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Abstract Introduction Accurate assessment of the depth of tumor invasion in gastric cancer (GC) is vital for the selection of suitable patients for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Current problem is that preoperative differentiation between T1-2 and T3-4 stage cases in GC is always highly challenging for radiologists. Methods A total of 129 GC patients were divided into training (91 cases) and validation (38 cases) cohorts. Pathology from surgical specimens categorized patients into T1-2 and T3-4 stages. IVIM-DWI and MRI morphological characteristics were evaluated, and a multimodal nomogram was developed. The MRI morphological model, IVIM-DWI model, and combined model were constructed using logistic regression. Their effectiveness was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curves (CIC). Results The combined nomogram, integrating preoperative IVIM-DWI parameters (D value) and MRI morphological characteristics (maximum tumor thickness, extra-serosal invasion), achieved the highest area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.901 and 0.883 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the AUCs of the IVIM-DWI and MRI morphological models in either cohort (training: 0.796 vs. 0.835, p = 0.593; validation: 0.794 vs. 0.766, p = 0.79). Conclusion The multimodal nomogram, combining IVIM-DWI parameters and MRI morphological characteristics, emerges as a promising tool for assessing tumor invasion depth in GC, potentially guiding the selection of suitable candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) treatment.

Abstract The continual large-scale urbanization and urban renewal in coastal cities of China have accumulated massive silty residue (SR) that may alter the coastal lines and always exerts high stresses to local environments. To meet China’s sustainable development policy, the need for green and high-efficient industrial treatments and reuse of SR is urgent. In this work, we may, for the first time, report a megaton-scale industrial project to upcycle low-quality SR and recycled aggregate (RA) to manufacture construction materials with hydrothermal mineralization (HM). In-situ pilot tests on five batches of SR-RA blocks were conducted. Results demonstrate that the produced blocks possess the compressive strengths of 11.4–15.8 MPa, densities of 1280–1430 kg/m3, porosities of 35–44%, CO2 emissions of 170.22–187.29 kg e-CO2/m3 and costs of 126.49–156.51 CNY/m3, comparable with or superior than the commercial blocks. The silica in SR could react with lime to produce tobermorite with stable pseudohexagonal plate under HM treatment, which improved the microstructure of the material. The findings validate the industrial practicability of upcycling low-quality SR and RA with HM for valuable construction block manufacture.

BackgroundAt present, occupational poisoning has become one of the most serious occupational diseases that jeopardize the health of workers in China, in addition to pneumoconiosis, with a wide range of impacts and heavy social and economic losses.ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics and patterns of the incidence of occupational poisoning in Tianjin from 2006 to 2020, and to provide a scientific basis for the development of effective intervention measures and prevention strategies.MethodsThe Occupational Diseases and Health Hazards Monitoring Information System, a module of the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, was the primary data source of the study. The case files of acute and chronic occupational poisoning diagnosed by occupational disease diagnostic institutions in Tianjin from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2020 were retrieved from the system. The data included basic information, occupational history, disease characteristics, and employer information. Excel 2016 was used to establish database, and frequencies and composition ratios were reported.ResultsFrom 2006 to 2020, a total of 234 cases of occupational chemical poisoning were reported in Tianjin, including 49 cases of acute occupational poisoning (20.94%) and 185 cases of chronic occupational poisoning (79.06%). The number of acute occupational poisoning cases showed a rising and then falling trend, and the number of chronic occupational poisoning cases showed an overall decreasing trend. Acute occupational poisoning mainly occurred in the four districts around the city (22 cases, 44.90%), and chronic occupational poisoning mainly occurred in Binhai New Area (90 cases, 48.65%). More male cases were reported than female cases. The age of onset was concentrated at 45-55 years old. The acute occupational poisoning cases were concentrated in the group with less than 5 years of service (22 cases, 44.90%), mainly asphyxiating gas poisoning, and the highest incidence was reported in chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry. The chronic occupational poisoning cases were concentrated in the groups with a working age of 5-14 years (70 cases, 37.84%), mainly organic solvent poisoning, and the highest incidence was also reported in chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry.ConclusionThe prevention and control of occupational poisoning as well as health surveillance and management in Tianjin shall be carried out in a hierarchical and focused manner in accordance with types of acute and chronic occupational poisoning chemicals in the city, regional economic differences, types of industries, and distribution of workers.

Abstract Background Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common pediatric embryonal tumor. Improving patient outcomes requires advances in understanding and targeting the multiple genes and cellular control pathways, but its pathogenesis is currently not well-researched. We aimed to identify the potential molecular biological mechanism of WT and develop new prognostic markers and molecular targets by comparing gene expression profiles of Wilms tumors and fetal normal kidneys. Methods Differential gene expression analysis was performed on Wilms tumor transcriptomic data from the GEO and TARGET databases. For biological functional analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were utilized. Out of 24 hub genes identified, nine were found to be prognostic-related through univariate Cox regression analysis. These nine genes underwent LASSO regression analysis to enhance the predictive capability of the model. The key hub genes were validated in the GSE73209 datasets, and cell function experiments were conducted to identify the genes’ functions in WiT-49 cells. Results The enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were significantly involved in the regulation of angiogenesis and regulation of cell differentiation. 24 DEGs were identified through PPI networks and the MCODE algorithm, and 9 of 24 genes were related to WT patients’ prognosis. EMCN and CCNA1 were identified as key hub genes, and related to the progression of WT. Functionally, over-expression of EMCN and CCNA1 knockdown inhibited cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of Wilms tumor cells. Conclusions EMCN and CCNA1 were identified as key prognostic markers in Wilms tumor, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. Differential gene expression and enrichment analyses indicate significant roles in angiogenesis and cell differentiation.

Abstract Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a globally increasing health epidemic. Lifestyle intervention is recommended as the main therapy for NAFLD. However, the optimal approach is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive approach of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) concerning enhanced control of calorie-restricted diet (CRD), exercise, and personalized nutrition counseling on liver steatosis and extrahepatic metabolic status in Chinese overweight and obese patients with NAFLD. Methods This study was a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted across seven hospitals in China. It involved 226 participants with a body mass index (BMI) above 25. These participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the ILI group, which followed a low carbohydrate, high protein CRD combined with exercise and intensive counseling from a dietitian, and a control group, which adhered to a balanced CRD along with exercise and standard counseling. The main measure of the study was the change in the fat attenuation parameter (FAP) from the start of the study to week 12, analyzed within the per-protocol set. Secondary measures included changes in BMI, liver stiffness measurement (LSM), and the improvement of various metabolic indexes. Additionally, predetermined subgroup analyses of the FAP were conducted based on variables like gender, age, BMI, ethnicity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Results A total of 167 participants completed the whole study. Compared to the control group, ILI participants achieved a significant reduction in FAP (LS mean difference, 16.07 [95% CI: 8.90–23.25] dB/m) and BMI (LS mean difference, 1.46 [95% CI: 1.09–1.82] kg/m2) but not in LSM improvement (LS mean difference, 0.20 [95% CI: -0.19–0.59] kPa). The ILI also substantially improved other secondary outcomes (including ALT, AST, GGT, body fat mass, muscle mass and skeletal muscle mass, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, blood pressure, and homocysteine). Further subgroup analyses showed that ILI, rather than control intervention, led to more significant FAP reduction, especially in patients with concurrent hypertension (p

BackgroundPropylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME) is a widely used organic solvent. It exists in the form of two isomers in the workplace, which will cause adverse effects such as eye and upper respiratory tract irritation in workers. However, there is still a lack of standard detection methods for simultaneous detection of two isomers of PGME in China. ObjectiveTo establish a solvent desorption-gas chromatographic method for two isomers of PGME [1-methoxy-2-propanol (α-PGME), 2-methoxy-1-propanol (β-PGME)] in workplace air. MethodsA method of solvent desorption-gas chromatography for α-PGME and β-PGME in workplace air were proposed. Air samples were collected with solvent desorption activated carbon tubes, desorbed using a desorption solution of dichloromethane/methanol (85:15), and then separated on a free fatty acid phase (FFAP) fused silica capillary chromatography column , detected with a flame ionization detector (FID), and quantified by peak area. Standard evaluation protocol was followed to obtain key indicators: standard curve, limit of detection, lower limit of quantification, relative standard deviation (RSD) that measures precision, and spiked recovery of sample solutions that measures accuracy. Desorption efficiency, sampling efficiency, and adsorption capacity tests were conducted, sample stability was evaluated using spiked activated carbon tube preservation test, and interference test was also assessed. The developed method was then applied to field air sample testing. ResultsIn this method, using dichloromethane/methanol (85:15) as the sample desorption solution, the quantitative detection ranges of α-PGME and β-PGME were 0.95-923.0 μg·mL−1 and 0.97-912.0 μg·mL−1 with both correlation coefficients of 0.999 9, the method limits of detection were 0.28 µg·mL−1 and 0.29 µg·mL−1, and the lower limits of quantification were 0.95 µg·mL−1 and 0.97 µg·mL1, respectively. The lowest concentrations detected were both 0.19 mg·m−3, and the lowest concentrations quantified were 0.63 mg·m−3 and 0.65 mg·m−3, respectively, under the conditions of sampling volume of 1.5 L and the volume of desorption solution of 1.0 mL. The intra-batch precisions for α-PGME and β-PGME were 2.8%-4.9% and 2.8%-5.1%, the inter-batch precisions were 4.2%-5.7% and 4.5%-5.9%, the spiked recoveries were 98.8%-100.3% and 96.4%-102.9%, and the desorption efficiencies were 92.7%-97.3% and 92.2%-98.1%, respectively. The average sampling efficiency was 100%, and the samples could be stored at room temperature (25-30 ℃) for at least 7 d and at 4 ℃ for at least 15 d. The adsorption capacities of the activated carbon sampling tube for α-PGME and β-PGME were greater than 13.9 mg and 2.7 mg (100 mg of activated carbon adsorbent), respectively. Possible co-existing components in workplace did not interfere with the determination of α-PGME and β-PGME. The short-time exposure concentrations of α-PGME and β-PGME in the spray painting unit of an automobile manufacturing company were determined to be 18.69 mg·m−3 and 2.19 mg·m−3, and the time-weighted average concentrations were 6.03 mg·m−3 and 1.08 mg·m−3 respectively. ConclusionThis method is accurate, precise and suitable for on-site monitoring of the two isomers of PGME in workplace air.

Carbon nano additives (CNAs) are critical to achieving the unique properties of functionalized composites, however, controlling the dispersion of CNAs in material matrix is always a challenging task. In this study, a simple atomization approach was successfully developed to promote the dispersion efficiency of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in cement composites. This atomization approach can be integrated with the direct, indirect and combined ultrasonic stirrings in a homemade automatic stirring-atomization device. Mechanical and microstructure tests were performed on hardened cement pastes blended with GNPs in different stirring and mixing approaches. Results show that the direct ultrasonic stirrings enabled more homogeneous dispersions of GNP particles with a smaller size for a longer duration. The atomized droplets with the mean size of ∼100 ​μm largely mitigated GNPs’ agglomerations. Monolayer GNPs were observed in the cement matrix with the strength gain by up to 54%, and the total porosity decrease by 21% in 0.3 ​wt% GNPs dosage. The greatly enhanced dispersion efficiency of GNPs in cement also raised the cement hydration. This work provides an effective and manpower saving technique toward dispersing CNAs in engineering materials with great industrialization prospects.

Background: Limited evidence exists regarding the association between ozone exposure and adverse sperm quality. We aimed to assess the association between ozone exposure and sperm quality, and identify susceptible exposure windows. Methods: We recruited 32,541 men aged between 22 and 65 years old attending an infertility clinic in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China from 2014 to 2020. Ozone data were obtained from a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the association between ozone exposure and sperm quality parameters, including sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm total motility, and sperm progressive motility during the entire stage of sperm development (0–90 days before ejaculation) and three crucial stages (0–9 days, 10–14 days and 70–90 days before ejaculation). Stratified analyses were performed to evaluate whether associations varied by age, body mass index, and education levels. Results: The final analysis included 27,854 adult men. A 10 μg/m3 increase in ozone concentrations during the entire stage of sperm development was associated with a −4.17 % (95 % CI: −4.78 %, −3.57 %) decrease in sperm concentration, −6.54 % (95 % CI: −8.03 %, −5.60 %) decrease in sperm count, −0.50 % (95 % CI: −0.66 %, −0.34 %) decrease in sperm total motility, and −0.07 % (95 % CI: −0.22 %, 0.09 %) decrease in sperm progressive motility. The associations were stronger during 70–90 days before ejaculation and among men with middle school and lower education for sperm concentration. Conclusions: Ozone exposure was associated with decreased sperm quality among Chinese adult men attending an infertility clinic. These results suggest that ozone may be a risk factor contributing to decreased sperm quality in Chinese men.

BackgroundOvarian mucinous tumor with a mural nodule is a rare and special type of ovarian surface epithelial–stromal tumor. Mural nodules are morphologically classified into three types: sarcoma-like, anaplastic carcinomatous, and true sarcomatous nodules. Ovarian mucinous tumors with true sarcomatous mural nodules are rare and challenging to diagnose, with only 10 cases reported worldwide. Currently, liposarcoma mural nodules remain unreported.Case presentationA 91-year-old woman was hospitalized for postmenopausal vaginal bleeding for 3 weeks. Imaging revealed a large cystic mass (20.0 cm × 17.7 cm × 12.8 cm) on the right ovary. The mass was multilocular cystic, with a mural nodule (1.4 cm × 1.2 cm × 1.0 cm) in the focal cyst wall. Based on histological morphology, immunohistochemical staining, and MDM2/CDK4 fluorescence in situ hybridization testing, the diagnosis was ovarian mucinous cystadenoma with a mural nodule of well-differentiated liposarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, this has never been reported before. High-throughput sequencing identified KRAS mutations in the ovarian mucinous cystadenoma. However, the liposarcoma mural nodule did not exhibit KRAS mutations but displayed copy number amplifications of CDK4 and DDR2, as well as a frameshift mutation in exon 13 of ASXL1 (p. A627Gfs*8).ConclusionsThis case broadens the morphological spectrum of mural nodules in ovarian mucinous tumors, deepening our knowledge of this rare morphology. Meanwhile, through high-throughput sequencing, we found no overlapping genetic evidence between the liposarcoma mural nodule and associated ovarian mucinous cystadenoma.

