The association between type 2 diabetes and pulmonary cavitation revealed among IGRA-positive tuberculosis patients

The co-occurrence of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) presents a significant obstacle to TB eradication. Pulmonary cavitation can occur in severe cases of TB, particularly in patients with DM. From 1 May 2014 through 30 June 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,658 smear- or culture-confirmed pulmonary TB (PTB) patients at the Second Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis, Shenzhen, China. A total of 861 participants who satisfied the criteria (chest CT scan for cavitation, interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), diagnosis of diabetes mellitus), with the median age of 36.7 years, 63.6% of male, 79.7% IGRA positive, 13.8% with diabetes, and 40.8% with pulmonary cavitation, were included in the study. The association between diabetes and pulmonary cavitation was confirmed in these TB patients (adjusted OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.66-3.94; p < 0.001). No associations were observed between diabetes and IGRA, as well as between lung cavitary and IGRA. Based on the criteria of IGRA+/-, pulmonary cavitation+/-, and DM+/-, the further analysis with univariate and multivariate logistic regression were conducted in six subgroups. The significant association between diabetes and pulmonary cavitation was further confirmed in the IGRA+ subgroup (adjusted OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.86-5.16; p < 0.001) but not observed in IGRA- individuals. This observation suggests that different immunological mechanisms of pulmonary cavitary/DM may be employed in IGRA+ TB patients from IGRA- TB patients.

[Evolution and regional differences in the supportive environment for influenza vaccination among the elderly population in China]

Seasonal influenza leads to a significant disease burden, and older people infected with influenza are susceptible to various complications. Influenza immunization can prevent infection effectively and significantly reduce the risk of complications and severe cases. Creating a supportive environment for vaccination is crucial in advancing the influenza vaccination rate among the elderly population. In China, the present environment for supporting influenza vaccinations among the elderly is primarily comprised of policies for free vaccination and expense reimbursement, which exhibit noteworthy regional variations across cities and regions. This study systematically analyses the supportive environment and regional disparities associated with influenza vaccination among the elderly in China. It aims to comprehend the opportunities for influenza prevention and control resulting from the current background of influenza vaccination and to identify potential health inequality challenges caused by regional differences. The findings should inform the introduction of relevant national policies and programs to protect the health and well-being of the elderly population.

Current Perspectives on Paradental Cyst: A Literature Review

Paradental cyst (PC) is an uncommon type of odontogenic cyst of inflammatory origin, which develops near the cervical margin of the outside of the root of a vital tooth. The category of paradental cyst includes the buccal bifurcation cyst, which is found in the buccal area adjacent to the mandibular first or second molars in children. A conclusive diagnosis of a PC needs to correlate the surgical, radiographic, and histologic findings. When strict diagnosis is neglected, they can be easily misdiagnosed and mistreated. PCs associated with mandibular first and second molars and those associated with the mandibular third molar may have slightly different clinical manifestations but have almost completely different treatment principles due to the distinction in location. For the third molars, removal of both the tooth and the cyst is preferred. However, when the first or second molars are affected, it may be advisable to perform enucleation of the lesion while preserving the associated tooth. There are also more conservative methods to retain vital permanent teeth within the mandibular arch. Additionally, the cyst wall primarily consisted of granulation tissue firmly attached to the periodontal ligament space. The exact origin of these cysts was a subject of ongoing debate, but they were believed to primarily arise from either the reduced enamel epithelium or the inflammatory proliferation of junctional/sulcular epithelium, which originate from the superficial mucosa during tooth eruption. The aim of the present review was to update information on clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment strategies of cysts and discuss their pathogenic mechanisms. Raising familiarity with the distinctive features is beneficial for accurately diagnosing these lesions and effectively caring for the patients.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction in acid enables high-efficiency ammonia synthesis and high-voltage pollutes-based fuel cells

Most current research is devoted to electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction for ammonia synthesis under alkaline/neutral media while the investigation of nitrate reduction under acidic conditions is rarely reported. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of TiO2 nanosheet with intrinsically poor hydrogen-evolution activity for selective and rapid nitrate reduction to ammonia under acidic conditions. Hybridized with iron phthalocyanine, the resulting catalyst displays remarkably improved efficiency toward ammonia formation owing to the enhanced nitrate adsorption, suppressed hydrogen evolution and lowered energy barrier for the rate-determining step. Then, an alkaline-acid hybrid Zn-nitrate battery was developed with high open-circuit voltage of 1.99 V and power density of 91.4 mW cm-2. Further, the environmental sulfur recovery can be powered by above hybrid battery and the hydrazine-nitrate fuel cell can be developed for simultaneously hydrazine/nitrate conversion and electricity generation. This work demonstrates the attractive potential of acidic nitrate reduction for ammonia electrosynthesis and broadens the field of energy conversion.

