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Abstract Background Preterm birth (PTB) is an important predictor of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Previous researches have reported a correlation between air pollution and an increased risk of preterm birth. However, the specific relationship between short-term and long-term exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) and preterm birth remains less explored. Methods A population-based study was conducted among 515,498 pregnant women in Chongqing, China, to assess short-term and long-term effects of CO on preterm and very preterm births. Generalized additive models (GAM) were applied to evaluate short-term effects, and exposure-response correlation curves were plotted after adjusting for confounding factors. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using COX proportional hazard models to estimate the long-term effect. Results The daily incidence of preterm and very preterm birth was 5.99% and 0.41%, respectively. A positive association between a 100 µg/m³ increase in CO and PTB was observed at lag 0–3 days and 12–21 days, with a maximum relative risk (RR) of 1.021(95%CI: 1.001–1.043). The exposure-response curves (lag 0 day) revealed a rapid increase in PTB due to CO. Regarding long-term exposure, positive associations were found between a 100 µg/m3 CO increase for each trimester(Model 2 for trimester 1: HR = 1.054, 95%CI: 1.048–1.060; Model 2 for trimester 2: HR = 1.066, 95%CI: 1.060–1.073; Model 2 for trimester 3: HR = 1.007, 95%CI: 1.001–1.013; Model 2 for entire pregnancy: HR = 1.080, 95%CI: 1.073–1.088) and higher HRs of very preterm birth. Multiplicative interactions between air pollution and CO on the risk of preterm and very preterm birth were detected (P- interaction

Abstract Macroscopic fibres assembled from two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets are new and impressing type of fibre materials besides those from one-dimensional (1D) polymers, such as graphene fibres. However, the preparation and property-enhancing technologies of these fibres follow those from 1D polymers by improving the orientation along the fibre axis, leading to non-optimized microstructures and low integrated performances. Here, we show a concept of bidirectionally promoting the assembly order, making graphene fibres achieve synergistically improved mechanical and thermal properties. Concentric arrangement of graphene oxide sheets in the cross-section and alignment along fibre axis are realized by multiple shear-flow fields, which bidirectionally promotes the sheet-order of graphene sheets in solid fibres, generates densified and crystalline graphitic structures, and produces graphene fibres with ultrahigh modulus (901 GPa) and thermal conductivity (1660 W m−1 K−1). We believe that the concept would enhance both scientific and technological cognition of the assembly process of 2D nanosheets.

Objective Limited research has been conducted on the correlation between apparent temperature and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), as well as the potential impact of air pollutants in modifying this relationship. The objective of this study is to investigate the lagged effect of apparent temperature on AMI and assess the effect modification of environmental pollutants on this association.Design A time-series study.Setting and participants The data for this study were obtained from the Academy of Medical Data Science at Chongqing Medical University, covering daily hospitalisations for AMI between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. Meteorological and air pollutant data were provided by China’s National Meteorological Information Centre.Outcome measures We used a combined approach of quasi-Poisson generalised linear model and distributed lag non-linear model to thoroughly analyse the relationships. Additionally, we employed a generalised additive model to investigate the interaction between air pollutants and apparent temperature on the effect of AMI.Result A total of 872 patients admitted to hospital with AMI were studied based on the median apparent temperature (20.43°C) in Chongqing. Low apparent temperature (10th, 7.19℃) has obvious lagged effect on acute myocardial infarction, first appearing on the 8th day (risk ratio (RR) 1.081, 95% CI 1.010 to 1.158) and the greatest risk on the 11th day (RR 1.094, 95% CI 1.037 to 1.153). No lagged effect was observed at high apparent temperature. In subgroup analysis, women and individuals aged 75 and above were at high risk. The interaction analysis indicates that there exist significant interactions between PM2.5 and high apparent temperature, as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and low apparent temperature.Conclusion The occurrence of decreased apparent temperature levels was discovered to be linked with a heightened relative risk of hospitalisations for AMI. PM2.5 and NO2 have an effect modification on the association between apparent temperature and admission rate of AMI.

Highlights Presenting the first investigation into the structurally bubbling-failure mechanism of graphitic film during cyclic liquid nitrogen shocks. Proposing an innovative design about seamless heterointerface constructing a Cu-modified structure. Inventing a new ultra-stable species of highly thermally conductive films to inspire new techniques for efficient and extreme thermal management.

