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Abstract Oncolytic viral immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses native or genetically modified viruses that selectively replicate and destroy tumor cells. In this study, we aimed to construct a virus-based prognostic model for risk assessment and prognosis prediction in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and determine the most appropriate virus as a candidate vector for oncolytic virus immunotherapy. Microbiome and RNA sequencing data and clinical information were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and viruses with prognostic value were identified (Deltabaculovirus, Sicinivirus, and Cytomegalovirus) to construct the prognostic model. Correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive function of the viral signature. Bioinformatics analyses were conducted to explore the functional enrichment of viral expression in HCC. The risk score generated by this model could distinguish patients with different survival outcomes, have excellent reliability and accuracy, and could be used as an independent prognostic indicator. The high-risk score group showed significantly lower overall survival, and this trend was also observed in subgroups with different clinicopathological features. Furthermore, Deltabaculovirus positively correlated with amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism signaling pathways, peroxisomes, and complement coagulation cascades. In addition, Deltabaculovirus was significantly related to immune cell infiltration; therefore, patients with high Delta-baculovirus expression might respond better to HCC immunotherapy. Our study identified a promising predictive viral signature for assessing clinical prognosis and guiding immunotherapy in HCC. Deltabaculovirus might be a suitable viral vector for oncolytic virus immunotherapy.

Abstract Background Poly (A) binding protein interacting protein 1 (PAIP1) has been shown to causally contribute to the development and progression of cancer. However, the mechanisms of the PAIP1 regulation in tumor cells remain poorly understood. Results Here, we used a recently developed UV cross-linking and RNA immunoprecipitation method (iRIP-seq) to map the direct and indirect interaction sites between PAIP1 and RNA on a transcriptome-wide level in HeLa cells. We found that PAIP1 not only binds to 3’UTRs, but also to pre-mRNAs/mRNAs with a strong bias towards the coding region and intron. PAIP1 binding sites are enriched in splicing enhancer consensus GA-rich motifs. RNA-seq analysis revealed that PAIP1 selectively modulates the alternative splicing of genes in some cancer hallmarks including cell migration, the mTOR signaling pathway and the HIF-1 signaling pathway. PAIP1-regulated alternative splicing events were strongly associated with PAIP1 binding, demonstrating that the binding may promote selection of the nearby splice sites. Deletion of a PAIP1 binding site containing seven repeats of GA motif reduced the PAIP1-mediated suppression of the exon 6 inclusion in a VEGFA mRNA isoform. Proteomic analysis of the PAIP1-interacted proteins revealed the enrichment of the spliceosome components and splicing factors. Conclusions These findings suggest that PAIP1 is both a polyadenylation and alternative splicing regulator, that may play a large role in RNA processing via its role in alternative splicing regulation.

In this study, the basic nutritional components and physicochemical indicators of camel milk were measured during the early, middle, late, and dry lactation stages to explore their variation patterns throughout the entire lactation process. Meanwhile, quantitative proteomics was employed to analyze the differential proteins between camel colostrum and mature milk and their potential functional information was uncovered. The results showed that the contents of basic nutrients (protein, fat, lactose, and total solids) in camel milk was the highest at the early lactation stage, and subsequently decreased as lactation proceeded. The physicochemical properties of camel milk varied with lactation period. Milk density and refractive index were the highest at the early lactation stage, and then significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The pH and titratable acidity of camel milk were the highest (6.89 and 20.71 °T, respectively) at the dry lactation period. However, lactation period had little effect on the electrical conductivity of camel milk. High-abundance protective proteins such as immunoglobulins, insulin-like proteins, and lactoferrins were found in camel milk, and a total of 641 significantly differential proteins were identified between camel colostrum and mature milk (P < 0.05). In addition, the high-abundance proteins in camel colostrum were mostly related to immune response, anti-inflammatory effect, tissue protection and repair, and metabolic processes, indicating that camel colostrum was more helpful in establishing the immune system against microbial infections in camel calves. This study provides a deep insight into the physicochemical properties of proteins in camel milk during lactation, thereby providing valuable information for the development of functional foods.

Our skin serves as the primary barrier against external environmental insults, the latter of which can cause oxidative stress within cells, while various bioactive peptides sourced from natural resources hold promise in protecting cells against such oxidative stress. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of a low molecular weight extract from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, denoted as Sample-P, in facilitating cell migration and wound healing under oxidative stress conditions in skin cells. The naturally derived compound is a highly complex mix of peptides exhibiting antioxidative properties, as highlighted through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry peptide screening and an in vitro antioxidant assay. Our results demonstrate that Sample-P is capable of promoting cell migration while preventing severe stress responses such as visible through mTOR expression. To further identify the molecular pathways underpinning the overall protective mechanism of Sample-P, we have utilised a proteomics approach. Our data reveal that Sample-P regulates protein expression associated with ribosomal pathways, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which help in preserving DNA integrity and safeguarding cellular organelles, such as mitochondria and the ER, under oxidative stress conditions in skin cells. In summary, in the presence of H2O2, Sample-P exhibits antioxidative properties at both molecular and cellular levels, rendering it a promising candidate for topical skin treatment to wound healing and to address age-related skin conditions.

With the rapid development of global digital economy and aerospace, the gap between the supply and demand of germanium is expanding, and the establishment of a new process for the deep leaching of germanium from hard zinc slag is imminent. In this paper, on the basis of analyzing the reasons for the low germanium leaching rate from hard zinc slag, a new process of germanium leaching enhanced by HNO3 dissolution of externally wrapped ZnFe2O4 is established, and response surface optimization is carried out. The PbggGe4O7 phase in hard zinc slag is externally wrapped with ZnFe2O4 phase, and the non-reaction between ZnFe2O4 and hydrochloric acid is the main reason for the low leaching rate of germanium from hard zinc slag, so it is necessary to add HNO3 to dissolve the external ZnFe2O4 in leaching, and then use hydrochloric acid to leach the PbGe4O7 containing germanium in the interior. The potential pH diagram of the Pb-Ge-Cl-H2O system was also plotted, indicating that increasing the concentration of chloride ions during hydrochloric acid leaching contributes to the generation of GeCl4 at low acidity. When the hydrochloric acid concentration was 134.65 g/L, the liquid–solid ratio was 6, the theoretical dosage of HNO3 was 0.3, and the leaching time was 236 min, the optimum leaching rate of germanium was 93.72%, which was 23.72% higher than that of germanium leaching from hard zinc slag.

At the end of 2022, the adjustment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic control policy in China resulted in a large-scale increase in public infection. To compare the fertility parameters of male patients before and after the adjustments of the COVID-19 pandemic control policy in China, we collected data on patients’ medical histories and laboratory examinations on their first visits between June 2022 and March 2023 in five different hospitals. Data were divided into five groups according to the timeline of the policy adjustment. The data we collected from male patients included semen quality and serum reproductive hormone levels, and intergroup comparisons were made using the Mann–Whitney U and Chi-square tests. In total, 16 784 cases underwent regular semen analysis, 11 180 had sperm morphology assessments, and 7200 had reproductive hormone analyses. The data showed declining trends in semen volume, sperm motility, and the progressive sperm motility rate after the policy adjustment. Subgroup comparison revealed an initial decrease and gradual recovery in progressive motility rate. Sperm morphology analysis showed increased neck and tail abnormalities after the policy adjustment. No significant change in hormone levels was observed. Following the adjustment of the COVID-19 prevention policy in China, a decline in sperm motility and morphology was observed. This trend may gradually recover over 2 months. After the policy adjustment, reproductive hormone levels were relatively stable throughout, except for an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH). These changes in semen parameters suggest that the policy adjustment had a short- to medium-term impact on male reproductive function.

