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Kang Ge,1,2 Yilu Zhao,2,3 Xiao Liu,4 Ruzhi Zhang5 1Jiaxing Key Discipline of Medicine --Dermatology and Venereology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Dermatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Dermatology and STD, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ruzhi Zhang, Department of Dermatology and STD, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, 241001, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8618761161826, Email zhangruzhi628@163.comObjective: ALA-PDT (5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy) is a central modality in the treatment of skin diseases. Increasing the bioavailability of ALA remains a critical issue. With this in mind, our study explores a novel route of ALA delivery by loading acrylic nanoparticles (ANPs).Methods: ALA-ANPs were synthesized by emulsion polymerisation and characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The effects of ALA-ANPs on HaCaT cell line were evaluated, including characteristics, morphological changes, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence kinetics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and ki67 expression in these cells.Results: The ANPs had uniform sizes, smooth surfaces and excellent light transmittance, with diameters of 150– 200 nm. In contrast, the ALA - ANPs had uneven surfaces and poor light transmittance, with diameters of 220– 250 nm. During 12 hours of co-incubation of HaCaT cells with ALA, the intracellular accumulation of PpIX increased over time. Notably, after 6 hours of incubation, PpIX levels induced by 1.81 mg/mL ALA-ANPs exceeded those induced by 1.0 mM ALA (p < 0.01). CCK-8 results showed a positive correlation between PDT-induced inhibition of HaCaT cell proliferation and ALA concentration when ALA concentration remained below 2.0 mM. Compared to the 1.0 mM ALA group, the 1.81 mg/mL ALA-ANPs group showed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, ki67 immunofluorescence intensity and cell proliferation. In contrast, ROS levels were significantly increased in the 1.81 mg/mL ALA-ANPs group (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Loading ANPs provide improved stability and potency for ALA. The ALA-ANPs-PDT approach has superior inhibitory effects on HaCaT proliferation in vitro.Keywords: 5-aminophenolvalic acid, ALA, acrylate nanoporous, photodynamic therapy

Yilu Zhao,1,2,&ast; Kang Ge,3,&ast; Ruzhi Zhang4 1Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Dermatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, the First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Dermatology and STD, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ruzhi Zhang, Department of Dermatology and STD, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, 241001, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8618761161826, Email zhangruzhi628@163.comObjective: To identify potential diagnostic markers for vitiligo and determine the significance of immune cell infiltration in pathology.Methods: Three publicly available gene expression profiles (GSE53146, GSE75819 and GSE65127 datasets) from human vitiligo and control samples were downloaded from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between 20 vitiligo and 20 control samples. Logical regression of the selection operator (LASSO) model and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) analysis were performed to identify candidate biomarkers. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value was obtained and was used to evaluate the discriminatory ability. The expression level and diagnostic value of the biomarkers in vitiligo were further validated in the GSE65127 dataset (10 vitiligo patients and 10 healthy controls). Finally, the immune cell infiltration of vitiligo was evaluated by CIBERSORT, and the correlation between biomarkers and infiltrating immune cells was analyzed. The compositional patterns of the 22 types of immune cell fractions in vitiligo were estimated from the pooled cohorts using CIBERSORT. In addition, we established a mouse model of vitiligo with monobenzone and validated the screened biomarkers.Results: A total of 23 associated DEGs were identified, including 9 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated genes. Subsequently, 17 genes meeting prognostic criteria and 2 common genes (DCT and KIF1A) were obtained by SVM and Venn diagram screening. Immunodifferential analysis showed that microenvironment of vitiligo patients was altered. Finally, the different expression was verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Conclusion: Biomarkers associated with vitiligo can be screened by comprehensive strategies, and immune cell infiltration plays a key role in the development of vitiligo.Keywords: vitiligo, predictive biomarker, Lasso-SVM algorithms