Highlights PVTMS@MWCNT nano-aerogel with nano-pore size and abundant heterogeneous interface was fabricated via radical polymerization, sol–gel transition and CO2 drying. The nano-aerogel shows superior electromagnetic wave absorption property (RLmin = −36.1 dB and cover all Ku-band) and thermal infrared stealth property (ΔT reached 60.7 °C). Layered nano-aerogel/graphene film with high EMI shielding and absorption properties was obtained;

When conducting condition recognition research on AC contactor vibration signals through time-frequency analysis, the feature data exhibit a high degree of redundancy, which leads to repetitive information and hinders the accuracy of recognition. To address the redundancy issue in the features of AC contactor vibration signals, this study introduces a feature selection method based on Regularized Random Forest with Recursive Selection (RFRS). Initially, a test platform for AC contactor vibration signals was established, and time-frequency domain features of the AC contactor vibration signals were extracted. Subsequently, the traditional Random Forest (RF) was refined by optimizing its stopping criteria using the Recursive Feature Elimination approach and by incorporating a regularization coefficient during the splitting process to direct the split towards significant features. This modification not only enhances the Random Forest's capacity to leverage existing information but also introduces a bias, enabling it to favor important features. Finally, through case analysis, the proposed method effectively reduced the dimensionality of the feature set and achieved an average of 87.37% for Recall, 87.41% for F1-Score, 88.38% for Precision, and 85.74% for Accuracy. The overall performance of this method surpasses that of the three mainstream feature selection methods: Spearman's rank correlation coefficient method, the embedded method, and the filter method. This study thus provides a rather effective feature selection approach for the state recognition study of AC contactors.

Abstract Wet-chemical synthesis via heating bulk solution is powerful to obtain nanomaterials. However, it still suffers from limited reaction rate, controllability, and massive consumption of energy/reactants, particularly for the synthesis on specific substrates. Herein, we present an innovative wet-interfacial Joule heating (WIJH) approach to synthesize various nanomaterials in a sub-second ultrafast, programmable, and energy/reactant-saving manner. In the WIJH, Joule heat generated by the graphene film (GF) is confined at the substrate-solution interface. Accompanied by instantaneous evaporation of the solvent, the temperature is steeply improved and the precursors are concentrated, thereby synergistically accelerating and controlling the nucleation and growth of nanomaterials on the substrate. WIJH leads to a record high crystallization rate of HKUST-1 (~1.97 μm s−1), an ultralow energy cost (9.55 × 10−6 kWh cm−2) and low precursor concentrations, which are up to 5 orders of magnitude faster, −6 and −2 orders of magnitude lower than traditional methods, respectively. Moreover, WIJH could handily customize the products’ amount, size, and morphology via programming the electrified procedures. The as-prepared HKUST-1/GF enables the Joule-heating-controllable and low-energy-required capture and liberation towards CO2. This study opens up a new methodology towards the superefficient synthesis of nanomaterials and solvent-involved Joule heating.

