[Mechanism of Xueshuantong Injection on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats based on coagulation cascade pathway].

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of Xueshuantong Injection(XST) on pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin(BLM) in rats based on the coagulation cascade pathway. Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into sham surgery group,model group, pirfenidone(PFD, 50 mg·kg~(-1)) group, and 27, 54, and 81 mg·kg~(-1) XST groups. The rat model of pulmonary fibrosis was established by intratracheal injection of BLM(5 mg·kg~(-1)). After 24 hours, the administration groups were given corresponding drugs, while the sham surgery group and model group were given equal volumes of saline. On the 28th day, samples were collected,and the imaging and collagen fiber changes in the lungs of rats were observed. Immunofluorescence(IF) method was used to detect the expression level of alpha-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), collagen Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ), E-cadherin(E-cad), and vimentin(Vim). Western blot was used to determine the protein expression of α-SMA, Col-Ⅰ, Vim, and E-cad. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the levels of prothrombin fragment(F1 + 2), thrombin-antithrombin complex(TAT), soluble fibrin monomer complex(SFMC), and rat fibrinogen degradation products(FDP) in rat lung tissue. Finally, the mRNA and protein levels of protease activated receptor 1(PAR-1) were detected by RT-qPCR, western blot, and IF. Compared with the model group, the scanning of the lungs of rats receiving XST treatment also exhibited patchy and non-homogeneous shadows, but these shadows were less dense than those in the model group. At the same time, there was a significant decrease in Col-Ⅰ fibers in the lungs of rats, and XST could inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) and downregulate α-SMA and Col-Ⅰ protein expression. In the aspect of the coagulation system, administration of 81 mg·kg~(-1) XST significantly reduced the levels of SFMC and FDP. Meanwhile, 81 mg·kg~(-1) XST significantly downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of PAR-1. XST has an anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect in rats, and its mechanism may be related to the downregulation of PAR-1 to rebalance the coagulation cascade pathway.

Influencing factors of self-management ability among dry eye patients in west China.

AIM: To investigate the current situation and influencing factors of self-management ability in dry eye patients in west China. METHODS: A total of 265 patients clinically diagnosed with dry eye received a convenience survey questionnaire at West China Hospital of Sichuan University. All participants completed the rating scale of health self-management skill for adults (AHSMSRS), Huaxi Emotional-Distress Index (HEI), e-health literacy scale (e-HEALS) and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief-IPQ). A generalized linear model was employed to establish a multivariate linear model with demographic data, psychological state, e-HEALS, and illness perception as independent variables and health self-management skill score as the dependent variable. RESULTS: The mean score for health self-management skill was 165.58±15.79. Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced age, better illness perception and improved psychological state were associated with better health self-management ability among dry eye patients. Furthermore, the health self-management ability of patients with a disease duration less than 1y was found to be higher compared to those with a disease duration exceeding 1y. CONCLUSION: The health self-management ability of dry eye patients in west China is relatively high. Age, duration of disease, illness perception and psychological state are the influencing factors on the health self-management ability of dry eye patients.

IPNet: An Interpretable Network with Progressive Loss for Whole-stage Colorectal Disease Diagnosis.

Colorectal cancer plays a dominant role in cancer-related deaths, primarily due to the absence of obvious early-stage symptoms. Whole-stage colorectal disease diagnosis is crucial for assessing lesion evolution and determining treatment plans. However, locality difference and disease progression lead to intra-class disparities and inter-class similarities for colorectal lesion representation. In addition, interpretable algorithms explaining the lesion progression are still lacking, making the prediction process a "black box". In this paper, we propose IPNet, a dual-branch interpretable network with progressive loss for whole-stage colorectal disease diagnosis. The dual-branch architecture captures unbiased features representing diverse localities to suppress intra-class variation. The progressive loss function considers inter-class relationship, using prior knowledge of disease evolution to guide classification. Furthermore, a novel Grain-CAM is designed to interpret IPNet by visualizing pixel-wise attention maps from shallow to deep layers, providing regions semantically related to IPNet's progressive classification. We conducted whole-stage diagnosis on two image modalities, i.e., colorectal lesion classification on 129,893 endoscopic optical images and rectal tumor T-staging on 11,072 endoscopic ultrasound images. IPNet is shown to surpass other state-of-the-art algorithms, accordingly achieving an accuracy of 93.15% and 89.62%. Especially, it establishes effective decision boundaries for challenges like polyp vs. adenoma and T2 vs. T3. The results demonstrate an explainable attempt for colorectal lesion classification at a whole-stage level, and rectal tumor T-staging by endoscopic ultrasound is also unprecedentedly explored. IPNet is expected to be further applied, assisting physicians in whole-stage disease diagnosis and enhancing diagnostic interpretability.

