Farrerol Alleviates Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy by Inhibiting Ferroptosis in Neonatal Rats via the Nrf2 Pathway

Farrerol (FA) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties in various diseases. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent oxidative stress-induced cell death. It is characterized by lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion and is involved in neuronal injury. However, the role of FA in inhibiting ferroptosis in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and its underlying mechanisms are not yet completely elucidated. This study aimed to investigate whether FA could mediate ferroptosis and explore its function and molecular mechanism in HIE. A neonatal rat model of HIE was used, and rats were treated with FA, ML385 (a specific inhibitor of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 [Nrf2]), or a combination of both. Neurological deficits, infarction volume, brain water content, pathological changes, and iron ion accumulation in the brain tissues were measured using the Zea-Longa scoring system and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC), hematoxylin-eosin (HE), and Perls' staining. The expression levels of GSH-Px, MDA, SOD, and ROS in brain tissues were also evaluated. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze the expression of the Nrf2 pathway and ferroptosis-related proteins. The results showed that FA administration significantly reduced neuronal damage, infarct volume, cerebral edema, and iron ion accumulation and inhibited MDA and ROS levels while promoting GSH-Px and SOD levels. FA also increased the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), Nrf2, and HO-1. Moreover, the combination of ML385 and FA in HIE abolished the FA protective effects. Therefore, the study concludes that FA exerts a neuroprotective effect after HIE by inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis via the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Water-gas ratio characteristics and development concepts for water-producing gas reservoirs

Water production from gas wells is a key factor affecting the effectiveness of gas-reservoir development, and it poses serious challenges in terms of increasing the degree of recovery during the waterless production stage and reducing the impact of water production on gas-reservoir development in the middle and later periods. Thus, gas reservoirs must be efficiently exploited on the basis of identifying gas-water layers accurately, defining gas-water relationships, and understanding gas-water production performance. Accordingly, this study analyzes the production characteristics in gas reservoirs with different gas-water relationships, and it summarizes the rules that determine water-gas ratios. The results reveal that the water-gas ratio increases rapidly in the early stage of water production, but after a period of time, it enters a relatively stable state in which it is almost a fixed value. According to the material balance equation, the theoretically calculated water-gas ratio is fully consistent with the production rules for an entire confined gas reservoir. This shows that the reality of gas-well-water production must be faced, and that the development of water-bearing gas reservoirs must accommodate gas and water co-production. The gas-water relationship, water body scale, and reservoir heterogeneity determine the time of water breakthrough and the water-gas ratio. Therefore, we should change the traditional "water fear" concept in gas-field development, aim for an overall improvement in recovery, face up to the fact that gas wells produce water, and coordinate the development of multi-wells for entire gas reservoirs, all of which will achieve the ultimate goal of improved gas recovery.

Endothelial exosomes work as a functional mediator to activate macrophages

Introduction

Intercellular communication is essential for almost all physiological and pathological processes. Endothelial cell (EC)-derived exosomes, working as mediators for intercellular information exchange, are involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of atherosclerosis. However, the effect of inflamed endothelial exosomes on the function of macrophages (Mϕ) is poorly defined. This study aims to unravel how exosomes derived from tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-stimulated ECs (exo-T) affect Mϕ in vitro.

Methods and results

Exosomes derived from untreated ECs (exo) and exo-T were identified by using TEM, NTA, and western blot, and we observed that PKH67-labeled exo/exo-T were taken up by Mϕ. Exposure to exo-T for 24 h not only skewed Mϕ to the M1 subtype and exacerbated lipid deposition, but also promoted Mϕ apoptosis, while it did not significantly affect Mϕ migration, as detected by RT-qPCR, Dil-ox-LDL uptake assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay, and transwell assay, respectively. In addition, exo/exo-T-related microRNA-Seq revealed 104 significantly differentially expressed microRNAs (DE-miRNAs). The target genes of DE-miRNAs were mainly enriched functionally in metabolic pathways, MAPK signaling pathway, etc., as determined using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. We further demonstrated by immunoblotting that exo-T intervention improves the phosphorylation of MAPK/NF-κB-related proteins.

