A Survey on Deep Learning Event Extraction: Approaches and Applications

Event extraction (EE) is a crucial research task for promptly apprehending event information from massive textual data. With the rapid development of deep learning, EE based on deep learning technology has become a research hotspot. Numerous methods, datasets, and evaluation metrics have been proposed in the literature, raising the need for a comprehensive and updated survey. This article fills the research gap by reviewing the state-of-the-art approaches, especially focusing on the general domain EE based on deep learning models. We introduce a new literature classification of current general domain EE research according to the task definition. Afterward, we summarize the paradigm and models of EE approaches, and then discuss each of them in detail. As an important aspect, we summarize the benchmarks that support tests of predictions and evaluation metrics. A comprehensive comparison among different approaches is also provided in this survey. Finally, we conclude by summarizing future research directions facing the research area.

Effect of Dietary Protein Intake from Different Sources on Maternal and Umbilical Cord Plasma Amino Acid Levels

SCOPE

To assess the associations of dietary protein intake from different sources during pregnancy with maternal and umbilical cord plasma amino acid levels.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study includes 216 pregnant women and 39 newborns from the Tongji Birth Cohort in Wuhan, China. The study examines the levels of 21 amino acids in maternal and cord plasma samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. A significant positive relationship is observed between dietary protein intake from refined grains and maternal plasma cysteine levels. Dietary protein intake from dairy products is positively associated with maternal plasma levels of sulfur amino acid (mainly cystine), but negatively associated with maternal plasma levels of glutamic acid. In addition, the study observes that pre-pregnancy body mass index and parity may be potential determinants of maternal plasma amino acid levels, whereas a history of passive smoking during pregnancy is an important factor influencing cord plasma amino acid levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that dietary protein intakes from specific sources during pregnancy may affect maternal plasma levels of amino acids.

Efficacy of preventive interventions against ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: an umbrella review of meta-analyses

Many meta-analyses have assessed the efficacy of preventive interventions against ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients. However, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the strength and quality of evidence to date. Systematic reviews of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials, which evaluated the effect of preventive strategies on the incidence of VAP in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h, were included in this article. We identified a total of 34 interventions derived from 31 studies. Among these interventions, 19 resulted in a significantly reduced incidence of VAP. Among numerous strategies, only selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) was supported by highly suggestive (Class II) evidence (risk ratio (RR)=0.439, 95% CI: 0.362-0.532). Based on data from the sensitivity analysis, the evidence for the efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in weaning from mechanical ventilation (NIV) was upgraded from weak (Class IV) to highly suggestive (Class II) (RR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.22-0.46). All preventive interventions were not supported by robust evidence for reducing mortality. Early mobilization exhibited suggestive (Class III) evidence in shortening both intensive length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) (mean difference (MD)=-0.85, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.49) and duration of mechanical ventilation (MD=-1.02, 95% CI: -1.41 to -0.63). In conclusion, SDD and NIV are supported by robust evidence for prevention against VAP, while early mobilization has been shown to significantly shorten the LOS in the ICU and the duration of mechanical ventilation. These three strategies are recommendable for inclusion in the ventilator bundle to lower the risk of VAP and improve the prognosis of critically ill patients.

A compressomyograph train of four monitoring device

The monitoring of the neuromuscular blockade is critical for patient's safety during and after surgery. The monitoring of neuromuscular blockade often requires the use of Train of Four (TOF) technique. During a TOF test two electrodes are attached to the ulnar nerve, and a series of four electric pulses are applied. The electrical stimulation causes the thumb to twitch, and the amount of twitch varies depending on the amount of neuromuscular blockade in patient's system. Current medical devices used to assist anesthesiologists to perform TOF monitoring often require free hand movement and do not provide accurate or reliable results. The goal of this work is to design, prototype and test a new medical device that provides reliable TOF results when thumb movement is restricted. A medical device that uses a pressurized catheter balloon to detect the response thumb twitch of the TOF test is created. An analytical model, numerical study, and mechanical finger testing were employed to create an optimum design. The design is tested through a pilot human subjects study. No significant correlation is reported with subjects' properties, including hand size.

