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Abstract Chloroplast (cp) genome sequences have been extensively used for phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses, as many have been sequenced in recent years. Identification of Quercus is challenging because many species overlap phenotypically owing to interspecific hybridization, introgression, and incomplete lineage sorting. Therefore, we wanted to gain a better understanding of this genus at the level of the maternally inherited chloroplast genome. Here, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the cp genomes of the threatened Quercus marlipoensis (160,995 bp) and Q. kingiana (161,167 bp), and mined these genomes for repeat sequences and codon usage bias. Comparative genomic analyses, phylogenomics, and selection pressure analysis were also performed in these two threatened species along with other species of Quercus. We found that the guanine and cytosine content of the two cp genomes were similar. All 131 annotated genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes, had the same order in the two species. A strong A/T bias was detected in the base composition of simple sequence repeats. Among the 59 synonymous codons, the codon usage pattern of the cp genomes in these two species was more inclined toward the A/U ending. Comparative genomic analyses indicated that the cp genomes of Quercus section Ilex are highly conserved. We detected eight highly variable regions that could be used as molecular markers for species identification. The cp genome structure was consistent and different within and among the sections of Quercus. The phylogenetic analysis showed that section Ilex was not monophyletic and was divided into two groups, which were respectively nested with section Cerris and section Cyclobalanopsis. The two threatened species sequenced in this study were grouped into the section Cyclobalanopsis. In conclusion, the analyses of cp genomes of Q. marlipoensis and Q. kingiana promote further study of the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of these two threatened species and Quercus.

In order to explore the pork spoilage potential of Pseudomonas fragi and the antibacterial mechanism of garlic essential oil, P. fragi was isolated from chilled pork under aerobic storage conditions and tested its spoilage capacity. The isolates with strong spoilage capacity were selected for further investigation. The antibacterial activity of garlic essential oil against the selected strains was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and plotting the bacterial growth curve. Furthermore, the antibacterial mechanism was investigated by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation as well as measuring cell membrane permeability, bacterial motility and metabolic activity. The results showed that P. fragi could cause pork spoilage. Garlic essential oil exhibited a strong inhibitory effect against P. fragi derived from pork, with a MIC of 0.125 μL/mL. Garlic essential oil could disrupt the normal structural morphology of P. fragi, enhance the permeability of the cell membrane, and inhibit bacterial metabolic activity and mobility. The results from this study can provide a theoretical foundation for the application of garlic essential oil as a natural food preservative.

The NAC transcription factors play an important regulatory role in plant growth and development. In order to explore the impact of NAC6 on carotenoid metabolism in postharvest mango fruit, this study investigated changes in the carotenoid contents as well as the expression of NAC6 and key enzymes involved in carotenoid synthesis and metabolism in the mature peel and pulp of 2 mango varieties, “Tainong” and “Jinhuang”, at commercial maturity, during postharvest storage under constant temperature (20 ℃), constant humidity (85%), and dark conditions. The results showed that both mango varieties contained α-carotene, lutein, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin. Throughout the storage process, the expression of NAC6 in both mango varieties showed a continuous upward trend, reaching a peak in the late stage of storage, followed by a slight decline. Correlation analysis showed that NAC6 might induce the gene expression of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase, phytoene synthase, phytoene desaturase, ζ-carotene desaturase, carotenoid isomerase, β-carotene hydroxylase, and violaxanthin de-epoxidase in mango fruit, while inhibiting the gene expression of lycopene β-cyclase, neoxanthin synthase, and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase. The expression of NAC6 in the peel and pulp of “Tainong” mango was significantly negatively correlated with the gene expression of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD), with correlation coefficients of −0.841 0 and −0.838 3, respectively. NAC6 might delay the degradation of carotenoids by inhibiting the expression of CCD. The results from this research provide an experimental basis for the postharvest storage and preservation of mango fruit as well as its quality control.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia （MPP） is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children aged 5 and older in China. Although most affected children have favorable clinical prognosis， some cases can escalate into severe MPP due to risk factors such as pathogen resistance or co-infections， etc. These severe cases significantly jeopardize the lives of children and may lead to diverse long-term sequelae. In response to this challenge， the Children’s Medical Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University， integrating current guidelines， expert consensus， and its extensive clinical experience， has devised the “412” cluster treatment strategy. This comprehensive approach encompasses treatments for anti-infection， anti-inflammatory storm， anticoagulation and antioxidant stress. Additionally， it seamlessly integrates traditional Chinese medicine with western therapies， featuring bundled respiratory management and follow-up care. This strategy provides a valuable reference for the diagnosis and treatment of severe MPP in children.

Background Against the backdrop of global aging, the number of patients with chronic diseases is increasing, and the multimorbidity is becoming more severe. Traditionally, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes are mostly considered diseases of the elderly. However, with changes in lifestyle patterns such as the pace of life and diet, many diseases are showing a trend of rejuvenation. Recent studies have also shown that individuals who develop diabetes at a young age have an increased relative risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and higher mortality rates compared to the general population. Objective To investigate the burden of cardiovascular diseases attributed to diabetes among Chinese adults from 1990 to 2019, so as to provide evidence for comorbidity prevention. Methods Based on the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study data, indicators such as mortality rates, disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates, and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) were used to assess the burden of cardiovascular diseases in China (including ischemic heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease) attributed to diabetes. The analysis was stratified by age group (25-49 years, 50-69 years, ≥70 years) and gender, and the temporal trends in disease burden were finally analyzed. Results The number of cardiovascular disease deaths attributable to diabetes increased from 298 050 in 1990 to 700 340 in 2019 among people aged 25 years and older in China. The age-standardized mortality rate for CVD attributed to diabetes increased for males compared to 1990, while it decreased for females, with males consistently having higher rates than females. In 2019, the DALY for CVD attributed to diabetes was 13 585 850 person-years. The age-specific mortality rate and DALY rate increased with age. The downward trend in standardized DALY rate was more pronounced in females (EAPC=-0.32%, 95%CI=-0.49% to -0.11%) than in males (EAPC=-0.01%, 95%CI=-0.26% to 0.29%). The mortality and DALY rates for ischemic heart disease and peripheral arterial disease attributed to diabetes increased in the three age groups from 1990 to 2019, while the mortality rates for stroke attributed to diabetes declined in all three age groups in 2019 compared to 1990. The percentage of standardized DALY rates attributable to diabetes for the 3 cardiovascular diseases in cardiovascular disease fluctuated from 1990 to 2019. However, the percentage of standardized DALY rates for all 3 cardiovascular diseases attributable to diabetes was higher in 2019 than in 1990. Conclusion From 1990 to 2019, there has been an overall increasing trend in the mortality and DALY rates of cardiovascular diseases attributed to diabetes among adults in China. Population is at greater risk for comorbidities of diabetes and CVD, emphasizing the need to focus on screening for CVD among individuals with diabetes or those at high risk of developing CVD. Emphasis should be placed on males, the elderly, and younger individuals with unhealthy lifestyle habits for early health interventions to reduce the burden of comorbidities.

