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Abstract Background The use of the deep learning (DL) approach has been suggested or applied to identify childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The capacity to predict ASD, however, differs across investigations. Our study’s objective was to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the DL for ASD in children’s classification accuracy. Methods Eligibility criteria were designed according to the purpose of the meta-analysis; PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science Database were searched for articles published up to April 16, 2023, on the accuracy of DL methods for ASD classification. Using the Revised Tool for the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) to assess the quality of the included studies. Sensitivity, specificity, areas under the curve (AUC), summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC), and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were compiled by using the bivariate random-effects models. Results A total of 11 predictive trials based on DL models were included, involving 9495 ASD patients from 6 different databases. According to bivariate random-effects models’ results, the overall sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of the DL technique for ASD were, 0.95 (95% CI = 0.88–0.98), 0.93 (95% CI = 0.85–0.97), and 0.98 (95%CI: 0.97–0.99), respectively. Subgroup analysis results found that different datasets did not cause heterogeneity (meta-regression P = 0.55). The Kaggle dataset’s sensitivity and specificity were 0.94 (95%CI: 0.82-1.00) and 0.91 (95%CI: 0.76-1.00), and with 0.97 (95%CI: 0.92-1.00) and 0.97 (95%CI: 0.92-1.00) for ABIDE dataset. Conclusions DL techniques has satisfactory sensitivity, specificity, and AUC in ASD classification. However, the major heterogeneity of the included studies limited the effectiveness of this meta-analysis. Further trials need to be performed to demonstrate the clinical practicability of DL diagnosis.

Abstract Background Arsenic pollution is widespread worldwide. The association between gestational arsenic exposure and adverse birth outcomes has been demonstrated in previous studies; however, few investigations have examined whether gestational arsenic exposure has adverse effects on infant growth and development after birth. Objective Our study was designed to evaluate particular associations between gestational arsenic exposure during pregnancy and newborn birth size and to investigate whether these associations continue to affect infants after birth. Methods An ongoing prospective cohort study of 1100 pregnant women was conducted at the Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital. The total urinary arsenic concentrations in the 2nd and 3rd trimester were determined using atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The relationships between urinary arsenic concentration and foetal growth parameters (birth weight, head circumference, length, and ponderal index), SGA (Small for gestational age), and physical growth of infants within one year after birth were analysed. Results Urinary arsenic concentration in the 3rd trimester was associated with an increased incidence of SGA [adjusted model: OR = 2.860 (95% CI: 1.168, 7.020), P = 0.021)]. Arsenic exposure in late pregnancy had an adverse effect on the physical development of infants before the age of 1 year, and there was an interaction effect with the sex of infants. The weight and length of boys at 6 and 12 months negatively correlated with maternal urinary arsenic levels during late pregnancy. Conclusions In addition to affecting foetal growth, exposure to arsenic in the 3rd trimester also negatively affected the growth of offspring within the first year of life.

BackgroundAlthough the problem of malnutrition among children in China has greatly improved in recent years, there is a gap compared to developed countries, and there are differences between provinces. Research on long-term comprehensive trends in child growth failure (CGF) in China is needed for further improvement. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine trends in stunting, wasting, and underweight among children younger than 5 years in China from 2000 to 2019, and predict CGF till 2030. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the local burden of disease (LBD) database. Using Joinpoint Regression Software, we examined trends in CGF among children younger than 5 years in China from 2000 to 2019, and predicted the trends of prevalence in 2030, using the Holt-Winters model with trends but without seasonal components. The assessment was performed with Stata 17 (StataCorp). Data were analyzed from October 17, 2023, to November 22, 2023. ResultsIn 2019, the prevalences of stunting, wasting, and underweight decreased to 12%, 3%, and 4%, respectively (decreases of 36.9%, 25.0%, and 42.9%, respectively, compared with the values in 2000). The prevalence of CGF decreased rapidly from 2000 to 2010, and the downward trend slowed down after 2010. Most provinces had stagnated processes of trends after 2017. The age group with the highest stunting prevalence was children aged 1 to 4 years, and the highest prevalence of wasting and underweight was noted in early neonatal infants. From 2000 to 2019, the prevalence of CGF declined in all age groups of children. The largest relative decrease in stunting and underweight was noted in children aged 1 to 4 years, and the largest decrease in wasting was noted in early neonatal infants. The prevalences of stunting, wasting, and underweight in China are estimated to decrease to 11.4%, 3.2%, and 4.1%, respectively, by 2030. China has nationally met the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Targets for 2030 for stunting but not for wasting. ConclusionsThis study provides data on the prevalence and trends of CGF among children younger than 5 years and reports declines in CGF. There remain areas with slow progress in China. Most units have achieved the goal for stunting prevalence but not wasting prevalence.

Nanovaccines have gathered significant attention for their potential to elicit tumor-specific immunological responses. Despite notable progress in tumor immunotherapy, nanovaccines still encounter considerable challenges such as low delivery efficiency, limited targeting ability, and suboptimal efficacy. With an aim of addressing these issues, engineering customized nanovaccines through modification or functionalization has emerged as a promising approach. These tailored nanovaccines not only enhance antigen presentation, but also effectively modulate immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment. Specifically, they are distinguished by their diverse sizes, shapes, charges, structures, and unique physicochemical properties, along with targeting ligands. These features of nanovaccines facilitate lymph node accumulation and activation/regulation of immune cells. This overview of bespoke nanovaccines underscores their potential in both prophylactic and therapeutic applications, offering insights into their future development and role in cancer immunotherapy.

