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ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the utility of polygenic risk scores (PRS) in women with early menopause (EM) and to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with EM based on genetic risk.Study designGenotyping data and clinical data from women with EM and women with normal age of menopause retrieved from UK Biobank were used for early menopause risk prediction model establishment. Subsequently, 99 women diagnosed with EM and 1027 control women underwent PGT-M were recruited for model validation from across eight hospitals in China. According to PRS percentiles, these participants were further classified into high risk and intermediate risk groups. Characteristics among women at different risk levels were compared, and risk factors with early menopause were also statistical analyzed.Main outcome measuresThe proportion of women at high risk in EM and control groups; Characteristics with significant difference among women at different risk levels; risk factors associated with EM.ResultsThe proportion of high-risk women in the EM group was significantly higher than that in control women underwent PGT-M (Group PGT-M) (OR = 3.78), and that in women with normal age menopause from UK Biobank (Group UKB) (OR = 5.11). Notably, the women with high risk of EM exhibited distinct characteristics compared to women with the intermediate-risk of EM, and identified several risk factors associated with EM.ConclusionsWe established a PRS model to serves as a valuable instrument for EM risk prediction. The exploratory analysis revealed that women with high risk of EM exhibited a higher height, suggesting EM related genetic loci may also influence growth and development level. Several risk factors were found to be potentially associated with EM, such as excessive familial contentment, COVID-19 vaccination, staying up late, and the husband’s engagement in smoking and alcohol abuse.

The precipitation kinetics of precipitates with different orientations and segregation in an ultrafine grained (UFG) Al–Cu–Mg alloy (AA2024) aged at 210 °C have been investigated using situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), situ wide angle X-ray (WAXS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). For UFG alloy, the number and size of (111) S'/S phases are larger than those of (130) S'/S phases on the whole, because spacing of slip plane near (111) S'/S phases is larger than that near (130) S'/S phases, resulting in solute atoms are easier to diffusion near (111) S'/S phases, and (111) S'/S phases are easier to grow, meanwhile, resulting in the critical shear stress for dislocation moving near (111) S'/S phases is smaller than that near (130) S'/S phases, further leading to the dislocation density near (111) S'/S phases is 1.07–1.19 times larger compared to that near (130) S'/S phases during ageing process, which provides more nucleation sites for (111) S'/S phases. After ageing for 10–40 min, the segregation degree of Cu and Mg atoms near dislocations and grain boundaries is increased in UFG alloy, while after ageing for 80 min, the segregation of Cu atoms is decreased and Mg atoms continue to increase, the segregation of Mg atoms begin to decrease after ageing for 120 min.

China’s economic development has achieved great success in recent years, but the problems of energy scarcity and environmental pollution have become increasingly serious. To enhance the reliability and efficiency between energy, the environment and the economy, sustainable development is an inevitable choice. In the context of measuring sustainability efficiency, a network data envelopment analysis model is proposed to formulate the two-stage process of energy use and operations management. A double frontier is derived to optimize the available energy for sustainable development. Due to nonlinearity, previous linear methods are not directly applicable to identify the double frontier and calculate stage efficiencies for inefficient decision-making units. To address this problem, this study develops the primal-dual relationship between multiplicative and envelopment network models based on the Lagrange duality principle of parametric linear programming. The newly developed approach is used to evaluate the sustainability efficiency of 30 administrative regions in China. The results show that insufficient sustainability efficiency is a systemic problem. Different regions should take different measures to conserve energy and reduce pollutant emissions for sustainable development. To increase sustainability efficiency, regions should support energy-saving and emission-reducing technologies in production processes and strengthen their capacity for technological innovation. Compared with energy use efficiency, operations management efficiency in China has a wider range of changes. During the operations management stage, there is not much difference between the capacity and quantity of each region. Based on benchmark regions at the efficiency frontier, there is an opportunity to improve operations management in the near future. Blockchain technology can effectively improve energy allocation efficiency.