Xiaolin Wu,1,2 Yingjuan Liu,2 Lin Zhu,2 Yue Wang,2 Yuqian Ren,2 Baohe Cheng,3 Leiming Ren,4 Keli Ge,2 Hongyun Li1 1Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266021, People’s Republic of China; 3Shandong Haoyun Guoji Stem Cells Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, 250001, People’s Republic of China; 4Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hongyun LiDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16, Jiangsu Road, Shinan District, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 18661808653@163.comKeli GeInstitute of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, No. 38, Dengzhou Road, Shibei District, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail ntfadu@163.comIntroduction: Vascular dementia (VaD), one of the brain injuries, is difficult to be cured, so it is important to take active neuroprotective treatment after its occurrence. Many studies have shown that apoptosis serves an important role in VaD occurrence; therefore, inhibition of apoptosis may contribute to the recovery of neurological function after VaD occurrence. Cerebroprotein hydrolysate-I (CH-I), a neuropeptide preparation which consists of several amino acids and small molecular peptides as the main active constituent, is extracted using a method similar to cerebrolysin (CBL) which has neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects.Methods: In the present study, a VaD model which was constructed using bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) in Kunming mice was applied to examine the neuroprotective effects of CH-I.Results: The results show that CH-I treatment could attenuate the decrease of learning and memory ability, cell apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region and inhibit the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in VaD mice. Furthermore, CH-I treatment could also upregulate Bcl-2 protein levels and activate PI3K and Akt.Discussion: We speculate that CH-I may induce a neuroprotective effect activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in VaD mice.Keywords: vascular dementia, cerebroprotein hydrolysate-I, apoptosis, PI3K/Akt

Min Ge,1,2 Kun Ge,1,3 Fei Gao,4 Weixiao Yan,1,2 Huifang Liu,2 Li Xue,1 Yi Jin,1,2 Haiyun Ma,1 Jinchao Zhang1,2 1Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Hebei University, Baoding, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Science and Technology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, People’s Republic of China Introduction: Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) has been approved for clinical use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); however, their stronger hydrophobicity and relatively fast degradation rate restricted their widespread application. In consideration of the composition of bone, the inorganic–organic composite has a great application prospect in bone tissue engineering. Many inorganic–organic composite scaffolds were prepared by directly mixing the active ingredient, but this method is uncontrolled and will lead to lack of homogeneity in the polymer matrix. Strontium (Sr) is an admirable addition to improve the bioactivity and bone induction of hydroxyapatite (HA). To our knowledge, the application of biomimetic mineralized strontium-doped hydroxyapatite on porous poly(L-lactic acid) (Sr-HA/PLLA) scaffolds for bone defect repair has never been reported till date. Biomimetic mineralized Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold was developed in this study. The results indicated that the Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold could improve the surface hydrophobicity, reduce the acidic environment of the degradation, and enhance the osteoinductivity; moreover, the ability of protein adsorption and the modulus of compression were increased. The results also clearly showed the effectiveness of the Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold in promoting cell adhesion, proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The micro computed tomography (micro-CT) results showed that more new bones were formed by Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold treatment. The histological results confirmed the osteoinductivity of the Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold. The results suggested that the Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold has a good application prospect in bone tissue engineering in the future.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to promote the bone repair.Materials and methods: Surgical operation of rabbits was carried out in this study.Results: The results showed that formation of a large number of new bones by the Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold treatment is possible.Conclusion: Biomimetic mineralized Sr-HA/PLLA porous scaffold could effectively promote the restoration of bone defects in vivo. Keywords: Sr-HA, PLLA porous scaffold, biomimetic mineralization, bone repair

Wavelength switchable microcavity is indispensable component for various integrated photonic devices. However, achieving two wavelength band emission of the whispering gallery mode (WGM) laser is challenging. Here, we propose a strategy to realize two wavelength band emission WGM lasers activated by photo-isomerization based on excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process in isolated/coupled polymer microfiber cavities. The WGM microcavity is built by highly polarized organic intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) dye molecules. The two cooperative gain states of ICT dye molecules can be controlled by optimizing energy levels. Thereby, the lasing wavelength can be reversibly switched under photo-isomerization activated in the ESIPT energy-level progress. The photonic bar code can be generated by following the strategy of proposed design. This work provides a promising route to achieve switchable WGM laser in on-chip photonic integration.

Analysis of data from the 1989 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS-89) and the 1982 China Nationwide Nutrition Survey (CNS-82) revealed the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and socio-economic and dietary factors of Chinese adults in the 1980s. The CNS-82 showed that of the rural and urban sample, respectively, 12.9% and 11.6% had a BMI of less than 18.5 and 6.9% and 9.8% had a BMI of more than 25, and that males were taller and heavier than females. When compared with CNS-82 data, the CHNS-89 data showed 1.3% and 1.4% fewer individuals with a BMI of less than 18.5 and 2% and 4.8% more individuals with a BMI of more than 25 in the rural and urban sample, respectively. In the urban sample, lower income determined the prevalence of low BMI, and the incidence of high BMI was less in low income groups of overall and rural samples.

