Impact of respiratory aerosol size and number distribution on the relative importance of different routes in SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Exploring the relative importance of different routes in SARS-CoV-2 transmission is crucial in infection prevention. However, even in the same environmental setting, the relative importance of different routes has varied in different studies. We hypothesize that respiratory aerosol size and number distribution might play a key role. In this study, size and number distribution of respiratory droplets emitted from breathing, talking, and coughing were identified from PubMed and Web of Science. The infection risk of SARS-CoV-2 via airborne, droplet, and fomite transmission routes was modeled in a household and a healthcare setting. The relative importance of three routes varied with different size distributions in both settings. Generally, the contribution of the airborne route increased with the volume percentage of respirable droplets emitted. And the increase of the total number of emitted droplets leads to an increase in the contribution of tdroplet route. In the healthcare setting, as the total number of emitted droplets increased from 110 to 4,973, the contribution of droplet route increased from 62.24% to 98.11%. Next, by considering the combination of breathing, coughing, and talking when the infected person was asymptomatic, the airborne route predominated over the droplet and contact routes. When the infected person had developed symptoms, that is, cough, the droplet route played a dominant role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In conclusion, risk analyses will be improved with improved sampling methods that enable characterization of viruses within respiratory droplets of different sizes.

Relative Role of Age Groups and Indoor Environments in Influenza Transmission Under Different Urbanization Rates in China

Exploring the relative role of different indoor environments in respiratory infections transmission remains unclear, which is crucial for developing targeted nonpharmaceutical interventions. In this study, a total of 2,583,441 influenza-like illness cases tested from 2010 to 2017 in China were identified. An agent-based model was built and calibrated with the surveillance data, to assess the roles of 3 age groups (children <19 years, younger adults 19-60 years, older adults >60 years) and 4 types of indoor environments (home, schools, workplaces, and community areas) in influenza transmission by province with varying urbanization rates. When the urbanization rates increased from 35% to 90%, the proportion of children aged <19 years among influenza cases decreased from 76% to 45%. Additionally, we estimated that infections originating from children decreased from 95.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 92.7, 97.5) to 59.3% (95% CI: 49.8, 68.7). Influenza transmission in schools decreased from 80.4% (95% CI: 76.5, 84.3) to 36.6% (95% CI: 20.6, 52.5), while transmission in the community increased from 2.4% (95% CI: 1.9, 2.8) to 45.4% (95% CI: 35.9, 54.8). With increasing urbanization rates, community areas and younger adults contributed more to infection transmission. These findings could help the development of targeted public health policies. This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology. This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.

Anion-Cation Competition Chemistry for Comprehensive High-Performance Prussian Blue Analogs Cathodes

The extensively studied Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) in various batteries are limited by their low discharge capacity, or subpar rate etc., which are solely reliant on the cation (de)intercalation mechanism. In contrast to the currently predominant focus on cations, we report the overlooked anion-cation competition chemistry (Cl-, K+, Zn2+) stimulated by high-voltage scanning. With our designed anion-cation combinations, the KFeMnHCF cathode battery delivers comprehensively superior discharge performance, including voltage plateau >2.0 V (vs. Zn/Zn2+), capacity >150 mAh g-1, rate capability with capacity maintenance above 96 % from 0.6 to 5 A g-1, and cyclic stability exceeding 3000 cycles. We further verify that such comprehensive improvement of electrochemical performance utilizing anion-cation competition chemistry is universal for different types of PBAs. Our work would pave a new and efficient road towards the next-generation high-performance PBAs cathode batteries.

Investigation of GPR143 as a promising novel marker for the progression of skin cutaneous melanoma through bioinformatic analyses and cell experiments

BACKGROUND

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is an aggressive and life-threatening skin cancer. G-protein coupled receptor 143 (GPR143) belongs to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors.

METHODS

We used the TCGA, GTEx, CCLE, and the Human Protein Atlas databases to examine the mRNA and protein expression of GPR143. In addition, we performed a survival analysis and evaluated the diagnostic efficacy using the Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Through CIBERSORT, R programming, TIMER, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, Sangerbox, and Kaplan-Meier plotter database analyses, we explored the relationships between GPR143, immune infiltration, and gene marker expression of immune infiltrated cells. Furthermore, we investigated the proteins that potentially interact with GPR143 and their functions using R programming and databases including STRING, GeneMANIA, and GSEA. Meanwhile, the cBioPortal, UALCNA, and the MethSurv databases were used to examine the genomic alteration and methylation of GPR143 in SKCM. The Connectivity Map database was used to discover potentially effective therapeutic molecules against SKCM. Finally, we conducted cell experiments to investigate the potential role of GPR143 in SKCM.

RESULTS

We demonstrated a significantly high expression level of GPR143 in SKCM compared with normal tissues. High GPR143 expression and hypomethylation status of GPR143 were associated with a poorer prognosis. ROC analysis showed that the diagnostic efficacy of the GPR143 was 0.900. Furthermore, GPR143 expression was significantly correlated with immune infiltration in SKCM. We identified 20 neighbor genes and the pathways they enriched were anabolic process of pigmentation, immune regulation, and so on. Genomic alteration analysis revealed significantly different copy number variations related to GPR143 expression in SKCM, and shallow deletion could lead to high expression of GPR143. Ten potential therapeutic drugs against SKCM were identified. GPR143 knockdown inhibited melanoma cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation while promoting apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that GPR143 serves as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and is associated with the progression of SKCM.

Pork carcass composition, meat and belly qualities as influenced by feed efficiency selection in replacement boars from Large White sire and dam lines

This study evaluated carcass attributes, meat and belly qualities in finisher boars (n = 79) selected for feed efficiency (low, intermediate and high) based on estimated breeding value for feed conversion ratio within a Large White dam and sire genetic lines. The sire line had lower trimmed fat proportions and higher lean than the dam line (P < 0.01). Genetic lines expressed slight colour changes and drip losses (P < 0.05), with no differences in pH, marbling and cooking traits (P > 0.05). High-efficient animals presented the highest lean yield (P < 0.01), the lowest trimmed fat proportion (P < 0.01) and no effect on meat and belly quality attributes (P > 0.05) compared with other efficient groups. Interaction between efficiency group and genetic line was only detected for belly weight and thickness (P < 0.01). High-efficient animals offer a greater leanness level, with minimal impact on meat and belly quality traits.

Discovery of novel pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as potent menin-mixed lineage leukemia interaction inhibitors

To interfere the Menin-MLL interaction using small molecular inhibitors has been shown as new treatment of several special hematological malignancies. Herein, a series of Menin-MLL interaction inhibitors with pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine scaffold were designed, synthesized and evaluated. Among them, compound A6 exhibited potent binding affinity with an IC50 value of 0.38 μM, and strong anti-proliferative activity against MV4-11 cells with an IC50 value of 1.07 μM. Further study showed A6 reduced the transcriptional levels of HOXA9 and MEIS1 genes. Moreover, A6 induced cellular apoptosis, arrested the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase, and reversed the differentiation arrest in a concentration-dependent manner. This study suggested compound A6 was as a novel potent Menin-MLL interaction inhibitor, and it proved that introduction of 4-amino pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine to occupy the P10 hydrophobic pocket was new idea for design of novel Menin-MLL interaction inhibitors.

