Development and validation of predictive models for mortality of cases with COVID-19 (Omicron BA.5.2.48 and B.7.14): a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: With the emergence of new COVID-19 variants (Omicron BA.5.2.48 and B.7.14), predicting the mortality of infected patients has become increasingly challenging due to the continuous mutation of the virus. Existing models have shown poor performance and limited clinical utility. This study aims to identify the independent risk factors and develop practical predictive models for mortality among patients infected with new COVID-19 variants. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We extracted data from 1029 COVID-19 patients in the respiratory disease wards of a general hospital in China between 22 December 2022 and 15 February 2023. OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality within 15 days after hospital discharge. RESULTS: A total of 987 cases with new COVID-19 variants (Omicron BA.5.2.48 and B.7.14) were eventually included, among them, 153 (15.5%) died. Non-invasive ventilation, intubation, myoglobin, international normalised ratio, age, number of diagnoses, respiratory rate, pulse, neutrophil count and albumin were the most important predictors of mortality among new COVID-19 variants. The area under the curve of logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models were 0.959, 0.883 and 0.993, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 0.926 for LR, 0.918 for DT and 0.977 for XGBoost. XGBoost model had the highest sensitivity (0.908) and specificity (0.989). CONCLUSION: Our study developed and validated three practical models for predicting mortality in patients with new COVID-19 variants. All models performed well, and XGBoost was the best-performing model.

Comparative efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety in adult intensive care unit patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The primary goal of the intensive care unit is to the anxiety of conscious patients is often ignored in the care unit. AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of various non-pharmacological therapies for anxiety disorders in adult patients in the intensive care unit, in order to enhance humanistic care in the intensive care unit and to promote the patients' physical and mental recovery together. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a systematic and comprehensive search of the literature in five databases (including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Embase) covering nearly a decade for randomized controlled trials of non-pharmacological therapies to reduce anxiety in adult intensive care unit patients. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the literature, collected and condensed the data, and used STATA software to perform a network meta-analysis. The ranking probabilities for each intervention were calculated using the Surface under the Cumulative Ranking (SUCRA) method. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO. RESULTS: This study ultimately included 26 randomized controlled trials involving 2791 adult ICU patients. Non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety in adult ICU patients included music therapy, aromatherapy, ICU diary, virtual reality, massage therapy, monitoring room diary, and health education. when compared to the control group (usual care), aromatherapy + music therapy [MD = -2.65, 95% CI (-4.76, -0.54)] (P = 0.0137) and music therapy [MD = -1.77, 95% CI (-3.40, -0.13)] (P = 0.0338) were superior in reducing anxiety in adult ICU patients. The results of the network meta-analysis showed that aromatherapy combined with music therapy significantly alleviated anxiety in adult ICU patients (SUCRA: 99.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Music therapy combined with aromatherapy has demonstrated superior effectiveness compared to other non-pharmacological interventions for reducing anxiety in awake adults in the ICU. However, the underlying mechanisms of this combined therapy require further exploration. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Future research on the use of music therapy combined with aromatherapy in the care unit may help reduce anxiety in patients while fostering their physical and mental healing; however, individual variances and unique clinical circumstances must be considered.

Branched Oligomer-Based Reversible Adhesives Enabled by Controllable Self-Aggregation.

Supramolecular adhesion material systems based on small molecules have shown great potential to unite the great contradiction between strong adhesion and reversibility. However, these material systems suffer from low adhesion strength/narrow adhesion span, limited designability, and single interaction due to fewer covalent bond content and action sites in small molecules. Herein, an ultrahigh-strength and large-span reversible adhesive enabled by a branched oligomer controllable self-aggregation strategy is developed. The dense covalent bonds present in the branched oligomers greatly enhance adhesion strength without compromising reversibility. The resulting adhesive exhibits a large-span reversible adhesion of ≈140 times, switching between ultra-strong and tough adhesion strength (5.58 MPa and 5093.92 N m-1) and ultralow adhesion (0.04 MPa and 87.656 N m-1) with alternating temperature. Moreover, reversible dynamic double cross-linking endows the adhesive with stable reversible adhesion transitions even after 100 cycles. This reversible adhesion property can also be remotely controlled via a voltage of 8 V, with a loading voltage duration of 45 s. This work paves the way for the design of reversible adhesives with long-span outstanding properties using covalent polymers and offers a pathway for the rational design of high-performance adhesives featuring both robust toughness and exceptional reversibility.