BACKGROUND Lignin is an important component of marine organic carbon. It is also an important biomarker for extracting information on the evolution of the land and marine environment and tracking the source of organic marine matter. However, the existing analytical techniques are difficult to determine lignin directly. So, the content of phenolic compounds in the decomposition products of lignin in marine sediments were generally determined to indicate the content of lignin and the source of organic matter. The content of phenolic compounds in the decomposition products of lignin in marine sediments is often used to reflect the content of lignin. In addition, by calculating the diagnostic ratio of individual phenolic compounds, it also provides important information about the classification, source, and diagenesis of terrestrial organic matter in marine sediments. However, phenolic compounds in the decomposition products of lignin have the characteristics of strong polarity and low volatility, so they cannot be directly detected by gas chromatography and need to be derivatized first, which makes the sample processing complicated and often results in incomplete derivatization. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a simple and reliable method for determination of phenolic compounds of the lignin decomposition products in marine sediments to explore the source of organic matter and understand the environmental evolution process. OBJECTIVES To establish a simple and reliable method for the determination of phenolic compounds of lignin decomposition products in marine sediments using solid phase extraction (SPE) combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, and to trace the content level and source of lignin in the sediments of Laizhou Bay in China. METHODS Marine sediment samples were first decomposed with oxidative-alkaline CuO and extracted by solid phase extraction. Briefly, the oxidation was carried out in a polytetrafluoroethylene digestion tank. 1.00g of sediment sample, 500mg of copper oxide, and 100mg of ammonium ferrous sulfate were accurately weighed and placed in the tank. The components were thoroughly mixed with the sample and then the digestion tank was transferred to a glove box filled with nitrogen. 8.0mL of aqueous sodium hydroxide solution with a concentration of 8.0% (bubbled with N2 to remove dissolved oxygen) was added to the tank. The digestion tank was covered tightly and transferred to an oven heating to 150℃ for reaction, which was terminated after 3h. After the digestion tank cooled to room temperature, it was carefully unscrewed, and an internal standard (ethyl vanillin) solution was added. Subsequently, the hydrolysate was transferred to a centrifuge tube, spun at 8000r/min for 10min, and the supernatant and reaction residue was separated. 2.0mL of 1.0% sodium hydroxide solution was added to rinse the residue, and centrifuged at 8000r/min for 10min. Combining the centrifuged supernatant obtained twice, the solution was acidified to pH=1 with hydrochloric acid. After the solution was left to stand for 30 minutes, solid phase extraction was performed. The SPE procedure was as follows: A hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) SPE cartridge (200mg, 6mL) was conditioned with 5mL of methanol and 5mL of ultrapure water. Sample solution was passed through the cartridge in a flow rate 1.0mL/min, and then the cartridges were rinsed with 10mL water, and dried under vacuum for about 3min. Phenolic compounds were eluted with 10mL ethyl acetate, and were evaporated by a rotary evaporator, reconstituted with sample solvent. Then, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography using ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C18 column with packing particle size of 1.8μm was used to directly separate all target compounds at 28℃, with gradient elution. The mobile phase was composed of ultrapure water with 0.1% formic acid (V/V) and acetonitrile/methanol (9:1, V/V) , and the flow rate was set to 0.25mL/min. Electrospray ionization (in positive) time of flight mass spectrometry was applied to detect target compounds in full scan mode, and quantification was performed using an internal standard determination. RESULTS Firstly, chromatographic conditions and solid phase extraction conditions were systematically optimized. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography was used for the chromatographic separation of phenolic compounds from lignin decomposition products in marine sediments. The separation effects of three mobile phase systems, namely, water-acetonitrile, water- methanol, and water-methanol-acetonitrile, were compared. When using a water-methanol -acetonitrile ternary mobile phase system, the resolution of various phenolic compounds was superior to the commonly used water-acetonitrile or water-methanol binary mobile phase systems in the literature. In addition, the effects of mobile phase acidity (trifluoroacetic acid, formic acid, and acetic acid were added into the mobile phase) on the separation of various phenolic compounds were investigated. The results showed that adding a certain concentration of all three acids to the mobile phase provided better separation results. Considering the compatibility with mass spectrometry, it was finally determined that adding 0.1% formic acid into the mobile phase achieved good peak patterns and resolution. In order to determine the ionization mode suitable for the analysis of phenolic compounds from lignin decomposition products in marine sediment, electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry was performed on each target phenolic compound in ESI+ and ESI− mode, respectively. Under ESI+ mode, various target phenolic compounds were less affected by interfering substances in the sample matrix, and the MS response value for most of the phenolic compounds was higher than that found in ESI− mode. Hence, ESI-TOF/MS in positive mode was selected to determine phenolic compounds of lignin decomposition products in marine sediment. Subsequently, the fragmentation voltage was optimized to obtain the highest sensitivity for all target phenolic compounds, which was the main mass spectrometric condition that affected the quantification accuracy and sensitivity. The effect of fragmentation voltage on the MS response signal of each target phenolic compound was investigated in the range of 80V to 200V. Overall, considering the detection sensitivity of the [M+H]+ ion peak of each target compound, 130V was selected as the optimal fragmentation voltage to determine phenolic compounds of lignin decomposition products in marine sediment. The effect of pH (1.0-2.5) of the loading solution for solid phase extraction on the extraction efficiency of various target phenolic compounds was systematically investigated, to ensure that the phenolic compounds of lignin decomposition products in marine sediments have a good recovery rate during the SPE process. When the pH of the loading solution was 1.0 and 1.5, the recovery rate of various phenolic compounds by using HLB solid phase extraction column was significantly higher than that of the loading solution adjusted pH to 2.0 and 2.5. When the pH of the sample solution was 1.0 and 1.5, although the recoveries of syringaldehyde and acetovanillone were relatively similar, the recoveries of other phenolic compounds were the highest at a pH of 1.0. Considering the recovery rate of all the target phenolic compounds and applicability of the method, the pH of the sample solution was confirmed to adjust to 1.0. In this study, HLB SPE column with 200mg of packing material was used to enrich phenolic compounds in sample extraction solution. Generally, 5-10mL of eluting solvent can ensure the full elution of all target phenolic compounds adsorbed on the SPE column. Therefore, based on the results of literature research, ethyl acetate was finally selected as the eluting solvent, with a dosage of 10mL. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the 11 main decomposition phenol compounds of lignin in marine sediments were well separated within 20 minutes. The proposed method had good precision (RSD was less than 9.0%), the correlation coefficient (R2) was not less than 0.9989 in the linear range, and the recovery rate of all spiked phenol compounds in blank marine sediment was in the range of 86.8%-93.2%, thereby indicating that the developed method would be suitable to determine the target decomposition phenol compounds of lignin in marine sediment. Subsequently, the method was used to determine the phenolic compounds of lignin decomposition products in the surface sediments of Laizhou Bay. The detection rate of 11 target phenolic compounds in 12 surface sediment samples was 100%, and the concentration of Σ8 in 12 surface sediment samples ranged from 0.001mg/10gds to 0.019mg/10gds. The value of C/V was between 0.18 and 0.81, with an average of 0.38; the value of S/V was between 0.18 and 0.45, with an average of 0.26; PON/P value was between 0.01 and 0.07, with an average of 0.03; P/(V+S) value was between 0.55 and 3.77, with an average of 1.44; (Ad/Al)v value was between 0.12 and 1.07, with an average of 0.48; the value of (Ad/Al)s was between 0.15 and 1.26, with an average of 1.02. CONCLUSIONS The above diagnostic ratios indicate that the lignin in the surface sediments of Laizhou Bay originate mainly from the herbaceous tissue of angiosperms, while the proportion of organic matter in vascular plants is relatively low. The degradation degree of terrestrial organic matter in most sampling stations is medium or high, but there is still a small amount of fresh plant debris. The proposed method has the advantages of high efficiency, simple for sample pretreatment, and is a powerful technique for the determination of main decomposition product phenolic compounds of lignin in marine sediments.

