Elucidating the interaction mechanism of rice glutelin and soybean 11S globulin using multi-spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation methods

Rice gluten, as the hydrophobic protein, exhibits restricted application value in hydrophilic food, which may be enhanced through interaction with soybean 11S globulin, characterized by favorable functional properties. This study aims at revealing their interaction mechanism via multi-spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation. The formation and structural change of rice glutelin-soybean 11S globulin complexes were detected using fluorescence, ultra-violet and circular dichroism spectra. The addition of 11S globulin increased the contents of α-helix, β-turn and random coil, but decreased β-sheet content, and the change in secondary structure was correlated with particle size. Moreover, exposure of hydrophobic groups and formation of disulfide bonds occurred in the complexes. Molecular dynamics simulation verified these experimental results through analyses of root mean square deviation and fluctuation, hydrogen bond, secondary structure, and binding free energy analysis. This study contributes to expounding the interaction mechanism of protein and protein from the molecular level.

Alpine Rhododendron population contractions lead to spatial distribution mismatch with their pollinators under climate change

The effect of global climate change on plant-pollinator interaction is not limited to changes in phenology and richness within communities but also includes the spatial mismatch caused by the inconsistency of geographical distribution changes. Subsequently, the pollinator interaction network may be remodeled or even disrupted. In this study, we simulated the suitable habitat niche of 15 Rhododendron species and their eight pollinator species as well as their overlapping versus geographical mismatch under the current and three future climate change scenarios in 2090s, using MaxEnt. Results showed that the suitable habitat of all Rhododendron species would decrease in 2090s. In particular, 10, 8, and 13 Rhododendron-pollinator assemblages would have a reduced spatial match region under the climate change scenarios, mainly due to the contraction of the suitable habitat of Rhododendron species. The results provide novel insights into the response of plant-pollinator interactions to global warming, useful to prioritize conservation actions of alpine plant ecosystems.

Electrochemical ring-opening carboxylation of cyclic carbonate with carbon dioxide

Electroreductive ring-opening carboxylation of styrene carbonates with CO2 to achieve dicarboxylic acids and/or β-hydroxy acids has been developed via the selective cleavage of the C(sp3)-O bond in cyclic carbonates. The product selectivity is probably determined by the stability and reactivity of the key benzylic radical and carbanion intermediate.

Gate-defined quantum point contacts in a germanium quantum well

We report an experimental study of quantum point contacts defined in a high-quality strained germanium quantum well with layered electric gates. At a zero magnetic field, we observed quantized conductance plateaus in units of 2e2/h. Bias-spectroscopy measurements reveal that the energy spacing between successive one-dimensional subbands ranges from 1.5 to 5 meV as a consequence of the small effective mass of the holes and the narrow gate constrictions. At finite magnetic fields perpendicular to the device plane, the edges of the conductance plateaus get split due to the Zeeman effect and Landé g factors were estimated to be ∼6.6 for the holes in the germanium quantum well. We demonstrate that all quantum point contacts in the same device have comparable performances, indicating a reliable and reproducible device fabrication process. Thus, our work lays a foundation for investigating multiple forefronts of physics in germanium-based quantum devices that require quantum point contacts as building blocks.

Viologen-based ionic conjugated mesoporous polymer as the electron conveyer for efficient polysulfide trapping and conversion

The commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has been hindered by the shuttle effect and sluggish redox kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Herein, we reported a viologen-based ionic conjugated mesoporous polymer (TpV-Cl), which acts as the cathode host for modifying Li-S batteries. The viologen component serves as a reversible electron conveyer, leading to a comprehensive enhancement in the adsorption of polysulfides and improved conversion rate of polysulfides during the electrochemical process. As a result, the S@TpV-PS cathode exhibits outstanding cycling performance, achieving 300 cycles at 2.0 C (1 C = 1675 mA g-1) with low decay rate of 0.032% per cycle. Even at a high sulfur loading of 4.0 mg cm-2, S@TpV-PS shows excellent cycling stability with a Coulombic efficiency of up to 98%. These results highlight the significant potential of S@TpV-PS in developing high-performance Li-S batteries.

[A case of acute poisoning of typhonium giganteum engler]

Unicorn lotus is a plant tuber in the araceae family, which has therapeutic effects such as dispelling cold and dampness, dispelling wind and phlegm, and treating stroke. However, acute poisoning of fresh Unicorn lotus has been rarely reported domestically and internationally. This article reports a case of poisoning caused by chewing unicorn lotus. The patient experienced numbness in the lips, swelling and rupture of the oral cavity, continuous salivation, difficulty swallowing and obvious burning sensation in the throat, accompanied by shortness of breath and mild hypoxemia. After receiving comprehensive treatments such as oxygen therapy, electrocardiographic monitoring, cleaning of necrotic oral mucosa, anti infection, inhibition of oral salivary secretion, and nutritional support, the patient finally recovered and was discharged.

Accelerated Adiabatic Passage of a Single Electron Spin Qubit in Quantum Dots

Adiabatic processes can keep the quantum system in its instantaneous eigenstate, which is robust to noises and dissipation. However, it is limited by sufficiently slow evolution. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the transitionless quantum driving (TLQD) of the shortcuts to adiabaticity in gate-defined semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) to greatly accelerate the conventional adiabatic passage for the first time. For a given efficiency of quantum state transfer, the acceleration can be more than twofold. The dynamic properties also prove that the TLQD can guarantee fast and high-fidelity quantum state transfer. In order to compensate for the diabatic errors caused by dephasing noises, the modified TLQD is proposed and demonstrated in experiment by enlarging the width of the counterdiabatic drivings. The benchmarking shows that the state transfer fidelity of 97.8% can be achieved. This work will greatly promote researches and applications about quantum simulations and adiabatic quantum computation based on the gate-defined QDs.

[Analysis on the characteristics of natural foci of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Gansu Province, 2012-2022]

Objective: To explore the characteristics of natural foci of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Gansu Province. Methods: The information of HFRS case data and rodent density monitoring data from 2012 to 2022 in Gansu Province were collected and epidemiological methods were used to analyze and investigate the characteristics of the epidemic focus. Results: A total of 869 cases of HFRS were reported, and four patients died from 2012 to 2022. The annual incidence rate is between 0.05 per 100 000 and 1.21 per 100 000. The cases were mainly distributed in the eastern, southeast, southern, and south of the central region of Gansu Province. Most cases were distributed between age 20-60, and the sex ratio was 1.85∶1 (564∶305). Most cases were farmers (61.80%, 537/869), herdsmen (19.79%,172/869) and students (6.33%, 55/869). In a wild rat-type epidemic focus,the incidence peak was from November to January of the following year. The natural rodent hosts of HFRS were Rattus norvegicus, Apodemus agrarius, and Mus musculus. The hantaan virus carriage rates were 2.79% (21/754), 0.42% (5/1 179) and 0.31% (2/643),respectively. Three epidemic foci were defined: two derived from the Pingliang and Gannan prefecture new outbreaks epidemic foci, respectively, while the other was the residue of the Dingxi epidemic focus. Conclusions: The southern, south of the central region and eastern part of Gansu Province are current key HFRS epidemic foci dominated by Rattus norvegicus, Apodemus agrarius, and Mus musculus, respectively. The virus genotype is hantaan virus. Case reporting areas should strengthen epidemic monitoring; the key epidemic areas should strengthen and implement various prevention and control measures to reduce the harm caused by HFRS.

Electroreductive Ring-Opening Carboxylation of 1,3-Oxazolidin-2-ones with CO2 for Accessing β-Amino Acids

Electrocarboxylation of the C(sp3)-O bond in 1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones with CO2 to achieve β-amino acids is developed. The C-O bond in substrates can be selectively cleaved via the single electron transfer on the surface of a cathode or through a CO2• - intermediate under additive-free conditions. A great diversity of β-amino acids can be obtained in a moderate to excellent yield and readily converted to various biologically active compounds.