Abstract The structure and mechanism of the human visual system contain rich treasures, and surprising effects can be achieved by simulating the human visual system. In this article, starting from the human visual system, we compare and discuss the discrepancies between the human visual system and traditional machine vision systems. Given the wide variety and large volume of visual information, the use of non-von Neumann structured, flexible neuromorphic vision sensors can effectively compensate for the limitations of traditional machine vision systems based on the von Neumann architecture. Firstly, this article addresses the emulation of retinal functionality and provides an overview of the principles and circuit implementation methods of non-von Neumann computing architectures. Secondly, in terms of mimicking the retinal surface structure, this article introduces the fabrication approach for flexible sensor arrays. Finally, this article analyzes the challenges currently faced by non-von Neumann flexible neuromorphic vision sensors and offers a perspective on their future development.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of artificial natural light in preventing incident myopia in primary school-age children. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized control, intervention study. A total of 1840 students from 39 classes in 4 primary schools in Foshan participated in this study. The whole randomization method was adopted to include classes as a group according to 1:1 randomized control. Classrooms in the control group were illuminated by usual light, and classrooms in the intervention group were illuminated by artificial natural light. All students received uncorrected visual acuity and best-corrected visual acuity measurement, non-cycloplegic autorefraction, ocular biometric examination, slit lamp and strabismus examination. Three-year follow-up, the students underwent same procedures. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction ≤ -0.50 D and uncorrected visual acuity

BackgroundRehabilitation for schizophrenia typically relies on pharmacological interventions， yet their efficacy in improving social function and quality of life remains limited. In recent years， non-pharmacological approaches have shown promise in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes. However， research on the effectiveness of psychomotor therapy specifically for young and middle-aged schizophrenic inpatients is limited.ObjectiveTo explore the effects of psychomotor therapy on the rehabilitation of young and middle-aged schizophrenic inpatients， and to provide a reference for treatment strategies.MethodsA total of 104 young and middle-aged schizophrenic inpatients who met the International Classification of Diseases，tenth edition （ICD-10） diagnostic criteria and hospitalized in the Fourth People's Hospital of Wuhu from June 2021 to June 2022 were selected. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 52 each using random number table method. Both groups received treatment with risperidone tablets （2~4 mg/d） ， along with routine nursing care. Additionally， the research group received an extra 45~55 minutes of psychomotor therapy 2~3 times per week for 12 weeks. The control group received the same psychomotor therapy after the study. Positive and Negative Symptom Scale （PANSS）， Scales of Social-skills for Psychiatric Inpatient （SSPI） and Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire （ITAQ） were used to assess the patients before the intervention and at 4th， 8th and 12th week after the intervention.ResultsThe main effects of intervention at different time points for PANSS positive symptoms， negative symptoms and general psychopathology subscale scores， PANSS total score， SSPI score and ITAQ score were all statistically significant （F=33.989， 204.245， 82.817， 279.596， 26.144， 7.463， P

Objective: To isolate and purify polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale, characterize their structure and explore their anti-inflammatory effects. Methods: Polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale were obtained by water extraction and alcohol precipitation. DOP-1 was purified by DEAE-52 cellulose ion exchange resin and Sephadex G-100. Ultraviolet scanning, GC, high-performance gel chromatography, infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance scanning were used to analyze the structure of DOP-1 polysaccharide, and the inhibitory effect of DOP-1 on the proliferation of RAW 264.7 cells was determined. And its effect on the expression of NO, TNF-α and IL-1β in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS. Results: DOP-1 was a homogeneous polysaccharide composed of rhamnose, mannose, glucose and galactose with a monosaccharide molar ratio of 0.6:9.0:2.7:2.9 and a molecular weight of 59.2 kDa. DOP-1 did not significantly inhibit the proliferation of RAW 264.7 cells. Compared with the model group, DOP-1 significantly inhibited the expression of NO, TNF-α and IL-1β. Conclusions: The polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinaleobtained in this study had clear structure and good anti-inflammatory activity, and the extraction conditions were feasible. This study would provide theoretical basis for the development and utilization of polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale with anti-inflammatory effect.

Polymer-modified asphalt is a thermodynamically unstable system, in which the polymer and asphalt are prone to phase separation. Due to the inadequacy of characterization methods for phase separation, this field has not been thoroughly understood or explored. This paper introduces an innovative methodology by employing a simulation approach that couples phase-field theory with molecular dynamics parameters. Using SBS polymer-modified asphalt as an example, validate the method's applicability and establish a more precise parameter library for the phase separation field model of SBS-modified asphalt. The phase separation process of SBS-modified asphalt was simulated. In combination with fluorescence microscopy experiments, the evolution of the micro and meso-phase states of the modified asphalt over time was established and tracked. Results indicate that higher light component content and lower heavy component content in asphalt improve its compatibility. Migration coefficients and interaction parameters for the phase field model were determined, and a more accurate correction factor for the entropy contribution of SBS-modified asphalt was estimated. The phase-field model shows that higher light component content and lower heavy component content result in slower and smaller phase separation, leading to better compatibility. The combined phase field and molecular dynamics simulations accurately reproduce experimental findings from fluorescence microscopy, providing theoretical references for studying phase separation in polymers.

Background Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is currently the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis patients. However, the low maturation rate of AVF severely affects its use in patients. A more comprehensive understanding and study of the mechanisms of AVF maturation is urgently needed.Methods and results In this study, we downloaded the publicly available datasets (GSE119296 and GSE220796) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and merged them for subsequent analysis. We screened 84 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and performed the functional enrichment analysis. Next, we integrated the results obtained from the degree algorithm provided by the Cytohubba plug-in, Molecular complex detection (MCODE) plug-in, weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA), and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression. This integration allowed us to identify CTSG as a hub gene associated with AVF maturation. Through the literature search and Pearson’s correlation analysis, the genes matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 were identified as potential downstream effectors of CTSG. We then collected three immature clinical AVF vein samples and three mature samples and validated the expression of CTSG using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and double-immunofluorescence staining. The IHC results demonstrated a significant decrease in CTSG expression levels in the immature AVF vein samples compared to the mature samples. The results of double-immunofluorescence staining revealed that CTSG was expressed in both the intima and media of AVF veins. Moreover, the expression of CTSG in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was significantly higher in the mature samples compared to the immature samples. The results of Masson’s trichrome and collagen I IHC staining demonstrated a higher extent of collagen deposition in the media of immature AVF veins compared to the mature. By constructing an in vitro CTSG overexpression model in VSMCs, we found that CTSG upregulated the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 while downregulating the expression of collagen I and collagen III. Furthermore, CTSG was found to inhibit VSMC migration.Conclusions CTSG may promote AVF maturation by stimulating the secretion of MMP2 and MMP9 from VSMCs and reducing the extent of medial fibrosis in AVF veins by inhibiting the secretion of collagen I and collagen III.

BackgroundPulsed-field ablation (PFA) technique is a nonthermal ablation technique. No study has yet evaluated the effect of the positional relationship between the ablation electrode (AE) and the coronary metal stent (CMS) on the electric field distribution and temperature distribution in epicardial ablation. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of the CMS on the electric field as well as the temperature distribution in different models.MethodsMulti-angle modeling of the CMS and AE was performed. The PFA ablation region was evaluated with a field strength contour of 1,000 V/cm, which was used to assess the validity of the two-dimensional (2D) model simulation data as well as the distribution of the multi-angle electric field and temperature in the three-dimensional (3D) model.ResultsThe presence of the CMS had little effect on the width of the ablation area (0.2 mm). In the 3D model, the temperature of the ablation area was highest when the angle between the AE and the CMS was in the 90° position (43.4°C, 41.3°C); a change in the distance between the AE and the CMS affected the temperature of the ablation area (maximum 2.1°C) and the width of the ablation (maximum 0.32 mm).ConclusionThe presence of the CMS distorts the distribution of the electric field, but does not produce a change in the extent of the ablation damage, nor does it bring thermal damage to the ablation region. Different simulation models give similar results in PFA calculations, and this study effectively reduces the complexity of modeling simulation.

