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Zi-Xuan Wang,1 You-Gu Hu2 1Department of Interventional Radiology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Spinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zi-Xuan WangDepartment of Interventional Radiology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, 1 Jiao-Zhou Road, Qingdao, Shandong, 266000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 532 82827158Email prince_room@sina.comAim: Early studies suggested that the high-intensity zone (HIZ) on lumbar MRI was a diagnostic sign of painful internal disc disruption (IDD). However, recent studies have questioned its diagnostic value. This study is conducted to explore imaging features of HIZ and to investigate the correlation between these characteristics and low back pain (LBP), further studying the predictive value of HIZ.Methods: A retrospective study of 1188 cases was performed. MR images were read and analyzed by two experienced, blinded radiologists.Results: A total of 575 (48.4%) individuals exhibited HIZ. The prevalence of posterior HIZ (32.3%) was significantly higher than that of anterior HIZ (23.6%; P < 0.01). Round type was the most common shape (61.0%) on sagittal view. Only 37 HIZs (4.6%) were identified on axial views. A total of 263 HIZ discs (32.5%) were found to have additional diagnostic signs of IDD, which is difficult to distinguish from the annulus fibrosus. In subjects with consecutive slides showing HIZ, the incidence of LBP was significantly higher than in single-slide HIZ individuals (58.0% vs 48.6%, P < 0.05).Conclusion: MRI-visualized HIZ is a highly valuable method of screening for lumbar IDD. It is demonstrated that consecutive-slide HIZ was a more reliable indicator for discogenic LBP than single-slide HIZ.Keywords: lumbar spine, intervertebral disc, MRI, high-intensity zone, low back pain

Objectives: To analyze the three-dimensional distribution of high-intensity zone (HIZ) in lumbar disks and to assess the correlation between low back pain (LBP) and spatial distribution of HIZs.Methods: Clinical records and lumbar MRIs of 623 patients (337 males and 286 females, age 50.10 ± 15.38 years) were selected and reviewed. Baseline characteristics and 3D localization were performed and recorded by two radiologists in a blind fashion.Results: Among the 623 patients, 200 exhibited an HIZ in at least one disk. HIZs were more frequently seen in the inferior part of annulus fibrosus (superior-middle-inferior ratio 39:59:140, P < 0.001). One hundred and eighty-one HIZs (76.1%) occurred at L4/5 and/or L5/S1. The prevalence of multi-segmental HIZ was 16.5%. Among the 33 patients with multi-segmental HIZs, 24 exhibited HIZs in adjacent disks. The LBP rate of HIZ patients was significantly higher than that of patients who exhibited no HIZ (57.5 vs. 47.8%, P < 0.05). There was no evidence for a correlation between LBP and spatial distribution of HIZ in disk (P > 0.05). The incidence of LBP was slightly higher when the HIZ disk level was lower or when there were HIZs exhibited in more disks; however, the difference was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05).Conclusions: High-intensity zones occurred frequently at lower segments, inferior part of annulus fibrosus, and single disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aggressive primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PGINHL) is an uncommon and heterogeneous group of lymphoid malignancies, that differs from indolent lymphoma and has a high incidence of severe gastrointestinal complications (GICs)., Aim: To investigate and compare the clinicopathological characteristics, treatments and outcomes in the GICs and No-GICs group with aggressive PGINHL., Methods: This retrospective analysis was performed on aggressive PGINHL patients between January 2013 and December 2021 at our hospital. The independent influence factors of GICs were obtained by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis, the selected variables significantly related to GICs were selected as the final predictors to construct nomogram. Kaplan-Meier curves further analyzed the survival of patients in GICs and No-GICs groups. Survival analysis of GICs group was performed using Cox regression., Results: We focused on 124 aggressive PGINHL cases, which had a relatively high incidence 48.4% (60/124 cases) of GICs, the most common histological type in GICs group was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) ( n = 49, 81.7%). In the GICs group, small intestine was the most common anatomic site of lesion (43.3%), followed by large intestine (31.7%), and then stomach and esophagus (25.0%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for GICs were the small intestine [odd ratio (OR) = 3.33; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47-9.41; P = 0.009), aggressive B-cell (OR = 0.09; 95%CI: 0.01-0.83; P = 0.033), maximum tumor diameter (OR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.07-1.47; P = 0.005), invaded deep serous layer (OR = 3.38; 95%CI: 1.24-9.19; P = 0.017). We developed a nomogram to predict risk of GICs in aggressive PGINHL patients based on independent risk factors. The value of area under curve calculated by receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.815, and calibration curve and decision curve analysis further indicated that the prediction effect was superior. The majority of patients with GICs were given combination therapy (chemotherapy combined with surgery or radiation). Event-free survival and overall survival in GICs group were no worse than those in the No-GICs group., Conclusion: The complication rate of GICs in patients with aggressive PGINHL was relatively high, particularly in PGI-DLBCL. The independent risk factors for GICs were the small intestine, PGI-TNKL, bulky tumor, and depth of invasion. A combination treatment, involving surgery, improved survival in the GICs group., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Coleoptile length, in wheat, is a significant agronomic trait impacting yield by facilitating the successful establishment of seedlings. In arid regions, varieties possessing longer coleoptile can evade harsh conditions by deep sowing, paving the way for improved yield. However, the study of genes involved in coleoptile development is insufficient. In this study, a high-density 660 K SNP array was used for genome-wide association study (GWAS) on coleoptile length in 150 wheat varieties. The findings revealed the detection of 353 significantly associated SNPs across all environments. The integration of linkage disequilibrium analysis and haplotype analysis mined 23 core QTLs capable responsible for the stable regulating coleoptile length in wheat. In wheat varieties characterized by extended coleoptile length, 6,600, 11,524, and 6,059 genes were found to be differentially expressed at three distinct developmental stages within the coleoptile, respectively. Through GWAS, gene expression levels, and functional annotation, we concluded the identification of two candidate genes ( TraesCS2B02G423500 , TraesCS2B02G449200 ) regulating wheat coleoptile length. By employing WGCNA and protein interactions prediction, discovered that the 19 genes were found to interact with candidate genes and participate in plant hormone metabolism and signaling, cell elongation or proliferation, which collectively contributing to coleoptile elongation. Additionally, two KASP markers were developed which can be used in breeding. These results offer a basis for understanding the genetic regulatory network responsible for wheat coleoptile length formation. The QTLs and candidate genes identified in this study can be further utilized for genetic improvement of wheat coleoptile length., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01520-6., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

The abnormal structure of tumor vascular seriously hinders the delivery and deep penetration of drug in tumor therapy. Herein, an integrated and tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanocarrier is designed, which can dilate vessle and improve the drug penetration by in situ releasing nitric oxide (NO). Briefly, S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO) and curcumin (Cur) were encapsulatd into the Cu-doped zeolite imidazole framework-8 (Cu-ZIF-8) and modified with hyaluronic acid. The nanocarrier degradation in the weakly acidic of TME releases Cu 2+ , then deplete overexpressed intratumourally glutathione and transformed into Cu + , thus disrupting the balance between nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and flavin adenine dinucleotide (NADPH/FAD) during the metabolism homeostasis of tumor. The Cu + can generate highly toxic hydroxyl radical through the Fenton-like reaction, enhancing the chemodynamic therapeutic effect. In addition, Cu + also decomposes GSNO to release NO by ionic reduction, leading to vasodilation and increased vascular permeability, significantly promoting the deep penetration of Cur in tumor. Afterwards, the orderly operation of cell cycle is disrupted and arrested in the S-phase to induce tumor cell apoptosis. Deep-hypothermia potentiated 2D/3D fluorescence imaging demonstrated nanocarrier regulated endogenous metabolism homeostasis of tumor. The cascade-catalysed multifunctional nanocarrier provides an approach to treat orthotopic tumor., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Accurate tumor detection is crucial for the early discovery and subsequent treatment of small neoplastic foci. Molecular imaging, which combines non-invasiveness, high specificity, and strong sensitivity, excels in diagnosing early tumors and stands out among tumor diagnosis methods. Here, we introduced a dual-modal imaging probe capable of actively targeting tumor cells, suitable for both near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dendritic mesoporous silica was used as a carrier for the probe, encapsulating Ag 2 S quantum dots (QDs) for NIR fluorescence imaging. Additionally, the probe conjugated the MRI contrast agent Gd-DOTA and cetuximab, which targeted EGFR on the tumor cell membrane surface, to achieve dual-modal imaging in the tumor area. This strategy provided a methodology for the accurate diagnosis of early-stage tumor lesions and guides precise lesion resection during surgery, offering significant potential for clinical application.

