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Yu-Xian Tang,1,&ast; Zhi-Wei Fan,1,&ast; Jing Li,2,&ast; Hao-Dong Pan,3 Wen-Xin Su,1 Yusanjan Matniyaz,2 Hai-Tao Zhang,4 Yuan-Xi Luo,4 Zhi-Kang Lv,2 Wen-Zhe Wang,2 Ya-Xuan Gao,2 Tuo Pan,2,4 Wan-Zi Xu,1,2 Dong-Jin Wang1– 4 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Clinical Medicine, Norman Bethune Health Science Center of Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dong-Jin Wang; Wan-Zi Xu, Department of Cardiac surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, People’s Republic of China, Email dongjin_wang@126.com; 582321957@qq.comBackground: Sivelestat, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, is specifically developed to mitigate the occurrence of acute lung injury (ALI) in individuals who are undergoing cardiovascular surgery. However, its impact on patients who are at a heightened risk of developing ALI after scheduled cardiac surgery has yet to be determined. In order to address this knowledge gap, we undertook a study to assess the efficacy of sivelestat in protecting the lungs of these patients.Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 718 patients who were at high risk of developing postoperative acute lung injury (ALI) and underwent scheduled cardiac surgery between April 25th, 2022, and September 7th, 2023. Among them, 52 patients received sivelestat (administered at a dosage of 0.2mg/kg/h for 3 days), while 666 patients served as controls, not receiving sivelestat. The control conditions were the same for all patients, including ventilation strategy, extubating time, and fluid management. Subsequently, a propensity-score matched cohort was established, consisting of 40 patients in both the sivelestat and control groups. The primary outcome measure encompassed a composite of adverse outcomes, including 30-day mortality, ALI, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and others. Secondary outcomes assessed included pneumonia, ventricular arrhythmias, mechanical ventilation (MV) time, and more.Results: After conducting propensity matching in our study, we observed that there were no significant differences in 30-day mortality between the sivelestat and control groups (0% vs 2.5%, P=0.32). However, the use of sivelestat exhibited a significant reduction in the incidence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) compared to the control group (0% vs 55%, P< 0.01), pneumonia (0 vs 37.5%, P< 0.01), MV time (median:8 hours, IQR:4– 14.8 hours vs median: 15.2 hours, IQR:14– 16.3 hours, P< 0.01). Compared to the control group, the sivelestat could significantly decrease white cell count (P< 0.01), neutrophile percentage (P< 0.01) and C-reactive protein (P< 0.01) in the period of postoperative 5 days.Conclusion: The prophylactic administration of sivelestat has shown promising results in reducing the occurrence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) in patients with a heightened risk of developing these conditions after elective cardiac surgery. Our study findings indicate that sivelestat may provide protective effects by suppressing inflammation triggered by neutrophil activation, thereby safeguarding pulmonary function.Registration: ChiCTR2200059102, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=166643.Keywords: sivelestat, cardiac surgery, acute lung injury, inflammation

Wen-Zhe Xu,1,2 Feng Li,1,2 Zhen-Kuan Xu,1,2 Xuan Chen,3 Bin Sun,1,2 Jing-Wei Cao,1,2 Yu-Guang Liu1,2 1Department of Neurosurgery, Qilu Hospital, 2Brain Science Research Institute, 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China Objective: Impaired immunonutritional status has disadvantageous effects on outcomes for cancer patients. Preoperative albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) and the prognostic nutrition index (PNI) have been used as prognostic factors in various cancers. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the AGR and PNI in glioblastoma.Materials and methods: This retrospective analysis involved 166 patients. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. AGR and the PNI were calculated as AGR = albumin/(total serum protein – albumin) and PNI = albumin (g/L) + 5 × total lymphocyte count (109/L). Overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the predictive ability of AGR and the PNI. Cox proportional-hazard models estimating hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for univariable and multivariable survival analyses.Results: The cutoff values of AGR and PNI were 1.75 and 48. OS was enhanced, with high AGR (>1.75) and the PNI (>48) (P

Kai-Yi Tao,1 Xian-Xing Li,2 Wei-Zhen Xu,3 Yin Wang,4 Shuang-Mei Zhu,5 Hua-Xia Xie,3 Wen-Hua Luo,6 Yan-Jun Xu,7 Xiao-Ling Xu3,7 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, 2Department of Radiology, 3Key Laboratory on Diagnosis and Treatment Technology on Thoracic Cancer, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital (Zhejiang Cancer Research Institute), 4Physical Examination Center, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou, 5Department of Radio-Chemotherapy Oncology, Lishui People’s Hospital, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 6Department of Radio-Chemotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 7Department of Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in apoptosis-related genes have been shown to play a role in the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy and may influence clinical outcomes. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlations of four functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms – FAS −670 A>G, FAS ligand −844 T>C, survivin −31 G>C, and survivin 9386 C>T – with drug response and clinical outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. Materials and methods: Polymorphisms were evaluated using the polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment-length polymorphism technique.Results: Patients with the CC genotype of FAS −670 A>G had worse overall survival (OS) than those with the CT or TT genotype (P=0.044), with median OS values of 20.1 months, 22.8 months, and 26.0 months, respectively. Furthermore, progression-free survival was associated with the FAS −670 A>G polymorphism (P=0.032). In addition, patients with the TC and CC genotypes of survivin 9386 C>T experienced improved survival compared with patients with the TT genotype (median OS 31.4 months and 22.8 months, respectively).Conclusion: The functional FAS −670 A>G and survivin 9386 C>T polymorphisms are potential independent prognostic factors in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Keywords: lung cancer, FAS −670 A>G, survivin 9386 C>T, polymorphism, chemotherapy response

Luminescent Cu I complexes are an important class of coordination compounds due to their relative abundance, low cost and ability to display excellent luminescence. The title Cu 2 I 2 P 2 S 2 -type binuclear complex, di-μ-iodido-bis[(thiourea-κS)(triphenylphosphine-κP)copper(I)], [Cu 2 I 2 (CH 4 N 2 S) 2 (C 18 H 15 P) 2 ], conventionally abbreviated as Cu 2 I 2 TPP 2 TU 2 , where TPP and TU represent triphenylphosphine and thiourea, respectively, is described. In this complex, each Cu I atom adopts a CuI 2 PS four-coordination mode and pairs of atoms are connected to each other by two μ 2 -I ligands to form a centrosymmetric binuclear cluster. It was also found that the paper-based film of this complex exhibited obvious luminescence light-up sensing for pyridine and 4-methylpyridine.

