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Pesticide-loaded flexible carriers that allow for deformation and adhesion on crop leaves is an effective way to improve pesticide utilization. In interfacial polymerization, the addition of octaphenyl polyoxyethylene (OP) with different hydrophile lipophilic balances (HLBs) into the oil phase can regulate the flexibility of pyraclostrobin-loaded microcapsules (MCs). Due to differences in amphiphilicity and molecular structure, OP redistributed on the oil-water two-phases and oil-water interface. With increasing HLB, the proportion of OP entering the aqueous phase increased. Furthermore, more OP with low HLB remained in the oil phase and occupied the oil-water interface, and these OPs participated in and regulated the interfacial polymerization to increase the thickness, reduce the compactness of the shell, and increase the hydroxyl and ether bond contents in the shell. Therefore, pyraclostrobin-loaded MCs with low HLB (11.5–12.5) OP-7 exhibited flexible deformation, strong foliar adhesion, good scouring resistance, and a high control effect on peanut leaf spot, which the disease severity was 3.67. For high HLB (16), OP-21-prepared MCs with compact shells were safer to zebrafish, which the safety index was 23.81. Using the amphiphilicity of OP molecules to drive their redistribution in an encapsulation system to regulate interfacial polymerization is an effective way to control the structure and performance of pesticide-loaded MCs.

IntroductionThe complex and unresolved pathogenesis of schizophrenia has posed significant challenges to its diagnosis and treatment. While recent research has established a clear association between immune function and schizophrenia, the causal relationship between the two remains elusive.MethodsWe employed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to investigate the causal relationship between schizophrenia and 731 immune cell traits by utilizing public GWAS data. We further validated the causal relationship between schizophrenia and six types of white cell measures.ResultsWe found the overall causal effects of schizophrenia on immune cell traits were significantly higher than the reverse ones (0.011 ± 0.049 vs 0.001 ± 0.016, p < 0.001), implying that disease may lead to an increase in immune cells by itself. We also identified four immune cell traits that may increase the risk of schizophrenia: CD11c+ monocyte %monocyte (odds ratio (OR): 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03~1.09, FDR = 0.027), CD11c+ CD62L- monocyte %monocyte (OR:1.06, 95% CI: 1.03~1.09, FDR = 0.027), CD25 on IgD+ CD38- naive B cell (OR:1.03, 95% CI:1.01~1.06, FDR = 0.042), and CD86 on monocyte (OR = 1.04, 95% CI:1.01~1.06, FDR = 0.042). However, we did not detect any significant causal effects of schizophrenia on immune cell traits. Using the white blood cell traits data, we identified that schizophrenia increases the lymphocyte counts (OR:1.03, 95%CI: 1.01-1.04, FDR = 0.007), total white blood cell counts (OR:1.02, 95%CI: 1.01-1.04, FDR = 0.021) and monocyte counts (OR:1.02, 95%CI: 1.00-1.03, FDR = 0.034). The lymphocyte counts were nominally associated with the risk of schizophrenia (OR:1.08,95%CI:1.01-1.16, P=0.019).DiscussionOur study found that the causal relationship between schizophrenia and the immune system is complex, enhancing our understanding of the role of immune regulation in the development of this disorder. These findings offer new insights for exploring diagnostic and therapeutic options for schizophrenia.

Abstract Background Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) plays a crucial role in triglyceride hydrolysis. Rare biallelic variants in the LPL gene leading to complete or near-complete loss of function cause autosomal recessive familial chylomicronemia syndrome. However, rare biallelic LPL variants resulting in significant but partial loss of function are rarely documented. This study reports a novel occurrence of such rare biallelic LPL variants in a Chinese patient with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) during pregnancy and provides an in-depth functional characterization. Methods The complete coding sequences and adjacent intronic regions of the LPL, APOC2, APOA5, LMF1, and GPIHBP1 genes were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. The aim was to identify rare variants, including nonsense, frameshift, missense, small in-frame deletions or insertions, and canonical splice site mutations. The functional impact of identified LPL missense variants on protein expression, secretion, and activity was assessed in HEK293T cells through single and co-transfection experiments, with and without heparin treatment. Results Two rare LPL missense variants were identified in the patient: the previously reported c.809G > A (p.Arg270His) and a novel c.331G > C (p.Val111Leu). Genetic testing confirmed these variants were inherited biallelically. Functional analysis showed that the p.Arg270His variant resulted in a near-complete loss of LPL function due to effects on protein synthesis/stability, secretion, and enzymatic activity. In contrast, the p.Val111Leu variant retained approximately 32.3% of wild-type activity, without impacting protein synthesis, stability, or secretion. Co-transfection experiments indicated a combined activity level of 20.7%, suggesting no dominant negative interaction between the variants. The patient’s post-heparin plasma LPL activity was about 35% of control levels. Conclusions This study presents a novel case of partial but significant loss-of-function biallelic LPL variants in a patient with HTG-AP during pregnancy. Our findings enhance the understanding of the nuanced relationship between LPL genotypes and clinical phenotypes, highlighting the importance of residual LPL function in disease manifestation and severity. Additionally, our study underscores the challenges in classifying partial loss-of-function variants in classical Mendelian disease genes according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)’s variant classification guidelines.

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness, characterized by disturbances of gut microbiome, it is required to further explore how the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were changed in MDD. Here, using the metagenomic data from patients with MDD (n = 118) and heath controls (HC, n = 118), we found that the whole CAZymes signatures of MDD were significantly discriminated from that in HC. α-diversity indexes of the two groups were also significantly different. The patients with MDD were characterized by enriched Glycoside Hydrolases (GHs) and Polysaccharide Lyases (PLs) relative to HC. A panel of makers composed of 9 CAZymes mainly belonging to GHs enabled to discriminate the patients with MDD and HC with AUC of 0.824. In addition, this marker panel could classify blinded test samples from the two groups with an AUC of 0.736. Moreover, we found that baseline 4 CAZymes levels also could predict the antidepressant efficacy after adjusted confounding factors and times of depressive episode. Our findings showed that MDD was associated with disturbances of gut CAZymes, which may help to develop diagnostic and predictive tools for depression.

Abstract Background Morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, stem from the inability of terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes to regenerate, and thus repair the damaged myocardial tissue structure. The molecular biological mechanisms behind the lack of regenerative capacity for those cardiomyocytes remains to be fully elucidated. Recent studies have shown that c-Jun serves as a cell cycle regulator for somatic cell fates, playing a key role in multiple molecular pathways, including the inhibition of cellular reprogramming, promoting angiogenesis, and aggravation of cardiac hypertrophy, but its role in cardiac development is largely unknown. This study aims to delineate the role of c-Jun in promoting early-stage cardiac differentiation. Methods The c-Jun gene in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) was knocked out with CRISPR-Cas9, and the hanging drop method used to prepare the resulting embryoid bodies. Cardiac differentiation was evaluated up to 9 days after c-Jun knockout (ko) via immunofluorescence, flow cytometric, and qPCR analyses. Results Compared to the wild-type control group, obvious beating was observed among the c-Jun-ko mESCs after 6 days, which was also associated with significant increases in myocardial marker expression. Additionally, markers associated with mesoderm and endoderm cell layer development, essential for further differentiation of ESCs into cardiomyocytes, were also up-regulated in the c-Jun-ko cell group. Conclusions Knocking out c-Jun directs ESCs toward a meso-endodermal cell lineage fate, in turn leading to generation of beating myocardial cells. Thus, c-Jun plays an important role in regulating early cardiac cell development.