[Response of soil microbial necromass carbon to litter and root carbon inputs in a mid-subtropical Castanopsis carlesii plantation]

Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) is a crucial source for stable soil carbon pool, and understanding its response to carbon inputs from both aboveground (litter) and belowground (roots) in subtropical forest soils is essential for assessing soil carbon stocks in global ecosystems. In a Castanopsis carlesii plantation at the Sanming Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station in Fujian Province, we conducted an experiment with five treatments, including root removal (NR), aboveground litter removal (NL), no litter input (removals of both aboveground litter and roots, NI), double aboveground litter addition (DL), and control (CK). After seven years, we collected soil samples in the 0-10 cm soil layer to examine changes in MNC content and its contribution to soil organic carbon (SOC). Results showed that NR treatment reduced MNC, bacterial necromass carbon (BNC), and fungal necromass carbon (FNC) by 15.9%, 20.2%, and 14.5%, respectively, while other treatments did not induce significant changes. The NR, NL, NI, and DL treatments did not affect the contributions of BNC, FNC, and MNC to SOC. Correlation and path analyses revealed that litter and root carbon input treatments could alter the MNC content directly or indirectly through changing soil available substrates and microbial community structure. Our results suggested that roots exert a stronger influence on the maintenance of MNC than aboveground carbon source in the mid-subtropical plantations.

Biomimetic triumvirate nanogel complexes via peptide-polysaccharide-polyphenol self-assembly

Self-assembled peptide and polysaccharide nanogels are excellent candidates for bioactive delivery vectors. However, there are still significant challenges in the application of nanogels as delivery tools for bioactive elements. This study aims to deliver, and control the release of a hydrophobic bioactive flavonoid hesperidin. Using the self-assembling peptide (SAP) Fmoc-FRGDF, extracellular matrix mimicking nanofibrils were fabricated, which were decorated and bolstered with immunomodulatory polysaccharide strands of fucoidan and infused with hesperidin. The mechanical properties, secondary structure, and microscopic morphologies of the composite hydrogels were characterized using rheometer, FTIR, XRD, and TEM, etc. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) and release behavior of hesperidin were determined. Coassembly of the SAP with fucoidan improved the mechanical properties (from 9.54 Pa of Fmoc-FRGDF hydrogel to 7735 Pa of coassembly hydrogel at 6 mg/mL fucoidan concentration), formed thicker nanofibril bundles at 4 and 6 mg/mL fucoidan concentration, improved the EE of hesperidin from 72.86 % of Fmoc-FRGDF hydrogel to over 90 % of coassembly hydrogels, and showed effectively controlled release of hesperidin in vitro. Intriguingly, the first order kinetic model predicted an enhanced hydrogel retention and release of hesperidin. This study revealed a new approach for bioengineered nanogels that could be used to stabilize and release hydrophobic payloads.

Characterization of the structure, antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic activity of soy (Glycine max L.) protein hydrolysates

This study aimed to hydrolyze soy isolate protein (SPI) using five enzymes (alcalase, pepsin, trypsin, papain, and bromelain) in order to obtain five enzymatic hydrolysates and to elucidate the effect of enzymes on structural and biological activities of the resulting hydrolysates. The antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities of the soy protein isolate hydrolysates (SPIEHs) were evaluated through in silico analysis, revealing that the alcalase hydrolysate exhibited the highest potential, followed by the papain and bromelain hydrolysates. Subsequently, the degree of hydrolysis (DH), molecular weight distribution (MWD), amino acid composition, structure, antioxidant activities, and hypoglycemic activity in vitro of SPIEHs were analyzed. After enzymatic treatment, the particle size, polymer dispersity index (PDI), ζ-potentials, β-sheet content and α-helix content of SPIEHs was decreased, and the maximum emission wavelength of all SPIEHs exhibited red-shifted, which all suggesting the structure of SPIEHs was unfolded. More total amino acids (TAAs), aromatic amino acids (AAAs), and hydrophobic amino acids (HAAs) were found in alcalase hydrolysate. For 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, metal ion chelating activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and α-amylase inhibitory activity, alcalase hydrolysate had the lowest IC50; alcalase hydrolysate and papain hydrolysate had the lowest IC50 for hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Physiological activity of SPIEHs was evaluated thoroughly by 5-Axe cobweb charts, and the results revealed that alcalase hydrolysate exhibited the greatest biological activities.

[Chinese expert guidance on overall application of lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma]

Lenvatinib mesylate is an oral receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor against targets of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1-3, fibroblast growth factor receptors 1-4, platelet-derived growth factor receptor α, stem cell growth factor receptor, and rearranged during transfection, et al. Lenvatinib has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China on September 4, 2018, for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who have not received systematic treatment before. Up to February 2023, Lenvatinib has been listed in China for more than 4 years, accumulating a series of post-marketing clinical research evidences. Based on the clinical practice before and after the launch of lenvatinib and referring to the clinical experience of other anti-angiogenesis inhibitors, domestic multidisciplinary experts and scholars adopt the Delphi method to formulate the Chinese Expert Guidance on Overall Application of Lenvatinib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma after repeated discussions and revisions, in order to provide reference for reasonable and effective clinical application of lenvatinib for clinicians.

[Application of stereoscopic unequal S-plasty for reconstuction of the congenital hypoplastic ear lobe cleft associated with soft tissue deficiency]

Objective: To explore the ideal way of using the stereoscopic unequal S-plasty in reconstruction of the congenital hypoplastic ear lobe cleft with soft tissue deficiency. Methods: Data of 10 patients with the congenital hypoplastic ear lobe cleft associated with soft tissue deficiency who were treated using the stereoscopic unequal S-plasty in the plastic cosmetic surgery of Xuzhou Central Hospital from Aug 2018 to Aug 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Six patients were male, 4 were female. Their ages ranged from 6 years to 19 years old, with a mean age of 13 years. Lobe deficiency size ranged from 0.8 cm×0.5 cm to 1.2 cm×1.0 cm. Results: The post-operation flaps had no venous congestion, infection or necrosises. During 3 to 12 months of follow-up, the technique made the shape of the ear lobe smoother. The incisions left inconspicuous scars. The result was satisfactory in terms of matching the contralateral normal ear lobe in shape and symmetry. Doctors and patients were satisfied with the results. Conclusions: The stereoscopic unequal S-plasty is an effective way to correct the the severe congenital ear lobe deformity. The good result,simple manipulation and short operation time are the advantages of this method.

Raf/MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway Is Involved in the Inhibition of Glioma Cell Proliferation and Invasion in the Ketogenic Microenvironment

OBJECTIVE

A high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet has been used to treat malignant glioma, in which the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway is overactivated. However, whether the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway is involved in the therapeutic effect of ketone bodies remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of a major ketone body, 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HBA), on the proliferation and metastasis of malignant glioblastoma cells and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Two human malignant glioblastoma cell lines (U87 and U251) were treated with different concentrations of 3-HBA with or without the Raf inhibitor PAF C-16 for 24 h. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell invasion, and phospholipase D1 (PLD1) activity were determined. Protein and gene expression levels of Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway members were examined.

