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Objective: To investigate the associations between dynapenic obesity and the risk of dementia, and the modifying effects of age, sex, and the APOE gene, using a large population-based cohort. Methods: 279,884 participants aged 55 and above from the UK Biobank were included. The participants were classified into four categories based on body mass index and hand grip strength: healthy, obesity, dynapenia, and dynapenic obesity. The incident dementia was identified based on linked hospital records and death register data. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the associations, followed by age-, sex-, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene-stratified analyses. Results: During the median follow-up of 12.4 years, 5,170 (1.8%) participants developed dementia. Compared with the healthy group, participants with dynapenic obesity had 67% higher dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44–1.94). Compared with the healthy group, higher risks of dementia in participants with dynapenic obesity were respectively observed in male (HR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.65–2.50), younger (

BackgroundBlood pressure (BP) is a key factor for the clinical outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receiving endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). However, the effect of the circadian pattern of BP on functional outcome is unclear.MethodsThis multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted from 2016 to 2023 at three hospitals in China (ChiCTR2300077202). A total of 407 patients who underwent endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) and continuous 24-h BP monitoring were included. Two hundred forty-one cases from Beijing Hospital were allocated to the development group, while 166 cases from Peking University Shenzhen Hospital and Hainan General Hospital were used for external validation. Postoperative systolic BP (SBP) included daytime SBP, nighttime SBP, and 24-h average SBP. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), Boruta were used to screen for potential features associated with functional dependence defined as 3-month modified Rankin scale (mRS) score ≥ 3. Nine algorithms were applied for model construction and evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.ResultsThree hundred twenty-eight of 407 (80.6%) patients achieved successful recanalization and 182 patients (44.7%) were functional independent. NIHSS at onset, modified cerebral infarction thrombolysis grade, atrial fibrillation, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, hypertension were identified as prognostic factors by the intersection of three algorithms to construct the baseline model. Compared to daytime SBP and 24-h SBP models, the AUC of baseline + nighttime SBP showed the highest AUC in all algorithms. The XGboost model performed the best among all the algorithms. ROC results showed an AUC of 0.841 in the development set and an AUC of 0.752 in the validation set for the baseline plus nighttime SBP model, with a brier score of 0.198.ConclusionThis study firstly explored the association between circadian BP patterns with functional outcome for AIS. Nighttime SBP may provide more clinical information regarding the prognosis of patients with AIS after EVT.

Iron is one of the necessary trace elements for plant growth and the human body. The ‘hidden hunger’ phenomenon in the human body caused by an imbalance of iron in soil is increasingly prominent. Addressing this issue and optimizing soil through regulatory measures to improve the absorption and utilization of iron by crops has become an urgent priority in agricultural development. This study carries out pot experiments to observe the growth process of Triticum aestivum L. under various soil iron environments. Combined with previous research results, the transport mechanism of iron in the soil—Triticum aestivum L. system was systematically explored. The results indicate that during the jointing and maturity stages of Triticum aestivum L., iron was preferentially enriched in the underground parts; at the maturity stage, the iron content in various organs of Triticum aestivum L. shows a trend of increase followed by a decrease with the soil iron content varying in the following sequence: deficient, moderately deficient, medium, moderately adequate, and adequate. The iron-deficient stress environment causes an increase in the effectiveness of rhizosphere iron, resulting in a higher level of iron in the plant stems, leaves, and seeds. Conversely, when the soil iron content is medium or adequate, the effectiveness of rhizosphere iron decreases, leading to a reduction in the iron content in each part of the plant. A concentration gradient of 7.2 mg/kg in the experimental setup is found to be the most favorable to the enrichment of iron in the shoots of Triticum aestivum L. plants. The findings of this experiment provide guidance for the fertilization strategy to mitigate iron deficiency symptoms in plants under similar acidic-alkaline conditions of soil, as well as a systematic mechanism reference and basis for studying the soil-plant-human health relationship.

Background: Dysphagia is a common and clinically significant complication of ischemic stroke. The prevalence and risk factors for dysphagia may vary at different stages following an ischemic stroke. Methods: This study included patients with acute and chronic ischemic stroke who were treated at the Department of Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from 2019 to 2022. Various demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were collected, and statistical analyses were performed to investigate their association with dysphagia. Results: Among the 399 ischemic stroke patients included in the study, 165 (41.4 %) experienced dysphagia, with 72 (38.7 %) in the acute phase and 93 (43.7 %) in the chronic phase. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations (p

High purity is essential in mRNA-based therapeutic applications. A major contaminant of in vitro-transcribed (IVT) mRNA manufacturing is double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which can induce severe anti-viral immune responses. Detection methods, such as agarose gel electrophoresis, ELISA, and dot-blot assay, are used to detect the existence of dsRNA in IVT mRNA products. However, these methods are either not sensitive enough or time-consuming. To overcome these challenges, we develop a rapid, sensitive, and easy-to-implement colloidal gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow strip assay (LFSA) with sandwich format for the detection of dsRNA from IVT process. dsRNA contaminant can be determined visually on the test strip or quantitatively with a portable optical detector. This method allows for a 15 min detection of N1-methyl-pseudouridine (m1Ψ)-containing dsRNA with a detection limit of 69.32 ng/mL. Furthermore, we establish the correlation between the LFSA test results and the immune response caused by dsRNA in mice. The LFSA platform allows the rapid, sensitive, and quantitative monitoring of purity in massive IVT mRNA products and aids for the prevention of immunogenicity by dsRNA impurities.

The ability to adapt, survive, and compete with weeds of transgenic plants is the necessary evaluation content to release transgenic lines in target regions. We compared weediness and agronomic traits of transgenic maize lines G1F-8 and G1F-19 carrying the mcry1F gene with their near-isogenic maize inbred line Zheng 58 in the wasteland and cultivated field under natural conditions for two consecutive years. The results showed that there was no significant difference identified in the species, quantity, and relative coverage ratio (RCR) of weeds between fields with G1F-8, G1F-19, and Zheng 58, regardless of the sowing pattern in the wasteland. Compared with the vigour of weeds, none of G1F-8, G1F-19, and Zheng 58 showed survival advantages, and all showed weak growth potential with no final grain yield. Meanwhile, no volunteer seedlings were found upon investigation in the following year. The simulated seed overwintering experiment in the wasteland further showed that the three kinds of maize could not germinate in the second year. In cultivated land, G1F-8 and G1F-19 had the same growth stages, plant height, and RCR as Zheng 58 throughout two years. In conclusion, the transgenic lines G1F-8 and G1F-19 exhibited no adaptability risk in Gongzhuling, Jilin, China.

