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Bo Hu, Xiao-Bo Yang, Xin-Ting Sang Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xin-Ting SangDepartment of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Beijing 100730, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-10-69152836Fax +86-10-69156043Email sangxt@pumch.cnBackground: It has been widely suggested that the association of hypoxia with the immune status within the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is of great clinical significance. The present work was carried out aiming to establish the hypoxia-related and immune-associated gene signature to stratify the risks in HCC.Patients and Methods: The ssGSEA and t-SNE algorithms were utilized to estimate the immune and hypoxia statuses, respectively, using the TCGA database-derived cohort transcriptome profiles. Different immune groups are distinguished according to the ssGSEA scores, while the hypoxia-high and -low groups are inferred based on the distinct overall survival (OS) of the two groups of patients. Moreover, prognostic genes were identified using the Cox regression model in combination with the LASSO approach, which were later used to establish the hypoxia-related and immune-associated gene signature. At the same time, an ICGC cohort was used for external validation.Results: A total of 13 genes, namely, HAVCR1, PSRC1, CCNJL, PDSS1, MEX3A, EID3, EPO, PLOD2, KPNA2, CDCA8, ADAMTS5, SLC1A7 and PIGZ, were discovered by the LASSO approach for constructing a gene signature to stratify the risk of HCC. Those low-risk cases showed superior prognosis (OS) to the high-risk counterparts (p< 0.05). Moreover, it was suggested by multivariate analysis that our constructed hypoxia-related and immune-associated prognosis signature might be used as the independent factor for prognosis prediction (p< 0.001). Patients in high-risk groups had severe hypoxia, higher immune checkpoint expression such as PD-L1, and different immunocyte infiltration states (eg, higher infiltration of regulatory T cells in the high-risk group) compared with those low-risk patients.Conclusion: Our as-constructed hypoxia-related and immune-associated prognosis signature can be used as an approach to stratify the risk of HCC.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, microenvironment, hypoxia, immune, prognosis

Xiaofeng Chen,1,* Yu Liu,1,* Leiying Miao,1 Yangyang Wang,2 Shuangshuang Ren,1 Xuebin Yang,3 Yong Hu,4 Weibin Sun1 1Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 3Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Group, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; 4Institute of Materials Engineering, National Laboratory of Solid State Micro Structure, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Periodontitis is a major cause for tooth loss, which affects about 15% of the adult population. Cementum regeneration has been the crux of constructing the periodontal complex. Cementum protein 1 (CEMP1) is a cementum-specific protein that can induce cementogenic differentiation. In this study, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-stabilized amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanoparticles were prepared by wet-chemical method and then loaded with recombinant human CEMP1 (rhCEMP1) for controlled release. An electrospun multiphasic scaffold constituted of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), type I collagen (COL), and rhCEMP1/ACP was fabricated. The effects of rhCEMP1/ACP/PCL/COL scaffold on the attachment proliferation, osteogenic, and cementogenic differentiations of human periodontal ligament cells, (PDLCs) were systematically investigated. A critical size defect rat model was introduced to evaluate the effect of tissue regeneration of the scaffolds in vivo. The results showed that PEG-stabilized ACP nanoparticles formed a core-shell structure with sustained release of rhCEMP1 for up to 4 weeks. rhCEMP1/ACP/PCL/COL scaffold could suppress PDLCs proliferation behavior and upregulate the expression of cementoblastic markers including CEMP1 and cementum attachment protein while downregulating osteoblastic markers including osteocalcin and osteopontin when it was cocultured with PDLCs in vitro for 7 days. Histology analysis of cementum after being implanted with the scaffold in rats for 8 weeks showed that there was cementum-like tissue formation but little bone formation. These results indicated the potential of using electrospun multiphasic scaffolds for controlled release of rhCEMP1 for promoting cementum regeneration in reconstruction of the periodontal complex. Keywords: nanofiber scaffold, rhCEMP1, controlled release, cementum regeneration, in vivo

Chitosan is generally considered to be a procoagulant effect, which may cause adverse phenomena such as blood clotting when used in small-diameter vascular grafts. However, it also shows good biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory properties, which can facilitate vascular reconstruction. Therefore, it is significant to transition the effect of chitosan from coagulation promotion to antiplatelet while still harnessing its bioactivity. The procoagulant mechanism of chitosan is primarily attributed to the presence of protonated amino groups in the molecular chain. If the number of amino groups in chitosan is reduced, the procoagulant effect will be diminished as well. Aspirin has a strong antiplatelet function, and its molecular structure contains numerous active carboxyl groups, which can couple with the amino groups in chitosan. Aspirin-modified chitosan retains the biological activity of chitosan while also imparting an antiplatelet effect. In our study, we used a heparinized electrospun graft as the substrate and coated it with aspirin-modified chitosan to create a functional vascular graft. The blood clotting index of the graft remained above 80% after 45 min, and the platelet activation degree was only 4.03%. Additionally, the graft maintained complete patency with stable blood flow after 4 weeks of implantation and the vascular structure was largely rebuilt.

Separation of multi-component mixtures in an energy-efficient manner has important practical impact in chemical industry but is highly challenging. Especially, targeted simultaneous removal of multiple impurities to purify the desired product in one-step separation process is an extremely difficult task. We introduced a pore integration strategy of modularizing ordered pore structures with specific functions for on-demand assembly to deal with complex multi-component separation systems, which are unattainable by each individual pore. As a proof of concept, two ultramicroporous nanocrystals (one for C 2 H 2 -selective and the other for CO 2 -selective) as the shell pores were respectively grown on a C 2 H 6 -selective ordered porous material as the core pore. Both of the respective pore-integrated materials show excellent one-step ethylene production performance in dynamic breakthrough separation experiments of C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 and CO 2 /C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 gas mixture, and even better than that from traditional tandem-packing processes originated from the optimized mass/heat transfer. Thermodynamic and dynamic simulation results explained that the pre-designed pore modules can perform specific target functions independently in the pore-integrated materials., Competing Interests: Competing interests: K.J.C., X.J., Y.W. and Q.Y.Z. have filed a provisional patent application (no. 2024100086805) regarding the pore integration strategy and application of Zn-datz-ipa@SiO2@TIFSIX-2-Cu-i and Zn-datz-ipa@SiO2@SIFSIX-3-Ni, data related to synthesis method, adsorption curve, gas adsorption enthalpies, Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) selectivities and breakthrough curve of Zn-datz-ipa@SiO2@TIFSIX-2-Cu-i and Zn-datz-ipa@SiO2@SIFSIX-3-Ni. The remaining authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

