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Abstract Objective This study aimed to compare the efficacy and cost-utility of unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) versus percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) for the treatment of single-level lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 99 patients who underwent either UBE (n = 33) or PEID (n = 66) between July 2022 and December 2023 at the Second Xiangya Hospital. Patients were matched 1:2 based on age, sex, and surgery level to ensure comparability. Clinical outcomes were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) calculated for cost-utility analysis. Hospitalization costs were analyzed, and the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICER) was determined. Results Both UBE and PEID groups demonstrated significant postoperative improvements in VAS, EQ-5D, and ODI scores (p

Groundwater serves as an important resource for human sustenance and advancement. However, its depletion has emerged as a pressing concern in Central China accompanying with rapid urbanization. To counteract the acute water scarcity, China initiated an extensive project known as the South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD), spanning over 1,400 km. Despite the project’s magnitude, the precise impacts of both the SNWD and climate variability on regional groundwater dynamics remain uncharted. In this study, we examine groundwater fluctuations and their influencing factors in Central China between 2003 and 2021. Our findings reveal a substantial decline of 5.8 % annually in the mean groundwater drought index (GWI) from 2003 to 2014, signifying a critical phase of groundwater depletion. This reduction was predominantly driven by the joint influence of rapid urban development (accounting for 37.9 %) and diminished precipitation (28.4 %), with a high explanatory power (R2 = 0.97). Contrastingly, from 2014 to 2021, enhanced precipitation and water transferred through the SNWD led to a 3.5 % yearly increase in GWI, highlighting a recent recovery of groundwater levels. These factors individually contributed 39.2 % and 7.0 % respectively towards this recovery (R2 = 0.91). Notably, precipitation emerged as the principal determinant shaping both long-term and short-term groundwater variations. Extreme precipitation events, in particular, were shown to swiftly and significantly recharge groundwater reserves. For instance, an extreme precipitation event in July 2021 elevated the GWI by 50 % compared to that of July 2020. Collectively, a blend of strategies including mitigating urbanization pressures, sustaining water diversions through the SNWD, and adapting to potential increases in extreme precipitation events due to global warming are proving instrumental in restoring groundwater resources in central China.

Abstract The vaginal microbiota plays an important role in the health of the female reproductive tract and is closely associated with various pregnancy outcomes and sexually transmitted diseases. Plenty of internal and external factors have strong influence on the changes in a woman's vaginal microbiome. However, the effect of a high-altitude on female vaginal microbiota has not been described. In this study, we characterized the vaginal bacteriome and virome of 13 and 34 healthy women living in high-altitude and sea-level areas, using whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing of their vaginal mucus samples. The results revealed that the vaginal bacteriomes of high-altitude individuals are featured by a significant increase of species diversity, depletion of Lactobacillus crispatus, and more abundant of some anaerobic bacteria, such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Mageeibacillus indolicus, Dialister micraerophilus, and Sneathia amnii). In addition, the vagina samples of sea-level subjects harbor more Lactobacillus strains, whereas the anaerobic bacteroidetes strains mostly appeared in high-altitude subjects. Identified and assembled 191 virus operational taxonomic units (vOTUs), there were significant differences in the abundance of 107 vOTUs between the two groups. Together, the results of this study raised the understanding of bacteriome and virome in the vagina of women at different elevations, and demonstrated that the vaginal microbiome is related to the high-altitude geographic adaptation.

Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) is a having general approval aromatic tree in China that is widely applied to landscaping and gardening. However, the evergreen tree adaptability is limited by many environmental stresses. Currently, limited information is available regarding the genetic analysis and functional identification of expansin genes in response to abiotic stress in sweet osmanthus. In this study, a total of 29 expansin genes were identified and divided into four groups by genome-wide analysis from the sweet osmanthus genome. Transcriptome and quantitative Real-time PCR analysis showed that the cell wall-localized protein expansin-like A (OfEXLA1) gene was significantly induced by salt and drought treatment. Histochemical GUS staining of transgenic Arabidopsis lines in which GUS activity was driven with the OfEXLA1 promoter, GUS activity was significantly induced by salt, drought, and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). In yeast, we found OfEXLA1 overexpression significantly improved the population of cells compared with wild-type strains after NaCl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment. Additionally, OfEXLA1 overexpression not only promoted plant growth, but also improved the salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. To gain insight into the role of ABA signaling in the regulation of OfEXLA1 improving abiotic tolerance in sweet osmanthus, four differentially expressed ABA Insensitive 5 (ABI5)-like genes (OfABL4, OfABL5, OfABL7, and OfABL8) were identified from transcriptome, and dual-luciferase (dual-LUC) and yeast one hybrid (Y1H) assay showed that OfABL4 and OfABL5 might bind to OfEXLA1 promoter to accumulate the OfEXLA1 expression by responding to ABA signaling to improve abiotic tolerance in sweet osmanthus. These results provide the information for understanding the molecular functions of expansin-like A gene and molecular breeding of sweet osmanthus in future.

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children, can be effectively alleviated by the herbal preparation Long Mu Qing Xin Mixture (LMQXM), but its mechanism has not been fully elucidated.ObjectiveTo scrutinize the potential pharmacological mechanisms by which LMQXM improves behavior in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR/NCrl).MethodsThe SHR/NCrl rats were randomly stratified into the model (SHR) group, the methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH) group, and groups subjected to varying dosages of LMQXM into the medium dose (MD) group with a clinically effective dose, the low dose (LD) group with 0.5 times the clinically effective dose, and high dose (HD) group with 2 times the clinically effective dose. Furthermore, the WKY/NCrl rats constituted the control group. The evaluation of behavior involved the open field test and the Morris water maze test. HPLC, LC-MS, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and RT-qPCR were utilized to scrutinize the catecholamine neurotransmitter content and the expression of proteins and genes associated with the dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1)/cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA)-cAMP response element-binding (CREB) pathway in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum.ResultsMPH and LMQXM ameliorated hyperactivity and learning and memory deficits of SHR/NCrl rats. Among them, LMQXM-MD and MPH also upregulated dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), adenylate cyclase (AC) and cAMP levels, and the expression of proteins and genes associated with the DRD1/cAMP/PKA-CREB pathway in PFC and striatum of SHR/NCrl rats. PFC and striatum DA levels were also upregulated in the LMQXM-LD group as well as the striatum DA levels in the LMQXM-HD group, but there were no statistically significant differences in their NE levels compared to the SHR group. LMQXM-LD and LMQXM-HD also upregulated some DRD1/cAMP/PKA-CREB pathway-related proteins and gene expression, but the effects were discernibly disparate in PFC and striatum. Upon comprehensive analysis, LMQXM-MD appeared to be the most effective dose.ConclusionOur study tentatively suggests that LMQXM may rectify hyperactivity and learning and memory deficits of SHR/NCrl rats by elevating catecholamine neurotransmitters in the PFC and striatum. This effect may be attributed to the potential activation of the DRD1/cAMP/PKA-CREB signaling pathway, which appears to achieve an optimal response at moderate doses.

The new aluminum alloy Al–18Si–10Cu–10Ni–5Mn–5Mg (wt.%) prepared by laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED) process has excellent mechanical strength but poor ductility. In this paper, a T6 heat treatment is applied to it, aiming at the improvement of the material's ductility. The results show that after the T6 heat treatment, the original fine microstructure of the material is destroyed, and the phase composition changes. However, it is found that the formation of the nano-strengthened θʹ phase and the clear crystal orientation relationship between the θʹ phase and the α-Al matrix make the θ′ phase form a continuous grain boundary in the Al matrix, thus enhancing the strength and hardness of the alloy. It is worth noting that the microhardness is reduced slightly, but the residual stress is almost completely eliminated. The experimental results of mechanical properties show that the tensile strength and compressive strength of the material are reduced by 12 % and 17 % respectively after T6 heat treatment, but the ductility of the material is increased by 1.3 times, which is mainly attributed to the change of strengthening mechanism and the large and uniform second phase.