RESULTS

3-HBA significantly decreased cell proliferation, invasion, and intracellular PLD1 activity in both U87 and U251 glioblastoma cell lines. 3-HBA treatment significantly increased the proportion of cells in the G1 phase and decreased the proportion of cells in S phase in U87 cells. In the U251 line, the proportion of treated cells in S phase was increased and proportion of cells in G2 was decreased. 3-HBA treatment also significantly decreased the protein expression levels of Raf, MEK, p-MEK, ERK, p-ERK, and PLD1 while increasing p53 expression; an effect that was similar to treatment with the Raf inhibitor. Co-treatment of 3-HBA with the Raf inhibitor further enhanced the effects of the 3-HBA in both cell lines.

CONCLUSION

We confirmed that a ketogenic microenvironment can inhibit glioma cell proliferation and invasion by downregulating the expression of PLD1 through the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

[Pathological significance of plasma cell infiltration in diagnosing lymph node diseases]

Objective: To investigate the value of plasma cells for diagnosing lymph node diseases. Methods: Common lymphadenopathy (except plasma cell neoplasms) diagnosed from September 2012 to August 2022 were selected from the pathological records of Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China. Morphological and immunohistochemical features were analyzed to examine the infiltration pattern, clonality, and IgG and IgG4 expression of plasma cells in these lymphadenopathies, and to summarize the differential diagnoses of plasma cell infiltration in common lymphadenopathies. Results: A total of 236 cases of lymphadenopathies with various degrees of plasma cell infiltration were included in the study. There were 58 cases of Castleman's disease, 55 cases of IgG4-related lymphadenopathy, 14 cases of syphilitic lymphadenitis, 2 cases of rheumatoid lymphadenitis, 18 cases of Rosai-Dorfman disease, 23 cases of Kimura's disease, 13 cases of dermal lymphadenitis and 53 cases of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). The main features of these lymphadenopathies were lymph node enlargement with various degrees of plasm cell infiltration. A panel of immunohistochemical antibodies were used to examine the distribution of plasma cells and the expression of IgG and IgG4. The presence of lymph node architecture could help determine benign and malignant lesions. The preliminary classification of these lymphadenopathies was based on the infiltration features of plasma cells. The evaluation of IgG and IgG4 as a routine means could exclude the lymph nodes involvement of IgG4-related dieases (IgG4-RD), and whether it was accompanied by autoimmune diseases or multiple-organ diseases, which were of critical evidence for the differential diagnosis. For common lesions of lymphadenopathies, such as Castleman's disease, Kimura's disease, Rosai-Dorfman's disease and dermal lymphadenitis, the expression ratio of IgG4/IgG (>40%) as detected using immunhistochemistry and serum IgG4 levels should be considered as a standard for the possibility of IgG4-RD. The differential diagnosis of multicentric Castleman's diseases and IgG4-RD should be also considered. Conclusions: Infiltration of plasma cells and IgG4-positive plasma cells may be detected in some types of lymphadenopathies and lymphomas in clinicopathological daily practice, but not all of them are related to IgG4-RD. It should be emphasized that the characteristics of plasma cell infiltration and the ratio of IgG4/IgG (>40%) should be considered for further differential diagnosis and avoiding misclassification of lymphadenopathies.

Determining the potent immunostimulation potential arising from the heteropolysaccharide structure of a novel fucoidan, derived from Sargassum Zhangii

A preliminary study was conducted of the chemical, structural properties and immunomodulatory activities of fucoidan isolated from Sargassum Zhangii (SZ). Sargassum Zhangii fucoidan (SZF) was determined to have a sulfate content of 19.74 ± 0.01% (w/w) and an average molecular weight of 111.28 kDa. SZF possessed a backbone structure of (1,4)-α-d-linked-galactose, (3,4)-α-l-fucose, (1,3)-α-d-linked-xylose, β-d-linked-mannose and a terminal (1,4)-α-d-linked-glucose. The main monosaccharide composition was determined as (w/w) 36.10% galactose, 20.13% fucose, 8.86% xylose, 7.36% glucose, 5.62% mannose, and 18.07% uronic acids, respectively. An immunostimulatory assay showed that SZF, compared to commercial fucoidans (Undaria pitnnaifida and Fucus vesiculosus sources), significantly elevated nitric oxide production via up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase at both gene and protein levels. These results suggest that SZ has the potential to be a source of fucoidan with enhanced properties that may act as a useful ingredient for functional foods, nutritional supplements, and immune enhancers.

[Efficacy and safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the treatment of severe aortic stenosis]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. Methods: The clinical data of patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR at the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between September 2016 and September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Changes in aortic transvalvular pressure gradients, valve orifice area, and activity tolerance of patients before and after the surgery were compared. Moreover, postoperative complications and follow-up results from 30 days to 6 years after the surgery were recorded. Results: A total of 76 patients were included in the study (50 males and 26 females), with an average age of (71.3±7.6) years, including 16 rheumatic valvular diseases, 60 senile degenerative diseases, 46 bicuspid valves and 30 tricuspid valves. The success rate of the operation was 96.1% (73/76). Compared with that before the operation, the mean aortic transvalvular pressure gradients decreased [(8.5±2.8) mmHg vs (68.5±19.2) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),P<0.001], but the valve orifice area increased [(1.91±0.31) cm² vs (0.65±0.21) cm², P<0.001]. Likewise, six-minute walking test (6MWT) showed that walking distance was longer after the surgery [(430±13) m vs (201±28) m, P<0.001]. There were 1 case of retroperitoneal hematoma, 1 case of stricture balloon dilatation after femoral artery suture concomitant with postoperative puncture site infection, 1 case of femoral artery surgical incision, 2 cases of valve-in-valve (ViV) and 5 cases of perivalvular leakage (4 cases were mild and 1 case was moderate) after the surgery, respectively. Moreover, acute left main artery occlusion during operation occurred in 1 case, ventricular rupture during operation occurred in 1 case and the patient was transferred to valve replacement surgery and finally dead, delayed coronary artery occlusion and death happened in 1 case, and all of the above-mentioned 3 cases were due to surgical failure. Postoperative pacemaker implantation due to third-degree atrioventricular block was performed in 5 cases. There were 1 case of pulmonary embolism, 1 case of transient right limb disorder, 1 case of gastrointestinal bleeding and 1 case of urethral bleeding after the surgery, respectively. The patients were followed up for (1.0±0.1) years (30 days to 6 years), and the results showed that 2 cases died, including 1 case died suddenly at home (the cause of death was unknown) and 1 case died of acute heart failure 8 months after the surgery. Chronic heart failure occurred repeatedly in 6 cases. The quality of life of other patients improved significantly. Conclusion: TAVR is effective and safe for patients with severe aortic stenosis.

[Comparison of aspirin treatment strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases: A decision-analytic Markov modelling study]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the expected population impact of benefit and risk of aspirin treatment strategies for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases recommended by different guidelines in the Chinese Electronic Health Records Research in Yinzhou (CHERRY) study.

