G-YOLO: A YOLOv7-based target detection algorithm for lightweight hazardous chemical vehicles

Hazardous chemical vehicles are specialized vehicles used for transporting flammable gases, medical waste, and liquid chemicals, among other dangerous chemical substances. During their transportation, there are risks of fire, explosion, and leakage of hazardous materials, posing serious threats to human safety and the environment. To mitigate these possible hazards and decrease their probability, this study proposes a lightweight object detection method for hazardous chemical vehicles based on the YOLOv7-tiny model.The method first introduces a lightweight feature extraction structure, E-GhostV2 network, into the trunk and neck of the model to achieve effective feature extraction while reducing the burden of the model. Additionally, the PConv is used in the model's backbone to effectively reduce redundant computations and memory access, thereby enhancing efficiency and feature extraction capabilities. Furthermore, to address the problem of performance degradation caused by overemphasizing high-quality samples, the model adopts the WIoU loss function, which balances the training effect of high-quality and low-quality samples, enhancing the model's robustness and generalization performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the improved model achieves satisfactory detection accuracy while reducing the number of model parameters, providing robust support for theoretical research and practical applications in the field of hazardous chemical vehicle object detection.

Splice implantation of multiple drug-eluting stents for tandem severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery: A case report

RATIONALE

Severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery tandem affects the blood supply to the brain and threatens human life, which can be solved by interventional procedures.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 64-year-old male patient presented with a sudden onset of dizziness, palpitation, numbness, and weakness of the limbs. Imaging studies suggested multiple tandem severe stenoses from the left internal carotid artery contrast C2 to C4.

DIAGNOSIS

Severe stenosis of the left internal carotid tandem.

INTERVENTIONS

Multiple drug-eluting stent splicing and implantation were performed.

OUTCOMES

The left internal carotid artery stenosis was released, intracranial vascular filling was significantly improved, and the patient recovered well.

LESSONS

Interventional implantation of multiple drug-eluting stents relieves tandem severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery, with a wide range of applicability, high safety profile, and rapid postoperative recovery compared with endothelial debridement procedures.

Trends and social aspects in the management and conversion of agricultural residues into valuable resources: A comprehensive approach to counter environmental degradation, food security, and climate change

The circular economy is essential as it encourages the reuse and recycling of resources while reducing waste, which ultimately helps to reduce environmental pollution and boosts economic efficiency. The current review highlights the management of agricultural and livestock residues and their conversion into valuable resources to combat environmental degradation and improve social well-being. The current trends in converting agricultural residues into useful resources emphasize the social benefits of waste management and conversion. It also emphasizes how waste conversion can reduce environmental degradation and enhance food security. Using agricultural residues can increase soil health and agricultural output while reducing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and resource depletion. Promoting sustainable waste-to-resource conversion processes requires a combination of strategies that address technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects. These multiple strategies are highlighted along with prospects and considerations.

Banxia Baizhu Tianma Tang decoction and modified Taohong Siwu combined with Western medicine to treat a patient with severe stenosis of the middle cerebral artery: A case report

RATIONALE

Intracranial artery stenosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke, and MCA is one of the most common vessels causing intracranial artery stenosis. At present, there are 3 main treatments for MCA stenosis: medical drug therapy, surgery, and endovascular interventional therapy.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report a patient with severe middle cerebral artery stenosis, including his imaging and clinical manifestations.

DIAGNOSIS

Severe stenosis of middle cerebral artery.

INTERVENTIONS

Banxia Baizhu Tianma decoction combined with Taohong Siwu decoction combined with western medicine.

OUTCOMES

The stenosis of M1 segment of middle cerebral artery was significantly improved, the stenosis rate was reduced from 70% to 30%, and the clinical symptoms of the patients basically disappeared.

LESSONS

Banxia Baizhu Tianma decoction combined with Taohong Siwu plus subtraction combined with western medicine is effective in the treatment of middle cerebral artery stenosis.

[Mutational Signatures Analysis of Micropapillary Components and Exploration of ZNF469 Gene in Early-stage Lung Adenocarcinoma with Ground-glass Opacities]

BACKGROUND

In China, lung cancer remains the cancer with the highest incidence and mortality rate. Among early-stage lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD), the micropapillary (MPP) component is prevalent and typically exhibits high aggressiveness, significantly correlating with early metastasis, lymphatic infiltration, and reduced five-year survival rates. Therefore, the study is to explore the similarities and differences between MPP and non-micropapillary (non-MPP) components in malignant pulmonary nodules characterized by GGOs in early-stage LUAD, identify unique mutational features of the MPP component and analyze the relationship between the ZNF469 gene, a member of the zinc-finger protein family, and the prognosis of early-stage LUAD, as well as its correlation with immune infiltration.

METHODS

A total of 31 malignant pulmonary nodules of LUAD were collected and dissected into paired MPP and non-MPP components using microdissection. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the components of early-stage malignant pulmonary nodules. Mutational signatures analysis was conducted using R packages such as maftools, Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), and Sigminer to unveil the genomic mutational characteristics unique to MPP components in invasive LUAD compared to other tumor tissues. Furthermore, we explored the expression of the ZNF469 gene in LUAD using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate its potential association with the prognosis. We also investigated gene interaction networks and signaling pathways related to ZNF469 in LUAD using the GeneMANIA database and conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Lastly, we analyzed the correlation between ZNF469 gene expression and levels of immune cell infiltration in LUAD using the TIMER and TISIDB databases.

RESULTS

MPP components exhibited a higher number of genomic variations, particularly the 13th COSMIC (Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer) mutational signature characterized by the activity of the cytidine deaminase APOBEC family, which was unique to MPP components compared to non-MPP components in tumor tissues. This suggests the potential involvement of APOBEC in the progression of MPP components in early-stage LUAD. Additionally, MPP samples with high similarity to APOBEC signature displayed a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB), indicating that these patients may be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The expression of ZNF469 was significantly upregulated in LUAD compared to normal tissue, and was associated with poor prognosis in LUAD patients (P<0.05). Gene interaction network analysis and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that COL6A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, TGFB2, MMP2, COL8A2 and C2CD4C interacted with ZNF469 and were mainly involved in encoding collagen proteins and participating in the constitution of extracellular matrix. ZNF469 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration in LUAD (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The study has unveiled distinctive mutational signatures in the MPP components of early-stage invasive LUAD in the Asian population. Furthermore, we have identified that the elevated expression of mutated ZNF469 impacts the prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in LUAD.

Electron regulation and gas-sensitivity analysis of hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunctions--First principle study

In this paper, the first-principle calculations of the lateral heterojunction model synthesized by hBN-Graphene were carried out, and it was found that the bandgap of graphene varied with the change in the proportion of hBN, and the bandgap was best regulated with a bandgap of 1.177 eV when the proportion of hBN was 66.67 %. At this time, the adsorption structures of HCN, CO, NH3, and Cl2 were established and energy band calculations were performed on the hBN and Graphene portions of the hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunctions, respectively, and it was found that the adsorption of Cl2 resulted in a significant change in the band gap, which showed a very high electrical sensitivity. To further investigate the adsorption mechanism of Cl2 on the surface of hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunction, the energy band structure, PDOS, charge transfer, adsorption energy, and recovery time of each stabilized adsorption site of Cl2 on the surface of hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunction were calculated. The results show that the adsorption of Cl2 on the surface of hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunction is a stable chemisorption, and the band gap of C-Top1 increases to 1.274 eV, and the band gaps of C-Top3, N-Top1, and N-Top2 decrease to 0.684 eV, 0.376 eV, and 0.398 eV, respectively, and the changes of band gaps are significant and easy to be electrically detection. The recovery time of Cl2 on the surface of hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunction was 7.36 s-2.59 s in visible light and in the temperature interval of 273 K-283 K. The recovery time of Cl2 on the surface of hBN-Graphene lateral heterojunction was 7.36 s-2.59 s in visible light and in the temperature interval of 273 K-283 K. These findings have implications for the research and application of graphene-based Cl2 gas sensors.