Drought stress has a significant impact on the quality and quantity of lake water. Understanding this impact is crucial for preventing water security risks and pollution recovery. However, there is a lack of systemic understanding of how drought affects water quality and quantity, and how they change in multiple dimensions. This manuscript established a synthesized methodology with the principles to judge the applicability and three steps of application to detect the change in water quality and water level under severe drought in Xingyun Lake, China. Results show that (1) The water level and water quality of Xingyun Lake have a synchronous and evident response to drought during 2009–2014. The rainfall during 2008–2015 declined by 22.9 % to normal, and the inundated area and lake water depth in 2012 decreased by 10.50 % from 2002 to 1.38 m to the average depth, respectively. The pollution index climbed above 1.21 after 2008, fluctuating around 1.42. (2) Under drought, the water quality indicators significantly changed in the terms of the overall feature, trend, eigenvalue, and morphological characteristics. The water quality indicators of Set2008-2015 are significantly different from set2000-2007 and not in the groups of set1994-2000. The morphological characteristics of water quality indicators in set2008-2015 differs significantly from that in set2000-2007 shown by the minimum, maximum, median, quartiles, and extreme values. (3) Although NH3–N showed no significant change, the water quality deteriorated in the physical, chemical, and biological aspects. The TP, IMN, and BOD5 changed more evidently than DO and NH3–N. (4) Water quality grade and indicator concentration deteriorated significantly and sharply under severe drought and are threatened deeply by TP and TN. The synthesized methodology is scientifically constructed and canbe employed in the characteristics cognition of water quality and water level to severe drought in and out of this research. And the intervention time and various regulating measures for pollution degradation and water quality recovery canbe constructed based on the multi-dimensional analysis of water quality change under drought evolution.

Background Lipid metabolism of middle-aged and older adults may be influenced by their late bedtime behavior, but the association between the above two still needs to be analyzed in-depth. Objective To explore the association between chronotype and dyslipidemia among populations with different gender, central obesity, late evening snacks and smoking. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among the population aged 40-65 years who received health examination in physical examination center, the First People's Hospital of Fuquan City from March to August, 2022 (n=697). General information and sleep conditions of the included patients were collected and chronotype was evaluated by single-item question of the Morning and Evening Questionnaire. Unconditional binary Logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between chronotype and the risk of dyslipidemia. Stratified analysis was also performed by gender, central obesity and late evening snacks among the whole population, and performed by smoking among male population. Sensitivity analysis was used to exclude the effect of shift work. Results Among the included subjects, morningness preference chronotype accounted for 56.4% (n=393), while eveningness preference chronotype accounted for 43.6% (n=304), with 334 cases (47.9%) detected with dyslipidemia. Unconditional binary Logistic regression analysis showed that chronotype was an influencing factor of dyslipidemia〔OR (95%CI) =1.54 (1.10, 2.16) 〕, the risk of hypertriglyceridemia〔OR (95%CI) =1.48 (1.04, 2.12) 〕and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol〔OR (95%CI) =1.79 (1.18, 2.72) 〕was higher in the adults with eveningness chronotype than those with morningness chronotype (P0.05). The stratified analysis by smoking in male population showed that the risk of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 1.83 times (95%CI: 1.03, 3.26) in adults with eveningness chronotype of that in adults with morningness chronotype in smoking population (P0.05) . Conclusion Eveningness preference chronotype may be a risk factor for dyslipidemia in adults aged 40-65 years, and the associations between dyslipidemia and chronotype may vary across populations with different gender, central obesity, late evening snacks, and smoking status.

为解决速冻食品易开裂的问题，对速冻专用油脂乳化剂配方进行设计优化。首先以自制酯交换油脂为基料油，以吸水性和乳化稳定性为指标，对6种常用的亲油性乳化剂进行筛选，并采用D-最优混料设计确定最佳乳化剂配方，然后用该乳化剂配方制备速冻专用油脂，并将自制速冻专用油脂和两种市售速冻专用油脂制作速冻汤圆作应用对比试验。结果表明：以酯交换油脂为基料油的速冻专用油脂最佳乳化剂配方为硬脂酰乳酸钙添加量34.4%、单硬脂酸甘油酯添加量338%、大豆卵磷脂添加量31.8%，在此条件下复合乳化剂的吸水性为25.1 mL/10 g，乳化稳定性为933%；相比于市售速冻专用油脂，自制速冻专用油脂制作的速冻汤圆表面光滑、裂纹少，冻裂率和冷冻失水率低。因此，优化得到的速冻专用油脂复合乳化剂具备良好的乳化稳定性和持水能力，可降低速冻食品的冻裂率。In order to solve the cracking problem of fast-frozen food, the emulsifier formula of fast-frozen special fat was optimized. With water absorption and emulsifying stability as indexes, using self-made transesterification oil as base oil, six commonly used lipophilic emulsifiers were selected, and the best emulsifier formula was determined by D-optimum mixture design. In addition, the application of self-made fast-frozen special fat and two kinds of commercial fast-frozen special fat to produce fast-frozen dumpling was compared. The results showed that with self-made transesterification oil as base oil, the optimal emulsifier formula for fast-frozen special fat was obtained as follows: dosage of calcium stearoyl lactylate 34.4%, dosage of glycerol monostearate 33.8%, and dosage of soybean lecithin 318%. Under these conditions, the water absorption and emulsifying stability of compound emulsifier were 25.1 mL/10 g and 93.3%, respectively. Compared with the commercial fast-frozen special fat, the fast-frozen dumpling made by the self-made fast-frozen special fat had a smooth surface, fewer cracks, lower freeze-cracking rate and freezing water loss rate. The optimized compound emulsifier has good emulsifying stability and water-holding capacity, and can reduce the freeze-cracking rate of fast-frozen food.

Abstract Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF), an oral traditional Chinese medicine mainly containing Realgar (As4S4), is highly effective in treating adult acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the treatment efficacy and safety of RIF have not been verified in pediatric patients. SCCLG-APL group conducted a multicenter randomized non-inferiority trial to determine whether intravenous arsenic trioxide (ATO) can be substituted by oral RIF in treating pediatric APL. Of 176 eligible patients enrolled, 91 and 85 were randomized to ATO and RIF groups, respectively. Patients were treated with the risk-adapted protocol. Induction, consolidation, and 96-week maintenance treatment contained all-trans-retinoic acid and low-intensity chemotherapy, and either ATO or RIF. The primary endpoint was 5-year event-free survival (EFS). The secondary endpoints were adverse events and hospital days. After a median 6-year follow-up, the 5-year EFS was 97.6% in both groups. However, the RIF group had significantly shorter hospital stays and lower incidence of infection and tended to have less cardiac toxicity. All 4 relapses occurred within 1.5 years after completion of maintenance therapy. No long-term arsenic retentions were observed in either group. Substituting oral RIF for ATO maintains treatment efficacy while reducing hospitalization and adverse events in treating pediatric APL patients, which may be a future treatment strategy for APL.

The genetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is mainly caused by the loss of multiple paternally expressed genes in chromosome 15q11-q13 (the PWS region). Early diagnosis of PWS is essential for timely treatment, leading to effectively easing some clinical symptoms. Molecular approaches for PWS diagnosis at the DNA level are available, but the diagnosis of PWS at the RNA level has been limited. Here, we show that a cluster of paternally transcribed snoRNA-ended long noncoding RNAs (sno-lncRNAs, sno-lncRNA1–5) derived from the SNORD116 locus in the PWS region can serve as diagnostic markers. In particular, quantification analysis has revealed that 6,000 copies of sno-lncRNA3 are present in 1 μL whole blood samples from non-PWS individuals. sno-lncRNA3 is absent in all examined whole blood samples of 8 PWS individuals compared to 42 non-PWS individuals and dried blood samples of 35 PWS individuals compared to 24 non-PWS individuals. Further developing a new CRISPR-MhdCas13c system for RNA detection with a sensitivity of 10 molecules per μL has ensured sno-lncRNA3 detection in non-PWS, but not PWS individuals. Together, we suggest that the absence of sno-lncRNA3 represents a potential marker for PWS diagnosis that can be detected by both RT-qPCR and CRISPR-MhdCas13c systems with only microlitre amount of blood samples. Such an RNA-based sensitive and convenient approach may facilitate the early detection of PWS.

Adaptation and livelihood resilience are two key concepts for understanding the climate change process of smallholder farmers, but the relationships between them are not well understood. In this paper, with supporting data from household questionnaire surveys in four regions of the Tibetan Plateau (n = 1552), we aim to explore the relationships between smallholder farmers’ climate adaptation and livelihood resilience. Based on existing studies, we developed a conceptual framework to integrate adaptation and livelihood resilience, and constructed a quantitative indicator system to measure livelihood resilience. The adaptation measures adopted by smallholders were classified into stepping out (SO) and stepping up (SU) strategies, and the livelihood resilience of smallholders with different adaptation strategies was calculated and compared using one-way analysis of variance. The multinomial logit (mlogit) model was used to examine the factors influencing the adoption of different adaptation strategies by smallholders. The results showed that the livelihood resilience of smallholders who adopted adaptation strategies was higher than that of those who did not, while the livelihood resilience of smallholders who adopted SO strategies was higher than that of those who adopted SU strategies. The mlogit model reported the factors that influence the adoption of different adaptation strategies by smallholders: household size, health conditions, number of cropland plots, agricultural equipment, number of livestock, and nonagricultural income. These indicators play different roles in the adoption of different adaptation strategies by smallholders. In particular, local government interventions (credit, cooperatives, training) are not only an important component of smallholders’ livelihood resilience, but also important determinants of their livelihood strategies. Based on our findings, it is recommended that the government should promote smallholders’ adaptation and strengthen their livelihood resilience to climate change by expanding the coverage of credit, cooperatives, and training, diversifying the forms of cooperatives, enriching the content of training, and increasing the frequency of training.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of CT-guided pulsed radiofrequency combined with platelet-rich plasma （PRP） in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia. Methods Sixty patients with postherpetic neuralgia were divided into the pulsed radiofrequency plusglucocorticoid group （glucocorticoid group） and pulsed radiofrequency plus PRP group （PRP group） using the random number table method， with 30 patients in each group. The pain visual analogue score （VAS）， Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI）， the average temperature difference （∆T） between the skin lesion area and the corresponding healthy skin area of all patients in two groups were observed before treatment， 1 d， 2 weeks， 4 weeks and 3 months after treatment， respectively. The incidence of complications was also recorded. Results The VAS score and PSQI at 1 d， 2 weeks， 4 weeks and 3 months after treatment were significantly improved compared to those before treatment in two groups （all P < 0.05）. In addition， the ∆T at 4 weeks and 3 months after treatment were significantly improved than those before treatment in two groups （all P < 0.05）. At 3 months after treatment， the VAS score and PSQI in the PRP group were significantly lower than those in the glucocorticoid group （both P < 0.05）. At 1 day， 2 weeks， 4 weeks and 3 months after treatment， the ∆T in the PRP group were significantly lower than those in the glucocorticoid group （all P < 0.05）. No severe adverse reactions occurred in two groups. Conclusions CT-guided pulsed radiofrequency combined with PRP can effectively treat postherpetic neuralgia， and the therapeutic effect is better than that of traditional pulsed radiofrequency combined with glucocorticoid therapy.

Background People with normal weight obesity (NWO) are prone to cardiovascular diseases in their middle and old age. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been demonstrated to effectively improve cardiovascular health. However, whether HIIT can decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases in NWO population is not clear. Objective To explore the effects of HIIT on the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and the risk of cardiovascular disease in NWO female university students. Methods From November to December 2020, 137 female college students were recruited in Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, among whom 40 NWO cases were screened out as subjects by the Asian female NWO standard. They were equally and randomly divided into a control group (n=20) and a HIIT intervention group (n=20) to receive no interventions or weekly five-day interventions, for consecutive four weeks after one-week adaptive training. Body weight, body mass index (BMI) , body fat percentage (BF%) , visceral fat level (VFL) , visceral fat area (VFA) , waist circumference, levels of four blood lipids 〔high-density lipoprotein (HDL) , low-density lipoprotein (LDL) , triglyceride (TG) , and total cholesterol (TC) 〕, cardiovascular disease risk (assessed by the China-PAR model) , AGEs, and fasting blood glucose of two groups were observed before and after intervention. The correlation between AGEs and cardiovascular disease risk was analyzed. Results Except for 10 dropouts, the remaining 30 cases (13 in the control group and 17 in the HIIT intervention group) were finally included for analysis. After intervention, the average BMI, BF%, VFA, VFL, waist circumference, TC/HDL ratio, LDL/HDL ratio, TG/HDL ratio, AGEs and fasting blood glucose in HIIT intervention group were lower than those in control group (P

With the increasing consumer demand for chilled meat, food safety issues related to chilled meat such as the prevalence and change of pathogenic bacteria during the processing, storage and consumption of chilled meat and their effects on public health have aroused great public concern. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is the core of chill meat safety risk analysis, which provides a theoretical basis for hazard analysis, determination of the critical control points and formulation of food safety goals and regulations. Since the promulgation of the Food Safety Law and the establishment of the Food Safety Risk Assessment Center in China, significant progress has been made in quantitative microbial risk assessment. In this paper, recent research on the quantitative risk assessment of common food-borne pathogens in livestock and poultry meat products is summarized, and recent progress in the application of process risk model, modular process risk model and omics technology in QMRA is reviewed. The current status of the application of quantitative microbial risk assessment in food safety management is summarized to provide reference for the development and application of quantitative microbial risk assessment in chilled meat.