Abstract Introduction The main generator of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is still unknown. This study aimed to clarify the main generator of DOMS. Methods Twelve participants performed eccentric exercise (EE) on lower legs. MRI and ultrasound were used to assess changes of calf muscle and deep fascia before and after EE. These results were then compared to the muscle pain level. Results Compared to baseline, muscle pain peaked at 24–48 h after EE (downstairs 22.25 ± 6.196, 57.917 ± 9.298, F = 291.168, p

Abstract Color is one of the most important indicators for the flue-cured tobacco quality. The color change of tobacco has a great relationship with the natural pigments in the tobacco. The relationship between color characteristics and the content of natural pigments in tobacco leaves during curing was investigated. The middle part of variety K326 tobacco was taken at each key time point during the curing process to determine the changes of color characteristics, moisture, pigment and polyphenol content. The results showed that moisture content of wet basis of tobacco gradually decreased from 72 to 18% during the curing process, the b* value increased and then decreased, and the a* value increased significantly. The lutein and β-carotene content decreased to 63.83 μg/g and 28.3 μg/g, respectively. The total polyphenols content increased to 50.19 mg/g. Meanwhile, the a* value was significantly and positively correlated with polyphenols content and negatively correlated with pigments content. Cluster analysis showed that the samples were divided into three categories: samples with the curing time of 0 h, 24–72 h, and 84–132 h. These results demonstrated that the color change of tobacco during curing process can be divided into three stages from the perspective of chemical composition, which are strongly related to the degradation of pigments and the transformation of polyphenols.

Calcium-sulfate-aluminate and Portland cement (CSA-PC) hybrids with balanced engineering properties would be a preferable solution to mitigate the increasingly raised CO2 emissions by PC. Meanwhile, CSA hydrates are rather active to carbonation, therefore, it is urgent to clarify how accelerated CO2 curing (ACC) impacts the microstructure and engineering properties of CSA-PC hybrids. Herein, an ACC scheme with the CO2 gas pressure of 0.5 MPa and duration of 24 h was designed to treat hybrid CSA-PC pastes and mortars. Mechanical properties and capillary absorption of the ACC-treated CSA-PC hybrids were evaluated with profound analysis of microstructure and mineral characteristics by SEM, MIP, Nitrogen adsorption, XRD and TG/DTG. Results show that the ACC treatment can systematically increase compressive strength by up to 65.2 % and depress capillary absorption rate by up to 72.2 %, respectively, for the optimal CSA-PC mixes. Rapid carbonation of the cement clinkers and hydrates, e.g., calcium hydroxide, ettringite, and ye'elimite, results in precipitation of CaCO3 that refines the pore structure and improves the material compactness. 25 % replacement of PC with CSA shows the highest strength gain to CO2 uptake ratio (SGCUR) of 1.05. The findings deepen the mechanistic understandings in microstructure refinement of ACC-treated CSA-PC hybrids with lower CO2 emissions.

In order to better understand the specific substituent effects on the electrochemical oxidation process of β-O-4 bond, a series of methoxyphenyl type β-O-4 dimer model compounds with different localized methoxyl groups, including 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-phenylethanone, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-phenylethanol, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol, 2-(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, 2-(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol have been selected and their electrochemical properties have been studied experimentally by cyclic voltammetry, and FT-IR spectroelectrochemistry. Combining with electrolysis products distribution analysis and density functional theory calculations, oxidation mechanisms of all six model dimers have been explored. In particular, a total effect from substituents of both para-methoxy (on the aryl ring closing to Cα) and Cα-OH on the oxidation mechanisms has been clearly observed, showing a significant selectivity on the Cα-Cβ bond cleavage induced by electrochemical oxidations.

The presence of inactive components in siliceous and calcareous wastes tends to cause a misunderstanding in their mix design for hydrothermal solidification. The contents of typical reactive elements (i.e. Caact, Siact and Alact) in raw materials are quickly determined by simulating hydrothermal conditions. A generic mix design framework is proposed, which utilizes the molar ratio of Caact/Siact as the controlling parameter. The framework was demonstrated through a series of studies, which involved the production of granular materials using a mixture of clayey soil with slaked lime, as well as the production of compacted cylinders using a mixture of clayey soil with either slaked lime or calcium carbide slag. Experimental results showed that the hydrothermal samples achieved their maximum strength when the molar ratio of Caact/Siact in raw materials approached the theoretical Ca/Si molar ratio (i.e. 0.83) in tobermorite, provided that the molar ratio of Alact/(Alact + Siact) remained below 21%.

This work reports an upgrading reuse of construction-generated sludge waste (CGSM) to manufacture value-added building materials using hydrothermal mineralization (HM). The optimization of mixture proportions and the influential factors of curing temperature and duration were explored. Results showed that high-strength HM-CGSW blocks over 50 MPa with a strength-to-calcium ratio of 2.95 MPa/percentage can be produced under an optimal Ca/Si ratio of 0.5 and HM curing of 200 °C for 12 h. The production of HM-CGSW block would generate 305.81 kg e-CO2/m3 and cost of 222.44 CNY/m3, lower than those of concrete block and autoclaved fly-ash block. An industrial application of HM-CGSW was proposed for upgrading use of CGSW to produce building materials for new constructions. The findings in this study would not only deepen the mechanistic understandings of HM treatment of sludge waste, but also shed much light on developing an industrial path that enables sustainable building material production.

AimThis study aims to investigate the potential value of radiomic features from multi-parameter MRI in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with WHO grade II meningiomas.MethodsKaplan–Meier survival curves were used for survival analysis of clinical features. A total of 851 radiomic features were extracted based on tumor region segmentation from each sequence, and Max-Relevance and Min-Redundancy (mRMR) algorithm was applied to filter and select radiomic features. Bagged AdaBoost, Stochastic Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, and Neural Network models were built based on selected features. Discriminative abilities of models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC).ResultsOur study enrolled 164 patients with WHO grade II meningiomas. Female gender (p=0.023), gross total resection (GTR) (p

Study Region: Four subbasins in the Gandaki River Basin in the southern Himalayan region. Study Focus: In the southern Himalayan region, gridded precipitation datasets are often used to complement sparse gauge network observations in hydrological modelling for water resource assessment. However, the applicability and uncertainty of using these datasets in hydrological modelling remain to be evaluated. In this study, nine high spatial resolution gridded precipitation datasets were used to force a widely used hydrological model to simulate the daily runoff at four hydrological stations in this region. The accuracy of these datasets was evaluated, and the model calibration results and modelling uncertainty were analyzed. New Hydrological Insights for the Region: Our analysis revealed large differences among the nine gridded precipitation datasets, and most datasets underestimated the annual precipitation in the low-elevation regions and overestimated that in the high Himalayas. Furthermore, through the adjustments of model parameters, the underestimations of precipitation by gridded datasets were compensated for by the overestimation of glacial melt. Therefore, the model performance was better, and the model uncertainty was lower in basins with higher glacial coverage. Notably, our findings indicated that the performances of gridded precipitation datasets were heterogeneous and that their direct use in hydrological modelling may result in unreasonable hydrological process variables; thus, these datasets should be evaluated and used with caution in water resource assessments in Himalayan regions.