In this paper, we firstly explore the existence of solutions to the following linear Schrödinger Kirchhoff Poisson equation with critical exponential growth on the full space □3 by using the discontinuous finite element (DG) as well as the principle of centralized compactness: {−(a+b∫□3|∇u|2)Δu+V(x)u+φu-12uΔ(u2)=K(x)up−2u,x∈□3−Δφ=u2,x∈□3\left\{ {\matrix{{ - \left( {a + b\int_{{\square^3}} {{{\left| {\nabla u} \right|}^2}} } \right)\Delta u + V\left( x \right)u + \phi u - {1 \over 2}u\Delta \left( {{u^2}} \right) = K\left( x \right){u^{p - 2}}u,} & {x \in {\square^3}} \cr { - \Delta \phi = {u^2},} & {x \in {\square^3}} \cr } } \right., x ∈. Secondly, we make reasonable assumptions on the V, K , f functions of the equation, and use the principle of variational division to firstly obtain the corresponding energy generalization of this equation, and then we prove the corresponding generalizations of the equation satisfy the (C)c conditions. Finally, the existence of the solution of the equation is obtained by numerical simulation and then by using the Yamaji Lemma. The results show that the error of the finite element solution of the linear Schrödinger Kirchhoff Poisson equation in the spatial direction P1 reaches the optimal estimation under the L2 -parameter in an intermittent finite element numerical simulation environment, i.e., it is proved that there exist at least 1 and 3 positive solutions to the problem. The paper achieves rich research results which are informative for the solution of this class of linear differential equations.

Introdução: Leucemia cutis (LC) é uma doença rara e de prognóstico desfavorável. Ocorre mais frequentemente em Leucemia Mieloide Aguda, mas pode estar associada também com leucemia mieloide crônica, leucemia linfoblástica aguda, leucemia linfocítica crônica e síndromes mielodisplasicas. A infiltração cutânea pode preceder o envolvimento da medula óssea, sendo denominada de Leucemia Cutis Aleucêmica (LCA). Apresenta-se na pele como pápulas, placas ou nódulos, iniciando-se pelas extremidades para depois acometer dorso, tronco e face. O diagnóstico é estabelecido por biópsia da lesão cutânea e afastando acometimento medular Relato de caso: Paciente, 43 anos, negra, sexo feminino, com lesões nodulares e placas eritematosas disseminadas de início há 6 meses, indolores, sem prurido. Ao exame físico, apresentava-se com dermatose disseminada, caracterizada por nódulos normocrômicos, indolores, móveis e fibroelásticos, de aproximadamente 1,5cm de diâmetro, além de dermatose localizada em face com placas eritematosas infiltradas. Biópsia de pele evidenciou infiltrado por neoplasia de pequenas células. Na imunohistoquímica, foram positivas para: CD4, CD56. Negativas para CD34, MPO, CD3, CD20, CD79a, TdT, CD7, cKIT, com Ki-67 de 80%. Os possíveis diagnósticos foram neoplasia de Células Blásticas Plasmocitóides dendríticas (NCBPD) ou Linfoma extranodal T/NK tipo nasal da pele. Biópsia de medula óssea, mielograma e imunofenotipagem sem evidência de doença. Como era sugestivo de NCBPD, foi iniciado o tratamento com o protocolo Asp-Met-Dex. Após o primeiro ciclo houve grande melhora do quadro cutâneo, mas, após o terceiro ciclo, a paciente apresentou lesão isolada em dorso. Realizada nova biópsia de pele que mostrava o mesmo infiltrado. Na imunohistoquímica, a única diferença foi a perda do marcador CD56. Feita revisão do todo material. Foi excluído o diagnóstico de NCBDP devido ao CD123, negativo e lisozima positiva. O diagnóstico de Linfoma de células T/NK foi excluído devido ao EBV negativo associado a ausência de marcadores T e NK. Com isso, levantou-se a hipótese de sarcoma mieloide pela positividade CD4 e lisozima. Nesse contexto, concluímos tratar-se de Leucemia Cutis Aleucêmica, visto que a medula não estava infiltrada Iniciou-se protocolo HAM como indução,seguido de duas consolidações com citarabina 1,5 g/m2 de 12/12 hs, total de 6 doses. Foi programado transplante alogênico de medula óssea com doador irmão HLA idêntico. Nesse ínterim, a paciente apresentou novas lesões disseminadas pelo corpo, caracterizando recidiva. Feita reindução com protocolo MEC, desaparecimento das lesões. Chegou a ser encaminhada para o transplante mas evoluiu subitamente com 256.800 leucócitos/mm3, com 98% de blastos. Mielograma e imunofenotipagem confirmou leucemia mieloide aguda com diferenciação monoblástica. Evoluiu rapidamente a óbito por complicações da leucemia. Discussão: A Leucemia Cutis Aleucêmica é uma condição rara com diagnóstico desafiador, principalmente pela falta de acometimento da medula óssea e do sangue periférico no início. O prognóstico é sombrio. O caso demonstra a dificuldade em estabelecer um diagnóstico, que depende da correlação do quadro clínico com os achados histopatológicos. Pacientes lesões cutâneas suspeitas devem ser avaliadas com biópsia com imunohistoquímica para que o diagnosticar, e assim evitar atrasos no tratamento, o que pode comprometer ainda mais o prognóstico. No nosso caso, observamos a evolução agressiva da doença, uma vez que a paciente respondia as linhas terapêuticas, mas apresentou recidiva antes que pudesse ser submetida a transplante. Conclusão: Trata-se de caso raro de Leucemia Cutis Aleucêmica, cujo diagnóstico é difícil de ser estabelecido e evolução é desfavorável apesar do tratamento quimioterápico. O transplante de medula deve ser considerado o mais rápido possível.

