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Although research into the educational benefits of Spherical Video-based Virtual Reality (SVVR) has gained popularity in traditional face-to-face English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) class, little is known about whether this immersive, interactive, and imaginative teaching-assisted technology could facilitate learning in online EFL settings in the post-pandemic time. The current study explored how students engaged themselves in an online EFL class facilitated by SVVR. To achieve that, one focus group interview and two semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect in-depth data of students' perceptions of their engagement under the SVVR-supported online learning. Based on the theoretical framework of engagement, the collected data were thematically coded into three categories, namely, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The findings suggested that with SVVR affordances, students engaged behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively in the online EFL writing class, both in an independent and interrelated way. The enhanced emotional engagement of students could then support their behavioral engagement while students' cognitive engagement could also promote their emotional and behavioral engagement. The present study thereby could not only build our understanding of the dynamic, multifaceted, and interconnected nature of student engagement, but also provide one feasible solution to teachers towards the disengagement issue in online EFL learning in the post-pandemic time.

Abstract Electrostriction is an important electro-mechanical property in poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films, which describes the proportional relation between the electro-stimulated deformation and the square of the electric field. Generally, traditional methods to improve the electrostriction of PVDF either sacrifice other crystalline-related key properties or only influence minimal regions around the surface. Here, we design a unique electret structure to fully exploit the benefits of internal crystal in PVDF films. Through the 3D printing of charged ink, we have obtained the best electrostrictive and ferroelectric properties among PVDF-based materials so far. The optimized electrostrictive coefficient M 33 (324 × 10−18 m2 V−2) is 104 times that of normal PVDF films, and the piezoelectric constant d 33 (298 pm V−1) is close to 10 times its traditional limit. The proposed 3D electret structure and the bottom-up approach to ‘print the charge’ open up a new way to design and adapt the electroactive polymers in smart devices and systems.

Abstract We propose and analyze a universal method to obtain fast charging of a quantum battery by a driven charger system using controlled, pure dephasing of the charger. While the battery displays coherent underdamped oscillations of energy for weak charger dephasing, the quantum Zeno freezing of the charger energy at high dephasing suppresses the rate of transfer of energy to the battery. Choosing an optimum dephasing rate between the regimes leads to a fast charging of the battery. We illustrate our results with the charger and battery modeled by either two-level systems or harmonic oscillators. Apart from the fast charging, the dephasing also renders the charging performance more robust to detuning between the charger, drive, and battery frequencies for the two-level systems case.

Abstract The columnar joint skeleton of 3D printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) material, the skeleton of cement mortar and ultraviolet aging treatment are combined to pour the columnar joint rock mass (CJRM) test block. The strength, deformation, energy and failure modes of the specimens with different dip angles were analyzed by uniaxial compression test. The influence of joint skeleton on the strength of the test block was analyzed. The effect of aging time on ABS parameters was evaluated. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus are ' U ' type with the increase of dip angle, the elastic strain energy is ' V ' type, and the dip angle of 45° is the minimum value. The four failure modes are: shear failure, splitting failure, shear tensile mixed failure, shear splitting mixed failure. The anisotropy of CJRM is extremely high. The skeleton reduces the strength and elastic modulus of the solid test block, and has the greatest influence on the strength of the test block with dip angle of 75°. With the increase of aging time, the strength and deformation parameters of ABS decreased, and the yellowness index and infrared spectrum peak area increased.