A novel reflective anode flat-panel X-ray source using ZnO nanowire cold cathode and a metal anode has been developed. Simulation analysis indicated that the reflective anode structure reduces electric field concentration compared to a transmission anode structure. The current–voltage characteristics, X-ray radiation dose rate, and stability of the fabricated device were thoroughly characterized. The device demonstrated a maximum emission current of 481.1 μA and a maximum radiation dose rate of 303 μGy/s at an anode voltage of 40 kV. The X-ray imaging of various objects was also conducted. Our findings are of significance for developing high-performance, robust flat-panel X-ray sources for diverse applications.

ObjectiveTo examine the prevalence and influencing factors of gallstone disease among rural adults in a county of Henan province. MethodsWe recruited 9 511 permanent rural residents aged ≥ 18 years from 17 villages in two townships of Xinxiang county, Henan province using multi-stage random cluster sampling. Face-to-face interview, physical examination, laboratory tests, and abdominal ultrasound detection were conducted among the residents during April – June 2017. ResultsAmong the 9 461 participants completing the survey, totally 299 gallstone disease cases were identified, with a prevalence rate of 3.16% and a standardized prevalence rate of 2.28%. The results of the multivariate unconditional logistic regression showed that the participants aged ≥ 45 years, with central obesity or fatty liver were more likely to have gallstone disease; while, drinking alcohol at least 12 times a year or more was a protective factor against the disease. ConclusionThe prevalence rate of gallstone disease was relatively low and mainly influenced by age, central obesity, fatty liver, and alcohol consumption among adult rural residents in a county of Henan province.

Abstract Purpose The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with atezolizumab and bevacizumab (hereafter, TACE-Atez/Bev) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Materials and methods Clinical information was collected from consecutive patients with advanced HCC who received treatment with TACE-Atez/Bev or Atez/Bev from April 2021 and October 2022. Treatment response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were the primary outcomes of this study. Adverse events (AEs) were the secondary outcomes. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was applied to reduce bias between two groups. Results This study included 62 patients in the TACE-Atez/Bev group and 77 patients in the Atez/Bev group. The objective response rate (ORR) of the TACE-Atez/Bev group and the Atez/Bev group were 38.7% and 16.9% (P=0.004). However, there was no statistical difference in disease control rate between the two groups (69.4% vs 63.6%, P=0.479). Before PSM, the median OS was 14 months in the TACE-Atez/Bev group and 10 months in the Atez/Bev group (P=0.014). The median PFS in the TACE-Atez/Bev and Atez/Bev groups was 10 months and 6 months, respectively (P=0.001). After PSM, the median OS in the two groups was 14 months and 9 months, respectively (P=0.01). The median PFS was 7 months and 6 months, respectively (P=0.036). Multivariable analysis showed that treatment method was independent prognostic factors affecting OS. Conclusions Compared with Atez/Bev treatment, TACE-Atez/Bev showed better OS, PFS, and ORR for Chinese patients with advanced HCC, with an acceptable safety profile.

Abstract Background There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that disturbance of the gut-brain axis may be one of the potential causes of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the effects of antidepressants on the gut microbiota, and the role of gut microbiota in influencing antidepressant efficacy are still not fully understood. Results To address this knowledge gap, a multi-omics study was undertaken involving 110 MDD patients treated with escitalopram (ESC) for a period of 12 weeks. This study was conducted within a cohort and compared to a reference group of 166 healthy individuals. It was found that ESC ameliorated abnormal blood metabolism by upregulating MDD-depleted amino acids and downregulating MDD-enriched fatty acids. On the other hand, the use of ESC showed a relatively weak inhibitory effect on the gut microbiota, leading to a reduction in microbial richness and functions. Machine learning-based multi-omics integrative analysis revealed that gut microbiota contributed to the changes in plasma metabolites and was associated with several amino acids such as tryptophan and its gut microbiota-derived metabolite, indole-3-propionic acid (I3PA). Notably, a significant correlation was observed between the baseline microbial richness and clinical remission at week 12. Compared to non-remitters, individuals who achieved remission had a higher baseline microbial richness, a lower dysbiosis score, and a more complex and well-organized community structure and bacterial networks within their microbiota. These findings indicate a more resilient microbiota community in remitters. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that it was not the composition of the gut microbiota itself, but rather the presence of sporulation genes at baseline that could predict the likelihood of clinical remission following ESC treatment. The predictive model based on these genes revealed an area under the curve (AUC) performance metric of 0.71. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the role of the gut microbiota in the mechanism of ESC treatment efficacy for patients with MDD. The findings represent a significant advancement in understanding the intricate relationship among antidepressants, gut microbiota, and the blood metabolome. Additionally, this study offers a microbiota-centered perspective that can potentially improve antidepressant efficacy in clinical practice. By shedding light on the interplay between these factors, this research contributes to our broader understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying the treatment of MDD and opens new avenues for optimizing therapeutic approaches. Video Abstract

Abstract Background Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is the key enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of triglycerides. Loss-of-function variants in the LPL gene are associated with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and HTG-related diseases. Unlike nonsense, frameshift and canonical GT-AG splice site variants, a pathogenic role for clinically identified LPL missense variants should generally be confirmed by functional analysis. Herein, we describe the clinical and functional analysis of a rare LPL missense variant. Methods Chinese patients with HTG-associated acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) were screened for rare nonsense, frameshift, missense or canonical GT-AG splice site variants in LPL and four other lipid metabolism-related genes (APOC2, APOA5, GPIHBP1 and LMF1) by Sanger sequencing. The functional consequences of the LPL missense variant of interest were characterized by in vitro expression in HEK-293T and COS-7 cells followed by Western blot and LPL activity assays. Results Five unrelated HTG-AP patients were found to be heterozygous for a rare East Asian-specific LPL missense variant, c.862G > A (p.Ala288Thr). All five patients were adult males, and all were overweight and had a long history of alcohol consumption. Transfection of LPL wild-type and c.862G > A expression vectors into two cell lines followed by Western blot analysis served to exclude the possibility that the p.Ala288Thr missense variant either impaired protein synthesis or increased protein degradation. Contrary to a previous functional study that claimed that p.Ala288Thr had a severe impact on LPL function (reportedly having 36% normal activity), our experiments consistently demonstrated that the variant had a comparatively mild effect on LPL functional activity, which was mediated through its impact upon LPL protein secretion (~ 20% reduced secretion compared to wild-type). Conclusions In this study, we identified the East Asian-specific LPL c.862G > A (p.Ala288Thr) missense variant in five unrelated HTG-AP patients. We demonstrated that this variant exerted only a relatively mild effect on LPL function in two cell lines. Heterozygosity for this LPL variant may have combined with alcohol consumption to trigger HTG-AP in these patients.