Redox-active phytic acid-based self-assembled hybrid material for enhanced uranium adsorption from highly acidic solution

Achieving efficient uranium adsorption from highly acidic wastewater is still considered challenging. Here, an inorganic-organic hybridized self-assembly material (rPFE-10) with redox activity was constructed by phytic acid (PA), ethylenediamine (EDA), and Fe(II) via a facile one-pot route, and further applied for U(VI) removal. In the static adsorption experiment, rPFE-10 achieved the maximum U(VI) adsorption capacity of 717.1 mg/g at the optimal pH of 3.5. It also performed preeminently in a highly acidic condition of pH = 1.0, with the highest adsorption capacity of 551.2 mg/g and an equilibrium time of 30 min. Moreover, rPFE-10 exhibited a pH-responsive adsorption selectivity for U(VI) and An-Ln (S(U(VI)) and S(An-Ln)), which increased to 69 % and 94 % respectively as pH decreased from 3.0 to 1.0. Additionally, the spectral analysis revealed a reconstruction mechanism induced by multiple synergistic adsorption, in which U(VI) exchange with EDA+/2+ and Fe2+/3+ and earned suitable coordination geometry and ligand environment to coordinate with PA (mainly P-OH), while partial U(VI) is reduced by Fe(II) in framework. This work not only highlights the facile strategy for enhanced U(VI) retention in highly acidic solution, but expands the potential application of supramolecular self-assembly material in treatment of nuclear wastewater.

CXCL8, MMP12, and MMP13 are common biomarkers of periodontitis and oral squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To analysis the relationship between periodontitis (PD) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by bioinformatic analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed the gene expression profiles of PD (GSE16134) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and OSCC samples from TCGA-HNSC (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) and identified common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PD and OSCC. Then, functional annotation and signaling pathway enrichment, protein interaction network construction, and hub gene identification were performed. Subsequently, the function and signaling pathway enrichment of hub genes, miRNA interaction, and transcription factor interaction analyses were carried out. We analyzed GSE10334 and GSE30784 as validation datasets, and performed qRT-PCR experiments simultaneously for validation, and obtained 4 hub genes. Finally, immune infiltration analysis and clinical correlation analysis of 4 hub genes and related miRNAs were performed.

RESULTS

We identified 31 DEGs (16 up-regulated and 15 down-regulated). Four hub genes were obtained by qRT-PCR and validation dataset analysis, including IL-1β, CXCL8, MMP12, and MMP13. The expression levels of them were all significantly upregulated in both diseases. The functions of these genes focus on three areas: neutrophil chemotaxis, migration, and CXCR chemokine receptor binding. Key pathways include IL-17 signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions pathway. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the expressions of 4 hub genes were closely related to a variety of immune cells. ROC curve analysis indicated that AUCs of 4 hub genes are all greater than 0.7, among which MMP12 and MMP13 were greater than 0.9. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that worse OS was strongly correlated with CXCL8 and MMP13 high-expression groups. MMP12 low-expression group was strongly associated with worse OS. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, N stage, CXCL8, MMP12, and MMP13 were independent prognostic factors for OS. We also identified 3 miRNAs, including hsa-miR-19b-3p, hsa-miR-181b-2-3p, and hsa-miR-495-3p, that were closely related to 4 hub genes. Hsa-miR-495-3p is closely related to the diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified 4 hub genes between PD and OSCC, including IL-1β, CXCL8, MMP12, and MMP13. These genes may mediate the co-morbid process of PD and OSCC through inflammation-related pathways such as the IL-17 signaling pathway. It is worth noting that CXCL8, MMP12, and MMP13 have great significance in the diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC.

Exploration of the causality of frailty index on psoriasis: A Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Frailty is associated with a variety of diseases, but the relationship between frailty and psoriasis remains unclear.

METHODS

First, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to investigate genetic causality between frailty index and common diseases in dermatology. Inverse variance weighted was used to estimate causality. Second, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTLs) analysis was conducted to identify the genes affected by Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Third, we performed function and pathway enrichment, transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) analysis based on eQTLs.

RESULTS

It was shown that the rise of frailty index could increase the risk of psoriasis (IVW, beta = 0.916, OR = 2.500, 95%CI:1.418-4.408, p = 0.002) through Mendelian randomization (MR), and there was no heterogeneity and pleiotropy. There was no causality between the frailty index and other common diseases in dermatology. We found 31 eQTLs based on strongly correlated SNPs in the causality. TWAS analysis found that the expressions of four genes were closely related to psoriasis, including HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQA2, HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1.

CONCLUSION

It suggested that the frailty index had a significant positive causality on the risk of psoriasis, which was well documented by combined genomic, transcriptome, and proteome analyses.

Duplex-Hierarchy Representation Learning for Remote Sensing Image Classification

Remote sensing image classification (RSIC) is designed to assign specific semantic labels to aerial images, which is significant and fundamental in many applications. In recent years, substantial work has been conducted on RSIC with the help of deep learning models. Even though these models have greatly enhanced the performance of RSIC, the issues of diversity in the same class and similarity between different classes in remote sensing images remain huge challenges for RSIC. To solve these problems, a duplex-hierarchy representation learning (DHRL) method is proposed. The proposed DHRL method aims to explore duplex-hierarchy spaces, including a common space and a label space, to learn discriminative representations for RSIC. The proposed DHRL method consists of three main steps: First, paired images are fed to a pretrained ResNet network for extracting the corresponding features. Second, the extracted features are further explored and mapped into a common space for reducing the intra-class scatter and enlarging the inter-class separation. Third, the obtained representations are used to predict the categories of the input images, and the discrimination loss in the label space is minimized to further promote the learning of discriminative representations. Meanwhile, a confusion score is computed and added to the classification loss for guiding the discriminative representation learning via backpropagation. The comprehensive experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to the existing state-of-the-art methods on two challenging remote sensing image scene datasets, demonstrating that the proposed method is significantly effective.

Effect of contact precautions on preventing meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission in intensive care units: a review and modelling study of field trials

BACKGROUND

Contact precautions (CPs) have been widely implemented in hospitals, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs), as the standard approach for managing meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, the effectiveness of CPs in preventing MRSA transmission remains a subject of debate.

AIM

To assess the effectiveness of CPs in reducing MRSA transmission within ICUs.

METHODS

A comprehensive analysis was conducted using data from 16 sets of parameters collected from 13 field studies investigating the effectiveness of CPs in ICUs, and an epidemiologic model was developed to simulate the dynamics of MRSA incidence in the hospital setting.

FINDINGS

The analysis demonstrated a mean reduction of 20.52% (95% confidence interval -30.52 to 71.60%) in the MRSA transmission rate associated with the implementation of CPs. Furthermore, reducing the time-delay of screening tests and increasing the percentage of patients identified with MRSA through screening at admission were found to contribute to the effectiveness of CPs.

CONCLUSION

Proper implementation of CPs, with a particular emphasis on early identification of MRSA-colonized/infected patients, demonstrated a strong association with reduced MRSA transmission within the hospital setting. However, further research is necessary to investigate the effectiveness and safety of decolonization and other interventions used in conjunction with CPs to mitigate the risk of infection among colonized patients.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy-related effects on morphological connectivity in HIV

OBJECTIVE

Suboptimal concentration of the antiretroviral drug is insufficient to inhibit HIV destruction on brain structure and function due to the resistance of blood brain barrier. We aimed to investigate highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-related effects on the morphological connectivity in people with HIV (PWH).

DESIGN

Case-control study.