Robust and Lubricating Interface Semi-Interpenetrating Network on Inert Polymer Substrates Enabled by Subsurface-Initiated Polymerization.

Lubricating hydrogel coatings on inert rubber and plastic surfaces significantly reduce friction and wear, thus enhancing material durability and lifespan. However, achieving optimal hydration lubrication typically requires a porous polymer network, which unfortunately reduces their mechanical strength and limits their applicability where robust durability and wear-resistance are essential. In the research, a hydrogel coating with remarkable wear resistance and surface stability is developed by forming a semi-interpenetrating polymer network with polymer substrate at the interface. By employing a good solvent swelling method, monomers, and photoinitiators are embedded within the substrates' subsurface, followed by in situ polymerization under ultraviolet light, creating a robust semi-interpenetrating and entangled network structure. This approach, offering a thicker energy-dissipating layer, outperforms traditional surface modifications in wear resistance while preserving anti-fatigue, hydrophilicity, oleophobicity, and other properties. Adaptable to various rubber and plastic substrates by using suitable solvents, this method provides an efficient solution for creating durable, lubricating surfaces, broadening the potential applications in multiple industries.

The skin tears knowledge among geriatric ward nurses and associated factors: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To determine the level of knowledge about skin tears among geriatric ward nurses and identify associated factors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study in Southwest China, 1172 geriatric ward nurses from 10 hospitals participated. Data were collected using Sojump, a Chinese web-based platform, and the Skin Tear Knowledge Assessment Instrument was used to assess their knowledge. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The study involved participants with an average age of 36.73 (SD = 6.54) years. More than half of the participants had less than 10 years of experience in geriatric wards. 27 % specialized in wound care, and 68.1 % lacked specific training in skin tear (ST) knowledge. Additionally, 82.7 % of geriatric nurses had never been exposed to guidelines on ST prevention and management. In the geriatric ward, 36.6 % of nurses received training in ST prevention. The average knowledge score about Skin Tears (STs) was 9.52 (SD = 2.39) out of 18. 'Treatment' had the lowest mean score, while 'Specific patient groups' had the highest. The multiple linear regression analysis found that nurses' knowledge of STs was influenced by sex(ß = 0.096, P < 0.001), educational level(ß = 0.062, P < 0.001), participation in ST (ß = -0.193, P < 0.001 and wound care training(ß = -0.120, P = 0.004), and specialization as a wound care nurse(ß = -0.350, P = 0.001). These factors explained 61.3 % of the variance in knowledge about STs among the participants. CONCLUSION: The geriatric ward had limited knowledge of STs. To improve their skills in dealing with STs, managers should provide tailored training to nurses and establish a standardized, evidence-based nursing process.

Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on pain in wound patients during dressing change: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Changes to the wound dressing frequently cause pain. Some adverse side effects of pharmacologic pain management may cause problems or even impede wound healing. There is no systematic study of non-pharmacologic therapies for pain during wound dressing changes, despite the gradual promotion of non-pharmacologic pain reduction methods. OBJECTIVES: To give clinical wound pain management a new direction, locating and assessing non-pharmacological interventions regarding pain brought on by wound dressing changes are necessary. METHOD: The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review on non-pharmacological interventions for pain during wound dressing changes across five databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library spanning the period from January 2010 to September 2022. The evaluation of literature and data extraction was carried out independently by two researchers, and in cases of disagreement, a third researcher participated in the deliberation. To assess the risk of bias in the literature, the researchers utilised the Cochrane Handbook for Reviews of Interventions, version 5.1.0. RESULTS: In total, 951 people were involved in 11 investigations covering seven non-pharmacological therapies. For pain triggered by dressing changes, virtual reality (VR) distraction, auditory and visual distractions, foot reflexology, religious and spiritual care, and guided imaging demonstrated partially positive effects, with hypnosis therapy and jaw relaxation perhaps having a weak effect. CONCLUSION: The key to managing wounds is pain management. According to our review, there is some indication that non-pharmacologic interventions can help patients feel less discomfort when having their wound dressings changed. However, the evidence supporting this view is weak. It needs to be corroborated by future research studies with multicentre and large samples. To promote and use various non-pharmacologic interventions in the future, it is also necessary to build standardised and homogenised paths for their implementation.