Abstract Background Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is the rate-limiting enzyme for triglyceride hydrolysis. Homozygous or compound heterozygous LPL variants cause autosomal recessive familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS), whereas simple heterozygous LPL variants are associated with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and HTG-related disorders. LPL frameshift coding sequence variants usually cause complete functional loss of the affected allele, thereby allowing exploration of the impact of different levels of LPL function in human disease. Methods All exons and flanking intronic regions of LPL were Sanger sequenced in patients with HTG-related acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) or HTG-AP in pregnancy. Previously reported LPL frameshift coding sequence variants were collated from the Human Gene Mutation Database and through PubMed keyword searching. Original reports were manually evaluated for the following information: zygosity status of the variant, plasma LPL activity of the variant carrier, disease referred for genetic analysis, patient’s age at genetic analysis, and patient’s disease history. SpliceAI was employed to predict the potential impact of collated variants on splicing. Results Two novel rare variants were identified, and 53 known LPL frameshift coding sequence variants were collated. Of the 51 variants informative for zygosity, 30 were simple heterozygotes, 12 were homozygotes, and 9 were compound heterozygotes. Careful evaluation of the 55 variants with respect to their clinical and genetic data generated several interesting findings. First, we conclude that 6–7% residual LPL function could significantly delay the age of onset of FCS and reduce the prevalence of FCS-associated syndromes. Second, whereas a large majority of LPL frameshift coding sequence variants completely disrupt gene function through their "frameshift" nature, a small fraction of these variants may act wholly or partly as "in-frame" variants, leading to the generation of protein products with some residual LPL function. Third, we identified two candidate LPL frameshift coding sequence variants that may retain residual function based on genotype–phenotype correlation or SpliceAI-predicted data. Conclusions This study reported two novel LPL variants and yielded new insights into the genotype–phenotype relationship as it pertains to LPL frameshift coding sequence variants.

Purpose: To determine the differences in 3D shape features between septate uterus (SU) and normal uterus and to train a network to automatically delineate uterine cavity on 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A total of 43 patients (22 cases of partial septate uterus and 21 cases of complete septate uterus) were included in the experimental group. Nine volunteers were recruited as a control group. The uterine cavity (UC), myometrium (UM), and cervical canal of the uterus were segmented manually using ITK-SNAP software. The three-dimensional shape features of the UC and UM were extracted by using PyRadiomics. The recurrent saliency transformation network (RSTN) method was used to segment the UC. Results: The values of four 3D shape features were significantly lower in the control group than in the partial septate group and the complete septate group, while the values of two features were significantly higher (p

Abstract Disturbed gut microbiota is a potential factor in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD), yet whether gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with the severity of MDD remains unclear. Here, we performed shotgun metagenomic profiling of cross-sectional stool samples from MDD (n = 138) and healthy controls (n = 155). The patients with MDD were divided into three groups according to Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 (HAMD-17), including mild (n = 24), moderate (n = 72) and severe (n = 42) individuals, respectively. We found that microbial diversity was closely related to the severity of MDD. Compared to HCs, the abundance of Bacteroides was significantly increased in both moderate and severe MDD, while Ruminococcus and Eubacterium depleted mainly in severe group. In addition, we identified 99 bacteria species specific to severity of depression. Furthermore, a panel of microbiota marker comprising of 37 bacteria species enabled to effectively distinguish MDD patients with different severity. Together, we identified different perturbation patterns of gut microbiota in mild-to-severe depression, and identified potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Objective Osteosarcoma (OS) is regarded as one of the most common malignant bone tumors, mainly occurring in children and adolescents with high mortality. The dysregulation of lncRNAs is reported to regulate tumor development and be closely related to patient prognosis. Nevertheless, the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) prostate‐specific transcript 1 (PCGEM1) in OS remains uncharacterized. The current study aimed to explore the role of PCGEM1 in OS. Methods Reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) was performed to examine the expression of PCGEM1 in OS cell lines. CCK‐8, colony formation, Transwell, and western blotting analyses were applied to measure OS cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) after PCGEM1 downregulation. Nuclear‐cytoplasmic fractionation, RNA pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), luciferase reporter assays were performed to verify the relationship among PCGEM1, miR‐433‐3p. and OMA1 in OS. The xenograft tumor models were established to evaluate the effect of PCGEM1 on tumor growth of OS. Results In this study, we discovered that PCGEM1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in OS (P

Abstract We developed an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for testing 23 elements, namely, Mg, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, W, Tl, Pb, and U, in human serum. The serum samples were analyzed after diluting 1/25 with 0.5% nitric acid, 0.02% Triton-X-100, and 2% methanol. Sc, In, Y, Tb, and Bi were assigned internal standards to correct the baseline drift and matrix interference. The kinetic energy discrimination mode of the instrument with helium gas as the collision gas eliminated polyatomic interference. All 23 elements exhibited excellent linearity in their testing range, with a coefficient of determination ≥ 0.9996. The limits of detection of the 23 elements were within the range of 0.0004–0.2232 µg/L. The intra- and inter-day precision (relative standard deviation) were

ObjectiveYKL-40, previously known as chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), is an inflammation-related glycoprotein that promotes atherosclerosis, but its application and optimal cut-off value as a prognostic biomarker in coronary heart disease (CHD) require more clinical evidence. Thus, this prospective study aimed to evaluate the linkage of serum YKL-40 with disease features, inflammatory cytokines, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in CHD patients.MethodsA total of 410 CHD patients were enrolled for serum YKL-40 determination via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Meanwhile, serum YKL-40 levels in 100 healthy controls (HCs) were also quantified.ResultsYKL-40 level was higher in CHD patients compared with that in HCs (P

Abstract To establish a deep learning (DL) model in differentiating borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) on conventional MR imaging. We retrospectively enrolled 201 patients of 102 pathologically proven BOTs and 99 EOCs at OB/GYN hospital Fudan University, between January 2015 and December 2017. All imaging data were reviewed on picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) server. Both T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) MR images were used for lesion area determination. We trained a U-net++ model with deep supervision to segment the lesion area on MR images. Then, the segmented regions were fed into a classification model based on DL network to categorize ovarian masses automatically. For ovarian lesion segmentation, the mean dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the trained U-net++ model in the testing dataset achieved 0.73 $$\pm$$ ± 0.25, 0.76 $$\pm$$ ± 0.18, and 0.60 $$\pm$$ ± 0.24 in the sagittal T2WI, coronal T2WI, and axial T1WI images, respectively. The DL model by combined T2WI computerized network could differentiate BOT from EOC with a significantly higher AUC of 0.87, an accuracy of 83.7%, a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 87.5%. In comparison, the AUC yielded by radiologist was only 0.75, with an accuracy of 75.5%, a sensitivity of 96.0% and specificity of 54.2% (P

Smoldering coal gangue pile fires pollute the air, soil and groundwater severely. Physical and chemical explosions between water and fiery coal gangue may occur, resulting in a large number of casualties. Recognizing and delineating the scope of coal gangue pile fires is a precondition and top priority for firefighting efforts. The present study employs a 3D thermal imaging methodology based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing data. Thermal infrared oblique photogrammetry is used to collect overlap-high thermal infrared images of smoldering fires. A batch preprocessing software is developed to standardize the temperature range, temperature distribution mode and color scale of all thermal infrared images, improving feature point identification accuracy. The elaborate delineation and accurate identification of 3D temperature field are realized by feature point matching and texture mapping. The method was used to build the 3D temperature model and visualize the scope of the coal gangue pile fires in the 1360 bench, viewing bench and belt corridor of the Anjialing Open-pit Mine in China. The 3D thermal models accurately characterize the distribution of the smoldering fires, providing firm support and guidance for the firefighting efforts.