Genomic epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of Serratia marcescens neurosurgical site infections associated with contaminated haircutting toolkits in a hospital barber shop

BACKGROUND

Nine surgical site infections caused by Serratia marcescens were diagnosed in neurosurgical patients in a 3500-bed hospital between 2nd February and 6th April 2022.

OBJECTIVE

To trace the source of infections caused by S. marcescens to expedite termination of the outbreak and prevent future epidemics.

METHODS

A review of all surgical procedures and cultures yielding S. marcescens since February 2022 was conducted. Samples were collected from patients and environmental sources. S. marcescens isolates were characterized by antibiotic susceptibility testing. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to investigate genetic relationships. Resistance genes, virulence genes and plasmid replicons were identified.

RESULTS

S. marcescens was isolated from patients' puncture fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and other secretions, and was also cultured from the barbers' haircutting tools, including leather knives, slicker scrapers and razors. In total, 15 isolates were obtained from patients and eight isolates were obtained from haircutting tools. All isolates exhibited identical antibiotic resistance patterns. WGS revealed close clustering among the 23 isolates which differed significantly from previous strains. Three resistance genes and nine virulence-associated genes were detected in all isolates, and 19 of 23 isolates harboured an MOBP-type plasmid. The results confirmed an outbreak of S. marcescens, which was traced to contaminated haircutting tools in the hospital barber shop. The outbreak ended after extensive reinforcement of infection control procedures and re-education of the barbers.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the risk of postoperative infections related to pre-operative skin preparation, and demonstrate the value of next-generation sequencing tools to expedite outbreak investigations.

Effects of sEV derived from SHED and DPSC on the proliferation, migration and osteogenesis of PDLSC

Introduction

Periodontitis is a highly prevalent oral disease characterized by irreversible bone resorption and tooth loss. The proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cell (PDLSC) are crucial to the regeneration of periodontal bone defects. There is increasing evidence that small extracellular vesicle (sEV) derived from pulp stem cell, including human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cell (SHED) and human dental pulp stem cell (DPSC), is a potential mediator for bone tissue regeneration. However, which one is more suitable for periodontal bone formation still remains to be studied.

Methods

In this study, NTA and BCA were performed to compare the productivity of sEV derived from SHED (SHED-sEV) and sEV derived from DPSC (DPSC-sEV). CCK-8, transwell assay, alkaline phosphatase staining and activity assay, alizarin red staining, qRT-PCR, and western blotting were conducted to detect the proliferation, migration, and osteogenesis of PDLSCs coculturing with SHED-sEV or DPSC-sEV.

Results

The secretory efficiency of SHED-sEV was much higher than that of DPSC-sEV. The cellular uptake of sEVs could promote the proliferation, migration and osteogenesis of DPLSCs. Compared with DPSC-sEV, SHED-sEV showed better ability in such promotion.

Conclusions

SHED-sEV showed higher productivity and better osteogenic induction ability than DPSC-sEV. Thus, SHED-sEV may be a more promising candidate for periodontal bone regeneration.

Hsa_circ_0046534 accelerates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and metastasis via regulating MMP2 expression by sponging miR-339-5p

Esophageal cancer is one of the most malignant gastrointestinal malignancies. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common type of esophageal cancer in China. In recent years, with developments in basic medicine, it has been demonstrated that the abnormal expression of circular RNA (circRNA) plays an important role in the progression and prognosis of ESCC. This study explored the role and downstream molecular mechanisms of circ_0046534 in ESCC. We identified circ_0046534, which was found to be highly expressed in ESCC tissues and cells. Moreover, the downregulation of circ_0046534 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells and the growth and metastasis of ESCC tumours in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that circ_0046534 sponged miR-339-5p and inhibited the expression of miR-339-5p. Furthermore, MMP2 was identified to be a direct target of miR-339-5p through bioinformatics analysis. In addition, the knockdown of circ_0046534 inhibited the expression of the downstream target gene matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) by releasing the adsorption of miR-339-5p. Taken together, this study demonstrated that silencing circ_0046534 inhibited the growth and metastasis of ESCC through the miR-339-5p/MMP2 pathway. Circ_0046534 is expected to serve as a new biomarker and target for ESCC and provide a new direction for its diagnosis and treatment.

