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Abstract Background Individuals with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) tend to be overreactive in response to negative environmental stimuli. More is known about the positive relationship between SPS and quality of life (QoL); nevertheless, less is known regarding the roles of resilience and social determinants in this association. This research aimed to investigate the potential mediation effect of resilience and the moderation effect of social determinants on the relationship between SPS and QoL in a large sample of Chinese cancer patients. Methods We used the most recent datasets from an ongoing project conducted in southwest China. A two-stage random sampling strategy with a probability proportionate to sample size (PPS) design was adopted. The associations between resilience, SPS, and QoL were evaluated using a linear regression model. Path analysis was adopted to examine the mediation of resilience. Results Resilience was positively associated with quality of life, while increased sensory processing sensitivity was negatively associated with quality of life. The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed that as resilience increased, the coefficients of quality of life rapidly increased across all domains. Conversely, the coefficients for quality of life gradually decreased with the escalation of sensory processing sensitivity. Resilience was a significant mediator, accounting for 21.88% of the total SPS-QoL association. The mediation effect of resilience varied across ethnicity and sex. Conclusion Sensory processing sensitivity was significantly associated with quality of life in cancer patients, and promoting resilience could mitigate this negative impact. However, the effect of resilience varies across sex and ethnicity. Therefore, targeted resilience promotion interventions, especially those integrating social characteristics, should be considered for implementation.

Abstract Diffuse light is produced by clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. Exploring the effects of diffuse light on ecosystem productivity is important for understanding the terrestrial carbon (CO2) cycle. Here, 2 years of gross ecosystem primary productivity (GEP) from a (winter) wheat cropland in China was assessed using eddy covariance technology to explore the effects of diffuse photosynthetic active radiance (PAR) on wheat GEP. Wheat GEP increased significantly and positively along with diffuse PAR. In addition, wheat GEP was significantly affected by total PAR, air temperature, and vapor press deficit in different diffuse PAR fraction (fDIF) change stages. Because significant autocorrelations existed among the controlling factors, a path analysis was used to quantify the effects of diffuse light on GEP. Diffuse PAR was the primary and secondary importance factors affecting GEP with direct path coefficients of 0.54 and 0.48, respectively, in different fDIF change stages. A multilayer canopy model revealed that the middle and lower canopy levels intercepted more light when diffuse PAR increased. This resulted in the photosynthetic enhancement of middle and lower canopy levels, which contributed approximately 65% and 35%, respectively, to the increase in photosynthesis for the entire canopy (~ 30.5%). Overall, our study provided new evidence regarding the importance of diffuse light for CO2 uptake in agroecosystems, which is important for predicting the responses of ecosystem CO2 budgets to future climate-related light changes.

Abstract Background The adoption of digitization has emerged as a new trend in the advancement of healthcare systems. To ensure high-quality care, nurses should possess sufficient skills to assist in the digital transformation of healthcare practices. Suitable tools have seldom been developed to assess nurses’ skills in digital applications. This study aimed to develop the Nursing Digital Application Skill Scale (NDASS) and test its psychometric properties. Methods The Nursing Digital Application Skill Scale was developed in three phases. In Phase 1, an item pool was developed based on previous literature and the actual situation of nursing work. Phase 2 included 14 experts’ assessment of content validity and a focus group interview with 30 nurses to pretest the scale. In phase 3, 429 registered nurses were selected from March to June 2023, and item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to refine the number of items and explore the factor structure of the scale. Additionally, reliability was determined by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results The final version of the NDASS consisted of 12 items. The content validity index of NDASS reached 0.975 at an acceptable level. The convergent validity test showed that the average variance extracted value was 0.694 (> 0.5) and the composite reliability value was 0.964 (> 0.7), both of which met the requirements. The principal component analysis resulted in a single-factor structure explaining 74.794% of the total variance. All the fitting indices satisfied the standard based upon confirmatory factor analyses, indicating that the single-factor structure contributed to an ideal model fit. The internal consistency appeared high for the NDASS, reaching a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.968. The test-retest reliability was 0.740, and the split-half coefficient was 0.935. Conclusion The final version of the NDASS, which possesses adequate psychometric properties, is a reliable and effective instrument for nurses to self-assess digital skills in nursing work and for nursing managers in designing nursing digital skill training.

Abstract Conductive cardiac patches can rebuild the electroactive microenvironment for the infarcted myocardium but their repair effects benefit by carried seed cells or drugs. The key to success is the effective integration of electrical stimulation with the microenvironment created by conductive cardiac patches. Besides, due to the concerns in a high re-admission ratio of heart patients, a remote medicine device will underpin the successful repair. Herein, we report a miniature self-powered biomimetic trinity triboelectric nanogenerator with a unique double-spacer structure that unifies energy harvesting, therapeutics, and diagnosis in one cardiac patch. Trinity triboelectric nanogenerator conductive cardiac patches improve the electroactivity of the infarcted heart and can also wirelessly monitor electrocardiosignal to a mobile device for diagnosis. RNA sequencing analysis from rat hearts reveals that this trinity cardiac patches mainly regulates cardiac muscle contraction-, energy metabolism-, and vascular regulation-related mRNA expressions in vivo. The research is spawning a device that truly integrates an electrical stimulation of a functional heart patch and self-powered e-care remote diagnostic sensor.

The electroplating industry is the main source of 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) pollution, which presents risks to human health and the environment. It is therefore crucial to develop effective 6:2 Cl-PFESA degradation techniques. Persulfate oxidation is a potential treatment method for 6:2 Cl-PFESA due to its outstanding oxidative degradability following the generation of the sulfate radical (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radical (•OH). It has proven difficult to acquire a full understanding of the reaction mechanism and formation of intermediate (IM) products through conventional experimental studies because they are costly and time-consuming. Therefore, a theoretical analysis method based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations was applied. The DFT results showed that electron transfer for the degradation of 6:2 Cl-PFESA could be initiated by the protonated sulfate radical (HSO4•, ΔG≠SET = 9.16 kcal/mol), rather than SO4•− (ΔG≠SET = 41.60 kcal/mol). After desulfonation, the reaction underwent stepwise decarboxylation cycles under the action of •OH, leading to the elimination of the CF2 units until there was complete mineralization into HCl, HF, and CO2. Furthermore, the IMs and the end products of 6:2 Cl-PFESA were evaluated using ECOSAR and TEST software. The low bioaccumulation of the short-chain IMs meant that they could be considered safe in terms of ecotoxicity and health effects. This research determined the theoretical and mechanistic basis of the effects of persulfate in the treatment of water containing 6:2 Cl-PFESA, and its structural analogues.

Human–machine interactions (HMIs) have penetrated into various academic and industrial fields, such as robotics, virtual reality, and wearable electronics. However, the practical application of most human–machine interfaces faces notable obstacles due to their complex structure and materials, high power consumption, limited effective skin adhesion, and high cost. Herein, we report a self-powered, skin adhesive, and flexible human–machine interface based on a triboelectric nanogenerator (SSFHMI). Characterized by its simple structure and low cost, the SSFHMI can easily convert touch stimuli into a stable electrical signal at the trigger pressure from a finger touch, without requiring an external power supply. A skeleton spacer has been specially designed in order to increase the stability and homogeneity of the output signals of each TENG unit and prevent crosstalk between them. Moreover, we constructed a hydrogel adhesive interface with skin-adhesive properties to adapt to easy wear on complex human body surfaces. By integrating the SSFHMI with a microcontroller, a programmable touch operation platform has been constructed that is capable of multiple interactions. These include medical calling, music media playback, security unlocking, and electronic piano playing. This self-powered, cost-effective SSFHMI holds potential relevance for the next generation of highly integrated and sustainable portable smart electronic products and applications.