METHODS

A decision-analytic Markov model was used to simulate and compare different strategies of aspirin treatment, including: Strategy ①: Aspirin treatment for Chinese adults aged 40-69 years with a high 10-year cardiovascular risk, recommended by the 2020 Chinese Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases; Strategy ②: Aspirin treatment for Chinese adults aged 40-59 years with a high 10-year cardiovascular risk, recommended by the 2022 United States Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement on Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease; Strategy ③: Aspirin treatment for Chinese adults aged 40-69 years with a high 10-year cardiovascular risk and blood pressure well-controlled (< 150/90 mmHg), recommended by the 2019 Guideline on the Assessment and Management of Cardio-vascular Risk in China. The high 10-year cardiovascular risk was defined as the 10-year predicted risk over 10% based on the 2019 World Health Organization non-laboratory model. The Markov model simulated different strategies for ten years (cycles) with parameters mainly from the CHERRY study or published literature. Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and the number needed to treat (NNT) for each ischemic event (including myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke) were calculated to assess the effectiveness of the different strategies. The number needed to harm (NNH) for each bleeding event (including hemorrhagic stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding) was calculated to assess the safety. The NNT for each net benefit (i.e., the difference of the number of ischemic events could be prevented and the number of bleeding events would be added) was also calculated. One-way sensitivity analysis on the uncertainty of the incidence rate of cardiovascular diseases and probabilistic sensitivity analysis on the uncertainty of hazard ratios of interventions were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 212 153 Chinese adults, were included in this study. The number of people who were recommended for aspirin treatment Strategies ①-③ was 34 235, 2 813, and 25 111, respectively. The Strategy ③ could gain the most QALY of 403 [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 222-511] years. Compared with Strategy ①, Strategy ③ had similar efficiency but better safety, with the extra NNT of 4 (95%UI: 3-4) and NNH of 39 (95%UI: 19-132). The NNT per net benefit was 131 (95%UI: 102-239) for Strategy ①, 256 (95%UI: 181-737) for Strategy ②, and 132 (95%UI: 104-232) for Strategy ③, making Strategy ③ the most favorable option with a better QALY and safety, along with similar efficiency in terms of net benefit. The results were consistent in the sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

The aspirin treatment strategies recommended by the updated guidelines on the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases showed a net benefit for high-risk Chinese adults from developed areas. However, to balance effectiveness and safety, aspirin is suggested to be used for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases with consideration for blood pressure control, resulting in better intervention efficiency.

Identification, in silico selection, and mechanism study of novel antioxidant peptides derived from the rice bran protein hydrolysates

The work aimed to assess the antioxidant ability and obtain a new antioxidant peptide from rice bran protein. Rice bran protein was hydrolyzed by Alcalase, Neutral, Pepsin, Chymotrypsin, and Trypsin, separately. Trypsin hydrolysate (T-RBPH) showed high Fe²⁺ chelating activity (IC₅₀, 2.271 ± 0.007 mg/mL), DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability (IC₅₀, 0.191 ± 0.006 and 1.038 ± 0.034 mg/mL). Moreover, T-RBPH could alleviate the H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in Caco-2. The T-RBPH was purified and identified by UF, GF, FPLC, and LC-MS/MS. Finally, 9-amino acid peptide-AFDEGPWPK with low molecular weight (1045.48 Da), high antioxidant activity, good safety, and solubility was screened by in silico method and chemical oxidation determination, and its interaction with Keap1 was also demonstrated. The ORAC and DPPH radical scavenging ability of AFDEGPWPK were 44.16 ± 0.79 and 28.38 ± 0.14 μmol TE/mM. Moreover, the Molecular docking and Western blot (WB) results showed that AFDEGPWPK could enter the binding pocket in the Kelch domain and activate Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

[Prognostic factors for non-small cell lung cancer patients with central nervous system metastasis with positive driver genes]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors of patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with positive driver genes. Methods: The clinical data of 103 patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into positive driver gene group (patients with driver genes mutation and receiving corresponding targeted therapy) and negative driver gene group. Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the factors affecting patients' prognosis, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to compare the predictive ability of 4 scoring systems [recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classes, diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA) index, basic score for brain metastasesn (BS-BM) and (lung-molecular graded prognostic assessment (lung-mol GPA)]on patients' prognosis. Results: Among the 103 patients, 48 were males and 55 were females, and aged (64.6±9.7) years old. The median survival time of the 103 patients was 24.0 (95%CI: 20.0-28.0) months, the median survival time of the 59 patients in the positive driver gene group was 33.0 (95%CI: 23.4-42.6) months, the median survival time of the 44 patients in the negative driver gene group was 17.0 (95%CI: 14.4-19.6) months, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=24.69, P<0.001). The results of Cox multivariate analysis showed that the negative driver genes (HR=3.788, 95%CI: 1.951-7.301, P=0.001), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score<70 (HR=2.613, 95%CI: 1.185-5.761, P=0.017) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)>3.22 (HR=2.714, 95%CI: 1.157-6.365, P=0.022) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC. KPS score<70 (HR=3.719, 95%CI: 1.165-11.876, P=0.027) and no radiotherapy (HR=2.032, 95%CI: 1.033-11.364, P=0.041) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) value of lung-mol GPA was the highest among the 4 scoring systems (AUC=0.843, 95%CI: 0.731-0.956, P<0.001), and the AUC value of the lung-mol GPA combined scoring system (AUC=0.904, 95%CI: 0.816-0.991, P<0.001) was higher than lung-mol GPA. Conclusions: A low KPS score and no cranial radiation therapy are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes; the lung-mol GPA joint scoring system is more conducive to the prognostic assessment of patients with CNS metastatic NSCLC with positive driver genes.

Circular RNA XRCC5 aggravates glioma progression by activating CLC3/SGK1 axis via recruiting IGF2BP2

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidences have reported the critical roles of circular RNA (circRNA) in gliomas. Whereas, the role of circXRCC5 in glioma and its underlying molecular mechanism has not been reported.

METHODS

The RNA transcripts and protein levels were detected using qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) assays. Cell proliferation was characterized by CCK-8 and clone formation assays. The formation of NLRP3-inflammasomes was identified using immunofluorescence (IF) and Western blot assays. The cytokines were determined using immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot assays. The molecular interactions were validated using RIP and pull-down assays.

RESULTS

circXRCC5 was over-expressed in glioma and positively related to the shorter survival rate, advanced TNM stage and larger tumor volume. circXRCC5 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and NLRP3-mediated inflammasome activation of glioma cells. Subsequently, we found that circXRCC5 maintained mRNA stability of CLC3 by binding to IGF2BP2. Furthermore, CLC3 accelerated SGK1 expression via PI3K/PDK1/AKT pathway. The rescue experiments showed that both overexpression of CLC3 or SGK1 dramatically alleviated circXRCC5 knockdown-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and NLRP3-mediated inflammasome activation of glioma cells. In vivo, our study proved that circXRCC5 accelerated glioma growth by regulating CLC3/SGK1 axis.

CONCLUSION

Our data concluded that circXRCC5 formed a complex with IGF2BP2 to regulate inflammasome activation and tumor growth via CLC3/SGK1 axis.

Electrocarboxylation Reactions Using CO2 Both as Promoter and Carboxylative Reagent

Electrocarboxylation reaction, which employs organic electrosynthesis to achieve the utilization of CO2 as a carboxylative reagent, provides a powerful and efficient tool for the preparation of organic carboxylic acid. In some electrocarboxylation reactions, CO2 also acts as a promoter to facilitate the desired reaction. This concept mainly highlights recent CO2-promoted electrocarboxylation reactions via CO2•- intermediate or transiently protective carboxylation of active intermediate with CO2.

In vitro evaluation of probiotic properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus AD125 and antagonism against Escherichia coli O157:H7 adhesion to Caco-2 cell

This study investigated the in vitro antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus AD125 against Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and its probiotic properties: gastrointestinal tolerance, surface hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, coaggregation, and adhesion to Caco-2 cells. In addition, the action mode of the strain's antagonism against adhesion of E. coli O157:H7 to Caco-2 cells was analyzed, and related substances were also determined. Results showed that L. acidophilus AD125 had stronger antibacterial activity (inhibition zone of 20.47 ± 0.43 for AD125 culture solution and 14.55 ± 1.12 for cell-free supernatant) against E. coli O157:H7 than other Lactobacillus spp. Also, this strain had higher gastrointestinal tolerance, autoaggregation percentage (26.51 ± 0.71%), and coaggregation percentage (23.97 ± 0.44%) with E. coli O157:H7. High surface hydrophobicity of toluene and xylene (83.59 ± 2.54% and 93.45 ± 1.24%) was also observed. Bacterial adhesion counts were 1176.54 100 per cells, indicating good adhesion to Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, the exclusion, competition, and antibacterial effect of AD125 may have driven its antagonism against E. coli O157:H7 adhesion. Finally, surface-layer proteins, extracellular polysaccharides, and thermosensitive substances all participated in the antagonism against E. coli O157:H7, with surface-layer proteins the main related substances. These results show that Lactobacillus acidophilus AD125 is promising for inhibiting E. coli O157:H7 and preventing and treating intestinal diseases induced by E. coli O157:H7.