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses of leaves from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis under waterlogging stress

Abstract Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a Chinese herbal medicine with medicinal and economic value, but its mechanism of response to waterlogging stress remains unclear. In this study, the “double pots method” was used to simulate the waterlogging stress of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis to explore its physiological and transcriptomic response mechanism. We found no significant damage to Gardenia jasminoides Ellis membrane lipid during stress. POD played a vital antioxidant role, KEGG enrichment showed that secondary metabolites such as flavonoids might also play an antioxidant role, and PRO played a significant osmotic adjustment. Endogenous hormones regulate the Gardenia jasminoides Ellis's growth and development and play a role in signal transduction. Among them, light waterlogging stress is delayed. At the same time, there were 19631, 23693, and 15045 differentially expressed genes on the 5th, 10d, and 15d of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis under waterlogging stress. These genes were closely associated with the proteasome, endopeptidase, ribosome, MAPK signal transduction, and endogenous hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interaction and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and other physiological and metabolic pathways, which regulate the turnover and transportation of protein, the reinforcement and adhesion of cell walls, the induction of stomatal closure, allergic reactions, defense reactions, leaf movements and others. It also can absorb ultraviolet rays to reduce the generation of oxygen free radicals, change the way of energy utilization and adjust the osmotic pressure of plant cells.

A novel TPD52L2-ROS1 gene fusion expanding the molecular alterations in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor: case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a distinctive tumor composed of spindle cells accompanied by mixed inflammatory cells, and immunohistochemical positivity for ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase protein) can be detected in half of IMTs. The diagnosis of ALK-negative IMT could be a challenge. Recently, the fusions of some kinase genes, such as RET, NTRK1, ROS1, etc., are revealed in ALK-negative IMT.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 19-year-old woman presented with swelling of the left upper arm. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed a tumor in the left postbrachium extended to the left axillary, serratus anterior muscle, and latissimus dorsi muscle. Histopathologically, the irregular-circumscribed tumor was composed of dense spindle-shaped cells with eosinophilic abundant cytoplasm and hyalinized mesenchyme in an inflammatory background. Immunohistochemically (IHC), tumor cells were positive for SMA, MDM2, and p16; the cells were negative for desmin, MyoD1, Myogenin, pan-cytokeratin, S100, SOX10, HMB45, Malen-A, CD34, CD31, CD99, and ALK. By RNA-based NGS, a novel fusion between TPD52L2 3' end of exon 1-4 and ROS1 5' end of exon 36-43 was revealed. ROS1 IHC staining was negative. The final diagnosis of IMT with TPD52L2-ROS1 fusion was made. Subsequently, the patient experienced a good clinical response to Crizotinib, and clinical follow-up showed stable disease after 9 months.

CONCLUSION

This report expands the spectrum of ROS1 gene rearrangements in the IMT and highlights the importance of molecular analysis of IMT for getting a diagnostic clue and determining potential therapeutic strategies.

High-performance flower-like and biocompatible nickel-coated Fe3O4@SiO2 magnetic nanoparticles decorated on a graphene electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

The electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a crucial role in renewable clean energy conversion technologies and has developed into an important direction in the field of advanced energy, becoming the focus of basic research and industrial development. Herein, we report the synthesis and application of flower-like nickel-coated Fe3O4@SiO2 magnetic nanoparticles decorated on a graphene electrocatalyst for the OER that exhibit high efficiency and robust durability. The catalysts were optimized using a rotating ring-disk electrode to test their oxygen evolution properties in 1.0 M KOH solution. Importantly, owing to the high specific surface area and conductivity of C3N4 and graphene, the as-synthesized Fe3O4@SiO2@NiO/graphene/C3N4 exhibits a small Tafel slope of 40.46 mV dec-1, low overpotential of 288 mV at 10 mA cm-2, and robust OER durability within a prolonged test period of 100 h. The cytotoxicity of Fe3O4@SiO2, Fe3O4@SiO2@NiO, and Fe3O4@SiO2@NiO/graphene/C3N4 was evaluated in HeLa and MC3T3-E1 cells, demonstrating that they are efficient and biocompatible catalysts for the OER. Owing to its excellent electrocatalytic efficiency and eco-friendliness, Fe3O4@SiO2@NiO/graphene/C3N4 has considerable potential as a new multifunctional composite for large-scale applications in catalysis, biology, medicine, and high-efficiency hydrogen production.

[Efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy on HER2-positive breast cancer: a clinicopathological analysis]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) on HER2-positive breast cancer and to analyze their clinicopathological features. Methods: A total of 480 cases of HER2-positive breast cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), diagnosed at the Department of Pathology of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from 2015 to 2020, were retrospectively identified. Clinicopathological parameters such as age, tumor size, molecular subtype, type of targeted therapy, Ki-67 proliferation index, ER and HER2 immunohistochemical expression, and HER2 amplification status were analyzed to correlate with the efficacy of NAT. Results: Among 480 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, 209 achieved pathology complete response (pCR) after NAT, with a pCR rate of 43.5%. Of all the cases,457 patients received chemotherapy plus trastuzumab and 23 patients received chemotherapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab. A total of 198 cases (43.3%) achieved pCR in patients with chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, and 11 cases (47.8%) achieved pCR in patients with chemotherapy plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab. The pCR rate in the latter group was higher, but there was no statistical significance. The results showed that the pCR rate of IHC-HER2 3+patients (49%) was significantly higher than that of IHC-HER2 2+patients (26.1%, P<0.001). The higher the mean HER2 copy number in the FISH assay, the higher the pCR rate was achieved. The expression level of ER was inversely correlated with the efficacy of NAT, and the pCR rate in the ER-positive group (28.2%) was significantly lower than that in the ER-negative group (55.8%, P<0.001). The pCR rate (29.1%) of patients with luminal B type was lower than that of HER2 overexpression type (55.8%, P<0.001). In addition, higher Ki-67 proliferation index was associated with higher pCR rate (P<0.001). The pCR rate was the highest in the tumor ≤2 cm group (57.7%), while the pCR rate in the tumor >5 cm group was the lowest (31.1%). The difference between the groups was significant (P=0.005). Conclusions: HER2 copy numbers, HER2 immunohistochemical expression level, molecular subtype, ER expression level and Ki-67 proliferation index are significantly associated with pCR after NAT. In addition, fluorescence in situ hybridization results, HER2/CEP17 ratio and tumor size could also significantly affect the efficacy of NAT.

[A case report of death from toxic encephalopathy caused by emamectin·chlorfenapyr]

Emamectin·chlorfenapyr is insecticide compounded by emamectin benzoate and chlorfenapyr. There is no special antidote after poisoning, and the mortality rate of patients is very high. We admitted a case of toxic encephalopathy caused by oral administration of emamectin·chlorfenapyr. The clinical manifestations of patient were gastrointestinal symptoms, profuse sweating, high fever, changes in consciousness. After admitted to the hospital, despite active comprehensive treatment, the patient died of ineffective rescue eventually.

[Application and clinical significance of intercellular proximity labeling technique in chronic myelogenous leukemia]

Objective: This study aimed to explore the application of interaction-dependent fucosyl-biotinylation (FucoID), a chemical biology-based proximity labeling technique, in capturing tumor antigen-specific T cells and its clinical value in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) . Methods: Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy were employed to evaluate the experimental parameters for FucoID in CML. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 14 newly diagnosed CML patients in the chronic phase. These samples underwent flow cytometry-based sorting and were subsequently labeled with FucoID to facilitate the isolation of tumor cells and T cells, followed by the immunophenotypic identification of tumor antigen-specific T cells. Finally, the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of FucoID in CML was assessed. Results: Initially, the experimental parameters for FucoID in CML were established. The proportion of CD3(+) T cells in patients was (8.96±6.47) %, exhibiting a marked decrease compared with that in healthy individuals at (38.89±22.62) %. The proportion of tumor-specific antigen-reactive T cells was (3.34±4.49) %, which demonstrated interpatient variability. In addition, the proportion of tumor-specific antigen-active T cells in CD4(+) T cells was (3.95±1.72) %, which was generally lower than the proportion in CD8(+) T cells at (5.68±2.18) %. Compared with those in tumor-specific antigen-nonreactive T cells, CCR7(-)CD45RA(-) effector memory T cells and CCR7(-)CD45RA(+) effector T cells were highly enriched in tumor-specific antigen-reactive T cells. Moreover, the intensity of tumor immune reactivity in patients exhibited a significant correlation with white blood cell count (WBC) and hemoglobin (HGB) levels in peripheral blood, while no such correlation was observed with other clinical baseline characteristics. Conclusion: The combination of FucoID and flow cytometry enables the rapid identification and isolation of tumor antigen-specific T cells in CML. The successful application of this method in CML and the implications of our findings suggest its potential clinical value in the field of hematologic malignancies.