Developing lightweight composite with reversible switching between microwave (MW) absorption and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is promising yet remains highly challenging due to the completely inconsistent attenuation mechanism for electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Here, a lightweight vanadium dioxide/expanded polymer microsphere composites foam (VO 2 /EPM) is designed and fabricated with porous structures and 3D VO 2 interconnection, which possesses reversible switching function between MW absorption and EMI shielding under thermal stimulation. The VO 2 /EPM exhibits MW absorption with a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 3.25 GHz at room temperature (25 °C), while provides EMI shielding of 23.1 dB at moderately high temperature (100 °C). This reversible switching performance relies on the porous structure and tunability of electrical conductivity, complex permittivity, and impedance matching, which are substantially induced by the convertible crystal structure and electronic structure of VO 2 . Finite element simulation is employed to qualitatively investigate the change in interaction between EM waves and VO 2 /EPM before and after the phase transition. Moreover, the application of VO 2 /EPM is demonstrated with a reversible switching function in controlling wireless transmission on/off, showcasing its excellent cycling stability. This kind of smart material with a reversible switching function shows great potential in next-generation electronic devices., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Severe burns related to fires and explosions of lithium-ion batteries of electric motorcycles have not been reported to date. We retrospectively studied 419 patients admitted to our burn intensive care unit from January 2016 to December 2021. Of these 419 patients, 26 (22 male, 4 female; median age, 42 years) had burns related to lithium-ion battery fires and explosions, and all of their injury characteristics were similar to those of traditional flame burns. Lithium-ion battery-related burns were the eighth most common cause of burn injuries among all hospitalized patients. The 26 patients comprised 10 unemployed and 16 employed individuals. Twenty-three patients were injured at home during the battery charging process, and three were injured outdoors (one by a fire while the electric motorcycle was stationary and the others two by a fire while riding the motorcycle). The burn sites were distributed over the whole body; the burn area ranged from 10 % to 100 % of the total body surface area, and the burn depth ranged from superficial second-degree burns to third-degree burns. Twenty-three patients had inhalation injuries, and ten underwent prophylactic tracheostomy and intubation. Multiple operations were required for wound repair. Although convenient, lithium-ion electric motorcycles can also cause severe burns. To prevent these injuries, we must increase public safety awareness and education, develop new battery energy storage systems and battery management systems, and ensure the safety of batteries. Consumers should be aware of the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries and comply with related security measures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As a promising gene therapy strategy, controllable small molecule-mRNA covalent modification in tumor cells could be initiated by singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) to complete the modification process. However, in vivo generation of 1 O 2 is usually dependent on excitation of external light, and the limited light penetration of tissues greatly interferes the development of deep tumor photo therapy. Here, we constructed a tumor-targeting nano-micelle for the spontaneous intracellular generation of 1 O 2 without the need for external light, and inducing a high level of covalent modification of mRNA in tumor cells. Luminol and Ce6 were chemically bonded to produce 1 O 2 by chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) triggered by high levels of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The sufficient 1 O 2 oxidized the loaded furan to highly reactive dicarbonyl moiety, which underwent cycloaddition reaction with adenine (A), cytosine (C) or guanine (G) on the mRNA for interfering with the tumor cell protein expression, thereby inhibiting tumor progression. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that this self-initiated gene therapy nano-micelle could induce covalent modification of mRNA by 1 O 2 without external light, and the process could be monitored in real time by fluorescence imaging, which provided an effective strategy for RNA-based tumor gene therapy., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This work identified a class of cyanomethylquinolones (CQs) and their carboxyl analogues as potential multitargeting antibacterial candidates. Most of the prepared compounds showed high antibacterial activities against most of the tested bacteria, exhibiting lower MIC values (0.125-2 μg/mL) than those of clinical norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and clinafloxacin. The low hemolysis, drug resistance, and cytotoxicity, as well as good predictive pharmacokinetics of active CQs and carboxyl analogues revealed their development potential. Furthermore, they could eradicate the established biofilm, facilitating bacterial exposure to these antibacterial candidates. These active compounds could induce bacterial death through multitargeting effects, including intercalating into DNA, up-regulating reactive oxygen species, damaging membranes directly, and impeding metabolism. Moreover, the highly active cyclopropyl CQ 15 exhibited more effective in vivo anti-MRSA potency than ciprofloxacin. These findings highlight the potential of CQs and their carboxyl analogues as multitargeting broad-spectrum antibacterial candidates for treating intractable bacterial infections.

The emergence of serious bacterial resistance towards clinical oxacins poses a considerable threat to global public health, necessitating the development of novel structural antibacterial agents. Seven types of novel indolylacryloyl-derived oxacins (IDOs) were designed and synthesized for the first time from commercial 3,4-difluoroaniline via an eight-step procedure. The synthesized compounds were characterized by modern spectroscopic techniques. All target molecules were evaluated for antimicrobial activities. Most of the prepared IDOs showed a broad antibacterial spectrum and strong activities against the tested strains, especially ethoxycarbonyl IDO 10d (0.25-0.5 μg/mL) and hydroxyethyl IDO 10e (0.25-1 μg/mL) exhibited much superior antibacterial efficacies to reference drug norfloxacin. These highly active IDOs also displayed low hemolysis, cytotoxicity and resistance, as well as rapid bactericidal capacity. Further investigations indicated that ethoxycarbonyl IDO 10d and hydroxyethyl IDO 10e could effectively reduce the exopolysaccharide content and eradicate the formed biofilm, which might delay the development of drug resistance. Preliminary exploration of the antibacterial mechanism revealed that active IDOs could not only destroy membrane integrity, resulting in changes in membrane permeability, but also promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, leading to the production of malondialdehyde and decreased bacterial metabolism. Moreover, they exhibited the capability to bind with DNA and DNA gyrase, forming supramolecular complexes through various noncovalent interactions, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and causing bacterial death. All the above results suggested that the newly developed indolylacryloyl-derived oxacins should hold great promise as potential multitargeting broad-spectrum antibacterial candidates to overcome drug resistance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Triphenyltin (TPT) is a typical persistent organic pollutant whose occurrence in coral reef ecosystems may threaten the survival of reef fishes. In this study, a brightly colored representative reef fish, Amphiprion ocellaris was used to explore the effects of TPT at environmental levels (1, 10, and 100 ng/L) on skin pigment synthesis. After the fish were exposed to TPT for 60 days, the skin became darker, owing to an increase in the relative area of black stripes, a decrease in orange color values while an increase in brown color values, and an increase in the number of melanocytes in the orange part of the skin tissues. To explore the mechanisms by which TPT induces darker body coloration, the enzymatic activity and gene expression levels of the members of melanocortin system that affect melanin synthesis were