Abstract Background Reports of congenital isolated medial rectus muscle abnormalities are relatively uncommon and are seldom seen. According to our clinical experience, some rare cases of abnormalities could not be detected by clinical examination and imaging before surgical treatment, which brought difficulties to diagnosis and surgery. Case presentation In order to provide clinical guidance, we summarized 4 cases with congenital hypoplasia of the medial rectus muscle in our hospital recently. All the patients exhibited exotropia in the primary position. Only one patient (25.0%) exhibited clinically significant limitations of ocular movements. All the patients were identified with congenital hypoplasia of the medial rectus muscle during strabismus surgery; one patient also had hypoplasia of the lateral rectus muscle. However, abnormalities of the rectus muscles were not identified by MRI in three patients (75.0%). In terms of treatment, we enhanced the surgery amount in three patients. Good correction of exotropia was achieved in all patients. Conclusions Congenital hypoplasia of the medial rectus muscle is extremely rare and some cases are difficult to be detected by clinical examination or imaging. Surgeons should be aware of this condition and should actively but cautiously adjust the surgical parameters based on the patients' intraoperative status.

Background: Usher syndrome (USH) is a rare genetic disorder that affects both hearing and vision. It presents in three clinical types—USH1, USH2, and USH3—with varying onset, severity, and disease progression. Existing diagnostics primarily rely on genetic profiling to identify variants in USH genes; however, accurate detection before symptom onset remains a challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which regulate gene expression, have been identified as potential biomarkers for disease. The aim of this study is to develop a data-driven system for the identification of USH using miRNA expression profiles. Methods: We collected microarray miRNA-expression data from 17 samples, representing four patient-derived USH cell lines and a non-USH control. Supervised feature selection was utilized to identify key miRNAs that differentiate USH cell lines from the non-USH control. Subsequently, a network model was constructed by measuring pairwise correlations based on these identified features. Results: The proposed system effectively distinguished between control and USH samples, demonstrating high accuracy. Additionally, the model could differentiate between the three USH types, reflecting its potential and sensitivity beyond the primary identification of affected subjects. Conclusions: This approach can be used to detect USH and differentiate between USH subtypes, suggesting its potential as a future base model for the identification of Usher syndrome.

The genus Thibetana Efetov & Tarmann, 1995 includes six species occurring in southwest China and Indian Sikkim. In the present paper, Thibetana weii Li & He, sp. nov., the seventh species of the genus encountered at the foot of Galongla Snow Mountain, southeast Xizang of China is described. Habitus of the adult and genitalia of the new species are illustrated, and a checklist and a key of all Thibetana species are provided.

Abstract Background Targeting the STAT3 signaling pathway is a promising therapeutic approach for cancer patients. However, the association between STAT3 expression, the tumor immune microenvironment, and genetic variation remains unclear across human cancers, especially prostate cancer. Methods We used R software and other tools to analyze pan-cancer and mutation data from publicly available databases statistically. A comprehensive investigation was performed to assess the genetic heterogeneity and clinical relevance of STAT3 in various malignancies, with a specific focus on its role in the immune landscape and prognostic significance in prostate cancer. The findings were validated through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF). Results STAT3 expression is abnormal in the majority of cancer tissues, which is strongly correlated with these patients' prognosis. Eight measures of tumor heterogeneity and six measures of tumor stemness of multiple tumor types showed a strong correlation with STAT3 expression. Furthermore, in individuals with prostate cancer, STAT3 expression indicated the degree of immune cell infiltration and the advancement of the disease. IHC analysis revealed that STAT3 was down-regulated in prostate tumor tissues, while mIF analysis demonstrated that STAT3 signaling (p-STAT3) was extensively active in tumor tissues and positive lymph node tissues. Conclusion STAT3 may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target across various cancers, with particular relevance to prostate cancer.

The genus Agnostrup Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003 is one of the least known genera within the family Mecistocephalidae Bollman, 1893. In this study, we rediscovered the genus Agnostrup in China and provided a comprehensive redescription of A. striatus (Takakuwa, 1949). Additionally, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis using CO1, 16S, and 28S sequence data, revealing a low genetic distance between Agnostrup and Nannarrup Foddai, Bonato, Pereira & Minelli, 2003. After comparing the morphological characteristics of these two genera, we synonymized the genus Nannarrup syn. nov. with Agnostrup. As a result, three species previously belonging to the genus Nannarrup were transferred to Agnostrup: A. hoffmani (Foddai et al., 2003), comb. nov., A. innuptus (Tsukamoto, 2022), comb. nov., and A. oyamensis (Tsukamoto, 2022), comb. nov.

