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Ischemic stroke (IS) is a leading cause of adult disability that can severely compromise the quality of life for patients. Accurately predicting the IS functional outcome is crucial for precise risk stratification and effective therapeutic interventions. We developed a predictive model integrating genetic, environmental, and clinical factors using data from 7819 IS patients in the Third China National Stroke Registry. Employing an 80:20 split, we randomly divided the dataset into development and internal validation cohorts. The discrimination and calibration performance of models were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for discrimination and Brier score with calibration curve in the internal validation cohort. We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the development cohort, identifying rs11109607 (ANKS1B) as the most significant variant associated with IS functional outcome. We employed principal component analysis to reduce dimensionality on the top 100 significant variants identified by the GWAS, incorporating them as genetic factors in the predictive model. We employed a machine learning algorithm capable of identifying nonlinear relationships to establish predictive models for IS patient functional outcome. The optimal model was the XGBoost model, which outperformed the logistic regression model (AUC 0.818 versus 0.756, P  < .05) and significantly improved reclassification efficiency. Our study innovatively incorporated genetic, environmental, and clinical factors for predicting the IS functional outcome in East Asian populations, thereby offering novel insights into IS functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium, as an essential trace element, is intricately linked to the onset and progression of numerous diseases due to deficiencies in selenium intake. Selenium compounds exhibit tumor specificity and can efficiently inhibit the growth of tumor cells, making them potential candidates for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, given its status as one of the most widely consumed crops globally, increasing the selenium content in rice could prove advantageous in alleviating the prevailing issue of selenium intake deficiency, particularly in China. This review explored the regulatory role of selenium in rice growth, the regional distribution characteristics of soil selenium content in various rice-growing regions in China, and the impact of cultivation practices on selenium fortification in rice, aiming to suggest improved rice cultivation management strategies to enhance the capacity for rice selenium biofortification. The findings revealed that: (1) In Northeast and North China, characterized by alkaline soils and severe selenium deficiency, it is advisable to moderately decrease the duration of flooding, elevate the soil redox potential, and apply organic and nitrogen fertilizers in a judicious manner. (2) In Southwest China, which is characterized by acidic soils, alternating wet and dry irrigation should be employed, and the biofortification of selenium can be facilitated by applying lime and foliar spraying of selenium fertilizer. (3) In the south-central region of China, distinguished by acidic soils and double-cropped rice, it is recommended that intermittent or alternating wet and dry irrigation be employed, and the reasonable application of organic, silica, and selenium fertilizers is advocated. (4) In the northwest region, characterized by slightly alkaline soil and mild selenium deficiency, it is recommended to implement various water management practices, including shallow water during the seedling stage, deep water during the booting stage, and wet grain filling. Additionally, a rational application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, along with foliar application of selenium fertilizer, should be employed. (5) Cultivating selenium-enriched, high-yielding, and high-quality rice varieties proves to be an effective strategy in addressing selenium deficiency. In conclusion, the unique characteristics of diverse rice-growing regions in China indicate that suitable water management, fertilization techniques, and varietal selection practices can effectively enhance the selenium content in rice, thereby maximizing the nutritional requirements for selenium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of effective treatments for alleviating irreversible skeletal muscle atrophy caused by peripheral nerve dysfunction is a clinical problem. To identify therapeutic targets, signaling pathways in muscle cells activated by denervation have been explored, including the important roles of Cx43, a kind of protein that forms gap junctions, in other types of pathological process. The present study investigated the negative role of Cx43 in aggravated muscle cell degeneration following denervation. The blueberry extract was applied orally on mice models, and its protective effect against denervated skeletal muscle atrophy was found by wet weight measurement and tissue staining observation. Cx43/Akt pathway in denervated muscle cells was modulated by blueberry extract. In conclusion, the negative effects of Cx43 