Abstract In-field Sound Speed Profile (SSP) measurement is still indispensable for achieving centimeter-level-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-Acoustic (GNSS-A) positioning in current state of the art. However, in-field SSP measurement on the one hand causes a huge cost and on the other hand prevents GNSS-A from global seafloor geodesy especially for real-time applications. We propose an Empirical Sound Speed Profile (ESSP) model with three unknown temperature parameters jointly estimated with the seafloor geodetic station coordinates, which is called the 1st-level optimization. Furthermore, regarding the sound speed variations of ESSP we propose a so-called 2nd-level optimization to achieve the centimeter-level-precision positioning for monitoring the seafloor tectonic movement. Long-term seafloor geodetic data analysis shows that, the proposed two-level optimization approach can achieve almost the same positioning result with that based on the in-field SSP. The influence of substituting the in-field SSP with ESSP on the horizontal coordinates is less than 3 mm, while that on the vertical coordinate is only 2–3 cm in the standard deviation sense.

Among numerous polluting compounds, the organic dyes and antibiotics are two servious factors causing water pollution. Hence, it is urgent to find a fast and safe way to degrade waste water in a sustainable approach. Here, ferroelectric heterostructure based on 2D Bi2MoO6 nanosheets and Bi2S3 nanorods has been prepared by a two-step solvothermal method for the reduction of organic dyes and antibiotics. Due to the energy band balance between Bi2S3 and Bi2MoO6, the formed type-II heterostructure can populate charge transfer at the junction and effectively inhibit electron-hole recombination. Under ultrasonic stimulation, catalytic active sites of a Bi2MoO6/Bi2S3 heterostructure for pollutant degradation can be generated through rapid charge transfer activation, thus enhancing the catalytic degradation effect of organic dyes and antibiotics. The Bi2MoO6/Bi2S3 heterostructure not only has good degradation effect, but also shows better stability. This work opens up new avenues for designing highly-efficient catalysts, which is of importance for wastewater degradation and energy-saving applications.

In this study, FeCrCoNiMo0.5W0.75 HEAs functional gradient materials were prepared by the direct energy deposition (DED) technique, and the phase transition, microstructure and mechanical properties of the materials along the building direction were investigated. The material realizes a transition from a single FCC phase to an FCC + TCP phase from the bottom to the top. The bottom and middle of the material are typical dendritic (DR)-interdendritic (ID) structures, and at the top, due to the precipitation of the eutectic structure σ phase and μ phase, the material transforms into a hypoeutectic structure of FCC + eutectic. According to the EBSD results, the interior of the material is mainly columnar crystals that grow vertically to the molten pool. This unidirectional columnar growth makes the material have a strong texture in the direction. In addition, a large degree of grain refinement is exhibited from the bottom to the top, with the grain size reduced from 19 μm to 6.5 μm. According to the TEM results, the density of dislocations is much higher near the phase and grain boundaries than in other regions, and dislocation entanglement is formed by the continuous accumulation of loose dislocations. The micro-hardness of the material increased along the construction direction up to 892.5HV0.5, and the material has good compressive strength up to 2041 ± 45 MPa. The material has excellent wear resistance and high-temperature wear resistance, forming a continuous oxide layer at 800 °C, which greatly reduces the friction coefficient and wear rate.

Abstract Background High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) is a disease that is closely related to the development of cervical cancer. In clinical work, cold knife conization and a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) are often selected for diagnosis and treatment. Objective In this paper, we aimed to discuss additional cuts, a common practice in cervical conization, and determine whether the doctor’s choice to use additional cuts in conization can reduce the occurrence of a positive cone margin. Methods From January 2018 to October 2019, 965 patients underwent cervical conization at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University (Dalian, China). Of these, 174 were in the positive cone margin group, and 791 were in the negative cone margin group. Age, preoperative pathology, pathological results of conization, additional cuts, cone depth, and cone volume were studied. Additionally, the additional cut rate and the efficiency of doctors with a habit of additional cuts were analyzed. Results Of the 965 patients included in the study, the median age was 41 years (range 35–50). Multivariable logistic regression analysis suggested that additional cuts (OR, 2.480; 95% CI 1.608 to 3.826; p = 0.01) and smaller cone depth (OR, 0.591; 95% CI, 0.362 to 0.965, p = 0.036) were independent risk factors for positive margins. Six of the 64 doctors who performed conizations had a habit of making additional cuts, and there was no positive correlation between their additional cut rate and their effective additional cut rate. Conclusion This study showed that a certain proportion of additional cuts can be effectively excised from the positive margin that cannot be removed in the initial conization. The practice of additional cuts in conization tends to be the personal habit of a small number of doctors. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Somatic cell reprogramming and oncogenic transformation share surprisingly similar features, yet transformed cells are resistant to reprogramming. Epigenetic barriers must block transformed cells from reprogramming, but the nature of those barriers is unclear. In this study, we generated a systematic panel of transformed mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) using oncogenic transgenes and discovered transformed cell lines compatible with reprogramming when transfected with Oct4/Sox2/Klf4/Myc. By comparing the reprogramming-capable and incapable transformed lines we identified multiple stages of failure in the reprogramming process. Some transformed lines failed at an early stage, whilst other lines seemed to progress through a conventional reprogramming process. Finally, we show that MEK inhibition overcomes one critical reprogramming barrier by indirectly suppressing a hyperacetylated active epigenetic state. This study reveals that diverse epigenetic barriers underly resistance to reprogramming of transformed cells.

Exploring the changes and drivers of open-surface water bodies is essential for the well-being of humanity in the face of global climate change. As one of the core areas in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), the headwater region of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang Rivers is a water source for billions of people in Asia. However, previous studies failed to provide complete open-surface water data and watershed-level analysis for this region. Utilizing the Google Earth Engine platform and vegetation-water algorithm, we interpreted open-surface water bodies from all available Landsat surface reflectance data and generated annual 30-m water body frequency maps for 1987–2021, which is a complete open-surface water body dataset in the study area. Compared to the Joint Research Centre’s Global Surface Water dataset, the dataset in our study maintains consistency in 90.1 % of pixels and achieved correct classification in 74.6 % of pixels within the inconsistent areas. The perennial water body area exhibited an increase from 232,335 to 293,534 ha. Instead, the seasonal water body area notably declined from 223,809 to 182,003 ha. The Yangtze River headwater region shows an increase in perennial water bodies, with no significant variation in seasonal water bodies. The Yellow River headwater region experiences an increase in perennial water bodies but a decrease in seasonal water bodies. Remarkably, in the Lancang River headwater region, with lower water body density, both the perennial and seasonal water body areas decreased by 36.8 % and 48.8 %, respectively. The divergent changes in the headwater region of the Three Rivers are primarily attributed to spatial heterogeneity in the temperature effects on water bodies. Anticipated increases in the temperature are expected to amplify these differences. Our findings suggest that climate-driven open-surface water body changes are ongoing in this core area in the QTP, threatening the water security of densely populated East and Southeast Asia in the future.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is one of the main pathogens causing community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children and adults. Previous pharmacological and clinical studies have shown that Polydatin (PD) exerts anti-inflammatory action by conferring protective benefit in MP pneumonia. However, the mechanism underlying the of PD on MP infection remains unclear. It was found that PD alleviated MP-induced injury by inhibiting caspase-1/gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated epithelial pyroptosis. The results demonstrated that PD inhibited the transformation of GSDMD to N-terminal gasdermin-N (GSDMD-N) by decreasing caspase-1 activation, as well as suppressed the formation and secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), reversed Na, K-ATPase reduction, and suppressed LDH release both in vitro and vivo. Taken together, epithelial pyroptosis in BEAS‐2B cells and lung injury in mice were prevented by PD. In conclusion, PD suppressed pulmonary injury triggered by MP infection, by inhibiting the caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated epithelial pyroptosis signaling pathway. Thus, PD may be regarded as a potential therapy for MP-induced inflammation.