Introdução/Objetivos: A mucormicose, também conhecida como zigomicose, é uma infecção fúngica rara, causada por fungos na ordem dos Mucorales, com alta morbidade e mortalidade (54%). Representa a terceira lesão fúngica invasiva mais comum em pacientes imunossuprimidos, depois da aspergilose e candidíase, tendo uma incidência de 0.1% em pacientes com neoplasias hematológicas. O relato tem como objetivo destacar a importância do diagnóstico precoce e tratamento combinado com terapia medicamentosa e cirúrgica. Material e métodos: As informações foram obtidas por meio de revisão de prontuário e revisão de literatura. Relato de caso: Paciente G.A.S, 44 anos, internado na Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo e diagnosticado com Leucemia Linfoblástica Aguda pré B. Foi iniciado protocolo Gmall2003, evoluindo com neutropenia febril, coriza e episódio autolimitado de epistaxe, 19 dias após do início da quimioterapia. Realizou TC de seios da face e tórax, sendo evidenciado sinal de sinusopatia. Em avaliação pela equipe de otorrinolaringologia, realizado nasofibroscopia em que foi observada lesão heterogênea escurecida-esverdeada com pontos acinzentados em cabeça de corneto médio esquerdo e lesão esverdeada puntiforme em cabeça do corneto médio direito, compatível com lesão fúngica invasiva sugestiva de mucormicose. Iniciado de forma precoce terapia medicamentosa com anfotericina B desoxicolato 50 mg/dia e indicado cirurgia de urgência para desbridamento das lesões e coletado material para biópsia que mostrou presença de hifas não septadas com ramificações em ângulo reto, compatível com mucormicose. Fez uso de anfotericina B desoxicolato por 22 dias, até disponibilidade da anfotericina lipossomal, sendo administrada por 30 dias na dose de 5 mg/kg/dia. Evoluiu com melhora da neutropenia febril e pós-operatório sem intercorrências. Seguiu com a quimioterapia de indução II do protocolo com atraso de 9 dias, sem recorrência do foco infeccioso. Paciente recebeu alta com itraconazol 200 mg/dia como tratamento de manutenção, por indisponibilidade de posaconazol no serviço público. Após alta já realizou mais 2 ciclos de consolidação sem complicações infecciosas. Discussão: Por tratar-se de uma infecção rapidamente progressiva e altamente fatal, a mucormicose deve ser suspeitada em pacientes imunossuprimidos com neutropenia febril e sintomas nasais e prontamente iniciado tratamento. Embora não haja consenso, a maioria dos estudos recomenda anfotericina B lipossomal em altas doses como primeira linha de tratamento associado à intervenção cirúrgica precoce quando possível, podendo apresentar taxa de sobrevivência 62%. Conclusão: O caso apresentado reforça a importância do diagnóstico precoce e início imediato do tratamento com terapia antifúngica e cirúrgica resultando em desfechos favoráveis.

