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[Introduction] Realizing peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060 have been identified as important strategic goals for fostering high-quality economic and social development in China. Carbon sink is one of the crucial approaches to achieving carbon neutrality. Effective carbon sink incentive policies are the guarantee for achieving "carbon neutrality". [Method] By sorting out the development of ecosystem carbon sinks both domestically and internationally, the main problems in the development of carbon sinks in China were revealed, and a comprehensive understanding of China's carbon sink projects was established. By studying the mechanism for carbon sink projects to participate in carbon market transactions, channels for reaping benefits were clarified. Furthermore, through comparative analysis and research on pilot experiences, relevant conclusions were drawn by analyzing specific issues. [Result] As shown by the results, the development of carbon sink projects in China is mainly focused on forestry carbon sink, involving fewer other carbon sink projects. With middle-and-short term as the main project cycle, the growth rate of project development has slowed down. There are mainly three problems faced by China's carbon sink development: (1) the limited variety of methodologies and more limitations for developing carbon sink; (2) the long development process and imperfect mechanism; (3) the insignificant incentive effect of the carbon market after development. [Conclusion] The research indicates that China's future work on ecosystem carbon sink still faces huge challenges. To promote the high-quality development of carbon sinks, it remains necessary to expedite the adjustment and upgrading of carbon sink support policies, increase investment in carbon sink technology, and actively develop the “carbon sink +” industry.

[Introduction] With the proposal of the "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" and the increasing scale of the carbon market, how to manage carbon assets and realize the preservation and appreciation of carbon assets has become an important issue facing the green and low-carbon development of large-scale energy enterprises. This paper summarizes and analyzes the situation faced by large-scale energy enterprises, the status quo of management mode and the construction method of management system, and puts forward relevant suggestions for large-scale energy enterprises in China on carbon asset management.[Method] This paper first analyzed the situation faced by energy enterprises under the background of the start of the national carbon market and the upcoming restart of the national certified voluntary emission reduction CCER, and then analyzed the cost difference between the current unified management mode and the decentralized management mode of enterprise carbon assets, and then put forward the principle of "four unification" of carbon asset management, the three-level system of "enterprise headquarters-carbon asset management company-control enterprise", and the five principles of "transaction risk control", an ecological chain of carbon asset management business was constructed by building a unified carbon asset information management platform for large energy enterprises, gradually deepening the three major business segments of data management and development, low-carbon analysis and consulting, market transactions and carbon finance.[Results] Through the analysis of the current situation, development status and policy requirements of energy enterprises, the optimization method of carbon asset management system and the future business development direction are clarified. [Conclusion] This paper summarizes the carbon asset management system and business structure of large energy enterprises under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. At present, there are still a series of problems brought by decentralized management in the management mode. It is necessary to gradually optimize the management from the top-level management, organization and implementation, capital guarantee, risk control management, talent guarantee, incentive assessment and other ways, so as to maximize the preservation and appreciation of carbon assets, and help the local region and even the whole country to carry out the "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" work smoothly.

Abstract Background Off-label intranasal administration of injectable dexmedetomidine has been widely applied in the pediatric sedation setting. However, the development of an improved drug delivery system that is easy to use is needed. We developed a novel dexmedetomidine nasal spray that can be administered directly without dilution or configuration for pediatric pre-anesthetic sedation. This nasal spray has a fixed dose and is stable during storage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first licensed nasal spray preparation of dexmedetomidine worldwide. Objective To evaluate the pre-anesthetic sedation efficacy and safety of the novel dexmedetomidine nasal spray in children. Methods The study was conducted at 11 sites in China between 24 November 2021 and 20 May 2022 and was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05111431, first registration date: 20/10/2021). Subjects (n = 159) between 2 and 6 years old who were to undergo elective surgery were randomized to the dexmedetomidine group (n = 107) or the placebo group (n = 52) in a 2:1 ratio. The dosage was 30 µg or 50 µg based on the stratified body weight. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of subjects who achieved the desired child-parent separation and Ramsay scale ≥ 3 within 45 min of administration. Safety was monitored via the assessments of adverse events, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation. Results The proportion of subjects achieving desired parental separation and Ramsay scale ≥ 3 within 45 min was significantly higher in the dexmedetomidine group (94.4%) vs the placebo group (32.0%) (P

Ten lettuce varieties (lines) grown in Chengdu Plain were used as test materials, and 8 post-harvest appearance quality indexes (single plant weight, single plant stem weight, single plant length, stem length, stem thickness, stem skin hardness, stem flesh hardness, and stem edible rate), as well as 7 nutrient quality indexes (water content, chlorophyll, vitamin C, reducing sugars, soluble proteins, cellulose, and free amino acids) were tested and statistically analyzed. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the postharvest quality of the tested varieties and select the excellent varieties. The results showed that the values of coefficient of variation among the tested varieties ranged from 0.45% to 50.64%, among which the coefficient of variation of lettuce variation (lines) of free amino acid content in fleshy stems was the largest, reaching 50.64%. The content of stem chlorophyll and soluble protein, leaf reducing sugar showed great differences with the values of coefficient of variation all greater than 30%. The appearance quality, commerciality, and nutrition quality all showed strong correlation among several indicators. The excellent fresh varieties for 3 stem ('Zuhe 2019135' 'Chuanlüxiang 1' and 'Hongjiansun 2') and 3 leaf ('Zhutongqing' 'Xincuizhu' and 'Zuhe 2019135') were selected, respectively. The postharvest quality characteristics of some main lettuce varieties cultivated in winter and spring in the vegetable production area of Chengdu Plain were further clarified in this study, which could provide reference for the selection of excellent fresh lettuce varieties in production.

Rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) is an exceptionally rare condition. This case report highlights a child diagnosed with ROHHAD syndrome, presenting with a mediastinal tumor. ROHHAD syndrome is characterized by early onset obesity, hypothalamic dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction, inadequate ventilation, suspected seizures, and abnormal behavior. The presence of a mediastinal tumor necessitated surgical intervention. Key considerations during surgery included hypernatremia due to hypothalamic dysfunction, potential airway challenges, preoperative anemia, and hemodynamic fluctuations during the removal of the sizable mediastinal tumor. Comprehensive preparations ensured a safe operation. Notably, some children with this syndrome may exhibit symptoms such as decreased gastrointestinal function, polyuria, and thermoregulatory disturbances. Vigilance is essential during anesthesia assessment in these patients. Anesthesiologists should enhance their knowledge of this condition and tailor their management strategies based on individual clinical presentations and the specific planned surgical procedures.

