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BOUT++ turbulence simulations were performed to investigate the impact of turbulence spreading on the edge localized mode (ELM) size and divertor heat flux width $({\lambda _q})$ broadening in small ELM regimes. This study is motivated by EAST experiments. BOUT++ linear simulations of a pedestal radial electric field (Er) scan show that the dominant toroidal number mode (n) shifts from high-n to low-n, with a narrow mode spectrum, and the maximum linear growth rate increases as the pedestal Er well deepens. The nonlinear simulations show that as the net E × B pedestal flow increases, the pressure fluctuation level and its inward penetration beyond the top of the pedestal both increase. This leads to a transition from small ELMs to large ELMs. Both inward and outward turbulence spreading are sensitive to the scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasma profiles. The inward turbulence spreading increases for the steep SOL profiles, leading to increasing pedestal energy loss in the small ELM regime. The SOL width $({\lambda _q})$ is significantly broadened progressing from the ELM-free to small ELM regime, due to the onset of strong radial turbulent transport. The extent of the SOL width $({\lambda _q})$ broadening depends strongly on outward turbulence spreading. The fluctuation energy intensity flux ${\varGamma _\varepsilon }$ at the separatrix can be enhanced by increasing either pedestal Er flow shear or local SOL pressure gradient. The ${\lambda _q}$ is broadened as the fluctuation energy intensity flux ${\varGamma _\varepsilon }$ at the last close flux surface (LCFS) increases. Local SOL E × B flow shear will restrain outward turbulence spreading and the associated heat flux width broadening. Operating in H-mode with small ELMs has the potential to solve two critical problems: reducing the ELM size and broadening the SOL width.

Na Yan,1 Xianggui Wang,1 Zufang Xu,1 Linling Zhong,1 Jiangyong Yang2 1Department of Vasculocardiology, Ganzhou People’s Hospital, Ganzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, Ganzhou Hospital of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Ganzhou Municipal Hospital, Ganzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jiangyong Yang, Department of Cardiology, Ganzhou Hospital of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Ganzhou Municipal Hospital, No. 49, Dagong Road, Ganzhou, 341000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-797-8208553, Email yangjy19861208@163.comIntroduction: Apigenin is a natural flavonoid compound with promising potential for the attenuation of myocardial hypertrophy (MH). The compound can also modulate the expression of miR-185-5p that both promote MH and suppress autophagy. The current attempts to explain the anti-MH effect of apigenin by focusing on changes in miR-185-5p-mediated autophagy.Methods: Hypertrophic symptoms were induced in rats using transverse aortic constriction (TAC) method and in cardiomyocytes using Ang II and then handled with apigenin. Changes in myocardial function and structure and cell viability and surface area were measured. The role of miR-185-5p in the anti-MH function of apigenin was explored by detecting changes in autophagic processes and miR-185-5p/SREBP2 axis.Results: TAC surgery induced weight increase, structure destruction, and collagen deposition in hearts of model rats. Ang II suppresses cardiomyocyte viability and increased cell surface area. All these impairments were attenuated by apigenin and were associated with the restored level of autophagy. At the molecular level, the expression of miR-185-5p was up-regulated by TAC, while the expression of SREBP2 was down-regulated, which was reserved by apigenin both in vivo and in vitro. The induction of miR-185-5p in cardiomyocytes could counteracted the protective effects of apigenin.Discussion: Collectively, the findings outlined in the current study highlighted that apigenin showed anti-MH effects. The effects were related to the inhibition of miR-185-5p and activation of SREBP, which contributed to the increased autophagy.Keywords: apigenin, autophagy, miR-185-5p, myocardial hypertrophy, SREBP2