evaluated. Leptin levels and lepr expression were found to be increased after TPT exposure, which likely contributed to the increase found in pomc expression and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) levels. Then Tyr activity and mc1r, tyr, tyrp1, mitf, and dct were upregulated, ultimately increasing melanin levels. Importantly, RT-qPCR results were consistent with the transcriptome analysis of trends in lepr and pomc expression. Because the orange color values decreased, pterin levels and the pteridine metabolic pathway were also evaluated. The results showed that TPT induced BH 4 levels and spr, xdh, and gch1 expression associated with pteridine synthesis decreased, ultimately decreasing the colored pterin content (sepiapterin). We conclude that TPT exposure interferes with the melanocortin system and pteridine metabolic pathway to increase melanin and decrease colored pterin levels, leading to darker body coloration in A. ocellaris. Given the importance of body coloration for the survival and reproduction of reef fishes, studies on the effects of pollutants (others alongside TPT) on body coloration are of high priority., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The introduction of dwarfing genes triggered a wave of "green revolution". A number of wheats dwarfing genes have been reported in previous studies, and only a small fraction of these have been applied to production practices. Therefore, the development of novel dwarfing genes for wheat is of great value. In this study, a novel dwarfing site, Rht-yz , identified in the Yanzhan mutation, is located on chromosome 4B (30-33MB) and its mechanism of action is different from that of Rht-B1b (C-T mutation), but whether it affects the Rht-B1a ( TraesCS4B02G043100 ) or other genes is unclear. Exogenously applied GA 3 experiments showed that Rht-yz is one of the gibberellin-insensitive dwarf genes. The effects of the dwarf gene Rht-yz on agronomic traits in wheat were evaluated in the field using Yanzhan, Yanzhan mutations, F 2:3 and F 3:4 lines. The results showed that Rht-yz improved lodging resistance by reducing plant height, increasing diameter, wall thickness and mechanical strength of the basal stem. In terms of yield traits, Rht-yz had negative effects on tiller number plant -1 , biomass plant -1 and yield plant -1 , but had no significant effect on harvest index, 1000-kernel weight and spike traits. In addition, Rht-yz significantly increased crude protein, wet gluten and starch content. Therefore, the rational use of the new dwarfing site Rht-yz has potential and value in dwarf wheat breeding., Competing Interests: Author YH was employed by the company Jiushenghe Seed Industry Co., Ltd. Author YL was employed by the company Yangling Digital Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. Author YY was employed by the company Shaanxi Grain and Agriculture Group Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hao, Zhao, Fu, Zhao, Ateeq, Mou, Han, Liu, Yin, Zotova, Serikbay, Fan, Hu and Chen.)

The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have led to promising applications in the field of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, for macroscopic CNT assemblies, such as CNT film, achieving high electrical and mechanical properties remains challenging, which heavily depends on the tube-tube interactions of CNTs. Herein, we develop a novel strategy based on metal-organic decomposition (MOD) to fabricate a flexible silver-carbon nanotube (Ag-CNT) film. The Ag particles are introduced in situ into the CNT film through annealing of MOD, leading to enhanced tube-tube interactions. As a result, the electrical conductivity of Ag-CNT film is up to 6.82 × 10 5  S m -1 , and the EMI shielding effectiveness of Ag-CNT film with a thickness of ~ 7.8 μm exceeds 66 dB in the ultra-broad frequency range (3-40 GHz). The tensile strength and Young's modulus of Ag-CNT film increase from 30.09 ± 3.14 to 76.06 ± 6.20 MPa (~ 253%) and from 1.12 ± 0.33 to 8.90 ± 0.97 GPa (~ 795%), respectively. Moreover, the Ag-CNT film exhibits excellent near-field shielding performance, which can effectively block wireless transmission. This innovative approach provides an effective route to further apply macroscopic CNT assemblies to future portable and wearable electronic devices., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Reprogramming immunosuppressive M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages in tumor site provides a new strategy for the immunotherapy of colorectal cancer. In this study, M1 macrophage-derived exosome nanoprobe (M1UC) with Ce6-loaded upconversion material is designed to enhance the photodynamic performance of Ce6 while reprogramming M2 macrophages at tumor site and producing NO gas for three-mode synergistic therapy. Under the excitation of near-infrared light at 808 nm, the probe can generate 660 nm up-conversion fluorescence, which enables the photosensitizer Ce6 to produce ROS efficiently. In addition, the probe leads the production of NO by nitric oxide synthase on exosomes. Confocal laser and flow cytometry results show that M1UC probe reprograms M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages with an efficiency of 95.12%. The cell experiments show that the apoptosis rate of the three-mode synergistic therapy group is 78.8%, and the therapeutic effect is significantly higher than those of the other single treatment groups. In vivo experiments results show that M1UC probes maximally gather at the tumor site after 12 h of intravenous injection in orthotopic colorectal cancer mice. After 808 nm laser irradiation, the survival rate of mice is 100% and the recurrence rate was 0 within 60 d, and the therapeutic effect is significantly higher than those of other single treatment groups, which is also confirmed by immunohistochemistry. This M1 macrophage-derived exosome nanoplatform which is based on the three modes of immunotherapy, gas therapy and photodynamic therapy, provides a new design idea for the diagnosis and treatment of deep tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abscess wound caused by bacterial infection is usually difficult to heal, thus greatly affect people's quality of life. In this study, a biodegradable drug-loaded microneedle patch (MN) is designed for targeted eradication of S. aureus infection and repair of abscess wound. Firstly, the bacterial responsive composite nanoparticle (Ce6@GNP-Van) with a size of about 182.6 nm is constructed by loading the photosensitizer Ce6 into gelatin nanoparticle (GNP) and coupling vancomycin (Van), which can specifically target S. aureus and effectively shield the phototoxicity of photosensitizer during delivery. When Ce6@GNP-Van is targeted and enriched in the infected regions, the gelatinase secreted by the bacteria can degrade GNP in situ and release Ce6, which can kill the bacteria by generating ROS under laser irradiation. In vivo experiments show that the microneedle is basically degraded in 10 min after inserting into skin, and the abscess wound is completely healed within 13 d after applying Ce6@GNP-Van-loaded MN patch to the abscess wound of the bacterial infected mice with laser irradiation, which can simultaneously achieve the eradication of biofilm and subsequent wound healing cascade activation, showing excellent synergistic antibacterial effect. In conclusion, this work establishes a synergistic treatment strategy to facilitate the repair of chronic abscess wound., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of touch imprint cytology (TIC) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases of patients with clinical node-negative early breast cancer. The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were meticulously searched to retrieve literature published from January 2005 to September 2022 by two independent reviewers. The meta-analysis was performed using STATA16.0, Meta-Disc 1.4, and RevMan 5.4.9. According to the inclusion criteria, 4,073 patients from 13 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of TIC for detecting SLN metastases were 0.77 (95% CI 0.66-0.85) and 0.99 (95% CI 0.97-1.00), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 76.15 (95% CI 29.16-198.84) and 0.23 (95% CI 0.15-0.36), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 326.82 (95% CI 132.76-804.56) and the area under the sROC curve was 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.98), respectively. This meta-analysis revealed that TIC with high sensitivity and specificity is a feasibility and accuracy diagnosis technique for intraoperative detection of SLN metastases in breast cancer., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (© 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.)

Bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a global staple crop vital for human nutrition. Heading date (HD) and flowering date (FD) are critical traits influencing wheat growth, development, and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. A comprehensive study were conducted involving 190 bread wheat accessions to unravel the genetic basis of HD and FD using high-throughput genotyping and multi-environment field trials. Seven independent quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified to be significantly associated with HD and FD using two GWAS methods, which explained a proportion of phenotypic variance ranging from 1.43% to 9.58%. Notably, QTLs overlapping with known vernalization genes Vrn-D1 were found, validating their roles in regulating flowering time. Moreover, novel QTLs on chromosome 2A, 5B, 5D, and 7B associated with HD and FD were identified. The effects of these QTLs on HD and FD were confirmed in an additional set of 74 accessions across different environments. An increase in the frequency of alleles associated with early flowering in cultivars released in recent years was also observed, suggesting the influence of molecular breeding strategies. In summary, this study enhances the understanding of the genetic regulation of HD and FD in bread wheat, offering valuable insights into crop improvement for enhanced adaptability and productivity under changing climatic conditions. These identified QTLs and associated markers have the potential to improve wheat breeding programs in developing climate-resilient varieties to ensure food security., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01422-z., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Aim: To explore the clinical and pathological characteristics of thirteen patients with orbital liposarcoma., Methods: The clinical history data of thirteen patients diagnosed as orbital liposarcoma at Beijing Tongren Hospital, from 2006 to 2021 were collected and analyzed. The data includes age, gender, affected orbital side, course of disease, status of disease (primary or recurrent), clinical manifestations, preoperative visual acuity, operative treatment, the relations between liposarcoma and surrounding tissue, longest diameter of liposarcoma, histological subtype, immunohistochemical indicators, follow-up treatment and prognosis., Results: The initial symptoms are diverse. Proptosis is the most frequent chief complaint and the others included vision loss, epiphora, diplopia, and eyelid palpable mass. Results of imaging examination [computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] showed orbital mass. In terms of treatment, 10 patients received tumor resection, and the mean longest diameter of the tumor was 3.39±1.36 cm. The other 3 patients had optic nerve invaded, so they received orbital exenteration. Pathological examination results confirmed the diagnose of liposarcoma for 13 patients. Six patients displayed as myxoid type, and three patients in each type of dedifferentiated and well-differentiated type. One patient was verified as pleomorphic, which was a rare type of liposarcoma. All of the patients showed Vimentin positive, and most showed CD34 and S-100 positive. Besides, four patients showed smooth muscle actin positive. All thirteen patients were alive., Conclusion: Orbital liposarcoma is a rare disease and it has no specific clinical manifestation. The diagnosis of liposarcoma should be considered when proptosis and orbital mass occurred in orbit. It is recommended to perform pathological examination to achieve early detection and early treatment., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Objective To explore the research status,hotspots,and development tendency of macrophage polarization (MP) in atherosclerosis (AS) by systematically reviewing and visually analyzing the articles published recently in this field,so as to provide new ideas for the basic research and translational research on MP in the prevention and treatment of AS.Methods SCI-Expanded was used as the data source for the retrieval of the articles involving MP in AS from 2012 to 2022.CiteSpace 6.1.R3 was employed to visualize the node information of the publishing country/region,institutions,authors,keywords,and citations.Results A total of 381 papers were included.The number of publications in the world showed an increasing trend year by year.China and the United States were leading this field in the number and centrality of publications,and Shandong University in China contributed the largest number of publications.The analysis of the key words and citations showed that the hotspots and frontiers in this field mainly included the pathogenesis of AS,MP markers,macrophage plasticity regulation,and potential therapeutic targets for AS.Conclusions The research on MP in AS was booming during 2012-2022.The differential gene expression and the molecular mechanism of targeted therapy of MP in AS are the research trends in this field,which will provide new measures for the prevention and treatment of AS.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of Banna miniature pig liver failure induced by amanita exitialis. Methods: From September to October 2020, a reverse high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was used to determine the toxin content of amanita exitialis solution, and 2.0 mg/kg amanita exitialis solution (α-amanitins+β-amanitins) was administered orally to Banna miniature pigs. Toxic symptoms, blood biochemical indexes and histopathological changes of liver, heart and kidney were observed at each time point. Results: All Banna miniature pigs died within 76 h of exposure, and different degrees of digestive tract symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appeared between 6 and 36 h. The biochemical indexes of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, myoglobin, creatine kinase isoenzyme, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine increased significantly at 52 h after exposure, and the differences were statistically significant compared with 0 h ( P <0.05). The bleeding of liver and heart was obvious under macroscopic and microscopic observation, hepatocyte necrosis, renal tubule epithelial cell swelling. Conclusion: Large dose of amanita exitialis can cause acute liver failure of Banna miniature pigs, which is in line with the pathophysiological characteristics of acute liver failure, and lays a foundation for further research on the toxic mechanism and detoxification drugs of amanita exitialis induced liver failure.

Objective: To explore risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and improve the under standing for reducing infection., Methods: Clinical data of 2 591 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 1 265 males and 1 326 females, aged from 25 to 82 years old with an average age of (51.5±15.6) years old. They were divided into infection group( n =18) and uninfected group( n =2 573) according to whether or not patients had postoperative infection. Gender, age, smoking, diabetes, body mass index, local closure within 1 month before operation, operation time, preventive use of antibiotics, and internal fixation implantation between two groups were recorded. Univariate Logistic regression analysis screened factors associated with infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Theresultswere entered into the multivariate logistic regression analysis, screening the high risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair., Results: In 2 591 patients, 18 patients were infected after operation, infection rate was 0.69%. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, operation time, antibiotic prophylaxis, internal fixation implantation were risk factors for infections after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed male( OR =14.227), age≥65 years( OR =34.313), operation time≥2 h ( OR =15.616), without antibiotic prophylaxis( OR =4.891), and internal fixation implantation( OR =5.103) were major risk factors for infection after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Male, age≥65 years, operation time≥2 h, without antibiotic prophylaxis and internal fixation implantation were independent risk factors for infection after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Early diagnosis and timely treatment should be carried out to reduce the incidence of infection.