China's prevention and control experience of echinococcosis: A 19-year retrospective

Echinococcosis poses a significant threat to public health. The Chinese government has implemented prevention and control measures to mitigate the impact of the disease. By analyzing data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Council of the People's Republic of China, we found that implementation of these measures has reduced the infection rate by nearly 50% between 2004 to 2022 (from 0.3975 to 0.1944 per 100,000 person-years). Nonetheless, some regions still bear a significant disease burden, and lack of detailed information limites further evaluation of the effects on both alveolar and cystic echinococcosis. Our analysis supports the continuing implementation of these measures and suggests that enhanced wildlife management, case-based strategies, and surveillance systems will facilitate disease control.

Superconductivity in the High-Entropy Ceramics Ti0.2 Zr0.2 Nb0.2 Mo0.2 Ta0.2 Cx with Possible Nontrivial Band Topology

Topological superconductors have drawn significant interest from the scientific community due to the accompanying Majorana fermions. Here, the discovery of electronic structure and superconductivity (SC) in high-entropy ceramics Ti0.2 Zr0.2 Nb0.2 Mo0.2 Ta0.2 Cx (x = 1 and 0.8) combined with experiments and first-principles calculations is reported. The Ti0.2 Zr0.2 Nb0.2 Mo0.2 Ta0.2 Cx high-entropy ceramics show bulk type-II SC with Tc ≈ 4.00 K (x = 1) and 2.65 K (x = 0.8), respectively. The specific heat jump (∆C/γTc ) is equal to 1.45 (x = 1) and 1.52 (x = 0.8), close to the expected value of 1.43 for the BCS superconductor in the weak coupling limit. The high-pressure resistance measurements show a robust SC against high physical pressure in Ti0.2 Zr0.2 Nb0.2 Mo0.2 Ta0.2 C, with a slight Tc variation of 0.3 K within 82.5 GPa. Furthermore, the first-principles calculations indicate that the Dirac-like point exists in the electronic band structures of Ti0.2 Zr0.2 Nb0.2 Mo0.2 Ta0.2 C, which is potentially a topological superconductor. The Dirac-like point is mainly contributed by the d orbitals of transition metals M and the p orbitals of C. The high-entropy ceramics provide an excellent platform for the fabrication of novel quantum devices, and the study may spark significant future physics investigations in this intriguing material.

Piezoelectric Catalysis Induces Tumor Cell Senescence to Boost Chemo-Immunotherapy

Cellular senescence, a vulnerable state of growth arrest, has been regarded as a potential strategy to weaken the resistance of tumor cells, leading to dramatic improvements in treatment efficacy. However, a selective and efficient strategy for inducing local tumor cellular senescence has not yet been reported. Herein, piezoelectric catalysis is utilized to reduce intracellular NAD+ to NADH for local tumor cell senescence for the first time. In detail, a biocompatible nanomedicine (BTO/Rh-D@M) is constructed by wrapping the piezoelectric BaTiO3 /(Cp* RhCl2 )2 (BTO/Rh) and doxorubicin (DOX) in the homologous cytomembrane with tumor target. After tumors are stimulated by ultrasound, negative and positive charges are generated on the BTO/Rh by piezoelectric catalysis, which reduce the intracellular NAD+ to NADH for cellular senescence and oxidize H2 O to reactive oxygen species (ROS) for mitochondrial damage. Thus, the therapeutic efficacy of tumor immunogenic cell death-induced chemo-immunotherapy is boosted by combining cellular senescence, DOX, and ROS. The results indicate that 23.9% of the piezoelectric catalysis-treated tumor cells senesced, and solid tumors in mice disappeared completely after therapy. Collectively, this study highlights a novel strategy to realize cellular senescence utilizing piezoelectric catalysis and the significance of inducing tumor cellular senescence to improve therapeutic efficacy.