Soil warming decreased dissolved organic carbon quantity and quality in subtropical forests

Soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the most active part in forest soil carbon pool, the responses of which to climate warming has profound effects on forest carbon cycling. Based on a manipulative soil warming experiment in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests, we collected soil solutions in situ and used ultraviolet-visible, infrared and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy analyses to explore the effects of soil warming (+4 ℃, 1 year) on soil DOC quantity and quality along the soil profile. The results showed that soil DOC flux remained constant along the soil profile. Soil DOC mainly included two humic-like fractions and one microbial metabolite. Warming significantly decreased soil DOC flux and the abundance of aromatic and hydrophobic components, and increased the amount of low molecular weight carbohydrates. Furthermore, soil warming increased the relative proportion of humic-like fractions in the surface soil layer (0-10 cm) and microbial metabolite in the deep soil layer (30-40 cm), indicating that warming might accelerate microbial turnover in the deep layer. Overall, soil warming not only decreased soil DOC content, but also simplified the composition of soil DOC in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests.

[Mn/Al-layered Double Oxide-loaded Biochar Reduced the Toxic Effects of Heavy Metals on Ryegrass in Soil]

The combined pollution of heavy metal Cu and Cd in soil induced by the e-waste dismantling process has become a severe problem. To deal with this issue, crab shell biochar (BC) and Mn/Al-layered double oxide-loaded crab shell biochar (LDO/BC) were prepared using coprecipitation and co-pyrolysis of discarded crab shells and manganese aluminum salt. The experimental results showed that not only were the soil pH, available phosphorus, available potassium, and soil enzymatic activity enhanced, but the contents of DTPA-Cu and DTPA-Cd in the soil were also reduced after remediation by BC and LDO/BC. Microbial community analysis indicated that BC-1% could promote the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadota and Acidobacteriota; meanwhile, LDO/BC-1% could promote the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, which could reduce the accumulation of Cd in plants. Ryegrass was planted for further investigating the toxic effect of heavy metals in soil after remediation. The results demonstrated that after remediating with BC-5% and LDO/BC-1%, ryegrass grew more vigorously and with a lower content of the heavy metals Cu and Cd in the plants than that of CK, and the germination rate increased by 29% and 60%, respectively. Further, LDO/BC-1% had a more excellent remediation performance than that of the other groups, and the Mn in LDO/BC could reduce the content of heavy metal Cd adsorbed by ryegrass in soil.

Effect of soy protein isolate on physical properties of quinoa dough and gluten-free bread quality characteristics

BACKGROUND

Quinoa is a good gluten-free resource for food processing, especially bread making, and can improve and prevent the development of complications associated with celiac disease (CD). However, lack of gluten affects quinoa bread quality. Previous research showed that soy protein isolate (SPI) could improve gluten-free bread quality to some extent. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of SPI on the physical properties of quinoa dough and gluten-free bread quality characteristics.

RESULTS

Results showed that, with appropriate SPI substitution, the farinograph properties of quinoa flour significantly improved (P < 0.05). The sample with 8% SPI substitution showed a better development time (DT, 3.30 ± 0.20 min), stability time (ST, 8.80 ± 0.10 min) and softening degree (SD, 8.80 ± 0.10 FU), which were close to those of wheat flour, although more water absorption (WA, 76.40 ± 2.10%) was needed than for wheat flour (66.30 ± 3.10%). The extensograph properties of quinoa flour also significantly improved after 8% SPI substitution (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SPI substitution increased G' moduli of quinoa dough and decreased tan δ to some extent, providing better rheological properties closer to those of wheat dough. SPI substitution also improved the quality and texture of quinoa bread and reduced the gap with wheat bread. When SPI substitution was 8%, the specific volume, hardness and springiness of quinoa bread were 2.29 ± 0.05 mL g^-1 , 1496.47 ± 85.21 g and 0.71 ± 0.03%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

These results suggested that SPI substitution would be an effective way to develop higher-quality gluten-free bread. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Efficacy and safety of half-dose rituximab in the treatment of 23 cases with lupus nephritis]

The study aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of rituximab in the treatment of 23 cases of lupus nephritis and explore the prospect of half-dose rituximab in lupus nephritis treatment. Twenty-three patients with lupus nephritis hospitalized in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from May 2013 to December 2021 were selected. Eighteen patients received rituximab 375 mg/m² on the first and 14th days, 5 patients received 500 mg of rituximab on the first and 14th days, and rituximab was used as needed 6 months later. Methylprednisolone (80-120 mg) was given together with rituximab. Afterward, 1 mg/kg prednisone was used for 4 weeks, which was progressively tapered to maintenance doses or discontinued. B lymphocyte level, renal function, 24-h urine protein level, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI2K) score before and after treatment were recorded. The efficacy and adverse reactions were analyzed. The results showed that 11 patients suffered from renal insufficiency [creatinine (162.7±58.6) μmol/L ] at baseline, while the creatinine level of 9 patients returned to normal 12 months after the treatment [ (66.3±10.1)μmol/L ]. Normal renal function of the other 12 patients was maintained during treatment. After 12 months, the 24-h urine protein level decreased from 4.00 (2.00,6.80) g in the baseline period to 0.10 (0.08,0.40) g. SLEDAI2K score decreased from 22 (18,26) in the baseline period to 3 (0,6) 12 months after the treatment. The B lymphocyte level reached 0.00 (0.00,0.01)% at 3 months. Of 23 patients, 13 patients achieved complete remission, and 7 patients achieved partial remission after 6 months of rituximab treatment. Five patients experienced adverse reactions related to rituximab, including 1 case of transfusion reaction, 1 case of perioral herpes with pulmonary infection, and 3 cases of decreased IgG levels. Therefore, rituximab regimen used in this study can be an effective treatment strategy for lupus nephritis.

Chemical Characterization and Immunomodulatory Activity of Fucoidan from Sargassum hemiphyllum

Fucoidan is a sulfated algal polyanionic polysaccharide that possesses many biological activities. In this paper, a fucoidan (SHF) polysaccharide was extracted from Sargassum hemiphyllum collected in the South China Sea. The SHF, with a molecular weight of 1166.48 kDa (44.06%, w/w), consisted of glucose (32.68%, w/w), galactose (24.81%, w/w), fucose (20.75%, w/w), xylose (6.98%, w/w), mannose (2.76%, w/w), other neutral monosaccharides, and three uronic acids, including glucuronic acid (5.39%, w/w), mannuronic acid (1.76%, w/w), and guronuronic acid (1.76%, w/w). The SHF exhibited excellent immunostimulatory activity. An immunostimulating assay showed that SHF could significantly increase NO secretion in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells via upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels based on both gene expression and protein abundance. These results suggest that SHF isolated from Sargassum hemiphyllum has great potential to act as a health-boosting ingredient in the pharmaceutical and functional-food fields.

A retrospective study on the clinical significance of cardiac computed tomography in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

Background

This study investigated the correlation between cardiac function parameters by cardiac computed tomography (CT) and the clinical outcomes of heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) to provide experimental data for the diagnosis of HFpEF.