Effective management of large basins necessitates pinpointing the spatial and temporal drivers of primary index exceedances and urban risk factors, offering crucial insights for basin administrators. Yet, comprehensive examinations of multiple pollutants within the Yangtze River Basin remain scarce. Here we introduce a pollution inventory for urban clusters surrounding the Yangtze River Basin, analyzing water quality data from 102 cities during 2018–2019. We assessed the exceedance rates for six pivotal indicators: dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total phosphorus (TP), and the permanganate index (CODMn) for each city. Employing random forest regression and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analyses, we identified the spatiotemporal factors influencing these key indicators. Our results highlight agricultural activities as the primary contributors to the exceedance of all six indicators, thus pinpointing them as the leading pollution source in the basin. Additionally, forest coverage, livestock farming, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, along with meteorological elements like precipitation and temperature, significantly impacted various indicators' exceedances. Furthermore, we delineate five core urban risk components through principal component analysis, which are (1) anthropogenic and industrial activities, (2) agricultural practices and forest extent, (3) climatic variables, (4) livestock rearing, and (5) principal polluting sectors. The cities were subsequently evaluated and categorized based on these risk components, incorporating policy interventions and administrative performance within each region. The comprehensive analysis advocates for a customized strategy in addressing the discerned risk factors, especially for cities presenting elevated risk levels.

Abstract When the nanoparticles (NPs) in food contact materials are exposed, they may be ingested with the food matrix, resulting in unknown impacts. Here, the biological response of the nanocomposites of nano zinc oxide (nZnO) and walnut protein‐derived peptides (i.e., PW5, WN5, AE6, and WE7) on the Lactobacillus rhamnosus LRa05 growth and adhesion was studied. In an in vitro mouse intestinal adhesion model, we first spotted that the probiotics LRa05 primarily adhered to and colonized the colonic segment. nZnO effectively inhibited the growth and adhesion properties of LRa05 at high concentrations (≥ 1000 μg/mL). Fortunately, when compared to the individual nZnO, the nZnO‐walnut‐derived peptides nanocomposites significantly increased the growth of LRa05. It was found that the alterations in the adhesion ability of LRa05 after treatment with various substances (nZnO and nanocomposites of nZnO‐walnut peptides) were related to the auto‐aggregating property on the LRa05 surface. These results shed light on the effect of food matrices on the safety of nanomaterials in food, and they may have far‐reaching implications for the use of nanomaterials in the food industry.

Abstract Pharmacometric models were used to investigate the utility of biomarkers in predicting the efficacy (Crohn's Disease Activity Index [CDAI]) of brazikumab and provide a data‐driven framework for precision therapy for Crohn's disease (CD). In a phase IIa trial in patients with moderate to severe CD, treatment with brazikumab, an anti‐interleukin 23 monoclonal antibody, was associated with clinical improvement. Brazikumab treatment effect was determined to be dependent on the baseline IL‐22 (BIL22) or baseline C‐reactive protein (BCRP; predictive biomarkers), and placebo effect was found to be correlated with the baseline CDAI (a prognostic biomarker). A maximal total inhibition on CDAI input function of 50.6% and 42.4% was predicted for patients with extremely high BIL22 or BCRP, compared to a maximal total inhibition of 20.9% and 17.8% for patients with extremely low BIL22 or BCRP, respectively, which were mainly due to the placebo effect. We demonstrated that model‐derived baseline biomarker levels that achieve 50% of maximum unbound systemic concentration of 22.8 pg/mL and 8.03 mg/L for BIL22 and BCRP as the cutoffs to select subpopulations can effectively identify high‐response subgroup patients with improved separation of responders when compared to using the median values as the cutoff. This work exemplifies the utility of pharmacometrics to quantify biomarker‐driven responses in biologic therapies and distinguish between predictive and prognostic biomarkers, complementing clinical efforts of identifying subpopulations with higher likelihood of response to brazikumab.

ABSTRACTImmunosenescence is the degeneration of immunological organs and cells due to aging. Some plants and fungi may have anti-aging benefits through regulating immunosenescence. In this study, mice were fed with two dietary supplement products: Zeng Jian Health Tonic (ZJ) contains extracts from Lentinula edodes, Poria cocos, Tremella fuciformis, cassia seed, Flammulina velutipes, Fructus lycii, chrysanthemum, and mulberry. Zhen Yuan Capsule (ZY) contains extracts from Ganoderma lucidum, Semen cuscutae, Poria cocos, Schisandra chinensis, Codonopsis pilosula, and Atractylodes macrocephala. In addition, the immune organ index, immune cell functions, inflammatory cytokines, and antioxidant enzyme activities were evaluated. The combination of ZJ and ZY could restore the function of lymphocytes and NK cells; decrease the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1α, IL-1β, and GM-CSF; increase the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-5; and enhance superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Therefore, combining ZJ with ZY has anti-aging effects on elderly mice.

Abstract Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a pregnancy‐related condition with complex etiology. Trophoblast dysfunction and abnormal macrophage polarization and metabolism are associated with RSA; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Jupiter microtubule‐associated homolog 2 (JPT2) is essential for calcium mobilization; however, its role in RSA remains unclear. In this study, it is found that the expression levels of JPT2, a nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate‐binding protein, are decreased in the villous tissues of patients with RSA and placental tissues of miscarried mice. Mechanistically, it is unexpectedly found that abnormal JPT2 expression regulates trophoblast function and thus involvement in RSA via c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, but not via calcium mobilization. Specifically, on the one hand, JPT2 deficiency inhibits trophoblast adhesion, migration, and invasion by inhibiting the JNK/atypical chemokine receptor 3 axis. On the other hand, trophoblast JPT2 deficiency contributes to M1 macrophage polarization by promoting the accumulation of citrate and reactive oxygen species via inhibition of the JNK/interleukin‐6 axis. Self‐complementary adeno‐associated virus 9‐JPT2 treatment alleviates embryonic resorption in abortion‐prone mice. In summary, this study reveals that JPT2 mediates the remodeling of the immune microenvironment at the maternal–fetal interface, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for RSA.

Abstract The research on proximity sensing electronic skin has garnered significant attention. This electronic skin technology enables detection without physical contact and holds vast application prospects in areas such as human‐robot collaboration, human‐machine interfaces, and remote monitoring. Especially in the context of the spread of infectious diseases like COVID‐19, there is a pressing need for non‐contact detection to ensure safe and hygienic operations. This article comprehensively reviews the significant advancements in the field of proximity sensing electronic skin technology in recent years. It covers the principles, as well as single‐type proximity sensors with characteristics such as a large area, multifunctionality, strain, and self‐healing capabilities. Additionally, it delves into the research progress of dual‐type proximity sensors. Furthermore, the article places a special emphasis on the widespread applications of flexible proximity sensors in human‐robot collaboration, human‐machine interfaces, and remote monitoring, highlighting their importance and potential value across various domains. Finally, the paper provides insights into future advancements in flexible proximity sensor technology.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi under suitable conditions. Mycotoxins not only endanger humans and animals， but also cause immeasurable damage to the agricultural economy. The common mycotoxin detection methods mainly feature large-scale instrument detection， which requires professional laboratory personnel and takes a long time. Emerging immunoassay technologies have the advantages of simple operation， speed， low cost， minimal interference， and the ability to process several samples simultaneously. This paper reviews the development of immunogens and antibodies in several common immunoassay techniques in the recent years and systematically compares the advantages and disadvantages of various immunoassay techniques. This review provides a novel idea for the development of immunoassay technology in mycotoxin detection.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the locations of the inferior epigastric arteries in a group of Uygur by ultrasound and explore the anatomical characteristics of vessels in the management of inferior epigastric bleeding. Methods: The study included 61 patients. The locations of inferior epigastric arteries through ultrasound were determined at three levels, and the distance from the midline was correlated with patients’ demographics by Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: This study included 52 males and nine females, with a mean age of 37.56 years (± SD 3.16) and a mean BMI of 24.34 kg/m2 (± SD 3.71). At the symphysis pubis level, the average distance from the inferior epigastric artery to the midline was 5.98 ± 0.13 cm on the right and 7.32 ± 0.15 cm on the left. At the anterior superior iliac spine level, the average distance of the inferior epigastric artery on the right was 4.12 ± 0.15 cm and 5.2 ± 0.15 cm on the left. The inferior epigastric arteries were 3.86 ± 0.17 cm on the right and 5.06 ± 0.16 cm on the left of the midline at the level midway between the umbilicus and anterior superior iliac spine. Conclusion: Inferior epigastric arteries were located between 3.5 and 8 cm from the midline, with the right vessel being closer to the midline than the left. The invasive operations through the abdominal wall should avoid these areas to reduce vascular injury. The anatomical characteristics of inferior epigastric arteries may potentially manage inferior epigastric bleeding.