Risk management for second-hand clothing imports in least developed countries: Legislations and perception of public-sector corruption

The second-hand clothing imports are very popular in the least developed countries (LDCs). The social health risk (SHR) associated with second-hand clothing products and the lack of relevant legislations in LDCs, however, bring substantial challenges. This article is therefore developed to explore the sterilization legislation design for second-hand clothing supply chains in LDCs. To address LDCs' different import requirements of fumigation, both the extended exporter responsibility (EER) legislation scheme and the extended importer responsibility (EIR) legislation scheme are considered. We also examine whether the perception of public-sector corruption in LDCs may affect the performance of sterilization legislation schemes. We compare the performance of sterilization legislation schemes under different public-sector corruption cases, different sterilization legislation structures, as well as market competition. Interestingly, our analyses show that the EER and EIR legislation schemes can achieve the same performance under a per unit SHR duty, no matter whether there is public-sector corruption or not. However, these two legislation schemes perform differently under the lump-sum SHR duty. Besides, with the presence of the public-sector corruption perception, the prospect of financial benefits from bribing the regulatory agency can induce the firm to choose a higher optimal sterilization level when the bribe is sufficiently small. These implications complement the extant knowledge on risk management of second-hand clothing in LDCs, and provide an important guidance regarding the design of sterilization legislations on second-hand clothing imports.

Integrative analysis reveals the recurrent genetic etiologies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is increasingly recognized as a chronic, progressive and fatal lung disease with an unknown etiology. Current studies focus on revealing the genetic factors in the risk of IPF, making the integrative analysis of genetic variations and transcriptomic alterations of substantial value.

AIM

This study aimed to improve the understanding of the molecular basis of IPF through an integrative analysis of whole-exome sequencing (WES), bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data.

METHODS

WES is a powerful tool for studying the genetic basis of IPF, allowing for the identification of genetic variants that may be associated with the development of the disease. RNA-seq data provide a comprehensive view of the transcriptional changes in IPF patients, while scRNA-seq data offer a more granule view of cell-type-specific alterations.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified a comprehensive mutational landscape of recurrent genomic and transcriptomic variations, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms, CNVs and differentially expressed genes, in IPF populations, which may play a significant role in the development and progression of IPF.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provided valuable insights into the genetic and transcriptomic variations associated with IPF, revealing changes in gene expression that may contribute to disease development and progression. These findings highlight the importance of an integrative approach to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying IPF and may pave the way for identifying potential therapeutic targets.

Cellular microenvironment: a key for tuning mesenchymal stem cell senescence

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types, making them highly suitable for use as seed cells in tissue engineering. These can be derived from various sources and have been found to play crucial roles in several physiological processes, such as tissue repair, immune regulation, and intercellular communication. However, the limited capacity for cell proliferation and the secretion of senescence-associated secreted phenotypes (SASPs) pose challenges for the clinical application of MSCs. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the senescence characteristics of MSCs and examine the different features of cellular microenvironments studied thus far. Additionally, we discuss the mechanisms by which cellular microenvironments regulate the senescence process of MSCs, offering insights into preserving their functionality and enhancing their effectiveness.

[Molluscicidal effect of spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones against Oncomelania hupensis in hilly regions]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a snail control approach for spraying chemicals with drones against Oncomelania hupensis in complex snail habitats in hilly regions, and to evaluate its molluscicidal effect.

METHODS

The protocol for evaluating the activity of spraying chemical molluscicides with drones against O. hupensis snails was formulated based on expert consultation and literature review. In August 2022, a pretest was conducted in a hillside field environment (12 000 m2) north of Dafengji Village, Dacang Township, Weishan County, Yunnan Province, which was assigned into four groups, of no less than 3 000 m2 in each group. In Group A, environmental cleaning was not conducted and 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules were sprayed with drones at a dose of 40 g/m2, and in Group B, environmental cleaning was performed, followed by 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules sprayed with drones at a dose of 40 g/m2, while in Group C, environmental cleaning was not conducted and 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules were sprayed with knapsack sprayers at a dose of 40 g/m2, and in Group D, environmental cleaning was performed, followed by 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules sprayed with knapsack sprayers at a dose of 40 g/m2. Then, each group was equally divided into six sections according to land area, with Section 1 for baseline surveys and sections 2 to 6 for snail surveys after chemical treatment. Snail surveys were conducted prior to chemical treatment and 1, 3, 5, 7 days post-treatment, and the mortality and corrected mortality of snails, density of living snails and costs of molluscicidal treatment were calculated in each group.