β-N-Acetylglucosaminidases and/or β-N-acetylhexosaminidases (NAGs / Hexes) are crucial exonucleases, playing a crucial role in the insect molting process. SfHex3 and SfHex4 contain conserved catalytic domains of GH20 and GH20b, clustered into NAG2 and NAG1 group, respectively. SfHex3 and SfHex4 were mainly highly expressed in the 4th-5th instar nymphs, as well as in the integument and ovary. The expression level of SfHex3 gradually decreased in male and female adults, and SfHex4 on the first day of female was significantly higher than that on the first day of male. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi) results demonstrated that the downregulation of SfHex3 and SfHex4 expression in 5th-instar nymphs resulted in failed molting, and a high mortality. Furthermore, after RNAi with SfHex3 and SfHex4, the transcript levels on key genes of the chitin metabolism pathway (SfCHS1, SfCHS1a, SfCHS1b, SfTRE1, SfTRE2, SfCht5, and SfCht7) were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Meanwhile the expression levels of SfHex3 and SfHex4 were up-regulated after 6 h and 12 h of 20E treatment. And the transcription levels of SfHex3 and SfHex4 were significantly inhibited at nitenpyram LC 20 , LC 50 , and LC 90 after 96 h of treatment, in 3rd nymphs of Sogatella furcifera. In conclusion, SfHex3 and SfHex4 play important roles in the nymphal development of S. furcifera, contributing to the molting process from nymph to adult. This study not only enhances our understanding of the nitenpyram in pest control, but also provides a foundation for the development of new control strategies using RNAi to targeting SfHex3 and SfHex4., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report herein that three facile rearrangements of epoxy ketones can be employed for the efficient and practical synthesis of cephalotaxine, the parent member of the family of Cephalotaxus alkaloids. The Meinwald rearrangement of epoxy ketone (90%) was used for the preparation of the dense functional groups in the cyclopentane ring of cephalotaxine. A novel acid-catalyzed umpolung S N 2' rearrangement and the Wharton transposition reaction of epoxy ketones were also developed to synthesize the Mori intermediate via the key azaspiro allylic alcohols in a stereodivergent manner.

Sepsis, characterized as life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from dysregulated host responses to infection, remains a significant challenge in clinical practice. Despite advancements in understanding host-bacterial interactions, molecular responses, and therapeutic approaches, the mortality rate associated with sepsis has consistently ranged between 10 and 16%. This elevated mortality highlights critical gaps in our comprehension of sepsis etiology. Traditionally linked to bacterial and fungal pathogens, recent outbreaks of acute viral infections, including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), influenza virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), among other regional epidemics, have underscored the role of viral pathogenesis in sepsis, particularly when critically ill patients exhibit classic symptoms indicative of sepsis. However, many cases of viral-induced sepsis are frequently underdiagnosed because standard evaluations typically exclude viral panels. Moreover, these viruses not only activate conventional pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) but also initiate primary antiviral pathways such as cyclic guanosine monophosphate adenosine monophosphate (GMP-AMP) synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling and interferon response mechanisms. Such activations lead to cellular stress, metabolic disturbances, and extensive cell damage that exacerbate tissue injury while leading to a spectrum of clinical manifestations. This complexity poses substantial challenges for the clinical management of affected cases. In this review, we elucidate the definition and diagnosis criteria for viral sepsis while synthesizing current knowledge regarding its etiology, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, molecular mechanisms involved therein as well as their impact on immune-mediated organ damage. Additionally, we discuss clinical considerations related to both existing therapies and advanced treatment interventions, aiming to enhance the comprehensive understanding surrounding viral sepsis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Osteochondral tissue damage is a serious concern, with even minor cartilage damage dramatically increasing an individual's risk of osteoarthritis. Therefore, there is a need for an early intervention for osteochondral tissue regeneration. 3D printing is an exciting method for developing novel scaffolds, especially for creating biological scaffolds for osteochondral tissue engineering. However, many 3D printing techniques rely on creating a lattice structure, which often demonstrates poor cell bridging between filaments due to its large pore size, reducing regenerative speed and capacity. To tackle this issue, a novel biphasic scaffold was developed by a combination of 3D printed poly(ethylene glycol)-terephthalate-poly(butylene-terephthalate) (PEGT/PBT) lattice infilled with a porous silk scaffold (derived from Bombyx mori silk fibroin) to make up a bone phase, which continued to a seamless silk top layer, representing a cartilage phase. Compression testing showed scaffolds had Young's modulus, ultimate compressive strength, and fatigue resistance that would allow for their theoretical survival during implantation and joint articulation without stress-shielding mechanosensitive cells. Fluorescent microscopy showed biphasic scaffolds could support the attachment and spreading of human mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow (hMSC-BM). These promising results highlight the potential utilization of this novel scaffold for osteochondral tissue regeneration as well as highlighting the potential of infilling silk materials within 3D printed scaffolds to further increase their versatility.

