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Abstract This study aims to understand the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalized patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in China, who did not contract SARS-CoV-2. We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional analysis comparing the characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized PAD patients across two distinct periods: Pre-pandemic (P1, from January 2018 to December 2019) and during the pandemic (P2, from January 2020 to December 2021). During P1, 762 hospitalized patients were treated, with an average age of 72.3 years, while 478 patients were treated in P2, with an average age of 65.1 years. Notably, hospitalized patients admitted during the pandemic (P2) exhibited a significantly higher incidence of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI, 70% vs 54%), diabetic foot infection (47% vs 29%), and infra-popliteal lesions (28% vs 22%). Furthermore, these patients demonstrated a marked deterioration in their Rutherford category and an increased mean score in the Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection classification system (WIfI). Treatment during the pandemic emerged as a predictor of reduced procedural success and increased major adverse limb events. Factors such as the presence of diabetic foot infection, renal impairment, and deteriorating WIfI scores were identified as independent risk indicators for major adverse limb events. Our results demonstrate that intensive care was provided to severe cases of PAD even during the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems, patients with severe PAD, particularly those with CLTI, continued to receive necessary in-patient care. The findings underscore the importance of timely medical interventions and extended follow-up for patients exhibiting high-risk factors.

Abstract Humans can be exposed to multiple pollutants in the air and surface water. These environments are non-static, trans-boundary and correlated, creating a complex network, and significant challenges for research on environmental hazards, especially in real-world cancer research. This article reports on a large study (377 million people in 30 provinces of China) that evaluated the combined impact of air and surface water pollution on cancer. We formulate a spatial evaluation system and a common grading scale for co-pollution measurement, and validate assumptions that air and surface water environments are spatially connected and that cancers of different types tend to cluster in areas where these environments are poorer. We observe “dose–response” relationships in both the number of affected cancer types and the cancer incidence with an increase in degree of co-pollution. We estimate that 62,847 (7.4%) new cases of cancer registered in China in 2016 were attributable to air and surface water pollution, and the majority (69.7%) of these excess cases occurred in areas with the highest level of co-pollution. The findings clearly show that the environment cannot be considered as a set of separate entities. They also support the development of policies for cooperative environmental governance and disease prevention.

BackgroundAccurately assessing the postoperative mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure risks in patients undergoing mitral valve repair surgery is of significant importance for individualized medical strategies.ObjectiveWe sought to develop and validate a risk assessment system for the prediction of mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure.MethodsPersonalized risk prediction system of mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure was developed. For developing a prediction system with death as the outcome, there were 965 patients (70%) and 413 patients (30%) were included in the the derivation cohort and the validation cohort. For developing a prediction system with rehospitalization for heart failure as the outcome, there were 927 patients (70%) and 398 patients (30%) were included in the derivation cohort and the validation cohort. There were 42 routine clinical variables used to develop the models. The performance evaluation of the model is based on the area under the curve (AUC). Evaluate the improvement with Euro Score II according to NRI and IDI net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).ResultsThe median follow-up time was 685 days, the incidence of death was 3.85% (n = 53), and the incidence of rehospitalization for heart failure was 10.01% (n = 138). The AUC values of the mortality prediction model in the derivation and validation cohorts were 0.825 (0.764–0.886) and 0.808 (0.699–0.917), respectively. The AUC values of the rehospitalization for heart failure prediction model in the derivation and validation cohorts were 0.794 (0.756–0.832) and 0.812 (0.758–0.866), respectively. NRI and IDI showed that the mortality prediction model exhibited superior performance than the Euro Score II. The mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure risk prediction models effectively stratified patients into different risk subgroups.ConclusionThe developed and validated models exhibit satisfactory performance in prediction of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure after mitral valve repair surgery.Clinical Trial Registrationhttp://www.clinicaltrials.gov, Unique identifier: (NCT05141292).

Abstract The pursuit of pharmacological interventions in aging aims focuses on maximizing safety and efficacy, prompting an exploration of natural products endowed with inherent medicinal properties. Subsequently, this work establishes a unique library of plant extracts sourced from Yunnan Province, China. Screening of this herbal library herein revealed that Salsola collina (JM10001) notably enhances both lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. Further analysis via network pharmacology indicates that the p53 signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating the anti‐aging effects of JM10001. Additionally, this work identifies that a composition, designated as JM10101 and comprising three chemical constituents of JM10001, preserves the original lifespan‐extending activity in C. elegans. Both JM10001 and JM10101 mitigate aging symptoms in senescence‐accelerated mice treated with doxorubicin and in naturally aged mice. Notably, JM10101 exhibits a more sophisticated senomorphlytic role encompassing both senomorphic and senolytic functions than JM10001 in the modulation of senescent cells, offering a promising strategy for the discovery of combination drugs in the rational development of anti‐aging therapies.

Study DesignA systematic review and Meta-analysisObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of denosumab and teriparatide versus oral bisphosphonates to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis.Summary of Background DataWhile bisphosphonates have historically been the cornerstone of pharmacological management for bone protection in patients, emerging evidence suggests that teriparatide and denosumab warrant further investigation as potential first-line treatments. The optimal choice among denosumab, teriparatide, and oral bisphosphonates for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis remains a subject of ongoing debate and controversy within the scientific community.MethodsThis systematic review adhered meticulously to the rigorous standards outlined by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines as well as the Cochrane Collaboration recommendations. Additionally, it employed the AMSTAR (Assessing the methodological quality of systematic reviews) criteria to ensure methodological robustness and enhance the credibility of the findings. A systematic electronic search was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library databases from their inception dates up to February 2024.ResultsIn this meta-analysis of studies, our findings suggest that compared to bisphosphonates, both teriparatide and denosumab demonstrated notable increases in percentage changes in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) among postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. Furthermore, denosumab exhibited superiority over teriparatide and oral bisphosphonates in enhancing percentage changes in both femoral neck and total hip BMD, indicating its potential as a more efficacious option. Regarding safety outcomes, no significant differences were observed in the incidence of serious adverse events among patients treated with teriparatide, denosumab, and bisphosphonates. However, teriparatide showed superiority over oral bisphosphonates in terms of a lower risk of general adverse events, suggesting a favorable safety profile.ConclusionIn conclusion, our study suggests that teriparatide and denosumab demonstrate comparable or potentially superior efficacy and safety profiles compared to oral bisphosphonates for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO, identifier CRD42024508382.

