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Abstract Background The Metabolic Insulin Resistance Score (METS-IR) is a non-invasive proxy for insulin resistance (IR) that has been newly developed in recent years and has been shown to be associated with diabetes risk. Our aim was to assess the predictive value of METS-IR for the future development of diabetes and its temporal differences in people of different sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). Methods The current study included 15,453 baseline non-diabetic subjects in the NAGALA cohort and then grouped according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended criteria for age and BMI. Multivariate Cox regression and time-dependent receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves were used to analyze the value of METS-IR in assessing and predicting the risk of diabetes in people of different sexes, ages, and BMIs. Results 373 individuals developed diabetes during the observation period. By multivariate COX regression analysis, the development of future diabetes was significantly associated with increased METS-IR, and this positive association was stronger in women than in men and in individuals

Abstract Background Central obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for diabetes, yet the potential role of lipids in the diabetes risk associated with central obesity remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the possible mediating role of 11 lipid parameters [high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Non-HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), remnant cholesterol (RC), and ratios of Non-HDL-C/HDL-C, RC/HDL-C, LDL/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C] in the association of central obesity with diabetes risk. Methods We utilized data from 15,453 participants in the NAGALA longitudinal cohort to assess the association of baseline central obesity indicators [waist-height ratio (WHtR), waist circumference (WC)] and the 11 lipid parameters with diabetes risk. Mediation analysis models were constructed to explore the mediating role of lipid parameters in the association of WC/WHtR with diabetes. Results Confirmatory associative analysis using multivariable Cox regression showed that, except for Non-HDL-C, TC and LD-C, the remaining eight lipid parameters were significantly associated with WC/WHtR and diabetes risk. Mediation analysis indicated that TG, RC, HDL-C, and lipid ratios such as Non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio, RC/HDL-C ratio, TG/HDL-C ratio, TC/HDL-C ratio and LDL/HDL-C ratio are potential lipids affecting the diabetes risk related to central obesity. Among these, the RC/HDL-C ratio seemed to contribute the most in the WC/WHtR-related diabetes risk association, with a mediation percentage of about 37%. Additionally, lipid ratio parameters appeared to play a more mediating role in the association of central obesity-related diabetes risk than individual lipids. Conclusions In central obesity-related diabetes risk, most lipids, especially lipid ratio parameters, play a significant mediating role. Given these findings, we advocate for increased efforts in multifactorial risk monitoring and joint management of diabetes. The evaluation of lipids, particularly lipid ratio parameters, may be holds substantial value in the prevention and management of diabetes risk under close monitoring of central obesity.

Abstract Glaucoma poses a significant threat to vision, capable of causing irreversible damage and, in severe instances, leading to permanent blindness. Accurate optic cup (OC) and optic disc (OD) segmentation are essential in glaucoma screening. In this study, a novel OC and OD segmentation approach is proposed. Based on U‐Net, it is optimized by introducing cardinality dimensions. Moreover, attention gates are implemented to reinforce salient features while suppressing irrelevant information. Additionally, a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) is integrated into the decoder segment. This fusion hones in on effective information in both channel and spatial dimensions. Meanwhile, an image processing procedure is proposed for image normalization and enhancement. All of these increase the accuracy of the model. This model is evaluated on the ORIGA and REFUGE datasets, demonstrating the model's superiority in OC and OD segmentation compared to the state‐of‐the‐art methods. Additionally, after the proposed image processing, cup‐to‐disc ratio (CDR) prediction on a batch of 155 in‐house fundus images yields an absolute CDR error of 0.099, which is reduced by 0.04 compared to the case where only conventional processing was performed.

Abstract Global climate change poses challenges to agricultural production and food security. Assessing the adaptive capacity of crop wild relatives to future climate is important for protecting key germplasm resources and breeding new crops. We performed population genomics, genotype-environment association analyses, and genomic offset assessment of Chinese wild rice, Zizania latifolia, a crop wild relative and potential new grain crop, based on 168 individuals from 42 populations. We found two genetic lineages in Z. latifolia, corresponding to the south and north of its range, that diverged during the Late Pleistocene. We also identified lineage-specific positively selected genes associated with flower development and flowering, seed shattering, pathogen defense response and cold tolerance. We further found that populations from southeastern China are the most maladapted to future climate and should be prioritized for conservation. Our findings provide important clues for leveraging existing genetic diversity to identify important germplasm resources and create climate-resilient crops.

Abstract Aims The value of the systemic immune‐inflammatory index (SII) in assessing adverse outcomes in various cardiovascular diseases has been extensively discussed. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value and risk stratification ability of SII for 30 day mortality in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods This analysis included 1452 patients hospitalized for ADHF, all the participants being part of the China Jiangxi‐acute decompensated heart failure1 project. The risk stratification capability of the SII in patients with ADHF, as well as its correlation with the 30 day mortality risk among ADHF patients, was evaluated utilizing Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox regression models. A restricted cubic spline was employed to model the dose–response relationship between the two, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was utilized to assess the predictive ability of SII for 30 day mortality. Results The Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the risk of mortality in the high SII group (SII ≥ 980 × 109/L) was significantly greater than that in the low SII group (SII

The characteristics of biomarker compounds and their occurrence states in different layers of the Permian Fengcheng Formation shale in Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin are poorly understood. By using experimental techniques such as rock pyrolysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, fluorescence thin sections, and argon ion polishing electron microscopy, the material basis of hydrocarbon source rocks in different intervals, the distribution characteristics and significance of biomarker compounds, and different occurrence states of shale oil are clarified. This is of great significance for the next step in exploration and deployment in the Mahu Sag. The shale of the Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag is mainly medium to good hydrocarbon source rocks, with type Ⅱ organic matter and in a mature evolutionary stage. The composition characteristics of biomarker compounds show high abundance of Pr and Ph, β-carotane, and C29 rearranged steranes. The C27-C28-C29 regular steranes exhibit an inverted "L" distribution, indicating that the organic matter is mainly contributed by lower aquatic organisms such as algae. Lower Pr/Ph ratios and higher gammacerane indices reflect a saline reducing sedimentary environment. Maturity parameters such as C31αβ22S/(22S+22R), C29M/C29H, and C29ββ/(ββ+αα) for hopanes and steranes indicate that the hydrocarbon source rocks are in the mature stage. In addition, the shale of the second member of the Fengcheng Formation has greater hydrocarbon generation potential and better source rock material basis than that in the first and third members. Meanwhile, biomarker compound parameters such as C20/C23TT, C21/C23TT, and Ga/C30H indicate that the second member has more contributions from algae and other organisms, and a more reducing and saline environment. The hydrocarbons in the second member are mainly in a free occurrence state, residing in intergranular and intragranular pores. The study shows that the second member of the Fengcheng Formation is more favorable for shale oil enrichment and preservation, showing a better prospect for shale oil exploration and development.