on denervated skeletal muscle atrophy were attenuated by blueberry extract by regulating the Akt pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We utilized data from the Third China National Stroke Registry to investigate the prevalence of atrial cardiopathy markers in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) and to assess their association with death and stroke recurrence. Methods: In China, patients experiencing transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke were recruited consecutively by the Third China National Stroke Registry. We compared atrial cardiopathy markers, such as left atrial (LA) enlargement, increased P-wave terminal force in lead V1 (PTFV1), premature atrial contractions, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, advanced interatrial block, prolonged PR interval, prolonged P-wave dispersion, and prolonged P-wave duration between ESUS patients and those with small vessel disease and large artery atherosclerosis strokes. The association between these markers and the recurrence of stroke as well as mortality risk in ESUS patients was evaluated using Cox regression analysis. Results: Of 8,528 ischemic stroke patients who underwent a standard diagnostic workup, 2,415 were identified as having ESUS. Multivariable analysis revealed a significant association between elevated PTFV1 and an increased risk of stroke recurrence (HR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.53–4.09; p < 0.01) as well as mortality (HR: 3.76; 95% CI: 1.58–8.91; p < 0.01) at 1 year in patients with ESUS. Furthermore, we observed that moderate-severe LA enlargement slightly increased the risk of stroke recurrence in patients with ESUS (HR: 1.95; 95% CI: 0.90–4.26; p = 0.09). Both LA diameter (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00–1.06; p = 0.03) and the top quartile of the LA diameter index (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.03–2.40; p = 0.04) were associated with stroke recurrence in patients with ESUS. Conclusions: PTFV1 was independently associated with an elevated risk of stroke recurrence and mortality in ESUS patients. Additionally, a trend toward a correlation between LA enlargement and high stroke recurrence risk after ESUS was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes polyethylene terephthalate (PET) aggregate of different particle sizes (21 μm, 107 μm, and 244 μm) to replace natural aggregate in the preparation of PET-modified engineered cementitious composite (P-ECC). The impact of PET aggregate particle size on the performance of P-ECC is examined herein from micro to macro levels. The focus is on the influence patterns and mechanisms of P-ECC's workability, its basic mechanical properties, and its microstructure. Crack parameters are processed to quantitatively analyze crack development patterns. Using microscopic techniques, the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between different aggregates and the cement matrix is compared, and the failure mechanism of P-ECC is analyzed. The results show that the incorporation of PET aggregate can improve P-ECC's workability and reduce its self-weight, but incorporation has a negative effect on compressive strength. Additionally, the particle size of PET aggregate significantly affects the uniaxial tensile performance of P-ECC. Compared to conventional ECC, the tensile strength of P-S (21 μm PET) increased the most markedly (18.1%), and the ultimate tensile strain of P-M (107 μm PET) increased the most markedly (66.0%), with both demonstrating good crack control and deformation energy dissipation capabilities. The uniaxial tensile performance of P-L (244 μm PET) was lower than that of the conventional ECC. Microscopic tests revealed that the increase in PET aggregate particle size enlarges the ITZ width and its surrounding pores. Appropriate pore enlargement is beneficial for enhancing tensile ductility, while excessive pores have a negative effect. The study results reveal the impact of PET aggregate particle size on the performance of P-ECC, providing new insights for the performance optimization of ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological compensation system also implements the concept of intergenerational equity. By actively exploring and perfecting the ecological compensation system, resource-based cities can carry out ecological restoration and restoration in time while developing oil and gas resources, so that the carrying capacity of ecological environment can support the benign development of social economy and environment in resource-based cities, which is of great significance not only to resource-based cities, but also to the sustainable development of the entire oil and gas resources industry. Taking ecological compensation as the breakthrough point, this paper points out the necessity of oil and gas resources tax system from the perspective of ecological compensation, and puts forward some ideas and suggestions, such as levying environmental protection tax, establishing the legal system of ecological compensation for oil and gas resources development, improving the integrity and rationality of oil and gas resources tax system and other guarantee mechanisms.