Genome-wide association study reveals the genetic variation and candidate gene for grain calcium content in bread wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: This study provides important information on the genetic basis of GCaC in wheat, thus contributing to breeding efforts to improve the nutrient quality of wheat. Calcium (Ca) plays important roles in the human body. Wheat grain provides the main diet for billions of people worldwide but is low in Ca content. Here, grain Ca content (GCaC) of 471 wheat accessions was determined in four field environments. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to reveal the genetic basis of GCaC using the phenotypic data form four environments and a wheat 660 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Twelve quantitative trait locus (QTLs) for GCaC were identified on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2A, 3B, 6A, 6D, 7A, and 7D, which was significant in at least two environments. Haplotype analysis revealed that the phenotypic difference between the haplotypes of TraesCS6D01G399100 was significant (P ≤ 0.05) across four environments, suggesting it as an important candidate gene for GCaC. This research enhances our understanding of the genetic architecture of GCaC for further improving the nutrient quality of wheat.

Exploring self-esteem and personality traits as predictors of mental wellbeing among Chinese university students: the mediating and moderating role of resilience.

Introduction: The mental health of university students is influenced by a variety of factors, including self-esteem and personality traits, with resilience playing a crucial role in mediating and moderating these relationships. This study investigates the intricate dynamics affecting mental well-being in Chinese university students, focusing on the roles of self-esteem, personality traits, and the interventional effects of resilience. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 689 students, aged on average 20.3 years, between April and July 2022. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess mental well-being, while resilience, personality traits, and self-esteem were evaluated using the revised Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Chinese version of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2), and the Texas Social Behavior Inventory (TSBI), respectively. Results: Analysis revealed significant correlations between self-esteem, personality traits, and both resilience and mental well-being. Resilience was found to partially mediate the relationship between self-esteem and mental well-being and fully mediate certain aspects of the relationship between personality traits and mental well-being. Additionally, tenacity and autonomy were identified as moderators in the link between specific personality traits and mental well-being. Discussion: The findings highlight the complex interplay between self-esteem, personality traits, resilience, and mental well-being, underscoring the critical role of resilience. This insight is pivotal for developing targeted interventions to bolster mental well-being among university students, emphasizing the need for multifaceted support strategies to enhance student mental health.

Atomically Dispersed Manganese on Carbon Substrate for Aqueous and Aprotic CO2 Electrochemical Reduction.

CO2 utilization and conversion are of great importance in alleviating the rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Here, a single-atom catalyst (SAC) is reported for electrochemical CO2 utilization in both aqueous and aprotic electrolytes. Specifically, atomically dispersed Mn-N4 sites are embedded in bowl-like mesoporous carbon particles with the functionalization of epoxy groups in the second coordination spheres. Theoretical calculations suggest that the epoxy groups near the Mn-N4 site adjust the electronic structure of the catalyst with reduced reaction energy barriers for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO. The resultant Mn-single-atom carbon with N and O doped catalyst (MCs-(N,O)) exhibits extraordinary electrocatalytic performance with a high CO faradaic efficiency of 94.5%, a high CO current density of 13.7 mA cm-2 , and a low overpotential of 0.44 V in the aqueous environment. Meanwhile, as a cathode catalyst for aprotic Li-CO2 batteries, the MCs-(N,O) with well-regulated active sites and unique mesoporous bowl-like morphology optimizes the nucleation behavior of discharge products. MCs-(N,O)-based batteries deliver a low overpotential and excellent cyclic stability of 1000 h. The findings in this work provide a new avenue to design and fabricate SACs for various electrochemical CO2 utilization systems.

What is the best catheter lock solution in preventing catheter-related blood infections? A protocol for a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a major complication after central venous catheter insertion, which is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and additional medical costs. Many lock solutions for CRBSI have been evaluated. However, using traditional pairwise meta-analyses to summarise the evidence does not allow the inclusion of data from treatments that have not been compared head to head, which could impact the precision of pooled estimates in a meta-analysis. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the different lock solutions for CRBSI through a network meta-analysis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The primary outcome of this network meta-analysis is the CRBSI. The secondary outcomes are exit-site infection and catheter-related thrombosis. We will search the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases for recent relevant meta-analysis and their reference lists to include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared lock solutions for CRBSI prevention. Two individuals will independently extract data from each included RCT according to a predesigned Excel spreadsheet and will assess the methodological quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We will analyse the data using WinBUGS (V.1.4.3) and Stata (V.15.0). We will also estimate the pooled direct and indirect effects for all lock solutions using the network meta-analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As the present meta-analysis is performed based on previous published studies, no ethical approval and patient safety considerations are required. This study commenced on 18 January 2019, and its expected completion date is 1 December 2019. We will disseminate the results of our network meta-analysis through an international peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019121089.