Methods

A total of 157 HFpEF patients admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into event and non-event groups according to the occurrence or absence of adverse events. Cardiac function parameters, such as the left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), were obtained via CT scan. Also, the N-terminal-pro hormone b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in patients' serum were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and echocardiographic parameters such as LV posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) were also recorded. Further, Cox regression was employed to analyze factors associated with the clinical outcomes.

Results

Compared with patients in the non-event group, the left ventricular end-diastolic mass (LVM), LVEDVI, left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), left atrial end-diastolic volume index (LAEDVI), and left atrial end-systolic volume index (LAESVI) were significantly increased, and the left ventricular total emptying fraction (LVTEF) and left atrial total emptying fraction (LATEF) were markedly decreased in the event group patients. Also, the E/e' and LAEDVI were related factors affecting the clinical outcomes of HFpEF patients. The above indicators displayed a significant predictive for the clinical outcomes of HFpEF patients.

Conclusions

Several cardiac function measures, including LAEDVI, are factors associated with the clinical outcomes of HFpEF patients.

Electroreductive Ring-Opening Carboxylation of Cycloketone Oxime Esters with Carbon Dioxide

Electroreductive ring-opening carboxylation of cycloketone oxime esters with atmospheric carbon dioxide is reported. This reaction proceeded under simple constant current conditions in an undivided cell using glassy carbon as the cathode and magnesium as the sacrificial anode, providing substituted γ- and δ-cyanocarboxylic acids in moderate to good yields. Electrochemically generated cyanoalkyl radicals and cyanoalkyl anion are proposed as the key intermediates.

[Simulated nitrogen deposition reduces potential nitrous oxide emissions in a natural Castanopsis carlesii forest soil]

The reactive nitrogen deposition in subtropical region of China has been increasing annually, which affects biogeochemical processes in forest soils. In this study, three treatments were established, including control (no N addition, CK), low nitrogen deposition (40 kg·hm^-2·a^-1, LN), and high nitrogen deposition (80 kg·hm^-2·a^-1, HN) to study the response of denitrifying functional genes and potential N₂O emissions to simulated nitrogen deposition in the soils of a natural Castanopsis carlesii forest. Results showed that HN significantly decreased soil potential N₂O emission, while 8-year nitrogen deposition did not affect the abundances of nirS, nirK, nosZ Ⅰ and nosZ Ⅱ. However, the abundance of nosZ Ⅰwas significantly higher than nosZ Ⅱ in all the treatments, indicating that nosZ Ⅰ dominated over nosZ Ⅱ in the acidic soils. HN significantly decreased the ratio of (nirK+nirS)/(nosZ Ⅰ+nosZ Ⅱ), which was positively correlated with soil pH. The results suggested that long-term high nitrogen deposition reduced soil pH and the abundance ratio of (nirK+nirS)/(nosZ Ⅰ+nosZ Ⅱ), which subsequently reduced the potential N₂O emission.

[Effects of warming on physicochemical property of Cunninghamia lanceolata branch and leaf litter in subtropical plantation]

At the regional scale, substrate properties are the key factors driving litter decomposition rate. In this study, soil temperature was increased by buried heating cables to explore the impacts of climate warming on the physical and chemical properties in branch and leaf of Cunninghamia lanceolata litter. The results showed that after 5 years of soil warming (4 ℃), the contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and water-soluble substance in branch litter increased by 35.2%, 40.8% and 7.6%, while that in leaf litter increased by 41.2%, 45.9% and 5.9%, respectively. The contents of carbon (C), cellulose and C/N in branch litter decreased by 5.1%, 11.6% and 28.8%, and in leaf litter decreased by 5.3%, 11.3% and 33.3%, respectively. Soil warming led to 29.8% increase in specific leaf area (SLA) and 40.7% decrease in tensile strength (LTS) of leaf litter. However, warming did not affect lignin content and pH value in both branch and leaf litter. ¹³C NMR and infrared spectrum analysis showed that the contents of amino acids, polysaccharides, polyphenols and aliphatic compounds in litter changed significantly after warming. Warming effect differed between litter organs, in that polysaccharides increased significantly only in leaf litter and the increase of amino acids in branch litter was greater than that in leaf litter. Overall, soil warming significantly changed the physical and chemical properties in C. lanceolata branch and leaf litter, which might accelerate the decomposition rate at the initial stage due to the increase of N, P contents and the decrease of LTS, but might decelerate the decomposition rate at the later stage due to an increase of complex polymers content in the litter.

Role of the Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Early Brain Edema Score in the Management of Decompressive Craniectomy for Poor-Grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

The Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Early Brain Edema Score (SEBES) is a radiographic marker for early brain injury after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We evaluated the role of the SEBES in performing decompressive craniectomy (DC) for poor-grade aSAH.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed all cases of poor-grade (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies [WFNS] grade IV and V) aSAH in adults who underwent microsurgery at our center between April 2017 and March 2021. Patient demographics, clinical presentation, imaging findings, and surgical data were obtained. The study endpoints of DC rate, complications, and functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score >3) were compared between the traditional surgery and SEBES-informed groups. A survival analysis was performed to estimate 180-day survival and hazard ratios for death.

RESULTS

The study included 116 patients (mean age, 60.8 ± 9.5 years, DCs [n = 63, 54.3%]). In the univariate analysis, age, intracranial pressure, midline shift, pupil changes, SEBES grade III-IV, traditional group, and WFNS grade Ⅴ were associated with DC. DC (46.4% vs. 67.4%) and in-hospital mortality rates (9.6% vs. 25.6%) were significantly lower in the SEBES-informed group. At day 180 after admission, modified Rankin Scale scores did not significantly differ between the 2 groups, but 180-day survival was significantly higher in the SEBES-informed group (78.1% vs. 53.5%). In the multivariable analysis, age, pupil changes, being in the traditional group, and delayed cerebral ischemia were independently associated with 180-day postadmission mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The SEBES provides good imaging support for preoperative and intraoperative intracranial pressure management in poor-grade aSAH, allowing for improved DC-related decision-making and better 180-day survival.

Post-synthesis functionalization of ZIF-90 with sulfonate groups for high proton conduction

Introducing sulfonic acid groups into MOF materials is one of the effective approaches to enhance proton conduction. Here, we attempted to prepare a new post-modified ZIF-90-based material by addition reaction of the aldehyde group with bisulfite to obtain partially functionalized ZIF-90-SO₃Na_(2.3). ZIF-90-SO₃Na_(2.3) exhibits a high proton conductivity of 2.26 × 10^-2 S cm^-1 at 98% RH and 100 °C.

[Accuracy of the China-PAR and WHO risk models in predicting the ten-year risks of cardiovascular disease in the Chinese population]

Objective: To externally validate and compare the accuracy of the China-PAR (Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China) model and the 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) cardiovascular disease risk charts for East Asian in predicting a 10-year cardiovascular disease in a general Chinese population. Methods: Participants aged 40-79 years without prior cardiovascular disease at baseline in the CHinese Electronic health Records Research in Yinzhou (CHERRY) were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated the observed cardiovascular events (including non-fatal myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, and non-fatal or fatal stroke) rate within ten years. The expected risks were calculated using the WHO risk charts for East Asia (including the laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based models) and the China-PAR model. The expected-observed ratios were calculated to evaluate the overestimation or underestimation of the models in the cohort. Model accuracy was assessed by discrimination C-index, calibration χ² value, and calibration plots. Results: During a median of 7.26 years of follow-up, 13 301 cardiovascular events were identified among 225 811 participants. The C-index for the China-PAR model, WHO laboratory-based model and WHO non-laboratory-based model were 0.741 (0.735-0.747), 0.747 (0.740-0.753), and 0.739 (0.733-0.746) for men, and 0.782 (0.776-0.788), 0.789 (0.783-0.795), and 0.782 (0.776-0.787) for women, respectively. The WHO laboratory-based model and non-laboratory-based model underestimated the 10-year ASCVD risk by around 15% in women and underestimated by 0.8% and 4.4% in men, respectively. The China-PAR model underestimated the risks by 19.5% and 42.3% for men and women. Conclusions: The China-PAR and WHO models all have pretty good discriminations for 10-year cardiovascular risk assessment in this general Chinese population. However, the accuracy should be improved in the highest-risk groups, suggesting further specific models are still needed for those with the highest risk, such as patients with diabetes or older persons.