Abstract Background Endovascular treatment (EVT) is an alternative option for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). However, the effect of EVT treatment on ICAD plaques is still unclear. This study describes the ICAD plaque characteristics after EVT treatment and analyzes the effect of different EVT treatments on plaque characteristics. Method From 2017 January to 2022 January, ICAD patients who underwent endovascular treatment and had follow-up high-resolution magnetic resonance image (HRMRI) were enrolled in the study. Multiple plaque characteristics, including plaque enhancement, plaque burden, were measured based on preoperative, and follow-up HRMRI. Plaque characteristics and postoperative plaque changes were analyzed between different treatment groups. Result Finally, 50 intracranial atherosclerotic plaques in 45 patients were included. Including 28 male patients and 17 female, media age 63.0 years old. Among 50 plaques, 41 received percutaneous angioplasty (including 22 plain balloons and 19 drug-coated balloons (DCB)) and the other 9 underwent stenting. Stenosis rate, plaque burden and eccentricity index at the lesion site were significantly decreased after EVT compared with preoperative periods (p

Abstract Bt maize is being increasingly cultivated worldwide as the effects of climate change are increasing globally. Bt maize IE09S034 and its near-isogenic non-Bt maize Zong 31 were used to investigate whether climate change alters the effects of Bt maize on soil Collembola. Warming and drought conditions were simulated using open-top chambers (OTC), and their effects on soil Collembola were evaluated. We found that the maize type had no significant effect on Collembola; however, the abundance and diversity of Collembola were significantly higher in the OTC than outside at the seedling stage; they were significantly lower in the OTC at the heading and mature stages. The interactions of the maize type with the OTC had no effect on these parameters. Therefore, Bt maize had no significant effect on soil Collembola, and the effects of climate warming and drought on soil Collembola depended on the ambient climatic conditions. When the temperature was low, collembolan abundance and diversity were promoted by warming; however, when the temperature was high and the humidity was low, collembolan abundance and diversity were inhibited by warming and drought. The climate changes simulated by the OTC did not alter the effects of Bt maize on soil Collembola.

Vulnerable carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) significantly contributes to ischemic stroke. Neovascularization within plaques is an emerging biomarker linked to plaque vulnerability that can be detected using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a common method used in clinical cerebrovascular assessments that can be employed to evaluate the vulnerability of CAPs. Radiomics is a technique that automatically extracts radiomic features from images. This study aimed to identify radiomic features associated with the neovascularization of CAP and construct a prediction model for CAP vulnerability based on radiomic features. CTA data and clinical data of patients with CAPs who underwent CTA and CEUS between January 2018 and December 2021 in Beijing Hospital were retrospectively collected. The data were divided into a training cohort and a testing cohort using a 7:3 split. According to the examination of CEUS, CAPs were dichotomized into vulnerable and stable groups. 3D Slicer software was used to delineate the region of interest in CTA images, and the Pyradiomics package was used to extract radiomic features in Python. Machine learning algorithms containing logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and multi-layer perception (MLP) were used to construct the models. The confusion matrix, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, accuracy, precision, recall, and f-1 score were used to evaluate the performance of the models. A total of 74 patients with 110 CAPs were included. In all, 1,316 radiomic features were extracted, and 10 radiomic features were selected for machine-learning model construction. After evaluating several models on the testing cohorts, it was discovered that model_RF outperformed the others, achieving an AUC value of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88–0.99). The accuracy, precision, recall, and f-1 score of model_RF in the testing cohort were 0.85, 0.87, 0.85, and 0.85, respectively. Radiomic features associated with the neovascularization of CAP were obtained. Our study highlights the potential of radiomics-based models for improving the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosing vulnerable CAP. In particular, the model_RF, utilizing radiomic features extracted from CTA, provides a noninvasive and efficient method for accurately predicting the vulnerability status of CAP. This model shows great potential for offering clinical guidance for early detection and improving patient outcomes.

Background: The prevalence of intracranial aneurysms is approximately 3% worldwide. Posterior circulation (PC) aneurysms have a higher risk of treatment complications than anterior circulation aneurysms. Improving the survival rate and quality of life of patients with PC aneurysms remains one of the most important issues in the field. Objectives: Flow diverter (FD) treatment of PC aneurysms remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the effects of FD treatment and analyze differences among different application methods or aneurysm types in PC aneurysms. Design: This is a multicenter retrospective study. Methods: Patients with PC aneurysms treated with the pipeline embolization device (PED) or Tubridge embolization device (TED) between 2015 and 2020 in five neurovascular centers were retrospectively enrolled. The primary outcomes were major perioperative complication, clinical outcome, and aneurysm occlusion rates. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors of each outcome. Results: In total, 252 aneurysms were included. Major perioperative complication, favorable clinical outcome, and complete occlusion rates were 7.5%, 91.0%, and 79.1%, respectively. Compared with other types of aneurysms, dissecting aneurysms had the best clinical outcome and highest occlusion rate. Both clinical and angiographic outcomes were independently associated with the aneurysm location at the basilar artery. Aneurysm size was not associated with any outcome. TED had similar clinical and angiographic outcomes compared with PED but more perioperative major complications. Tandem treatment and coiling assistance may have poorer clinical outcomes but similar occlusion rates. Single- and multiple-stent treatments had similar outcomes. Conclusion: FD treatment of PC aneurysms achieved favorable clinical outcomes and long-term aneurysm occlusion rates with acceptable perioperative complication rates, especially in dissecting and non-basilar artery aneurysms. There was no additional improvement in outcomes with coiling assistance, multi-stent application, or tandem treatment. Therefore, the use of PC aneurysms should be carefully considered.

Background and aimsSecondary embolization (SE) during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for cerebral large vessel occlusion (LVO) could reduce the anterior blood flow and worsen clinical outcomes. The current SE prediction tools have limited accuracy. In this study, we aimed to develop a nomogram to predict SE following MT for LVO based on clinical features and radiomics extracted from computed tomography (CT) images.Materials and methodsA total of 61 patients with LVO stroke treated by MT at Beijing Hospital were included in this retrospective study, of whom 27 developed SE during the MT procedure. The patients were randomly divided (7:3) into training (n = 42) and testing (n = 19) cohorts. The thrombus radiomics features were extracted from the pre-interventional thin-slice CT images, and the conventional clinical and radiological indicators associated with SE were recorded. A support vector machine (SVM) learning model with 5-fold cross-verification was used to obtain the radiomics and clinical signatures. For both signatures, a prediction nomogram for SE was constructed. The signatures were then combined using the logistic regression analysis to construct a combined clinical radiomics nomogram.ResultsIn the training cohort, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the nomograms was 0.963 for the combined model, 0.911 for the radiomics, and 0.891 for the clinical model. Following validation, the AUCs were 0.762 for the combined model, 0.714 for the radiomics model, and 0.637 for the clinical model. The combined clinical and radiomics nomogram had the best prediction accuracy in both the training and test cohort.ConclusionThis nomogram could be used to optimize the surgical MT procedure for LVO based on the risk of developing SE.

IntroductionSarcopenia is a progressive deterioration of skeletal muscle mass strength and function.MethodsTo uncover the underlying cellular and biological mechanisms, we studied the association between sarcopenia's three stages and the patient's ethnicity, identified a gene regulatory network based on motif enrichment in the upregulated gene set of sarcopenia, and compared the immunological landscape among sarcopenia stages.ResultsWe found that sarcopenia (S) was associated with GnRH, neurotrophin, Rap1, Ras, and p53 signaling pathways. Low muscle mass (LMM) patients showed activated pathways of VEGF signaling, B-cell receptor signaling, ErbB signaling, and T-cell receptor signaling. Low muscle mass and physical performance (LMM_LP) patients showed lower enrichment scores in B-cell receptor signaling, apoptosis, HIF-1 signaling, and the adaptive immune response pathways. Five common genes among DEGs and the elastic net regression model, TTC39DP, SLURP1, LCE1C, PTCD2P1, and OR7E109P, were expressed between S patients and healthy controls. SLURP1 and LCE1C showed the highest expression levels among sarcopenic Chinese descent than Caucasians and Afro-Caribbeans. Gene regulatory analysis of top upregulated genes in S patients yielded a top-scoring regulon containing GATA1, GATA2, and GATA3 as master regulators and nine predicted direct target genes. Two genes were associated with locomotion: POSTN and SLURP1. TTC39DP upregulation was associated with a better prognosis and stronger immune profile in S patients. The upregulation of SLURP1 and LCE1C was associated with a worse prognosis and weaker immune profile.ConclusionThis study provides new insight into sarcopenia's cellular and immunological prospects and evaluates the age and sarcopenia-related modifications of skeletal muscle.