Background: The causal relationship between chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has yet to be elucidated. Herein, we implement Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal association. Methods: A two-sample MR approach using genetic data from FinnGen and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) Catalog was applied to investigate the causal relationship between CVI and CVDs. This study assessed 77 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables, employing random-effect inverse-variance-weighted MR, weighted median, Egger regression, Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO), and Robust Adjusted Profile Score (RAPS) methods. Multivariable MR (MVMR) considered confounding factors. Results: Genetically predicted CVI was associated with reduced heart failure risk (odds ratio (OR) = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.93–0.99, p = 0.025) and increased atrial fibrillation risk (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03–1.09, p = 0.0002). MVMR, adjusting for venous thromboembolism (VTE), lower limb ulceration, obesity, smoking, and alcohol, attenuated these associations. No significant links were found with hypertension, aortic aneurysm, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, or stroke. Conclusions: This MR study supports an association between CVI and CVDs, which may imply CVI should be monitored during the treatment of heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

The treatment and purification of rural domestic sewage (RDS) is a pivotal focus in enhancing the living environment in rural areas. Since 2008, special funds for comprehensive rural environmental improvement have been established by the Chinese government. Numerous projects have been implemented to treat RDS, resulting in a significant enhancement of China’s rural sewage treatment ratio. However, current discussions often focus on technical investigations, process selection, and operation modes pertaining to urban sewage while overlooking the unique challenges posed by decentralized sewage treatment facilities in rural areas. This work aims to provide technical support for addressing rural sewage treatment and purification in China through an analysis of limitations associated with prevailing mainstream sewage treatment and separation technologies, ecological risks arising from new pollutants present in domestic wastewater, and subsequent management difficulties.

Abstract Flashover is prone to occur in composite insulation structures such as vacuum‐solid and gas‐solid, which are universally employed in high‐voltage power equipment. In this study, a high flashover strength and superhydrophobic coating were proposed by constructing porous surface morphology. Octadecyl trichlorosilane (OTS) particles were prepared by hydrolysis condensation reaction, and thereafter sprayed onto the substrate surface to form a porous and rough surface structure with hundreds of nanometres of dispersed pores and pits. The coating endowed epoxy resin with maximum 44% flashover voltage increase and the superhydrophobic surface with water contact angle of 158.4°. Since the pore size in OTS coating is close to electron mean free path in atmospheric condition, the collisional ionisation can be effectively hindered, which suppresses the micro‐discharge around the triple junction and improves the flashover strength. The present approach provides a new insight for simultaneously improving flashover strength and superhydrophobic properties of dielectric insulation.

Abstract Little is known about the association between surface water quality and cancer incidence, especially in China. Drinking water quality has been linked to the incidence of several cancers in individual-level studies. However, few studies have attempted to examine multiple pollutants and multiple cancers at population level. This study used water monitoring and population-level cancer data from across China to examine spatial associations between water pollutants and types of cancer. We found a “dose–response” relationship between the number of pollutants present at high levels and cancer incidence. These results provide evidence of a nationwide spatial association between water quality and cancer in China. The precise relationship varies with cancers and pollutants. However, the overall consistency of the “dose–response” relationship suggests that surface water quality is an important factor in cancer incidence. Our findings highlight new issues such as the changing effects when different pollutants co-exist and an increasing number of new cancer cases partially attributable to poor water quality. Our work also points to some ways to deal with these challenges.

The study of the preparation on hydrocarbon-based biodiesel from oils and fats by hydrodeoxygenation is of great practical importance and has a broad application potential. In the preparation of hydrocarbon-based biodiesel, the preparation of highly active and selective catalysts is essential to reduce the loss of carbon atoms during the hydrodeoxygenation of fats and oils. In this study, a series of Ni-Fe bimetallic catalysts were prepared by impregnation and applied to catalyze the hydrodeoxygenation reaction of stearic acid.The catalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, NH3-TPD, and H2-TPR, and the effects of preparation conditions and the addition of metal Fe on the physicochemical properties and hydrogenation activity of Ni-based catalysts were explored. The results showed that the catalysts prepared at 500 ℃ reduction, 10% Ni metal loading and Ni:Fe = 3:1 showed a better hydrodeoxygenation performance, the Fe addition formed FeNi3 alloy with Ni, and the internal interaction between Ni and Fe metal also promoted the high dispersion of Ni-Fe clusters and the formation of smaller particle size. In addition, the formation of the FeNi3 alloy also reduced the reduction temperature of the Fe and Ni catalysts. It enhanced the moderate acid activity and total acidity of the Fe and Ni catalysts, which promoted the hydrodeoxygenation activity of the catalysts. The effects of reaction temperature, initial H2 pressure, time and catalyst dosage on the hydrodeoxygenation reaction of stearic acid were examined. The optimum hydrodeoxygenation reaction conditions were obtained at 260 ℃, 3.0 MPa, 4 h, and 0.02 g catalyst dosage, under which the catalyst achieved 100% conversion and high C18 selectivity (93.5%) for the catalytic stearic acid hydrodeoxygenation reaction. Finally, a comparison of the catalytic performance with that of commercial catalysts showed that the catalyst had significant advantages in reactivity and C18 selectivity. This study provides data and theoretical guidance for the future study on the selective hydrodeoxygenation of oily feedstocks.

Birth weight is an indicator linking intrauterine environmental exposures to later-life diseases, and intrauterine metal exposure may affect birth weight in a sex-specific manner. We investigated sex-specific associations between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and birth weight in a Chinese birth cohort. The birth weight of 1296 boys and 1098 girls were recorded, and 10 metals in maternal urine samples collected during pregnancy were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression was used to estimate the association of individual metals or metal mixtures and birth weight for gestational age (BW for GA). The model showed a sex-specific relationship between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and BW for GA with a significant negative association in girls and a non-significant positive association in boys. Cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) were positively and negatively associated with BW for GA in girls, respectively. Moreover, increasing thallium (Tl) concentration lowered the positive association between Cd and BW for GA and enhanced the negative association between Ni and BW for GA in girls. When exposure to other metals increased, the positive association with Cd diminished, whereas the negative association with Ni or Tl increased. Our findings provide evidence supporting the complex effects of intrauterine exposure to metal mixtures on the birth weight of girls and further highlight the sex heterogeneity in fetal development influenced by intrauterine environmental factors.