Mixed reality in primary retroperitoneal tumour surgery: Evaluation of preoperative and intraoperative application value.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and application value of mixed reality technology (MR) in Primary retroperitoneal tumour (PRT) surgery. METHODS: From 276 patients who underwent PRT resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, we screened 46 patients who underwent MR-assisted retroperitoneal tumour resection and 46 patients who underwent tumour resection without MR assistance. The intraoperative and postoperative recovery of the patients in both groups were compared, and the reliability and validity of the application of MR were further examined using the Likert scale. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the mean intraoperative bleeding volume between the two groups, but it was reduced in the MR group. The results of the Likert scale showed higher scores in the MR group than non-MR group. CONCLUSIONS: MR can be used to assist PRT resection and has great potential to improve the rate of complete retroperitoneal tumour resection.

A nondepleting anti-CD19 antibody impairs B cell function and inhibits autoimmune diseases.

B cells contribute to multiple aspects of autoimmune disorders, and B cell-targeting therapies, including B cell depletion, have been proven to be efficacious in treatment of multiple autoimmune diseases. However, the development of novel therapies targeting B cells with higher efficacy and a nondepleting mechanism of action is highly desirable. Here we describe a nondepleting, high-affinity anti-human CD19 antibody LY3541860 that exhibits potent B cell inhibitory activities. LY3541860 inhibits B cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation of primary human B cells with high potency. LY3541860 also inhibits human B cell activities in vivo in humanized mice. Similarly, our potent anti-mCD19 antibody also demonstrates improved efficacy over CD20 B cell depletion therapy in multiple B cell-dependent autoimmune disease models. Our data indicate that anti-CD19 antibody is a highly potent B cell inhibitor that may have potential to demonstrate improved efficacy over currently available B cell-targeting therapies in treatment of autoimmune conditions without causing B cell depletion.

Water-assisted strong underwater adhesion via interfacial water removal and self-adaptive gelation.

In nearly all cases of underwater adhesion, water molecules typically act as a destroyer. Thus, removing interfacial water from the substrate surfaces is essential for forming super-strong underwater adhesion. However, current methods mainly rely on physical means to dislodge interfacial water, such as absorption, hydrophobic repulsion, or extrusion, which are inefficient in removing obstinate hydrated water at contact interface, resulting in poor adhesion. Herein, we present a unique means of reversing the role of water to assist in realizing a self-strengthening liquid underwater adhesive (SLU-adhesive) that can effectively remove water at contact interface. This is achieved through multiscale physical-chemical coupling methods across millimeter to molecular levels and self-adaptive strengthening of the cohesion during underwater operations. As a result, strong adhesion over 1,600 kPa (compared to ~100 to 1,000 kPa in current state of the art) can be achieved on various materials, including inorganic metal and organic plastic materials, without preloading in different environments such as pure water, a wide range of pH solutions (pH = 3 to 11), and seawater. Intriguingly, SLU-adhesive/photothermal nanoparticles (carbon nanotubes) hybrid materials can significantly reduce the time required for complete curing from 24 h to 40 min using near-infrared laser radiation due to unique thermal-response of the chemical reaction rate. The excellent adhesion property and self-adaptive adhesion procedure allow SLU-adhesive materials to demonstrate great potential for broad applications in underwater sand stabilization, underwater repair, and even adhesion failure detection as a self-reporting adhesive. This concept of "water helper" has potential to advance underwater adhesion and manufacturing strategies.