Does Periodontitis Affect the Association of Biological Aging with Mortality?

The prevalence of periodontitis is increasing with the aging of the global population. Periodontitis has been suggested to accelerate aging and increase mortality. The present nationwide prospective cohort study aimed to determine whether periodontitis could modify the association of biological aging with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older adults. Participants ≥40 y of age from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were included (n = 6,272). Phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel) was used to evaluate the biological aging process. Moderate/severe periodontitis was defined using a half-reduced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Periodontology case definition. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was conducted to estimate the association between PhenoAgeAccel and mortality risk, followed by effect modification analysis to test whether periodontitis modified the association. During a median follow-up of 24.5 y, 3,600 (57.4%) deaths occurred. The positive relationships between PhenoAgeAccel and all-cause and cause-specific mortality were nonlinear. After adjusting for potential confounders, the highest quartile of PhenoAgeAccel was associated with increased all-cause mortality in individuals with no/mild periodontitis (hazard ratio for Q4 vs. Q1 [HR_Q4vs.Q1] = 1.789; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.541-2.076). In contrast, the association was enhanced in patients with moderate/severe periodontitis (HR_Q4vs.Q1 = 2.446 [2.100-2.850]). Periodontal status significantly modified the association between PhenoAgeAccel and all-cause mortality (P for interaction = 0.012). In subgroup analyses, the modifying effect of periodontitis was observed in middle-aged adults (40-59 y), females, and non-Hispanic Whites. Although cause-specific mortality showed a similar trend, the PhenoAgeAccel × periodontitis interaction did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, periodontitis might enhance the association of biological aging with all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults. Hence, maintaining and enhancing periodontal health is expected to become an intervention to slow aging and extend life span.

[Maresin1 inhibits the NF-κB/caspase-3/GSDME signaling pathway to alleviate hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury]

Objective: To investigate the role of Maresin1 (MaR1) in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI). Methods: The HIRI model was established and randomly divided into a sham operation group (Sham group), an ischemia-reperfusion group (IR group), and a MaR1 ischemia-reperfusion group (MaR1+IR group). MaR1 80ng was intravenously injected into each mouse's tail veins 0.5h before anesthesia. The left and middle hepatic lobe arteries and portal veins were opened and clamped. The blood supply was restored after 1h of ischemia. After 6h of reperfusion, the mice were sacrificed to collect blood and liver tissue samples. The Sham's group abdominal wall was only opened and closed. RAW267.4 macrophages were administered with MaR1 50ng/ml 0.5h before hypoxia, followed by hypoxia for 8h and reoxygenation for 2h, and were divided into the control group, the hypoxia-reoxygenation group (HR group), the MaR1 hypoxia-reoxygenation group (MaR1 + HR group), the Z-DEVD-FMK hypoxia-reoxygenation group (HR+Z group), the MaR1 + Z-DEVD-FMK hypoxia-reoxygenation group (MaR1 + HR + Z group), and the Con group without any treatment. Cells and the supernatant above them were collected. One-way analysis of variance was used for inter-group comparisons, and the LSD-t test was used for pairwise comparisons. Results: Compared with the Sham group, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18 in the IR group were significantly higher (P < 0.05), with remarkable pathological changes, while the level in the MaR1 + IR group was lower than before (P < 0.05), and the pathological changes were alleviated. Compared with the Con group, the HR group had higher levels of IL-1β and IL-18 (P < 0.05), while the MaR1 + HR group had lower levels of IL-1β and IL-18 (P < 0.05). Western blot showed that the expressions of caspase-3, GSDME, and GSDME-N were significantly higher in the HR group and IR group than in the other groups; however, the expression was lower following MaR1 pretreatment. The Z-DEVD-FMK exploration mechanism was inhibited by the expression of caspase-3 in HIRI when using MaR1. Compared with the HR group, the IL-1β and IL-18 levels and the expressions of caspase-3, GSDME, and GSDME-N in the HR + Z group were decreased (P < 0.05), while the expression of nuclear factor κB was increased, but following MaR1 pretreatment, nuclear factor κB was decreased. There was no significant difference in the results between the MaR1 + H/R group and the MaR1 + H/R + Z group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: MaR1 alleviates HIRI by inhibiting NF-κB activation and caspase-3/GSDME-mediated inflammatory responses.

Suppression of Crosstalk in Quantum Circuit Based on Instruction Exchange Rules and Duration

Crosstalk is the primary source of noise in quantum computing equipment. The parallel execution of multiple instructions in quantum computation causes crosstalk, which causes coupling between signal lines and mutual inductance and capacitance between signal lines, destroying the quantum state and causing the program to fail to execute correctly. Overcoming crosstalk is a critical prerequisite for quantum error correction and large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing. This paper provides an approach for suppressing crosstalk in quantum computers based on multiple instruction exchange rules and duration. Firstly, for the majority of the quantum gates that can be executed on quantum computing devices, a multiple instruction exchange rule is proposed. The multiple instruction exchange rule reorders quantum gates in quantum circuits and separates double quantum gates with high crosstalk on quantum circuits. Then, time stakes are inserted based on the duration of different quantum gates, and quantum gates with high crosstalk are carefully separated in the process of quantum circuit execution by quantum computing equipment to reduce the influence of crosstalk on circuit fidelity. Several benchmark experiments verify the proposed method's effectiveness. In comparison to previous techniques, the proposed method improves fidelity by 15.97% on average.

Dynamic modulation of a surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal by a varying magnetic field

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals are fundamental for spectroscopy applications. However, existing substrates cannot perform a dynamically enhanced modulation of SERS signals. Herein, we developed a magnetically photonic chain-loading system (MPCLS) substrate by loading magnetically photonic nanochains of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with Au nanoparticles (NPs). We achieved a dynamically enhanced modulation by applying an external stepwise magnetic field to the randomly dispersed magnetic photonic nanochains that gradually align in the analyte solution. The closely aligned nanochains create a higher number of hot spots by new neighboring Au NPs. Each chain represents a single SERS enhancement unit with both a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect and photonic property. The magnetic responsivity of MPCLS enables a rapid signal enhancement and tuning of the SERS enhancement factor.

[Exploration of making removable partial denture by digital technology]

To explore the digital manufacturing process of distal extension removable partial denture. From November 2021 to December 2022, 12 patients (7 males and 5 females) with free-ending situation were selected from the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University. Three-dimensional model of the relationship between alveolar ridge and jaw position was obtained by intraoral scanning technique. After routine design, manufacturing and try-in of metal framework for removable partial denture, the metal framework was located in the mouth and scanned again to obtain the composite model of dentition, alveolar ridge and metal framework. The free-end modified model is obtained by merging the digital model of free-end alveolar ridge with the virtual model with the metal framework. The three-dimensional model of artificial dentition, and base plate was designed on the free-end modified model, and the resin model were made by digital milling technology. The removable partial denture was made by accurately positioning the artificial dentition and base plate, bonding metal framework with injection resin, grinding and polishing the artificial dentition and resin base. Compared with the design data after clinical trial, the results showed that there was an error of 0.4-1.0 mm and an error of 0.03-0.10 mm in the connection between the resin base of artificial dentition and the connecting rod of the in-place bolt and the connection between artificial dentition and resin base. After denturen delivery, only 2 patients needed grinding adjustment in follow-up visit due to tenderness, and the rest patients did not find any discomfort. The digital fabrication process of removable partial denture used in this study can basically solve the problems of digital fabrication of free-end modified model and assembly of artificial dentition with resin base and metal framework.