Discussion and conclusion

Collectively, this study reveals that inflamed endothelial exosomes (TNF-α-stimulated EC-derived exosomes) work as a functional mediator to affect Mϕ function and may activate Mϕ through MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Operator Product Expansion Coefficients of the 3D Ising Criticality via Quantum Fuzzy Spheres

Conformal field theory (CFT) plays a crucial role in the study of various critical phenomena. While much attention has been paid to the critical exponents of different universalities, which correspond to the conformal dimensions of CFT primary fields, other important and intricate data such as operator product expansion (OPE) coefficients governing the fusion of two primary fields, have remained largely unexplored, especially in dimensions higher than 2D (or equivalently, 1+1D). Motivated by the recently proposed fuzzy sphere regularization, we investigate the operator content of 3D Ising criticality from a microscopic perspective. We first outline the procedure for extracting OPE coefficients on the fuzzy sphere and then compute 13 OPE coefficients of low-lying CFT primary fields. Our results are highly accurate and in agreement with the numerical conformal bootstrap data of 3D Ising CFT. Moreover, we were able to obtain 4 OPE coefficients, including f_{T_{μν}T_{ρη}ε}, which were previously unknown, thus demonstrating the superior capabilities of our scheme. Expanding the horizon of the fuzzy sphere regularization from the state perspective to the operator perspective opens up new avenues for exploring a wealth of new physics.

Differentially Expressed Circulating Long-Noncoding RNAS in Premature Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Purpose

Recent studies have addressed the association between lung development and long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). But few studies have investigated the role of lncRNAs in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Thus, this study aimed to compare the expression profile of circulating lncRNAs between RDS infants and controls.

Methods

10 RDS infants and 5 controls were enrolled. RDS patients were further divided into mild and severe RDS subgroups. Blood samples were collected for the lncRNA expression profile. Subsequently, differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to establish a co-expression network of differential lncRNAs and mRNAs, and predict the underlying biological functions.

Results

A total of 135 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified, including 108 upregulated and 27 downregulated lncRNAs (fold-change>2 and P<0.05) among the three groups (non-RDS, mild RDS and severe RDS groups). Of these lncRNAs, four were selected as showing higher fold changes and validated by qRT-PCR. ENST00000470527.1, ENST00000504497.1, ENST00000417781.5, and ENST00000440408.5 were increased not only in the plasma of total RDS patients but also in the severe RDS subgroup. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that differentially expressed lncRNAs may play important roles in RDS through regulating PI3KAkt, RAS, MAPK, and TGF-β signaling pathways.

Conclusion

The present results found that ENST00000470527.1, ENST00000504497.1, ENST00000417781.5, and ENST00000440408.5 may be invol ved in RDS. This could provide new insight into research of the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of preterm RDS.

Important Roles and Formation of Atmospheric Organosulfates in Marine Organic Aerosols: Influence of Phytoplankton Emissions and Anthropogenic Pollutants

Organosulfates (OSs) could be potentially important compounds in marine organic aerosols, while their formation in marine atmospheres is far from clear due to a lack of cruise observations. In this work, shipboard atmospheric observations were conducted over the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea to investigate the abundance and formation of biogenic isoprene/monoterpene-OSs in marine aerosols. The quantified OSs and NOSs accounted for 0.04-6.9% of marine organic aerosols and were 0.07-2.2% of the non-sea-salt (nss) sulfate in terms of sulfur content. Isoprene-related (nitrooxy-)OSs occupied 27-87% of the total quantified OSs, following the abundance order of summer > autumn > spring or winter. This order was driven by the marine phytoplankton biomass and sea surface temperature (SST), which controlled the seawater and atmospheric isoprene concentration levels. Under the severe impacts of anthropogenic pollutants from the East Asia continent in winter, monoterpene nitrooxy-OSs, generated with NO_x involved in, increased to 34.4 ± 35.5 ng/m³ and contributed 68% of the quantified (nitrooxy-)OSs. Our results highlight the notable roles of biogenic OSs in marine organic aerosols over regions with high biological activity and high SST. The formation of biogenic OSs and their roles in altering marine aerosol properties calls for elaboration through cruise observations in different marine environments.