Bioenhanced degradation of toluene by layer-by-layer self-assembled silica-based bio-microcapsules.

In this study, micron-sized monodisperse SiO2 microspheres were used as sacrificial templates, and chitosan/polylactic acid (CTS/PLA) bio-microcapsules were produced using the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly method. Microcapsules isolate bacteria from their surroundings, forming a separate microenvironment and greatly improving microorganisms' ability to adapt to adverse environmental conditions. Morphology observation indicated that the pie-shaped bio-microcapsules with a certain thickness could be successfully prepared through LBL assembly method. Surface analysis showed that the LBL bio-microcapsules (LBMs) had large fractions of mesoporous. The biodegradation experiments of toluene and the determination of toluene degrading enzyme activity were also carried out under external adverse environmental conditions (i.e., unsuitable initial concentrations of toluene, pH, temperature, and salinity). The results showed that the removal rate of toluene by LBMs can basically reach more than 90% in 2 days under adverse environmental conditions, which is significantly higher than that of free bacteria. In particular, the removal rate of toluene by LBMs can reach four times that of free bacteria at pH 3, which indicates that LBMs maintain a high level of operational stability for toluene degradation. Flow cytometry analysis showed that LBL microcapsules could effectively reduce the death rate of the bacteria. The results of the enzyme activity assay showed that the enzyme activity was significantly stronger in the LBMs system than in the free bacteria system under the same unfavorable external environmental conditions. In conclusion, the LBMs were more adaptable to the uncertain external environment, which provided a feasible bioremediation strategy for the treatment of organic contaminants in actual groundwater.

Bioinformatics combined with clinical data to analyze clinical characteristics and prognosis in patients with HER2 low expression breast cancer.

Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a landmark protein in determining the targeted treatment of breast cancer (BC). However, the latest research shows that different intensity of HER2 protein expression levels in BC leads to different clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis, especially in HER2 low expression patients. Therefore, this study intends to analyze and compare the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of BC patients with low and zero HER2 expression from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the data collected by our center. Methods: First, the BC dataset was downloaded from TCGA database, including 345 eligible and with complete clinical information BC patients, to compare the difference between HER2 low expression groups and HER2 zero expression groups and their correlation with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression. Then, the clinicopathological data and follow-up of 405 patients with HER2 low expression and HER2 zero expression diagnosed with BC admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities (YJMU) from January 2017 to December 2021 were collected to verify the consistency of the results of the two data sets. Results: Both the clinical samples and the TCGA data showed that the ER and PR rates were higher in the HER2 low expression group compared with the HER2 zero expression group. There were no significant differences in tumor size, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and disease-free survival (DFS). In addition, the data analysis of 405 clinical samples also showed that the HER2 low expression group had a lower 3-year recurrence or metastasis rate compared with the HER2 zero expression group. Conclusions: Compared with HER2 zero expression, HER2 low patients express more ER and PR, and have less short-term recurrence and metastasis, but there is no obvious difference in DFS between the two groups.

Historical evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in Chaihe Reservoir from 1863 to 2018.

Pollution from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) spreads and changes worldwide. The pollution evolution in the regional water environment evolves in response to multiple factors, requiring considerable attention. PAH heterogeneity in the sediment core from Chaihe Reservoir was investigated to indicate dynamic changes in PAH pollution levels and sources and propose recommendations for controlling PAHs. Dynamic PAH patterns showed that the overall decline in PAH pollution was in association with local anthropogenic activities, temperature, and precipitation over the period 1863-2018. Nevertheless, coal, oil, and natural gas consumptions still played significant roles in transferring PAHs to the reservoir. Meanwhile, there were dominant local origins, including grass, wood, and coal combustion. The results highlight that the joint action of natural and anthropogenic interventions mitigated PAH pollution in the reservoir. Promoting improved fuels, new energy vehicles, and cleaner energy may further lower PAH pollution.