Three ΔI=1 bands with the πg&#95;{9/2}⊗νg&#95;{9/2} configuration have been identified in &#95;{35}^{74}Br&#95;{39}. Angular distribution, linear polarization, and lifetime measurements were performed to determine the multipolarity, type, mixing ratio, and absolute transition probability of the transitions. By comparing these experimental observations with the corresponding fingerprints and the quantum particle rotor model calculations, the second and third lowest bands are, respectively, suggested as the chiral partner and one-phonon wobbling excitation built on the yrast band. The evidence indicates the first chiral wobbler in nuclei.

Objective: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the standardized outcomes in nephrology-hemodialysis fatigue (SONG-HD fatigue) scale and to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the SONG-HD fatigue (C-SONG-HD fatigue) scale., Methods: Forward and back translations were used to translate the SONG-HD fatigue scale into Chinese. We used the C-SONG-HD fatigue scale to survey Chinese patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in China. We examined the distribution of responses and floor and ceiling effects. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficient, intraclass coefficients, and Spearman correlations were used to assess internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity, respectively. Responsiveness was also evaluated., Results: In total, 489 participants across southeast China, northwest China, and central China completed the study. The C-SONG-HD fatigue scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.861, omega coefficient 0.916), test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.695), and convergent validity (Spearman correlation 0.691). The analysis of all first-time HD patients did not show notable responsiveness, and only patients with temporary vascular access had good responsiveness with an effect size (ES) of 0.54, a standardized response mean (SRM) of 0.85, and a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 0.77., Conclusion: The Chinese version of the SONG-HD fatigue scale showed satisfactory reliability and validity in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in China. It could be used as a tool to measure the fatigue of Chinese HD patients., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

It is of great importance to scientifically evaluate the impact of weather and climate conditions on the occurrence of O 3 pollution in order to improve the accuracy of O 3 pollution forecasts， as well as to reasonably control and reduce the adverse effects of O 3 pollution. The characteristics of O 3 concentration and climate background were analyzed based on daily O 3 concentration data， meteorological factors， and NCEP/NCER reanalysis data from 2006 to 2021 in Shanghai. In addition， the differences in atmospheric circulation situations during years with anomalous O 3 concentrations were compared and diagnosed from the perspective of climatology. Additionally， the monthly O 3 concentration prediction model （seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average with exogenous regressors， SARIMAX） was further established by adding the key meteorological factors. The results indicated that both the whole-year average and summer half-year average O 3 concentrations in Shanghai were increasing with fluctuation， and the summer half-year average was much higher than the annual average， up to 36.2%. Furthermore， there was a significant negative correlation between O 3 concentration and wind speed （correlation coefficient of -0.826） and a significant positive correlation with the frequency of static wind and the number of days in which the low cloud cover was less than 20% （correlation coefficients of 0.836 and 0.724， respectively）. The monthly mean O 3 concentration had a clear periodicity， showing a pattern with a high concentration in the middle period （April to September） and a low concentration at the beginning and end of the periods. High O 3 concentration years （2013-2021） were accompanied by more polluted days， lower average wind speed， more small wind （≤1.5 m·s -1 ） days， more days of low cloud cover of less than 20%， more days of high temperature， higher direct solar radiation， and more sunshine hours. When the location of the stronger West Pacific subtropical high was westward and southward in the summer half-year， Shanghai was influenced by an anomalous westerly wind， which was not conducive to the transportation of clean air from the sea to Shanghai and thus led to the high concentration of O 3 pollution. When the long wave radiation emitted from the ground was low in the summer half-year， it was favorable for the increase in ground temperature and caused a high concentration of O 3 pollution. Adding direct solar radiation， maximum temperature， and wind speed as exogenous variables to the monthly O 3 forecast model could significantly improve the effectiveness of the monthly forecast， with the root mean square error decreasing by 47.7% （from 22 to 11.5） and the correlation coefficient increasing by 11.2% （from 0.819 to 0.911）， which could be applied to the practical prediction of monthly O 3 concentration.

Herein, we present a distinct methodology for the in situ electrostatic assembly method for synthesizing a conjugated (IDT-COOH)/oxygen-doped g-C 3 N 4 (O-CN) S-scheme heterojunction. The electron delocalization effect due to π-π interactions between O-CN and self-assembled IDT-COOH favors interfacial charge separation. The self-assembled IDT-COOH/O-CN exhibits a broadened visible absorption to generate more charge carriers. The internal electric field between the IDT-COOH and the O-CN interface provides a directional charge-transfer channel to increase the utilization of photoinduced charge carriers. Moreover, the active species ( • O 2 - , h + , and 1 O 2 ) produced by IDT-COOH/O-CN under visible light play important roles in photocatalytic disinfection. The optimum 40% IDT-COOH/O-CN can kill 7-log of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cells in 2 h and remove 88% tetracycline (TC) in 5 h, while O-CN only inactivates 1-log of MRSA cells and degrades 40% TC. This work contributes to a promising method to fabricate all-organic g-C 3 N 4 -based S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with a wide range of optical responses and enhanced exciton dissociation.