Objective This study aimed to introduce a novel laparoscopic haemostasis for myomectomy and investigate the independent risk factors for uterine fibroid recurrence.Design A retrospective cohort study.Setting Following strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) criteria, a retrospective study of prospectively collected available data of the consecutive patients who underwent the myomectomy in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology of the single centre between February 2018 and December 2020.Participants 177 patients who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy resection were enrolled in the present cohort study.Materials and methods Patients were classified into two groups according to their different methods of haemostasis in laparoscopic surgery. Recurrence-free survival was compared between the groups during an average follow-up of nearly 2 years.Results Of the 177 patients from 672 consecutive patients in the retrospective cohort, laparoscopic circular suture and baseball suture were carried out in 102 (57.6%) and 75 (42.4%) patients, respectively. The total amount of blood lost during surgery varied significantly (37.6 vs 99.5 mL) (p

The effect of ultraviolet (UV) light illumination on the corrosion behavior of AA6061-T6 in an alkaline snowmelt-agent solution (CMA solution) was investigated using electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The corrosion products and passive films formed under different exposure conditions were n-type semiconductors. Exposure for 1 and 2 weeks facilitated the corrosion process. Under UV light illumination, the extent of corrosion and size of corrosion pits were larger than those in the dark; this was attributed to the facilitation of the dissolution of AlFeSi intermetallics and formation of fewer oxides such as Al2O3 under UV light illumination. After exposure for 4 weeks, under UV light illumination, the formation of passive films was fewer defects, and more compact structures offered more protection to the aluminum substrates, resulting in slightly suppressed corrosion.

The characteristics of meteorological drought in different river basins in China have clear spatio-temporal differences and the difference between watersheds is also reflected in the influence mechanism of meteorological drought. This study investigated the meteorological drought risk under different future emission scenarios, based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6). Furthermore, we explored the influence of precipitation and temperature on meteorological drought in different basins of China in the future. Meanwhile, the uncertainty associated with CMIP6 in different watersheds is also considered. In the future, the frequency of meteorological drought events mainly shows a decreasing trend, but the drought intensity and duration increase. In China, the rate of probability change in drought's intensity was greater than drought duration and the probability distribution of drought characteristics is significantly different between the historical and the future periods. Under the low and medium emission scenarios (SSP126 and SSP245), the Joint Recurrence Period of future drought intensity and duration increases and the Recurrence Period decreases in the western and north-eastern basins. Precipitation plays a major role in the meteorological drought, especially in the northeast and southeast basins of China. HIGHLIGHTS The meteorological drought intensity and duration will increase in the western basin.; The probability of drought intensity increases faster than the duration of drought.; The JRP of bivariate drought will be a mainly increasing trend in the future.; The driving factor of a meteorological drought is different in China and precipitation is more prominent than temperature.;

The α-glucosidase inhibitor is of interest to researchers due to its association with type-II diabetes treatment by suppressing postprandial hyperglycemia. Hesperidin is a major flavonoid in orange fruit with diverse biological properties. This paper evaluates the effects of hesperidin on α-glucosidase through inhibitory kinetics, fluorescence quenching, and molecular docking methods for the first time. The inhibition kinetic analysis shows that hesperidin reversibly inhibited the α-glucosidase activity with an IC50 value of 18.52 μM and the inhibition was performed in an uncompetitive type. The fluorescence quenching studies indicate that the intrinsic fluorescence of α-glucosidase was quenched via a static quenching process and only one binding site was present between the hesperidin and α-glucosidase. The interaction between them was spontaneous and mainly driven by hydrogen bonds, as well as hydrophobic forces. Furthermore, the molecular docking results suggest that hesperidin might bond to the entrance or outlet part of the active site of α-glucosidase through a network of five hydrogen bonds formed between hesperidin and the four amino acid residues (Trp709, Arg422, Asn424, and Arg467) of α-glucosidase and the hydrophobic effects. These results provide new insight into the inhibitory mechanisms of hesperidin on α-glucosidase, supporting the potential application of a hesperidin-rich orange product as a hypoglycemic functional food.

