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Abstract Cancer remains a significant risk to human health. Nanomedicine is a new multidisciplinary field that is garnering a lot of interest and investigation. Nanomedicine shows great potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Specifically engineered nanoparticles can be employed as contrast agents in cancer diagnostics to enable high sensitivity and high-resolution tumor detection by imaging examinations. Novel approaches for tumor labeling and detection are also made possible by the use of nanoprobes and nanobiosensors. The achievement of targeted medication delivery in cancer therapy can be accomplished through the rational design and manufacture of nanodrug carriers. Nanoparticles have the capability to effectively transport medications or gene fragments to tumor tissues via passive or active targeting processes, thus enhancing treatment outcomes while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Simultaneously, nanoparticles can be employed in the context of radiation sensitization and photothermal therapy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of malignant tumors. This review presents a literature overview and summary of how nanotechnology is used in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. According to oncological diseases originating from different systems of the body and combining the pathophysiological features of cancers at different sites, we review the most recent developments in nanotechnology applications. Finally, we briefly discuss the prospects and challenges of nanotechnology in cancer.

ObjectiveTo understand the trend changes in the burden of lower respiratory infections (LRIs) among children aged < 5 years in the world, high socio-demographic index (SDI) countries, and China from 1990 to 2019, to provide reference for the formulation and timely adjustment of LRIs prevention and control strategies for children, and to evaluate the effect of prevention and treatment measures. MethodsData on the burden of LRIs among children aged < 5 years in the world, high SDI countries, and China from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) database. Descriptive analysis was performed using indicators such as incidence rate, mortality rate, and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) rate. Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the trend changes in the burden of LRIs. ResultsAmong children aged < 5 years in the world, high SDI countries, and Chin, the incidence rate (1/100 000) of LRIs decreased from 14 129.55, 6 619.66, and 14 492.75 in 1990 to 6 801.55, 5 064.93, and 4 134.33 in 2019, with the annual average percentage change (AAPC) of – 2.49%, – 0.91%, and – 4.23% (all P < 0.05); the mortality rate (1/100 000) of LRIs decreased from 349.48, 9.22, and 336.63 in 1990 to 101.37, 2.27, and 18.10 in 2019, with AAPC of – 4.21%, – 4.74%, and – 9.67% (all P < 0.05); and the DALY rate (1/100 000) decreased from 30 726. 35, 820.29, and 29 660.06 in 1990 to 8 925.53, 206.76, and 1 602.53 in 2019, respectively, with the AAPC of – 4.20%, – 4.66%, and – 9.63% (all P < 0.05). The age-specific incidence rate, mortality rate, and DALY rate of LRIs among children aged < 5 years in the world, high SDI countries, and China all showed a decreasing trend from 1990 to 2019 (all P < 0.05), with the highest burden in newborns aged 0 – 6 days and 7 – 27 days, and the lowest burden in children aged 1 – 4 years. ConclusionThe burden of LRIs among children aged < 5 years in the world, high SDI countries and China showed a decreasing trend from 1990 to 2019, but the burden in newborns remained high. Prevention and control of LRIs in newborns should be strengthened to further reduce the burden of LRIs among children aged < 5 years.

Abstract Tumor recurrence is a life‐threatening complication after liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Precise recurrence risk stratification before transplantation is essential for the management of recipients. Here, we aimed to establish an inflammation‐related prediction model for posttransplant HCC recurrence based on pretransplant peripheral cytokine profiling. Two hundred and ninety‐three patients who underwent LT in two independent medical centers were enrolled, and their pretransplant plasma samples were sent for cytokine profiling. We identified four independent risk factors, including alpha‐fetoprotein, systemic immune‐inflammation index, interleukin 6, and osteocalcin in the training cohort (n = 190) by COX regression analysis. A prediction model named inflammatory fingerprint (IFP) was established based on the above factors. The IFP effectively predicted posttransplant recurrence (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC]: 0.792, C‐index: 0.736). The high IFP group recipients had significantly worse 3‐year recurrence‐free survival rates (37.9 vs. 86.9%, p

Protective materials that can ensure the safety of personnel and equipment in extreme environments have a wide range of application prospects, such as outdoor protective clothing, fire-fighting clothing, etc. However, designing such highly functional materials is still considered a long-standing challenge. Herein, the superhydrophobic and oleophobic fibrous membranes (SOFM) prepared by electrospinning, heat treatment and spraying techniques, endowing the fibrous membranes with good thermal stability, air permeability and outstanding repellence to liquids such as water, oil and low surface energy solvents. The developed SOFM exhibits integrated properties with ethanol intrusion pressure of 0.75 KPa, excellent air permeability of 1.54 mm/s, water vapor transmission rate of 7.99 kg·m−2·d-1, high thermal decomposition temperature of 330 ℃, tensile strength of 9.2 MPa. Therefore, SOFM can effectively protect people and equipment in extreme environments. This work may contribute to the design of fiber materials with higher protection levels in the field of protective clothing.