Chinese children are exposed to broad environmental risks ranging from well-known hazards, such as pesticides and heavy metals, to emerging threats including many new man-made chemicals. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that the exposure levels in Chinese children are substantially higher than those of children in developed countries, a systematic assessment is lacking. Further, while these exposures have been linked to a variety of childhood diseases, such as respiratory, endocrine, neurological, behavioral, and malignant disorders, the magnitude of the associations is often unclear. This review provides a current epidemiologic overview of commonly reported environmental contaminants and their potential impact on children’s health in China. We found that despite a large volume of studies on various topics, there is a need for more high-quality research and better-coordinated regional and national data collection. Moreover, prevention of such diseases will depend not only on training of environmental health professionals and enhanced research programs, but also on public education, legislation, and networking.

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a globally prevalent respiratory disease, and programmed cell death plays a pivotal role in the development of COPD. Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered type of cell death that may be associated with the progression of COPD. However, the expression and role of disulfidptosis‐related genes (DRGs) in COPD remain unclear. Methods The expression of DRGs was identified by analyzing RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) data in COPD. Further, COPD patients were classified into two subtypes by unsupervised cluster analysis to reveal their differences in gene expression and immune infiltration. Meanwhile, hub genes associated with disulfidptosis were screened by weighted gene co‐expression network analysis. Subsequently, the hub genes were validated experimentally in cells and animals. In addition, we screened potential therapeutic drugs through the hub genes. Results We identified two distinct molecular clusters and observed significant differences in immune cell populations between them. In addition, we screened nine hub genes, and experimental validation showed that CDC71, DOHH, PDAP1, and SLC25A39 were significantly upregulated in cigarette smoke‐induced COPD mouse lung tissues and bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS‐2B) treated with cigarette smoke extract. Finally, we predicted 10 potential small molecule drugs such as Atovaquone, Taurocholic acid, Latamoxef, and Methotrexate. Conclusion We highlighted the strong association between COPD and disulfidptosis, with DRGs demonstrating a discriminative capacity for COPD. Additionally, the expression of certain novel genes, including CDC71, DOHH, PDAP1, and SLC25A39, is linked to COPD and may aid in the diagnosis and assessment of this condition.

Recrystallization, possibly triggered during heat treatments by plastic strains of only 1–2%, is highly deleterious to Ni-based single-crystal superalloys. Herein, we successfully recover plastic deformation and enhance the supersolvus critical strain for recrystallization by ramping the annealing temperature slowly from 1100 °C to γ′-solvus point. This preempts recrystallization during the subsequent supersolvus solutionizing treatment. The proposed method is validated in single-crystals compressed to 5.9% plastic strain at room temperature. After supersolvus solutionizing, an almost dislocation-free single-crystal with uniformly distributed γ′-precipitates is obtained. The proposed method offers a practical means to bring down the overall expenses of single-crystal turbine blades.

Introduction: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is believed to play a significant role in accelerating litter decomposition in water-limited ecosystems. Litter traits also influence the decomposition. However, the dominance of litter traits and ultraviolet radiation on litter decomposition in hyper-arid deserts (annual precipitation: potential evaporation < 0.05) with diverse species and seasonal variations remain unclear.Methods: To address this knowledge gap, we examined the decomposition of three dominant litter species (Karelinia caspia, Alhagi sparsifolia, and Populus euphratica) in the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, Northwest China.Results: Our results revealed that under UV radiation conditions, K. caspia, A. sparsifolia, and P. euphratica experienced mass losses of 45.4%, 39.8%, and 34.9%, respectively, and 20%, 22.2% and 17.4%, respectively under UV filtering treatment. Specifically, the loss rate of carbon and lignin under UV radiation, was 2.5 and 2.2 times higher than under UV filtering treatment, respectively.Conclusion: UV radiation did not dominate decomposition throughout the year in our study area, and the loss rate of litter traits was significantly higher in summer than in winter under UV radiation. Moreover, this photodegradation is related to the intensity of UV exposure, but not to precipitation or temperature. Surprisingly, species type had no significant effect on litter decomposition. However, when we applied a UV filtering treatment, we observed higher loss rates of nitrogen compared with the ambient treatment, suggesting the involvement of other spectra in the litter decomposition process. Overall, our findings elucidate that UV radiation is a crucial factor that affects litter mass loss. The magnitude of this effect mostly varies with the season rather than the species of litter.

This paper concerns the protective performance of maintenance strategies, i.e. silane impregnation (SI) and electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE), against chloride-induced corrosion for concrete elements in marine environment. The effectiveness of SI treatment is researched through long-term exposure tests, and the efficiency of ECE treatment is considered using a quantitative expression. The failure probability evolution is calculated through reliability theory and Monte-Carlo simulations. The maintenance planning is established, and relevant maintenance costs are determined. The obtained results show that (1) the effective protection life of initially applied silane is longer than 12 years, but the protective performance of reapplied silane is not as pronounced as the silane initially applied; (2) the chloride ions at steel surface are efficiently removed after ECE which is more conducive to sustain the steel rebars free from corrosion; (3) ECE treatment attains the optimal cost and is recommended for long life-span concrete elements in marine environment.

Quantum light generated through spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) process in nonlinear materials, such as entangled photon pairs and single photons, is an important resource for various emerging quantum applications. Integrated quantum photonics has enabled the generation, manipulation, and detection of quantum states of light with steadily increasing scale and complexity levels. Importantly, the exploration of on-chip integration has accumulated substantial progresses in recent years toward the realization of low-cost, large-scale quantum photonic circuits. Here, we review the underlying mechanism and discuss state-of-the-art SFWM on-chip quantum light sources fabricated with various structures and materials on chip. Furthermore, we enumerate the most appealing applications of on-chip SFWM such as heralding single-photon source, entangled photon source, and system-level integration.

Background: Phthalates have been shown to disrupt the estrous cycle in animal studies. However, epidemiological research investigating their associations with menstrual cycle characteristics is limited. Objective: To explore the relationships between phthalate exposure and menstrual cycle characteristics among women seeking fertility assistance. Methods: We determined the levels of eight phthalate metabolites in both follicular fluid (FF) and urine specimens collected from 441 women in the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) cohort, using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Information about menstrual cycle parameters was obtained through a questionnaire. The impacts of individual and joint exposure to phthalates on menstrual cycle characteristics were assessed using multivariable linear regression, Poisson regression, and quantile g-computation approaches. Results: After adjusting for relevant covariates, we found that per log10-unit increase in mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) level in urine specimens was associated with a decrease of 0.20 days (95 % CI: −0.37, −0.03) in bleeding duration. We also observed that mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) and the sum of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites (∑DEHP) concentrations in FF samples were inversely related to cycle length [β = −1.92 (95 % CI: −3.10, −0.75) and −1.87 (95 % CI: −3.56, −0.19), respectively]. However, we generally observed null associations between phthalate metabolites and irregular cycle, dysmenorrhea, hypomenorrhea, or cycle length variation. Furthermore, we also found that phthalate metabolite mixtures in FF and urine were generally unrelated to menstrual cycle characteristics. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that some DEHP metabolites in FF and urine are inversely associated with menstrual cycle length and menstrual bleeding duration in women attending a fertility center.