BackgroundAeromonas dhakensis is associated with soft tissue infection, bacteremia and gastroenteritis. Involvement of respiratory system in adults is extremely rare. We report a case of fulminant pneumonia and bacteremia due to A. dhakensis in a patient without underlying diseases.Case presentationA 26-year-old man became ill suddenly with pneumonia after swimming in a river. Despite intensive support measures in the intensive care unit, he died 13 hours after admission and 4 days after his first symptoms. Autopsy showed abundant Gram-negative bacteria, massive inflammatory cell infiltration, edema, necrosis and hemorrhage in lung tissue. A. dhakensis was isolated from blood culture taken at admission and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after intubation. Moreover, A. dhakensis was also detected in lung tissue by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) assay. The infection may have come from river water.ConclusionIn patients who develop a fulminant pneumonia after contacting an aquatic environment, A. dhakensis should be alerted and mNGS may aid in the detection of aquatic pathogens by being more sensitive and specific versus traditional bacterial culture.

Abstract Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone. Remodelin, an inhibitor of the N (4)-Acetylcytidine (ac4C) acetylation modifying enzyme N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10), has been shown to have therapeutic effects on cancer in several studies, and our previous studies have confirmed the inhibitory effect of Remodelin on OS cells, however, the mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. We used network pharmacological analysis to quantify the therapeutic targets of Remodelin against OS. acRIP-seq and RNA-seq were performed to investigate the inhibitory activity of Remodelin on acetylation and its effect on the transcriptome after intervening in OS cells U2OS with Remodelin in vitro. Key target genes were deduced based on their pharmacological properties, combined with network pharmacology results and sequencing results. Finally, the deduced target genes were validated with vitro experiments. Network pharmacological analysis showed that 2291 OS-related target genes and 369 Remodelin-related target genes were obtained, and 116 overlapping genes were identified as Remodelin targets for OS treatment. Sequencing results showed that a total of 13,736 statistically significant ac4C modification peaks were detected by acRIP-seq, including 6938 hypoacetylation modifications and 6798 hyperacetylation modifications. A total of 2350 statistically significant mRNAs were detected by RNA-seq, of which 830 were up-regulated and 1520 were down-regulated. Association analyses identified a total of 382 genes that were Hypoacetylated-down, consistent with inhibition of mRNA acetylation and expression by Remodelin. Five genes, CASP3, ESR2, FGFR2, IGF1 and MAPK1, were identified as key therapeutic targets of Remodelin against OS. Finally, in vitro experiments, CCK-8 and qRT-PCR demonstrated that Remodelin indeed inhibited the proliferation of OS cells and reduced the expression of three genes: ESR2, IGF1, and MAPK1. In conclusion, ESR2, IGF1 and MAPK1 were identified as key therapeutic targets of Remodelin against OS. This reveals the target of Remodelin's pharmacological action on OS and provides new ideas for the treatment of OS.

Green energy vehicles often use technologies that reduce lower inherent noise. However, adverse weather condition and low visibility at night can cause a glare effect from the headlights of oncoming cars. This poses a major threat to traffic safety. In order to solve this problem, this study initially adopts single frame difference for video frame selection, which reduces the computational load of image processing pipeline. Then, combined with visible and infrared images, this paper uses non-downsampled contourlet transform to achieve glare elimination. Finally, an improved convolutional network is used to detect pedestrians in anti-glare images, and volumetric Kalman filter algorithm is used to track pedestrians. Through these operations, the research establishes a Single-Frame Difference-Based Image Fusion Glare-Resistant Detection System applicable to green energy vehicles. The experimental analysis shows that the designed system can eliminate glare more than 80%, and the pedestrian detection accuracy reaches 95.44%. The constructed system aids green energy vehicles in accurately perceiving their surroundings during nighttime driving, ensuring safe travel.

Abstract The optimal treatment for acute intussusception has not yet been defined. In this study, we explored whether employing a liberal laparoscopic intervention for intussusception could lead to favorable outcomes. We performed a historical control analysis to evaluate the outcomes associated with this liberal surgical management protocol. This liberal surgical management protocol were revised to incorporate a new protocol centered around the laparoscopic approach. In some cases of acute intussusception, liberal laparoscopic exploration and intervention were undertaken without initial hydrostatic or pneumatic reduction. During the study interval, a retrospective review was conducted on a total of 3086 patients. These were categorized into two groups: 1338 cases before May 2019 (pre-protocol group) and 1748 cases after May 2019 (post-protocol group). Surgical intervention rates in the pre-protoco and post-protocol period were 10.2% and 27.4% respectively (odds ratio [OR] = 0.30 [95% CI 0.25–0.37]; p

Abstract In several filamentous fungi, incident light and environmental stress signaling share the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) HOG (SAK) pathway. It has been revealed that short‐term illumination with blue light triggers the activation of the HOG pathway in Trichoderma spp. In this study, we demonstrate the crucial role of the basic leucine zipper transcription factor ATF1 in blue light responses and signaling downstream of the MAPK HOG1 in Trichoderma guizhouense. The lack of ATF1 severely impaired photoconidiation and delayed vegetative growth and conidial germination. Upon blue light or H2O2 stimuli, HOG1 interacted with ATF1 in the nucleus. Genome‐wide transcriptome analyses revealed that 61.8% (509 out of 824) and 85.2% (702 out of 824) of blue light‐regulated genes depended on ATF1 and HOG1, respectively, of which 58.4% (481 out of 824) were regulated by both of them. Our results also show that blue light promoted conidial germination and HOG1 and ATF1 played opposite roles in controlling conidial germination in the dark. Additionally, the lack of ATF1 led to reduced oxidative stress resistance, probably because of the downregulation of catalase‐encoding genes. Overall, our results demonstrate that ATF1 is the downstream component of HOG1 and is responsible for blue light responses, conidial germination, vegetative growth, and oxidative stress resistance in T. guizhouense.

Improving crop water productivity (WP) in the face of drought conditions and optimizing water allocation for irrigated crops are critical steps toward mitigating the challenges associated with agricultural water use. To investigate the effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) at different growth stages on maize yield and WP, a 4-year field experiment was conducted on spring maize under film drip irrigation from 2016 to 2019 in an arid region of northwest China. RDI significantly reduced plant height, leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter accumulation (DM). Notably, the moderate RDI treatment, denoted as 65/80ET (before and after ''/'' represent the irrigation volume relative to fully irrigation in the late vegetative and reproductive growth stages, respectively), reduced crop water consumption. This reduction was accompanied by the maintenance of relatively high grain yield and a significant increase in the harvest index, thereby resulting in a marked improvement in WP. In summary, the results of this study indicate that the 65/80ET treatment can effectively stabilize yield while improving efficiency. As such, it can be considered a viable RDI strategy for achieving water-saving, yield stability and enhanced efficiency in maize production.