The effect of a stable magnetic field (1 T) on precipitation kinetics in an Al–Cu–Mg alloy (AA2024) aged at different temperatures has been systematically studied by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The synchrotron SAXS and WAXS results reveal that the precipitation kinetics in different scales is facilitated by magnetic field at ageing process. Based on the WAXS findings, under the magnetic field, the precipitation of CuAl2Mg, Al7Cu2Fe and CuAl2 phases is accelerated at all ageing process, and the highest enhancement of relative intensity of them reaches 262%. Among them, at low ageing temperature (at 130 °C), the percentage of relative intensity of CuAl2Mg and Al7Cu2Fe phases between with and without magnetic field are increased by 48%–120% and 93%–257%, respectively, as compared to the values 1 of above two phases observed at other ageing temperature (at 160–240 °C). Modifications of the precipitation kinetics under magnetic field could be associated with two reasons. One is solute diffusion increase, this is attributed to the increase of solute diffusion coefficient, which results from the change of frequency factor of atom caused by magnetic field. Another is critical nucleation energy decrease and critical nucleation rate increase, which is attributed to the presence of magnetic field energy under magnetic field.

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS), caused by the mutation of RS1 gene, is one of the most common causes of macular degeneration for male adolescents. The mutations and clinical manifestations of the disease are diverse. Neither the relationship between the genotypes and phenotypes, nor the radical treatment like gene therapy has been found by now. Retrospective studies have shown that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can help reduce cysts. However, the specifically pharmacological mechanism remains unknown. Here, we culture induced pluripotent stem cells by drawing peripheral blood from a patient with XLRS, which are supposed to facilitate related researches.

Study region: Yunnan Province, China. Study focus: Yunnan Province (YP) is affected by frequent droughts that severely affect local agriculture and the ecological environment. Therefore, the identification of droughts and an analysis of their driving factors are of significant importance for mitigating local drought losses and guiding agricultural practices. This study identified the spatiotemporal distribution and dynamic changes in drought events over YP (period 1961–2018) using the severity-area-duration method. The impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on seasonal droughts and their lag period were also quantified by employing the sliding correlation coefficient and cross-wavelet analysis method. New hydrological insights for the region: 74 drought events were identified during 1961–2018 in YP, which were mainly short-duration that occurred in the 1980 s and 2000 s, and most drought centers are located over the northern and eastern parts of YP. We found that a significant correlation and different lag periods exist between Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) and seasonal precipitation in YP. Spring droughts mainly occurred in El Niño years during the 1980 s and the 1990 s, whilst winter droughts mainly occurred in La Niña years during the 1990 s and the 2000 s with a lag period of up to 12 months.

Abstract Background This study aimed to comprehensively assess the diagnostic value of fibrinogen to prealbumin ratio (FPR) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) as single markers or in combination in patients with alpha-fetoprotein-negative (AFP-negative) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A total of 199 healthy controls and 515 AFP-negative patients were enrolled in this study, including 180 HCC inpatients, 151 liver cirrhosis (LC) patients, and 184 chronic hepatitis (CH) cases. Mann–Whitney U or Kruskal–Wallis H test were used to analyze differences between groups in laboratory parameters and clinicopathological features. The diagnostic value of FPR and GPR, alone or in combination, in AFP-negative HCC (AFP-NHCC) patients was determined via a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The levels of FPR and GPR were gradually increased in the development of AFP-NHCC and positively correlated with the tumor size and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages. Moreover, GPR was associated with Edmondson–Steiner grades. After univariate logistic regression analysis, FPR and GPR remained independent predictors of adverse outcomes. The combination of FPR and GPR had a good ability to detect AFP-NHCC from the control group (area under curve [AUC] = 0.977), AFP-negative CH (AUC = 0.745), and AFP-negative LC (AUC = 0.666). FPR combined with GPR possessed a larger area (0.943, 0.971) and sensitivity (87.50%, 89.81%) than FPR or GPR alone for differentiating AFP-NHCC with tumor size