To study the pollution characteristics and ecological risks of heavy metals in tailings ponds is an important prerequisite for protecting the surrounding environment and human health. The total amount and morphology of five "toxic" heavy metals （As, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Hg） in Kafang tin tailings pond were determined. Based on the aforementioned, we analyzed the distribution characteristics of heavy metals. The potential ecological risks of heavy metals in tailings ponds were studied from the aspects of total amount and morphology. Sample data were analyzed using the geo-accumulation index method, potential ecological risk assessment method, and risk assessment criteria. The results showed that, from the perspective of the total amount of heavy metals, the spatial distribution of As was different, and the pollution was serious； the spatial distribution of Cd, Hg, Cr, and Pb was relatively uniform； the pollution of Cd and Hg was slight； and the pollution of Cr and Pb was controllable. From the perspective of the morphology of heavy metals, As, Cr, Pb, and Hg in tailings were mainly in the residual state and had low environmental pollution risk, whereas Cd in tailings was mainly in an oxidizable state and had high environmental pollution risks. Therefore, Kafang tin tailings pond should strengthen the control of As in tailings and pay attention to the potential pollution risks of Cd in tailings and the overall pollution risks of Hg, Pb, and Cr in the entire reservoir were controllable.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a heterogeneous non-Hodgkin lymphoma originating in the skin and invading the systemic hematopoietic system. Current treatments, including chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies yielded limited responses with high incidence of side effects, highlighting the need for targeted therapy. Screening with small inhibitors library, herein we identify cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) as a driver of CTCL growth. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis reveals a CDK9 high malignant T cell cluster with a unique actively proliferating feature. Inhibition, depletion or proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC)-mediated degradation of CDK9 significantly reduces CTCL cell growth in vitro and in murine models. CDK9 also promotes degradation of retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) via recruiting the E3 ligase HUWE1. Co-administration of CDK9-PROTAC (GT-02897) with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) leads to synergistic attenuation of tumor growth in vitro and in xenograft models, providing a potential translational treatment for complete eradication of CTCL., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and correlated factors of preoperative sleep disorders in patients undergoing various types of cardiac surgery. Methods: The data of patients at the Structural Heart Surgery Center of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, from April 2023 to February 2024 were retrospectively collected. Patients were categorized into five groups based on cardiac surgical diagnosis: coronary heart disease, valvular disease, large vessel disease, congenital heart disease, and others. Each group was further subdivided into normal sleep (NS) and sleep disorder (SD) groups based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores. Demographic information, cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms, and other relevant data were collected. Clinical characteristics were compared between groups, and factors associated with preoperative sleep disorders were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 1 016 patients aged (58.6±12.7) years were included in the study, including 701 males and 315 females. The incidence of SD was 45.6% (463/1 016). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that aging was a risk factor for sleep disorders in patients with coronary heart disease ( OR =1.050, 95% CI : 1.026-1.077) and valvular disease ( OR =1.033, 95% CI : 1.013-1.053). High Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) score was a risk factor for sleep disorders in patients with valvular disease ( OR =1.050, 95% CI : 1.013-1.091). High score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) subitem-abstraction ability was a protective factor for sleep disorders in patients with coronary heart disease ( OR =0.695, 95% CI : 0.490-0.981). Conclusions: The risk factors of preoperative sleep disorders in cardiac surgery patients vary based on the type of cardiac disease. Aging, depression and abstraction ability correlate with sleep disorders in cardiac surgical patients.

To further demonstrate the gold standard role of adrenal vein sampling (AVS) in the subtyping diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA). In this study, 9 patients with special PA, whose functional advantages indicated by AVS were contrary to the results of CT examination, were selected. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed based on AVS results, and the surgical outcome was followed up. Nine patients, aged[ M ( Q 1 , Q 3 )] 58.0 (52.0, 63.0) years, including 7 males and 2 females, were followed up for 12 (9, 12) months. CT revealed unilateral morphological abnormalities in 5 cases (the functional advantage side indicated by AVS was contrary to the results of CT examination), and bilateral abnormalities in 4 cases (AVS results confirmed unilateral abnormalities). During the follow-up, all 9 patients achieved complete biochemical remission, 4 patients achieved complete clinical remission, and 5 patients achieved partial clinical remission. The study indicates that compared with CT imaging, AVS has better accuracy in PA subtyping, and selecting surgical side based on AVS results is a reliable and effective strategy.

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the risk of hypoglycemia also occurs in at a time-in-range (TIR) of > 70%. The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) is considered the best single factor for predicting hypoglycemia, and offers new perspectives for the individualized treatment of patients with well-controlled blood glucose levels that are easily ignored in clinical settings., Aim: To investigate the relationship between HGI and hypoglycemia and the implications of HGI on hypoglycemia in T2DM with TIR > 70%., Methods: All participants underwent a 7-days continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) using a retrospective CGM system. We obtained glycemic variability indices using the CGM system. We defined HGI as laboratory hemoglobin A1c minus the glucose management indicator. Patients were categorized into low HGI (HGI < 0.5) and high HGI groups (HGI ≥ 0.5) according to HGI median (0.5). Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to determine the risk factors for hypoglycemia., Results: We included 129 subjects with T2DM (54.84 ± 12.56 years, 46% male) in the study. Median TIR score was 90%. The high HGI group exhibited lower TIR and greater time below range with higher hemoglobin A1c than the low HGI group; this suggests more glycemic excursions and an increased incidence of hypoglycemia in the high HGI group. Multivariate analyses revealed that mean blood glucose, standard deviation of blood glucose and HGI were independent risk factors for hypoglycemia. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the HGI was the best predictor of hypoglycemia. In addition, the optimal cut-off points for HGI, mean blood glucose, and standard deviation of blood glucose in predicting hypoglycemia were 0.5%, 7.2 mmol/L and 1.4 mmol/L respectively., Conclusion: High HGI was significantly associated with greater glycemic excursions and increased hypoglycemia in patients with TIR > 70%. Our findings indicate that HGI is a reliable predictor of hypoglycemia in this population., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