The correlation between serum vitamin D status and the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

The association between vitamin D concentrations and the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) remains a topic of ongoing debate. In order to provide a comprehensive and updated review, we conducted this meta-analysis to further investigate the relationship between vitamin D concentrations and DFUs occurrence. The following databases, including Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, CBM, CNKI, WANFANG DATA and VIP Database, were systematically searched for studies published up to Dec. 20th, 2023. The combined estimation was calculated using both fixed-effects and random-effects models. The overall effect size was reported as a weighted mean difference (WMD) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Data analysis was performed utilizing Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 14. The Protocol has been registered in PROSPERO CRD42024503468. This updated meta-analysis, incorporating thirty-six studies encompassing 11,298 individuals with or without DFUs, demonstrated a significant association between vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency and an elevated risk of DFUs occurrence (< 25 nmol/L, OR 3.28, P < 0.00001; < 50 nmol/L, OR 2.25, P < 0.00001; < 75 nmol/L, OR 1.67, P = 0.0003). Vitamin D concentrations were significantly lower in individuals with DFUs compared to those without DFUs (P < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses consistently demonstrated this trend among the older population (> 50 years, P < 0.00001), individuals with long duration of diabetes (> 10 years, P < 0.00001), and those with poor glycemic control (mean HbA1c 8%-9% and > 9%, P < 0.00001).

Comprehensive analysis of the relationship between yield stress and dewatering performance in sludge conditioning: Insights from various treatment methods.

Understanding the relationship between sludge yield stress (σy) and dewatering performance is essential for optimizing sludge conditioning processes. This study systematically investigates the effects of various conditioning methods-including thermal hydrolysis (TH), freezing/thawing (FT), anaerobic digestion (AD), polyaluminum chloride (PAC), polyacrylamide (PAM), and Fenton treatment (Fenton)-on sludge yield stress and its correlation with dewatering efficiency. Using linear regression, partial least squares regression (PLSR), and correlation heatmap analyses, we reveal significant variations in the correlation between σy and dewatering indexes, including moisture content (Mc), capillary suction time (CST), and bound water proportion (Wb/Wt), depending on the conditioning method and intensity. Under FT and PAM conditioning, σy shows a strong negative linear correlation with dewatering performance, with Pearson's r values exceeding -0.880, indicating that a decrease in σy corresponds to improved dewatering efficiency. Conversely, AD conditioning exhibits a positive linear correlation, with r values up to 0.993, suggesting that an increase in σy correlates with reduced dewatering efficiency. For TH, PAC, and Fenton treatments, the correlation between σy and dewatering metrics is highly sensitive to changes in treatment intensity. In the PLSR analysis, the VIP values, which quantify the importance of each predictor variable, indicate that Wb/Wt in TH conditioning (VIP = 1.649) and CST in PAC (VIP = 1.309) and Fenton (VIP = 1.299) conditioning strongly influence σy. This study highlights the significant impact of conditioning methods and intensities on the correlation between σy and dewatering performance. While σy provides valuable insights as a predictive indicator, its predictive power is limited in more complex conditioning scenarios. Therefore, optimizing conditioning intensity and incorporating multiple rheological parameters are essential for achieving superior sludge dewatering outcomes.