Surface soil moisture (SSM) plays an important role in agricultural and environmental systems. With the continuous improvement in the availability of remote sensing data, satellite technology has experienced widespread development in the monitoring of large-scale SSM. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical remote sensing data have been extensively utilized due to their complementary advantages in this field. However, the limited information from single-band SARs or single optical remote sensing data has restricted the accuracy of SSM retrieval, posing challenges for precise SSM monitoring. In contrast, multi-source and multi-band remote sensing data contain richer and more comprehensive surface information. Therefore, a method of combining multi-band SAR data and employing machine learning models for SSM inversion was proposed. C-band Sentinel-1 SAR data, X-band TerraSAR data, and Sentinel-2 optical data were used in this study. Six commonly used feature parameters were extracted from these data. Three machine learning methods suitable for small-sample training, including Genetic Algorithms Back Propagation (GA-BP), support vector regression (SVR), and Random Forest (RF), were employed to construct the SSM inversion models. The differences in SSM retrieval accuracy were compared when two different bands of SAR data were combined with optical data separately and when three types of data were used together. The results show that the best inversion performance was achieved when all three types of remote sensing data were used simultaneously. Additionally, compared to the C-band SAR data, the X-band SAR data exhibited superior performance. Ultimately, the RF model achieved the best accuracy, with a determinable coefficient of 0.9186, a root mean square error of 0.0153 cm3/cm3, and a mean absolute error of 0.0122 cm3/cm3. The results indicate that utilizing multi-band remote sensing data for SSM inversion offers significant advantages, providing a new perspective for the precise monitoring of SSM.

The damage of corneal epithelium may lead to the formation of irreversible corneal opacities and even blindness. The migration rate of corneal epithelial cells directly affects corneal repair. Here, we explored ocu-microRNA 24-3p (miRNA 24-3p) that can promote rabbit corneal epithelial cells migration and cornea repair. Exosomes, an excellent transport carrier, were exacted from adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells for loading with miRNA 24-3p to prepare miRNA 24-3p-rich exosomes (Exos-miRNA 24-3p). It can accelerate corneal epithelial migration in vitro and in vivo. For application in cornea alkali burns, we further modified hyaluronic acid with di(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA) to obtain a thermosensitive hydrogel, also reported a thermosensitive DEGMA-modified hyaluronic acid hydrogel (THH) for the controlled release of Exos-miRNA 24-3p. It formed a highly uniform and clear thin layer on the ocular surface to resist clearance from blinking and extended the drug–ocular–epithelium contact time. The use of THH-3/Exos-miRNA 24-3p for 28 days after alkali burn injury accelerated corneal epithelial defect healing and epithelial maturation. It also reduced corneal stromal fibrosis and macrophage activation. MiRNA 24-3p-rich exosomes functionalized DEGMA-modified hyaluronic acid hydrogel as a multilevel delivery strategy has a potential use for cell-free therapy of corneal epithelial regeneration.

IntroductionHyperuricemia (HUA) is a metabolic disorder caused by purine metabolism dysfunction in which the increasing purine levels can be partially attributed to seafood consumption. Perillae Folium (PF), a widely used plant in functional food, has been historically used to mitigate seafood-induced diseases. However, its efficacy against HUA and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. MethodsA network pharmacology analysis was performed to identify candidate targets and potential mechanisms involved in PF treating HUA. The candidate targets were determined based on TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction, Open Targets Platform, GeneCards, Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, and DrugBank. The potential mechanisms were predicted via Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia (KEGG) analyses. Molecular docking in AutoDock Vina and PyRx were performed to predict the binding affinity and pose between herbal compounds and HUA-related targets. A chemical structure analysis of PF compounds was performed using OSIRIS DataWarrior and ClassyFire. We then conducted virtual pharmacokinetic and toxicity screening to filter potential inhibitors. We further performed verifications of these inhibitors’ roles in HUA through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, text-mining, and untargeted metabolomics analysis. ResultsWe obtained 8200 predicted binding results between 328 herbal compounds and 25 potential targets, and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) exhibited the highest average binding affinity. We screened out five promising ligands (scutellarein, benzyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside, elemol, diisobutyl phthalate, and (3R)-hydroxy-beta-ionone) and performed MD simulations up to 50 ns for XDH complexed to them. The scutellarein-XDH complex exhibited the most satisfactory stability. Furthermore, the text-mining study provided laboratory evidence of scutellarein’s function. The metabolomics approach identified 543 compounds and confirmed the presence of scutellarein. Extending MD simulations to 200 ns further indicated the sustained impact of scutellarein on XDH structure. ConclusionOur study provides a computational and biomedical basis for PF treating HUA and fully elucidates scutellarein's great potential as an XDH inhibitor at the molecular level, holding promise for future drug design and development.

Cancer immunotherapy relies on the insight that the immune system can be used to defend against malignant cells. The aim of cancer immunotherapy is to utilize, modulate, activate, and train the immune system to amplify antitumor T-cell immunity. In parallel, the immune system response to damaged tissue is also crucial in determining the success or failure of an implant. Due to their extracellular matrix mimetics and tunable chemical or physical performance, hydrogels are promising platforms for building immunomodulatory microenvironments for realizing cancer therapy and tissue regeneration. However, submicron or nanosized pore structures within hydrogels are not favorable for modulating immune cell function, such as cell invasion, migration, and immunophenotype. In contrast, hydrogels with a porous structure not only allow for nutrient transportation and metabolite discharge but also offer more space for realizing cell function. In this review, the design strategies and influencing factors of porous hydrogels for cancer therapy and tissue regeneration are first discussed. Second, the immunomodulatory effects and therapeutic outcomes of different porous hydrogels for cancer immunotherapy and tissue regeneration are highlighted. Beyond that, this review highlights the effects of pore size on immune function and potential signal transduction. Finally, the remaining challenges and perspectives of immunomodulatory porous hydrogels are discussed.

The motivation–direction model has served as the primary framework for understanding frontal cortical activity. However, research on the link between approach/avoidance motivation and left/right frontal cortical activity has produced inconsistent findings. Recent studies suggest that regulatory systems may offer a more accurate explanation than the motivational direction model. Despite being regulatory systems, the relationship between regulatory focus and frontal cortical activity has received limited attention. Only one experimental study has explored this connection through correlational analysis, yet it lacks causal evidence. The present study aimed to address this gap by manipulating regulatory focus and measuring frontal cortical activity in 36 college students. Our results revealed that induced promotion focus led to increased left frontal cortical activity, whereas induced prevention focus led to increased right frontal cortical activity. These findings enhance our physiological understanding of regulatory focus and offer a deeper explanation of how regulatory focus influences alterations in psychology and behavior.

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation process has been proven to be a promising method for the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPY) degradation in wastewater treatment. However, due to the limitation for the short-lived intermediates detection, a comprehensive understanding for the degradation pathway remains unclear. To address this issue, density functional theory was used to analyze the degradation mechanism of CPY at the M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p) level, and computational toxicology methods were employed to explore the toxicity of CPY and its degradation products. Results show that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and sulfate radicals (SO4•−) initiate the degradation reactions by adding to the P=S bond and abstracting the H atom on the ethyl group, rather than undergoing α-elimination of the pyridine ring in the persulfate oxidation process. Moreover, the addition products were attracted and degraded by breaking the P–O bond, while the abstraction products were degraded through dealkylation reactions. The transformation products, including 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridynol, O,O-diethyl phosphorothioate, chlorpyrifos oxon, and acetaldehyde, obtained through theoretical calculations have been detected in previous experimental studies. The reaction rate constants of CPY with ·OH and SO4•− were 6.32 × 108 and 9.14 × 108 M−1·s−1 at room temperature, respectively, which was consistent with the experimental values of 4.42 × 109 and 4.5 × 109 M−1 s−1. Toxicity evaluation results indicated that the acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms gradually decreased during the degradation process. However, some products still possess toxic or highly toxic levels, which may pose risks to human health. These research findings contribute to understanding the transformation behavior and risk assessment of CPY in practical wastewater treatment.

