted to different sensor modules for data sensing. The collected data are used for the application on predictive maintenance. The key concepts of predictive maintenance include data collection, a feature analysis, and predictive models. A correlation analysis is crucial in a feature analysis, where the dominant features can be determined. In this work, linear regression, a neural network, and a decision tree are adopted for model learning. Experimental results illustrate the feasibility of the proposed smart machine box. Also, the remaining useful life can be effectively predicted according to the trained models.

Sustainable energy transition has brought the attention towards microalgae utilization as potential feedstock due to its tremendous capabilities over its predecessors for generating more energy with reduced carbon footprint. However, the commercialization of microalgae feedstock remains debatable due to the various factors and considerations taken into scaling-up the conventional microalgal upstream processes. This review provides a state-of-the-art assessment over the recent developments of available and existing microalgal upstream cultivation systems catered for maximum biomass production. The key growth parameters and main cultivation modes necessary for optimized microalgal growth conditions along with the fundamental aspects were also reviewed and evaluated comprehensively. In addition, the advancements and strategies towards potential scale-up of the microalgal cultivation technologies were highlighted to provide insights for further development into the upstream processes aimed at sustainable circular bioeconomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Salidroside (SAL), a phenolic natural product present in Rhodiola rosea, are commonly used in the treatment of various ischemic-hypoxic diseases, including intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. However, their efficacy and potential mechanisms in the treatment of intestinal IR injury have not been investigated., Objective: The objective of the present study is to investigate the pharmacological mechanism of action of SAL on intestinal IR injury using a network pharmacology approach combined with experimental validation., Methods: In the present study, we used the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systematic Pharmacology (TCMSP) database and analysis platform and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) to predict possible target genes of SAL, collected relevant target genes of intestinal IR injury from GeneCards and DisGenet websites, and collected summary data to screen common target genes. Then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) target network was constructed and analyzed by STRING database and Cytoscape 3.8.2 with the above intersecting genes. Then, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed and the component-target-pathway network was constructed, followed by the use of molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation to verify the possible binding conformation between SAL and candidate targets to further explore the potential targets of SAL in the treatment of intestinal IR injury. Finally, an in vivo model of mouse superior mesenteric artery ligation was established to assess the anti-intestinal IR injury effect of SAL by assessing histopathological changes in mouse small intestine by HE staining, detecting inflammatory factor expression by ELISA kit, and detecting the expression of key protein targets by Western blotting., Results: A total of 166 SAL target genes and 1740 disease-related targets were retrieved, and 88 overlapping proteins were obtained as potential therapeutic targets. The pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the pharmacological effects of SAL on intestinal IR injury were anti-hypoxic, anti-inflammatory and metabolic pathway related, and the molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation results showed that the core bioactive components had good binding affinity for TXNIP and AMPK, and the immunoblotting results indicated that the expression levels of TXNIP and AMPK in the small intestinal tissues of mice in the drug-treated group compared with the model group were significantly changed., Conclusion: SAL may target AMPK and TXNIP domains to act as a therapeutic agent for intestinal IR. These findings comprehensively reveal the potential therapeutic targets for SAL against intestinal IR and provide theoretical basis for the clinical application of SAL in the treatment of intestinal IR., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

A variety of organometallic supramolecular architectures have been constructed over the past decades and their properties were also explored via different strategies. However, the synthesis of metalla-Russian doll is still a fascinating challenge. Herein, a series of new coordination supramolecular complexes, including a metalla-Russian doll, metalla[2]catenanes, and metallarectangles, were synthesized by using meticulously selected Cp*Rh (Cp* = η 5 -C 5 Me 5 ) building units (E1, E2, and E3) and three rigid anthracylpyridine ligands (L1, L2, and L3) via a self-assembly strategy. While the combination of the short ligand L1 and E1 or E2 generated two metallarectangles, the longer ligand L2 containing an alkynyl group resulted in two new [2]catenanes, most likely due to which the strong electron-donating effect of alkynyl groups causes self-accumulation. Interestingly, an unusual Russian doll assembly was obtained through the reaction of L3 and E3 based on sextuple π···π stacking interactions. Furthermore, the dynamic structural conversion between [2]catenanes and the corresponding metallarectangles could be observed through concentration-, solvent-, and guest-induced effects. The [2]catenane complexes 4b displayed efficient photothermal conversion efficiency in solution (20.2%), in comparison with other organometallic macrocycles. We believe that π···π stacking interactions generate active nonradiative pathways and promote radiative photodeactivation pathways. This study proves the versatility of half-sandwich building units, not only to build complicated supramolecular topologies but also in effective functional materials for various appealing applications.

Background: Previous findings about lean body mass (LBM) and cognitive function remain unclear. We aimed to examine this association by using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)., Methods: Using data from the NHANES 2011-2014, we conducted logistic regression models to investigate the relation between the predicted LBM and domain-specific cognitive function assessed by Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word Learning test (CERAD-WL) and Delayed Recall test (CERAD-DR), and Animal Fluency (AF) for information processing speed, memory, and executive function, respectively. Cognitive impairment was defined as the lowest quartile of each cognitive test in the total population. Sex-stratified analysis was further made., Results: A total of 2955 participants aged 60 and above (mean [SD] age, 69.17[0.20] years; 1511 female [51.13%]) were included in the study. After being adjusted for social economic factors, anthropometric parameters, and diseases, we found a positive association between predicted LBM and information processing speed (Odds ratio of DSST impairment= 0.95, 95%CI= 0.91 to 0.99) regardless of body mass index and sex. Compared with patients in the first quartile of predicted LBM, those in the fourth quartile had an odds ratio of 0.355 (95% confidence interval 0.153-0.822) for DSST impairment. No significant relation in other cognitive tests and predicted LBM was found whether stratified by sex or not., Conclusion: Our findings point to the association between predicted lean body mass and cognitive dysfunction in information processing speed, which could be used for early detection and prevention of deterioration of cognitive function among older adults., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Gong, Tang, Chai, Qiao, Xu, Patel, Zhang and Zhou.)