MXenes with unique physicochemical properties have shown substantial potential in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, the chemical instability and mechanical fragility of MXenes has become a major hurdle for their application. Abundant strategies have been dedicated to improving the oxidation stability of colloidal solution or mechanical properties of films, which always come at the expense of electrical conductivity and chemical compatibility. Here, hydrogen bond (H-bond) and coordination bond are employed to achieve chemical and colloidal stability of MXenes (0.1 mg mL -1 ) by occupying the reaction sites of Ti 3 C 2 T x attacking of water and oxygen molecules. Compared to the Ti 3 C 2 T x , the Ti 3 C 2 T x modified with alanine via H-bond shows significantly improved oxidation stability (at room temperature over 35 days), while the Ti 3 C 2 T x modified with cysteine by synergy of H-bond and coordination bond can be maintained even after 120 days. Simulation and experimental results verify the formation of H-bond and Ti-S bond by a Lewis acid-base interaction between Ti 3 C 2 T x and cysteine. Furthermore, the synergy strategy significantly improves the mechanical strength of the assembled film (up to 78.1 ± 7.9 MPa), corresponding the increment of 203% compared to untreated one, almost without compromising the electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin with multiple toxic effects and has emerged as an important food pollutant. Microglia play a significant role in the toxicity of various neurotoxins. However, whether they participate in the neurotoxicity of T-2 toxin has not been reported. To clarify this point, an in vivo mouse model of T-2 toxin (4 mg/kg) poisoning was established. The results of Morris water maze and open-field showed that T-2 toxin induced learning and memory impairment and locomotor inhibition. Meanwhile, T-2 toxin induced microglial activation, while inhibiting microglia activation by minocycline (50 mg/kg) suppressed the toxic effect of the T-2 toxin. To further unveil the potential mechanisms involved in T-2 toxin-induced microglial activation, an in vitro model of T-2 toxin (0, 2.5, 5, 10 ng/mL) poisoning was established using BV-2 cells. Transcriptomic sequencing revealed lots of differentially expressed genes related to MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Western blotting results further confirmed that T-2 toxin (5 ng/mL) induced the activation of MAPKs and their downstream NF-κB. Moreover, the addition of inhibitors of NF-κB and MAPKs reversed the microglial activation induced by T-2 toxin. Overall, microglial activation may contribute a considerable role in T-2 toxin-induced behavioral abnormalities, which could be MAPK/NF-κB pathway dependent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To analyze and summarize the clinical and pathological features of ciliary body medulloepithelioma., Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 11 patients (11 eyes) who were diagnosed with ciliary body medulloepithelioma at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, from 2007 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The initial symptoms of 11 patients included vision loss (6 eyes), atrophia bulbi (1 eye), proptosis (2 eyes), and leukocoria (2 eyes). Most patients suffered with corneal opacity, anterior chamber flare and hyphema. Iris neovascularization and synechia, complicated cataract, and secondary glaucoma occurred in several cases. Three patients even had lens subluxation and retinal detachment. B-scan ultrasonography showed vitreous opacity and a medium-high uneven echo mass in the eyeball. Ultrasound biomicroscopy examination showed a spherical or hemispherical ciliary body mass with uneven internal echoes and irregular cystic spaces. All of the 11 patients were diagnosed with malignant ciliary body medulloepithelioma by pathological evidence. In this study, 6 patients had enucleation (2 patients had systemic chemotherapy after surgery), and the other 5 patients had local tumor resection (1 patient had plaque radiotherapy after surgery)., Conclusion: Ciliary body medulloepithelioma is a rare intraocular tumor and may be easily confused with retinoblastoma. Analyzing the clinical and pathological features of ciliary body medulloepithelioma is useful to further understand ciliary body medulloepithelioma, and can make an accurate diagnosis and better treatment., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Compared to C 3 species, C 4 plants showed higher photosynthetic capacity as well as water and nitrogen use efficiency due to the presence of the C 4 photosynthetic pathway. Previous studies have shown that all genes required for the C 4 photosynthetic pathway exist in the genomes of C 3 species and are expressed. In this study, the genes encoding six key C 4 photosynthetic pathway enzymes (β-CA, PEPC, ME, MDH, RbcS, and PPDK) in the genomes of five important gramineous crops (C 4 : maize, foxtail millet, and sorghum; C 3 : rice and wheat) were systematically identified and compared. Based on sequence characteristics and evolutionary relationships, their C 4 functional gene copies were distinguished from non-photosynthetic functional gene copies. Furthermore, multiple sequence alignment revealed important sites affecting the activities of PEPC and RbcS between the C 3 and C 4 species. Comparisons of expression characteristics confirmed that the expression patterns of non-photosynthetic gene copies were relatively conserved among species, while C 4 gene copies in C 4 species acquired new tissue expression patterns during evolution. Additionally, multiple sequence features that may affect C 4 gene expression and subcellular localization were found in the coding and promoter regions. Our work emphasized the diversity of the evolution of different genes in the C 4 photosynthetic pathway and confirmed that the specific high expression in the leaf and appropriate intracellular distribution were the keys to the evolution of C 4 photosynthesis. The results of this study will help determine the evolutionary mechanism of the C 4 photosynthetic pathway in Gramineae and provide references for the transformation of C 4 photosynthetic pathways in wheat, rice, and other major C 3 cereal crops., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chen, Yang, Zhao, Lu, Lu, Cui, Parry and Hu.)

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, and because of its specificity, its treatments appear tricky in postrhinoplasty infections with internal implants. This study summarizes the clinical characteristics and treatment of this type of infections to provide some reference for clinical work., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 10 patients who were diagnosed with a nasal infection of P. aeruginosa after implant nasal augmentation. The results of the bacterial culture and drug sensitivity test of the patients' wound secretions were summarized and analyzed. We summarized the characteristics of the patients' infection and the treatments, and we also summarized the patients' prognosis., Results: In these 10 cases, their implants included rib cartilage and ear cartilage alone, as well as their own cartilage combined with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and silicone. All patients developed wound infections within 1 month after rhinoplasty, with bacterial cultures of P. aeruginosa . Prolonged use of sensitive antibiotics, as well as wound dressing changes, failed to keep the infection well under control. Patients whose implant was removed and thoroughly debrided within 1 week of infection did not experience any serious complications. In patients who were infected for >1 week before surgery to remove the implants, complications such as nasal column necrosis and nasal contracture occurred, and later the nasal repair was performed after multiple surgeries., Conclusions: For bacterial infections in postrhinoplasty wounds with implants, we recommend early bacterial culture. If the infection is clearly P. aeruginosa , the implant should be removed and thoroughly debrided as soon as possible to avoid serious complications., Level of Evidence: Level IV., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Objective: To explore the effects of lutein on the adhesion, invasiveness and metastasis of human prostate cancer PC-3M cells and its action mechanism., Methods: We divided human prostate cancer PC-3M cells into a control, a low-dose lutein, a medium-dose lutein and a high-dose lutein group, and treated them with 0, 10, 20 and 40 μmol/L lutein, respectively. Then we examined the adhesion of the cells to matrix by cell adhesion assay and the changes in cell pseudopodia by Phalloidin staining, detected the expressions of paxillin, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, recombinant tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin by Western blot, determined the invasiveness and migration of the cells by scratch and Transwell assays, and observed their dynamic movement by high-intension imaging., Results: Compared with the control, the lutein intervention groups showed significant reduction in the number of the cells adhered to matrix, the number of cell pseudopodia, the expressions of paxillin, MMP-2, MMP-9, N-cadherin and vimentin, the rates of migration, invasion and metastasis, and the distances of displacement and movement of the cells. However, the expressions of TIMP-1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related E-cadherin were upregulated significantly., Conclusion: Lutein can inhibit cell adhesion, reduce the expressions of MMPs, and suppress cell invasion and migration by inhibiting the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Evidence of the short-term effects of ambient sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) exposure on the economic burden of ischemic stroke is limited. This study aimed to explore the association between short-term ambient SO 2 exposure and hospitalization costs for ischemic stroke in Chongqing, the most populous city in China. The hospital-based study included 7271 ischemic stroke inpatients. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate the association between SO 2 concentration and hospitalization costs. Propensity score matching was used to compare the patients' characteristics when exposed to SO 2 concentrations above and below 20 μg/m 3 . It is found that short-term SO 2 exposure was positively correlated with the hospitalization costs of ischemic stroke. The association was more evident in males, people younger than 65, and people hospitalized in the cool seasons. Besides, among the components of hospitalization costs, medicine costs were most significantly associated with SO 2 . More interesting, the lower concentration of SO 2 , the higher costs associated with 1 μg/m 3 SO 2 change. Above all, SO 2 was positively associated with hospitalization costs of ischemic stroke, even at its low levels. The measures to reduce the level of SO 2 can help reduce the burden of ischemic stroke., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Inflammatory responses play a critical role in the progress of neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-Exos is considered to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the treatment strategy for brain injury. However, the therapeutic effect and possible mechanism of Exosomal miR-210 on microglia polarization-induced neuroinflammation and neurite outgrowth have not been reported. MSC-Exos were isolated by ultracentrifugation, identified by Nanosight NS300, transmission electron microscopy, and western bolt. In vitro , to explore the protective mechanism of MSC-Exos against neuroinflammation, the microglial BV2 cell was exposed to lipopolysaccharide to assess inflammatory changes. The intake of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil)-MSC-Exos into microglia was observed by fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that Exosomal miR-210 treatment significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Exosomal miR-210 treatment also increased the number of M2 microglia cells and inhibited M1 microglia polarization. In addition, western blot demonstrated that Exosomal miR-210 reduced neuronal apoptosis. Thus, Exosomal miR-210 attenuated neuronal inflammation and promoted neurite outgrowth. Exosomal miR-210 from MSCs attenuated neuronal inflammation and contributed to neurogenesis possibly by inhibiting microglial M1 polarization., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.)

