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In order to evaluate the impact of Saihanba on the ecological environment, we selecte 11 factors from three aspects to build the Ecological Environment Health Index (EEHI) evaluation model; Next, We use a combined weighting method combining Hierarchical Analysis, Entropy Weighting method and Coefficient of Variation method to determine the weights of each indicator. Then the EEHI of the Seyhanba area from 1962 to 2020 was calculated using the TOPSIS; Finally, the ecological environment of the Seyhanba area was obtained with a yearly upward trend, and the effect of Seyhanba on the improvement of ecological environment was analyzed in three stages. In order to evaluate the impact of Saihanba on the anti-dust storm capacity in Beijing, we selected 9 indicators from three aspects to build the Sandstorm Resistance Ability (SRA) evaluation model in Beijing; Then, the Main Component Analysis method was used to calculate the SRA in Beijing over the years, and SRA was improved year by year. At the same time, we constructed the Sandstorm Index (SI) to indicate the annual severity of dust storms in Beijing; Finally, the relativity between SRA and SI was calculated using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient and find the correlation coefficient between these was -0.833, as a significant correlation. This show that the improvement of Saihanba's resistance to dust storms in Beijing effectively reduces the severity of dust storms in Beijing.

BackgroundDietary and metabolic factors have been associated with the risk of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) in observational epidemiological studies. However, the aforementioned associations may be influenced by confounding bias. The present study aimed to evaluate these causal relationships through univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.MethodsGenetic instruments associated with dietary and metabolic factors were obtained in the large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS), respectively. Summary data for BE were available from a GWAS of 13,358 cases and 43,071 controls of European descent. Univariable MR analysis was initially performed to estimate the causal relationship between exposures and BE. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was adopted as the primary MR analysis. Multivariate MR analysis was further conducted to evaluate the independent effects of exposures on BE.ResultsIn univariate MR analysis, BE was causally associated with higher body mass index (odds ratio (OR) = 2.575, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.301-2.880, P = 7.369E-61), larger waist circumference (OR = 2.028, 95% CI: 1.648-2.496, P = 2.482E-11), and smoking per day (OR = 1.241, 95% CI: 1.085-1.419, P = 0.002). Dried fruit intake showed a protective effect on BE (OR = 0.228, 95% CI: 0.135-0.384, P = 2.783E-08), whereas alcohol drinking, coffee intake, tea intake, fresh fruit intake, and type 2 diabetes mellitus were not associated with BE (P = 0.351, P = 0.458, P = 0.125, P = 0.847, P = 0.413, respectively). No pleiotropy was found in the sensitivity analysis. The relationships of obesity, smoking, and dried fruit intake with BE risk remained strong after adjustment.ConclusionsOur study provided MR evidence supporting obesity and smoking were independent risk factors for BE. Conversely, dried fruit intake was a protective factor for BE.

BackgroundRecently observational studies have consistently shown an association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep disorders. In this study, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to determine the genetic causal relationship between GERD and the risk of sleep disorders.MethodsThe summary statistics of GERD and sleep disorders were obtained through large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In addition to exploring sleep disorders, a deeper analysis was conducted on some major categories of sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea and insomnia. Various MR analysis methods including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode were performed, and the results of IVW were taken as the primary results. In addition, sensitivity analyses including heterogeneity test and pleiotropy test were also performed to test the robustness of the MR results.ResultsAfter removing the ineligible SNPs and the palindromic SNPs, IVW detected a significant effect of GERD on sleep disorders (OR = 1.436, 95% CI: 1.309-1.576, p = 2.099E-14) and sleep apnoea (OR = 1.486, 95% CI: 1.341-1.647, p = 4.409E-14). However, there was no genetic causality in the effect of GERD on insomnia (IVW OR = 1.146, 95% CI: 0.877-1.498, p = 0.319). Furthermore, the heterogeneity test and pleiotropy test found no evidence of bias, which indicated the results were robust.ConclusionsOur study found that the presence of GERD increased the risk of sleep disorders and sleep apnoea, but not the risk of insomnia. Further research is needed to identify the specific mechanisms of causal relationships.