Fresh rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica) at the medium-milk stage is rich in soluble dietary fiber (SDF), leading to potential effects on type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we analyzed each monosaccharide, the relative molecular weight, and the molecular linkages of fresh rice (grain, stem, husk, and leaf) SDF. The examined fresh rice leaf SDF consisted of 31.9% glucose, 35.7% galactose, 15.3% arabinose, 11.7% mannose, and a small amount of rhamnose and xylose. The molecular weight (Mw) was 232.5±19.1×104 u, and the radius of gyration (Rg) was 298.8±25.4 nm. The glycosidic bonds consisted mainly of Araf and Glc/Gal and included 1,3-Araf, 1,5-Araf, and 3,5-Araf glycosidic bonds. The effect of fresh rice leaf SDF on insulin resistance (IR) in HepG2 cells showed that it could significantly enhance glucose consumption (P

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) is an inherited disease characterized by splitting within inner retinal layers and impaired vision, which begins in childhood and occurs mostly in males. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from a seven-year-old boy carrying a hemizygous mutation in RS1 gene, and were reprogrammed into human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using non-integrative episomal vectors. The cell line, ZOCi003-A, had normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers, and could differentiate into three germ layers in vivo. This IPSC line may be used for studying the molecular basis of XLRS and selecting potential therapeutic targets and drugs.

The Tahe oilfield, located in the southwest of the Akekule nosing structure, northern Tarim basin, was the most prolific oilfield targeting at the Ordovician carbonate reservoirs in China. The reservoir space was dominant with fracture-cave systems commonly induced by tectonics and karstification. Although hydrocarbon production had proceeded for two decades in the Tahe oilfiled, the control of oil and gas accumulations was still doubtful. In this work, the periodic fluid flow induced by cyclic tectonic stresses was proposed as the mechanism of hydrocarbon migration in the fracture-cave systems of carbonate reservoirs. The fracture networks formed conduits for fluid flow, and the fluid pressure in caves transmitted from stress field provided the driving force. The constitutive equations were established among stresses, fracture densities and flow velocities. Four quasi-3D geological models were constructed to simulate the flow velocities on the Ordovician surface of Akekule nosing structure in the critical tectonic stages. The simulated results supplied indicative information on oil and gas migration and accumulation in the tectonic stages. Combining with the oil and gas charge history, a conceptual model was built to reveal the multi-stage oil and gas charge and accumulation in the Ordovician of Akekule nosing structure. Keywords: Fracture-cave system, Periodic fluid flow, Numerical modeling, Oil and gas accumulation, Akekule nosing structure, Tarim Basin

The effects of five different drying methods, namely, freeze drying (FD), shade drying (SD), hot-air oven drying at 50 °C (OD50), 70 °C (OD70), and microwave drying (MD) on the bioactive phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of navel orange peel were assessed and comprehensively discussed in detail. Compared with other drying methods, MD-treated peel contained the lowest total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The peel subjected to OD70 treatment was superior in TPC relative to other treatments and the highest TFC was found in the peels treated with FD. HPLC analysis identified thirteen flavonoids involving three flavanone glycosides (FGs) and ten polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) in navel orange peel and revealed that PMFs in peel were stable under all these drying methods, whereas the three major FGs (narirutin, hesperidin, and didymin) in peel significantly degraded in response to MD treatment. The peels subjected to OD50/OD70 treatments had the most potent antioxidant capacity when compared to other drying methods. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed. The results revealed here allow us to recommend the use of OD50 or OD70 for the drying of orange peel, both of which help the maintenance of bioactive compounds in the peel and improve its antioxidant capacity.