Previous researches have reported the association between air pollution and various diseases. However, few researches have investigated whether air pollutants are associated with the economic loss resulting from patients' hospitalization, especially the economic loss of hospitalization due to acute cardiovascular events. The purpose of our research was to explore the association between the levels of carbon monoxide (CO), taken as an index of pollution, and the hospitalization costs of myocardial infarction (MI), and the potential effect modification by the ABO blood group. A total of 3237 MI inpatients were included in this study. A multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between ambient CO levels and hospitalization costs of MI patients. Moreover, we performed stratified analyses by age, gender, body mass index (BMI), season, hypertension, and ABO blood types. There was a positive association between the levels of CO in the air and the costs of hospitalization caused by MI. Furthermore, such association was stronger in males, BMI ≥25, <65 years, with hypertension, and non-O blood group. Interestingly, we found the association was particularly significant in patients with blood group B. Overall, our study first found that ambient CO levels could have an impact on the hospitalization costs for MI patients, and those with blood group B can be more sensitive., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The healing of cutaneous wounds requires better strategies, which remain a challenge. Previous reports indicated that the therapeutic function of mesenchymal stem cells is mediated by exosomes. This work demonstrated the regenerative effects of engineered BMSCsderived Exosomal miR-542-3p in skin wound mouse models., Methods: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) -derived exosomes (BMSCs-Exos) were isolated by ultracentrifugation and identified by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). BMSCs-Exo was loaded with miRNA-542-3p by electroporation. We explored the effects of miRNA-542-3p-Exo on the proliferation and migration of Human Skin Fibroblasts (HSFs)/Human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs). In addition, The angiogenesis of HMECs was detected by Tube formation assay in vitro. The effects of miRNA-542-3p-Exo in the skin wound mouse model were detected by H&E staining, Masson staining, and immunofluorescence analysis. We assessed the effect of miRNA-542-3p-Exo on collagen deposition, new blood vessel formation, and wound remodeling in a skin wound mouse model., Results: MiRNA-542-3p-Exos could be internalized by HSFs/HMECs and enhance the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of HSFs/HMECs in vitro and in vivo. The protein expression of collagen1/3 was significantly increased after miRNA-542-3p-Exo treatment in HSFs. In addition, the local injection of miRNA-542-3p-Exo promoted cellular proliferation, collagen deposition, neovascularization, and accelerated wound closure., Conclusion: This study suggested that miRNA-542-3p-Exo can stimulate HSFs/HMECs function. The treatment of miRNA-542-3p-Exo in the skin wound mouse model significantly promotes wound repair. The therapeutic potential of miRNA-542-3p-Exo may be a future therapeutic strategy for cutaneous wound healing., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as a non-communicable disease imposes heavy disease burdens on society. Limited studies have been conducted to assess the effects of short-term air pollution exposure on T2DM, especially in Asian regions. Our research aimed to determine the association between short-term exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and outpatient visits for T2DM in Chongqing, the largest city in western China, based on the data collected from November 28, 2013 to December 31, 2019. A generalized additive model (GAM) was applied, and stratified analyses were performed to investigate the potential modifying effects by age, gender, and season. Meanwhile, the disease burden was revealed from attributable risk. Positive associations between short-term NO 2 and daily T2DM outpatient visits were observed. The strongest association was observed at lag 04, with per 10 μg/m 3 increase of NO 2 corresponded to increased T2DM outpatient visits at 1.57% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48%, 2.65%]. Stronger associations were presented in middle-aged group (35-64 years old), male group, and cool seasons (October to March). Moreover, there were 1.553% (8664.535 cases) of T2DM outpatient visits attributable to NO 2 . Middle-aged adults, males, and patients who visited in cool seasons suffered heavier burdens. Conclusively, short-term exposure to NO 2 was associated with increased outpatient visits for T2DM. Attention should be paid to the impact of NO 2 on the burden of T2DM, especially for those vulnerable groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder associated with high mortality and morbidity. Limited studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and AF attacks. This study aimed to explore the association between short-term ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) exposure and outpatient visits for AF in Xi'an, China. Data on daily AF outpatient visits and air pollutants from 2013 to 2019 (2555 days) were obtained. A time-series approach using over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model (GAM) was employed, and stratified analyses were performed to investigate the potential modifying effects by season, age, and gender. A total of 8307 outpatient visits for AF were recorded. Increased levels of NO 2 were associated with increased AF outpatient visits, and the most significant effect estimates were observed at lag 03: A 10 μg/m 3 increase of NO 2 at lag 03 was related to an elevation of 5.59% (95% CI: 2.67%, 8.51%) in daily outpatient visits for AF. Stratified analyses showed that there were no gender and age difference in the effect of NO 2 , while more obvious association was observed in cool seasons (October to March) than in warm seasons (April to September). In summary, short-term ambient NO 2 exposure can be positively associated with daily outpatient visits for AF, especially in cool seasons. This work provided novel data that the association between air pollutants and AF can vary by seasons, further supporting that the prevention of cardiovascular health effects should be strengthened in winter., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Many researches have reported the air pollution impacts, either long term or short term, on inflammatory skin diseases, but there are few studies on the relation between PM 2.5 and acne vulgaris. To determine the correlation between short-term PM 2.5 exposure and acne outpatient visits, data for 120,842 acne vulgaris outpatient visits between December 2013 and December 2019 were obtained from three large hospitals in Chongqing, China. Both single-pollutant models and two-pollutant models were established to explore the relationship between PM 2.5 exposure and acne outpatient visits. The stratified analyses were conducted through two-sample z-tests to investigate the possible gender (male or female) and age (< 25 years or ≥ 25 years) differences in PM 2.5 effects. The results demonstrated positive correlations between PM 2.5 concentrations and acne outpatient visits. A 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 concentration was associated with a 1.71% (95% CI: 1.06-2.36%) increase in acne outpatient visits at lag 0-7 day. Stratified analyses showed that PM 2.5 effects were greater in individuals aged ≥ 25 years than those aged < 25 years, but no gender difference was found. In conclusion, short-term PM 2.5 exposure was positively associated with the risk of acne outpatient visits, especially for people ≥ 25 years old., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Although myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) can evaluate microvascular perfusion abnormalities, its prognostic value is uncertain in acute anterior wall ST-Segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with successful epicardial recanalization. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the prognostic role of qualitative and quantitative MCE in acute anterior wall STEMI with successful epicardial recanalization. 153 STEMI patients were assessed by MCE within 7 days after successful epicardial recanalization. Qualitative perfusion parameters (microvascular perfusion score index, MPSI) and quantitative perfusion parameters (A, β, and Aβ) were acquired using a 17-segment model. And corrected A and Aβ were calculated. Patients were all followed for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). During median follow-up of 27 (4) months, 39 (25.49%) patients experienced MACEs, while 114 (74.51%) were free from MACEs. Patients with MACEs had higher MPSI (1.65 ± 0.13 vs. No-MACEs 1.35 ± 0.20, P < 0.001), lower β (1.09 ± 0.19 s -1 vs. No-MACEs 1.34 ± 0.30 s -1 , P < 0.001), corrected A (0.17 ± 0.03 dB vs. No-MACEs 0.19 ± 0.04 dB, P = 0.039) and lower corrected Aβ (0.19 ± 0.06 dB/s vs. No-MACEs 0.25 ± 0.08 dB/s, P < 0.001). MPSI of 1.44 provided an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.872, while β of 1.18 s -1 and corrected Aβ of 0.22 dB/s provided AUCs of 0.759 and 0.724, respectively. The combination of MPSI, β and corrected Aβ provided an increased AUC of 0.964 (all P < 0.05). Time-dependent ROC analysis showed that the AUCs of the MPSI, β, corrected Aβ and the combination at 1, 1.5 and 2 years indicated a strong predictive power for MACEs (AUC = 0.900/0.894/0.881 for MPSI, 0.648/0.704/0.732 for β, 0.674/0.686/0.722 for corrected Aβ, and 0.947/0.962/0.967 for the combination, respectively). Patients with MPSI < 1.44, β > 1.18 s -1 , or corrected Aβ > 0.22 dB/s had lower event rate (all Log Rank P ≤ 0.001). MPSI, β, corrected Aβ, GLS and WBC were independent predictors of MACEs with adjusted hazard ratio of 34.41 (8.18-144.87), P < 0.001 for MPSI; 39.29 (27.46-65.44), P < 0.001 for β; 8.93 (1.46-54.55), P = 0.018 for corrected Aβ; 10.88 (2.83-41.86), P = 0.001 for GLS; and 1.43 (1.16-1.75), P = 0.001 for WBC. Qualitative and quantitative MCE can accurately predict MACEs in acute anterior wall STEMI with successful epicardial recanalization, and their combined predictive value is higher., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Ambient carbon monoxide (CO) is associated with bronchitis morbidity, but there is no evidence concerning its correlation with hospitalization costs for bronchitis patients. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between short-term ambient CO exposure and hospitalization costs for bronchitis patients in Chongqing, China. Baseline data for 3162 hospitalized bronchitis patients from November 2013 to December 2019 were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the association, delayed and cumulative, between short-term CO exposure and hospitalization costs. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed by gender, age, season, and comorbidity. Positive association between CO and hospitalization costs for bronchitis patients was observed. The strongest association was observed at lag 015 days, with per 1 mg/m 3 increase of CO concentrations corresponded to 5834.40 Chinese Yuan (CNY) (95% CI: 2318.71, 9350.08; P < 0.001) (845.97 US dollars) increment in hospitalization costs. Stratified analysis results showed that the association was more obvious among those males, elderly, with comorbidities, and in warm seasons. More importantly, there was strongest correlation between CO and bronchitis patients with coronary heart disease. In summary, short-term exposure to ambient CO, even lower than Chinese and WHO standards, can be associated with increased hospitalization costs for bronchitis. Controlling CO exposure can be helpful to reduce medical burden associated with bronchitis patients. The results also suggest that when setting air quality standards and formulating preventive measures, susceptible subpopulations ought to be considered., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In order to find potential inhibitors of tyrosinase, two series of pyrrole derivatives A (1-17) and B (1-8) were synthesized and screened for their inhibitory activities on tyrosinase. Most of the 2-cyanopyrrole derivatives exhibited effective inhibitory activities. In particular, A12 exhibited the strongest inhibitory activities, with the IC 50 values of 0.97 μM, which is ∼30 times stronger than the reference inhibitor kojic acid (IC 50 : 28.72 μM). The inhibitory mechanism analysis results revealed that A12 was a reversible and mixed-type inhibitor. Molecular docking experiments clarified the interaction between A12 with tyrosinase. Furthermore, A12 (100 μM) presented effective inhibitory effect on tyrosinase in B16 melanoma cells with inhibition of 33.48%, which was equivalent to that of Kojic acid (39.81%). Accordingly, compound A12 may serve as the lead structure for the further design of potent tyrosinase inhibitors. Molecular docking studies confirmed the interaction between the compound and tyrosinase., Competing Interests: Author Y-SZ is employed by Guangzhou Yuming Biological Technology Co, LTD. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Hu, Gao, Zheng, Hu, Lin, Wu, Zhang, Zhou, Xiong and Zhu.)

Main Conclusion: Rht5 was narrowed to an approximately 1 Mb interval and had pleiotropic effects on plant height, spike length and grain size. TraesCS3B02G025600 was predicted as the possible candidate gene. Plant height is an important component related to plant architecture, lodging resistance, and yield performance. The utilization of dwarf genes has made great contributions to wheat breeding and production. In this study, two F 2 populations derived from the crosses of Jinmai47 and Ningchun45 with Marfed M were employed to identify the genetic region of reduce plant height 5 (Rht5), and their derived lines were used to evaluate its effects on plant height and main agronomic traits. Rht5 was fine-mapped between markers Kasp-25 and Kasp-23, in approximately 1 Mb region on chromosome 3BS, which harbored 17 high-confidence annotated genes based on the reference genome of Chinese Spring (IWGSC RefSeq v1.1). TraesCS3B02G025600 were predicted as the possible candidate gene based on its differential expression and sequence variation between dwarf and tall lines and parents. The results of phenotypic evaluation showed that Rht5 had pleiotropic effects on plant height, spike length, culm diameter, grain size and grain yield. The plant height of Rht5 dwarf lines was reduced by an average of 32.67% (32.53 cm) and 27.84% (33.62 cm) in the Jinmai47 and Ningchun45 population, respectively. While Rht5 showed significant and negative pleiotropic effects on culm diameter, aboveground biomass, grain yield, spike length, spikelet number, grain number per spike, grain size, grain weight and filling degree of basal second internode. The culm lodging resistance index (CLRI) of dwarf lines was significantly higher than that of tall lines in the two population. In conclusion, these results lay a foundation for understanding the dwarfing mechanism of Rht5., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Rht4 is characterized as a GA-responsive dwarf gene in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The responsiveness of Rht4 to exogenous GA 3 was characterized in seedlings, but the effects of exogenous GA 3 on the important morphological and agronomic traits such as plant height, grain-filling rate, and yield components are unclear. In this study, the Rht4 responsiveness of exogenous GA 3 on these traits was evaluated using the homozygous F 4:5 and F 5:6 lines derived from a cross between Jinmai47 and Burt ert937 (Rht4 donor). After exogenous GA 3 application, the plant height of the dwarf lines was, on average, increased by 17.54%, about 7.92% more than that of the tall lines. Compared with the tall lines, application of exogenous GA 3 significantly increased the kernel weight, maximum grain-filling rate (Gmax), average grain-filling rate (Gave) and kernel weight increment achieving Gmax (Wmax) in both superior and inferior grains, while the day on which the maximum grain-filling rate was reached (Tmax) in Rht4 dwarf lines was significantly earlier in the two generations. What is more, the grain number spike -1 , grain yield plant -1 , and 1000-kernel weight (TKW) of the dwarf lines notably increased after exogenous GA 3 -treatment, while there was no significant change in the tall lines except for TKW. The quality traits of the dwarf lines with GA 3 -treatment were greatly improved. Taken together, these results suggested that the application of GA 3 could improve the grain-filling process of Rht4 and compensate for some negative influences, which may provide a reference for its application in wheat breeding and promote the characterization of its regulatory mechanisms., (© 2022 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Objective: To investigate the incidence and related risk factors of healthy side fracture after hip fracture surgery in the elderly, so as to provide basis for the prevention of re-fracture., Methods: The data of 452 patients over 65 years old with femoral neck fracture or intertrochanteric fracture treated with hip arthroplasty or proximal femoral intramedullary nailing from June 2012 to June 2017 were analyzed, including 168 males and 284 females, the age ranged from 65 to 97(75.5±7.5) years. There were 191 cases of femoral neck fracture and 261 cases of femoral intertrochanteric fracture. According to whether there was a fracture in the healthy hip after operation, the patients were divided into fracture group and no fracture group. The gender, age, body mass index, fracture type, initial treatment method, bone mineral density, bed time, medical compliance, postoperative short-term delirium, whether there were medical diseases before injury and Harris score of hip joint in the final follow-up were recorded. Univariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen out the risk factors of healthy side fracture after operation, and then statistically significant risk factors were included in multi factor Logistic regression analysis to screen out the independent risk factors of healthy side fracture after operation of hip fracture in the elderly., Results: Among them, 42 of the 452 patients had hip fractures on the healthy side with an incidence of 9.3%. The average interval between the two fractures was (2.9±2.1) years. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in age, bone mineral density, medical compliance, short-term postoperative deliriun, pre-injury complicated with medical diseases and Harris score of hip joint in the final follow-up ( P <0.05). Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that age( OR =4.227), bone mineral density( OR =4.313), combined with medical diseases ( OR =5.616) and low hip Harris score at the final follow-up ( OR =3.891) were independent risk factors for healthy side fractures after hip fracture surgery in elderly( P <0.05)., Conclusion: The age, bone mineral density, combined with medical diseases and low Harris score of hip joint in the final follow-up are the main risk factors of healthy side fracture after hip fracture in the elderly. It is necessary to strengthen the treatment of medical diseases, anti osteoporosis and improve hip joint function within 3 years after operation, so as to prevent the occurrence of healthy side hip fracture.