Chromatin accessibility illuminates single-cell regulatory dynamics of rice root tips.

BACKGROUND: Root development and function have central roles in plant adaptation to the environment. The modification of root traits has additionally been a major driver of crop performance since the green revolution; however, the molecular underpinnings and the regulatory programmes defining root development and response to environmental stress remain largely unknown. Single-cell reconstruction of gene regulatory programmes provides an important tool to understand the cellular phenotypic variation in complex tissues and their response to endogenous and environmental stimuli. While single-cell transcriptomes of several plant organs have been elucidated, the underlying chromatin landscapes associated with cell type-specific gene expression remain largely unexplored. RESULTS: To comprehensively delineate chromatin accessibility during root development of an important crop, we applied single-cell ATAC-seq (scATAC-seq) to 46,758 cells from rice root tips under normal and heat stress conditions. Our data revealed cell type-specific accessibility variance across most of the major cell types and allowed us to identify sets of transcription factors which associate with accessible chromatin regions (ACRs). Using root hair differentiation as a model, we demonstrate that chromatin and gene expression dynamics during cell type differentiation correlate in pseudotime analyses. In addition to developmental trajectories, we describe chromatin responses to heat and identify cell type-specific accessibility changes to this key environmental stimulus. CONCLUSIONS: We report chromatin landscapes during rice root development at single-cell resolution. Our work provides a framework for the integrative analysis of regulatory dynamics in this important crop organ at single-cell resolution.

Comparison between Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and LuxS-deficient strain in regulating gut barrier function and inflammation in early-weaned piglets.

Background: Early weaning-induced stress impairs the intestinal barrier function and adversely affects the health of piglet. Probiotics can be used to prevent and treat various intestinal diseases. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) has an LuxS/AI-2 quorum sensing (QS) system that senses environmental changes through chemical signaling molecules. The aim of the study was to explore whether luxS mutant affects the protective role of LGG in the gut barrier of weaned piglets by comparing the luxS mutant (ΔluxS) with its wild-type (WT). Methods: Newborn piglets were orally administered with WT and ΔluxS at dosage of 109 CFU, respectively. Accordingly, newborn piglets in the Con group were orally administered with PBS. Piglets were weaned on day 21 and euthanized on day 24, three days following weaning. Results: Supplementation of ΔluxS in advance significantly boosted the relative abundances of healthy microbes (including Catenibacterium, Eubacterium, Lachnospiraceae and Bifidobacterium). WT and ΔluxS maintain intestinal barrier function mainly by promoting intestinal villus to crypt ratio (VCR), occludin protein expression and mucus secretion (P<0.05). Furthermore, LGG reduces pro-inflammatory mediators by inhibiting TLR4 and MAPK signal transduction (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both WT and ΔluxS were shown to resist weaning stress by enhancing the intestinal barrier function of piglets. It has to be said that the ability of ΔluxS to maintain intestinal tissue morphology and promote mucus secretion significantly decreased compared with that of WT.

Design of large-span stick-slip freely switchable hydrogels via dynamic multiscale contact synergy.

Solid matter that can rapidly and reversibly switch between adhesive and non-adhesive states is desired in many technological domains including climbing robotics, actuators, wound dressings, and bioelectronics due to the ability for on-demand attachment and detachment. For most types of smart adhesive materials, however, reversible switching occurs only at narrow scales (nanoscale or microscale), which limits the realization of interchangeable surfaces with distinct adhesive states. Here, we report the design of a switchable adhesive hydrogel via dynamic multiscale contact synergy, termed as DMCS-hydrogel. The hydrogel rapidly switches between slippery (friction ~0.04 N/cm2) and sticky (adhesion ~3 N/cm2) states in the solid-solid contact process, exhibits large span, is switchable and dynamic, and features rapid adhesive switching. The design strategy of this material has wide applications ranging from programmable adhesive materials to intelligent devices.