Biomarkers for detecting prostate cancer: Protocol for an umbrella review with integrated network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is common, with it being the 2nd most prevalent cancer in men worldwide and the 6th leading cause of death in men. Screening for any type of cancer aims to increase the chances of successful treatment through early detection of the disease. There were some systematic reviews (SRs) evaluated the diagnostic value of biomarkers for the diagnosis of PCa and no studies have been conducted to analyze the quality of these SRs. We are not clear which kind of marker is the best choice. Thus, this study aims to assess the methodologic quality of the SRs and reanalyze the published data based on SRs for the biomarkers to find the optimal biomarker for the early diagnosis of PCa. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library and to identify relevant SRs from inception to April 2019. Diagnostic accuracy studies included any type of single biomarker or combined biomarkers aimed at evaluating the diagnostic value is considered eligible for this overview. The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) instrument will be used to evaluate the risk of bias of the included SRs. Standard pairwise meta-analysis and adjusted indirect comparison will be used to compare the diagnostic value of different biomarkers. RESULTS: The results of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: This study will reanalyze the published data based on SRs. We hope that the results will help find a biomarker with the superior diagnostic performance for the diagnosis of PCa. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019125880.

Experimental research on explosion suppression affected by ultrafine water mist containing different additives.

The suppression effects of pure ultrafine water mist and 5% mass fraction alkali metal (NaCl, Na2CO3, KHCO3, KCl and K2CO3) solutions ultrafine water mist on methane explosion were conducted under five mist concentrations in a sealed visual vessel. Mist diameters of different additive solutions were measured by a phase doppler particle analyzer. Pressure data and dynamic flame pictures were recorded respectively by a high-frequency pressure sensor and a high-speed camera. Results indicate that alkali metal compound can enhance the suppression effect of ultrafine water mist and it was related to the additive type. The suppression order of alkali metal compound for methane explosion was K2CO3>KCl > KHCO3>Na2CO3>NaCl. Meanwhile, additive radicals can obviously affect explosion intensity and it mainly reflected in the reduction of explosion pressure under different mist conditions (K+>Na+, Cl- >HCO3-). The pressure generated from combustion wave accelerating propagation underwent two accelerating rises and was affected by additive type and mist amount. The effect of additive type on explosion intensity (maximum explosion overpressure (ΔPmax), two peak values of pressure rising rate) was similar with flame propagation velocity and were decreased evidently with increasing mist concentration. The enhancement in explosion suppression was due to the combination of improved physical and chemical effects.

The effect of text message reminders on medication adherence among patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To determine the effectiveness of text message reminders (TMR) on medication adherence (MA) and to investigate the effects of TMR on clinical outcomes. METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane library, EMbase, and China Biology Medicine databases were searched for randomized-controlled trials with TMR as the intervention for patients with coronary heart disease. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 15.0 software. RESULTS: In total, 1678 patients in 6 trials were included. Compared with the control group, the MA was 2.85 times greater among the intervention group (RR [relative risk] 2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-7.58). TMR reduced systolic blood pressure (BP) (weighted mean difference) = -6.51; 95% CI -9.79 to -3.23), cholesterol (standard mean difference = -0.26; 95% CI -0.4 to -0.12) and increased the number of patients with BP <140/90 mm Hg (RR 1.39; 95% CI 1.26-1.54). CONCLUSION: TMR significantly promoted MA and reduced systolic BP, cholesterol level, and body mass index, but had no effect on mortality, diastolic BP, or lipoproteins. However, substantial heterogeneity existed in our analyses.

Comparative efficacy of various antimicrobial lock solutions for preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections: A network meta-analysis of 9099 patients from 52 randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: It remains uncertain which catheter lock solution (CLS) to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) works best and is safest for patients. This study was performed to compare the efficacy of different CLSs for the prevention of CRBSI and ranked these CLSs for practical consideration. METHODS: The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and MEDLINE databases, earlier relevant meta-analyses, and the reference lists of included studies were searched. The primary outcome was CRBSI; secondary outcomes were catheter-related thrombosis and exit-site infections. A network meta-analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 52 randomized controlled trials involving 9099 patients and evaluating 13 CLSs (single and combinations) were included. With regard to the quality of the evidence, the risk of bias was typically low or unclear (45 out of 52 trials, 86.5%). In the network meta-analysis, saline (OR 8.44, 95% CI 2.19-32.46), gentamicin+citrate (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.32-6.42), ethanol (OR 5.33, 95% CI 1.22-23.32), and cloxacillin+heparin (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.19-5.49) were associated with a greater effect on CRBSI than heparin. CONCLUSIONS: This network meta-analysis showed that minocycline-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) seemed to be the most effective for the prevention of CRBSI and exit-site infection, and cefotaxime+heparin seemed to be the most effective for catheter-related thrombosis.