The proton-activated chloride (PAC) channel plays critical roles in ischemic neuron death, but its activation mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigated the gating of PAC channels using its novel bifunctional modulator C77304. C77304 acted as a weak activator of the PAC channel, causing moderate activation by acting on its proton gating. However, at higher concentrations, C77304 acted as a weak inhibitor, suppressing channel activity. This dual function was achieved by interacting with 2 modulatory sites of the channel, each with different affinities and dependencies on the channel's state. Moreover, we discovered a protonation-independent voltage activation of the PAC channel that appears to operate through an ion-flux gating mechanism. Through scanning-mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulation, we confirmed that E181, E257, and E261 in the human PAC channel serve as primary proton sensors, as their alanine mutations eliminated the channel's proton gating while sparing the voltage-dependent gating. This proton-sensing mechanism was conserved among orthologous PAC channels from different species. Collectively, our data unveils the polymodal gating and proton-sensing mechanisms in the PAC channel that may inspire potential drug development.

Geo-economic cooperation among neighboring countries has promoted landscape changes across their borders, including impervious surface expansion and/or agriculture-forest conversion, which are often presented but usually ignored. Short-revisit multispectral imagery lays a foundation for delineating these gradual or seasonal landscape changes in border regions. China-Laos Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone (ECZ), which has been launched in March 2016, has recently witnessed a rapid expansion of impervious surfaces. In this study, Sentinel-2 A/B 10 m images over the Mohan-Boten ECZ from 2017 to 2021, and the Continuous Change Detection and Classification algorithm, which combines spatial filtering and temporal consistency check, have been utilized to identify, correct and reconstruct monthly time-series of impervious surface area (ISA). In addition, the patterns and characteristics of impervious surface expansion under the context of China-Laos geo-economic cooperation have been analyzed and the response of impervious surface expansion to geo-economic cooperation has been evaluated. The results show that Mohan-Boten ECZ and China-Laos Railway are two geo-economic contributors to the expansion of impervious surface in both sides of the border. ISA in the ECZ nearly doubled in only five years. ISA in the Boten side expanded much faster than that of the Mohan side in the first half of the study period and exceeded its counterpart for the first time in February 2019. Moreover, the scale and rates of expansion in the dry seasons were much larger in both sides. Three expansion patterns were recognized in the ECZ. This study highlights the potentials of time-series stack of land cover products in quantifying the impacts of geo-economic cooperation on land use change in border areas and in clarifying how border land use change responds to geo-economic cooperation and/or competition.

Abstract Airborne SARS‐CoV‐2 virus surveillance faces challenges in complicated biomarker enrichment, interferences from various non‐specific matters and extremely low viral load in the urban ambient air, leading to difficulties in detecting SARS‐CoV‐2 bioaerosols. This work reports a highly specific bioanalysis platform, with an exceptionally low limit‐of‐detection (≤1 copy m−3) and good analytical accordance with RT‐qPCR, relying on surface‐mediated electrochemical signaling and enzyme‐assisted signal amplification, enabling gene and signal amplification for accurate identification and quantitation of low doses human coronavirus 229E (HCoV‐229E) and SARS‐CoV‐2 viruses in urban ambient air. This work provides a laboratory test using cultivated coronavirus to simulate the airborne spread of SARS‐CoV‐2, and validate that the platform could reliably detect airborne coronavirus and reveal the transmission characteristics. This bioassay conducts the quantitation of real‐world HCoV‐229E and SARS‐CoV‐2 in airborne particulate matters collected from road‐side and residential areas in Bern and Zurich (Switzerland) and Wuhan (China), with resultant concentrations verified by RT‐qPCR.

Objective This study aimed to determine the changes in peripheral blood TBNK lymphocyte subsets in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and their relationship with the pathogenesis of AECOPD. Methods A cross-sectional study of 1252 hospitalized patients in Zhejiang Hospital was conducted. There were 162 patients in the AECOPD group and 1090 in the non-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) group. The proportions of peripheral blood T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, total B cells, total natural killer (NK) cells, and total T cells in the two groups were determined, and the CD4/CD8 ratio was calculated. Results The proportions of men and total natural killer cells, and the mean age were significantly higher in the AECOPD group than in the non-COPD group. The T helper cell, total T cell, and CD4/CD8 ratios were significantly decreased in the AECOPD group. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male sex, age, the total T cell ratio, and the CD4/CD8 ratio were significantly associated with the incidence of AECOPD. Conclusion Cellular immune dysfunction in patients with AECOPD causes a decrease in total T lymphocytes and the CD4/CD8 ratio, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of AECOPD.

Accurately estimating building heights is crucial for various applications, including urban planning, climate studies, population estimation, and environmental assessment. However, this remains a challenging task, particularly for large areas. Satellite-based Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) has shown promise, but it often faces difficulties in distinguishing building photons from other ground objects. To address this challenge, we propose a novel method that incorporates building footprints, relative positions of building and ground photons, and a self-adaptive buffer for building photon selection. We employ the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2) photon-counting LiDAR, specifically the ICESat-2/ATL03 data, along with building footprints obtained from the New York City (NYC) Open Data platform. The proposed approach was applied to estimate the heights of 17,399 buildings in NYC, and the results showed strong consistency with the reference building heights. The root mean square error (RMSE) was 8.1 m, and for 71% of the buildings, the mean absolute error (MAE) was less than 3 m. Furthermore, we conducted an extensive evaluation of the proposed approach and thoroughly investigated the influence of terrain, region, building height, building density, and parameter selection. We also verified the effectiveness of our approach in an experimental area in Beijing and compared it with other existing methods. By leveraging ICESat-2 LiDAR data, building footprints, and advanced selection techniques, the proposed approach demonstrates the potential to accurately estimate building heights over broad areas.

Water scarcity is a significant challenge in China, and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) aims to address the water deficit in the northern region. This study analyses Landsat 5/7/8 remote sensing imagery from 2001 to 2020 on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform to assess the impact of the SNWDP on surface water bodies in water-receiving areas. Moreover, by integrating MODIS evapotranspiration data and ERA5 meteorological reanalysis data, this study comprehensively assesses the SNWDP’s contribution to varied surface water body changes. Using an improved multi-temporal water frequency method, this study extracts max, seasonal, and year-long water surface areas. The results reveal that Beijing and Henan provinces have experienced significant increases in water surface areas post-SNWDP, with their max water surface area growing at a rate of 10.42 km2/yr and 33.49 km2/year, respectively. However, water surface areas in several provinces, especially those along the east route, were not observed to increase. The spatially detailed Mann–Kendall test indicates that the expansion of year-long water bodies is mostly concentrated near the central route project, revealing spatial heterogeneity in the water replenishment effect. Cropland and impervious surfaces are the main contributors to transfers in and out of water bodies. Meteorological and water use factors for spatial variations in water changes are also identified. These findings provide insights into the varied hydrological consequences of the SNWDP and contribute to the evaluation and management of similar large-scale water diversion projects around the world.