[Influential factors related to functional status after full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influential factors associated with functional status of those patients who undertook a full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy operation.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted. A total of 96 patients who undertook a full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy operation and met inclusive criteria were enrolled in the study. The postoperative follow-up was held 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation. The self-developed record file was used to collect the patient's information and medical history. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, Gene-ralised anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale score and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale score were applied to measure pain intensity, functional status, anxiety status and depression status. Repeated measurement analysis of variance was used to explore the ODI score 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation. Multiple linear regression was recruited to illuminate the influential factors associated with functional status after the operation. Logistic regression was employed to explore the independent risk factors related to return to work 6 months after operation.

RESULTS

The postoperative functional status of the patients improved gradually. The functional status of the patients 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation were highly positively correlated with the current average pain intensity. The factors influencing the postoperative functional status of the patients were different according to the recovery stage. One month and 3 months after operation, the factors influencing the postoperative functional status were the current average pain intensity; 6 months after operation, the factors influencing the postoperative functional status included the current average pain intensity, preoperative average pain intensity, gender and educational level. The risk factors influencing return to work 6 months after operation included women, young age, preoperative depression status and high average pain intensity 3 months after operation.

CONCLUSION

It is feasible to treat chronic low back pain with full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy operation. In the process of postoperative functional status recovery, medical staffs should not only take analgesic mea-sures to reduce the pain intensity experienced by the patients, but also pay attention to the impact of psychosocial factors on the recovery. Women, young age, preoperative depression status, and high average pain intensity 3 months after operation may delay return to work after the operation.

Fast synthesis of large-area bilayer graphene film on Cu

Bilayer graphene (BLG) is intriguing for its unique properties and potential applications in electronics, photonics, and mechanics. However, the chemical vapor deposition synthesis of large-area high-quality bilayer graphene on Cu is suffering from a low growth rate and limited bilayer coverage. Herein, we demonstrate the fast synthesis of meter-sized bilayer graphene film on commercial polycrystalline Cu foils by introducing trace CO₂ during high-temperature growth. Continuous bilayer graphene with a high ratio of AB-stacking structure can be obtained within 20 min, which exhibits enhanced mechanical strength, uniform transmittance, and low sheet resistance in large area. Moreover, 96 and 100% AB-stacking structures were achieved in bilayer graphene grown on single-crystal Cu(111) foil and ultraflat single-crystal Cu(111)/sapphire substrates, respectively. The AB-stacking bilayer graphene exhibits tunable bandgap and performs well in photodetection. This work provides important insights into the growth mechanism and the mass production of large-area high-quality BLG on Cu.

Multi-scale optical simulation of crystalline silicon solar cells by combining ray and wave optics

Optical simulations allow the evaluation of the absorption, reflection, and transmission of each functional layer of solar cells and, therefore, are of great importance for the design of high-efficiency crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Here, a multi-scale simulation method (MSM) based on ray and wave optics is proposed to investigate the optical characteristics of c-Si solar cells. The ray and wave optical methods are first independently employed on inverted pyramid glass sheets, where the latter one can describe the size-dependent interfacial scattering characteristics more accurately. Then the optical properties of a c-Si solar cell with a tunnel oxide passivated carrier-selective contact configuration are studied by employing the MSM, where scattering at the interfaces is acquired by a finite-difference time-domain method (wave optics). Since the MSM can accurately simulate optical modes such as the Rayleigh anomaly, Bloch mode, and Mie resonances, the reflection and transmission spectra of the whole device are in good agreement with the measured data. The proposed MSM has proven to be accurate for structures with functional thin films, which can be extended to hybrid tandem devices with top-level cells consisting of stacks of layers with similar dimensions.