Abstract Background Numerous observational studies have revealed an increased risk of death and complications with transfusion, but this observation has not been confirmed in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The “transfusion kills patients” paradox persists in real-world observational studies despite application of analytic methods such as propensity-score matching. We propose a new design to address this long-term existing issue, which if left unresolved, will be deleterious to the healthy generation of evidence that supports optimized transfusion practice. Methods In the new design, we stress three aspects for reconciling observational studies and RCTs on transfusion safety: (1) re-definition of the study population according to a stable hemoglobin range (gray zone of transfusion decision; 7.5–9.5 g/dL in this study); (2) selection of comparison groups according to a trigger value (last hemoglobin measurement before transfusion; nadir during hospital stay for control); (3) dealing with patient heterogeneity according to standardized mean difference (SMD) values. We applied the new design to hospitalized older patients (aged ≥60 years) undergoing general surgery at four academic/teaching hospitals. Four datasets were analyzed: a base population before (Base Match−) and after (Base Match+) propensity-score matching to simulate previous observational studies; a study population before (Study Match−) and after (Study Match+) propensity-score matching to demonstrate effects of our design. Results Of 6141 older patients, 662 (10.78%) were transfused and showed high heterogeneity compared with those not receiving transfusion, particularly regarding preoperative hemoglobin (mean: 11.0 vs. 13.5 g/dL) and intraoperative bleeding (≥500 mL: 37.9% vs. 2.1%). Patient heterogeneity was reduced with the new design; SMD of the two variables was reduced from approximately 100% (Base Match−) to 0% (Study Match+). Transfusion was related to a higher risk of death and complications in Base Match− (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.68, 1.86–3.86) and Base Match+ (2.24, 1.43–3.49), but not in Study Match− (0.77, 0.32–1.86) or Study Match+ (0.66, 0.23–1.89). Conclusions We show how choice of study population and analysis could affect real-world study findings. Our results following the new design are in accordance with relevant RCTs, highlighting its value in accelerating the pace of transfusion evidence generation and generalization.

Introduction: Long axial length (AL) is a risk factor for myopia. Although family studies indicate that AL has an important genetic component with heritability estimates up to 0.94, there have been few reports of AL-associated loci.Methods: Here, we conducted a multiethnic genome-wide association study (GWAS) of AL in 19,420 adults of European, Latino, Asian, and African ancestry from the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort, with replication in a subset of the Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM) cohorts of European or Asian ancestry. We further examined the effect of the identified loci on the mean spherical equivalent (MSE) within the GERA cohort. We also performed genome-wide genetic correlation analyses to quantify the genetic overlap between AL and MSE or myopia risk in the GERA European ancestry sample.Results: Our multiethnic GWA analysis of AL identified a total of 16 genomic loci, of which 5 are novel. We found that all AL-associated loci were significantly associated with MSE after Bonferroni correction. We also found that AL was genetically correlated with MSE (rg = −0.83; SE, 0.04; p = 1.95 × 10−89) and myopia (rg = 0.80; SE, 0.05; p = 2.84 × 10−55). Finally, we estimated the array heritability for AL in the GERA European ancestry sample using LD score regression, and found an overall heritability estimate of 0.37 (s.e. = 0.04).Discussion: In this large and multiethnic study, we identified novel loci, associated with AL at a genome-wide significance level, increasing substantially our understanding of the etiology of AL variation. Our results also demonstrate an association between AL-associated loci and MSE and a shared genetic basis between AL and myopia risk.

Abstract We conjecture that there exists a relationship between Lyapunov exponents and black hole phase transitions. To support our conjecture, Lyapunov exponents of the motion of particles and ring strings are calculated for Reissner-Nordström-AdS black holes. When a phase transition occurs, the Lyapunov exponents become multivalued, and branches of the Lyapunov exponents coincide with black hole phases. Moreover, the discontinuous change in the Lyapunov exponents can be treated as an order parameter, and has a critical exponent of 1/2 near the critical point. Our findings reveal that Lyapunov exponents can be an efficient tool to study phase structure of black holes.

Abstract Purpose Acute appendicitis usually requires immediate surgical treatment, but appendectomies were difficult for some patients with severe periappendiceal adhesions. We investigated risk factors of intraoperative adhesions to help surgeons make better treatment plans for appendicitis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 186 cases diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent surgery in Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University between January 2018 and December 2019. According to the degree of intraoperative adhesions, they were divided into mild, moderate and severe groups. Then, we analyzed a number of preoperative factors contributed to adhesions, suppuration and perforation during appendectomy in 186 patients. Results Contrast to the moderate group (MoG) and the mild group (MiG), the severe degree of adhesions group (SG) had a higher intraoperative perforation and suppuration rate, a greater likelihood of conversion to open and more postoperative complications. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that recurrent appendicitis and high neutrophil percentage were independently associated with periappendiceal adhesions. The preoperative ultrasonography (US) revealed periappendiceal fluid and high neutrophil percentage were independently associated with appendix suppuration. A high preoperative neutrophil percentage was independently associated with appendix perforation. Conclusions Recurrent appendicitis and preoperative high neutrophil percentage were risk factors of periappendiceal adhesions; preoperative US revealed periappendiceal fluid and high neutrophil percentage were risk factors of appendix suppuration; and a high preoperative neutrophil percentage was a risk factor of appendix perforation.

Abstract Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies, and an increasing number of studies have shown that its pathogenesis is regulated by various miRNAs. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-875-5p in GC. Methods The expression of miR-875-5p was detected in human GC specimens and cell lines by miRNA qRT–PCR. The effect of miR-875-5p on GC proliferation was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) proliferation and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Migration and invasion were examined by transwell migration and invasion assays as well as wound healing assays. The interaction between miR-875-5p and its target gene upstream stimulatory factor 2(USF2) was verified by dual luciferase reporter assays. The effects of miR-875-5p in vivo were studied in xenograft nude mouse models. Related proteins were detected by western blot. Results The results showed that miR-875-5p inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro and inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo. USF2 was proved to be a direct target of miR-875-5p. Knockdown of USF2 partially counteracted the effects of miR-875-5p inhibitor. Overexpression of miR-875-5p could inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion and suppress the TGF-β signalling pathway by downregulating USF2. Conclusions MiR-875-5p can inhibit the progression of GC by directly targeting USF2. And in the future, miR-875-5p is expected to be a potential target for GC diagnosis and treatment.

