[Interventional treatment and early-stage follow-up of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum]

Objective: To explore the application value of percutaneous peripheral interventional therapy in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septal (PA-IVS). Methods: Retrospective case summary. The data was collected from 25 children who were hospitalized at the Children's Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine from August 2019 to August 2022, had been diagnosed with PA-IVS by echocardiography, and underwent interventional treatment. The sex, age, weight, operation time, radiation exposure time, and radiation dose of the patients were collected. The patients were divided into the arterial duct stenting group and the non-stenting group. Preoperative tricuspid annular diameters and Z scores, right ventricular length diameters, and right ventricular/left ventricular length-diameter ratios were compared by paired t-tests. Right ventricular systolic pressure difference, oxygen saturation, lactic acid before and after the surgery were compared for 24 children who received percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty. Right ventricular improvement in 25 children after operation was analyzed. The correlation between postoperative oxygen saturation and postoperative right ventricular systolic blood pressure difference, the degree of pulmonary valve opening and the Z value of tricuspid valve ring in the non-stenting group were analyzed. Results: A total of 25 patients with PA-IVS were enrolled in the study, of whom 19 were males and 6 females, with an age at surgery of 12 (6, 28) days and a weight of (3.7±0.5) kg. One of them underwent only stenting of the arterial duct; 20 children underwent only percutaneous pulmonary valve perforation and balloon angioplasty; 4 children underwent both procedures. The Z-value of the tricuspid ring was -1.5±1.2 in the group with arterial duct stenting, and -0.1±0.4 in the group without stenting (t=2.77, P=0.010). The tricuspid regurgitant flow rate 1 month after surgery was significantly lower than the preoperative ((3.4±0.6) vs. (4.8±0.9) m/s, t=6.62,P<0.001). In the 24 children with percutaneous pulmonary valve perforation and balloon angioplasty, the preoperative right ventricular systolic blood pressure was (110±32) mmHg, and the postoperative systolic blood pressure was (52±19) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) (F=59.55, P<0.001). The factors that may affect postoperative oxygen saturation in 20 cases of non-stenting group were analyzed. The results suggested that the pre and post-operative right ventricular systolic blood pressure differences (r=-0.11, P=0.649), and the pulmonary valve orifice opening (r=-0.31, P=0.201) and tricuspid annulus Z value (r=-0.18, P=0.452) at 1 month after the operation were not significantly correlated with the postoperative oxygen saturation. Conclusions: Interventional therapy can be used as the first choice for one-stage operation of PA-IVS. Percutaneous pulmonary valve perforation and balloon angioplasty are more suitable for children with well-developed right ventricles, tricuspid annulus, and pulmonary arteries. While the smaller the tricuspid annulus, the more dependent it is on the ductus arteriosus and thus patients are more suitable for arterial duct stenting.

Impacts of artificial reef on community structure and functional traits of macrobenthos near Furong Island, Shandong, China

To evaluate the ecological restoration effect of artificial reefs and explore the impacts of artificial reefs age on the structure and functional traits of the macrobenthos community, two artificial reef areas with different reef ages in the coastal waters of Furong Island, Laizhou Bay were investigated in May, August, and October 2019. A total of 120 macrobenthos species were identified in the three seasons, including 72 species in the control area, 74 species in the artificial reef with short age (1 year), and 80 species in the artificial reef with greater age (4-5 years). Nihonotrypaea harmandi was the dominant species in all areas. The biomass, abundance, Shannon diversity index, Margalef species richness index of macrobenthos communities were all in order of reef area with greater age > reef area with lower age > control area, and the biomass and abundance in the reef area with greater age were significantly higher than those in the other two areas. The composition and relative abundance of functional traits of macrobenthos communities in the reef area and the control area were different. However, the dominant categories of traits in different areas were consistent, including deposit-feeder, burrower, medium body size, medium life span, high body flexibility and infauna. The composition and relative abundance of functional traits of macrobenthos communities in the reef area and the control area were different mainly in feeding mode, habitat, and body size. The relative abundance of smaller individuals (1-3 cm) and suspension feeders in the reef area was higher than those in the control area, while predator abundance was lower, and such effect became more pronounced with increasing reef age. The reef area was significantly higher than the control area in functional diversity, but without significant difference in functional redundancy. The results of abundance/biomass comparison curve and marine biotic index showed that the benthic ecological quality in the study area was good. The macrobenthos community was slightly disturbed after 1 year of reef construction, while the conservation effect of macrobenthic resources and the benthic ecological quality were significantly improved after 4-5 years of reef placement.