Ne Yan,1,2 Ying Long,2 Huiling Yuan,3 Xiaofei Zhou,3,4 Bin Xie,2 Ying Wang1,3 1Department of Psychiatry, Xi’an Honghui Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710054, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Psychology, Xi’an Physical Education University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychiatry, Xi’an International Medical Center Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 4The College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying Wang, Xi’an Honghui Hospital, 666 Jianyuan 2nd Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, 710000, People’s Republic of China, Email fgx995@163.comBackground: The 18– 24 age group has a much higher rate of depression risk than other age groups, and this age group has the highest proportion among users of mobile social media. The relationship between the use of mobile social media and depressive mood is inconsistent and the mechanism of action is controversial.Purpose: This study explored the relationship among the intensity of social media use, upward social comparison, cognitive overload and depressive mood.Methods: In this research, we used the Brief Self-rating Depression Scale (PHQ-9), the Social Media Usage Intensity Questionnaire, the Social Comparison Scale on Social Networking Sites and the Social Networking Site Cognitive Overload Scale to investigate the depressive mood and mobile social media use of 568 college students.Results: The intensity of mobile social media use, social networking site upward social comparison, and social networking site cognitive overload are all positively correlated with depressive mood. The intensity of mobile social media use has a positive predictive effect on depressive mood, with upward social comparison and cognitive overload acting as independent mediators in the relationship between mobile social media use intensity and depressive symptoms, as well as exhibiting a chained mediating effect of upward social comparison-cognitive overload.Conclusion: The upward social comparison and cognitive load that occur during the use of mobile social media are important predictive factors for the occurrence of depressive mood. This study is a supplement to the mechanism of the relationship between mobile social media use and depression, providing more evidence-based evidence and intervention directions for university teachers, mobile social media developers, and psychologists.Keywords: mobile social media, upward social comparison, cognitive overload, depressive mood, chain mediation

Na Yan,1 Tong Zhou,1 Mingming Hu,1 Yuxuan Cai,1 Ling Qi,1 Blen Dereje Shiferaw,1 Wei Wang,1– 3 Chunxia Miao4 1School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Center for Mental Crisis Prevention and Intervention of College Students in Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, People’s Republic of China; 3Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Biological Data Mining and Healthcare Transformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wei Wang, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong Shan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People’s Republic of China, Email weiwang90@163.com Chunxia Miao, School of management, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People’s Republic of China, Email miaochunxia1978@163.comBackground: Previous findings indicate that stress has a profound influence on suicide behavior, but the potential mediating and moderating mechanisms are unknown between uncertainty stress and suicide behavior. The present study, therefore, examined the relationship between uncertainty stress and suicide behavior, the mediating effect of depressive symptoms, and the moderating effect of family relationship in a sample of university students in China.Methods: 1828 university students were assessed anonymously by using the Uncertainty Stress Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Brief Suicidal Scale, and Family Relationship Scale between May to June in 2021. SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analysis. PROCESS 3.5 was used to calculate the significance of the mediating and moderating effects of the variables.Results: Moderated mediation model analyses showed that: (a) depressive symptoms partially mediated the link between uncertainty stress and suicide behavior (indirect effect = 0.14, 95%bootstrap CI = 0.10, 0.19). The indirect effect of the depressive symptoms accounted for 67.12% of the total variance in suicide behavior. (b) The indirect association between uncertainty stress and suicide behavior was moderated by family relationship. Specifically, the paths from uncertainty stress to depressive symptoms (interact effect = − 0.06, P< 0.001) and depressive symptoms to suicide behavior (interact effect = − 0.08, P< 0.01) were weakened in the context of higher family relationship.Conclusion: Depressive symptoms play a crucial role in bridging uncertainty stress and suicide behavior, while the family relationship can buffer the mediation impact of depressive symptoms. These findings significantly contribute to the prevention and intervention of suicide in Chinese university students.Keywords: uncertainty stress, depressive symptoms, suicide behavior, family relationship, university students