Recent Progress of Biomaterials-Based Epidermal Electronics for Healthcare Monitoring and Human-Machine Interaction

Epidermal electronics offer an important platform for various on-skin applications including electrophysiological signals monitoring and human-machine interactions (HMI), due to their unique advantages of intrinsic softness and conformal interfaces with skin. The widely used nondegradable synthetic materials may produce massive electronic waste to the ecosystem and bring safety issues to human skin. However, biomaterials extracted from nature are promising to act as a substitute material for the construction of epidermal electronics, owing to their diverse characteristics of biocompatibility, biodegradability, sustainability, low cost and natural abundance. Therefore, the development of natural biomaterials holds great prospects for advancement of high-performance sustainable epidermal electronics. Here, we review the recent development on different types of biomaterials including proteins and polysaccharides for multifunctional epidermal electronics. Subsequently, the applications of biomaterials-based epidermal electronics in electrophysiological monitoring and HMI are discussed, respectively. Finally, the development situation and future prospects of biomaterials-based epidermal electronics are summarized. We expect that this review can provide some inspirations for the development of future, sustainable, biomaterials-based epidermal electronics.

[Clinical features and long-term prognosis of diabetic patients with low or intermediate complexity coronary artery disease post percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and long-term prognostic factors of diabetic patients with low or intermediate complexity coronary artery disease (CAD) post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This was a prospective, single-centre observational study. Consecutive diabetic patients with SYNTAX score (SS)≤32 undergoing PCI between January and December 2013 in Fuwai hospital were included in this analysis. The patients were divided into two groups based on SS, namely SS≤22 group and SS 23-32 group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors related to poor 5-year prognosis. The primary outcomes were cardiac death and recurrent myocardial infarction, the secondary outcomes were all cause death and revascularization. Results: Of the 3 899 patients included in the study, 2 888 were men (74.1%); mean age was 59.4±9.8 years. There were 3 450 patients in the SS≤22 group and 449 patients in the SS 23-32 group. Compared with SS≤22 group, the incidence of revascularization was higher in SS 23-32 group (18.9% (85/449) vs. 15.2% (524/3450), log-rank P=0.019). There was no significant difference in all-cause death, cardiac death and recurrent myocardial infarction between the two groups (log-rank P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age (HR=1.05, 95%CI 1.02-1.08, P<0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR=3.12, 95%CI 1.37-7.07, P=0.007) and creatinine clearance rate (CCr)<60 ml/min (HR=3.67, 95%CI 2.05-6.58, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for 5-year cardiac death, while left ventricular ejection fraction (HR=0.94, 95%CI 0.91-0.96, P<0.001) was a protective factor. Previous PCI (HR=2.04, 95%CI 1.38-3.00, P<0.001), blood glucose level≥11.1 mmol/L on admission (HR=2.49, 95%CI 1.32-4.70, P=0.005) and CCr<60 ml/min (HR=1.85, 95%CI 1.14-2.99, P=0.012) were independent risk factors for 5-year recurrent myocardial infarction. The SS of 23-32 was independently associated with risk of revascularization (HR=1.54, 95%CI 1.09-2.16, P=0.014), after adjusting for residual SS. Residual SS was not a risk factor for 5-year prognosis. Conclusions: In diabetic patients with low-or intermediate complexity CAD, SS 23-32 is associated with increased risk of 5-year revascularization; the clinical characteristics of the patients are associated with the long-term mortality and recurrent myocardial infarction, but not related to revascularization.

Coupling Au-loaded magnetic frameworks to photonic crystal for the improvement of photothermal heating effect in SERS

The combination of plasmonic metals and photonic crystal (PC) structure is considered to have potential for further enhancement of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect in comparison with conventional metal SERS substrates. Many studies have suggested that SERS signals probably suffer from an often-neglected effect of strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-induced photothermal heating during SERS detection. Herein, we have discovered that the photothermal heating problem arises in a traditional hybrid substrate that is prepared by doping plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) into the voids of an opal PC (Au-PC). This happens mainly because excess Au agglomerates formed by non-uniformly distributed Au NPs can cause a strong SPR effect under laser illumination. To fully address this issue, we have employed an improved hybrid substrate that is fabricated by substituting Au NPs in Au-PC with an Au-loaded magnetic framework (AuMF). The AuMF can effectively prevent the aggregation of Au NPs and ensure sufficient hot spots for SERS. This novel substrate prepared by doping AuMFs into a PC (AuMF-PC) was free of strong photothermal heating and showed high SERS intensity and reproducibility of the SERS signal compared with Au-PC. For practical applications, we have demonstrated AuMF-PC as an appropriate candidate for the SERS assay of the trace thiol pesticide thiram, and it enables recycling and reuse to achieve low cost.

High throughput screening of key functional strains based on improving tobacco quality and mixed fermentation

Background: Tobacco alcoholization is an important step in increasing the quality of tobacco leaf, which may convert a portion of low-grade tobacco leaves into useable product, however this may take to 2-3 years. The addition of exogenous microorganisms to tobacco leaves and treating them by biological fermentation can shorten the maturation time of tobacco leaves, and improve the quality and applicability of low-grade tobacco leaves Methods: Several strains were screened from low-grade tobacco by flow cytometry, including the bacteria Bacillus amyloliticus, with starch degradation ability and Bacillus kochii, with protein degradation ability, and the fungus Filobasidium magnum with lipid oxidase ability, and were inoculated onto tobacco leaves, both individually and in combination, for solid-state fermentation Results: The greatest improvement in tobacco quality was observed when strains 4# and 3# were applied at a ratio of 3:1. The Maillard reaction products, such as 2-amyl furan, 1-(2-furanmethyl) -1 h-pyrrole, furfural and 2, 5-dimethylpyrazine, were significantly increased, by up to more than 2 times. When strains F7# and 3# were mixed at a ratio of 3:1, the improvement of sensory evaluation index was better than that of pure cultures. The increase of 3-(3, 4-dihydro-2h-pyrro-5-yl) pyridine, β -damasone and benzyl alcohol was more than 1 times. The increase of 2-amyl-furan was particularly significant, up to 20 times Conclusion: The functional strains screened from tobacco leaves were utilized for the biological fermentation of tobacco leaves, resulting in the reduction of irritation and an improvement in quality of final product, showing a good potential for application.

Persistent pain and numbness in the extremities of an adult due to paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathy caused by olfactory neuroblastoma: A case report

Background

Paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathy (PPN) caused by olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) has not yet been reported.

Case report

We present a rare case of an adult who hospitalized repeatedly over the past 9 months for persistent pain and numbness in the limbs. This patient was initially diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and treated accordingly, but neurological symptoms did not improve significantly. After this admission, FDG-PET/CT showed focal hypermetabolism of a soft-tissue mass in the nasal cavity, and further lesion biopsy suggested ONB. Combined with positive serum anti-Hu antibody, the diagnosis of PPN associated with ONB was eventually made. Furthermore, the patient's neurological symptoms were relieved after removal of the primary tumor, confirming the accuracy of the diagnosis.

Conclusion

Our case not only expanded the clinical characteristics of ONB but also highlighted the importance of early and comprehensive tumor screening for the diagnosis of PPN.

Paravertebral block vs. epidural block for percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A prospective, randomized study

Background

Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) is the main method for urinary calculi. An anesthesia method with little effect on the blood circulation and which does not affect the postoperative activity of a patient is lacking.

Objective

To compare the effects of paravertebral nerve block (PNB) and epidural block (EPB) on quadriceps femoris muscle (QFM) strength in patients after PCNL.