Microalgae are promising alternatives to mitigate atmospheric CO 2 owing to their fast growth rates, resilience in the face of adversity and ability to produce a wide range of products, including food, feed supplements, chemicals, and biofuels. However, to fully harness the potential of microalgae-based carbon capture technology, further advancements are required to overcome the associated challenges and limitations, particularly with regards to enhancing CO 2 solubility in the culture medium. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the biological carbon concentrating mechanism and highlights the current approaches, including species selection, optimization of hydrodynamics, and abiotic components, aimed at improving the efficacy of CO 2 solubility and biofixation. Moreover, cutting-edge strategies such as gene mutation, bubble dynamics and nanotechnology are systematically outlined to elevate the CO 2 biofixation capacity of microalgal cells. The review also evaluates the energy and economic feasibility of using microalgae for CO 2 bio-mitigation, including challenges and prospects for future development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common hematologic malignancies with a poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. The discovery of new predictive models and therapeutic agents plays a crucial role., Methods: The differentially expressed gene that was explicitly highly expressed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE9476 transcriptome databases were screened and included in the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model to derive risk coefficients and build a risk score model. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted on the screened hub genes to explore the potential mechanisms. Subsequently, critical genes were incorporated into a nomogram model based on risk scores to analyze prognostic value. Finally, this study combined network pharmacology to find potential natural compounds for hub genes and used molecular docking to verify the binding ability of molecular structures to natural compounds to explore drug development for possible efficacy in AML., Results: A total of 33 highly expressed genes may be associated with poor prognosis of AML patients. After LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analysis of 33 critical genes, Rho-related BTB domain containing 2 ( RHOBTB2 ), phospholipase A2 ( PLA2G4A ), interleukin-2 receptor-α ( IL2RA ), cysteine and glycine-rich protein 1 ( CSRP1 ), and olfactomedin-like 2A ( OLFML2A ) were found to played a significant role in the prognosis of AML patients. CSRP1 and OLFML2A were independent prognostic factors of AML. The predictive power of these 5 hub genes in combination with clinical features was better than clinical data alone in predicting AML in the column line graphs and had better predictive value at 1, 3, and 5 years. Finally, through network pharmacology and molecular docking, this study found that diosgenin in Guadi docked well with PLA2G4A , beta-sitosterol in Fangji docked well with IL2RA , and OLFML2A docked well with 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid in Beiliujinu., Conclusions: The predictive model of RHOBTB2 , PLA2G4A , IL2RA , CSRP1 , and OLFML2A combined with clinical features can better guide the prognosis of AML. In addition, the stable docking of PLA2G4A , IL2RA , and OLFML2A with natural compounds may provide new options for treating AML., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tcr-22-2500/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The study aimed to identify potential risk factors for family transmission and to provide precautionary guidelines for the general public during novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) waves., Methods: A retrospective cohort study with numerous COVID-19 patients recruited was conducted in Shanghai. Epidemiological data including transmission details, demographics, vaccination status, symptoms, comorbidities, antigen test, living environment, residential ventilation, disinfection and medical treatment of each participant were collected and risk factors for family transmission were determined., Results: A total of 2,334 COVID-19 patients participated. Compared with non-cohabitation infected patients, cohabitated ones were younger ( p  = 0.019), more commonly unvaccinated ( p  = 0.048) or exposed to infections ( p  < 0.001), and had higher rates of symptoms ( p  = 0.003) or shared living room ( p  < 0.001). Risk factors analysis showed that the 2019-nCov antigen positive (OR = 1.86, 95%CI 1.40-2.48, p  < 0.001), symptoms development (OR = 1.86, 95%CI 1.34-2.58, p  < 0.001), direct contact exposure (OR = 1.47, 95%CI 1.09-1.96, p  = 0.010) were independent risk factors for the cohabitant transmission of COVID-19, and a separate room with a separate toilet could reduce the risk of family transmission (OR = 0.62, 95%CI 0.41-0.92, p  = 0.018)., Conclusion: Patients showing negative 2019-nCov antigen tests, being asymptomatic, living in a separate room with a separate toilet, or actively avoiding direct contact with cohabitants were at low risk of family transmission, and the study recommended that avoiding direct contact and residential disinfection could reduce the risk of all cohabitants within the same house being infected with COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liu, Chai, Wu, Zhang, Wang, Yang, Shi, Wang, Zhang, Chen, Fan, Wen, Yang, Li, Liu, Zheng, Jiang, Qian, Tao, Qian, Wang, Chen, Xu and Wang.)

Background: Obesity has been linked to cognitive impairment. However, how changes in body mass index (BMI) over the life course influence cognitive function remains unclear., Objective: The influence of distinct weight-change patterns from young adulthood to midlife and late adulthood on cognitive function in older adults was explored., Methods: A total of 5,809 individuals aged≥60 years were included and categorized into four groups on the basis of BMI change patterns. Cognitive function was assessed using four cognition tests in the baseline survey. The relationship between the weight-change patterns and cognition was evaluated using regression models., Results: In comparison with participants who remained at non-obese, those moving from the non-obese to obese weight-change pattern from young (25 years of age) to middle adulthood showed lower Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) scores (β= -1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.24 to -0.32). A non-obese to obese change pattern from age 25 years of age to 10 years before baseline was associated with a higher risk of DSST impairment (odds ratio = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.79). In comparison with participants whose heaviest weight was recorded after 60 years of age, those with the heaviest weight between 18 and 40 years of age had lower DSST scores (β= -1.46; 95% CI: -2.77 to -1.52)., Conclusion: Our results suggest that the transition from the non-obese to obese category in early adulthood and appearance of the heaviest weight between 18 and 40 years of age are associated with lower cognitive function in later life.