VEXAS syndrome, an uncommon yet severe autoimmune disorder stemming from a mutation in the UBA1 gene, is the focus of this paper. The overview encompasses its discovery, epidemiological traits, genetic underpinnings, and clinical presentations. Delving into whether distinct genotypes yield varied clinical phenotypes in VEXAS patients, and the consequent adjustment of treatment strategies based on genotypic and clinical profiles necessitates thorough exploration within the clinical realm. Additionally, the current therapeutic landscape and future outlook are examined, with particular attention to the potential therapeutic roles of IL-6 inhibitors and JAK inhibitors, alongside an elucidation of prevailing limitations and avenues for further research. This study contributes essential theoretical groundwork and clinical insights for both diagnosing and managing VEXAS syndrome., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Molting is a key solution to growth restriction in insects. The periodic synthesis and degradation of chitin, one of the major components of the insect epidermis, is necessary for insect growth. MicroRNA (miRNA) have been implicated in molting regulation, yet their involvement in the interplay interaction between the chitin synthesis pathway and 20-hydroxyecdysone signaling remains poorly understood. In this study, soluble trehalase (Tre1) and phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase (PAGM) were identified as targets of conserved miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3, respectively. The expression profiles of miR-8-3p-SfTre1 and miR-2a-3-SfPAGM exhibited an opposite pattern during the different developmental stages, indicating a negative regulatory relationship between them. This relationship was confirmed by an in vitro dual-luciferase reporter system. Overexpression of miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 by injection of mimics inhibited the expression of their respective target genes and increased mortality, leading to death in the pre-molting, and molting death phenomena. They also caused a decrease in chitin content and expression levels of key genes in the chitin synthesis pathway (SfTre1, SfTre2, SfHK, SfG6PI, SfGFAT, SfGNA, SfPAGM, SfUAP, SfCHS1, SfCHS1a, and SfCHS1b). Conversely, the injection of miRNA inhibitors resulted in the upregulation of the expression levels of these genes. Following 20E treatment, the expression levels of miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 decreased significantly, while their corresponding target genes increased significantly. These results indicate that miR-8-3p and miR-2a-3 play a regulatory role in the molting of Sogatella furcifera by targeting SfTre1 and SfPAGM, respectively. These findings provide new potential targets for the development of subsequent new control strategies., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The use of mixed halide perovskites in the preparation of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is considered to be the most effective and direct approach. However, the introduction of chlorine (Cl) element might raise stability issues in the system and lead to low efficiency, thereby impeding the development of deep blue light-emitting diodes with high efficiency and stability. Determining the alloy concentration and the atomic distribution of bromine-chlorine (Br-Cl) mixed systems is essential for further application of deep blue light-emitting diodes. In this work, we have systematically investigated the stability of bromine-chlorine (Br-Cl) mixed alloy systems in various substitution configurations using high-throughput theoretical calculations. Based on this, we have examined the relationship between configuration stability and three aspects: the type of octahedra, the orientation of the octahedra and the Pb-X-Pb distortion angle in the configuration., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Previously published meta-epidemiological studies focused on Western medicine have identified some trial characteristics that impact the treatment effect of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Nevertheless, it remains unclear if similar associations exist in RCTs on Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). Further, Chinese medicine-related characteristics have not been explored yet., Objective: To investigate trial characteristics related to treatment effect estimates on CHM RCTs., Search Strategy: This meta-epidemiological study searched 5 databases for systematic reviews on CHM treatment published between January 2011 and July 2021., Inclusion Criteria: An eligible systematic review should only include RCTs of CHM and conduct at least one meta-analysis., Data Extraction and Analysis: Two reviewers independently conducted data extraction on general characteristics of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and included RCTs. They also assessed the risk of bias of RCTs using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A two-step approach was used for data analyses. The ratio of odds ratios (ROR) and difference in standardized mean differences (dSMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied to present the difference in effect estimates for binary and continuous outcomes, respectively., Results: Ninety-one systematic reviews, comprising 1338 RCTs were identified. For binary outcomes, RCTs incorporated with syndrome differentiation (ROR: 1.23; 95 % CI: [1.07, 1.39]), adopting Chinese medicine formula (ROR: 1.19; 95% CI: [1.03, 1.34]), with low risk of bias on incomplete outcome data (ROR: 1.29; 95% CI: [1.06, 1.52]) and selective outcome reporting (ROR: 1.12; 95% CI: [1.01, 1.24]), as well as a trial size ≥ 100 (ROR: 1.23; 95% CI: [1.04, 1.42]) preferred to show larger effect estimates. As for continuous outcomes, RCTs with Chinese medicine diagnostic criteria (dSMD: 0.23; 95% CI: [0.06, 0.41]), judged as high/unclear risk of bias on allocation concealment (dSMD: -0.70; 95% CI: [-0.99, -0.42]), with low risk of bias on incomplete outcome data (dSMD: 0.30; 95% CI: [0.18, 0.43]), conducted at a single center (dSMD: -0.33; 95% CI: [-0.61, -0.05]), not using intention-to-treat analysis (dSMD: -0.75; 95% CI: [-1.43, -0.07]), and without funding support (dSMD: -0.22; 95% CI: [-0.41, -0.02]) tended to show larger effect estimates., Conclusion: This study provides empirical evidence for the development of a specific critical appraisal tool for risk of bias assessments on CHM RCTs. Please cite this article as: Wang BH, Lin YL, Gao YY, Song JL, Qin L, Li LQ, Liu WQ, Zhong CCW, Jiang MY, Mao C, Yang XB, Chung VCH, Wu IXY. Trial characteristics and treatment effect estimates in randomized controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine: A meta-epidemiological study. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(3): 223-234., 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 © 2024 Shanghai Yueyang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ion transport peptide (ITP), a superfamily of arthropod neuropeptides, serves a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes such as diuresis, ecdysis behavior, and wing expansion. However, the molecular characteristics, expression profile, and role of ITP in Sogatella furcifera are poorly understood. To elucidate the characteristics and biological function of ITP in S. furcifera, we employed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RNA interference (RNAi) methods. The identified SfITP gene encodes 117 amino acids. The expression of SfITP gradually increased followed the formation of 3-day-old of 5th instar nymph, peaking initially at 40 min after eclosion, and reaching another peak 24 h after eclosion, with particularly high expression levels in thorax and wing tissues. Notably, SfITP RNAi in 3rd instar nymphs of S. furcifera significantly inhibited the transcript levels of SfITP, resulting in 55% mortality and 78% wing deformity. These findings suggests that SfITP is involved in the regulation of wing expansion in S. furcifera, providing insights into the regulation of insect wing expansion and contributing to the molecular understanding of this process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All the authors have no conflict of 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