METHODS

Fifty-five HAART-treated for more than 3 months and 54 untreated PWH, as well as 66 demographically matched healthy controls underwent a high-resolution 3D T1-weighted MRI. Individual-level morphological brain network based on gray matter volume of 90 brain regions was constructed and network topological properties were analyzed. Network-based statistics (NBS) was performed to identify sub-networks showing significant differences in morphological connectivity. Correlation and mediation analyses were employed to evaluate associations between the morphological properties and clinical variables of PWH.

RESULTS

Although PWH exhibited small-world architecture in their morphological brain networks, untreated PWH demonstrated altered network properties while HAART-treated PWH showed relatively similar network properties compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, HAART-related effects were mainly involved the bilateral putamen and left thalamus. The findings of NBS further indicated the cortico-striatum-thalamic-cortical loop was involved in the therapeutic-associated morphological network. The positive correlations between the HAART treatment and nodal degree and efficiency of the putamen were mediated by the number of CD4 + T lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

The topological properties are recovered to normal in PWH after HAART and the effects induced by HAART are mostly within the cortical-subcortical circuit.

METTL3-Mediated m6A Modification Regulates the Osteogenic Differentiation through LncRNA CUTALP in Periodontal Mesenchymal Stem Cells of Periodontitis Patients

Objective

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes loss of periodontal support tissue. Our objective was to investigate the mechanism by which METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification regulates the osteogenic differentiation through lncRNA in periodontal mesenchymal stem cells in patients with periodontitis (pPDLSCs). Material and Methods. We carried out a series of experiments, including methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-PCR, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. The expressions of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runx2, Col1, Runx2 protein level, ALP staining, and Alizarin red staining were used to demonstrate the degree of osteogenic differentiation.

Results

We found that METTL3 was the most significantly differentially expressed methylation-related enzyme in pPDLSCs and promoted osteogenic differentiation of pPDLSCs. METTL3 regulated the stability and expression of lncRNA CUTALP, while lncRNA CUTALP promoted osteogenic differentiation of pPDLSCs by inhibiting miR-30b-3p. At different time points of osteogenic differentiation, lncRNA CUTALP expression was positively correlated with Runx2, while miR-30b-3p showed the opposite pattern. The attenuated osteogenic differentiation induced by METTL3 knockdown was recovered by lncRNA CUTALP overexpression. The attenuated osteogenic differentiation induced by lncRNA CUTALP knockdown could be reversed by the miR-30b-3p inhibitor.

Conclusions

In summary, METTL3/lncRNA CUTALP/miR-30b-3p/Runx2 is a regulatory network in the osteogenic differentiation of pPDLSCs.

Sex differences in alterations of brain functional network in tobacco use disorder

INTRODUCTION

Many studies have found sex differences in alterations of brain function in cigarette smoking adults from the perspective of functional activity or connectivity. However, no studies have systematically found different alteration patterns in brain functional topology of cigarette smoking men and women from three perspectives: nodal and network efficiency, and modular connections.

METHODS

Fifty-six tobacco use disorder (TUD) participants (25 women) and 66 non-TUD participants (28 women) underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. The whole-brain functional networks were constructed and a two-way analysis of covariance with false discovery rate correction (q < 0.05) were performed to investigate whether men and women TUD participants had different alterations in the topological features at global, modular and nodal levels.

RESULTS

Compared to non-TUD participants, men but not women TUD participants showed significantly lower global efficiency (lower inter-modular connections between the visual and executive control, between the visual and subcortical modules did not pass the correction) and significantly lower nodal global efficiency in the right superior occipital gyrus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, the right pallidum, right putamen, the bilateral paracentral lobule, the postcentral gyrus, and lower nodal local efficiency in the left paracentral lobule.

CONCLUSIONS

Men and women TUD participants have different topological properties of brain functional network, which may contribute to our understanding of neural mechanisms underlying sex differences in TUD.

IMPLICATIONS

Compared to non-TUD participants, we found men but not women TUD participants with significantly lower network metrics at global, modular and nodal level, which could improve our understanding of neural mechanisms underlying sex differences in TUD and lay a solid foundation for future sex-based TUD prevention and treatment.

Exploring the Effect of Xiao-Chai-Hu Decoction on Treating Psoriasis Based on Network Pharmacology and Experiment Validation

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory and recurrent skin disease. Xiao-Chai-Hu Decoction (XCHD) has shown good effects against some inflammatory diseases and cancers. However, the pharmacological effect and mechanisms of XCHD on psoriasis are not yet clear.

OBJECTIVE

To uncover the effect and mechanisms of XCHD on psoriasis by integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vivo experiments.

METHODS

The active ingredients and corresponding targets of XCHD were screened through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis (TCMSP) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of psoriasis were obtained from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. The XCHD-psoriasis intersection targets were obtained by intersecting XCHD targets, and DEGs were used to establish the "herb-active ingredient-target" network and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Network. The hub targets were identified based on the PPI network by Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed next. Molecular docking was executed via AutoDockTools-1.5.6. Finally, in vivo experiments were carried out further to validate the therapeutic effects of XCHD on psoriasis.

RESULTS

58 active components and 219 targets of XCHD were screened. 4 top-active components (quercetin, baicalein, wogonin and kaempferol) and 7 hub targets (IL1B, CXCL8, CCND1, FOS, MMP9, STAT1 and CCL2) were identified. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses indicated that the TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway and several pathways were involved. Molecular docking results indicated that hub genes had a good affinity to the corresponding key compounds. In imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mouse models, XCHD could significantly improve psoriasis-like skin lesions, downregulate KRT17 and Ki67, and inhibit inflammation cytokines and VEGF.

CONCLUSION

XCHD showed the therapeutic effect on psoriasis by regulating keratinocyte differentiation, and suppressing inflammation and angiogenesis, which provided a theoretical basis for further experiments and clinical research.

In Situ Pt Migration Enabled Resurrection of Electrocatalyst and Fuel Cell Device

In direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), the poisoning of noble metals is considered to be a major impediment to their commercial development. Here, it is found that the loss of surface Pt is one main reason for the attenuation of catalyst performance during long-time methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). A strategy to realize in situ resurrection of the deactivated catalyst by migrating Pt atoms inside to the surface is innovatively proposed. A high-activity Pt-SnO2 is designed, whose MOR activity is resurrected to 97.4% of the initial value. Based on this, the multiple resurrection of a DMFC device is also achieved for the first time. This work provides a new approach for the solution of catalyst deactivation and the development of sustainable catalysts as well as fuel cells.

Heart Rate Variability during Online Video Game Playing in Habitual Gamers: Effects of Internet Addiction Scale, Ranking Score and Gaming Performance

Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) display abnormal autonomic activities at rest and during gameplay. Here, we examined whether and how in-game autonomic activity is modulated by human characteristics and behavioral performance of the player. We measured heart rate variability (HRV) in 42 male university student habitual gamers (HGs) when they played a round of League of Legends game online. Short-term HRV indices measured in early, middle and late phases of the game were compared between the players at high risk of developing IGD and those at low risk, as assessed by the revised Chen Internet addiction scale (CIAS-R). Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to identify significant predictors of HRV measured over the whole gameplay period (WG), among CIAS-R, ranking score, hours of weekly playing and selected in-game performance parameters. The high-risk players showed a significantly higher low-frequency power/high-frequency power ratio (LF/HF) relative to the low-risk players, regardless of game phase. MLR analysis revealed that LF/HF measured in WG was predicted by, and only by, CIAS-R. The HRV indicators of sympathetic activity were found to be predicted only by the number of slain in WG (NSlain), and the indicators of parasympathetic activity were predicted by both CIAS-R and NSlain. Collectively, the results demonstrated that risk of developing IGD is associated with dysregulated autonomic balance during gameplay, and in-game autonomic activities are modulated by complex interactions among personal attributes and in-game behavioral performance of the player, as well as situational factors embedded in game mechanics.