Xueping Ma, Zhengjun Zhang, Meihua Jin, Yu Hao, Hua Cheng, Ning Yan Heart Centre & Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hua Cheng; Ning Yan, Heart Centre & Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 15008617234 ; +86 15719591301, Email chenghzhp@126.com; yanning169@yahoo.comObjective: The study aims to reveal the association between family context and sleep trajectories in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.Methods: Subjects (n=7777) aged between 40 and 65 years were selected from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Latent class analysis and the multi-trajectory method were used to identify the family context and sleep trajectories from 2010 to 2018. Multinomial (polytomous) logistic regression was performed to explore the relationship between family context and sleep trajectories.Results: Five family context classes were identified according to family demographic characteristics. Simultaneously, four sleep trajectories were determined based on three sleep-related indexes. Subjects from family that had only sons or multiple-child are liable to shorten or prolong sleep duration and increase midday nap ratios compare with subjects who from family that had one or more daughters, and in future public health prevention and control, more attention could be paid to such families.Conclusion: The study found that family context is associated with sleep trajectories among middle and old Chinese adults. Subjects from families with only girls seemed to have more stable sleep trajectories, while those with one or more boys’ families had unstable sleep trajectories. Further interventions would be carried out for sleep disorders, it is necessary to pay more attention to the family context, especially the number and gender of children.Keywords: family context, sleep trajectory, China Family Panel Studies, CFPS, sleep disorders

Xiaoyu Wang,1,&ast; Ning Yan,2,&ast; Ruiping Pan,3 Yuqi Dang,4 Liqun Wang5,6 1School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Heart Centre & Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Chinese Medicine, The Second People’s Hospital of Shizuishan, Shizuishan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Endocrinology, Yinchuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health at Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China; 6Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liqun Wang, Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health at Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13649513216, Email wlq920@nxmu.edu.cnBackground: Sitting time and physical activity are related to renal function among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, the mechanism of how it contributes to renal function is not well understood. The current study attempts to explore the relationship between sitting time and renal function among T2DM patients, with a particular focus on the mediating role of physical activity.Methods: This research uses the data of 1761 Chinese T2DM patients from Ningxia Province. Sitting time and physical activity were obtained during a face-to-face survey, and renal function was assessed by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The bootstrap method is used to test the mediating effect.Results: The research found that sitting time was negatively associated with eGFR and physical activity after controlling for covariates. Physical activity was positively associated with eGFR. Physical activity has mediated the relationship between sitting time and eGFR among T2DM patients (explaining 16.1% of the total variance).Conclusion: The present findings suggest that sitting time negatively affects eGFR among T2DM patients and provides new evidence that physical activity could attenuate the association between sitting time and eGFR. Hence, intervention strategies focusing on sitting time and physical activity should be paid more attention in the future.Keywords: sitting time, physical activity, eGFR, mediating effect, T2DM patients

Summary: Background: A substantial proportion of attendances to ophthalmic emergency departments are for non-urgent presentations. We developed and evaluated a machine learning system (DemDx Ophthalmology Triage System: DOTS) to optimise triage, with the aim of reducing inappropriate emergency attendances and streamlining case referral when necessary. Methods: DOTS was built using retrospective tabular data from 11,315 attendances between July 1st, 2021, to June 15th, 2022 at Moorfields Eye Hospital Emergency Department (MEH) in London, UK. Demographic and clinical features were used as inputs and a triage recommendation was given (“see immediately”, “see within a week”, or “see electively”). DOTS was validated temporally and compared with triage nurses’ performance (1269 attendances at MEH) and validated externally (761 attendances at the Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Brazil). It was also tested for biases and robustness to variations in disease incidences. All attendances from patients aged at least 18 years with at least one confirmed diagnosis were included in the study. Findings: For identifying ophthalmic emergency attendances, on temporal validation, DOTS had a sensitivity of 94.5% [95% CI 92.3–96.1] and a specificity of 42.4% [38.8–46.1]. For comparison within the same dataset, triage nurses had a sensitivity of 96.4% [94.5–97.7] and a specificity of 25.1% [22.0–28.5]. On external validation at UFMG, DOTS had a sensitivity of 95.2% [92.5–97.0] and a specificity of 32.2% [27.4–37.0]. In simulated scenarios with varying disease incidences, the sensitivity was ≥92.2% and the specificity was ≥36.8%. No differences in sensitivity were found in subgroups of index of multiple deprivation, but the specificity was higher for Q2 when compared to Q4 (Q4 is less deprived than Q2). Interpretation: At MEH, DOTS had similar sensitivity to triage nurses in determining attendance priority; however, with a specificity of 17.3% higher, DOTS resulted in lower rates of patients triaged to be seen immediately at emergency. DOTS showed consistent performance in temporal and external validation, in social-demographic subgroups and was robust to varying relative disease incidences. Further trials are necessary to validate these findings. This system will be prospectively evaluated, considering human-computer interaction, in a clinical trial. Funding: The Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award (AI_AWARD01671) of the NHS AI Lab under National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC).