BackgroundIn high altitude areas, like Tibet, most fetuses in breech presentation at term are delivered vaginally owing to a variety of reasons, but this has not been published.ObjectiveThis study aimed to provide references and evidence for the delivery of breach presentation term fetuses in high altitude areas, through comparing and analyzing the data of full-term singleton fetuses with breech or cephalic presentation in Naqu People’s Hospital, Tibet.Study designWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 451 breech presentation fetuses mentioned above over a period of 5 years (2016–2020). A total of 526 cephalic presentation fetuses’ data within 3 months (1 June to 1 September 2020) of the same period were collected too. Statistics were compared and assembled on fetal mortality, Apgar scores, and severe neonatal complications for both planned cesarean section (CS) and vaginal delivery. In addition, we also analyzed the types of breech presentation, the second stage of labor, and damage to the maternal perineum during vaginal delivery.ResultsAmong the 451 cases of breech presentation fetuses, 22 cases (4.9%) elected for CS and 429 cases (95.1%) elected for vaginal delivery. Of the women who chose vaginal trial labor, 17 cases underwent emergency CSs. The perinatal and neonatal mortality rate was 4.2% in the planned vaginal delivery group and the incidence of severe neonatal complications was 11.7% in the transvaginal group, no deaths were detected in the CS group. Among the 526 cephalic control groups with planned vaginal delivery, the perinatal and neonatal mortality was 1.5% (p = 0.012), and the incidence of severe neonatal complications was 1.9%. Among vaginal breech deliveries, most of them were complete breech presentation (61.17%). Among the 364 cases, the proportion of intact perinea was 45.1%, and first degree lacerations accounted for 40.7%.ConclusionIn the Tibetan Plateau region, vaginal delivery was less safe than cephalic presentation fetuses for full-term breech presentation fetuses delivered in the lithotomy position. However, if dystocia or fetal distress can be identified in time and then encouraged to convert to cesarean, its safety will be greatly improved.

BackgroundTo investigate the relationship between serum Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in juvenile individuals.MethodsSearch Chinese databases and English databases. The retrieval time limit is from the establishment of the database to 2022-04-27. And screening and inclusion of relevant diagnostic test literature. The QUADAS-2 method was used to evaluate the quality of the included literature. The random effects model was used to combine sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, summary receiver operating characteristic curve, and area under summary receiver operating characteristic curve to evaluate the prediction value of LDH for RMPP. Subgroup analyses were used to explore sources of heterogeneity.Results① A total of 29 literatures that met the criteria were included in the study, and the quality of the literature was medium and high, with a total of 702,2 patients. ② The combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve of the studies were: 0.75 (95% CI = 0.73–0.76), 0.73 (95% CI = 0.72–0.74), 3.61 (95% CI = 2.86–4.56), 0.30 (95% CI = 0.23–0.39), 13.04 (95% CI = 8.24–20.63), and 0.85(95% CI = 0.82–0.88). ③ The results of subgroup analysis showed that Compared with the subgroup with LDH threshold ≤400 IU/L, the AUC increased from 0.84 (95% CI = 0.80–0.87) to 0.89 (95% CI = 0.86–0.91).ConclusionsThe serum LDH has good accuracy for the diagnosis of RMPP and can serve as a diagnostic marker for RMPP.

Background: Long Mu Qing Xin Mixture (LMQXM) has shown potentially positive effects in alleviating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, the action mechanism is still not fully understood. This study aimed to predict the potential mechanism of LMQXM for ADHD using network pharmacology and molecular docking, which were then validated using animal experiments.Methods: Network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques were used to predict the core targets and potential pathways of LMQXMQ for ADHD, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed the potential significance of dopamine (DA) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathways. To verify the hypothesis, we conducted an animal experiment. In the animal experiment, the young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were randomly divided into the model group (SHR), the methylphenidate hydrochloride group (MPH, 4.22 mg/kg), and 3 LMQXM groups (low-dose (LD) group, 5.28 ml/kg; medium-dose (MD) group, 10.56 ml/kg; and high-dose (HD) group, 21.12 ml/kg), and administered by gavage for 4 weeks; the WKY rats were set as the control group. The open field test and Morris water maze test were used to evaluate the behavioral performance of rats, high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to analyze DA levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum of rats, ELISA was used to detect cAMP concentrations in the PFC and striatum, and immunohistochemistry and qPCR were used to analyze positive cell expression and mRNA expression for indicators related to DA and cAMP pathways.Results: The results showed that beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, rhynchophylline, baicalein, and formononetin might be key components of LMQXM for ADHD and that these components bind well to the core targets, DA receptors (DRD1 and DRD2). Furthermore, LMQXM might act through the DA and cAMP signaling pathways. In the animal experiment, we found that MPH and LMQXM-MD controlled hyperactivity and improved learning and memory in SHRs, while LMQXM-HD only controlled hyperactivity in SHRs; meanwhile, MPH and LMQXM-MD upregulated DA and cAMP levels, mean optical density (MOD) of cAMP, and MOD and mRNA expression of DRD1 and PKA in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum of SHRs, while LMQXM-LD and LMQXM-HD upregulated DA and cAMP levels in the striatum, MOD of cAMP in the PFC, and mRNA expression of PKA in the PFC. However, we did not find a significant regulatory effect of LMQXM on DRD2.Conclusion: To sum up, this study demonstrated that LMQXM may increase DA levels mainly by activating the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway through DRD1, thereby controlling the behavioral disorders of SHRs, which is most effective at moderate doses, and this may be a key mechanism for LMQXM in the treatment of ADHD.

Non-pneumatic tyre technology can overcome the safety problems of traditional pneumatic tyres. Hence, it is expected to improve driving safety significantly. Accordingly, in recent years, this technology has received extensive attention. This paper reviews the status of research of non-pneumatic tyres and discusses their development trends. Initially, the fundamental concept of non-pneumatic tyres is introduced, and their structural characteristics are described in detail. Subsequently, the research progress on the material properties of non-pneumatic tyre components is summarised. The research results on the mechanical properties of non-pneumatic tyres are recapitulated in terms of vertical mechanical, longitudinal mechanical, lateral mechanical, grounding, vibration, and fatigue characteristics. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of non-pneumatic tyres are analysed. Three prevailing forming technologies and tyre performance tests are discussed. The application of intelligent materials and structures to non-pneumatic tyres is proposed for these tyres to be lightweight, functional, and intelligent. Finally, the technical problems that must be resolved in the study of non-pneumatic tyres and the anticipated development trends are presented in this paper.

Selective laser-melted (SLMed) 7075 aluminium alloy is prone to cracking. Erbium (Er) could modify the aluminium alloys to prevent cracking in traditional manufacturing processes. In the present study, Er-modified 7075 aluminium alloy powders are prepared to investigate the influence of Er element on crack reduction in SLM. The evolution of Er is characterised by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The results show that the crack density is reduced with Er addition, but the porosity increases, a new discovery. Based on the SEM and TEM results, Er addition exists in the form of unmelted particles and Al3Er of sub-micrometer scale. The Er particles in the molten pool deteriorate the fluidity and result in higher porosity. The coherency between aluminium matrix and Al3Er favours the grain refinement, therefore the crack reduction.