RESULTS

The mortality and corrected mortality of snails were 69.49%, 69.09%, 53.57% and 83.48%, and 68.58%, 68.17%, 52.19% and 82.99% in groups A, B, C and D 14 days post-treatment, and the density of living snails reduced by 58.40%, 63.94%, 68.91% and 83.25% 14 days post-treatment relative to pre-treatment in four groups, respectively. The median concentrations of chemical molluscicides were 37.08, 35.42, 42.50 g/m2 and 56.25 g/m2 in groups A, B, C and D, and the gross costs of chemical treatment were 0.93, 1.50, 0.46 Yuan per m2 and 1.03 Yuan per m2 in groups A, B, C and D, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The molluscicidal effect of spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones against O. hupensis snails is superior to manual chemical treatment without environmental cleaning, and chemical treatment with drones and manual chemical treatment show comparable molluscicidal effects following environmental cleaning in hilly regions. The cost of chemical treatment with drones is slightly higher than manual chemical treatment regardless of environmental cleaning. Spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones is recommended in complex settings with difficulty in environmental cleaning to improve the molluscicidal activity and efficiency against O. hupensis snails.

Hallmarks of Skin Aging: Update

Aging is defined as impaired physiological integrity, decreased function, increased susceptibility to external risk factors and various diseases. Skin, the largest organ in our body, may become more vulnerable to insult as time goes by and behave as aged skin. Here, we systemically reviewed three categories including seven hallmarks of skin aging. These hallmarks including genomic instability and telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations and loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient-sensing, mitochondrial damage and dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion/dysregulation, and altered intercellular communication. These seven hallmarks can generally be divided into three categories including (i) causes of damages as primary hallmarks in skin aging; (ii) responses to damage as antagonistic hallmarks in skin aging; and (iii) culprits of the phenotype as integrative hallmarks in skin aging.

Cholesterol-rich dietary pattern during early pregnancy and genetic variations of cholesterol metabolism genes in predicting gestational diabetes mellitus: a nested case-control study

BACKGROUND

Higher dietary cholesterol intake during pregnancy increases risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, no studies have investigated interindividual variability in cholesterol metabolism and the association of genetics and diet on GDM.

OBJECTIVE

; To prospectively evaluate the joint association of cholesterol-rich dietary patterns and polymorphisms of genes coding for cholesterol metabolism pathway proteins with GDM.

METHODS

A total of 1116 pregnant females from the Tongji Birth Cohort were enrolled. GDM was diagnosed according to a 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 wk of gestation. Dietary data were collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. The reduced-rank regression method was used to identify dietary patterns using dietary cholesterol as the response variable. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for genotyping. The genetic risk score (GRS) for GDM was constructed with genetic variants in 28 cholesterol metabolism-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Conditional logistic regression models were used to assess the odds ratio (OR) for GDM.

RESULTS

The cholesterol-rich dietary pattern was rich in livestock and poultry meat and eggs but lower in cereals. The multivariable-adjusted ORs for GDM were 1.24 (95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.44) per SD increment of cholesterol-rich pattern scores and 1.28 (1.09-1.49) per tertile GRS. The variants of the CYP7A1 rs3808607 G→T/rs8192871 G→A/rs7833904 A→T, as well as AGGG and TTGA haplotypes of 4 CYP7A1-spanning SNPs, were significantly associated with GDM. For the joint effect, the OR was 3.53 (1.71-7.31) in the highest categories of both dietary pattern scores and GRS compared with individuals with the lowest strata without significant interaction (P for interaction = 0.101).