Abstract Background The incidence rate of spinal cord injury (SCI) is increasing, and the mortality or disability rate caused by SCI remains high in the world. Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is a kind of Traditional Chinese medicine, and it is believed to be effective in several kinds of nervous system diseases. Whether BYHWD could improve SCI and the potential function mechanism remain unclear. Methods SCI animal model was established by damaging T10 spinal cord. Animals experiments included five groups as follows: Sham, SCI, SCI+BYHWD, SCI+mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), and SCI+BYHWD+MSCs. H2O2‐treated cells (100 µM, 6 h) were used to simulate SCI damage in vitro, which included five groups as follows: control, H2O2, H2O2+BYHWD, H2O2+MSCs, and H2O2+BYHWD+MSCs. The behavioral function was evaluated with Tarlov and inclined plated test score. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect protein expression. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondiadehyde (MDA), interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and IL‐6 in serum were measured with commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kits. terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and flow cytometry were performed to measure apoptosis in vivo and in vitro levels. Gene expression profiling analysis was performed to analyze differential expression genes. Results BYHWD suppressed apoptosis and accelerating cell proliferation after SCI. Recovery of neurofunction, inhibition of inflammatory response, and oxidative condition were achieved by BYHWD and MSCs. The expression levels of gp130/Janus kinase/signal transducers and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) were suppressed by BYHWD and MSCs, both in vivo and in vitro. BYHWD and MSCs markedly promoted cells viability and inhibited apoptosis. Greater gene expression difference was observed between group control and H2O2 through gene expression profiling analysis. The recovery effects of traumatic SCI by BYHWD were similar to MSCs, and synergies effects were observed in several items. Conclusion BYHWD could increase Tarlov score and Basso, Beatie, and Bresnahan functional score, inhibit apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative condition after SCI. The expression level of gp130/JAK/STAT axis was suppressed by BYHWD. BYHWD might be a new therapeutic strategy for the prevention or treatment of SCI.

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been associated with increased hospital admissions for influenza. Airway epithelial cells are a primary target for inhaled environmental insults including fine PM (PM2.5) and influenza viruses. The potentiation of PM2.5 exposure on the effects of influenza virus on airway epithelial cells has not been adequately elucidated. In this study, the effects of PM2.5 exposure on influenza virus (H3N2) infection and downstream modulation of inflammation and antiviral immune response were investigated using a human bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B. The results showed that PM2.5 exposure alone increased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 but decreased the production of the antiviral cytokine interferon-β (IFN-β) in BEAS-2B cells while H3N2 exposure alone increased the production of IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-β. Importantly, prior exposure to PM2.5 enhanced subsequent H3N2 infectivity, expression of viral hemagglutinin protein, as well as upregulation of IL-6 and IL-8, but reduced H3N2-induced IFN-β production. Pre-treatment with a pharmacological inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine production induced by PM2.5, H3N2, as well as PM2.5-primed H3N2 infection. Moreover, antibody-mediated neutralization of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) blocked cytokine production triggered by PM2.5 or PM2.5-primed H3N2 infection, but not H3N2 alone. Taken together, exposure to PM2.5 alters H3N2-induced cytokine production and markers of replication in BEAS-2B cells, which in turn are regulated by NF-κB and TLR4.

Background: Chronic ethanol ingestion causes persistent oxidative stresses in the liver, leading to hepatic injury and fibrosis, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Recently, ambient particulate matter (PM) has been confirmed to aggravate high-fat diet-induced liver fibrosis by enhancing oxidative stress. Thus, we hypothesized that oxidative stress induced by ambient PM exposure increases the severity of liver fibrosis caused by ethanol ingestion. Methods and results: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to ambient PM inhalation, ethanol ingestion or ambient PM-plus-ethanol ingestion for 12 weeks. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (MtROS), liver fibrosis and ferroptosis indicators in the liver were evaluated. In vitro, oxidative stress, MtROS, ferroptosis indicators, profibrotic molecules and fibrosis markers in hepatic stellate (LX-2) cells were also determined. We found that ethanol ingestion markedly elevated hepatic oxidative stress and MtROS levels, triggered hepatic ferroptosis, and induced liver fibrosis, along with upregulation of the profibrotic molecule TGF-β1 and fibrosis marker collagen-I, in mice. Moreover, the combination of ambient PM and ethanol accelerated these adverse effects. Importantly, the combination of PM exposure and ethanol ingestion had a synergistic effect on these changes. In vitro, LX-2 cells activated with PM2.5 alone or combined with ethanol showed upregulation of TGF-β1 and collagen-I. In addition, the levels of MtROS, the oxidative stress marker 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and ferroptosis-related proteins and the GSH/GSSG ratio were significantly increased in PM2.5 plus ethanol-treated LX-2 cells. After pretreatment with a MtROS scavenger (Mito-TEMPO), we found that Mito-TEMPO treatment inhibited ferroptosis and oxidative stress in PM2.5 plus ethanol-treated LX-2 cells. Furthermore, a specific ferroptosis inhibitor (Fer-1) decreased the levels of ferroptosis-related proteins and profibrotic molecules in activated LX-2 cells co-exposed to PM2.5 and ethanol. Conclusion: In this study, we revealed that ambient PM exposure induced profibrotic effects and that combined exposure to ambient PM and chronic ethanol ingestion exacerbated hepatic fibrosis, which may trigger ferroptosis by increasing MtROS, thereby activating hepatic stellate cells.

Abstract Background Ovarian cancer is the most women malignancy in the whole world. It is difficult to differentiate ovarian cancers from ovarian borderline tumors because of some similar imaging findings.Radiomics study may help clinicians to make a proper diagnosis before invasive surgery. Purpose To evaluate the ability of T2-weighted imaging (T2WI)-based radiomics to discriminate ovarian borderline tumors (BOTs) from malignancies based on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) lesion segmentation methods. Methods A total of 95 patients with pathologically proven ovarian BOTs and 101 patients with malignancies were retrospectively included in this study. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the signatures derived from T2WI-based radiomics in their ability to differentiate between BOTs and malignancies and compared the performance differences in the 2D and 3D segmentation models. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method (Lasso) was used for radiomics feature selection and machine learning processing. Results The radiomics score between BOTs and malignancies in four types of selected T2WI-based radiomics models differed significantly at the statistical level (p

Abstract Background Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most malignant gynecological tumor in women. This study aimed to construct and compare radiomics-clinical nomograms based on MR images in EOC prognosis prediction. Methods A total of 186 patients with pathologically proven EOC were enrolled and randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 130) and a validation cohort (n = 56). Clinical characteristics of each patient were retrieved from the hospital information system. A total of 1116 radiomics features were extracted from tumor body on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1WI). Paired sequence signatures were constructed, selected and trained to build a prognosis prediction model. Radiomic-clinical nomogram was constructed based on multivariate logistic regression analysis with radiomics score and clinical features. The predictive performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA) and calibration curve. Results The T2WI radiomic-clinical nomogram achieved a favorable prediction performance in the training and validation cohort with an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.866 and 0.818, respectively. The DCA showed that the T2WI radiomic-clinical nomogram was better than other models with a greater clinical net benefit. Conclusion MR-based radiomics analysis showed the high accuracy in prognostic estimation of EOC patients and could help to predict therapeutic outcome before treatment.

BackgroundContinuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is a specific paradigm of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with an inhibitory effect on cortical excitability for up to 60 min after less than 1 min of stimulation. The right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), homotopic to Wernicke’s area in the left hemisphere, may be a potential stimulation target based on its critical role in semantic processing. The objective of this study was to explore whether cTBS over the right pSTG can promote language improvements in aphasic patients and the underlying mechanism.MethodsA total of 34 subjects with aphasia were randomly assigned to undergo 15 sessions of either 40-s inhibitory cTBS over the right pSTG (the cTBS group) or sham stimulation (the sham group), followed by 30 min of speech and language therapy. Subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), and the aphasia quotient (AQ) of the Chinese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) was calculated before and after the intervention. This randomized controlled trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR210052962).ResultsAfter treatment, the language performance of the cTBS group was higher than that of the sham group in terms of the WAB-AQ score (p = 0.010) and the WAB scores for auditory comprehension (p = 0.022) and repetition (p = 0.035). The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) was significantly decreased in the pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right middle frontal gyrus, right thalamus, and left cerebellar crus I. Clusters in the left orbitofrontal cortex exhibited increased fALFF. The change in WAB comprehension scores were significantly correlated with the change in the fALFF of the right IFG pars triangularis in both groups. Greatly increased functional connectivity was observed between the right pars triangularis and left paracingulate gyrus and between the right pSTG and right angular gyrus and the posterior cingulate gyrus with pre-and post-treatment between the two groups.ConclusionOur findings indicate that cTBS of the right pSTG may improve language production by suppressing intrinsic activity of the right fronto-thalamic-cerebellar circuit and enhancing the involvement of the right temporoparietal region.

Audio steganography is to hide secret information into the audio carrier and has become a research hotspot in the field of information hiding.Most of the existing studies focus on minimizing distortion at the expense of steganography capacity, and it is often difficult for them to extract secret information correctly after some common signal processing attacks.Therefore, based on the spread spectrum technology, firstly, the relationship between steganography parameters (i.e., segmented scaling parameters and steganography capacity) and imperceptibility as well as robustness was analyzed.Next, a multi-objective optimization model of audio steganography was presented, in which segmented scaling parameters and steganography capacity were decision variables, imperceptibility and steganography capacity were optimization objectives, and the signal-to-noise ratio was a constraint.Then, a robust audio steganography algorithm based on differential evolution was proposed, including the corresponding encoding, fitness function, crossover and mutation operators.Finally, comparative experimental results show that the proposed steganography algorithm can achieve better robustness against common signal processing attacks on the premise of ensuring imperceptibility and anti-detection.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem of which the prevalence is increasing worldwide. Several studies have reported that ambient particulate matter (PM) causes kidney injury, which may be related to the risk of CKD. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully clarified. In addition, whether a high-fat diet (HFD) could exacerbate ambient PM-induced nephrotoxicity has not been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of ambient PM and a HFD on renal injury. Methods and results: Male C57BL/6 J mice were fed either a normal diet or a HFD and exposed to filtered air (FA) or particulate matter (PM) for 18 weeks. In the present study, we observed that renal function changed (serum blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine), and exposure to PM and a HFD caused a synergistic effect on renal injury. Histopathological analysis showed that PM exposure induced renal fibrosis in mice, and combined exposure to PM and a HFD exacerbated these adverse effects. Moreover, ambient PM exposure activated the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and increased the inflammatory response, as indicated by the increases in interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the serum and kidney, as well as the upregulation of specific renal fibrosis-related markers (transforming growth factor-β1 and p-Smad2) in the kidney tissues of mice. Furthermore, combined exposure to PM and a HFD augmented these changes in the kidney. In vitro, inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome by MCC950 (an inhibitor of NLRP3) reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 and p-Smad2 in HK-2 cells. Conclusion: Taken together, our data indicated that PM exposure caused renal inflammation and induced profibrotic effects on the kidney, and combined exposure to ambient PM and a HFD exacerbated renal injury, which may involve activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

Summary: Background: The efficacy of ethiodized poppyseed oil in hysterosalpingography (HSG) image quality and fertility enhancement has been revealed, but whether this HSG modality has similar effects in the Chinese population is still unclear. Methods: Between July 18, 2017, and December 29, 2019, this multicentric, randomized, two-arm, clinical trial was performed involving 15 medical centers. Infertile women meeting HSG indications were randomly assigned to an oil group and a water group. The coprimary outcome included HSG image quality during HSG and fertility-enhancing effects of HSG. This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03370575). Findings: A total of 1026 subjects were randomly assigned to an oil group (N = 508) and a water group (N = 518). HSG image quality revealed that the oil group had outstanding visualization (all P

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a severe, heritable, and refractory psychiatric disorder. Several studies have shown that the disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene is closely associated with schizophrenia by its role in neuronal morphology, synaptic function, brain development, and dopamine homeostasis etc. This study intended to investigate the expression levels of DISC1 gene in schizophrenia patients compared with healthy controls, and the expression variation of DISC1 gene before and after antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients. Methods In this study, we compared DISC1 expression levels in blood of 48 healthy controls, and 32 schizophrenia patients before and after 12 weeks of antipsychotic treatment using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis. Results The expression levels of DISC1 gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of schizophrenia patients before antipsychotic treatment were higher than those in healthy controls (P

Abstract Background X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the mechanism by which the X-linked gene dosage is adjusted between the sexes. Evidence shows that many sex-specific diseases have their basis in X chromosome biology. While female schizophrenia patients often have a delayed age of disease onset and clinical phenotypes that are different from those of males, it is unknown whether the sex differences in schizophrenia are associated with X-linked gene dosage and the choice of X chromosome silencing in female cells. Previous studies demonstrated that sex chromosome aneuploidies may be related to the pathogeneses of some psychiatric diseases. Here, we examined the changes in skewed XCI in patients with schizophrenia. Methods A total of 109 female schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and 80 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (CNTLs) were included in this study. We evaluated clinical features including disease onset age, disease duration, clinical symptoms by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and antipsychotic treatment dosages. The XCI skewing patterns were analyzed by the methylation profile of the HUMARA gene found in DNA isolated from SCZ patient and CNTL leukocytes in the three age groups. Results First, we found that the frequency of skewed XCI in SCZ patients was 4 times more than that in the age- and sex-matched CNTLs (p < 0.01). Second, we found an earlier onset of severe XCI skewing in the SCZ patients than in CNTLs. Third, we demonstrated a close relationship between the severity of skewed XCI and schizophrenic symptoms (PANSS score ≥ 90) as well as the age of disease onset. Fourth, we demonstrated that the skewed XCI in SCZ patients was not transmitted from the patients’ mothers. Limitations The XCI skewing pattern might differ depending on tissues or organs. Although this is the first study to explore skewed XCI in SCZ, in the future, samples from different tissues or cells in SCZ patients might be important for understanding the impact of skewed XCI in this disease. Conclusion Our study, for the first time, investigated skewed XCI in female SCZ patients and presented a potential mechanism for the sex differences in SCZ. Our data also suggested that XCI might be a potential target for the development of female-specific interventions for SCZ.

Selecting the optimal satellite subset for positioning from all satellites in view can not only achieve positioning accuracy but also reduce the computational burden. In this article, a navigation satellites selection method is proposed based on ant colony optimization with the improvement of polarized feedback (ACO-PF). Firstly, the satellite selection problem is described as a combinatorial optimization problem, and the noise weighted geometric dilution of precision (NWGDOP) is defined as the criterion for satellite selection. Then the ant colony optimization (ACO) is incorporated to solve the problem, and a polarized feedback mechanism is presented to improve the convergence speed of algorithm. Meanwhile, a perturbation operator is designed to improve the global searching ability of the algorithm. The numerical experimental results show that ACO-PF can select the superior satellites combination which provides high-precision positioning. And its convergence outperforms the related algorithms by up to 50%. Besides, the achieved NWGDOP of ACO-PF is usually 0.065 smaller than ACO. Therefore, the ACO-PF method can be considered as a promising candidate for satellite selecting in navigation applications.