Light as a source of information regulates morphological and physiological processes of fungi, including development, primary and secondary metabolism, or the circadian rhythm. Light signaling in fungi depends on photoreceptors and downstream components that amplify the signal to govern the expression of an array of genes. Here, we investigated the effects of red and far-red light in the mycoparasite Trichoderma guizhouense on its mycoparasitic potential. We show that the invasion strategy of T. guizhouense depends on the attacked species and that red and far-red light increased aerial hyphal growth and led to faster overgrowth or invasion of the colonies. Molecular experiments and transcriptome analyses revealed that red and far-red light are sensed by phytochrome FPH1 and further transmitted by the downstream MAPK HOG pathway and the bZIP transcription factor ATF1. Overexpression of the red- and far-red light-induced fluffy gene fluG in the dark resulted in abundant aerial hyphae formation and thereby improvement of its antagonistic ability against phytopathogenic fungi. Hence, light-induced fluG expression is important for the mycoparasitic interaction. The increased aggressiveness of fluG-overexpressing strains was phenocopied by four random mutants obtained after UV mutagenesis. Therefore, aerial hyphae formation appears to be a trait for the antagonistic potential of T. guizhouense.

Bone defects induced by trauma, infection, and tumors present a significant challenge for treatment in clinical trials. Biomaterial-based tissue engineering strategy has shown great promise in bone defect repair. However, multiple functions inherent in the extracellular matrix (ECM) are rarely covered in the design of scaffold materials associated with bone grafting procedures. These deficiencies significantly limit its potential application in pathologic bone defect therapy. In this work, we constructed a hydrogel scaffold mimicking the dynamic features of ECM with the combination of antimicrobial and osteogenic capabilities as well, to investigate its applications in the therapy of infected radial defects. The hydrogel scaffold enables not only minimally invasive implantation but also adaptability and adhesion to irregular defect shapes. Both in vitro and in vivo assays have indicated that the hydrogel scaffold could rapidly eradicate bacteria, restore the infection-induced localized inflammatory microenvironment. Further loading osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) to recruit stem cells promotes osteogenic differentiation and ultimately enhances bone regeneration in the defect region. In summary, our work indicated that hydrogels with ECM-related inherent bioactivities and dynamic inner structures represent a feasible solution as a tissue bionic substitute for the therapy of infected bone defects.

Enhancing the spatial and temporal coordination between soil water and roots is very important for crop growth. The vertical distribution and relationship between soil water and root are however poorly understood during maize growth under different soil water conditions. In this study, two maize hybrids ZD958 and FM985 were treated with drip irrigation (DI), flood irrigation (FI), and rainfed (RF) in two–year field experiment as well as with irrigation at 0–30 (TI), 30–60 (MI), 60–90 (BI), 0–90 cm soil layers (AI) and no irrigation in three–year tube experiment. In field experiment, DI and FI both increased root dry weight, root length density (RLD), and the proportion of coarse root length at different soil layers relative to RF. DI increased grain yield by 10.0% in FM985 and by 10.8% in ZD958 compared with FI. Both total root and fine root length were greater in DI than in FI, which increased the nitrogen and water use efficiency and yield. In the tube experiment, irrigation at different soil layers increased root dry weight, RLD and the proportion of coarse root length compared with no irrigation, with AI increasing the most. FM985 distributed more roots at the 0–30 cm soil layer than ZD958. Grain yields were positively correlated with the RLD in each soil layer and coarse root proportion at the upper layer (r=0.493** in field experiment and r=426** in tube experiment) but negatively correlated with root–shoot ratio (r=−0.793** in field experiment and r=−670** in tube experiment) at maturity stage. In conclusion, there is a large potential to improve maize yield by enhancing the spatial coordination between root distribution and soil water movement.

Drought or/and salinity stress significantly impact maize water use and production. However, comprehensive investigations into the genotype × environment interactions (water or/and salinity) on maize growth, water use, and water productivity (WP) and the physiological controlling factors governing maize production remain lacking. In the present study, we rigorously investigated the effect of water or/and salinity on leaf physiological and morphological characteristics, evapotranspiration (ET), yield and its components (kernel number, KN; thousand kernel weight, TKW) for two genotypes (XY335 and ZD958) over two years, and revealed the mechanisms of yield response to these traits. We found that stomatal conductance (gs) and net photosynthesis rate (A), aboveground biomass (AGB), ET, and KN were higher in XY335 compared to those in ZD958 in both years. Water and salinity stress reduced gs, A, leaf area (LA), the fraction of canopy radiation interception (fPAR), AGB, ET, yield, and KN, while increasing intrinsic water use efficiency. Simultaneous water and salinity stress exhibited an antagonistic effect on WP. Yield was modulated by both ET and yield components. ET was mainly regulated by LA, and only KN was driven by A under salt-free condition. However, under salinity stress, ET was jointly regulated by gs and fPAR, and both gs and A affected KN and TKW. Importantly, a decrease in ET induced by stress did not always lead to yield reduction, provided the reduction remained below about 20% of the maximum value. Thus, mildly regulated deficit irrigation or adapting to low-concentration soil salinity stress was preferable for sustaining yield and improving WP. Nevertheless, a combination of both approaches diminished the water-saving benefits of individual farmland management practices. This study filled the knowledge gap regarding the physiological mechanisms of driving yield variations and offered valuable insights for effective crop water management in drought and soil-salinized regions.

Drought and soil salinization are threatening maize production in Northwest China, and climate change is exacerbating water shortages. The objective of this study is to explore the mechanisms underlying spring maize yield and water use efficiency under water deficit and salt stress, to coordinate water conservation and maize production. A three-year field trial was conducted with two water levels (full irrigation and deficit irrigation) and two salt levels (0.65‰ and 2‰) using two maize genotypes (ZD958 and XY335). Leaf area, leaf photosynthesis, dry matter accumulation, floret number, grain abortion, ear characteristics and water use efficiency were evaluated. Water, salt and their combined stress significantly decreased the grain yield by 7.3%, 20.5%, and 38.7%, respectively, 93.6% of which was explained by grain number depending on spikelet differentiation. Grain abortion was identified as the primary reason for maize yield reduction under water and salt stress. The reduction in total biomass, rather than biomass allocation suppressed spikelet differentiation under water and salt stress. Water or salt single stress improved water use efficiency (3.7%–17.5%) by reducing evaporation compared with no stress. Furthermore, water and salt combined stress significantly decreased maize productivity leading to reduction in water use efficiency. Taken together, reducing grain abortion to maintain grain number is the key to alleviate maize yield loss and improve water use efficiency under water and salt stress.

In this paper, we demonstrated an efficient degenerate middle infrared (mid-IR) ZGP-OPO that is pumped by an electro-optically Q-switched diode-pumped Tm:YAP laser. The Tm:YAP laser, operating at a repetition rate of 1 kHz, produced a peak pulse energy of 9.66 mJ at 1.94 μm and a minimum pulse width of 25 ns. Utilizing the Tm:YAP laser as the pump source, a peak average output power of 3.14 W at 3.88 μm was achieved in the degenerate ZGP-OPO with an incident Tm power of 9.4 W, resulting in a slope efficiency of 62.7% and an optical conversion efficiency of 33.4%. The minimum pulse width was measured at 21 ns, leading to a peak power of 149.5 kW. Additionally, the beam quality factor of the degenerate mid-IR ZGP-OPO was evaluated to be approximately 2.7 at the maximum output power level.