CONCLUSIONS

Both a cholesterol-rich dietary pattern and genetic variants of cholesterol metabolism genes are associated with risk of GDM. Adherence to a cholesterol-rich dietary pattern during early pregnancy promotes the chance of GDM, especially in women with higher GRS.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY

This trial was registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn (Registration number: ChiCTR1800016908). URL: =https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=28081.

Magnesium Status, Genetic Variants of Magnesium-Related Ion Channel Transient Receptor Potential Membrane Melastatin 6 (TRPM6) and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese Pregnant Women: A Nested Case-Control Study

SCOPE

Magnesium plays an important role in regulating glucose metabolism. The study attempts to explore association between magnesium status and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of gene involved in magnesium absorption-transient receptor potential membrane melastatin 6 (TRPM6) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk METHODS AND RESULTS: A nested case-control study including 170 GDM cases and matched 340 controls is conducted based on Tongji Birth Cohort. Dietary, serum, and urine magnesium are evaluated before the diagnosis of GDM. Compared to the lowest tertile, women in the highest tertile of serum magnesium are at a lower risk of GDM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.42, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.21-0.84). Serum magnesium is inversely associated with insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (β = -0.05, p = 0.002; β = -0.04, p = 0.001, respectively). The aOR for GDM in carriers of the CT or CC genotypes of TRPM6 rs2274924 compared with carriers of the TT genotype is 2.76 (95% CI 1.78-4.26). Dietary magnesium is positively associated with serum magnesium (β = 0.02, p = 0.004), but not with GDM risk.

CONCLUSION

Serum magnesium and the TRPM6 rs2274924 polymorphism are associated with the risk of GDM.

Quantification of nimetazepam and its metabolite in human hair samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: Case report

Nimetazepam (marketed brand names; Erimin and Lavol) is an intermediate acting benzodiazepine derivative, which was widely used mainly in East and Southeast Asian region countries including Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Nimetazepam and its metabolite 7-aminonimetazepam were quantified from human hair samples by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), under selective reaction monitoring mode. Using diazepam-d5 as an internal standard, the concentration of nimetazepam and its metabolite 7-aminonimetazepam could be determined by matrix matched calibration method. Extraction of the target compounds was performed by using methanol, followed by evaporation and being concentrated with nitrogen. The Limit of quantification concentrations of nimetazepam and its metabolite 7-aminonimetazepam in hair samples were both 25 pg/mg by established method. The concentrations of nimetazepam in hair samples obtained from 2 users were 27.4, and 22.0 pg/mg, respectively; the concentrations of 7-animonimetazepam in hair samples were 54.2 and 29.1 pg/mg, respectively. In our study, the 7-aminonimetazepam concentrations in hair was higher than those of nimetazepam in the authentic hair samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report to establish the detailed procedure for quantificating nimetazepam and 7-aminonimetazepam in human hair by LC-MS/MS.

Biomaterials combined with ADSCs for bone tissue engineering: current advances and applications

In recent decades, bone tissue engineering, which is supported by scaffold, seed cells and bioactive molecules (BMs), has provided new hope and direction for treating bone defects. In terms of seed cells, compared to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, which were widely utilized in previous years, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are becoming increasingly favored by researchers due to their abundant sources, easy availability and multi-differentiation potentials. However, there is no systematic theoretical basis for selecting appropriate biomaterials loaded with ADSCs. In this review, the regulatory effects of various biomaterials on the behavior of ADSCs are summarized from four perspectives, including biocompatibility, inflammation regulation, angiogenesis and osteogenesis, to illustrate the potential of combining various materials with ADSCs for the treatment of bone defects. In addition, we conclude the influence of additional application of various BMs on the bone repair effect of ADSCs, in order to provide more evidences and support for the selection or preparation of suitable biomaterials and BMs to work with ADSCs. More importantly, the associated clinical case reports and experiments are generalized to provide additional ideas for the clinical transformation and application of bone tissue engineering loaded with ADSCs.