Abstract Background Understanding gene transcription and mRNA-protein (mRNP) dynamics in single cells in a multicellular organism has been challenging. The catalytically dead CRISPR-Cas13 (dCas13) system has been used to visualize RNAs in live cells without genetic manipulation. We optimize this system to track developmentally expressed mRNAs in zebrafish embryos and to understand features of endogenous transcription kinetics and mRNP export. Results We report that zygotic microinjection of purified CRISPR-dCas13-fluorescent proteins and modified guide RNAs allows single- and dual-color tracking of developmentally expressed mRNAs in zebrafish embryos from zygotic genome activation (ZGA) until early segmentation period without genetic manipulation. Using this approach, we uncover non-synchronized de novo transcription between inter-alleles, synchronized post-mitotic re-activation in pairs of alleles, and transcriptional memory as an extrinsic noise that potentially contributes to synchronized post-mitotic re-activation. We also reveal rapid dCas13-engaged mRNP movement in the nucleus with a corralled and diffusive motion, but a wide varying range of rate-limiting mRNP export, which can be shortened by Alyref and Nxf1 overexpression. Conclusions This optimized dCas13-based toolkit enables robust spatial-temporal tracking of endogenous mRNAs and uncovers features of transcription and mRNP motion, providing a powerful toolkit for endogenous RNA visualization in a multicellular developmental organism.

Background Bariatric surgery is the effective treatment for obesity, however, the effect of surgery on patients' psychological status is still unclear. Objective To investigate the treatment effects of bariatric surgery on patients' psychological status one year after the surgery. Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. This study selected 172 patients who underwent bariatric surgery in the department of general surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during June 2019 to June 2020, and collected their clinical data. The indicators of the treatment effects of bariatric surgery include body composition indicators〔Weight, Body mass index (BMI) , Percentage of excess weight loss (EWL%) , Body muscle mass (BM) , Body fat mass (BF) , Visceral fat (VSF) , metabolism-related biochemical indexes〔Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) , Total protein (TP) , Albumin (ALB) 〕, preoperative comorbidities, relief of comorbidities after surgery, postoperative complications, postoperative complaints, surgery methods; Indicators of the postoperative psychological status include quality of life, perceived stress, general well-being and satisfaction degree of surgery. This study used the12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12) , Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) , General Well-being Schedule (GWS) , Questionnaire of Bariatric Surgery Patient' Satisfaction Survey to investigate the psychological status. This study used the Pearson correlation analysis and Spearman rank correlation analysis to explore the correlation between body composition indicators and metabolic-related biochemical indexes and postoperative psychological status, used the multivariate linear regression analysis to explore the factors that affect postoperative psychological status. Results One year after surgery, EWL% was (82.7±31.7) %, and BMI decreased by (10.3±4.3) kg/m2. 96 patients (55.8%) had metabolic-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, fatty liver before surgery, 48 patients (27.9%) achieved complete remission, 30 patients (17.4%) achieved partial remission, and 18 patients (10.5%) had no remission after surgery. Patients'weight, BMI, BM, BF, VSF, ALT, AST were lower than those before surgery, the TP and ALB were higher than those before surgery (P

IntroductionSemaglutide shows significant performance on weight reduction in several clinical trials. However, it is not clear what kind of administration frequency or dosage will achieve better effects. This study aims to explore the different therapeutic effect of semaglutide on weight control under the diverse administration circumstances.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and the Clinical Trials.gov were searched from inception until 6 June, 2022 to include randomized controlled trials evaluating the Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous semaglutide in overweight or obese adults. Random effects or fixed effects model was conducted based on the heterogeneity among trials. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the detailed effects under different intervention situations.Results and discussionOur study included 13 RCTs involving 5,838 participants with 3,794 ones in semaglutide group and 2,044 in placebo group. Semaglutide was associated with a significant reduction on weight loss related outcomes, including the absolute value of weight loss (WMD -8·97, 95% CI -10·73 to -7·21), percentage of weight loss (WMD -10·00, 95% CI -11·99 to -8·00), body mass index (WMD-3·19, 95% CI -4·02 to -2·37) and waist circumference (WMD -7·21,95% CI -8·87 to -5·56). Subgroup analyses illustrated participants with high weekly dosage, long-term treatment duration and severe baseline BMI (Class II obesity) had a more remarkably decreasing on the main outcomes of weight loss (P for interaction

为促进栀子的开发利用，以栀子成熟果实为原料，采用水酶法提取栀子油。采用单因素实验研究酶种类、加酶量、酶解pH、酶解温度、液料比、酶解时间对栀子油得率的影响，在此基础上采用均匀设计实验进行工艺条件优化，并对各种酶提取的栀子油进行脂肪酸组成分析。结果表明：水酶法提取栀子油的最佳工艺条件为采用中性蛋白酶、加酶量0.7%、液料比3∶ 1、酶解pH 7、酶解温度60 ℃、酶解时间7 h，在此条件下栀子油得率为7.27%，与空白组（3.34%）相比提高了117.66%；栀子油中亚油酸含量最高，超过56%，不饱和脂肪酸含量为80%左右。不同酶提取栀子油的脂肪酸组成及含量没有显著差异。 In order to promote the development and utilization of Gardenia jasminoides, With the mature fruit of Gardenia jasminoides as raw material, the oil was extracted by aqueous enzymatic method. The effects of enzyme species, enzyme dosage, enzymatic hydrolysis pH, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature, liquid-material ratio and enzymatic hydrolysis time on the yield of Gardenia jasminoides oil were studied by single factor experiment. The process parameters were optimized by uniform design on the basis of single factor experiment. The fatty acid composition of Gardenia jasminoides oil extracted by different enzymes was analyzed. The results showed that the optimal process conditions were obtained as follows: with neutral protease for enzymolysis, enzyme dosage 0.7%, liquid-material ratio 3∶ 1, enzymatic hydrolysis pH 7, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature 60 ℃ and enzymatic hydrolysis time 7 h. Under these conditions, the yield of Gardenia jasminoides oil was 7.27%, which was 117.66% higher than that of control(3.34%). The linoleic acid content in Gardenia jasminoides oil was the highest, exceeding 56%, and unsaturated fatty acids content was about 80%. There was no significant difference in the fatty acid composition and content of Gardenia jasminoides oils extracted by different enzymes.

Objective To deepen the understanding of clinicians for giant subgaleal hematoma complicated with intraorbital hematoma as the first presentation of chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase （CML-CP）. Methods The diagnosis and treatment of one case of giant subgaleal hematoma complicated with intraorbital hematoma as the first presentation of CML were reported. Literature review was conducted by using the keywords of subgaleal hematoma and chronic myeloid leukemia in English and Chinese from PubMed, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP, SinoMed and CNKI.Results The male patient was aged 14 years old. Skull MRI showed subgaleal hematoma complicated with intraorbital hematoma. He was diagnosed with CML-CP by myelogram analysis. He received ultrasound-guided hematoma puncture with pressure dressing, given with leukapheresis, hydroxyurea, cytarabine and imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. During 2-year follow-up, he obtained stable condition and normal quality of life. Two cases of CML presenting with subgaleal hematoma as the initial manifestation were retrieved. One case received cranial CT scan and found no abnormality, and CT scan of the other case prompted subgaleal hematoma; one case underwent hematoma puncture combined with pressure dressing, and the other case received incision and drainage of subgaleal hematoma. Fair clinical prognosis was achieved in two cases. Conclusions CML-CP patients presenting with giant subgaleal hematoma complicated with intraorbital hematoma should promptly receive hematoma puncture in combination with chemotherapy and leukapheresis, etc. In addition, tyrosine kinase inhibitor should be promptly given to enhance clinical prognosis.