An innovative energy-absorbing and bearing structure was proposed, which incorporated the coupling of glass microspheres with a metal tube. Glass microsphere-filled steel tube (GMFST) column, consisting of external steel tube and inner glass microspheres, was expected to give full play to the energy-absorbing and load-bearing capacities of the particle while restricting particle flow from collapsing, thereby enhancing the overall structural strength. Four groups of steel tubes and the GMFST specimens were designed and subjected to axial compression tests at four different loading rates to investigate the performance of the structure. These tests aimed to analyze the deformation mode, mechanical response, and energy absorption capacity of the GMFST columns under quasi-static to low-speed compression conditions. The results indicated that the deformation process and failure mode of GMFST columns were similar to those of hollow steel tubes, albeit with a different post-buckling mode. Filling the steel tubes with glass microspheres reduced the load fluctuation range, moderated load-displacement curves, and exhibited a strain rate strengthening effect. The GMFST columns demonstrated superior energy absorption capacity, with significant increases in crush force efficiency, the averaged crush force, and the total absorbed energy, particularly in terms of subsequent support capacity. The load-increasing reinforcement properties enabled GMFST columns to overcome the limitations associated with the unstable post-buckling path of energy‑absorbing damping structure, exhibiting outstanding load-bearing performance and stability in the later stages. The results provided valuable guidelines for designing and engineering high-performance GMFST columns, serving as a new type of energy-absorbing and supporting structure., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Semiconductor materials of abnormal stoichiometric ratio often exhibit unique properties, yet it is still a challenge to determine the structures of such materials in an efficient way. Herein, we propose a method for structurally biased screening according to the coordination numbers and the numbers of Wyckoff positions, balancing the atom local environment and the global symmetry of structures. Based on first-principles calculations, we have predicted two metastable peroxides P 2 1 / c -ScO 2 and Pmmn -TiO 3 with more than six coordination points. For these two structures, the most stable intrinsic defect is the oxygen vacancy (V O ) at the peroxide anion (O2-2), which induces the absence of antibonding orbital formed by O2-2 near the valence band maximum. With the introduction of V O , the decrease of coordination numbers leads to charge recombination, and results in the appearance of an ordered phase TiO 2.5 with stronger Ti-O orbital hybridization. The proposed method presents a promising and feasible approach for the screening of novel compounds.

Objectives: Accumulating evidence are available on the efficacy of high-dose isoniazid (INH) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare clinical efficacy and safety outcomes of high-dose INH- containing therapy against other regimes. Methods: We searched the following databases PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We considered and included any studies comparing treatment success, treatment unsuccess, or adverse events in patients with MDR-TB treated with high-dose INH (>300 mg/day or >5 mg/kg/day). Results: Of a total of 3,749 citations screened, 19 studies were included, accounting for 5,103 subjects, the risk of bias was low in all studies. The pooled treatment success, death, and adverse events of high-dose INH-containing therapy was 76.5% (95% CI: 70.9%-81.8%; I 2 : 92.03%), 7.1% (95% CI: 5.3%-9.1%; I 2 : 73.75%), and 61.1% (95% CI: 43.0%-77.8%; I 2 : 98.23%), respectively. The high-dose INH administration is associated with significantly higher treatment success (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22; p < 0.01) and a lower risk of death (RR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.32-0.63; p < 0.01). However, in terms of other outcomes (such as adverse events, and culture conversion rate), no difference was observed between high-dose INH and other treatment options (all p > 0.05). In addition, no publication bias was observed. Conclusion: In MDR-TB patients, high-dose INH administration is associated with a favorable outcome and acceptable adverse-event profile. Systematic review registration: identifier CRD42023438080., Competing Interests: 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 © 2024 Zhou, Liu, Yang, Guan, Zhang, Wang and Chen.)

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the most important zoonotic pathogens. In this study, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of human E. bieneusi infection in endemic regions and analyze the various potential risk factors. A total of 75 studies were included. Among 31,644 individuals tested, 2,291 (6.59%) were E. bieneusi-positive. The highest prevalence of E. bieneusi in the male population was 5.50%. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in different age groups was varied, with 10.97% in teenagers. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in asymptomatic patients (6.49%) is significantly lower than that in HIV-infected patients (11.49%), and in patients with diarrheal symptoms (16.45%). Rural areas had a higher rate (7.58%) than urban ones. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in humans was the highest (6.42%) at altitudes <10 m. Moreover, the temperate zone marine climate (13.55%) had the highest prevalence. A total of 69 genotypes of E. bieneusi have been found in humans. This is the first global study regarding E. bieneusi prevalence in humans. Not only people with low immunity (such as the elderly, children, people with HIV, etc.), but also people in Europe in temperate marine climates should exercise caution to prevent infection with E. bieneusi during contact process with animals., (© Y. Wang et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2024.)