Photoredox-Catalyzed and Silane-Mediated Hydrofluoromethylation of Unactivated Alkenes with Fluoroiodomethane in Water

The first hydrofluoromethylation of unactivated alkenes with fluoroiodomethane and hydrosilanes is developed by merging photoredox catalysis and silane-mediated deiodination processes. The key to the success of this reaction is the use of water as the solvent to enhance the activity of CH₂F radical toward unactivated alkenes.

Collective Magnetic Behavior in Vanadium Telluride Induced by Self-Intercalation

Self-intercalation of native magnetic atoms within the van der Waals (vdW) gap of layered two-dimensional (2D) materials provides a degree of freedom to manipulate magnetism in low-dimensional systems. Among various vdW magnets, the vanadium telluride is an interesting system to explore the interlayer order-disorder transition of magnetic impurities due to its flexibility in taking nonstoichiometric compositions. In this work, we combine high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analysis with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and magnetometry measurements, to unveil the local atomic structure and magnetic behavior of V-rich V_1+xTe₂ nanoplates with embedded V₃Te₄ nanoclusters grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The segregation of V intercalations locally stabilizes the self-intercalated V₃Te₄ magnetic phase, which possesses a distorted 1T'-like monoclinic structure. This phase transition is controlled by the electron doping from the intercalant V ions. The magnetic hysteresis loops show that the nanoplates exhibit superparamagnetism, while the temperature-dependent magnetization curves evidence a collective superspin-glass magnetic behavior of the nanoclusters at low temperature. Using four-dimensional (4D) STEM diffraction imaging, we reveal the formation of collective diffuse magnetic domain structures within the sample under the high magnetic fields inside the electron microscope. Our results shed light on the studies of dilute magnetism at the 2D limit and on strategies for the manipulation of magnetism for spintronic applications.

Hepatocyte-derived MANF mitigates ethanol-induced liver steatosis in mice via enhancing ASS1 activity and activating AMPK pathway

Hepatic steatosis plays a detrimental role in the onset and progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an evolutionarily conserved protein related to the unfolded protein response. Recent studies have demonstrated that MANF plays an important role in liver diseases. In this study, we investigated the role of MANF in ethanol-induced steatosis and the underlying mechanisms. We showed that the hepatic MANF expression was markedly upregulated in mouse model of ALD by chronic-plus-single-binge ethanol feeding. Moreover, after chronic-plus-binge ethanol feeding, hepatocyte-specific MANF knockout (HKO) mice displayed more severe hepatic steatosis and liver injury than wild-type (WT) control mice. Immunoprecipitation-coupled MS proteomic analysis revealed that arginosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), a rate-limiting enzyme in the urea cycle, resided in the same immunoprecipitated complex with MANF. Hepatocyte-specific MANF knockout led to decreased ASS1 activity, whereas overexpression of MANF contributed to enhanced ASS1 activity in vitro. In addition, HKO mice displayed unique urea cycle metabolite patterns in the liver with elevated ammonia accumulation after ethanol feeding. ASS1 is known to activate AMPK by generating an intracellular pool of AMP from the urea cycle. We also found that MANF supplementation significantly ameliorated ethanol-induced steatosis in vivo and in vitro by activating the AMPK signaling pathway, which was partly ASS1 dependent. This study demonstrates a new mechanism in which MANF acts as a key molecule in maintaining hepatic lipid homeostasis by enhancing ASS1 activity and uncovers an interesting link between lipid metabolism and the hepatic urea cycle under excessive alcohol exposure.