Abstract Background This study aimed to assess the long-term effect of level IIb clinical target volume (CTV) optimisation on survival, xerostomia, and dysphagia in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods Clinical data of 415 patients with NPC treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy between December 2014 and October 2018 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were categorised into modified and comparison groups. Late xerostomia and dysphagia were evaluated using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer scoring. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Differences in late toxicity and dose parameters between both groups were compared. Prognostic factors for survival and late toxicity were assessed using regression analyses. Results Patients in the modified group developed late xerostomia and dysphagia less frequently than those in the comparison group did (P

IntroductionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that significantly impacts the mental, emotional, and social development of children. Early screening for ASD typically involves the use of a series of questionnaires. With answers to these questionnaires, healthcare professionals can identify whether a child is at risk for developing ASD and refer them for further evaluation and diagnosis. CHAT-23 is an effective and widely used screening test in China for the early screening of ASD, which contains 23 different kinds of questions.MethodsWe have collected clinical data from Wuxi, China. All the questions of CHAT-23 are regarded as different kinds of features for building machine learning models. We introduce machine learning methods into ASD screening, using the Max-Relevance and Min-Redundancy (mRMR) feature selection method to analyze the most important questions among all 23 from the collected CHAT-23 questionnaires. Seven mainstream supervised machine learning models were built and experiments were conducted.ResultsAmong the seven supervised machine learning models evaluated, the best-performing model achieved a sensitivity of 0.909 and a specificity of 0.922 when the number of features was reduced to 9. This demonstrates the model's ability to accurately identify children for ASD with high precision, even with a more concise set of features.DiscussionOur study focuses on the health of Chinese children, introducing machine learning methods to provide more accurate and effective early screening tests for autism. This approach not only enhances the early detection of ASD but also helps in refining the CHAT-23 questionnaire by identifying the most relevant questions for the diagnosis process.

The battle against depression in the elderly is crucial due to its significant impact on their quality of life, physical and cognitive health, increased risk of social isolation and suicide, as well as the associated higher healthcare costs. This research investigates the effects of traditional and augmented reality Tai Chi, using the virtual environment “Managed Tai Chi,” on depression in elderly individuals. The study involved 300 participants aged over 60 from the Beijing Medical Center, with an experimental period lasting six months and sessions held once a week. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was utilized as a diagnostic tool at the pre-test and post-test stages. The findings revealed that the VR group exhibited a more substantial reduction in depression compared to the traditional and control groups (p ≤ 0.05), indicating the enhanced efficacy of Tai Chi with VR augmentation in treating depression in the elderly.

Esophageal stricture caused by fibrosis is a serious complication after esophageal Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Myofibroblasts play a crucial role in esophageal fibrosis, so inhibiting activated myofibroblasts is a promising approach for treating esophageal fibrosis. β-Elemene, a natural product with anti-tumor and anti-fibrotic properties, has not been thoroughly examined in esophageal fibrosis. Additionally, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway are both notably linked to fibrotic diseases. Therefore, we investigated the potential mechanisms of β-elemene in esophageal fibrosis by treating primary human esophageal granulation fibroblasts (PHEGFs) with gradient concentrations of β-elemene. Our findings demonstrated that β-elemene inhibited the activity of PHEGFs in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied by downregulation of FAP, p-PI3K, and p-AKT protein expression, along with upregulation of p-PTEN protein expression. In addition, we substantiated the potential correlation between FAP and the PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by establishing models of FAP overexpression and silencing. These results provide a new perspective on the potential mechanism of β-elemene in relieving esophageal fibrosis and offer novel therapeutic strategies for managing post-esophageal ESD stricture in clinical practice.

Due to the limited bioavailability of inorganic trace minerals, their utilization in poultry production has led to problems such as environmental contamination and inefficient resource utilization. It was investigated whether replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) with a blend of organic small peptide-chelated trace minerals (MIX) would improve production performance, selected biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, mineral deposition in liver, heart, and tibia, as well as mineral content in feces of broilers. A total of 432 healthy 21-day-old 817 broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group and 18 chickens per replicate. The control group received a basal diet supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg of inorganic trace minerals as sulfate. The experimental groups received basal diets supplemented with 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg of mixed trace mineral elements (50% sulfate +50% small peptide-chelate) for a trial period of 30 days, divided into two stages: 21–35 days and 36–50 days. The results indicate that on the 50th day, compared with the 1,000 mg/kg ITM group, the levels of serum cholesterol, urea nitrogen, and malondialdehyde in the 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg MIX groups decreased (p 0.05). This study shows that replacing inorganic minerals with low-dose MIX (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg) can reduce the levels of zinc and manganese in feces, with no negative impact on growth and slaughter performance.

An integrated microfluidic planar reactor is essential for achieving efficient and enhanced photocatalytic water treatment. Optimization of catalysts is an area of intense study owing to the need to enhance the performances of microreactors. A high-efficiency photocatalytic microreactor is presented here by combining a planar microreactor with a high-efficiency photocatalyst. TiO2 nanoparticles doped with Y and Yb were prepared to improve the photocatalytic reaction efficiency. First, better performance is achieved with the Y, Yb/TiO2 and TiO2 microreactors than conventional bulk reactors because of good photodegradation and a high reaction rate. Then, the Y, Yb/TiO2 film microreactor exhibits not only efficient catalytic activity with UV light but also higher photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation than that achieved by a TiO2 film microreactor. The reaction rate constant of the Y, Yb/TiO2 film microreactor is approximately 0.530 s–1, which is twice that of the TiO2 film microreactor. Moreover, the performances under continuous and intermittent reactions are compared to evaluate the stability of the microreactor, thereby building the foundation for practical application of continuous water treatment in the microreactor.The planar microreactor provides a convenient platform for studying photodegradation under various conditions, such as different temperatures, flow rates, light irradiation (UV and Vis), and reaction modes (continuous and intermittent).

To address the problem of accurately evaluating age-friendly retrofit indicators in urban communities, this study constructs an evaluation model that takes into account user preferences and their interaction needs based on the social–ecological–technological systems (SETS) theory. The model aims to establish a set of precise community retrofit indicators, covering aspects such as public participation level, public ancillary facilities, green space layout, living environment building, health service support, and accessible design. By employing prioritization strategies, the model seeks to maximize resident satisfaction and promote harmonious coexistence between the community and the environment. Firstly, the retrofit evaluation indicators are formulated using the SETS theory. The entropy weight method (EWM) is then applied to determine the initial weights of these evaluation indicators, followed by the use of the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to analyze the interrelationships among the indicators. The Kano model is integrated to adjust the weights, reflecting their importance. The final weights of the indicators are determined through normalization. Based on this, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is employed to rank and analyze the importance of age-friendly retrofits in the community. Finally, six communities in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, are selected as samples to evaluate and analyze the age-friendly retrofit indicators. Different methods are compared, and their advantages and disadvantages are ranked to validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed approach. Based on the analysis results, specific design schemes for improving the identified shortcomings in age-friendly aspects of these communities are proposed, considering the needs of aging populations and taking into account community public facilities, accessible design renovations, and the enhancement of green space layouts. This study aims to explore the comprehensive benefits of an age-friendly retrofit in urban communities and provide reference for the deep integration of social, ecological, and technological benefits in urban renewal. The evaluation indicators, methods, and conclusions presented can serve as a decision-making basis for the renovation and renewal of aging urban communities, particularly in terms of age-friendly updates.