This paper presents a preliminary experimental study on methane adsorption capacity in shales before and after artificial deformation. The experimental results are based on uniaxial compression and methane isothermal adsorption tests on different shale samples from the Silurian Longmaxi Formation, Daozhen County, South China. Two sets of similar cylindrical samples were drilled from the each same bulk sample, one set was subjected to a uniaxial compressive simulation test and then crushed as artificial deformed shale sample, the other set was directly crushed as the original undeformed shale sample. And then we conducted a comparative experimental study of the methane adsorption capacity of original undeformed and artificially deformed shales. The uniaxial compression simulation results show that the failure mode of all samples displayed brittle deformation. The methane isothermal adsorption results show that the organic matter content is the main controlling factor of shale methane adsorption capacity. However, the comparative results also show that the compression and deformation have an effect on methane adsorption capacity, with shale methane adsorption capacity decreasing by about 4.26–8.48% after uniaxial compression deformation for the all shale samples in this study.

The cracking process in Longmaxi formation shale was experimentally studied during uniaxial compressive loading. Both the evolution of the three-dimensional fracture network and the micromechanics of failure in the layered shale were examined as a function of the inclination angle of the bedding plane. To visualize the cracking process, the test devices presented here used an industrial X-ray CT scanner that enabled scanning during the uniaxial compressive loading. Scanning electron microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy imaging techniques were used to observe the microscopic characteristics of fractured surfaces of failed specimens. The combination of these observations clearly illustrated the micromechanics of the failure process in the anisotropic shale. The experimental results suggest that the cracking process could be divided into two stages under uniaxial loading, and the microstructures and bedding planes of the shale played an important role in the cracking process of layered shale. In the first stage of deformation, the cracking mainly occurred as smaller microcracks (such as intergranular, microcracks), and the propagation of the newly formed microcracks was controlled by the bedding plane of the shale specimen. The microscopic imaging study showed that the microscopic damage was mainly dominated by microtensile fractures under uniaxial compression. In the second stage, with the increase in loading, the extensive development and coalescence of the microcracks led to the formation of complex fracture networks. The complexity of the fracture networks was related to the microstructure of the sample. The coalescence of the microcracks could be divided into three levels in the spatial scale, and the coalescence patterns included both tensile and shear patterns.

To uniformly evaluate the fracture development of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin, a set of evaluation methods for fracture development degree is established by observation and account of fractures developed in the sandstone cores of the Yanchang Formation in the five blocks of Maling, Huaqing, Anbian, Wuqi and Yanhewan in the Shaanbei Slope. The methods include four aspects of qualitative and quantitative indices, i.e., fracture type, fracture strength, fracture grade and fracture assemblage, which are applicable to the fracture assorting, single well evaluation, block evaluation and belt evaluation, respectively. Quantitative evaluation plates of block fracture development degree have been built and applied to evaluate the fracture development degree of the five blocks. The Chang 71 Member in Maling block has high angle fractures of three grades (weak, moderate and strong) developed simultaneously and low angle fractures in moderate-strong development degree; the Chang 72 Member in Maling block has weakly to moderately developed high angle fractures and moderately to strongly developed low angle fractures; both the Chang 71 and Chang 72 members in Anbian block have strongly developed high angle fractures, but undeveloped low angle fractures; the Chang 63 Member in Huaqing block has undeveloped high angle fractures and moderately to strongly developed low angle fractures locally; the Chang 6 members in Wuqi block and Yanhewan block have undeveloped high angle fractures and low angle fractures. Key words: Ordos Basin, Triassic Yanchang Formation, fracture development, quantitative fracture evaluation