Metal-Organic Frameworks as the Efficient Pickering Interfacial Catalyst for Deacetalization-Knoevenagel Tandem Reaction

Stabilizing Pickering emulsions with solid catalysts at the oil-water interface is one of the most effective ways to develop environmentally friendly chemical processes. In this study, metal-organic frameworks (ZIF-8, UiO-66(Zr)-NH2,...

U-shaped association between dietary thiamine intake and new-onset diabetes: a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

The association between dietary thiamine intake and the risk of diabetes remains unknown.

AIM

We aimed to evaluate the relation of dietary thiamine intake with new-onset diabetes and examine possible effect modifiers.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

METHODS

A total of 16 272 participants who were free of diabetes at baseline were enrolled from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Dietary nutrients intake information was collected by 3-day dietary recalls in addition to using a 3-day food-weighed method to assess cooking oil and condiment consumption. New-onset diabetes was defined as a fasting blood glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l or a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or diagnosed by a physician during the follow-up.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up duration of 9.0 years, new-onset diabetes occurred in 1101 participants. Overall, the association between dietary thiamine intake and new-onset diabetes followed a U-shape (P for non-linearity <0.001). Consistently, when thiamine intake was assessed as quartiles, compared with those in the 2-3 quartiles (0.75 to 1.10 mg/day), the significantly higher risks of new-onset diabetes were found in participants in the first quartile [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 1.61] and the fourth quartile (adjusted HR, 1.39; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.67). Similar results were found when further adjusting for the intake of other major nutrients or food groups; or using the propensity score weighting to control the imbalance of covariates.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that there was a U-shape association between dietary thiamine intake and new-onset diabetes in general Chinese adults, with a minimal risk at 0.75-1.10 mg/day.

[Association study of serum LncRNA MALAT1 and SAA with type 2 diabetic kidney disease]

To investigate the correlation of serum long noncoding RNA-metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1(LncRNA MALAT1) and serum amyloid A(SAA) with diabetic kidney disease. Retrospective research was used, and 40 patients with type 2 diabetes and 80 patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease patients who were treated in Tianjin Medical University Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital from August 2021 to February 2022 were selected, and 40 healthy subjects were selected during the same period. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect serum LncRNA MALAT1. SAA were detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to detect serum creatinine (CREA) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),automatic blood glucose analyzer to detect serum fasting plasma glucose (FPG), automatic glycated hemoglobin analyzer to detect hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), and automatic immunoassay analyzer to detect urinary albumin to creatinine ratio(UACR). Differences between groups were compared by t test and analysis of variance. Pearson analysis was used to analyze the correlation between MALAT1, SAA and other indicators. Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was used to evaluate the auxiliary diagnostic value of MALAT1 and SAA for diabetic kidney disease. The results showed that MALAT1 and SAA in the diabetic kidney disease with mass albuminuria group were higher than those in the type 2 diabetes mellitus group (q=8.57, P<0.01; q=11.09, P<0.01) and the diabetic kidney disease with microalbuminuria group (q=3.96, P<0.05; q=7.85, P<0.01). MALAT1 had a high correlation with UACR, CREA, SAA, HbA1c and FPG (r value was 0.706, 0.643, 0.578, 0.553, and 0.524, all P<0.01), and SAA had a high correlation with UACR, HbA1c and FPG (r value was 0.664, 0.617, and 0.595, all P<0.01). ROC curve analysis of the diagnostic value of LncRNA MALAT1 and protein SAA for diabetic kidney disease showed that the areas under curve (AUC) were 0.741 and 0.744, respectively. The combined diagnostic value of the two was the greatest (AUC=0.801). In summary, MALAT1 and SAA were elevated in the serum of patients with type 2 diabetes. Their concentrations in the serum of group with diabetic kidney disease were higher than that in the type 2 diabetes group, and the serum concentrations of MALAT1 and SAA in group with mass albuminuria are higher than the group with microalbuminuria. MALAT1 and SAA were both closely related to UACR and HbA1c, and there is a correlation between them. Both of them may have ancillary diagnostic value for diabetic kidney disease.