The incidence of intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer, has steadily increased over the past decades. The Hippo pathway is involved in cell proliferation, tissue and organ damage, energy metabolism, tumor formation, and other physiologic processes. Ferroptosis is a form of programmed cell death characterized by the accumulation of iron and lipid peroxides. The Hippo pathway and ferroptosis are associated with various intestinal diseases; however, the crosstalk between them is unclear. This review elaborates on the current research on the Hippo pathway and ferroptosis in the context of intestinal diseases. We summarized the connection between the Hippo pathway and ferroptosis to elucidate the underlying mechanism by which these pathways influence intestinal diseases. We speculate that a mutual regulatory mechanism exists between the Hippo pathway and ferroptosis and these two pathways interact in several ways to regulate intestinal diseases.

Highlights Large-area production of self-standing graphene nanofilm (~ 20 cm) through a clean ‘substrate replacement’ strategy. Realizing highly crystalline graphene nanofilms without micro-gasbags by introducing polymers. The graphene nanofilms demonstrate a solid light–matter interaction (photoelectric conversion in the mid-infrared and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in X-band) with performance beyond state-of-the-art graphene/silicon diodes and EMI materials.

The carrier-free chemo-photothermal therapy has become a promising strategy to improve anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy owing to the combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, with improved chemotherapy drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, high drug loading, and reduced toxicity. We designed a novel carrier-free targeting nanoparticles, co-self-assembled amphiphilic prodrugs 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine (DOG), and tumor-targeted γ-octadecyl folate (MOFA), with encapsulated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy. The DOG linking oleic acid to the sugar moiety of gemcitabine (GEM) showed better self-assembly ability among GEM amphiphilic prodrugs linking different fatty acids. The readily available and highly reproducible 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine/γ-octadecyl folate/indocyanine green (DOG/MOFA/ICG) nanoparticles were prepared by reprecipitation and showed nano-scale structure with mono-dispersity, great encapsulation efficiency of ICG (approximately 74%), acid- and laser irradiation-triggered GEM release in vitro and sustained GEM release in vivo after intravenous administration as well as excellent temperature conversion (57.0°C) with near-infrared laser irradiation. The combinational DOG/MOFA/ICG nanoparticles with near-infrared laser irradiation showed better anti-tumor efficacy than individual chemotherapy or photothermal therapy, with very low hemolysis and inappreciable toxicity for L929 cells. This co-self-assembly of the ICG and the chemotherapy drug (GEM) provides a novel tactic for the rational design of multifunctional nanosystems for targeting drug delivery and theranostics.

