LncRNA SATB2-AS1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis and affects the tumor immune microenvironment in osteosarcoma by regulating SATB2

Our previous report has identified a lncRNA SATB2-AS1, which was significantly up-regulated in osteosarcoma tissue and promotes the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells in vitro. However, the mechanisms of SATB2-AS1 regulating the growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells in vivo and its role in the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients are still unclear. In this study, the transcriptome sequencing data of 87 patients with osteosarcoma from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) database and 7 patients from our clinical center (GZFPH) was used to evaluate the importance of SATB2-AS1 and SATB2 on the prognosis. The effect of SATB2-AS1 on the growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells in vivo was verified by a mouse tumor model. The potential mechanisms of SATB2-AS1 regulating SATB2 were further explored by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA pull-down assay, and bioinformatics analysis. The results suggested that increased co-expression of SATB2-AS1 and SATB2 was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), and was a biomarker for risk stratification in patients with osteosarcoma. Mechanistically, SATB2-AS1 promotes tumor growth and lung metastasis by regulating SATB2 in vivo. SATB2-AS1 directly binds to POU3F1 for mediating SATB2 expression in MNNG/HOS cells. In addition, SATB2-AS1 and SATB2 might be potential immunomodulators for negatively affecting immune cell infiltration by the IL-17 signaling pathway. In summary, SATB2-AS1 promoted tumor cell growth and lung metastasis by activating SATB2, thereby associated with poor prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma, which indicated that SATB2-AS1 and SATB2 might be novel biomarkers for risk stratification and promising therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma.

[Transanal drainage tube for prevention of anastomotic leak after anterior resection for rectal cancer: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of transanal drainage tube (TDT) in reducing the incidence of anastomotic leak following anterior resection in patients with rectal cancer. Methods: We conducted a systematic search for relevant studies published from inception to October 2022 across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software. The primary outcomes included total incidence of anastomotic leak, grade B and C anastomotic leak rates, reoperation rate, anastomotic bleeding rate, and overall complication rate. Results: Three randomized controlled trials involving 1115 patients (559 patients in the TDT group and 556 in the non-TDT group) were included. Meta-analysis showed that the total incidences of anastomotic leak and of grade B anastomotic leak were 5.5% (31/559) and 4.5% (25/559), respectively, in the TDT group and 7.9% (44/556) and 3.8% (21/556), respectively, in the non-TDT group. These differences are not statistically significant (P=0.120, P=0.560, respectively). Compared with the non-TDT group, the TDT group had a lower incidence of grade C anastomotic leak (1.6% [7/559] vs. 4.5% [25/556]) and reoperation rate (0.9% [5/559] vs. 4.3% [24/556]), but a higher incidence of anastomotic bleeding (8.2% [23/279] vs. 3.6% [10/276]). These differences were statistically significant (P=0.003, P=0.001, P=0.030, respectively). The overall complication rate was 26.5%(74/279) in the TDT group and 27.2% (75/276) in the non-TDT group. These differences are not statistically significant (P=0.860). Conclusions: TDT did not significantly reduce the total incidence of anastomotic leak but may have potential clinical benefits in preventing grade C anastomotic leak. Notably, placement of TDT may increase the anastomotic bleeding rate.

HRTEM Analysis of the Influence of Non-stick Coal's Oxidation Degree on Aromatic Fringe Morphology

The purpose of this research was to explore the parameters of the aromatics lattice fringes by using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) patterns, combined with ArcGIS and MATLAB methods, to quantitatively evaluate and analyze the coal samples oxidized by different concentrations of H₂O₂, and to explore the changes in the morphology and spatial distribution of the aromatic system under oxidation. As the degree of oxidation increased, the orientation of the aromatic lattice fringes became more disordered, and the distortion degree increased. The distribution range of Y and T type dislocation structures, which were widely distributed in short (<0.59 nm) lattice fringes, increased, while that of spiral type dislocation structures, which were distributed in medium (0.59-0.99 nm) and long (1.00-2.49 nm) lattice fringes, decreased. In addition, the collapse and condensation of aromatic slices caused by continuous oxidation further weakened the π-π stacking effect between aromatic rings, resulting in a decrease in the interlayer distance and stacking height. The advantages of HRTEM analysis were confirmed by XRD, SEM and FTIR analysis. This provides a new perspective on the oxidation phenomenon and enriches the examination of the low-temperature oxidation mechanism of coal.

Impacts of Strong ENSO Events on Fish Communities in an Overexploited Ecosystem in the South China Sea

To better understand how fish communities respond to environmental changes under extreme climate events, we examine changes in fish communities in Beibu Gulf during strong El Niño and La Niña events. Strong La Niña and El Niño events affect the composition, abundance, and distribution of fish communities in Beibu Gulf. Fish community distribution and composition change before and after La Niña and El Niño events, and dominant species within them change with stable fishing intensity. The abundance and distribution of small pelagic fish such as Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) and Japanese scad (Decapterus maruadsi) are the most affected. Using a generalized additive model (GAM), we explore relationships between the abundance of T. japonicus and D. maruadsi and a suite of environmental variables. The GAM results revealed that sea surface salinity and sea surface temperature best explain changes in catch per unit effort of these two species during a La Niña event; depth, sea surface temperature, and mixed layer depth during an El Niño event. The results obtained in this study will offer support for implementing more-accurate, scientific fisheries management measures.

Understanding the effects of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for treating osteoarthritis using an in vitro co-culture model

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability, for which there is no cure. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been used in clinical trials for treating OA due to their unique ability to generate paracrine anti-inflammatory and trophic signals. Interestingly, these studies have shown mainly short-term effects of MSCs in improving pain and joint function, rather than sustained and consistent benefits. This may reflect a change or loss in the therapeutic effects of MSCs after intra-articular injection. The present study aimed to unravel the reasons behind the variable efficacy of MSC injections for OA using an in vitro co-culture model. Osteoarthritic human synovial fibroblasts (OA-HSFs) were co-cultured with MSCs to investigate their reciprocal effects on cell responses and whether a short-term exposure of OA cells to MSCs was sufficient for reducing their diseased characteristics in a sustained manner. Gene expression and histological analyses were performed. OA-HSFs exposed to MSCs showed short-term downregulation of inflammatory markers. However, the MSCs showed upregulation of inflammatory markers and impaired ability to undergo osteogenesis and chondrogenesis in the presence of OA-HSFs. Moreover, short-term exposure of OA-HSFs to MSCs was found to be insufficient for inducing sustained changes to their diseased behaviour. These findings suggested that MSCs may not provide long-term effects in correcting the OA joint environment due to them adopting the diseased phenotype of the surrounding tissues, which has important implications for the future development of effective stem-cell-based OA treatments with long-term therapeutic efficacy.