[Human chorionic gonadotropin-secreting gonadoblastomas in a girl of 45, X Turner syndrome: a case report and literature review]

Objective: To summarize the experience in diagnosis and treatment of 45, X Turner syndrome (TS) with gonadal Y chromosome mosaicism and bilateral gonadoblastoma (Gb) secreting human chorionic gonadotrophin(HCG). Methods: A female patient aged 5 years and 3 months was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of "enlarged breasts for 27 months, and elevated blood β-HCG for 8 months". The clinical data were summarized, and related literature up to March 2022 with the key words"Turner syndrome" "Gonadoblastoma" "Y chromosome" "human chorionic gonadotropin" "precocious" in PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases were reviewed. Results: The girl went to the local hospital for 2-month breast development at age of 3 years, and was found with a heart murmur diagnosed with "pulmonary venous malformation and atrial septal defect (secondary foramen type)". Surgical correction was performed. She experienced the progressive breast development, rapid linear growth and markedly advanced skeletal age, which cannot be explained by partial activation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis determined at the age of 3 years and 7 months in local hospital. Then whole-exome sequencing revealed chromosome number abnormality 45, X, which was confirmed by Karyotyping. At the age of 4 years and 6 months, serum β-HCG was found to be elevated (24.9 U/L) with no lesion found at the local hospital. On physical examination, she was found with breast development, pubic hair development and clitoromegaly with elevated serum testosterone (1.96 μg/L) and β-HCG (32.3 U/L). Sex determining region Y(SRY) gene was negative in peripheral blood sample. Thoracic and abdominal CT, head and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging were normal. Exploratory laparotomy confirmed the presence of a left adnexal tumor and a right fibrous streak gonad. During surgery, simultaneous samples of bilateral gonadal and peripheral venous blood were obtained and serum β-HCG, estradiol and testosteron concentrations was higher to lower from left gonadal venous blood, right gonadal venous blood, to peripheral venous blood. Bilateral gonadectomy was performed. Histopathology revealed bilateral gonadoblastomas. SRY was positive in bilateral gonadal tissues. After surgery, serum E₂, testerone and β-HCG returned to normal. So far 4 cases of HCG-secreting gonadoblastoma had been reported worldwide. The phenotypes of the 4 cases were all female, with virilization or amenorrhea, and the preoperative peripheral blood β-HCG concentrations were 74.4, 5.0, 40 456.0, and 42.4 U/L, respectively. Conclusions: There is a high risk of Gb in TS with Y chromosome components. Gb is infrequently presented with breast development, and Gb associated with HCG secretion is rare. Karyotyping should be performed in a phenotypic female with masculinization, and virilization in TS indicates the presence of Y chromosome material with concurrent androgen secreting tumors.

[Relationship between treatment and prognosis in patients with late-onset severe pneumonia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between drug treatment and outcomes in patients with late-onset severe pneumonia (LOSP) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the effects of the initiation time of treatment drugs, especially antiviral drugs and glucocorticoids on the clinical outcomes in 82 patients between January 2016 and August 2021 who developed LOSP after allo-SCT in Peking University People's Hospital. Univariate analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test, and multivariate analysis was performed by Logistic regression. When multiple groups (n>2) were involved in the χ2 test, Bonferroni correction was used for the level of significance test.

RESULTS

Of all 82 patients in this study, the median onset time of LOSP was 220 d (93-813 d) after transplantation, and the 60-day survival rate was 58.5% (48/82). The median improvement time of the survival patients was 18 d (7-44 d), while the median death time of the died patients was 22 d (2-53 d). Multivariate analysis showed that the initiation time of antiviral drugs from the onset of LOSP (< 10 d vs. ≥10 d, P=0.012), and the initiation time of glucocorticoids from antiviral drugs (< 10 d vs. ≥10 d, P=0.027) were the factors affecting the final outcome of the patients with LOSP at the end of 60 d. According to the above results, LOSP patients were divided into four subgroups: group A (antiviral drugs < 10 d, glucocorticoids ≥10 d), group B (antiviral drugs < 10 d, glucocorticoids < 10 d), group C (antiviral drugs ≥10 d, glucocorticoids ≥10 d) and group D (antiviral drugs ≥10 d, glucocorticoids < 10 d), the 60-day survival rates were 91.7%, 56.8%, 50.0% and 21.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that in patients who developed LOSP after allo-SCT, the initiation time of antiviral drugs and glucocorticoids were associated with the prognosis of LOSP, and the survival rate was highest in patients who received antiviral drugs early and glucocorticoids later. It suggested that for patients with LOSP of unknown etiology should be highly suspicious of the possibility of a secondary hyperimmune response to viral infection.