Objective: To study the pharmacological mechanism of procyanidin B2 (PCB2) on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by integrating network pharmacological methods systematically., Methods: Firstly, the potential target genes of PCB2 were predicted by the pharmacological database and analysis platform (TCMSP and Pharmmapper). Meanwhile, the relevant target genes of CML were collected from GeneCards and DisGene. Pooled data were collected to screen for common target genes. Furthermore, the above intersection genes were imported into the String website to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were further analyzed. Besides, molecular docking was performed to verify the possible binding conformation between PCB2 and candidate targets. Finally, MTT and RT-PCR experiments of K562 cells were performed to verify the above results of network pharmacology., Results: A total of 229 PCB2 target genes were retrieved, among which 186 target genes had interaction with CML. The pharmacological effects of PCB2 on CML were related to some important oncogenes and signaling pathways. The top ten core targets predicted by Network Analysis were as follows: AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, CASP3, SRC, VEGFA, HIF1A, ERBB2, MTOR, and IGF1. Molecular docking studies confirmed that hydrogen bonding was the main interaction force of PCB2 binding targets. According to the molecular docking score, the following three target proteins were most likely to bind to PCB2: VEGFA (-5.5 kcal/mol), SRC (-5.1 kcal/mol), and EGFR (-4.6 kcal/mol). After treatment of PCB2 for 24h, mRNA expression levels of VEGFA and HIF1A decreased significantly in K562 cells., Conclusion: Through integrating network pharmacology combined with molecular docking, the study revealed the potential mechanism of PCB2 anti-chronic myeloid leukemia., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objective: We aim to familiarize the application status of metagenomic sequencing in diagnosing pulmonary infections, to compare metagenomic sequencing with traditional diagnostic methods, to conclude the advantages and limitations of metagenomic sequencing, and to provide some advice for clinical practice and some inspiration for associated researches., Data Sources: The data were obtained from peer-reviewed literature, white papers, and meeting reports., Results: This review focused on the applications of untargeted metagenomic sequencing in lungs infected by bacteria, viruses, fungi, chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, parasites, and other pathogens. Compared with conventional diagnostic methods, metagenomic sequencing is better in detecting novel, rare, and unexpected pathogens and being applied in co-infections. Meanwhile, it can also provide more comprehensive information about pathogens. However, metagenomic sequencing still has limitations. Also, the situations that should be applied in and how the results should be interpreted are discussed in this review., Conclusion: Metagenomic sequencing improves efficiency to identify pathogens compared with traditional diagnostic methods and can be applied in clinical diagnosis. However, the technology of metagenomic sequencing still needs to be improved. Also, clinicians should learn more about when to use metagenomic sequencing and how to interpret its results., (© 2022 The Authors. The Clinical Respiratory Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Environmental prevalence of microplastics has prompted the development of novel methods for their removal, one of which involves immobilization of microplastics-degrading enzymes. Various materials including nanomaterials have been studied for this purpose but there is currently a lack of review to present these studies in an organized manner to highlight the advances and feasibility. This article reviewed more than 100 peer-reviewed scholarly papers to elucidate the latest advances in the novel application of immobilized enzyme/microorganism complexes for microplastics degradation, its feasibility and future prospects. This review shows that metal nanoparticle-enzyme complexes improve biodegradation of microplastics in most studies through creating photogenerated radicals to facilitate polymer oxidation, accelerating growth of bacterial consortia for biodegradation, anchoring enzymes and improving their stability, and absorbing water for hydrolysis. In a study, the antimicrobial property of nanoparticles retarded the growth of microorganisms, hence biodegradation. Carbon particle-enzyme complexes enable enzymes to be immobilized on carbon-based support or matrix through covalent bonding, adsorption, entrapment, encapsulation, and a combination of the mechanisms, facilitated by formation of cross-links between enzymes. These complexes were shown to improve microplastics-degrading efficiency and recyclability of enzymes. Other emerging nanoparticles and/or enzymatic technologies are fusion of enzymes with hydrophobins, polymer binding module, peptide and novel nanoparticles. Nonetheless, the enzymes in the complexes present a limiting factor due to limited understanding of the degradation mechanisms. Besides, there is a lack of studies on the degradation of polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. Genetic bioengineering and metagenomics could provide breakthrough in this area. This review highlights the optimism of using immobilized enzymes/microorganisms to increase the efficiency of microplastics degradation but optimization of enzymatic or microbial activities and synthesis of immobilized enzymes/microorganisms are crucial to overcome the barriers to their wide application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors wish to acknowledge the support from the Research Grant of Beijing Normal University - Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (R202109)., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This observational study aimed to examine the association between the A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and/or sarcopenia and total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality., Methods: The associations of sarcopenia and ABSI with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality were assessed in 4,488 participants from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who were followed up until December 31, 2015. Models were analyzed separately for men and women and adjusted for age, race, and other confounding factors. ABSI was assessed as a continuous measurement by quartile for men and women. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated to assess mortality caused by sarcopenia and/or ABSI in the study population., Results: When ABSI was assessed as a continuous variable, the ABSI quartile showed a linear trend for total ( p = 0.0001), cardiovascular ( p = 0.04), and cancer ( p = 0.02) mortality in men and for total ( p = 0.06) and cardiovascular ( p = 0.06) mortality in women. The hazard ratios (HRs) of the fourth ABSI quartile were 1.51 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-1.89] in men and 1.23 (95% CI: 0.93-1.64) in women, compared with those in the first quartile. When ABSI was assessed by quartile, the appendicular skeletal mass index (ASMI) was lower in the groups with high ABSI. When high ABSI was combined with sarcopenia, the HRs of all-cause mortality were 2.05 (95% CI: 1.60-2.62) in men and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.19-1.92) in women. In the subpopulation (sarcopenia group or higher ABSI), the PAFs of mortality due to sarcopenia were 26.16% (95% CI: 12.68-37.56) in men and 21.89% (95% CI: 5.64-35.35) in women, and the PAF of mortality due to higher ABSI was 23.70% (95% CI: 12.11-33.77) in men., Conclusion: The ABSI value was significantly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and the co-existence of higher ABSI values and sarcopenia can contribute to a more significant death risk in comparison with high ABSI values or sarcopenia. Moreover, the ABSI values in combination with the ASMI can be used to preliminarily evaluate the content and distribution of fat and muscle and to predict the risk of death in obese and sarcopenic populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Qiao, Tang, Chai, Gong, Zhang, Stehouwer and Zhou.)