Abstract The first-order antisymmetric (A1) mode lamb wave resonator (LWR) based on Z-cut LiNbO3 thin films has attracted significant attention and is widely believed to be a candidate for next-generation reconfigurable filters with high frequency and large bandwidth (BW). However, it is challenging for traditional interdigitated electrodes (IDTs) based LWR filters to meet the requirement of a clean frequency spectrum response and enough out-of-band (OoB) rejection. To solve the problem, we propose LWRs with checker-shaped IDTs for the design of filters that meet the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By taking advantage of checker-shaped IDTs with unparalleled boundaries, the fabricated 6-GHz resonators successfully suppress higher-order A1 spurious modes, demonstrating a spurious-free impedance response and a high figure-of-merit (FOM) up to 104. Based on the demonstrated checker-shaped electrode design, the filter features a center frequency (f 0 ) of more than 6 GHz, a 3 dB BW exceeding 620 MHz, and an excellent OoB rejection >25 dB, consistent with the acoustic-electric-electromagnetic (EM) multi-physics simulations. Furthermore, through the capacitance-inductance matching network technology, the filter’s voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) is successfully reduced below 2, showing an excellent 50 Ω impedance matching. This study lays a foundation for ultra-high-frequency and ultra-wideband filters for the Wi-Fi 6/6E application.

Abstract Background The impact of dynamic changes in the degree of atherosclerosis on the development of prediabetes remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between cumulative atherogenic index of plasma (CumAIP) exposure during follow-up and the development of prediabetes in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Methods A total of 2,939 prediabetic participants from the first wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were included. The outcomes for these patients, including progression to diabetes and regression to normal fasting glucose (NFG), were determined using data from the third wave. CumAIP was calculated as the ratio of the average AIP values measured during the first and third waves to the total exposure duration. The association between CumAIP and the development of prediabetes was analyzed using multivariable Cox regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression. Results During a median follow-up period of 3 years, 15.21% of prediabetic patients progressed to diabetes, and 22.12% regressed to NFG. Among the groups categorized by CumAIP quartiles, the proportion of prediabetes progressing to diabetes gradually increased (Q1: 10.61%, Q2: 13.62%, Q3: 15.65%, Q4: 20.95%), while the proportion regressing to NFG gradually decreased (Q1: 23.54%, Q2: 23.71%, Q3: 22.18%, Q4: 19.05%). Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression showed a significant positive linear correlation between high CumAIP exposure and prediabetes progression, and a significant negative linear correlation with prediabetes regression. Furthermore, in a stratified analysis, it was found that compared to married individuals, those who were unmarried (including separated, divorced, widowed, or never married) had a relatively higher risk of CumAIP-related diabetes. Conclusion CumAIP is closely associated with the development of prediabetes. High CumAIP exposure not only increases the risk of prediabetes progression but also hinders its regression within a certain range. These findings suggest that monitoring and maintaining appropriate AIP levels may help prevent the deterioration of blood glucose levels.

Abstract Background The Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE) Index, serves as an effective tool for evaluating body fat (BF) levels. This research seeks to clarify the association between the CUN-BAE Index and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) from a gender perspective. Methods The study utilized data from a comprehensive health assessment initiative known as “Human Dock”, involving 14,251 participants. MASLD was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasound, primarily evaluated based on the following sonographic features: hepatorenal echo contrast, vascular blurring, deep attenuation, liver brightness. First, we evaluated the association of MASLD with the CUN-BAE Index using multivariate logistic regression. Second, we visualized this association and estimated potential threshold effect points using the restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression model. Ultimately, we evaluated the ability of the CUN-BAE Index to detect MASLD through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The female-to-male ratio was 1:1.08, with a MASLD prevalence rate of 17.59%. Following the adjustment for confounding variables, an increase of one unit in the CUN-BAE Index corresponded to a 14% increase in the risk of MASLD for males and an 18% increase for females. RCS analysis revealed an S-shaped relationship between MASLD prevalence and the CUN-BAE Index for both genders, with potential threshold effect points at approximately 30 in females and 15 in males. Beyond these threshold points, the prevalence of MASLD increased rapidly. Further subgroup analyses indicated significant differences in the relationship of the CUN-BAE Index with MASLD within age and body mass index (BMI) subgroups in females, with a stronger association observed in younger and non-obese female participants. Additionally, ROC analysis revealed that the CUN-BAE Index possesses a strong ability to distinguish MASLD in both genders, especially in females. Conclusions This research is the first to identify a positive relationship between the CUN-BAE Index and MASLD. The CUN-BAE Index appears to be more suitable for early screening of MASLD in females.

Abstract White organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) hold significant promise in illumination and displays, but achieving high efficiency while maintaining stability is an ongoing challenge. Here, we strategically combine a blue donor-acceptor thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter featuring rapid reverse intersystem crossing rate and a yellow multi-resonance TADF emitter renowned for the fast radiative transition process to achieve warm WOLEDs with exceptional power efficiency exceeding 190 lm W−1 and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 39%, setting records for WOLEDs. Meanwhile, these devices also exhibit an extended operational lifetime (LT80) of 446 h at an initial luminance of 1000 cd m−2. Another group of blue and yellow emitters based on our strategy achieves a standard white emission and a high EQE of 35.6%, confirming the universality of our strategy. This work presents a versatile strategy to harmonize singlet exciton radiation and triplet exciton up-conversion, thus achieving a win-win situation of efficiency and stability.

Abstract Automatic generation of image captions is essentially a cross‐modal conversion from image to text. Owing to the differences in linguistic characteristics between Chinese and English, quite a few Chinese image captioning methods have recently been proposed. Nevertheless, the existing Chinese image captioning models usually lack attention to local details of images or tend to produce general descriptions. To address these challenges, a Chinese image captioning method is proposed that incorporates fusion encoder, visual keyword search, and reinforcement learning. The fusion encoder can simultaneously extract local and global features of the input image to enrich the semantic information in the decoding stage, visual keyword search can pursue potential visual words associated with the image content, and the reinforcement learning mechanism can optimize the evaluation metric CIDEr at sentence level to promote the lexical diversity of image description. The results of extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art models and delivers expressive and informative Chinese image captions.

Abstract Background Glycotoxicity and lipotoxicity are key pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The primary objective of this study is to investigate the association between the newly proposed Plasma-Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio (HbA1c/HDL-C ratio) and the risk of MAFLD. Methods A study population of 14,251 individuals undergoing health examinations was included. The association between the HbA1c/HDL-C ratio and MAFLD was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Exploratory analyses were conducted to assess variations in this association across subgroups stratified by gender, age, body mass index (BMI), exercise habits, drinking status, and smoking status. The discriminatory value of the HbA1c/HDL-C ratio and its components for screening MAFLD was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results A total of 1,982 (13.91%) subjects were diagnosed with MAFLD. After adjusting for confounding factors, we found a significant positive association between the HbA1c/HDL-C ratio and MAFLD [odds ratio (OR) 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 1.44]. No significant differences in this association were observed across all subgroups (All P for interaction > 0.05). Furthermore, through RCS analysis, we observed a nonlinear positive correlation between the HbA1c/HDL-C ratio and MAFLD (P for non-linearity

Abstract Developing high-performance Pt-based catalysts with low Pt loading is crucial but challenging for CO oxidation at temperatures below 100 °C. Herein, we report a Pt-based catalyst with only a 0.15 wt% Pt loading, which consists of Pt–Ti intermetallic single-atom alloy (ISAA) and Pt nanoparticles (NP) co-supported on a defective TiO2 support, achieving a record high turnover frequency of 11.59 s–1 at 80 °C and complete conversion of CO at 120 °C. This is because the coexistence of Pt–Ti ISAA and Pt NP significantly alleviates the competitive adsorption of CO and O2, enhancing the activation of O2. Furthermore, Pt single atom sites are stabilized by Pt–Ti ISAA, resulting in distortion of the TiO2 lattice within Pt–Ti ISAA. This distortion activates the neighboring surface lattice oxygen, allowing for the simultaneous occurrence of the Mars-van Krevelen and Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction paths at low temperatures.