Android has been the most widely used operating system for mobile phones over the past few years. Malicious attacks against android are a major privacy and security concern. Malware detection techniques for android applications are therefore significant. A class of methods using Function Call Graphs (FCGs) for android malware detection has shown great potential. The relationships between functions are limited to simple binary relationships (i.e., graphs) in these methods. However, one function often calls several other functions to produce specific effects in android applications, which cannot be captured with FCGs. In this paper, we propose to formalize android malware detection as a hypergraph-level classification task. A hypergraph is a topology capable of portraying complex relationships between multiple vertices, which can better characterize the functional behavior of android applications. We model android applications using hypergraphs and extract the embedded features of android applications using hypergraph neural networks to represent the functional behavior of android applications. Hypergraph neural networks can encode high-order data correlation in a hypergraph structure for data representation learning. In experiments, we validate the gaining effect of hypergraphs on detection performance across two open-source android application datasets. Especially, HGNNP obtains the best classification performance of 91.10% on the Malnet-Tiny dataset and 97.1% on the Drebin dataset, which outperforms all baseline methods.

The Shanxi Formation (Shan 1 and Shan 2 Members) shales show good prospects in shale gas development in the Yan'an area of Ordos Basin. Based on the simulation experiment of hydrocarbon generation of low maturity shale samples, the hydrocarbon generation characteristics of shale samples was studied systematically. Then, combined with the geochemical analysis of shale and gas generation simulation, shale gas potential was evaluated. The results reveal that Shan 1 and Shan 2 shale samples are favorable for shale gas enrichment by and large, with C1–C5 maximum yields of 146.96–160.83 mg/g TOC and 148.48–148.67 mg/g TOC respectively at a heat rate of 20 °C/h and 2 °C/h. The Shan 1 and Shan 2 shales are basically the same in terms of organic carbon production potential of each unit. The carbon isotopic composition of alkane gas reveals that heteroatomic compounds (NSOs) cracking is an important mechanism for shale gas generation of Shanxi Formation shales, and conducive to gas generation at high-to over-mature stages. Given thermal history and kinetic parameters of hydrocarbon generation, the shales of Shanxi Formation reached the maximum gas production potential in the Late Cretaceous, with a maximum yield of 160.3 mg/g TOC under present geological conditions. During geological history, the Shanxi Formation shales went through high-to over-maturity evolution, mainly producing dry gas, and their gas generation capacity was controlled by the organic matter abundance and cracking capacity. The gas generation potential of Shan 2 shale is higher than that of Shan 1, due to its higher TOC.

Abstract Background Surgical treatment is advised for unstable distal clavicle fractures (UDCFs). Various kinds of internal fixation methods have been used, but the best fixation is still controversial. Methods We systematically searched all studies comparing postoperative outcomes of coracoclavicular (CC) reconstruction (TightRope, EndoButton, Mersilene tape, suture anchor or suture), fracture osteosynthesis (clavicular hook plate (HP), locking compression plate (LCP), Kirschner wire and tension band (KWTB), Kirschner wire (KW)), and a combination of the two methods (LCP + CC or KWTB + CC) for UDCF in PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection via Ovid, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases up to September 16, 2021, with no language restrictions. A network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to integrate direct and indirect evidence and assess the relative effects of the internal fixation methods. The probability of being the best treatment was assessed by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Results A total of 41 studies were included, involving 1969 patients and seven internal fixation methods. The NMA showed that LCP + CC fixation was associated with better efficacy (odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% CI 0.19–1.02, probability rank = 0.93) and fewer complications (odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% CI 0.09–0.51, probability rank = 0.69) than any other internal fixation method for UDCFs. The SUCRA probabilities of LCP + CC fixation were 98.6% for the Constant–Murley score and 93.9% for total complications. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that LCP + CC appears to be the best internal fixation method for UDCF. Limited to the quality and quantity of the included studies, much larger and higher-quality RCTs are required to confirm these conclusions.

Carbonate reservoirs usually have a strong heterogeneity. The zones with relatively high permeability will form a channel through which fluids can easily flow. These channels are called thief zones. Thief zones have notable effects on oil or gas production, for example, high oil recovery rates at the early stage of the exploitation or an early water breakthrough during the later stage of water flooding development. Therefore, it is essential to have a precise identification of thief zones in carbonate reservoirs. In this research study, a simple approach to identify thief zones based on reservoir permeability gathered from well logging is developed. The thief zones are first identified at wells based on the lower limit value of the thief-zone permeability. This value is determined based on the dynamic production data, indicating that the thief zones identified by applying this criterion can reflect the product characteristics. Then, a zonal inter-well recognition method is adopted to identify the connectivity and distributions of thief zones in the regions far away from the well. This method is applied to identify thief zones for the Cretaceous Mishrif Formation in the H oilfield, Iraq. The reliability of the identification results is tested by the well-group injection test. The distributions of thief zones in the study region are discussed. In the study region, 12 members developed thief zones, while two members (i.e., MC1-3 and MC2-2) did not develop thief zones. Specifically, there are five members having a high level of thief-zone development. They are MB1-2C, MB2-1, MB2-2, MC2-3, and MC3-2. Comparing the distribution of thief zones with that of sedimentary microfacies, it is concluded that the thief-zone development is mainly controlled by the sedimentary microfacies and tends to occur in high-energy shoals.

Although various cancer therapies have been developed in the last decade, much of their anti-tumor effects are restricted by the tumor microenvironment complexity, such as the hypoxia in photodynamic therapy and sonodynamic therapy, and the poor penetration of radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. The development of multifunctional nanozymes that combines the physiochemical properties of nanomaterials (e.g. special optical transformation properties) and catalytic activities of enzymes (mainly including superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and oxidase) can provide promising weapons for enhancing antitumor efficiency. Importantly, some types of nanozymes can also act as ideal nanocarriers for improving therapeutic reagent delivery, especially in tumor immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in multifunctional nanozymes with an emphasis on their applications in catalytic therapy combined with immunotherapy, phototherapy, sonodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. We believe this review will provide theoretical and technical support for the subsequent development of nanozyme-based antitumor reagents and inspire novel therapeutic strategies for efficient tumor therapy.

Abstract As oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the biological behavior of gastric cancer (GC) cells such as proliferation, invasion, and metastasis through various signal pathways. At present, although numerous lncRNAs that significantly influence the development and progression of GC have been identified, a considerable number of them have not been found and studied yet. In this study, we identified a new lncRNA derived from pseudogenes WFDC21P, which have not been reported in any previous GC study. LncRNA WFDC21P was significantly upregulated in GC cells and tissues, and clinically associated with the pathological stages of advanced GC. WFDC21P promoted proliferation and metastasis of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. LncRNA WFDC21P was directly bound to GTPase Ran and it promoted the activity of the Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin pathway. Forkhead Box P3 (FOXP3), as a transcription factor of WFDC21P, was directly bound to the promoter region and it positively regulated the transcription of WFDC21P. This finding may provide a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.