Background The use of digital silhouette angiography (DSA) has been restricted due to lack of a technique that allows for repeated intra-arterial inspections over a prolonged period. Current studies are focused on the arteries that can be cannulated multiple times. We intended to develop and test a technique that would enable repeated performance of various catheterizations and transcatheter operations for a prolonged period, at the same site, with fewer postsurgical complications. Methods Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups. Ventral caudal artery cannulation was performed via the transtail approach after grouping for subsequent experiments. Histological staining and scanning electron microscopy were used to assess endothelial injuries. Results The rats survived post catheterization of ventral caudal artery and establishment of animal models. The average time of ventral caudal artery cannulation was significantly shorter than that of the femoral (p

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects the occurrence and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the impact of diabetes on thrombus characteristics is unclear. The relationship between the composition and ultrastructure of clots and DM with admission hyperglycemia was investigated. Methods Consecutive patients with AIS who underwent endovascular thrombus retrieval between June 2017 and May 2021 were recruited. The thrombus composition and ultrastructure were evaluated using Martius scarlet blue stain and scanning electron microscopy. Clot perviousness was evaluated via thrombus attenuation increase on computed tomography angiography (CTA) versus non-contrast CT. Patients with admission hyperglycemia DM (ahDM) and those without DM (nonDM) were compared in terms of thrombus composition, ultrastructure, and perviousness. Results On admission, higher NIHSS scores (17 vs. 12, respectively, p = 0.015) was evident in ahDM patients. After the 90-day follow-up, the rates of excellent outcomes (mRS 0–1) were lower in patients with ahDM (16.6%, p = 0.038), but functional independence (mRS 0–2) and handicapped (mRS 3–5) were comparable between patients with ahDM and nonDM. The outcome of mortality was higher in patients with ahDM (33.3%, p = 0.046) than in nonDM patients. Clots in patients with ahDM had more fibrin (39.4% vs. 25.0%, respectively, p = 0.007), fewer erythrocyte components (21.2% vs. 41.5%, respectively, p = 0.043), equivalent platelet fraction (27.7% vs. 24.6%, respectively, p = 0.587), and higher WBC counts (4.6% vs. 3.3%, respectively, p = 0.004) than in nonDM patients. The percentage of polyhedral erythrocytes in thrombi was significantly higher in ahDM patients than in nonDM patients (68.9% vs. 45.6%, respectively, p = 0.007). The proportion of pervious clots was higher in patients nonDM than in patients with ahDM (82.61% vs. 40%, respectively, p = 0.026). Conclusion Patients with ahDM presented with greater stroke severity on admission and poorer functional outcomes after 3 months. Clots in patients with ahDM had more fibrin, leucocytes, and fewer erythrocyte components than in patients nonDM. The content of polyhedral erythrocytes and impervious clots proportion were significantly higher in thrombi of patients with AIS and ahDM. Further research is required to validate these findings.

Abstract Background Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) is well established as a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of multiple urolithiasis. The position is the key to the perfect combination of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia (GMSV) and prone split-leg positions are widely used. However, both positions have their own advantages and disadvantages. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ECIRS in the treatment of multiple urolithiasis in the modified prone split-leg position. Patients and methods A total of 96 patients with multiple urolithiasis underwent ECIRS in modified prone split-leg position from September 2017 to January 2021. Relevant demographic and clinical data were analysed retrospectively. Clinical outcomes, such as the stone free rate, complications and postoperative hospital stay were evaluated. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables and Student’s t test was applied for continuous variables of the treatment groups. Results The mean renal stone size was 32.5 ± 10.7 mm and renal stone surface area was 712.2 ± 264.8 mm2. The mean ureteral stones size was 24.8 ± 12.3 mm. The mean surgical time was 82.2 ± 38.3 min. The incidence of complications was 16.7%, and they were mainly grade 1 and grade 2. No complications occurred above grade 3. The stone was completely removed in 75 (78.1%) patients in a single operation. The risk factors affecting the stone-free rate of ECIRS were analysed, and only the number of involved calyces by stone was found to be significant (p = 0.01). Conclusion ECIRS is safe and effective in the treatment of multiple renal calculi or multiple renal calculi with ipsilateral ureteral calculi in the modified prone split-leg position. The modification of the prone split-leg position makes the retrograde operation more convenient, which is conducive to the combination of RIRS and PCNL.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) denotes a serious type of hemorrhagic stroke that often leads to a poor prognosis and poses a significant socioeconomic burden. Timely assessment of the prognosis of SAH patients is of paramount clinical importance for medical decision making. Currently, clinical prognosis evaluation heavily relies on patients’ clinical information, which suffers from limited accuracy. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) is the primary diagnostic tool for SAH. Radiomics, an emerging technology, involves extracting quantitative radiomics features from medical images to serve as diagnostic markers. However, there is a scarcity of studies exploring the prognostic prediction of SAH using NCCT radiomics features. The objective of this study is to utilize machine learning (ML) algorithms that leverage NCCT radiomics features for the prognostic prediction of SAH. Retrospectively, we collected NCCT and clinical data of SAH patients treated at Beijing Hospital between May 2012 and November 2022. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was utilized to assess the prognosis of patients with SAH at the 3-month mark after the SAH event. Based on follow-up data, patients were classified into two groups: good outcome (mRS ≤ 2) and poor outcome (mRS > 2) groups. The region of interest in NCCT images was delineated using 3D Slicer software, and radiomic features were extracted. The most stable and significant radiomic features were identified using the intraclass correlation coefficient, t-test, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. The data were randomly divided into training and testing cohorts in a 7:3 ratio. Various ML algorithms were utilized to construct predictive models, encompassing logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Seven prediction models based on radiomic features related to the outcome of SAH patients were constructed using the training cohort. Internal validation was performed using five-fold cross-validation in the entire training cohort. The receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, precision, recall, and f-1 score evaluation metrics were employed to assess the performance of the classifier in the overall dataset. Furthermore, decision curve analysis was conducted to evaluate model effectiveness. The study included 105 SAH patients. A comprehensive set of 1316 radiomics characteristics were initially derived, from which 13 distinct features were chosen for the construction of the ML model. Significant differences in age were observed between patients with good and poor outcomes. Among the seven constructed models, model_SVM exhibited optimal outcomes during a five-fold cross-validation assessment, with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98 (standard deviation: 0.01) and 0.88 (standard deviation: 0.08) on the training and testing cohorts, respectively. In the overall dataset, model_SVM achieved an accuracy, precision, recall, f-1 score, and AUC of 0.88, 0.84, 0.87, 0.84, and 0.82, respectively, in the testing cohort. Radiomics features associated with the outcome of SAH patients were successfully obtained, and seven ML models were constructed. Model_SVM exhibited the best predictive performance. The radiomics model has the potential to provide guidance for SAH prognosis prediction and treatment guidance.