Abstract Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. Furthermore, many children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) have recurrent wheezing and reduced small airway function after their clinical symptoms have resolved, eventually leading to asthma. MPP can trigger immune disorders and systemic inflammatory responses. Hence, the intestine is the largest immune organ of the body. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether the alteration of intestinal flora is correlated with the development of wheezing in children with MPP. We collected 30 healthy children as group A, 50 children with nonwheezing MPP as group B, and 50 children with wheezing MPP as group C. We found that the percentage of eosinophil cells (EC) was significantly higher in group C than that in group B for routine blood tests and serum inflammatory factors. The serum cytokines, including IL-4, IL-17, TNF-α, and TGF-β, were significantly higher in group C than in group B. In addition, the level of IL-10 was significantly lower in group C than in group B. The distribution characteristics of intestinal flora strains in children with MPP were detected by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. There were differences in the abundance of intestinal flora between children with MPP and healthy children, with lower abundance of Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Clostridium butyricum, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium in the intestine of children with MPP compared to healthy children. The abundance of Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Clostridium butyricum was significantly lower in the intestine of children with wheezing MPP compared to children without wheezing MPP. In the correlation analysis between children with MPP and inflammatory factors, Ruminococcus flavefaciens was found to be negatively correlated with IL-17. Clostridium butyricum was negatively correlated with L-4, IL-17, TNF-α, and TGF-β; however, it positively correlated with IL-10. Thus, it was concluded that alterations in intestinal flora play a crucial role in the immune response to MPP, where a significant decline in intestinal Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Clostridium butyricum leads to an exacerbation of the inflammatory responses, which may promote the development of children with wheezing MPP.

The ultra-short baseline (USBL) positioning system has been widely used for autonomous and remotely operated vehicle (ARV) positioning in marine resource surveying and ocean engineering fields due to its flexible installation and portable operation. Errors related to the sound speed are a critical factor limiting the positioning performance. The conventional strategy adopts a fixed sound velocity profile (SVP) to correct the spatial variation, especially in the vertical direction. However, SVP is actually time-varying, and ignoring this kind of variation will lead to a worse estimation of ARVs’coordinates. In this contribution, we propose a two-step sound speed correction method, where, firstly, the deviation due to the acoustic ray bending effect is corrected by the depth-based ray-tracing policy with the fixed SVP. Then, the temporal variation of SVP is considered, and the fixed SVP is adaptively adjusted according to the in situ sound velocity (SV) measurements provided by the conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) sensor equipped at the ARV. The proposed method is verified by semi-physical simulation and sea-trail dataset in the South China Sea. When compared to the fixed-SVP method, average positioning accuracy with the resilient SVP be improved by 8%, 21%, and 26% in the east, north, and up directions, respectively. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can efficiently improve the adaptability of sound speed observations and deliver better performance in USBL real-time positioning.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a promising additive manufacturing technique that allows layer-by-layer fabrication of metallic powders. Distinguished thermal dynamics result in the microstructure of intrinsic features. This review aims to provide a thorough insight into the solidification fundamentals and the microstructural tailoring during LPBF. It begins with the introduction of the LPBF and the challenges of its applications with aluminium alloys. The thermal dynamics and its influence on the microstructure in LPBF were thereafter discussed. The attempts to tailor microstructures by refinement in LPBF fabrication of various aluminium alloys were summarised. Finally, the review provides a conclusive remark on the microstructural controlling and an outlook on the remaining challenges and potential research topics in LPBF with Al alloys.

IntroductionShuai Shou Gong (SSG) is a type of Arm Swing Exercise (ASE) developed and practiced especially by older people in China for over one thousand years to maintain physical health and well-being. Until now the potential benefits of SSG have not been investigated in a Randomised Control Trial (RCT).Materials and methodsFifty six older women were recruited from each of two urban communities in Khon Kaen, Thailand. One community was randomly assigned as the Exercise Group (mean age 68.3 years, standard deviation 5.6 years) and the other as the Control Group (69.4 years, 4.4 years). The Exercise Group performed SSG for 40 minutes, three days per week for two months, whereas the Control Group maintained their usual daily life. Measurements of Posture (C7 to Wall Distance (C7WD), Standing Height (SH), Flexibility (Back Scratch of Left and Right arms (BSL and BSR) and Chair Sit and Reach of Left and Right legs (CSRL and CSRR), Gait (Timed Up and Go (TUG)), and Cognition (Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index (BADL) and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES) questionnaires) were recorded for each group prior to, on day 1, week 4, and week 8 of the SSG training.ResultsThe 8 week SSG training course produced a significant interaction between group and time for the combined set of all outcome measures (C7WD, SH, BSL, BSR, CSRL, CSRR, TUG, BADL, and BSES) (Modified ANOVA-Type Statistic (MATS) p-value < 0.001) and for the four categories of Posture, Flexibility, Gait, and Cognition (all Wald-Type Statistic (WTS) p-values < 0.05) and in all cases the changes in the Exercise Group were in the direction predicted to be beneficial. No significant interaction effect between time and group was found after either one session or four weeks of SSG training for any of the categories (all WTS p > 0.05) with significant effects only arising after eight weeks (all WTS p < 0.05). Thus although alterations were shown to be increasingly beneficial over time the minimum period required to produce a statistically significant benefit from performing SSG training was 8 weeks. For the Control Group no significant changes were identified for Posture, Flexibility and Cognition however a significant deterioration was observed in TUG (WTS p = 0.003).ConclusionsSSG is a holistic, gentle, rhythmic, whole body sequence of movements that may be readily learned and enjoyed in a group setting and has been confirmed in an RCT study of older adult females to produce significant benefits in Posture, Flexibility, Gait and Cognition.

Cement slurry is widely used in grouting reinforcement of coal mine floor. Under the action of water-force coupling, the floor of abandoned roadway reinforced by cement slurry is prone to damage. The failure characteristics of grouting concretion body under water-force coupling were studied by using RFPA software considering the heterogeneity of rock mass. The numerical simulation results show that the acoustic emission (AE) of numerical samples of the same strength with different lower boundary pressure decreases with the increase of lower boundary pressure, and the acoustic emission of numerical samples of the same lower boundary pressure with different strength increases with the increase of compressive strength. The lower the water pressure at the lower boundary is, the lower the softening degree of the sample is, and the sample is more prone to brittle fracture under external load. The numerical simulation results have important guiding significance for the grouting concretion body protection of coal mine floor in the future.