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a major and growing public health problem. Renal fibrosis plays a vital role in the progression of IgAN. This study is to investigate the mechanisms of action underlying the therapeutic effects of Shenbing Decoction II (SBDII) in IgAN renal fibrosis treatment based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), network pharmacology and experimental verification. Method: We first used UPLC-MS/MS to explore the main compounds of SBDII, and then used network pharmacology to predict the targets and key pathways of SBDII in the treatment of IgAN renal fibrosis. Next, bovine serum albumin (BSA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) were used to induce IgAN in rats, and then biochemical indicators, renal tissue pathology, and renal fibrosis-related indicators were examined. At the same time, part of the results predicted by network pharmacology were also verified. Result: A total of 105 compounds were identified in SBDII by UPLC-MS/MS. Network pharmacology results showed that the active compounds such as acacetin, eupatilin, and galangin may mediate the therapeutic effects of SBDII in treating IgAN by targeting tumor protein p53 (TP53) and regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt kinase (Akt) signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that SBDII not only significantly improved renal function and fibrosis in IgAN rats, but also significantly downregulated the expressions of p53, p-PI3K and p-Akt. Conclusion: This UPLC-MS/MS, network pharmacological and experimental study highlights that the TP53 as a target, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway are the potential mechanism by which SBDII is involved in IgAN renal fibrosis treatment. Acacetin, eupatilin, and galangin are probable active compounds in SBDII, these results might provide valuable guidance for further studies of IgAN renal fibrosis treatment.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) is widely used as a substitute for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). HFPO-DA exhibits high water solubility and low adsorption potential, conferring significant fluidity in aquatic environments. Given that the toxicity of HFPO-DA is similar to PFOA, it is necessary to control its content in aquatic environments. Electrochemical and thermally-activated persulfates have been successfully used to degrade HFPO-DA, but UV-activated persulfates cannot degrade the compound. Given that research on degradation mechanisms is still incomplete and lacks kinetic research, the mechanism and kinetic calculations of oxidative degradation were studied in detail using DFT calculations. And the toxicity of HFPO-DA degradation intermediates and products was evaluated to reveal the feasibility of using advanced oxidation process (AOP) technology based on persulfate to degrade HFPO-DA in wastewater. The results showed that the committed step of HFPO-DA degradation was initiated by the electron transfer reaction of SO4•- radicals. This reaction is not spontaneous at room temperature and requires sufficient electrical or thermal energy to be absorbed from the external environment. The perfluoroalcohol produced during this reaction can subsequently undergo four possible reactions: H atom abstraction from alcohol groups by an OH radical; H atom abstraction by SO4•-; direct HF removal; and HF removal with water as the catalyst. The final degradation products of HFPO-DA mainly include CO2, CF3CF2COOH, CF3COOH, FCOOH and HF, which has been identified through previous experimental analysis. Ecotoxicity assessment indicates that degradation does not produce highly toxic intermediates, and that the final products are non-toxic, supporting the feasibility of persulfate-based AOP technologies.

Abstract Background Stomach adenocarcinomas (STAD) are the most common malignancy of the human digestive system and represent the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. As early-stage STAD are generally mild or asymptomatic, patients with advanced STAD have short overall survival. Early diagnosis of STAD has a considerable influence on clinical outcomes. Methods The mRNA expression data and clinical indicators of STAD and normal tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The gene expression differences were analyzed by R packages, and gene function enrichment analysis was performed. Kaplan–Meier method and univariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis were used to screen differential expressed genes (DEGs) related to survival of STAD patients. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis was used to further screen and determine the prognostic DEGs in STAD patients, and to construct a multigene prognostic prediction signature. The accuracy of predictive signature was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve software package, and the nomogram of patients with STAD was drawn. Cox regression was used to investigate the correlation between multigene prognostic signature and clinical factors. The predictive performance of this model was compared with two other models proposed in previous studies using KM survival analysis, ROC curve analysis, Harrell consistency index and decision curve analysis (DCA). qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to verify the expression levels of prognostic genes. The pathways and functions of possible involvement of features were predicted using the GSEA method. Results A total of 569 early-stage specific DEGs were retrieved from TCGA-STAD dataset, including 229 up-regulated genes and 340 down-regulated genes. Enrichment analysis showed that the early-stage specific DEGs were associated with cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, and calcium signaling pathway. Multiple Cox regression algorithm was used to identify 10 early-stage specific DEGs associated with overall survival (P

IntroductionObesity and related metabolic issues are a growing global health concern. Recently, the discovery of new probiotics with anti-obesity properties has gained interest.MethodsIn this study, four Faecalibacte-rium prausnitzii strains were isolated from healthy human feces and evaluated on a high-fat diet-induced mouse model for 12 weeks.ResultsThe F. prausnitzii strains reduced body weight gain, liver and fat weights, and calorie intake while improving lipid and glucose metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue, as evidenced by regulating lipid metabolism-associated gene expression, including ACC1, FAS, SREBP1c, leptin, and adiponectin. Moreover, the F. prausnitzii strains inhibited low-grade inflammation, restored gut integrity, and ameliorated hepatic function and insulin resistance. Interestingly, the F. prausnitzii strains modulated gut and neural hormone secretion and reduced appetite by affecting the gut-brain axis. Supplementation with F. prausnitzii strains noticeably changed the gut microbiota composition.DiscussionIn summary, the novel isolated F. prausnitzii strains have therapeutic effects on obesity and associated metabolic disorders through modulation of the gut-brain axis. Additionally, the effectiveness of different strains might not be achieved through identical mechanisms. Therefore, the present findings provide a reliable clue for developing novel therapeutic probiotics against obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

With the advances in engine technology, the exhaust gas temperature of automobiles has further reduced, which in turn leads to an increase in the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HCs). In order to understand the influence of CeO2-based catalysts loaded with different noble metals on the catalytic oxidation activity of CO and HCs, this study constructed catalyst models of Ce0.875Zr0.125O2 (100) surfaces loaded with Pt, Pd, Ag, and Au. The electronic density and state density structures of the catalysts were analyzed, and the reaction energy barriers for CO oxidation and C3H6 dehydrogenation oxidation on the catalyst surfaces were also calculated. Furthermore, the activity sequences of the catalysts were explored. The results revealed that after loading Pt, Pd, Ag, and Au atoms onto the catalyst surfaces, these noble metal atoms exhibited strong interactions with the catalyst surfaces, and electron transfer occurred between the noble metal atoms and the catalyst surfaces. Loading with noble metals can enhance the catalytic activity of CO oxidation, but it has little effect on the dehydrogenation oxidation of C3H6. Of the different noble metals, loading with Pd exhibits the best catalytic activity for both CO and C3H6 oxidation. This study elucidated the influence of noble metal doping on the catalytic activity of catalysts at the molecular level, providing theoretical guidance for the design of a new generation of green and efficient catalysts.

Aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic to public health and contribute to global air pollution; thus, it is urgent to control VOC emissions. Catalytic oxidation technology has been widely investigated to eliminate aromatic VOCs; this technology exhibits high catalytic efficiency even at low temperatures. However, the reaction mechanism of aromatic VOCs’ total oxidation over metal-oxide-based catalysts, which is of great significance in the design of catalysts, is not yet clear. In this study, we systemically calculated the catalytic oxidation mechanism of toluene over the Ce0.875Zr0.125O2 catalyst using density functional theory (DFT). The results show that toluene first loses hydrogen from the methyl group via oxy-dehydrogenation and is gradually oxidized by lattice or adsorbed oxygen to benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, and benzoic acid following the Mars-van Krevelen (MVK) mechanism. Afterwards, there is a decarboxylation step to produce phenyl, which is further oxidized to benzoquinone. The rate-determining step then proceeds via the ring-opening reaction, leading to the formation of small molecule intermediates, which are finally oxidized to CO2 and H2O. This work may provide atomic-scale insight into the role of lattice and adsorbed oxygen in catalytic oxidation reactions.

Abstract Blindness caused by corneal damage affects millions of people worldwide, and this number continues to rise. However, rapid epithelization and a stable epithelium process are the two biggest challenges for traditional corneal materials. These processes are related to corneal curvature, which is an important factor in determination of the corneal healing process and epithelial behavior during corneal damage. In this study, smooth 3D‐printed convex corneal implants based on gelatin methacrylate and collagen are generated. As epithelium distribution and adhesion vary in different regions of the natural cornea, this work separates the surfaces into four regions and studies how cells sense topological cues on curvature. It is found that rabbit corneal epithelial cells (RCECs) seeded on steeper slope gradient surfaces on convex structures result in more aligned cell organization and tighter cell‐substrate adhesion, which can also be verified through finite element simulation and signaling pathway analysis. In vivo transplantation of convex implants result in a better fit with adjacent tissue and stronger cell adhesion than flat implants, thereby accelerating corneal epithelialization and promoting collagen fibers and neural regeneration within 180 days. Taken together, printed convex corneal implants that facilitate corneal regeneration may offer a translational strategy for the treatment of corneal damage.

Stachyose is a well-known gut microbiota-oriented prebiotic that could directly reach colon and influence the intestinal microenvironment. Through an in vitro fermentation on fecal microbiota from a drug-naive new-onset and a perennial patient, we for the first time revealed a novel function of stachyose on promoting the microbial transformation from tryptophan to indole catabolites (i.e., indole-3-propionic acid, indole-3-lactic acid and indole-3-carboxaldehyde), which has shown to improve intestinal functions and glucose metabolism. Stachyose increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera, while reducing Lactococcus and Streptococcus. Similar regulatory effects on microbial transformation of tryptophan and its related microbiota were confirmed in C57BL/6 mice with high-fat-diet induced impaired fasting glucose and gut dysbacteria. Additionally, stachyose up-regulated microbiota related metabolites with ameliorative effects on type 2 diabetes, i.e., hyocholic acid and conjugated linoleic acid in vitro. Our study proves benefits of stachyose for management of type 2 diabetes via regulating microbial metabolism of tryptophan.

Abstract Background The use of beneficial microorganisms as an alternative for pest control has gained increasing attention. The objective of this study was to screen beneficial rhizosphere bacteria with the ability to enhance tomato anti-herbivore resistance. Results Rhizosphere bacteria in tomato field from Fuqing, one of the four locations where rhizosphere bacteria were collected in Fujian, China, enhanced tomato resistance against the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura, an important polyphagous pest. Inoculation with the isolate T6–4 obtained from the rhizosphere of tomato field in Fuqing reduced leaf damage and weight gain of S. litura larvae fed on the leaves of inoculated tomato plants by 27% in relative to control. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence identities indicated that the isolate T6–4 was closely related to Stenotrophomonas rhizophila supported with 99.37% sequence similarity. In the presence of S. litura infestation, inoculation with the bacterium led to increases by a 66.9% increase in protease inhibitor activity, 53% in peroxidase activity and 80% in polyphenol oxidase activity in the leaves of inoculated plants as compared to the un-inoculated control. Moreover, the expression levels of defense-related genes encoding allene oxide cyclase (AOC), allene oxide synthase (AOS), lipoxygenase D (LOXD) and proteinase inhibitor (PI-II) in tomato leaves were induced 2.2-, 1.7-, 1.4- and 2.7-fold, respectively by T6–4 inoculation. Conclusion These results showed that the tomato rhizosphere soils harbor beneficial bacteria that can systemically induce jasmonate-dependent anti-herbivore resistance in tomato plants.

The endoplasmic reticulum protein TECRL promotes mitochondrial function in cardiomyocytes and its knockout in mice leads to cardiac dysfunction, decreased mitochondria function, and elevated levels of reactive oxygen species.

Abstract Background Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases that adversely impact the quality of life of patients and their families. The “Quality of Life of Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire” (hereinafter referred to as “QOLCE-16”) is a 16-item measure that was designed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among children with epilepsy. The purpose of the study was to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the QOLCE-16. Methods The 10 steps of Principles of Good Practices for translation and cultural adaptation of measures were adopted to translate the QOLCE-16 into Chinese. After that, item analysis, floor effect and ceiling effect, internal consistency, test–retest reliabilities, content validity and construct validity were conducted to test its applicability in children with epilepsy in China. A total of 435 native Chinese-speaking parents with children who had epilepsy from one children’s hospital were invited to take part in the study, including a cognitive interview sample of 5 and a validation sample of 430. Results A total of 414 objects were enrolled in our study for psychometric testing. The results of the item analysis revealed QOLCE-16-C to have good discrimination, the floor effect and ceiling effect were 0.2% and 1.0% respectively, and each item was significantly related to the total scale (P

Background The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear. However, intestinal metabolism is known to be critical in the pathogenesis of IBD. Bile acid is one of the main intestinal metabolites, and its role in the pathogenesis of IBD is worthy of investigation. This study investigated the role of deoxycholic acid (DCA), a bile acid, in the pathogenesis of IBD. Methods Peripheral serum metabolomics, fecal metabolomics, and microbiome analyses were performed on patients with IBD and healthy controls. Flow cytometry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemical staining, and immunofluorescence analysis were used to evaluate cytokines in the inflamed colonic mucosa and immune cells and tuft cells in the intestine of mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Results In total, 156 patients with IBD and 58 healthy controls were enrolled. DCA levels in the serum and feces of patients with IBD were significantly decreased compared to the controls. This decrease was associated with a decrease in the abundance of intestinal flora, including Firmicutes, Clostridia, Ruminnococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae. Additionally, interleukin (IL)-1β levels in the serum of patients with active Crohn’s disease were significantly increased compared with the healthy controls. Moreover, in DCA-treated DSS-induced mice, the expression of IL-1β and the proportion of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells increased while the number of intestinal tuft cells decreased, compared with the DSS group. Conclusion In IBD patients, the decreased DCA levels in serum and fecal samples are associated with disturbances in gut microflora diversity and abundance. Possible mechanisms by which DCA affects immunity in DSS-induced murine colitis include increasing IL-1β secretion, reducing the number of tuft cells in the mucosa, and activating CD4+ and CD3+ T cells to exaggerate immune responses, consequently worsening intestinal inflammation.