At present, there are few reports on the properties of Al2O3·TiO2 coating and its application in solid parts. NiAl self-adhesive bottom layer and Al2O3·TiO2 ceramic surface layer were prepared on GH4169 test piece by using plasma spraying equipment. Then, the microstructure, microhardness, bonding strength and bending properties were tested. Based on the test results, the spray verification was carried out with a certain type of aeroengine solid parts. Results showed that the comprehensive performance of the Al2O3·TiO2 ceramic coating was good, When Al2O3·TiO2 ceramic coating was used in labyrinth sealing parts, it could effectively protect the labyrinth, preventing labyrinth from wear, and could improve the service performance of the parts and prolong its service life.

Background and purpose: Esophageal cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death in China, and the morbidity and death rates have remained high. Epigenetic acetylation modifications are involved in and regulate the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of a wide variety of tumor cells, and the acetylation modification of tumor proteins mediated by acetyltransferases may be one of the important mechanisms for esophageal carcinogenesis. This study investigated the expression of acetyltransferase 3b (KAT3b) and the ATP-combined box transporter E1 (ABCE1) acetylation level in esophageal cancer and analyzed the correlation and molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer. Methods: Fifty-five esophageal cancer tissue samples and 55 para-cancerous mucosal tissues were collected in Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College from January 2020 to May 2021. The protein expressions of ABCE1 and KAT3b were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The acetylation level of ABCE1and KAT3b protein expression were determined by coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Bioinformatics predicts the acetylation transferase KAT3b undergoing acetylation using ABCE1 as a substrate, and fluorescence immunohistochemistry (IF) verified the location and expressions of ABCE1 and KAT3b in cancerous tissues. The correlation between ABCE1 acetylation and KAT3b and their relationship with the clinical pathology characteristics were analyzed by statistics. RNA interference sequence of KAT3b for downregulation was constructed, and then transfected into esophageal cancer EC109 cells using liposome-mediated methods. The KAT3b mRNA expression and protein levels were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTFQ-PCR) and Western blot. ABCE1 protein acetylation levels were detected using Co-IP experiments. Results: Protein expressions of ABCE1 and KAT3b were significantly higher compared with normal esophageal mucosa (P

We previously reported that proinflammatory cytokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, promoted tumor migration, invasion, and proliferation, thus worsening the prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM). Urolithins, the potent metabolites produced by the gut from pomegranate polyphenols, have anticancer properties. To develop an effective therapy for GBM, this study aimed to study the effects of urolithins against GBM. Urolithin A and B significantly reduced GBM migration, reduced epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and inhibited tumor growth. Moreover, urolithin A and B inhibited TNF-α-induced vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, thereby reducing human monocyte (HM) binding to GBM cells. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) level had higher expression in patients with glioma than in healthy individuals. Urolithins are considered pharmacological antagonists of AhR. We demonstrated that the inhibition of AhR reduced TNF-α-stimulated VCAM-1 and PD-L1 expression. Furthermore, human macrophage condition medium enhanced expression of PD-L1 in human GBM cells. Administration of the AhR antagonist attenuated the enhancement of PD-L1, indicating the AhR modulation in GBM progression. The modulatory effects of urolithins in GBM involve inhibiting the Akt and epidermal growth factor receptor pathways. The present study suggests that urolithins can inhibit GBM progression and provide valuable information for anti-GBM strategy.

During the normal operation of pressurized water reactor, fission products activity in the primary coolant will increase when failure of fuel rods happens. The prediction of the status of fuel failure has been paid great attention from industry for the long term with respect to radiological protection, radioactive consequence and the economy. The iodine isotope activity ratio 131I/133I is one of the most important indicators to evaluate fuel reliability in nuclear power industry. In this paper, the production and release of fission products in fuel rods and the primary coolant were simulated by the kinetic model and the typical 131I/133I in the primary coolant were theoretically estimated at the equilibrium conditions for the intact fuels, fuel failure with small defect and large defects, respectively. The radiochemical data in the primary loops were gathered and compiled from thirty six cycles in operating CPR1000 PWR units. The statistical results of these operation data show that the higher volume activities of radio-iodine in the primary loops may result from the dissemination of actinides due to secondary hydriding from the previous cycles and the 131I/133I can be used to well identify the fuel reliability in comparison of the radio-iodine activities. In the cycles with fuel failure, the radio-iodine activities and 131I/133I according to the operation data distribute much wider than the expected because the actual status of fuel failure are more complicated during operation than expected, e.g. changes of fuel failure size, the discrepancy of the location of fuel failure and the relative power of the defective fuel rods. In some cases, it is difficult to distinguish the fuel failure by radio-iodine owing to its low release rate from defective fuel rods. In addition, the size of fuel failure in the specific cycles can be illustrated by the significant change of 131I/133I. It shows that the predictions by the model and the statistical results in operating CPR1000 PWR units are qualitatively in agreement for both intact fuel and fuel failure. It also indicates that the conventional threshold 131I/133I≥0.1 for fuel failure may make the misjudgment due to the overlap of distributions and 131I/133I≥0.15 can distinguish 97% operation date for the fuel failure and 98% operation date for intact fuel rods. The method used and the results in the paper can help to make better understanding of the release of iodine for fuel failure and identity the defective fuel rods during unit operation.

Geotechnical survey is an important prerequisite to the construction of offshore wind farms. However, the impact of underwater survey noises has not yet been studied in details. In this paper, we studied transmission of underwater noises from offshore exploratory drilling (OED) at the Xiamen port. The noises were categorized into three types: hammering noises (hammering down of casings, which were 180-mm diameter steel pipes), vibrating noises (vibration of casings that had been hammered down), and drilling noises (generated during the borehole drilling process). We considered the variation in intensity of these three noise types, and set up two fixed and one movable stations to measure and analyze the source and propagation characteristics of these noises. The results indicate that hammering noise is an impulsive sound with a dominant frequency below 10 kHz, and source levels (SLs) of 197.1 dB re 1μPa @ 1 m (rms over 95% energy duration. 1–64,000 Hz) and 212.9 dB re 1μPa @ 1 m (peak). Vibrating and drilling noises are non-impulsive sounds with the fundamental frequencies of 41 Hz and 45 Hz, and SLs of 158.9 dB re 1μPa rms @ 1 m and 155.9 dB re 1μPa rms @ 1 m, respectively. The impact assessment of OED noises on five groups of marine mammals with different audible frequency ranges (Low (LF), High (HF), and Very High (VHF) frequency cetaceans, sirenians (SI), and phocid pinnipeds (PW)) demonstrates that hammering noise can induce a high risk of hearing damage to their hearing, at as far as 300 meters for VHF group, while drilling noise can only induce hearing damage at about 40 meters. Marine mammals are susceptible to behavior alteration, with a detectable distance of 1.9 km from the source, and it is recommended to set a warning zone with a radius of 1.9 km during OED construction.