Background: Spontaneous perforation of pyometra is a rare clinical emergency with high mortality. As pyometra perforation is difficult to recognize pre-operatively, many cases are mis-diagnosed as gastrointestinal (GI) rupture. This study aimed to develop a strategy to improve diagnostic accuracy of spontaneous uterine perforation in female patients with acute abdomen. Methods: Twenty-two women with spontaneous rupture of the uterus (twenty cases previously reported in the literature plus two cases from the authors’ hospital) were included in the study group, another 22 menopausal patients with GI perforation were selected as the control group. Radiologists carefully reviewed the CT images and reports and summarized some common signs in patients with spontaneous perforation of pyometra. GI patients’ CT images were also scrutinized for these characteristic signs. The occurrence of these features was calculated in both groups. All patients underwent abdominal surgical exploration and most of patients diagnosed with spontaneous perforation of pyometra received hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. Results: Five characteristics were specifically detected in patients with uterine spontaneous perforation: (1) Fluid collected in the cul-de-sac, incidence 95.5%; (2) Fluid in the uterine cavity, incidence 100%; (3) Intra-uterine free air, incidence 90.9%; (4) Free air around the uterus, incidence 77.2%; (5) Defects on the uterine wall, incidence 72.7%. However, these five signs were rarely observed in control patients with GI perforation. A dignostic strategy combined clinical findings with raidiological features were developed to help identify these patients. Conclusions: The above five CT characteristics and the developed dignostic algorithm could be used as a tool to facilitate the preoperative diagnosis of spontaneous perforation of pyometra, although more tests are needed in large samples of cases.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected more than 210 million individuals globally and resulted in over 4 million deaths since the first report in December 2019. The early use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for light and ordinary patients, can rapidly improve symptoms, shorten hospitalization days and reduce severe cases transformed from light and normal. Many TCM formulas and products have a wide application in treating infectious and non-infectious diseases. Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. (P. cuspidatum), is an important Traditional Chinese Medicine with actions of clearing away heat and eliminating dampness, draining the gallbladder to relieve jaundice, removing blood stasis to alleviate pain, resolving phlegm and arrest cough. In the search for anti-SARS-CoV-2, P. cuspidatum was recommended as as a therapeutic drug of COVID-19 pneumonia.In this study, we aimed to identifies P. cuspidatum is the potential broad-spectrum inhibitor for the treatment of coronaviruses infections. Methods: In the present study , we infected human malignant embryonal rhabdomyoma (RD) cells with the OC43 strain of the coronavirus, which represent an alternative model for SARS-CoV-2 and then employed the cell viability assay kit for the antiviral activity. We combined computer aided virtual screening to predicte the binding site and employed Surface plasmon resonance analysis (SPR) to comfirm the interaction between drugs and coronavirus. We employed fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology to identify drug’s inhibition in the proteolytic activity of 3CLpro and Plpro. Results: Based on our results, polydatin and resveratrol derived from P. cuspidatum significantly suppressed HCoV-OC43 replication. 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of polydatin inhibited SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and Plpro, MERS Mpro and Plpro were 18.66, 125, 14.6 and 25.42 μm, respectively. IC50 values of resveratrol inhibited SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and Plpro, MERS Mpro and Plpro were 29.81 ,60.86, 16.35 and19.04 μM, respectively. Finally, SPR assay confirmed that polydatin and resveratrol had high affinity to SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV 3Clpro, MERS-CoV 3Clpro and PLpro protein. Conclusions: we identified the antiviral activity of flavonoids polydatin and resveratrol on RD cells. Polydatin and resveratrol were found to be specific and selective inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro and PLpro, viral cysteine proteases. In summary, this study identifies P. cuspidatum as the potential broad-spectrum inhibitor for the treatment of coronaviruses infections.

BackgroundAdenomyosis is a common gynecological disease in women. A relevant literature search found that approximately 82% of patients with adenomyosis chose to undergo hysterectomy. However, women of childbearing age are more likely to undergo surgery to preserve the uterus. Because it is difficult to determine the extent of adenomyosis, it is almost impossible to resect adenomyotic tissue and retain the uterus at the same time.Materials and methodsFollowing ethics approval and patient consent, tissue samples were resected and prepared to create frozen slices for analysis. One slice was subjected to H&E staining while the remaining slices were photographed with Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS), Second-Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Comparative observations and analyses at the same positions were carried out to explore the diagnostic ability of CARS, SHG, and Raman spectroscopy for adenomyosis.ResultsIn adenomyotic tissue, we found two characteristic peaks at 1,155 and 1,519 cm–1 in the Raman spectrum, which were significantly different from normal tissue. The substances shown in the CARS spectrum were represented by peaks of 1,519 cm–1. SHG microscopy showed a distribution of collagen at the focus of the adenomyosis.ConclusionThis study represents a novel analysis of Raman microscopy, CARS, and SHG in the analysis of adenomyotic lesions. We found the diffraction spectrum useful in determining the focal boundary and the diagnosis of adenomyosis in the tested samples.

AS1411 aptamer can function as a recognition probe to detect the cell surface nucleolin overexpressed in cancer cells, however, little is known about their binding process. This study proposed a feasible binding mode for the first time and provided atomic-level descriptions for the high affinity and specific binding of AS1411. The binding pose predicted by docking was screened using knowledge-based criteria, and a microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulation showed the stable existence of the predicted structure in the solution. Structural analysis shows that the unique capping of the 5′ end of AS1411 provides the specific binding with RBD1, and the interactions of hydrogen bond, salt bridge, and water-mediated network between AS1411 and RBD1,2 stabilize the binding. The calculation of per-residue decomposition emphasizes the dominant contribution of van der Waals energy and critical residues are screened. Our study provides the molecular basis of this specific binding and can guide rational AS1411-based aptamers design. Further insights require tight collaborations between the experiments and in silico studies.

There are still some doubts about the safety of neurostimulant medications in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Traditional Chinese medicine is a safe and effective alternative therapy that has been confirmed in animal experiments. This study aimed to evaluate whether traditional Chinese medicine can improve the behavioral performance and brain tissue dopamine and cAMP contents of ADHD model animals using a network meta-analysis. The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal, and China Biomedical Literature databases were searched from their inception to October 23, 2021. The SYRCLE tool was used to assess the quality of the literature, and Stata 16 and GeMTC 0.14.3 were used to create network diagrams and perform Bayesian network meta-analysis. Twenty-four eligible randomized controlled animal experimental studies were included for the network meta-analysis. The results of the analysis of behavioral performance showed Jingning Granules [-11.72 (-22.03, -1.89)] could significantly reduce the moving distance of the ADHD animals in the OFT, compared with model group. In the MWM Test, Yizhi Ningshen Granules [-44.79(-66.46,-22.28)], Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata [-22.01(-35.23,-8.25)], and Baicalin [-7.34(-20.63, 4.99)] could significantly shorten the day-3 escape latency in ADHD animals, and Anshen Dingzhi Ling [7.02 (1.54, 12.56))] and Baicalin [5.88 (0.84, 10.20)] could significantly increase the time spent in the target in the ADHD animals, compared with model group. The results of the network meta-analysis of brain tissue dopamine and cAMP contents revealed that Ginsenoside Rg1 [162.46 (47.24, 273.42)] could increase the dopamine content of the striatum, while Baicalein [23.78 (15.39, 31.44)] and Anshen Dingzhi Ling [18.04 (12.26, 23.29)] could raise cAMP levels in the prefrontal lobe compared with model group. Baicalein [40.57 (14.57, 62.46)], Anshen Dingzhi Ling [56.16 (34.46, 76.69)], and Jingning Granules [27.11 (8.39, 46.03)] were found to raise cAMP levels in the striatum in comparison with atomoxetine treatment. Accordingly, we consider that traditional Chinese medicine intervention can increase the contents of dopamine and cAMP in the prefrontal lobe and striatum, thereby improving hyperactivity, impulsivity, and learning difficulties in ADHD animals. In addition, the SHR rat appears to be an ideal ADHD animal model.

Detection and counting of wheat heads are crucial for wheat yield estimation. To address the issues of overlapping and small volumes of wheat heads on complex backgrounds, this paper proposes the YOLOv7-MA model. By introducing micro-scale detection layers and the convolutional block attention module, the model enhances the target information of wheat heads and weakens the background information, thereby strengthening its ability to detect small wheat heads and improving the detection performance. Experimental results indicate that after being trained and tested on the Global Wheat Head Dataset 2021, the YOLOv7-MA model achieves a mean average precision (MAP) of 93.86% with a detection speed of 35.93 frames per second (FPS), outperforming Faster-RCNN, YOLOv5, YOLOX, and YOLOv7 models. Meanwhile, when tested under the three conditions of low illumination, blur, and occlusion, the coefficient of determination (R2) of YOLOv7-MA is respectively 0.9895, 0.9872, and 0.9882, and the correlation between the predicted wheat head number and the manual counting result is stronger than others. In addition, when the YOLOv7-MA model is transferred to field-collected wheat head datasets, it maintains high performance with MAP in maturity and filling stages of 93.33% and 93.03%, respectively, and R2 values of 0.9632 and 0.9155, respectively, demonstrating better performance in the maturity stage. Overall, YOLOv7-MA has achieved accurate identification and counting of wheat heads in complex field backgrounds. In the future, its application with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can provide technical support for large-scale wheat yield estimation in the field.