Abstract Polyoxymethylene methacrylate (PMMA) is widely used in ophthalmic biomaterials. Misuse of PMMA in extreme environments is likely to damage the ocular surface and intraocular structures. The surface characterization and tribological behavior of PMMA processed using an excimer laser were investigated in this study by contrasting different lubrication conditions and friction cycles. The results show that the roughness of the material surface increases with laser processing, which changes its physical structure. Under lubrication, the laser-treated PMMA exhibits better hydrophilicity, especially during the use of eye drops. No obvious relationship exists between the laser-processing time and friction behavior. However, the laser treatment may contribute to the formation of friction and wear mechanisms of PMMA materials. Laser-treated PMMA in saline solution exhibits better abrasive resistance by showing a lower wear rate than that in eye drops, although it has a higher friction coefficient. In this study, the different friction stages in laser-treated PMMA were clarified under two lubrication conditions. The wear rates of the laser-treated PMMA were found to decrease with the number of cycles, and the friction coefficient has a similar variation tendency. The wear behavior of the laser-treated PMMA is dominated by the main abrasive wear and secondary transferred film formation. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and application of ophthalmic biomaterials in complex environments by examining the material surface interface behavior and wear mechanism after laser processing using PMMA as the research matrix.

Obtaining consistent multi-view images of litchis is crucial for various litchi-related studies, such as data augmentation and 3D reconstruction. This paper proposes a two-stage model that integrates the Mask2Former semantic segmentation network with the Wonder3D multi-view generation network. This integration aims to accurately segment and extract litchis from complex backgrounds and generate consistent multi-view images of previously unseen litchis. In the first stage, the Mask2Former model is utilized to predict litchi masks, enabling the extraction of litchis from complex backgrounds. To further enhance the accuracy of litchi branch extraction, we propose a novel method that combines the predicted masks with morphological operations and the HSV color space. This approach ensures accurate extraction of litchi branches even when the semantic segmentation model’s prediction accuracy is not high. In the second stage, the segmented and extracted litchi images are passed as input into the Wonder3D network to generate multi-view of the litchis. After comparing different semantic segmentation and multi-view synthesis networks, the Mask2Former and Wonder3D networks demonstrated the best performance. The Mask2Former network achieved a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 79.79% and a mean pixel accuracy (mPA) of 85.82%. The Wonder3D network achieved a peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 18.89 dB, a structural similarity index (SSIM) of 0.8199, and a learned perceptual image patch similarity (LPIPS) of 0.114. Combining the Mask2Former model with the Wonder3D network resulted in an increase in PSNR and SSIM scores by 0.21 dB and 0.0121, respectively, and a decrease in LPIPS by 0.064 compared to using the Wonder3D model alone. Therefore, the proposed two-stage model effectively achieves automatic extraction and multi-view generation of litchis with high accuracy.

In recent years, the prevalence of and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases have been rising in most countries and regions. AF is the most common arrhythmic condition, and there are several treatment options for AF. Pulmonary vein isolation is an effective treatment for AF and is the cornerstone of current ablation techniques, which have one major limitation: even when diagnosed and treated at a facility that specializes in ablation, patients have a greater chance of recurrence. Therefore, there is a need to develop better ablation techniques for the treatment of AF. This article first compares the current cryoablation (CBA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) techniques for the treatment of AF and discusses the utility and advantages of the development of pulsed-field ablation (PFA) technology. The current research on PFA is summarized from three perspectives, namely, simulation experiments, animal experiments, and clinical studies. The results of different stages of experiments are summarized, especially during animal studies, where pulmonary vein isolation was carried out effectively without causing injury to the phrenic nerve, esophagus, and pulmonary veins, with higher safety and shorter incision times. This paper focuses on a review of various a priori and clinical studies of this new technique for the treatment of AF.

Abstract The sole situation of semi-crystalline structure induced single performance remarkably limits the green cryogels in the application of soft devices due to uncontrolled freezing field. Here, a facile strategy for achieving multifunctionality of cryogels is proposed using total amorphization of polymer. Through precisely lowering the freezing point of precursor solutions with an antifreezing salt, the suppressed growth of ice is achieved, creating an unusually weak and homogenous aggregation of polymer chains upon freezing, thereby realizing the tunable amorphization of polymer and the coexistence of free and hydrogen bonding hydroxyl groups. Such multi-scale microstructures trigger the integrated properties of tissue-like ultrasoftness (Young’s modulus

BackgroundPulmonary vein isolation with wide antral ablation leads to better clinical outcomes for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, but the isolation lesion is invisible in conventional cryoballoon ablation. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficacy of the wide pulmonary vein isolation technique that includes the intervenous carina region, guided by high-density mapping, compared with pulmonary vein isolation alone without the mapping system.MethodsWe conducted a propensity score–matched comparison of 74 patients who underwent a wide cryoballoon ablation guided by high-density mapping (mapping group) and 74 controls who underwent conventional cryoballoon ablation in the same period (no-mapping group). The primary outcome was a clinical recurrence of documented atrial arrhythmias for >30 s during the 1-year follow-up.ResultsOf 74 patients in the mapping group, residual local potential in the pulmonary vein antrum was found in 30 (40.5%) patients, and additional cryothermal applications were performed to achieve a wide pulmonary vein isolation. Compared with the no-mapping group, the use of the mapping system in the mapping group was associated with a longer fluoroscopic time (26.97 ± 8.07 min vs. 23.76 ± 8.36 min, P = 0.023) and greater fluoroscopic exposure [339 (IQR181–586) mGy vs. 224 (IQR133–409) mGy, P = 0.012]. However, no significant differences between the two groups were found in terms of procedural duration and left atrial dwell time (104.10 ± 18.76 min vs. 102.45 ± 21.01 min, P = 0.619; 83.52 ± 17.01 min vs. 79.59 ± 17.96 min, P = 0.177). The rate of 12-month freedom from clinical atrial arrhythmia recurrence was 85.1% in the mapping group and 70.3% in the no-mapping group (log-rank P = 0.029).ConclusionVoltage and pulmonary vein potential mapping after cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation can identify residual potential in the pulmonary vein antrum, and additional cryoablation guided by mapping leads to improved freedom from atrial arrhythmias compared with conventional pulmonary vein isolation without the mapping system.Clinical Trial Registration NumberChiCTR2200064383.