Purpose: To evaluate the association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and cerebral disease or cognitive impairment., Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis., Method: The hypothesis was formulated prior to data collection. Cross-sectional studies and cohort studies that assessed the association between any measure of DR and cerebral small vessel disease or any type of cognitive impairment in diabetic participants were included. The data were independently extracted by two investigators. This systematic review and meta-analysis adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines RESULTS: A total of 27 studies were included. The combined odds ratio of 5 cross-sectional/cohort studies that reported that the associations between DR and cerebral structural changes was 1.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36-2.25). The combined hazard ratio of 4 cohort studies that examined the association between DR and cognitive impairment events was 1.47 (95% CI: 1.22-1.78). The combined odds ratio of 14 cross-sectional/cohort studies that examined the association between DR and different cognitive impairment events was 1.43 (95% CI: 1.06-1.93). The overall coefficient (β) of 4 studies that examined the relationship between DR and specific cognitive performance was 0.09 (95% CI: 0.00-0.18). Considering the quality of the data, we have performed subgroup analysis in studies scored >7 and studies scored ≤7, respectively, according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale., Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggests that DR is associated with an increased risk of structural abnormalities in the brain and cognitive impairment. This association remained significant after adjusting for blood glucose, and the presence of hypertension, indicating that DR is an important danger signal for cerebral abnormalities., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease with no treatment currently available to modify its progression. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has gained attention for its unique theoretical basis and clinical effects. Many studies have reported on the clinical effects and pharmacological mechanisms of Chinese herbs in PD. However, few studies have focused on the treatment mechanisms of anti-PD TCM drugs from the perspective of TCM itself., Purpose: To elaborate the treatment mechanisms of anti-PD TCM drugs in the perspective of TCM., Methods: We performed a literature survey using traditional books of Chinese medicine and online scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and others up to July 2021., Results: TCM theory states that PD is caused by a dysfunction of the zang-fu organs (liver, spleen, kidney, and lung) and subsequent pathogenic factors (wind, fire, phlegm, and blood stasis). Based on the pathogenesis, removing pathogenic factors and restoring visceral function are two primary treatment principles for PD in TCM. The former includes dispelling wind, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and promoting blood circulation, while the latter involves nourishing the liver and kidney and strengthening the spleen. The anti-PD mechanisms of the active ingredients of TCM compounds and herbs at different levels include anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidative stress, as well as the restoration of mitochondrial function and the regulation of autophagy and neurotransmitters., Conclusion: Chinese herbs and prescriptions can be used to treat PD by targeting multiple pharmacological mechanisms., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Tuberculosis is a major global infectious disease that seriously endangers human health. Studies have shown that there will be an imbalance of intestinal microecology after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis . And vise versa the imbalance of intestinal flora will also increase the susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Prevotella is a newly discovered intestinal microorganism closely related to inflammatory diseases, and its abundance changes significantly in patients with tuberculosis. Therefore, this paper reviews the correlation between intestinal microorganism Prevotella and pulmonary tuberculosis, in order to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: We compared the methods of electrocardiogram (ECG) and X-ray localization of the peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) tip position, in order to find a more convenient, practical, and safe method., Objective: To investigate the value of applying electrocardiographic localization of the PICC tip position in critically ill patients with advanced cancer in Hebei Province, China., Method: Enrolled 137 advanced cancers requiring PICC placement. The position of the catheter tip was localized with the bedside electrocardiogram in real time. Then, the localization was performed using a chest X-ray (the gold standard). The accuracy of electrocardiographic location was checked., Results: Specific P waves were observed in 130 patients. No change in the P waves was observed for the remaining seven patients. The age of the latter group of patients was more advanced (87.29 [5.15] years), a significant difference to that of the 130 patients with specific P waves (71.58 [14.84] years) (t = -6.704, p < .001). Specific P waves not only involve ascendance in P waves but also ascendance in QRS waves., Conclusions: The use of an ECG to localize the PICC tip in critically ill patients with advanced cancer may replace the unnecessary use of chest X-rays. Specific P waves not only involve an increase in P waves but also an increase in QRS waves. If there is no change in the P wave, a chest X-ray film must be obtained. In elderly patients, because there is a possibility of catheter tip malposition, a comprehensive evaluation should be performed before surgery., (© 2021 The Authors. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) without prognostic fusion genes treated by CCLG-ALL 2008, and investigate the related factors affecting the recurrence of the patients., Methods: B-ALL patients without prognostic fusion genes treated by the protocol of CCLG-ALL 2008 in our hospital from March 2008 to December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Follow-up time was ended in August 31, 2019. The median follow-up time was 92 months (range 0-136 months). Kaplan-Meier was used to detect the RFS, and COX multivariate regression analysis was employed to identify the independent factors affecting the recurrence of the patients., Results: There were 140 males and 99 females enrolled in this study. The ratio of male to female was 1.41∶1. The median age was 4.4 years old and the median number of WBC at initial stage was 4.98×10 9 /L. There were 77 cases relapsed during the observation while 162 without relapsed, 16 cases lost to follow-up and 72 cases died. The recurrence and mortality rate was 32.22% and 30.1%, respectively, in which 45 cases died of recurrence (62.5% of the total deaths). Univariate analysis showed that the age≥6 years old, WBC >100×10 9 /L, the bone marrow blasts on day 15≥25%, the bone marrow minimal residual disease (MRD) at week 12 >10 -4 , and the higher risk were the main factors affecting the recurrence of the patients (P<0.05). Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that age≥6 years old, WBC >100×10 9 /L, bone marrow MRD >10 -4 at the 12th week were the independent risk factors affecting recurrence of the patients., Conclusion: Age, initial WBC, and bone marrow MRD at the 12th week were correlated with recurrence in children with B-ALL without prognostic fusion genes, which can be used as prognostic indices of recurrence risk in clinical.