Objective: Sex-specific differences are observed in various liver diseases, but the influence of sex on the outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) remains to be determined. This study is the first Chinese nationwide investigation of the role of sex in post-LT outcomes in patients with HCC. Methods: Data for recipients with HCC registered in the China Liver Transplant Registry between January 2015 and December 2020 were analyzed. The associations between donor, recipient, or donor-recipient transplant patterns by sex and the post-LT outcomes were studied with propensity score matching (PSM). The survival associated with different sex-based donor-recipient transplant patterns was further studied. Results: Among 3,769 patients enrolled in this study, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients with HCC after LT were 96.1%, 86.4%, and 78.5%, respectively, in female recipients, and 95.8%, 79.0%, and 70.7%, respectively, in male recipients after PSM ( P = 0.009). However, the OS was comparable between recipients with female donors and male donors. Multivariate analysis indicated that male recipient sex was a risk factor for post-LT survival (HR = 1.381, P = 0.046). Among the donor-recipient transplant patterns, the male-male donor-recipient transplant pattern was associated with the poorest post-LT survival ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings highlighted that the post-LT outcomes of female recipients were significantly superior to those of male recipients, and the male-male donor-recipient transplant pattern was associated with the poorest post-LT survival. Livers from male donors may provide the most benefit to female recipients. Our results indicate that sex should be considered as a critical factor in organ allocation.

The prescribed-time spacecraft formation flying problem with uncertainties and unknown disturbances is investigated. First, based on Lie group SE(3), the coupled 6-degrees-of-freedom kinematics and dynamics for spacecraft with uncertainties and unknown disturbances are introduced. Second, with the aid of some key properties of a class of parametric Lyapunov equations, novel prescribed-time control laws are designed. It is proved that the proposed control laws can drive the relative motion between the leader spacecraft and follower spacecraft to zero in any prescribed time and are bounded. Finally, numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

This study examines the design and utilization of shared streets in the Jiefangbei Business District of Chongqing through the lens of geographical semiotics. Employing photo content analysis, video observation, and questionnaire surveys, this research delves into visual semiotics, place semiotics, and users’ interaction order, including social interactions and traffic experiences within these shared spaces. The findings reveal that two distinct systems guide pedestrians and vehicles on Jiefangbei’s shared streets, ensuring safety and cultural expression. Paving is identified as the most important method for realizing the sharing of space between people and vehicles. Street furniture emphasizes multifunctional composite use and reflects Jiefangbei’s eclectic style since its era as a financial center of the Republic of China, responding to cultural resources and functional positioning. The study also indicates that social functions and public space attributes need enhancement, recommending more greenery and leisure facilities. Interaction order analysis shows that participants’ perception of street sharing does not affect their sense of safety and effectiveness. Thus, future practice should base decisions on specific traffic conditions and urban functions. A limitation of this study is the inability to accurately sample the population structure of the Jiefangbei commercial district, preventing more adaptable conclusions. The authors suggest viewing shared space as an evolving process and recommend future research on long-term effects and cross-cultural comparative studies to provide valuable insights into global shared-street design.

The fresh leaves of Kucha No.6 with high theacrine as raw materials in different seasons were processed into green tea, white tea and black tea. The tea suitability of Kucha No.6 was comprehensively analyzed by sensory evaluation and main quality components. The sensory evaluation results showed that three types of Kucha No.6 tea all had different degrees of bitterness (green tea>white tea>black tea), and the bitterness of spring samples was greater than that of other two seasons. Among of them, green tea had a floral and bean fragrance, a mellow and bitter taste. White tea had a medical and floral fragrance, a mellow taste, and black tea had sweet and rich fragrance, mellow and refresh taste. Additionally, the results of main quality components analysis showed that the contents of some components related to bitterness, such as tea polyphenols, total catechins, EGCG, and EGC, were significantly higher in green and white tea than those in black tea. Furthermore, the contents of theacrine in three types of Kucha No.6 tea in spring were significantly higher than those in other two seasons. According to this study, Kucha No.6 containing high theacrine was more suitable for making black tea, not only because the high contents of theacrine, but also of the characteristics of sweet and rich fragrance, mellow and refresh taste. Although green tea and white tea made by Kucha No.6 had strong bitter taste, they were more suitable for promoting as further processed products because of their high contents of healthcare functional ingredients such as theacrine, EGCG, etc. This study provides more theoretical and practical basis for the further development and utilization of Kucha resources.