Under severe accident in sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), molten corium may fall into the coolant and cause molten fuel-coolant interaction (MFCI). The molten corium is fragmented and solidified to produce debris during MFCI. The debris is relocated on the core catcher or lower head to form core debris bed. The coolability and recriticality of core debris bed are significantly affected by the fragmentation characteristics of molten corium jet. Based on the linear stability theory, kinematic equations and modified Laplace’s law at the contact interface, the growth of surface disturbance of molten corium jet was derived to consider the effect of boiling and solidification behavior. The fragmentation model of molten corium jet was established. Then the criteria for fragmentation of molten corium jet under typical conditions were acquired. The model developed considers the effects of three factors: the relative velocity between melt and sodium, sodium boiling and melt solidification. Among them, the relative velocity is reflected by the classical K-H instability, and sodium boiling and melt solidification are reflected by the impact pressure coefficient Cpb and bending stiffness Ds. Furthermore, the proposed model was compared with COSA experiment results. For the three molten aluminum experiments under non-boiling conditions, when Ds is around 2.0×10-3 N·m, the predicted mass median diameter (DMM) are in good agreement with the experimental values of test Al-1 and test Al-4. While the experimental results of Al-2 are in good agreement with the results of model with Ds at 1.0×10-2N·m because the initial temperature of aluminum is lower and the solidified layer is thicker. For the two stainless steel experiments under boiling conditions, when Cpb is in the range of 106-108 Pa·m-1 and Ds is in the range of 10-5-10-6 N·m, the predicted DMMs are in good agreement with the experimental values. Since sodium is an opaque medium, it is difficult to obtain the visualization results of jet fragmentation, such as the thickness of solidified layer (which can be used to calculate Ds) and the interface disturbance amplitude (which can be used to calculate Cpb) during the fragmentation process. In the follow-up, the key parameters of the fragmentation process can be obtained by numerical simulation method (such as MPS). Then the model can be revised and improved in detail. The research in this work not only provides a reliable tool for the evaluation of severe accident but also offers important guiding significance and reference value for design of mitigation measurements of SFR.

This paper provides an insightful exploration of Mass Customization (MC), a rising trend in the modern manufacturing landscape that couples the efficiency of large-scale production with the allure of personalized products. It elucidates MC’s operational, market-related, and customer engagement challenges, offering optimization strategies grounded in digital intelligence technology and Supply Chain Agility (SCA). The paper delves into the role of 3D printing, Flexible Manufacturing Systems, data-driven designs, and Digital Twin Technology, illustrating how these technologies can enhance MC processes. It also underscores the importance of SCA in mediating the complex relationship between these technologies and MC capabilities, thus offering a nuanced understanding of its implementation. The study concludes that the integration of digital intelligence technology, paired with the enhancement of SCA, can effectively navigate the complexities of MC, providing a competitive edge in today’s volatile market landscape. This research is a significant theoretical and practical guide for organizations aspiring to transition toward MC amidst the digital revolution.

In this study, we aimed to characterize the liver protein profile of Chaohu ducks using two-dimensional electrophoresis and proteomics. The livers were quickly collected from 120 healthy, 84-day-old Chaohu ducks. The intramuscular fat (IMF) content of the left pectoralis muscle was determined using the Soxhlet extraction method. The total protein of liver tissues from the high and low IMF groups was extracted for proteomics. Functional enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) was conducted using gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). In total, 43 DEPs were identified. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these DEPs were significantly related to four lipid metabolic processes: carboxylic acid metabolic process, ATP metabolic process, oxoacid metabolic process, and organic acid metabolic process. Three pathways correlated with lipid metabolism were identified using KEGG analysis: glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway, fructose, and mannose metabolism. Eight key proteins associated with lipid metabolism were identified: ALDOB, GAPDH, ENO1, RGN, TPI1, HSPA9, PRDX1, and GPX1. Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed that the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway mediated the interaction relationship. Key proteins and metabolic pathways were closely related to lipid metabolism and showed a strong interaction in Chaohu ducks.