Serum N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Is Associated With Insulin Resistance in Chinese: Danyang Study.

The association of serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with insulin resistance (IR), as measured by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), in the general population is unclear. Our study aimed to characterize its relationship in a large community-based population. Subjects were recruited from the Danyang city between 2017 and 2019. Serum NT-proBNP was measured using an enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay. IR was defined by a HOMA-IR in the highest sex-specific quartile. Categorical and continuous analyses were performed with sex-specific NT-proBNP tertiles and naturally logarithmically transformed NT-proBNP (lnNTproBNP), respectively. The 2945 participants (mean age 52.8 years) included 1728 (58.7%) women, 1167 (39.6%) hypertensive patients, 269 (9.1%) diabetic patients, and 736 (25.0%) patients with IR. In simple and multivariate-adjusted regression analyses, serum lnNTproBNP were both negatively associated with HOMA-IR (ß = -0.19 to -0.25; p < 0.0001). Similar results were also obtained in multiple subgroup analyses. In multiple logistic regression analyses, elevated serum NT-proBNP was associated with lower risks of IR (odds ratios: 0.68 and 0.39; 95% confidence intervals: 0.61-0.74 and 0.30-0.50 for lnNTproBNP and top vs. bottom tertiles, respectively; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, increased serum NT-proBNP level was strongly associated with a lower risk of IR in Chinese.

Correlation analysis of serum Rac1 level with asthma control, airway inflammatory response and lung function in asthmatic children.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum Rac1 enzyme (Rac1) level with asthma control, airway inflammatory response and lung function in asthmatic children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 79 children with asthma who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from June 2020 to January 2023. According to the severity of the disease, the children were divided into mild group (25 cases), moderate group (30 cases) and severe group (24 cases). 36 healthy children who underwent physical examination at the same period in our hospital were selected as the control group. The state of an illness, control level, serum mRNA Rac1, inflammatory factors, and lung function of the children in two groups were compared between the control group and the observation group. RESULTS: The Rac1 mRNA levels, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second/FVC (FEV1/FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) in the observation group were significantly lower than these in the control group (P < 0.05). The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-5 (IL-5), IL-6, and IL-33 in the observation group were markedly higher than these in the control group (P < 0.05). As the state of an illness worsened, the Rac1 mRNA levels, FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEF, and MMEF gradually reduced (P < 0.05), while the levels of TNF-α, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-33 increased (P < 0.05). As the degree of disease control improved, the Rac1 mRNA levels, FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEF, and MMEF gradually elevated (P < 0.05), and the levels of TNF- α, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-33 showed the opposite trend (P < 0.05). Rac1 was negatively related to the levels of TNF-α, IL-5, IL-6 and IL-33 (P < 0.05), and positively to the levels of FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEF and MMEF (P < 0.001). Rac1 mRNA levels, FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEF and MMEF were protective factors, while TNF-α, IL-5, IL-6 and IL-33 were risk factors for the prognosis of children with asthma (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Children with asthma have obviously lower serum Rac1 mRNA levels, higher inflammatory factor levels and lower lung function. Serum Rac1 mRNA level may be associated with better asthma control, lower airway inflammatory response, better lung function and lower disease severity. It has important reference value for the evaluation of the state of an illness, efficacy and prognosis of children with bronchial asthma.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lilium saccatum S. Yun Liang (Liliaceae, Lilieae) and its phylogenetic analysis.

Lilium saccatum is a species of ornamental plant found in southeastern Xizang, China. In the present study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of L. saccatum was sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The de novo assembled cp genome was 151,839 bp in length, including a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs; 26,421 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC; 17,528 bp), and a large single-copy region (LSC; 81,469 bp). The cp genome encodes 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The total GC content of the cp genome was 37.0%. Phylogenetic analysis of 24 cp genomes revealed that L. saccatum was closely related to L. souliei. This study could provide fundamental information for the phylogenomics and utilization of Lilium.