The energy demand in Malaysia has shown a dramatic increase over the last few years: with natural gas and coal being the primary contributors. Nevertheless, due to declining in fossil fuel reserves coupled with negative environmental impacts, shifting to sustainable renewable energy for meeting the future energy demand is recommended. Since Malaysia is rich with natural resources, utilization of biomass energy (bioenergy/biofuel) as the alternative energy is promising to be further explored. Therefore, this review paper intents to discuss the current scenario of different types of biomass energy in Malaysia along with the up-to-date local biomass energy-related environmental policy (from 2016 onwards). In addition, challenges and barriers for large-scale implementation of the biomass energy in Malaysia are to be discussed. Overall, this review paper is interesting as it can assist in promoting the biomass utilization as energy source, and to ensure the future growth of biomass energy market in the country along with its effective implementation while alleviating poor disposal problem and to create job employment opportunities. Furthermore, a collective effort to expand potential biomass feedstocks, apart from oil palm, should be emphasized to encourage the renewable energy production diversification in the nation., Competing Interests: Competing InterestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022.)

Aim: We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies to evaluate the association between the presence of sarcopenia and HbA1c, prediabetes, diabetes and diabetic complications., Method: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to May 2021. We included full-text English language articles that reported the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with and without diabetes. Quality assessment was performed according to the Newcastle- Ottawa scale for observational studies., Results: Sixteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Three studies showed that high HbA1c levels lead to loss of muscle mass, and one study involving prediabetes showed that people with prediabetes had lower muscle mass, strength, and performance than non-diabetic population. Seven studies showed that people with diabetes had a higher risk of sarcopenia than those without diabetes (combined OR: 2.09, 95% CI:1.62-2.70). The remaining five studies suggested that diabetic complications increased the risk of sarcopenia (combined OR: 2.09,95% CI:1.62-2.70)., Conclusion: High HbA1c levels, prediabetes, diabetes and diabetes complications were associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia. Therapeutic strategies addressed to avoid the conversion of IGT to diabetes and to optimize glycemic control are warranted to prevent or arrest sarcopenia in the diabetic population., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Qiao, Chai, Gong, Zhuldyz, Stehouwer, Zhou and Simó.)

Sour or wild jujube fruits and dried seeds are popular food all over the world. In this study, we reported a high-quality genome assembly of sour jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa ), with a size of 406 Mbp and scaffold N50 of 30.3 Mbp, which experienced only γ hexaploidization event, without recent genome duplication. Population structure analysis identified four jujube subgroups (two domesticated ones, i.e., D1 in West China and D2 in East/SouthEast China, semi-wild, and wild), which underwent an evolutionary history of a significant decline of effective population size during the Last Glacial Period. The respective selection signatures of three subgroups were discovered, such as strong peaks on chromosomes #3 in D1, #1 in D2, and #4 in wild. Genes under the most significant selection on chromosomes #4 in wild were confirmed to be involved in fruit variations among jujube accessions, in transcriptomic analysis. Our study offered novel insights into the jujube population structure and domestication and provided valuable genomic resources for jujube improvement in stress response and fruit flavor in the future., Competing Interests: R-GZ, Q-ZY, and Y-HC were employed by the company Beijing Ori-Gene Science and Technology Co., Ltd. S-WZ was employed by the company Hebei Hemuliyuan Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Shen, Luo, Wang, Wang, Qiu, Liu, Zhou, Jia, Nie, Bao, Zhang, Yun, Chai, Lu, Li, Zhao, Mao, Jia and Mao.)