Background and Objectives: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a significant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Timely treatment during the NASH stage is essential to minimize the possibility of disease progression to HCC. Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of cellular death that could impact the progression of various diseases and cancers. Materials and Methods: Transcriptome and single-cell sequencing datasets were utilized to investigate the role of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in NASH progression to HCC. FDX1, LIPT1, and PDHP were identified as CRGs in NASH patients, and FDX1, DBT, GCSH, SLC31A1, and DLAT were identified as CRGs in patients with NASH progressing to HCC. FDX1 was found to play a significant role in both NASH patients and patients with NASH progressing to HCC. This study constructed cuproptosis-related clusters (CRCs) using the Nonnegative Matrix Factorization algorithm, and they were linked to fatty acid metabolism and the PPAR signaling pathway in both NASH CRCs and HCC CRCs. The Weighted Correlation Network Analysis algorithm identified CRP, CRC, TAT, CXCL10, and ACTA1 as highly relevant genes in NASH CRCs and HCC CRCs. The expression of FDX1 was validated in both mouse models and human NASH samples. Results: The investigation highlights FDX1 as a pivotal CRG in both NASH and NASH progression to HCC. The comprehensive characterization of CRGs sheds light on their potential biofunctional importance in the context of NASH and HCC. Our experimental results show that FDX1 expression was significantly increased in NASH patients. Conclusions: The present study identified key CRGs, revealing their potential impact on NASH and HCC. Meanwhile, targeting FDX1 may prevent the progression of NASH to HCC.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose would lead to liver toxicity and even acute liver failure in severe cases by triggering an inflammatory response and oxidative stress. Sesamin has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions in several animal disease models. In the present study, the effects and mechanisms of sesamin on APAP-induced acute liver injury (ALI) were explored. The results showed that pretreatment with sesamin significantly alleviated APAP-induced ALI, as indicated by decreased serum aminotransferase activities, hepatic pathological damages, and hepatic cellular apoptosis. But sesamin has no significant effects on the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), APAP-cysteine adducts (APAP-CYS) production, and glutathione content in the liver of APAP-administered mice. Moreover, APAP-induced liver oxidative stress and inflammatory response also were remarkedly attenuated by sesamin, including reducing hepatic reactive oxygen species levels, promoting antioxidant generation, and inhibiting the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β, as well as decreasing inflammatory cell recruitment. Notably, sesamin inhibited serum high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) releases and blocked hepatic activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-interleukin 1 receptor-associated kinase 3-nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in APAP-administered mice. These findings indicated that sesamin could mitigate APAP-induced ALI through suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory response, which might be mediated by the deactivation of HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling in mice.

Single mode lasers, particularly red-green-blue (RGB) colors, have attracted wide attention due to their potential applications in the photonic field. Here, we realize the RGB single mode lasing in a hybrid two-dimension and three-dimension (2D–3D) hybrid microcavity (μ-cavity) with a low threshold. The hybrid 2D–3D μ-cavity consists of a polymer fiber and a microsphere. Typical RGB polymer film consisting gain materials are cladded on a fiber. To achieve single mode lasing, the polymer fiber therein serves as an excellent gain cavity to provide multiple lasing modes while the microsphere acts as a loss channel to suppress most of the lasing modes. Mode switching can be realized by adjusting the pump position. It can be attributed to the change of coupled efficiency between gain μ-cavity and loss μ-cavity. Our work will provide a platform for the rational design of nanophotonic devices and on-chip communication.

The complex actual working conditions of the hoist causes the problems of low accuracy and weak adaptability of existing fault diagnosis methods. In order to solve these problems, an intelligent fault diagnosis method of hoist bearing based on deep transferable feature selection(DTF) and balance distribution adaptation(BDA) is proposed. The bearing fault signals under different working conditions are subjected to time-frequency analysis. The time and frequency domain's statistical characteristics are extracted. The high-dimensional depth characteristics are extracted by adopting a deep belief network. In order to select features that are beneficial to fault mode identification and cross-domain fault diagnosis from a high-dimensional depth feature set, the transferable feature selection based on ReliefF and differences between domains(TFRD) method is adopted. The method carries out the quantitative evaluation of the transitivity of each feature. The TFRD method carries out the quantitative evaluation on the class discrimination and domain invariance of each feature. The ReliefF algorithm processes various feature data to obtain weight values representing class discrimination. This method calculates the maximum mean discrepancy of the same feature between different domains, and constructs a new quantitative index of feature transferability. Based on the TFRD method, depth features with high feature transferability are selected to construct feature subsets. The balance distribution adaptation is applied to carry out distribution adaptation on the feature subsets of the source domain and the target domain, so as to reduce the distribution difference between the two domains. The source domain feature set is used to train the fault pattern identification classifier, and the target domain samples are used for fault identification and classification. Eight fault diagnosis models are constructed by using the classical machine learning method, deep learning method and transfer learning method. The models are used for comparing the fault diagnosis accuracy with the proposed DTF-BDA fault diagnosis model. The results show the following points. ① The DTF-BDA fault diagnosis model can achieve better performance than other models, and the highest fault diagnosis accuracy can reach 100%. ② The TFRD method can effectively improve the performance of the fault diagnosis model based on the transfer learning method. The highest fault diagnosis accuracy can reach 96.46% and 97.67% respectively when combined with the transfer component analysis and joint distribution adaptation.