Abstract Background The significance of carotid webs (CaWs) in ischemic stroke is becoming acknowledged. Histological features of clot composition in situ and secondary cerebrovascular embolized thrombi caused by CaW have not been described concurrently. Understanding clots’ histological composition is essential for understanding the pathophysiology of clot formation in CaW. Case presentation A 50-year-old male patient with acute ischemic stroke, which was believed to be caused by ipsilateral CaW, was admitted to the hospital. Mechanical thrombectomy was used to retrieve thromboemboli from the middle cerebral artery. One month thereafter, the patient underwent carotid endarterectomy, and in situ CaW thrombi were retrieved. Histological analysis by hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that histopathologic embolized thrombi appeared as typical mixed thrombi, 46.03% fibrin/platelet ratio, 48.12% RBCs, and 5.85% white blood cells. In situ thrombi had a higher fibrin/platelet ratio (68.0%), fewer RBCs (17.2%), and 14.8% white blood cells. Conclusion The histopathology of large vessel occlusion stroke embolized thrombi by CaW is similar to that of other stroke etiologies. However, the clot composition of embolized thrombi significantly differs from that of in situ thrombi. CaW’s in situ thrombi showed predominantly fibrin, and embolized thrombi had equivalent contents of red blood cells and fibrin/platelets. Histopathological differences between in situ and embolized thrombi suggest new research directions for the etiology of embolization. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

ObjectiveCarotid artery stenting (CAS) performed perioperatively with high-dose atorvastatin may reduce the incidence of new ischemic brain lesions, but more high-level evidence is needed. Furthermore, the optimal dose and course of perioperative statin therapy remain uncertain.MethodsA single-center, prospective, parallel controlled, pilot randomized clinical trial was conducted at Beijing Hospital. The study includes a total of 130 patients with CAS. The patients were randomly assigned to receive a high-dose of 80 mg/day atorvastatin (n = 65) or a standard-dose of 20 mg/day atorvastatin (n = 65) 3 days before and 3 days after planned CAS. The primary endpoint event was the cumulative incidence of silent new ischemic cerebral lesions (sNICL) on post-CAS cerebral diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), transient ischemic attack (TIA), or ischemic stroke within 30 days after CAS.ResultsAmong the 130 patients, 123 completed the study, of which 63 were in the high-dose group and 60 were in the standard-dose group. The incidence of major endpoint events was 69.8% (44 cases) and 78.3% (46 cases) in the high-dose and standard-dose groups, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (HR, 0.705; 95% CI, 0.315–1.576; p = 0.393). According to the stratified analysis results, the sNICL incidence was significantly different between the two groups in the symptomatic patients (HR, 0.263; 95% CI, 0.70–0.984; p = 0.04).ConclusionAmong patients with CAS, a periprocedural high-dose of atorvastatin did not reduce the rate of periprocedural ischemic brain damage. However, high-dose statins can reduce the incidence of sNICL after CAS in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT03079115.

In the past few decades, great progress has been achieved in the understanding of microbiome-cancer interactions. However, most of the studies have focused on the gut microbiome, ignoring how other microbiomes interact with tumors. Emerging evidence suggests that in many types of cancers, such as lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer, the intratumoral microbiome plays a significant role. In addition, accumulating evidence suggests that intratumoral microbes have multiple effects on the biological behavior of tumors, for example, regulating tumor initiation and progression and altering the tumor response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. However, to fully understand the role of the intratumoral microbiome in cancer, further investigation of the effects and mechanisms is still needed. This review discusses the role of intratumoral bacteria in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, recurrence and metastasis, as well as their effect on cancer prognosis and treatment outcome, and summarizes the relevant mechanisms.

IntroductionKinking of the cervical carotid or vertebral artery is a common structural abnormality in patients with cerebrovascular disease. However, there is no consensus about the relationship between kinking and ischemic stroke/TIA. We aim to determine the effect of arterial kinking on ischemic stroke/TIA.MethodsA retrospective study was performed on patients who underwent cerebral angiography with DSA between January 2014 and December 2018. Demographic information and comorbidities were recorded. Each anatomical circulation system was defined as an observation unit. Kinking and stenosis of each circulation unit were recorded. Ischemia stroke or TIA within 6 months and its location were assessed as an outcome. Logistic regression with a generalized estimating equation approach was used for the analysis.ResultsA total of 1,062 patients (mean age 57.9 ± 14.5 years, 740 males and 322 females) were included in the study. Of the patients, 369 (35%) had kinking and 771 (73%) had ischemic stroke/TIA. There were 110 left anterior, 90 right anterior, and 308 posterior circulation units, among which 343 had mild, 160 had moderate, and 243 had severe kinking. Multivariate regression analysis showed that ischemic stroke/TIA was associated with severe kinking (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.03–1.88, P = 0.03). Posterior circulation was more vulnerable to acute ischemia than left anterior and right anterior circulation (OR 3.58, 95% CI 2.81–4.56, P < 0.0001).ConclusionSevere kinking of the cervical carotid or vertebral artery may be associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke/TIA, especially when the kinking is located in the posterior circulation.

Background and purposeIntraprocedural rupture (IPR) is a devastating complication of endovascular treatment (EVT). Small-sized and ruptured aneurysms are independent predictors of IPR, which presents a technical challenge during EVT. We aimed to develop a score to quantify the individual patient risk of IPR in the EVT of small (

How to extract the indicative signatures from the spectral data is an important issue for further retrieval based on remote sensing technique. This study provides new insight into extracting indicative signatures by identifying oblique extremum points, rather than local extremum points traditionally known as absorption points. A case study on retrieving soil organic matter (SOM) contents from the black soil region in Northeast China using spectral data revealed that the oblique extremum method can effectively identify weak absorption signatures hidden in the spectral data. Moreover, the comparison of retrieval outcomes using various indicative signature extraction methods reveals that the oblique extremum method outperforms the correlation analysis and traditional extremum methods. The experimental findings demonstrate that the radial basis function (RBF) neural network retrieval model exposes the nonlinear relationship between reflectance (or reflectance transformation results) and the SOM contents. Additionally, an improved oblique extremum method based on the second-order derivative is provided. Overall, this research presents a novel perspective on indicative signature extraction, which could potentially offer better retrieval performance than traditional methods.

Mangrove is the key vegetation in the transitional zone between land and sea, and its health assessment can indicate the deep-level ecological information. The LAI and six key nutrients of mangrove were selected as quantitative evaluation indicators, and the decisive evaluation method of mangrove growth was expected. The mangrove reserve of Dongzhai Port National Nature Reserve in Hainan Province, China, was selected as the study area, with an area of 17.71 km2. The study area was divided into adjacent urban areas, aquaculture areas, and agricultural production areas, and key indicators are extracted from satellite hyperspectral data. The extraction process includes spectral data preprocessing, spectral transformation, spectral combination, spectral modeling, and precision inspection. The spatial distribution of LAI and six key nutrient components of mangrove in the study area were obtained. LAI and Chla need to calculate the index after high-order differentiation of the spectrum; MSTR and Chlb need to calculate the envelope after the second-order differential of the spectrum; TN and TP are directly changed by original or exponential spectrum; the spectral transformation method adopted by TK was homogenization after first-order differential. The results of the strength of nutrient content along the three regions show that there was no significant difference in the retrieval index of mangroves in the three regions, and the overall health level of mangroves was consistent. Chla was the key identification component of mangrove growth and health. The contents of nutrient elements with correlation coefficient exceeding 0.80 include MSTR and TK (0.98), Chla and TP (0.96), Chla and TK (0.87), MSTR and Chla (0.86), MSTR and TK (0.83), and MSTR and TP (0.81). The study quantifies the relationship between different LAI and nutrient content of mangrove leaves from the perspectives of water, leaf biology, and chemical elements, which improved our understanding of the relationship between key components during mangrove growth for the first time.