Ning Yan,1,&ast; Dapeng Chen,1,&ast; Ruiping Pan,2 Li Zhang,3 Juan Ma,4 Zhengjun Zhang,1 Yuqi Dang,5 Liqun Wang,6 Xueping Ma,1,7 Shaobin Jia1,7 1Heart Centre & Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Chinese Medicine, The Second People’s Hospital of Shizuishan, Shizuishan, 753000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 4Clinical Medical College, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Endocrinology, Yinchuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yinchuan, 750001, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 7Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xueping Ma; Shaobin Jia, Heart Centre & Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613519290991 ; +8613995078969, Email maxueping4033@126.com; jsbxn@163.comPurpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between social capital (SC) and hypertension among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, considering the moderation effects of depressive symptoms.Patients and Methods: A total of 1761 Chinese T2DM patients completed measure scales of social capital and epidemiological survey depression scale (CES-D). The Bootstrap methods PROCESS program is employed to test the moderation model.Results: The prevalence of hypertension among T2DM patients was 39.3%. The SC was negatively correlated with the CES-D score (r=− 0.18, P< 0.01); the SC was also negatively correlated with diastolic blood pressure (r=− 0.05, P< 0.05); and the CES-D score was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure (r=0.05, P< 0.05). Both logistic regression analysis and the Bootstrap method showed that depressive symptoms weakened the protective effect of SC on hypertension, there existed a moderating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between SC and hypertension among T2DM patients.Conclusion: Depressive symptoms may be one crucial moderator of the relationship between SC and hypertension in a representative sample of Chinese diabetes patients. The findings indicate that improving SC and mental health may help manage hypertension among T2DM patients.Keywords: social capital, depressive symptoms, hypertension, moderation, type 2 diabetes mellitus

Liqun Wang,1 Ning Yan,2 Rongrong Guo,3 Lining Pu,1 Yuqi Dang,4 Ruiping Pan,5 Yang Niu3,6 1Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health and Management at Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 2Heart Centre & Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 3School of traditional Chinese Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Endocrinology, Yinchuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yinchuan, 750001, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Chinese Medicine, The Second People’s Hospital of Shizuishan, Shizuishan, 753000, People’s Republic of China; 6Key Laboratory of the Ningxia Ethnomedicine Modernization, Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yang Niu, Key Laboratory of the Ningxia Ethnomedicine Modernization, Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613909574577, Email niuyang0227@163.comPurpose: Few studies have explored the association between neighborhood social cohesion (NSC), a type of social capital, and the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In addition, the potential mechanism for this association remains unclear. The current study examined the mediation effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between NSC and quality of life among diabetes patients in China.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1747 T2DM patients was conducted. The specific quality of life (DSQL), Center for Epidemiological Survey Depression (CES-D), and social capital scales were administered using a face-to-face survey. Partial correlation analysis and a linear regression model were employed to explore the relationship between NSC, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. Bootstrap analysis using PROCESS was used to test the mediation model.Results: After controlling for covariates, NSC was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (r=− 0.24, P< 0.01) and DSQL score (r=− 0.20, P< 0.01) while depressive symptoms were positively correlated with DSQL score (r=0.46, P< 0.01). Linear regression analysis also found that NSC was negatively associated with the DSQL score, while depressive symptoms were positively associated with the DSQL score. Depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between NSC and quality of life in T2DM patients (explaining 50.7% of the total variance).Conclusion: NSC was positively associated with improved quality of life among Chinese T2DM patients in this study, and depressive symptoms were likely to partially explain this relationship. These findings may be used to help maintain a good quality of life among at-risk individuals. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.Keywords: neighborhood social cohesion, depressive symptoms, quality of life, mediating effect, T2DM patients