Mecistocephalus Newport, 1843 is the most diverse genus in the family Mecistocephalidae; however, only two species have been recorded in mainland China to date. Therefore, taxonomic research on Chinese Mecistocephalus needs further research. In this study, the species diversity of Mecistocephalus in southern China was investigated using the mitochondrial marker COI integrated with morphological evidence. Species delimitation using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, Poisson Tree Processes, and phylogenetic and morphological analyses revealed ten species, including two newly described species, M. chuensis Jiang & You, sp. nov. and M. huangi Jiang & You, sp. nov. Furthermore, based on newly collected specimens, the presence of the little-known species M. smithii Pocock, 1895 was confirmed in China and thoroughly re-described.

Abstract The effect of serum glucose-to-potassium ratio (GPR) on cerebrovascular diseases has been previously validated. However, the value of the GPR in patients with severe intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) requiring ICU admission remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the GPR and the clinical prognosis of critically ill patients with ICH. This study identified patients with severe ICH requiring ICU admission from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database and divided them into quartiles based on GPR levels. Outcomes included 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates. The association between the GPR and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with ICH was elucidated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and restricted cubic splines. In total, 2018 patients (53.8% male), with a median age of 70 years, were enrolled in the study. The 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates were 23.9%, 30.1%, and 38.4%, respectively. Per multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, an elevated GPR was significantly associated with all-cause mortality. After adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, and Glasgow Coma Scale, patients with an elevated GPR had a higher 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–1.42; P

Abstract Background Manual placement of cervical pedicle screws is risky, and robot-assisted placement of atlantoaxial pedicle screws has not been reported. Case report We describe a 74-year-old female patient with atlantoaxial fracture and dislocation combined with spinal cord injury caused by a car accident. The left lower limb muscle strength was grade 0, the right upper limb muscle strength was grade 1, and the right lower limb muscle strength was grade 2. Loss of sensation below the clavicle level, decreased superficial sensation in the extremities, loss of deep sensation in the left lower extremity, and incontinence were observed. We successfully placed atlas pedicle screws with the assistance of the Mazor X robot. One week after the operation, radiological imaging revealed that the reduction effect was good, the placement of the pedicle screws was satisfactory, the left upper limb and left lower limb muscle strength was level 2, the right upper limb and the muscle strength of the right lower limb were grade 3, and the sensory function was partially restored. No complications related to screw placement were found at the 3-month postoperative follow-up. Conclusions Mazor X robot-assisted descending pedicle screw fixation of the atlas is feasible and safe.

Abstract Background Concerns have been raised regarding changes in lipid profiles among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) during tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) treatment. We aimed to evaluate the effect of TAF treatment on the lipid profiles of patients with CHB. Methods A total of 430 patients with CHB from three hospitals were retrospectively included, including 158 patients treated with TAF and 272 patients treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). Results In this multicenter cohort, the cumulative incidence of dyslipidemia was notably higher in the TAF group than in the TDF group (P

Abstract The lower respiratory tract (LRT) microbiome impacts human health, especially among critically ill patients. However, comprehensive characterizations of the LRT microbiome remain challenging due to low microbial mass and host contamination. We develop a chelex100-based low-biomass microbial-enrichment method (CMEM) that enables deep metagenomic profiling of LRT samples to recover near-complete microbial genomes. We apply the method to 453 longitudinal LRT samples from 157 intensive care unit (ICU) patients in three geographically distant hospitals. We recover 120 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and associated plasmids without culturing. We detect divergent longitudinal microbiome dynamics and hospital-specific dominant opportunistic pathogens and resistomes in pneumonia patients. Diagnosed pneumonia and the ICU stay duration were associated with the abundance of specific antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs). Moreover, CMEM can serve as a robust tool for genome-resolved analyses. MAG-based analyses reveal strain-specific resistome and virulome among opportunistic pathogen strains. Evolutionary analyses discover increased mobilome in prevailing opportunistic pathogens, highly conserved plasmids, and new recombination hotspots associated with conjugative elements and prophages. Integrative analysis with epidemiological data reveals frequent putative inter-patient strain transmissions in ICUs. In summary, we present a genome-resolved functional, transmission, and evolutionary landscape of the LRT microbiota in critically ill patients.