Abstract Background Hospital operation assistant (HOA) plays an important role in promoting the operation effectiveness and efficiency of hospital. China, as a resource-poor country, urgently needs to train HOA talent. The purpose of this study is to construct and validate a competency model for HOA, which can be used as a tool to select and train HOAs. Methods Basic competency items were first constructed through literature review combined with the job analysis of HOA. Then, a questionnaire survey conducted on more than 300 hospital operation management-related staff was used to assess the importance of competency items. Exploratory factor analysis, structural equation model and second-order confirmatory factor analysis were used to construct and validate the competency model of HOA. Results A total of 23 items were identified as critical to HOA capability, which were further divided into three factors: professional skills, professional knowledge and personality traits. The structural equation model showed that the standardized path coefficients of the three factors were 0.86, 0.82 and 0.98. The competency model passed strict fitting effect tests in several aspects, including root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.077 ( 0.900) and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.918 (> 0.900), which showed that the fitting validity of the model was ideal. The composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE) and correlation coefficients of all factors were within the standard range, which showed that the construction validity and discrimination validity of the model were ideal. Conclusion Our study indicates that the competency model of HOA is an instrument with appropriate fit validity, construct validity and discriminant validity, which can provide criteria for selecting and training HOAs.

Abstract Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the leading respiratory disorders, increasing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. In the study, we investigated the association between OSA and the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality in adults. Methods Participants were enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The baseline covariates were compared between participants with and without OSA status. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to explore the association between OSA and cardiometabolic diseases, while Cox proportional regression was performed for all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. Results OSA status was positively associated with higher risks of cardiometabolic diseases, including hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–1.45; p

Abstract Background It is believed that negative postoperative behavioral changes (NPOBC) is associated with negative perioperative outcomes in children. The importance of development of a predictive model of NPOBC was noted. This study aims to identify potential risk factors develop a nomogram to predict NPOBC on postoperative day 3 based on a prospective cohort. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted on children(American Society of Anesthesiologists I ~ III) aged 2 ~ 12 years who underwent selective surgery under general anesthesia between September 2022 and February 2023. The patient’s clinical data were analyzed. The method of measuring NPOBC is with the The Posthospital Behaviour Questionnaire (PHBQ), and all of children remained hospitalized at the time of assessment. The enrolled patients were categorized into the NPOBC group and the non-NPOBC group according to if children developed NPOBC on postoperative day 3. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors and develop the nomogram to predict NPOBC. Internal validation was performed using the parametric bootstrapping method. Results One hundred ninety-two patients were enrolled in the study, 44.8% (86/192 patients) of children developed NPOBC on postoperative day 3. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the Pediatric Anesthesia Behavior (PAB) score (OR: 1.23, 95%CI: 1.14–1.33), cerebral desaturation (OR: 1.16, 95%CI: 1.02–1.32), and postoperative pain score (OR: 1.07, 95%CI: 1.02–1.13) were independent predictors for NPOBC on postoperative day 3 (P

BackgroundAnxiety disorder is a significant concern in the context of mental health among university students. This study aimed to examine the impact of subjective exercise experience on anxiety disorder in freshmen and verify the mediating role of self-efficacy and interpersonal relationships between them.MethodsA total of 1,308 Chinese freshmen underwent an investigation using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Interpersonal Relationship Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale (IRIDS).ResultsThe outcomes of this study are as follows: (1) Boys exhibited marginally greater performance in physical activity assessments compared to girls while displaying somewhat lower scores than girls in measures of anxiety disorders, self-efficacy, and interpersonal relationship tests. Of these, 63.39% were diagnosed with mild anxiety, 51.73% were diagnosed with moderate anxiety, and 10% were diagnosed with severe anxiety; (2) The subjective exercise experience had a significant negative correlation with an anxiety disorder (r = −0.36, p

Objective: To investigate and analyse the quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing maintenance haemodialysis (MHD), explore influencing factors and provide a basis for formulating corresponding intervention measures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 190 patients with CKD undergoing MHD in hospital between March 2021 and March 2022. A general information questionnaire and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form were used to collect data. The QoL scores of patients with CKD undergoing MHD were calculated and compared by t-test and analysis of variance. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyse the correlation between QoL scores and related factors. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to screen the influencing factors of QoL. Results: The total score of QoL of patients with CKD undergoing MHD was 59.32 ± 11.67, and the scores of physical component summary, mental component summary and kidney disease component summary were 50.21 ± 9.32, 48.76 ± 10.81 and 66.34 ± 12.76, respectively. The QoL scores of patients with CKD undergoing MHD were significantly different in age, education level, marital status, employment status, monthly income, dialysis frequency, dialysis duration and complications (p

ObjectiveDisruption in the delicate symphony of genes, microRNA (miRNA), or protein expression can result in the dysregulation of the immune system, leading to the devastating consequences such as lupus nephritis (LN). The capacity of exosomes to transport miRNAs between cells and modify the phenotype of recipient cells implies their involvement in persistent kidney inflammation. This study unveils identifying two previously undiscovered exosomal miRNAs in the serum of LN patients, offering potential solutions to the current challenges in LN diagnosis and management.MethodsInitially, we used a reagent-based kit to isolate serum exosomes from patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and used Trizol method for total RNA extraction. Subsequently, we employed small RNA sequencing to screen for differential expression profiles of exosomal small RNAs. The RT-qPCR method was used to individually validate samples in both the screening and validation cohorts, enabling the identification of candidate small RNAs; specific to LN. We assessed the diagnostic potency using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and explored the biological roles of miRNAs using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses.ResultsCompared to SLE patients without LN, SLE patients accompanied by LN exhibited significantly spiked levels of exosomal hsa-miR-4796-5p and hsa-miR-7974. The duo of miRNAs, hsa-miR-4796-5p and hsa-miR-7974, exhibited promising potential as biomarkers for diagnosing LN, with an AUC exceeding 0.8. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive association between these miRNAs and proteinuria, as well as the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score. Moreover, the levels of two miRNAs in LN patients were significantly elevated in comparison to other autoimmune nephritis conditions, such as immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Furthermore, the bioinformatics analysis indicated that this miRNAs duo can play a pivotal role in the regulation of immune processes by modulating signal pathways, such as the mTOR and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.ConclusionThis study provides a new ground that serum exosomal miRNAs can effectively identify and predict LN in SLE patients.