Low-frequency drift-wave instabilities play a crucial role in the radial transport of present-day tokamaks, and trapped electron collisions can significantly influence these instabilities. In this paper, the effects of trapped electron collisions on these instabilities are investigated based on linear gyro-kinetic simulations. The basic numerical techniques including dispersion relation integral method and orthogonal basis function expansion are presented in detail with necessary benchmark work. The results demonstrate that in medium gradients, the increase of trapped electron proportions promotes the growth rate and radial heat transport largely for quasi-linear trapped electron modes (TEMs) and ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes. Moreover, trapped electron collisions have strong stabilizing effects, especially for TEMs driven by electron temperature gradients. Two distinctive branches, namely Mode #1 and #2, are investigated in steep gradients. Both behave in a varied instability nature during different ranges of the normalized wave vector k ^ θ . Mode #1 mainly induces radial heat transport during k ^ θ < 0.5 and is significantly suppressed by the collisions. Mode #2 mainly induces radial heat transport during 0.4 < k ^ θ < 0.8 , and is largely enhanced by the collisions. When the collisionality is large enough, Mode #2 has stronger transport capacity than the other. Mode #2 at the medium wave vector, known as dissipative TEM, may provide the mechanism of the edge coherent mode observed in EAST H-mode plasmas, wherein collisionality plays an important role in the mode excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Fear of falling (FoF) and physical activity (PA) are important psychological and behavioral factors associated with falls. No instrument quantifies the link between these two factors to evaluate the risk of falls. We aimed to design a scale linking FoF with PA (Composite Activities-specific Risk of Falls Scale, CARFS) for people with various disability levels. Methods First, we designed a questionnaire comprising 40 balance-related activities from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) for a pilot survey. Second, participants were interviewed about their activities-specific FoF degree and PA frequency. The participants comprised 30 community-dwelling older adults, hospitalized patients with strokes, and those with spinal cord injuries, each with different disability levels. Third, the content validity of the items was evaluated twice by 12 experienced rehabilitation professionals: one based on experience and the other on the survey responses. Items with a higher than moderate relevance in both evaluations were included in the CARFS. The panel of professionals discussed and voted on the contribution of FoF and PA on the CARF score. Finally, the scale sensitivity in distinguishing disability levels was analyzed to evaluate the population suitability to the CARFS. Results The CARFS included 14 activities. A five-point Likert scale was used to quantify degree of FoF (A) and frequency of PA (B). The CARF score (C), which was determined using the eq. C = A+(4-B) + A × B/2, reflected sensitivity to disability levels in most items. Conclusions The CARFS has strong content validity for measuring risk of falls in relation to the FoF and PA of people with various disability levels. It has a potential to provide a guide for designing individualized exercise- and behavior-focused fall prevention programs and enable the precise trtrun 0acking of program effectiveness as a multidimensional outcome measure.