Molecular Mechanism Study on the Effect of Microstructural Differences of Octylphenol Polyoxyethylene Ether (OPEO) Surfactants on the Wettability of Anthracite

Inhalable coal dust poses a serious threat to coal mining safety, air quality, and the health of miners. Therefore, the development of efficient dust suppressants is crucial for addressing this issue. This study evaluated the ability of three high-surface-active OPEO-type nonionic surfactants (OP4, OP9, and OP13) to improve the wetting properties of anthracite via extensive experiments and a molecular simulation and determined the micro-mechanism of different wetting properties. The surface tension results show that OP4 has the lowest surface tension (27.182 mN/m). Contact angle tests and wetting kinetics models suggest that OP4 exhibits the strongest wetting improvement ability on raw coal with the smallest contact angle (20.1°) and the fastest wetting rate. In addition, FTIR and XPS experimental results also reveal that OP4-treated coal surfaces introduce the most hydrophilic elements and groups. UV spectroscopy testing shows that OP4 has the highest adsorption capacity on the coal surface, reaching 133.45 mg/g. The surfactant is adsorbed on the surface and pores of anthracite, while the strong adsorption ability of OP4 results in the least amount of N₂ adsorption (8.408 cm³/g) but the largest specific surface area (1.673 m²/g). In addition, the filling behavior and aggregation behavior of surfactants on the anthracite coal surface were observed using SEM. The MD simulation results indicate that OPEO reagents with overly long hydrophilic chains would produce spatial effects on the coal surface. Under the influence of the π-π interaction between the hydrophobic benzene ring and the coal surface, OPEO reagents with fewer ethylene oxide quantities are more prone to adsorb onto the coal surface. Therefore, after the adsorption of OP4, both the polarity and the water molecule adhesion ability of the coal surface are greatly enhanced, which helps to suppress dust production. These results provide important references and a foundation for future designs of efficient compound dust suppressant systems.

Dinuclear-gold-catalyzed cyclization of 1,7-enynes with alkyl bromides

Dinuclear-gold-catalyzed radical difunctionalization of alkyl bromides with 1,7-enynes has been established via dehalogenation and 1,5-HAT processes. This protocol was used to construct, in a facile and efficient manner, a wide range of cyclopenta[c]quinolines bearing two quaternary carbon centers with good yields (28 examples, up to 84% yield). The good functional group compatibility and gram-scale preparation ability of the reaction proved its synthetic robustness.

[Analysis of characteristics of drug resistance gene mutation in HBV RT region of hepatitis B infected patients]

Objective: This article investigated the clinical characteristics and distribution of drug resistance mutation sites in HBV RT region of hepatitis B infected patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis was made on 1 948 patients with HBV infection, who had been tested for NAs resistance mutation and had a medical history of NAs in the Laboratory Department of the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. Basic clinical information and drug resistance related mutation information were recorded. Meanwhile, the serological index data of hepatitis B were collected. Drug resistance gene mutant group and non-mutated group were grouped according to whether the drug resistance genes had a mutation in HBV RT region, and the clinical characteristics and genotype distribution of the two groups were statistically analyzed. The pattern of drug resistance gene mutation, number of mutation sites, drug resistance type and mutation of NAs resistance-related sites were analyzed in 917 patients with drug resistance gene mutation in HBV RT region. χ² Inspection was used for counting data. Meanwhile, two independent samples t-test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for measurement data. Results: Among the 1 948 patients with chronic HBV infection, 917 patients had drug resistance gene mutation in RT region (47.07%). The proportion of patients with acute hepatitis B and CHB in HBV RT resistance gene mutant group was lower than that in the non-mutated group, while the proportion of patients with HBV-related cirrhosis was higher than that in the non-mutated group, these differences were statistically significant. Compared with the non-mutated group in HBV RT region, the age, the positive rates of HBeAg and HBV DNA, and HBV DNA load of these patients were increased in drug resistance gene mutant group, these differences were statistically significant. Genotypes of patients in both groups were dominated by C, followed by B and D. The proportion of patients with genotype C in HBV RT drug resistance gene mutant group was higher than that of non-mutated group, the difference was statistically significant. There were 53 gene mutation patterns in 917 patients with drug resistance gene mutation in HBV RT region, and the main pattern was rtL180M+rtM204V+rtS202G (9.70%). The mutation sites were dominated by 3 (20.74%). There were 5 types of drug resistance, LAM+Ldt (21.25%) was the most. Among the 18 sites that were clearly associated with LAM, ADV, ETV and Ldt resistance in the HBV RT region, 14 sites were mutated, and the most common mutation sites were rtL180M, rtM204V, rtM204 and rtS202G. what's more, the proportion of patients with NAs drug resistance was LAM>Ldt>ETV>ADV. Conclusion: In order to prevent adverse consequences of this study such as disease recurrence or disease progression caused by HBV drug resistance, HBV infected patients, who have long-term use of NAs antiviral therapy, should monitor the level of HBV DNA and drug resistance genes in HBV RT region in order to optimize the treatment plan in time or guide individualized treatment.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Increased risk of new-onset diabetes in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

There is growing evidence that patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of new-onset diabetes. The limited preliminary studies do not provide strong evidence. To assess the association of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with new-onset diabetes and to characterize the population.

Methods

Search PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science electronic databases for a limited period from December 2019 to July 2022. Two independent reviewers conducted a thorough review of eligible articles and extracted relevant information. Pooled proportions, risk ratios (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) indicated the incidence and risk ratios of events.

Results

The incidence of new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia in patients with COVID-19 was 5% (P < 0.001) (3 and 30% for new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia, respectively), with age, ethnicity, time of diagnosis, and study type all having an impact on the incidence (P < 0.05). New-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia were 1.75 times higher in COVID-19 patients than in non-COVID-19 patients. In new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia population, the percentage of men is 60% (40% for women), with a mortality rate of 17%. The proportion of new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia after infection with COVID-19 was 25% in men and 14% in women.

Conclusions

The incidence and relative risk of new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia are elevated after COVID-19 infection, especially in the early COVID-19 and male populations.

Systemic review registration

PROSPERO registration no.: CRD42022382989 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=382989.