Abstract Aim The aims of the study were to analyse the current situation of health literacy (HL), self‐management and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), to explore the correlation between the three and to verify the mediating role of self‐management in HL and HRQOL. Design A cross‐sectional survey. Methods The convenience sampling method was used to select 401 DPN patients attending the First Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University in Liaoning Province, China, from December 2020 to December 2021 as the study population. The research instrument included socio‐demographic characteristics questionnaire, Health Literacy Management Scale (HeLMS), Summary of Diabetes Self‐Care Activities (SDSCA) and Short‐Form 12‐item Health Survey (SF‐12). SPSS 25.0 was applied to the data for descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and stratified multiple regression analysis. Mediating effects were tested using SPSS PROCESS macro 4.0 software. Results HL and self‐management of DPN patients correlated positively with HRQOL. The mediation role of self‐management was significant in the relationship between HL and physical and mental HRQOL (physical component summary: β = 0.26, P

BackgroundVentricular lead implantation is relatively difficult for patients with bradyarrhythmia after tricuspid valve replacement. Right atrial (RA) abnormalities often occurred in patients with tricuspid valve disease; conventional coronary sinus (CS) lead implantation is not easy to operate. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a safe method for implanting LV endocardial leads in patients after tricuspid valve replacement.Case presentationA 76-year-old Asian woman who had been implanted with a metal tricuspid valve replacement 4 years ago was admitted to the Department of Cardiology for pacemaker implantation due to transient blackout related to persistent atrial fibrillation with long pauses. The patient's family rejected the surgical placement of an epicardial LV lead. Therefore, we first intended to operate LV lead implantation through the CS; however, the orifice of the CS was virtually difficult to seek. Ultimately, we utilized total 3-dimensional (T3D) transseptal puncture (TSP) under the guidance of the CARTO 3 system; thus, we implanted the LV endocardial lead, which contributed to the accurate puncture of the central fossa ovalis and ensured the safety of TSP in the case of RA enlargement. Meanwhile, the CARTO 3 system contributed to the localization of the LV lead to the LV free wall during implantation. All the intraoperative and postoperative pacemaker parameters were favorable; no intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred.ConclusionsThis case report may provide a novel surgical approach for LV lead implantation in patients who underwent tricuspid valve replacement or patients who may benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy but failed to implant CS lead.

The synergy between radiotherapy and immunotherapy in treating thoracic cancers presents a potent therapeutic advantage, yet it also carries potential risks. The extent and nature of cumulative cardiac toxicity remain uncertain, prompting the need to discern its mechanisms and devise effective mitigation strategies. Radiation alone or in combination with an anti- Programmed cell death protein1 (PD-1) antibody significantly reduced cardiac function in C57BL/6J mice, and this pathologic effect was aggravated by anti-PD-1 (anti-PD-1 + radiation). To examine the cellular mechanism that causes the detrimental effect of anti-PD-1 upon cardiac function after radiation, AC16 human cardiomyocytes were used to study cardiac apoptosis and cardiac autophagy. Radiation-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis was significantly promoted by anti-PD-1 treatment, while anti-PD-1 combined radiation administration blocked the cardiac autophagic flux. Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) (a molecule that promotes lysosomal acidification) not only improved autophagic flux in AC16 human cardiomyocytes, but also attenuated apoptosis induced by radiation and anti-PD-1 treatment. Finally, ATP administration in vivo significantly reduced radiation-induced and anti-PD-1-exacerbated cardiac dysfunction. We demonstrated for the first time that anti-PD-1 can aggravate radiation-induced cardiac dysfunction via promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis without affecting radiation-arrested autophagic flux. ATP enhanced cardiomyocyte autophagic flux and inhibited apoptosis, improving cardiac function in anti-PD-1/radiation combination-treated animals.

In the sandy land ecosystem with water shortage, soil moisture is the main controlling factor for vegetation restoration and water resources management. Therefore, a correct understanding of the distribution characteristics and spatial-temporal variation of soil moisture in the sandy land is the basis for promoting the sustainable development of sandy land water resources. The Mu Us desert is taken as the study area, in-situ experimental observations, classical statistical analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis methods are used to reveal the spatial and temporal changes of soil profile moisture with or without vegetation cover, and the effect of plant growth on soil water distribution are discussed in this paper. The results show that in the non-freezing period of 2016, when the groundwater depth was relatively shallow, the average soil moisture content increased with the increasing soil depth under the bare land and vegetation coverage. The soil layer of 0−350 cm thick can be divided into the climate-influencing layer, transition layer and groundwater-influencing layer. The average moisture content of the bare soil profile is 23.59%, and the coefficient of variation is 4.25%, which belongs to weak variation. The profile moisture content increased significantly during the observation period, and the rate of increase reached the maximum when the heavy rainfall event occurred in mid-August. The average moisture content of the soil profile under the vegetation cover is 17.74%, and the coefficient of variation is 15.61%, which is a medium variation. The water content of the profile dropped significantly during the observation period, and it dropeds the fastest in August after the Salix matures. At the vertical depth, the influence of vegetation on the soil profile moisture content approximates a Gaussian curve, and has the greatest influence on the moisture content of the transition layer, accounting for more than 50% of the total influence. The impact on climate-influencing layer and groundwater-influencing layer is relatively small. As plants grow, the relative influence on the climate-influencing layer gradually weakens, and the relative influence on the groundwater-influencing layer gradually increases. The research results can provide references for the rational regulation of water resources in the semi-arid Mu Us Sandy Land and the stable development of the sandy land ecosystem.

To discover novel antioxidants and anticoagulants for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases remains ongoing concern. Sagittaria trifolia is a commonly consumed aquatic vegetable with highly nutritious value and wide planting area in China. Polysaccharides are the major bioactive constituents, but little information is available on anticoagulant potential. In this work, a polysaccharide from S. trifolia (PST) was modified by sulfation to produce four sulfated derivatives (SPST-1 ∼ 4), and their antioxidant and anticoagulant potentials were evaluated. Various means of analysis confirmed the success of sulfation on PST. The unmodified PST possessed notable antioxidant and pro-coagulant activities. To some extent, sulfated modification reduced the antioxidant capacity of PST with the increase of degree of substitution (DS), but for the derivative SPST-4 with moderate DS and smallest molecular weight (MW) exerted better antioxidant activity, in particular of scavenging nitrogen-containing radicals. Interestingly, sulfation reversed the innate activity of PST from pro-coagulation to anticoagulation, which highly depended on DS. The derivative SPST-3 with highest DS and moderate MW elicited promising anticoagulant potential, particularly at concentration of 5.00 mg/mL, which was superior to that of heparin (positive control) in the aspect of prolonging thrombin time and prothrombin time. Herein, the present contribution would give evidence that PST and sulfated derivatives SPST-3 and SPST-4 own potentials to be developed as hemostatic, anticoagulant, and antioxidant candidates, respectively.