Dandan Zheng,1,2,* Chengwei Jiang,3,* Ning Yan,2 Yayun Miao,2 Keren Wang,2 Ge Gao,3 Yan Jiao,4 Xiangkai Zhang,2 Miao He,5 Zhaoying Yang2 1Department of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Breast Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Anesthesia, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Miao HeDepartment of Anesthesia, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, 218 Ziqiang Street, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail hemiao@jlu.edu.cnZhaoying YangDepartment of Breast Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun, Jilin 130033, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zyyang@jlu.edu.cnBackground: Wntless (Wls) is an essential protein that is necessary for the secretion of Wnt proteins. While numerous researches have demonstrated that aberrations in Wnt/β-catenin expression lead to tumorigenesis and progression in many cancer types, the effects of Wls in breast cancer (BC) are less studied.Methods: The mRNA and protein expression of Wls in BC cell lines were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot; the protein expression of patient samples was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The associations between Wls expression and clinicopathological factors as well as survival time, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. Bioinformatics analysis was used to reveal the correlation between Wls genes and associated genes or pathways.Results: Wls was overexpressed in BC cell lines and tissues. The expression level of Wls was significantly correlated with tumor size, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Ki-67, molecular classification, and follow-up status. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Wls protein expression was negatively correlated with ER and PR, which was confirmed by bioinformatics analysis in mRNA level. However, there were positive relationships with MBNG (modified Black’s nuclear grade), tumor size, Ki-67, molecular classification, follow-up, and vital status. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that Wls was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS in BC patients. Moreover, Wls was a significant prognostic indicator of OS and DFS in a hormone receptor-positive (HR+) subgroup. GSEA showed that estrogen and androgen response, as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways, were up-regulated in the Wls high-expression group.Conclusion: Overexpression of Wls is a significant marker of worse prognosis in BC and might play a crucial role in the HR+ subgroup.Keywords: wntless, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, androgen receptor, breast cancer, prognosis

Jing Luo,1,2,* Yide He,1,* Fanhui Meng,1,3,* Ning Yan,1 Yumei Zhang,1 Wen Song1 1State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Stomatology, General Hospital of Southern Theater Command, PLA, Guangzhou 510010, People’s Republic of China; 3State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Department of Dental Materials, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yumei Zhang Email wqtzym@fmmu.edu.cnWen Song Email songwenfmmu@hotmail.comBackground: The proper topography of implant surface can induce macrophages polarization, whereas the regulation mechanism has not been fully deciphered. The study aimed to examine the regulation mechanism of macrophages M2 polarization by titanium (Ti) implant surface micro/nano topography.Results: Firstly, the titanium implant micropits-nanotubular surface with ∼ 30 nm diameters (MNT) can induce the M2 polarization of RAW264.7 spontaneously, as indicated by the spindle-like cell morphological alteration and specific molecular marker arginase-1 (Arg1) expression. Next, the autophagic vacuoles (AVs) number is significantly increased on MNT surface, as confirmed by the monodansylcadaverine (MDC) and CYTO-ID staining as well as the transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation. In addition, increasing or decreasing the autophagosomes number by rapamycin or 3-methyladenine (3-MA) will result in augmentation or attenuation of Arg1. Furthermore, blocking the fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes by bafilomycin also significantly reduces Arg1, even in the presence of rapamycin. Finally, the ERK phosphorylation is selectively upregulated on MNT surface and the AVs number and Arg1 expression are significantly suppressed by U0126 treatment.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the ERK-Beclin-1-autophagy axis may play a pivotal role in the regulation of M2 polarization induced by nanotopography.Keywords: macrophages polarization, micro/nano topography, TiO2 nanotubes, autophagy, ERK

IntroductionThe newly developed Composite Activity-related Risk of Falls Scale (CARFS) is designed to measure composite activity-related risk of falls (CARF) in relation to the activity-specific fear of falling and physical behavior. This study tested the reliability and validity of the CARFS in older people with various health statuses and persons with stroke or spinal cord injury.MethodsParticipants included 70 older adults, 38 persons with stroke, and 18 with spinal cord injury. They were first surveyed using a combined questionnaire including the CARFS and activity-specific balance confidence (ABC) scale in addition to items asking for personal and disease-related information, fall history, walking independence levels for examining internal consistency, ceiling and floor effects, and convergent validity in each participant group. One week after the initial survey, 33 older participants were reexamined using the CARFS to analyze test-retest reliability, where a minimal detectable change was found. Significance was set at α = 0.05 for all analyses.ResultsThe CARFS showed excellent test-retest reliability in the dimensions of fear of falling, physical behavior, and CARF [ICC (3,1) = 0.972, 0.994, and 0.994, respectively for their overall score], with a minimal detectable change of 3.944 in the older population. The internal consistency of CARFS items was excellent in the older participants, good in participants with stroke or spinal cord injury (Cronbach's alpha = 0.945, 0.843, 0.831 in each participant group, respectively). No ceiling and floor effects were demonstrated in the wide range of people. For the convergent validity, overall CARF score was significantly correlated with the average ABC score in each participant group (rho = −0.824, −0.761, and −0.601, respectively; p < 0.01), and was significantly correlated with walking independence levels in each participant group (rho = −0.636, −0.423, and −0.522, respectively; p < 0.01). It showed weak correlation with the number of previous falls only in participants with stroke (rho = 0.291, p = 0.076).ConclusionThe CARFS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring fall risk in older people and persons with stroke or spinal cord injury.