A General Global and Local Pre-Training Framework for 3D Medical Image Segmentation

Accurate target segmentation from computed tomography (CT) scans is crucial for surgical robots to perform clinical surgeries successfully. However, the lack of medical image data and annotations has been the biggest obstacle to learning robust medical image segmentation models. Self-supervised learning can effectively address this problem by providing a strategy to pre-train a model with unlabeled data, and then fine-tune downstream tasks with limited labeled data. Existing self-supervised methods fail to simultaneously utilize the abundant global anatomical structure information and local feature differences in medical imaging. In this work, we propose a new strategy for the pre-training framework, which uses the three-dimensional anatomical structure of medical images and specific task and background cues to segment volumetric medical images with limited annotations. Specifically, we propose (1) learning intrinsic patterns of volumetric medical image structures through multiple sub-tasks, and (2) designing a multi-level background cube contrastive learning strategy to enhance the target feature representation by exploiting the differences between the specific target and background. We conduct extensive evaluations on two publicly available datasets. Under limited annotation settings, the proposed method yields significant improvements compared to other self-supervised learning techniques. The proposed method achieves within 6% of the baseline performance using only five labeled CT volumes for training. Once the paper is online, the code and dataset will be available at https://github.com/PinkGhost0812/SGL.

Discovery of novel pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives as selective and potent PI3Kδ inhibitors

The δ isoform of class I PI3K (PI3Kδ) has been shown as a promising target for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and immune diseases. Herein, a series of pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for the preliminary bioactivity. Compared with idelalisib, compound S5 exhibited excellent enzyme activity against PI3Kδ (IC50  = 2.82 nM) and strong antiproliferation activity against SU-DHL-6 cells (IC50  = 0.035 μM). Besides, S5 inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt, which is downstream of PI3Kδ, in concentration-dependent manner. In view of the significant improvement in potency of PI3Kδ and selectivity over other PI3K isoforms, Compound S5 deserved further investigation as a promising PI3Kδ inhibitor.

The causal relationship between pure hypercholesterolemia and psoriasis: A bidirectional, two-sample Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Several studies have reported the association between pure hypercholesterolemia (PH) and psoriasis, but the causal effect remains unclear.

METHODS

We explored the causal effect between PH and psoriasis using two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using data from genome-wide association studies. Single nucleotide polymorphisms related with exposures at the genome-wide significance level (p < 5×10-8 ) and less than the linkage disequilibrium level (r2  < 0.001) were chosen as instrumental variables. Subsequently, we used inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger and weighted median (WM) methods for causal inference. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Heterogeneity was tested using Cochran's Q-test, and horizontal pleiotropy was examined using the MR-Egger intercept. Leave-one-out analyses were performed to assess the robustness and reliability of the results.

RESULTS

MR results showed a positive causal effect of PH on psoriasis [IVW: odds ratios (OR): 1.139, p = 0.032; MR-Egger: OR: 1.434, p = 0.035; WM: OR: 1.170, p = 0.045] and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (IVW: OR: 1.210, p = 0.049; MR-Egger regression: OR: 1.796, p = 0.033; WM: OR: 1.317, p = 0.028). However, there is no causal relationship between PH and psoriasis vulgaris as well as other unspecified psoriasis. Inverse MR results suggested a negative causal relationship between PsA and PH (IVW: OR: 0.950, p = 0.037). No heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy exist, and these results were confirmed to be robust.

CONCLUSION

PH has a positive casual effect on psoriasis and PsA, and PsA may reduce the risk of having PH.

Porous prussian blue analogs derived nickel-iron bimetallic phosphide nanocubes on conductive hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres for stable and flexible high-performance supercapacitor electrode

Nickel-iron bimetallic phosphide (Ni-Fe-P) is the ideal battery-type materials for supercapacitor in virtue of high theoretical specific capacitance. Nevertheless, its actual adhibition is astricted on account of inferior rate capability and cyclic stability. Herein, we constructed hierarchical core-shell nanocomposites with hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres (HMCS) packaged via prussian blue analogs derived Ni-Fe-P nanocubes (Ni-Fe-P@HMCS), as a positive electrode for hybrid supercapacitor (HSC). Profiting from the cooperative effects of Ni-Fe-P nanocubes with small size and good dispersibility, and HMCS with continuously conductive network, the Ni-Fe-P@HMCS composite electrode with abundantly porous architectures presents an ultrahigh gravimetric specific capacity for 739.8 C g-1 under 1 A g-1. Specially, the Ni-Fe-P@HMCS electrode presents outstanding rate capability of 78.4% (1 A g-1 to 20 A g-1) and cyclic constancy for 105% after 5000 cycles. Density functional theory implies that the composite electrode possesses higher electrical conductivity than bare Ni-Fe-P electrode by reason of the incremental charge density, and the electrons transferring from NiFe3P4 to HMCS layers. Additionally, the assembled Ni-Fe-P@HMCS//HMCS HSC facility delivers the high energy density for 64.1 Wh kg-1, remarkable flexibility and mechanical stability. Thus, this work proffers a viable and efficacious measure to construct ultra-stability electrode for high-performance portable electronic facilities.

Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Prevention Among Chinese American Women: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Physical inactivity is a modifiable behavioral risk factor for breast cancer. Chinese American women have an increased breast cancer incidence and a low prevalence of meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations, yet little is known about their knowledge and experience regarding PA and breast cancer prevention. Given the significant cultural differences between Eastern and Western societies, effective interventions to promote PA among Chinese American women require understanding their knowledge levels regarding PA in breast cancer prevention and their PA experiences through a cultural lens. This qualitative descriptive study used virtual semi-structured individual interviews to explore Chinese American women's knowledge and perception of PA, their understanding of the role of PA in breast cancer prevention, and influence of culture and acculturation on PA experience. Twenty-one Chinese American women residing in eight states were interviewed. Using thematic analysis, four themes emerged: A limited appreciation of the preventability of breast cancer, variability in PA perception, Chinese culture norms and lifestyles influencing PA behavior, and the influence of the process of acculturation on PA behavior. Chinese American women had a limited understanding of PA in breast cancer prevention. Chinese culture, lifestyles, and traditional Chinese medicine positively and negatively influence Chinese American women's PA behaviors. When exposed to American culture, Chinese American women tended to adopt new PA behaviors, including increasing leisure-time PA while decreasing occupation- and transportation-related PA. Interventions to increase PA and reduce breast cancer risk among Chinese American women should address cultural factors and acculturation along with education and behavioral change strategies.