Highlights Monodomain liquid crystals of graphene oxide over 30 cm is realized by boundary-free sheargraphy. The achieved monodomain liquid crystals have bidirectional sheet ordering, exhibiting unique optical, rheological, and conductive properties. Boundary-free sheargraphy extends to freely design delicate topology of two-dimensional colloids, including topological structures with defect strength from − 2 to + 2 and complex polydomain.

IntroductionThere have been many researches done on the association between maternal exposure to ambient air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes, but few studies related to very low birth weight (VLBW). This study thus explores the association between maternal exposure to ambient air pollutants and the risk of VLBW, and estimates the sensitive exposure time window.MethodsA retrospective cohort study analyzed in Chongqing, China, during 2015–2020. The Generalized Additive Model were applied to estimate exposures for each participant during each trimester and the entire pregnancy period.ResultsFor each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 during pregnancy, the relative risk of VLBW increased on the first trimester, with RR = 1.100 (95% CI: 1.012, 1.195) in the single-pollutant model. Similarly, for each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10, there was a 12.9% (RR = 1.129, 95% CI: 1.055, 1.209) increase for VLBW on the first trimester in the single-pollutant model, and an 11.5% (RR = 1.115, 95% CI: 1.024, 1.213) increase in the multi-pollutant model, respectively. The first and second trimester exposures of NO2 were found to have statistically significant RR values for VLBW. The RR values on the first trimester were 1.131 (95% CI: 1.037, 1.233) and 1.112 (95% CI: 1.015, 1.218) in the single-pollutant model and multi-pollutant model, respectively; The RR values on the second trimester were 1.129 (95% CI: 1.027, 1.241) and 1.146 (95% CI: 1.038, 1.265) in the single-pollutant model and multi-pollutant model, respectively. The RR of O3 exposure for VLBW on the entire trimester was 1.076 (95% CI: 1.010–1.146), and on the second trimester was 1.078 (95% CI: 1:016, 1.144) in the single-pollutant model.ConclusionThis study indicates that maternal exposure to high levels of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3 during pregnancy may increase the risk of very low birth weight, especially for exposure on the first and second trimester. Reducing the risk of early maternal exposure to ambient air pollution is thus necessary for pregnant women.

IntroductionAn emerging public health issue is brought on by the worldwide increase of thyroid nodules (TNs). The goal of the current study is to determine the global prevalence of TNs among the general population.MethodsWe screened articles published from January 2000 to May 2022. TN prevalence was calculated with the DerSimonian–Laird random effects model with arcsine transformation.ResultsA total of 20,358 entries were found in our research, and 102 of them met our inclusion criteria. A total of 9,276,178 individuals have been diagnosed as TNs; the overall prevalence was 24.83% (95% CI 21.44–28.55), regardless of the diagnostic techniques. TNs have become more prevalent during 2012–2022 (29.29%) compared with 2000–2011 (21.53%, p = 0.02). In addition, we discovered that women (36.51%) were more likely to have TNs than men (23.47%, p < 0.01). Interestingly, we found that obesity was correlated with the prevalence of TNs. Additionally, age-specific-stratified TN prevalence was found in our results.DiscussionThis meta-analysis shows that, regardless of country development and economic status, TNs are spreading more widely over the world. Our findings showed a strong correlation between rising TN prevalence and older age, female sex, and elevated weight. To stop the TN epidemic from spreading over the world, increased awareness, the understanding of the disease, and quick action are required.

With the continuous development of information technology, new teaching resources “micro-video class” and teaching model “flipped classroom” have gradually attracted the attention of teachers. Whether and how they can be applied in pharmacology teaching has already become the focus of medical education research in recent years. This paper explores the application and evaluation of the flipped classroom based on micro-video class in pharmacology teaching in our college. Students in Class 1 and Class 2 majoring in clinical medicine of 2018 in Chengdu Medical College were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The teaching model of flipped classroom based on micro-video class was used in the experimental group, while the traditional teaching model was used in the control group. Theory tests and questionnaires were carried out at the end of the course. The average scores of theoretical knowledge in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.05). In addition, the results of the feedback questionnaire showed that the overall satisfaction of students participating in flipped classroom based on micro-video class was higher (P < 0.05), and students thought that their learning enthusiasm, learning efficiency, and abilities of autonomous learning and problem-solving were greatly improved compared with those of students taught applying the traditional teaching model. Flipped classroom based on micro-video class model successfully improved the outcome of pharmacology teaching. It is supposed to provide reference for the reform of pharmacology teaching in medical college.