Background: Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy is a rare but highly life-threatening gestational and perinatal disease.Objective: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for fetal death and acute pancreatitis severity.Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with acute pancreatitis in pregnancy in our center from January 1, 2012, to August 1, 2020, and classified them according to two clinical endpoints, fetal outcome and disease severity. The groups were examined and compared according to gestational week, etiology, gravidity and parity, complications in pre- and post-delivery, and medical history. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent risk factors for fetal death and acute pancreatitis severity.Results: Of the 90 enrolled patients, 28 (31.1%) had fetal death and 43 (47.8%) had severe acute pancreatitis. Logistic regression analysis showed that pre-delivery acute respiratory distress syndrome (OR, 5.8; 95% CI, 1.5–22.4; p = 0.010) and gestational week (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.8–1.0; p = 0.011) were risk factors for fetal death. Gestation week (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1–1.3; p = 0.003) and fetal intrauterine death (OR, 5.9; 95% CI, 1.8–19.4; p = 0.003) were risk factors for severe acute pancreatitis.Conclusions: Pre-delivery acute respiratory distress syndrome and gestational week were independent risk factors for fetal death. Fetal intrauterine death and gestational week were independent risk factors for severe acute pancreatitis.

Spinach is a frequently consumed vegetable worldwide. Chemical pesticides are widely used to produce spinach with high yield and quality. However, the unregulated use of pesticides negatively impacts human and environmental health. A simple and efficient method using dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) combined with field experiments was conducted to study the residue dissipation of methoxyfenozide, chlorantraniliprole, indoxacarb, lufenuron, and chlorfenapyr in spinach under different planting conditions. The results showed that the half-lives of methoxyfenozide, chlorantraniliprole, indoxacarb, lufenuron, and chlorfenapyr in spinach were 1.1–3.0 d, 2.6–4.0 d, 1.7–4.2 d, 3.4–4.4 d, and 2.8–4.3 d, respectively. The five pesticides rapidly degraded without significant differences between the open and greenhouse fields. The final residue of indoxacarb in spinach was not higher than the maximum residue limit (MRL) in China (3 mg kg−1); the highest residual value was 1.0 mg kg−1. Although the MRLs of methoxyfenozide, chlorfenapyr, and lufenuron for spinach are yet to be formulated in China, the long-term dietary risk for the four pesticides was acceptable, with an RQ < 100%, according to the international and national assessments. These results are necessary to provide guidance for the proper and safe use of these pesticides.

Background: Recent literature suggests that α-Klotho, a widely recognized anti-aging protein, is involved in longevity as well as in many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and depression. Although the Klotho gene encodes α-Klotho, a single transmembrane protein with intracellular and extracellular domains, the relationship between Klotho gene polymorphism and circulating α-Klotho levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is not clear.Methods: A total of 144 MDD patients and 112 age-matched healthy controls were included in this study. The Klotho genetic polymorphisms (rs9536314, rs9527025, and rs9315202) and plasma α-Klotho levels were measured by PCR and ELISA, respectively. The severity of depressive symptoms was estimated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD).Results: We found a significantly lower level of plasma α-Klotho in the MDD patients than in controls. Among them, only elderly MDD patients (first episode) showed significantly lower α-Klotho levels than the age-matched controls, while elderly recurrent and young MDD patients showed no difference in plasma α-Klotho levels from age-matched controls. The young MDD group showed a significantly earlier onset age, higher plasma α-Klotho levels, and lower HAMD scores than those in the elderly MDD group. While the plasma α-Klotho levels were higher in rs9315202 T alleles carrier regardless age or sex, the rs9315202 T allele was negatively correlated with disease severity only in the elderly MDD patients.Conclusion: The results of our study showed that only elderly MDD patients showed a decrease in plasma α-Klotho levels along with an increase in disease severity as well as an association with the number of rs9315202 T alleles, and not young MDD patients compared to age-matched controls. Our data suggest that circulating α-Klotho levels combined with Klotho genetic polymorphisms are important in elderly MDD patients, particularly carriers of the Klotho gene rs9315202 T allele.

Abstract Background To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features combined with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values could be used as a tool for categorizing ovarian epithelial cancer (OEC) and predicting survival, as well as correlating with laboratory tests (serum cancer antigen 125, serum CA-125) and tumor proliferative index (Ki-67 expression). Methods and materials MRI examination was undertaken before invasive procedures. MRI features were interpreted and recorded on the picture archive communication system (PACS). ADC measurements were manually performed on post-process workstation. Clinical characteristics were individually retrieved and recorded through the hospital information system (HIS). Cox hazard model was used to estimate the effects of both clinical and MRI features on overall survival. Results Both clinical and MRI features differed significantly between Type I and Type II cancer groups (p

Background: Antimony (Sb) has been associated with type 2 diabetes in previous studies. However, the role of Sb in the incidence of Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. Objectives: We investigated the association between Sb exposure during early pregnancy and the risk of GDM. Methods: We performed a prospective study of 2093 pregnant women from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort (TMCHC). Sb concentrations were measured in urine samples during early pregnancy by ICP-MS. The association between urinary Sb concentration and GDM incidence was assessed using robust Poisson regression model after adjustment for confounders. Results: The 95th percentile value of creatinine-corrected Sb (CC-Sb) concentration in the urine of all pregnant women was 1.33 μg/g. The CC-Sb concentrations were significantly higher in women with GDM than those without GDM (median value: 0.49 μg/g vs. 0.38 μg/g, p = 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, for each one natural logarithmic unit increase in Sb concentration, there was 29% [adjusted relative risk (RR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.57] increase in the risk of GDM. Women in the highest tertile for CC-Sb had a 1.92-fold (95% CI: 1.42, 2.60) higher risk of GDM compared with women in the lowest tertile (p-value for trend

The moisture content of municipal sludge is relatively high, which increases the cost of sludge transportation and treatment. To reduce the volume of the sludge, sludge dewatering is needed. This paper proposes the theory of sludge dewatering and facilitates efficient and economical technology of sludge dewatering. Sludge dewatering tests were carried out by using homemade rapid sludge dewatering devices. There were two groups of tests with single- and double-drainage conditions, and all test runs were loaded with a negative vacuum pressure at the bottom. During the experiments, the vacuum degree and the pore water pressure in the sludge were monitored in real time. After the experiments, the data were compared and analyzed. At the initial stage, the sludge dewatering extent and the sludge dewatering velocity for double-drainage conditions were much higher than those for single-drainage conditions. The vacuum occurring for single-drainage conditions lagged behind that for double-drainage conditions in the sludge. The value of vacuum degree for single-drainage conditions was lower than that for double-drainage conditions, and the vacuum attenuation for single-drainage conditions was considerable. The excess pore water pressure for double-drainage conditions dissipated faster than that for single-drainage conditions in the sludge. The pore water pressure for single-drainage conditions at the top and middle of the sludge layer first increased and then decreased in the early loading stage, resembling the Mandel effect. Overall, with a vacuum negative pressure load at the bottom, the sludge dewatering efficiency for double-drainage conditions was much higher than that for single-drainage conditions. This study provides an experimental and theoretical basis for engineering applications in the sludge treatment industry.