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), an RNA-binding protein, is associated with tumorigenesis and progression. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of IGF2BP3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) oncogenesis, progression, and drug resistance remain unclear. This study found that IGF2BP3 was upregulated in CRC tissues. Clinically, the elevated IGF2BP3 level is predictive of a poor prognosis. Functionally, IGF2BP3 enhances CRC tumorigenesis and progression both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 promotes epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA stability and translation and further activates the EGFR pathway by serving as a reader in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner by cooperating with METTL14. Furthermore, IGF2BP3 increases the drug resistance of CRC cells to the EGFR-targeted antibody cetuximab. Taken together, our results demonstrated that IGF2BP3 was a functional and clinical oncogene of CRC. Targeting IGF2BP3 and m6A modification may therefore offer rational therapeutic targets for patients with CRC.

Abstract Background The current study attempted to investigate the role of transcription factor c-fos in the development of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) as well as the underlying mechanism involving the MALAT1/miR-22-3p/STAT1 ceRNA network. Methods Bioinformatics analysis was performed to extract POI-related microarray dataset for identifying the target genes. Interaction among c-fos, MALAT1, miR-22-3p, and STAT1 was analyzed. An in vivo POI mouse model was prepared followed by injection of sh-c-fos and sh-STAT1 lentiviruses. Besides, an in vitro POI cell model was constructed to study the regulatory roles of c-fos, MALAT1, miR-22-3p, and STAT1. Results c-fos, MALAT1, and STAT1 were highly expressed in ovarian tissues from POI mice and CTX-induced KGN cells, while miR-22-3p was poorly expressed. c-fos targeted MALAT1 and promoted MALAT1 transcription. MALAT1 competitively bound to miR-22-3p and miR-22-3p could suppress STAT1 expression. Mechanically, c-fos aggravated ovarian function impairment in POI mice and inhibited KGN cell proliferation through regulation of the MALAT1/miR-22-3p/STAT1 regulatory network. Conclusion Our findings highlighted inducing role of the transcription factor c-fos in POI through modulation of the MALAT1/miR-22-3p/STAT1 ceRNA network.

BackgroundAlterations in the composition and abundance of the intestinal microbiota occur in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the results are inconsistent because of differences in the study design, subject area, and sequencing methodology. In this study, we compared the diversity and abundance of the intestinal microbiota of patients with NAFLD and healthy individuals through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsThree databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) were searched from their inception to March 20, 2023. A meta-analysis was performed using Stata software to analyze variations in the richness and abundance of the intestinal microbiota in patients with NAFLD. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) was used for quality assessment.ResultsA total of 28 articles were included. Shannon diversity was reduced in patients with NAFLD (SMD = -0.24 (95% CI -0.43-0.05, I2 = 71.7%). The relative abundance of Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus all decreased, with total SMDs of -0.96 (95% CI -1.29 to -0.63, I2 = 4.8%), -1.13 (95% CI -2.07 to -0.19, I2 = 80.5%), and -1.66 (95% CI -3.04 to -0.28, I2 = 91.5%). Escherichia was increased in individuals with NAFLD (SMD = 1.78, 95% CI 0.12 to 3.45, I2 = 94.4%).ConclusionIncreasing the species diversity and altering the abundance of specific gut microbiota, including Coprococcus, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, and Escherichia, may be beneficial for improving NAFLD.

Abstract Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is known to play vital roles in modulating tumorigenesis. We previously reported that LCAT1, a novel lncRNA, promotes the growth and metastasis of lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. However, the underlying mechanism(s) of LCAT1 as an oncogenic regulator remains elusive. Here, we showed that LCAT1 physically interacts with and stabilizes IGF2BP2, an m6A reader protein, by preventing its degradation via autolysosomes. IGF2BP2 is overexpressed in lung cancer tissues, which is associated with poor survival of non-small cell lung cancer patients, suggesting its oncogenic role. Biologically, IGF2BP2 depletion inhibits growth and survival as well as the migration of lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, the LCAT1/IGF2BP2 complex increased the levels of CDC6, a key cell cycle regulator, by stabilizing its mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner. Like IGF2BP2, CDC6 is also overexpressed in lung cancer tissues with poor patient survival, and CDC6 knockdown has oncogenic inhibitory activity. Taken together, the LCAT1-IGF2BP2-CDC6 axis appears to play a vital role in promoting the growth and migration of lung cancer cells, and is a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer. Importantly, our finding also highlights a previously unknown critical role of LCAT1 in m6A-dependent gene regulation by preventing autolytic degradation of IGF2BP2.

ABSTRACT: A total of 480 one-day-old male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates of 20 chicks per replicate. A basal diet was administered to the control group (CON), whereas CML350, CML500, and CML1000 groups were fed with basal diet supplemented with 350, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex, respectively. However, adding 500 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex improved weight gain (P < 0.01), enhanced intestinal morphology, increased serum total protein and albumin content, and total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.01), and significantly increased the Chao1 and Ace indices (P < 0.01), indicating an increase in the richness of the gut microbiota. At the phylum level, CML500 group reduced the abundance of Fusobacteriota at 21 d and Proteobacteria at 42 d (P < 0.01). At the genus level, CML500 group increased the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Alistipes at 42 d (P < 0.01) and decreased the abundance of Escherichia–Shigella (P < 0.01). At the species level, CML500 group reduced the abundance of Escherichia coli at 42 d (P < 0.01) and increased the abundance of Alistipes_sp_CHKCI003 at 42 d (P < 0.01). According to these results, adding 500 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex in feed can improve the growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers.