High-cadence, multiwavelength observations have continuously revealed the diversity of tidal disruption events (TDEs), thus greatly advancing our knowledge and understanding of TDEs. In this work, we conducted an intensive optical-UV and X-ray follow-up campaign of TDE AT 2023lli and found a remarkable month-long bump in its UV/optical light curve nearly 2 months prior to maximum brightness. The bump represents the longest separation time from the main peak among known TDEs to date. The main UV/optical outburst declines as t ^−4.10 , making it one of the fastest-decaying optically selected TDEs. Furthermore, we detected sporadic X-ray emission 30 days after the UV/optical peak, accompanied by a reduction in the period of inactivity. It is proposed that the UV/optical bump could be caused by the self-intersection of the stream debris, whereas the primary peak is generated by the reprocessed emission of the accretion process. In addition, our results suggest that episodic X-ray radiation during the initial phase of decline may be due to the patched obscurer surrounding the accretion disk, a phenomenon associated with the inhomogeneous reprocessing process. The double TDE scenario, in which two stars are disrupted in sequence, is also a possible explanation for producing the observed early bump and main peak. We anticipate that the multicolor light curves of TDEs, especially in the very early stages, and the underlying physics can be better understood in the near future with the assistance of dedicated surveys such as the deep high-cadence survey of the 2.5 m Wide Field Survey Telescope.

Liver cancer is a huge global challenge. It has been exacerbated by tumor-associated dendritic cells (TDCs) due to Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress. We planned to investigate the effects of LBP3 on TDCs immune function, and to explore whether the underlying mechanism was associated with IRE1α-XBP1 pathway of ER stress regulating lipid metabolism. In our early studies, LBP3 (40–350 kDa) with significant anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities was isolated from the polysaccharide of Lycium barbarum L. (LBP). Here, we determined that LBP3 had a great anti-tumor efficacy in H22-tumor bearing mice by functional activation of TDCs. In vivo and in vitro results showed that LBP3 could up-regulate the expression of MHC Ⅱ, CD80 and CD86 on TDCs, increase the level of TNF-α secreted by TDCs, enhance TDCs’ ability to improve the proliferation and immunosuppression of lymphocytes. Furthermore, LBP3 could decrease the high expression of ER stress-related proteins IRE1α, GRP78, XBP1 and CHOP, reduce the lipid accumulation, raise the low expression of costimulatory molecules on TDCs induced by thapsigargin (TG). Taken together, LBP3 could reduce intracellular lipid accumulation by inhibiting IRE1α-XBP1 pathway of ER stress, improve the function of TDCs to stimulate T cells, thence play an anti-tumor role.

Background. Catheter ablation failure poses a clinical challenge for epicardial or intramural ventricular arrhythmia (VA); however, guidewire ablation within the coronary venous system (CVS) may be effective and safe for targeting VAs. Methods. The ex vivo phase included four steps. In step 1, the steam pop incidence rates during guidewire ablation at power settings of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 W were analyzed using 10 mm- and 20 mm-tip guidewires. In step 2, guidewire ablation was performed for application durations of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 90 s, and the lesion size was measured. In step 3, the effects of saline infusion (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mL/min) on lesion dimensions and steam pop formation were examined. In step 4, an orthogonal array was constructed to obtain the optimal guidewire ablation parameters. In the in vivo phase, guidewire ablation within the CVS was performed in three dogs, and the lesion features in 10 days after ablation were observed. Results. In step 1, the steam pop incidence rates at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 W were 0%, 0%, 12.5%, 62.5%, and 100% using the 10 mm-tip guidewires and 0%, 0%, 0%, 25%, and 75% using the 20 mm-tip guidewires, respectively. In step 2, we found that the lesion areas increased with an increase in the ablation duration (the maximum lesion diameters at 30, 60, and 90 s were 4.9 ± 0.4, 7.0 ± 0.8, and 9.2 ± 0.7 mm in the 10 mm group and 3.2 ± 0.5, 4.5 ± 0.4, and 5.3 ± 0.7 mm in the 20 mm-tip group, respectively). In step 3, we observed that saline infusion was negatively correlated with ablation lesions but had a lower risk of steam pop. The optimal parameters for the 20 mm-tip guidewire ablation were 15 W, 50 s, and 2 mL/min or 20 W, 70 s, and 2 mL/min. In the in vivo phase, effective ablation lesions with maximum and minimum diameters of 3.2 ± 0.3 and 2.8 ± 0.5 mm, respectively, were created by the guidewires during the 10-day observation period after ablation. Conclusion. This novel radiofrequency guidewire ablation technique can feasibly create effective lesions within the CVS, which may improve the efficacy of catheter ablation for challenging epicardial or intramural VA.

Tannin germanium residue (TGR) is the main enrichment in the process of hydrometallurgical extraction of germanium (Ge). The removal effect of impurity zinc (Zn) from TGR greatly affects the purity of TGR and the subsequent production process. In this study, a new method of high efficiency separation of impurity Zn from TGR by ultrasonic intensification was proposed. The results of single factor experiment showed that under the optimal purification conditions of ultrasonic frequency of 20 kHz, ultrasonic power of 225 W, acid concentration of 20 g/L, liquid–solid ratio of 7.5:1, reaction temperature of 40 °C and reaction time of 30 min, the removal efficiency of impurity Zn from TGR was 88.57 %, which is 5.22 % higher than the conventional purification method. The kinetic analysis based on the shrinking core model indicated that the removal of impurity Zn in TGR was controlled by the diffusion step, and the apparent activation energy of the reaction was reduced by the introduction of ultrasonic. The microscopic mechanism of ultrasonic action showed that the ultrasonic increased the surface free energy of solids and improved the wettability of the purified reagent to solids. When the ultrasonic power was 225 W, the ultrasonic can not only destroy the impurity inclusions and break the solid reactants into small particles, but also avoid the secondary agglomeration of small particles.

The subject of this paper is acid mud, a hazardous waste containing mercury. The current treatment process for acid mud involves high temperatures and extended roasting times. In order to address this issue, a new method utilizing microwave-assisted treatment was proposed. This method has demonstrated the effectiveness of microwave heating for acid mud treatment. The results of the study indicate that acid mud consists of PbSO4, HgS, HgSe, and HgCl2, with the main microwave absorbing material being the mercury-containing phase. A schematic diagram illustrating the microwave heating process is proposed in this study. After subjecting the acid mud to microwave treatment at a temperature of 600 ℃ for 30min, the volatilization rate of mercury was found to reach 99.94%. This rate is 6.55% higher compared to conventional roasting methods. Additionally, the microwave roasting slag exhibited increased pore size and specific surface area, indicating that microwave energy provided an improved channel for volatilization. These observations support the conclusion that microwave heating selectively targets the mercury-containing components in acid mud, thereby enhancing the volatilization rate of mercury.

AbstractBackground Vascular calcification (VC) is one of the complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Previous studies have confirmed that oxidative stress (OS) plays an important role in developing VC and that antioxidants have anti-VC effects.Objectives Our study aimed to determine the relationship between the intake of antioxidants from dietary sources and the prevalence of VC, especially in the CKD population.Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed population-based data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 2013–2014). Participants were noninstitutionalized adults >40 years of age. Diet-derived antioxidants were obtained from the first 24-h dietary recall interviews. The abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) score was measured by a DXA scan. We divided the AAC scores into three groups: no calcification (AAC =0), mild to moderate calcification (0< AAC ≤6), and severe calcification (AAC >6).Results A total of 2897 participants were included in the main analysis. Our results showed that vitamin B6, α-tocopherol, and lycopene were associated with severe AAC in unadjusted models (odds ratio (OR): 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.72–0.91, p = 0.001; OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99, p = 0.008; OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96–0.99, p = 0.01, respectively). However, only dietary lycopene was associated with severe AAC after adjusting covariates based on clinical and statistical significance. Per 1 mg higher intake of diet-derived lycopene per day, the odds of having severe AAC were 2% lower in the fully adjusted model (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95–0.999, p = 0.04). Moreover, in subgroup analysis, diet-derived antioxidant was not associated with AAC in patients with CKD.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a higher intake of diet-derived lycopene was independently associated with lower odds of having severe AAC in humans. Therefore, a high intake of diet-derived lycopene may help prevent severe AAC.