Selective activation of four quasi-equivalent C-H bonds yields N-doped graphene nanoribbons with partial corannulene motifs

Selective C–H bond activation is one of the most challenging topics for organic reactions. The difficulties arise not only from the high C–H bond dissociation enthalpies but also the existence of multiple equivalent/quasi-equivalent reaction sites in organic molecules. Here, we successfully achieve the selective activation of four quasi-equivalent C–H bonds in a specially designed nitrogen-containing polycyclic hydrocarbon (N-PH). Density functional theory calculations reveal that the adsorption of N-PH on Ag(100) differentiates the activity of the four ortho C(sp³) atoms in the N-heterocycles into two groups, suggesting a selective dehydrogenation, which is demonstrated by sequential-annealing experiments of N-PH/Ag(100). Further annealing leads to the formation of N-doped graphene nanoribbons with partial corannulene motifs, realized by the C–H bond activation process. Our work provides a route of designing precursor molecules with ortho C(sp³) atom in an N-heterocycle to realize surface-induced selective dehydrogenation in quasi-equivalent sites.

Selective activation of C–H bonds is a key challenge in organic reactions. Here, the authors achieve the selective activation of four quasi-equivalent C–H bonds, leading to the formation of N-doped graphene nanoribbons with partial corannulene motifs.

[Safety of rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin in second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with hematological diseases]

Objective: To look into the security of a second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) using rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin (rATG) . Methods: Twenty-seven patients who used rATG in the first and second allo-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology, Peking University were enrolled in the study. Experienced toxicities associated with the conditioning protocol within 10 days (-5 d to +3 d) following the beginning of the rATG application, including fever, diarrhea, arrhythmia, reduced blood pressure, liver damage, seizures, and other problems. Results: The overall incidence of conditioning regimen early adverse reactions during the first transplantation and the second allo-HSCT conditioning regimen was 96.3% and 77.8% (P=0.043) . Fever rates were 81.5% and 63.0% (P=0.129) , diarrhea rates were 59.3% and 25.9% (P=0.013) , liver damage rates were 22.2% and 25.9% (P=0.75) , and the rates of other events (cardiac arrhythmia, low blood pressure, and epilepsy) were 3.7% and 18.5% (P=0.083) . Adverse reactions that occurred during both the first and second course of rATG applications have been improved with symptomatic treatment, and no treatment interruptions occurred. Conclusion: Reusing rATG in a second transplant was risk-free and did not result in higher early toxicities.

Structure of Amorphous Two-Dimensional Materials: Elemental Monolayer Amorphous Carbon versus Binary Monolayer Amorphous Boron Nitride

The structure of amorphous materials has been debated since the 1930s as a binary question: amorphous materials are either Zachariasen continuous random networks (Z-CRNs) or Z-CRNs containing crystallites. It was recently demonstrated, however, that amorphous diamond can be synthesized in either form. Here we address the question of the structure of single-atom-thick amorphous monolayers. We reanalyze the results of prior simulations for amorphous graphene and report kinetic Monte Carlo simulations based on alternative algorithms. We find that crystallite-containing Z-CRN is the favored structure of elemental amorphous graphene, as recently fabricated, whereas the most likely structure of binary monolayer amorphous BN is altogether different than either of the two long-debated options: it is a compositionally disordered "pseudo-CRN" comprising a mix of B-N and noncanonical B-B and N-N bonds and containing "pseudocrystallites", namely, honeycomb regions made of noncanonical hexagons. Implications for other nonelemental 2D and bulk amorphous materials are discussed.