Methods

163 patients were separated into two groups: EPB (81) and PNB (82). Primary outcome parameters were QFM strength and range of motion (RoM) of the knee 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, and 24 h after anesthesia induction (AI). Secondary outcome parameters were: time from AI beginning to first ambulation; time of sensory-plane recovery; amount of additional analgesics given during and after surgery; prevalence of nausea and vomiting; duration of hospital stay (DoHS); mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and oxygen saturation (SpO₂) before, 0.5 h, and 1 h after AI; visual analog scale (VAS) score 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 24 h after AI.

Results

There was no significant difference in QFM strength or knee RoM before or 24 h after AI between the two groups (P > 0.05). The time from AI to first ambulation was shorter (P < 0.05) and the sensory plane took longer to recover (P < 0.05) in the PNB group than in the EPB group. The amount of additional analgesics during surgery was more in the PNB group than in the EPB group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference after surgery (P > 0.05). VAS scores were higher in the PNB group than in the EPB group 0.5 after AI (P < 0.05). MAP 1 h after AI was higher in the PNB group than in the EPB group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, DoHS, HR, or SpO₂ at 0.5 h and 1 h after AI between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

For patients undergoing PCNL, PNB can meet the need for surgical analgesia while having little effect on QFM strength.

Trial registration

http://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2200060606.

Industrial-scale aerobic composting of livestock manures with the addition of biochar: Variation of bacterial community and antibiotic resistance genes caused by various composting stages

The presence of large amounts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in livestock manures poses an impending, tough safety risk to ecosystems. To investigate more comprehensively the mechanisms of ARGs removal from industrial-scale composting of livestock manure based on biochar addition, we tracked the dynamics of bacterial community and ARGs at various stages of aerobic composting of livestock manures with 10% biochar. There were no significant effects of biochar on the bacterial community and the profiles of ARGs. During aerobic composting, the relative abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) showed overall trends of decreasing and then increasing. The key factor driving the dynamics of ARGs was bacterial community composition, and the potential hosts of ARGs were Caldicoprobacter, Tepidimicrobium, Ignatzschineria, Pseudogracilibacillus, Actinomadura, Flavobacterium and Planifilum. The retention of the thermophilic bacteria and the repopulation of the initial bacteria were the dominant reasons for the increase in ARGs at maturation stage. Additionally, among the MGEs, the relative abundance of transposon gene was substantially removed, while the integron genes remained at high relative abundance. Our results highlighted that the suitability of biochar addition to industrial-scale aerobic composting needs to be further explored and that effective measures are needed to prevent the increase of ARGs content on maturation stage.

PRC1 plays an important role in lung adenocarcinoma and is potentially targeted by fostamatinib

OBJECTIVE

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common cancers in the world. Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) plays a role in the tumorigenesis and development of several cancers, including LUAD. The aim of the present study is to assess the characteristics of PRC1 in LUAD in order to find a potential drug that targets PRC1.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated the prognostic value of PRC1 in patients with LUAD using Cox analysis of the RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) portal. A link between PRC1 and LUAD progression, cigarette smoking mutation count, aneuploidy, and hypoxia scores was assessed. The relationship between PRC1 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in LUAD was analyzed and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to study the PRC1-related biological process and signal pathways. Potential drugs targeting PRC1 were identified using DrugBank database and molecular docking.

RESULTS

PRC1 expression was significantly increased in LUAD. PRC1 could be, therefore, a prognostic biomarker for predicting overall survival in LUAD. PRC1 expression was also related to cancer stage and patient's smoking history. PRC1 positively correlated with mutation count, aneuploidy and hypoxia scores. It was also significantly related to tumor-infiltrating immune cells, especially the activated mast cells. GSEA revealed that PRC1 might be correlated with cell cycle, cytokinesis and p53 signaling pathway. Additionally, fostamatinib was found to be a potential drug targeting PRC1.

CONCLUSIONS

PRC1 may have a prognostic value for patients with LUAD, and be correlated with the mutation count, aneuploidy, hypoxia and tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Fostamatinib was found to be a potential drug targeting PRC1 in LUAD.

Association of aldehyde exposure with bone mineral density in the national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES 2013-2014)

PURPOSE

The association between aldehyde exposure and bone health in humans remains unclear. This study was to evaluate the association of serum aldehydes with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteopenia/osteoporosis.

METHODS

We analyzed the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cross-sectional data from 2013 to 2014. Weighted multivariate-adjusted linear regression and logistic regression models were used to assess the association between specific aldehydes and osteopenia/osteoporosis. Associations between aldehyde combinations and BMD were also evaluated using the restricted cubic spline (RCS) method.

RESULTS

Compared with men in the first tertile, those in the third tertile of propanaldehyde concentration were negatively associated with proximal femur and lumbar spine BMD. Significant inverse associations were observed between benzaldehyde exposure and trochanter BMD in women. Benzaldehyde increased the risk of osteopenia/osteoporosis 2.75-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06, 7.11] in the highest tertile in women compared to the lowest tertile concentration. In males, the prevalence of total femur, femur neck, and trochanter osteopenia/osteoporosis was significantly higher in the highest versus the lowest tertile of propanaldehyde exposure, with odds ratios (ORs) of 6.84 (95% CI = 2.33, 20.04), 2.72 (95% CI = 1.18, 6.27), and 3.26 (95% CI = 1.25, 8.56), respectively. RCS regression also showed decreased BMD continuously with increasing serum mixed aldehyde levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum aldehyde concentrations were associated with low BMD and high osteopenia/osteoporosis risk in adults, with propanaldehyde and benzaldehyde being the most critical. Co-exposure to aldehyde combinations was negatively correlated with BMD.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and long-term bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: 5-year outcomes from a large cohort study

Aims

Recent research reported that lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is associated with more in-hospital bleeding in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. However, the association between lower LDL-C levels and long-term bleeding in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 10724 patients treated with PCI enrolled in ourhospital from January 2013 to December 2013. The primary endpoint was the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3 or 5 bleeding at 5 years. The secondary endpoint was intracranial hemorrhage. Taking the LDL-C value of 1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) or 1.4 mmol/L (55 mg/dL) as cut-off points, patients were grouped to analyse, respectively.

Results

Among 9697 PCI patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy finally enrolled, a total of 411 BARC type 2, 3 or 5 bleedings and 42 intracranial hemorrhage were recorded during a follow-up of 5 years. With LDL-C value of 1.8 mmol/L as cut-off point, multivariate Cox regression showed that lower LDL-C level was not associated with the risk for bleeding [hazard ratio (HR): 1.166, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.879–1.549]. The result was consistent (HR: 1.185; 95% CI: 0.713–1.968) in a 1:4 propensity-score matching cohort (n=1285). For further study, we performed subgroup analysis which showed that lower LDL-C was not associated with the risk for bleeding in ACS (HR: 1.140; 95% CI: 0.846–1.535) or non-ACS patients (HR: 1.284; 95% CI: 0.909–1.813). With LDL-C value of 1.4 mmol/L as cut-off point, Cox regression showed that lower LDL-C level was not associated with the risk for bleeding in total population, ACS or non-ACS patients (P&gt;0.05). The result was consistent in a 1:4 propensity-score matching cohort (n=760) (P&gt;0.05). As for secondary endpoint, lower LDL-C level was not associated with the risk for intracranial hemorrhage whether the LDL-C value is 1.8 or 1.4 mmol/L as the cut-off point (P&gt;0.05).