[Effects of management on the content and spectral characteristics of soil dissolved organic carbon in a subtropical forest]

The differences of artificial measures, such as logging residue management, between assisted natural regeneration and afforestation may change the content and structure of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and affect forest carbon cycle. In this study, we investigated the effects of managements on the content and spectral characteristics of DOC in a subtropical forest, which contained the forest of assisted natural regeneration (Ⅱ), and the plantation (Ⅲ), both were converted from mature secondary forests (Ⅰ). Results showed that DOC content in the 0-10 cm soil layer was significantly decreased by 21% and 50% in Ⅱ and Ⅲ, respectively, compared with that in Ⅰ. The DOC/SOC (soil organic carbon) ratios of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layers were significantly decreased by 27% and 43% after the conversion, respectively. In the 0-10 cm soil layer, the aromatic index and humification index of DOC in Ⅱ were significantly higher than that in Ⅲ. The infrared absorption ratio of soil DOC in the range of 3700-3000 cm^-1, 1650-1620 cm^-1, 1160-1000 cm^-1, and 690-530 cm^-1 in Ⅱ was higher than that in Ⅲ, indicating that the DOC in Ⅱ had higher carboxylic acids and aromatic substances than Ⅲ. The fluorescence index of DOC in Ⅱ and Ⅲ ranged from 1.4 to 1.9, and the biological index of Ⅱ was significantly higher than that of Ⅲ, indicating that Ⅲ had higher protein components in DOC and being more bioavailable. Thus, the differences of the content and structure of DOC between Ⅱ and Ⅲ might cause higher soil carbon pool of Ⅱ than that of Ⅲ.

Direct and Selective Electrocarboxylation of Styrene Oxides with CO2 for Accessing β-Hydroxy Acids

Highly selective and direct electroreductive ring-opening carboxylation of epoxides with CO2 in an undivided cell is reported. This reaction shows broad substrate scopes within styrene oxides under mild conditions, providing practical and scalable access to important synthetic intermediate β-hydroxy acids. Mechanistic studies show that CO2 functions not only as a carboxylative reagent in this reaction but also as a promoter to enable efficient and chemoselective transformation of epoxides under additive-free electrochemical conditions. Cathodically generated α-radical and α-carbanion intermediates lead to the regioselective formation of α-carboxylation products.

[Analysis of changes in self-efficacy and its influencing factors in type 2 diabetic patients after community-based self-management group intervention]

Objective: To analyze the changes in self-efficacy and its influencing factors in type 2 diabetic patients after community-based self-management group intervention. Methods: From August to November 2014, a 3-month community-based self-management intervention study of type 2 diabetes patients was implemented in Fangshan District, Beijing. 510 patients were recruited through posters, household inquiries and telephone notification and then were randomly divided into intervention group (260 patients) and control group (250 patients). Finally, 500 patients completed the study, including 259 in the intervention group and 241 in the control group. Self-efficacy score was measured through face-to-face interview at different time points, including pre-intervention, post-intervention, 2 years after the intervention and 5 years after the intervention, respectively. A two-level random coefficient model was fitted to analyze the long-term trend of self-efficacy and its relationship with group intervention. Results: Individual-level educational attainment, disease duration as well as their treatment plans had a positive correlation with self-efficacy of type 2 diabetic patients while gender and age did not affect their self-efficacy. Patients with junior middle school education, senior high school education and university and above education had 4.66 (P<0.05), 6.40 (P<0.05) and 11.02 (P<0.05) points higher than those with primary education, respectively. The self-efficacy of diabetic patients increased by 0.23 (P<0.05) for each additional course year. The effect of treatment plan on self-efficacy was mainly reflected in the self-efficacy of taking medication or insulin injection as prescribed and blood glucose monitoring. After controlling for the confounding factors, i.e., gender, age, disease duration, educational attainment, and treatment plan, self-efficacy scores at the post-intervention increased in both groups compared to those at the pre-intervention. The intervention group had 7.95 points higher than the control group (P<0.05). After the intervention, the self-efficacy scores of both groups decreased year by year while the intervention group declined faster, with 5.41 points (P<0.05) at 2 years after the intervention and 8.94 points (P<0.05) at 5 years after the intervention. Conclusion: Community-based self-management group intervention could improve the self-efficacy of type 2 diabetic patients while the self-efficacy decreases year by year in the absence of follow-up intervention.

Photochromic and electrochromic properties of a viologen-based multifunctional Cd-MOF

A pair of novel multifunctional MOF materials [Cd₂(L)₂(D/L-Lm)(H₂O)₂]·5H₂O (denoted as D/L-Cd-MOF) has been synthesized by combining the viologen-functionalized ligand H₂L⁺Cl^- and chiral D/L-tartaric acid (H₂Lm) with a simple solvothermal method. Due to the unique photoelectric response properties of the viologen units, reversible photochromic and electrochromic properties have been combined in D/L-Cd-MOF, which points to a new way of designing and constructing multifunctional photoelectric materials.

[Effectiveness of statin treatment strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in a community-based Chinese population: A decision-analytic Markov model]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of statin treatment strategies based on risk assessment for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases by the Western guidelines in a community-based Chinese population from economically developed areas using data from the Chinese electronic health records research in Yinzhou (CHERRY) study.

METHODS

A Markov model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the following statin treatment strategies, including: (1) usual care without cardiovascular risk assessment(Strategy 0); (2) using the World Health Organization (WHO) non-laboratory-based risk charts with statin treatment for high-risk group (risk ≥ 20%) (Strategy 1); (3) using the WHO laboratory-based risk charts with statin treatment for high-risk group (risk ≥ 20%) (Strategy 2); and (4) using the Prediction for Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease Risk in China (China-PAR) model with statin treatment for high-risk group (risk ≥ 10%, Strategy 3). According to the guidelines, adults in the medium-risk group received lifestyle intervention, and adults in the high-risk group received life-style intervention and statin treatment under these strategies. The Markov model simulated different strategies for ten years (cycles) using parameters from the CHERRY study, published data, meta-analyses and systematic reviews for Chinese. The number of cardiovascular events or deaths, as well as the number need to treat (NNT) with statin per cardiovascular event or death prevented, were calculated to compare the effectiveness of different strategies. One-way sensitivity analysis on the uncertainty of incidence rate of cardiovascular diseases, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis on the uncertainty of hazard ratios of interventions were conducted.

RESULTS

Totally 225 811 Chinese adults aged 40-79 years without cardiovascular diseases at baseline were enrolled. In contrast to the usual care without risk assessment-based statin treatment strategy, Strategy 1 using the WHO non-laboratory-based risk charts could prevent 3 482 [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 2 110-4 661] cardiovascular events, Strategy 2 using the WHO laboratory-based risk charts could prevent 3 685 (95%UI: 2 255-4 912) events, and Strategy 3 using the China-PAR model could prevent 3 895 (95%UI: 2 396-5 181) events. NNTs with statin per cardiovascular event prevented were 22 (95%UI: 14-54), 21 (95%UI: 14-52), and 27 (95%UI: 17-67), respectively. Strategy 3 could prevent more cardiovascular events, while Strategies 1 and 2 required fewer numbers need to treat with statin per cardiovascular event prevented. The results were consistent in the sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

The statin treatment strategies based on risk assessment for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases recommended by the Western guidelines could achieve substantive health benefits in adults from developed areas of China. Using the China-PAR model for cardiovascular risk assessment could prevent more cardiovascular diseases while using the WHO risk charts seems more efficient.