Self-directed learning (SDL) is acknowledged as an effective language learning paradigm because learning a language is time-consuming. As language and literacy education is now embracing a more multimodal approach in writing instruction, teachers' multimodal technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) receives growing attention in language education. Based on a VR-supported L1 Chinese writing program, the present study collected and analyzed the VR courseware, lesson plans and student worksheets developed by a group of Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong. A coding scheme regarding multimodal TPACK for SDL was employed to assess the learning activities and to understand teachers' multimodal TPACK literacies in L1 Chinese writing instruction. The findings revealed that teachers were able to use VR to immerse students in an authentic environment to develop students' SDL ability and comprehension of nuanced socioemotional aspects of L1 Chinese writing. Nonetheless, there existed some limitations in the utilization of VR for teaching L1 Chinese writing which might be compensated for by pedagogical design. Moreover, teachers' pedagogical conception revealed their teaching was driven by syllabus requirements and focused on students' completion of writing, which might disregard the process of SDL in pedagogical implementation, and thus the process of collaborative knowledge building might be less developed. This study may contribute to the development of VR-based multimodal TPACK, which enhances multimodal lesson design for self-directed L1 writing.

ImportanceOxidative stress contributes to the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Antioxidants from food can reduce NAFLD incidence, and the Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI) measures total antioxidant capacity (TAC). However, the relationship between CDAI and NAFLD in the US adult population remains unclear.ObjectiveTo assess whether CDAI is associated with NAFLD in US adults.Design, setting, and participantsThis population-based cross-sectional study used data on US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2016 cycles. Data were analyzed from January to February 2024.ExposuresCDAI obtained from the dietary intake questionnaire.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcome was NAFLD which defined by the US fatty liver score (USFLI) ≥30. Sampling weights were calculated according to NHANES guidelines.ResultsAmong 9,746 adults included in this study [mean age, 48.3 years; 4,662 (47.6%) males], 3,324 (33.0%) were classified as having NAFLD using USFLI. In the fully adjusted of multivariable logistic regression, CDAI was negatively associated with NAFLD (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98). Furthermore, individuals in the highest quartile of CDAI were 34% less likely to have NAFLD compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.52–0.85). In subgroup analyses, CDAI was inversely associated with NAFLD among participants with a BMI

Chemodynamic therapy, which relies on the generation of cytotoxic radicals, can be amplified by a nanoplatform that produces hydroxyl radicals while also compromising natural radical scavenging mechanisms. For this purpose, a well-defined amphiphilic terpolymer, poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate)-block-poly(N,N-dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate-statistical-monomer bearing ferrocene graft via azobenzene linker) (POEGMA-b-P(DMAEMA-st-(M-Azo-Fc), denoted as PAzo-Fc) is prepared by a consecutive reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique, and is further used for doxorubicin (DOX) encapsulation to afford DOX-loaded stabilized nanomicelles, DOX@PAzo-Fc with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 86.0 nm. DOX@PAzo-Fc shows a self-cascade property for amplified CDT. That is, Azo cleavage-induced glutathione (GSH) depletion alleviates reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. Together with the DOX-enhanced hydrogen peroxide generation, the Fc-mediated Fenton reaction is boosted for enhanced CDT. More importantly, the resulting amplified cascade chemo-chemodynamic therapy exerts a synergistic immunogenic cell death (ICD) enhancement effect for effective cancer immunotherapy, which further resulted in a high tumor inhibition rate of 87.8 % in murine tumor models. The uniqueness of this study is the construction of a minimalist nanoplatform based on M-Azo-Fc units for amplified CDT via simultaneously producing hydroxyl radicals and compromising natural radical scavenging mechanisms. Overall, this self-cascade terpolymer platform fabricated herein offers a facile yet robust approach for advanced combinatory cancer therapy with great potential for clinical translations.

Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level < 100 IU/ml and undetectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA have been recently proposed as an alternate endpoint of “partial cure” in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We investigated clinical outcomes of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB patients with HBsAg

During the highway construction in the soft loess region of Northwestern China, there are always tens of thousands of cement mixing piles were used. Which generates a large amount of carbon emissions, thereby affecting the environment. The Simplified Energy and Emissions Assessment Model (SEEAM) is used to quantify carbon emissions considering monitoring data of IoT (Internet-of-Things) system. To reduce the error of the carbon emissions of large samples, Monte Carlo simulation was used to quantify carbon emissions based on the small samples. The results showed that cement had a 47,530.78 t carbon missions contributing the 95.64 % of the total carbon emissions. To concurrently ensure strength and reduce carbon emissions, this study investigates the unconfined compressive strength variations in white mud-cement composite material solidified soft loess. It indicated that 10 % and 20 % white mud provided an alkaline environment and nucleation sites for cement hydration reactions, combining the filling voids. According to the observation results of TG and SEM, the content of 10 % white mud increased the quantity of early hydration product CSH in cement. Which maintained a high level of strength by comparing the cement solidified soft loess. In addition, when the white mud content is 50 %, the white mud-cement composite material reduced 576 % carbon emissions in the cement mixing pile engineering. This study can provide guidance for the selection of engineering construction design schemes, as low-carbon emission schemes are conducive to green and sustainable development of the environment.

Abstract Fatigue failure is invariably the most crucial failure mode for metallic structural components. Most microstructural strategies for enhancing fatigue resistance are effective in suppressing either crack initiation or propagation, but often do not work for both synergistically. Here, we demonstrate that this challenge can be overcome by architecting a gradient structure featuring a surface layer of nacre-like nanolaminates followed by multi-variant twinned structure in pure titanium. The polarized accommodation of highly regulated grain boundaries in the nanolaminated layer to cyclic loading enhances the structural stability against lamellar thickening and microstructure softening, thereby delaying surface roughening and thus crack nucleation. The decohesion of the nanolaminated grains along horizonal high-angle grain boundaries gives rise to an extraordinarily high frequency (≈1.7 × 103 times per mm) of fatigue crack deflection, effectively reducing fatigue crack propagation rate (by 2 orders of magnitude lower than the homogeneous coarse-grained counterpart). These intriguing features of the surface nanolaminates, along with the various toughening mechanisms activated in the subsurface twinned structure, result in a fatigue resistance that significantly exceeds those of the homogeneous and gradient structures with equiaxed grains. Our work on architecting the surface nanolaminates in gradient structure provides a scalable and sustainable strategy for designing more fatigue-resistant alloys.

Abstract Although the relationship between hypertension and hyperuricemia is widely recognized, there is still a relative lack of research on prehypertensive individuals and the individual associations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure with the risk of hyperuricemia. From 2011 to 2016, we conducted a study on 53,323 individuals at Wuhu City Hospital in China. Based on initial blood pressure readings, participants were categorized into normal, prehypertension, or hypertension groups. We used Cox regression to analyze the associations with baseline factors. In subgroup analyses, systolic and diastolic pressures were treated as continuous variables, and their relationship with the risk of hyperuricemia was examined using restricted cubic spline analysis. The risk increased in the prehypertension and hypertension groups compared to the normal blood pressure group, with hazard ratios of 1.192 and 1.350, respectively. For each unit increase in blood pressure, the risk of hyperuricemia rose by 0.8% (systolic) and 0.9% (diastolic), especially when blood pressure levels exceeded 115/78 mmHg. Additionally, we observed that factors such as gender, alcohol consumption habits, obesity, and dyslipidemia might further influence this association. These findings emphasize the importance of early risk assessment and intervention in these patient populations in clinical practice.