To develop a cement emulsified asphalt composite (CEAC) that can be sprayed under a plateau negative temperature environment, the effects of the water–solid ratio, calcium aluminate cement substitution rate, emulsified asphalt content, sand–binder ratio, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber content on the spraying performance and rheological parameters of CEAC were explored through the controlled variable method. Additionally, the correlation between the spraying performance and rheological parameters of CEAC was established, and the optimal proportion of CEAC was determined. Then, the difference in frost resistance and pore structure between the cement slurry (CS) without emulsified asphalt and CEAC at the optimum proportion was analyzed. The results showed that the optimum proportions for sprayed CEAC were 0.14 water–solid ratio, 0.5 sand–binder ratio, 25% substitution of calcium aluminate cement, 5% emulsified asphalt content, and 1.5% PVA fiber volume mixing. The yield stress and plastic viscosity of CEAC were positively correlated with the build-up thickness, whereas the rebound rate and the latter showed a negative correlation. The spraying performance may be described by the rheological parameters; the ranges of yield stress and plastic viscosity of 2.37–3.95 Pa·s and 77.42–108.58 Pa, respectively, produced the best spray ability. After undergoing an equivalent number of freeze–thaw cycles, CEAC exhibited lower mass and strength loss rates compared to CS, thereby demonstrating superior frost resistance. In addition, the pore structure analysis showed that the difference in capillary and macropore contents was the main reason for the variability in frost resistance between CS and CEAC.

The Cellulose synthase (CesA) and Cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene superfamilies encode key enzymes involved in the synthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose, which are major components of plant cell walls, and play important roles in the regulation of fruit ripening. However, genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the CesA and Csl gene families in strawberry remain limited. In this study, eight CesA genes and 25 Csl genes were identified in the genome of diploid woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca). The protein structures, evolutionary relationships, and cis-acting elements of the promoter for each gene were investigated. Transcriptome analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that the transcript levels of many FveCesA and FveCsl genes were significantly decreased during fruit ripening. Moreover, based on the transcriptome analysis, we found that the expression levels of many FveCesA/Csl genes were changed after nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) treatment. Transient overexpression of FveCesA4 in immature strawberry fruit increased fruit firmness and reduced fresh fruit weight, thereby delaying ripening. In contrast, transient expression of FveCesA4-RNAi resulted in the opposite phenotypes. These findings provide fundamental information on strawberry CesA and Csl genes and may contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism by which FveCesA/Csl-mediated cell wall synthesis regulates fruit ripening. In addition, these results may be useful in strawberry breeding programs focused on the development of new cultivars with increased fruit shelf-life.

As the Chinese population ages, unhealthfully high body mass index (BMI) levels in older adults are becoming a public health concern as an unhealthfully high BMI is an ill-being condition and can contribute to the risk of disease. Education and lifestyle choices affect BMI; however, the evidence on the relationships and interactions among these factors remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of lifestyle choices on educational attainment and BMI among older adults in China. Using the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2018 panel data, this study integrated personal- and family-level economic data libraries, including 7,359 adults aged ≥60 years. Lifestyle parameters included smoking amount and screen time. Height and weight values were used to calculate BMI. The chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis, stepwise regression analysis, and bootstrapping mediating effect tests were used for data analysis. Single-factor chi-square test revealed differences in BMI levels among groups defined by sex, age, residence, marital status, per capita annual household income, education years, and lifestyle choices. Binary logistic regression showed that age, residence, education years, smoking amount, and screen time influenced BMI. Stepwise regression results showed that education years, smoking amount, and screen time were associated with BMI (t = 3.907, −4.902, 7.491, P < 0.001). The lifestyle variables had partial mediating effects on BMI. The mediating effect of lifestyle on BMI was 0.009, while smoking amount was 0.003, and screen time was 0.006. Unhealthfully high BMI levels are increasing among older adults in China and are affected by many factors. Lifestyle factors and educational attainment can interact, affecting BMI. Interventions should consider lifestyle factors and education attainment to help maintain healthy BMI and reduce unhealthfully high BMI incidence.

The role of inulin in alleviating obesity-related disorders has been documented; yet, its underlying mechanisms still need to be further investigated. This study attempted to elucidate the causative link between the gut microbiota and the beneficial effect of inulin on obesity-related disorders via transferring the fecal microbiota from inulin-dosed mice to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese recipient mice. The results show that inulin supplementation can decrease body weight, fat accumulation, and systemic inflammation and can also enhance glucose metabolism in HFD-induced obese mice. Treatment with inulin reshaped the structure and composition of the gut microbiota in HFD-induced obese mice, as characterized by increases in the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Muribaculum and decreases in unidentified_Lachnospiraceae and Lachnoclostridium. In addition, we found that these favorable effects of inulin could be partially transferable by fecal microbiota transplantation, and Bifidobacterium and Muribaculum might be the key bacterial genera. Therefore, our results suggest that inulin ameliorates obesity-related disorders by targeting the gut microbiota.