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, we firstly report lower LDL-C level (whether the LDL-C value is 1.8 or 1.4 mmol/L as the cut-off point) was not the independent risk factor of long-term bleeding in PCI population and ACS or non-ACS subgroup populations.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS); Young and middle-aged talents in the XPCC Science and Technology Project

[Respiratory drive in acute respiratory distress syndrome: evaluation and control]

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common critical disease, which often leads to poor prognosis in critically ill patients. The excessive respiratory drive in ARDS is related to lung injury. Control of excessive respiratory drive is helpful to reduce lung injury and mortality of ARDS. The mechanisms of abnormal increase in respiratory drive in ARDS include hypoxemia, hypercapnia, stretch reflex caused by alveolar collapse and inflammatory stimulation. Respiratory drive should be evaluated by clinical manifestations, physiological parameters and respiratory mechanics indexes. It is particularly important to make individual therapy strategies according to the evaluation of respiratory drive. Analgesia and sedation combined with muscle relaxation, high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and prone position can be used to control excess respiratory drive. This article reviews the evaluation and management of excess respiratory drive in ARDS patients.

Modulating the mass sensitivity of graphene resonators via kirigami

The unique mechanical properties of graphene make it an excellent candidate for resonators. We have used molecule dynamic to simulate the resonance process of graphene. The kirigami approach was introduced to improve the mass sensitivity of graphene sheets. Three geometric parameters governing the resonant frequency and mass sensitivity of Kirigami graphene NEMS were defined. The simulation results show that the closer the kirigami defect is to the center of the drum graphene, the higher the mass sensitivity of the graphene. The kirigami graphene shows up to about 2.2 times higher mass sensitivity compared to pristine graphene. Simultaneously, the kirigami graphene has a higher out-of-plane amplitude and easy access to nonlinear vibrations, leading to higher mass sensitivity. Besides, the kirigami structure can restrict the diffusion of gold atoms on graphene under high initial velocity or large tension condition. It is evident that a reasonable defect design can improve the sensitivity and stability of graphene for adsorption mass.

Profiling the role of microorganisms in quality improvement of the aged flue-cured tobacco

Background

The aging process in the tobacco production, as in other food industries, is an important process for improving the quality of raw materials. In the spontaneous aging, the complex components in flue-cured tobacco (FT) improve flavor or reduce harmful compounds through chemical reactions, microbial metabolism, and enzymatic catalysis. Some believed that tobacco-microbe played a significant part in this process. However, little information is available on how microbes mediate chemical composition to improve the quality of FT, which will lay the foundation for the time-consuming spontaneous aging to seek ways to shorten the aging cycle.

Results

Comparing aged and unaged FT, volatile and non-volatile differential compounds (DCs) were multi-dimensionally analyzed with the non-targeted metabolomes based on UPLC-QTOP-MS (the ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry), GC–MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometer) assisted derivatization and HP-SPME-GC/MS (headspace solid-phase micro-extraction assisted GC–MS). Products associated with the degradation pathways of terpenoids or higher fatty acids were one of the most important factors in improving FT quality. With the microbiome, the diversity and functions of microbial flora were analyzed. The high relative abundance function categories were in coincidence with DCs-related metabolic pathways. According to the correlation analysis, Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas and Aspergillus were presumed to be the important contributor, in which Aspergillus was associated with the highest number of degradation products of terpenoids and higher fatty acids. At last, the screened Aspergillus nidulans strain F4 could promote the degradation of terpenoids and higher fatty acids to enhance tobacco flavor by secreting highly active lipoxygenase and peroxidase, which verified the effect of tobacco-microbes on FT quality.

Conclusions

By integrating the microbiome and metabolome, tobacco-microbe can mediate flavor-related substances to improve the quality of FT after aging, which provided a basis for identifying functional microorganisms for reforming the traditional spontaneous aging.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-022-02597-9.

Shifts in Soil Microbial Community Composition, Function, and Co-occurrence Network of Phragmites australis in the Yellow River Delta

Soil microorganisms play vital roles in regulating biogeochemical processes. The composition and function of soil microbial community have been well studied, but little is known about the responses of bacterial and fungal communities to different habitats of the same plant, especially the inter-kingdom co-occurrence pattern including bacteria and fungi. Herein, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the bacterial and fungal communities of five Phragmites australis habitats in the Yellow River Delta and constructed their inter-kingdom interaction network by network analysis. The results showed that richness did not differ significantly among habitats for either the bacterial or fungal communities. The distribution of soil bacterial community was significantly affected by soil physicochemical properties, whereas that of the fungal community was not. The main functions of the bacterial and fungal communities were to participate in the degradation of organic matter and element cycling, both of which were significantly affected by soil physicochemical properties. Network analysis revealed that bacteria and fungi participated in the formation of networks through positive interactions; the role of intra-kingdom interactions were more important than inter-kingdom interactions. In addition, rare species acted as keystones played a critical role in maintaining the network structure, while NO3−−N likely played an important role in maintaining the network topological properties. Our findings provided insights into the inter-kingdom microbial co-occurrence network and response of the soil microbial community composition and function to different P. australis habitats in coastal wetlands, which will deepen our insights into microbial community assembly in coastal wetlands.

[Evaluation of severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis by CT severity index and modified CT severity index]

Objectives: To explore the role of computed tomography (CT) severity index (CTSI) and modified CT severity index (MCTSI) in assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) under the revised Atlanta classification (RAC) and predicting the clinical prognosis. Methods: Based on the prospectively entered AP database, the clinical data of consecutive adult AP inpatients admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2012 to December 2020 were retrospectively screened. The imaging data were independently evaluated by two radiologists and entered to the database to calculate the CTSI and MCTSI scores. Their relationship with the difference of RAC severity grade and clinical prognosis was analyzed. Compared with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Assessment Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score, the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of CTSI and MCTSI scores for persistent organ failure and infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN). Results: A total of 2 612 patients with AP, aged (50±15) years, were included in the study, including 1 547 males (59.2%) and 1 065 females (40.8%). According to RAC standard, AP was divided into 699 cases (26.8%) of mild pancreatitis (MAP), 1 098 cases (42.0%) of moderately severe pancreatitis (MSAP), and 815 cases (31.2%) of severe pancreatitis (SAP). MCTSI judged AP severity similarly to RAC, with 668 cases of MAP (25.6%), 1 207 cases of MSAP (46.2%) and 737 cases of SAP (28.2%), while CTSI judged SAP patients less(400 cases, 15.3%). The severity of AP determined by CTSI and MCTSI scores was significantly correlated with clinical prognosis (r=0.06-0.43, all P<0.05). Compared with APACHE Ⅱ score, CTSI had the highest area under the curve (AUC) for predicting IPN (AUC=0.85, 95%CI: 0.83-0.87), followed by MCTSI (AUC=0.82, 95%CI: 0.80-0.85). APACHE Ⅱ was more accurate in predicting persistent organ failure than CTSI and MCTSI scores,with AUC of 0.73 (95%CI: 0.71-0.75), 0.72 (95%CI: 0.70-0.74) and 0.72 (95%CI: 0.70-0.74), respectively. Conclusions: AP severity judged by MCTSI is consistent with RAC, and SAP patients judged by CTSI are less than RAC. CTSI and MCTSI are significantly correlated with clinical prognosis. CTSI and MCTSI have higher accuracy in predicting IPN, but lower accuracy in predicting persistent organ failure than APACHE Ⅱ.

Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering Cross Section at High Bjorken x_{B}

We report high-precision measurements of the deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) cross section at high values of the Bjorken variable x_{B}. DVCS is sensitive to the generalized parton distributions of the nucleon, which provide a three-dimensional description of its internal constituents. Using the exact analytic expression of the DVCS cross section for all possible polarization states of the initial and final electron and nucleon, and final state photon, we present the first experimental extraction of all four helicity-conserving Compton form factors (CFFs) of the nucleon as a function of x_{B}, while systematically including helicity flip amplitudes. In particular, the high accuracy of the present data demonstrates sensitivity to some very poorly known CFFs.

[Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 particapates in ozone-induced lung inflammation and airway remodeling in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the roles of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in ozone-induced pulmonary inflammation and airway remodeling in mice.

METHODS

Sixteen wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice and 16 ACE2 knock-out (KO) mice were exposed to either filtered air or ozone (0.8 ppm) for 3 h per day for 5 consecutive days. Masson's staining and HE staining were used to observe lung pathologies. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and the total cell count was determined. The total proteins and cytokines in BALF were determined by BCA and ELISA method. The transcription levels of airway remodeling-related indicators in the lung tissues were detected using real-time quantitative PCR. The airway resistance of the mice was measured using a small animal ventilator with methacholine stimulation.