[Risk factors of pain after CT-guided preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules with four-hook needle]

Objective: To identify the risk factors of pain after CT-guided preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules with 4-hook needle. Methods: The clinical data of 212 patients, who underwent CT-guided preoperative localization of single pulmonary nodule with 4-hook needle in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School from September 2021 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients, including 83 males and 129 females with an age of (54±12) years, were divided into mild pain group (n=163) and moderate-severe pain group (n=49) according to numeric rating scale (NRS) for assessment of pain intensity. The gender, age, body mass index, smoking history, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA), nodule location, nodule size, nodule distance from pleura, needle tip distance from pleura, localization-related complications (pneumothorax, pulmonary hemorrhage) and NRS for assessment of pain intensity after pulmonary nodules localization were collected and compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the risk factors of moderate-severe pain after CT-guided preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules with 4-hook needle. Results: The success rate of preoperative localization was 100%. The rates of pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage were 22.6% and 17.0%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that there was no significant difference in gender, age, body mass index, smoking history, ASA physical status, nodule location, nodule size, nodule distance from pleura and localization-related complications (pneumothorax, pulmonary hemorrhage) between the two groups (P>0.05), while needle tip distance from pleura of moderate-severe pain group was significantly less than that of mild pain group [7(6, 11) mm vs 15(12, 19) mm, P<0.001]. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that needle tip distance from pleura was the only risk factor for moderate-severe pain (OR=0.645, 95%CI: 0.562-0.739, P<0.001). According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, when the cut-off value of needle tip distance from pleura was 9.5 mm, the sensitivity was 69.4%(34/49), the specificity was 90.2%(147/163), and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.878 (95%CI: 0.820-0.935, P<0.001). Conclusions: Needle tip distance from pleura was the independent risk factor of moderate-severe pain after CT-guided preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules with 4-hook needle. The less needle tip distance from pleura is, the higher risk of moderate-severe pain occurs.

Ocean acidification elicits differential bleaching and gene expression patterns in larval reef coral Pocillopora damicornis under heat stress

The successful dispersal of coral larvae is vital to the population replenishment and reef recovery and resilience. Despite that this critical early stage is susceptible to ocean warming and acidification, little is known about the responses of coral larvae to warming and acidification across different biological scales. This study explored the influences of elevated temperature (29 °C versus 33 °C) and pCO₂ (500 μatm versus 1000 μatm) on brooded larvae of Pocillopora damicornis at the organismal, cellular and gene expression levels. Heat stress caused bleaching, depressed light-enhanced dark respiration, photosynthesis and autotrophy, whereas high pCO₂ stimulated photosynthesis. Although survival was unaffected, larvae at 33 °C were ten-times more likely to settle than those at 29 °C, suggesting reduced capacity to disperse and differentiate suitable substrate. Remarkably, heat stress induced greater symbiont loss at ambient pCO₂ than at high pCO₂, while cell-specific pigment concentrations of symbionts at 33 °C increased twofold under ambient pCO₂ relative to high pCO₂, suggesting pCO₂-dependent bleaching patterns. Considerable increases in activities of host antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) at 33 °C indicated oxidative stress, whereas lipid peroxidation and caspase activities were contained, thereby restraining larval mortality at 33 °C. Furthermore, the coral host mounted stronger transcriptional responses than symbionts. High pCO₂ stimulated host metabolic pathways, possibly because of the boosted algal productivity. In contrast, host metabolic processes and symbiont photosystem genes were downregulated at 33 °C. Interestingly, the upregulation of extracellular matrix genes and glycosaminoglycan degradation pathway at 33 °C was more evident under ambient pCO₂ than high pCO₂, suggesting compromised host tissue integrity that could have facilitated symbiont expulsion and bleaching. Our results provide insights into how coral larvae respond to warming and acidification at different levels of biological organization, and demonstrate that ocean acidification can mediate thermal bleaching and gene expression in coral larvae under heat stress.