In this article, an effective clutter suppression and moving target imaging approach is proposed for the geosynchronous-low earth orbit (GEO-LEO) bistatic multichannel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, which is robust for the fast moving target with Doppler centroid ambiguity. For the GEO-LEO bistatic multichannel SAR system, the characteristic of baseline with azimuth invariant in Doppler Fourier transform domain is not tenable. It is difficult to implement clutter suppression by the unified baseline compensation in azimuth Doppler Fourier transform domain. Fortunately, we discover that the baseline can be approximately regarded as a constant in chirp Fourier transform domain for the GEO-LEO bistatic multichannel SAR system. Hence, the corresponding baseline compensation can be achieved in the azimuth chirp Fourier transform domain for the clutter. With an orthogonality vector of clutter, the clutter can be well suppressed and the moving target is extracted. After that, the moving target imaging approach is developed with the baseband Doppler centroid estimation and Doppler ambiguity number estimation. Finally, the theoretical investigations and the proposed approach in this article are validated by some experiments, where the experiments for clutter suppression and experiments for fast moving targets are included. Especially, an experiment with real SAR scattering scene is involved. In addition, some discussions for blind velocity targets are presented.

Abstract Textile‐based wearable electronics combined with nanomaterials are ideal devices that have good electrical and thermal conductivity, and flexibility. With a metal conductivity and metalloid flexibility, 2D titanium carbide MXene is excellent enough for producing intelligent textiles. Here, a wrapping forming method is provided to fabricate MXene textile strain (MTS) sensors with high gauge factor (GF) of 715.94 as high as strain of 200%. Periodic cycling indicated that the MTS wrapped yarn is stable, which can track changes of facial expressions precisely as the small deformation. Weaving MTS yarns into fabric as glove and sensing belt can recognize sign language and record middle and large motions of human body, respectively. On the other hand, walking postures and electric heating are accurately detected by coating MXene dispersions on elastic and breathable spacer fabric as piezoresistive insoles, which is especially beneficial to the elderly and patients with foot diseases. Therefore, a unique strategy is proposed for full scale human motions monitoring by fabricating MXene helical yarns served as sensitive strain sensors, weft rib fabric that detected the in‐plane deformations and spacer fabric piezoresistive insole behaved as pressure sensors to monitor the step patterns so that suiting for wearable versatile sensing system.

This work proposes a subwavelength porous meta-liner with broadband sound absorption from 900 to 1,200 Hz. The meta-liner consists of four subunits, which are made up of porous material and hollow coiling slit embedded in it. Each subunit is designed by adjusting the length of its coiling slit to achieve resonance in the target frequency and examined by the finite element method (FEM). These subunits are arranged in an axial direction uniformly and radial direction periodically to propose a meta-liner duct. Then, the noise reduction of the propeller system with the meta-liner duct is measured by the microphone array. The result shows that the propeller with the meta-liner duct can reduce the noise level of the ducted propeller between 3.6 and 5.5 dB in the design frequency range, which also effectively reduces the noise level in the broadband frequency range. Therefore, the meta-liner shows a good application prospect in the noise reduction of the propeller.

Background Macrophage polarization affects tumor growth, metabolism, and many other tumor processes. M1 macrophages can promote antitumor immunity response. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is one of the critical transcription factors in this process, which promotes the expression of a series of inflammatory molecules. STAT1 has been reported as a potential target of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced glutathionylation, while the glutathionylation of STAT1 in macrophages and its underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) functions as a deglutathionylation enzyme, which regulates the activities of many proteins through reversing glutathionylation. Methods GeneChip and RT‐qPCR was first applied to test the mRNA level of Grx1 in M1 macrophages. Western blot was then used to evaluate the variations of the Grx1 protein expression in M1 macrophages. Next, immunoprecipitation was used to investigate the glutathionylated STAT1 in both wild‐type and Grx1−/− mouse macrophages. Finally, the induced alterations of STAT1 activity and function by Grx1 in M1 macrophage were examined by western blot and RT‐qPCR. Results In M1‐type macrophages, the levels of Grx1 were elevated. Glutathionylation of STAT1 was negatively regulated by Grx1. Furthermore, depletion of Grx1 increased the activity of STAT1, and thereby promoted the mRNA level of C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) during M1‐type polarization of macrophages. Conclusions Grx1 controlled deglutathionylation of STAT1, which in turn might regulate M1‐type polarization of macrophages.