Background Diuretic resistance is associated with increased mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). Qi Li Qiang Xin Jiao Nang, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, are used in the treatment of HF. However, clinical evidence of their effectiveness in improving diuretic resistance is lacking. Objective To investigate whether Qi Li Qiang Xin Jiao Nang can reduce the risk of diuretic resistance and improve prognosis in patients with acute decompensated chronic heart failure (ADCHF) . Methods This study included 374 HF patients treated in the CICU ward of Tianjin University Chest Hospital from January 2018 to June 2022. Patients were divided into diuretic resistance (118 patients) and non-diuretic resistance groups (256 patients) based on the occurrence of diuretic resistance. Patient data and laboratory results were collected. A 12-month follow-up was conducted to observe rehospitalization due to cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meyer survival curves were plotted for each group, and the Log-rank test was used for comparison. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore factors influencing diuretic resistance. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to explore factors affecting the occurrence of endpoint events in ADCHF patients. Results The diuretic resistance group showed higher age, body mass, NT-proBNP, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, and international normalized ratio (INR) but lower 24-hour fluid intake, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), lymphocyte count, and usage of Qi Li Qiang Xin Jiao Nang. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that the use of Qi Li Qiang Xin Jiao Nang (OR=0.363, 95%CI=0.186-0.708, P=0.003) and increased 24-hour fluid intake (OR=0.286, 95%CI=0.177-0.461, P

The genus Lucasioides Kwon, 1993 (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Agnaridae) occurs in Asia, but confined only to China, Japan, Korea, and Russian Siberia. The ambiguously morphological differences among some members of the genus make a dilemma: the species recognition, whether morphologically similar or different, is uncertain. In this paper, we present first morphometric and molecular data for the genus from a broad sample. DNA sequences (mitochondrial COI, nuclear 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and NaK) were generated and integrated with morphological evidence to reveal the cryptic species and delimit the new species within the genus. Seven species are described as new to science: Lucasioides digitatus sp. nov., L. dissectus sp. nov., L. dianensis sp. nov., L. formosus sp. nov., L. gracilentus sp. nov., L. schmidti sp. nov. and L. subcurvatus sp. nov. To date, Lucasioides species from China are 44.4% as many as all the known congeners worldwide, showing the exceptional species diversity of Lucasioides species from China. The results demonstrate that the integrative taxonomy is especially important to reveal the cryptic species among the high morphological similarity of taxa, as well as providing an effective way for species identification to accelerate the exploration of woodlice biodiversity.

Abstract Hydrocracking represents a complex and time-consuming chemical process that converts heavy oil fractions into various valuable products with low boiling points. It plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of products within the oil refining process. Consequently, the development of efficient surrogate models for simulating the hydrocracking process and identifying appropriate solutions for multi-objective oil refining is now an important area of research. In this study, a novel transferable preference learning-driven evolutionary algorithm is proposed to facilitate multi-objective decision analysis in the oil refining process. Specifically, our approach involves considering user preferences to divide the objective space into a region of interest (ROI) and other subspaces. We then utilize Kriging models to approximate the sub-problems within the ROI. In order to enhance the robustness and generalization capability of the Kriging models during the evolutionary process, we transfer the mutual information between the sub-problems in the ROI. To validate the effectiveness as well as efficiency of our proposed method, we undertake a series of experiments on both benchmarks and the oil refining process. The experimental results conclusively demonstrate the superiority of our approach.