[Research progress of optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography in noninfectious uveitis: a review]

Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) is a challenging type of intraocular inflammatory disease that tends to recur and can be resistant to treatment. It can cause both transient and permanent pathological changes in the retina and choroid. Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of these changes rely heavily on ophthalmic imaging methods. In recent years, the enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT), swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), and swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) have emerged as rapidly evolving ophthalmic imaging techniques that offer significant advantages in evaluating choroidal thickness, displaying the whole choroid, and monitoring choroidal blood flow. This review provides an overview of the current research status of EDI-OCT, SS-OCT, and SS-OCTA in evaluating intraocular inflammation and other choroid-related complications in noninfectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, and panuveitis, and also highlights their future prospects.

[Progress of schistosomiasis control in People's Republic of China in 2022]

This report presented the endemic status of schistosomiasis and analyzed the data collected from the national schistosomiasis prevention and control system and national schistosomiasis surveillance program in the People's Republic of China in 2022. Among the 12 provinces (municipality and autonomous region) endemic for schistosomiasis, Shanghai Municipality, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region continued to maintain the achievements of schistosomiasis elimination, and Sichuan and Jiangsu provinces maintained the criteria of transmission interruption, while Yunnan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces maintained the criteria of transmission control by the end of 2022. A total of 452 counties (cites, districts) were found to be endemic for schistosomiasis in China in 2022, with 27 434 endemic villages covering 73 424 400 people at risk of infections. Among the 452 endemic counties (cities, districts), 75.89% (343/452), 23.45% (106/452) and 0.66% (3/452) achieved the criteria of elimination, transmission interruption and transmission control of schistosomiasis, respectively. In 2022, 4 317 356 individuals received serological tests for schistosomiasis, and 62 228 were sero-positive. A total of 208 646 individuals received stool examinations for schistosomiasis, with one positive and another two cases positive for urine microscopy, and these three 3 cases were imported schistosomiasis patients from Africa. There were 28 565 cases with advanced schistosomiasis documented in China by the end of 2022. Oncomelania hupensis snail survey was performed in 18 891 endemic villages in China in 2022 and O. hupensis snails were found in 6 917 villages (36.62% of all surveyed villages), with 8 villages identified with emerging snail habitats. Snail survey was performed at an area of 655 703.01 hm² and 183 888.60 hm² snail habitats were found, including 110.58 hm² emerging snail habitats and 844.35 hm² re-emerging snail habitats. There were 477 200 bovines raised in the schistosomiasis endemic areas of China in 2022, and 113 946 bovines received serological examinations for schistosomiasis, with 204 sero-positives detected. Among the 131 715 bovines received stool examinations, no positives were identified. In 2022, there were 19 726 schistosomiasis patients receiving praziquantel chemotherapy, and expanded chemotherapy was performed in 714 465 person-time for humans and 234 737 herd-time for bovines in China. In 2022, snail control with chemical treatment was performed at an area of 119 134.07 hm², and the actual area of chemical treatment was 65 825.27 hm², while environmental improvements were performed at an area of 1 163.96 hm². Data from the national schistosomiasis surveillance program of China showed that the mean prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections was both zero in humans and bovines in 2022, and no S. japonicum infection was detected in O. hupensis snails. These data demonstrated that the endemic status of schistosomiasis continued to decline in China in 2022, with 3 confirmed schistosomiasis patients that had a foreign nationality and all imported from Africa, and the areas of snail habitats remained high. Further improvements in the construction of the schistosomaisis surveillance and forecast system, and reinforcement of O. hupensis survey and control are required to prevent the re-emerging schistosomiasis.