[Impact of social support for schizophrenia patients on their quality of life and family life satisfaction]

Objective: To explore the relationship of social support to patients with schizophrenia, family burden with patients' quality of life and family life satisfaction. Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select 358 patients with schizophrenia and 358 patients' family members in Gansu Province who met the inclusion criteria were included. The Social Support Rating Scale, Family Burden Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Quality of Life Scale were used in the survey. AMOS 24.0 was used to explore the pathway of influence of family burden on social support to patients with schizophrenia, patients' quality of life and patients' family life satisfaction. Results: There was a two-by-two significant correlation between patients' access to social support, family burden, patients' life quality and family life satisfaction (P<0.05), and the total score of the social support scale negatively predicted the total score of the life quality scale (β=-0.28, P<0.05) and positively predicted the total score of the life satisfaction scale (β=0.52, P<0.05). Family burden was a full mediator between the social support to the patient and the patient's quality of life, and as a partial mediator between the social support to the patient and the family's life satisfaction. Conclusions: Social support to people with schizophrenia is a significant predictor of their quality of life and family life satisfaction. Family burden mediates the relationship of social support to patients with their quality of life and family life satisfaction. Interventions can focus on increasing social support for the patient and reducing the burden on the patient's family to improve the patient's quality of life and increase the satisfaction of the patient's family.

NOTCH signaling inhibition after DAPT treatment exacerbates alveolar echinococcosis hepatic fibrosis by blocking M1 and enhancing M2 polarization

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a lethal helminthic liver disease caused by persistent infection with Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis). Although more and more attention has been paid to the macrophages in E. multilocularis infection, the mechanism of macrophage polarization, a critical player in liver immunity, is seldom studied. NOTCH signaling is involved in cell survival and macrophage-mediated inflammation, but the role of NOTCH signaling in AE has been equally elusive. In this study, liver tissue samples from AE patients were collected and an E. multilocularis infected mouse model with or without blocking NOTCH signaling was established to analyze the NOTCH signaling, fibrotic and inflammatory response of the liver after E. multilocularis infection. Changes in polarization and origin of hepatic macrophages were analyzed by flow cytometry. In vitro qRT-PCR and Western blot assays were performed to analyze key receptors and ligands in NOTCH signaling. Our data demonstrated that hepatic fibrosis develops after AE, and the overall blockade of NOTCH signaling caused by DAPT treatment exacerbates the levels of hepatic fibrosis and alters the polarization and origin of hepatic macrophages. Blocking NOTCH signaling in macrophages after E. multilocularis infection downregulates M1 and upregulates M2 expression. The downregulation of NTCH3 and DLL-3 in the NOTCH signaling pathway is significant. Therefore, NOTCH3/DLL3 may be the key pathway in NOTCH signaling regulating macrophage polarization affecting fibrosis caused by AE.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

A Fast-Response Ultraviolet Phototransistor with a PVK QDs/ZnO Nanowire Heterostructure and Its Application in Pharmaceutical Solute Detection

The sensitivity and photoelectric noise of UV photodetectors are challenges that need to be overcome in pharmaceutical solute detection applications. This paper presents a new device concept for a CsPbBr3 QDs/ZnO nanowire heterojunction structure for phototransistors. The lattice match of the CsPbBr3 QDs and ZnO nanowire reduces the generation of trap centers and avoids carrier absorption by the composite center, which greatly improves the carrier mobility and high detectivity (8.13 × 10¹⁴ Jones). It is worth noting that by using high-efficiency PVK quantum dots as the intrinsic sensing core, the device has a high responsivity (6381 A/W) and responsivity frequency (300 Hz). Thus, a UV detection system for pharmaceutical solute detection is demonstrated, and the type of solute in the chemical solution is estimated by the waveform and the size of the output 2f signals.

NiCo2S4 combined 3D hierarchical porous carbon derived from lignin for high-performance supercapacitors

Metal sulfides with the nature of low electronegativity and high electrochemical activity are potentially considered effective electrode materials for supercapacitors. Meanwhile, hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) materials derived from eco-friendly enzymatic hydrolysis lignin are the ideal matrix for holding nanoparticles (NP) that allows the overall NP/HPC composite to achieve outstanding electrochemical performance. In this study, NiCo₂S₄ nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized on the inner surface of 3D HPC that derived from enzymatic hydrolysis lignin with a simple one-step solvothermal method, thus forming a high-performance composite electrode material for supercapacitor applications. As a result, the NiCo₂S₄/HPC composite yields an outstanding specific capacity of 1264.2 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 and also exhibits remarkable rate performance. Such remarkable property is attributed to the effective combination of NiCo₂S₄ plus HPC and their strong chemical bonds, which enable excellent electronic conductivity and abundant exposed electroactive sites. The asymmetric supercapacitor assembled by utilizing NiCo₂S₄/HPC and active carbon as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, provide an excellent energy density of 32.05 Wh kg^-1 at a power density of 193.9 W kg^-1. This work puts forward a practical optimization strategy for metal sulfides used in electrochemical energy storage devices.

MicroRNA-126 regulates macrophage polarization to prevent the resorption of alveolar bone in diabetic periodontitis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the effects of microRNA-126 (miR-126) on the macrophage polarization in vitro and alveolar bone resorption in vivo.

DESIGN

The relationship between miR-126 and MEK/ERK kinase 2 (MEKK2) was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or Western blot was used to detect the changes of miR-126, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), arginase-1 (Arg-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-10, MEKK2 and MEKK2-related pathways: mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in RAW264.7 macrophages challenged with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or high glucose and/or miR-126 mimic. In mice with diabetic periodontitis, the expressions of iNOS and Arg-1 in gingiva, and alveolar bone level were detected after miR-126 mimic injection.

RESULTS

MiR-126 could directly bind with MEKK2 3'-untranslated region (UTR). MEKK2, phosphorylation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling proteins, TNF-α and iNOS increased (P < 0.05), while miR-126, Arg-1 and IL-10 were inhibited (P < 0.05) in macrophage challenged with high glucose and/or P. gingivalis LPS, however, miR-126 mimic reversed these effects (P < 0.05). The expressions of iNOS in gingiva and alveolar bone resorption were elevated (P < 0.05), the expression of Arg-1 in gingiva decreased (P < 0.05) in mice with diabetic periodontitis, which could be inhibited by miR-126 mimic.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-126 might prevent alveolar bone resorption in diabetic periodontitis and inhibit macrophage M1 polarization via regulating MEKK2 signaling pathway.