Xiong’an New Area is defined as the future city of China, and the regulation of water resources is an important part of the scientific development of the city. Baiyang Lake, the main supplying water for the city, is selected as the study area, and the water quality extraction of four typical river sections is taken as the research objective. The GaiaSky-mini2-VN hyperspectral imaging system was executed on the UAV to obtain the river hyperspectral data for four winter periods. Synchronously, water samples of COD, PI, AN, TP, and TN were collected on the ground, and the in situ data under the same coordinate were obtained. A total of 2 algorithms of band difference and band ratio are established, and the relatively optimal model is obtained based on 18 spectral transformations. The conclusion of the strength of water quality parameters’ content along the four regions is obtained. This study revealed four types of river self-purification, namely, uniform type, enhanced type, jitter type, and weakened type, which provided the scientific basis for water source traceability evaluation, water pollution source area analysis, and water environment comprehensive treatment.

Wave tank model testing has been widely used to assess the performance of Wave Energy Converters (WEC) in different technology readiness levels (TRL). At early stage the use of simple wave conditions such as regular waves and parametric wave spectrum JONSWAP or Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum is acceptable. However at later stages there is a need to use site specific complex wave conditions representative of potential prototype deployment sites. In previous research, 10 different regrouping methods on HF radar measured wave spectrum were tested to find out the most representative sea states for tank testing. It has been shown that by using the K-means clustering technique, the characteristics of wave conditions can be well preserved. In order to assess the power capture performance of a typical WEC in these representative sea states, the RM3 point absorber has been simulated. By analysing how well the average power output predicted from different representative sea-state selection methods compares with the total power output prediction, it is shown that the non-directional wave spectrum K-means clustering method provides the most representative sea states and, for a point absorber, with a very accurate estimation of the total power output, which is not the case by using a traditional binning method. The importance of using the complex site-specific sea states rather than simplified parametric JONSWAP sea states to obtain the accurate total power estimation has also been shown.

Objective: The mammalian target of the rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway has emerged as a crucial player in the oncogenesis and development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), however, to date, no relevant gene signature has been identified. Therefore, we aimed to construct a novel gene signature based on the mTORC1 pathway for predicting the outcomes of patients with HNSCC and their response to treatment.Methods: The gene expression and clinical data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The key prognostic genes associated with the mTORC1 pathway were screened by univariate Cox regression analyses. A prognostic signature was then established based on significant factors identified in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. The performance of the multigene signature was evaluated by the Kaplan–Meier (K–M) survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Based on the median risk score, patients were categorized into high- and low-risk groups. Subsequently, a hybrid prognostic nomogram was constructed and estimated by a calibration plot and decision curve analysis. Furthermore, immune cell infiltration and therapeutic responses were compared between the two risk groups. Finally, we measured the expression levels of seven genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC).Results: The mTORC1 pathway–based signature was constructed using the seven identified genes (SEC11A, CYB5B, HPRT1, SLC2A3, SC5D, CORO1A, and PIK3R3). Patients in the high-risk group exhibited a lower overall survival (OS) rate than those in the low-risk group in both datasets. Through the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, this gene signature was confirmed to be an independent prognostic risk factor for HNSCC. The constructed nomogram based on age, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and the risk score exhibited satisfactory performance in predicting the OS. In addition, immune cell infiltration and chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic responses differed significantly between the two risk groups. The expression levels of SEC11A and CYB5B were higher in HNSCC tissues than in normal tissues.Conclusion: Our study established and verified an mTORC1 signaling pathway–related gene signature that could be used as a novel prognostic factor for HNSCC.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein expressed by genetically modified (GM) crops is released into the soil ecosystem, where it accumulates for a long time; therefore, degradation of Bt protein has gained increased attention for environmental risk assessments. A first-order kinetic model (Y = ae−b*X) is usually used to evaluate the degradation of Bt proteins, including Bt-Cry1Ab and Bt-Cry1Ac; this has some limitations regarding the precise fitting and explanation of the influence of various factors on Bt protein degradation in the later stage. Therefore, to amend these limitations, we report a new degradation model Y = Y0 + ae−b*X. The effects of soil temperature, water content, soil types, and soil sterilization on the degradation of Bt-Cry1Ah protein in soil were estimated in a 96d long laboratory study using a GM maize leaf–soil mixture. The results showed that the Bt-Cry1Ah protein degraded rapidly in the early stage and then slowly in the middle and late stages. Temperature was identified as the key factor affecting the degradation of Cry1Ah protein—a relatively higher temperature favored the degradation. The degradation rate of Cry1Ah protein was the fastest when the water content was 33 and 20% in the early and later stages, respectively. The soil types had a significant effect on the degradation of Cry1Ah protein. Moreover, soil sterilization slowed down the rate of protein degradation in both the early and later stages. In conclusion, the model Y = Y0 + ae−b*X established in this study provided a more robust model for exploring and simulating the degradation of Bt protein in soil growing GM crops and overcame the shortcomings of the Y = ae−b*X model. The findings of this study enriched the understanding of Bt protein degradation in soil ecosystems. They would be helpful for evaluating the environmental safety of GM crops.

Emerging evidence suggests that atherosclerosis, one of the leading phenotypes of cardiovascular diseases, is a chronic inflammatory disease. During the atherosclerotic process, immune cells play critical roles in vascular inflammation and plaque formation. Meanwhile, gastrointestinal disorder is considered a risk factor in mediating the atherosclerotic process. The present study aimed to utilize sivelestat, a selective inhibitor of neutrophil elastase, to investigate its pharmacological benefits on atherosclerosis and disclose the gastrointestinal–vascular interaction. The activation of intestinal neutrophil was increased during atherosclerotic development in Western diet-fed ApoE-/- mice. Administration of sivelestat attenuated atherosclerotic phenotypes, including decreasing toxic lipid accumulation, vascular monocyte infiltration, and inflammatory cytokines. Sivelestat decreased intestinal permeability and endotoxemia in atherosclerotic mice. Mechanistically, sivelestat upregulated the expression of zonula occludens-1 in the atherosclerotic mice and recombinant neutrophil elastase protein-treated intestinal epithelial cells. Meanwhile, treatment of sivelestat suppressed the intestinal expression of inflammatory cytokines and NF-κB activity. In contrast, administration of lipopolysaccharides abolished the anti-atherosclerotic benefits of sivelestat in the Western diet-fed ApoE-/- mice. Further clinical correlation study showed that the circulating endotoxin level and intestinal neutrophil elastase activity were positively correlated with carotid intima-medial thickness in recruited subjects. In conclusion, sivelestat had pharmacological applications in protection against atherosclerosis, and intestinal homeostasis played one of the critical roles in atherosclerotic development.