This study used nasal lavage fluid for metabolomics to explore its feasibility, and applied it to the clinical metabolomics study of Xiaoqinglong Decoction in the treatment of allergic rhinitis(AR), aiming to investigate the molecular mechanism of Xiaoqing-long Decoction in the treatment of AR through differential changes in local nasal metabolism. AR patients were selected as the research subjects, and nasal lavage fluid was collected as the sample. Metabolomics analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed on normal group, AR group, and Xiaoqinglong Decoction group. The differences in metabolic profiles among the groups were compared using principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, and differential metabolites were identified and subjected to corresponding metabolic pathway analysis. The results showed that Xiaoqinglong Decoction significantly improved the symptoms of AR patients. The metabolomics analysis revealed 20 differential metabolites between AR group and Xiaoqinglong Decoction group. The core metabolite with a trending return in comparison to normal group was trimethyladipic acid. The metabolites were involved in multiple pathways, including β-alanine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis. The feasibility of applying nasal lavage fluid in nasal metabolomics was preliminarily demonstrated. Differential metabolites and enriched pathways in the treatment of AR patients with Xiaoqinglong Decoction were identified, indicating that it may improve rhinitis symptoms through the regulation of various metabolites, including antioxidant effects and correction of Th1/Th2 imbalance.

Purpose: Ipsilateral combined fractures of the proximal femur, femoral shaft, and distal femur, though uncommon, present significant treatment challenges for orthopaedic surgeons. This retrospective study aims to investigate the intraoperative and long-term postoperative outcomes of this combination fracture when treated using a bridge-link type combined fixation system (BCFS)., Patients and Methods: Four individuals received treatment at a level 1 trauma centre between January 2013 and December 2017 for combined fractures of the proximal femur, femoral shaft, and distal femur. The medical records of these patients were retrospectively examined. In addition to minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIO), all patients underwent BCFS., Results: The median follow-up period for each patient was 28.5 months. The median duration of the surgical procedure was 176.0 min, with intraoperative haemorrhage measured at 470.0 ml. Among the cases, three patients showed firm union of the femoral shaft fractures. However, one patient experienced nonunion 12 months after the procedure, while another patient suffered from refracture of the femoral shaft and postoperative avascular necrosis of the femoral head. At the time of the last follow-up, the Friedman-Wyman functional scores were excellent in one case, good in two cases, and fair in one case., Conclusions: Trifocal femoral fractures lack a widely approved therapeutic strategy. Nonetheless, BCFS may present itself as a viable alternative for treating this type of fracture, offering positive clinical outcomes., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to SICOT aisbl.)

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa that is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). Xiao-qing-long-tang (XQLT) is a traditional Chinese medicine compound that is widely used to treat respiratory diseases such as AR. However, the underlying mechanism of the effect of XQLT on AR remains unclear., Purpose: To elucidate the effect of XQLT on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR and the mechanisms of action., Methods: The therapeutic efficacy of XQLT was evaluated in a well-established OVA-induced AR mouse model. Nasal symptoms were analyzed, type 2 cytokines and OVA-sIgE levels were measured, nasal mucosa tissues were collected for histological analysis, and the changes of Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and the IL-33/ST2 and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in the nasal mucosa were observed., Results: XQLT significantly alleviated the nasal symptoms and histological damage to the nasal mucosa in AR mice, and reduced the levels of type 2 cytokines and OVA-sIgE. In addition, after XQLT treatment, the numbers of ILC2s in the nasal mucosa of AR mice were reduced, and the mRNA levels of the transcription factors GATA3 and ROR-α were decreased. Moreover, IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway was inhibited. The costimulatory cytokine associated JAK/STAT signaling pathway was also inhibited in ILC2s., Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that XQLT regulated ILC2s through the IL-33/ST2 and JAK/STAT pathways to ameliorate type 2 inflammation in OVA-induced AR. These findings suggest that XQLT might be used to treat AR., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and correlate the various factors including, but not limited to, educational status, socio-economic condition, body mass index (BMI), menstrual history, with the status and severity of POP., Patients and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2021 and September 2022 and suspected patients of POP were considered from the outpatient Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. The study has mainly used 3 indicators of socio-economic status, namely, occupation, education, and income. These factors were correlated and statistically analyzed with that of POP., Results: The study findings revealed that there are more symptomatic patients who are illiterate as compared to asymptomatic POP and with increasing education status, there is a decrease in symptomatic POP patients (p<0.05). Also, there is a significant proportion of symptomatic POP patients in the lower class and lower middle class as compared to asymptomatic patients in each class, respectively (p<0.05). It also found that micturition difficulty and vaginal bulging are significantly correlated with the stages of POP (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Educational status and socio-economic condition are significant indicators of the presence of symptoms or severity of POP. The study further concluded that menopausal females have more symptomatic POP as compared to pre-menopausal females.

Luminescent cuprous complexes are an important class of coordination compounds due to their relative abundance, low cost and ability to display excellent luminescence. The title heteroleptic cuprous complex, [2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)-1,1'-binaphthyl-κ 2 P,P'](2-phenylpyridine-κN)copper(I) hexafluoridophosphate, rac-[Cu(C 44 H 32 P 2 )(C 11 H 9 N)]PF 6 , conventionally abbreviated rac-[Cu(BINAP)(2-PhPy)]PF 6 (I), where BINAP and 2-PhPy represent 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)-1,1'-binaphthyl and 2-phenylpyridine, respectively, is described. In this complex, the asymmetric unit consists of a hexafluoridophosphate anion and a heteroleptic cuprous complex cation, in which the cuprous centre in a CuP 2 N coordination triangle is coordinated by two P atoms from the BINAP ligand and by one N atom from the 2-PhPy ligand. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations show that the UV-Vis absorption of I should be attributed to ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) characteristic excited states. It was also found that the paper-based film of this complex exhibited obvious luminescence light-up sensing for pyridine.