Expression of HIF-1α/PKM2 axis correlates to biological and clinical significance in papillary thyroid carcinoma

hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) are 2 key metabolic regulatory proteins, they could engage in a positive feedback loop and drive cancer growth by enhancing glycolysis. This study aimed to investigate the expression of HIF-1α and PKM2 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and its correlation with the patients clinicopathological features and with tumor invasion and metastasis. Surgically resected PTC specimens from 60 patients were collected. The expression levels of HIF-1α and PKM2 in PTC tissues were examined by immunohistochemical staining. The full clinical records of all patients were collected to analyze the relevance between HIF-1α and PKM2 expressions and the clinical pathological features of PTC. The results showed that the positive expressions of HIF-1α, PKM2, and HIF-1α/PKM2 axis (HIF-1α+/PKM2+) were all significantly higher in PTC than those in normal thyroid follicular epithelium, and a positive correlation was found between HIF-1α and PKM2 in PTC. Further analysis showed that in PTC, the positive expression of HIF-1α and HIF-1α/PKM2 axis (HIF-1α+/PKM2+) were significantly associated with bigger tumor size, moreover, the positive expressions of HIF-1α, PKM2 and HIF-1α/PKM2 axis (HIF-1α+/PKM2+) were all correlated with capsular invasion and lymph node metastasis, while they were all not correlated with gender, sex and multicentricity of tumor. This study identified HIF-1a/PKM2 axis as potential molecular marker for predicting the invasion and progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Multicolor Mechanochromic Epoxy Thermosets That Recognize the Intensity, Type, and Duration of Mechanical Stimulation

Mechanochromic polymers that exhibit multiple color changes under external mechanical stimulation show great potential for sensor applications. Herein, an epoxy thermoset that can reveal the intensity, type, and duration of mechanical stimulation via a combination of disulfide (DS) and rhodamine (Rh) mechanochromophores is reported. A unique multicolor transition occurs upon ball mill or manual grinding because of the different activation energies of DS and Rh. The epoxy changes color depending on the ball mill grinding duration. Simultaneous activation occurs with a mechanochromic time lag between DS and Rh, and the collision energy strongly affects the relative intensity. A more dramatic multicolor response is observed using a mortar and pestle, as sequential activation occurs upon gentle and strong grinding. Various types of mechanical stimulation can cause different aggregates of the activated Rh moiety and vary the relative mechanosensitivities of Rh and DS, which lead to a different color response.

The influence of MPL addition on structure, interfacial compositions and physicochemical properties on infant formula fat globules

The lack of milk fat globule membrane phospholipids (MPL) at the interface of infant formula fat globules has an impact on the stability of fat globules, compared to human milk. Therefore, infant formula powders with different MPL contents (0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 80%, w/w of MPL/whey protein mixture) were prepared, and the effect of interfacial compositions on the stability of globules was investigated. With increasing MPL amount, the particle size distribution had two peaks and returned to a uniform state when 80% MPL was added. At this composition, the MPL at the oil-water interface formed a continuous thin layer. Moreover, the addition of MPL improved the electronegativity and the emulsion stability. In terms of the rheological properties, increasing the concentration of MPL improved the elastic properties of the emulsion and the physical stability of the fat globules, while reducing the aggregation and agglomeration between fat globules. However, the potential for oxidation increased. Based on these results, the interfacial properties and stability on infant formula fat globules was significantly influenced by the level of MPL, which should be considered in the design of infant milk powders.

Changes in population biology of three coral reef fishes in the South China Sea between 1998–1999 and 2016–2019

The decline of coral reefs and their fish has attracted worldwide attention. The South China Sea is the important center of coral reefs. Reef-fish is a crucial component in coral reef ecosystem. However, studies on the long-term variation in the biololgy of coral reef fish in the South China Sea are very lacking. To enhance our understanding of variation in reef fish biology in the South China Sea, we investigated long-term changes in some biological indicators of three dominant coral reef fishes (Lutjanus kasmira, Gnathodentex aureolineatus, and Cephalopholis urodeta) at the Yongshu Reef of the South China Sea between 1998–1999 and 2016–2019, and examined the effects of fishing and sea surface temperature on their biology. Compared with 1998–1999, average body length, average body mass, large fish indicator, feeding level and relative fatness of Lutjanus kasmira and Gnathodentex aureolineatus decreased in 2016–2019, but Cephalopholis urodeta did not. The relative fatness was positively correlated with the feeding level, which indicated that the decline of feeding level decreased the relative fatness. Fishing had the most important negative impact on biological changes. In the past two decades, Lutjanus kasmira had the most obvious decline in size and relative fatness, followed by Gnathodentex aureolineatus, but Cephalopholis urodeta had almost no decline. We hypothesized that different coral reef fishes have different abilities to maintain population stability under external pressures, and the differences in vulnerability of three fish species were the main reasons for their different responses to external pressures. To promote the conservation of coral reef fish, we recommend taking rigorous management to protect habitat.

Poly(I:C) and CpG improve the assembly of foot-and-mouth disease virus-like particles and immune response in mice

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are extremely potent, safe, and serviceable vaccine platforms. Good assembly efficiency of VLPs is the key to reducing vaccine production costs and eliciting a robust immune response. This study adopted CpG and Poly (I:C) as scaffolds to facilitate the assembly of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) VLPs in vitro. The VLPs and the co-assembly products were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, gel retardation measurement, nuclease digestion experiments, size-exclusion chromatography, transmission electron microscopy and circular dichroism analysis. Our results indicated the successful encapsulation of CpG and Poly (I:C) inside VLPs without any effect on shape or size. Vaccination in mice also elicited a robust immune response. This study demonstrated that CpG and Poly (I:C) improved the efficiency of FMDV VLPs assembly and enhanced immune response, further proposing a new idea for improving the efficiency of VLPs assembly and enriching the in vitro VLPs assembly strategies.

Structural Framework-Guided Universal Design of High-Entropy Compounds for Efficient Energy Catalysis

High-entropy compounds with extraordinary properties due to the synergistic effect of multiple components have exhibited great potential and attracted extensive attention in various fields, including physics, mechanical property analysis, and energy storage. Achieving universal stability and synthesis of high-entropy compounds with a wide range of components and structures continues to be difficult due to the high complexity of multicomponent mixing. Here, we propose a design strategy with high generality for realizing the stability and synthesis of high-entropy compounds that one metal site like the framework in the compound structures with bimetallic sites stabilizes another site to accommodate different elements. Several typical metal compounds with bimetallic sites, including perovskite hydroxides, layered double hydroxide, spinel sulfide, perovskite fluoride, and spinel oxides, have been synthesized into high-entropy compounds. High-entropy perovskite hydroxides (HEPHs) as representative compounds have been synthesized with a highly wide range of components even a septenary component and exhibit great oxygen evolution activity. Our work provides a design platform to develop more high-entropy compound systems with promising development potential for electrocatalysts.