Objective To study the epidemiology of mold infections in China. Methods Based on the surveillance data of 19 hospitals participating in the China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net from Jan 2019 to Jun 2022, the general information of patients and the epidemiological characteristics such as the proportion of different strains and clinical infection were analyzed by WHONET software. Results A total of 16 285 mold infection cases were included in the analysis, of which 49.3% were patients aged 61 and over, with the median age of 60 years old. The proportion of males was significantly higher than that of females (62.1% vs. 37.9%). The patients were mainly from the internal medicine, ICU and surgical wards. Most strains were isolated from lower respiratory tract, accounting for 81.7%, followed by pus and secretions (7.8%). In terms of species distribution, Aspergillus spp. accounted for the highest proportion (84.8%), with Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., order Mucorales and Sedosporium spp. accounting for 5.1%, 3.0%, 1.3% and 0.4%, respectively. For species distribution among different mold infection, 88.7% of lower respiratory tract mold infections were caused by Aspergillus spp., and Aspergillus fumigatus(47.8%) was the most common species. Otomycosis was mainly caused by Aspergillus spp.(98.7%), of which Aspergillus terreus accounted for 39.7%, and ophthalmomycosis was mainly caused by Fusarium spp.(54.6%). Conclusions By the retrospective analysis of mold isolation from multicenter in China, we found that Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, and Fusarium spp. were the most common species causing pneumonomycosis, otomycosis, and ophthalmomycosis, respectively. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the differences in species distribution among different mold infections in clinical empirical treatment of fungal infections.

Background and objectiveThis study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of “one-stop” procedures that combined radiofrequency catheter ablation and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with the Watchman device under the guidance of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) vs. transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with atrial fibrillation.Methods and resultsIn this study, we prospectively enrolled patients who underwent “one-stop” procedures under the guidance of ICE (n = 193, 109 men, 65.02 ± 8.47 years) or TEE (n = 109, 69 men, 64.23 ± 7.75 years) between January 2021 and October 2022. Intraprocedural thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage (LAA) was observed in 3 (1.46%) patients in the ICE group and 15 (11.63%) patients in the TEE group (P 0.05).ConclusionThe ICE-guided “one-stop” procedure was safe and feasible with less radiation exposure, shorter turnaround time, and fewer complications and intraoperative thrombus formations than the TEE group. ICE offered accurate measurements in the LAA dimension during LAAC. Echocardiography during the “one-stop” procedures was necessary to rule out the intraoperative thrombus.

In response to the problem of germanium adsorption loss caused by lead sulfate adsorption during the leaching process of zinc oxide dust containing germanium, this article simulates and identifies the mechanism of lead sulfate adsorbing germanium, and innovatively introduces ultrasonic to suppress the adsorption of germanium by lead sulfate. Research has shown that the adsorption process of lead sulfate on germanium conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic adsorption model. The diffusion process of germanium adsorbed on lead sulfate particles can be divided into three stages: fast, slow, and equilibrium. The adsorption of germanium by lead sulfate conforms to the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model, and is mainly monolayer adsorption and chemical adsorption. In addition, the adsorption at 298–328 K is a spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy increasing process, while at 328–358 K it is a spontaneous, exothermic, and entropy decreasing process. At the same time, it was also found that low temperature, high temperature, and high-power ultrasonic can inhibit the adsorption process. Under ultrasound conditions of 358 K and 60.0 W, the equilibrium adsorption capacity of lead sulfate on germanium was 7.48 mg/g, and the germanium adsorption efficiency was 18.09%, which was 48.01% and 6.73% lower than conventional methods, respectively. Moreover, the leaching efficiency of germanium in actual dust leaching is increased by 6.17%, reaching 89.64%, verifying the simulation results. The new process of ultrasonic suppression of germanium adsorption by lead sulfate in the leaching process of zinc oxide dust containing germanium established in this article can effectively achieve efficient recovery of germanium from zinc oxide dust, providing a process and theoretical basis for the sustainable development of the world's germanium industry, and is of great significance for ensuring the safety of the world's important strategic resource supply chain.

Lead residue is the residue from the leaching process of zinc oxide dust containing germanium, which comprises a certain amount of valuable elements such as zinc and germanium. Conventional water washing treatment cannot effectively remove zinc and germanium from lead residue, resulting in a backlog of zinc and germanium in the system and raising production costs for enterprises. By using a dilute sulfuric acid solution and introducing ultrasonic waves for enhanced washing, the easily separated zinc and germanium are basically removed, while the residual zinc occurred as ZnS and germanium wrapped in lead sulfate are difficult to elute. The removal efficiency of zinc and germanium can reach 53.82% and 50.24%, respectively, which are 12.67% and 6.10% higher than conventional acid washing efficiency, and 31.10% and 22.51% higher than conventional water washing efficiency. During water washing, the hydrolysis of Zn2+ and Fe3+ results in low elution efficiency. While in pickling process, hydrolysis can be effectively inhibited. When use ultrasonic to enhance sulfuric acid washing, some ZnS dissolves, while the silica gel colloid that adsorbs germanium is destroyed, and germanium is released into the solution again, thus improving the removal efficiency of zinc and germanium. This article has reused more than half of the residual zinc and germanium in lead residue, and points out the direction for further reducing zinc and germanium residues in lead residue. It is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of zinc and germanium resources.

Germanium (Ge) is a dispersed metal and it is mainly recovered from secondary resources. In order to improve the purification efficiency of Ge-containing materials, a new method for purification of Ge-containing materials by ammonium was proposed. The results showed that the zinc (Zn) components in raw materials were complex, including water-soluble Zn and water-insoluble Zn, which should to be removed by the two-stage purification of primary water purification (PWP) and secondary ammonium purification (SAP). The results of single factor experiment on the process of SAP showed that under the optimal purification conditions of total ammonium concentration of 0.69 mol/L, pH of 2.5∼, liquid–solid ratio of 3:1 mL/g, reaction time of 10 min and reaction temperature of 20 °C, 95.68% Zn could be removed from raw materials. The purification mechanism indicated that the water-soluble Zn in the form of physical adsorption and water-insoluble Zn in the form of chemical adsorption can be removed in PWP stage and SAP stage, respectively. After the two-stage purification, the Zn component that was difficult to be removed by burning was greatly reduced, which provided favorable conditions for improving the quality of Ge concentrate.

Burns not only damage the skin barrier, but also cause a series of inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress states. Among them, elderly patients are prone to suffer severe burns due to degenerative changes of their skin caused by aging factors, such as atrophy and thinning, etc. After burns, the body will continuously release inflammatory factors, resulting in systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and oxidative stress, which are related to the poor treatment effect and the poor prognosis of elderly burn patients. It seems to be difficult for conventional treatments to control the disease development of elderly burn patients effectively. Considering the rapidly increasing elderly population, it is priority to understand the pathological process and the mechanisms to formulate more appropriate treatment strategies for elderly burn patients. In recent years, owing to considerable advances in nanotechnology, a variety of nanomaterials have been developed for wound healing and inflammation regulation. Its good biocompatibility, cell proliferation stimulation and antibacterial properties make the clinical treatment strategy more optimized. Concurrently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have also been used in the burns field and have been proven effective in not only controlling the level of inflammation and regulating the systemic immune balance, but also promoting wound healing and vascularization. Here, this review covers burns classification, the pathological process of elderly burn patients, and the research progress of nanotechnology and MSCs in burns. Eventually, we summarize the advantages and challenges of emerging strategies such as nanotechnology and MSCs in the treatment of elderly burn patients, expecting to promote the clinical transformation.