Abstract Background To provide multivariable prognostic models for severe complications prediction after heart valve surgery, including low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS), acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis (AKI-rH) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Methods We developed multivariate logistic regression models to predict severe complications after heart valve surgery using 930 patients collected retrospectively from the first affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2014 to December 2015. The validation was conducted using a retrospective dataset of 713 patients from the same hospital from January 2016 to March 2017. We considered two kinds of prognostic models: the PRF models which were built by using the preoperative risk factors only, and the PIRF models which were built by using both of the preoperative and intraoperative risk factors. The least absolute shrinkage selector operator was used for developing the models. We assessed and compared the discriminative abilities for both of the PRF and PIRF models via the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results Compared with the PRF models, the PIRF modes selected additional intraoperative factors, such as auxiliary cardiopulmonary bypass time and combined tricuspid valve replacement. Area under the ROC curves (AUCs) of PRF models for predicting LCOS, AKI-rH and MODS are 0.565 (0.466, 0.664), 0.688 (0.62, 0.757) and 0.657 (0.563, 0.751), respectively. As a comparison, the AUCs of the PIRF models for predicting LOCS, AKI-rH and MODS are 0.821 (0.747, 0.896), 0.78 (0.717, 0.843) and 0.774 (0.7, 0.847), respectively. Conclusions Adding the intraoperative factors can increase the predictive power of the prognostic models for severe complications prediction after heart valve surgery.

Low earth orbit-satellite network (LEO-SN) has the advantages of wide coverage and short satellite-to-earth link, and has become a current hot research fi eld.A business graph-driven inter-satellite collaborative computing method in LEO-SN was proposed to solve the problem of high transmission delay when the task was offl oaded to the cloud computing center.This method shielded the dynamics of LEO-SN by relying on the weighted time expansion graph model, combined multiple satellite computing resources, and dispatches tasks in the form of a directed acyclic graph to the satellites in the transmission path, thereby realizing the ＆quot;computing while transmitting” of user services in the satellite cluster.The simulation results showed that when the data volume was 5 MB, the latency performance of on-orbit collaborative computing was improved by 58.9% compared to ground cloud computing.

Abstract Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are the most commonly investigated progenitor cells in bone defect repair and osteoarthritis subchondral bone regeneration; however, these studies are limited by complex inflammatory conditions. In this study, we investigated whether pro-autophagic γ-aminobutyric acid receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) promotes BMSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation by modulating autophagy in the presence or absence of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in vitro. The expression levels of all relevant factors were evaluated by qRT-PCR or western blotting where appropriate. BMSCs differentiation were assessed by Alizarin Red, alkaline phosphatase, safranin O, and Oil Red O staining. Furthermore, the interactions between autophagy and osteogenic differentiation were investigated by co-treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). As the results, we found that treatment with recombinant human His6-GABARAP protein promoted cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and reduced ROS generation by increasing autophagic activity, particularly when co-cultured with IL-1β. Moreover, His6-GABARAP could effectively increase the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The expression levels of inflammatory factors were significantly decreased by His6-GABARAP treatment, whereas its protective effects were attenuated by 3-MA. This study demonstrates that GABARAP maintains BMSCs survival and strengthens their osteogenic differentiation in an inflammatory environment by upregulating mediators of the autophagy pathway.

Abstract Background Seaweed-derived polysaccharides (SDP) represent an attractive source of prebiotic nutraceuticals for the food and animal husbandry industry. However, the mechanism by which SDP from Enteromorpha mediates pig growth are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate how SDP supplementation influences the growth performance and intestinal health in weaned pigs. Results In Exp. 1, 240 weaned pigs were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments and fed with a basal diet or a basal diet containing 200, 400 or 800 mg/kg SDP, respectively, in a 21-day trial. Pigs on the 400 or 800 mg/kg SDP-supplemented group had greater ADG and lower F/G ratio than those on the control group (P

Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an essential role in the development and progression of various cancers. However, the functions and mechanisms of circRNA in colorectal liver metastasis have not been fully elucidated. We performed circRNA microarray analysis to screen differentially expressed circRNA in the pathology of colorectal liver metastasis. Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to detect the expression of hsa_circ_102049 (circ102049) in colorectal cancer (CRC) samples. CRC cells were transfected with circ102049 overexpression vector or small interfering (si)RNA to assess the effects of circ102049 in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull‐down and luciferase reporter assays were conducted to confirm the relationship of circ102049, miR‐761, miR‐192‐3p and FRAS1. The mechanism by which circ102049 recruits and distributes DGCR8 protein in the cytoplasm was also investigated. We found that circ102049 was highly expressed in primary CRC tumors with liver metastasis and closely correlated with the prognosis of patients with CRC. Circ102049 significantly enhanced the adhesion, migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells, and promoted CRC progression via a micro (mi)R‐761/miR‐192‐3p‐FRAS1‐dependent mechanism. Notably, due to the distribution of DGCR8 protein, circ102049 may also indirectly reduce the levels of mature miR‐761 and miR‐192‐3p in the cytoplasm. In addition, the role of circ102049 in promoting colorectal liver metastasis was confirmed in vivo. Our findings provide new evidence that circ102049 may be a potential prognostic factor in CRC, and that the circ102049‐miR‐761/miR‐192‐3p–FRAS1 axis may be an anti‐metastatic target for CRC patients.

Abstract Background Rehospitalization is a major problem for end stage renal disease (ESRD) populations. However, researches on 30-day unexpected rehospitalzation of incident peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients were limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors and impact on outcomes of 30-day unexpected rehospitalization in incident PD patients. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who accepted PD catheter implantation in our centre from Jan 1, 2006 to Dec 31, 2013 and regular follow-up were included. The demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and rehospitalization data were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes included cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and technical failure. Results Totally 1632 patients (46.9 ± 15.3 years old, 60.1% male, 25.6% with diabetes) were included. Among them, 149 (9.1%) had a 30-day unexpected rehospitalization after discharge. PD-related peritonitis (n = 48, 32.2%), catheter malfunction (n = 30, 20.1%) and severe fluid overload (n = 19, 12.8%) were the top three causes for the rehospitalization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that length of index hospital stays [Odds ratio (OR) =1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.03, P = 0.036) and hyponatremia (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.06–3.24, P = 0.031) were independently associated with the rehospitalization. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that 30-day rehospitalization was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality [Hazard ratio (HR) =1.52, 95% CI 1.07–2.16, P = 0.019) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.03–2.90, P = 0.038). Conclusions The prevalence of 30-day unexpected rehospitalization for incident PD patients in our centre was 9.1%. The top three causes for the rehospitalization were PD-related peritonitis, catheter malfunction and severe fluid overload. Thirty-day unexpected rehospitalization increased the risk of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality for PD patients.