Two Advancement Flaps for Eyelid Margin Reconstruction of Small and Medium Defects and a Novel Design to Reduce Ocular Injury

Purpose

The key point of eyelid margin reconstruction is to keep both the support function and aesthetic appearance. The eyelid's complex anatomical structures make eyelid margin reconstruction demanding. Eyelid margin defects are conventionally classified by their width relative to the eyelid width: small, medium, or large. In this study, we introduce a reconstruction method for small to medium defects.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a single-center case series of patients from the practice of a single experienced plastic surgeon at a tertiary center. We included consecutive outpatients from 2014 to 2021. The inclusion criteria were (1) eyelid margin mass and (2) willingness to receive eyelid margin reconstruction by the reported method. The exclusion criteria were (1) eyelid margin mass involving most or all of the tarsus and (2) less than one year of follow-up. Patients were followed up face to face or online. Patients' demographics, clinical characteristics and outcomes, and satisfaction were collected. The clinical outcomes were assessed and scored by two plastic surgeons.

Procedure

We reconstructed the anterior lamella with an advancement musculocutaneous flap and repaired the posterior lamella with a specially designed advancement tarsoconjunctival flap, of which a piece of tarsus was shaved and the corresponding remnant conjunctiva was bent forward to cover the tarsus edge to avoid ocular injury.

Results

We included 24 patients (25 lesions). Almost all patients had eyelash discontinuity. One patient presented slight notching of the lower eyelid margin. The other patients reported no complications or recurrence. The average outcome score was 1.23±0.69, indicating that our method was excellent. All patients were very satisfied with the surgery. The average follow-up time was 5.75 years.

Conclusion

We report a reconstruction method for small to medium eyelid margin defects and a novel design for preventing ocular injury, which is an especially good option for transverse defects.

Vertex-Based Diagrammatic Treatment of Light-Matter-Coupled Systems

We propose a diagrammatic Monte Carlo approach for quantum impurity models, which can be regarded as a generalization of the strong-coupling expansion for fermionic impurity models. The algorithm is based on a self-consistently computed three-point vertex and a stochastically sampled four-point vertex, and it allows one to obtain numerically exact results in a wide parameter regime. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated with applications to a spin-boson model representing an emitter in a waveguide. As a function of the coupling strength, the spin exhibits a delocalization-localization crossover at low temperatures, signaling a qualitative change in the real-time relaxation. In certain parameter regimes, the response functions of the emitter coupled to the electromagnetic continuum can be described by an effective Rabi model with appropriately defined parameters. We also discuss the spatial distribution of the photon density around the emitter.

A versatile integrated tube for rapid and visual SARS-CoV-2 detection

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by novel severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been rapidly spreading worldwide. Rapid and widespread testing is essential to promote early intervention and curb the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Current gold standard reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detecting SARS-CoV-2 is restricted to professional laboratories and well-trained personnel, thus, limiting its widespread use in resource-limited conditions. To overcome these challenges, we developed a rapid and convenient assay using a versatile integrated tube for the rapid and visual detection of SARS-CoV-2. The reaction conditions of the method were optimized using SARS-CoV-2 RNA standards and the sensitivity and specificity were further determined. Finally, it was verified on clinical specimens. The assay was completed within 40 min, and the result was visible by the naked eye. The limits of detection (LODs) for the target ORF1ab and N genes were 50 copies/μl. No cross-reactivity was observed with the RNA standard samples of four respiratory viruses or clinical samples of common respiratory viral infections. Ninety SARS-CoV-2 positive and 30 SARS-CoV-2 negative patient specimens were analyzed. We compared these results to both prior and concurrent RT-PCR evaluations. As a result, the overall sensitivity and specificity for detection SARS-CoV-2 were 94.5 and 100.0%, respectively.

Conclusion

The integrated tube assay has the potential to provide a simple, specific, sensitive, one-pot, and single-step assay for SARS-CoV-2.

Analysis of risk factors associated with secondary open-angle glaucoma in Posner-Schlossman syndrome: A retrospective case-control study

Background

Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) is a relatively rare cause of chronic secondary open-angle glaucoma (OAG), but the exact cause is unknown. This study aimed to determine potential risk factors for OAG secondary to PSS and to provide a basis for early intervention in the development of PSS.

Methods

This was a retrospective case-control study. Nine cases diagnosed with PSS and seven cases diagnosed with OAG secondary to PSS were selected and their aqueous humor assays at the first occurrence of PSS were collected. Clinical characteristics including age, sex, disease duration, eye laterality, baseline visual acuity, maximum IOP, corneal endothelial cell density, visual field, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, cup-to-disk ratio, keratic precipitates, anterior chamber inflammation, and aqueous humor cytokine assay results were compared between the two groups.

Results

The cytomegalovirus (CMV) positivity was 55.60% in patients with PSS and 100% in patients with OAG secondary to PSS. Corneal endothelial cell density was lower in patients with CMV-positive PSS (p = 0.0116). Concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interleukin (IL)-6, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) in patients with PSS and IL-8, IL-6, and VCAM in patients with OAG secondary to PSS were higher than standard reference values; and IL-8 concentration was significantly higher in patients with OAG secondary to PSS (p = 0.0229). There were significant positive correlations between IL-8 and IL-6, IL-6 and VCAM (p = 0.0304, p = 0.0172) and a significant negative correlation between bFGF and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (p = 0.0497). Simultaneous increase of IL-8 and IL-6 concentration levels could be used as a cytokine indicator to predict secondary OAG in patients with PSS (p = 0.0095).

Conclusion

Simultaneous increase of IL-8 and IL-6 concentrations may be an important cause of accelerated secondary OAG in patients with PSS, with IL-8 playing a more critical role. IL-8 and IL-6 may be more reliable cytokine markers for predicting secondary OAG in PSS, However, the high possibility of secondary OAG in patients with CMV-positive PSS should not be ignored. Regulation of IL-8 and IL-6 levels may be a new strategy of preventing OAG secondary to PSS.

Advanced liquid crystal-based switchable optical devices for light protection applications: principles and strategies

With the development of optical technologies, transparent materials that provide protection from light have received considerable attention from scholars. As important channels for external light, windows play a vital role in the regulation of light in buildings, vehicles, and aircrafts. There is a need for windows with switchable optical properties to prevent or attenuate damage or interference to the human eye and light-sensitive instruments by inappropriate optical radiation. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs), owing to their rich responsiveness and unique optical properties, have been considered among the best candidates for advanced light protection materials. In this review, we provide an overview of advances in research on LC-based methods for protection against light. First, we introduce the characteristics of different light sources and their protection requirements. Second, we introduce several classes of light modulation principles based on liquid crystal materials and demonstrate the feasibility of using them for light protection. In addition, we discuss current light protection strategies based on liquid crystal materials for different applications. Finally, we discuss the problems and shortcomings of current strategies. We propose several suggestions for the development of liquid crystal materials in the field of light protection.