The well-established semantic fluency test measures the ability to produce a sequence of spoken words from a particular category within a limited period of time. Like patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) tend to produce fewer correct words than age-matched healthy adults. This study further examined the difference between patients with PSP and PD in their semantic fluency performance using a graph theory-based approach. Twenty-nine patients with PSP Richardson’s syndrome (PSP-RS), thirty-eight patients with PD, and fifty-one healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All participants completed a standard semantic fluency test (animals). Their verbal responses were recorded, transcripted, and transformed into directed speech graphs. The speech graphs of the PSP-RS group showed higher density, shorter diameter, and shorter average shortest path than those of the PD and HC groups. It indicates that the PSP-RS group produced smaller and denser speech graphs than the PD and HC groups. In the PSP-RS group, moreover, the average shortest paths of the speech graphs correlated with the severity of motor symptoms. This study shows the potential of the graph theory-based approach in distinguishing the semantic fluency performance of nondemented patients with PSP-RS and PD.

Abstract Background Although approximately 50% of Chinese with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients have vitamin D deficiency, studies regarding vitamin D supplementation on insulin resistance (IR) have mainly focused on non-Asians. Endurance exercise training (ET) enhances insulin-mediated glucose metabolism, which plays a critical role in T2DM prevention and control. However, the combined effects of vitamin D supplementation and ET on IR in T2DM patients are unclear. The objectives of this study is to investigate the synergistic effect of vitamin D supplementation combined with exercise training intervention on IR in T2DM patients. Methods and analysis We propose a 3-month randomized controlled trial among 60 T2DM patients aged 40–65, newly diagnosed with T2DM ≤ 1 year, and with stable HbA1c level (≤ 8.0%) in the past 3 months. The participants will be randomly allocated to the vitamin D group, vitamin D combined with exercise training group, exercise training group, and control group (CG) using a computer-generated random number sequence. At baseline, participants will undergo a medical review, anthropometric measurements, dual X-ray absorptiometry, a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), ankle-brachial index measurements, and physical fitness measurements and will complete related lifestyle questionnaires. Fasting blood lipid and glucose levels were also measured. In a 3-month intervention period, vitamin D intervention group will receive a dose of 1000 IU daily; exercise group will perform a 1-h endurance exercise 3 times per week (maximal heart rate, 60–80%), and the control group will receive apparently identical tablets. Additionally, all participants will be advised to maintain their normal diet and physical activities during the intervention. All measurements will be repeated at 3-month follow-up after the intervention with the primary outcome measure expressed as a change from baseline in insulin sensitivity and secretion. Secondary outcome measures will compare the changes in anthropometry, ankle-brachial index, and physical fitness factors (e.g., peak oxygen uptake, hand grip strength). Data will be managed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Discussion This is the first study to conduct a randomized trial to clearly determine the independent and combined effects of vitamin D supplementation and endurance exercise trial on IR in Chinese T2DM patients as measured by OGTT. The findings from the proposed study will not only provide new evidences that vitamin D supplementation plays an important role in IR management but also develop a simple and efficient method to improve IR-associated metabolic diseases for T2DM patients. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800015383 , Registered on 28 March 2018

Abstract Background There are differences in survival between high-and low-grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC). Our study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) of patients with high- and low-grade UTUC after tumor resection, and to explore the difference between high- and low-grade patients. Methods Patients confirmed to have UTUC between 2004 and 2015 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The UTUCs were identified and classified as high- and low-grade, and 1-, 3- and 5-year nomograms were established. The nomogram was then validated using the Chinese multicenter dataset (patients diagnosed in Shandong, China between January 2010 and October 2020). Results In the high-grade UTUC patients, nine important factors related to survival after tumor resection were identified to construct nomogram. The C index of training dataset was 0.740 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.727–0.754), showing good calibration. The C index of internal validation dataset was 0.729(95% CI:0.707–0.750). On the other hand, Two independent predictors were identified to construct nomogram of low-grade UTUC. The C index was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.671–0.758) for the training set,0.731(95% CI:0.670–0.791) for the internal validation dataset. Encouragingly, the nomogram was clinically useful and had a good discriminative ability to identify patients at high risk. Conclusion We constructed a nomogram and a corresponding risk classification system predicting the OS of patients with an initial diagnosis of high-and low-grade UTUC.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an autosomal dominant cardiomyopathy, which is one of the most common reasons for cardiac arrest in children or adolescents. It is characterized by ventricular hypertrophy (usually left ventricle), small ventricular cavity, and reduced ventricular diastolic compliance found by echocardiography in the absence of abnormal load (such as hypertension or aortic stenosis). HCM is usually caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomere or sarcomere-related genes. Whole exome sequencing (WES) is performed to identify probable causative genes. Through WES, we identified LIM domain-binding protein 3 (LDB3) mutations (R547Q and P323S) respectively in an 11-year-old HCM girl and a 6-year-old HCM boy. Neural network analyses showed that the LDB3 (R547Q and P323S) mutation decreased its protein stability, with confidence scores of −0.9211 and −0.8967. The STRUM server also confirmed that the mutation decreased its protein stability. Thus, LDB3 mutation may be associated with heritable HCM. To our knowledge, this is the first time to report LDB3 heterozygous variants (R547Q and P323S) responsible for heritable HCM.

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) seriously threatens public health by reducing antibiotic effectiveness in curing bacterial infections. Atmospheric particulate matter (APM) is a common environmental hazard that affects human health by causing various diseases and disseminating bacterial pathogenesis, of which pathogenic bacteria and AMR are essential parts. The properties of APM microbiomes and resistomes, along with their shaping factors and mutual relationships, need further examination. To address this, we analyzed APMs collected from 13 cities within four clusters (North and South China, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet). Significant regionalization was found for both the microbiomes (P < 0.001) and core resistomes (P < 0.001) for APMs, with statistical analyses showing significant differences in different regions. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and accompanying ANOSIM analyses showed that microbiomes and core resistomes followed the same regional subclustering hierarchy patterns. This finding, together with response analysis of APM microbiomes and core resistomes to environmental parameters that showed similar response patterns, as well as Procrustes analysis (M2 = 0.963, P < 0.05) between APM microbiomes and core resistomes, strongly suggested that APM microbiomes and core resistomes are correlated. Co-occurrence network analysis further revealed key taxa and antimicrobial resistance determinants in the interactions between APM microbiomes and core resistomes. Thus, it was concluded that APM microbiome and resistome compositions were highly regional, that environmental pollutants and APM levels impacted APM microbiomes and resistomes, and that microbiomes and resistomes in APMs are significantly correlated (P < 0.05). IMPORTANCE Bacteria associated with atmospheric particulate matter (APMs) can transmit over long distances. A large portion of these bacteria can potentially threaten human health. The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of pathogenic bacteria carried by APMs prevents curing from infections. Therefore, both the pathogenic bacteria in APMs and their AMR are receiving more attention. The literature suggests a knowledge gap that exists for bacterial AMR and bacterial pathogenesis in APMs, including their distribution patterns, mutual relationships, and factors influencing their compositions. This work aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by studying APM samples collected from 13 cities. The results demonstrated that both bacteria and antibiotic resistance determinants were highly regional and that their composition patterns were significantly correlated, and influenced by the same group of environmental factors. This study thus determined the relationship between the two important aspects of bacterial pathogenesis in APMs and represents significant progress in understanding bacterial pathogenesis in APMs.