Nuclear receptors play a crucial role in various signaling and metabolic pathways, such as insect molting and development. Buprofezin (2-tert-butylimino-3-isopropyl-5-phenyl-perhydro-1, 3, 5-thiadiazin-4-one), a chitin synthesis inhibitor, causes molting deformities and slow death in insects by inhibiting chitin synthesis and interfering with their metabolism. This study investigated whether buprofezin affects insect ecdysteroid signaling pathway. The treatment of buprofezin significantly suppressed the transcription levels of SfHR3 and SfHR4, two nuclear receptor genes, in third-instar nymphs of Sogatella furcifera. Meanwhile, the transcription levels of SfHR3 and SfHR4 in first-day fifth-instar nymphs were induced at 12 h after 20E treatment. In addition, the silencing of SfHR3 and SfHR4 genes in first-day fifth-instar nymphs caused severe developmental delay and molting failure, resulting in a significant reduction of survival rates at 7.36% and 2.99% on the eighth day, respectively. Further analysis showed that the silencing SfHR3 and SfHR4 significantly inhibited the transcription levels of chitin synthesis and degradation-related genes. These results indicate that buprofezin can inhibits chitin synthesis and degradation by suppressing the signal transduction of 20E through SfHR3 and SfHR4, leading to molting failure and death. This study not only expands our understanding of the molecular mechanism of buprofezin in pest control but also lays a foundation for developing new control strategies of RNAi by targeting SfHR3 and SfHR4., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in regard to the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Orientia tsutsugamushi is a zoonotic intracellular pathogen that requires parasitism in eukaryotic cells to reproduce. In recent years, tsutsugamushi disease reported in many places nationwide has crossed the Yangtze River, continuously, spreading to the North China. Now this phenomenon has aroused people's attention. Materials and Methods: In this study, meta-analysis was used to analyze the infection of rodents (vectors) in China, to clarify the transmission rule of O. tsutsugamushi . Results: This study included literature from six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP). A total of 55 articles were included in the study from 610 retrieved articles. The total infection rate of O. tsutsugamushi in rodents was 5.5% (1206/20,620, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0553-0.0617). The prevalence of O. tsutsugamushi in rodents before 2013 (7.73%, 95% CI: 4.11-12.37) was higher than after 2013 (2.11%, 95% CI: 0.64-4.41). O. tsutsugamushi spread among a variety of rodents, among which Rattus losea (13.3%, 95% CI: 4.33-26.26), Rattus tanezumi (5.69%, 95% CI: 1.37-12.72), and Apodemus agrarius (5.32%, 95% CI: 2.26-9.58) infection rate was higher. Kawasaki (8.32%, 95% CI: 1.42-20.17), Karp (7.36%, 95% CI: 2.62-14.22), Kato (2.54%, 95% CI: 0.08-8.28), and Gilliam (2.13%, 95% CI: 0.42-5.09) were the main prevalent genotypes in China. The prevalence of O. tsutsugamushi in rodents was seasonal, increasing gradually in summer (2.39%, 95% CI: 0.46-5.77), peaking in autumn (4.59%, 95% CI: 1.15-10.16), and then declining. The positive rate of immunofluorescence assay (25.07%, 95% CI: 8.44-46.88) was the highest among the detection methods, and it was statistically significant ( p  < 0.05). Based on the subgroup of geographical factors and climatic factors, the probability of O. tsutsugamushi infection in rodents was the highest when the temperature >19℃ (8.20%, 95% CI: 1.22-20.52), the altitude <100 millimeters (7.23%, 95% CI: 3.45-12.26), the precipitation >700 millimeters (12.22%, 95% CI: 6.45-19.50), and the humidity 60-70% (7.80%, 95% CI: 4.17-12.44). Conclusions: Studies have shown that rodents carrying O. tsutsugamushi are common. People should prevent and control rodents in life and monitor rodents carrying O. tsutsugamushi for a long time.

The occurrence of acute thrombosis, directly related to platelet aggregation and coagulant system, is a considerable reason for the failure of small-diameter vascular grafts. Heparin is commonly used as a functional molecule for graft modification due to the strong anticoagulant effect. Unfortunately, heparin cannot directly resist the adhesion and aggregation of platelets. Therefore, we have prepared a heparin-aspirin compound by coupling heparin with aspirin, an antiplatelet drug, and covalently grafted it onto the surface of polycaprolactone/polyurethane composite tube. In this way, the graft not only showed a dual function of both anticoagulation and antiplatelet, but also effectively avoided the rapid drug release and excessive toxicity to other organs caused by simple blending the medicine with material matrix. The compound retained the original function of heparin, showing good hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, which could promote the adhesion and proliferation of endothelial cells (ECs) and facilitate the process of tissue regeneration. What's more, the compound showed more effective than heparin in reducing platelet activation and preventing thrombosis. The graft modified by this compound maintained completely unobstructed for one month of implantation, while severe obstruction or stenosis occurred in PCL/PU and PCL/PU-Hep lumen at the first week, verifying the effect of the compound on preventing acute thrombosis. In general, this study proposed a designing method for small-diameter vascular graft which could prevent acute thrombosis and promote intimal construction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All 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 B.V.)

MnSb 2 Te 4 has a similar structure to an emerging material, MnBi 2 Te 4 . According to earlier theoretical studies, the formation energy of Mn antisite defects in MnSb 2 Te 4 is negative, suggesting its inherent instability. This is clearly in contrast to the successful synthesis of experimental samples of MnSb 2 Te 4 . Here, the growth environment of MnSb 2 Te 4 and the intrinsic defects are correspondingly investigated. We find that the Mn antisite defect is the most stable defect in the system, and a Mn-rich growth environment favors its formation. The thermodynamic equilibrium concentrations of the Mn antisite defects could be as high as 15% under Mn-poor conditions and 31% under Mn-rich conditions. It is also found that Mn antisite defects prefer a uniform distribution. In addition, the Mn antisite defects can modulate the interlayer magnetic coupling in MnSb 2 Te 4 , leading to a transition from the ideal antiferromagnetic ground state to a ferromagnetic state. The ferromagnetic coupling effect can be further enhanced by controlling the defect concentration.

Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla hybrid clone is an economically and ecologically important forest variety and is widely planted in Guangxi, China. Black spot, a newly found disease, occurred nearly 5333.3 hectares in an E. grandis × E. urophylla plantation of Qinlian forest farm (N: 21.866°, E: 108.921°) in Guangxi in October, 2019. Infected plants had lesions of black spots with watery margins on petioles and veins of E. grandis × E. urophylla . The size of spots ranged between 3 to 5 mm in diameter. When lesions expanded to girdle the petioles, wilt and death of leaves was observed, which subsequently affected growth of the trees. To isolate the causal agent, symptomatic plant tissues (leaves and petioles) were collected from two different sites, sampled from five plants each site. In the lab, infected tissues were surface sterilized with 75% ethanol for 10 seconds, then 2% sodium hypochlorite for 120 seconds, and rinsed with sterile distilled water three times. Small segments (5×5 mm) were cut from the margins of the lesions, then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. The plates were incubated at 26°C in dark for 7 to 10 days. Fungal isolates YJ1 and YM6 with a similar morphology, which were obtained from 14 of 60 petioles and 19 of 60 veins respectively. These two colonies were initially light orange, then turned to olive brown as time progressed. Conidia were hyaline, smooth, aseptate, ellipsoidal, apex obtuse, and base tapering to flat protruding scar, 16.8 to 26.5µm long, and 6.6 to 10.4 µm wide (n=50). Some conidia had one or two guttules. The morphological characteristics were consistent with the description of Pseudoplagiostoma eucalypti Cheew., M. J. Wingf. & Crous (Cheewangkoon et al. 2010). For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (TUB2) genes were amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 and T1/Bt2b, respectively (White et al. 1990; O'Donnell et al.1998; Glass and Donaldson 1995). Sequences of the two strains were deposited in GenBank (ITS: MT801070 and MT801071; BT2: MT829072 and MT829073). Phylogenetic tree was constructed with a maximum likelihood method, revealing that YJ1 and YM6 were on the same branch with P. eucalypti . Pathogenicity tests of the two strains were performed on three-month-old E. grandis × E. urophylla seedlings, by inoculating 6 wounded (by stabbing on petioles or veins) leaves of seedlings with mycelial PDA plugs (5 ×5 mm) from the edge of a 10-day old colony of strain YJ1 or YM6. Another 6 leaves were treated in the same manner but with PDA plugs as controls. All treatments were incubated in humidity chambers at 27°C and 80% relative humidity, under ambient light. All experiments were conducted three times. Lesions were observed at the points of inoculation, the petioles or veins turned black on inoculated leaves after 7 days, wilting of the leaves were also observed after 30 days, however the controls remained asymptomatic. Re-isolation was made and the fungus had same morphological measurements as the inoculated fungus, thus completing Koch's postulates. P. eucalypti had been reported as a pathogen of leaf spot on E. robusta in Taiwan island (Wang et al. 2016), leaf and shoot blight on E. pulverulenta in Japan (Inuma et al. 2015). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. eucalypti affecting E. grandis × E. urophylla in mainland China. This report provides basis for the rational prevention and control of this new disease in the cultivation process of E. grandis × E. urophylla .