Abstract We use the Melnikov method to identify chaotic behavior in geodesic motion perturbed by the minimal length effects around a Schwarzschild black hole. Unlike the integrable unperturbed geodesic motion, our results show that the perturbed homoclinic orbit, which is a geodesic joining the unstable circular orbit to itself, becomes chaotic in the sense that Smale horseshoes chaotic structure is present in phase space.

Abstract Background This quantitative meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug-eluting balloon (DEB) vs. uncoated balloon (UCB) in patients with femoropopliteal arterial occlusive disease. Methods Electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared DEB and UCB till November 2018. The random-effects model was used for conducting pooled analyses. Results Seventeen RCTs with 2706 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. Patients who received DEB had higher levels of minimal luminal diameter (MLD) at 6 (WMD: 0.77; 95%CI: 0.53 to 1.02; P

Abstract Purpose Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer‐related death worldwide. Numerous analyses have revealed the abnormal expression of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HCC cells. This study aims to explore biological functions of lncRNA TMPO‐AS1 (TMPO antisense RNA 1) in HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration. Methods The gene expression in HCC tissues and cell lines were measured by qRT‐PCR. The role of TMPO‐AS1 in HCC was confirmed by CCK‐8, colony formation, TUNEL, transwell and western blot as well as by in vivo experiments. RNA pull down and luciferase reporter assays were utilized to prove the binding relationship between TMPO‐AS1/FOXK1 (forkhead box K1) andmiR‐329‐3p. Rescue assays elucidated the regulatory effects of TMPO‐AS1/miR‐329‐3p/FOXK1/AKT/mTOR pathway on cellular activities in HCC. Results TMPO‐AS1was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells and its depletion inhibits HCC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT process as well as tumor growth. Furthermore, TMPO‐AS1 could bind with miR‐329‐3p, which suppressed HCC cell proliferation. FOXK1 served as the target gene of miR‐329‐3p and TMPO‐AS1 upregulated FOXK1 by sponging miR‐329‐3p in HCC cells. Additionally, FOXK1 overexpression or miR‐329‐3p inhibitor neutralized the repressing effects of TMPO‐AS1 knockdown on HCC development. Finally, it verified that TMPO‐AS1 could regulate AKT/mTOR pathway via FOXK1 to promote HCC. Conclusion TMPO‐AS1 contributes to HCC progression by sponging miR‐329‐3p to activate FOXK1‐mediated AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Abstract Background Pharmaceutical care is attached with increasing importance around the world due to its clinical and economical effects. Tertiary hospitals are equipped with the richest healthcare resources and pioneer in the implementation of pharmaceutical care. Understanding current status of pharmaceutical care provision in tertiary hospitals not only helps to improve the practice in tertiary hospitals but also guide the development of pharmaceutical care in secondary and primary health institutions. Method Data of a cross-sectional survey were used. The cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 2015 to June 2016, involving 520 hospital directors, 740 clinical pharmacists, 1298 physicians, 778 dispensing pharmacists and 3096 patients from 292 hospitals of 23 provinces, 4 municipalities in mainland China. The survey aimed to comprehensively investigate the current status of pharmaceutical care and health care professional’s understanding of clinical pharmacist system in tertiary hospitals. This study reports results pertaining to current status of pharmaceutical care, including pharmacy department practice rules, guidelines and records, application of rational drug use software, staffing and working arrangement of clinical pharmacists and physicians, patients’ satisfaction toward pharmaceutical care. Results A majority of the tertiary hospitals established clinical pharmacist system (84.2%), clinical pharmacist management rules (89%), clinical pharmacists’ working ethics (89%) and applied clinical rational drug use software (93.8%). However, a number of hospitals did not establish a performance evaluation system (37%) and payment rules for pharmaceutical care (81.9%). Most of the clinical pharmacists met the educational background set by the government. Averagely there were 8.3 clinical pharmacists per hospital and 90.7% of the tertiary hospitals had at least five full-time clinical pharmacists. Pharmaceutical care services provided include checking prescriptions, making treatment plans and joining clinical rounds and etc. Both physicians and patients were generally satisfied with pharmaceutical care services provided. Conclusion China has made progress in pharmaceutical care provision, but problems such as lack of rules for pharmaceutical care payment and a performance evaluation system, a monotonous variety of pharmaceutical care activities remain unsolved. Policy makers and hospitals directors are suggested to pay more attention to these problems.

In view of smooth trajectory generation for a 3-axis machine tool, many methods have been presented. Among them, the optimal control based method is increasingly concerned, because it is considered to be able to make full use of kinematic abilities of machine tools. Under the unified framework of optimal control, the feedrate can be adjusted flexibly by adding or removing axial constraints and tangential constraints. But the problem of smooth trajectory generation (PSTG) based on optimal control for a machine tool is not easily to be solved. In this article, to efficiently solve the PSTG, it is divided into two sub-problems: the problem of minimum time trajectory planning (PMTTP) and the pseudo problem of smooth trajectory generation (PPSTG). Since both sub-problems are convex, the existence of unique solutions can be guaranteed. Then, the PMTTP and the PPSTG are transformed into nonlinear programming (NLP) problems with radau-pseudo-spectral (RPM) method successively. Due to convexity, the two NLP problems can be efficiently solved with mature optimization methods. In addition, the RPM method allows two sub-problems to have different Legendre-Gauss-Radau (LGR) points, thereby further saving computational costs. Finally, three different predefined paths are employed to test the proposed method, and simulation results show the effectiveness of proposed method.