Tuft cells utilize taste signaling molecules to respond to the pathobiont microbe Ruminococcus gnavus in the proximal colon

Tuft cells are a type of rare epithelial cells that have been recently found to utilize taste signal transduction pathways to detect and respond to various noxious stimuli and pathogens, including allergens, bacteria, protists and parasitic helminths. It is, however, not fully understood how many different types of pathogens they can sense or what exact molecular mechanisms they employ to initiate targeted responses. In this study, we found that an anaerobic pathobiont microbe, Ruminococcus gnavus (R. gnavus), can induce tuft cell proliferation in the proximal colon whereas the microbe's lysate can stimulate these proximal colonic tuft cells to release interleukin-25 (IL-25). Nullification of the Gng13 and Trpm5 genes that encode the G protein subunit Gγ13 and transient receptor potential ion channel Trpm5, respectively, or application of the Tas2r inhibitor allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), G protein Gβγ subunit inhibitor Gallein or the phospholipase Cβ2 (PLCβ2) inhibitor U73122 reduces R. gnavus-elicited tuft cell proliferation or IL-25 release or both. Furthermore, Gng13 conditional knockout or Trpm5 knockout diminishes the expression of gasdermins C2, C3 and C4, and concomitantly increases the activated forms of caspases 3, 8 and 9 as well as the number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells in the proximal colon. Together, our data suggest that taste signal transduction pathways are not only involved in the detection of R. gnavus infection, but also contribute to helping maintain gasdermin expression and prevent apoptotic cell death in the proximal colon, and these findings provide another strategy to combat R. gnavus infection and sheds light on new roles of taste signaling proteins along with gasdermins in protecting the integrity of the proximal colonic epithelium.

Interaction effects between smoking and internet gaming disorder on resting-state functional connectivity of the ventral tegmental area and hippocampus

Background

Many reports have focused on cigarette smoking and internet gaming disorder (IGD), with widespread alterations of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the reward and memory circuits, respectively. Epidemiological studies have also shown high comorbidity of cigarette smoking and IGD. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. Therefore, this study investigates the comorbidity and interaction effects between smoking and IGD from the rsFC perspective.

Methods

Resting-state functional magnetic imaging data were collected from 60 healthy controls (HC), 46 smokers, 38 IGD individuals, and 34 IGD comorbid with smoking (IGDsm) participants. Voxel-wise rsFC maps were calculated for all subjects with the ventral tegmental area, rostral hippocampus, and caudal hippocampus as regions of interest, respectively.

Results

Significant interaction effects between smoking and IGD were mainly involved in the reward and memory circuits; that is, the rsFC between the ventral tegmental area and right nucleus accumbens, between the rostral hippocampus and bilateral nucleus accumbens, sensorimotor areas, and left middle temporal gyrus. Specifically, in these circuits, smokers showed decreased rsFC compared to the HC group, while IGDsm showed increased rsFC compared to smokers and IGD individuals. The IGDsm and HC groups showed no significant difference. The altered rsFC also correlated with clinical measures.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that lower rsFC in smokers or IGD individuals increases under the effect of another type of addiction, such as smoking and IGD, but only increases to the normal state, which might explain the comorbidity and interaction between smoking and IGD from the perspective of functional circuits.

Bioinformatic Analysis to Identify and Cellular Experiments to Validate Autophagy-related Genes in Psoriasis

PURPOSE

To explore differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with autophagy in psoriasis using bioinformatics analysis and verify them in an M5-induced psoriatic cell model.

METHODS

We obtained gene expression microarray data from patients with psoriasis and normal skin tissues from the dataset GSE78097 of the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. R software was used to identify DEGs associated with autophagy in psoriasis. Proteinprotein interaction (PPI) and correlation analyses were used to show interactions between certain genes. Their potential biological roles were determined using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Finally, all the DEGs associated with autophagy in psoriasis were validated in a psoriatic cell model by RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

28 DEGs associated with autophagy were identified. These genes were linked to one another, and the most connected hub gene was VEGFA, according to PPI analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed various biological pathways associated with autophagy. The RT-qPCR findings of the expression of 18 genes in the psoriatic cell model confirmed the bioinformatics analysis results. The five genes with the most significant differences were IL24, CCL2, NAMPT, PPP1R15A, and SPHK1.

CONCLUSION

We identified DEGs associated with autophagy in patients with psoriasis. IL24, CCL2, NAMPT, PPP1R15A, and SPHK1 were identified as important genes that may influence psoriasis development through the regulation of autophagy.

The effects of unsaturated fatty acids on psoriasis: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Unsaturated fatty acids have been reported to be associated with the risk of psoriasis. However, the causal relationship between them remains unclear This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between unsaturated FAs and psoriasis. Firstly, we obtained genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for psoriasis from the FINNGEN database (number of cases = 4510, number of controls = 212,242) and different FA levels (number of samples = 114,999) from the IEU OpenGWAS Project. Secondly, the genetic correlation coefficient was calculated using linkage disequilibrium fractional regression. Thirdly, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using independent instrumental variables (p < 5 × 10-8) to determine the direction of randomization. Finally, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL)-related analyses of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were carried out to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of unsaturated FAs affecting psoriasis. We found that an increase in the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) to total fatty acids could increase the risk of psoriasis (inverse-variance weighted [IVW], adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.175; adjusted 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.045-1.321; adjusted p = .007). However, an increase in the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAa) to total fatty acids could decrease the risk of psoriasis (IVW, adjusted OR = 0.754; adjusted 95% CI = 0.631-0.901; adjusted p = .002). Moreover, an increase in the ratio of PUFAs to MUFAs could decrease the risk of psoriasis (IVW, adjusted OR = 0.823; adjusted 95% CI = 0.715-0.948; adjusted p = .007). The heterogeneity of data was eliminated, and pleiotropy was not detected. There was no statistical difference in the MR analysis of other fatty acids indices with psoriasis. Further, no statistically significant evidence was found to verify a causal relationship between psoriasis and fatty acid levels in reverse MR. Functional enrichment analysis showed that these eQTL related to common SNPs were mainly involved in organic ion transport, choline metabolism, and the expression of key metabolic factors mediated by PKA, ChREBP, and PP2A. Our study indicated that the ratio of MUFAs to total fatty acids had a positive causal effect on psoriasis, while the ratio of PUFAs to total fatty acids and the ratio of PUFAs to MUFAs had a negative causal effect on psoriasis. Moreover, PKA-, PP2A-, and ChREBP-mediated activation of metabolic factors may play an important role in this process.

Bioinformatics analysis to reveal the potential comorbidity mechanism in psoriasis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

PURPOSE

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that psoriasis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may occur simultaneously, whereas the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Our research aims to explore the potential comorbidity mechanism in psoriasis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression profiles of psoriasis (GSE30999, GSE13355) and NASH (GSE24807, GSE17470) were downloaded from GEO datasets. Next, common differently expressed genes (DEGs) of psoriasis and NASH were investigated. Then, GO and KEGG enrichment, protein interaction network (PPI) construction, and hub gene identification for DEGs were performed. Finally, immune cells expression, target genes predicted by common miRNAs, and transcription factors interaction analysis for hub genes were carried out.

RESULTS

Twenty DEGs were identified in totally. GO analysis revealed response to the virus was the most enriched term, and hepatitis C and coronavirus disease-COVID-19 infection-associated pathways were mainly enriched in KEGG. A total of eight hub genes were collected, including IFIT1, IFIT3, OAS1, HPGDS, IFI27, IFI44, CXCL10, IRF9, and 11 TFs were predicted. Then, neutrophils and monocytes were identified as immune cells that express the most hub genes. Moreover, five common miRNAs for psoriasis and NASH and one common miRNAs (hsa-miR-1305)-mRNAs (CHL1, MBNL2) network were presented.

CONCLUSION

CHL1 and MBNL2 may participate in the process of psoriasis and NASH via regulating hsa-miR-1305, and together with eight hub genes may be potential therapeutic targets for future treatment for the co-occurrence of these two diseases. This comprehensive bioinformatic analysis provides new insights on molecular pathogenesis and identification of potential therapeutic targets for the co-occurrence of them.