[Epidemiological characteristics of 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Gansu province]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in Gansu province, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of COVID-19. Methods: The information of COVID-19 cases, including demographic characteristics, epidemiological history, onset date, diagnosis date, exposure place, detection way and infection source, in Gansu from 17 October to 25 November, 2021 were collected. Software Excel 2016,SPSS 22 and ArcGIS 10.7 were used for data process and analysis. Results: As of November 25, 2021, a total of 146 COVID-19 cases had been reported in Gansu and the epidemic affected 10 counties (districts) in 5 cities. The epidemic of COVID-19 in Gansu had three stages: imported case stage,imported-local case stage and local case stage. The age of cases ranged from 1 to 87 years,and the cases in age group 18-59 years accounted for 59.59% (87/146). The male to female ratio of the cases was 1∶1.12 (69∶77). The cases were mainly people engaged in business services (17.12%, 25/146),retirees (15.75%, 23/146),students (13.70%, 20/146),the jobless and unemployed (12.33%, 18/146). In 3 epidemic stages, the cases aged 18-59 years accounted for 44.44%,54.41% and 70.00% respectively,showing an upward trend,and there were differences among different populations (trend χ²=23.24, P<0.001). Also, the incubation period of the cases tended to decrease, and severe cases accounted for 33.33% (6/18), 19.12% (13/68) and 3.33% (2/60) respectively, showing a downward trend. Community screening (25.34%, 37/146) and close contact screening were the main ways to detect cases,the cases detected by close contact screening in 3 epidemic stages accounted for 50.00% (9/18), 66.18% (45/68) and 86.67% (52/60) respectively. The epidemic had obvious case clustering in confined places,and the main exposure modes were living together (24.66%), working/studying together (11.64%), taking same transportation (9.59%) and dining together (9.59%). Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic in Gansu was caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant from imported cases. The virus was mainly transmitted through travel, sharing transportation, dining together and home contact. The characteristics of COVID-19 epidemic in Gansu changed with time, the case's clinical symptoms were not obvious and the incubation period became shorter. The infections mainly occurred in group aged 18 years and above.

[Responses of soil ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms to simulated nitrogen deposition in a natural Castanopsis carlesii forest]

Subtropical region of China is one of the global hotspots receiving nitrogen deposition. Nitrogen deposition could affect the abundance and community structure of ammonia oxidizers including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox Nitrospira), with consequences on soil nutrient cycling that are driven by microorganisms. There is limited understanding for the newly discovered comammox Nitrospira in the subtropical forest soils. Here, we investigated the effect of simulated N deposition on abundances of soil ammonia oxidizers in the Castanopsis fargesii Nature Reserve in Xinkou Town, Sanming City, Fujian Province, China. Soil samples were collected from the field plots which received long-term nitrogen deposition with different dosages, including: CK, no additional treatment; LN, low nitrogen deposition treatment, dosage of 40 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1; and HN, high nitrogen deposition treatment, dosage of 80 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1. After 8-year treatment, simulated N deposition decreased soil pH and organic matter content, and increased nitrate content. We failed to amplify the amoA gene of AOB in the tested soils. High nitrogen deposition increased the abundance of AOA, but did not affect the abundance of comammox Nitrospira clade A and clade B. The ratio of comammox Nitrospira to AOA decreased with N addition, indicating that N addition weakened the role of comammox Nitrospira in nitrification in the subtropical forest soils. However, there were strong non-specific amplifications for both comammox Nitrospira clades A and B, highlighting the demand for the development of high coverage and specificity primers for comammox Nitrospira investigations in the future. The abundance of comammox Nitrospira clade A was positively correlated with total nitrogen (TN) and NH₄⁺ concentration, while that of clade B was positively associated with soil organic carbon (SOC), TN and NH₄⁺ Concentration. Overall, our findings demonstrated that simulated N deposition increased the relative importance of AOA in nitrification in the natural Castanopsis carlesii forest soil. These findings could provide theoretical support in coping with global change and N deposition in these regions.

Electrostatic attraction induces cationic covalent-organic framework to pack inorganic acid ions for promoting proton conduction

A cationic COF (CCOF) was imported to afford stable proton conductive material while the positively charged CCOF can constrain the inorganic anion groups into the framework through an ion exchange process. The inorganic anions could play the role of proton donors to provide a rich source of protons, as well as the proton acceptors for proton transmission, thus forming an interlinked proton conduction pathway within the framework. The proton conductivities of COF materials loaded with different anions have been improved to varying degrees, and the conductivity of H₂PO₄^-@CCOF is up to 3.86 × 10^-2 S cm^-1 at 100 °C.

TL1A/DR3 Axis, A Key Target of TNF-a, Augments the Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transformation of Epithelial Cells in OVA-Induced Asthma

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like cytokine 1A (TL1A), a member of the TNF family, exists in the form of membrane-bound (mTL1A) and soluble protein (sTL1A). TL1A binding its only known functional receptor death domain receptor 3 (DR3) affects the transmission of various signals. This study first proposed that the TL1A/DR3 axis was significantly upregulated in patients and mice with both asthma and high TNF-a expression and in TNF-a-stimulated epithelial Beas-2B cells. Two independent approaches were used to demonstrate that the TL1A/DR3 axis of mice was strongly correlated with TNF-a in terms of exacerbating asthmatic epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT). First, high expression levels of EMT proteins (e.g., collagen I, fibronectin, N-cadherin, and vimentin) and TL1A/DR3 axis were observed when mice airways were stimulated by recombinant mouse TNF-a protein. Moreover, EMT protein and TL1A/DR3 axis expression synchronously decreased after mice with OVA-induced asthma were treated with infliximab by neutralizing TNF-a activity. Furthermore, the OVA-induced EMT of asthmatic mice was remarkably improved upon the deletion of the TL1A/DR3 axis by knocking out the TL1A gene. TL1A siRNA remarkably intervened EMT formation induced by TNF-a in the Beas-2B cells. In addition, EMT was induced by the addition of high concentrations of recombinant human sTL1A with the cell medium. The TL1A overexpression via pc-mTL1A in vitro remarkably increased the EMT formation induced by TNF-a. Overall, these findings indicate that the TL1A/DR3 axis may have a therapeutic role for asthmatic with high TNF-a level.

Superprotonic Conductivity of UiO-66 with Missing-Linker Defects in Aqua-Ammonia Vapor

The design and preparation of proton-conducting metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with superconductivity are of significance for the proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Introducing functional structural defects to enhance proton conductivity is a good approach. Here, we synthesized a series of UiO-66 (first synthesized in the University of Oslo) with missing-linker defects and investigated the effect of defect numbers on the proton conductivity of the samples. Among them, 60-UiO-66-1.8 (60 represents the synthesis temperature and 1.8 the number of defects) prepared with 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a modulator has the best proton conductivity, which is 3 × 10^-2 S cm^-1 at 100 °C and under 98% relative humidity (RH). The acidic sites induced by missing-linker defects further promote the chemisorption of ammonia molecules, resulting in the formation of a richer hydrogen-bond network and hence boosting the proton conductivity to 1.04 × 10^-1 S cm^-1 at 80 °C, which is one of the highest values among the reported MOF-based proton conductor. Therefore, this work provides a new strategy for enhancing proton conduction in MOF-based materials.