The Belt and Road works actively for promoting China's international energy cooperation. Hence, the safety evaluation of offshore gas transport channels with reference to the actual Belt and Road cooperation practice has an important theoretical and practical value. Taking into account the construction practice of the Belt and Road, the nationallevel natural gas cooperation, and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the international natural gas supply pattern, research on the safety of offshore gas channels was performed with the evaluation model indicators determined based on the five connectivity indexes along the Belt and Road, the national gas agreement and the COVID-19 pandemic, and solution made by PP-RAGA-K-means algorithm. The research results show that the factor of "the Belt and Road" has a positive impact on the safety of China's offshore gas channels, and the national offshore gas channels that are located along the Belt and Road and where strong national strength is present are the safest. Conclusively, the research results provide a scientific basis for China to develop international cooperation and the relevant departments to formulate safety measures for offshore natural gas transportation.

Rural urbanization is a process of population agglomeration catalyzed by industrialization. At present, China’s urbanization process is accelerating against the backdrop of rapid social development. However, in some areas, economic development is emphasized, while the protection of the ecological environment is neglected, leading to the increasingly obvious contradiction between urbanization and rural ecological environment and is not conducive to economic development. In this paper, the development trend of China’s rural urbanization, the current situation of environmental pollution, and the progress of important environmental treatment projects are analyzed. Accordingly, the main problems in rural environmental protection and the impact of urbanization are explored. The problems led by industrial and domestic pollutants have been amplified by urbanization, while the improved connection between urban and rural areas will benefit the improvement of environmental infrastructure in rural areas. The government-led projects of rural water improvement, sanitary toilet penetration, methane gas production, and solar water heater have made great progress during the past two decades. Based on these understandings, we put forward feasible countermeasures to implement rural ecological environment protection during the process of urbanization to promote the benign development of rural urbanization. Our results will be helpful in providing some useful references for environmental protection in rural areas and promoting the coordinated development of the economy and environment during the process of urbanization in China.

Elatostema stewardii is an important medicinal plant endemic to China. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of E. stewardii was sequenced and assembled using next-generation sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length of E. stewardii was 150,263 bp, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,681 bp, which are separated by LSC and SSC of 83,791 bp and 17,110 bp, respectively. A total of 129 genes were included in the genome, consisting 85 protein-coding genes, eight rRNA genes, and 36 tRNA genes, the overall GC content of this genome was 36.3%. There are few studies on the genus Elatostema of Urticaceae, this chloroplast genome sequence will provide useful data for further research on solving the generic and familial relationships in Urticaceae.

Bradykinin is a small active peptide and is considered an inflammatory mediator in several pathological conditions. Bradykinin exerts its effects by coupling to its receptors, including bradykinin B1 (B1R) and bradykinin B2. B1R has been implicated in the development of various cancers. Our previous study reported that B1R promoted glioblastoma (GBM) development by supporting the migration and invasion of GBM cells. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of B1R on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and GBM progression remain unknown. Accordingly, to explore the regulatory effects of B1R overexpression (OE) in GBM on tumor-associated immune cells and tumor progression, we constructed a B1R wild-type plasmid and developed a B1R OE model. The results reveal that B1R OE in GBM promoted the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1—cell adhesion molecules—in GBM. Moreover, B1R OE enhanced GBM cell migration ability and monocyte attachment. B1R also regulated the production of the protumorigenic cytokines and chemokines IL-6, IL-8, CXCL11, and CCL5 in GBM, which contributed to tumor progression. We additionally noted that B1R OE in GBM increased the expression of CD68 in TAMs. Furthermore, B1R OE reduced the level of reactive oxygen species in GBM cells by upregulating heme oxygenase-1, an endogenous antioxidant protein, thereby protecting GBM cells from oxidative stress. Notably, B1R OE upregulated the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 in both GBM cells and macrophages, thus providing resistance against T-cell response. B1R OE in GBM also promoted tumor growth and reduced survival rates in an intracranial xenograft mouse model. These results indicate that B1R expression in GBM promotes TAM activity and modulates GBM progression. Therefore, B1R could be an effective target for therapeutic methods in GBM.

BackgroundAcupuncture or electroacupuncture (EA) appears to be a potential treatment in acute clinical traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, it remains uncertain whether acupuncture affects post-TBI histone deacetylase (HDAC) expression or impacts other biochemical/neurobiological events.Materials and methodsWe used behavioral testing, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry analysis to evaluate the cellular and molecular effects of EA at LI4 and LI11 in both weight drop-impact acceleration (WD)- and controlled cortical impact (CCI)-induced TBI models.ResultsBoth WD- and CCI-induced TBI caused behavioral dysfunction, increased cortical levels of HDAC1 and HDAC3 isoforms, activated microglia and astrocytes, and decreased cortical levels of BDNF as well as its downstream mediators phosphorylated-Akt and phosphorylated-GSK-3β. Application of EA reversed motor, sensorimotor, and learning/memory deficits. EA also restored overexpression of HDAC1 and HDAC3, and recovered downregulation of BDNF-associated signaling in the cortex of TBI mice.ConclusionThe results strongly suggest that acupuncture has multiple benefits against TBI-associated adverse behavioral and biochemical effects and that the underlying mechanisms are likely mediated by targeting HDAC overexpression and aberrant BDNF-associated Akt/GSK-3 signaling.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit. This study aimed to explore the pathogenesis of acne and the therapeutic mechanism of isotretinoin from the metabolic perspective in coal tar-induced acne in rabbits.Methods: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS) based metabolomics was used to identify skin metabolites in groups C (blank control), M (model group) and T (isotretinoin group). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to process the metabolomics data.Results: 98 differential metabolites in group C and group M were identified. The highest proportion of differential metabolites were organic acids and derivatives, lipid metabolites, organic heterocyclic compounds, and nucleoside metabolites. The most significant metabolic pathways included protein digestion and absorption, central carbon metabolism in cancer, ABC transporters, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, and sphingolipid signaling pathway. Isotretinoin treatment normalized eight of these metabolites.Conclusions: Our study will help to further elucidate the pathogenesis of acne, the mechanism of isotretinoin at the metabolite level, and identify new therapeutic targets for treating acne.

Visualizing RNA dynamics is important for understanding RNA function. Catalytically dead (d) CRISPR-Cas13 systems have been established to image and track RNAs in living cells, but efficient dCas13 for RNA imaging is still limited. Here, we analyzed metagenomic and bacterial genomic databases to comprehensively screen Cas13 homologies for their RNA labeling capabilities in living mammalian cells. Among eight previously unreported dCas13 proteins that can be used for RNA labeling, dHgm4Cas13b and dMisCas13b displayed comparable, if not higher, efficiencies to the best-known ones when targeting endogenous MUC4 and NEAT1_2 by single guide (g) RNAs. Further examination of the labeling robustness of different dCas13 systems using the GCN4 repeats revealed that a minimum of 12 GCN4 repeats was required for dHgm4Cas13b and dMisCas13b imaging at the single RNA molecule level, while >24 GCN4 repeats were required for reported dLwaCas13a, dRfxCas13d and dPguCas13b. Importantly, by silencing pre-crRNA processing activity of dMisCas13b (ddMisCas13b) and further incorporating RNA aptamers including PP7, MS2, Pepper or BoxB to individual gRNAs, a CRISPRpalette system was developed to successfully achieve multi-color RNA visualization in living cells.