Posttranslational modifications of keratins and their associated proteins as therapeutic targets in keratin diseases

The keratin cytoskeleton protects epithelia against mechanical, nonmechanical, and physical stresses, and participates in multiple signaling pathways that regulate cell integrity and resilience. Keratin gene mutations cause multiple rare monoallelic epithelial diseases termed keratinopathies, including the skin diseases Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex (EBS) and Pachyonychia Congenita (PC), with limited available therapies. The disease-related keratin mutations trigger posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in keratins and their associated proteins that can aggravate the disease. Recent findings of drug high-throughput screening have led to the identification of compounds that may be repurposed, since they are used for other human diseases, to treat keratinopathies. These drugs target unique PTM pathways and sites, including phosphorylation and acetylation of keratins and their associated proteins, and have shed insights into keratin regulation and interactions. They also offer the prospect of testing the use of drug mixtures, with the long view of possible beneficial human use coupled with increased efficacy and lower side effects.

Crystal Orientation Engineering of Perfectly Matched Heterogeneous Textured ZnSe for an Enhanced Interfacial Kinetic Zn Anode

Uncontrollable dendrite formation in the Zn anode is the bottleneck of the commercialization of rechargeable aqueous zinc-based batteries (RAZBs). Interface, the location of the charge transfer process occuring, can significantly affect the further morphology evolution in ways that have not yet been fully comprehended, for example, the crystal facet and orientation of the coating layer. In this study, we demonstrated that the morphology and kinetics of the Zn anode could be tuned by the crystal facet. The fabricated textured ZnSe (T-ZnSe) layer can significantly enhance the reaction kinetics and induce uniform (0002)Zn deposition. In stark contrast, the polycrystalline P-ZnSe coating hinders the charge transfer process at the interface. With this T-ZnSe@Zn as the anode, the full cell with an I2 cathode and a practical areal capacity (2 mAh cm-2) can work well for 900 cycles. The effectiveness of this anode has also been testified by a pouch cell with an overall capacity of 150 mAh. This research contributes to the understanding of the interface and the feasible strategy for the practical application of the Zn anode.

SIRT1, a target of miR-708-3p, alleviates fluoride-induced neuronal damage via remodeling mitochondrial network dynamics

INTRODUCTION

Neurological dysfunction induced by fluoride contamination is still one of major concern worldwide. Recently, neuroprotective roles of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) focusing on mitochondrial function have been highlighted. However, what roles SIRT1 exerts and the underlying regulative mechanisms, remain largely uncharacterized in such neurotoxic process of fluoride.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed at evaluating the regulatory roles of SIRT1 in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and Sprague-Dawley rats with fluoride treatment, and to further identify potential miRNA directly targeting SIRT1.

METHODS

Pharmacological suppression of SIRT1 by nicotinamide (NIC) and promotion of SIRT1 by adenovirus (Ad-SIRT1) or resveratrol (RSV) were employed to assess the effects of SIRT1 in mitochondrial dysfunction induced by fluoride. Also, miRNAs profiling and bioinformatic prediction were used to screen the miRNAs which can regulate SIRT1 directly. Further, chemical mimic or inhibitor of chosen miRNA was applied to validate the modulation of chosen miRNA.

RESULTS

NIC exacerbated defects in mitochondrial network dynamics and cytochrome c (Cyto C) release-driven apoptosis, contributing to fluoride-induced neuronal death. In contrast, the ameliorative effects were observed when overexpressing SIRT1 by Ad-SIRT1 in vitro or RSV in vivo. More importantly, miR-708-3p targeting SIRT1 directly was identified. And interestingly, moreover, treatment with chemically modified miR-708-3p mimic aggravated, while miR-708-3p inhibitor suppressed fluoride-caused neuronal death. Further confirmedly, overexpressing SIRT1 effectively neutralized miR-708-3p mimic-worsened fluoride neuronal death via correcting mitochondrial network dynamics. On contrary, inhibiting SIRT1 counteracted the promotive effects of miR-708-3p inhibitor against neurotoxic response by fluoride through aggravating abnormal mitochondrial network dynamics.