Occupancy of orbitals and the quadrupole collectivity in 45Sc nucleus

In the present work, the Doppler Shift Attenuation method (DSAM) was used to analyze the observed lineshapes of transitions from excited states in ⁴⁵Sc, populated in the reaction ³⁶Ar + ¹²C at a beam energy of 145 MeV. The interpretation and comparison of the experimental results have been performed with large-scale shell model calculations, involving different interactions like: GX1A, GX1J, FPD6, KB3 and ZBM2. KB3 and FPD6 (present work) interactions in the negative parity states, and in positive parity states ZBM2 are most pre-eminent in reproducing the results, due to the large configuration space describing strong collective effects. Furthermore, the present work also looks at the details of the shell model helping in improving the understanding for the occupancy of orbitals. The present investigation suggests the observation of stronger collectivity for positive parity states over negative parity states with predicted enhanced collectivity of states in ⁴⁵Sc nucleus.

Integrating physicomechanical and biological strategies for BTE: biomaterials-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs

Large bone defects are a major global health concern. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is the most promising alternative to avoid the drawbacks of autograft and allograft bone. Nevertheless, how to precisely control stem cell osteogenic differentiation has been a long-standing puzzle. Compared with biochemical cues, physicomechanical stimuli have been widely studied for their biosafety and stability. The mechanical properties of various biomaterials (polymers, bioceramics, metal and alloys) become the main source of physicomechanical stimuli. By altering the stiffness, viscoelasticity, and topography of materials, mechanical stimuli with different strengths transmit into precise signals that mediate osteogenic differentiation. In addition, externally mechanical forces also play a critical role in promoting osteogenesis, such as compression stress, tensile stress, fluid shear stress and vibration, etc. When exposed to mechanical forces, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into osteogenic lineages by sensing mechanical stimuli through mechanical sensors, including integrin and focal adhesions (FAs), cytoskeleton, primary cilium, ions channels, gap junction, and activating osteogenic-related mechanotransduction pathways, such as yes associated proteins (YAP)/TAZ, MAPK, Rho-GTPases, Wnt/β-catenin, TGFβ superfamily, Notch signaling. This review summarizes various biomaterials that transmit mechanical signals, physicomechanical stimuli that directly regulate MSCs differentiation, and the mechanical transduction mechanisms of MSCs. This review provides a deep and broad understanding of mechanical transduction mechanisms and discusses the challenges that remained in clinical translocation as well as the outlook for the future improvements.

[Activation of GABAergic neurons in the zona incerta accelerates anesthesia induction with sevoflurane and propofol without affecting anesthesia maintenance or awakening in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the regulatory effects of GABAergic neurons in the zona incerta (ZI) on sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia.

METHODS

Forty-eight male C57BL/6J mice divided into 8 groups (n=6) were used in this study. In the study of sevoflurane anesthesia, chemogenetic experiment was performed in 2 groups of mice with injection of either adeno-associated virus carrying hM3Dq (hM3Dq group) or a virus carrying only mCherry (mCherry group). The optogenetic experiment was performed in another two groups of mice injected with an adeno-associated virus carrying ChR2 (ChR2 group) or GFP only (GFP group). The same experiments were also performed in mice for studying propofol anesthesia. Chemogenetics or optogenetics were used to induce the activation of GABAergic neurons in the ZI, and their regulatory effects on anesthesia induction and arousal with sevoflurane and propofol were observed; EEG monitoring was used to observe the changes in sevoflurane anesthesia maintenance after activation of the GABAergic neurons.

RESULTS

In sevoflurane anesthesia, the induction time of anesthesia was significantly shorter in hM3Dq group than in mCherry group (P < 0.05), and also shorter in ChR2 group than in GFP group (P < 0.01), but no significant difference was found in the awakening time between the two groups in either chemogenetic or optogenetic tests. Similar results were observed in chemogenetic and optogenetic experiments with propofol (P < 0.05 or 0.01). Photogenetic activation of the GABAergic neurons in the ZI did not cause significant changes in EEG spectrum during sevoflurane anesthesia maintenance.

CONCLUSION

Activation of the GABAergic neurons in the ZI promotes anesthesia induction of sevoflurane and propofol but does not affect anesthesia maintenance or awakening.