The bacterial sodium channel NaChBac is the prokaryotic prototype for the eukaryotic NaV and CaV channels, which could be used as a relatively simple model to study their structure–function relationships. However, few modulators of NaChBac have been reported thus far, and the pharmacology of NaChBac remains to be investigated. In the present study, we show that the spider toxin κ-LhTx-1, an antagonist of the KV4 family potassium channels, potently inhibits NaChBac with an IC50 of 491.0 ± 61.7 nM. Kinetics analysis revealed that κ-LhTx-1 inhibits NaChBac by impeding the voltage-sensor activation. Site-directed mutagenesis confirmed that phenylalanine-103 (F103) in the S3–S4 extracellular loop of NaChBac was critical for interacting with κ-LhTx-1. Molecular docking predicts the binding interface between κ-LhTx-1 and NaChBac and highlights a dominant hydrophobic interaction between W27 in κ-LhTx-1 and F103 in NaChBac that stabilizes the interface. In contrast, κ-LhTx-1 showed weak activity on the mammalian NaV channels, with 10 µM toxin slightly inhibiting the peak currents of NaV1.2–1.9 subtypes. Taken together, our study shows that κ-LhTx-1 inhibits the bacterial sodium channel, NaChBac, using a voltage-sensor trapping mechanism similar to mammalian NaV site 4 toxins. κ-LhTx-1 could be used as a ligand to study the toxin–channel interactions in the native membrane environments, given that the NaChBac structure was successfully resolved in a nanodisc.

BackgroundCervical cancer has become a worldwide concern owing to its high incidence and mortality rates. To date, high-altitude areas of Tibet have not benefited from any large-scale cervical cancer screening programs. Therefore, we initiated a screening program to investigate the prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV) and HPV genotype distribution to reveal cervical cancer and its precursor which lead to morbidity among women in the city of Nagqu in northern Tib3et.MethodsA total of 25,173 women were recruited to undergo HPV genotype tests between June and December 2019. Women infected with HPV 16 and/or 18 underwent colposcopy and histological examination. Women with other high-risk HPV type (hr-HPV) underwent cytological tests to determine whether to conduct further colposcopy and histological examination for diagnosis. HPV prevalence was calculated in the total population and further stratified according to various parameters, such as age group, area location (altitude level), and single or mixed infection status. The HPV genotype distribution was also investigated accordingly. Cervical lesions revealed by further colposcopic findings were also analyzed; high-grade and malignant lesion morbidities were calculated in total and in each county. Most data were collected and analyzed using descriptive and consistency check statistical methods, and a risk factor investigation for HPV infection was performed using logistic regression models.ResultsThe total HPV infection rate among women in Nagqu was 13.42%. Of the 25,173 women in the study, 999 (3.97%) were HPV 16/18 positive, 2,379 (9.45%) were other hr-HPV-positive, and 21,795 (86.58%) were HPV-negative. The five most common HPV genotypes, accounting for more than 60% of all HPV infections in Nagqu people, were HPV 16, 58, 31, 18, and 52. Tibetan women younger than 20 years and older than 60 years were the two age groups with the highest rates of HPV infection, 26.7% and 19.8%, respectively. Among the HPV-positive women, 2,656 (78.33%) were infected with a single strain and 732 (21.67%) were infected with multiple strains (more than two genotypes). HPV prevalence increased in high-altitude areas (positive rate highest in Nyima with an altitude of 5,000 m, 23.9%) and decreased in relatively low-altitude areas (positive rate lowest in Lhari with an altitude of 4,000 m, 6.6%). Multiple analyses showed that age, parity, age at first delivery, and altitude of residence were independent factors facilitating HPV infection in Tibetan women. High-grade and malignant cervical lesions revealed by histological findings were different among living locations, with the highest rates in Xainza, Baingoin, and Nyainrong, these being 2.019%, 1.820%, and 1.116%, respectively, among women in these areas.ConclusionOur survey provides an overall perspective on HPV genotype infection and cervical lesions in women in northern Tibet. The data not only provide useful information for the treatment of cervical lesions but also has great value in terms of the primary and secondary prevention measures that can be taken for women living in these regions.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.chictr.org.cn, indentifier ChiCTR2000035061.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit. This study aimed to explore the pathogenesis of acne and the therapeutic mechanism of isotretinoin from the metabolic perspective in coal tar-induced acne in rabbits.Methods: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS) based metabolomics was used to identify skin metabolites in groups C (blank control), M (model group) and T (isotretinoin group). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to process the metabolomics data.Results: 98 differential metabolites in group C and group M were identified. The highest proportion of differential metabolites were organic acids and derivatives, lipid metabolites, organic heterocyclic compounds, and nucleoside metabolites. The most significant metabolic pathways included protein digestion and absorption, central carbon metabolism in cancer, ABC transporters, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, and sphingolipid signaling pathway. Isotretinoin treatment normalized eight of these metabolites.Conclusions: Our study will help to further elucidate the pathogenesis of acne, the mechanism of isotretinoin at the metabolite level, and identify new therapeutic targets for treating acne.

Summary: Silver nanomaterials have potent antibacterial properties that are the foundation for their wide commercial use as well as for concerns about their unintended environmental impact. The nanoparticles themselves are relatively biologically inert but they can undergo oxidative dissolution yielding toxic silver ions. A quantitative relationship between silver material structure and dissolution, and thus antimicrobial activity, has yet to be established. Here, this dissolution process and associated biological activity is characterized using uniform nanoparticles with variable dimension, shape, and surface chemistry. From this, a phenomenological model emerges that quantitatively relates material structure to both silver dissolution and microbial toxicity. Shape has the most profound influence on antibacterial activity, and surprisingly, surface coatings the least. These results illustrate how material structure may be optimized for antimicrobial properties and suggest strategies for minimizing silver nanoparticle effects on microbes.

Nitrogen content is a crucial index for crop growth diagnosis and the exact estimation of nitrogen content is of great significance for grasping crop growth status in real-time. This paper takes winter wheat as the study object and the precision agriculture demonstration area of the Jiaozuo Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences in Henan Province as the research area. The hyperspectral reflectance data of the wheat canopy in different growth periods are obtained with the ASD ground object hyperspectral instrument, and the original canopy spectral data are preprocessed by fractional differential and continuous wavelet transform; then, the vegetation indices are established, correlation analysis with nitrogen content is conducted, and the fractional differential spectra are selected; finally, based on the wavelet energy coefficient and the vegetation indices with strong correlations, the methods of support vector machine (SVM), ridge regression, stepwise regression, Gaussian process regression (GPR), and the BP neural network are used to construct the estimation model for nitrogen content in wheat at different growth stages. By adopting the R2 and root mean square error (RMSE) indices, the best nitrogen content estimation model at every growth stage is selected. The overall analysis of the nitrogen content estimation effect indicated that for the four growth periods, the maximum modeling and validation R2 of the nitrogen content estimation models of the SVM, ridge regression, stepwise regression, GPR, and BP neural network models reached 0.95 and 0.93, the average reached 0.76 and 0.71, and the overall estimation effect was good. The average values of the modeling and validation R2 of the nitrogen content estimation model at the flag picking stage were 0.85 and 0.81, respectively, which were 37.10% and 44.64%, 1.19% and 3.85%, and 14.86% and 17.39% higher than those at the jointing stage, flowering stage, and filling stage, respectively. Therefore, the model of the flag picking stage has higher estimation accuracy and a better estimation effect on the nitrogen content. For the different growth stages, the optimal estimation models of nitrogen content were different. Among them, continuous wavelet transform combined with the BP neural network model can be the most effective method for estimating the N content in wheat at the flagging stage. The paper provides an effective method for estimating the nitrogen content in wheat and a new idea for crop growth monitoring.