Abstract Background Cisplatin is a first-line drug for the treatment of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the majority of patients will develop drug resistance after treatment. In order to overcome cisplatin resistance, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying the resistance. Methods A gene microarray was used to screen for genes related to cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cell lines. Subsequently, the correlation between the HDAC, RXR and HtrA1 genes, in NSCLC, were verified using gene manipulation. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect HDAC, RXR and HtrA1 expression in NSCLC specimens. Proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed in vitro and in vivo to determine the role of the HDAC/RXR/HtrA1 signaling axis in cisplatin resistance, and luciferase reporter analysis and ChIP assays were performed to ascertain the mechanisms by which HDAC and RXR regulate the expression of HtrA1. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted in NSCLC cisplatin-resistant NSCLC to elucidate the effect of the low molecular weight compound, DW22, which targets the NSCLC cisplatin resistance HDAC/RXR/HtrA1 signaling pathway. Results HtrA1 was identified as a cisplatin resistance-related gene in NSCLC cells. The regulation of HtrA1 by HDAC and RXR significantly decreased the efficacy of cisplatin in NSCLC cells resistant to cisplatin. Immunohistochemistry results showed a negative relationship between HDAC1 and HtrA1, and a positive relationship between RXRα and HtrA1 in NSCLC patients’ tissues. Notably, the expression of HDAC1 and HtrA1 can be considered as biomarkers for the efficacy of platinum-based drugs and prognosis in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, the heterodimers of the nuclear receptor RXR, in combination with the enzyme, HDAC, regulate the transcription of HtrA1 in NSCLC cells. The rescue of HtrA1 expression by dual targeting of HDAC and RXR with the compound, DW22, significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells resistant to cisplatin, and induced NSCLC cell apoptosis. Conclusion Our results indicate that HtrA1, a cisplatin resistance-related gene, is synergistically regulated by HDAC and RXR in NSCLC. Targeting the HDAC/RXR/HtrA1 signaling axis can rescue HtrA1 expression and reverse cisplatin resistance in NSCLC.

Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) after liver transplantation (LT) accompanies poor prognosis. This study aims to explore the relationship between pretransplant intrahepatic proteins and the incidence of EAD, and the value of combined EAD and protein profiles for predicting recipient and graft survival prognosis. Liver biopsy specimens of 105 pretransplant grafts used for LT were collected and used for immunohistochemistry analysis of 5 proteins. And matched clinical data of donor, recipient, transplantation, and prognosis were analyzed. The incidence of EAD was 41.9% (44/105) in this cohort. Macrovesicular steatosis (P = 0.016), donor body mass index (P = 0.013), recipients' pretransplant serum creatinine (P = 0.036), and intrahepatic expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) (P = 0.015) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (P = 0.039) were independent predictors of EAD. Inferior graft and recipient prognosis were observed in patients who experienced EAD (P = 0.028 and 0.031) or received grafts with higher expression of sirtuin 1 (P = 0.005 and 0.013). The graft and recipient survival were worst in patients with both EAD and high expression of sirtuin 1 (P = 0.001 and 0.004). In conclusion, pretransplant intrahepatic expression of HO1 and TNF-α are associated with the incidence of EAD. The combination of EAD and EAD-unrelated proteins showed superiority in distinguishing recipients with worse prognosis.

Purpose: The prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) has increasingly been recognized to reflect prognosis involving local invasion and distant metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to assess a predictive model using preoperatively accessible clinical parameters and radiographic features developed and validated to predict MVI. This predictive model can distinguish clinical outcomes after liver transplantation (LT) for HCC patients. Methods: In total, 455 HCC patients who underwent LT between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019, were retrospectively enrolled in two centers in China as a training cohort (ZFA center; n = 244) and a test cohort (SLA center; n = 211). Univariate and multivariate backward logistic regression analysis were used to select the significant clinical variables which were incorporated into the predictive nomogram associated with MVI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves based on clinical parameters were plotted to predict MVI in the training and test sets. Results: Univariate and multivariate backward logistic regression analysis identified four independent preoperative risk factors for MVI: α-fetoprotein (AFP) level (p

Under the background of the intelligent construction of a coal mine, how to efficiently extract effective information from the massive monitoring data of mine earthquakes, and improve prediction accuracy, is a research hotspot in the field of coal mine safety production. In view of this problem, more and more machine learning methods are being applied to the prediction on mine earthquakes. Considering that clustering analysis can enhance the correlation between microseism data, we propose a method whose main idea is to cluster microseism data before establishing the prediction model, and then train the model, so as to improve prediction accuracy. Specifically, microseism events on a working face are divided into clusters in advance by the Spatial Temporal-DBSCAN(ST-DBSCAN) algorithm, then a prediction model is established with Support Vector Regression (SVR) to predict the occurrence location and daily frequency of high-energy mine earthquake events. A set of engineering experiments were conducted in H Coal Mine, and the results show that the spatial-temporal clustering analysis of microseism events can indeed improve the prediction accuracy of machine learning methods on mine earthquakes.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat diabetes for a long time, but its application has not been widely accepted due to unstandardized product quality and complex pharmacological mechanisms. The modernization of TCM is crucial for its further development, and in recent years the metabolomics technique has largely driven its modernization. This review focuses on the application of NMR-based metabolomics in diabetic therapy using TCM. We identified a series of metabolic pathways that altered significantly after TCM treatment, providing a better understanding of the metabolic mechanisms of TCM for diabetes care.