Rice husk biochar (RHB) is a renewable agricultural waste, and its fixation on pavements helps develop environmentally friendly, economical, and sustainable asphalt pavements. This paper used RHB to replace part of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) for the composite modification study of matrix asphalt. The high- and low-temperature properties and microscopic mechanisms of the composite-modified asphalt were studied through a series of tests. The results showed that, compared with SBS-modified asphalt, the softening point, viscosity, complex shear modulus, stiffness modulus, and rutting factors of RHB-SBS composite-modified asphalt were improved. In contrast, the ductility and creep rate were slightly decreased, indicating an improvement in the high-temperature performance of composite-modified asphalt, but a slight decrease in its low-temperature performance. The process of RHB and SBS composite modification was mainly physical blending, with only a small number of chemical reactions, and no new functional groups were generated. The porous structure of RHB enables it to adhere better to the network crosslinked continuous phase system formed by SBS and matrix asphalt. This results in composite-modified asphalt with good high-temperature storage stability and rheological properties. Therefore, RHB-SBS composite-modified asphalt can be applied to high-temperature areas and rice-producing areas, and the optimal content of RHB is suggested to be 15%.

Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) has been widely investigated in patients with supratentorial stroke. However, the role of CCD in lower limb recovery after stroke is still unknown. In this study, using a region-of-interest-based analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a total of 44 cases of stroke within 3 months onset were enrolled for assessment of the cerebral peduncle (CP) and middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP) in CCD. Compared with the control group, the fractional anisotropy ratio (rFA) and laterality index (LI) of the CP and MCP in the stroke group significantly decreased. The rFA of the MCP (unaffected side/affected side) showed a more significant correlation with 1-year paresis grading (PG), lower extremity PG, upper extremity PG, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and functional independence measure (FIM) motor item score, in comparison to the rFA of the CP (affected side/unaffected side) (r = −0.698 vs. r = −0.541, r = −0.651 vs. r = −0.386, r = −0.642 vs. r = −0.565, r = −0.519 vs. r = −0.403, and r = 0.487 vs. r = 0.435, respectively). Furthermore, the LI of the CP had a more significant association with 1-year Brunel Balance Assessment (BBA), upper extremity PG, and Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) as compared to the LI of the MCP (r = 0.573 vs. r = 0.452; r = −0.554 vs. r = −0.528; and r = −0.494 vs. r = −0.344, respectively). We set the cutoff point for the MCP rFA at 0.925 (sensitivity: 79% and specificity: 100%) for predicting lower extremity motor function prognosis and found the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of MCP rFA was larger than that of CP rFA (0.893 vs. 0.737). These results reveal that the MCP may play a significant role in the recovery of walking ability after stroke.

Polymer flooding is one of the techniques used to enhance oil recovery from depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. Although this technology is popular for this application, the shearing effect in the injection process causes poor performance, which is an obstacle to meeting the needs of the formation. An experimental evaluation of the rheological properties, viscoelasticity, hydrodynamic size, static adsorption, and seepage characteristics of the associated polymer solution before and after shearing was conducted to determine the influence of shearing on the polymer solution. The results show that the effect of shear on the polymer was irreversible, and the properties of the polymer solution damaged by shear were attenuated. After the critical associating concentration, the associated polymer can recover its solution properties through hydrophobic association, which can improve the shear resistance of the polymer solution and make its own rheological law and reduce the viscoelastic change. Although the hydrodynamic size, viscoelasticity, and adsorption capacity of the polymer solution after shear failure decreased, strong flow resistance during porous media seepage and mobility control was achieved. Improving the shear resistance of the polymer solution by increasing the intermolecular force is proposed to develop new polymer systems for subsequent oil displacement.

The potential effects of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) maize on non-target organisms should be evaluated before such maize is commercially planted. Earthworms play an indispensable role in the soil ecosystem; act as important bio-indicators of soil quality and environmental pollution. Therefore, earthworms are often used as the object to evaluate the non-target effect of Bt maize. To accelerate the commercialization of transgenic maize in China, a 90-day Eisenia fetida feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential effects of Bt maize line, BT799—which was developed by China Agricultural University and contains the Cry1Ac gene—and its non-Bt conventional isoline—Zheng 58—on E. fetida. Our results showed that the Bt maize line had no significant effects on the growth, reproduction, or enzymatic activities of these earthworms. In summary, Bt maize had no toxic effects on E. fetida.

BackgroundUnruptured small aneurysms with a size of

Abstract Background The most serious complication of ureter stent is long-term retention of ureteral stent and stone formation around the stent. Case presentation A 51-year old female patient with left ureteral stent placed 2 years before developed both pyelic and vesical stones on the two ends of the double J was admitted to our hospital. Intravesical lithotripsy, retrograde ureteroscopy, and percutaneous nephrolithotripsy were performed with the patient in the prone split-leg position. All the stones and the ureteral stent were successfully removed in a single session. Conclusions Combined endoscopic techniques in the prone split-leg position can effectively and safely manage severely encrusted stents.

Neuronal oscillatory phase and phase synchronization are two main aspects of neuronal oscillation. Neurophysiological and computational studies have demonstrated that oscillatory phase for individual neurons has quantifiable relationships with neuronal excitation and input stimulus. In order to investigate the issue for neuronal groups, we constructed orientation columns by means of a spiking neural network and introduced six network activity states, pre-stimulus and stimulus periods for comparison. We proposed a new method of spike-LFP (Local Field Potential) phase based on vector addition of point spike-LFP phases to represent oscillatory phase. We also proposed a PPCG (Pairwise Phase Consistency for Group) method to quantify phase synchronization for neuronal groups. As illustrated in the simulation, the characteristics of oscillatory phase and phase synchronization for neuronal groups were consistent with the ones for individual neurons. Preferred orientations and stronger external inputs tended to result in smaller and more concentrated oscillatory phases. No matter individual neurons or neuronal groups, the oscillatory phase decreased monotonically as a function of neuronal excitation and input strength. More importantly, neuronal groups had a competitive advantage over individual neurons, because they can achieve reliable relationship quantification of oscillatory phase for all network activity states, even in weak oscillatory or non-oscillatory states.

Background and Purpose: An endovascular recanalization is an alternative option for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease (ICAD). Accurate non-invasive alternatives to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for follow-up imaging after endovascular treatment are desirable. We aimed to evaluate the image quality and diagnostic performance of high-resolution magnetic imaging in follow-up using DSA as a reference.Materials and Methods: From January 2017 to June 2021, data from 35 patients with 40 intracranial steno-occlusive lesions who underwent endovascular recanalization and received high-resolution magnetic resonance (HR-MR) follow-up were retrospectively collected in our prospective database. Studies were evaluated for the quality of visualization of the vessel lumen, restenosis rate, and accuracy of high-resolution magnetic resonance (HR-MR) with DSA used as the reference standard. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses were performed to assess the agreement between the two different readers.Results: In total, 40 intracranial steno-occlusive lesions in 35 patients, with 34 lesions undergoing balloon angioplasty [including 16 drug-coated balloons (DCBs)] and 8 lesions undergoing stenting were enrolled. The median age was 63.6 years (IQR 58.5–70.0 years), and the mean imaging follow-up time was 9.5 months (IQR 4.8–12.5 months). The median degrees of preprocedural and residual stenosis were 85.0% (IQR 75.0–99.0%) and 32.8% (IQR 15.0–50.0%), respectively. Intracranial periprocedural complications occurred in 1 (3.6%) patient. In the case of a stainless-steel stent (n = 1), there was a signal drop at the level of the vessel, which did not allow evaluation of the vessel lumen. However, this was visible in the case of nitinol stents (n = 7) and angioplasty (n = 34). The overall restenosis rate was 25.8% (n = 9). The DCB subgroup showed a lower rate of restenosis than the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) subgroup [5.3% (2/13) vs. 35.7% (5/14)].Conclusion: High-resolution magnetic resonance may be a reliable non-invasive method for demonstrating the vessel lumen and diagnostic follow-up after endovascular recanalization for ICAD. Compared with MR angiography (MRA), HR-MR showed a higher inter-reader agreement and could provide more information after endovascular recanalization, such as enhancement of the vessel wall.