Background: Experimental studies have shown that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) induce coagulotoxicity, but human evidence is scarce. Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationships of DBP exposures with blood coagulation parameters. Methods: Among 858 women from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) study, urinary dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) were detected as internal biomarkers of DBP exposures. We measured activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fbg), international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT) as blood coagulation parameters. Multivariable linear regression models were utilized to estimate the relationships between urinary DCAA and TCAA and blood coagulation parameters. The effect modifications by demographic and lifestyle characteristics were further explored. Results: Elevated tertiles of urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with increased PT and INR (11.29%, 95% CI: 1.66%, 20.92% and 0.99%, 95% CI: 0.08%, 1.90% for the third vs. first tertile, respectively; both P for trends < 0.05). Stratification analysis showed that the positive associations were only observed among younger (< 30 years), leaner (body mass index < 24.0 kg/m2), and non-passive smoking women. Moreover, elevated tertiles of urinary TCAA concentrations in positive associations with PT and INR were observed among younger women (17.89%, 95% CI: 2.50%, 33.29% and 1.82%, 95% CI: 0.34%, 3.30% for the third vs. first tertile, respectively; both P for trends < 0.05) but not among older women (both P for interactions < 0.05). Conclusion: Higher levels of urinary DCAA and TCAA are associated with prolonged clotting time among women.

Abstract Necroptosis is a form of regulated cell death that has been implicated in multiple diseases. TNF-induced necroptosis is regulated by necrosomes, complexes consisting of RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL. In this study, by screening of a small-compound library, we identified dozens of compounds that inhibited TNF-induced necroptosis. According to the mechanisms by which they inhibited necroptosis, these compounds were classified into different groups. We then identified Ibrutinib as an inhibitor of RIPK3 and found that Quizartinib protected against the TNF-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome in mice by inhibiting the activation of RIPK1. Altogether, our work revealed dozens of necroptosis inhibitors, suggesting new potential approaches for treating necroptosis-related diseases.

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a class of adult stem cells with self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation potential that may be a treatment for aplastic anemia (AA). Method Umbilical cord-derived MSCs were cultured in three media (Mesencult-XF, MCL, and StemPro MSC SFM CTS). HGF, PGE2, ANG-1, TGF-β1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were detected using ELISA. The AA mouse model was built via post-irradiation lymphocyte infusion. After different treatments, routine blood, VEGF, and Tregs were detected every week. On day 28, all mice were killed, and their femurs were stained with HE. Results Umbilical cord-derived MSCs cultured in the three media all conformed to the general characteristics of MSCs. HGF secreted by MSCs in the Mesencult-XF, and MCL was greater than that in the StemPro MSC SFM CTS; ANG-1 and TGF-β1 in the MCL were more than that in Mesencult-XF and StemPro MSC SFM CTS; PGE2 in the MCL and StemPro MSC SFM CTS was more than that in the Mesencult-XF. MSCs in the MCL and StemPro MSC SFM CTS inhibited IFN-γ and TNF-α more than those in the Mesencult-XF. The peripheral blood cell in the AA groups was at a low level while that in the MSC group recovered rapidly. The Treg ratio and VEGF level in the MSC group were higher than those in the AA group. The bone marrow (BM) recovered significantly after MSC infusion. Conclusion MSCs in the MCL were advantageous in supporting hematopoiesis and modulating immunity and had the potential for effective treatment of AA.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy with high mortality due to the difficulties in early detection. We investigated and compared the diagnostic and prognostic performance of several blood biomarkers, including microRNA-25 (miR-25), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital from May 2014 to September 2018. Serum specimens were collected, and miR-25 expression levels were measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Serum CA19-9, CEA, and CA125 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analyses including nonparametric test, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and subsequent log-rank test were performed with PRISM 5.0 software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the R software. P

Abstract Background Many people were found with pulmonary nodules during physical examinations. It is of great practical significance to discriminate benign and malignant nodules by using data mining technology. Methods The subjects' demographic data, baseline examination results, and annual follow‐up low‐dose spiral computerized tomography (LDCT) results were recorded. The findings from annual physical examinations of positive nodules, including highly suspicious nodules and clinically tentative benign nodules, was analyzed. The extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model was constructed and the Grid Search CV method was used to select the super parameters. External unit data were used as an external validation set to evaluate the generalization performance of the model. Results A total of 135,503 physical examinees were enrolled. Baseline testing found that 27,636 (20.40%) participants had clinically tentative benign nodules and 611 (0.45%) participants had highly suspicious nodules. The proportion of highly suspicious nodules in participants with negative baseline was about 0.12%–0.46%, which was lower than the baseline level except the follow‐up of >5 years. In the 27,636 participants with clinically tentative benign nodules, only in the first year of LDCT re‐examination was the proportion of highly suspicious nodules (1.40%) significantly greater than that of baseline screening (0.45%) (p 0.05). Furthermore, 322 cases with benign nodules and 196 patients with malignant nodules confirmed by surgery and pathology were compared. A model and the top 15 most important clinical variables were determined by XGBoost algorithm. The area under the curve (AUC) of the model was 0.76 [95% CI: 0.67–0.84], and the accuracy was 0.75. The sensitivity and specificity of the model under this threshold were 0.78 and 0.73, respectively. In the validation of model using external data, the AUC was 0.87 and the accuracy was 0.80. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.83 and 0.77, respectively. Conclusions It is important that pulmonary nodules could be more accurately identified at the first LDCT examination. A model with 15 variables which are routinely measured in the clinic could be helpful to distinguish benign and malignant nodules. It could help the radiological team issue a more accurate report; and it may guide the clinical team regarding LDCT follow‐up.

Abstract Background The treatment of insomnia, which is the most common sleep disorder, includes drug and behavioral treatment, but each treatment measure has its limitations. So new treatment method needs to be taken to improve the treatment effect. MN supplementation is a potential promising new method for the treatment of insomnia, resulting in a rising need for methodological research towards verifying its efficacy. Methods/design We describe a proposal for a multicenter, patient-assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms. A total of 400 chronic insomnia patients will be allocated 1:1 to the intervention group (treatment with oral NMN 320 mg/day) or control group (treatment with oral placebo). All subjects are clinical chronic insomnia patients who meet all inclusion criteria. All subjects are treated by taking NMN or placebo. The primary outcome is the score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Secondary outcomes are the score on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Epworth Sleeping Scale (ESS), the total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), sleep latency, and REM sleep latency to assess sleep quality changes. Subjects are assessed at two time points: baseline and follow-up. The duration of the clinical trial is 60 days. Discussion This study will provide more evidence on the effects of NMN on improving sleep quality among patients with chronic insomnia. If proven effective, NMN supplement can be used as a new treatment for chronic insomnia in the future. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (chictr.org.cn) ChiCTR2200058001. Registered on 26 March 2022.

As one of the three major components of woody biomass, lignin is a kind of natural organic polymer and the only abundant natural renewable resource with aromatic nucleus. Chemical catalysis induced depolymerization is an important and effective approach for lignin utilization. In particular, photocatalysis and electrocatalysis show great potential in accurately activating C–O/C–C bonds, which is a critical point of selective cleavage of lignin. In this contribution, we focus on radical and (photo)electron transfer induced reaction mechanisms of the photo(electro)catalytic depolymerization of lignin. Primarily, the general situation of Carbon-centered radicals and active oxygen species mediated lignin conversion has been discussed. Then the mechanisms for (photo)electron transfer mediated lignin depolymerization have been summarized. At the end of this review, the challenges and opportunities of photo(electro)catalysis in the applications of lignin valorization have been forecasted.