Objective: To explore the impact of multidisciplinary team (MDT) nutrition management on the nutritional and toxicity status of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing chemoradiotherapy. Methods: A total of 104 patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma admitted to our hospital from July 2018 to February 2021 were retrospectively enrolled, including who received conventional nutrition management (the routine group, n ​= ​52) and who received MDT nutrition management (the experimental group, n ​= ​52). Nutritional indicators (dietary intake, body mass index, serum albumin, serum prealbumin, hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, serum transferrin [TRF]), the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002) score and acute toxicity level were recorded before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify nutritional risk indicators. Results: During and after chemoradiotherapy, the body mass index, albumin, prealbumin, hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, TRF, dietary intake, number of patients with an NRS2002 score < 3, and acute toxicity score in the experimental group improved compared to those in the routine group (P ​

Background: Given the ongoing research on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and colorectal cancer (CRC), the number of studies suggesting a strong link between NAFLD and CRC is on the rise, while its underlying pathological mechanisms remain uncertain. This study aims to explore the shared genes and mechanisms and to reveal the molecular basis of the association between CRC and NAFLD through bioinformatics approaches.Methods: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE89632 is downloaded for NAFLD cases and healthy controls. Additionally, the GSE4107 and GSE9348 datasets are obtained for CRC cases and healthy controls. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are obtained for NAFLD and CRC datasets, as well as shared genes between the two disorders. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses are further conducted. Subsequently, the STRING database and Cytoscape software are utilized to establish the PPI network and identify the hub genes. Then, co-expression analysis is performed using GeneMANIA. Subsequently, ROC curves and external datasets validation were applied to further screen the candidate markers. Finally, NetworkAnalyst is available as a means to construct a miRNA-gene regulatory network.Results: Under the threshold of FDR ≤ 0.01, 147 common genes are obtained in NAFLD and CRC. Categorization of GO functions shows that DEGs are predominantly enriched in “response to organic substance”, “cellular response to chemical stimulus”, and “response to external stimulus”. The predominant KEGG pathways in DEGs are the “IL-17 signaling pathway”, the “TNF signaling pathway”, “Viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor”, “Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction”, and the “Toll-like receptor signaling pathway”. Additionally, MYC, IL1B, FOS, CXCL8, PTGS2, MMP9, JUN, and IL6 are identified as hub genes by the evaluation of 7 algorithms. With the construction of miRNA-gene networks, 2 miRNAs, including miR-106a-5p, and miR-204-5p are predicted to be potential key miRNAs.Conclusion: This study identifies possible hub genes acting in the co-morbidity of NAFLD and CRC and discovers the interaction of miRNAs and hub genes, providing a novel understanding of the molecular basis for the relevance of CRC and NAFLD, thus contributing to the development of new therapeutic strategies to combat NAFLD and CRC.

Due to the low bio-availability of inorganic trace minerals, its application in poultry production has been causing many problems such as environment pollution and waste of resources. The current study was designed to evaluate if replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) with small peptide chelate trace minerals (SPM) affects production performance, some biochemical parameters and antioxidant status, tibia mineral deposition, and fecal mineral content in 817 white-feathered broilers. A total of 432 broilers (21-day-old) were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of 18 chicks each. The four groups included inorganic trace minerals group (addition of 1,000 mg/kg ITM; common practice by commercial poultry farms), three organic trace minerals groups with supplementation of 150, 300, and 500 mg/kg SPM, respectively. The experiment lasted for 30 days. The results showed that there was no significant difference in growth performance and slaughter performance among the four groups (p > 0.05). Total cholesterol in the SPM group was significantly lower than those in the ITM groups (p < 0.01). Compared with the ITM group, the serum urea nitrogen in 150 and 300 mg/kg SPM groups decreased significantly (p < 0.01). Among all SPM treatments, 300 mg/kg SPM groups had the highest serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (p < 0.01). The activity of copper and zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) of liver in ITM group was the lowest among the four groups (p < 0.01). The catalase (CAT) activity of liver in the 150 mg/kg SPM group was significantly higher than the ITM group and 300 mg/kg SPM group (p < 0.05). Compared to the ITM group, the iron content of the tibia was significantly increased in 300 mg/kg SPM group (p < 0.05) and 500 mg/kg SPM group (p < 0.01). Compared to the ITM group, dietary supplementation with SPM significantly reduced fecal content of zinc and manganese (p < 0.01). The 150 mg/kg SPM and 300 mg/kg SPM group had significantly reduced content of iron (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that replacing inorganic minerals with low doses of SPM (300 and 500 mg/kg) did not negatively affect growth and slaughter performance, as well as the antioxidant status of broiler chickens. In addition, SPM can also promote mineral content in the tibia and reduce mineral content in the feces.

Promoting ratoon rice is a critical measure for ensuring food security in China. Understanding the mechanism underlying farmers’ decision-making involving ratoon rice production may contribute to the design and implementation of extension policies. This study examined the impact of off-farm employment and outsourced machinery services on farmers’ ratoon rice production behavior. We used a representative household survey of 1752 rice farmers in Hubei province in central China and a multinomial endogenous treatment effect model to address potential self-selection biases from both observable and unobservable factors. Our estimates suggest that the probability of ratoon rice production decreases by 17.2% for farmers with off-farm employment, while the probability of ratoon rice production increases by 78.9% and 57% for farmers with outsourced machinery services and those with simultaneous off-farm employment and outsourced machinery services, respectively. Moreover, we found that outsourced machinery services can mitigate the negative impact of agricultural labor aging and feminization on ratoon rice production to some extent. Outsourced machinery services have regional heterogeneity effects as farmers in non-plain areas are more likely to engage in ratoon rice production.