Background: Insomnia is one of the common problems in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Previous studies have reported the beneficial effects of auricular acupressure (AA) for insomnia in patients with MHD. This study aimed to critically evaluate the efficacy and safety of AA for insomnia in patients with MHD.Methods: Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Database, Wanfang Data, Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were systematically searched from inception to April 30, 2020, to identify any eligible randomized controlled trials. MHD patients with insomnia were included regardless of age, gender, nationality, or race. The experimental interventions included AA alone or AA combined with other therapies. The control interventions included placebo, no treatment, or other therapies. The primary outcome was sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RevMan 5.3 software was used for statistical analysis.Results: Eight studies involving 618 participants were included for statistical analysis. A meta-analysis showed no significant difference of PSQI global score after 8 weeks of AA treatment compared with estazolam (p = 0.70). Other narrative analyses revealed that PSQI global score was significantly attenuated after AA treatment in comparison with mental health education (p = 0.03, duration of 4 weeks; p = 0.02, duration of 8 weeks), AA plus routine nursing care compared with routine nursing care alone (p < 0.0001), and AA plus footbath compared with footbath alone (p = 0.01), respectively. A meta-analysis showed that AA could significantly increase the response rate (reduction of PSQI global score by 25% and more) in comparison with estazolam (p = 0.01). Other narrative analyses reported that the response rate was significantly increased after AA treatment compared with sham AA (p = 0.02), AA compared with mental health education (p = 0.04), and AA plus routine nursing care compared with routine nursing care alone (p = 0.0003), respectively.Conclusion: The present findings suggest that AA may be an alternative treatment for insomnia in patients with MHD. However, more large-scale, high-quality trials are still warranted to confirm these outcomes.

Introduction COVID-19 is a highly infectious acute pneumonia. Glycyrrhizic acid preparation (GAP) has been found to have hepatoprotective and antiviral effects, but there is no supporting evidence on its efficacy and security for patients with COVID-19.Methods and analysis The systematic review methods will be defined by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. This study will start on 1 July 2021 and end on 31 October 2021. A comprehensive electronic search will be conducted with the search of Web of Science, PubMed, Ovid web, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific and Journal Database, Wanfang Database and grey literature, and manual search will be conducted to search literature of randomised controlled trials, single-arm trials and retrospective studies about GAP in the treatment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug-induced liver injury from 1 December 2019 to 1 July 2021. There is no time limitations of publication and language will be restricted to Chinese and English. Retrieved studies will be independently screened by two researchers and relevant data will be extracted from studies. Interstudy heterogeneity will be assessed using the I2 statistic and explored through meta-regressions and subgroup analyses. Depending on data availability, we plan to conduct subgroup analyses by study population, geographical region and other selected clinical variables of interest. Quality assessment of the studies will be performed. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions will be used to assess the risk of bias, and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation will be used to access the confidence in cumulative evidence.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval will not be required for no primary data of individual patients will be collected. The final report will be shared with the scientific community through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, as well as with key stakeholders, including patients, healthcare professionals and those working on COVID-19 research.PROSPERO registration number CRD42021234647.

Using first-principles approach, we calculated the band gaps of wurtzite $ {\rm Be}_{1-x} $ Cd $ _x{\rm O} $ ternary alloy and the band offset of the lattice matched $ {\rm ZnO}/{\rm Be}_{0.44}{\rm Cd}_{0.56}{\rm O}[1\,1\,\overline {2}\,0] $ heterojunction, where the modified Becke–Johnson semi-local exchange was used to determine the band gap and the coherent potential approximation was applied to deal with doping effect in disordered alloys. The $ {\rm ZnO}/{\rm Be}_{0.44}{\rm Cd}_{0.56}{\rm O} $ heterojunction was determined to have a type II band alignment, with valence and conduction band offset being 0.28 and 0.50 eV, respectively. The calculation approach and procedure demonstrated here can be used to predict the band offset of more lattice matched semiconductor heterojunctions.