Experimental research of heat-mass coupling response of liquid storage tanks.

In order to study the coupling response process of the liquid tank under the external thermal attack, experiments were carried out on a vertical cylindrical storage tank by electric heating. The response processes of the tank pressure, the medium temperatures, and the wet and dry tank wall temperatures were monitored in the experiments. The coupling responding process between the evolving characters of the medium temperature and the tank wall temperature, as well as the resulting rising features of the tank pressure were analyzed comprehensively. The results indicated that, on the one side the heat transfers process across and through the tank wall were influenced obviously by the thermal-flow fields of the two phase mediums which differ a lot in the thermal physical properties. On the other side, affected by the temperature rise in the wall, the vapor medium became thermal stratified and overheated with respect to the tank pressure, and the flow regime in the liquid medium would transform from causing stratification to promoting de-stratification affected by the wall boiling phenomenon.

Experimental research on the characteristics of methane/air explosion affected by ultrafine water mist.

The inhibition effects of ultrafine water mists on 6.5%, 8%, 9.5%, 11%, and 13.5% methane explosions were experimentally studied in a sealed visual vessel. The mist (10µm) produced by a mist generation system in the vessel was measured by a phase doppler particle analyzer. A high-speed camera was used to record the explosion flame affected by spraying concentration and a high frequency pressure sensor was used to acquire the explosion pressure. Meanwhile, the relationship between flame propagation and pressure rising with time was analyzed. The appearance height of "tulip" flame was increased and appearance moment was delayed obviously with the mist amount increased. The variation trend was illustrated from the viewpoint of the interactions among the flame front, the flame-induced reverse flow and the vortices. Moreover, cellular structure appeared in the burned zone and experienced four developing stages, and its formation indicates that water vapor can cause the intrinsic flame instability and absorb heat on the burned zone further. The pressure underwent two accelerating rises, which was affected by mist amount. The accelerating rise processes were related to the accelerating propagation of combustion wave. Furthermore, methane explosion can be absolutely suppressed by the mist.

Suppression of methane/air explosion by ultrafine water mist containing sodium chloride additive.

The suppression effect of ultrafine mists on methane/air explosions with methane concentrations of 6.5%, 8%, 9.5%, 11%, and 13.5% were experimentally studied in a closed visual vessel. Ultrafine water/NaCl solution mist as well as pure water mist was adopted and the droplet sizes of mists were measured by phase doppler particle analyzer (PDPA). A high speed camera was used to record the flame evolution processes. In contrast to pure water mist, the flame propagation speed, the maximum explosion overpressure (ΔP(max)), and the maximum pressure rising rate ((dP/dt)max) decreased significantly, with the "tulip" flame disappearing and the flame getting brighter. The results show that the suppressing effect on methane explosion by ultrafine water/NaCl solution mist is influenced by the mist amount and methane concentration. With the increase of the mist amount, the pressure, and the flame speed both descended significantly. And when the mist amount reached 74.08 g/m(3) and 37.04 g/m(3), the flames of 6.5% and 13.5% methane explosions can be absolutely suppressed, respectively. All of results indicate that addition of NaCl can improve the suppression effect of ultrafine pure water mist on the methane explosions, and the suppression effect is considered due to the combination effect of physical and chemical inhibitions.

Effect of fire engulfment on thermal response of LPG tanks.

A model has been developed to predict the thermal response of liquefied-pressure gases (LPG) tanks under fire, and three-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out on a horizontal LPG tank which was 60% filled. Comparison between numerical predictions and published experimental data shows close agreement. The attention is focused on the influence of different fire conditions (different fire scenarios, various engulfing degrees and flame temperatures) on thermal response of LPG tanks. Potential hazard probabilities under different fire conditions were discussed by analyzing the maximum wall temperature and media energy after the internal pressure rose to the same value. It is found that the less severe fire scenario and lower engulfing case may lead to a greater probability of burst hazard because of the higher maximum wall temperature and media energy before the pressure relief valve (PRV) opens.