Long-term degradation of black soil has led to reductions in soil fertility and ecological service functions, which have seriously threatened national food security and regional ecological security. This study is motivated by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2—Zero Hunger, specifically, SDG 2.4 Sustainable Food Production Systems. The aim was to monitor the soil organic matter (SOM) content of black soil and its dynamics via hyperspectral remote sensing inversion. This is of great significance to the effective utilization and sustainable development of black soil resources. Taking the typical black soil area of Northeast China as an example, the hyperspectral data of ground features were compared with SOM contents measured in soil samples to correlate SOM with spectral features. Based on their quantitative relationship, a dynamic fitness inertia weighted particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm is proposed, which balances the global and local search abilities of a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The DPSO algorithm is applied to the parameter adjustment of an artificial neural network (BPNN), which is used instead of a traditional error back propagation algorithm, to build a DPSO-BPNN model. Then a global optimal analytical expression of hyperspectral inversion is obtained to improve the generalization ability and stability of the remote sensing quantitative inversion model. The results show that DPSO-BPNN model is more stable and accurate than existing models, such as multiple stepwise regression, partial least squares, and BP neural network models (adjust complex coefficient of determination = 0.89, root mean square error = 1.58, relative recent deviation = 2.93). The results of DPSO-BPNN inversion are basically consistent with the trend in SOM contents measured during surface geochemical exploration. As such, this study provides a basis for hyperspectral remote sensing inversion and monitoring of the SOM contents in black soil.

Fibrosis contributes to graft loss in chronic renal allograft injury. Endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EndMT) plays an important role in the development of fibrosis following kidney transplantation. Autophagy plays an important role in the homeostasis of diverse cell types including endothelial cells. Here we demonstrate that inhibition of autophagy by treatment with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or by silencing autophagy-related (ATG)5 promoted interleukin (IL)-6–dependent EndMT in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HRGECs), and autophagy inactivation was associated with EndMT in patients with chronic allograft dysfunction. IL-6 level was significantly higher in the culture medium of HUVECs transfected with ATG5 siRNA or treated with 3-MA compared to the respective control groups. IL-6 application induced EndMT in HUVECs and HRGECs, whereas antibody-mediated neutralization of IL-6 suppressed EndMT induced by ATG5 silencing. The protective role of curcumin (Cur) against allograft fibrosis was confirmed in a rat kidney transplantation model of F344 donors to Lewis recipients. Curcumin—a natural polyphenol compound with known antifibrotic effects in various tissues—alleviated IL-6–induced EndMT and promoted autophagy in the allografted organ and in HUVECs. This is the first demonstration of the role of autophagy in renal allograft fibrosis; our findings indicate that curcumin can alleviate chronic renal allograft injury by suppressing IL-6–dependent EndMT via activation of autophagy.

Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation in coprime array involves the problem that there is the coexistence of both uncorrelated signals and coherent signals in the multipath environment. An approach to estimate DOA of uncorrelated and coherent signals separately, based on the coprime linear array and coprime planar array, is proposed in this paper. The uncorrelated signals are estimated first, where the root multiple signal classification (root-MUSIC) is applied in the coprime linear array and unitary estimating signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (Unitary-ESPRIT) is utilized in the coprime planar array. Those subspace algorithms are of low complexity compared with the spectral peak search method. We then eliminate the components of noises and uncorrelated signals and reconstruct a covariance matrix of coherent signals. Finally, we use the root-MUSIC or Unitary-ESPRIT to resolve the one-dimensional or two-dimensional DOAs of coherent signals, respectively. The simulation results demonstrate the computational efficiency and high accuracy of the proposed algorithm. The results also prove that this algorithm can estimate the number of signals more than that of subarray sensors and separate two signals from the same angle.

It has been evidenced that the neural motor control exploits the hierarchical and intermittent representation. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical deep reinforcement learning (DRL) method to learn the continuous control policy across multiple levels, by unifying the neuroscience principle of the minimum transition hypothesis. The control policies in the two levels of the hierarchy operate at different time scales. The high-level controller produces the intermittent actions to set a sequence of goals for the low-level controller, which in turn conducts the basic skills with the modulation of goals. The goal planning and the basic motor skills are trained jointly with the proposed algorithm: hierarchical intermittent deep deterministic policy gradient (HI-DDPG). The performance of the method is validated in two continuous control problems. The results show that the method successfully learns to temporally decompose compound tasks into sequences of basic motions with sparse transitions and outperforms the previous DRL methods that lack a hierarchical continuous representation.

Source number estimation is one of the key technologies of wireless location, and it is also the basis of parameter estimation and location solution. In order to improve the accuracy of existing non-circular source number estimation and realize underdetermined source number estimation, this paper presents a non-circular source number estimation method based on sparse array. This method firstly uses the non-circular characteristics of received sources to expand the array aperture, then combines the structural characteristics of sparse array to construct a virtual array model, and extracts the response parts of continuous virtual array elements for spatial smoothing processing. Finally, the minimum description length (MDL) method is used to realize the effective estimation of non-circular source number. The complexity analysis and simulation experiments are given, and the results of Monte Carlo experiments show that compared with the traditional source number estimation method, this method can not only improve the accuracy of the source number estimation but also realize the effective estimation of the source number in undetermined conditions.

Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation using nested linear array ignores the information from repeated sensors, thus involves the problem of losing accuracy. Moreover, non-circular feature of signals is rarely considered and it results in discontinuity of the virtual array, namely, holes appear. This paper first provide an improved data averaging method to increase the accuracy of DOA estimation by fusing data from covariance and elliptic covariance. And then an algorithm based on matrix completion theory in nested array that greatly extends the degrees of freedom (DOF) and is able to find more sources than number of physical sensors is presented. The algorithm reconstructs the covariance matrix of the virtual linear array, which exactly has the same shift invariance as the uniform linear array but a higher aperture. Considering about the missing elements of the virtual array covariance matrix, we apply matrix completion theory to solve the problem. Finally, true DOAs of multiple signals can be obtained through subspace algorithms. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms can obtain high accuracy while underdetermined DOA estimation is realized.