Objective It is aimed to elucidate the constitutive relationship of bond-slip at the interface between stud steel and shotcrete in the initial support of mining method tunnel. Method Four different working conditions are set by varying the length, diameter, and arrangement of the studs. Push-out tests are conducted on steel-shotcrete short columns with studs on web plate, analyzing failure modes, load-slip characteristics and bearing capacity. Result & Conclusion The failure modes of stud specimens are affected by the number and strength of studs, categorized into tensile splitting and bursting failure. The typical average bond strength-relative slip curve can be divided into four stages: no slip, ascending curve, descending curve, and horizontal residual stage. Laboratory tests demonstrate that the diameter and arrangement of the studs are primary factors affecting the bearing capacity. A bond-slip constitutive model for the interface between stud steel and shotcrete is established based on stress mechanism, validated through both laboratory tests and numerical simulations, showing high accuracy. The research results can provide theoretical support for the design of steel and shotcrete support structures of mining method tunnels.

Abstract Background Loiasis is one of the significant filarial diseases for people living in West and Central Africa with wide endemic area but is not seen in China. As economy booms and international traveling increase, China faces more and more imported parasitic diseases that are not endemic locally. Loiasis is one of the parasitic diseases that enter China by travelers infected in Africa. The better understanding of the clinical and laboratory features of loa loa infection will facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of loiasis in China. Methods The study targeted travelers who were infected with L. loa in endemic Africa regions and returned to Beijing between 2014 and 2023. Epidemiological, clinical, and biological data as well as treatment of these patients were collected. Results Total 21 cases were identified as L. loa infection based on their typical clinical manifestations and parasite finding. All cases had a history of travel to Africa for more than 6 months, most of them are the construction workers dispatched to West Africa with outdoor activities. Calabar swelling (n = 19; 90.5%) and pruritus (n = 11; 52.4%) were among the most common clinical symptoms followed by muscle pain (n = 7; 33.3%) and skin rash (n = 2; 9.5%). The adult worms were observed in the eyelid or subconjunctiva (n = 2; 9.5%) and subcutaneous tissues (n = 2; 9.5%). Although all patients presented with a high eosinophil count (> 0.52 × 109/L), only two cases displayed microfilariae in fresh venous blood and positive for filarial antigen. A cut section of adult worm was observed through biopsy on a skin nodule surrounded by lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils. All subjects were positive in PCR targeting L. loa ITS-1. The constructed phylogenetic tree based on the amplified ITS-1 sequences identified their genetical relation to the L. Loa from Africa. All patients treated with albendazole and diethylcarbamazine were recovered without relapse. Conclusion This study provides useful information and guideline for physicians and researchers in non-endemic countries to diagnose and treat loiasis and L. loa infections acquired from endemic regions.

Abstract Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is characterized by the presence of HBV DNA in the absence of detectable HBsAg. OBI is an important risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Mutations in the HBV preS/S genes can lead to impaired secretion of either HBsAg or S-protein resulting in the accumulation of defective viruses or S protein in cells. In our previous work, the M133S mutation was present in the HBV S gene of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with OBI. In this study, we investigated the potential role of amino acid substitutions in S proteins in S protein production and secretion through the construction of mutant S gene plasmids, structural prediction, transcriptome sequencing analysis, and in vitro functional studies. Protein structure prediction showed that the S protein M133S mutant exhibited hydrophilic modifications, with greater aggregation and accumulation of the entire structure within the membrane phospholipid bilayer. Differential gene enrichment analysis of transcriptome sequencing data showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly concentrated in protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The expression of heat shock family proteins and ER chaperone molecules was significantly increased in the wild-type and mutant groups, whereas the expression of mitochondria-associated proteins was decreased. Immunofluorescence staining and protein blotting showed that the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein PDI, the autophagy marker LC3, and the lysosome-associated protein LAMP2 co-localized with the S proteins in the wild-type and mutant strains, and their expression was increased. The mitochondria-associated TOMM20 protein was also co-expressed with the S protein, but expression was significantly reduced in the mutant. The M133S mutation in the S gene is expressed as a defective and misfolded protein that accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum causing secretion-impaired endoplasmic reticulum stress, which in turn triggers mitochondrial autophagy and recruits lysosomes to fuse with the autophagosome, leading to mitochondrial clearance. This study preliminarily demonstrated that the mutation of M133S in the S gene can cause OBI and is associated with disease progression, providing a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of OBI.

Summary: Genomics studies have detected numerous genetic alterations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the functions of these mutations largely remain elusive, partially due to a lack of feasible animal models. Here, we report a convenient platform with CRISPR-Cas9-mediated introduction of genetic alterations and orthotopic transplantation to generate a series of primary ESCC models in mice. With this platform, we validate multiple frequently mutated genes, including EP300, FAT1/2/4, KMT2D, NOTCH2, and TGFBR2, as tumor-suppressor genes in ESCC. Among them, TGFBR2 loss dramatically promotes tumorigenesis and multi-organ metastasis. Paradoxically, TGFBR2 deficiency leads to Smad3 activation, and disruption of Smad3 partially restrains the progression of Tgfbr2-mutated tumors. Drug screening with tumor organoids identifies that pinaverium bromide represses Smad3 activity and restrains Tgfbr2-deficient ESCC. Our studies provide a highly efficient platform to investigate the in vivo functions of ESCC-associated mutations and develop potential treatments for this miserable malignancy.

ObjectiveFew studies have evaluated the changes in blood glucose status in individuals with prediabetes, and this study aimed to analyze the association between metabolic score for insulin resistance (MetS-IR) and the progression or regression of prediabetes.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used research data from medical examination institutions under the Rich Healthcare Group in 32 regions across 11 cities in China. Progression of prediabetes to diabetes and regression to normal fasting glucose (NFG) were defined based on glycemic changes during follow-up. The association between MetS-IR and the progression or regression of prediabetes was analyzed using multivariate Cox regression, restricted cubic splines, and piecewise regression models.ResultsData from 15,421 prediabetic subjects were analyzed. Over an average follow-up of 2.96 years, 6,481 individuals (42.03%) returned to NFG, and 2,424 (15.72%) progressed to diabetes. After controlling for confounding factors, an increase in MetS-IR was observed to increase the risk of diabetes onset in the prediabetic population, whereas a decrease in MetS-IR had a protective effect for returning to NFG. Additionally, a nonlinear relationship between MetS-IR and prediabetes regression was observed, with 37.22 identified as the inflection point; prediabetes regression rates were significantly higher before this point and markedly decreased after it.ConclusionFor individuals with prediabetes, an increase in MetS-IR may lead to an increased risk of diabetes; conversely, a decrease in MetS-IR enhances the protective effect for returning to NFG and keeping MetS-IR below 37.22 is significant for the regression of prediabetes.

Background: Education level significantly impacts individual health outcomes. This research investigates the correlation between education level and the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB). Methods: This study employed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2005 to 2020 to conduct a thorough investigation of the association between educational level and OAB using multivariable logistic regression, smooth curve fitting, and generalized additive model. Results: Out of 37,423 surveyed participants from the United States, 8,033 were identified with OAB. The comprehensive adjusted model revealed a notable inverse correlation between education level and OAB prevalence (odds ratio [OR] = 0.86, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 0.83–0.89, P < 0.001). When education level was categorized, participants with the highest educational qualification (college graduates or higher) had a 44 % lower likelihood of having OAB compared to those with the lowest education (below 9th grade) (OR = 0.56, 95 % CI = 0.47–0.66, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings underscore a substantial inverse correlation between education level and OAB prevalence. Although continued research is required to confirm these findings, educational attainment may guide the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies for OAB.