Objective: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe stroke that can adversely affect patient outcomes due to the accompanying inflammatory response. As a result, there is a growing interest in studying inflammation in ICH. We systematically reviewed relevant articles using the Web of Science to understand the literature on this subject. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field through bibliometric analysis, highlight its current status, identify frontiers, and speculate on future directions. Methods: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of the global English literature on inflammation related to ICH research based on the Web of Science from 1993 to the present to address publication trends and research hotspots. Results: A total of 885 publications were included from 1993 to 2023. These articles were authored by 7375 researchers from 1639 organizations in 68 countries and published in 571 journals. Collectively, they cited 48,980 references from 5621 journals. The author who published the most articles was Dr. Zhang, John H. Interestingly, 6 of the top ten most published authors were from China. Regarding the countries that published the most articles, China was at the top of the list, followed by the United States. The most frequently used keywords were “Inflammation”, “Neuroinflammation”, and “Microglia”. Regarding journal publication and reference citations, Stroke was the most published and cited journal. Conclusions: Over the past 30 years, there has been considerable progress in scientific research concerning inflammation in the context of ICH. The pivotal themes of these studies have been immune cells and inflammatory mediators. It is worth noting, however, that most of the published literature on inflammation in ICH pertains to preclinical studies, with comparatively fewer clinical investigations. Several challenges must be addressed to translate these promising research achievements into clinical practice.

Abstract Background The association of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels and liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with immune-tolerant phase remains unclear. We explored the association between liver fibrosis and HBV DNA levels in HBeAg-positive CHB patients with normal alanine transaminase (ALT) with relatively high HBV DNA. Methods Six hundred and twenty-two HBeAg-positive CHB patients with normal ALT were included. Patients were divided into three categories: low (6 log10 IU/mL ≤ HBV DNA

Abstract Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is recognized as the most aggressive and immunologically infiltrated subtype of breast cancer. A high circulating neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is strongly linked to a poor prognosis among patients with breast cancer, emphasizing the critical role of neutrophils. Although the involvement of neutrophils in tumor metastasis is well documented, their interactions with primary tumors and tumor cells are not yet fully understood. Methods Clinical data were analyzed to investigate the role of neutrophils in breast cancer. In vivo mouse model and in vitro co-culture system were used for mechanism researches. Blocking experiments were further performed to identify therapeutic agents against TNBC. Results TNBC cells secreted GM-CSF to sustain the survival of mature neutrophils and upregulated CD11b expression. Through CD11b, neutrophils specifically binded to ICAM1 on TNBC cells, facilitating adhesion. Transcriptomic sequencing combined with human and murine functional experiments revealed that neutrophils, through direct CD11b-ICAM1 interactions, activated the MAPK signaling pathway in TNBC cells, thereby enhancing tumor cell invasion and migration. Atorvastatin effectively inhibited ICAM1 expression in tumor cells, and tumor cells with ICAM1 knockout or treated with atorvastatin were unresponsive to neutrophil activation. The MAPK pathway and MMP9 expression were significantly inhibited in the tumor tissues of TNBC patients treated with atorvastatin. Conclusions Targeting CD11b-ICAM1 with atorvastatin represented a potential clinical approach to reduce the malignant characteristics of TNBC. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Numerous clinical studies speculated the association between multiple myeloma (MM) and inflammatory diseases; however, there is limited validation of these claims via establishing a causal relationship and revealing the underlying mechanism. This exploratory study employed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationships between MM and inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, asthma, ankylosing spondylitis, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), sarcoidosis, inflammatory bowel disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type II diabetes, and schizophrenia (SZ). Transcriptomic and genome‐wide Bayesian colocalization analyses were further applied to reveal the underlying mechanism. A significant and previously unrecognized positive association was identified between genetic predisposition to MM and the risk of SZ. Two independent case reports showed that treatment‐resistant psychosis is due to underlying MM and is resolved by treating MM. From our MR analyses, various statistical methods confirmed this association without detecting heterogeneity or pleiotropy effects. Transcriptomic analysis revealed shared inflammation‐relevant pathways in MM and SZ patients, suggesting inflammation as a potential pathophysiological mediator of MM's causal effect on SZ. Bayesian colocalization analysis identified rs9273086, which maps to the protein‐coding region of HLA‐DRB1, as a common risk variant for both MM and SZ. Polymorphism of the HLA‐DRB1 allele has been implicated in AD and PD, further highlighting the impact of our results. Additionally, we confirmed that interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a risk factor for SZ through secondary MR, reinforcing the role of neuroinflammation in SZ etiology. Overall, our findings showed that genetic predisposition to MM, HLA‐DRB1 polymorphism, and enhanced IL‐6 signaling are associated with the increased risk of SZ, providing evidence for a causal role for neuroinflammation in SZ etiology.