Background: Cognitive impairment is the main factor affecting quality of life in patients with low-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.Objective: We explored cognitive impairments and risk factors after treatment for ruptured anterior communicating artery (AComA) aneurysms in low-grade (Hunt-Hess grade of 1–3) patients without severe complications.Methods: One-hundred-twenty-six patients with a Hunt-Hess grade of 1–3 who underwent microsurgical clipping or endovascular embolization for ruptured AComA aneurysm treatment at three academic institutions in China from January 2015 to December 2017 were assessed with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale 2 or more years after microsurgical clipping or endovascular coiling. Multiple cox-regression analysis was used to identify variables independently associated with cognitive impairment.Results: Of the total of 126 patients, 115 (91.3%) achieved good clinical outcomes (mRS score 0–2) and 109 (86.5%) had excellent quality of life (IADL score 8). Twenty-eight (22.2%) patients showed cognitive impairments (TICS-m≤27). The multivariate COX regression analysis showed that the female patients and longer duration of loss of consciousness at onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were independently associated with cognitive impairment. Cognitive outcome at the latest follow-up was not significantly different between patients treated after surgical clipping and coiling.Conclusion: About one in five patients showed cognitive impairments after treatment for ruptured AComA aneurysms. Patients who are of the female sex, and who have a longer duration of a loss of consciousness at the onset of SAH may be at risk of cognitive impairment.

Novel positively charged nanofiltration membranes were facilely prepared by polydopamine (PDA) deposition followed by crosslinking on the polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane substrate. Specifically, small molecules DMAPA and 1,3-dibromopropane were separately selected as the bridge agent and crosslinking agent, which can not only realize the moderate crosslinking and densification of the loose structure of the PDA layer, but also further improve the hydrophilicity and positive charges of the PDA layer. Under the optimized conditions of DMAPA concentration (2 g/L), 1,3-dibromopropane concentration (10 wt%) and reaction time (9 h), the composite membrane had the surface pore size as low as 1.1 nm, water contact angle as low as 35.1° and zeta potential as high as +63.8 mV at pH = 6. As a result, the optimized positively charged NF membrane (M3) showed an outstanding permeance up to 15.7 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 while maintaining a high rejection above 95% for MgCl2. Meanwhile, M3 also showed good environmental adaptability when facing complex feeding or operating conditions. This work provided new situation in the design and construction of positive charged NF membranes for high efficiency cation separation.

Background: Research conducted in Western countries has suggested that high-dose statin therapy can lead to the regression of carotid atherosclerotic plaques and can reduce periprocedural ischemic complication rates in individuals undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, whether this same therapeutic approach is of value in patients of Chinese ethnicity is not as well-established.Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, parallel-controlled, intervention-based efficacy study that will enroll a total of 130 Chinese patients with cervical carotid stenosis who are scheduled to undergo CAS. These patients will be randomly divided into a routine treatment group and a high-dose atorvastatin group. Individuals in the routine treatment group will be administered standard of care 20 mg/day atorvastatin treatment. Individuals in the high-dose atorvastatin group will be administered 80 mg/day atorvastatin for 3 days prior to and following CAS. The primary outcome of this study will be the cumulative incidence of new cerebral ischemic lesions on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) within 5 days following CAS, and of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or ischemic stroke within 30 days after CAS.Discussion: This study is the first to assess whether high-dose atorvastatin treatment is capable of reducing the incidence of perioperative cerebral ischemic injury in patients of Chinese ethnicity undergoing CAS. These results will offer evidence regarding which statin treatment regimens are more appropriate when treating Chinese patients undergoing CAS in an effort to minimize their risk of any perioperative cerebral ischemic injury.Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03079115; registered March 14, 2017.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of combining the 8-isoprostane and nitric oxide (NO) levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) with the clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) to assess ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in patients on mechanical ventilation. Methods Thirty-two patients with VAP served as the observation group and 32 patients without VAP served as the control group. The correlations of 8-isoprostane and NO levels in EBC with CPIS, chest X-ray score, oxygenation index, and lung injury score (LIS) were analyzed. The area under the curve (AUC) was compared with experimental data using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to predict VAP. Results The 8-isoprostane and NO levels in EBC of VAP patients on mechanical ventilation were positively correlated with CPIS, chest X-ray score, and LIS, but negatively correlated with oxygenation index. The AUC of simplified CPIS combined with 8-isoprostane and NO levels in EBC for predicting VAP was 0.914, which suggests that this is a highly effective for making a diagnosis. Conclusions The simplified CPIS combined with the 8-isoprostane and NO levels in EBC of patients on mechanical ventilation is effective for evaluating and diagnosing VAP. 8-Isoprostane and NO levels in EBC could be used as biomarkers to evaluate VAP.

Objective: Although the benefits of good collateral circulation on infarct volume and outcomes have been confirmed in previous studies, few studies have investigated the relationship between hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and collateral circulation in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to assess whether collateral circulation is an essential factor of HT after endovascular treatments (EVTs).Methods: In total, 71 consecutive AIS patients who underwent EVTs between July 2015 and February 2019 were retrospectively studied. The correlations among HT, collateral vessels on 4D CT angiography (4D CTA), and other predictive factors for HT [e.g., National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, age, sex, serum glucose, and atrial fibrillation history] were evaluated by logistic regression analysis.Results: The rate of hemorrhagic transformation was 42.3% (30/71) in AIS patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that a good collateral status (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.73–0.80) was associated with a lower risk of HT. History of atrial fibrillation (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.96–2.82), baseline NIHSS scores (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.72–2.32), and higher serum glucose levels (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.57–1.85) were all independent risk factors of HT.Conclusions: Patients with poor collateral circulation are at a higher risk of HT after receiving endovascular therapy. Thus, variations in collateral circulation based on 4D CTA may be an important factor for personalized clinical treatments. In addition, high blood glucose, atrial fibrillation and the baseline NIHSS score are all important independent predictors of HT.

The potential effects of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) maize on non-target organisms must be conducted before the Bt maize is commercially planted. Folsomia candida is one of the non-target organisms of Bt maize, also as an important indicator of soil quality and environmental pollution. In this study, a 90-day F. candida feeding test were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of two Bt maize lines IE09S034 and BT799 and their non-Bt conventional isolines Zong 31 and Zheng 58. The results show that Bt maize lines had no significant effects on the survival rate, reproduction, adult body length, larval body length, and the activities of acetyl cholinesterase, catalase and superoxide dismutase on the F. candida. Namely, Bt maize had no toxic effects on the F. candida.

This paper discusses the localization problem for strictly noncircular sources based on Doppler shifts and angle of arrival (AOA). The conventional location methods, called two-step methods, first extract measurement parameters from the signals, and then estimate the position from these parameters. Unlike the conventional two-step methods, direct position determination (DPD) methods can locate emitter in a single step without estimating intermediate parameters, thereby receiving higher location accuracy. However, existing DPD algorithms focusing on moving receivers remain few, and ignore exploiting the noncircular property of sources to enhance the localization accuracy. To solve these problems, this paper develops a decoupled maximum likelihood (ML) DPD algorithm for strictly noncircular sources based on Doppler shifts and AOA. First, we reconstruct the DPD optimization model by exploiting the noncircular property of sources and using Doppler shifts to meet the moving receivers application. Then, since the prescribed ML DPD algorithm for multiple sources will suffer huge computation load, a decoupled iterative idea is applied to it. Compared with the straightforward implementation of ML estimators, our method substantially reduces the computation complexity via decoupling the position of each emitter from the other emitters in each iteration. In addition, we derive the Cramér-Rao Bound for strictly noncircular sources, and prove it is lower than that of circular sources. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves convergence through only a few iterations, and receives superior performance than other location methods in the test scenarios.