In this study, as part of our continuous search for environmentally-friendly antifoulants from natural resources, subergorgic acid (SA) was identified from the gorgonian coral Subergorgia suberosa, demonstrating non-toxic, significant inhibitory effects (EC50 1.25 μg/mL, LC50 > 25 μg/mL) against the settlement of Balanus amphitrite. To further explore the bioactive functional groups of SA and synthesize more potent antifouling compounds based on the lead SA, the structure-activity relationships of SA were studied, followed by rational design and synthesis of two series of SA derivatives (one being benzyl esters of SA and another being SA derivatives containing methylene chains of various lengths). Our results indicated that (1) both the double bond and ketone carbonyl are essential elements responsible for the antifouling effect of SA, while the acid group is not absolutely necessary for maintaining the antifouling effect; (2) all benzyl esters of SA displayed good antifouling effects (EC50 ranged from 0.30 to 2.50 μg/mL) with the most potent compound being 5 (EC50 0.30 μg/mL, LC50 > 25 μg/mL), which was over four-fold more potent than SA; and (3) the introduction of a methylene chain into SA reduces the antifouling potency while the length of the methylene chain may differently influence the antifouling effect, depending on the functional group at the opposite site of the methylene chain. Not only has this study successfully revealed the bioactive functional groups of SA, contributing to the mechanism of SA against the settlement of B. amphitrite, but it has also resulted in the identification of a more potent compound 5, which might represent a non-toxic, high-efficiency antifoulant.

Delayed bitterness causes severe economic loss in citrus juice industry worldwide, which is mostly due to the formation of limonoid compounds, especially limonin, in juice. In this study, effects of postharvest time of fruits, heat treatment, pH and filtration of juice on limonin content in Newhall navel orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck cv. Newhall) juice were investigated. Our research indicated for the first time that: (1) limonin content in juice would gradually increase to a maximal level and then remained almost constant thereafter as storage time going on, whereas the maximum constant value (MCV) of limonin content in juice significantly (p < 0.05) decreased with the increment of postharvest time of fruits being juiced; (2) heat treatment and acidification of juice only speeded up the formation of limonin to the maximal level while without changing the MCV of limonin content; (3) the juice after filtration exhibited much lower MCV of limonin content compared with the unfiltered one. These experimental observations might not only provide useful information for the development of new debitterness method for navel orange juice, but also strongly support the acid-promoted delayed bitterness mechanism, suggesting the formation of delayed bitterness might primary due to the acid-promoted rather than the enzyme-catalyzed lactonization of limonoate A-ring lactone (LARL) to produce limonin in juice of navel orange.

Aims Choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) in patients with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) has been poorly documented. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of CNV in patients with XLRS, as well as analyse the preliminary genotype-phenotype correlation. Methods A retrospective case series of patients with genetically confirmed XLRS was included. Demographic, clinical and genetic features were analysed, with a comparison between CNV and non-CNV eyes. Results Among 185 eyes of 129 patients with XLRS, the prevalence of CNV was 8.1% (15/185). The mean diagnostic age of all patients with CNV is 5.1±2.56 years. CNV eyes exhibited a mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution) of 1.37±0.74. All CNVs were classified as subretinal and active. Peripapillary CNVs accounted for 80.0% (12/15), while subfoveal CNVs accounted for 20.0% (3/15). In CNV eyes, the prevalence of macular atrophy (5/15, 33.3%, p=0.013) and bullous peripheral schisis (14/15, 93.3%, p=0.000) was higher compared with non-CNV eyes. Additionally, CNV eyes exhibited poorer integrity of the outer retina and BCVA (p=0.007) compared with non-CNV eyes. All 15 eyes with CNV underwent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Genotype analysis revealed that 7 of 10 patients (70.0%, 10 eyes) were predicted to have missense variants, while 3 of 10 patients (30.0%, 5 eyes) exhibited severe variants. Conclusions The prevalence of CNV in XLRS eyes was found to be 8.1%. All CNVs secondary to XLRS were active and classified as type 2. CNV eyes demonstrated poorer visual function and compromised retinal structures. Anti-VEGF therapy demonstrated effectiveness in treating XLRS-CNVs. No significant genotype-phenotype correlation was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]