Discovery of potent and selective PI3Kδ inhibitors bearing amino acid fragments

The selective inhibition of PI3Kδ is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Herein, we report a series of compounds bearing amino acid fragments as potent and selective PI3Kδ inhibitors. Among them, compound A10 exhibited sub-nanomolar PI3Kδ potency. In cellular assays, A10 achieved strong antiproliferation against SU-DHL-6 cells, and caused cell cycle arrest, and induced apoptosis in SU-DHL-6 cells. The docking study showed that A10 tightly bound to PI3Kδ protein with a planar-shaped conformation. Collectively, compound A10 represented a promising potent and selective PI3Kδ inhibitor bearing amino acid fragement albeit with moderate selectivity over PI3Kγ but superior selectivity against PI3Kα and β. This study suggested that using the amino acid fragments instead of the pyrrolidine ring is new strategy for design of potent PI3Kδ inhibitors.

NIR to MIR ultra-broadband supercontinuum laser source based on all-silica fibers

We demonstrated an ultra-broadband supercontinuum (SC) laser source with a wavelength range spanning the near-infrared (NIR) to mid-infrared (MIR) region. The SC spectrum was generated in a very short piece of highly nonlinear silica fiber (HNLF) which has a zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW) of 1.55 µm. The pump source used has a spectral coverage of 1.5∼2.4 µm which covers the ZDW of HNLF, resulting in a dramatic blue and red shift of the spectrum through strong non-linear effects. As the pump laser pulse launched into HNLF, a SC spectrum with broadband range of 0.92∼2.92 µm and maximum average power of 5.09 W was achieved, which sets record coverage of HNLF-based watts magnitude SC laser sources for now, to the best of the authors' knowledge. The setup consists of silica fiber that can be considered easy-to-implement and with a cost-effectiveness scheme for ultra-broadband SC generation that could be easily applied to optical fiber sensing and spectral imaging technology.

Achieving Efficient CO2 Electrolysis to CO by Local Coordination Manipulation of Nickel Single-Atom Catalysts

Selective electroreduction of CO2 to C1 feed gas provides an attractive avenue to store intermittent renewable energy. However, most of the CO2-to-CO catalysts are designed from the perspective of structural reconstruction, and it is challenging to precisely design a meaningful confining microenvironment for active sites on the support. Herein, we report a local sulfur doping method to precisely tune the electronic structure of an isolated asymmetric nickel-nitrogen-sulfur motif (Ni1-NSC). Our Ni1-NSC catalyst presents >99% faradaic efficiency for CO2-to-CO under a high current density of -320 mA cm-2. In situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry indicated that the asymmetric sites show a significantly weaker binding strength of *CO and a lower kinetic overpotential for CO2-to-CO. Further theoretical analysis revealed that the enhanced CO2 reduction reaction performance of Ni1-NSC was mainly due to the effectively decreased intermediate activation energy.

Near-infrared pumped, octave-tunable, on-chip mid-infrared Raman soliton source

This article proposes and numerically demonstrates a widely tunable on-chip Raman soliton source based on a cascaded As2Se3 waveguide. The cascaded sub-waveguides (input and output) with varying widths act as nonlinear devices, while a tapered waveguide is arranged between them to achieve low-loss transmission. The input waveguide provides anomalous dispersion in the near-infrared band, thereby enabling the 1.96 µm source for Raman soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS) pumping. The output waveguide exhibits large anomalous dispersion and good mode confinement in the mid-infrared band thus supporting further SSFS process. A 2.29∼4.57 µm tunable Raman source is theoretically realized in this on-chip platform. This work presents a simple and easy-to-implement strategy to extend the tuning range of on-chip sources. Notably, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the cascading strategy for SSFS process in an on-chip platform. The proposed tunable source has great potential in integrated spectroscopy, gas sensing, and LiDAR applications.

Effect of Rapid Urbanization in Mainland China on the Seasonal Influenza Epidemic: Spatiotemporal Analysis of Surveillance Data From 2010 to 2017

BACKGROUND

The world is undergoing an unprecedented wave of urbanization. However, the effect of rapid urbanization during the early or middle stages of urbanization on seasonal influenza transmission remains unknown. Since about 70% of the world population live in low-income countries, exploring the impact of urbanization on influenza transmission in urbanized countries is significant for global infection prediction and prevention.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of rapid urbanization on influenza transmission in China.

METHODS

We performed spatiotemporal analyses of province-level influenza surveillance data collected in Mainland China from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2017. An agent-based model based on hourly human contact-related behaviors was built to simulate the influenza transmission dynamics and to explore the potential mechanism of the impact of urbanization on influenza transmission.

RESULTS

We observed persistent differences in the influenza epidemic attack rates among the provinces of Mainland China across the 7-year study period, and the attack rate in the winter waves exhibited a U-shaped relationship with the urbanization rates, with a turning point at 50%-60% urbanization across Mainland China. Rapid Chinese urbanization has led to increases in the urban population density and percentage of the workforce but decreases in household size and the percentage of student population. The net effect of increased influenza transmission in the community and workplaces but decreased transmission in households and schools yielded the observed U-shaped relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight the complicated effects of urbanization on the seasonal influenza epidemic in China. As the current urbanization rate in China is approximately 59%, further urbanization with no relevant interventions suggests a worrisome increasing future trend in the influenza epidemic attack rate.

Regulatory T Cells in Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

BACKGROUND

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is linked to immune-inflammatory injury, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in suppressing immune-inflammatory responses. However, the precise role of Tregs in pathological cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the current knowledge on the role and mechanisms of Tregs in pathological cardiac hypertrophy and explore their perspectives and challenges as a new therapeutic approach.

RESULTS

Treg cells may play an important protective role in pressure overload (hypertension, aortic stenosis), myocardial infarction, metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity), acute myocarditis, cardiomyopathy (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, storage diseases), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Although some challenges remain, the safety and efficacy of Treg-based therapies have been confirmed in some clinical trials, and engineered antigen-specific Treg cells may have better clinical application prospects due to stronger immunosuppressive function and stability.

CONCLUSION

Targeting the immune-inflammatory response via Treg-based therapies might provide a promising and novel future approach to the prevention and treatment of pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Timing and Magnitude of the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Omicron Variant - 189 Countries and Territories, November 2021 to February 2023

What is already known about this topic?

The first nationwide wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), driven by the Omicron variant, has largely subsided. However, subsequent epidemic waves are inevitable due to waning immunity and the ongoing evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

What is added by this report?

Insights gleaned from other nations offer guidance regarding the timing and scale of potential subsequent waves of COVID-19 in China.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Understanding the timing and magnitude of subsequent waves of COVID-19 in China is crucial for forecasting and mitigating the spread of the infection.

Quantifying the rebound of influenza epidemics after the adjustment of zero-COVID policy in China

The coexistence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza epidemics has become a potential threat to human health, particularly in China in the oncoming season. However, with the relaxation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rebound extent of the influenza activities is still poorly understood. In this study, we constructed a susceptible-vaccinated-infectious-recovered-susceptible (SVIRS) model to simulate influenza transmission and calibrated it using influenza surveillance data from 2018 to 2022. We projected the influenza transmission over the next 3 years using the SVIRS model. We observed that, in epidemiological year 2021-2022, the reproduction numbers of influenza in southern and northern China were reduced by 64.0 and 34.5%, respectively, compared with those before the pandemic. The percentage of people susceptible to influenza virus increased by 138.6 and 57.3% in southern and northern China by October 1, 2022, respectively. After relaxing NPIs, the potential accumulation of susceptibility to influenza infection may lead to a large-scale influenza outbreak in the year 2022-2023, the scale of which may be affected by the intensity of the NPIs. And later relaxation of NPIs in the year 2023 would not lead to much larger rebound of influenza activities in the year 2023-2024. To control the influenza epidemic to the prepandemic level after relaxing NPIs, the influenza vaccination rates in southern and northern China should increase to 53.8 and 33.8%, respectively. Vaccination for influenza should be advocated to reduce the potential reemergence of the influenza epidemic in the next few years.