Dandelion (Taraxacum genus), a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family is widely distributed in hillside grasslands, roadsides, fields, and river beaches in middle and low-altitude areas. It has a long history of traditional Chinese medicine usage as a heat-clearing and detoxifying agent, often consumed as tea or vegetable. Multiple pharmacological studies have demonstrated the antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune-regulating, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and other effects of the Taraxacum genus. Bioactive compounds associated with these effects include triterpenes and their saponins, phenolic acids, sterols and their glycosides, flavonoids, organic acids, volatile oils, and saccharides.

BackgroundRecurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a multifactorial disease, the exact causes of which are still unknown. Environmental, maternal, and genetic factors have been shown to contribute to this condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of mutations in the ANXA4 gene in patients with RSA.MethodsGenomic DNA was extracted from 325 patients with RSA and 941 control women with a normal reproductive history for whole-exome sequencing (WES). The detected variants were annotated and filtered, and the pathogenicity of the variants was predicted through the SIFT online tool, functional enrichment analyses, Sanger sequencing validation, prediction of changes in protein structure, and evolutionary conservation analysis. Furthermore, plasmid construction, Western blotting, RT–qPCR, and cell migration, invasion and adhesion assays were used to detect the effects of ANXA4 mutations on protein function.ResultsAn ANXA4 mutation (p.G8D) in 1 of the 325 samples from patients with RSA (RSA-219) was identified through WES. This mutation was not detected in 941 controls or included in public databases. Evolutionary conservation analysis revealed that the amino acid residue affected by the mutation (p.G8D) was highly conserved among 13 vertebrate species, and the SIFT program and structural modeling analysis predicted that this mutation was harmful. Furthermore, functional assays revealed that this mutation could inhibit cell migration, invasion and adhesion.ConclusionOur study suggests that an unreported novel ANXA4 mutation (p.G8D) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RSA and may contribute to the genetic diagnosis of RSA.

Multi-view graph clustering has garnered tremendous interest for its capability to effectively segregate data by harnessing information from multiple graphs representing distinct views. Despite the advances, conventional methods commonly construct similarity graphs straightway from raw features, leading to suboptimal outcomes due to noise or outliers. To address this, latent representation-based graph clustering has emerged. However, it often hypothesizes that multiple views share a fixed-dimensional coefficient matrix, potentially resulting in useful information loss and limited representation capabilities. Additionally, many methods exploit Euclidean distance as a similarity metric, which may inaccurately measure linear relationships between samples. To tackle these challenges, we develop a novel diverse representation-guided graph learning for multi-view metric clustering (DRGMMC). Concretely, raw sample matrix from each view is first projected into diverse latent spaces to capture comprehensive knowledge. Subsequently, a popular metric is leveraged to adaptively learn similarity graphs with linearity-aware based on attained coefficient matrices. Furthermore, a self-weighted fusion strategy and Laplacian rank constraint are introduced to output clustering results directly. Consequently, our model merges diverse representation learning, metric learning, consensus graph learning, and data clustering into a joint model, reinforcing each other for holistic optimization. Substantial experimental findings substantiate that DRGMMC outperforms most advanced graph clustering techniques.

The lifespan of core graphite under neutron irradiation in a commercial molten salt reactor (MSR) has an important influence on its economy. Flattening the fast neutron flux (≥0.05 MeV) distribution in the core is the main method to extend the graphite irradiation lifespan. In this paper, the effects of the key parameters of MSRs on fast neutron flux distribution, including volume fraction (VF) of fuel salt, pitch of hexagonal fuel assembly, core zoning, and layout of control rod assemblies, were studied. The fast neutron flux distribution in a regular hexagon fuel assembly was first analyzed by varying VF and pitch. It was demonstrated that changing VF is more effective in reducing the fast neutron flux in both global and local graphite blocks. Flattening the fast neutron flux distribution of a commercial MSR core was then carried out by zoning the core into two regions under different VFs. Considering both the fast neutron flux distribution and burnup depth, an optimized core was obtained. The fast neutron flux distribution of the optimized core was further flattened by the rational arrangement of control rod channels. The calculation results show that the final optimized core could reduce the maximum fast neutron flux of the graphite blocks by about 30% and result in a more negative temperature reactivity coefficient, while slightly decreasing the burnup and maintaining a fully acceptable core temperature distribution.

Abstract Background Malnutrition increases the risk of poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease, and our current research was designed to assess the predictive performance of the Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index (GNRI) for the occurrence of poor prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and to explore possible thresholds for nutritional intervention. Methods This study retrospectively enrolled newly diagnosed SCAD patients treated with elective PCI from 2014 to 2017 at Shinonoi General Hospital, with all-cause death as the main follow-up endpoint. Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analysis were used to explore the association of GNRI with all-cause death risk and its shape. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis and piecewise linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the predictive performance of GNRI level at admission on all-cause death in SCAD patients after PCI and to explore possible nutritional intervention threshold points. Results The incidence of all-cause death was 40.47/1000 person-years after a mean follow-up of 2.18 years for 204 subjects. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that subjects at risk of malnutrition had a higher all-cause death risk. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, each unit increase in GNRI reduced the all-cause death risk by 14% (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77, 0.95), and subjects in the GNRI > 98 group had a significantly lower risk of death compared to those in the GNRI

Abstract Background Toxocara canis is considered one of the most neglected parasitic zoonoses and threatens the health of millions of people worldwide with a predilection for pediatric and adolescent populations in impoverished communities. Exploring the invasion and developmental mechanisms associated with T. canis infection in its definitive canine hosts will help to better control zoonotic toxocariasis. Methods Proteomic changes in samples from the upper lobe of the left lung of Beagle puppies were systematically analyzed by quantitative proteomic technology of data-independent acquisition (DIA) at 96 h post-infection (hpi) with T. canis. Proteins with P-values 1.5 or

Abstract Background Body mass index (BMI) and lipid disorders are both known to be strongly associated with the development of diabetes, however, the indirect effect of lipid parameters in the BMI-related diabetes risk is currently unknown. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of lipid parameters in the association of BMI with diabetes risk. Methods We assessed the association of diabetes risk with BMI, as well as lipid parameters including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-CF and LDL-CS), triglycerides(TG), total cholesterol(TC), remnant cholesterol(RC), non-HDL-C, and combined indices of lipid parameters with HDL-C (RC/HDL-C ratio, TG/HDL-C ratio, TC/HDL-C ratio, non-HDL/HDL-C ratio, LDL/HDL-C ratio) using data from 15,453 subjects in the NAGALA project. Mediation models were used to explore the mediating role of lipid parameters in the association of BMI with diabetes risk, and mediation percentages were calculated for quantifying the strength of the indirect effects. Finally, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to compare the accuracy of BMI and BMI combined with lipid parameters in predicting incident diabetes. Results Multivariate regression models, adjusted for confounding factors, demonstrated robust associations of lipid parameters, BMI, with diabetes risk, with the exception of TC, LDL-CF, LDL-CS, and non-HDL-C. Mediation analysis showed that lipid parameters except TC, LDL-CF, LDL-CS, and Non-HDL-C were involved in and mediated the association of BMI with diabetes risk, with the largest mediation percentage being the RC/HDL-C ratio, which was as high as 40%; it is worth mentioning that HDL-C and HDL-C-related lipid ratio parameters also play an important mediating role in the association between BMI and diabetes, with the mediator proportion being greater than 30%. Finally, based on the ROC results, we found that the prediction performance of all lipid parameters in the current study except TC was significantly improved when combined with BMI. Conclusion Our fresh findings suggested that lipid parameters partially mediated the association of BMI with diabetes risk; this result indicated that in the context of diabetes risk screening and disease management, it is important to not only monitor BMI but also pay attention to lipid parameters, particularly HDL-C and HDL-C-related lipid ratio parameters.