Formation water is produced during gas well production, which can seriously affect gas well productivity, especially in deep and ultradeep tight sandstone gas reservoirs. In this paper, we have studied the formation water production and geochemical properties of the ultradeep tight sandstone gas reservoir in the Cretaceous Bashijiqike Formation of the DK gas field in the Kuqa Depression. The results indicate that the formation water can be classified as condensate water, gas-water transition zone water, mixed water, and isolated formation water, all of which are acidic and of CaCl2 type, with increasing salinity or chloride ion content. Sodium/chloride ratio (ρNa+/ρCl-), metamorphic coefficient (ρ(Cl--Na+)/ρ(Mg2+)), desulfurization coefficient (100×ρSO42−/ρCl−), and trace elements concentration parameters show that the formation water was formed in a closed and reductive environment and experienced strong water-rock interaction. The formation water may have been influenced by early seawater, but it is not significant and is more likely to have been influenced by water seepage from the overlying gypsum strata. The Sr, H, and O isotopes reveal that the different types of formation water have good homology and are not affected by atmospheric precipitation, which is propitious to the preservation of natural gas.

Background: Studies investigating debulking devices with drug-coated balloons (DCBs) in the treatment of femoropopliteal (FP) artery in-stent restenosis (ISR) are limited. We aimed to evaluate the safety and midterm outcome of percutaneous mechanical atherectomy plus thrombectomy (MATH) using the Rotarex®S (Straub Medical, Wangs, Switzerland) catheter followed by a DCB in the treatment of FP-ISR.Methods: This study was a single-center single-arm trial. Patients with symptomatic (Rutherford category 2–5) de novo restenosis lesions of FP-ISR were treated with MATH and subsequent DCB. From June 2016 to May 2018, 59 patients with FP-ISR were enrolled. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) and changes in the Rutherford category of the target limb at 12 months. Secondary endpoints included primary and secondary patency at 12 months, technical success rate, major adverse events, and ankle-brachial index (ABI). Risk factors for TLR were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard model.Results: The average follow-up time was 33 ± 8 months. The rate of technical success was 88.1% (52/59). Nine patients received bailout stenting. The rate of freedom from TLR was 84.7% (50/59) at 1 year, the Rutherford category changed at 12 months were significantly improved from baseline (p < 0.01). The primary patency rates and the secondary patency at the 12-month follow-ups were 82.5 and 92.5%, respectively. The ABI changed at 12 months were significantly improved from baseline (p < 0.01). Global limb anatomic staging system (GLASS) classification III [hazard ratio (HR) 18.44, 95% CI (1.57–215.99), p = 0.020] and postoperative Rutherford classification ≥4 [HR 8.28, 95% CI (1.85–37.06), p = 0.006] were identified as independent predictors of TLR.Conclusion: Our preliminary data suggested that MATH using a Rotarex®S catheter combined with DCB angioplasty is a safe, minimally invasive, and effective treatment for FP-ISR with favorable, immediate, and midterm outcomes.Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier [ChiCTR2000041380].

Abstract Background Our previous study had proved that nigericin could reduce colorectal cancer cell proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners by targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. To better elucidate its potential anti-cancer mechanism, two pancreatic cancer (PC) cell lines were exposed to increasing concentrations of nigericin for different time periods, and the high-throughput sequencing was performed to explore the circRNA expression profiles after nigericin exposure on pancreatic cancer (PC) cells. Results In this study, a total of 183 common differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, and the reliability and validity of the sequencing data were verified by the PCR analysis. According to the parental genes of circRNAs, the GO analysis was performed to predict the most enriched terms in the biological process, cellular components and molecular functions. The KEGG analysis and pathway-pathway network exhibited the potential signal pathways and their regulatory relationships. Meanwhile, a potential competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism through a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was applied to annotate potential functions of these common differentially expressed circRNAs, and these predicted miRNAs or mRNAs might be involved in nigericin damage. Conclusions By the bioinformatics method, our data will facilitate the understanding of nigericin in PC cells, and provide new insight into the molecular mechanism of nigericin toward cancer cells. This is the first report that discusses the potential functions of nigericin in cancers through the bioinformatics method. Our data will facilitate the understanding of nigericin-mediated anti-cancer mechanisms in PC.

In recent years, a number of literatures published large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for human diseases or traits while adjusting for other heritable covariate. However, it is known that these GWASs are biased, which may lead to biased genetic estimates or even false positives. In this study, we provide a method called “BTOB” which extends the biased GWAS to bivariate GWAS by integrating the summary association statistics from the biased GWAS and the GWAS for the adjusted heritable covariate. We employ the proposed BTOB method to analyze the summary association statistics from the large scale meta-GWASs for waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI), and show that the proposed approach can help identify more susceptible genes compared with the corresponding univariate GWASs. Theoretical results and simulations also confirm the validity and efficiency of the proposed BTOB method.

In this paper, we investigate the thermodynamics and weak cosmic censorship conjecture in a RN-AdS black hole with the cloud of strings and quintessence by the scattering of a scalar field. The variations of the thermodynamic variables are calculated in the normal and extended phase spaces. In the normal phase space, where the cosmological constant is considered as a constant, the first and second laws of thermodynamics are satisfied. In the extended phase space, where the cosmological constant and the parameters related to the cloud of strings and quintessence are treated as variables, the first law of thermodynamics is still satisfied and the second law of thermodynamics is indefinite. Moreover, we find that the weak cosmic censorship conjecture is valid for the extremal and near-extremal black holes in both phase spaces.

Breakdown voltage (BV), on-state voltage (Von), static latch-up voltage (Vlu), static latch-up current density (Jlu), and threshold voltage (Vth), etc., are critical static characteristic parameters of an IGBT for researchers. Von and Vth can characterize the conduction capability of the device, while BV, Vlu, and Jlu can help designers analyze the safe operating area (SOA) of the device and its reliability. In this paper, we propose a multi-layer artificial neural network (ANN) framework to predict these characteristic parameters. The proposed scheme can accurately fit the relationship between structural parameters and static characteristic parameters. Given the structural parameters of the device, characteristic parameters can be generated accurately and efficiently. Compared with technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation, the average errors of our scheme for each characteristic parameter are within 8%, especially for BV and Vth, while the errors are controlled within 1%, and the evaluation speed is improved more than 107 times. In addition, since the prediction process is mathematically a matrix operation process, there is no convergence problem, which there is in a TCAD simulation.