I3-/I- Redox Reaction-mediated Organic Zinc-Air Batteries with Accelerated Kinetics and Long Shelf Lives

The storage time of Zn-air batteries (ZABs) for practical implementation has been neglected long-lastingly. ZABs based on organic solvents promise long storage time but suffer from sluggish kinetics. Here, we report a longly storable ZAB with enhanced kinetics mediated by iodine-containing redox. In the charge process, the electrooxidation of Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O is accelerated by I3- chemical oxidation. In the discharge process, I- adsorbed on the electrocatalyst changes the energy level of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Benefitting from these advantages, the prepared ZAB shows remarkably improved round-trip efficiency (56.03% vs. 30.97% without the mediator), and long-term cycling time (>2600 h) in ambient air without replacing any components or applying any protective treatment to Zn anode and electrocatalyst. After resting for 30 days without any protection, it can still directly discharge continuously for 32.5 h and charge/discharge very stably for 2200 h (440 cycles), which is evidently superior to aqueous ZABs (only 0/0.25 h, and 50/25 h (10/5 cycles) by mild/alkaline electrolyte replenishment). This study provides a strategy to solve both storage and sluggish kinetics issues that have been plaguing ZABs for centuries, opening up a new avenue to the industrial application of ZABs.

Self-Assembled Porous-Reinforcement Microstructure-Based Flexible Triboelectric Patch for Remote Healthcare

Realizing real-time monitoring of physiological signals is vital for preventing and treating chronic diseases in elderly individuals. However, wearable sensors with low power consumption and high sensitivity to both weak physiological signals and large mechanical stimuli remain challenges. Here, a flexible triboelectric patch (FTEP) based on porous-reinforcement microstructures for remote health monitoring has been reported. The porous-reinforcement microstructure is constructed by the self-assembly of silicone rubber adhering to the porous framework of the PU sponge. The mechanical properties of the FTEP can be regulated by the concentrations of silicone rubber dilution. For pressure sensing, its sensitivity can be effectively improved fivefold compared to the device with a solid dielectric layer, reaching 5.93 kPa-1 under a pressure range of 0-5 kPa. In addition, the FTEP has a wide detection range up to 50 kPa with a sensitivity of 0.21 kPa-1. The porous microstructure makes the FTEP ultra-sensitive to external pressure, and the reinforcements endow the device with a greater deformation limit in a wide detection range. Finally, a novel concept of the wearable Internet of Healthcare (IoH) system for real-time physiological signal monitoring has been proposed, which could provide real-time physiological information for ambulatory personalized healthcare monitoring.

Superspreading potentials of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variants across different contact settings in Eastern China: A retrospective observational study

OBJECTIVES

As the genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 continuously pose threats to global health, evaluating superspreading potentials of emerging genetic variants is of importance for region-wide control of COVID-19 outbreaks.

METHODS

By using detailed epidemiological contact tracing data of test-positive COVID-19 cases collected between July and August 2021 in Nanjing and Yangzhou, China, we assessed the superspreading potential of outbreaks seeded by SARS-CoV-2 Delta variants. The transmission chains and case-clusters were constructed according to the individual-based surveillance data. We modelled the disease transmission as a classic branching process with transmission heterogeneity governed by negative binomial models. Subgroup analysis was conducted by different contact settings and age groups.

RESULTS

We reported a considerable heterogeneity in the contact patterns and transmissibility of Delta variants in eastern China. We estimated an expected 14% (95% CI: 11-16%) of the most infectious cases generated 80% of the total transmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Delta variants demonstrated a significant potential of superspreading under strict control measures and active COVID-19 detecting efforts. Enhancing the surveillance on disease transmissibility especially in high-risk settings, along with rapid contact tracing and case isolations would be one of the key factors to mitigate the epidemic caused by the emerging genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Eruptive syringomas: Summary of ninety cases and a brief literature review

BACKGROUND

Eruptive syringomas is a rare variant of syringoma, which is a benign adenoma differentiated from the terminal ducts of the eccrine glands. Nowadays, it's widely valued because of obvious skin lesions, large scope of influence, and high misdiagnosis rate.

OBJECTIVES

We aim to explore the clinical features of eruptive syringomas and the current research progress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We firstly summarized the clinical features of 90 cases of eruptive syringomas. Then, the chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between the onset site of eruptive syringomas and age, as well as gender. Finally, we briefly reviewed the previous literature.

RESULTS

During 12 years, 90 cases of eruptive syringomas were diagnosed in our hospital, including 28 males (31.1%) and 62 females (68.9%). The average diagnosed age was 28.8. Patients from 20 to 40 years old is 63 (70%), which is the most. 60 (66.7%) patients had the course for more than 1 year. Among onset sites, the neck, chest, and abdomen were in the top three. The chi-square test showed that there were no significant differences in the onset sites of patients aged ≤ 20 and >20 years old (p-value = 0.181), as well as male and female (p-value = 0.363).

CONCLUSION

We found that more female than male was affected, and the most common onset sites were the neck, chest, and abdomen. Neither age nor gender was significantly associated with onset site distribution. Our study provides some data support for the research of eruptive syringomas.

Business Environment and Resource Allocation Based on the Perspective of the National Value Chain

China is actively upgrading its industrial structure through industries transferring between developed and undeveloped areas; however, the overall level of the national value chain is still not high, and the asymmetric competition pattern between the upstream and the downstream has not been broken. Therefore, this paper establishes a competitive equilibrium model for the production of manufacturing enterprises, with factor price distortion, under the condition of constant returns to scale. The authors derive the relative distortion coefficients of each factor price, calculate the misallocation indices of capital and labor, and construct an industry resource misallocation measure. Furthermore, this paper applies the regional value-added decomposition model to calculate the national value chain index and matches the market index of the China Market Index Database with the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database and the Inter-Regional Input-Output Tables through quantitative analysis. From the perspective of the national value chain, the authors study the improvement effect and mechanism of the business environment on the resource allocation in industry. The study shows that industry resource allocation will be improved by 17.89% if the business environment level is improved by one standard deviation. This effect is most prevalent in the eastern and central regions, not so much in the west; the effect of downstream industries in the national value chain is higher than that of upstream industries; the improvement effect on capital allocation is higher in downstream industries than in the upstream industries; and the improvement effect on labor misallocation is basically the same in both the upstream and the downstream. Compared with labor intensive industries, capital intensive industries are more influenced by the national value chain, while the effect of upstream industries is weaker. At the same time, it is well documented that participation in the global value chain can improve the efficiency of regional resource allocation, and the construction of high-tech zones can improve resource allocation for both upstream and downstream industries. Based on the results of study, the authors propose suggestions for optimizing business environments, suiting the national value chain construction, and improving resource allocation in the future.