Residual Strain Evolution Induced by Crystallization Kinetics During Anti-Solvent Spin Coating in Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite (OIHP) polycrystalline thin films are attractive due to their outstanding photoelectronic properties. The anti-solvent spin coating method is the most widely used to synthesize these thin films, and the residual strain is inevitably originates and evolves during the process. However, this residual strain evolution induced by crystallization kinetics is still poorly understood. In this work, the in situ and ex situ synchrotron grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) are utilized to characterize the evolution and distribution of the residual strain in the OIHP polycrystalline thin film during the anti-solvent spin coating process. A mechanical model is established and the mechanism of the crystallization kinetics-induced residual strain evolution process is discussed. This work reveals a comprehensive understanding of the residual strain evolution during the anti-solvent spin coating process in the OIHP polycrystalline thin films and provides important guidelines for the residual strain-related strain engineering, morphology control, and performance enhancement.

Poly-L-Lactic acid increases collagen gene expression and synthesis in cultured dermal fibroblast (Hs68) through the TGF-β/Smad pathway

OBJECTIVE

Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) is a synthetic polymer which possesses biocompatible and biodegradable properties, and is widely used in the clinical filler material. This study focuses on the potential role of PLLA on the collagen production of dermal fibroblasts and its mechanism.

METHODS

The dermal fibroblast Hs60 was treated with different concentration of PLLA. RT-qPCR was conducted for the determination of mRNA levels of collagen type I (COL1) alpha 1 (COL1A1), COL1 alpha 2 (COL1A2), elastin, matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), and TIMP-2. Procollagen Type I C-peptide (PIP) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) Kit assay was carried out to analyze procollagen production. Western Blot was employed to examine the effect of PLLA and transforming frown factor (TGF-β) receptor-specific inhibitor (SB431542) on protein levels of COL1A1 and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway related proteins.

RESULTS

With the increase of PLLA concentration, the production of procollagen gradually increased, and both protein and mRNA levels of COL1A1 and COL1A2 gradually increased (p < 0.001). Elevated PLLA concentrations increased elastin, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 levels and attenuated MMP-1 expression. PLLA increased TGF-β levels in a dose-dependently manner. p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 protein levels were also increased by PLLA, but the influences were reversed by SB431542 (p < 0.001). Similarly, increased levels of COL1A1, COL1A2, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 caused by PLLA were significantly inhibited by SB431542, whereas MMP-1 was typically elevated (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Poly-L-Lactic Acid promotes the collagen production of dermal fibroblasts by activating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. The findings may lay a foundation for clinical material applications of PLLA.

First donor haemovigilance system at a national level in China: Establishment and improvement

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

No systematic study has measured the incidence of adverse reactions (ARs) to blood donation at the national level in China before 2019. The objective of this study was to establish an effective reporting system to collect information on ARs to blood donation in China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The status of donor haemovigilance (DHV) in blood collection facilities in China was evaluated, and an online DHV system was established to collect data on ARs to blood donation in July 2019. The definitions of ARs were based on the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) standards. The prevalence and data quality of ARs from 2019 to 2021 were analysed.

RESULTS

A standard online reporting system has been established for ARs to blood donation. In total, 61, 62 and 81 participating sites were included in this pilot study in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. From July 2019 to December 2021, 21,502 cases of whole-blood-related ARs and 1114 cases of apheresis platelet-related ARs were reported, with an incidence of 3.8‰ and 2.2‰, respectively. Data completeness for key reporting elements improved from 41.7% (15/36) in 2019 to 74.4% (29/39) in 2020. Data quality analysis for the year 2021 yielded similar results as for 2020.

CONCLUSION

The construction and continuous improvement of the blood donor safety monitoring system prompted the establishment of the DHV system. Improvements have been made to the DHV system in China, with a significant increase in sentinels and higher data quality.