CONCLUSION

These data underscore the functional importance of SIRT1 to mitochondrial network dynamics in neurotoxic process of fluoride and further screen a novel unreported neuronal function of miR-708-3p as an upstream regulator of targeting SIRT1, which has important theoretical implications for a potential therapeutic and preventative target for treatment of neurotoxic progression by fluoride.

Molecular Engineering of a Metal-Organic Polymer for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion and Zinc Nitrate Batteries

Metal-organic framework-based materials are promising single-site catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3 - ) reduction to value-added ammonia (NH3 ) on account of well-defined structures and functional tunability but still lack a molecular-level understanding for designing the high-efficient catalysts. Here, we proposed a molecular engineering strategy to enhance electrochemical NO3 - -to-NH3 conversion by introducing the carbonyl groups into 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene (BTA) based metal-organic polymer to precisely modulate the electronic state of metal centers. Due to the electron-withdrawing properties of the carbonyl group, metal centers can be converted to an electron-deficient state, fascinating the NO3 - adsorption and promoting continuous hydrogenation reactions to produce NH3 . Compared to CuBTA with a low NO3 - -to-NH3 conversion efficiency of 85.1 %, quinone group functionalization endows the resulting copper tetraminobenzoquinone (CuTABQ) distinguished performance with a much higher NH3 FE of 97.7 %. This molecular engineering strategy is also universal, as verified by the improved NO3 - -to-NH3 conversion performance on different metal centers, including Co and Ni. Furthermore, the assembled rechargeable Zn-NO3 - battery based on CuTABQ cathode can deliver a high power density of 12.3 mW cm-2 . This work provides advanced insights into the rational design of metal complex catalysts through the molecular-level regulation for NO3 - electroreduction to value-added NH3 .

[Medium term follow up outcomes of uncemented total hip arthroplasty for traumatic arthritis after intramedullary nail fixation of femoral intertrochanteric fracture]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of uncemented total hip arthroplasty(THA) on treatment of traumatic arthritis caused by intramedullary nailing interfixation of intertrochanteric fractures.

METHODS

Total of 22 patients treated with THA due to traumatic arthritis caused by intramedullary nailing interfixation of intertrochanteric fractures from January 2012 to January 2017 were studied retrospectively, including 10 males and 12 females with a mean age of (72.5±9.8) years old ranging from 61 to 84 years old. Initial internal fixation method:14 patients were treated with Gamma nails and 8 patients were treated wit PFNA.The time from internal fixation surgery to THA was 10 to 68 months with an average of (32.2±21.3) months.Harris scores of the hip joint before and after surgery were compared, and the position of the prosthesis through postoperative imaging at 3, 6, 12 months and the last follow-up were evaluated.

RESULTS

One patient was died due to heart failure 1 year after operation. Two patients was died to advanced tumor 2 years after operation. The other 19 patients were followed up for 36 to 64 months with an average of (48.5±11.9) months. At final follow up, 14 patients regained the ability to walk independently, 4 patients needed support of a cane, 1 patient needed assistance of a walker. No serious complications such as joint dislocation, periprosthetic fracture and deep venous thrombosis occurred during follow-up. There were no signs of loosening and subsidence of the prosthesis at the final follow-up. Mean Harris hip score increased from (29.2±12.9) points preoperatively to (74.2±11.2) points at the final follow up(P<0.05);the score was excellent in 9 patients, good in 7 and fair in 3.

CONCLUSION

Uncemented total hip arthroplasty for traumatic arthritis after intramedullary nail fixation of femoral intertrochanteric fracture can significantly improve hip function and effectively avoid bone cement implantation syndrome. The medium-term effect is satisfactory.