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of preoperative triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index on atrial fibrillation recurrence after valvular surgery with concurrent Cox-maze Ⅳ ablation. Methods: The data of the patients who underwent valvular surgery with concurrent Cox-maze Ⅳ ablation from June 2017 to May 2022 in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital were retrospectively collected, and the patients were divided into the recurrence group and non-recurrence group. Baseline clinical data and results of laboratory tests were collected and TyG index was calculated. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional regression analysis were used to explore the risk factors of atrial fibrillation recurrence after Cox-maze Ⅳ ablation. The value of TyG index in predicting atrial fibrillation recurrence was obtained by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 424 patients were in the final analysis, including 300 males and 124 females, with an average age of (58.2±13.4) years. The median follow-up time was 32.7 months (17.3-49.6 months). There were 117 and 307 patients in the recurrence and non-recurrence groups, respectively. Compared with the non-recurrence group, the TyG index in the recurrence group was higher (9.21±0.38 vs 8.34±0.72, P =0.011). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that TyG index ( HR =2.021, 95% CI : 1.374-3.245, P <0.001), C-reactive protein level ( HR =1.127, 95% CI : 1.007-1.535, P =0.026) and mitral stenosis ( HR =1.038, 95% CI : 1.004-1.483, P <0.001) were risk factors for atrial fibrillation recurrence after Cox-maze Ⅳ ablation. In addition, TyG index was a predictor of atrial fibrillation recurrence according to ROC curve analysis [area under the curve (AUC)=0.847, 95% CI : 0.796-0.871, P <0.001]. Conclusion: The TyG index is an effective indicator to predict the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after valvular surgery with concurrent Cox-maze Ⅳ ablation.

The ability to control stem cell function is the key to stem cell-based therapy and living tissue regeneration. In natural conditions, histone deacetylases (HDAC) are regarded as the important defining epigenetic reprogramming for stem cell differentiation. To date, human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) have been widely utilised for bone tissue engineering applications. The present study aimed to examine the effect of a novel HDAC2&3-selective inhibitor, MI192, on hADSCs epigenetic reprogramming for regulating its osteogenic potential in vitro. The results confirmed that MI192 treatment reduced the hADSCs viability in a time and dose-dependent manner. The optimal concentration and pre-treatment time of MI192 for hADSCs osteogenic induction was 30 μM and 2 days representatively. A quantitative biochemical assay confirmed that the pre-treatment with MI192 (30 μM) for 2 days significantly enhanced hADSCs alkaline phosphatase (ALP) specific activity (P<0.05) compared with that of the valproic acid (VPA) pre-treatment group. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that MI192 pre-treatment up-regulated hADSCs gene expressions of osteogenic markers (e.g., Runx2, Col1, and OCN) under the osteogenic induction. DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that two days' pre-treatment with MI192 (30 μM) resulted in G2/M arrest in hADSCs and this G2/M arrest was reversible. Our results suggest that MI192 is capable of epigenetic reprogramming of hADSCs via HDAC inhibition for controlling the cell cycle, resulting in enhancing hADSCs osteogenic differentiation, which indicates the potential of using MI192 for promoting bone tissue regeneration., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objective: To observe the effects of acupuncture on neurologic function and serum inflammatory factors in patients after thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS)., Methods: A total of 102 AIS patients with onset to treatment time (OTT) ≤3 h were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 51 cases each group. In the control group, thrombolysis and conventional medical treatment were applied. On the basis of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture at Shuigou (GV 26), Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Neiguan (PC 6), etc. was applied in the observation group, 30 min each time, once a day. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin scale (mRS), modified Barthel index (MBI) and serum level of homocysteine (Hcy), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were compared, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups., Results: After treatment, the scores of NIHSS, mRS and serum level of Hcy, hs-CRP were decreased compared with those before treatment ( P <0.05), while the MBI scores were increased ( P <0.05) in the two groups. The scores of NIHSS, mRS and serum level of Hcy, hs-CRP in the observation group were lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05, P <0.01), the MBI score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group ( P <0.01). The total effective rate was 88.2% (45/51) in the observation group, which was superior to 70.6% (36/51) in the control group ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Acupuncture could promote the recovery of neurologic function in patients after thrombolysis in AIS, improve the ability of daily living, which may be related to reducing the level of inflammatory factors, thus inhibiting inflammatory response and improving cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.

Since the problem of the residual entropy of square ice was exactly solved, exact solutions for two-dimensional realistic ice models have been of interest. In this work, we study the exact residual entropy of ice hexagonal monolayer in two cases. In the case that the external electric field along the z-axis exists, we map the hydrogen configurations into the spin configurations of the Ising model on the kagome lattice. By taking the low temperature limit of the Ising model, we derive the exact residual entropy, which agrees with the result determined previously from the dimer model on the honeycomb lattice. In another case that the ice hexagonal monolayer is under the periodic boundary conditions in the cubic ice lattice, the residual entropy has not been studied exactly. For this case, we employ the six-vertex model on the square lattice to represent the hydrogen configurations obeying the ice rules. The exact residual entropy is obtained from the solution of the equivalent six-vertex model. Our work provides more examples of the exactly soluble two-dimensional statistical models.