BackgroundIn China, Atractylodes-containing Chinese medicines are widely used as adjuvant therapy to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in individuals diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Nevertheless, the findings concerning its effectiveness are still restricted. The aim from this research was to examine the efficiency and security Atractylodes macrocephala-containing traditional Chinese medicine together with NAC in the management of AGC.MethodsLiterature was systematically searched across 8 electronic databases until September 20, 2023. Two researchers conducted a thorough review of the selected studies. The primary outcome measures included the objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), quality of life (QOL), adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and levels of peripheral blood lymphocytes. The relevant effect estimates are as follows as risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Credibility of information was evaluated using the GRADE analyzer.ResultsThe results showed that solely on the basis of the accessible literature examined in NAC patients, individuals who received the therapeutic regimen containing Atractylodis Macrocephalae Chinese herbal preparations demonstrated a superior overall response rate (Relative Risk: 1.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.27-1.57, P < 0.001); DCR (RR: 1.20, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-1.27, P < 0.001), as compared to QOL (RR: 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.30-1.57, P < 0.001, MD: 8.47, 95% confidence interval: 7.16 - 9.77, P < 0.001); the proportions of CD3+ T-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, CD4+CD8+ T-cells were increased; and the incidence of adverse reactions was decreased. Subgroup analyses showed that oral administration of all the traditional Chinese medicines containing Atractylodes macrocephala could improve tumor efficacy. Regardless of the duration of therapy of ≥8 weeks or

BackgroundDue to the rising standard of living and advances in public health and medical care in recent years in China, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been increasingly acknowledged as an important part of health management of adults. This study aimed to analyze the HRQoL of Chinese adults and identify the influencing factors, proposing specific recommendations for improvement.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,291 selected adults from four provinces spanning different regions in China aged ≥18 years from July 2021 and January 2022. The EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) was used to conduct the HRQoL survey, and a general questionnaire was administered to collect demographic characteristics, general information, and health behaviors of participants. The health utility value was measured, and one-way analysis of variance was performed. The Tobit regression model was employed to analyze the factors influencing the HRQoL of Chinese adults.ResultsThe mean health utility values and visual analog scale scores for adults were 0.9400 ± 0.1197 and 84.09 ± 14.392, respectively. Notably, 60.3% of respondents reported no difficulties in any of the five dimensions of EQ-5D. However, a substantial proportion faced challenges in anxiety/depression (27%) and pain/discomfort (26.2%). Tobit regression model revealed that age, marital status, educational level, diet, sleep, mental state, mood, and chronic diseases significantly impact the HRQoL of Chinese adults.ConclusionThe HRQoL among Chinese adults is generally satisfactory, but pay particular attention on areas such as pain, psychological anxiety, chronic diseases, and negative emotions is needed. The factors such as stress associated with marriage and the demands of high-skilled occupations might influence the overall health of the population. According to our findings, public health strategies to improve HRQoL should be developed to promote relatively healthy environments and lifestyles for older adults. Moreover, proactive measures are crucial for mitigating the potential health impacts associated with marital stress and high-skilled employment.