For the geosynchronous-low earth orbit (GEO-LEO) bi-static multi-channel high-resolution and wide-swath synthetic aperture radar (HRWS SAR) system, a novel azimuth Doppler signal reconstruction algorithm is developed based on an equivalent baseline approximating in the azimuth Doppler chirp Fourier transform domain. The main difficulty for the GEO-LEO bistatic multi-channel HRWS SAR system is that the baseline is variant with the scene in the conventional Doppler Fourier transform domain during azimuth signal reconstruction. The developed approach first employs the linear range cell migration correction and chirp Fourier transform to obtain the coarse-focused ambiguity SAR image. More importantly, the baseline component can be approximated a uniform baseline length for the whole image scene and the ambiguous Doppler spectrum can be reconstructed using the available Doppler signal reconstruction approach. Finally, the experimental results for a simulation GEO-LEO bi-static multi-channel HRWS SAR system are employed to validate the theoretical investigations and the proposed approach.

Abstract Background HIV/AIDS patients who fail to respond to first-line treatment protocols are switched to second-line ART. Identifying factors that influence effective second-line treatment can improve utilization of limited medical resources. We investigated the efficacy of long-term second-line anti-retroviral therapy (ART) after first-line virologic failure as well as the impact of non-nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and protease inhibitor (PI) resistance mutations and medication adherence on ineffective viral suppression. Methods A total of 120 patients were evaluated at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 months after initiation of second-line ART; a paper questionnaire was administered via a face-to-face interview and venous blood samples were collected. CD4+ T cell count, viral load, and drug resistance genotypes were quantified. Results CD4+ T cell counts increased from 170 cells/μL (IQR 100–272) at baseline to 359 cells/μL (IQR 236–501) after 48 months of second-line treatment. Viral load (log10) decreased from 4.58 copies/mL (IQR 3.96–5.17) to 1.00 copies/mL (IQR 1.00–3.15). After switching to second-line ART, nine patients newly acquired the NRTI drug-resistant mutation, M184 V/I. No major PI resistance mutations were detected. Logistical regression analysis indicated that medication adherence

Using the array technique, the multi-channel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has the capability of high-resolution imaging, detection, and location of the ground moving targets, which is a powerful tool during the remote sensing of smart city. Recently, the theory of compressive sensing has been applied to radar imaging with data of compressive sampling, which can effectively reduce the burden of current radar system. In this paper, we focus on SAR moving targets imaging from sparse aperture (SA) data with accurate target motion compensation. The procedure of motion compensation is decomposed into two steps: the SPECAN processing in the range frequency and azimuth time domain is first applied and then followed by the residue component correction embedded into sparse imaging. To overcome the SA and target motion, a novel parametric sparse imaging approach is proposed by addressing the problems of Doppler ambiguity and phase errors. In the scheme, a parametric and dynamic dictionary is used to include these two important issues. Then, a modified orthogonal matching pursuit method is presented for high-quality imaging with Doppler ambiguity number estimation and phase error correction, which can deal with the case of multiple moving targets. Finally, experimental analysis is performed to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Abstract Background Breast cancer is the common cancer in China. In previous study, we determined that 3,6-dihydroxyflavone (3,6-DHF) increases miR-34a significantly in breast carcinogenesis, but the mechanism remains unclear. Methods We used qRT-PCR to analyze miR-34a and ten-eleven translocation (TET)1, TET2, TET3 levels in breast cancer cells. With a cellular breast carcinogenesis model and an experimental model of carcinogenesis in rats, TET1 levels were evaluated by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence. TET1 and 5hmC (5-hydroxymethylcytosine) levels were evaluated by immunofluorescence in nude mouse xenografts of MDA-MB-231 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP) assayed for TET1 on the TET1 promoter, and dot blot analysis of DNA 5hmC was performed in MDA-MB-231 cells. We evaluated the mechanism of 3,6-DHF on the expression of tumor suppressor miR-34a by transfecting them with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1 plasmid and TET1 siRNA in breast cancer cells. Methylation-specific PCR detected methylation of the miR-34a promoter. Results First, we found that 3,6-DHF promotes the expression of TET1 during carcinogen-induced breast carcinogenesis in MCF10A cells and in rats. 3,6-DHF also increased TET1 and 5hmC levels in MDA-MB-231 cells. Further study indicated that TET1 siRNA and pcDNA3/Myc-DNMT1 inhibited the 3,6-DHF reactivation effect on expression of miR-34a in breast cancer cells. Methylation-specific PCR assays indicated that TET1 siRNA and pcDNA3/Myc-DNMT1 inhibit the effect of 3,6-DHF on the demethylation of the miR-34a promoter. Conclusions Our study showed that 3,6-DHF effectively increases TET1 expression by inhibiting DNMT1 and DNA hypermethylation, and consequently up-regulates miR-34a in breast carcinogenesis.