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects about 7 million people globally, which is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract caused by gut microbiota alterations, immune dysregulation, genetic and environmental factors. Nanoparticles (NPs) deliver an active natural compound to a site harbored by disordered microbiota, they are used to interact, target and act intentionally on microbiota. Although there is accumulating evidence indicating that berberine and polysaccharide play an important role in IBD via regulating microbiota, there is limited research that presents a complete picture of exactly how their carrier-free co-assembled nanodrug affects IBD.Methods: The study establishes the carrier-free NPs formed by berberine and rhubarb polysaccharide based on the combination theory of Rheum palmatum L. and Coptis chinensis Franch., and characterizes the NPs. The IBD treatment efficacy of NPs are evaluated via IBD efficacy index, and explore the mechanism of NPs via 16S rRNA test and immunohistochemistry including occludin and zonula occludens-1.Results: The results showed that DHP and BBR were co-assembled to nanoparticles, and the BD can effectively relieve the symptoms of UC mouse induced by DSS via regulating gut microbiota and repair the gut barrier integrity, because BD have a longer retention on the colon tissue and react with the microbiota and mucus thoroughly. Interestingly, BD can enrich more probiotic than free BBR and DHP.Discussion: This design provides a better strategy and encourages future studies on IBD treatment via regulating gut microbiota and the design of novel plant polysaccharide based carrier-free co-assembly therapies.

Objective: N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) acetylation can promote target gene expression through improved mRNA stability. To explore the role of ac4C acetylation in osteosarcoma, U2OS and MG63 cell lines were treated with the N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) inhibitor Remodelin. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to test the gene and protein expression efficiency. Methods: The proliferation rate of osteosarcoma cells was measured by a cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay. The cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. The invasiveness of osteosarcoma cells was detected by a transwell invasion assay. The ac4C acetylation of target genes was screened by acetylated RNA immunoprecipitation and sequencing (acRIP-seq). Results: We found that when osteosarcoma cells were treated with Remodelin at the optimal concentration, their NAT10 expression and the cell proliferation was inhibited, the cells in the G1 phase increased (P

Wavefront shaping using digital micromirror devices (DMDs) allows inertia-free focus manipulation with numerous modulation modes and high refresh rates. However, the aberration caused by the curvature of DMDs affects the focusing performance. Here, we propose an aberration self-calibration method based on separable natural evolution strategies. This method searches optimal Zernike coefficients of aberration globally and completes compensation using super-pixel encoding. Compared to the genetic algorithm method, we improve the speed by 62% and achieve better-focused spots. The method enables simultaneous scanning of 25 independent focal spots. This advancement supports wavefront-shaping applications in optical imaging, industrial inspection, and laser processing.

Conventional X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy usually requires heavy-metal-containing inorganic scintillators and organic photosensitizers to generate singlet oxygen. Here, the authors develop an organic phosphorescent nanoscintillator for low-dose X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy of deep tumours.

Kynurenine, a tryptophan metabolite, is increased in the circulating plasma of obese individuals, but the source has been unclear. Here, the authors show in mice that mature adipocytes produce kynurenine, with vitamin B6 administration preventing accumulation and protecting against high-fat diet.

Cu1In2Zr4-O-C catalysts with Cu2In alloy structure were prepared by using the sol–gel method. Cu1In2Zr4-O-PC and Cu1In2Zr4-O-CP catalysts were obtained from plasma-modified Cu1In2Zr4-O-C before and after calcination, respectively. Under the conditions of reaction temperature 270°C, reaction pressure 2 MPa, CO2/H2 = 1/3, and GHSV = 12,000 mL/(g h), Cu1In2Zr4-O-PC catalyst has a high CO2 conversion of 13.3%, methanol selectivity of 74.3%, and CH3OH space-time yield of 3.26 mmol/gcat/h. The characterization results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and temperature-programmed reduction chemisorption (H2-TPR) showed that the plasma-modified catalyst had a low crystallinity, small particle size, good dispersion, and excellent reduction performance, leading to a better activity and selectivity. Through plasma modification, the strong interaction between Cu and In in Cu1In2Zr4-O-CP catalyst, the shift of Cu 2p orbital binding energy to a lower position, and the decrease in reduction temperature all indicate that the reduction ability of Cu1In2Zr4-O-CP catalyst is enhanced, and the CO2 hydrogenation activity is improved.

Considerable developments have been observed in fragment-based lead/drug discovery (FBLD/FBDD) recently, with four drugs approved and many others under investigation. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has gained increasing popularity in FBLD due to its intrinsic capability in characterizing protein-ligand interactions in a large dynamic range of affinity, from weak hits to highly potent drugs. Here, we summarize NMR applications in fragment-based hit-to-lead evolution, including the construction of a fragment library, screening methods, spectra processing, and the delineation of the protein-ligand binding modes. These state-of-the-art NMR techniques have been exemplified in the discovery of inhibitors against multiple targets over the past five years, and they are expected to continue to provide new insights in the future.

Abstract Background Good’s syndrome (GS) is characterized by immunodeficiency, and patients diagnosed with GS are susceptible to infection or even bacteremia, which is the most evident complication. Campylobacter coli (C. coli) rarely causes bacteremia or extraintestinal infection. We report herein a case with GS in which right leg cellulitis associated with C. coli bacteremia occurred three times over one and a half years. Case presentation A 41-year-old Chinese male with GS was diagnosed with C. coli infection. He presented with swelling and redness of right lower leg and developed bacteremia due to C. coli repeatedly. Bacteremia was confirmed by bacteriological examination. Adding long-term oral antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and gentamicin following intravenous meropenem and amikacin was very effective. The blood cultures became negative and the patient has been free from any symptoms encountered for more than one year without relapse of bacteremia. Conclusions Patients with GS and their physicians should carefully consider the antibacterial treatment options against C. coli bacteremia. Combined anti-infective therapy involving aminoglycoside is preferred in the treatment of C. coli bacteremia in GS patients.

Small-molecule photothermal agents (PTAs) with intense second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1,000 to 1,700 nm) absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiencies (PCEs) are promising candidates for treating deep-seated tumors such as osteosarcoma. To date, the development of small-molecule NIR-II PTAs has largely relied on fabricating donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D/D′) structures and limited success has been achieved. Herein, through acceptor engineering, a donor–acceptor–acceptor (D–A–A′)-structured NIR-II aza-boron-dipyrromethene (aza-BODIPY) PTA (SW8) was readily developed for the 1,064-nm laser-mediated phototheranostic treatment of osteosarcoma. Changing the donor groups to acceptor groups produced remarkable red-shifts of absorption maximums from first near-infrared (NIR-I) regions (~808 nm) to NIR-II ones (~1,064 nm) for aza-BODIPYs (SW1 to SW8). Furthermore, SW8 self-assembled into nanoparticles (SW8@NPs) with intense NIR-II absorption and an ultrahigh PCE (75%, 1,064 nm). This ultrahigh PCE primarily originated from an additional nonradiative decay pathway, which showed a 100-fold enhanced decay rate compared to that shown by conventional pathways such as internal conversion and vibrational relaxation. Eventually, SW8@NPs performed highly efficient 1,064-nm laser-mediated NIR-II photothermal therapy of osteosarcoma via concurrent apoptosis and pyroptosis. This work not only illustrates a remote approach for treating deep-seated tumors with high spatiotemporal control but also provides a new strategy for building high-performance small-molecule NIR-II PTAs.