Correlation of MTAP immunohistochemical deficiency with CDKN2A homozygous deletion and clinicopathological features in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare tumor ranging from World Health Organization (WHO) grades 2-3 and can potentially recur and metastasize throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A/B (CDKN2A/B) deletion is a frequent genomic alteration of PXA. Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) immunohistochemistry is a promising surrogate marker for CDKN2A homozygous deletion in different cancers but has not been examined in PXA. Therefore, we performed CDKN2A fluorescence in situ hybridization and MTAP immunohistochemistry on specimens from 23 patients with CNS WHO grades 2 (n = 10) and 3 (n = 13) PXAs, including specimens from primary and recurrent tumors, and determined whether MTAP immunohistochemistry correlated with CDKN2A homozygous deletion and clinicopathological features. CDKN2A homozygous deletion was detected in 30% (3/10) and 76.9% (10/13) of CNS WHO grades 2 and 3 PXAs, respectively. In addition, MTAP loss was inconsistent with CDKN2A homozygous deletion (sensitivity = 86.7%, specificity = 100%). Furthermore, CDKN2A homozygous deletion was correlated with WHO grade (p = 0.026) and the Ki-67 labeling index (p = 0.037). Therefore, MTAP immunostaining can be a suitable surrogate marker for CDKN2A homozygous deletions in PXAs, and CDKN2A homozygous deletions may be an important prognostic factor for PXAs.

Gαi1/3 mediate Netrin-1-CD146-activated signaling and angiogenesis

Netrin-1 binds to the high-affinity receptor CD146 to activate downstream signaling and angiogenesis. Here, we examine the role and underlying mechanisms of G protein subunit alpha i1 (Gαi1) and Gαi3 in Netrin-1-induced signaling and pro-angiogenic activity. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and endothelial cells, Netrin-1-induced Akt-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and Erk activation was largely inhibited by silencing or knockout of Gαi1/3, whereas signaling was augmented following Gαi1/3 overexpression. Netrin-1 induced Gαi1/3 association with CD146, required for CD146 internalization, Gab1 (Grb2 associated binding protein 1) recruitment and downstream Akt-mTOR and Erk activation. Netrin-1-induced signaling was inhibited by CD146 silencing, Gab1 knockout, or Gαi1/3 dominant negative mutants. Netrin-1-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation, migration and tube formation were inhibited by Gαi1/3 short hairpin RNA (shRNA), but were potentiated by ectopic Gαi1/3 overexpression. In vivo, intravitreous injection of Netrin-1 shRNA adeno-associated virus (AAV) significantly inhibited Akt-mTOR and Erk activation in murine retinal tissues and reduced retinal angiogenesis. Endothelial knockdown of Gαi1/3 significantly inhibited Netrin1-induced signaling and retinal angiogenesis in mice. Netrin-1 mRNA and protein expression were significantly elevated in retinal tissues of diabetic retinopathy (DR) mice. Importantly, silence of Netrin-1, by intravitreous Netrin-1 shRNA AAV injection, inhibited Akt-Erk activation, pathological retinal angiogenesis and retinal ganglion cells degeneration in DR mice. Lastly, Netrin-1 and CD146 expression is significantly increased in the proliferative retinal tissues of human proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients. Together, Netrin-1 induces CD146-Gαi1/3-Gab1 complex formation to mediate downstream Akt-mTOR and Erk activation, important for angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

Molecular mechanism study on the effect of nonionic surfactants with different degrees of ethoxylation on the wettability of anthracite

A serious risk to the production safety of coal mines is coal dust. The wettability of coal may be successfully changed by adding surfactants to water. However, the creation of very effective dust suppressants is constrained by the lack of knowledge about the microscopic interaction mechanism between coal dust and surfactants. In this investigation, we explained macroscopic experimental phenomena from a molecular perspective. The lauryl polyoxyethylene ethers (C₁₂ (EO)_n, n = 7,15,23) were selected. The macromolecular model of anthracite with 55 different components was constructed. Surface tension experiments and hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) calculations showed that the ability of surface hydrophilicization followed the order of C₁₂ (EO)₇<C₁₂ (EO)₁₅<C₁₂ (EO)₂₃. Contact angle experiment, XPS and FTIR experiments proved that after the surfactants were adsorbed on the surface of anthracite, the content of carbon element decreased and the content of oxygen element increased, indicating the enhanced surface hydrophilicity. The simulation results showed that with the degree of ethoxylation increases, the adsorption strength of surfactants becomes stronger, and the hydrophilic head group of surfactant on anthracite surface is more uniformly distributed. The greater the degree of ethoxylation, the more powerfully the modified coal surface can bind to water molecules.

The impact of continuous use intention of cooperative members on new agricultural technologies

The widespread application of new agricultural technologies promotes an increase in agricultural production and income and in the optimization and adjustment of the industrial structure. However, there are problems such as low promotion efficiency, an insufficient transformation of achievements, and a mismatch of supply and demand in the process of promotion. Based on the research context of farmer cooperatives in China, this study explores the factors influencing the continuous use intention of cooperative members toward new agricultural technologies and builds a research structure based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, which includes performance expectations, effort expectations, cooperative social impact, and policy support. A total of 401 valid questionnaires were collected, and the data were analyzed in three stages using descriptive statistics, a measurement validation model, and a structural equation model, using a survey questionnaire and by inviting members of farmer cooperatives within China to participate in an online survey through a web-based electronic questionnaire. The results of the study found that policy support plays a dominant role in the intention of cooperative members of farmers to use new agricultural technologies consistently, and cooperative social impact plays a facilitating role, while factors such as performance expectation and effort expectation also have a significantly positive effect on the intention to use consistently.

Advances in artificial intelligence models and algorithms in the field of optometry

The rapid development of computer science over the past few decades has led to unprecedented progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Its wide application in ophthalmology, especially image processing and data analysis, is particularly extensive and its performance excellent. In recent years, AI has been increasingly applied in optometry with remarkable results. This review is a summary of the application progress of different AI models and algorithms used in optometry (for problems such as myopia, strabismus, amblyopia, keratoconus, and intraocular lens) and includes a discussion of the limitations and challenges associated with its application in this field.