Plasmodium knowlesi, a simian malaria parasite responsible for all recent indigenous cases of malaria in Malaysia, infects humans throughout Southeast Asia. There are two genetically distinct subpopulations of Plasmodium knowlesi in Malaysian Borneo, one associated with long-tailed macaques (termed cluster 1) and the other with pig-tailed macaques (cluster 2). A prospective study was conducted to determine whether there were any between-subpopulation differences in clinical and laboratory features, as well as in epidemiological characteristics. Over 2 years, 420 adults admitted to Kapit Hospital, Malaysian Borneo with knowlesi malaria were studied. Infections with each subpopulation resulted in mostly uncomplicated malaria. Severe disease was observed in 35/298 (11.7%) of single cluster 1 and 8/115 (7.0%) of single cluster 2 infections (p = 0.208). There was no clinically significant difference in outcome between the two subpopulations. Cluster 1 infections were more likely to be associated with peri-domestic activities while cluster 2 were associated with interior forest activities consistent with the preferred habitats of the respective macaque hosts. Infections with both P. knowlesi subpopulations cause a wide spectrum of disease including potentially life-threatening complications, with no implications for differential patient management., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is the most common liver disease and can progress to fatal liver cirrhosis and carcinoma, affecting millions of patients worldwide. The functions of astragaloside on the cardiovascular system have been elucidated. However, its role in AFLD is unclear. Ethanol-treated AML-12 cells were used as a cell model of alcoholic fatty liver. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and Western blotting detected genes and proteins expressions. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, albumin, ferritin, bilirubin, superoxide dismutase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were examined using commercial kits. Lipid accumulation was assessed by Oil red O staining. MTT and flow cytometry measured cell viability and apoptosis. JC-1 was used to analyze mitochondrial membrane potential. A rat model of AFLD was established by treating rats with ethanol. Astragaloside suppressed ethanol-induced lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, and the production of AST and ALT in AML-12 cells. Ethanol induced TNF-α and reduced IL-10 expression, which were reversed by astragaloside. Ethanol promoted Bax expression and cytochrome C release and inhibited Bcl-2 and ATP expression. Astragaloside hampered these apoptosis effects in AML-12 cells. Impaired mitochondrial membrane potential was recovered by astragaloside. However, all these astragaloside-mediated beneficial effects were abolished by the ROS inducer pyocyanin. Ethanol-induced activation of NF-κB signaling was suppressed by astragaloside in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that astragaloside inhibited oxidative stress by suppressing the activation of NF-κB signaling, thus improving liver function and alleviating AFLD in rats. Our study elucidates the pharmacological mechanism of astragaloside and provides potential therapeutic strategies for AFLD., (© 2021 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Currently, there is no definitive cure available to treat Alzheimer's disease. The available medication in the market has the ability to only slow down its progression. However, nanotechnology has shown its superiority that can be applied for medical usage and it has a great potential in the therapy of Alzheimer's disease, specifically in the disease diagnosis and providing an alternative approach to treat Alzheimer's disease. This is done by increasing the efficiency of drug delivery by penetrating and overcoming the blood-brain barrier. Having said that, there are limitations that need to be further investigated and researched in order to minimize the adverse effects and potential toxicity and to improve drug bioavailability. The recent advances in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease using nanotechnology include the regeneration of stem cells, nanomedicine, and neuroprotection. In this review, we will discuss the advancement of nanotechnology which helps in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease as well as its challenges., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (Copyright © 2021 Tan Sook Ling et al.)

This study investigated on the co-pyrolysis of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) waste mixtures which was performed with three types of catalysts, namely limestone (LS), HZSM-5 zeolite, and novel bi-functional LS/HZSM-5/LS. Kissinger-Kai (K-K) model-free method was coupled with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) model-fitting method using the thermogravimetric experimental data. A global sensitivity analysis was carried out using Latin Hypercube Sampling and rank transformation to assess the extent of impact of the input kinetic parameters on the output results. Furthermore, a thermodynamic analysis was performed to obtain parameters such as enthalpy change (ΔH), Gibb's free energy (ΔG), and entropy change (ΔS). The activation energy (E A ) of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and HDPE binary mixture were found to be lower upon the addition of catalysts. Among the catalyst used, bi-functional LS/HZSM-5 catalyst exhibited the lowest E A (83.59 kJ/mol) and ΔH (78 kJ/mol) as compared to LS and HZSM-5 catalysts., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Salinization damages the health of soil systems and reduces crop yields. Responses of microbial communities to salinized soils and their functional maintenance under high salt stress are valuable scientific problems. Meanwhile, the microbial community of the salinized soil in the plateau environment is less understood. Here, we applied metagenomics technology to reveal the structure and function of microorganisms in salinized soil of the Tibetan Plateau., Results: The diversity of composition and function of microbial community in saline soil have changed significantly. The abundances of chemoautotrophic and acidophilic bacteria comprising Rhodanobacter, Acidobacterium, Candidatus Nitrosotalea, and Candidatus Koribacter were significantly higher in saline soil. The potential degradation of organic carbon in the saline soil, as well as the production of NO and N 2 O via denitrification, and the production of sulfate by sulfur oxidation were significantly higher than the non-saline soil. Both types of soils were rich in genes encoding resistance to environmental stresses (i.e., cold, ultraviolet light, and hypoxia in Tibetan Plateau). The resistance of the soil microbial communities to the saline environment is based on the absorption of K + as the main mechanism, with cross-protection proteins and absorption buffer molecules as auxiliary mechanisms in our study area. Network analysis showed that functional group comprising chemoautotrophic and acidophilic bacteria had significant positive correlations with electrical conductivity and total sulfur, and significant negative correlations with the total organic carbon, pH, and available nitrogen. The soil moisture, pH, and electrical conductivity are likely to affect the bacterial carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles., Conclusions: These results indicate that the specific environment of the Tibetan Plateau and salinization jointly shape the structure and function of the soil bacterial community, and that the bacterial communities respond to complex and harsh living conditions. In addition, environmental feedback probably exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions and accelerates the reduction in the soil pH. This study will provide insights into the microbial responses to soil salinization and the potential ecological risks in the special plateau environment.