A new species Euxaldar daweishanensis Yang, Chang & Chen, sp. nov. is described and illustrated from southwestern China. The female genitalia of the genus Euxaldar is described and presented for the first time. A checklist and key to the known species of the genus are provided. A revised molecular phylogenetic analysis of the family Issidae based on combined partial sequences of 18S, 28S, COI, and Cytb is provided using both Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses.

In order to get the wave system evolution process of gas deflagration suppression by water mist, and obtain the image of the flame structure change when the fine water mist interacts with the flame array, an ultra-high speed laser schlieren system was built on a self-designed mesoscale explosion pipeline to re-understand the mechanism of fine water mist inhibiting gas deflagation from the level of elementary reaction; by analyzing the response time of different systems in the whole experimental system, a reasonable experimental scheme is proposed, and the response time of the flame front arriving at the observation window and the fine water spray injection system are measured. The results show that the time of the flame front arriving at the observation window is 0.113 3 s, and the response time of the fine water spray system is 8.716 ms.

Objective To investigate the role of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism-related endoplasmic reticulum genes in the development of HCC in a mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) microenvironment. Methods The function of differentially expressed endoplasmic reticulum membrane genes (ADEGs) involved in AA metabolism was analyzed by RNA-seq and bioinformatics using AA metabolism-related genes as the background, tumor tissues and paracancer tissues of mice were collect as the sample materials, and the expression of ADEGs was verified by RT-qPCR. Results There was a total of 35 ADEGs in HCC (gene expression in per million per thousand transcripts in sequencing base sequencing contained in the base sequence fragment number (FPKM) ≥2 or ≤0.5, and false positive rate (FDR) was ≤0.05), they were involved in the two biological applications (BPs), five cellcomponents (CCs), nine molecular functions(MFs), a protein loci sequence characteristics (US) and six(KPs) signal channel. The function of these genes was mainly focused on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, especially the effect of iron ion binding(IIB)on the epoxygenase P450 pathway (EPP). Further analysis revealed that ADEGs in IIB had extensive single nucleotide site variation (SNV) and insertion and deletion (INDEL) in the HCC microenvironment, and its occurrence frequency was positively correlated with gene expression (r=0.83). Conclusions ADEGs in HCC microenvironment may cause EPP abnormalities mainly through IIB in the endoplasmic reticulum, thus playing an important role in the development and progression of HCC, SNV and INDEL may be important ways to regulate gene expression.

Aspect-based sentiment classification is designed to accurately identify the emotional polarity of aspect in a comment. Most existing long short term memory (LSTM) network uses only the semantic information of aspects and contexts, while ignoring the function of relative position information between the aspect and the context. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an LSTM-based model that uses relative position information to enhance attention and solves the aspect-based sentiment classification problem. First, the position vector is added to the input layer of the context, and the context and the aspect are separately encoded by using two LSTM networks. Then, the position vector is stitched again to the hidden layer of the context, and the hidden layer vector of the aspect is used to calculate the attention weight of different words in the context. Finally, sentiment classification is performed using a valid representation generated by the context. The model is tested on the Restaurant and Laptop datasets of SemEval 2014 Task4. In the three-category experiments, the accuracies of the proposed model are 79.7% and 72.1% respectively. In the two-category experiments, the accuracies reach 92.1% and 88.3% respectively. The proposed model has a certain improvement in accuracy compared to multiple baseline models.

Medicinal plant breviscapine is shown to exhibit a protective role in tissue damage after cerebral hemorrhage. The effects of breviscapine on neurological deficit score, brain tissue water content, brain pathological tissue changes, blood-brain barrier bidirectional regulation, and inflammatory factors after cerebral hemorrhage in rats were observed. Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to explore how Periostin and nuclear factor kappa-B pathway-related factors protein expression contribute to the protective effects of breviscapine on brain injury. Breviscapine inhalation could reduce neurological deficit scores and brain tissue water content. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that breviscapine could improve the pathological changes of brain tissue and alleviate brain damage. Breviscapine reduced the abnormal increase of Evans blue content caused by a cerebral hemorrhage, and could significantly inhibit the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Also, breviscapine significantly inhibited the expressions of Periostin and nuclear factor kappa-B pathway-related factors after cerebral hemorrhage, and alleviate brain damage by down-regulating Periostin expression and inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-β signaling pathway.

Urban climate-related disaster risks are set to rise, driven by the interaction of two global megatrends: urbanization and climate change. A detailed understanding of whether, where and how cities are growing within or into hazard-prone areas is an urgent prerequisite for assessing future risk trajectories, risk-informed planning, and adaptation decisions. However, this analysis has been mostly neglected to date, as most climate change and disaster risk research has focused on the assessment of future hazard trends but less on the assessment of how socio-economic changes affect future hazard exposure. Urban growth and expansion modeling provide a powerful tool, given that urban growth is a major driver of future disaster risk in cities. The paper reviews the achievements lately made in urban growth and exposure modeling and assesses how they can be applied in the context of future-oriented urban risk assessment and the planning of adaptation measures. It also analyses which methodological challenges persist in urban growth and exposure modeling and how they might be overcome. These points pertain particularly to the need to consider and integrate (1) urban morphology patterns and potential linkages to exposure as well as vulnerability, (2) long-term time horizons to consider long-term developments, (3) feedbacks between urbanization trajectories and hazard trends, (4) the integration of future urban growth drivers and adaptation responses, (5) feedbacks between adaptation and urbanization, and (6) scenarios, which are developed within a commonly defined scenario framework.

Macrophages and microglia are highly versatile cells that can be polarized into M1 and M2 phenotypes in response to diverse environmental stimuli, thus exhibiting different biological functions. In the central nervous system, activated resident macrophages and microglial cells trigger the production of proinflammatory mediators that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, modulating the activation of macrophages and microglia by optimizing the inflammatory environment is beneficial for disease management. Several naturally occurring compounds have been reported to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Zerumbone is a phytochemical sesquiterpenoid and also a cyclic ketone isolated from Zingiber zerumbet Smith. In this study, we found that zerumbone effectively reduced the expression of lipocalin-2 in macrophages and microglial cell lines. Lipocalin-2, also known as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), has been characterized as an adipokine/cytokine implicated in inflammation. Moreover, supplement with zerumbone inhibited reactive oxygen species production. Phagocytic activity was decreased following the zerumbone supplement. In addition, the zerumbone supplement remarkably reduced the production of M1-polarization-associated chemokines CXC10 and CCL-2, as well as M1-polarization-associated cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Furthermore, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 and the production of NO were attenuated in macrophages and microglial cells supplemented with zerumbone. Notably, we discovered that zerumbone effectively promoted the production of the endogenous antioxidants heme oxygenase-1, glutamate–cysteine ligase modifier subunit, glutamate–cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 and remarkably enhanced IL-10, a marker of M2 macrophage polarization. Endogenous antioxidant production and M2 macrophage polarization were increased through activation of the AMPK/Akt and Akt/GSK3 signaling pathways. In summary, this study demonstrated the protective role of zerumbone in maintaining M1 and M2 polarization homeostasis by decreasing inflammatory responses and enhancing the production of endogenous antioxidants in both macrophages and microglia cells. This study suggests that zerumbone can be used as a potential therapeutic drug for the supplement of neuroinflammatory diseases.