In this paper, a low power transceiver for wireless sensor networks (WSN) is proposed. The system is designed with fully functional blocks including a receiver, a fractional-N frequency synthesizer, and a class-E transmitter, and it is optimized with a good balance among output power, sensitivity, power consumption, and silicon area. A transmitter and receiver (TX-RX) shared input-output matching network is used so that only one off-chip inductor is needed in the system. The power and area efficiency-oriented, fully-integrated frequency synthesizer is able to provide programmable output frequencies in the 2.4 GHz range while occupying a small silicon area. Implemented in a standard 0.18 μm RF Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the whole transceiver occupies a chip area of 0.5 mm2 (1.2 mm2 including bonding pads for a QFN package). Measurement results suggest that the design is able to work at amplitude shift keying (ASK)/on-off-keying (OOK) and FSK modes with up to 500 kbps data rate. With an input sensitivity of −60 dBm and an output power of 3 dBm, the receiver, transmitter and frequency synthesizer consumes 2.3 mW, 4.8 mW, and 3.9 mW from a 1.8 V supply voltage, respectively.

This study aimed to investigate treatment effect, drug resistance changes, and their influencing factors in Chinese AIDS patients after switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy, and thus provide important information for the scale-up of second-line antiretroviral treatment in China. In Weishi county of Henan province, where second-line antiretroviral therapy was introduced early in China, 195 AIDS patients were enrolled, of which 127 patients met the switching criterion and 68 patients volunteered to switch drugs without meeting the switching criterion. CD4 cell count, viral load and in-house PCR genotyping for drug resistance were measured for all 195 subjects before drug switch, as well as 6 and 12 months after drug switch. Extensive secondary mutations to the protease inhibitor were observed, which suggested that long-term drug resistance surveillance is necessary for patients switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy. Multidrug resistance and cross-resistance were extensive in Chinese patients that experienced first-line treatment failure. Patients need timely CD4 count, viral load, and drug resistance monitoring in order to switch to second-line therapy under conditions of relatively good immunity and low viral duplication levels.

S-(-)equol, a natural product of the isoflavone daidzein, has been reported to offer cytoprotective effects with respect to the cardiovascular system, but how this occurs is unclear. Interestingly, S-(-)equol is produced by the human gut, suggesting a role in physiological processes. We report that treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and EA.hy926 cells with S-(-)equol induces ARE-luciferase reporter gene activity that is dose and time dependent. S-(-)equol (10-250 nM) increases nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) as well as gene products of Nrf2 target genes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H (nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate) quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Endothelial cells transfected with an HA-Nrf2 expression plasmid had elevated HA-Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 in response to S-(-)equol exposure. S-(-)equol treatment affected Nrf2 mRNA only slightly but significantly increased HO-1 and NQO1 mRNA. The pretreatment of cells with specific ER inhibitors or PI3K/Akt (ICI182,780 and LY294002) increased Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 protein, impaired nuclear translocation of HA-Nrf2, and decreased ARE-luciferase activity. Identical experiments were conducted with daidzein, which had effects similar to S-(-)equol. In addition, DPN treatment (an ERβ agonist) induced the ARE-luciferase reporter gene, promoting Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Cell pretreatment with an ERβ antagonist (PHTPP) impaired S-(-)equol-induced Nrf2 activation. Pre-incubation of cells followed by co-treatment with S-(-)equol significantly improved cell survival in response to H2O2 or tBHP and reduced apoptotic and TUNEL-positively-stained cells. Notably, the ability of S-(-)equol to protect against H2O2-induced cell apoptosis was attenuated in cells transfected with an siRNA against Nrf2. Thus, beneficial effects of S-(-)equol with respect to cytoprotective antioxidant gene activation may represent a novel strategy to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) biofilm formation enables the organism to avoid the host immune system, resist antibiotics, and provide a reservoir for persistent infection. Once the biofilm is established, eradication of the infection becomes difficult. Therefore, strategies against UPEC biofilm are urgently required. In this study, we investigated the effect of allicin, isolated from garlic essential oil, on UPEC CFT073 and J96 biofilm formation and dispersal, along with its effect on UPEC adhesion ability and swimming motility. Sub-inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of allicin decreased UPEC biofilm formation and affected its architecture. Allicin was also capable of dispersing biofilm. Furthermore, allicin decreased the bacterial adhesion ability and swimming motility, which are important for biofilm formation. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed that allicin decreased the expression of UPEC type 1 fimbriae adhesin gene fimH. Docking studies suggested that allicin was located within the binding pocket of heptyl α-d-mannopyrannoside in FimH and formed hydrogen bonds with Phe1 and Asn135. In addition, allicin decreased the expression of the two-component regulatory systems (TCSs) cognate response regulator gene uvrY and increased the expression of the RNA binding global regulatory protein gene csrA of UPEC CFT073, which is associated with UPEC biofilm. The findings suggest that sub-MICs of allicin are capable of affecting UPEC biofilm formation and dispersal, and decreasing UPEC adhesion ability and swimming motility.