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells play a major role in anti-viral immunity as first line defense during hepatitis B infection, particularly in untreated patients whose T cells functions are profoundly impaired. Cytokine interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α produced by NK cells are important anti-viral factors. However, there is lack of a quantifiable model to evaluate cytokine responses by NK cells. In this study, almost half of the patients (47.9%) beyond treatment criteria had high cytokine activity, although it was lower than those recommended for antiviral therapy (78.2%). Moreover, we developed a model that low levels of HBsAg, HBcAb, and albumin and high fibrosis values predicted strong antiviral cytokine production by NK cells. Based on the cut-off score (0.361) obtained from the multivariable model, patients with 67%, 8%, 92%, and 74% in immune-active (IA), immune-tolerant (IT), immune-inactive (IC), and grey zone (GZ), respectively, showed active antiviral cytokines produced by NK cells. These results suggest that those who possess activated cytokine responses beyond the current treatment criteria may have potential implications for the timing of antiviral therapy to achieve better virus control.

Inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) migration to the right ventricle is a life-threatening condition. Conventionally, on-pump ventriculotomy is required if the endovascular retrieval is compromised. However, for patients in fragile physical condition, the complications of myocardial revascularization are unacceptable. We herein present a case of IVCF migration to the right ventricle in which the hook of the filter was tilted against the anterior wall of the right ventricle. The IVCF was successfully removed via a hybrid technique combining an off-pump microincision of the right ventricle with direct-vision snare capture. This hybrid technique avoided the complication of myocardial revascularization, shortened the operation time, and reduced the amount of blood loss.

The FZI expression is obtained by derivation, and the geological significance of FZI is proposed for the first time - it is a parameter reflecting the micro-pore structure of the rock, determined by the microstructure of the rock. Further analysis of FZI indicates that there are misconceptions in it, and it is feasible to identify flow units based on FZI. It points out the advantages and disadvantages of FZI. With the introduction of limited condition, better division of flow units can be realized based on FZI.

This report by the Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia uses gene-environment-wide interaction study (GEWIS) to identify genetic loci that affect environmental influence in myopia development, and identifies ethnic specific genetic loci that attribute to eye refractive errors.

Taking the Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Malang sag, Santanghu Basin as an example, by using petrological methods such as high resolution core image scanning, conventional thin section, scanning electron microscope and energy spectrum analysis and geochemical tests such as trace elements and biomarker compounds, the petrologic features and sedimentary origin of the lamellar organic rich fine-grained rocks of lake facies were investigated, and its significance for shale oil and tight oil exploration was analyzed. The results of the study show that there are four types of laminae, siliciclastic enrichment laminae, carbonate enrichment laminae, tuffaceous enrichment laminae and organic matter enrichment laminae, which can form three kinds of layer combinations. Organic matter is laminar enrichment or dispersed in the carbonate laminae and tuff laminae. Stratification of ancient lake water was formed in the closed saline lake sedimentary systems with insufficient continental clast supply, and the activity of warm water at the lake bottom and the monsoon climate worked jointly to control enrichment of organic matter and formation of lacustrine lamina fine-grained rocks. This kind of fine-grained rocks have higher potential of hydrocarbon generation due to high abundance of organic matter, are rich in reservoir space due to the existence of micro-pores in carbonate laminae and micro-cracks between the laminae, and suitable for fracturing because of high brittle mineral content. They have favorable conditions for shale oil and tight oil accumulation, and are significant for exploration. Key words: lamellar fine-grained rock, laminae combination, organic matter enrichment mode, petrologic characteristics, genetic model, shale oil and gas, tight oil and gas

Our previous study showed that miR-1826 was a newly identified oncogenic non-coding RNA in colorectal cancer. But the potential relationship between miR-1826 and tumor metastasis has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of circulating miR-1826 and its possible associations with circulating tumor cells in colorectal cancer. Our results first found that serum miR-1826 was significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer patients, compared with that in healthy volunteers ( p = 0.003). Similar results were also found in colorectal cancer with distant metastasis ( p = 0.001) and advanced colorectal cancer ( p < 0.001) patients, respectively. Clinicopathological analysis implied that circulating miR-1826 was positively associated with pT stage ( p = 0.026), lymphatic metastasis ( p = 0.034), distant metastasis ( p = 0.012), and tumor–node–metastasis stage ( p = 0.020). Besides, our univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that high serum miR-1826 expression could act as a prognostic and independent factor for overall survival of colorectal cancer patients ( p < 0.05), which led to a poorer 5-year overall survival rate ( p = 0.025). The area under the curve value of circulating miR-1826 was up to 0.848 ± 0.043, which strongly suggested serum miR-1826 as an effective diagnostic biomarker in colorectal cancer patients ( p < 0.001). Our subsequent experiments demonstrated that patients with high level of circulating tumor cells showed a higher level of miR-1826 expression, compared with the circulating tumor cell–negative patients ( p = 0.011). Similar results also showed that the amount of circulating tumor cells in high miR-1826 group was significantly higher than that in low miR-1826 group ( p = 0.001). Furthermore, the relationship between serum miR-1826 and circulating tumor cells was analyzed using SPSS software and a significant logarithmic relationship was found, which meant that circulating miR-1826 closely correlated with the amount of circulating tumor cells in colorectal cancer patient serum ( r = 0.283, p < 0.01). Our findings strongly suggested that serum miR-1826 could serve as an effective and non-invasive biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer. Circulating miR-1826 may be an important target in colorectal cancer therapy.

According to observation of cores and thin sections, as well as analyses of fluid pressure features and geochemical indexes, the cause of fluid overpressure and the mechanism of shale oil enrichment in the Lucaogou Formation, Malang Sag, Santanghu Basin, were discussed. The results show that the shale oil of the Lucaogou Formation is generated in the low mature–premature stage of the source rocks and has the features of high density and high viscosity. The low-permeability and thick source rocks lead to high start-up resistance of fluid, which made it difficult for oil and gas to expel, so the retainment of oil and gas in source rocks is the major cause of formation overpressure. Excellent generation potential and well developed reservoir space are the basis for the oil retention; the pressure produced by hydrocarbon generation is not high enough to overcome the resistance of oil migration, which leads to the enrichment of shale oil. The enrichment degree of shale oil is controlled by hydrocarbon generation and storage capacity of lithofacies at various evolution stages. Key words: shale oil, overpressure, enrichment mechanism, Malang Sag

In the deformed quantum mechanics with a minimal length, one WKB connection formula through a turning point is derived. We then use it to calculate tunneling rates through potential barriers under the WKB approximation. Finally, the minimal length effects on two examples of quantum tunneling in nuclear and atomic physics are discussed.