Wuqia is located in the western part of Xinjiang, with a special flora. Based on field investigations of the region, through specimen research and literature review, Didymophysa Boiss., a newly recorded genus of Brassicaceae from western Xinjiang, China is reported. Didymophysa Boiss. have three species, D. fedtschenkoana Regel, D. aucheri Boiss. and D. fenestrata. The morphological description and the distinctive features to the species of Didymophysa are provided, and the detailed morphological description and photographs of D. fedtschenkoana Regel are provided. Lastly, the biogeographical significance of the discovery of newly recorded genus and species was discussed, as well as the plant diversity, specificity, and work recommendations in the western plateau region of Xinjiang.

Abstract Background Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disease leading to maternal and perinatal morbidity. Hypertension and inflammation are the main characteristics of preeclampsia. Many factors can lead to hypertension and inflammation, including gut microbiota which plays an important role in hypertension and inflammation in humans. However, alterations to the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome, and their relationships in severe preeclampsia are not well known. This study aims to identify biomarkers significantly associated with severe preeclampsia and provide a knowledge base for treatments regulating the gut microbiome. Methods In this study, fecal samples were collected from individuals with severe preeclampsia and healthy controls for shotgun metagenomic sequencing to evaluate changes in gut microbiota composition. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to validate the reliability of our shotgun metagenomic sequencing results. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed to measure fecal metabolome concentrations. Results We identified several Lactobacillaceae that were significantly enriched in the gut of healthy controls, including Limosilactobacillus fermentum, the key biomarker distinguishing severe preeclampsia from healthy controls. Limosilactobacillus fermentum was significantly associated with shifts in KEGG Orthology (KO) genes and KEGG pathways of the gut microbiome in severe preeclampsia, such as flagellar assembly. Untargeted fecal metabolome analysis found that severe preeclampsia had higher concentrations of Phenylpropanoate and Agmatine. Increased concentrations of Phenylpropanoate and Agmatine were associated with the abundance of Limosilactobacillus fermentum. Furthermore, all metabolites with higher abundances in healthy controls were enriched in the arginine and proline metabolism pathway. Conclusion Our research indicates that changes in metabolites, possibly due to the gut microbe Limosilactobacillus fermentum, can contribute to the development of severe preeclampsia. This study provides insights into the interaction between gut microbiome and fecal metabolites and offers a basis for improving severe preeclampsia by modulating the gut microbiome.

ABSTRACT: Xanthine oxidase (XO), a rate-limiting enzyme in uric acid production, is the pivotal therapeutic target for gout and hyperuricemia. In this study, 57 peptides from α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin were obtained via virtual enzymatic hydrolysis, and 10 XO inhibitory peptides were virtually screened using molecular docking. Then toxicity, allergenicity, solubility, and isoelectric point of the obtained 10 novel peptides were evaluated by in silico tools. The XO activity of these synthetic peptides was tested using an in vitro assay by high-performance liquid chromatography. Their inhibitory mechanism was further explored by molecular docking. The results showed that 4 peptides GL, PM, AL, and AM exhibited higher inhibitory activity, and their half maximal inhibitory concentration in vitro was 10.20 ± 0.89, 23.82 ± 0.94, 34.49 ± 0.89, and 40.45 ± 0.92 mM, respectively. The peptides fitted well with XO through hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction, and van der Waals forces, and amino acid residues Glu802, Leu873, Arg880, and Pro1076 played an important role in this process. Overall, this study indicated 4 novel peptides GL, PM, AL, and AM from whey protein exhibited XO inhibitory activity, and they might be useful and safe XO inhibitors for hyperuricemia prevention and treatment.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 2 endoscopic spine surgeries on the biomechanical properties of normal and osteoporotic spines. Methods Based on computed tomography images of a healthy adult volunteer, 6 finite element models were created. After validating the normal intact model, a concentrated force of 400 N and a moment of 7.5 Nm were exerted on the upper surface of L3 to simulate 6 physiological activities of the spine. Five types of indices were used to assess the biomechanical properties of the 6 models, range of motion (ROM), maximum displacement value, intervertebral disc stress, maximum stress value, and articular protrusion stress, and by combining them with finite element stress cloud. Results In normal and osteoporotic spines, there was no meaningful change in ROM or disc stress in the 2 surgical models for the 6 motion states. Model N1 (osteoporotic percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy model) showed a decrease in maximum displacement value of 20.28% in right lateral bending. Model M2 (unilateral biportal endoscopic model) increased maximum displacement values of 16.88% and 17.82% during left and right lateral bending, respectively. The maximum stress value of L4–5 increased by 11.72% for model M2 during left rotation. In addition, using the same surgical approach, ROM, maximum displacement values, disc stress, and maximum stress values were more significant in the osteoporotic model than in the normal model. Conclusion In both normal and osteoporotic spines, both surgical approaches were less disruptive to the physiologic structure of the spine. Furthermore, using the same endoscopic spine surgery, normal spine biomechanical properties are superior to osteoporotic spines.

Abstract In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in psoriasis patients, and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2023 to March 2023. Information was obtained with online questionnaire about psoriasis patients on demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes, vaccination, and routine protection against COVID-19. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors with SARS-CoV-2 infection and exacerbation of psoriasis. A total of 613 participants were recruited. 516 (84.2%) were infected, and associated factors were sex, working status, routine protection against COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccination, impaired nail, infection exacerbate psoriasis, and severity of psoriasis. Among the patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, 30 (5.8%) required hospitalization, 122 (23.6%) had psoriasis exacerbation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and associated factors were subtype of psoriasis, discontinuation of psoriasis treatment during SARS-CoV-2 infection, response following COVID-19 vaccination, and severity of psoriasis. Booster dose vaccination contributed a low probability of COVID-19 sequelae. COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness was unsatisfactory, while booster dose vaccination reduced the occurrence of COVID-19 sequelae in psoriasis patients of Southwest China. Patients treated with psoriasis shown to be safe, without a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19hospitalization compared to untreated patients. Stopping treatment during SARS-CoV-2 infection led to psoriasis exacerbation, so psoriasis treatment could be continued except severe adverse reaction.