Abstract Optimal planning of hybrid energy systems has always been a considerable task. While several studies have conducted techno‐economic analysis on hybrid energy systems, most of them have neglected to consider appropriate electric and thermal load growth rates. This paper proposes an efficient strategy for optimizing a grid‐connected hybrid energy system considering electric and thermal load growth rates. HOMER software is used for optimizing hybrid energy systems. It uses a nonderivative optimization to recognize the system with the minimum net present cost (NPC) among hundreds of configurations. The exponential smoothing method is also used for predicting upcoming load peak values based on historical data. The proposed hybrid system includes solar photovoltaic (SPV) system, wind turbine (WT) system, converter, battery storage system (BSS), gas generator (GasGen), fuel cell (FC), fuel‐fired boiler, and resistive boiler. Unlike previous studies, electricity price growth and SPV degradation rates are considered in this study. The grid‐connected system has also been compared to the stand‐alone system to understand grid connection impacts on the optimization results. Environmental analysis has been performed to analyze the greenhouse gas emissions of each system. The effects of growth rates in thermal and electric loads and electricity price are comprehensively investigated. Neglecting load growth rates affected the financial results severely. In this condition, the NPC and COE are achieved −11 383.4 US$ and −0.02376 US$/kWh. Results indicate that the combination of WT system (15 kW), converter (10 kW), resistive, and fuel‐fired (10 kW) boilers is the most economical configuration in grid‐connected mode. The WT system plays an essential role in the electric power provision and revenues of the hybrid system. The net present cost (NPC) and the cost of energy (COE) for grid‐connected operating mode are achieved −0.0162272 US$/kWh and −5243.956 US$, respectively. For off‐grid operating mode, the NPC and COE are obtained 47 024.19 US$ and 0.1983879 US$/kWh, respectively. Thanks to the feed‐in‐tariff (FiT) policy, the proposed grid‐connected system is more economical and environmentally friendly than the stand‐alone system. In off‐grid operating mode, 63 575.45285 kg CO2 is produced, which is higher than CO2 production in the grid‐connected mode (more than 8262 kg).

Rational design of ionic liquids (ILs), which is highly dependent on the accuracy of the model used, has always been crucial for CO2 separation from flue gas. In this study, a support vector machine (SVM) model which is a machine learning approach is established, so as to improve the prediction accuracy and range of IL melting points. Based on IL melting points data with 600 training data and 168 testing data, the estimated average absolute relative deviations (AARD) and squared correlation coefficients (R2) are 3.11%, 0.8820 and 5.12%, 0.8542 for the training set and testing set of the SVM model, respectively. Then, through the melting points model and other rational design processes including conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) calculation and physical property constraints, cyano-based ILs are obtained, in which tetracyanoborate [TCB]- is often ruled out due to incorrect estimation of melting points model in the literature. Subsequently, by means of process simulation using Aspen Plus, optimal IL are compared with excellent IL reported in the literature. Finally, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide [EMIM][TCM] is selected as a most suitable solvent for CO2 separation from flue gas, the process of which leads to 12.9% savings on total annualized cost compared to that of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide [EMIM][Tf2N].

Abstract Background Proteinuria is one of the common manifestations of patients with preeclampsia (PE), but whether the severity of proteinuria is related to the pregnancy outcome of patients with preeclampsia remains controversial. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between 24-h proteinuria and adverse outcomes in patients with preeclampsia. Methods The present retrospective study included 329 pregnant women in Chongqing, China. Patients were divided into PE group and non-PE group. PE group was stratified into three subgroups based on the level of 24-h proteinuria. Correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between biochemical indexes and adverse pregnancy outcome, and Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcome. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the ability of 24-h urinary protein to distinguish the adverse pregnancy outcome in patients with preeclampsia. Results (1) Between PE and non-PE group, cesarean section rate in PE group was significantly higher than that in non-PE group (84.4% vs. 25.9%, p

Biodiesel is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels due to the energy and environmental concerns. In this paper, seven different multi –SO3H functionalized ILs based on the low-cost less-substituted amines, which contained massive sites for functionalization of sulfonic acid groups and further treatment of sulfonate-based anions, were prepared as catalysts with high acidity and desirable catalytic activity for the synthesis of biodiesel from the esterification of oleic acid with methanol. The physicochemical properties of these acidic ILs were characterized by a variety of analytical techniques such as FT-IR, EA, TGA, and the Brønsted acidity was well determined by UV–vis. Among the ILs prepared, [EDA-PS][P-TSA] showed the highest catalytic activity for esterification due to its high acidity and appropriate miscibility with reactants, with an ultrahigh 97.58% conversion of oleic acid under the optimum conditions (i.e. reaction time, 1.8 h; catalyst amount, 3 wt%; alcohol/acid molar ratio, 13:1, temperature 70 °C) acquired from the Box–Behnken response surface methodology. With the novel strategy of multi –SO3H modification on ILs, our catalyst had an approaching or even superior oleic acid conversion rate compared to other reported catalysts with considerably lower catalyst dosage and shorter reaction time. More importantly, it also exhibited high generality for converting various FFA feedstocks into biodiesel with considerable conversion within 93.59–94.33% under a rather lower catalyst dosage, which showed the valuable potential for converting low-cost oils into biodiesel from an economic and environmental perspective.

Oncogenic fusion proteins, arising from chromosomal rearrangements, have emerged as prominent drivers of tumorigenesis and crucial therapeutic targets in cancer research. In recent years, the potential of small molecular inhibitors in selectively targeting fusion proteins has exhibited significant prospects, offering a novel approach to combat malignancies harboring these aberrant molecular entities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of small molecular inhibitors as therapeutic agents for oncogenic fusion proteins. We discuss the rationale for targeting fusion proteins, elucidate the mechanism of action of inhibitors, assess the challenges associated with their utilization, and provide a summary of the clinical progress achieved thus far. The objective is to provide the medicinal community with current and pertinent information and to expedite the drug discovery programs in this area.

AIM: To further explore effective drugs for dry eye treatment by isolating and culturing lacrimal gland epithelial cells in vitro, establishing a dry eye cell model and analyzing relevant inflammatory factors. METHODS: Rabbit lacrimal gland epithelial cells were in vitro isolated and cultured, and the activity and purity of primary cells were identified by cell proliferation experiment and immunofluorescence experiment. In addition, 0.5 times IC50 of lipopolysaccharide LPS and TNF-α were used respectively to stimulate rabbit lacrimal gland epithelial cells and then establish two dry eye cell models. Finally, through cell proliferation experiment, ELISA and flow cytometry, the biological characteristics of these two dry eye cell models were compared. RESULTS:After 12h of culture, the primary cells of lacrimal gland epithelial cells basically adhered to the wall of culture bottles; and 48h later, the cells stretched and almost each of them presented a shape of a long triangle. The activity of primary cells of lacrimal gland epithelium was 92%, and the positive rate of marker Pan-rkeratin was more than 90%, which accorded with the experimental requirements. The IC50 of LPS and TNF-α are 20μg/mL and 4.996ng/mL respectively. After 12h of intervention with LPS(10μg/mL)and TNF-α(2.5ng/mL), the cell activity of the two groups was significantly lower than that of control group(P

Inflammation is a defensive reaction for external stimuli to the human body and generally accompanied by immune responses, which is associated with multiple diseases such as atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, psoriasis, asthma, chronic lung diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple virus-associated diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms have been demonstrated to play a key role in the regulation of inflammation. Common epigenetic regulations are DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression; among these, histone modifications embrace various post-modifications including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and ADP ribosylation. This review focuses on the significant role of histone modifications in the progression of inflammatory diseases, providing the potential target for clinical therapy of inflammation-associated diseases.