Background and Aims: In observational studies, statins have been suggested to have protective effects on venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). To this aim, we performed a two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine whether these associations were causal., Methods and Results: Data on the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to statin medication were obtained from the FinnGen study, and data for VTE, PE and DVT of lower extremities (LEDVT) were from the UK Biobank study, respectively. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the principal analysis of MR, and sensitivity analysis was performed to detect horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity. MR estimates showed an inverse causal association between statin medication and the risk of VTE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.999, 95% CI: 0.998-1.000, P = 0.004), PE (OR: 0.999, 95% CI: 0.999-1.000, P = 0.011) and LEDVT (OR: 0.999, 95% CI: 0.999-1.000, P = 0.008)., Conclusion: Our findings provide direct evidence that statins might decrease the risk of VTE, PE and LEDVT in agreement with observational studies. The specific mechanism of statin therapy for venous thromboembolism needs to be further studied., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the expression, prognosis, and underlying mechanism of Paxillin (PXN) in ovarian cancer., Materials and Methods: By comprehensive use of various bioinformatics tools, we analyzed the expression of PXN and its prognostic value in ovarian cancer. Then, the enrichment analyses were conducted to determine the possible regulatory pathways PXN involved in ovarian cancer. Finally, the associations of PXN expression with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints were analyzed., Results: PXN was highly expressed in ovarian cancer and its expression could independently predict the overall survival of ovarian cancer patients. More importantly, PXN had a superior ability in predicting long-term survival than age and tumor residual disease in ovarian cancer patients. In addition, PXN was positively related to adherens junction and tight junction pathways. Significant negative relationships between PXN expression and immune infiltrates were observed, however, PXN was positively connected with immune checkpoint (VSIR) in ovarian cancer., Conclusions: PXN serves as a reliable prognostic biomarker and may be a potent therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. Moreover, high PXN expression may affect ovarian cancer progression via positive regulation of metastasis-related pathways., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The authors demonstrate the enhanced light output from 275-nm AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diode (LED) structures via the in-plane modulation of shallow photonic crystal (PC) patterns that were fabricated on the p-AlGaN contact layer surface. The employed PC lattice constants are in the range of 270-780 nm, much larger than the fundamental Bragg order lattice constant (∼95 nm). As compared to the unpatterned sample, the intensity of the top (or bottom) emission can be enhanced by up to 331% (or 246%), attributed to the high-order coherent diffraction of the internal trapped light and also the Purcell enhancement of spontaneous emission. The findings in this Letter suggest an easier way for the realization of more energy-efficient DUV LEDs which offer the advantage of high emission for various applications in disinfection and sterilization.

Berry curvature dipole plays an important role in various nonlinear quantum phenomena. However, the maximum symmetry allowed for nonzero Berry curvature dipole in the transport plane is a single mirror line, which strongly limits its effects in materials. Here, via probing the nonlinear Hall effect, we demonstrate the generation of Berry curvature dipole by applied dc electric field in WTe&#95;{2}, which is used to break the symmetry constraint. A linear dependence between the dipole moment of Berry curvature and the dc electric field is observed. The polarization direction of the Berry curvature is controlled by the relative orientation of the electric field and crystal axis, which can be further reversed by changing the polarity of the dc field. Our Letter provides a route to generate and control Berry curvature dipole in broad material systems and to facilitate the development of nonlinear quantum devices.

Background: Anatomical sublobar resection was widely performed for small-sized nodule located in the deep field of the lung. In this study, we compared surgical outcomes between anatomical sublobar resection in left upper lobe including segmentectomy and subsegmentectomy. We also applied a technique based on bronchovascular patterns for subsegmentectomy., Patients and Methods: A hundred and fifty-one patients underwent anatomical sublobar resection of left upper lobe in our hospital in the period from January 2018 to December 2019 and they were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' characteristics and surgical outcome of the subsegmentectomy group (n = 71) were analyzed and compared to those of patients of the segmentectomy group (n = 80). The bronchovascular patterns of left upper lobe in these patients were also classified, and a technique of subsegmentectomy was introduced by cases description., Results: Compared to segmentectomy, the subsegmentectomy group had longer operative time [141min, interquartile range (IQR): 125-161 vs. 127.5 min, interquartile range (IQR): 114.75-148.25; P = 0.001] and more estimated blood loss [50 mL, IQR: 30-50 vs. 30 mL, IQR: 20-50; P = 0.02]. Branching pattern of bronchus was classified into 3 types in left upper division, and 2 types in lingular division. Branching pattern of pulmonary artery was classified into 7 types in left upper division and 2 types in lingular division. Branching pattern of pulmonary vein was classified into 3 types in left upper division and V 3 b was classified into 4 types., Conclusion: Subsegmentectomy is a safe procedure with surgical outcome comparable to the one of segmentectomy except operative time and estimated blood loss. Subsegmentectomy based on bronchovascular patterns in left upper lobe is feasible., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Robotic Surgery Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: As one of the most common allergic diseases, allergic rhinitis (AR) has attracted wide attention all over the world. More appropriate treatment of AR should be explored thoroughly. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine has attracted more attention in AR treatment. As a classical Chinese medicine prescription, Xiaoqinglong decoction (XQLD) has been commonly used in treating AR. Even though its therapeutic effect on AR has been clinically confirmed, more molecular mechanism remains to be further investigated. Our research aimed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of XQLD for AR management., Methods: The study was evaluated in an ovalbumin sensitized mouse model and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was adopted to test the stability of XQLD's effective components., Results: The results confirmed the stability and safety of the effective components of XQLD. XQLD significantly downregulated the expression of HDACs (HDAC1, HDAC3, and HDAC4) and Th2 inflammatory factors (IL4, IL5, and IL13) in AR mice. XQLD and the HDAC inhibitor JNJ-26481585 promoted the expression of epithelial tight junction proteins (claudin-1 and ZO-1) and decreased the expression of mucins (Muc5ac and Muc5b) in the nasal mucosa of AR mice., Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings present the beneficial effects of XQLD on AR and recovery of the nasal epithelium. We also identify the decreased HDAC as a potential target of XQLD for AR treatment. This study provides an important experimental proof for elucidating the therapeutic mechanism of XQLD., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Asprosin is a newly discovered adipokine that is involved in regulating metabolism. Sympathetic overactivity contributes to the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus plays a crucial role in the regulation of sympathetic outflow and blood pressure. This study was designed to determine the roles and underlying mechanisms of asprosin in the PVN in regulating sympathetic outflow and blood pressure. Experiments were carried out in male adult SD rats under anesthesia. Renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded, and PVN microinjections were performed bilaterally. Asprosin mRNA and protein expressions were high in the PVN. The high asprosin expression in the PVN was involved in both the parvocellular and magnocellular regions according to immunohistochemical analysis. Microinjection of asprosin into the PVN produced dose-related increases in RSNA, MAP, and HR, which were abolished by superoxide scavenger tempol, antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin. The asprosin promoted superoxide production and increased NADPH oxidase activity in the PVN. Furthermore, it increased the cAMP level, adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity, and protein kinase A (PKA) activity in the PVN. The roles of asprosin in increasing RSNA, MAP, and HR were prevented by pretreatment with AC inhibitor SQ22536 or PKA inhibitor H89 in the PVN. Microinjection of cAMP analog db-cAMP into the PVN played similar roles with asprosin in increasing the RSNA, MAP, and HR, but failed to further augment the effects of asprosin. Pretreatment with PVN microinjection of SQ22536 or H89 abolished the roles of asprosin in increasing superoxide production and NADPH oxidase activity in the PVN. These results indicated that asprosin in the PVN increased the sympathetic outflow, blood pressure, and heart rate via cAMP-PKA signaling-mediated NADPH oxidase activation and the subsequent superoxide production.