Identification of immune-related biomarkers for predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy sensitivity in HER2 negative breast cancer via bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is an important treatment for breast cancer (BC) patients. However, due to the lack of specific therapeutic targets, only 1/3 of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative patients reach pathological complete response (pCR). Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers to distinguish and predict NAC sensitive in BC patients. Methods: The GSE163882 dataset, containing 159 BC patients treated with NAC, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Patients with pathological complete response (pCR) and those with residual disease (RD) were compared to obtain the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analyses were conducted on these DEGs. Then, we intersect the DEGs and immune-related genes to obtain the hub immune biomarkers, and then use the linear fitting model ("glm" package) to construct a prediction model composed of 9 immune biomarkers. Finally, the single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was used to analyze immune cell invasion in BC patients, and the correlation between immune cell content and immune gene expression levels was analyzed. Results: Nine immune-related biomarkers were obtained in the intersection of DEGs and immune-related genes. Compared with RD patients, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL13, GZMB, IDO1, and LYZ were highly expressed in pCR patients, while CXCL14 and ESR1 were lowly expressed in pCR patients. After linear fitting of the multi-gene expression model, the area under the curve (AUC) value of the ROC curve diagnosis of pCR patients was 0.844. Immunoinfiltration analysis showed that compared with RD patients, 15 of the 28 immune cell types examined showed high-infiltration in pCR patients, including activated CD8 T cells, effector memory CD8 T cells, and activated CD4 T cells. Conclusions: This investigation ultimately identified 9 immune-related biomarkers as potential tools for assessing the sensitivity of NAC in HER2-negative BC patients. These biomarkers have great potential for predicting pCR BC patients.

Study on the Enhanced Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil by Biochar/g-C3N4 Composites.

This work developed an environmentally-friendly soil remediation method based on BC and g-C3N4, and demonstrated the technical feasibility of remediating petroleum-contaminated soil with biochar/graphite carbon nitride (BC/g-C3N4). The synthesis of BC/g-C3N4 composites was used for the removal of TPH in soil via adsorption and photocatalysis. BC, g-C3N4, and BC/g-C3N4 have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer (BET), FT-IR, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). BC/g-C3N4 facilitates the degradation due to reducing recombination and better electron-hole pair separation. BC, g-C3N4, and BC/g-C3N4 were tested for their adsorption and photocatalytic degradation capacities. Excellent and promising results are brought out by an apparent synergism between adsorption and photocatalysis. The optimum doping ratio of 1:3 between BC and g-C3N4 was determined by single-factor experiments. The removal rate of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) by BC/g-C3N4 reached 54.5% by adding BC/g-C3N4 at a dosing rate of 0.08 g/g in a neutral soil with 10% moisture content, which was 2.12 and 1.95 times of BC and g-C3N4, respectively. The removal process of TPH by BC/g-C3N4 conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, the removal rates of different petroleum components in soil were analyzed in terms of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the removal rates of nC13-nC35 were above 90% with the contaminated soil treated by BC/g-C3N4. The radical scavenger experiments indicated that superoxide radical played the major role in the photocatalytic degradation of TPH. This work definitely demonstrates that the BC/g-C3N4 composites have great potential for application in the remediation of organic pollutant contaminated soil.

Response of sedimentation rate to environmental evolution in Da River Reservoir in Southwest China.