ObjectiveIntermittent energy restriction (IER) is an effective weight loss strategy. However, little is known about the dynamic effects of IER on the brain-gut-microbiome axis.MethodsIn this study, a total of 25 obese individuals successfully lost weight after a 2-month IER intervention. FMRI was used to determine the activity of brain regions. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to identify differentially abundant gut microbes and pathways in from fecal samples.ResultsOur results showed that IER longitudinally reduced the activity of obese-related brain regions at different timepoints, including the inferior frontal orbital gyrus in the cognitive control circuit, the putamen in the emotion and learning circuit, and the anterior cingulate cortex in the sensory circuit. IER longitudinally reduced E. coli abundance across multiple timepoints while elevating the abundance of obesity-related Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Parabacteroides distasonis, and Bacterokles uniformis. Correlation analysis revealed longitudinally correlations between gut bacteria abundance alterations and brain activity changes.ConclusionsThere was dynamical alteration of BGM axis (the communication of E. coli with specific brain regions) during the weight loss under the IER.

BackgroundThe use of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonists (5HT3RA) has long been considered the standard regimen for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, their therapeutic outcomes have been unsatisfactory. NEPA, an oral formulation combining the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist netupitant and the 5HT3RA palonosetron, has received regulatory approval for the management of highly and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. This study aims to compare the efficacy of NEPA with that of 5HT3RA alone in preventing CINV among patients undergoing multiday conditioning chemotherapy prior to HSCT.Patients and methodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent HSCT between September 2019 and September 2022. Efficacy outcomes were assessed based on the rates of patients achieving complete response (CR: no emesis and no use of rescue medication), complete control (CC: CR without significant nausea), no vomiting, and no significant nausea.ResultsThe NEPA group consisted of 106 patients, while the 5HT3RA group included 107 patients. The NEPA group exhibited significantly higher rates of CR compared to the 5HT3RA group during the overall phase (71.7% vs. 32.7%, P

Abstract Ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) is a new surface strengthening method to reduce the residual stresses on large pressure vessels induced by surface and repair welding. An accurate and high efficiency calculation model is the key to accurately predicting the full‐field residual stresses on large pressure vessels under the UIT process. In this article, a full‐coverage impacting model is proposed to simulate the impacting process of the UIT pin. The effects of UIT on the residual stresses on repair and surface welded pressure vessels were investigated by explicit dynamic simulation. Experiments were also performed to verify the prediction results. Results show that the proposed full coverage impacting model can greatly improve the simulation precision and the calculation efficiency. The predicted residual stresses after the UIT process using the proposed model are consistent with the measured results. A remarkable reduction in residual stress was achieved in the zone subjected to UIT. The tensile residual stresses on the surface of the treated area were reduced to compressive stresses. With the increase of the impact velocity and the coverage rate, the residual stresses on the surface and transition layers decreased and then tended to stabilize. The impact coverage rate should not exceed 200% to avoid damage and save time.

Human exposure to Phthalates, a family of chemicals primarily used to enhance the flexibility and durability of plastics, could lead to a decline in semen quality. Extensive studies have been performed to investigate the associations between semen quality and exposure to environmental pollutants, such as phthalates. However, these early studies mainly focus on using conventional statistical methods, such as simple and efficient multi-variable linear regression methods, to perform the analysis, which may not be effective in analyzing these complex multi-variable associations. Herein, we perform a systematic study of the performance of different machine learning methods in analyzing these associations. We will use data from a cohort of 1070 Chinese males from Hubei province who provided repeated urine samples to measure phthalate metabolites. In addition, phthalate metabolites in semen are also evaluated as a biomarker to give a more direct metric. We also incorporate patient demographics and administered medications into the analysis. Overall, six machine learning models, including linear and non-linear models, are implemented to analyze associations among thirty-one features and five metrics of the quality of the semen. The performance of the models is evaluated based on root-mean-square deviation through 10-fold cross-validation. Our investigations show that the performance of different models is varied when employed to study different metrics that represent the quality of the semen. Therefore, a systematic study of the patients’ data with various machine learning models is essential in improving the quantitative analysis in discovering the critical environmental pollutants that dictate the quality of semen. We hope this study could provide guidance of employing machine learning models in the future investigation of the impact of various pollutants on semen quality.

BackgroundExperimental studies have shown that radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phones can cause adverse effects on male reproductive health, including decreased semen quality and altered sex hormones. However, the results of epidemiological studies on the relationship between mobile phone use and male semen quality are inconsistent. Furthermore, there are few epidemiological studies on the association of mobile phone use with sex hormones.ObjectiveTo explore the associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones.MethodsA total of 2045 men visited the reproductive medicine center of a hospital in Wuhan and ordered infertility examination were recruited from December 2018 to January 2020. Information on mobile phone use was obtained using a questionnaire. Among them, 1232 and 1694 men were eligible for semen quality analyses and sex hormone analyses, respectively. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, there was no statistically significant associations of mobile phone use with sperm progressive motility, sperm total motility, sperm concentration, sperm count, or serum luteinizing hormone (P>0.05). However, serum total testosterone showed a declined tendency with increasing daily duration of mobile phone use (Ptrend=0.08). Compared with men with daily mobile phone use of 0-2 h, men with daily mobile phone use of 2.1-5, 5.1-8, and >8 h showed decreased serum total testosterone concentrations by 6.29% (95%CI: 0.40%-11.84%), 6.01% (95%CI: 0.60%-12.19%), and 7.87% (95%CI: 0.40%-14.79%), respectively.ConclusionMobile phone use is not associated with male semen quality and serum luteinizing hormone, but increasing daily duration of mobile phone use is potentially associated with a tendency to lower male serum total testosterone.

Abstract P-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a common component of hair dye, which can cause skin contact allergy and asthma with impaired pulmonary function. However, the adverse effects of occupational exposure to different dose PPD was rarely mentioned. We recruited 124 workers from a hair dye factory to explore the association of occupational PPD exposure on pulmonary function, pruritus and health related quality of life (HRQL). We categorized exposure to PPD into 3 levels: lower exposure group (

Abstract. Background:. Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is effective in reducing CRC incidence and mortality. The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine and compare the detection rate of adenomas, advanced adenomas (AAs) and CRCs, and the number needed to screen (NNS) of individuals in an average-risk Chinese population of different ages and genders. Methods:. This was a retrospective study performed at the Institute of Health Management, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. Colonoscopy results were analyzed for 53,152 individuals finally enrolled from January 2013 to December 2019. The detection rate of adenomas, AAs, or CRCs was computed and the characteristics between men and women were compared using chi-squared test. Results:. The average age was 48.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 8.5 years) for men and 50.0 years (SD, 9.0 years) for women, and the gender rate was 66.27% (35,226) vs. 33.73% (17,926). The detection rates of adenomas, AAs, serrated adenomas, and CRCs were 14.58% (7750), 3.09% (1641), 1.23% (653), and 0.59% (313), respectively. Men were statistically significantly associated with higher detection rates than women in adenomas (17.20% [6058/35,226], 95% confidence interval [CI] 16.74–17.53% vs. 9.44% [1692/17,926], 95% CI 8.94–9.79%, P