[Establishment of a nomogram prediction model using common preoperative indicators for early weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy]

Objectives: To construct a nomogram prediction model using common preoperative indicators for early weight loss (EWL) 1 year after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Methods: Relevant data of obese patients who had undergone LSG from January 2015 to May 2022 in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital and Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated Fujian Medical University were analyzed. Patients with a history of major abdominal surgery, severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, pregnancy within 1 year after surgery, or who were lost to follow-up were excluded, resulting in a total of 200 patients in the study (190 from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital and 10 from Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated Fujian Medical University). The participants were 51 men and 149 women of a mean age 29.9±8.2 years and a body mass index (BMI) 38.7±6.5 kg/m2. All patients in this group underwent standardized LSG procedure. Achieving ideal weight (BMI≤25 kg/m2) 1 year after LSG was defined as goal of EWL. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors that independently influenced EWL. These factors were incorporated into the nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (the larger the area under the curve [AUC], the better the predictive ability and accuracy of the model), likelihood ratio test (higher likelihood ratio indicates greater model homogeneity), decision curve analysis (higher net benefit indicates a better model), Akaike information criterion (AIC; smaller AIC indicates a better model), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC; smaller BIC indicates a better model) were used to validate the predictive ability of the column line diagram model. Results: In this study of 200 obese patients who underwent LSG surgery, 136 achieved EWL goal, whereas the remaining 64 did not. The rate of EWL goal achievement of the entire group was 68.0%. Compared with patients who did not achieve EWL goal, those who did had lower BMI, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, triglycerides, and higher cholesterol. Additionally, the proportion of female was higher and the proportions of patients with fatty liver and hypertension lower in those who achieved EWL goal (all P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative BMI (OR=0.852, 95%CI: 0.796-0.912, P<0.001), alanine transaminase (OR=0.992, 95%CI: 0.985-0.999, P=0.024), presence of fatty liver (OR=0.185, 95%CI: 0.038-0.887, P=0.035) and hypertension (OR=0.374, 95%CI: 0.144-0.969, P=0.043) were independently associated with failure to achieve EWL goal. Cholesterol (OR=1.428, 95%CI: 1.052-1.939, P=0.022) was independently associated with achieving EWL goal. We used the above variables to establish an EWL nomogram model. ROC analysis, the likelihood ratio test, decision curve analysis, and AIC all revealed that the predictive value of the model was better than that of BMI alone (nomogram model vs. BMI: area under the curve 0.840 vs. 0.798, P=0.047; likelihood ratio: 58.785 vs. 36.565, AIC: 193.066 vs. 207.063, BIC: 212.856 vs. 213.660). Conclusion: Our predictive model is more accurate in predicting EWL after LSG compared with using BMI.

[Interaction analysis of the influence of different factors and benzene exposure on workers' alanine aminotransferase]

Objective: To investigate the main factors that influence ALT abnormalities in workers exposed to benzene. Methods: In June 2022, data of 613 enterprises with benzene hazards and 585 enterprises with non-benzene hazards in Tianjin in 2021 were collected, and occupational health examination data of 13018 workers with benzene exposure and 13018 workers with non-benzene exposure were collected, and the region, enterprise type, industry classification and enterprise scale of the employer were analyzed. And occupational health examination data of workers with benzene exposure and non-benzene exposure. The effects of personal general situation, occupational history, enterprise information and benzene exposure on alanine aminotransferase were evaluated by additive interaction. Results: Compared with the group of non-benzene-exposed workers, the personal general conditions, occupational history, company information were higher in the benzene-exposed workers, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The quantitative analysis of additive interaction found that gender (RERI=2.632, 95%CI: 1.966-3.297; AP=0.383, 95%CI: 0.311-0.456; S=1.813, 95%CI: 1.530-2.149), age (RERI=1.142, 95%CI: 0.928-1.356; AP=0.462, 95% CI: 0.371-0.552; S=4.461, 95%CI: 1.800-11.053), length of service (RERI=-1.199, 95%CI: -1.653--0.745; AP=-0.456, 95%CI: -0.640--0.271; S=0.576, 95%CI: 0.479-0.693), region (RERI=0.421, 95% CI: 0.148-0.694; AP=0.161, 95%CI: 0.053-0.268; S=1.350, 95%CI: 1.057-1.726), industry classification (RERI=0.627, 95%CI: 0.345-0.910; AP=0.232, 95%CI: 0.132-0.332; S=1.584, 95%CI: 1.233-2.035) and benzene exposure had a statistically significant additive interaction with abnormal serum ALT. Conclusion: Emphasis should be placed on male workers under the age of 40 in the petrochemical industry, oil storage and transportation, and power production, so as to protect the health of workers more specifically and reduce the risk of disability due to disease.

