Female mouse model of diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin and high-carbohydrate high-fat diet

With the improvement of people's living standards and rapid economic development, the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing in most parts of the world. DM presents an important potential threat to human health. In the present study, a model of diabetes in female mice was established, and fasting blood glucose was detected at week 4, after which the biochemical profiles were evaluated by histopathological analysis. The success rate of modeling in the normal control (NC) group and the low/ middle/high-dose streptozotocin (STZ) group were 0, 0, 25% and 60%, respectively. In the middle-dose and high-dose STZ groups, the liver index was increased significantly compared with the NC group (p⟨0.05). The blood biochemical indicators of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in three STZ injection groups were as follows: alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase in middle- and high-dose STZ groups, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and serum creatinine in the high-dose STZ group, and blood urea nitrogen in the middle-dose STZ group were significantly increased (p⟨0.05). The level of total triglycerides was lower, obviously, in the high-dose STZ group than in the NC group (p⟨0.05). The mice showed marked steatosis, green-dyed fiber tissue coloring in varying degrees, and the contour of the hepatic lobules basically disappeared in STZ injection groups. The results suggest that to establish a diabetes model for female ICR mice, the optimum dose of STZ is 100 mg/kg.

[A case of ocular albinism with an abnormal visual evoked potential]

A 16-year-old male patient had poor binocular vision, alternating exotropia, horizontal nystagmus, and no obvious pigmentation loss in the eyes and other parts of the body. Optical coherence tomographic examination showed no normal central macular depression. The three-channel flash visual evoked potential method was used to examine each eye. The left and right channel reactions were found to be significantly asymmetric, and the clinical diagnosis was ocular albinism.

Analysis method for calculating radial correlation length of electron temperature turbulence from correlation electron cyclotron emission radiometer

The radial correlation length (L_r) is one of the essential quantities to measure in order to more fully characterize and understand turbulence and anomalous transport in magnetic fusion plasmas. The analysis method for calculating L_r of electron temperature (T_e) turbulence from correlation electron cyclotron emission (correlation ECE or CECE) radiometer measurements has not been fully developed partly due to the fact that the turbulent electron temperature fluctuations are generally imbedded in much larger amplitude thermal noise, which leads to a greatly reduced cross correlation coefficient (ϱ) between two spatially separated ECE signals. This work finds that this ϱ reduction factor due to thermal noise is a function of the local relative temperature fluctuation power and CECE system bandwidths of intermediate and video frequencies, independent of radial separations. This indicates that under the approximation of constant relative temperature fluctuation power for a small radial range of local CECE measurements, the original shape of ϱ as a function of radial separation without thermal noise is preserved in the CECE data with thermal noise present. For T_e turbulence with a Gaussian radial wavenumber spectrum, a fit function using the product of Gaussian and sinusoidal functions is derived for calculating L_r. This analysis method has been numerically tested using simulated ECE radiometer data over a range of parameters. Using this method, the experimental temperature turbulence correlation length L_r in a DIII-D L-mode plasma is found to be ∼10 times the local ion gyroradius.

[Clinical effects of lateral supramalleolar perforator island flaps with low rotation points in repairing foot skin and soft tissue defect wounds]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of lateral supramalleolar perforator island flaps with low rotation points in repairing foot skin and soft tissue defect wounds. Methods: The retrospective observational study was conducted. From October 2017 to August 2020, 14 patients (6 males and 8 females, aged 14-77 years) with foot skin and soft tissue defect wounds were admitted to Lanzhou University Second Hospital, including 4 cases of plantar skin tumor, 4 cases of chronic plantar ulcer, 4 cases of foot traffic injury, and 2 cases of residual wounds after deep foot burns. The wound size was 2.0 cm×2.0 cm to 7.0 cm×5.0 cm after tumor resection or debridement, which was repaired with island flap pedicled with the descending branch of the lateral supramalleolar perforator and the rotation point located at the lower front edge of the lateral ankle. The size of the flap ranged from 3.0 cm×2.0 cm to 8.0 cm×6.0 cm, and the length of vascular pedicle ranged from 8.0 to 14.0 cm. The flap was transferred by subcutaneous tunnel to repair the wound. The donor site wound of the flap was repaired with medium thickness skin graft from the lateral thigh. The survival of flaps, wound healing of the donor and recipient sites, and the occurrence of complications after operation were observed. The appearances of flaps and donor sites, and foot function were observed during follow-up. Results: The flaps of 14 patients survived successfully after operation, and the wounds in the donor and recipient sites healed well, without vascular crisis, venous congestion, or other complications. Follow-up for 2 to 24 months showed that the flaps had good appearance without bloating and were wear-resistant, the functions of wearing shoes and walking were not affected, and there was no obvious scar hyperplasia or hyperpigmentation at the donor site. Conclusions: With the descending branch of the lateral supramalleolar perforator as the pedicle and the rotation point located at the lower front edge of the lateral ankle, the island flap has a good effect in repairing the skin and soft tissue defect wound of the foot because of its reliable blood supply, simple design and operation, no need for vascular anastomosis, low rotation point, long vascular pedicle, and large radius of rotation.

[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.