BackgroundContact force (CF) and related parameters have been evaluated as an effective guide mark for pulmonary vein isolation, yet not for linear ablation of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) dependent atrial flutter (AFL). We thus studied the efficacy and safety of CF related parameter-guided ablation for CTI-AFL.MethodsSystematic search was performed on databases involving PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science (through June 2022). Original articles comparing CF related parameter-guided ablation and conventional parameter-guided ablation for CTI-AFL were included. One-by-one elimination, subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used for heterogeneity test between studies.ResultsTen studies reporting on 761 patients were identified after screening with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Radiofrequency (RF) duration was significantly shorter in CF related parameter-guided group (p = 0.01), while procedural time (p = 0.13) and fluoroscopy time (p = 0.07) were no significant difference between two groups. CF related parameter-guided group had less RF lesions (p = 0.0003) and greater CF of catheter-tissue (p = 0.0002). Touch-up needed after first ablation line was less in CF related parameter-guided group (p = 0.004). In addition, there were no statistical significance between two groups on acute conduction recovery rates (p = 0.25), recurrence rates (p = 0.92), and complication rates (p = 0.80). Meta-regression analysis revealed no specific covariate as an influencing factor for above results (p > 0.10).ConclusionCF related parameters guidance improves the efficiency of CTI ablation, with the better catheter-tissue contact, the lower RF duration and the comparable safety as compared with conventional method, but does not improve the acute success rate and long-term outcome.

We present a fluorescent microscopic method using an ultra-pH-sensitive polymeric probe to rapidly map within subsecond the pH distribution resulting from oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysed by an array of platinum nanoparticles. Upon voltammetry of the surface-supported Pt catalysts, fluorescent quenching waves are observed to depend on the electrode potential. The spatiotemporal fluorescent evolution is then confirmed under a constant potential control to be due to the local pH change as a function of diffusing time by an estimation of the proton diffusion coefficient (Lαt1/2). On these bases, the fluorescent measurements at short reaction times can provide quantitative information regarding the one and two dimensional pH distributions, which are shown to exhibit the expected shape of a typical diffusion-driven concentration gradient. Such imaging of proton/pH profiles may find important applications such as efficient screening of different micro/nanoscale electrocatalysts.

Two new species of wood wasps (Anaxyelidae), Orthosyntexis elegans gen. et sp. nov. and Orthosyntexis thanti sp. nov., are described from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Orthosyntexis gen. nov. exhibits characters and character combinations unique to the family, such as the combination of two mesotibial spurs, a length ratio of forewing 1Rs to 1M

Abstract Background Both gastric adenocarcinoma with primitive enterocyte phenotype (GAPEP) (including hepatoid adenocarcinoma) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric adenocarcinoma have poor prognoses. However, the value of the serum AFP test and AFP/glypican-3 (GPC3)/spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4) immunohistochemistry is still not clear, and these two methods have not yet been thoroughly compared. Methods We collected 421 consecutive non-neoadjuvant surgically or endoscopically resected gastric adenocarcinoma patients with serum AFP results before surgery (group A). We divided these cases into serum AFP-high (sAFP-H) and serum AFP-normal (sAFP-N) by serum AFP levels, and into GAPEP (expressing AFP, GPC3, or SALL4) and non-GAPEP (nGAPEP) by AFP/GPC3/SALL4 immunohistochemistry results. We also collected 12 non-resected gastric adenocarcinoma patients with serum AFP ≥ 7 ng/mL before treatment (group B). We analyzed these patients’ clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses. Results Seventeen (4.04%) patients in group A were sAFP-H. These patients were younger and mainly had tubular adenocarcinoma with later pT (P = 0.014) and pN (P = 0.047) categories and more lymphovascular invasion (P 1000 ng/mL) had simultaneous metastases, mainly liver metastases. Both the serological method and immunohistochemical method were useful for predicting prognosis (AUC sAFP = 0.625, AUC A/G/S-IHC = 0.723, z statistic = 1.726, P = 0.084). The serum AFP level (especially > 1000 ng/mL) is more specific (100%), and immunohistochemistry is more sensitive (50%). Conclusion Both the serum AFP level and immunohistochemical expression of AFP/GPC3/SALL4 can be used to indicate a poor prognosis for gastric adenocarcinoma.

ABSTRACT Contamination of food and feed with toxin-producing fungi is a major threat in agriculture and for human health. The filamentous fungus Alternaria alternata is one of the most widespread postharvest contaminants and a weak plant pathogen. It produces a large variety of secondary metabolites with alternariol and its derivatives as characteristic mycotoxin. Other important phyto- and mycotoxins are perylene quinones (PQs), some of which have anticancer properties. Here, we discovered that the PQ altertoxin (ATX) biosynthesis shares most enzymes with the 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (1,8-DHN) melanin pathway. However, melanin was formed in aerial hyphae and spores, and ATXs were synthesized in substrate hyphae. This spatial separation is achieved through the promiscuity of a polyketide synthase, presumably producing a pentaketide (T4HN), a hexaketide (AT4HN), and a heptaketide (YWA1) as products. T4HN directly enters the altertoxin and DHN melanin pathway, whereas AT4HN and YWA1 can be converted only in aerial hyphae, which probably leads to a higher T4HN concentration, favoring 1,8-DHN melanin formation. Whereas the production of ATXs was strictly dependent on the CmrA transcription factor, melanin could still be produced in the absence of CmrA to some extent. This suggests that different cues regulate melanin and toxin formation. Since DHN melanin is produced by many fungi, PQs or related compounds may be produced in many more fungi than so far assumed. IMPORTANCE Mycotoxins are a major threat for human health. Food safety control relies on the identification of the toxins or the detection of the expression of the respective genes. The latter method, however, relies on the knowledge of the biosynthetic pathway and the key genes. Alternaria alternata is a major food contaminant and produces many different mycotoxins with altertoxins and other perylene quinones as prominent examples. Here, we discovered that the biosynthetic pathway for altertoxins shares most of the enzymes with the dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin pathway. Because the DHN melanin pathway is widespread among fungi, the production of mycotoxins of the perylene quinone class could be more widespread than so far anticipated.