Biochar-based slow-release fertilizers (BSRFs) are vital for the development of eco-friendly and sustainable agriculture. Considerable attention has been given to enhancing the efficiency of fertilizers (EEFs) by appropriate modification or binding to reduce nutrient waste and improve the slow-release effect on the growth of plants. In this study, sustained binding materials were presented for BSRF synthesis, including pyroligneous acids (PA), bio-oil (BO), and modified starch binder (MSB). The results show that the release ratio of phosphorus from PA + BO+MSB was 4.7%, 15.2%, and 21.2% slower than that of PA, BO, and MSB alone, respectively. The BSRFs were characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, and EDS, and the release kinetic outcome revealed that PA + BO+MSB contributed to the formation of a satisfactory structure in the BSRFs. The MSB viscosity significantly influences the slow-release performance and accumulation of N, P, and K nutrients. Moreover, economic assessments showed that PA + BO+MSB exhibited the lowest cost., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Strength and toughness are usually mutually exclusive for materials. The sacrificial bond strategy is used to address the trade-off between strength and toughness. However, the complex construction process of sacrificial network limits the application of sacrificial network. This work develops a facile strategy to construct an interfacial interactions-driven sacrificial network. The authors' group finds that there are the interfacial interactions between arginines (A) aggregates and molecular chains. Such interfacial interactions result in the mechanical properties of samples having a strong dependence on extension rates, which shows that A aggregates construct a network structure by interfacial interactions. The interfacial interactions between A aggregates and chains improve the strength of samples; while the A aggregate network driven by interfacial interactions preferentially ruptures to dissipate large energy for the improvement of fracture toughness, which can be considered as a sacrificial network. Therefore, their designed elastomers have both high strength and high toughness. This work provides an easier strategy for the construction of sacrificial networks, which can promote the industrial application of sacrificial networks in elastomer materials., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The heat shock protein 90 ( Hsp90 ) is a protein produced in plants in response to stress. This study identified and analyzed Hsp90 gene family members in the perennial ryegrass genome. From the results, eight Hsp90 proteins were obtained and their MW, pI and number of amino acid bases varied. The amino acid bases ranged from 526 to 862. The CDS also ranged from 20 ( LpHsp0-4 ) to 1 (LpHsp90-5 ). The least number of CDS regions was 1 ( LpHsp90-5 ) with 528 kb amino acids, while the highest was 20 ( LpHsp90-4 ) with 862 kb amino acids, which showed diversity among the protein sequences. The phylogenetic tree revealed that Hsp90 genes in Lolium perenne , Arabidopsis thaliana , Oryza sativa and Brachypodium distachyon could be divided into two groups with five paralogous gene pairs and three orthologous gene pairs. The expression analysis after perennial ryegrass was subjected to heat, salt, chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and abscisic acid (ABA) revealed that LpHsp90 genes were generally highly expressed under heat stress, but only two LpHsp90 proteins were expressed under Cr stresses. Additionally, the expression of the LpHsp90 proteins differed at each time point in all treatments. This study provides the basis for an understanding of the functions of LpHsp90 proteins in abiotic stress studies and in plant breeding.

Background: For thoracic surgeons, three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3-DCTBA) is a convenient way to analyze pulmonary variations before segmentectomy. Mediastinal lingular artery (MLA) is one of the representative variations., Methods: The 3-DCTBA data of left upper lobe (LUL) were collected from patients who underwent pulmonary surgery from January 2018 to December 2019. We reviewed the patterns of bronchi and pulmonary vessels and grouped them according to different classifications., Results: Among all the 404 cases of 3-DCTBA, mediastinal lingular artery (MLA) was found in 107 cases (26.49%). The patterns of B 3 and the vein in left upper division (LUD) are distinct between mediastinal (M-type) group and interlobar (IL-type) group. The patterns of bronchi and veins in lingular division, as well as the pattern of pulmonary artery in LUD, have no differences between M-type and IL-type groups., Conclusions: Mediastinal lingular artery is speculated to originate from the variation of B 3 , and the MLA independently influences the venous pattern in LUD in turn., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