Clinical characteristics of sudden hearing loss during pregnancy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics and management of sudden hearing loss (HL) during pregnancy, thus better guiding the clinical practice. Methods: The clinical and follow-up data of 17 patients (17 ears) with sudden HL during pregnancy were analyzed retrospectively (the observe group). Twelve nonpregnant female patients (12 ears) with sudden HL of similar clinical characteristics were selected as the control group. The prognosis of the two groups was compared. All the patients were followed up after delivery, and two of them were readmitted to the hospital 1-2 months after delivery. Results: The observe group had better improvement in hearing and a higher response rate compared to the control group. The pure tone hearing and speech recognition rate of patients could still be improved after the readmitted treatment, and the hearing could partially recover spontaneously during follow-up. The laboratory indicators that affect the inflammatory response and coagulation pathway were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: The hearing condition of sudden HL during pregnancy is severe, and the prognosis of these patients is better than nonpregnant patients of similar clinical characteristics. Postpartum treatment is still effective, and some patients showed self-healing with time during follow-up. The inflammatory response and coagulation function may affect the hearing of patients through a metabolic pathway.

Prevalence and risk factors of training-related abdominal injuries: A multicenter survey study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to identify the prevalence and risk factors of military training-related abdominal injuries and help plan and conduct training properly. METHODS: This questionnaire survey study was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 among military personnel from 6 military units and 8 military medical centers and participants' medical records were consulted to identify the training-related abdominal injuries. All the military personnel who ever participated in military training were included. Those who refused to participate in this study or provided an incomplete questionnaire were excluded. The questionnaire collected demographic information, type of abdominal injury, frequency, training subjects, triggers, treatment, and training disturbance. Chi-square test and t-test were used to compare baseline information. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the risk factors associated with military training-related abdominal injuries. RESULTS: A total of 3058 participants were involved in this study, among which 1797 (58.8%) had suffered training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 24.3 years and the service time was 5.6 years), while 1261 (41.2%) had no training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 23.1 years and the service time was 4.3 years). There were 546 injured patients (30.4%) suspended the training and 84 (4.6%) needed to be referred to higher-level hospitals. The most common triggers included inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and intense training. The training subjects with the most abdominal injuries were long-distance running (589, 32.8%). Civil servants had the highest rate of abdominal trauma (17.1%). Age ≥ 25 years, military service ≥ 3 years, poor sleep status, and previous abdominal history were independent risk factors for training-related abdominal injury. CONCLUSION: More than half of the military personnel have suffered military training-related abdominal injuries. Inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and high training intensity are the most common inducing factors. Scientific and proper training should be conducted according to the factors causing abdominal injuries.

The association between diet and sleep with internalising symptoms in young athletes: a serial multiple mediation models.

Introduction: Athletes frequently experience anxiety and depression at rates similar to or higher than non-athletes. A balanced diet can alleviate athletes internalizing symptoms. Moreover, diet and sleep are all associated with internalising symptoms. Our study investigates how sleep quality mediates the impact of dietary habits on internalizing symptoms in athletes. Methods: The current cross-sectional study involved 758 Chinese young athletes. The adapted Australian Athletes Diet Index was used to assess dietary patterns, and sleep was measured using the Athletes Sleep Screening Questionnaire. The Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item scale were used to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis was used to examine the mediating role of sleep quality in young athletes. Raw scores of chronotypes, sleep quality, anxiety and depression were calculated for the statistical analysis. Results: No significant indirect effects were found in adolescents. In adult athletes, diet mediated the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality (ß = -0.028, p < 0.001). Sleep quality mediated the association between diet and anxiety (ß = -0.060, p = 0.001), and depression (ß = -0.076, p = 0.001). Additionally, diet and sleep quality mediated the association between chronotypes and anxiety (ß = -0.028, p = 0.001), and depression (ß = -0.028, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Sleep quality mediated the relationship between dietary patterns and internalising symptoms in young adult athletes. Additionally, diet and sleep quality mediated the association between chronotypes and internalising symptoms in young adult athletes.