Silicon Nanodots Increase Plant Resistance against Herbivores by Simultaneously Activating Physical and Chemical Defenses

Nanosilicon applications have been shown to increase plant defenses against both abiotic and biotic stresses. Silicon quantum nanodots (Si NDs), a form of nanosilicon, possess excellent biological and physiochemical properties (e.g., minimal size, high water solubility, stability, and biocompatibility), potentially making them more efficient in regulating plant responses to stress than other forms of silicon. However, to date, we still lack mechanistic evidence for how soil-applied Si NDs alter the regulation of plant physical and chemical defenses against insect herbivores. To address this gap, we compared the effect of fluorescent amine-functionalized Si NDs (5 nm) and the conventional fertilizer sodium silicate on maize (Zea mays L.) physical and chemical defenses against the oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata, Walker) caterpillars. We found that 50 mg/kg Si NDs and sodium silicate additions inhibited the growth of caterpillars the most (35.7% and 22.8%, respectively) as compared to other application doses (0, 10, and 150 mg/kg). Both Si NDs and silicate addition activated biosynthesis genes responsible for chemical (benzoxazinoids) and physical (lignin) defense production. Moreover, Si NDs upregulated the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and POD) and promoted the antioxidant metabolism (flavonoids) in maize leaves under M. separata attack. Finally, we show that, under field conditions, Si ND addition increased maize cob weight (28.7%), cob grain weight (40.8%), and 100-grain weight (26.5%) as compared to the control, and more so than the conventional silicon fertilizer. Altogether, our findings highlight the potential for Si NDs to be used as an effective and ecofriendly crop protection strategy in agroecosystems.

Synergistic Mechanism of Ultrasonic-Chemical Effects on the CH4 Adsorption-Desorption and Physicochemical Properties of Jincheng Anthracite

Ultrasonic is a new method to enhance coalbed methane recovery. A deeper comprehension of the synergistic mechanisms of combined ultrasonic-chemical modification on the CH₄ adsorption-desorption capability and physicochemical properties of coal is necessary for potential field implementation, as the modification of coal reservoirs frequently necessitates the addition of chemical reagents. This paper evaluated the CH₄ adsorption-desorption properties of anthracite modified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, ultrasonic modification, and combined ultrasonic-SDS modification. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, and micro-CT were applied to elucidate the synergistic mechanism of the combined modification. The research results show that the SDS solution reduces the saturated adsorption capacity of anthracite and increases its final desorption rate by dissolving clay minerals and the physical adsorption masking effect of SDS micelles on the coal surface. Some surface groups with low bond energy are broken or evaporated under mechanical vibration and thermal effects generated by ultrasonic. The original fractures are expanded and connected, which changes the adsorption-desorption properties of anthracite. The synergistic effect of the combined modification of ultrasonic-SDS can promote the penetration range and chemical reaction efficiency of the SDS solution, which expands the effective range of ultrasonic. After combined modification, the amount of aromatics, oxygen-containing functional groups, and aliphatic hydrocarbons on the surface of coal is reduced. The connected porosity of coal samples accounts for 91.5% of the total porosity. As a result, the saturated adsorption capacity of anthracite reduces by 26.7%, and the final desorption rate increases by 28.0%. The effect of the combined ultrasonic-chemical modification is better than that of a single modification.

[Effect analysis of myectomy guided by personalized three-dimensional reconstruction and printing in the treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]

Objective: To examine the clinical efficacy of myectomy guided by personalized three-dimensional reconstruction and printing for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods: The clinical data of 28 patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, who underwent septal myectomy guided by personalized three-dimensional reconstruction and printing in the Department of Cardiaovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from May 2020 to December 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 14 males and 14 females, aging (51.1±14.0) years (range: 18 to 72 years). Enhanced cardiac computed tomography images were imported into Mimics software for preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction. The direction of the short axial plane of each segment was marked perpendicularly to the interventricular septum on the long axial plane of the digital cardiac model, then the thickness was measured on each short axial plane. A figurative digital model was used to determine the extent of resection and to visualize mitral valve and papillary muscle abnormalities. Correlation between the length, width, thickness, and volume of the predicted resected myocardium and those of the surgically resected myocardium was assessed by Pearson correlation analysis or Spearman correlation analysis. The accuracy of detecting mitral valve and papillary muscle abnormalities of transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional reconstruction was also compared. Results: There was no death or serious complications like permanent pacemaker implantation, re-sternotomy for bleeding, low cardiac output syndrome, stroke, or multiple organ dysfunction syndromes in the whole group. Namely, the obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract was effectively relieved. The systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral valve leaflet was absent in all patients after myectomy. The length, width, and thickness of the predicted resected myocardium by three-dimensional reconstruction were significantly positively correlated with the length (R=0.65, 95%CI: 0.37 to 0.82, P<0.01), width (R=0.39, 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.67, P<0.01), and thickness (R=0.82, 95%CI: 0.65 to 0.92, P<0.01) of the surgically resected myocardium, while the relation of the volume of the predicted resected myocardium and the volume of the surgically resected myocardium was a strong positive correlation (R=0.88, 95%CI: 0.76 to 0.94, P<0.01). Importantly, the interventricular septal myocardial thickness measured by preoperative transthoracic echocardiography showed a moderate positive correlation with the volume of surgically resected myocardium (R=0.52, 95%CI: 0.19 to 0.75, P<0.01). During a follow-up of (14.4±6.8) months (range: 3 to 22 months), no death occurred, and 1 patient was readmitted for endocardial radiofrequency ablation due to atrial fibrillation. Conclusion: Personalized three-dimensional reconstruction and printing can not only visualize the intracardiac structure but also guide septal myectomy by predicting the thickness, volume, and extent of resected myocardium to achieve ideal resection.