Research and practice of the BOPPPS teaching model based on the OBE concept in clinical basic laboratory experiment teaching

"Clinical basic inspection technology" is one of the essential courses in the medical laboratory profession. Combining the characteristics of the discipline itself, the research and practice of the BOPPPS model based on the OBE concept in clinical basic laboratory experiment teaching are discussed, and the reform of in teaching objectives, teaching contents, and teaching design path is implemented. The "student-centered" teaching process is divided into six stages: before, during, and after class, and the teaching process is continuously improved to achieve the desired teaching effect. Results of the experiment teaching show that the model has improved students' active participation and developed their clinical thinking skills, and more than 95% of students are satisfied with this teaching model.

The splicing factor DHX38 enables retinal development through safeguarding genome integrity

DEAH-Box Helicase 38 (DHX38) is a pre-mRNA splicing factor and also a disease-causing gene of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP). The role of DHX38 in the development and maintenance of the retina remains largely unknown. In this study, by using the dhx38 knockout zebrafish model, we demonstrated that Dhx38 deficiency causes severe differentiation defects and apoptosis of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) through disrupted mitosis and increased DNA damage. Furthermore, we found a significant accumulation of R-loops in the dhx38-deficient RPCs and human cell lines. Finally, we found that DNA replication stress is the prerequisite for R-loop-induced DNA damage in the DHX38 knockdown cells. Taken together, our study demonstrates a necessary role of DHX38 in the development of retina and reveals a DHX38/R-loop/replication stress/DNA damage regulatory axis that is relatively independent of the known functions of DHX38 in mitosis control.

Study of the growth mechanism of a self-assembled and ordered multi-dimensional heterojunction at atomic resolution

Multi-dimensional heterojunction materials have attracted much attention due to their intriguing properties, such as high efficiency, wide band gap regulation, low dimensional limitation, versatility and scalability. To further improve the performance of materials, researchers have combined materials with various dimensions using a wide variety of techniques. However, research on growth mechanism of such composite materials is still lacking. In this paper, the growth mechanism of multi-dimensional heterojunction composite material is studied using quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) antimonene and quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) antimony sulfide as examples. These are synthesized by a simple thermal injection method. It is observed that the consequent nanorods are oriented along six-fold symmetric directions on the nanoplate, forming ordered quasi-1D/quasi-2D heterostructures. Comprehensive transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations confirm the chemical information and reveal orientational relationship between Sb2S3 nanorods and the Sb nanoplate as substrate. Further density functional theory calculations indicate that interfacial binding energy is the primary deciding factor for the self-assembly of ordered structures. These details may fill the gaps in the research on multi-dimensional composite materials with ordered structures, and promote their future versatile applications.

The effects of electrodeposition temperature on morphology and corrosion resistance of calcium phosphorus coatings on magnesium alloy: comparative experimental and molecular dynamics simulation studies

In this study, CaP coatings were prepared on the surface of an AZ31B magnesium alloy using electroplating in order to slow down the degradation rate of magnesium alloy in the simulated physiological environment. The effect of plating temperature on the properties of CaP coatings was investigated by combining experimental techniques with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The surface morphology of CaP coatings changed from dendritic lamellar to granular structure with the increase of plating temperature, but the main structure of CaP coatings prepared at all temperatures was CaHPO4·2H2O. The CaP coatings prepared at 60 °C have higher corrosion resistance compared to coatings prepared at other temperatures. The MD simulation revealed the DCPD/Mg interfacial binding mechanism, and DCPD/Mg could form a stable interfacial layer at different temperatures because the binding energy was negative. HPO42- and H2O groups in the DCPD structure acted as riveting groups in the interfacial layer and formed Mg-HPO42- and Mg-H2O dipole pairs with Mg respectively through electrostatic interaction and van der Waals forces. The interfacial bonding energy between DCPD/Mg reached its lowest at 60 °C and the relative contents of HPO42- and H2O in the interface layer were the highest at this temperature, which may explain the high corrosion resistance and high bonding force of CaP coatings prepared at this temperature.