Quantitative analysis of cis-regulatory elements in transcription with KAS-ATAC-seq.

Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) are pivotal in orchestrating gene expression throughout diverse biological systems. Accurate identification and in-depth characterization of functional CREs are crucial for decoding gene regulation networks during cellular processes. In this study, we develop Kethoxal-Assisted Single-stranded DNA Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with Sequencing (KAS-ATAC-seq) to quantitatively analyze the transcriptional activity of CREs. A main advantage of KAS-ATAC-seq lies in its precise measurement of ssDNA levels within both proximal and distal ATAC-seq peaks, enabling the identification of transcriptional regulatory sequences. This feature is particularly adept at defining Single-Stranded Transcribing Enhancers (SSTEs). SSTEs are highly enriched with nascent RNAs and specific transcription factors (TFs) binding sites that define cellular identity. Moreover, KAS-ATAC-seq provides a detailed characterization and functional implications of various SSTE subtypes. Our analysis of CREs during mouse neural differentiation demonstrates that KAS-ATAC-seq can effectively identify immediate-early activated CREs in response to retinoic acid (RA) treatment. Our findings indicate that KAS-ATAC-seq provides more precise annotation of functional CREs in transcription. Future applications of KAS-ATAC-seq would help elucidate the intricate dynamics of gene regulation in diverse biological processes.

Blue Perovskite Lasing Derived from Bound Excitons through Defect Engineering.

All-inorganic perovskite films have emerged as promising candidates for laser gain materials owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties and straightforward solution processing. However, the performance of blue perovskite lasing still lags far behind due to the inevitable high density of defects. Herein, we demonstrate that defects can be utilized instead of passivated/removed to form bound excitons to achieve excellent blue stimulated emission in perovskite films. Such a strategy emphasizes defect engineering by introducing a deep-level defect in mixed-Rb/Cs perovskite films through octylammonium bromide (OABr) additives. Consequently, the OA-Rb/Cs perovskite films exhibit blue amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from defect-related bound excitons with a low threshold (13.5 µJ/cm2) and a high optical gain (744.7 cm-1), which contribute to a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with single-mode blue emission at 482 nm. This work not only presents a facile method for creating blue laser gain materials but also provides valuable insights for further exploration of high-performance blue lasing in perovskite films.

Effects of season and water quality on community structure of planktonic eukaryotes in the Chaohu Lake Basin.

Introduction: Analyzing the correlation between planktonic eukaryotic communities (PECs) and aquatic physicochemical parameters (APPs) provides important references for predicting the impact of climate change and human activities on aquatic ecosystems. Methods: To assess the influence of seasons and APPs on PEC structures in lakes and rivers, we utilized high-throughput sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene to analyze PEC structures in a lake and seven rivers in the Chaohu Lake Basin and analyzed their correlations with APPs. Results: Our results revealed that PEC structure was significantly affected by season, with the highest α-diversity observed in summer. Furthermore, we identified several APPs, including water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphate, total phosphorus, trophic level index (TLI), nitrate, ammonia nitrogen, and total nitrogen, that significantly influenced PEC structures. Specifically, we found that Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Simocephalus serrulatus, Cryptomonas sp. CCAC_0109, Pedospumella encystans, Actinochloris sphaerica, Chlamydomonas angulosa, Gonyostomum semen, Skeletonema potamos, Chlamydomonas klinobasis, Pedospumella sp., and Neochlorosarcina negevensis were significantly correlated to TLI, while Limnoithona tetraspina, Theileria sp., and Pseudophyllomitus vesiculosus were significantly correlated to the water quality index (WQI). However, our random forest regression analysis using the top 100 species was unable to accurately predict the WQI and TLI. Discussion: These results provide valuable data for evaluating the impact of APPs on PEC and for protecting water resource in the Chaohu Lake Basin.

Crizotinib and its enantiomer suppress ferroptosis by decreasing PE-O-PUFA content.