Gated ZnO nanowire field emitter arrays (FEAs) have important applications in large-area vacuum microelectronic devices such as flat panel X-ray sources and photodetectors. As the application requires high-pixel-density FEAs, how the pixel density affects the emission performance of the gated ZnO nanowire FEAs needs investigating. In this paper, the performance of coaxis planar -gated ZnO nanowire FEAs was simulated under different pixel sizes while keeping the lateral geometric parameter in proportion. The variations in emission current and gate modulation with pixel size were obtained. Using the obtained device parameters, the coaxis planar-gated ZnO nanowire FEAs were prepared. Field emission measurement results showed that a current density of 3.2 mA/cm2 was achieved from the fabricated ZnO nanowire FEAs when the gate voltage was 140 V. A transconductance of 253 nS was obtained, indicating effective gate control. The improved performance is attributed to optimized gate modulation.

Vacuum flat panel detectors (VFPDs) using cold cathode have important applications in large-area photoelectric detection. Based on the electron-bombardment-induced photoconductivity (EBIPC) mechanism, the photoconductor-type VFPDs achieved high detection sensitivity. However, pixelated imaging devices have not yet been developed. In this paper, we fabricate a 4 × 7 pixel vacuum flat panel detector array made of ZnS photoconductor and ZnO nanowires cold cathode for an imaging application. The responsivity of the device and the pixel current uniformity are studied, and imaging of the patterned objects is achieved. Our results verify the feasibility of VFPDs for imaging.

Based on the mechanism of magnetic abrasive finishing, the 7075 aluminum alloy (Al7075) was used in the experimental study. In order to improve wall surface quality and to remove the edge burrs of the hole, a novel magnetic abrasive finishing process was proposed. First, the radial magnetizing pole for the inner surface finishing process was confirmed. The evaluation of magnet spinning speed, abrasive mesh, and abrasive filling amount on the diameter deviation of the hole and surface roughness of the inner wall was studied. According to the characteristics of magnetic abrasive finishing process, Taguchi’s method was used to carry out the test. Through the analysis of variance, the best process parameters were determined and verified. The inner surface roughness was further decreased and the surface morphology was more uniform after finishing process. Second, the edge burr removal process of the hole exit was also studied, and the geometry of the burrs was measured before and after the magnetic abrasive finishing process. The results show that the burrs were significantly removed and the burr removal efficiency was improved by 33.3% compared with the conventional magnetic abrasive finishing process. Finally, the improved magnetic abrasive finishing process is an effective method in improving finishing quality of the Al7075 holes.

Background: A growing number of epidemiologic studies have estimated associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and exposure to metals. However, studies on the associations of internal assessments of metal exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are limited in scope and have inconsistent outcomes. Objectives: This investigation aimed to explore the associations between urinary nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), cobalt (Co), or vanadium (V) in early pregnancy and the subsequent risk of GDM in Chinese pregnant women. Methods: The study population included 2090 women with singleton pregnancy from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort (TMCHC). Urine samples were collected before 20 gestational weeks, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted at 24–28 gestational weeks to diagnose GDM. The concentrations of urinary metals were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and were corrected for urinary creatinine. The associations between the risk of GDM and urinary metals were assessed using Poisson regression with a robust error variance with generalized estimating equations (GEE) models and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Results: A total of 241 participants (11.53%) were diagnosed with GDM. Five metals (Ni, As, Sb, Co, and V) were found significantly and positively associated with GDM based on single-metal models. In multiple-metal models, for each unit increase of ln-transformed urinary Ni or Sb, the risk of GDM increased 18% [relative risk (RR):1.18, 95%confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.38 or RR: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.39, respectively]. The BKMR analysis revealed a statistically significant and positive joint effect of the six metals on the risk of GDM, when the urinary levels of the six metals were all above the 55th percentile, compared to the median levels. The effect of metal Ni was significant when the concentrations of the other metals were all fixed at their 25th percentile, and metal Sb displayed a significant and positive effect when all the other metals were fixed at 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that increased concentrations of urinary Ni in early pregnancy are associated with an elevated risk of GDM, either evaluated individually or as a metal mixture. All six metals mixed exposure was positively associated with the risk of GDM, while Sb and Ni were demonstrated more important effects than the other four metals in the mixture. Keywords: GDM, Urinary metals, Single-metal models, Multiple-metal models, BKMR models

The instability of the bank slope of the reservoir will cause great loss to the life and property of the people in the reservoir area. The landslide of the reservoir not only occurs in the period of water level plummeting, but also occurs in the period of water level rising. In this paper, the mechanism of slope landslide in the rising stage of water level was studied from the perspective of soil disintegration in water. A series of tests on the disintegration of prisms and cylinders with the same volume and different bottom side lengths (diameter) were carried out. The results show that the specific surface area of the same volume sample was different, and the disintegration behavior was different. The larger the specific surface area of the same shape sample was, the faster the disintegration speed was. The deeper the water depth was, the shorter the disintegration time was under the same initial conditions. It shows that when the water level of the reservoir rose, the deeper the water depth was, the greater the pore osmotic pressure was, and the more the soil mass of the slope collapsed. This led to the reduction of the pressure on the lower part of the slope, the decrease of the antisliding force of the soil, and the failure of the slope.

Abstract Nanowire field emitters have great potential for use as large-area gated field emitter arrays (FEAs). However, the micrometer-scale cathode patterns in gated FEA devices will reduce regulation of the gate voltage and limit the field emission currents of these devices as a result of field-screening effect among the neighboring nanowires. In this article, a ring-shaped ZnO nanowire pad is proposed to overcome this problem. Diode measurements show that the prepared ring-shaped ZnO nanowire pad arrays shows uniform emission with a turn-on field of 5.9 V/µm and a field emission current density of 4.6 mA/cm2 under an applied field of 9 V/µm. The ZnO nanowire pad arrays were integrated into coplanar-gate FEAs and enhanced gate-controlled device characteristics were obtained. The gate-controlled capability was studied via microscopic in-situ measurements of the field emission from the ZnO nanowires in the coplanar-gate FEAs. Based on the results of both simulations and experiments, we attributed the enhanced gate-controlled device capabilities to more efficient emission of electrons from the ZnO nanowires as a result of the increase edge area by designing ring-shaped ZnO nanowire pad. The results are important to the realization of large-area gate-controlled FEAs based on nanowire emitters for use in vacuum electronic devices.

Abstract Background Perioperative depressive symptoms (PDS) are common mental comorbidities that influence clinical outcomes and prognosis. However, there is no rapid-acting treatment to address these symptoms during a limited hospital stay. Methods/design This is a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind trial. Randomization will be applied and stratified by the severity of PDS (moderate versus severe). Eighty patients who are scheduled for elective supratentorial brain tumor resection with PDS will be randomly allocated to the ketamine or placebo group with a ratio of 1 to 1. Patients in the ketamine group will be administered low-dose ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) intravenously for 40 min while the dural mater is being cut into, whereas patients in the placebo group will receive the same volume of normal saline at the same infusion rate at the same time points. The primary endpoint is the rate of PDS response at 3 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes include efficacy parameters such as the rate of PDS remission and safety outcomes such as the incidence of postoperative delirium, quality of recovery, and psychiatric side effects. Discussion This study aims to determine whether ketamine could improve the depressive symptoms of perioperative patients undergoing supratentorial brain tumor resection. It will also examine the safety of administering ketamine as an intraoperative anti-depressant. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03086148. Registered on 22 March 2017.