Wanrui Ma, 1–3 Shan He, 4 Huiyan Ma, 4 Haifeng Jiang, 5 Ning Yan, 6 Lili Zhu, 6 John J Bang, 3 P Andy Li, 2 Shaobin Jia 6 1Department of General Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technological Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA; 3Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA; 4School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of hina; 5Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 6Heart Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: P Andy LiDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technological Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707, USATel +1 919 530 6872Fax +1 919 530 6600Email pli@nccu.eduShaobin JiaHeart Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli South Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan 750004, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 139 9507 8969Email jsbxn@163.comBackground: With the increased application of Silver nanoparticles (AgNP), its potential concerns to the health of human beings remain to be defined. This study aims to explore the harmful effects of AgNP on lung tissue in animals and to examine the mechanisms of protection achieved by sodium selenite.Methods: Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were exposed to AgNP (200 μL,1mg/mL) through a single intratracheal instillation. Sodium selenite (0.2mg/kg) was i.p. injected. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured using a spectrophotometer. Histological outcomes and ultrastructural changes were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and electronic microscopy. Caspases and mitochondrial fission and fusion markers were measured by Western blotting.Results: The histopathologic findings showed that AgNP significantly increased the thickness of alveolar septa, accumulation of macrophage, and the formation of pulmonary bullae and pulmonary consolidation. Ultrastructural studies showed localization of AgNP inside the mitochondria, hyperplasia and vacuolation of type I and type II alveolar cells, lysis of osmiophilic lamellar bodies, and swollen of the mitochondria. AgNP elevated MDA and reduced GSH levels. AgNP activated caspases-3, increased mitochondrial fission markers Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and phospho-Drp1(p-Drp1), and decreased fusion proteins optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) and mitofusins 2 (Mfn2). Treatment with sodium selenite for 7 days corrected the AgNP-caused alterations in morphological, ultrastructural, oxidative stress, caspase-3 activation and mitochondrial dynamic imbalance.Conclusion: We conclude that the exposure of AgNP causes lung tissue damage by enhances oxidative stress, activates caspases-3, and triggers mitochondrial dynamic imbalance towards fission. Sodium selenite effectively detoxifies the AgNP-induced damage to the lung tissue by preventing the above alterations.Keywords: silver nanoparticle, selenium, pulmonary, mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial morphology

The precious rare edible fungus Morchella conica is popular worldwide for its rich nutrition, savory flavor, and varieties of bioactive components. Due to its high commercial, nutritional, and medicinal value, it has always been a hot spot. However, the molecular mechanism and endophytic bacterial communities in M. conica were poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the genome of M. conica SH. Transcriptome analysis reveals significant differences between the mycelia and fruiting body. As shown in this study, 1,329 and 2,796 genes were specifically expressed in the mycelia and fruiting body, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment showed that RNA polymerase II transcription activity-related genes were enriched in the mycelium-specific gene cluster, and nucleotide binding-related genes were enriched in the fruiting body-specific gene cluster. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes in different development stages resulted in finding two groups with distinct expression patterns. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment displays that glycan degradation and ABC transporters were enriched in the group 1 with low expressed level in the mycelia, while taurine and hypotaurine metabolismand tyrosine metabolism-related genes were significantly enriched in the group 2 with high expressed level in mycelia. Moreover, a dynamic shift of bacterial communities in the developing fruiting body was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, and co-expression analysis suggested that bacterial communities might play an important role in regulating gene expression. Taken together, our study provided a better understanding of the molecular biology of M. conica SH and direction for future research on artificial cultivation.