Background: Exercise can modulate gut microbiota and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between exercise-induced changes in gut microbiota and CVD risk have not been investigated.Objective: This study determined the effects of exercise training on CVD risk and gut microbiota in physically active elderly women and whether exercise-induced gut microbiota changes were associated with CVD risk.Methods: An 8-week randomized controlled trial was conducted with 14 elderly women assigned to exercise group (n = 8) or control group (n = 6). Physical function, sarcopenic obesity, and metabolic syndrome were evaluated as components of CVD risk. Gut microbiota composition was determined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine intra-group and inter-group differences.Results: A significant group × time interaction was observed for chair sit-and-reach (F = 8.262, p = 0.014), single-leg standing with eyes closed (F = 7.340, p = 0.019), waist circumference (F = 6.254, p = 0.028), and body fat mass (F = 12.263, p = 0.004), for which the exercise group showed improved trends. The exercise group exhibited significant improvements in skeletal muscle mass (p = 0.041) and fasting blood glucose (p = 0.017). Regarding gut microbiota, a significant interaction was observed for the class Betaproteobacteria (F = 6.822, p = 0.023) and genus Holdemania (F = 4.852, p = 0.048).Conclusion: The 8-week exercise training improved physical function, lowered CVD risk, and modulated relative abundance of gut microbiota associated with CVD in physically active elderly women.

This study aimed to assess the effects of a 12-week vitamin D and endurance exercise intervention on bone health, body composition and physical performance among patients with type 2 diabetes. Totally, 61 patients were randomly assigned to vitamin D (VDG), exercise (EG), vitamin D and exercise intervention (VEG), and control (CG) groups. Bone health (bone mineral density, BMD; bone mineral content, BMC), body composition and physical performance were measured before and after the intervention. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess bone health and body composition. There were no additive effects of vitamin D beyond exercise were observed. Vitamin D supplementation had significant effects on maintaining bone health compared with their counterpart Total (BMC, EG + CG: 2,719.9 ± 70.0 vs. 2,670.1 ± 65.6; VDG + VEG: 2,610.9 ± 88.2 vs. 2,605.3 ± 84.8; trunk BMC, 870.2 ± 26.8 vs. 836.3 ± 23.7; 824.8 ± 29.5 vs. 822.1 ± 27.8; spine BMD, 1.15 ± 0.03 vs. 1.11 ± 0.02; 1.09 ± 0.03 vs. 1.09 ± 0.02) were observed. Exercise had a main effect on the reduction of total and trunk BF%. Patients in EG had a decreased BMC, while it was alleviated in VEG after intervention. Although no additive effect of vitamin D supplementation beyond exercise training, the supplementation had a potential effect on the prevention of bone loss induced by exercise only.

(1) Background: We investigated the effects of a 12-week exercise intervention with or without vitamin D supplementation on insulin resistance and the plasma lipidome of participants with type 2 diabetes. We further explored whether the effects of the intervention on glycemic parameters could be associated with the baseline lipidome. (2) Methods: Sixty-one participants were randomly allocated to control (Con), exercise (EX), vitamin D (VD), and EX + VD groups. Multiple glycemic and anthropometric parameters were evaluated before and after intervention. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was the primary outcome. The plasma lipidome was analyzed before, after, and at an additional 12-week follow-up. Machine learning was applied to establish prediction models for responsiveness of glycemic control. (3) Results: Our interventions failed to improve the HOMA-IR index while fasting glucose was reduced in the EX + VD group (change%, −11.9%; effect size, 0.65; p < 0.05). Both EX and VD interventions altered the plasma lipidome, with EX + VD intervention considerably affecting levels of lyso-phosphatidylcholines and triglycerols containing long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. Such effects could last until 12 weeks after intervention. Notably, there was high inter-individual variability in glycemic parameters including HOMA-IR in response to the interventions, which could be predicted with great accuracy using an optimal panel of baseline lipid predictors alone or in combination with clinical indices, as assessed by an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of over 0.9. (4) Conclusions: Although substantial alterations were observed in the plasma lipidome related to glycemic control, our intervention failed to improve HOMA-IR scores, which may have been predominately due to the large inter-individual variability in responses. Basal plasma lipid levels could potentially predict an individual’s response to intervention, highlighting the necessity of personalized nutrition.

Abstract Congenital heart defects, one of the most common birth defects, affect approximately 1% of live birth globally and remain the leading cause of infant mortality in developed countries. Utilizing the pathogenicity score and inheritance mode from whole exome sequencing results, a heterozygous mutation (NM_001278939.1: c.1939G>T, p.Gly647Ter) in elastin (ELN) was identified among 6,440 variants in a female proband born with an atrial septal defect accompanied by pulmonary artery stenosis. Results of RT-PCR showed that the mutation (NM_001278939.1: c.1939G>T, p.Gly647Ter) did not affect the expression levels of ELN mRNA but increased protein level. The content of ELN truncate (functional component) was significantly lower in both the intracellular and extracellular compartments after mutation. These results indicate that the ELN mutation (NM_001278939.1: c.1939G>T, p.Gly647Ter) affected the protein truncate, which may be a functional component of ELN and play crucial roles for this pedigree. Here we report of an ELN heterozygous variant associated with congenital heart disease accompanied with pulmonary artery stenosis, which is less common. Based on our results, we speculate that this may be the main molecular mechanism underlying the mutation-led functional changes, and propose that the decrease of ELN protein level may cause this pedigree vascular abnormality, especially pulmonary artery stenosis, and reinforce the view that ELN insufficiency is the primary cause of these vascular lesions. This may be the main molecular mechanism underlying the mutation-led functional changes. Thus, systematic analysis not only enables us to better understand the etiology of this disease but also contributes to clinical and prenatal diagnosis.

Abstract Background Psychosocial stress and stressful life events are known to aggravate allergic diseases. Less is known about the impact of stress management skills on allergies. Here we sought to determine whether stress management skills are associated with the allergies and to assess the combined effects of stress management skills and stressful events on allergy risk. Methods A survey on risk factors for self-reported allergic diseases was carried out among 28,144 southern Chinese people; 14 stressful life events and 8 stress management skills were retrospectively recorded in a case-control setting with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Multiplicative and additive interactions between stressful events and stress management skills were evaluated. Results Stressful events significantly increased allergy risk. The odds ratio (OR) for allergies was 1.65 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.41–1.93) for those reporting one or two stressful events and 3.10 (95% CI, 2.55–3.79) for those reporting more than three stressful events compared to participants without stressful events. Stress management skills were adversely associated with allergic risk for people experiencing stressful events (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53–0.97) when adjusted demographically, particularly “concentrate on pleasant thoughts at bedtime” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51–0.89), “pace myself to prevent tiredness” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54–0.83), “get enough sleep” (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32–0.72) and “take some time for relaxation each day” (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37–0.80). But in people without stressful events, no association was observed. There was a significant linear trend for allergy risk from good stress management skills with no stressful events to poor stress management skills with stressful events (P

Several gastrointestinal phenotypes and impairment of duodenal mucosal barrier have been reported in clinical studies in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Due to the preferential colonization of the mucosa, intestinal microbes and their metabolites are commonly involved in host metabolism and immune responses. However, there are no studies on the intertwined correlation among multi-level data. For more comprehensive illustrating, a multi-omics analysis focusing on the duodenum was performed in the FD rat model. We found that differential microbiomes in the duodenum were significantly correlated with the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. The innate immune response-related genes, which were upregulated in the duodenum, were associated with the TLR2/TLR4-NFκB signaling pathway. More importantly, arachidonyl ethanolamide (anandamide, AEA) and endocannabinoid analogues showed linear relationships with the FD phenotypes. Taken together, multi-level data from microbiome, transcriptome and metabolome reveal that AEA may regulate duodenal low-grade inflammation in FD. These results suggest an important cue of gut microbiome–endocannabinoid system axis in the pathogenesis of FD.