BackgroundProlonged awkward postures during occupational activities can lead to excessive musculoskeletal load on the wrist of workers and symptoms such as wrist pain or discomfort.ObjectiveTo survey the prevalence of wrist pain among workers in 10 key industries and analyze its correlation with wrist working postures.MethodsBy using stratified cluster sampling method, workers from 10 key industries, such as footwear manufacturing industry, shipbuilding manufacturing industry, and automobile manufacturing industry, were selected from seven regions in North China, East China, Central China, South China, Southwest China, Northwest China, and Northeast China. The demographic information, wrist working postures, pain in wrist of the workers were collected through a cross-sectional survey. Pearson χ2 test was used to compare prevalence by selected factors, trend χ2 test for between group comparison, and unconditional logistic regression models for the association of wrist working postures with wrist pain.ResultsThere were 64052 workers enrolled in this survey, and 56286 provided valid questionnaires (the effective rate was 87.8%). According to the survey, the prevalence of wrist pain was 23.3% (13112/56286), and the industries with higher prevalences were footwear manufacturing (27.1%, 1927/7106), automobile manufacturing (24.9%, 5378/21560), and shipbuilding and related equipment manufacturing (24.4%, 850/3488) industries. Finger pinching (OR=2.09, 95%CI: 1.95-2.24), frequent wrist bending (OR=2.03, 95%CI: 1.92-2.15), fixed wrist bending (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.69-1.85), wrist on hard edge (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.28-1.40), and arms over shoulders (OR=1.11, 95%CI: 1.05-1.17) increased the risk of reporting wrist pain.ConclusionAwkward postures are related to wrist pain among workers in selected 10 key industries. The related factors are wrist on hard edge, frequent wrist bending, finger pinching, fixed wrist bending, and arms over shoulders.

In order to comprehend the molecular composition of coal and better understand the process of coal combustion, this study involved the development of a molecular structure model for Heiyanquan coal in Xinjiang, as well as the optimization and annealing dynamics simulation of the model. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were utilized to investigate the spontaneous combustion characteristics of coal at different temperatures (room temperature, 50–500 °C with 50 °C interval). The findings revealed that the coal primarily consists of aromatic carbon, with the aromatic structure mainly comprising naphthalene, anthracene, and phenanthrene, and the aliphatic carbon mainly consisting of CH2 and CH, along with a small quantity of minerals. The empirical molecular formula of Heiyanquan coal was determined to be C175H125O21N3. After the optimization, the total energy of the model was significantly reduced, and the aromatic layers tended to align in a regular parallel manner, with van der Waals energy playing a crucial role in maintaining structural stability. As the temperature increased, the activation energy of the three stages also increased, with the combustion stage exhibiting the highest activation energy. The presence of hydroxyl groups and oxygen-containing functional groups was found to mainly participate in the reaction, while the content of aromatic hydrocarbons remained relatively stable, C=C exhibited a decreasing trend, and C-O displayed an increasing trend. Moreover, it was observed that 1 × 1 and 2 × 2 were the predominant aromatic stripes in the coal samples, accounting for more than 90% of the total stripes.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a highly effective treatment for infertility; however, it poses challenges for women with decreased ovarian reserve (DOR). Despite the importance of understanding the impact of DOR on IVF outcomes, limited research has explored this relationship, particularly using omics approaches. Hence, we conducted a study to investigate the association between DOR and IVF outcomes, employing a metabolomic approach. We analyzed serum samples from 207 women undergoing IVF treatment, including 89 with DOR and 118 with normal ovarian reserve (NOR). Our findings revealed that DOR was significantly associated with unfavorable IVF outcomes, characterized by a reduced oocyte count, lower embryo quality, and decreased rates of pregnancy and live births. Furthermore, we identified 82 metabolites that displayed significant alterations in DOR patients, impacting diverse metabolic pathways. Notably, a distinct panel of metabolites, including palmitic acid, stearic acid, LysoPC(9:0(CHO)/0:0), PC(18:0/9:0(CHO)), and PC(16:0/9:0(CHO)), exhibited discriminatory power between the DOR and NOR groups, showcasing a strong correlation with IVF outcomes. These findings emphasize the crucial role of metabolomic disruptions in influencing IVF outcomes among women with DOR.

To obtain the effect of fracture failure mechanics characteristics and behavior of brittle rock masses on the compound factors of fissure openings and inclination, uniaxial loading tests were performed on single-fissured rock-mass specimens with different openings using a rock mechanics test machine. The test results show that with the increase in fissure openings, the fissured rock-mass peak strength variation behavior with the increase in fissure inclination angle changes from first decreasing and then increasing to gradually increasing, and the angle at the minimum value of peak strength shifts from 45° to 0°. At the same fissure angle, the peak strength of the fissured rock mass decreases with the increase in the fissure opening size. The greater the opening size of the prefabricated fissure, the smaller the peak strength of the fissured rock mass and the greater the influence of changes in the fissure inclination angle. The elastic modulus of the fissured rock-mass specimen shows a positive correlation with the fissure inclination angle and a negative correlation with the fissure opening size. Combined with the neighborhood stress field analysis of the open fissure tip, the criterion of composite fracture under tension failure is established, and the linear relationship between the stress intensity factors KI and KII is verified. The criterion of composite fracture of open fissures under shear failure is also identified, which is based on the linear relationship between the stress intensity factors.

BackgroundIntermittent energy restriction (IER) is an effective weight loss strategy. However, the accompanying changes in spontaneous neural activity are unclear, and the relationship among anthropometric measurements, biochemical indicators, and adipokines remains ambiguous.MethodsThirty-five obese adults were recruited and received a 2-month IER intervention. Data were collected from anthropometric measurements, blood samples, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at four time points. The regional homogeneity (ReHo) method was used to explore the effects of the IER intervention. The relationships between the ReHo values of altered brain regions and changes in anthropometric measurements, biochemical indicators, and adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) were analyzed.ResultsResults showed that IER significantly improved anthropometric measurements, biochemical indicators, and adipokine levels in the successful weight loss group. The IER intervention for weight loss was associated with a significant increase in ReHo in the bilateral lingual gyrus, left calcarine, and left postcentral gyrus and a significant decrease in the right middle temporal gyrus and right cerebellum (VIII). Follow-up analyses showed that the increase in ReHo values in the right LG had a significant positive correlation with a reduction in Three-factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ)-disinhibition and a significant negative correlation with an increase in TFEQ-cognitive control. Furthermore, the increase in ReHo values in the left calcarine had a significant positive correlation with the reduction in TFEQ-disinhibition. However, no significant difference in ReHo was observed in the failed weight loss group.ConclusionOur study provides objective evidence that the IER intervention reshaped the ReHo of some brain regions in obese individuals, accompanied with improved anthropometric measurements, biochemical indicators, and adipokines. These results illustrated that the IER intervention for weight loss may act by decreasing the motivational drive to eat, reducing reward responses to food cues, and repairing damaged food-related self-control processes. These findings enhance our understanding of the neurobiological basis of IER for weight loss in obesity.