Abstract Background To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of ovarian granulosa cell tumors (OGCTs) and compare with other sex cord-stromal tumors (OSCs) in ovary. Methods MR findings of 18 patients with surgically confirmed ovarian granulosa cell tumor were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists with consensus reading. All MR examinations were prospectively performed within one month. Clinical and imaging characteristics of OGCTs were evaluated and compared with OSCs (control group). Results In 18 patients, 20 ovarian granulosa cell tumors were detected on MRI. Sixteen tumors appeared as solid or mostly solid mass (16/20), while 4 tumors as cystic mass. Pathological pelvic fluid was detected in 1 OGCT (1/18) and 11 OSCs (11/34) (p = 0.031).On T2 weighted imaging (T2WI), most of OGCTs displayed hyperintense signal and mixed signal (19/20); on T1 weighted imaging (T1WI), 11 OGCTs (11/20) displayed similar signal as on T2WI imaging. The lesion signal between OGCT and OSC differed significantly on both T1WI (p = 0.017) and T2WI (p = 0.002). Tumoral bleeding was detected in 6 OGCTs on MRI. On diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) images, OGCTs mostly appeared as high signal (16/20). Average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value derived from DWI images in the OGCT group (0.84 ± 0.26× 10− 3 mm2/s was less than the control group (1.22 ± 0.47 × 10− 3 mm2/s) with statistical difference (p = 0.002). Conclusions MRI could provide important information in OGCT diagnosis. ADC value might be useful in differentiating OGCT from OSC.

A fully vacuum-sealed addressable flat-panel X-ray source based on ZnO nanowire field emitter arrays (FEAs) was fabricated. The device has a diode structure composed of cathode panel and anode panel. ZnO nanowire cold cathodes were prepared on strip electrodes on a cathode panel and Mo thin film strips were prepared on an anode panel acting as the target. Localized X-ray emission was realized by cross-addressing of cathode and anode electrodes. A radiation dose rate of 10.8 μGy/s was recorded at the anode voltage of 32 kV. The X-ray imaging of objects using different addressing scheme was obtained and the imaging results were analyzed. The results demonstrated the feasibility of achieving addressable flat-panel X-ray source using diode-structure for advanced X-ray imaging.

Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is the critical enzyme in biotransformation. The polymorphism of MTHFR is a risk factor for schizophrenia. However, whether the MTHFR polymorphism is associated with schizophrenia disease phenotypes and what is the underlying mechanism of MTHFR polymorphism in schizophrenia is under-investigated. In this study, we aim to verify the correlation between MTHFR polymorphisms and clinical features of schizophrenia, while exploring the differential genomic methylation and disease related genes as the potential targets for schizophrenia. Method: 242 patients of schizophrenia and 234 matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Polymorphisms of MTHFR from three sites (C677T, A1298C, G1793A) were examined by Taqman fluorescence probe method in leukocytes from all subjects. The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), trail making test (TMT) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were checked on patients. Genomic methylation was tested and analyzed in fields of differential methylation positions (DMPs) and enrichment of genes that are potentially related to schizophrenia. Results: Schizophrenic patients showed higher frequency of MTHFR polymorphisms at both single and multiple sites than healthy controls. Our data also showed that MTHFR C677T and multiple-site polymorphisms were positively correlated with PANSS positive rating, not negative score in male schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, while a significant reduction of global DNA methylation level was observed in schizophrenic patients, we also identified several genes which differentiated between schizophrenia and healthy controls at methylation levels. Conclusions: This is a pilot study revealing that MTHFR polymorphisms at both single and multiple sites are related to the risk of schizophrenia and positive symptom of the disease. The risk of MTHFR polymorphism in schizophrenia and the clinical symptoms was only significant in male patients. While the sex-specific risk of MTHFR in schizophrenia is new and the reasons remain unanswered. Our methylation analysis suggested that there was significant hypomethylation of genomic DNA in schizophrenia patients with no sex difference. The correlation between MTHFR polymorphism and schizophrenia may attribute to the change of DNA methylation level, and some certain genes could be potential research objects for MTHFR effects on schizophrenia. Keywords: MTHFR, Schizophrenia, Polymorphism, Symptom, Methylation

Large-area zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays have important applications in flat-panel X-ray sources and detectors. Doping is an effective way to enhance the emission current by changing the nanowire conductivity and the lattice structure. In this paper, large-area indium-doped ZnO nanowire arrays were prepared on indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrates by the thermal oxidation method. Doping with indium concentrations up to 1 at% was achieved by directly oxidizing the In-Zn alloy thin film. The growth process was subsequently explained using a self-catalytic vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. The field emission measurements show that a high emission current of ~20 mA could be obtained from large-area In-doped sample with a 4.8 × 4.8 cm2 area. This high emission current was attributed to the high crystallinity and conductivity change induced by the indium dopants. Furthermore, the application of these In-doped ZnO nanowire arrays in a flat-panel X-ray source was realized and distinct X-ray imaging was demonstrated.

In order to improve the manufacturing quality of holes (Φ3−Φ8 mm) and to optimize the hole drilling process in T300 carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and 7050-T7 Al alloy stacks, a prediction model of multiple objective parameter optimization was proposed based on a back propagation (BP) neural network algorithm. Four parameters of feed rate, spindle speed, drilling diameter, and cushion plate were taken as the input layer parameters to study the manufacturing quality of holes in four stack types: CFRP/Al, Al/CFRP, Al/CFRP/Al, and CFRP/Al/CFRP. Delamination and tearing defects often appear in the drilling process; thus, a certain degree of defects in CFRP was selected as the output parameter, in an effort to build a prediction model of drilling quality. After the neural network model of the optimized hole-making process of an 8−14−1 three-layer topology was corrected by 170 steps, the error was reduced to 0.00016882, the regression fitting was 0.99978, and the fitting error of training samples was 10−2~10−5. The prediction model of the number of defective holes provided basically similar results to the experimental data. This indicates that the prediction model based on a BP neural network has good prediction ability. Based on the prediction of parameters, verification tests were performed, and the number of defective holes in CFRP was reduced while the manufacturing quality of the holes was improved significantly; the qualified rate of manufactured holes reached 97%.

Background Obesity-induced glucose metabolism disorder is associated with chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation and is considered a risk factor for diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Resveratrol (RES), a natural anti-inflammatory compound, is observed to improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in obese rodents and humans. This study aimed to test the effects of RES administration on insulin signaling and the inflammatory response in visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. Methods A total of 40 wild-type C57BL/6 male mice were divided into four groups (10 in each group): the standard chow diet (STD) group was fed a STD; the HFD group was fed a HFD; and the HFD-RES/L and HFD-RES/H groups were fed a HFD plus RES (200 and 400 mg/kg/day, respectively). The L and H in RES/L and RES/H stand for low and high, respectively. Glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, circulating inflammatory biomarkers and lipid profile were determined. Quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to determine the expression of CC-chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2), other inflammation markers, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and pAkt/Akt and to assess targets of interest involving glucose metabolism and inflammation in visceral WAT. Results HFD increased the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and proinflammatory cytokines in serum, decreased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in serum, and induced insulin resistance and WAT inflammation in mice. However, RES treatment alleviated insulin resistance, increased the expressions of pAkt, GLUT4 and IRS-1 in WAT, and decreased serum proinflammatory cytokine levels, macrophage infiltration and CCR2 expression in WAT. Conclusion Our results indicated that WAT CCR2 may play a vital role in macrophage infiltration and the inflammatory response during the development of insulin resistance in HFD-induced obesity. These data suggested that administration of RES offers protection against abnormal glucose metabolism and inflammatory adaptations in visceral WAT in mice with HFD-induced obesity.