RESULTS

Following ozoneexposure ACE2 KO mice had significantly higher lung pathological scores than WT mice (P < 0.05). Masson staining results showed that compared with ozone-exposed WT mice, ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice presented with significantly larger area of collagen deposition in the bronchi [(19.62±3.16)% vs (6.49±1.34)%, P < 0.05] and alveoli [(21.63±3.78)% vs (4.44±0.99)%, P < 0.05]. The total cell count and total protein contents in the BALF were both higher in ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice than in WT mice, but these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, CXCL1/KC and MCP-1 in the BALF were all higher in ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice than in ozone-exposed WT mice, but only the difference in IL-1β was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The transcription levels of MMP-9, MMP-13, TIMP 4, COL1A1, and TGF-β in the lung tissues were all significantly higher in ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice (P < 0.01). No significant difference was found in airway resistance between ozone-exposed ACE KO mice and WT mice after challenge with 0, 10, 25, or 100 mg/mL of methacholine.

CONCLUSION

ACE2 participates in ozone-induced lung inflammation and airway remodeling in mice.

The effect of salvianolate on cardiomyocyte remodeling improvement after myocardial infarction through calcineurin/nuclear factor C3 of the activated T cell/B-myosin heavy chain pathway regulation

Enormous evidences in clinic and experimental studies have demonstrated that salvianolate (Sal) could treat cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI), but the underlying mechanism was still needed to be explored. This study aims to investigate the effect of Sal on cardiomyocyte remodeling after MI in rats and explore whether the possible mechanism was related to decreasing the β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) expression in cardiomyocytes via the calcineurin (CaN)/nuclear factor C3 of the activated T cell (NFATc3) pathway. Both MI model and angiotensin II induced primary myocardial cells obtained from rats were used in this study. After treatment with Sal, the cardiac function was assessed by color Doppler echocardiography, while MI area, myocardial cell area and heart mass index (HMI) were analyzed via Masson and hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) stain, respectively. Additionally, CaN activity, and CaN, NFATc3, β-MHC mRNA and protein expressions in myocardial tissue and myocardial cells were tested via corresponding methods, mainly including real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot (WB), immunohistochemistry and fluorescence staining analysis. As a result we obtained the high dose of Sal in vivo could perform beneficial effects on cardiomyocyte remodeling of MI rats, mainly manifesting as improving fractional shortening and ejection fraction rates, reducing the MI area, myocardial cross-sectional area and HMI (P<0.05, 0.01), inhibiting the activity of CaN in myocardial tissue, down-regulating b-MHC mRNA and protein expressions, and decreasing the nuclear translocation of NFATc3 (P<0.05). In the in vitro experiments, 10 μmol/L of Sal could inhibit the increase of the myocardial cell area and CaN activity, down-regulate the mRNA and protein of CaN A subunit, β-MHC; and inhibit the nuclear translocation of NFATc3 (P<0.05, 0.01). In conclusion: use of Sal can improve cardiomyocyte remodeling and down-regulate the expression of β-MHC in cardiomyocytes, of which the mechanism might be related to the reduction of the nuclear translocation of NFATc3 as well as the down-regulation of CaNA subunit expression and/or the inhibition of CaN activity. The results will provide a laboratory basis for the clinical application of Sal.

[Impact of prolonging dual antiplatelet therapy on long-term prognosis of elderly patients with coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes mellitus undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation]

Objective: To explore and compare the effect of standard or prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) on the long-term prognosis of elderly patients with coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes mellitus after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Methods: Consecutive patients with diabetes mellitus, ≥65 years old, underwent DES implantation, and had no adverse events within 1 year after operation underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from January to December 2013 in Fuwai Hospital were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. These patients were divided into three groups according to DAPT duration: standard DAPT duration group (11 ≤ DAPT duration≤ 13 months) and prolonged DAPT duration group (13<DAPT duration≤ 24 months; DAPT duration>24 months). All the patients were followed up at 1, 6 months, 1, 2 and 5 years in order to collect the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), and type 2 to 5 bleeding events defined by the Federation of Bleeding Academic Research (BARC). MACCE were consisted of all cause death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization or stroke. The incidence of clinical adverse events were compared among 3 different DAPT duration groups, and Cox regression model were used to analyze the effect of different DAPT duration on 5-year long-term prognosis. Results: A total of 1 562 patients were enrolled, aged (70.8±4.5) years, with 398 female (25.5%). There were 467 cases in standard DAPT duration group, 684 cases in 13<DAPT duration≤ 24 months group and 411 cases in DAPT duration>24 months group. The patients in standard DAPT duration group and the prolonged DAPT duration groups accounted for 29.9% (467/1 562) and 70.1% (1 095/1 562), respectively. The 5-year follow-up results showed that the incidence of all-cause death in 13<DAPT duration≤ 24 months group (4.8%(33/684) vs. 8.6%(40/467),P=0.011) and DAPT duration>24 month group(4.1%(17/411) vs. 8.6%(40/467),P=0.008) were significantly lower than in standard DAPT group. The incidence of myocardial infarction in 13<DAPT duration≤ 24 months group was lower than in standard DAPT duration group (1.9%(13/684) vs. 5.1%(24/467),P=0.002). The incidence of MACCE in 13<DAPT duration≤ 24 months group was the lowest (standard DAPT duration group, 13<DAPT duration≤ 24 months group and DAPT duration>24 month group were 19.3% (90/467), 12.3% (84/684), 20.2% (83/411), respectively, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of stroke and bleeding events among the three groups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that compared with the standard DAPT group, prolonged DAPT to 13-24 months was negatively correlated with MACCE (HR=0.601, 95%CI 0.446-0.811, P=0.001), all-cause death (HR=0.568, 95%CI 0.357-0.903, P=0.017) and myocardial infarction (HR=0.353, 95%CI 0.179-0.695, P=0.003). DAPT>24 months was negatively correlated with all-cause death (HR=0.687, 95%CI 0.516-0.913, P=0.010) and positively correlated with revascularization (HR=1.404, 95%CI 1.116-1.765, P=0.004). There was no correlation between prolonged DAPT and bleeding events. Conclusions: For elderly patients with coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes mellitus underwent DES implantation, and had no MACCE and bleeding events within 1 year after operation, appropriately prolonging of the DAPT duration is related to the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular adverse events. Patients may benefit the most from the DAPT between 13 to 24 months. In addition, prolonging DAPT duration does not increase the incidence of bleeding events in this patient cohort.

A Self-Supporting, Conductor-Exposing, Stretchable, Ultrathin, and Recyclable Kirigami-Structured Liquid Metal Paper for Multifunctional E-Skin

Electronic skin (E-skin) is a crucial seamless human-machine interface (HMI), holding promise in healthcare monitoring and personal electronics. Liquid metal (LM) has been recognized as an ideal electrode material to fabricate E-skins. However, conventional sealed LM electrodes cannot expose the LM layer for direct contact with the skin resulting in the low performance of electrophysiological monitoring. Furthermore, traditional printed LM electrodes are difficult to transfer or recycle, and fractures easily occur under stretching of the substrate. Here, we report a kind of LM electrode that we call a kirigami-structured LM paper (KLP), which is self-supporting, conductor-exposing, stretchable, ultrathin, and recyclable for multifunctional E-skin. The KLP is fabricated by the kirigami paper cutting art with three types of structures including uniaxial, biaxial, and square spiral. The KLP can act as an E-skin to acquire high-quality electrophysiological signals, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electromyogram (EMG). Upon integration with a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), the KLP can also operate as a self-powered E-skin. On the basis of the self-powered E-skin, we further developed a smart dialing communication system, which is applied on human skin to call a cellphone. Compared with conventional sealed or printed LM electrodes, the KLP can simultaneously achieve self-supporting, conductor-exposing, stretchable, ultrathin, and recyclable features. Such KLP offers potential for E-skins in healthcare monitoring and intelligent control, as well as smart robots, virtual reality, on-skin personal electronics, etc.