Volume resuscitation is an important early treatment for haemorrhagic shock. Haemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) can expand the volume and provide oxygen for tissues. Vascular leakage is common complication in the process of haemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. The aim of this study was to observe the effects of HBOC (a bovine-derived, cross-linked tetramer haemoglobin oxygen-carrying solution, 0.5 g/L) on vascular leakage in rats after haemorrhagic shock. A haemorrhagic shock rat model and hypoxic vascular endothelial cells (VECs) were used. The role of intercellular junctions and endothelial glycocalyx in the protective effects of HBOC and the relationship with mitochondrial function were analysed. After haemorrhagic shock, the pulmonary vascular permeability to FITC-BSA, Evans Blue was increased, endothelial glycocalyx was destroyed and the expression of intercellular junction proteins was decreased. After haemorrhagic shock, a small volume of HBOC solution (6 ml/kg) protected pulmonary vascular permeability, increased structural thickness of endothelial glycocalyx, the levels of its components and increased expression levels of the intercellular junction proteins ZO-1, VE-cadherin and occludin. Moreover, HBOC significantly increased oxygen delivery and consumption in rats, improved VEC mitochondrial function and structure. In conclusion, HBOC mitigates endothelial leakage by protecting endothelial glycocalyx and intercellular junctions through improving mitochondrial function and tissue oxygen delivery.

DNA damage response (DDR) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which eukaryotic cells sense DNA lesions caused by intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli, including virus infection. Although interactions between DNA viruses and DDR have been extensively studied, how RNA viruses, especially coronaviruses, regulate DDR remains unknown. A previous study showed that the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a member of the genus Alphacoronavirus in the Coronaviridae family, induces DDR in infected cells. However, the underlying mechanism was unclear. This study showed that PEDV activates the ATM-Chk2 signaling, while inhibition of ATM or Chk2 dampens the early stage of PEDV infection. Additionally, we found that PEDV-activated ATM signaling correlates with intracellular ROS production. Interestingly, we showed that, unlike the typical γH2AX foci, PEDV infection leads to a unique γH2AX staining pattern, including phase I (nuclear ring staining), II (pan-nuclear staining), and III (co-staining with apoptotic bodies), which highly resembles the apoptosis process. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PEDV-induced H2AX phosphorylation depends on the activation of caspase-7 and caspase-activated DNAse (CAD), but not ATM-Chk2. Finally, we showed that the knockdown of H2AX attenuates PEDV replication. Taken together, we conclude that PEDV induces DDR through the ROS-ATM and caspase7-CAD-γH2AX signaling pathways to foster its early replication.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the use of different shunting ways in patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the data of 36 patients with liver cirrhosis who received de novo TIPS implantation. Sixteen patients had elective TIPS by shunting the blood to the left downstream veins and 20 to the right ones. All patients were followed up for 2 years. We assessed hepatic encephalopathy (HE), rebleeding, and survival rate in all patients post-TIPS. RESULTS: Under our surgical procedure, more post-TIPS HE was observed in the TIPS-left group, whereas rebleeding was detected in the TIPS-right group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The decision regarding TIPS placement way for portal hypertension patients needs individualization to allow its safe use, with concomitant improvement in perioperative morbidity.

Background Jatropha curcas L., a perennial oilseed plant, is considered as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. Genetic modification of flowering characteristics is critical for Jatropha breeding. However, analysis of floral-specific promoters in Jatropha is limited. Methods In this study, we isolated the Jatropha ortholog of TM6 (JcTM6) gene from Jatropha flower cDNA library and detected the expression pattern of JcTM6 gene by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We isolated a 1.8-kb fragment from the 5’ region of the JcTM6 gene and evaluated its spatiotemporal expression pattern in Arabidopsis using the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and Arabidopsis ATP/ADP isopentenyltransferase 4 (AtIPT4) gene, respectively. Results JcTM6 was identified as a flower-specific gene in Jatropha. As expected, JcTM6 promoter was only active in transgenic Arabidopsis flowers with the strongest activity in stamens. Moreover, JcTM6:AtIPT4 transgenic Arabidopsis showed a phenotype of large flowers without any alterations in other organs. Furthermore, deletion of the region from –1,717 to –876 bp resulted in the disappearance of promoter activity in stamens but an increase in promoter activity in young leaves, sepals, and petals. Deletion analysis suggests that the –1,717- to –876-bp promoter fragment contains regulatory elements that confer promoter activity in stamens and inhibit activity in young leaves, sepals, and petals.