Abstract Background Insulin resistance (IR) plays a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the predictive value of four IR surrogates, including the triglycerides glucose (TyG) index, TyG and body mass index (TyG-BMI), triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, and the metabolic score for IR (MetS-IR) for diabetes in two large cohorts. Methods A total of 116,661 adult participants from the China Rich Healthcare Group and 15,464 adult participants from the Japanese NAGALA cohort were included in the study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the standardized hazard ratio (HR) of the TyG index, TyG-BMI, TG/HDL-C ratio, and MetS-IR directly associated with diabetes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and time-dependent ROC curve analysis were performed to evaluate and compare the predictive value of the four IR surrogates for diabetes. Results In the two independent cohorts, the average follow-up time was 3.1 years in the China cohort, with 2681(2.30%) incident cases of diabetes recorded, and 6.13 years in the Japan cohort, with 373 incident cases (2.41%) of diabetes recorded. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, we found that among the four IR surrogates, TyG-BMI and MetS-IR showed stronger associations with diabetes. The stronger associations persisted even after further stratification by age, sex, hypertension, and obese subgroups. In terms of diabetes prediction, based on ROC analysis, TyG-BMI demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy for diabetes in the Chinese population, while both TyG-BMI and MetS-IR showed the highest predictive accuracy in the Japanese population. The results of further subgroup ROC analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings. Furthermore, the time-dependent ROC results indicated that among the four IR surrogates, MetS-IR exhibited the highest accuracy in predicting future diabetes at various time intervals in the Japanese population. Conclusion Our findings suggest that evaluating TyG-BMI and MetS-IR as IR surrogates may be the most useful for predicting diabetes events and assessing the risk of developing diabetes in East Asian populations.

Abstract Background Prediabetes is a high-risk state for diabetes, and numerous studies have shown that the body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index play significant roles in risk prediction for blood glucose metabolism. This study aims to evaluate the relative importance of BMI combination with TyG index (TyG-BMI) in predicting the recovery from prediabetic status to normal blood glucose levels. Methods A total of 25,397 prediabetic subjects recruited from 32 regions across China. Normal fasting glucose (NFG), prediabetes, and diabetes were defined referring to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. After normalizing the independent variables, the impact of TyG-BMI on the recovery or progression of prediabetes was analyzed through the Cox regression models. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to visualize and compare the predictive value of TyG-BMI and its constituent components in prediabetes recovery/progression. Results During the average observation period of 2.96 years, 10,305 individuals (40.58%) remained in the prediabetic state, 11,278 individuals (44.41%) recovered to NFG, and 3,814 individuals (15.02%) progressed to diabetes. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that TyG-BMI was negatively associated with recovery from prediabetes to NFG and positively associated with progression from prediabetes to diabetes. Further ROC analysis revealed that TyG-BMI had higher impact and predictive value in predicting prediabetes recovering to NFG or progressing to diabetes in comparison to the TyG index and BMI. Specifically, the TyG-BMI threshold for predicting prediabetes recovery was 214.68, while the threshold for predicting prediabetes progression was 220.27. Additionally, there were significant differences in the relationship of TyG-BMI with prediabetes recovering to NFG or progressing to diabetes within age subgroups. In summary, TyG-BMI is more suitable for assessing prediabetes recovery or progression in younger populations (

Summary: Long-lived individuals have been extensively studied as a model to investigate the role of the gut microbiota in aging, but their gut fungi remain almost unexplored. Here, we recruited a community-dwelling cohort of 251 participants (24–108 years, including 47 centenarians) from Guangxi in China to characterize the gut mycobiome signatures. We found gut mycobiome markedly varied during aging and determined aging as a predominant factor driving these variations. For long-lived individuals, core taxa, including Penicillium and Aspergillus, were maintained and Candida enterotype was enriched when compared with old counterparts. Individuals with this enterotype were more likely to possess Bacteroides enterotype enriched in young and centenarians. Moreover, the drivers from Candida enterotype were positively linked with the bacteria components dominated in Bacteroides enterotype. We also identified potentially beneficial yeasts-enriched features to differentiate long-lived individuals from others. Our findings suggest that the gut mycobiome develops with aging, and long-lived individuals possess unique fungal signatures.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the relationship between cardiovascular calcification (CVC) and serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and its subfractions in hemodialysis (HD) patients.MethodsHD patients and healthy participants were recruited based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Various blood indicators were measured, and demographic information was recorded. HDL-C particle levels were quantified using lipophilic fluorescent dye staining and capillary electrophoresis (microfluidic platform). Coronary artery calcium scores and valve calcification were used to classify HD patients into calcification and non-calcification groups.ResultsCompared to healthy participants, HD patients showed a significant increase in HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein 2 cholesterol (HDL2-C), and high-density lipoprotein 3 cholesterol (HDL3-C) levels (p

ObjectiveNutritional status is closely associated with the prognosis of heart failure. This study aims to assess the relationship between the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and in-hospital mortality among patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in Jiangxi, China.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted. Multivariable Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline regression were employed to evaluate the relationship between the CONUT score and in-hospital mortality in ADHF patients from Jiangxi, China. The predictive value of the CONUT score for in-hospital mortality in ADHF patients was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify risk dependencies of the CONUT score in specific populations.ResultsThe study included 1,230 ADHF patients, among whom 44 (3.58%) mortality events were recorded. After adjusting for confounding factors, a positive correlation was found between the CONUT score and the risk of in-hospital mortality in ADHF patients. Restricted cubic spline regression analysis indicated a non-linear relationship between the CONUT score and the risk of in-hospital mortality in ADHF patients, estimating a rapid increase in mortality risk when the CONUT score exceeded 5. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated a good predictive value of the CONUT score for all-cause mortality events in ADHF patients [area under the curve = 0.7625, optimal threshold = 5.5]. Additionally, a relatively higher risk associated with the CONUT score was observed in male patients and those with concomitant cerebral infarction.ConclusionThis study reveals a positive correlation between the CONUT score and the risk of in-hospital mortality in ADHF patients. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend maintaining a CONUT score below 5 for patients with ADHF in Jiangxi, China, as it may significantly contribute to reducing the risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality.

ObjectiveDiabetes is a significant risk factor for acute heart failure, associated with an increased risk of mortality. This study aims to analyze the prognostic significance of admission blood glucose (ABG) on 30-day mortality in Chinese patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), with or without diabetes.MethodsThis retrospective study included 1,462 participants from the JX-ADHF1 cohort established between January 2019 to December 2022. We conducted multivariate cox regression, restricted cubic spline, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and mediation analysis to explore the association and potential mechanistic pathways (inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutrition) between ABG and 30-day mortality in ADHF patients, with and without diabetes.ResultsDuring the 30-day follow-up, we recorded 20 (5.36%) deaths in diabetic subjects and 33 (3.03%) in non-diabetics. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that ABG was independently associated with 30-day mortality in ADHF patients, with a stronger association in diabetics than non-diabetics (hazard ratio: Model 1: 1.71 vs 1.16; Model 2: 1.26 vs 1.19; Model 3: 1.65 vs 1.37; Model 4: 1.76 vs 1.33). Further restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a U-shaped relationship between ABG and 30-day mortality in non-diabetic ADHF patients (P for non-linearity < 0.001), with the lowest risk at ABG levels approximately between 5-7 mmol/L. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that ABG had a higher predictive accuracy for 30-day mortality in diabetics (area under curve = 0.8751), with an optimal threshold of 13.95mmol/L. Finally, mediation analysis indicated a significant role of inflammation in ABG-related 30-day mortality in ADHF, accounting for 11.15% and 8.77% of the effect in diabetics and non-diabetics, respectively (P-value of proportion mediate < 0.05).ConclusionOur study confirms that ABG is a vital indicator for assessing and predicting 30-day mortality risk in ADHF patients with diabetes. For ADHF patients, both with and without diabetes, our evidence suggests that physicians should be alert and closely monitor any changes in patient conditions when ABG exceeds 13.95 mmol/L for those with diabetes and 7.05 mmol/L for those without. Timely adjustments in therapeutic strategies, including endocrine and anti-inflammatory treatments, are advisable.