Structural Analysis and Antioxidant and Immunoregulatory Activities of an Exopolysaccharide Isolated from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum XZ01

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum XZ01 (BLSL1) is a new strain (isolated from the intestines of healthy people and deposited with the preservation number GDMCC 61618). An exopolysaccharide, S-EPS-1, was successfully isolated from the strain and then systematically investigated for the first time. Some structural features of S-EPS-1 were analyzed by chemical component, HPLC, ultraviolet, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum analyses. These analyses revealed that S-EPS-1 is a neutral heteropolysaccharide with an α-configuration. It contains mainly mannose and glucose, as well as small amounts of rhamnose and galactose. The molecular weight of S-EPS-1 was calculated to be 638 kDa. Several immunoregulatory activity assays indicated that S-EPS-1 could increase proliferation, phagocytosis, and NO production in vitro. In addition, S-EPS-1 could upregulate the expression of cytokines at the mRNA level through TLR4-mediated activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, S-EPS-1 was demonstrated to exhibit antioxidant activity by ABTS+• scavenging, DPPH• scavenging, and ferric-ion reducing power assays. Furthermore, S-EPS-1 can protect cells from oxidative stress and shows no cytotoxicity. These beneficial effects can be partly attributed to its antioxidant ability. Thus, the antioxidant S-EPS-1 may be applied as a functional food in the future.

Guizhi longgu muli decoction ameliorates pathological changes in heart and bone in ovariectomized rats

The aim of this study is to investigate the pathological changes in cardiac function, blood pressure, blood lipids and bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, as well as the intervention effect of Guizhi Longgu Muli decoction (GZLM). Bilateral oophorectomy was used to establish an OVX menopausal model. Four groups of rats were randomly selected: Sham surgery group, OVX group, estradiol (0.018g/L) and GZLM group (20g/kg). Cardiac function was assessed using ultrasound, blood pressure was measured using the tail cuff method. The oxidase method was used to determine the total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides in serum. Direct measurement of high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein levels (LDL-C). Hematoxylin eosin staining and electron microscopy examination of myocardial structure. Microscopic CT was used to determine the bone microstructure. GZLM improved pathological cardiac changes and reduced the LVIDs, LVVols and LVVold. There was a decrease in systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and mean blood pressure in GZLM group. A decrease in serum TC and LDL-C levels was observed in the GZLM group. The BMD, BV/TV, Tb.Th, Tb.N of GZLM group raised, while Tb.SP and SMI significantly decreased or decreased. GZLM may have the effect of improving abnormal cardiac structure and function, promoting bone metabolism in OVX rats.

Use of Real-World Evidence for Drug Regulatory Decisions in China: Current Status and Future Directions

Real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) have garnered great interest for supporting drug research and development (R&D) by medical researchers and regulators in recent years. The application and development of RWD/E in drug regulatory decision-making have been vigorously promoted in China. This study seeks to provide a broad overview of how RWE has been contributing to drug regulatory decisions in China. In this paper, we review the development of RWD and RWE, summarize key elements that promote application of RWE, introduce relevant methods and guidelines, elaborate on the opportunities and challenges of RWE in regulatory decision-making in China, and put forward suggestions to promote the application of RWE in China's regulatory decision-making and to further facilitate innovative drug evaluation and regulation.

Embedding Graph Auto-Encoder for Graph Clustering

Graph clustering, aiming to partition nodes of a graph into various groups via an unsupervised approach, is an attractive topic in recent years. To improve the representative ability, several graph auto-encoder (GAE) models, which are based on semisupervised graph convolution networks (GCN), have been developed and they have achieved impressive results compared with traditional clustering methods. However, all existing methods either fail to utilize the orthogonal property of the representations generated by GAE or separate the clustering and the training of neural networks. We first prove that the relaxed k -means will obtain an optimal partition in the inner-product distance used space. Driven by theoretical analysis about relaxed k -means, we design a specific GAE-based model for graph clustering to be consistent with the theory, namely Embedding GAE (EGAE). The learned representations are well explainable so that the representations can be also used for other tasks. To induce the neural network to produce deep features that are appropriate for the specific clustering model, the relaxed k -means and GAE are learned simultaneously. Meanwhile, the relaxed k -means can be equivalently regarded as a decoder that attempts to learn representations that can be linearly constructed by some centroid vectors. Accordingly, EGAE consists of one encoder and dual decoders. Extensive experiments are conducted to prove the superiority of EGAE and the corresponding theoretical analyses.