SCF/c-Kit-activated signaling and angiogenesis require Gαi1 and Gαi3

The stem cell factor (SCF) binds to c-Kit in endothelial cells, thus activating downstream signaling and angiogenesis. Herein, we examined the role of G protein subunit alpha inhibitory (Gαi) proteins in this process. In MEFs and HUVECs, Gαi1/3 was associated with SCF-activated c-Kit, promoting c-Kit endocytosis, and binding of key adaptor proteins, subsequently transducing downstream signaling. SCF-induced Akt-mTOR and Erk activation was robustly attenuated by Gαi1/3 silencing or knockout (KO), or due to dominant negative mutations but was strengthened substantially following ectopic overexpression of Gαi1/3. SCF-induced HUVEC proliferation, migration, and capillary tube formation were suppressed after Gαi1/3 silencing or KO, or due to dominant negative mutations. In vivo, endothelial knockdown of Gαi1/3 by intravitreous injection of endothelial-specific shRNA adeno-associated virus (AAV) potently reduced SCF-induced signaling and retinal angiogenesis in mice. Moreover, mRNA and protein expressions of SCF increased significantly in the retinal tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic retinopathy (DR) mice. SCF silencing, through intravitreous injection of SCF shRNA AAV, inhibited pathological retinal angiogenesis and degeneration of retinal ganglion cells in DR mice. Finally, the expression of SCF and c-Kit increased in proliferative retinal tissues of human patients with proliferative DR. Taken together, Gαi1/3 mediate SCF/c-Kit-activated signaling and angiogenesis.

Phase-amplitude coupling-based adaptive filters for neural signal decoding

Bandpass filters play a core role in ECoG signal processing. Commonly used frequency bands such as alpha, beta, and gamma bands can reflect the normal rhythm of the brain. However, the universally predefined bands might not be optimal for a specific task. Especially the gamma band usually covers a wide frequency span (i.e., 30-200 Hz) which can be too coarse to capture features that appear in narrow bands. An ideal option is to find the optimal frequency bands for specific tasks in real-time and dynamically. To tackle this problem, we propose an adaptive band filter that selects the useful frequency band in a data-driven way. Specifically, we leverage the phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) of the coupled working mechanism of synchronizing neuron and pyramidal neurons in neuronal oscillations, in which the phase of slower oscillations modulates the amplitude of faster ones, to help locate the fine frequency bands from the gamma range, in a task-specific and individual-specific way. Thus, the information can be more precisely extracted from ECoG signals to improve neural decoding performance. Based on this, an end-to-end decoder (PACNet) is proposed to construct a neural decoding application with adaptive filter banks in a uniform framework. Experiments show that PACNet can improve neural decoding performance universally with different tasks.

Multifold Enhanced Raman Detection of Organic Molecules as Environmental Water Pollutants

Organic molecules, including the benzene series, have been identified as pollutants in environmental water. Due to their very low solubility, they have very small concentrations in water, and they are difficult to be detected by conventional techniques. In particular, there is a lack of real-time, accurate, and rapid detection methods for such molecules in water. However, they are detrimental to human health in many aspects. Toluene has been an important indicator of such environmental pollution detections. In this work, we propose a 3D SERS scheme consisting of a hollow fiber that is coated on the inner wall with densely arranged silver nanoparticles, which supplies multifold Raman enhancement by the plasmonic microcavity. Strong confinement of excitation laser energy and strongly enhanced Raman signals with the bidirectional collection are utilized to achieve high-sensitivity detection of toluene molecules in water. Raman signal with a reasonable signal-to-noise ratio has been measured for a concentration of 0.53 mg/L, indicating a detection limit even lower than this value for such a Raman spectroscopic technique. The corresponding enhancement factor is higher than 6 × 10³ with respect to the available systems. Thus, this device not only enables direct trace detection and real-time monitoring of the water-polluting status by organic molecules but also supplies a practical approach for biological sensing.

Modeling Obesity-Associated Ovarian Dysfunction in Drosophila

We perform quantitative studies to investigate the effect of high-calorie diet on Drosophila oogenesis. We use the central composite design (CCD) method to obtain quadratic regression models of body fat and fertility as a function of the concentrations of protein and sucrose, two major macronutrients in Drosophila diet, and treatment duration. Our results reveal complex interactions between sucrose and protein in impacting body fat and fertility when they are considered as an integrated physiological response. We verify the utility of our quantitative modeling approach by experimentally confirming the physiological responses-including increased body fat, reduced fertility, and ovarian insulin insensitivity-expected of a treatment condition identified by our modeling method. Under this treatment condition, we uncover a Drosophila oogenesis phenotype that exhibits an accumulation of immature oocytes and a halt in the production of mature oocytes, a phenotype that bears resemblance to key aspects of the human condition of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Our analysis of the dynamic progression of different aspects of diet-induced pathophysiology also suggests an order of the onset timing for obesity, ovarian dysfunction, and insulin resistance. Thus, our study documents the utility of quantitative modeling approaches toward understanding the biology of Drosophila female reproduction, in relation to diet-induced obesity and type II diabetes, serving as a potential disease model for human ovarian dysfunction.

[A case of acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy]

A 35-year-old male patient presented to the hospital with binocular blurred vision for 2 weeks. The visual acuity of both eyes was 0.8. Fundus examination showed multiple yellow-white punctate lesions in the posterior pole of both eyes. OCT showed cystoid edema and submacular edema, thickening of ellipsoid zone and enhancement of reflex in macular region. Fundus autofluorescence showed strong autofluorescence at the lesion site. Fundus fluorescein angiography showed no fluorescence leakage in the lesion area. The patient was diagnosed with acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy based on medical history, ocular multimodal examination and general examination. The patient was not given special treatment, but one week later, the lesion was fused and expanded, and the macular edema was worse than before.

Research On Maize Disease Identification Methods In Complex Environments Based On Cascade Networks And Two-Stage Transfer Learning

Achieving accurate and reliable maize disease identification in complex environments is a huge challenge. This is because disease images obtained from natural environments are often in complex contexts that may contain elements similar to disease characteristics or symptoms. Based on cascade network and two-stage transformation learning, the new method is proposed in this paper and applied the improved method to the task of identification and classification of four maize leaf types in a complex environment. The proposed method has a cascade structure which consists of a Faster R-CNN leaf detector (denoted as LS-RCNN) and a CNN disease classifier, named CENet(Complex Environment Network). The LS-RCNN detector with an attention mechanism was used to detect maize leaves from the image, and the CENet model further classified the leaf images detected in the first stage into four categories: Cercospora leaf spot, Common rust, Northern Leaf Blight, and Healthy, which allowed image features to be extracted more efficiently. The subsequent use of a two-stage transfer learning strategy to train CENet models of disease images in complex contexts allows for faster training of the models while ensuring accuracy. The experimental results show that the proposed method is used to identify four types of maize leaves with an F1-score of 99.70%, which is better than some popular CNN models and others' methods, and has a more obvious advantage in terms of training speed. The model proposed in this experiment has a positive significance for exploring other Crop variety identification and classification under complex backgrounds.