We examined the seasonal variations of growth and nutrient accumulation of two-year-old Korean pine ( Pinus koraiensis ) seedlings in the primary broadleaved Korean pine forest (primary forest) and poplar birch forest (secondary forest) in Changbai Mountain. The seasonal changes of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), seedling biomass, nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) were measured in both forests. The effects of understory light and its seasonal variations in both forests on the growth and nutrient accumulation of understory Korean pine seedlings were also explored. The results showed that the seasonal variations of monthly cumulative PAR under both forests showed a double-peak pattern. In summer, light conditions under the two forests were poor because of the closed canopy. In spring and autumn, light conditions were better due to the deciduous characteristics of canopy broadleaved trees, with light conditions under the secondary forest being obviously better than that of the primary forest. The seasonal variations of biomass, NSC, total N and total P concentrations of Korean pine seedlings in the primary and secondary forests were basically consistent with that of understory light. All those variables increased significantly in spring and autumn, and decreased in summer. In spring, starch concentration increased. In summer, starch and soluble sugar concentrations decreased gradually, and touched bottom in August. In autumn, soluble sugar concentration increased significantly. The biomass and NSC concentration of seedlings under secondary forest were significantly higher than those under primary forest in spring and autumn, but without difference in summer. Therefore, the diffe-rence of understory light conditions in spring and autumn between the two forests might be the key factor driving nutrient accumulation, growth and regeneration of Korean pine seedlings.

A new α-emitting isotope ^{214}U, produced by the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{182}W(^{36}Ar,4n)^{214}U, was identified by employing the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS and the recoil-α correlation technique. More precise α-decay properties of even-even nuclei ^{216,218}U were also measured in the reactions of ^{40}Ar, ^{40}Ca beams with ^{180,182,184}W targets. By combining the experimental data, improved α-decay reduced widths δ^{2} for the even-even Po-Pu nuclei in the vicinity of the magic neutron number N=126 are deduced. Their systematic trends are discussed in terms of the N&#95;{p}N&#95;{n} scheme in order to study the influence of proton-neutron interaction on α decay in this region of nuclei. It is strikingly found that the reduced widths of ^{214,216}U are significantly enhanced by a factor of two as compared with the N&#95;{p}N&#95;{n} systematics for the 84≤Z≤90 and N<126 even-even nuclei. The abnormal enhancement is interpreted by the strong monopole interaction between the valence protons and neutrons occupying the π1f&#95;{7/2} and ν1f&#95;{5/2} spin-orbit partner orbits, which is supported by the large-scale shell model calculation.

Objective: To establish a disease risk prediction model for the newborn screening system of inherited metabolic diseases by artificial intelligence technology. Methods: This was a retrospectively study. Newborn screening data ( n= 5 907 547) from February 2010 to May 2019 from 31 hospitals in China and verified data ( n =3 028) from 34 hospitals of the same period were collected to establish the artificial intelligence model for the prediction of inherited metabolic diseases in neonates. The validity of the artificial intelligence disease risk prediction model was verified by 360 814 newborns ' screening data from January 2018 to September 2018 through a single-blind experiment. The effectiveness of the artificial intelligence disease risk prediction model was verified by comparing the detection rate of clinically confirmed cases, the positive rate of initial screening and the positive predictive value between the clinicians and the artificial intelligence prediction model of inherited metabolic diseases. Results: A total of 3 665 697 newborns ' screening data were collected including 3 019 cases ' positive data to establish the 16 artificial intelligence models for 32 inherited metabolic diseases. The single-blind experiment ( n =360 814) showed that 45 clinically diagnosed infants were detected by both artificial intelligence model and clinicians. A total of 2 684 cases were positive in tandem mass spectrometry screening and 1 694 cases were with high risk in artificial intelligence prediction model of inherited metabolic diseases, with the positive rates of tandem 0.74% (2 684/360 814)and 0.46% (1 694/360 814), respectively. Compared to clinicians, the positive rate of newborns was reduced by 36.89% (990/2 684) after the application of the artificial intelligence model, and the positive predictive values of clinicians and artificial intelligence prediction model of inherited metabolic diseases were 1.68% (45/2 684) and 2.66% (45/1 694) respectively. Conclusion: An accurate, fast, and the lower false positive rate auxiliary diagnosis system for neonatal inherited metabolic diseases by artificial intelligence technology has been established, which may have an important clinical value.