The characteristics of oxidized spontaneous combustion of coal can reflect the performance of coal, and an appropriate structural model can reflect it more intuitively. In this study, samples from Baishihu Coal Mine were used to study the macromolecular structure, microcrystal structure, and oxidation process of coal by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR), and Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The molecular formula C198H164O40N2 and the molecular structure model were obtained. ChemDraw and Materials Studio were used for the experimental data, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was used to verify the aromatic ring structure built to make the constructed structural model more accurate. In the water evaporation stage, the high ring aromatic layer is converted into the low ring number. Furthermore, in the high-temperature stage, the low ring aromatic layer is transformed due to the coking and condensation reaction of the coal sample. The C element in the coal sample mainly participates in the reaction in C–C and C–H forms. The spacing and effective number of aromatic layers are relatively stable. The aggregation state of coal is a macromolecular group formed between molecules with different aromatic structures and fat structures, which is formed by the interaction of internal defects and pores of molecular groups. With the increase in the treatment temperature, water loss is heavier, oxygen absorption and weight gain are perplexing, and the value of the burnout temperature is higher. The apparent activation energy of the coal–oxygen reaction increases, and the reaction is more intricate to achieve. This study furthers the understanding of coal spontaneous combustion in this mining area, provides a reference for the prevention and control of coal spontaneous combustion.

Introduction: Chirality is a crucial mechanical cue within the extracellular matrix during tissue repair and regeneration. Despite its key roles in cell behavior and regeneration efficacy, our understanding of chirality-biased protein profile in vivo remains unclear.Methods: In this study, we characterized the proteomic profile of proteins extracted from bone defect areas implanted with left-handed and right-handed scaffold matrices during the early healing stage. We identified differentially-expressed proteins between the two groups and detected heterogenic characteristic signatures on day 3 and day 7 time points.Results: Proteomic analysis showed that left-handed chirality could upregulate cell adhesion-related and GTPase-related proteins on day 3 and day 7. Besides, interaction analysis and in vitro verification results indicated that the left-handed chiral scaffold material activated Rho GTPase and Akt1, ultimately leading to M2 polarization of macrophages.Discussion: In summary, our study thus improved understanding of the regenerative processes facilitated by chiral materials by characterizing the protein atlas in the context of bone defect repair and exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms of chirality-mediated polarization differences in macrophages.

Abstract Neuroinflammation is an important cause of poor prognosis in patients with spinal cord injury. pyroptosis is a new type of inflammatory cell death. Treg cells has been shown to play an anti-inflammatory role in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and arthritis. However, little is known about Treg cells' potential role in pyroptosis following spinal cord injury. The aim of this research was to look into the effect of Treg cells to motor function recovery, pyroptosis and the mechanism behind it after SCI. Here, we found that pyroptosis mainly occurred in microglia on the seventh day after spinal cord injury. Konckout Treg cells resulted in widely pyroptosis and poor motor recovery after SCI. In conversely, over-infiltration of Treg cell in mice by tail vein injection had beneficial effects following SCI.Treg cell-derived exosomes promote functional recovery by inhibiting microglia pyroptosis in vivo. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that miRNA-709 was significantly enriched in Treg cells and Treg cell-secreted exosomes. NKAP has been identified as a miRNA-709 target gene. Moreover, experiments confirmed that Treg cells targeted the NKAP via exosomal miR-709 to reduce microglia pyroptosis and promote motor function recovery after SCI. More importantly, The miR-709 overexpressed exosomes we constructed significantly reduced the inflammatory response and improved motor recovery after spinal cord injury. In brief, our findings indicate a possible mechanism for communication between Treg cells and microglia, which opens up a new perspective for alleviating neuroinflammation after SCI.

BackgroundCumulative risk index (CRI), as a commonly used approach to estimate the joint effects of multiple air pollutants on health, has been used by few studies to construct an air quality health index (AQHI). ObjectiveTo construct an AQHI based on the CRI of air pollution in Tianjin and evaluate the validity of the AQHI. MethodsDaily data on air pollutants, meteorological factors, and non-accidental deaths during 2015–2019 in Tianjin were collected to create a time-series object. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to describe the characteristics of the data. To determine the best lag day and indicative pollutant, single-pollutant and two-pollutant generalized additive models were fitted to construct the exposure-response relationships between air pollutants and non-accidental deaths. After that we evaluated a CRI of air pollution using multi-pollutant models and constructed an AQHI and its classifications based on the CRI. Finally, we compared the exposure-response associations and coefficients of the AQHI and the conventional air quality index (AQI) with non-accidental deaths, and evaluated the health risk communication validity of the AQHI using generalized cross validation (GCV) values and R2 values. ResultsWe selected lag1 as the best lag day and PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and O3 as the appropriate pollutants according to the unqualified rates of pollutants and significant statistical results. One μg·m−3 increase of PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and O3 was associated with −0.00002, 0.00079, 0.00015, and 0.00042 increase in effect size b of the non-accidental mortality, respectively. Based on these coefficients, we calculated the CRI and AQHI. According to a pre-determined classification scheme of the AQHI, the air quality of 63% study days was low risks and that of 34% study days was median risks. The associations of AQHI and AQI with non-accidental deaths in different populations were evaluated. The results showed that the excess risks of non-accidental deaths in total, female, and male populations for per interquartile range (IQR) increase in AQHI were higher than the corresponding values of AQI. The GCV values of the AQHI model (2.694, 1.819, and 1.938, respectively) were lower than those of the AQI model (2.747, 1.850, and 1.961, respectively), and the R2 values of the AQHI model (0.849, 0.780, and 0.820, respectively) were higher than those of the AQI model (0.846, 0.776, and 0.817, respectively). ConclusionCompared with AQI, the CRI-based AQHI may communicate the air pollution-related health risk to the public more effectively in Tianjin.

Abstract Background This study aims to explore appropriate model for predicting the disease burden of pneumoconiosis in Tianjin by comparing the prediction effects of Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model, Deep Neural Networks (DNN) model and multivariate Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network (LSTM) models. Methods Disability adjusted life year (DALY) was used to evaluate the disease burden of occupational pneumoconiosis. ARIMA model, DNN model and multivariate LSTM model were used to establish prediction model. Three performance evaluation metrics including Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) were used to compare the prediction effects of the three models. Results From 1990 to 2021, there were 10,694 cases of pneumoconiosis patients in Tianjin, resulting in a total of 112,725.52 person-years of DALY. During this period, the annual DALY showed a fluctuating trend, but it had a strong correlation with the number of pneumoconiosis patients, the average age of onset, the average age of receiving dust and the gross industrial product, and had a significant nonlinear relationship with them. The comparison of prediction results showed that the performance of multivariate LSTM model and DNN model is much better than that of traditional ARIMA model. Compared with the DNN model, the multivariate LSTM model performed better in the training set, showing lower RMES (42.30 vs. 380.96), MAE (29.53 vs. 231.20) and MAPE (1.63% vs. 2.93%), but performed less stable than the DNN on the test set, showing slightly higher RMSE (1309.14 vs. 656.44), MAE (886.98 vs. 594.47) and MAPE (36.86% vs. 22.43%). Conclusion The machine learning techniques of DNN and LSTM are an innovative method to accurately and efficiently predict the burden of pneumoconiosis with the simplest data. It has great application prospects in the monitoring and early warning system of occupational disease burden.