A novel embedded GFRP grid framework-UHPC composite plate without steel rebar was proposed to solve the problems of conventional reinforced concrete plate, such as heavy weight, easily cracking and poor durability. The composite plate is expected to be superior in mechanical mechanism and durability benefiting from the combination of UHPC and GFRP, and only minimal construction process was needed. The flexural properties of the novel composite plate, varying in centroid height of GFRP grid and loading shear span ratio, were investigated via four-point loading tests. The failure mode, load-deflection curve, sectional strain and ductility of the composite plate were analyzed. Experimental results showed that the flexural failure process of the composite plate could be divided into three stages: elastic stage, working stage with cracks and descent stage. The flexural failure of the composite plate was characterized by the tensile fracture of GFRP grid. The flexural bearing capacity and stiffness of the composite plate can be significantly improved, since the GRFP grid was more completely tensioned as the centroid of the embedded GFRP grid framework fell. The maximum bearing capacity of composite plates could reach 317.9 kN when the distance between GFRP grid and the plate bottom was 25 mm and the shear span ratio was 1.5. Shear failure was only observed in the composite plate with the distance between GFRP grid and the plate bottom of 0 mm and the shear span ratio of 1.5. Finite element (FE) models were established considering both geometric and material nonlinearities to further analyze the flexural failure mechanism of the composite plate. The reliable connection between GFRP grid and UHPC without additional shear connector was proved, and the numerical results coincided well with the experimental ones. Finally, the calculation method introducing the stress distribution non-uniformity coefficient of the GFRP grid plate was proposed to predict the flexural capacity of the composite plate.

The Tibetan region is characterized by long winters and large diurnal temperature variations. Using prefabricated bridges combined with a small amount of cast-in-place concrete joints can address the challenging construction environment. To extend the bridge construction window for concrete in the joint, the performance of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) under alternating positive and negative temperature environments was investigated. The effects of curing conditions (−10 to 10 °C and natural curing), different proportions of sulfoaluminate cement (0% / 6%), different concrete materials (UHPC/NC), and the presence of antifreeze admixtures on the macro-strength and late-stage microstructure of UHPC were explored. The results indicated that the slump expansion of the prepared UHPC in this study exceeds 600 mm. Alternating temperature environments significantly degrade the mechanical properties of UHPC without antifreeze admixtures. However, for self-made UHPC with antifreeze admixtures, the formed early structure can prevent freeze-thaw damage as long as the critical antifreeze strength is reached. After the temperature rebounded, the later-stage strength of UHPC can continue to develop and reach the compressive strength of samples that had not been exposed to low-temperature curing. The appropriate addition of sulfate aluminate cement positively affected the early compressive strength (1 day) and elastic modulus of UHPC. It also reduces the drying shrinkage of UHPC.

ObjectiveArteriosclerosis is a primary causative factor in cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to explore the correlation between the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and the 30-day mortality rate in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).MethodsA total of 1,248 ADHF patients recruited from the Jiangxi-Acute Decompensated Heart Failure1 (JX-ADHF1) cohort between 2019 and 2022 were selected for this study. The primary outcome was the 30-day mortality rate. Multivariable Cox regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and stratified analyses were utilized to assess the relationship between AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients. Mediation models were employed for exploratory analysis of the roles of inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutrition in the association between AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients.ResultsDuring the 30-day follow-up, 42 (3.37%) of the ADHF patients died. The mortality rates corresponding to the quartiles of AIP were as follows: Q1: 1.28%, Q2: 2.88%, Q3: 2.88%, Q4: 6.41%. The multivariable Cox regression revealed a positive correlation between high AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients [Hazard ratio (HR) 3.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–14.28], independent of age, gender, heart failure type, cardiac function classification, and comorbidities. It is important to note that there was a U-shaped curve association between AIP (

Abstract Background Obesity is the most important driver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); nevertheless, the relationship of weight-adjusted waist index (WWI), a new obesity index, with NAFLD is unclear. Methods This retrospective study used data from the NAGALA project from 1994 to 2016. WWI values were calculated using waist circumference (WC) and weight measurements of the participants. Three stepwise adjusted logistic regression models were developed to assess the relationship of WWI with NAFLD in the whole population and in both sexes. Additionally, we also conducted a series of exploratory analysis to test the potential impact of body mass index (BMI), age, smoking status and exercise habits on the association of WWI with NAFLD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to estimate cut-off points for identifying NAFLD in the entire population and in both sexes. Results The current study included a population of 11,805 individuals who participated in health screenings, including 6,451 men and 5,354 women. After adjusting for all non-collinear variables in the multivariable logistic regression model, we found a significant positive correlation of WWI with NAFLD. For each unit increase in WWI, the risk of NAFLD increased by 72% in the entire population, by 84% in men, and by 63% in women. Furthermore, subgroup analyses revealed no significant discrepancies in the correlation of WWI with NAFLD across individuals with varying ages, exercise habits, and smoking status (all P-interaction > 0.05), except for different BMI groups (P-interaction

Abstract Background Hematological metastasis has been recognized as a crucial factor contributing to the high rates of metastasis and mortality observed in colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, exosomes derived from cancer cells participate in the formation of CRC pre-metastatic niches; however, the mechanisms underlying their effects are largely unknown. While our preliminary research revealed the role of exosome-derived disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) in the early stages of CRC metastasis, the role of exosomal ADAM17 in CRC hematogenous metastasis remains unclear. Methods In the present study, we isolated and purified exosomes using ultracentrifugation and identified exosomal proteins through quantitative mass spectrometry. In vitro, co-culture assays were conducted to evaluate the impact of exosomal ADAM17 on the permeability of the blood vessel endothelium. Vascular endothelial cell resistance, the cell index, membrane protein separation, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence were employed to investigate the mechanisms underlying exosomal ADAM17-induced vascular permeability. Additionally, a mouse model was established to elucidate the role of exosomal ADAM17 in the modulation of blood vessel permeability and pre-metastatic niche formation in vivo. Results Our clinical data indicated that ADAM17 derived from the circulating exosomes of patients with CRC could serve as a blood-based biomarker for predicting metastasis. The CRC-derived exosomal ADAM17 targeted vascular endothelial cells, thus enhancing vascular permeability by influencing vascular endothelial cadherin cell membrane localization. Moreover, exosomal ADAM17 mediated the formation of a pre-metastatic niche in nude mice by inducing vascular leakage, thereby promoting CRC metastasis. Nonetheless, ADAM17 selective inhibitors effectively reduced CRC metastasis in vivo. Conclusions Our results suggest that exosomal ADAM17 plays a pivotal role in the hematogenous metastasis of CRC. Thus, this protein may serve as a valuable blood-based biomarker and potential drug target for CRC metastasis intervention.

The TMSR-SF0 simulator is an integral effect thermal-hydraulic experimental system for the development of thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) program in China. The simulator has two heat transport loops with liquid FLiNaK. In literature, the 95% level confidence uncertainties of the thermophysical properties of FLiNaK are recommended, and the uncertainties of density, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and viscosity are ±2%, ±10, ±10% and ±10% respectively. In order to investigate the effects of thermophysical properties uncertainties on the molten salt heat transport system, the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the heat transfer characteristics of the simulator system are carried out on a RELAP5 model. The uncertainties of thermophysical properties are incorporated in simulation model and the Monte Carlo sampling method is used to propagate the input uncertainties through the model. The simulation results indicate that the uncertainty propagated to core outlet temperature is about ±10°C with a confidence level of 95% in a steady-state operation condition. The result should be noted in the design, operation and code validation of molten salt reactor. In addition, more experimental data is necessary for quantifying the uncertainty of thermophysical properties of molten salts.

An ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor was developed for detection of the cervical squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) biomarker using graphene-chitosan nanocomposites. Graphene oxide (GO) synthesized by a modified Hummer’s method was functionalized with chitosan biopolymer (CS) to produce CS-GO nanocomposites. Characterization by SEM, FTIR, Raman, XPS confirmed successful grafting of CS onto GO by electrostatic interactions. The CS-GO composite exhibited improved conductivity and biocompatibility. After optimizing the GO:CS ratio to 1:1, the nanocomposite was deposited on glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). Anti-SCCA antibodies were then immobilized covalently using pyrenebutyric acid crosslinker. The immunosensor fabrication was analyzed by EIS, CV, and DPV electrochemical techniques. The conditions including CS-GO ratio, antibody concentration, incubation time, pH, and voltage parameters were systematically optimized using orthogonal experimental design. Under optimal conditions, the immunosensor showed a linear detection range from 1 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 196 μA/(ng/mL/cm2). The low limit of detection of 1 pg/mL was attributed to the high surface area and conductivity of the CS-GO transducer. Analysis of human serum samples spiked with SCCA demonstrated the reliability of the immunosensor for clinical applications. The graphene-nanocomposite electrochemical biosensing platform provides a rapid, low-cost, and ultrasensitive alternative to ELISA for SCCA detection in cervical cancer diagnostics.

Abstract Background Atherosclerosis is closely linked with glucose metabolism. We aimed to investigate the role of the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) in the reversal of prediabetes to normal blood glucose levels or its progression to diabetes. Methods This multi-center retrospective cohort study included 15,421 prediabetic participants from 32 regions across 11 cities in China, under the aegis of the Rich Healthcare Group’s affiliated medical examination institutions. Throughout the follow-up period, we monitored changes in the glycemic status of these participants, including reversal to normal fasting glucose (NFG), persistence in the prediabetic state, or progression to diabetes. Segmented regression, stratified analysis, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were performed based on the multivariable Cox regression model to evaluate the association between AIP and the reversal of prediabetes to NFG or progression to diabetes. Results During a median follow-up period of 2.9 years, we recorded 6,481 individuals (42.03%) reverting from prediabetes to NFG, and 2,424 individuals (15.72%) progressing to diabetes. After adjusting for confounders, AIP showed a positive correlation with the progression from prediabetes to diabetes [(Hazard ratio (HR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.24–1.64)] and a negative correlation with the reversion from prediabetes to NFG (HR 0.89, 95%CI:0.81–0.98); further RCS demonstrated a nonlinear relationship between AIP and the reversion from prediabetes to NFG/progression to diabetes, identifying a turning point of 0.04 for reversion to NFG and 0.17 for progression to diabetes. In addition, we observed significant differences in the association between AIP and reversion from prediabetes to NFG/progression to diabetes across age subgroups, specifically indicating that the risk associated with AIP for progression from prediabetes to diabetes was relatively higher in younger populations; likewise, a younger age within the adult group favored the reversion from prediabetes to NFG in relation to AIP. Conclusion Our study, for the first time, reveals a negative correlation between AIP and the reversion from prediabetes to normoglycemia and validates the crucial role of AIP in the risk assessment of prediabetes progression. Based on threshold analysis, therapeutically, keeping the AIP below 0.04 was of paramount importance for individuals with prediabetes aiming for reversion to NFG; preventatively, maintaining AIP below 0.17 was vital to reduce the risk of diabetes onset for those with prediabetes.

Abstract This study delves into the polarization properties of various hair colors using several techniques, including polarization ray tracing, full Stokes, and Mueller matrix imaging. Our analysis involved studying hair in both indoor and outdoor settings under varying lighting conditions. Our results demonstrate a strong correlation between hair color and the degree of linear polarization. Specifically, light-colored hair, such as white and blond, exhibits high albedo and low DoLP. In contrast, dark hair, like black and brown hair, has low albedo and high DoLP. Our research also revealed that a single hair strand displays high diattenuation near specular reflections but high depolarization in areas with diffuse reflections. Additionally, we investigated the wavelength dependency of the polarization properties by comparing the Mueller matrix under illumination at 450 nm and 589 nm. Our investigation demonstrates the impact of hair shade and color on polarization properties and the Umov effect.

Abstract The nasal cavity harbors diverse microbiota that contributes to human health and respiratory diseases. However, whether and to what extent the host genome shapes the nasal microbiome remains largely unknown. Here, by dissecting the human genome and nasal metagenome data from 1401 healthy individuals, we demonstrated that the top three host genetic principal components strongly correlated with the nasal microbiota diversity and composition. The genetic association analyses identified 63 genome-wide significant loci affecting the nasal microbial taxa and functions, of which 2 loci reached study-wide significance (p

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that can infect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. It poses significant health risks, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and during pregnancy, leading to severe disease manifestations. The liver, being a crucial organ involved in immune response and metabolic regulation, plays a critical role in the host's defense against T. gondii infection. Methods In this study, we utilized RNA sequencing to investigate the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in the liver of mice infected with T. gondii. By employing this method, we obtained a comprehensive overview of the alterations in gene expression occurring in the liver during infection. Results By comparing the infected groups to the control groups, we identified numerous differentially expressed lncRNAs DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs at two stages of infection. Specifically, at the acute infection stage, we found 628 DElncRNAs, and 6346 DEmRNAs. At the chronic infection stage, we identified 385 DElncRNAs and 2513 DEmRNAs. Furthermore, we identified 1959 commonly expressed DEmRNAs, including IL27, Nos2, and Cxcr2, across two infection stages. Enrichment and co-location analyses revealed pathways linked to immune and inflammatory responses during T. gondii infection. Notably, through co-location analysis, our analysis revealed several DElncRNAs, including Gm29156, Gm29157, and Gm28644, which are potentially implicated in the progression of liver inflammation induced by T. gondii. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis disclosed stage-specific characteristics of liver inflammation and immune response, alongside changes in metabolic regulation and immunosuppression pathways. Conclusions Our findings provide valuable insights into the expression patterns of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the liver at different stages of T. gondii infection. We identified potential regulatory factors and pathways implicated in liver inflammation, thereby enhancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying liver inflammation and immune responses during T. gondii infection. These findings could contribute to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for liver inflammation in the context of T. gondii infection. Graphical Abstract

The transport of fission products in molten salt reactors has attracted much attention. However, few codes can completely describe the transport characteristic, though the migration of fission products in the molten salt reactor is essential to estimate the source term, decay heat, and radiation shielding. This study built a program named ThorFPMC (Thorium Fission Products Migration Code) that can handle the multi-physics transport characteristic based on the flow burnup code ThorMODEc (Thorium MOlten Salt Reactor Specific DEpletion Code). A problem-related depletion chain compression method was applied to decrease the order of the solve matrix. The matrix exponential and splitting methods were applied to solve the steady state and transient calculation, respectively. Error analysis showed that for a specific problem, the simplified depletion chain matrix index method could solve the fission products migration equation with an arbitrary time-step with high speed (s) and high precision (10−4); the splitting method could reach a precision of 10−2 level for the full fuel depletion chain, multi-nodes, and transient problems. Compared to the Strang splitting method, the perturbation splitting method has higher precision and less time consumption. In summary, the developed programmer could describe the migration effect of fission products in molten salt reactors, which provides a significant tool for the design of molten salt reactors.