Semi-dwarf and dwarf genes were widely used in wheat breeding for improving lodging resistant and increasing yield. Rht14 dwarf gene was identified and deployed in durum wheat, where it showed advantage on important agronomic potential. The reciprocal F 2 populations derived of Castelporziano (CP) and Langdon (L) were used for mapping of Rht14, which was located in intervals 4.8 cM and 10.38 cM by KASP (Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR) markers, respectively, where corresponding to 312-454 Mbp on chromosome 6A, and finally, it was mapped to the genomic region of 402 ~ 408 Mbp in Durum Wheat Svevo RefSeq Rel. 1.0 (i.e., 405 ~ 411 Mbp in Chinese Spring RefSeq v.1.0) using recombinants by indel markers. The expression of TdGA2oxA9 was higher in dwarf line than tall lines and the bioactive GA 1 was lower. No sequence difference was observed in the promoter and coding region of GA2oxA9 between the dwarf and tall parent, while obvious DNA methylation difference was found in its promoter. Two methylation-related genes with high confidence located in the candidate region and expressed differently between the tall and dwarf ones. This study proposed that Rht14 might regulate the expression of GA2oxA9 by DNA methylation in its promoter, which provided a way to clone Rht14 and to further investigate the mechanism behind., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper investigates the interphase effect on the macro nonlinear mechanical behavior of cement-based solidified sand mixture (CBSSM) using a finite element numerical simulation method. CBSSM is a multiphase composite whose main components are soil, cement, sand and water, often found in soft soil foundation reinforcement. The emergence of this composite material can reduce the cost of soft soil foundation reinforcement and weaken silt pollution. Simplifying the CBSSM into a three-phase structure can efficiently excavate the interphase effects, that is, the sand phase with higher strength, the cement-based solidified soil phase (CBSS) with moderate strength, and the interphase with weaker strength. The interphase between aggregate and CBSS in the mixture exhibits the weak properties due to high porosity but gets little attention. In order to clarify the mechanical relationship between interphase and CBSSM, a bilinear Cohesive Model (CM) was selected for the interphase, which can phenomenologically model damage behaviors such as damage nucleation, initiation and propagation. Firstly, carry out the unconfined compression experiments on the CBSSM with different artificial gradations and then gain the nonlinear stress-strain curves. Secondly, take the Monte Carlo method to establish the numerical models of CBSSM with different gradations, which can generate geometric models containing randomly distributed and non-overlapping sand aggregates in Python by code. Then, import the CBSSM geometric models into the finite element platform Abaqus and implement the same boundary conditions as the test. Fit experimental nonlinear stress-strain curves and verify the reliability of numerical models. Finally, analyze the interphase damage effect on the macroscopic mechanical properties of CBSSM by the most reliable numerical model. The results show that there is an obviously interphase effect on CBSSM mechanical behavior, and the interphase with greater strength and stiffness ensures the macro load capacity and service life of the CBSSM; a growth in the interphase number can also adversely affect the durability of CBSSM, which provides a favorable reference for the engineering practice.

Aim: To investigate the effects of on ocular surface microbiota in patients who received intravitreal injections., Methods: Samples of ocular surface microbiota were obtained from 41 eyes of 41 patients who visited the Department of Ophthalmology. Patients were separated for three groups. Group A did not receive perioperative managements or intravitreal injection. Group B1 received only once and B2 received more than twice. In operating room, the samples were collected on the ocular surface. Operating taxonomic units (OTUs) clustering and alpha/beta diversity analysis was performed. The microbial 16S rRNA from samples were analyzed using the HiSeq 2500 platform., Results: Alpha diversity did not differ in each group, and beta diversity differed in the B2 group. Beta diversity showed a significant difference between Group A and B2 ( P =0.048). With the perioperative managements before intravitreal injection, the composition and relative abundance were altered. Top 10 microbiota on phylum and genus level, and then microbiota notably changed at genus level were listed. Gram-negative bacteria were varied more. Furthermore, Proteus was not found in Groups A and B1, but it was appeared after the patients received perioperative management and intravitreal injections in Group B2., Conclusion: With the perioperative managements, the balance of microbiota on the ocular surface is destroyed, and relative composition and abundance of microbiota on the ocular surface is obviously altered. The clinical doctors should pay more attention on the consequence of perioperative managements before intravitreal injection., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Objectives: To study the association of the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy with congenital heart defects (CHD) in offspring, and to establish a model for predicting the probability of CHD based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy., Methods: Based on the prospective birth cohort study in Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital in 2010-2012, a nested case-control study was conducted for the follow-up observation of 14 359 pregnant women. Among the pregnant women, 97 pregnant women whose offspring were diagnosed with CHD during follow-up were enrolled as the CHD group, and 194 pregnant women whose offspring had no CHD were selected as the control group. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the levels of heavy metals and trace elements in maternal blood samples and fetal umbilical cord blood samples. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between heavy metal and trace elements and CHD in offspring. A nomogram model for predicting the probability of CHD in offspring was established based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy., Results: Compared with the control group, the CHD group had significantly higher levels of aluminum (Al), natrium (Na), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), stannum (Sn), stibium (Sb), barium (Ba), and thorium (Th) in maternal blood samples ( P <0.05), as well as significantly higher levels of Al, zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), kalium (K), Ca, Ti, chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), Se, Sr, argentum (Ag), cadmium (Cd), Sn, and plumbum (Pb) in umbilical cord blood ( P <0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increase in the Sb level in maternal blood was associated with the increase in the risk of CHD in offspring [adjusted odds ratio ( a OR )=4.81, 95% confidence interval ( CI) : 1.65-14.07, P =0.004], while in umbilical cord blood, the high levels of Al ( a OR =4.22, 95% CI : 1.35-13.16, P =0.013), Mg ( a OR =8.00, 95% CI : 1.52-42.08, P =0.014), and Pb ( a OR =3.82, 95% CI : 0.96-15.23, P =0.049) were significantly associated with the risk of CHD in offspring. The levels of Al, Th, and Sb in maternal blood and levels of Al, Mg, and Pb in umbilical cord blood were included in the predictive model for CHD in offspring based on the levels of heavy metals and trace elements during pregnancy, and the calibration curve of the nomogram predictive model was close to the ideal curve., Conclusions: Increases in the levels of Al, Th, Sb, Mg, and Pb during pregnancy may indicate the increase in the risk of CHD in offspring, and the nomogram predictive model based on these indices can be used to predict the probability of CHD in offspring.