Sex Specific Global Burden of Osteoporosis in 204 Countries and Territories, from 1990 to 2030: An Age-Period-Cohort Modeling Study

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent disease with distinct sex pattern. We aimed to estimate the sex specific incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life (DALYs) years of osteoporosis between 1990 and 2019, with additional predictions from 2020 to 2034.

METHODS

We collected osteoporosis disease burden data from the Global Burden of Disease study covering the years 1990 through 2019 in 204 countries and territories. The data included information on the number of incident cases of osteoporosis, DALYs, age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR) and age-standardized DALYs rates. Additionally, we performed an age-period-cohort analysis to forecast the burden of osteoporosis.

RESULTS

The global number of incidence cases of osteoporosis, in 2019, reached 41.5 million cases. From 1990 to 2019, the low-middle socio-demographic index (SDI) region had the highest estimated annual percentage change in the world. Compared to males, female's ASIR and ASPR were all about 1.5 times higher than males for the same years in the same SDI regions. The projected global total number of incidence cases for osteoporosis between 2030 and 2034 is estimated to reach 263.2 million (154.4 million for females and 108.8 for males). Additionally, the burden in terms of DALYs is predicted to be 128.7 million (with 78.4 million for females and 50.3 million for males).

CONCLUSION

The global burden of osteoporosis is still increasing, mainly observed in high SDI countries. Females bear a burden 1.5 times higher than males in terms of incidence and DALYs. Steps should be taken to reduce the osteoporosis burden, especially in high SDI countries.

Uniform thin ice on ultraflat graphene for high-resolution cryo-EM

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) visualizes the atomic structure of macromolecules that are embedded in vitrified thin ice at their close-to-native state. However, the homogeneity of ice thickness, a key factor to ensure high image quality, is poorly controlled during specimen preparation and has become one of the main challenges for high-resolution cryo-EM. Here we found that the uniformity of thin ice relies on the surface flatness of the supporting film, and developed a method to use ultraflat graphene (UFG) as the support for cryo-EM specimen preparation to achieve better control of vitreous ice thickness. We show that the uniform thin ice on UFG improves the image quality of vitrified specimens. Using such a method we successfully determined the three-dimensional structures of hemoglobin (64 kDa), α-fetoprotein (67 kDa) with no symmetry, and streptavidin (52 kDa) at a resolution of 3.5 Å, 2.6 Å and 2.2 Å, respectively. Furthermore, our results demonstrate the potential of UFG for the fields of cryo-electron tomography and structure-based drug discovery.