Objective To observe the expression level of PRMT5 in gastric cancer cells, and explore the effect of knocking down the expression level of PRMT5 on the biological behavior of gastric cancer cells. Methods Western blot was used to detect the expression of PRMT5 protein in gastric cancer cell lines MGC803, SGC7901, MKN45 and human gastric epithelial cells GES-1. siRNA1 and siRNA2 plasmids were transfected to knock down the expression of PRMT5. Cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, transwell assay were used to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion abilities, respectively. The protein expression levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1 and Bax were detected. Results Compared with GES-1 cells, PRMT5 protein expression levels increased in MGC803, SGC7901 and MKN45 cells (P < 0.001). After knocking down the expression of PRMT5, the cell proliferation and invasion abilities were weakened, the apoptosis rate increased (P < 0.05), the expression of β-catenin and Cyclin D1 protein decreased, and the expression of Bax protein increased (P < 0.001). Conclusion The expression level of PRMT5 is increased in gastric cancer cells. Knockdown of PRMT5 expression level could inhibit cell proliferation, invasion and promote cell apoptosis via reducing Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the death risk factors for the patients after heart valve surgery in order to guide the perioperative management. Methods A propensity score matching study was performed in the patients undergoing heart valve surgery in our department from September 2016 to August 2019. Fifty dead patients (3 cases without complete clinical data were excluded) were assigned into the death group, and another 150 patients selected from the 4 078 who were recovered after the surgery were assigned into the control group. The clinical data, including intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative heparin dosage, lowest body temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), implantation of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), surgery procedures, type of artificial valve, and results of postoperative blood gas analysis were compared between 2 groups. The death risk factors for these patients were analyzed, and receiver operative characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate these factors. Results After propensity score matching, 46 pairs of patients were finally included. The patients in the death group owned significantly larger intraoperative blood loss, larger number of implanted IABP, higher postoperative PaCO2 and lactate levels, while lower hematocrit value and PaO2 and SaO2 levels when compared with those of the control group (P < 0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that hyperlactatemia and higher PaCO2 were the risk factors for the mortality of valve surgery (P < 0.05), and their areas under ROC curves were 0.918 and 0.793, respectively, at the cut-off values of 7.55 mmol/L and 49.50 mmHg, respectively. Conclusion Hyperlactatemia and higher PaCO2 are risk factors for the mortality of heart valve surgery. Postoperative management should focus on enough oxygen supply and improve tissue perfusion to reduce the mortality risk.

The cause of some patients with negative RT-PCR results experienced turn-positive after treatment remains unclear. In addition, understanding the correlation between changes in clinical data in the course of COVID-19 and treatment outcomes is of great importance in determining the prognosis of COVID-19. To perform cause analysis of RT-PCR turn-positive and the effective screening factors related to treatment outcome in COVID-19. Clinical data, including clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, radiography results, treatment methods and outcomes, were retrospectively collected and analyzed from January to March 2020 in Renmin Hospitals of Wuhan University. 116 COVID-19 patients (40 in recurrent group, 29 in recovered group and 47 in unrecovered group) were recruited. In the recurrent group, white blood cell, Neutrophils, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, CD3, CD4, CD8, ratio of CD4/CD8, IgG and C4 complement were of significant difference among the baseline, negative and turn-positive time points. CD19 and CT scan results were found notable difference between recurrent group and recovered group. Odds from CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, IgM, C3 complement, C4 complement and CT scan results validated associations with clinical outcomes of COVID-19. The so-called recurrence in some COVID-19 patients may be due to the false-negative of nucleic acid test results from nasopharyngeal swabs. Levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, IgM, C3 complement, C4 complement and CT results were significantly correlated with the outcome of COVID-19. The cellular immunity test could be beneficial to further screen the reliability of RT-PCR test on the basis of CT images.

Pingwu County, which is located at the northern end of the Longmenshan fault structural belt, has an active regional geological structure. For a long time, the Longmenshan fault tectonic belt has become intensely active with frequent earthquakes. According to the existing geological data, the Pingwu–Qingchuan fault passes through the urban area of Pingwu. However, because of the great changes in the original landform of Pingwu caused by the construction activities in this urban area, a precise judgment of the location of the Pingwu–Qingchuan fault according to the new landform characteristics is difficult. Here, the seismic reflection method, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and drilling method were used to determine the accurate location of the buried active faults in Pingwu County. The seismic reflection method and ERT are used to determine the location of faults, the thickness of overlying strata of the fault, and the basic characteristics of faults. The drilling data can be used to divide the bedrock lithology and confirm the geophysical results. The geological model of the faults can be constructed by 3D inversion of ERT, and the structural characteristics of the faults can be viewed intuitively. The results of this study can provide a basis for earthquake prevention and construction work in Pingwu. The finding also shows that seismic reflection method and ERT can effectively explore buried active faults in urban areas, where many sources of interferences may exist.