In recent years, with the large-scale and high-intensity mining of coal resources, the problem of water accumulation in mining areas with high groundwater levels has become particularly prominent, which has had a serious impact on the surrounding ecological environment. In order to provide scientific basis for the restoration of the ecological environment, the study on the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics and influencing factors of the coal mining subsidence area with high groundwater level were carried out. Taking the whole mining area of Anhui Province as the research subject, based on Landsat TM/OLI remote sensing data, the NDWI and visual interpretation method were used to conduct surveys on the water accumulation area in the subsidence area from 1995 to 2020 (22 periods ) and 12 months in 2020 (12 periods) and the spatial information of waterlogging in the coal mining subsidence area in Anhui Province in recent 25 years was obtained. Combined with hydrological and rainfall data, the factors affecting the spatio-temporal evolution of waterlogging in the subsidence area were analyzed and discussed. The results show that: ① In the past 25 years, the area of accumulated water in the coal mining subsidence area in Anhui Province has been growing in three stages: slow, fast and stable. During the study period, the average stagnant area increased by about 6 times, from 18.95 km2 to 118.09 km2, with an average annual increase of 3.97 km2. ② From the time scale, the evolution of accumulation area in the subsidence area can be divided into three stages: the first stage (1995—2005), due to the fact that most of the accumulation water has not yet stabilized initially, the growth rate is relatively slow, with an average annual growth rate of 4.65%; In the second stage (2005—2013), based on the rapid growth of coal mining, the area of accumulation water has also entered a period of rapid growth, with an average annual growth rate of 6.64%; In the third stage (2013—2020), the growth rate has begun to decrease, and the accumulation water has gradually stabilized, with an average annual growth rate of 3.42%. From the spatial scale, the accumulation water is mainly concentrated in Huainan and Huaibei cities, accounting for about 70% of the total accumulated water area. ③The long-term factor for the change of the water accumulation is coal mining volume, while the main influencing factor in short time scale is atmospheric rainfall. ④The logistic regression curve was used to establish a prediction model for the water accumulation area of coal mining subsidence in Anhui Province. It is predicted that the coal mining subsidence water area in Anhui Province will still be in a low-speed growth stage in the future. By 2030, the accumulation area in the dry season will reach about 130 km2. The high-precision water accumulation information in the subsidence area was obtained, and its temporal and spatial evolution laws and influencing factors were analyzed, which can provide a scientific basis for the treatment of water accumulation in the coal mining subsidence area with high groundwater level and the ecological restoration of the subsidence area.

Objective:. This study is aimed to analyze the long-term safety and effectiveness of second-generation cryoballoon (CB2) ablation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods:. Data from 760 consecutive patients in the Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from August 2016 to December 2018 with drug-refractory symptomatic AF undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using CB2 were assessed. Procedure-related safety and freedom from AF and atrial flutter/atria tachycardia through 3 years were determined. The risk factors related to atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence were analyzed. Results:. Acute PVI was achieved in 100% of the 760 patients. Radiofrequency application for additional focal ablation was needed in 11 (1.4%) patients and for 14 pulmonary veins (0.5%, 14/(760 × 4)) to achieve PVI. A total of 748 patients, including 539 with paroxysmal AF (PAF) and 209 with persistent AF (SAF) completed the follow-up, and only 12 (1.6%) patients were lost. The mean follow-up duration was (19 ± 8) months. The rate of major complications was 0.9%, including 0.8% of right phrenic nerve injury, which resolved before discharge. Freedom from all tachyarrhythmias was achieved in 75.0%, 69.4%, and 63.2% of patients with PAF, respectively, at 12-, 24-, and 36-month follow-up, and in 75.1%, 67.4%, and 60.9% for SAF, with no significant differences between the PAF and SAF groups. AF course and the rate of body weight gain were independent risk factors for recurrence at 12 months after ablation (P = 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively). Conclusion:. PVI using CB2 has a high acute success rate and good safety in the treatment of PAF and SAF. Long course of AF and weight gain after ablation were independent risk factors for recurrence.

In this paper, the waste mercuric chloride catalysts (WMCC) were successfully recycled and then modified by ferrum (Fe) loading. Various analysis techniques were used to study the reaction mechanism of Fe loading modified regenerated activated carbon (RAC). Results show that the absorbed organic matter is the main reason causing the WMCC inactivation and it will thoroughly decompose beyond 334 °C. With assistance of microwave energy, the WMCC can be activated by roasting at 500 °C for 30 min. At this moment, the base material of the RAC still maintained the graphite structure. The experimental results of the adsorption performance of Fe-loaded RAC that prepared from different Fe loading additions on arsenic (As) in arsenic-containing wastewater show that: the Fe-loaded RAC with Fe loading addition of 12.51 wt% has a maximum As (V) removal efficiency of 86.76%. The main phase composition of the Fe-loaded RAC is Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, and its defect density is the largest, which is considered to be the main reason for the effective adsorption of As (V).

Early damage to asphalt pavements generally occurs due to the increasing traffic flow and the loads of vehicles, coupled with alternating high- and low-temperature cycles, freeze–thaw cycles, ultraviolet radiation, and other harsh environments. Several types of distress, such as rutting, cracking, and other damage, deteriorate the serviceability of asphalt pavements and shorten the road service life. Thus, the long-term structural mechanical response of asphalt pavements under the influence of loads and the environment is crucial data for the road sector, which provides guidance about road maintenance. Effectively processing the pavement dynamic monitoring data is a prerequisite to obtain the dynamic response of asphalt pavement structures. However, the dynamic monitoring data of pavements are often characterized by transient weak signals with strong noises, making it challenging to extract their essential characteristics. In this study, wavelet decomposition and reconstruction methods were applied to reduce the noise of pavement dynamic response data. The parameters of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and root mean square error (RMSE) were introduced to compare and analyze the effect of the decomposition of two different wavelet functions: the symlet (sym) wavelet function and the Daubechies (db) wavelet function. The results showed that both the sym and db wavelet functions can effectively obtain the average similarity information and the detailed information of the dynamic response signals of the pavement, the SNR after the sym wavelet fixed-threshold denoising process is relatively higher, and the RMSE is smaller than that of the db wavelet. Thus, wavelet transformation exhibits good localization properties in both the time and frequency domains for processing pavement dynamic monitoring data, making it a suitable approach for handling massive pavement dynamic monitoring data.

Under the background of the increasing demand for germanium in high-tech, this paper finds out the mechanism of silicon germanium polymerization precipitation by simulating the leaching process of zinc oxide dust containing germanium. By comparing and analyzing the simulation experiments under ultrasonic and conventional conditions, the mechanism of efficient dispersion and depolymerization of germanium silicon precipitation induced by ultrasonic was found out. The results show that in the leaching process of germanium-containing zinc oxide dust, due to the increase of local pH, some silicon ions in the solution will hydrolyze and polymerize to form silicic acid colloid to adsorb germanium in the solution, causing the loss of germanium 14.81%, resulting in low recovery rate of germanium industry. Ultrasonic wave was introduced in the leaching process, and the shock wave and micro-jet released by ultrasonic cavitation continuously impacted the surface of polysilicate colloid. The germanium adsorbed on the surface of the silicic acid colloid is desorbed, and the large particles of silica gel are depolymerized into small particles of silicic acid, which reduces the adsorption of silica gel on germanium. The loss of germanium under ultrasonic conditions can be reduced by 59.35%. This study can effectively realize the efficient recovery of germanium in zinc oxide dust, and provide process and theoretical basis for the sustainable development of germanium industry.