High Interfacial Thermal Stability of Flexible Flake-Structured Aluminum Thin-Film Electrodes for Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Devices

Environmental thermal energy harvesting based on thermoelectric devices is greatly significant to the advancement of next-generation self-powered wearable electronic devices. However, the rigid electrodes and interface diffusion of electrodes/thermoelectric materials would lead to the wearable discomfort and performance degradation of the thermoelectric device. Here, a flake-structured Al thin-film electrode with high conductivity and excellent reliability is prepared by regulating the microstructure and crystallinity of the films. The as-prepared Al thin film not only maintains its robustness after 1000 bending cycles but also does not delaminate from the substrate when subjected to the 3M tape test, exhibiting excellent flexibility and adhesion to substrate. By comparing with the annealed interface of the double-layer Cu/Bi₂Te₃ film, the interface of the heat-treated Al/Bi₂Te₃ film has almost no element diffusion, demonstrating high interfacial thermal stability. Moreover, a thermoelectric temperature sensor based on the Al thin-film electrode is prepared. The sensitivity of the annealed sensor is still linear, and it can stably monitor the temperature variation, showing high reliability. This discovery could provide a facile and effective strategy to achieving highly reliable thermoelectric devices and flexible electronic devices without any additional diffusion barriers.

Form Factors and Two-Photon Exchange in High-Energy Elastic Electron-Proton Scattering

We present new precision measurements of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section for momentum transfer (Q^{2}) up to 15.75  (GeV/c)^{2}. Combined with existing data, these provide an improved extraction of the proton magnetic form factor at high Q^{2} and double the range over which a longitudinal or transverse separation of the cross section can be performed. The difference between our results and polarization data agrees with that observed at lower Q^{2} and attributed to hard two-photon exchange (TPE) effects, extending to 8  (GeV/c)^{2} the range of Q^{2} for which a discrepancy is established at >95% confidence. We use the discrepancy to quantify the size of TPE contributions needed to explain the cross section at high Q^{2}.

Function-driven design of Bacillus kochii and Filobasidium magnum co-culture to improve quality of flue-cured tobacco

Flue-cured tobacco (FCT) is an economical raw material whose quality affects the quality and cost of the derived product. However, the time-consuming and inefficient spontaneous aging is the primary process for improving the FCT quality in the industry. In this study, a function-driven co-culture with functional microorganisms was built in response to the quality-driven need for less irritation and more aroma in FCT. The previous study has found that Bacillus kochii SC could degrade starch and protein to reduce tobacco irritation and off-flavors. The Filobasidium magnum F7 with high lipoxygenase activity was screened out for degrading higher fatty acid esters and terpenoids to promote the aroma and flavor of FCT. Co-cultivation with strain SC and F7 obtained better quality improvement than mono-culture at an initial inoculation ratio of 1:3 for 2 days, representing a significant breakthrough in efficiency and a reduction in production costs compared to the more than 2 years required for the spontaneous aging process. Through the analysis of microbial diversity, predicted flora functions, enzyme activities and volatile compositions within the mono- and co-cultivation, our study showed the formation of a function-driven co-culture between two strains through functional division of labor and nutritional feeding. Herein, the function-driven co-culture via bioaugmentation will become an increasingly implemented approach for the tobacco industry.

Transcription factor Sp2 promotes TGFB-mediated interstitial cell osteogenic differentiation in bicuspid aortic valves through a SMAD-dependent pathway

Calcification of the bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) involves differential expression of various RNA genes, which is achieved through complex regulatory networks that are controlled in part by transcription factors and microRNAs. We previously found that miR-195-5p regulates the osteogenic differentiation of valvular interstitial cells (VICs) by targeting the TGF-β pathway. However, the transcriptional regulation of miR-195-5p in calcified BAV patients is not yet clear. In this study, stenotic aortic valve tissues from patients with BAVs and tricuspid aortic valves (TAVs) were collected. Candidate transcription factors of miR-195-5p were predicted by bioinformatics analysis and tested in diseased valves and in male porcine VICs. SP2 gene expression and the corresponding protein levels in BAV were significantly lower than those in TAV, and a low SP2 expression level environment in VICs resulted in remarkable increases in RNA expression levels of RUNX2, BMP2, collagen 1, MMP2, and MMP9 and the corresponding proteins. ChIP assays revealed that SP2 directly bound to the transcription promoter region of miR-195-5p. Cotransfection of SP2 shRNA and a miR-195-5p mimic in porcine VICs demonstrated that SP2 repressed SMAD7 expression via miR-195-5p, while knockdown of SP2 increased the mRNA expression of SMAD7 and the corresponding protein and attenuated Smad 2/3 expression. Immunofluorescence staining of diseased valves confirmed that the functional proteins of osteogenesis differentiation, including RUNX2, BMP2, collagen 1, and osteocalcin, were overexpressed in BAVs. In Conclusion, the transcription factor Sp2 is expressed at low levels in VICs from BAV patients, which has a negative impact on miR-195-5p expression by binding its promoter region and partially promotes calcification through a SMAD-dependent pathway.

Effects of cryopreservation on gram-positive bacteria contaminants in umbilical cord blood

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of cryopreservation in post-thaw umbilical cord blood units for the survivability of Gram-positive bacteria strains.

BACKGROUND

Microbial screening is required for all cord blood units (CBUs). Four gram-positive contaminants were documented to survive cryopreservation poorly and isolation of other contaminants were reported.

METHODS

Forty-eight contaminated CBUs detected with either Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium species, Peptostreptococcus or Streptococcus species before cryopreservation were used in this study. CBUs were processed, DMSO-infused and microbial screened before cryopreservation. Post-thaw microbial screening was achieved using 1 and 10 ml inoculants in BACTEC culture bottles. Positive bottles were subjected for microbial identification and results were compared with those from pre-freeze.

RESULTS

A higher rate of microbial contamination was found using the 10 ml inoculant. Screening of 11 CBUs did not detect any contaminants while 30 CBUs screened detected more than one unknown contaminants and majority of contaminants were identified to be gram-negative species.

CONCLUSION

A higher inoculation volume used at post-thaw for microbial screening improves contamination detection but leads to the loss of precious cord blood. Some contaminants did not survive cryopreservation or were not identified due to their low microbial levels. Contrasting contaminants found at post-thaw suggest the improvements made in detection and identification of contaminants over the years.

Variations in antibiotic resistance genes and removal mechanisms induced by C/N ratio of substrate during composting

For a comprehensive insight into the potential mechanism of the removal of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) removal induced by initial substrates during composting, we tracked the dynamics of physicochemical properties, bacterial community composition, fungal community composition, the relative abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic genes (MGEs) during reed straw and cow manure composting with different carbon to nitrogen ratio. The results showed that the successive bacterial communities were mainly characterized by the dynamic balance between Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while the fungal communities were composed of Ascomycota. During composting, the interactions between bacteria and fungi were mainly negative. After composting, the removal efficiency of ARGs in compost treatment with C/N ≈ 26 (LL) was higher than that in compost treatment with C/N ≈ 35 (HL), while MGEs were completely degraded in HL and enriched by 2.3% in LL. The large reduction in the relative abundance of ARGs was possibly due to a decrease in the potential host bacterial genera, such as Advenella, Tepidimicrobium, Proteiniphilum, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Flavobacteria and Arcbacter. Partial least-squares path modeling (PLS-PM) revealed that the succession of bacterial communities played a more important role than MGEs in ARGs removal, while indirect factors of the fungal communities altered the profile of ARGs by affecting the bacterial communities. Both direct and indirect factors were affected by composting treatments. This study provides insights into the role of fungal communities in affecting ARGs and highlights the role of different composting treatments with different carbon to nitrogen ration on the underlying mechanism of ARGs removal.