[Diagnostic value of rapid antigen testing for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of rapid antigen test based on colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in symptomatic patients. Methods: From May 20 to June 5 2022, 76 hospitalized children and their 55 accompanying family members with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the COVID-19 isolation unit of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University (designated referral hospital for SARS-CoV-2 infection in Shanghai) enrolled. Their nasopharyngeal swab specimens were consecutively collected. The samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid by real-time quantitative. SARS-CoV-2 antigen was tested by immunochromatography. The correlation between the antigen detection results and the change of the cycle threshold (Ct) values were evaluated, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection at different periods after the onset of the disease. Kappa consistency test was conducted to investigate the consistency between the 2 diagnostic methods. Results: Of the enrolled SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic infections, 76 were children, including 41 males and 35 females, with an age of 5 (2, 9) years; 55 were accompanying families, including 8 males and 47 females, with an age of 38 (32, 41) years. All 478 samples were simultaneously tested for SARS-CoV-2 antigen and nucleic acid. In any period from disease onset to negative conversion of viral nucleic acid, the overall sensitivity of the rapid antigen test was 48.2% (119/247), the specificity was 98.3% (227/231), and antigen test and nucleic acid test showed moderate consistency (κ=0.46, P<0.05). The sensitivity of antigen test was 100% (82/82) when the Ct value was ≤25. And the sensitivity of antigen test was 8/10, 4/15 and 8.3% (3/36) when the Ct value was 26, 30 and 35, respectively. All antigen tests were negative when Ct value was >35. During the period of 1-2 days, 3-5 days, 6-7 days, 8-10 days and >10 days after onset, the sensitivity and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 antigen test were 5/8 and 5/5, 90.2% (37/41) and 5/5, 88.9% (24/27) and 2/5, 45.0% (36/80) and 94.1% (32/34), 18.7% (17/91) and 98.9% (183/185) respectively. The Ct values of nasopharyngeal swabs were<26 during 2 to 7 days after onset, 28.7±5.0 on day 8, 34.5±2.9 on day 13 and > 35 after 14 days, respectively. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection shows acceptable sensitivity and specificity within 7 days after onset of disease, and the sensitivity was positively correlated with viral load and negatively correlated with onset time.

Bioimpedance Measurement of Knee Injuries Using Bipolar Electrode Configuration

Currently, there is no suitable solution for the point-of-care diagnosis of knee injuries. A potential portable and low-cost technique for accessing and monitoring knee injuries is bioimpedance measurement. This study validated the feasibility of the bipolar electrode configuration for knee bioimpedance measurement with two electrodes placed on a fixed pair of knee acupuncture locations called Xiyan. Then, the study collected 76 valid samples to investigate the relationship between bioimpedance and knee injuries, among whom 39 patients have unilateral knee injuries, and 37 individuals have healthy knees. The self-contrast results indicated that knee injuries caused a reduction of bioimpedance of the knee by about 5% on average, which was detectable at around 100 kHz (p ≈ 0.001). Furthermore, the results analyzed by principal component analysis and support vector machines show that the detection sensitivity can reach 87.18% using the leave-one-out cross-validation. We also proposed a low-cost and portable bioimpedance measurement device that meets the needs for measuring knee joint bioimpedance.

Temporal contrast improvement through cascaded second-order nonlinear processes in a thin BBO crystal

We demonstrate temporal contrast improvement through cascaded second-order nonlinear processes in a 340-µm BBO crystal. The process was initiated by second harmonic (SH) generation, followed by difference frequency generation (DFG) between the SH and the short wavelength part of the fundamental wave (FW). The idler of DFG was selected by a spectral filter, and an output pulse energy of 573 µJ was obtained at 1 kHz with excellent spatial profile and a power fluctuation as low as 0.076% (rms) in 14 hours. The temporal contrast was improved by more than 2 orders of magnitude to approximately 10¹¹, which could be further enhanced with different spectral filters. The excellent stability, energy scalability, and contrast enhancement ability make this simple and robust method very suitable to be integrated into the pulse cleaning system in many different ultra-intense laser facilities.

[One case of extensive high-pressure injection injury of hand caused by polyurethane material]

This article reports a patient with extensive high-pressure injection injury of the hand caused by mistaken injection of polyurethane material into the index finger, who was diagnosed and treated in the Department of Orthopedics of Huzhou Central Hospital in 2019. Both the digital artery and digital nerve were involved, and the polyurethane involved the right palm along the flexor tendon sheath of the index finger and wrist. Due to the lack of X-ray development, the scope of the first debridement was small, and the blood supply to the fingertip was poor. Finally, the patient's right index finger was amputated due to infection and necrosis. MR or B-ultrasound should be perfected before operation to clarify the extent of polyurethane involvement. The initial thorough debridement or multiple debridements are necessary to improve the prognosis. If the blood supply of the fingers is poor, the blood supply can be reconstructed by skin flap transplantation.

[Factors associated with death and attrition in HIV-infected children under initial antiretroviral therapy in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2004 - 2019]

Objective: To investigate death and attrition in HIV-infected children under initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) and associated factors in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in HIV-infected children under initial ART in Guangxi from 2004 to 2019, data from ART information system of National comprehensive AIDS prevention and treatment information system. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess factors associated with the death and attrition. Results: In 943 HIV-infected children, the overall mortality and attrition rates were 1.00/100 person-years and 0.77/100 person-years, respectively. The mortality and attrition rates within the first year of ART were 3.90/100 person-years and 1.67/100 person-years, respectively. The cumulative survival rate during the first, second, fifth and tenth year after ART was 96.14%, 95.80%, 93.68% and 91.54%, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models results showed that being female (aHR=2.00, 95%CI: 1.17-3.40), CD4⁺T lymphocytes (CD4) counts before ART <200 cells/μl (aHR=2.79, 95%CI: 1.54-5.06), weight-for-age Z score before ART <-2 (aHR=2.38, 95%CI: 1.32-4.26), hemoglobin before ART <80 g/L (aHR=2.47, 95%CI: 1.24-4.92), initial ART with LPV/r (aHR=5.05, 95%CI: 1.15-22.12) were significantly associated with death; being female (aHR=2.23, 95%CI: 1.22-4.07) and initial ART with LPV/r (aHR=2.02, 95%CI: 1.07-3.79) were significantly associated with attrition. Conclusions: The effect of ART in HIV-infected children in Guangxi was better, but the mortality and attrition rates were high within the first year of treatment. It is necessary to strengthen the training in medical staff and health education in HIV-infected children and their parents in order to improve the treatment effect.