[The role of continuous 48 h oropharyngeal pH monitoring in the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease]

Objective: To investigate the daily variation of LPR and the significance of 48-hour oropharyngeal pH monitoring in the diagnosis of LPRD. Methods: 72 subjects with suspected LPRD who were treated in our department from June 2018 to June 2021 were included. All patients were hospitalized to complete continuous 48-hour oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring. The consistency of Ryan index and W index and the correlation of various reflux parameters between the first and second 24-hour were compared. SPSS 24.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: All 72 subjects successfully completed 48-hour oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring. Ryan index was positive in 11 cases (15.2%) in the first 24-hour, in 17 cases (23.6%) in the second 24-hour, in 5 cases (6.9%) both first and second, and in 23 cases (31.9%) in either 24-hour, Kappa=0.211 (P=0.064), 18 cases (25%) had inconsistent results of the first 24-hour and the second 24-hour, and there was no significant difference in the positive rate between the first and second (P=0.234). The number of positive cases in 48-hour monitoring increased by 109.1% compared with 24-hour monitoring.For W index, 49 cases (68.1%) were positive in the first 24-hourf 53 cases (73.6%) were positive in the second 24-hour, 42 cases (58.3%) were positive both first and second, and 58 cases (80.6%) were positive in either 24-hour, Kappa=0.477 (P<0.001), 16 cases (22.2%) had inconsistent results of the first and second, and there was no significant difference in the positive rate between the first and second (P=0.804). The number of positive cases in 48-hour monitoring increased by 18.4% compared with 24-hour monitoring. There was no significant difference in all the reflux parameters of first and second (P>0.05). The correlation comparison showed that the correlation of various reflux parameters in the upright position was lower than that in the supine position. Conclusion: Laryngeal reflux has daily variability. Extending the monitoring time of Dx-pH to 48-hour can help reduce the missed diagnosis caused by daily variability; the use of W index can reduce the influence of daily variability on the diagnostic results of LPRD.

[Analysis of FBN1 genemutations in a pedigree with Marfan syndrome]

Mutations in fibrillin-1 (FBN1) were detected in an autosomal dominant Marfan syndrome (MFS) pedigree. The related phenotypes and the significance of mutation screening were discussed. Complete medical and cardiovascular examinations for all pedigree members were performed. Whole exons sequencing (WES) was used to sequence the DNA of the patients and their relatives. The potential pathogenic mutation sites were screened by bioinformatics method. Sanger sequencing was used to verify the mutation sites in the pedigree. The results showed that FBN1 missense mutation was c.6806 T>C in exon 56, resulting in isoleucine being replaced by threonine (p. Ile2269Thr). This mutation has not been reported in Chinese Han population. The occurrence of the mutations strongly correlated with the phenotypes of the patients. The results expand the mutation spectrum of FBN1, and it is helpful to further explore the molecular pathogenesis of MFS and MFS related diseases.

Experimental Realization of Atomic Monolayer Si9 C15

Monolayer Si_x C_y constitutes an important family of 2D materials that is predicted to feature a honeycomb structure and appreciable bandgaps. However, due to its binary chemical nature and the lack of bulk polymorphs with a layered structure, the fabrication of such materials has so far been challenging. Here, the synthesis of atomic monolayer Si₉ C₁₅ on Ru (0001) and Rh(111) substrates is reported. A combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations is used to infer that the 2D lattice of Si₉ C₁₅ is a buckled honeycomb structure. Monolayer Si₉ C₁₅ shows semiconducting behavior with a bandgap of ≈1.9 eV. Remarkably, the Si₉ C₁₅ lattice remains intact after exposure to ambient conditions, indicating good air stability. The present work expands the 2D-materials library and provides a promising platform for future studies in nanoelectronics and nanophotonics.

Polymelamine Formaldehyde-Coated MIL-101 as an Efficient Dual-Functional Core-Shell Composite to Catalyze the Deacetalization-Knoevenagel Tandem Reaction

Porous organic polymer (POP) coated on a metal-organic framework (MOF) has the functions and advantages of MOF and POP at the same time and has excellent catalytic ability. In this study, an efficient dual-functional core-shell composite MOF@POP with Lewis acid and Brønsted base sites was synthesized using the impregnation method in which MIL-101(Cr) was the core component and polymelamine formaldehyde (PMF) was the shell component. Most importantly, the obtained MIL-101(Cr)@PMF showed perfect catalytic activity in the deacetalization-Knoevenagel tandem reaction. In addition, it could still maintain ultrahigh physical and chemical stability.