Cuproptosis patterns and tumor microenvironment in endometrial cancer

Cuproptosis is the most recently discovered mode of cell death. It could affect the metabolism of cancer cells and surrounding infiltrating immune cells. In recent years, many studies have also shown that the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in tumor growth and development. Mounting evidence suggests that Cuproptosis would bring unique insights into the development of pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic techniques for cancer prevention and therapy. However, no study has been done on the combination of cuproptosis and TME in any cancer. Herein, we investigated the relationship between cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs), TME, and the prognosis of patients with Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (UCEC). We identified three CRGs clusters based on 10 CRGs and three CRGs gene clusters based on 600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with significant prognostic differences. Following that, the CRGs score based on DEGs with significant prognostic differences was established to evaluate the prognosis and immunotherapeutic efficacy of UCEC patients. The CRGs score was shown to be useful in predicting clinical outcomes. Patients with a low CRGs score seemed to have a better prognosis, a better immunotherapeutic response, and a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB). In conclusion, our study explored the influence of cuproptosis patterns and TME on the prognosis of cancer patients, thereby improving their prognosis.

Global soil profiles indicate depth-dependent soil carbon losses under a warmer climate

Soil organic carbon (SOC) changes under future climate warming are difficult to quantify in situ. Here we apply an innovative approach combining space-for-time substitution with meta-analysis to SOC measurements in 113,013 soil profiles across the globe to estimate the effect of future climate warming on steady-state SOC stocks. We find that SOC stock will reduce by 6.0 ± 1.6% (mean±95% confidence interval), 4.8 ± 2.3% and 1.3 ± 4.0% at 0-0.3, 0.3-1 and 1-2 m soil depths, respectively, under 1 °C air warming, with additional 4.2%, 2.2% and 1.4% losses per every additional 1 °C warming, respectively. The largest proportional SOC losses occur in boreal forests. Existing SOC level is the predominant determinant of the spatial variability of SOC changes with higher percentage losses in SOC-rich soils. Our work demonstrates that warming induces more proportional SOC losses in topsoil than in subsoil, particularly from high-latitudinal SOC-rich systems.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to classical swine fever virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in healthy pigs in Hunan Province, China

Classical swine fever (CSF) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) are responsible for major economic losses and represent a threat to the swine industry worldwide. Routine surveillance serology for CSF and PRRS viruses is critical to maintaining the health status of sow farms in Hunan Province, which is one of the top pig production provinces in China. The aim of our study was to investigate the serological statistics of CSF virus (CSFV) and PRRS virus (PRRSV) in Hunan Province. The cohort serum samples were collected from vaccinated and unvaccinated pigs. Our findings showed that the average rates of CSFV and PRRSV antibody seropositivity were 82.2% (95% CI: 80.1-84.3) and 84.8% (95% CI: 82.5-87.1), respectively, in the immunized group and that these rates were higher than those in the unvaccinated group (58.6% for CSFV and 47.8% for PRRSV). Additionally, the level of CSFV antibody in piglet serum declined gradually with age, whereas PRRSV-specific antibody level increased initially (1 to 2 weeks old) and then declined with age (2 to 4 weeks old). In summary, we investigated the difference in CSFV/PRRSV antibody levels among piglets at various weeks old (1 to 4 weeks) to further establish the duration of maternal immunity in piglets. In addition, routine monitoring of CSFV/PRRSV antibodies in immunized pigs was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of vaccination.

Younger carbon dominates global soil carbon efflux

Soil carbon (C) is comprised of a continuum of organic compounds with distinct ages (i.e., the time a C atom has experienced in soil since the C atom entered soil). The contribution of different age groups to soil C efflux is critical for understanding soil C stability and persistence, but is poorly understood due to the complexity of soil C pool age structure and potential distinct turnover behaviors of age groups. Here, we build upon the quantification of soil C transit times to infer the age of C atoms in soil C efflux (a_efflux ) from seven sequential soil layer depths down to 2 m at a global scale, and compare this age with radiocarbon-inferred ages of C retained in corresponding soil layers (a_soil ). In the whole 0-2 m soil profile, the mean a_efflux is 194 21 1021 (mean with 5%-95% quantiles) year and is just about one-eighth of a_soil ( 1476 717 2547 year), demonstrating that younger C dominates soil C efflux. With increasing soil depth, both a_efflux and a_soil are increased, but their disparities are markedly narrowed. That is, the proportional contribution of relatively younger soil C to efflux is decreased in deeper layers, demonstrating that C inputs (new and young) stay longer in deeper layers. Across the globe, we find large spatial variability of the contribution of soil C age groups to C efflux. Especially, in deep soil layers of cold regions (e.g., boreal forests and tundra), a_efflux may be older than a_soil , suggesting that older C dominates C efflux only under a limited range of conditions. These results imply that most C inputs may not contribute to long-term soil C storage, particularly in upper layers that hold the majority of new C inputs.