Abstract Background Marek’s disease virus (MDV) resides in the genus Mardivirus in the family Herpesviridae. MDV is a highly contagious virus that can cause neurological lesions, lymphocytic proliferation, immune suppression, and death in avian species, including Galliformes (chickens, quails, partridges, and pheasants), Strigiformes (owls), Anseriformes (ducks, geese, and swans), and Falconiformes (kestrels). Case presentation In 2015, two red-crowned cranes died in Nanjing (Jiangsu, China). It was determined that the birds were infected with Marek’s disease virus by histopathological examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gene sequencing and sequence analysis of tissue samples from two cranes. Gross lesions included diffuse nodules in the skin, muscle, liver, spleen, kidney, gizzard and heart, along with liver enlargement and gizzard mucosa hemorrhage. Histopathological assay showed that infiltrative lymphocytes and mitotic figures existed in liver and heart. The presence of MDV was confirmed by PCR. The sequence analysis of the Meq gene showed 100% identity with Md5, while the VP22 gene showed the highest homology with CVI988. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis of the VP22 and Meq genes suggested that the MDV (from cranes) belongs to MDV serotype 1. Conclusion We describe the first molecular detection of Marek’s disease in red-crowned cranes based on the findings previously described. To our knowledge, this is also the first molecular identification of Marek’s disease virus in the order Gruiformes and represents detection of a novel MDV strain.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays an integral role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and may affect hunger, caloric intake, and nutrient absorption. Obesity has been associated with higher levels of the endogenous cannabinoid transmitters (endocannabinoids). Therefore, the ECS is an important target in obesity treatment. Modulating the enzymes that synthesize and degrade endocannabinoids, namely fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), and diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL), may be a promising strategy to treat obesity. This review aims to synthesize all studies investigating pharmacological or genetic manipulation of FAAH, MAGL, or DAGL enzymes in association with obesity-related measures. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic deletion of FAAH tended to promote an obesogenic state in animal models, though the relationships between human FAAH polymorphisms and obesity-related outcomes were heterogeneous, which could be due to FAAH having both pro-appetitive and anti-appetitive substrates. Genetic deletion of Mgll and Dagla as well as pharmacological inhibition of DAGL tended to reduce body weight and improve metabolic state in animal studies, though the effects of Mgll manipulation were tissue-dependent. Monitoring changes in body weight in ongoing clinical trials of FAAH inhibitors may clarify whether FAAH inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment obesity. More preclinical work is needed to characterize the role of MAGL and DAGL modulation in obesity-related outcomes.

Jatropha curcas L. is monoecious with a low female-to-male ratio, which is one of the factors restricting its seed yield. Because the phytohormone cytokinins play an essential role in flower development, particularly pistil development, in this study, we elevated the cytokinin levels in J. curcas flowers through transgenic expression of a cytokinin biosynthetic gene (AtIPT4) from Arabidopsis under the control of a J. curcas orthologue of TOMATO MADS BOX GENE 6 (JcTM6) promoter that is predominantly active in flowers. As expected, the levels of six cytokinin species in the inflorescences were elevated, and flower development was modified without any alterations in vegetative growth. In the transgenic J. curcas plants, the flower number per inflorescence was significantly increased, and most flowers were pistil-predominantly bisexual, i.e., the flowers had a huge pistil surrounded with small stamens. Unfortunately, both the male and the bisexual flowers of transgenic J. curcas were infertile, which might have resulted from the continuously high expression of the transgene during flower development. However, the number and position of floral organs in the transgenic flowers were well defined, which suggested that the determinacy of the floral meristem was not affected. These results suggest that fine-tuning the endogenous cytokinins can increase the flower number and the female-to-male ratio in J. curcas.