Purpose: Models for predicting postoperative overall survival of patients with metaplastic breast cancer have not yet been discovered. The purpose of this study is to establish a model for predicting postoperative overall survival of metaplastic breast cancer patients.Methods: Patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database diagnosed with MBC from 2010 to 2015 were selected and randomized into a SEER training cohort and an internal validation cohort. We identified independent prognostic factors after MBC surgery based on multivariate Cox regression analysis to construct nomograms. The discriminative and predictive power of the nomogram was assessed using Harrell’s consistency index (C-index) and calibration plots. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the model. We verify the performance of the prediction model with a Chinese multi-center data set.Results: Multifactorial analysis showed that age at diagnosis, T stage, N stage, M stage, tumor size, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were important prognostic factors affecting OS. The C-index of nomogram was higher than the eighth edition of the AJCC TNM grading system in the SEER training set and validation set. The calibration chart showed that the survival rate predicted by the nomogram is close to the actual survival rate. It has also been verified in the SEER internal verification set and the Chinese multi-center data set.Conclusion: The prognostic model can accurately predict the post-surgical OS rate of patients with MBC and can provide a reference for doctors and patients to establish treatment plans.

Lactate can play an immunosuppressive role in the tumor microenvironment and promote tumor development by recruiting and inducing the activity of immunosuppressive cells and molecules. High lactate concentrations are important for tumor cell metastasis, angiogenesis, and treatment resistance. With the in-depth studies on tumor metabolism, lactate, one of the key factors involved in glycolysis, has been increasing emerged its characteristic clinical value in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, lactate genes were screened based on lactate metabolism pathways. Subsequently, the lactate subtypes were determined by clustering and analysis of the subtypes at all levels, including immune checkpoints, immune infiltration, and clinical characteristics, which revealed the biological significance of lactate metabolism in CRC. Subtype-based differential gene analysis resulted in a lactate score, which stratifies the prognosis of CRC. We discovered that 27 lactate genes and 61 lactate-phenotype genes are associated with immune cell infiltration and have a significant prognostic efficacy. The CRC patients were clustered into four subtypes and five clusters, based on lactate genes and lactate-phenotype genes, respectively. There are significant differences in survival time and activities of hallmark pathways, namely immune-related signatures and chemokines, among these subtypes and clusters. Particularly, cluster 2 and subtype 1 have significantly higher lactate scores than that of the others. In conclusion, lactate score is an independent prognostic factor for cancer that can be used as a clinical guide for predicting CRC progression and as an evaluation factor for the effect of immunotherapy in CRC.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced colitis is one of the known complications of therapies targeting cytotoxic programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). ICI-associated colitis is routinely treated with immunosuppressive therapy, including corticosteroids and/or agents targeting tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In this report, a 69-year-old male patient developed severe ICI-induced colitis 2 weeks after anti-PD-L1 mAb (i.e., durvalumab) treatment; unexpectedly failed to respond to systemic corticosteroid, anti-TNF, and anti-integrin agents; and unfortunately died in 1 month. This case reminds clinical physicians to be on the alert for early-onset acute ICI-induced colitis and emphasizes that urgent optimized rescue measures are required for patients with severe ICI-induced colitis.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the changes in distinct types of screen time and explore their longitudinal association with children and adolescents’ weight status. Methods: A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 2228 children and adolescents (6–19 years) in Shanghai, China, before and during the pandemic. Recreational screen time (watching TV/videos, online gaming, using social media, and browsing webpages), educational screen time (online homework and online class), and BMI were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. Mixed-effects models were constructed to assess the associations between screen time and weight status. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 20.5% and 10.2% at baseline, respectively. Both recreational and educational screen time increased significantly over two months. While recreational screen time was found to be a risk factor for obesity, it was not the case for educational screen use. Specifically, adolescents who spent more time watching TV/videos had a higher obesity risk (OR = 1.576). No significant associations were found in children. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity were prevalent among children and adolescents in China. Reducing screen-based activities is a promising strategy to prevent unhealthy weight gain in Chinese children and adolescents, while it is necessary to consider the content and distinguish between educational and recreational screen use.

Cloud and fog droplets are essential in atmospheric chemistry since they affect the distribution and chemical transformation of pollutants. Collecting sufficient volumes using cloud/fog samplers is the premise of cloud fog chemical studies. Accurate identification of fog events and high collection efficiency are the basic principles of sampler design. Therefore, an automatic cloud/fog collector (ACFC) has been designed, fabricated, and extensively tested for collecting samples of cloud/fog water. The control box and standard sensors for air temperature, relative humidity, and instantaneous rainfall were used to ensure sampling automation. Airflow measurement was used to guarantee the stability of the airspeed on the inlet section, and the airspeed is 7.5 m s−1. Moreover, the median collection rate of ACFC was 160–220 mL h−1, which was tested via a simulation experiment. To evaluate the actual performance of the device in the field, we obtained eight samples of cloud fog water from Shanghuang Observatory in eastern China from the summer through the fall of 2022. Collection rates varied from 62 to 169 mL h−1. For a cloud/fog sampler equipped with multiple sensors, the ACFC has excellent sampling efficiency in thick fog, sufficient cloud fog water samples can be collected in weak fog, and it can precisely identify fog mingled with rain.

Abstract Background This study tentatively constructs a composite measure of Chinese Healthy Ageing Index (CHAI) among older adults aged 60+ and investigates change of CHAI during 2011–2015 and its association with sociodemographic characteristics. Methods Data collected from 8182 old adults aged 60+ in the 2011 and 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, a nationally representative sample) were used. Six medical measures of blood pressure, peak expiratory flow, cognitive status score, fasting glucose, kidney function and C-reactive function were used to construct CHAI (range 0–12, 0–2 = healthiest, 7–12 = unhealthiest). Ordinary least squares, logistic and random effects models examined social and spatial determinants of CHAI score and the prevalence of the ideal CHAI. Unconditional quantile regression tested heterogeneous impacts of sociodemographic determinants of CHAI score. Results Mean CHAI score declined from 5.7 to 5.2, and the proportion of the ideal CHAI (CHAI score = 0–2) increased from 5.6 to 9.4% during 2011–2015, indicating an improvement in healthy ageing over time. During 2011–2015, the highest rates of the ideal CHAI were in Southeast and East of China. Older adults, male, living in the Center and West, smoking, obesity/overweight and having chronic diseases were positively associated with total CHAI score and negatively with a higher prevalence of the ideal CHAI. Being married, having high education and regular social activities were associated with a higher rate of the ideal CHAI. The positive predictors for total CHAI were stronger in those with worse CHAI status. Conclusions In China healthy ageing has improved during 2011–2015, but substantial geographical and sociodemographic heterogeneities exist in the improvements, suggesting health equality remains a challenge in China. Future policies and interventions should especially focus on men, those in Central and West China, and combat health problems like obesity, chronic diseases and unhealthy behaviors.

Abstract Background Previous studied revealed that psoriasis and Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have highly overlapping epidemiological characteristics, genetic susceptibility loci, disease risk factors, immune mechanisms, and comorbidities. More and more biologics have been used to treat psoriasis and IBD. Interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors played an important role in the treatment of psoriasis, but induced and aggravated inflammatory bowel disease in some patients. IL-23 inhibitors have shown to be effective to both psoriasis and CD. Case presentation Forty-one year old Chinese male patient who came to the hospital for psoriasis, developed severe gastrointestinal symptoms after using an IL-17 inhibitor, and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (CD). The patient eventually used an IL-23 inhibitor to relieve both psoriasis and CD. Conclusion IBD patients and psoriasis patients have increased probability of suffering from the other disease. The case that patients had suffered from psoriasis and CD before the use of IL-17 inhibitor is quite rare. This case suggests that physicians need to be careful when treating patients with psoriasis and CD with biologics, and it is necessary to evaluate the gastrointestinal tract.