Abstract Lithium (Li) metal is considered as one of the most promising anode materials for next‐generation high‐energy‐density storage systems. However, the practical application of Li metal anode is hindered by interfacial instability and air instability due to the highly reactivity of Li metal. Unstable interface in Li metal batteries (LMBs) directly dictates Li dendrite growth, “dead Li” and low Coulombic efficiency, resulting in inferior electrochemical performance of LMBs and even safety issues. In addition, its sensitivity to ambient air leads to the severe corrosion of Li metal anode, high requirements of production and storage, and increased manufacturing cost. Plenty of efforts in recent years have overcome many bottlenecks in these fields and hastened the practical applications of high‐energy‐density LMBs. In this review, we focus on emerging methods of these two aspects to fulfill a stable and low cost electrode. In this perspective, design artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers, construct three‐dimensional conductive current collectors, optimize electrolytes, employ solid‐state electrolytes, and modify separators are summarized to be propitious to ameliorate interfacial stability. Meanwhile, ex situ/in situ formed protective layers are highlighted in favor of heightening air stability. Finally, several possible directions for the future research on advanced Li metal anode are addressed.

Introduction: The infiltration pattern of endometriosis is one of the most important pathophysiological features of this lesion. Recent studies indicate the infiltrating nature of endometriosis is associated with a lesion’s genetic characteristics. However, related research regarding abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate whether AWE lesions with different infiltrating depth have different clinical and pathological features. Material and methods: A retrospective review of all cases of surgically excised AWE from 2001 to 2018 was performed from the records at Dalian Medical University and its affiliated hospitals. Descriptive data were collected and analyzed. Hematoxylin-eosin stained (H&E) slides were re-evaluated by pathologists for the density of ectopic endometrial glands (DOG). Results: Ninety-one cases were included in this study. Cases were divided into three types according to the depth of infiltration of the lesion: the fascia type (38 cases), the muscle type (40 cases) and the peritonieum type (13 cases). The primary analysis showed that mass size (P = 0.009), serum CA125 levels (P = 0.04) and operation time (P = 0.02) were significantly different among the three groups. Analysis showed that the diameter of the lesion was positively correlated with the infiltrating depth of the lesion, as well as the level of serum CA125 and the operation time. Even for lesions larger than 3 cm, serum CA125 levels and operation time still showed positive correlation with the lesion diameter (P = 0.02 and P < 0.01, respectively). Further histological research indicated that ectopic endometrial glands in deep lesions were more active and had higher density compared to masses in the superficial layers. Conclusion: This study suggests the three types of AWEs have different clinical and pathological features. When a lesion infiltrates deep into the abdominal wall, it has a larger size, is associated with increased serum CA125 levels, and needs longer time for surgical excision. The different infiltrating ability of AWEs is associated with different activities of ectopic endometrial glands.

BackgroundUterine cervical neoplasms is widely concerned due to its high incidence rate. Early diagnosis is extremely important for prognosis. The purpose of this article is evaluating the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy in the diagnosis of suspected uterine cervical neoplasms.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Web of science up to September 1, 2021. By analyzing the true positive (TP), false positive (FP), true negative (TN) and false negative (FN) of six included study, we evaluated the pooled and grouping sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative likelihood ratios (LR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI), based on random effects models. The overall diagnostic accuracy of Raman spectrum was evaluated by SROC curve analysis and AUC.ResultsAfter screening with inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of six study were included in the study. The pooled sensitivity and specificity was 0.98 (95% Cl, 0.93–0.99) and 0.95 (95% Cl, 0.89–0.98). The total PLR and NLR were 21.05 (95% CI, 8.23–53.86) and 0.03 (95% CI, 0.01–0.07), respectively. And the AUC of the SROC curve which show the overall diagnostic accuracy was 0.99 (0.98–1.00).ConclusionThrough analysis, we confirmed the role of Raman spectroscopy (RS) in the diagnosis of suspected uterine cervical tumors.Systematic Review Registration[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42021284966].

Polar cell growth is a process that couples the establishment of cell polarity with growth and is extremely important in the growth, development, and reproduction of eukaryotic organisms, such as pollen tube growth during plant fertilization and neuronal axon growth in animals. Pollen tube growth requires dynamic but polarized distribution and activation of a signaling protein named ROP1 to the plasma membrane via three processes: positive feedback and negative feedback regulation of ROP1 activation and its lateral diffusion along the plasma membrane. In this paper, we introduce a mechanistic integro-differential equation (IDE) along with constrained semiparametric regression to quantitatively describe the interplay among these three processes that lead to the polar distribution of active ROP1 at a steady state. Moreover, we introduce a population variability by a constrained nonlinear mixed model. Our analysis of ROP1 activity distributions from multiple pollen tubes revealed that the equilibrium between the positive and negative feedbacks for pollen tubes with similar shapes are remarkably stable, permitting us to infer an inherent quantitative relationship between the positive and negative feedback loops that defines the tip growth of pollen tubes and the polarity of tip growth.

Summary: Exhausted CD8+ T cells with limited effector functions and high expression of multiple co-inhibitory receptors are one of the main barriers hindering antitumor immunity. The NADase CD38 has received considerable attention as a biomarker of CD8+ T cell exhaustion, but it remains unclear whether the increased CD38 directly promotes T cell dysfunctionality. Here, we surprisingly found that although Cd38 deficiency partially reverses NAD+ degradation and T cell dysfunction in vitro, the terminal exhausted differentiation of adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells in tumor is not impacted by either deficiency or overexpression of CD38. Monitoring the dynamic NAD+ levels shows that NAD+ levels are comparable between tumor infiltrated WT and Cd38−/− CD8+ T cells. Therefore, our results suggest that decreased NAD+ are correlated with T cell dysfunction, but deficiency of CD38 is not enough for rescuing NAD+ in tumor infiltrated CD8+ T cells and fails to increase the efficacy of antitumor T cell therapy.

Background: The responses of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) or corticosteroids as the initial treatment on pregnancy with ITP were unsatisfactory. This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of prednisone plus IVIg versus prednisone or IVIg in pregnant patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Methods: Between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020, 970 pregnancies diagnosed with ITP at 19 collaborative centers in China were reviewed in this observational study. A total of 513 pregnancies (52.89%) received no intervention. Concerning the remaining pregnancies, 151 (33.04%) pregnancies received an initial treatment of prednisone plus IVIg, 105 (22.98%) pregnancies received IVIg alone, and 172 (37.64%) pregnancies only received prednisone. Results: Regarding the maternal response to the initial treatment, no differences were found among the three treatment groups (41.1% for prednisone plus IVIg, 33.1% for prednisone, and 38.1% for IVIg). However, a significant difference was observed in the time to response between the prednisone plus IVIg group (4.39 ± 2.54 days) and prednisone group (7.29 ± 5.01 days; p