Low leaching efficiency of germanium has always been a difficult point hindering the efficient utilization of zinc oxide dust containing germanium. Based on the previous research results that the formation of insoluble Fe4Ge3O12 leads to germanium loss in the leaching process, a new process of reduction leaching of zinc oxide dust containing germanium enhanced by ultrasonic and iron powder is proposed. Under optimized conditions, the germanium leaching efficiency can be increased by 9.17%, reaching 93.43%. When leaching, the addition of iron powder can reduce the Fe3+ formed in the leaching process and hinder the formation of insoluble Fe4Ge3O12, which can increase the leaching efficiency of germanium by 5.30%. At the same time, strong mechanical action of ultrasonic can fully disperse the iron powder in the leaching system, avoiding the phenomenon of insufficient local reduction. More importantly, the addition of ultrasonic can reduce the dissolved oxygen in the solution system and produce strong reducing hydrogen free radicals (·H), strengthening the reduction leaching effect, thus the germanium leaching efficiency is further increased by 3.87%. The research results provide a new method and theoretical guidance for the efficient utilization of zinc oxide dust containing germanium, which is of great significance.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is currently measuring the spectra of 40 million galaxies and quasars, the largest such survey ever made to probe the nature of cosmological dark energy. The 4 m Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory has been adapted for DESI, including the construction of a 3.°2 diameter prime focus corrector that focuses astronomical light onto a 0.8 m diameter focal surface with excellent image quality over the DESI bandpass of 360–980 nm. The wide-field corrector includes six lenses, as large as 1.1 m in diameter and as heavy as 237 kilograms, including two counterrotating wedged lenses that correct for atmospheric dispersion over zenith angles from 0° to 60°. The lenses, cells, and barrel assembly all meet precise alignment tolerances on the order of tens of microns. The barrel alignment is maintained throughout a range of observing angles and temperature excursions in the Mayall dome by use of a hexapod, which is itself supported by a new cage, ring, and truss structure. In this paper we describe the design, fabrication, and performance of the new corrector and associated structure, focusing on how they meet DESI requirements. In particular, we describe the prescription and specifications of the lenses, design choices and error budgeting of the barrel assembly, stray light mitigations, and integration and test at the Mayall telescope. We conclude with some validation highlights that demonstrate the successful corrector on-sky performance, and we list some lessons learned during the multiyear fabrication phase.

A novel water-soluble Amygdalus persica L. flowers polysaccharide (APL) was successfully isolated and purified from Amygdalus persica L. flowers by hot water extraction. Its chemical components and structure were analyzed by IR, GC-MS, and HPLC. APL consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose and glucose in a molar ratio of 0.17:0.034:1.0:0.17 with an average molecular weight of approximately 208.53 kDa and 15.19 kDa. The antioxidant activity of APL was evaluated through radical scavenging assays using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), Hydroxyl radical scavenging, Superoxide radical scavenging, and the reducing power activity was also determined in vitro. Besides, in vivo antioxidant experiment, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were treated with different concentrations of APL and then exposed to LPS to induce oxidative stress. Treatment with APL at 50 or 100 µg/mL significantly reduced LPS-induced oxidative stress in the zebrafish, demonstrating the strong antioxidant activity of APL. Moreover, the effect of APL on zebrafish depigmentation was tested by analyzing the tyrosinase activity and melanin content of zebrafish embryos. APL showed a potential reduction in the total melanin content and tyrosinase activity after treatment. This work provided important information for developing a potential natural antioxidant in the field of cosmetics and food.

Poly(A) binding protein interacting protein 1 (PAIP1) is a translation regulator and also regulate the decay of mRNA. PAIP1 has also been reported to be a marker of increased invasive potential of liver cancer. However, the roles and underlying molecular mechanism of PAIP1 in liver cancer is still unclear. Here, cell viability and the gene expression profile of liver cancer line HepG2 transfected with PAIP1 siRNA was compared with cells transfected with non-targeting control siRNA. The results showed that PAIP1 knockdown inhibited cell viability, and extensively affects expression of 893 genes at transcriptional level in HepG2 cells. Gene function analysis showed that a large number of PAIP1 up-regulated genes were enriched in term of DNA-dependent transcription and the down-regulated genes were enriched in some pathways including immune response and inflammatory response. qPCR confirmed that PAIP1 knockdown positively regulated the expression of selected immune and inflammatory factor genes in HepG2 cells. Expression analysis of TCGA revealed that PAIP1 had positive correlations with two immune associated genes IL1R2 and PTAFR in liver tumor tissue. Taken together, our results demonstrated that PAIP1 was not only a translation regulator, but also a transcription regulator in liver cancer. Moreover, PAIP1 could function as a regulatory factor of immune and inflammatory genes in liver cancer. Thus, our study provides important cues for further study on the regulatory mechanism of PAIP1 in liver cancer.

The development of liver fibrosis primarily determines quality of life as well as prognosis. Animal models are often used to model and understand the underlying mechanisms of human disease. Although organoids can be used to simulate organ development and disease, the technology still faces significant challenges. Therefore animal models are still irreplaceable at this stage. Currently, in vivo models of liver fibrosis can be classified into five categories based on etiology: chemical, dietary, surgical, transgenic, and immune. There is a wide variety of animal models of liver fibrosis with varying efficacy, which have different implications for proper understanding of the disease and effective screening of therapeutic agents. There is no high-quality literature recommending the most appropriate animal models. In this paper, we will describe the progress of commonly used animal models of liver fibrosis in terms of their development mechanisms, applications, advantages and disadvantages, and recommend appropriate animal models for different research purposes.

Xanthan gum (XG) and soybean protein isolate (SPI) were used as raw materials to prepare XG-SPI mixed gel by ultrasonic pretreatment and glucolactone induction. Rheological tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the effects of different concentrations of XG on viscoelasticity, self-healing ability, thermal stability and microstructure of SPI gel. Results showed that SPI gel was a typical viscoelastic material with strong frequency dependence. With the increasing of XG concentration (1%~5%), the elastic modulus and viscous modulus of the mixed gel increased, and the loss tangent decreased, and the gel strength increased. The addition of XG affected the self-healing ability of SPI gel, although the healing time was prolonged, the recovery rate increased. The SPI single gel which was heated (25~100 ℃) occurred a transition of gel-sol state and it structure was extremely damaged. Comparatively, the thermal stability of XG-SPI mix gel increased significantly. The microstructural changes of SPI single gel and XG-SPI mixed gel were not observed under electron microscope. The results of this study could provide important information for developing new soy protein isolate gels with improved quality.

Background. Bachmann’s bundle (BB) is the main pathway of interatrial connection that could be involved in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on this hypothesis, we raised a novel ablation strategy, BB modification in addition to circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI-BB) in patients with AF. Methods. A retrospective cohort of patients with AF who underwent CPVI-BB or CPVI alone from March 2018 to July 2021 was enrolled in our study. Propensity score matching was performed in patients with paroxysmal AF and persistent AF, respectively, to reduce the risk of selection bias between the treatment strategies (CPVI-BB or CPVI alone). The primary endpoint was overall freedom from atrial arrhythmia recurrence through 12 months of follow-up. Results. Our propensity score-matched cohort included 82 patients with paroxysmal AF (CPVI group: n = 41; CPVI-BB group: n = 41) and 168 patients with persistent AF (CPVI group: n = 84; CPVI-BB group: n = 84). Among patients with persistent AF, one-year freedom from atrial arrhythmia recurrence rate was 83.3% in the CPVI-BB group and 70.2% in the CPVI group (log-rank P = 0.047). Among patients with paroxysmal AF, no significant difference was found in the primary endpoint between two groups (85.4% in the CPVI-BB group vs. 80.5% in the CPVI group; log-rank P = 0.581). In addition, procedure-related complications and recurrence of atrial tachycardia or atrial flutter were similar between the two treatment groups, regardless of the type of AF. Conclusions. BB modification in addition to CPVI is an effective approach in increasing the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with persistent AF, while it does not improve the clinical outcomes of radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with paroxysmal AF.