ObjectivePreliminary screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is mainly performed offline in China. This method is time consuming, labor intensive, inefficient and costly. These complications limit its routine implementation in some hospitals and child health institutions, especially community health service centers. Thus, the present study explored the clinical applicability of an online screening system for ASD detection based on telemedicine technology.MethodsThe online screening system designed based on the WeChat platform and section A of the Chinese-validated version of the checklist for autism in toddlers (CHAT-23-A) and combined with an independent Research and Development (R&D) program. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 and 0.90, respectively, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values for all 23 items and 7 key items were 0.934 and 0.91, respectively.ResultsThe online screening system based on telemedicine technology was not limited by time, space, region, or medical resources and showed high sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic efficiency for ASD.ConclusionThe online screening system based on telemedicine technology is suitable for large-scale population ASD screening in childcare institutions.

This experiment investigated the benefits of plant essential oil (EO) composed with lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde on necrotic enteritis-challenged broilers. A total of 180 1-day-old healthy yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates of 15 chicks each. The experimental groups were as follows: the control group (CON) was fed with the basal diet and was not challenged by Eimeria acervulina (EA) and Clostridium perfringens (CP); CPEA group was also fed with a basal diet, but infected with CP and EA; CPEA_EO350 group and CPEA_EO500 group were fed with a basal diet supplemented with 350 and 500 mg/kg EO, respectively, and all infected with CP and EA. On the 7th day, each bird in the CPEA group, CPEA_EO350 group and CPEA_EO500 group was orally administrated with 1 mL Eimeria acervulina containing 5000 oocytes/mL, and the birds of the CON group were orally administrated with 1 mL normal saline. From the 15th day, 1 mL of CP type A CVCC-2030 strain (about 5 × 108 cfu/mL) was orally inoculated into each bird of the CPEA, CPEA_EO350 and CPEA_EO500 groups for three consecutive days. Similarly, the CON group was orally given 1 mL of normal saline. The CPEA stimulation reduced the average daily gain (ADG) of broilers, increased the feed-to-gain ratio (F:G), and increased the intestinal lesions of the broilers (p < 0.01), indicating that CPEA stimulation was clinically successful. Compared with the CPEA group, the ADG of CPEA_EO350 and CPEA_EO500 increased, the F:G decreased (p < 0.01), and the intestinal score of CPEA_EO500 decreased (p < 0.01). The expression of the tight junction protein of the jejunum and ileum on 21d was upregulated (p < 0.01), and the expression of jejunum inflammation factors TNF-α on 21d and jejunum and ileum inflammatory factor IL-6 on 28d were also downregulated. The CPEA_EO350 and CPEA_EO500 increased antioxidant capacity. To sum up, 350 and 500 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex plant essential oils can improve ADG and F:G, improve intestinal morphology and the body’s antioxidant capacity, and downregulate the expression of inflammatory factors. The concentration of 500 mg/kg performed even better.

Aerosol is important to climate and air pollution, and different aerosol types have a non-negligible impact on the environment and climate system. Based on long-term satellite lidar profiles from 2006 to 2020, the four-dimensional (x-y-z-t) spatiotemporal characteristics of different aerosol types, including clean marine (CM), dust (DU), polluted continental/smoke (PC), clean continental (CC), polluted dust (PD), elevated smoke (ES), and dusty marine (DM), over the coastal waters of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) were revealed for the first time and compared to the surrounding northern South China Sea (NSCS). (1) The dominant aerosol types in both study areas were found to be CM, ES, and DM, whose proportions summed up to more than 85%. In spring, ES was the dominant aerosol type (>40%); in other seasons, CM dominated (>34%). The proportions of anthropogenic aerosols (PC, PD, and ES) and dust-related aerosols (DU, PD, and DM) were higher in spring and winter than in summer and autumn. (2) Vertically, the number of all aerosol types declined with increasing altitude, with the exception of abnormal increase at the heights of approximately 1.5–2.8 km in spring, which was probably attributed to the effect of local and regional anthropogenic pollutants. Below the height of 2 km, the main aerosol types were CM and DM, whereas ES, PD, and DU aerosols were dominant above 2 km. (3) Horizontally, the dominant aerosol types were spatially uniform in the lower atmosphere ( 4 km) showed significant horizontal heterogeneity in space. The proportion of anthropogenic aerosols over the coastal waters of the GBA was higher than that over the NSCS, due to terrestrial pollution transportation. (4) In terms of the long-term trend, the proportion of CM aerosols was found to be steadily increasing, with the anthropogenic aerosols and dust-related aerosols showing a fluctuating and decreasing trend, which resulted from the enforcement of effective air pollution control policies. Overall, the terrestrial aerosol influence tended to decrease in the study areas. The insight into aerosol types and its variation will facilitate the understanding of the aerosol climate effects and pollutant control in the coastal waters of the GBA and the NSCS.