Abstract Background Previous studies indicated that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations are positively associated with physical activity levels independent of sun exposure. However, the effect of resistance training on serum 25(OH) D concentrations remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of chronic resistance training on serum 25(OH) D concentrations and determine whether 25(OH) D concentration variations are influenced by body composition changes. Methods Eighteen young men aged 19–39 years were randomly divided into a 12-week resistance training group (RT, n = 9) and non-exercise control group (CON, n = 9). The trial was undertaken in Shanghai University of Sport in Shanghai, China. Randomization and allocation to trial group were carried out by a central computer system. Serum 25(OH) D and intact parathyroid hormone concentrations were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results The average serum 25(OH) D concentrations were 26.6 nmol/L at baseline. After the 12-week intervention program, serum 25(OH) D concentrations significantly increased in both groups. Serum 25(OH) D concentrations at midpoint (6-week) increased significantly only in the CON group (P

Abstract Background Photoperiod and/or thermo-sensitive male sterility is an effective pollination control system in crop two-line hybrid breeding. We previously discovered the spontaneous mutation of a partially male sterile plant and developed a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) line 373S in Brassica napus L. The present study characterized this TGMS line through cytological observation, photoperiod/ temperature treatments, and genetic investigation. Results Microscopic observation revealed that the condensed cytoplasm and irregular exine of microspores and the abnormal degradation of tapetum are related to pollen abortion. Different temperature and photoperiod treatments in field and growth cabinet conditions indicated that the fertility alteration of 373S was mainly caused by temperature changes. The effects of photoperiod and interaction between temperature and photoperiod were insignificant. The critical temperature leading to fertility alteration ranged from 10 °C (15 °C/5 °C) to 12 °C (17 °C/7 °C), and the temperature-responding stage was coincident with anther development from pollen mother cell formation to meiosis stages. Genetic analysis indicated that the TGMS trait in 373S was controlled by one pair of genes, with male sterility as the recessive. Multiplex PCR analysis revealed that the cytoplasm of 373S is pol type. Conclusions Our study suggested that the 373S line in B. napus has a novel thermo-sensitive gene Bnms t1 in Pol CMS cytoplasm background, and its fertility alteration is mainly caused by temperature changes. Our results will broaden the TGMS resources and lay the foundation for two-line hybrid breeding in B. napus.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is one of important phenolic antioxidants and its fate in the environment has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, the initial reactions of BHA with OH radicals, including 8 abstraction reactions and 6 addition reactions, were calculated. The lowest energy barrier of 3.20 kcal mol−1 was found from the abstraction reaction on phenolic hydroxyl group. The reaction barriers of addition paths are in the range of 5.48–9.28 kcal mol−1, which are lower than those of the abstraction paths. The reaction rate constants were calculated by using transition state theory, and the rate constants are 8.12 × 107 M−1 s−1and 4.76 × 107 M−1 s−1 for the H-abstraction and OH-addition reactions, respectively. Through the calculation of the subsequent reactions of the abs-H0-TS1 and add-C4-M1 it was found that BHA would be further transformed into 2-tert-Butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (TBQ), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) etc. in the aqueous phase, and the eco-toxicities of these transformed products of BHA in the aqueous phase were significantly increased comparing with that of the BHA and they are toxic to aquatic organism.

The Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) is the most widely used and strong theory-based measurement tool to gain an understanding of mental health knowledge and ability. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS-C) and to document the norm and its influential factors of mental health literacy among nurses. The MHLS was translated following Brislin’s translation model and tested with a sample of 872 clinical registered nurses. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals (JSE-HP), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2) were administered to assess convergent validity. The minimum average partial test, parallel analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported 4 first-order 2 second-order structure. The 4 factors were named “knowledge of mental disorder,” “ability to seek information and help,” “recognition of mental disorder,” and “acceptance of patients with mental illness,” with factor 1-3 were summarized into MHLS-Core (Core literacy subscale) and factor 4 as MHLS-SA (Social acceptance subscale). The MHLS-C was moderately negatively correlated with the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 (-0.111, -0.081) and highly positively correlated with JSE-HP (0.492). The Cronbach’s α was 0.85 for the overall scale and 0.89 and 0.93 for two subscales. The test-retest reliability was good, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.80 for the whole scale, and 0.79 and 0.94 for two subscales. As an approximately normal distribution, the 50th percentile for the MHLS-C was 99, with 50th percentiles of 74 and 20 for MHLS-Core and MHLS-SA. Higher position, higher professional credentials, higher hospital hierarchy, other specialist hospital, psychiatric hospital and unmarried status were positive predictors. The 29-item MHLS-C, with two subscales of MHLS-Core and MHLE-SA, is a stable and validated tool to measure mental health literacy. MHLS-Core could be used independently to measure the core content of mental health literacy. It may be applicable for Chinese health professionals, but need further validation among the general public. MHL curriculum and a targeted culturally appropriate program for acceptance for health professionals, especially for those in general hospitals and with less working tenure, may be recommended.

A dual-layer biomimetic cartilage scaffold was prepared by mimicking the structural design, chemical cues and mechanical characteristics of mature articular cartilage. The surface layer was made from collagen (COL), chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid sodium (HAS). The transitional layer with microtubule array structure was prepared with COL, CS and silk fibroin (SF). The PLAG microspheres containing kartogenin (KGN) and the polylysine-heparin sodium nanoparticles containing TGF-β1 (TPHNs) were constructed for the surface, transitional layer, respectively. The SEM result showed that the dual-layer composite scaffold had a double structure similar to natural cartilage. The vitro biocompatibility experiment showed that the biomimetic cartilage scaffold with orientated porous structure was more conducive to the proliferation and adhesion of BMSCs. A rabbit KOA cartilage defect model was established and biomimetic cartilage scaffolds were implanted in the defect area. Compared with the surface layer and transitional layer scaffolds group, the results of dual-layer biomimetic cartilage scaffold group showed that the defects had been completely filled, the boundary between new cartilage and surrounding tissue was difficult to identify, and the morphology of cells in repair tissue was almost in accordance with the normal cartilage after 16 weeks. All those results indicated that the biomimetic cartilage scaffold could effectively repair the defect of KOA, which is related to the fact that the scaffold could guide the morphology, orientation, and proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs. This work could potentially lead to the development of multilayer scaffolds mimicking the zonal organization of articular cartilage.

1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl)cyclohexane (TBECH), as an emerging pollutant, was often detected in the aquatic environments, but the chemical behavior and potential eco-toxicity of each stereoisomer are poorly understood. Here, the chemical behavior of TBECH stereoisomers under the oxidation of ROS (OH· and HO2·) in the aqueous phase was investigated by computational chemistry. Besides, the eco-toxicity effects of TBECH and representative transformation products were obtained by computational toxicology. In the natural environments, TBECH stereoisomers could be transformed under the initiation of ROS, and the key oxidation species is OH· rather than HO2· in this process. DOM could indirectly promote the transformation of TBECH stereoisomers, resulting in the half-life (t1/2) of TBECH stereoisomers in less than 180 days, thus no longer maintaining environmental persistence. Although TBECH stereoisomers may show environmental persistence in natural waters, AOPs based on OH· could bring about their rapid transformation, which predicts the effectiveness of OH-based AOPs for the treatment of TBECH wastewater. The results of the eco-toxicity assessment showed that the transformation of TBECH stereoisomers is beneficial to the reduction of toxicity, but the transformation products are not completely harmless. Thus, it is urgent to clarify the environmental behaviors and risks of these transformation products that remain toxic in the aquatic environments.