Ferroptosis is a specific form of cell death characterized by excessive accumulation of cellular lipid peroxides. Ferroptosis is closely associated with various diseases, inhibition of which may help alleviate multi-organ injury caused by ischemia-reperfusion and enhance the anti-tumor effect by promoting the immunity of T cells. However, clinical approved drugs targeting ferroptosis process remain rare. In this study, we unexpectedly found that (R)-crizotinib, the first-generation ALK inhibitor, has potent inhibitory activity against ferroptosis across various cell lines. Moreover, its chiral molecule (S)-crizotinib, which was considered to share no common targets with (R)-crizotinib, also suppresses ferroptosis with an efficacy similar to that of (R)-crizotinib. We further demonstrated that both crizotinib enantiomers inhibit ferroptosis independently of their known targets, but through a common mechanism involving the targeting of AGPAT3-mediated synthesis of ether-linked polyunsaturated fatty acids (PE-O-PUFA), which are known to promote lipid-ROS generation and ferroptosis. In line with their activity in cell lines, (R)-crizotinib and (S)-crizotinib effectively mitigate renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice. Furthermore, the two compounds also inhibit lipid-ROS accumulation in CD8+ T cells in draining lymph nodes of B16-F10 subcutaneous xenograft mice, thereby promoting anti-tumor effects. Collectively, our study firstly reports a common activity shared by (R)-crizotinib and (S)-crizotinib in ferroptosis regulation. As a clinically approved drug, (R)-crizotinib has well-established pharmacokinetics and safety, which makes it a promising candidate for repurposing. Given the current lack of FDA-approved ferroptosis inhibitors, our findings suggest therapeutically repurposing (R)-crizotinib as well as its enantiomer (S)-crizotinib for treating ferroptosis-related diseases.

Risk factors of chronic endometritis in women who have undergone hysteroscopy: a prospective nested case-control study.

There is limited research on risk factors for chronic endometritis regarding reproductive history and clinical symptoms. Thus, this nested case-control study identified risk factors for chronic endometritis in women who have undergone hysteroscopy. Endometrial tissue sections were obtained from 502 women with intrauterine disorders who underwent hysteroscopy. Chronic endometritis was diagnosed via CD138 immunostaining. The women were divided into two groups: 271 women without chronic endometritis and 231 women with chronic endometritis. The prevalence of chronic endometritis was 46%. Univariate logistic regression revealed that prolonged menstruation and intermenstrual bleeding were associated with chronic endometritis, and subsequent multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that these were further independently associated. With univariable logistic regression, the gravidity and abortion history were correlated with chronic endometritis; however, no significant correlation was found with the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46-1.19) or 0.76 (95% CI 0.58-1.11), respectively. No significant correlation was found between caesarean section history and the rates of chronic endometritis. No significant difference was found in all other variables between the three groups with > 5, ≤ 5 plasma cells and in a unknown group. Prolonged menstruation and intermenstrual bleeding were risk factors associated with chronic endometritis. Chronic endometritis should be considered and CD138 immunohistochemical examination should be recommended in women with these symptoms.

A study on the relationship and path between mental health and burnout of Chinese athletes.

Background: This study aims to explore the relationship and influencing pathways between mental health indicators and athlete burnout among Chinese competitive athletes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 501 elite Chinese athletes from several national and provincial sports teams. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to measure anxiety, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ- 9) was used to measure depression, Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ) was used to measure perceived stress, and Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) was used to measure burnout. The results were derived using reliability testing, descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and structural equation modeling. Results: The following results were obtained: (a) the clinical detection rates of anxiety and depression in this sample were within normal levels, but the detection rate of perceived stress (78.64%) was relatively high; (b) all three mental health indicators were significantly correlated with athlete burnout; (c) in our model, there was a direct path with APSQ directly contributing to 69.95% of the variance in athlete burnout, and two indirect paths with APSQ exerting an indirect effect through depression or/and anxiety accounting for 30.05% of the variance. Conclusion: The findings revealed the psychological characteristics of Chinese competitive athletes and the direct and indirect effects of the APSQ on burnout. Future research should actively promote the international development and application of burnout assessment tools, conduct more comprehensive studies on athlete mental health monitoring, and intensify efforts in athlete education, treatment, and support services, as well as strategies for athlete's coping stress.