Two months of PM2.5 samples were collected during the summer of 2010 at Qinghai Lake (3200 m a.s.l.) in the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau, China and determined for organic compounds, elemental carbon, organic carbon (OC) and inorganic ions to explore the characteristics of aerosols in the continental atmosphere of China. Approximately 100 organic compounds in the samples were detected with an average of 61±36 ng m−3 in total, accounting for 2.6±1.0% of OC. n-Alkanes (19±12 ng m−3), fatty alcohols (12±7.6 ng m−3), polyols and polyacids (7.5±3.6 ng m−3), sugars (6.5±4.8 ng m−3), and biogenic secondary organic aerosols (BSOA) (6.3±4.4 ng m−3) are the major compounds in the samples, while phthalates (1.9±1.2 ng m−3), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (0.7±0.5 ng m−3) and phthalic acids (2.6±1.5 ng m−3) are minor and one to three orders of magnitude lower than those in urban and rural regions over China. Our results showed that 2-methyltetrols in the PM2.5 samples, two key tracers for isoprene photo-oxidation, positively correlated with ambient temperature, which can be explained by enhancements in biogenic emission and photochemical oxidation when temperature increases. However, we also found that 2-methyltetrols in the samples negatively correlated with relative humidity (RH). Aerosol inorganic model (AIM) calculation showed that in situ acidity of the fine particles decreased along with an increase of RH, which results in a decrease in BSOA production due to acid-catalysed particle-phase reactions inefficient under higher RH conditions.

PurposeTo retrospectively evaluate the cardiac exposure in three cohorts of lung cancer patients treated with dynamic conformal arc therapy (DCAT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) at our institution in the past seven years.Methods and materialsA total of 140 lung cancer patients were included in this institutional review board approved study: 25 treated with DCAT, 70 with IMRT and 45 with VMAT. All plans were generated in a same commercial treatment planning system and have been clinically accepted and delivered. The dose distribution to the heart and the effects of tumor laterality, the irradiated heart volume and the beam-to-heart distance on the cardiac exposure were investigated.ResultsThe mean dose to the heart among all 140 plans was 4.5 Gy. Specifically, the heart received on average 2.3, 5.2 and 4.6 Gy in the DCAT, IMRT and VMAT plans, respectively. The mean heart doses for the left and right lung tumors were 4.1 and 4.8 Gy, respectively. No patients died with evidence of cardiac disease. Three patients (2%) with preexisting cardiac condition developed cardiac disease after treatment. Furthermore, the cardiac exposure was found to increase linearly with the irradiated heart volume while decreasing exponentially with the beam-to-heart distance.ConclusionsCompared to old technologies for lung cancer treatment, modern radiotherapy treatment modalities demonstrated better heart sparing. But the heart dose in lung cancer radiotherapy is still higher than that in the radiotherapy of breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease where cardiac complications have been extensively studied. With strong correlations of mean heart dose with beam-to-heart distance and irradiated heart volume, cautions should be exercised to avoid long-term cardiac toxicity in the lung cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of intermediate megavoltage (3-MV) photon beams on SBRT lung cancer treatments. To start with, a 3-MV virtual beam was commissioned on a commercial treatment planning system based on Monte Carlo simulations. Three optimized plans (6-MV, 3-MV and dual energy of 3- and 6-MV) were generated for 31 lung cancer patients with identical beam configuration and optimization constraints for each patient. Dosimetric metrics were evaluated and compared among the three plans. Overall, planned dose conformity was comparable among three plans for all 31 patients. For 21 thin patients with average short effective path length (< 10 cm), the 3-MV plans showed better target coverage and homogeneity with dose spillage index R50% = 4.68±0.83 and homogeneity index = 1.26±0.06, as compared to 4.95±1.01 and 1.31±0.08 in the 6-MV plans (p < 0.001). Correspondingly, the average/maximum reductions of lung volumes receiving 20 Gy (V20Gy), 5 Gy (V5Gy), and mean lung dose (MLD) were 7%/20%, 9%/30% and 5%/10%, respectively in the 3-MV plans (p < 0.05). The doses to 5% volumes of the cord, esophagus, trachea and heart were reduced by 9.0%, 10.6%, 11.4% and 7.4%, respectively (p < 0.05). For 10 thick patients, dual energy plans can bring dosimetric benefits with comparable target coverage, integral dose and reduced dose to the critical structures, as compared to the 6-MV plans. In conclusion, our study indicated that 3-MV photon beams have potential dosimetric benefits in treating lung tumors in terms of improved tumor coverage and reduced doses to the adjacent critical structures, in comparison to 6-MV photon beams. Intermediate megavoltage photon beams (< 6-MV) may be considered and added into current treatment approaches to reduce the adjacent normal tissue doses while maintaining sufficient tumor dose coverage in lung cancer radiotherapy.

This paper presents a multi-sensor information fusion technology based on electrical system fault diagnosis model, analysis the multi-sensor information fusion technology of several structure layer and realization method, and discusses its application in fault diagnosis of electrical system. Select and implement appropriate methods for the information fusion, the different error characteristic parameters in electrical system can be fused and calculated by this model, and a more valuable conclusion for the fault diagnosis of electrical system can be provided.