Objectives Pyroptosis, a special kind of cell death, is generally believed to aggravate the inflammatory response. It has been found that the acinar cell pyroptosis exits in the course of pancreatitis. Ulinastatin has the function of inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators, thereby reducing the inflammatory reaction, which suggests that ulinastatin has potential inhibitory effect on pyroptosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of ulinastatin on caspase-1-dependent acinar cell pyroptosis in acute pancreatitis. Methods Acute pancreatitis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of L-arginine. Rats in ulinastatin group were injected with ulinastatin intravenously after successful modeling. The pancreatic tissues of rats were subjected to pathological examination and detection of cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD-N, IL-1β, and IL-18. Serum samples were also collected for measurement of IL-1β, IL-18, amylase, and lipase. Results Slight pathological damage of pancreas was observed in the pancreatitis and the ulinastatin group. Compared with the blank control group ( p < .05), the protein levels of cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD-N, IL-1β, and IL-18 were significantly increased in pancreatitis group but decreased in ulinastatin group ( p < .05). The positive reaction of caspase-1 in pancreatitis group was significantly higher than that in the blank control group ( p < .05). After administration of ulinastatin, the positive reaction of caspase-1 was significantly lower than that in pancreatitis group ( p < .05). As for the levels of serum IL-1β and IL-18, they were significantly higher in pancreatitis group than those in the blank control group ( p < .05). Administration of ulinastatin significantly decreased the serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 ( p < .05). And the serum amylase and lipase levels elevated in pancreatitis group, while significantly inhibited by ulinastatin ( p < .05). Conclusions The results showed that the onset of acute pancreatitis was accompanied by obvious acinar cell pyroptosis. Ulinastatin could inhibit caspase-1-dependent acinar cell pyroptosis in acute pancreatitis.

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, eventually fatal disease. IPF is characterized by excessive accumulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the alveolar parenchyma and progressive lung scarring. The pathogenesis of IPF and whether the ECM involved in the process remain unknown. Methods To identify potential treatment target and ECM associated proteins that may be involved in the development of IPF, we employed isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) combined liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) approach to examine protein expression in lung tissues from IPF patients. Results A total of 662 proteins with altered expression (455 upregulated proteins and 207 downregulated proteins) were identified in lung tissue of IPF patients compared with control. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the altered proteins in lung tissue mainly belonged to the PI3K-Akt signaling, focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, and carbon metabolism pathways. According to the bioinformatic definition of the matrisome, 229 matrisome proteins were identified in lung tissue. These proteins comprised the ECM of lung, of which 104 were core matrisome proteins, and 125 were matrisome-associated proteins. Of the 229 ECM quantified proteins, 56 significantly differentially expressed proteins (19 upregulated proteins and 37 downregulated proteins) were detected in IPF lung tissue samples. In addition to proteins with well-known functions such as COL1A1, SCGB1A1, TAGLN, PSEN2, TSPAN1, CTSB, AGR2, CSPG2, and SERPINB3, we identified several novel ECM proteins with unknown function deposited in IPF lung tissue including LGALS7, ASPN, HSP90AA1 and HSP90AB1. Some of these differentially expressed proteins were further verified using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining. Conclusions This study provides a list of proteomes that were detected in IPF lung tissue by iTRAQ technology combined with LC–MS/MS. The findings of this study will contribute better understanding to the pathogenesis of IPF and facilitate the development of therapeutic targets.

Abstract Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are responsible for resistance to chemotherapy, high degree of metastasis, and poor prognosis, especially in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). The CD24lowCD44high and high aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) cell subpopulation (CD24lowCD44high ALDH1+) exhibit very high tumor initiating capacity. In the current study, the upregulated genes are analyzed in both CD24lowCD44high and ALDH1+ cell populations at single‐cell resolution, and a highly expressed membrane protein, SGCE, is identified in both BCSC populations. Further results show that SGCE depletion reduces BCSC self‐renewal, chemoresistance, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, partially through affecting the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). For the underlying mechanism, SGCE functions as a sponge molecule for the interaction between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its E3 ubiquitination ligase (c‐Cbl), and thus inhibits EGFR lysosomal degradation to stabilize the EGFR protein. SGCE knockdown promotes sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), providing new clues for deciphering the current failure of targeting EGFR in clinical trials and highlighting a novel candidate for BCSC stemness regulation.

Melatonin is a multiple-function molecule that was first identified in animals and later in plants. Plant melatonin regulates versatile processes involved in plant growth and development, including seed germination, root architecture, flowering time, leaf senescence, fruit ripening, and biomass production. Published reviews on plant melatonin have been focused on two model plants: (1) Arabidopsis and (2) rice, in which the natural melatonin contents are quite low. Efforts to integrate the function and the mechanism of plant melatonin and to determine how plant melatonin benefits human health are also lacking. Barley is a unique cereal crop used for food, feed, and malt. In this study, a bioinformatics analysis to identify the genes required for barley melatonin biosynthesis was first performed, after which the effects of exogenous melatonin on barley growth and development were reviewed. Three integrated mechanisms of melatonin on plant cells were found: (1) serving as an antioxidant, (2) modulating plant hormone crosstalk, and (3) signaling through a putative plant melatonin receptor. Reliable approaches for characterizing the function of barley melatonin biosynthetic genes and to modulate the melatonin contents in barley grains are discussed. The present paper should be helpful for the improvement of barley production under hostile environments and for the reduction of pesticide and fungicide usage in barley cultivation. This study is also beneficial for the enhancement of the nutritional values and healthcare functions of barley in the food industry.

Background/Aims: Plastrum testudinis extracts (PTE) show osteoprotective effects on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in vivo and in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of PTE in promoting osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is unclear. Methods: BMSC proliferation was investigated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. BMSC differentiation and osteogenic mineralization were assayed using alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin red staining, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of Let-7f-5p, Tnfr2, Traf2, Pi3k, Akt, β-catenin, Gsk3β, Runx2, and Ocn were measured using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels of TNFR2, TRAF2, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-β-CATENIN, and p-GSK3β were analyzed by western blotting. The functional relationship of Let-7f-5p and Tnfr2 was determined by luciferase reporter assays. Results: The optimum concentration for PTE was 30 μg/ml. PTE significantly promoted BMSC osteogenic differentiation and mineralization after 7 and 14 days in culture, respectively. The combination of PTE and osteogenic induction exhibited significant synergy. PTE upregulated Let-7f-5p, β-catenin, Runx2, and Ocn mRNA expression, and downregulated Tnfr2, Traf2, Pi3k, Akt, and Gsk3β mRNA expression. PTE inhibited TNFR2, TRAF2, and p-β-CATENIN protein expression, and promoted p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-GSK3β protein expression. In addition, Tnfr2 was a functional target of Let-7f-5p in 293T cells. Conclusions: Our results suggested that PTE may promote BMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation via a mechanism associated with the regulation of Let-7f-5p and the TNFR2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Radiation encephalopathy (RE) is deemed to be a disease induced only by radiotherapy (RT), with the effects of chemotherapeutic agents on the brains of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients being largely overlooked. In this study, we investigated structural and functional brain alterations in NPC patients following RT with or without chemotherapy. Fifty-six pre-RT, 37 post-RT, and 108 post-CCRT (concomitant chemo-radiotherapy) NPC patients were enrolled in this study. A surface-based local gyrification index (LGI) was obtained from high resolution MRI and was used to evaluate between-group differences in cortical folding. Seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis of resting-state fMRI data was also conducted to investigate the functional significance of the cortical folding alterations. Compared with the Pre-RT group, patients in the Post-CCRT group showed LGI reductions in widespread brain regions including the bilateral temporal lobes, insula, frontal lobes, and parietal lobes. Compared with the Post-RT group, patients in the Post-CCRT group showed LGI reductions in the right insula, which extended to the adjacent frontal lobe. Seed-based FC analysis showed that patients in the Post-CCRT group had lower FC between the insula and the left middle frontal gyrus than patients in the Pre-RT group. The follow-up results showed that patients in the Post-CCRT group had a much higher RE incidence rate (20.4%) than patients in the Post-RT group (2.7%; P = 0.01). These findings indicate that chemotherapy potentially facilitated the occurrence of RE in NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy.