Xiao-Xia Yu,1,* Ke-Li Ge,2,* Ning Liu,3 Jin-Yu Zhang,1 Mei-Lan Xue,1 Yin-Lin Ge1 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Basic Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266071, People’s Republic of China; 2Integrative Medicine Research Center, Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Dermatology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao 266071, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yin-Lin GeDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Basic Medical College, Qingdao University, 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail geyinlin@126.comBackground: The efficacy of traditional therapeutic methods for liver cancer is unsatisfying because of the poor targeting, and inefficient drug delivery system. A recent study has proven that aptamers, developed through cell-SELEX, could specifically recognize cancer cells and show great potential in the development of a delivery system for anticancer drugs.Purpose: To develop a hepatocellular carcinoma specific aptamer using two kinds of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HepG2 and SMMC-7721, as double targets and a normal hepatocyte, L02, as a negative control cell.Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma specific aptamer was developed via cell-SELEX. The enrichment of the library was monitored by flow cytometric analysis. The specificity, affinity, and distribution of the candidate aptamer were explored. Further study was carried to assess its potential in drug delivery.Results: The library was enriched after 14 rounds of screening. Candidate aptamer Apt-07S can recognize four kinds of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and show little cell-binding ability to normal cells and four cell lines of different cancer types, revealing a high specificity of Apt-07S. Confocal imaging showed that Apt-07S distributed both on the surface and in the cytoplasm of the two target cells. Moreover, an anti-sense nucleotide to gene Plk1 (ASO-Plk1) was connected at the 3ʹ end of Apt-07S to form an integrated molecule (Apt-07S-ASO-Plk1); the functional analysis indicated that the structure of Apt-07S may help ASO-Plk1 enter the cancer cells.Conclusion: The study indicates that Apt-07S can specifically target HCC and may have potential in the delivery of anticancer drugs.Keywords: aptamer, cell-SELEX, hepatocellular carcinoma, double target

This study explored an energy-efficient and cost-effective method to synthesize three-dimensional metal-embedded microporous carbocatalysts. Pellet biochar manufactured with compressed and porous structure was used as the carbonaceous precursor, which was modulated by diverse metal chlorides in the single-step thermal process, fulfilling the synchronous pore-forming, metal-doping, and graphitization. The as-synthesized carbocatalysts were characterized in detail by using N2 physisorption, SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD, TPO, TGA, FTIR, XPS, Raman, CHNS elemental analysis, etc. It was found that the metal-embedded carbocatalysts possessed well-developed 3D microporous structures with the highest specific surface area of 964 m2/g. The catalytic activities of these catalysts were investigated during on-line and ex-situ catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of wheat straw and plastic waste. It was observed that the carbon yield of bio-oils could reach over 60 C% by using Zn@C as the catalyst at 500 °C, and the HHV of bio-oils peaked at 38.52 MJ/Kg in the presence of Ni@C at 500 °C. Moreover, these carbcatalysts at 500 °C favored production of hydrocarbons with a relative content up to 98%; in particular, monocyclic aromatics presented the highest selectivity (nearly 60%). Among metal-embedded carbcatalysts, Ni@C at 800 °C was in favor of H2 (157 NmL/gfeedstock) and syngas (273 NmL/gfeedstock) production; importantly, Ni@C also promoted the generation of carbon nanotubes. Additionally, the thermal degradation behaviors and kinetics of non-catalytic and catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste over the as-synthesized catalysts were also tested by thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, a rational reaction mechanism regarding ex-situ catalyst fast co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste over catalytically active sites on the as-synthesized catalysts was elucidated. Accordingly, this work provides a great potential of using the promising carbocatalysts to co-valorize biomass and plastic waste into the integrated harvests of monocyclic aromatics, syngas, and valuable carbons.

Abstract Objective The paper characterizes outpatient communication in a major cancer hospital in southern China with regard to the structure, style and focus of doctor–patient communication. Method Fifty‐one encounters between doctors and patients were recorded in the outpatient department of the cancer hospital and analysed inductively to identify patterns of doctor–patient outpatient communication. Results Outpatient communication in the cancer hospital is characterized by structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during communication. These characteristics suggest an extreme inequality of power between Chinese doctors and patients at the individual level. They are also shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals. Discussion Measures should be taken at both the interpersonal and institutional level to improve doctor–patient communication. At the micro‐interpersonal level, public education and professional skills training are needed to improve communication and promote mutual understanding between patients and doctors. At the macro‐institutional level, changes are needed in terms of transforming the structural factors that shape doctor–patient communication. Conclusions Structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during outpatient encounters present challenges to effective doctor–patient communication. These patterns are shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals and suggest the extreme power imbalance between Chinese doctors and patients.