Human pose estimation and tracking in real-time from multi-sensor systems is essential for many applications. Combining multiple heterogeneous sensors increases opportunities to improve human motion tracking. Using only a single sensor type, e.g., inertial sensors, human pose estimation accuracy is affected by sensor drift over longer periods. This paper proposes a human motion tracking system using lidar and inertial sensors to estimate 3D human pose in real-time. Human motion tracking includes human detection and estimation of height, skeletal parameters, position, and orientation by fusing lidar and inertial sensor data. Finally, the estimated data are reconstructed on a virtual 3D avatar. The proposed human pose tracking system was developed using open-source platform APIs. Experimental results verified the proposed human position tracking accuracy in real-time and were in good agreement with current multi-sensor systems.

Background: Prevalence of mental disorders such as depression in the elderly is rising with the ageing population. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of depression, their intention to seek help and the factors associated to seek professional help among elderly patients in a primary care clinic., Methods: This was a cross-sectional with systematic sampling conducted from June to December 2019 in Tengkera Health Clinic (THC). Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 (PHQ-9), socioeconomic data and a dichotomous yes-no response for intention to seek help was collected from 273 elderly patients attending the outpatient clinic., Results: The prevalence of elderly depression at THC was 10.3% and the prevalence of intention to seek professional help for depression among elderly patients at Tengkera Health Clinic was 27.5%. Factors that were associated with intention to seek professional help for depression were prior experience of seeking professional help, adjusted OR 3.45[95%CI (1.41-8.48)] and education level of the respondents- secondary education, adjusted OR 3.10 [95%CI (1.01-9.53)] comparing with no formal education; tertiary education, adjusted OR 4.66 [95%CI (1.08-20.04)] comparing with no formal education., Conclusion: The prevalence of elderly depression was high while the prevalence of intention to seek professional help for depression in the sample population was low. Primary care physicians play a vital role in identifying elderly patients with low education level for screening and treatment as well as promoting awareness and breaking down barriers and stigma towards mental illness.

Objective: To study the difference of long non coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile in bone marrow specimens of children with acute leukemia (AL) and other hematological disease children with normal bone marrows as controls, to screen the lncRNA related with childhood hematological diseases, and to explore the expression of lncRNA AC002454.1 and its clinical significance in AL children., Methods: The microarray gene chip technology was used to statistically analyze the lncRNA in bone marrow cells of newly diagnose AL children and control children. Ninty-seren differentially expressed lncRNAs were selected. The bone marrow specimens of ALL children (21 cases), AML children (22 cases) and control children (21 cases) were verified and compared by using qRT-PCR; then the lncRNA with maximum differential expression-lncRNA AC002454.1 was selected and used to analyze the relation of relative expression level with clinical indicators., Results: The microarray gene chip detection showed that 1 884 differentially expressed lncRNA were found in ALL children, and 4 289 differentically expressed lncRNA were found in AML children. The results confirming these differentically expressed lncRNA by qRT-PCR showed that 9 lncRNA expression were significantly up-regulated in ALL children, and 12 lncRNA expression were significantly up-regulated in AML children. Among these up-regulated lncRNA, the difference of AC002454.1 expression was most significant in ALL and AML children (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). The detection showed that there was a significant difference, in AC002454.1 relative expression level of newly diagnosed T-ALL and B-ALL children (P＜0.01), moreover, this difference also was found in ALL and AML children (P＜0.05). The detection analysis showed that there was no statistical difference in AC002454.1 relative expression level among the different sex, age, WBC count at initial diagnosis, chromosome, fusion gene, and risk stratification (P＞0.05 for all)., Conclusion: The lncRNA expression profile of AL children has been gained by using the lncRNA microarray gene chip technicology. AC002454.1 the significantly high expression exist in AL children, which relates with immunotyping and prognosis of AL children in a certain degree.

Today, enhancement in sensing technology enables the use of multiple sensors to track human motion/activity precisely. Tracking human motion has various applications, such as fitness training, healthcare, rehabilitation, human-computer interaction, virtual reality, and activity recognition. Therefore, the fusion of multiple sensors creates new opportunities to develop and improve an existing system. This paper proposes a pose-tracking system by fusing multiple three-dimensional (3D) light detection and ranging (lidar) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors. The initial step estimates the human skeletal parameters proportional to the target user's height by extracting the point cloud from lidars. Next, IMUs are used to capture the orientation of each skeleton segment and estimate the respective joint positions. In the final stage, the displacement drift in the position is corrected by fusing the data from both sensors in real time. The installation setup is relatively effortless, flexible for sensor locations, and delivers results comparable to the state-of-the-art pose-tracking system. We evaluated the proposed system regarding its accuracy in the user's height estimation, full-body joint position estimation, and reconstruction of the 3D avatar. We used a publicly available dataset for the experimental evaluation wherever possible. The results reveal that the accuracy of height and the position estimation is well within an acceptable range of ±3-5 cm. The reconstruction of the motion based on the publicly available dataset and our data is precise and realistic.