Investigation of a haze-to-dust and dust swing process at a coastal city in northern China part I: Chemical composition and contributions of anthropogenic and natural sources

The long retention of dust air masses in polluted areas, especially in winter, may efficiently change the physicochemical properties of aerosols, causing additional health and ecological effects. A large-scale haze-to-dust weather event occurred in the North China Plain (NCP) region during the autumn-to-winter transition period in 2018, affecting the coastal city Qingdao several times between Nov. 27th and Dec. 1st. To study the evolution of the pollution process, we analyzed the chemical characteristics of PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5 and source apportionments of PM_2.5 and PM_10, The dust stagnated around NCP and moved out and back to the site, noted as dust swing process, promoting SO₄^2- formation in PM_2.5 and NO₃^- formation in PM_10-2.5. Source apportionments were analyzed using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model and weighted potential source contribution function (WPSCF). Before the dust invasion, Qingdao was influenced by severe haze; waste incineration and coal burning were the major contributors (~80 %) to PM_2.5, and the source region was in the southwest of Shandong Province. During the initial dust event, mineral dust and the mixed factor of dust and sea salt were the major contributors (46.0 % of PM_2.5 and 86.5 % of PM₁₀). During the polluted dust period, the contributions of regional transported biomass burning (22.3 %), vehicle emissions (20.8 %), and secondary aerosols (33.8 %) to PM_2.5 from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region significantly increased. The secondary aerosols source was more regional than that of vehicle emissions and biomass burning and contributed considerably to PM₁₀ (30.8 %) during the dust swing process. Our findings demonstrate that environmental managers should consider the possible adverse effects of winter dust on regional and local pollution.

Cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

Limited data are available on the outcomes of cryoballoon ablation (CBA)-based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of CBA in such patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutive patients with AF referred for CBA-based PVI from two highly experienced electrophysiology centres were included in this retrospective study. Of 651 patients undergoing CBA, 471 cases were divided into four groups: No HF (n = 255), HFpEF (n = 101), HFmrEF (n = 78), and HF with reduced ejection fraction (n = 37). Similar early recurrence of atrial arrhythmia was found among groups (16.2% vs. 15.4% vs. 14.9% vs. 12.2%, P = 0.798), and no significant difference of long-term sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance was identified among the HFmrEF, HFpEF, and No HF groups (71.8% vs. 75.2% vs. 79.6%, P = 0.334). CBA is safe for patients with HFmrEF and HFpEF with similar complications compared with the No HF group (3.8% vs. 4.0% vs. 3.1%, P = 0.814). The reassessment of cardiac function after CBA showed that patients with HF indicated beneficial outcomes. Left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly improved in the HFmrEF group. There were 41.6% of patients in the HFpEF group who were completely relieved from HF. LAD and New York Heart Association (NYHA) were associated with recurrence in the HFpEF and HFmrEF groups, and the maintenance of SR was an independent predictor of NYHA improvement for all HF groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with HFmrEF and HFpEF could benefit from CBA with high SR maintenance and significant HF improvement.

Effect of the interaction between alcohol and meat consumption on the hyperlipidaemia risk among elderly individuals: Evidence from Shanghai, China

Background

Diet and other lifestyle habits may have an increased effect on blood lipids in older people. This study aimed to examine the associations between diet (meat, fish, and egg), alcohol consumption and blood lipids.

Methods

Surveillance data on chronic diseases and their risk factors were collected from Shanghai during 2017–2018. A Kish table was used for sampling 438 older adults, of whom 71 consumed alcohol. Logistic regression was used to test the relationships between diet, alcohol consumption and blood lipid levels in elderly individuals, and the marginal effects (MEs) were estimated.

Results

Dyslipidaemia was more common among drinkers than among nondrinkers (P < 0.01). Alcohol consumption was associated with dyslipidaemia (OR = 2.667, P < 0.01 for TC; OR = 1.919, P < 0.05 for LDL; OR = 3.412, P < 0.01 for TG), and consumption of more than 50 g of meat per day showed similar associations (OR = 3.227, P < 0.01 for TC; OR = 3.263, P < 0.01, for LDL; OR = 2.329, P < 0.01 for TG). The MEs of alcohol drinking and excessive meat consumption on the rate of dyslipidaemia were 0.324 for TC (P < 0.01), 0.255 for LDL (P < 0.05), and 0.174 for TG (P < 0.01).

Discussion

The risk of hyperlipidaemia was increased among elderly individuals with excessive meat and alcohol consumption, which also had an interactive effect.