Magnetic topological materials have drawn markedly attention recently due to the strong coupling of their novel topological properties and magnetic configurations. In particular, the MnBi 2 Te 4 /(Bi 2 Te 3 ) n family highlights the researches of multiple magnetic topological materials. Via first-principles calculations, we predict that Mn(Bi, Sb) 4 Se 7 , the close relatives of MnBi 2 Te 4 /(Bi 2 Te 3 ) n family, are topological nontrivival in both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic configurations. In the antiferromagnetic ground state, Mn(Bi, Sb) 4 Se 7 are simultaneously topological insulators and axion insulators. Massless Dirac surface states emerge on the surfaces parallel to the z axis. In ferromagnetic phases, they are axion insulators. Particularly, when the magnetization direction is along the x axis, they are also topological crystalline insulators. Mirror-symmetry-protected gapless surface states exist on the mirror-invariant surfaces. Hence, the behaviors of surface states are strongly dependent on the magnetization directions and surface orientations. Our work provides more opportunities for the study of magnetic topological physics.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of the proportion of hibernating myocardium (HM) in total perfusion defect (TPD) on reverse left ventricle remodeling (RR) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) by 99m Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) combined with 18 F-flurodeoxyglucose (FDG) gated myocardial imaging positron emission computed tomography (PET). Methods: Inpatients diagnosed with HFrEF at the Cardiac Surgery Center, Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2016 to January 2022 were prospectively recruited. MPI combined with 18 F-FDG gated PET was performed before surgery for viability assessment and the patients received follow-up MPI and 18 F-FDG gated PET at different stages (3-12 months) after surgery. Δ indicated changes (post-pre). Left ventricular end-systolic volume (ESV) reduced at least 10% was defined as RR, patients were divided into reverse remodeling (RR+) group and the non-reverse group (RR-). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of RR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the cut-off value for predicting RR. Additionally, we retrospectively enrolled inpatients with HFrEF at the Cardiac Surgery Center, Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2021 to January 2022 as the validation group, who underwent MPI and 18 F-FDG gated PET before surgery. Echocardiography was performed before CABG and after CABG (3-12 months). In the validation group, the reliability of obtaining the cut-off value for the ROC curve was verified. Results: A total of 28 patients with HFrEF (26 males; age (56.9±8.7) years) were included in the prospective cohort. HM/TPD was significantly higher in the RR+ group than in the RR- group ((51.8%±17.9%) vs . (35.7%±13.9%), P =0.016). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that HM/TPD was an independent predictor of RR (Odds ratio=1.073, 95% Confidence interval: 1.005-1.145, P =0.035). ROC curve analysis revealed that HM/TPD=38.3% yielded the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (all 75%) for predicting RR and the AUC was 0.786 ( P =0.011). Meanwhile, a total of 100 patients with HFrEF (90 males; age (59.7±9.6) years) were included in the validation group. In the validation group, HM/TPD=38.3% predicted RR in HFrEF patients after CABG with the highest sensitivity, specificity and accuracy (82%, 60% and 73% respectively). Compared with the HFrEF patients in the HM/TPD<38.3% group ( n =36), RR and cardiac function improved more significantly in the HM/TPD≥38.3% group ( n =64) (all P <0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative HM/TPD ratio is an independent factor for predicting RR in patients with HFrEF after CABG, and HM/TPD≥38.3% can accurately predict RR and the improvement of cardiac function after CABG.

Aim: To assess the effect of experimentally induced anisometropia on binocularity in normal adults with glasses-free three-dimensional (3D) technique., Methods: Totally 54 healthy medical students with normal binocularity in the cross-sectional study were enrolled. Anisometropia was induced by placing trail lenses over the right eye, in 0.5 D steps including lenses of -0.5, -1, -1.5, -2, -2.5 D (hyperopic anisometropia) and lenses of +0.5, +1, +1.5, +2, +2.5 D (myopic anisometropia). The glasses-free 3D technique was used to evaluated not only fine stereopsis, but also coarse stereopsis, dynamic stereopsis, foveal suppression, and peripheral suppression in these subjects. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare quantitative data such as fine stereopsis, coarse stereopsis. Pearson's Chi-square test was performed to compare categorical data such as dynamic stereopsis, foveal suppression and peripheral suppression., Results: The subjects showed a statistically significant decline in fine stereopsis, coarse stereopsis, and dynamic stereopsis with increasing levels of anisometropia ( P <0.001). Binocularity was affected when induced anisometropia was more than 1 D ( P <0.05). Foveal suppression and peripheral suppression were evident and increased in proportion to anisometropia ( P <0.001)., Conclusion: The relatively low degrees of anisometropia may have a potentially significant effect on high-grade binocular interaction. The mechanisms underlying the defect of binocularity seem to involve not only foveal suppression, but also peripheral suppression., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Severe acute mountain sickness (sAMS) can be life-threatening, but little is known about its genetic basis. The study was aimed to explore the genetic susceptibility of sAMS for the purpose of prediction, using microarray data from 112 peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples of 21 subjects, who were exposed to very high altitude (5260 m), low barometric pressure (406 mmHg), and hypobaric hypoxia (VLH) at various timepoints. We found that exposure to VLH activated gene expression in leukocytes, resulting in an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio that interacted with other phenotypic risk factors at the genetic level. A total of 2286 underlying risk genes were input into the support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) system for machine learning, and a model with satisfactory predictive accuracy and clinical applicability was established for sAMS screening using ten featured genes with significant predictive power. Five featured genes (EPHB3, DIP2B, RHEBL1, GALNT13, and SLC8A2) were identified upstream of hypoxia- and/or inflammation-related pathways mediated by microRNAs as potential biomarkers for sAMS. The established prediction model of sAMS holds promise for clinical application as a genetic screening tool for sAMS., (© 2023. The Author(s).)