Abstract There is limited and discordant evidence on the role of nicotine in diabetic vascular disease. Exacerbated endothelial cell dysregulation in smokers with diabetes is associated with the disrupted adipose function. Adipokines possess vascular protective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. However, whether and how nicotine primes and aggravates diabetic vascular disorders remain uncertain. In this study, we evaluated the alteration of adiponectin (APN) level in high-fat diet (HFD) mice with nicotine (NIC) administration. The vascular pathophysiological response was evaluated with vascular ring assay. Confocal and co-immunoprecipitation analysis were applied to identify the signal interaction and transduction. These results indicated that the circulating APN level in nicotine-administrated diabetic Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice was elevated in advance of 2 weeks of diabetic ApoE−/− mice. NIC and NIC addition in HFD groups (NIC + HFD) reduced the vascular relaxation and signaling response to APN at 6 weeks. Mechanistically, APN receptor 1 (AdipoR1) level was decreased in NIC and further significantly reduced in NIC + HFD group at 6 weeks, while elevated suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) expression was induced by NIC and further augmented in NIC + HFD group. Additionally, nicotine provoked SOCS3, degraded AdipoR1, and attenuated APN-activated ERK1/2 in the presence of high glucose and high lipid (HG/HL) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). MG132 (proteasome inhibitor) administration manifested that AdipoR1 was ubiquitinated, while inhibited SOCS3 rescued the reduced AdipoR1. In summary, this study demonstrated for the first time that nicotine primed vascular APN resistance via SOCS3-mediated degradation of ubiquitinated AdipoR1, accelerating diabetic endothelial dysfunction. This discovery provides a potential therapeutic target for preventing nicotine-accelerated diabetic vascular dysfunction.

Abstract The patch-clamp technique is one of the best approaches to investigate neural excitability. Impressive improvements towards the automation of the patch-clamp technique have been made, but obvious limitations and hurdles still exist, such as parallelization, volume displacement in vivo, and long-term recording. Nanotechnologies have provided opportunities to overcome these hurdles by applying electrical devices on the nanoscale. Electrodes based on nanowires, nanotubes, and nanoscale field-effect transistors (FETs) are confirmed to be robust and less invasive tools for intracellular electrophysiological recording. Research on the interface between the nanoelectrode and cell membrane aims to reduce the seal conductance and further improve the recording quality. Many novel recording approaches advance the parallelization, and precision with reduced invasiveness, thus improving the overall intracellular recording system. The combination of nanotechnology and the present intracellular recording framework is a revolutionary and promising orientation, potentially becoming the next generation electrophysiological recording technique and replacing the conventional patch-clamp technique. Here, this paper reviews the recent advances in intracellular electrophysiological recording techniques using nanotechnology, focusing on the design of noninvasive and greatly parallelized recording systems based on nanoelectronics.

Objectives To identify the most appropriate nutritional risk screening tool for patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery, five nutritional screening tools, including the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002), Short Form of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) and Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), were employed to evaluate the nutritional risk at admission and short-term clinical outcome prediction.Design A cross-sectional study.Setting A comprehensive affiliated hospital of a university in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.Participants 301 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer were continuously recruited to complete the study from October 2020 to May 2021.Primary and secondary outcome measures Within 48 hours of hospital admission, five nutritional screening tools were used to measure the nutritional risk and to determine their relationship with postoperative short-term clinical outcomes.Results The nutritional risk assesed by the five tools ranged from 25.2% to 46.2%. Taking the Subject Global Assessment as the diagnostic standard, MNA-SF had the best consistency (κ=0.570, p0.05).Conclusions Compared with the other four nutritional screening tools, we found that NRS 2002 is the most appropriate nutritional screening tool for Chinese patients with colorectal cancer.

Background: Verbascoside (VB), as an active component of multiple medicinal plants, has been proved to exert anti-oxidative, anti-aging and neuroprotective effects. This study was designed to investigate whether VB could play a cardioprotective role in septic heart injury. Methods: Mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 mg/kg) to induce sepsis. The treatment group received an intraperitoneally injection of VB (20 mg/kg) before LPS challenge. Transthoracic echocardiography, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and qPCR were performed to assess the effect of VB on heart function, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. Transmission electronic microscopy and immunoblotting were used to evaluate the mitochondrial morphology and biogenesis of the septic heart. In vitro experiments were also performed to repeat above-mentioned assays. Results: Compared with LPS group, the VB treatment group showed improved cardiac function in sepsis. VB alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory cell infiltration, as well as cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Specifically, VB could restore sepsis-induced mitochondrial alterations via regulating mitochondrial biogenesis. These results were also confirmed in in vitro experiments. Conclusion: Verbascoside could protected from sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, as well as promoting mitochondrial biogenesis.

Mitochondrial apoptosis is controlled by BCL2 family proteins, and the BH3-only proteins often act as sensors that transmit apoptotic signals. Here the authors show how the BH3-only proteins BMF and HRK can directly activate the BCL2 protein BAK and interact with BAK through an alternative binding groove.

Abstract Background Gastric decompression after pancreatic surgery has been a routine procedure for many years. However, this procedure has often been waived in non-pancreatic abdominal surgeries. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the necessity of routine gastric decompression (RGD) following pancreatic surgery. Methods PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify relevant studies comparing outcomes of RGD and no gastric decompression (NGD) after pancreatic surgery. The overall complications, major complications, mortality, delayed gastric emptying (DGE); clinically relevant DGE (CR-DGE), postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF), secondary gastric decompression, and the length of hospital stay were evaluated. Results A total of six comparative studies with a total of 940 patients were included. There were no differences between RGD and NGD groups in terms of the overall complications (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 0.60–5.00; p = 0.31), major complications (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.00–4.91; p = 0.05), incidence of secondary gastric decompression (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.60–2.02; p = 0.61), incidence of overall DGE (OR = 2.74; 95% CI: 0.88–8.56; p = 0.08; I2 = 88%), incidence of CR-POPF (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.76–2.15; p = 0.36), and incidence of POPF (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.81–2.14; p = 0.27). However, RGD was associated with a higher incidence of CR-DGE (OR = 5.45; 95% CI: 2.68–11.09; p

Abstract Background Shade stress, a universal abiotic stress, suppresses plant growth and production seriously. However, little is known regarding the protein regulatory networks under shade stress. To better characterize the proteomic changes of maize leaves under shade stress, 60% shade (S) and supplementary lighting (L) on cloudy daylight from tasseling stage to physiological maturity stage were designed, the ambient sunlight treatment was used as control (CK). Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology was used to determine the proteome profiles in leaves. Results Shading significantly decreased the SPAD value, net photosynthetic rate, and grain yield. During two experimental years, grain yields of S were reduced by 48 and 47%, and L increased by 6 and 11%, compared to CK. In total, 3958 proteins were identified by iTRAQ, and 2745 proteins were quantified including 349 proteins showed at least 1.2-fold changes in expression levels between treatments and CK. The differentially expressed proteins were classified into photosynthesis, stress defense, energy production, signal transduction, and protein and amino acid metabolism using the Web Gene Ontology Annotation Plot online tool. In addition, these proteins showed significant enrichment of the chloroplasts (58%) and cytosol (21%) for subcellular localization. Conclusions 60% shade induced the expression of proteins involved in photosynthetic electron transport chain (especially light-harvesting complex) and stress/defense/detoxification. However, the proteins related to calvin cycle, starch and sucrose metabolisms, glycolysis, TCA cycle, and ribosome and protein synthesis were dramatically depressed. Together, our results might help to provide a valuable resource for protein function analysis and also clarify the proteomic and physiological mechanism of maize underlying shade stress.