Lotus plumule, the embryo of the seed of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), contains a high accumulation of secondary metabolites including flavonoids and possesses important pharmaceutical value. Flavonoid C-glycosides, which accumulate exclusively in lotus plumule, have attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to their unique chemical structure and special bioactivities. As well as mono-C-glycosides, lotus plumule also accumulates various kinds of di-C-glycosides by mechanisms which are as yet unclear. In this study we identified two C-glycosyltransferase (CGT) genes by mining sacred lotus genome data and provide in vitro and in planta evidence that these two enzymes (NnCGT1 and NnCGT2, also designated as UGT708N1 and UGT708N2, respectively) exhibit CGT activity. Recombinant UGT708N1 and UGT708N2 can C-glycosylate 2-hydroxyflavanones and 2-hydroxynaringenin C-glucoside, forming flavone mono-C-glycosides and di-C-glycosides, respectively, after dehydration. In addition, the above reactions were successfully catalysed by cell-free extracts from tobacco leaves transiently expressing NnCGT1 or NnCGT2. Finally, enzyme assays using cell-free extracts of lotus plumule suggested that flavone di-C-glycosides (vicenin-1, vicenin-3, schaftoside and isoschaftoside) are biosynthesized through sequentially C-glucosylating and C-arabinosylating/C-xylosylating 2-hydroxynaringenin. Taken together, our results provide novel insights into the biosynthesis of flavonoid di-C-glycosides by proposing a new biosynthetic pathway for flavone C-glycosides in N. nucifera and identifying a novel uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferase (UGT708N2) that specifically catalyses the second glycsosylation, C-arabinosylating and C-xylosylating 2-hydroxynaringenin C-glucoside., (© 2021 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Selenocysteine (Sec, pK a 5.8) is genetically encoded 21st amino acid into the active site of selenoproteins, which have broad functions relevant to various diseases, tissues or organs and subcellular organelles. However, many selenoproteins involved cellular functions still remains unclear. In addition, since biothiols such as glutathione (GSH, pK a 8.3), possessing similar chemical properties with Sec, commonly exist in living systems at high levels. Thus, it is of great importance and high challenge to identify novel probes for selectively monitoring Sec over biothiols. In this paper, we proposed a smart strategy which allowed us to develop a lysosome targetable probe for specifically sensing Sec. By restricting weak acidic microenvironment, the probe shows a specific detection for Sec with 85-fold fluorescence enhancement owing to the remaining high activity of Sec at pH 5.0. Moreover, being low cytotoxicity to the cells verified by MTS assay, the probe was then successfully applied for imaging exogenous and endogenous Sec in lysosomes, indicating its potential for the biological investigation of Sec in subcellular organelles., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: An ongoing outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (CoV) disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV-2, has been spreading in multiple countries. One of the reasons for the rapid spread is that the virus can be transmitted from infected individuals without symptoms. Revealing the pathological features of early-phase COVID-19 pneumonia is important for understanding of its pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to explore the pulmonary pathology of early-phase COVID-19 pneumonia in a patient with a benign lung lesion., Methods and Results: We analysed the pathological changes in lung tissue from a 55-year-old female patient with early-phase SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this case, right lower lobectomy was performed for a benign pulmonary nodule. Detailed clinical, laboratory and radiological data were also examined. This patient was confirmed to have preoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection by the use of real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and RNA in-situ hybridisation on surgically removed lung tissues. Histologically, COVID-19 pneumonia was characterised by exudative inflammation. The closer to the visceral pleura, the more severe the exudation of monocytes and lymphocytes. Perivascular inflammatory infiltration, intra-alveolar multinucleated giant cells, pneumocyte hyperplasia and intracytoplasmic viral-like inclusion bodies were seen. However, fibrinous exudate and hyaline membrane formation, which were typical pulmonary features of SARS pneumonia, were not evident in this case. Immunohistochemical staining results showed an abnormal accumulation of CD4+ helper T lymphocytes and CD163+ M2 macrophages in the lung tissue., Conclusion: The results highlighted the pulmonary pathological changes of early-phase SARS-CoV-2 infection, and suggested a role of immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 pneumonia., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate Changweishu's clinical effect on gastrointestinal dysfunction in patients with sepsis., Methods: Fifty patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction and sepsis were randomly divided into treatment and control groups. The control group patients received routine Western medicine treatments (meropenem, noradrenaline, glutamine glue, Bifidobacterium lactis triple-strain tablet), and the treatment group patients received routine Western medicine treatment combined with Changweishu. Treatments in both groups lasted 7 days. Changes in APACHE II score, gastrointestinal dysfunction score, serum levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid, inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1)), and the incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and mortality were observed., Results: After treatment, APACHE II score, gastrointestinal dysfunction score, and DAO, D-lactic acid, TNF-α, IL-6, and HMGB-1 levels decreased significantly in both groups, but the decrease was more significant in the treatment group than in the control group. The incidence of MODS and mortality were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group., Conclusion: The addition of Changweishu to routine Western treatments can improve gastrointestinal function in patients with sepsis and gastrointestinal dysfunction, as well as decreasing the incidence of MODS and mortality and improving patient prognosis.

The novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei province of China in January 2020. This study aims to investigate the effects of different temperature and time durations of virus inactivation on the results of PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2. Twelve patients at the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 were selected on February 13, 2020 and throat swabs were taken. The swabs were stored at room temperature (20-25°C), then divided into aliquots and subjected to different temperature for different periods in order to inactivate the viruses (56°C for 30, 45, 60 min; 65, 70, 80°C for 10, 15, 20 min). Control aliquots were stored at room temperature for 60 min. Then all aliquots were tested in a real-time fluorescence PCR using primers against SARS-CoV-2. Regardless of inactivation temperature and time, 7 of 12 cases (58.3%) tested were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR, and cycle threshold values were similar. These results suggest that virus inactivation parameters exert minimal influence on PCR test results. Inactivation at 65°C for 10 min may be sufficient to ensure safe, reliable testing.

Tilia amurensis is one of (co-)dominant species in the broadleaved-conifer mixed forest in Northeast China, with high commercial and nectariferous values. We estimated the quantity of nectar secretion from individual trees to population or stand levels based on observation and statistical analysis. An equation for individual-tree nectar secretion was established, which was used to estimate nectar quantity at the stand level. We analyzed the relationships between nectar secretion and basal area or stem volume. The booming time for single flower was in average 6-8 days, with a nectar secretion period of about five days. The quantity for the entire period was estimated at 8.58 mg per flower. Sugar contents in the nectar, average 37.7%, showed diurnal variations, being high in the mid-noon and low in the early morning and late afternoon. The average diameter (DBH) of the species was approximately 40 cm, which was estimated to possess as much as 18×10 4 single flowers and 1.56 kg (or pure sugar 0.588 kg) of nectar. At the stand level, the nectar production potential was 79-147 kg (or 0.0686-0.1285 m 3 , pure sugar 29.78-55.42 kg) per hectare. There was a close correlation between nectar quantity and basal area or timber volume at both individual and stand levels, which could be used to estimate the nectar quantity for macro-scale forest area based on inventory data.

Since December 2019, an epidemic caused by novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection has occurred unexpectedly in China. As of 8 pm, 31 January 2020, more than 20 pediatric cases have been reported in China. Of these cases, ten patients were identified in Zhejiang Province, with an age of onset ranging from 112 days to 17 years. Following the latest National recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia caused by 2019-nCoV (the 4th edition) and current status of clinical practice in Zhejiang Province, recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infection caused by 2019-nCoV for children were drafted by the National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, the National Children's Regional Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine to further standardize the protocol for diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infection in children caused by 2019-nCoV.