[Analysis on the sequence mutation and evolution of HBV genome in China]

Objective: To understand immune escape mutation, drug resistance mutation, and genome evolution information of HBV genome sequence in China. Methods: The whole genome sequence information of HBV in China submitted in GenBank from 1998 to 2021 was selected as the object for analysis. MAFFT method was used for cluster analysis. Analysis of immune escape and drug-resistant mutations was performed using the online tool Gen2pheno. The BEAST 1.10.4 was used for analysis the time evolution of HBV sequences. Results: A total of 5 426 sequences were included in the dataset and distributed in 19 provinces of China. Type C accounted for the highest proportion (59.1%, 3 211/5 426), followed by type B (33.7%, 1 833/5 426). Immune escape mutations were found in 764 sequences (14.1%, 764/5 426). At least one reverse transcriptase region mutation occurred in 98.1% of the sequences. The evolutionary roots of most HBV sequences in China date from around 1801 AD. Conclusion: HBV-resistant mutation rate is high in China. HBV genomes evolve slowly.

[Application value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for infectious pathogens in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

Objective: To investigate the application value of Metagenomic Next-Generation sequencing (mNGS) in infectious patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT). Methods: Patients suspected with local or systemic infections were retrospectively included after allo-HSCT in our department from April 2019 to November 2020. Pathogenic microorganisms were tested by mNGS in samples from peripheral blood, cerebrospinal fluid, alveolar lavage Liquid, abscess, etc. Other diagnostic methods such as bacterial/fungal culture, viral PCR detection were simultaneously explored comparing with mNGS results. Results: A total of 112 samples in 83 patients were detected by mNGS, and 34 pathogenic microorganisms were determined. Among these positive samples, 11 strains of bacteria (17 times) with the most common Escherichia coli (4/17) were reported. There were 7 strains of fungi (10 times) detected with primary Candida albicans (7/29). Although arvovirus 30.2% (39/129) were predominantly detected, its diagnostic relevance with infections was not definite. Other pathogenic viruses including cytomegalovirus (CMV) 25.6% (33/129) and Epstein Barr virus (EBV) 14.0% (18/129)were of significance. Comparing with golden diagnostic criteria, the sensitivity of mNGS was 86.5%, and specificity was 45.0%. Regarding single pathogen infection, the consistency of mNGS and conventional methods was 82.9% (29/35), while it was 16/17 in combination infections. Conclusion: mNGS could be a potential method to determine pathogens in patients suspected with infections after allo-HSCT.

Mapping the potential for offshore aquaculture of salmonids in the Yellow Sea

Mariculture has been one of the fastest-growing global food production sectors over the past three decades. With the congestion of space and deterioration of the environment in coastal regions, offshore aquaculture has gained increasing attention. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are two important aquaculture species and contribute to 6.1% of world aquaculture production of finfish. In the present study, we established species distribution models (SDMs) to identify the potential areas for offshore aquaculture of these two cold-water fish species considering the mesoscale spatio-temporal thermal heterogeneity of the Yellow Sea. The values of the area under the curve (AUC) and the true skill statistic (TSS) showed good model performance. The suitability index (SI), which was used in this study to quantitatively assess potential offshore aquaculture sites, was highly dynamic at the surface water layer. However, high SI values occurred throughout the year at deeper water layers. The potential aquaculture areas for S. salar and O. mykiss in the Yellow Sea were estimated as 52,270 ± 3275 (95% confidence interval, CI) and 146,831 ± 15,023 km2, respectively. Our results highlighted the use of SDMs in identifying potential aquaculture areas based on environmental variables. Considering the thermal heterogeneity of the environment, this study suggested that offshore aquaculture for Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout was feasible in the Yellow Sea by adopting new technologies (e.g., sinking cages into deep water) to avoid damage from high temperatures in summer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-022-00141-2.