Abstract Vietnam is exposed to different types of floods that cause severe economic losses, damage to infrastructure, and loss of life. Reliable information on the drivers, patterns and dynamics of flood risk is crucial for the identification, prioritization and planning of risk reduction and adaptation measures. Here, we present a systematic review of existing flood risk assessments in Vietnam. We evaluate the current status, persisting gaps, and challenges regarding the understanding and assessment of flood risk in the country. The literature review revealed that: (i) 65 % of the reviewed papers did not provide a clear definition of flood risk, (ii) assessments had a tendency to prioritize physical and environmental drivers of risk over social, economic or governance‐related drivers, (iii) future‐oriented assessments tended to focus on hazard and exposure trends, while vulnerability scenarios were often lacking, (iv) large and middle‐sized cities were assessed more frequently than others, (v) only few studies engaged with relevant local stakeholders for the assessment of risk and the development of potential solutions, and (vi) ecosystem‐based adaptation and flood risk insurance solutions were rarely considered. Based on these findings, we point out several directions for future research on flood risk in Vietnam.

Two new species of the tribe Hemisphaeriini: Ceratogergithus brachyspinus Yang & Chen, sp. nov. (Yunnan) and Neohemisphaerius clavatus Yang & Chen, sp. nov. (Guizhou) are described and illustrated. A checklist to Hemisphaeriini genera is provided. The generic characteristics of the genera Ceratogergithus Gnezdilov, 2017 and Neohemisphaerius Chen, Zhang & Chang, 2014 are redefined. Checklists and keys to the species of each genus are given.

This paper presents the development of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) framework for quantifying the carbon footprint of individual households based on detailed household survey data. According to household consumption and production patterns, the comprehensive life-cycle assessment framework is designed with clarified life-cycle boundaries. The framework covers eight types of specific living activities of rural households generated from a large-scale household survey in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China. Both carbon emissions and carbon sequestrations of households’ consumption and production activities can be assessed, and eventually the integrative carbon footprint is evaluated. The LCA framework enables comprehensive and relatively precise assessment of carbon footprint at a household level and thus adds value to studies in the fields of carbon emission reduction, carbon neutrality and climate policies.

We recently reported that the periodontopathic bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) initiates an inflammatory cascade that disrupts the balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in apoptotic cell death in brain endothelial cells. An extract from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., 2,3,5,4′-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-glucoside (THSG) has been well-reported to diminish the inflammation in many disease models. However, the effects of THSG in the area of the brain–oral axis is unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of THSG in P. gingivalis-stimulated inflammatory response and apoptotic cell death in brain endothelial cells. THSG treatment remarkably lessened the upregulation of IL-1β and TNF-α proteins in bEnd.3 cells infected with P. gingivalis. Treatment of THSG further ameliorated brain endothelial cell death, including apoptosis caused by P. gingivalis. Moreover, the present study showed that the inhibitory effects on NF-κB p65 and antiapoptotic properties of THSG is through inhibiting the ROS pathway. Importantly, the ROS inhibitory potency of THSG is similar to a ROS scavenger N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) and NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin. Furthermore, the protective effect of THSG from P. gingivalis infection was further confirmed in primary mouse brain endothelial cells. Taken together, this study indicates that THSG attenuates an ROS-dependent inflammatory response and cell apoptosis in P. gingivalis-infected brain endothelial cells. Our results also suggest that THSG could be a potential herbal medicine to prevent the risk of developing cerebrovascular diseases from infection of periodontal bacteria.

China announced a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. As one of the most promising pathways to minimize carbon emissions, the low-carbon electricity supply is of high consideration in China’s future energy planning. The main purpose of this study is to provide a comparative overview of the regional siting potential of various low-carbon power plants in the Yangtze River Delta of China. First, unsuitable zones for power plants are identified and excluded based on national regulations and landscape constraints. Second, we evaluate the spatial siting potential of the seven low-carbon energy power plants by ranking their suitability with geographic information system (GIS)-based hierarchical analysis (AHP). The results revealed that around 78% of the area is suitable for power plant siting. In summary, biomass power plants have high siting potential in over half of the spatial areas. Solar photovoltaic and waste-to-electricity are encouraged to establish in the long-term future. The maps visualize micro-scale spatial siting potential and can be coupled with the sustainability assessments of power plants to design an explicit guiding plan for future power plant allocation.

Background: As growing evidence links gut microbiota with the therapeutic efficacy and side effects of anti-hyperglycemic drugs, this article aims to provide a systematic review of the reciprocal interactions between anti-hyperglycemic drugs and gut microbiota taxa, which underlie the effect of the gut microbiome on diabetic control via bug-host interactions.Method: We followed the PRISMA requirements to perform a systematic review on human vs. animal gut microbiota data in PubMed, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases, and used Cochrane, ROBIN-I, and SYRCLE tools to assess potential bias risks. The outcomes of assessment were trends on gut microbiota taxa, diversity, and associations with metabolic control (e.g., glucose, lipid) following anti-hyperglycemic treatment.Results: Of 2,804 citations, 64 studies (17/humans; 47/mice) were included. In human studies, seven were randomized trials using metformin or acarbose in obese, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Treatment of pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed T2D patients with metformin or acarbose was associated with decreases in genus of Bacteroides, accompanied by increases in both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Additionally, T2D patients receiving metformin showed increases in various taxa of the order Enterobacteriales and the species Akkermansia muciniphila. Of seven studies with significant differences in beta-diversity, the incremental specific taxa were associated with the improvement of glucose and lipid profiles. In mice, the effects of metformin on A. muciniphila were similar, but an inverse association with Bacteroides was reported. Animal studies on other anti-hyperglycemic drugs, however, showed substantial variations in results.Conclusions: The changes in specific taxa and β-diversity of gut microbiota were associated with metformin and acarbose in humans while pertinent information for other anti-hyperglycemic drugs could only be obtained in rodent studies. Further human studies on anti-hyperglycemic drugs other than metformin and acarbose are needed to explore gut microbiota's role in their therapeutic efficacies and side effects.

Summary: This protocol uses endonuclease-dead, programmable RNA-guided RNA-targeting Cas13 RNases (d)Cas13 proteins fused with fluorescent proteins to visualize and track RNA dynamics in live cells. This protocol details several aspects of the procedure, including gRNA design, fluorescent protein selection, nuclear localization signal adjustment, raw data analysis, operation steps, and extended optional applications that have been successfully applied in the visualization of NEAT1, SatIII, MUC4, and GCN4 RNAs.For complete information on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Yang et al. (2019).