Neuroimaging studies of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have shown widespread alterations in structure, function, and connectivity in both motor and non-motor brain regions, suggesting multi-systemic neurobiological abnormalities that might impact large-scale brain networks. Here, we examined the alterations in the topological organization of structural covariance networks of ALS patients (N = 60) compared with normal controls (N = 60). We found that structural covariance networks of ALS patients showed a consistent rearrangement towards a regularized architecture evidenced by increased path length, clustering coefficient, small-world index, and modularity, as well as decreased global efficiency, suggesting inefficient global integration and increased local segregation. Locally, ALS patients showed decreased nodal degree and betweenness in the gyrus rectus and/or Heschl's gyrus, and increased betweenness in the supplementary motor area, triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex. In addition, we identified a different number and distribution of hubs in ALS patients, showing more frontal and subcortical hubs than in normal controls. In conclusion, we reveal abnormal topological organization of structural covariance networks in ALS patients, and provide network-level evidence for the concept that ALS is a multisystem disorder with a cerebral involvement extending beyond the motor areas. Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Structural covariance network, Gray matter volume, Small-world, Modularity

Due to the short duration, high intensity and sudden intensity of torrential rain, mountain torrents are easily formed in the northern hilly area.The distributed hydrological model is used as the main means of rain-flood forecasting. Rainfall as an important input,its spatial interpolation accuracy and time scale directly affect the forecast results.Therefore, in this paper, the spatial interpolation calculation and analysis of rainstorm process with hourly scale is carried out in the northern hilly area. Taking Licheng district in Jinan as the research area, the spatial interpolation methods, such as IDW,OK and OCK, are used to calculate the spatial interpolation of 16 time-by-time rainstorm processes for 11 typical rainfall with different duration, and the interpolation results are cross-validated and error analysis is carried out.The results show that the accuracy of the collaborative Kriging interpolation considering the elevation is higher in the short duration rainstorm process of the hilly area.

Caudate nucleus volume is enlarged in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). However, the trajectory of caudate nucleus volume in RRBs of young children remains unclear. Caudate nucleus volume was measured in 36 children with ASD and 18 matched 2–3-year-old subjects with developmentally delayed (DD) at baseline (Time 1) and at 2-year follow-up (Time 2). The differential growth rate in caudate nucleus volume was calculated. Further, the relationships between the development of caudate nucleus volume and RRBs were analyzed. Our results showed that caudate nucleus volume was significantly larger in the ASD group at both time points and the magnitude of enlargement was greater at Time 2. The rate of caudate nucleus growth during this 2-year interval was faster in children with ASD than DD. Right caudate nucleus volume growth was negatively correlated with RRBs. Findings from this study suggest developmental abnormalities of caudate nucleus volume in ASD. Longitudinal MRI studies are needed to explore the correlation between atypical growth patterns of caudate nucleus and phenotype of RRBs.

Viscous sputum specimens usually cannot undergo automated extraction, and thus, a pre-homogenization process is desirable before isolating nucleic acids for real-time reverse transcription PCR. In this study, we compared three preprocessing methods [preprocessing with normal saline (NS), dithiothreitol (DTT), and proteinase K (PK)] of sputum specimens on the extraction and detection of influenza A virus (IAV) nucleic acids. Based on the experimental results of 217 specimens, we found that DTT and PK could be used to improve the homogenization effects of sputum and increase the positive rates by 5.53–6.91% higher than that of the NS group. Comparison of 49 positive specimens in all of the three groups demonstrated that the threshold cycle values of the DTT group and PK group were significantly lower and their nucleic acid concentration and A260/A280 ratio within 1.8–2.0 were higher than those of the NS group. Thus, sputum homogenization before nucleic acid extraction is essential for the accurate diagnosis of IAV infection.

TiO2 has been widely used as a key catalyst in photocatalytic reactions; it also shows good catalytic activity for esterification reactions. Different sulfated M-TiO2 nanoparticles (M = Ag, Au, Rh, and Pt) were prepared by photodeposition and ultrasonic methods. The results show that the noble metal nanoparticles, which were loaded onto a TiO2 surface, slightly affected the crystal phase and particle size of TiO2. Among all the catalysts, SO42-/Au-TiO2 exhibited the best catalytic activity in the esterification reaction for the synthesis of citric acid n-butyl acetate and in the decomposition of methyl orange, as confirmed by a high conversion rate of up to 98.2% and 100% degradation rate, respectively. This can be attributed to an increase in the Lewis acidity of the catalyst and increased separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. This superior catalyst has great potential applications in esterification reactions and wastewater treatments.

Gene expression network reconstruction using microarray data is widely studied aiming to investigate the behavior of a gene cluster simultaneously. Under the Gaussian assumption, the conditional dependence between genes in the network is fully described by the partial correlation coefficient matrix. Due to the high dimensionality and sparsity, we utilize the LEP method to estimate it in this paper. Compared to the existing methods, the LEP reaches the highest PPV with the sensitivity controlled at the satisfactory level. A set of gene expression data from the HapMap project is analyzed for illustration.