Insight into the effect of biomaterials on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells: A review from a mitochondrial perspective

Bone damage may be triggered by a variety of factors, and the damaged area often requires a bone graft. Bone tissue engineering can serve as an alternative strategy for repairing large bone defects. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the progenitor cells of connective tissue, have become an important tool for tissue engineering due to their ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types. The precise regulation of the growth and differentiation of the stem cells used for bone regeneration significantly affects the efficiency of this type of tissue engineering. During the process of osteogenic induction, the dynamics and function of localized mitochondria are altered. These changes may also alter the microenvironment of the therapeutic stem cells and result in mitochondria transfer. Mitochondrial regulation not only affects the induction/rate of differentiation, but also influences its direction, determining the final identity of the differentiated cell. To date, bone tissue engineering research has mainly focused on the influence of biomaterials on phenotype and nuclear genotype, with few studies investigating the role of mitochondria. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of researches into the role of mitochondria in MSCs differentiation and critical analysis regarding smart biomaterials that are able to "programme" mitochondria modulation was proposed. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: : • This review proposed the precise regulation of the growth and differentiation of the stem cells used to seed bone regeneration. • This review addressed the dynamics and function of localized mitochondria during the process of osteogenic induction and the effect of mitochondria on the microenvironment of stem cells. • This review summarized biomaterials which affect the induction/rate of differentiation, but also influences its direction, determining the final identity of the differentiated cell through the regulation of mitochondria.

Detection of haemodynamic obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using the sub-aortic complex: a cardiac MRI and Doppler study

AIM

To investigate the "sub-aortic complex (SAC)", a new cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI)-derived parameter, for the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), compared with conventional CMRI parameters and Doppler echocardiography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 157 consecutive patients with HCM were recruited retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups, 87 with LVOT obstruction and 70 without obstruction. The SAC was defined as a specific anatomical SAC affecting the LVOT, which were measured on the LV three-chamber steady-state free precession (SSFP) cine image at the end-systolic phase. The relations between the existence and severity of obstruction and SAC index (SACi) were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

The SACs were significantly different between the obstructive and non-obstructive groups. The ROC curves indicated that the SACi was able to discriminate obstructive and non-obstructive patients with the best predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.949, p<0.001). The SACi was an independent predictor of LVOT obstruction and there was a significant negative correlation between resting LVOT pressure gradient and SACi (r=0.72 p<0.001). In the subgroup of patients with or without severe basal septal hypertrophy, the SACi was still able to predict LVOT obstruction with excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.944 and 0.948, p<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The SAC is a reliable and straightforward CMRI marker for assessing LVOT obstruction. It is more effective than CMRI two-dimensional flow in diagnosing the severity of obstruction in patients with HCM.

Postpartum dietary intake, depression and the concentration of docosahexaenoic acid in mature breast milk in Wuhan, China

Background: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6) is an important fatty acid in breast milk and is essential for infantile growth and cognitive development. However, the factors that affect the DHA concentration in breast milk have not been completely clarified. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the composition of breast milk fatty acids and to identify maternal factors associated with breast milk DHA concentration in postpartum women in Wuhan, China. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed milk fatty acids in 115 lactating women at 30-120 days postpartum using GC-MS. Maternal sociodemographic, health and other information were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. Maternal dietary intake information was collected through a 24-hour dietary recall method. Postpartum depression status was identified using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Results: The mean DHA proportion in breast milk was 0.49%. The multivariate regression model showed that the milk DHA proportion was positively associated with maternal aquatic product intake (β = 0.183, 95%CI: 0.052, 0.314) and DHA supplement use (β = 0.146, 95%CI: 0.108, 0.185), and negatively associated with postpartum depression status (β = -0.122, 95%CI: -0.243, -0.002) after adjustment for several maternal and infant factors. Conclusion: Increasing maternal aquatic product intake and DHA supplement use and improving postpartum depression status may increase DHA concentration in breast milk in lactating women.