The turbulence and flows at the plasma edge during the L-I-H, L-I-L and single-step L-H transitions have been measured directly using two reciprocating Langmuir probe systems at the outer midplane with several newly designed probe arrays in the EAST superconducting tokamak. The E× B velocity, turbulence level and turbulent Reynolds stress at ∼1cm inside the separatrix ramp-up in the last ∼20ms preceding the single-step L-H transition, but remain nearly constant near the separatrix, indicating an increase in the radial gradients at the plasma edge. The kinetic energy transfer rate from the edge turbulence to the E×B flows is significantly enhanced only in the last ∼10ms and peaks just prior to the L-H transition. The E×B velocity measured inside the separatrix, which is typically in the electron diamagnetic drift direction in the L-mode, decays towards the ion diamagnetic drift direction in response to fluctuation suppression at the onset of the single-step L-H, L-I-L as well as L-I-H transitions. One important distinction between the L-I-H and the L-I-L transitions has been observed, with respect to the evolution of the edge pressure gradient and mean E×B flow during the I-phase. Both of them ramp up gradually during the L-I-H transition, but change little during the L-I-L transition, which may indicate that a gradual buildup of the edge pedestal and mean E×B flow during the I-phase leads to the final transition into the H-mode. In addition, the transition data in EAST strongly suggest that the divertor pumping capability is an important ingredient in determining the transition behaviour and power threshold.

The intermediate oscillatory phase during the L-H transition, termed the I-phase, is studied in the EAST superconducting tokamak using a newly developed dual gas puff imaging (GPI) system near the L-H transition power threshold. The experimental observations suggest that the oscillatory behaviour appearing at the L-H transition could be induced by the synergistic effect of the two components of the sheared m, n = 0 E × B flow, i.e. the turbulence-driven zonal flow (ZF) and the equilibrium flow. The latter arises from the equilibrium, and is, to leading order, balanced by the ion diamagnetic term in the radial force balance equation. A slow increase in the poloidal flow and its shear at the plasma edge are observed tens of milliseconds prior to the I-phase. During the I-phase, the turbulence recovery appears to originate from the vicinity of the separatrix with clear wave fronts propagating both outwards into the far scrape-off layer (SOL) and inwards into the core plasma. The turbulence Reynolds stress is directly measured using the GPI system during the I-phase, providing direct evidence of kinetic energy transfer from turbulence to ZFs at the plasma edge. The GPI observations strongly suggest that the SOL transport physics and the evolution of pressure gradient near the separatrix play an important role in the L-I-H transition dynamics. To highlight these new physics, the previous predator-prey model is extended to include a new equation for the SOL physics. The model successfully reproduces the L-I-H transition process with several features comparing favourably with GPI observations. © 2014 IAEA, Vienna.

To address the issue of poor matching of lane allocation with traffic demand and composition, such as exit and entrance of highway toll stations, Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) and Manual Toll Collection (MTC), a dynamic lane control method for highway toll stations is proposed. Based on the lane control method, a mixed integer linear programming optimization model for the optimal opening scheme of toll lanes is established to achieve rational allocation of toll lanes. The results show that when the traffic demand at the entrance is significantly greater than that at the exit, dynamic control will allocate more toll lanes at the entrance. Compared with conventional control, the traffic capacity can be increased by 12.5%, 50% and 33.33%, respectively, under the three traffic schemes. When the traffic demand at the exit is greater than that at the entrance, dynamic control will allocate more toll lanes at the exit. The traffic capacity can be increased by 6.67%, 25%, and 33.33%, respectively, under the three traffic schemes. When the traffic composition at the entrance and exit matches the toll lanes, the traffic capacity and lane allocation of these two control methods are the same. In various traffic scenarios, dynamic control can adjust the lanes at the entrance and exit according to the traffic composition at the entrance of the toll station, so as to accurately match the traffic demand and capacity in all directions of the toll station, and improve the traffic efficiency of the toll station to realize intelligent expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]