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to international concern. We aimed to establish an effective screening strategy in Shanghai, China, to aid early identification of patients with COVID-19., Methods: We did a multicentre, observational cohort study in fever clinics of 25 hospitals in 16 districts of Shanghai. All patients visiting the clinics within the study period were included. A strategy for COVID-19 screening was presented and then suspected cases were monitored and analysed until they were confirmed as cases or excluded. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk factors of COVID-19., Findings: We enrolled patients visiting fever clinics from Jan 17 to Feb 16, 2020. Among 53 617 patients visiting fever clinics, 1004 (1·9%) were considered as suspected cases, with 188 (0·4% of all patients, 18·7% of suspected cases) eventually diagnosed as confirmed cases. 154 patients with missing data were excluded from the analysis. Exposure history (odds ratio [OR] 4·16, 95% CI 2·74-6·33; p<0·0001), fatigue (OR 1·56, 1·01-2·41; p=0·043), white blood cell count less than 4 × 10 9 per L (OR 2·44, 1·28-4·64; p=0·0066), lymphocyte count less than 0·8 × 10 9 per L (OR 1·82, 1·00-3·31; p=0·049), ground glass opacity (OR 1·95, 1·32-2·89; p=0·0009), and having both lungs affected (OR 1·54, 1·04-2·28; p=0·032) were independent risk factors for confirmed COVID-19., Interpretation: The screening strategy was effective for confirming or excluding COVID-19 during the spread of this contagious disease. Relevant independent risk factors identified in this study might be helpful for early recognition of the disease., Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.)

The world energy system faces two major challenges: the requirement for more energy and less carbon. It is important to address biofuels production as an alternative to the usage of fossil fuel by utilizing microalgae as the potential feedstock. Yet, the commercialization of microalgae remains contentious caused by factors relating to the life cycle assessment and feasibility of microalgae-based biofuels. This present review starts with an introduction to the benefits of microalgae, followed by intensive elaboration on microalgae cultivation parameters. Subsequently, the fundamental principle along with the advantages and disadvantages of various pretreatment techniques of microalgae were reviewed. In addition, the conventional and recent advances in lipid extraction techniques from microalgae were comprehensively evaluated. Comparative analysis regard to the gaps from previous studies was discussed point-by-point in each section. The effort presented in this review will provide an insight for future researches dealing with microalgae-biofuel production on downstream processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common pathogens isolated from respiratory tract specimen in patients with bronchiectasis. It is considered highly responsible for pathogenicity, progression and clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis., Aims: To summarize existing evidence on how different factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa affect the pathogenicity, progression and clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis, so as to provide possible insights for clinical practice and related research in the future., Sources: PubMed was searched for studies pertaining to bronchiectasis and P. aeruginosa published to date, with no specific inclusion or exclusion criteria. Reference lists of retrieved reviews were searched for additional articles., Content: This review focused on non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and also provided some data on cystic fibrosis when studies in bronchiectasis were limited. We discussed various factors in relation to P. aeruginosa: virulence factors, drug resistance, regulatory systems, genomic diversity and transmission of P. aeruginosa, as well as treatment for P. aeruginosa. Their impacts on bronchiectasis and its management were discussed., Implications: The impact of P. aeruginosa on bronchiectasis is definite, although conclusions in some aspects are still vague. Faced with the worrying drug-resistance status and treatment bottleneck, individualized management and novel therapies beyond the classic pathway are most likely to be a future trend. To confirm the independent or integrated impact of various factors of P. aeruginosa on bronchiectasis and to figure out all the problems mentioned, larger randomized control trials are truly needed in the future., (Copyright © 2019 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) insecticides are endocrine disrupters that interfere with hormonal action in insects by mimicking their juvenile hormones (JH). As the structure and functions of methyl farnesoate in crustaceans are similar to those of JH in insects, exogenous JHA insecticides could have adverse effects on the development and reproduction of crustaceans. This study examined the toxic effects of two JHA insecticides, fenoxycarb and methoprene, on a freshwater shrimp model of cherry shrimp, Neocaridina davidi. Both insecticides had detrimental effects on cherry shrimp, but fenoxycarb was more toxic than methoprene. Chronic exposure to these insecticides reduced the shrimp's body length and molting frequency. Based on transcriptome annotations for N. davidi, we identified important gene homologues that were active in both insect JH biosynthetic and degradative pathways as well as JH and ecdysteroid signaling pathways. Chronic treatments with JHAs had significant effects on these genes in N. davidi. Our transcriptomic analysis showed that genes involved in the pathways related to cuticle development, serine protease activity, and carbohydrate, peptide and lipid metabolic processes were differentially expressed in shrimp exposed to JHAs. These results demonstrate the toxicity of fenoxycarb and methoprene to freshwater crustaceans and indicate the need to monitor the use of JHA insecticides., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Acquisition of 3D point cloud data (PCD) using a laser scanner and aligning it with a video frame is a new approach that is efficient for retrofitting comprehensive objects in heavy pipeline industrial facilities. This work contributes a generic framework for interactive retrofitting in a virtual environment and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based sensory setup design to acquire PCD. The framework adopts a 4-in-1 alignment using a point cloud registration algorithm for a pre-processed PCD alignment with the partial PCD, and frame-by-frame registration method for video alignment. This work also proposes a virtual interactive retrofitting framework that uses pre-defined 3D computer-aided design models (CAD) with a customized graphical user interface (GUI) and visualization of a 4-in-1 aligned video scene from a UAV camera in a desktop environment. Trials were carried out using the proposed framework in a real environment at a water treatment facility. A qualitative and quantitative study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed generic framework from participants by adopting the appropriate questionnaire and retrofitting task-oriented experiment. Overall, it was found that the proposed framework could be a solution for interactive 3D CAD model retrofitting on a combination of UAV sensory setup-acquired PCD and real-time video from the camera in heavy industrial facilities.