Ectopic seminal tract opening is a rare congenital malformation. Until recently, there has been a lack of comprehensive reporting on the condition. The purpose of this retrospective study is to summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment of this condition based on 28 clinical practice cases throughout the past 30 years. We conducted auxiliary examinations on such patients including routine tests, imaging examinations, and endoscopy. Among these 28 cases, there were ectopic opening of vas deferens into enlarged prostatic utricles (6 cases); ejaculatory ducts into enlarged prostatic utricles, Müllerian ducts cysts, and urethras (18 cases, 2 cases, and 1 case, respectively); and ectopic opening of the unilateral vas deferens and the contralateral ejaculatory duct into enlarged prostatic utricle (1 case). The size of the enlarged prostatic utricle, the type of ectopic seminal tract opening, and the opening's location effectively assisted in the selection of clinical treatment methods, including transurethral fenestration of the utricle, transurethral cold-knife incision, open operation, laparoscopic operation, and conservative treatment. Satisfactory effect was achieved during follow-up. In conclusion, a definite diagnosis and personalized treatment are especially important for patients with ectopic seminal tract opening., Competing Interests: None

Mechanical strength and toughness are usually mutually exclusive, but they can both appear in natural rubber (NR). Previous studies ascribe such excellent properties to highly cis stereoregularity of NR. To our surprise, after the removal of non-rubber components (NRC) by centrifugation, the strength and toughness of NR decrease dramatically. It is still a challenge for us to make out for the problem of how NRC affect the properties of NR. Our group ascribes the superior mechanical robustness of NR to NRC. To further verify such a viewpoint, we add phospholipids (phosphatidylcholines) into NR without NRC. Phosphatidylcholines construct a sacrificial network, which ruptures preferentially upon deformation to dissipate energy. Moreover, some of phosphatidylcholines participate in the vulcanization reaction, which further improves the mechanical strength and energy dissipation. As a result, the mechanical strength and toughness of samples are as high as 21.1 MPa and 49.6 kJ/m 2 , respectively, which have reached the same level as that of NR. Therefore, this work not only imitates the excellent mechanical robustness of NR but also further provides a rational design for elastomers with excellent mechanical robustness.

We use daily aerosol particulate matter<10 μm (PM 10 ) concentration data from 2006 to 2016 in Shanghai along with meteorological elements (wind and temperature), atmospheric stability, temperature inversion, and upper atmosphere circulation data, to analyze the variation characteristics of the PM 10 concentrations and differences of the winter climate background. We establish a multivariate linear stepwise regression equation, and also compare and analyze differences in the upper atmospheric circulation by selecting the years with the highest and lowest PM 10 concentrations. The results showed an oscillating downward trend in the annual average concentrations of PM 10 in Shanghai, whereas seasonally, PM 10 concentrations were relatively high in winter and showed two peaks with a low in between. PM 10 concentrations were negatively correlated with the daily average wind speed and the daily mixing layer height at 20:00, and positively correlated with the frequency of northwest wind, the mean daily temperature, and the frequency of stable weathers and thermal inversion at 20:00. When the 500 hPa height field in the northern part of China was a positive anomaly in winter, a warm winter prevailed and led to high PM 10 concentrations. When the 500 hPa height field was a negative anomaly, cold air frequently moved southward to result in relatively low temperatures, which caused relatively low PM 10 concentrations. When the wind field at 850 hPa was easterly, the wind speed was relatively large and resulted in relatively low PM 10 concentrations.

This case presents vertical root fracture with vital pulp in mandibular right first molar. Examinations of the history, clinical tests, laser Doppler flowmetry, and radiographs revealed that the tooth showed positive response to electric pulp testing and was normal compared with the healthy control tooth. This study aimed to use a novel vital preserving surgical technique (microapical surgery and nanometer bioactive materials) to make an effective therapeutic decision for the vital tooth with vertical root fracture.

Aim: To explore the function and mechanisms of NLRP6 (NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing 6) in the inflammatory response of human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs)., Methodology: Tissues associated with apical periodontitis were obtained from three patients who underwent endodontic microsurgery. The expression of NLRP6 in 3 human apical periodontitis tissues and HPDLCs was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, respectively. The expressions of NLRP6, Phospho(p)- p65, p65, IκB-α, p- IκB-α, ERK, p- ERK, NLRP3, Pro interleukin (IL)-1β, Pro caspase-1 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) were examined by western blot. The gene expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analysed statistically with independent sample t-tests., Results: NLRP6 was expressed in inflammatory periapical tissues and HPDLCs. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli induced NLRP6 in HPDLCs (P < 0.05). After silencing NLRP6, E. coli LPS-induced activation of NF-κB and ERK signalling was enhanced, which was also accompanied by elevated levels of IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (P < 0.05). Moreover, knockdown of NLRP6 led to up-regulation of NLRP3, Pro IL-1β and Pro caspase-1 (P < 0.05), whereas down-regulation of ASC (P < 0.05), which may contribute to unchanged levels of IL-1β in HPDLCs inflammation., Conclusion: NLRP6 was functionally expressed in inflamed periapical tissues and HPDLCs. NLRP6 negatively regulated the production of IL-6 and TNF-α in HPDLCs inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and ERK signal pathways., (© 2019 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Implementing selective-area p-type doping through ion implantation is the most attractive choice for the fabrication of GaN-based bipolar power and related devices. However, the low activation efficiency of magnesium (Mg) ions and the inevitable surface decomposition during high-temperature activation annealing process still limit the use of this technology for GaN-based devices. In this work, we demonstrate successful p-type doping of GaN using protective coatings during a Mg ion implantation and thermal activation process. The p-type conduction of GaN is evidenced by the positive Seebeck coefficient obtained during thermopower characterization. On this basis, a GaN p-i-n diode is fabricated, exhibiting distinct rectifying characteristics with a turn-on voltage of 3 V with an acceptable reverse breakdown voltage of 300 V. Electron beam induced current (EBIC) and electroluminescent (EL) results further confirm the formation of p-type region due to Mg ion implantation and subsequent thermal activation. This repeatable and uniform manufacturing process can be implemented in mass production of GaN devices for versatile power and optoelectronic applications.