Both noise-floor and tissue compartment difference in diffusivity contribute to FA dependence on b-value in diffusion MRI

Noninvasive diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) has been widely employed in both clinical and research settings to investigate brain tissue microstructure. Despite the evidence that dMRI-derived fractional anisotropy (FA) correlates with white matter properties, the metric is not specific. Recent studies have reported that FA is dependent on the b-value, and its origin has primarily been attributed to either the influence of microstructure or the noise-floor effect. A systematic investigation into the inter-relationship of these two effects is however still lacking. This study aims to quantify contributions of the reported differences in intra- and extra-neurite diffusivity to the observed changes in FA, in addition to the noise in measurements. We used in-vivo and post-mortem human brain imaging, as well as numerical simulations and histological validation, for this purpose. Our investigations reveal that the percentage difference of FA between b-values (pdFA) has significant positive associations with neurite density index (NDI), which is derived from in-vivo neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), or Bielschowsky's silver impregnation (BIEL) staining sections of fixed post-mortem human brain samples. Furthermore, such an association is found to be varied with Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) level, indicating a nonlinear interaction effect between tissue microstructure and noise. Finally, a multicompartment model simulation revealed that these findings can be driven by differing diffusivities of intra- and extra-neurite compartments in tissue, with the noise-floor further amplifying the effect. In conclusion, both the differences in intra- and extra-neurite diffusivity and noise-floor effects significantly contribute to the FA difference associated with the b-value.

Achievement, self-concept and anxiety in mathematics and English: A three-wave cross-lagged panel study

BACKGROUND

Many studies (especially cross-sectional ones) have shown signicant links between two of these three constructs-achievement, self-concept and anxiety.

OBJECTIVES

Unlike past longitudinal studies that examined only two of these three constructs, this study examines all three, grounded in self-determination theory, control-value theory and transactional theory of anxiety.

METHODS

Chinese secondary school students (N = 823) completed questionnaires across three time points covering one school year, and we collected data on their mathematics and second language (L2) English test scores.

RESULTS

Cross-lagged panel models showed equal effect sizes in both pairs of time periods (T1-T2 and T2-T3). In both mathematics and L2 English, (a) achievement, self-concept and anxiety all showed moderate autoregression effects and hence, relative stability, (b) achievement and self-concept showed reciprocal positive effects and (c) self-concept negatively predicted subsequent anxiety. In mathematics but not L2 English, anxiety negatively predicted self-concept, and achievement negatively predicted anxiety, showing domain differences. Self-concept mediated achievement's negative effect on anxiety only in L2 English.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinguishing within domain and cross domain effects of achievement, self-concept, and anxiety in mathematics and L2 English deepen our understanding of the relationships among these three constructs.

Association between Temperature and Influenza Activity across Different Regions of China during 2010–2017

Influenza causes a significant disease burden as an acute respiratory infection. Evidence suggests that meteorological factors can influence the spread of influenza; however, the association between these factors and influenza activity remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the impact of temperature on influenza across different regions of China based on the meteorological data and influenza data from 554 sentinel hospitals in 30 provinces and municipalities in China from 2010 to 2017. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to analyze the exposure lag response of daily mean temperatures to the risk of influenza-like illness (ILI), influenza A (Flu A), and influenza B (Flu B). We found that in northern China, low temperatures increased the risk of ILI, Flu A, and Flu B, while in central and southern China, both low and high temperatures increased the risk of ILI and Flu A, and only low temperatures increased the risk of Flu B. This study suggests that temperature is closely associated with the influenza activity in China. Temperature should be integrated into the current public health surveillance system for highly accurate influenza warnings and the timely implementation of disease prevention and control measures.

Exploration of the underlying comorbidity mechanism in psoriasis and periodontitis: a bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence indicates that psoriasis (PSO) and periodontitis (PD) are likely to occur together, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression profiles of PSO (lesion vs non-lesion, GSE30999, GSE14905) and PD (affected vs unaffected gingival tissue, GSE16134, GSE10334) were downloaded from the GEO database. First, we investigated the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PSO and PD. Then, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, protein interaction network (PPI) construction, and hub gene identification analysis were carried out. Finally, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, miRNA interaction analysis, and transcription factors (TFs) interaction analysis for hub genes were performed.

RESULTS

Eighteen DEGs were identified for further analysis, including 15 up-regulated genes and 3 down-regulated genes. 9 hub genes were then identified via Cytohubba, including IL1B, CXCL1, CXCL8, MMP12, CCL18, SELL, CXCL13, FCGR3B, and SELE. Their functions are mainly enriched in two aspects: neutrophil chemotaxis and migration, chemokine activation and interaction. The enriched signaling pathways includes three categories: host defense, inflammation-related signaling pathways, and disease-related pathways. 9 common miRNAs based on experimental evidence and 10 common TFs were further identified in both PSO and PD.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed possible comorbidity mechanisms in PSO and PD from the perspective of bioinformatics tentatively. The data can present new insight for joint prevention and treatment of in PSO and PD, as well as provide data support for further prospective studies.

Proline-rich 11 (PRR11) promotes the progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by activating the EGFR signaling pathway

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of the most common skin malignancies, and its incidence rate is increasing worldwide. Proline-rich 11 (PRR11) has been reported to be involved in the occurrence and development of various tumors. However, the role of PRR11 in cSCC remains unknown. In the present study, we observed upregulated expression of PRR11 in cSCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of PRR11 in the cSCC cell lines A431 and SCL-1 inhibited cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest during the G1/S phase transition, promoted cell apoptosis, and reduced cell migration and invasion in vitro. Conversely, overexpression of PRR11 promoted cell proliferation, decreased cell apoptosis, and enhanced cell migration and invasion. PRR11 knockdown also inhibited cSCC tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. Mechanistic investigations by RNA sequencing revealed that 891 genes were differentially expressed genes between cells with PRR11 knockdown and control cells. Enrichment analysis of different genes showed that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway was the top enriched pathway. We further validated that PRR11 induced EGFR pathway activity, which contributed to cSCC progression. These data suggest that PRR11 may serve as a novel therapeutic target in cSCC.

Risk model and factors for prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer-a two-center cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Due to inconsistency in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) response in advanced gastric cancer (GC), the indications remain the source of controversy. This study focused on identifying factors related to NACT chemosensitivity and providing the best treatment for GC cases.

METHODS

Clinical data in 867 GC cases treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were downloaded from two medical centers between January 2014 and December 2020, and analyzed by logistic regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) for identifying potential factors that predicted NACT response and might be incorporated in constructing the prediction nomogram.

RESULTS

After the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, totally 460 cases were enrolled, among which, 307 were males (66.74%) whereas 153 were females (33.26%), with the age of 24-77 (average, 59.37 ± 10.60) years. Consistent with RECIST standard, 242 patients were classified into effective group (PR or CR) while 218 were into ineffective group (PD or SD), with the effective rate of 52.61%. In training set, LASSO and logistic regression analysis showed that five risk factors were significantly associated with NACT effectiveness, including tumor location, Smoking history, T and N stages, and differentiation. In terms of our prediction model, its C-index was 0.842. Moreover, calibration curve showed that the model-predicted results were in good consistence with actual results. Validation based on internal and external validation sets exhibited consistency between training set results and ours.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified five risk factors which were significantly associated with NACT response, including smoking history, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, tumor location and differentiation. The prediction model that exhibited satisfying ability to predict NACT effectiveness was constructed, which may be adopted for identifying the best therapeutic strategy for advanced GC by gastrointestinal surgeons.