[Effects of Sophora japonica extract on alveolar bone mass in ovariectomized osteoporosis mice].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of Sophora japonica extract on alveolar bone mass in ovariectomized osteoporosis mice. METHODS: Six-week-old female non-pregnant wild-type C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into sham operation group, ovariectomy(OVX) group and OVX+Sophora japonica extract group. Ovaries of the mice in the OVX group and the OVX+Sophora japonica extract group were removed, and the mice in the OVX+Sophora japonica extract group were treated by Sophora japonica extract at a dose of 150 mg/kg, three times a week for 4 weeks; while mice of the other two groups were given an equal volume of normal saline at the same time. Body weight was measured 3 times a week, and the micro-parameters of alveolar bone were detected by Micro-CT after 4 weeks. The data were analyzed by GraphPad Prism 9 software. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operated group, the trabecular bone parameters of the alveolar bone in the OVX group were significantly decreased 1 month after operation (P＜0.05). One month after intervention with Sophora japonica extract, alveolar bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular number (Tb.N) and trabecular separation(Tb.Sp) in OVX mice was significantly rescued, with no significant difference compared to the sham surgery group(P＞0.05); but bone volume fraction(BV/TV) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) had not completely recovered to the levels of the sham-operated group(P＜0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sophora japonica extract can effectively increase the alveolar bone mass reduced by estrogen deficiency and may be used as one of the potential drugs for the treatment of menopausal alveolar bone osteoporosis.

Thermal management towards ultra-bright and stable perovskite nanocrystal-based pure red light-emitting diodes.

Despite the promising candidacy of perovskite nanocrystals for light-emitting diodes, their pure red electroluminescence is hindered by low saturated luminance, severe external quantum efficiency roll-off, and inferior operational stability. Here, we report ultra-bright and stable pure red light-emitting diodes by manipulating Joule heat generation in the nanocrystal emissive layer and thermal management within the device. Diphenylphosphoryl azide-mediated regulation of the nanocrystal surface synergistically enhances the optical properties and carrier transport of the emissive layer, enabling reduced Joule heat generation and thus lowering the working temperature. These merits inhibit ion migration of the CsPb(Br/I)3 nanocrystal film, promising excellent spectra stability. Combined with the highly thermal-conductive sapphire substrates and implementation of pulse-driving mode, the pure red light-emitting diodes exhibit an ultra-bright luminance of 390,000 cd m-2, a peak external quantum efficiency of 25%, suppressed efficiency roll-off, an operational half-life of 20 hours, and superior spectral stability within 15 A cm-2.

An Engineered Imine Reductase for Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Synthesis of ß-Branched Amines with Contiguous Stereocenters.

ß-Branched chiral amines with contiguous stereocenters are valuable building blocks for preparing various biologically active molecules. However, their asymmetric synthesis remains challenging. Herein, we report a highly diastereo- and enantioselective biocatalytic approach for preparing a broad range of ß-branched chiral amines starting from their corresponding racemic ketones. This involves a dynamic kinetic resolution-asymmetric reductive amination process catalyzed using only an imine reductase. Four rounds of protein engineering endowed wild-type PocIRED with higher reactivity, better stereoselectivity, and a broader substrate scope. Using the engineered enzyme, various chiral amine products were synthesized with up to >99.9% ee, >99:1 dr, and >99% conversion. The practicability of the developed biocatalytic method was confirmed by producing a key intermediate of tofacitinib in 74% yield, >99.9% ee, and 98:2 dr at a challenging substrate loading of 110 g L-1. Our study provides a highly capable imine reductase and a protocol for developing an efficient biocatalytic dynamic kinetic resolution-asymmetric reductive amination reaction system.