A nanomaterial targeting the spike protein captures SARS-CoV-2 variants and promotes viral elimination

The global emergency caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic can only be solved with effective and widespread preventive and therapeutic strategies, and both are still insufficient. Here, we describe an ultrathin two-dimensional CuInP2S6 (CIPS) nanosheet as a new agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection. CIPS exhibits an extremely high and selective binding capacity (dissociation constant (KD) < 1 pM) for the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern, including Delta and Omicron, inhibiting virus entry and infection in angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-bearing cells, human airway epithelial organoids and human ACE2-transgenic mice. On association with CIPS, the virus is quickly phagocytosed and eliminated by macrophages, suggesting that CIPS could be successfully used to capture and facilitate virus elimination by the host. Thus, we propose CIPS as a promising nanodrug for future safe and effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy, and as a decontamination agent and surface-coating material to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.

[Effect analysis of treating intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms through Woven EndoBridge]

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of Woven EndoBridge (WEB) in the treatment of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms. Methods: The clinical and imaging data of 11 patients with intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms treated by WEB alone at Department of Neurosurgery of the Northern Theater General Hospital from September 2017 to May 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were 7 males and 4 females, aged (54±11) years (ranged from 31 to 66 years). The aneurysms of 5 patients were located in the anterior communicating artery, 3 in the top of the basilar artery, and 3 in the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery. The intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the patients were recorded, and the degree of aneurysm embolization was evaluated by WEB embolization aneurysm occlusion scale (WOS). Results: The intraoperative WEB release of all the 11 patients was good, with 3 cases of WOS grade A, 1 of grade B and 7 of grade C, with no intraoperative acute complications occurring. The imaging follow-up was not carried out in 1 patient due to economic reason, and the clinical follow-up was good until 3 years after the operation; 10 patients were followed up by imaging for 6 months to 3 years, and no postoperative complications occurred in the target treatment area. Among the 2 patients with WOS grade A and 1 patient with grade B during operation, according to the postoperative follow-up, all were WOS grade A; among the 7 patients with WOS grade C during operation, 4 were still of grade C and 3 were of grade D according to the follow-up. Among the 3 patients with WOS grade D, 1 patient received secondary embolization due to poor recurrence morphology, unstable hemodynamics and high possibility of rupture of aneurysm, stent assisted coil embolization was adopted, with good immediate effect; the other 2 cases had recurrent aneurysms, but the aneurysms had good morphology and stable hemodynamics, therefore, clinical follow-up was continued and no secondary surgery was performed. No complications occurred in all these 11 patients. Conclusions: The operation of treating unruptured intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms with WEB device alone is simple, and there is no need for anticoagulation and antiplatelet treatment before and after the operation, the clinical effect is being good. WEB device provides a new treatment option for intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms.

Evidence for Nonlinear Gluon Effects in QCD and Their Mass Number Dependence at STAR

The STAR Collaboration reports measurements of back-to-back azimuthal correlations of di-π^{0}s produced at forward pseudorapidities (2.6<η<4.0) in p+p, p+Al, and p+Au collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV. We observe a clear suppression of the correlated yields of back-to-back π^{0} pairs in p+Al and p+Au collisions compared to the p+p data. The observed suppression of back-to-back pairs as a function of transverse momentum suggests nonlinear gluon dynamics arising at high parton densities. The larger suppression found in p+Au relative to p+Al collisions exhibits a dependence of the saturation scale Q_{s}^{2} on the mass number A. A linear scaling of the suppression with A^{1/3} is observed with a slope of -0.09±0.01.

The role of China's terrestrial carbon sequestration 2010-2060 in offsetting energy-related CO2 emissions

Energy consumption dominates annual CO2 emissions in China. It is essential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from energy consumption to reach national carbon neutrality by 2060, while the role of terrestrial carbon sequestration in offsetting energy-related CO2 emissions cannot be underestimated. Natural climate solutions (NCS), including improvements in terrestrial carbon sequestration, represent readily deployable options to offset anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. However, the extent to which China's terrestrial carbon sequestration in the future, especially when target-oriented managements (TOMs) are implemented, can help to mitigate energy-related CO2 emissions is far from certain. By synthesizing available findings and using several parameter-sparse empirical models that have been calibrated and/or fitted against contemporary measurements, we assessed China's terrestrial carbon sequestration over 2010-2060 and its contribution to offsetting national energy-related CO2 emissions. We show that terrestrial C sequestration in China will increase from 0.375 ± 0.056 (mean ± standard deviation) Pg C yr-1 in the 2010s to 0.458 ± 0.100 Pg C yr-1 under RCP2.6 and 0.493 ± 0.108 Pg C yr-1 under the RCP4.5 scenario in the 2050s, when TOMs are implemented. The majority of carbon sequestration comes from forest, accounting for 67.8-71.4% of the total amount. China's terrestrial ecosystems can offset 12.2-15.0% and 13.4-17.8% of energy-related peak CO2 emissions in 2030 and 2060, respectively. The implementation of TOMs contributes 11.9% of the overall terrestrial carbon sequestration in the 2020s and 23.7% in the 2050s. The most likely strategy to maximize future NCS effectiveness is a full implementation of all applicable cost-effective NCS pathways in China. Our findings highlight the role of terrestrial carbon sequestration in offsetting energy-related CO2 emissions and put forward future needs in the context of carbon neutrality.