The development of miniature mass spectrometry (MS) systems with simple analysis procedures is important for the transition of applying MS analysis outside traditional analytical laboratories. Here, we present Mini 14, a handheld MS instrument with disposable sample cartridges designed based on the ambient ionization concept for intrasurgical tissue analysis and surface analysis. The instrumentation architecture consists of a single-stage vacuum chamber with a discontinuous atmospheric interface and a linear ion trap. A major effort in this study for technical advancement is on making handheld MS systems capable of automatically adapting to complex conditions for in-field analysis. Machine learning is used to establish the model for autocorrecting the mass offsets in the mass scale due to temperature variations and a new strategy is developed to extend the dynamic concentration range for analysis. Mini 14 weighs 12 kg and can operate on battery power for more than 3 h. The mass range exceeds m/z 2000, and the full peak width at half-maximum is Δm/z 0.4 at a scanning speed of 700 Th/s. The direct analysis of human brain tissue for identifying glioma associated with isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations has been achieved and a limit of detection of 5 ng/mL has been obtained for analyzing illicit drugs in blood.

Purpose To identify the potential risk or protective factors for psychological burdens in patients with pulmonary nodules (PNs) and to explore how the patients’ psychological status affect their treatment preferences. Methods This questionnaire-based study evaluated 1185 out-patients using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and explored the correlations between psychological burdens and their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results Prevalence of anxiety and depression was 42.1% and 27.0%, respectively, among patients with PNs. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age ≥ 60 years (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.36–0.89), CT scan due to physical discomfort (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.11–2.24), multiple PNs (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.26–2.04), family history of malignancy (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.64), and subjective symptoms (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.35–2.22) were independent influencing factors of anxiety, while CT scan due to physical discomfort (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.96–2.23), multiple PNs (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.27–2.31), subjective symptoms (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.24–2.34) and indeterminate nodules (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.08–3.77) were independently associated with depression. There was a tendency for patients with anxiety and depression to choose more aggressive management strategies (P༜0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively).Univariate analysis showed that symptomatic patients (χ2 = 9.696, p = 0.021) and those with progressive nodules (χ2 = 18.198, p = 0.033) choose more aggressive treatment strategies. Conclusion Anxiety and depression are common in patients with pulmonary nodules, which might result in nonnegligible overtreatment. The presence of subjective symptoms can significantly exacerbate the psychological burden and influence the treatment preference. Taking psychological issue into consideration in outpatient clinic might facilitate the patient-centered communication and promote judicious decision-making.

Mass spectrometry-based lipidomics is the primary tool for the structural analysis of lipids but the effective localization of carbon–carbon double bonds (C=C) in unsaturated lipids to distinguish C=C location isomers remains challenging. Here, we develop a large-scale lipid analysis platform by coupling online C=C derivatization through the Paternò-Büchi reaction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This provides rich information on lipid C=C location isomers, revealing C=C locations for more than 200 unsaturated glycerophospholipids in bovine liver among which we identify 55 groups of C=C location isomers. By analyzing tissue samples of patients with breast cancer and type 2 diabetes plasma samples, we find that the ratios of C=C isomers are much less affected by interpersonal variations than their individual abundances, suggesting that isomer ratios may be used for the discovery of lipid biomarkers.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) has become a powerful tool for the analysis of biomolecules by mass spectrometry (MS). The process of ESI is difficult to control, and side reactions such as electrochemical reactions can occur during the ESI process because of the high voltages applied. Herein, a novel on-demand MS analysis method was developed based on discontinuous ion injection-induced ESI on a miniature MS system. Highly efficient ionization was enabled under low voltages (

The family of graphynes, novel two-dimensional semiconductors with various and fascinating chemical and physical properties, has attracted great interest from both scientific and industrial communities. Currently, the focus is on graphdiyne or graphyne-2. In this work, we systematically study the effect of acetylene, i.e., carbon-carbon triple bond, links on the electronic and optical properties of a series of graphynes (graphyne-n, where n = 1-5, the number of acetylene bonds) using ab initio calculations. We find an even-odd pattern, i.e., n = 1, 3, 5 and n = 2, 4 having different features, which has not been discovered in studying graphyne or graphdiyne alone. It is found that as the number of acetylene bonds increases, the electron effective mass increases continuously in the low-energy range because of the flatter conduction band induced by the longer acetylene links. Meanwhile, longer acetylene links result in a larger red shift of the imaginary part of the dielectric function, loss function, and extinction coefficient. In this work, we propose an effective method to tune and manipulate both the electronic and optical properties of graphynes for the applications in optoelectronic devices and photochemical catalysis.

Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is a common, but often ignored, condition characterized by general joint laxity, which is reported to increase one's risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, it is not clearly learned in the prevalence and dynamic characteristics in college students.Is the active motion stability in the six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) kinematics of the knee joint of people with GJH poorer than that of others?This is a cross-sectional study. A population of 489 college students was recruited who was divided into two groups: a GJH group (Beighton score ≥ 4, n = 54) and a normal group (Beighton score4, n = 435). A paper questionnaire with questions about the participants' demographic characteristics and musculoskeletal disorder symptoms was collected. A three-dimensional gait analysis system was used to collect the participants' knee joint kinematic parameters during treadmill walking. Variables were evaluated using independent t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.The prevalence of GJH was found to be 11.0 % among college students. Participants with GJH exhibited a greater active range of motions in the anterior/posterior translation than the normal (P = 0.026). Participants with GJH exhibited greater flexion at the end of the terminal stance (P = 0.039) and greater anterior translation of the tibia during almost the whole gait period than the normal group (P＜0.05) during the treadmill gait. A greater external angle was found in GJH group during the periods of middle stance (P = 0.008).GJH with a prevalence of 11.0 % among college students should be paid attention. Poor active motion stability in anterior/posterior translation may play an important role in the development of knee joint instability, potentially resulting in subsequent ACL deficiency and the development of knee osteoarthritis among people with GJH.

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a significant model organism in scientific research. However, considerable operations, such as neuron microcurgery and monitoring of development, require to silence the worm to achieve high-resolution imaging. To date, immobilization techniques being on-demand, low-injury, rapid, reversible, and easy to implement is highly desirable. This paper reports a dielectrophoretic method for on-demand immobilization of C. elegans in a microfluidic environment. Using thick electrodes and optimized parameters, we achieved high-efficiency and reversible immobilization of C. elegans of different stages, and demonstrated successful high-resolution imaging of immobilized nematode for important application. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing on-demand, highly-efficient, and reversible immobilization of C. elegans for high-resolution imaging with uniform dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces generated from thick all polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) electrodes. We believe this simple, efficient sensing and actuating lab-on-a-chip platform can largely facilitate the research of C. elegans biologists.

Mass spectrometry-based lipidomics is the primary tool for the structural analysis of lipids but the effective localization of carbon–carbon double bonds (C=C) in unsaturated lipids to distinguish C=C location isomers remains challenging. Here, we develop a large-scale lipid analysis platform by coupling online C=C derivatization through the Paternò-Büchi reaction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This provides rich information on lipid C=C location isomers, revealing C=C locations for more than 200 unsaturated glycerophospholipids in bovine liver among which we identify 55 groups of C=C location isomers. By analyzing tissue samples of patients with breast cancer and type 2 diabetes plasma samples, we find that the ratios of C=C isomers are much less affected by interpersonal variations than their individual abundances, suggesting that isomer ratios may be used for the discovery of lipid biomarkers., Mass spectrometry is widely used for large-scale lipid profiling but distinguishing unsaturated lipid isomers is still challenging. Here, the authors present an analytical platform for high-throughput identification of lipid C=C location isomers in clinical samples, showing that isomer ratios may guide biomarker discovery.

Solar energy, as a clean and renewable resource is becoming increasingly important in the global context of climate change and energy crisis. Utilization of solar energy in urban areas is of great importance in urban energy planning, environmental conservation, and sustainable development. However, available spaces for solar panel installation in cities are quite limited except for building roofs. Furthermore, complex urban 3D morphology greatly affects sunlit patterns on building roofs, especially in downtown areas, which makes the determination of roof solar energy potential a challenging task. The object of this study is to estimate the solar radiation on building roofs in an urban area in Shanghai, China, and select suitable spaces for installing solar panels that can effectively utilize solar energy. A Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)-based solar radiation model named SHORTWAVE-C simulating direct and non-direct solar radiation intensity was developed by adding the capability of considering cloud influence into the previous SHORTWAVE model. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was used as the input of the SHORTWAVE-C model and to investigate the morphological characteristics of the study area. The results show that the SHORTWAVE-C model can accurately estimate the solar radiation intensity in a complex urban environment under cloudy conditions, and the GPU acceleration method can reduce the computation time by up to 46%. Two sites with different building densities and rooftop structures were selected to illustrate the influence of urban morphology on the solar radiation and solar illumination duration. Based on the findings, an object-based method was implemented to identify suitable places for rooftop solar panel installation that can fully utilize the solar energy potential. Our study provides useful strategic guidelines for the selection and assessment of roof solar energy potential for urban energy planning.