Lake sediment records the evolution process of the interaction between human and nature. It is important to master the lacustrine sedimentation rate for the ecological environment assessment of catchment. A 60-cm sediment core was collected in the Da River Reservoir during 2019 to analyze radionuclides (210Pb and 137Cs) massic activities, grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and metals (Mn, Cu, Al, and Pb) mass fractions to reconstruct the response of sedimentation rate to environmental evolution. The environmental changes in the small catchment were classified into the following three stages through cluster analysis (CA) for geochemical parameters in the sediment core: phase I (1881-1985), phase II (1987-1999), and phase III (2000-2018). The average depth sedimentation rates (ADSRs) of the three stages were 0.33, 0.90, and 1.50 cm/year, respectively. The sedimentation rates increased from the bottom to the surface layer, indicating that the exogenous inputs into the reservoir have been occurring. The sediment deposition in phase III was strongly disturbed by the environmental changes (such as warmer climate and intensified land use). Therefore, sedimentation rates showed a rapid increase. Both Pearson correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that sedimentation rates were positively correlated with climatic factors, particle size, nutrients and metals mass fractions, elemental ratios, and socioeconomic parameters. Sedimentation rates show high sensitivity to anthropogenic activities and climatic change, which can be used to reconstruct the environmental evolution process at a small catchment scale.

Pharmacological Evaluation of a Pegylated Urocortin-1 Peptide in Experimental Autoimmune Disease Models.

Urocortin-1 (UCN1) is a member of the corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) family of peptides that acts through CRH-receptor 1 (CRHR1) and CRH-receptor 2 (CRHR2). UCN1 can induce the adrenocorticotropin hormone and downstream glucocorticoids through CRHR1 and promote beneficial metabolic effects through CRHR2. UCN1 has a short half-life and has been shown to improve experimental autoimmune disease. A pegylated UCN1 peptide (PEG-hUCN1) was generated to extend half-life and was tested in multiple experimental autoimmune disease models and in healthy mice to determine effects on corticosterone induction, autoimmune disease, and glucocorticoid induced adverse effects. Cardiovascular effects were also assessed by telemetry. PEG-hUCN1 demonstrated a dose dependent 4-6-fold elevation of serum corticosterone and significantly improved autoimmune disease comparable to prednisolone in several experimental models. In healthy mice, PEG-hUCN1 showed less adverse effects compared with corticosterone treatment. PEG-hUCN1 peptide induced an initial 30% reduction in blood pressure that was followed by a gradual and sustained 30% increase in blood pressure at the highest dose. Additionally, an adeno-associated viral 8 (AAV8) UCN1 was used to assess adverse effects of chronic elevation of UCN1 in wild type and CRHR2 knockout mice. Chronic UCN1 expression by an AAV8 approach in wild type and CRHR2 knockout mice demonstrated an important role of CRHR2 in countering the adverse metabolic effects of elevated corticosterone from UCN1. Our findings demonstrate that PEG-hUCN1 shows profound effects in treating autoimmune disease with an improved safety profile relative to corticosterone and that CRHR2 activity is important in metabolic regulation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study reports the generation and characterization of a pegylated UCN1 peptide and the role of CRHR2 in UCN1-induced metabolic effects. The potency/selectivity, pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacodynamic effects, and efficacy in four autoimmune models and safety profiles are presented. This pegylated UCN1 shows potential for treating autoimmune diseases with reduced adverse effects compared to corticosterone treatment. Continuous exposure to UCN1 through an AAV8 approach demonstrates some glucocorticoid mediated adverse metabolic effects that are exacerbated in the absence of the CRHR2 receptor.

Toward a Multifunctional Light-Driven Biomimetic Mudskipper-Like Robot for Various Application Scenarios.

The systematicness, flexibility, and complexity of natural biological organisms are a constant stream of inspiration for researchers. Therefore, mimicking the natural intelligence system to develop microrobotics has attracted broad interests. However, developing a multifunctional device for various application scenarios has great challenges. Herein, we present a bionic multifunctional actuation device─a light-driven mudskipper-like actuator that is composed of a porous silicone elastomer and graphene oxide. The actuator exhibits a reversible and well-integrated response to near-infrared (NIR) light due to the photothermal-induced contractile stress in the actuation film, which promotes generation of cyclical and rapid locomotion upon NIR light being switched on and off, such as bending in air and crawling in liquid. Furthermore, through rational device design and modulation of light, the mechanically versatile device can float and swim controllably following a predesigned route at the liquid/air interface. More interestingly, the actuator can jump from liquid medium to air with an extremely short response time (400 ms), a maximum speed of 2 m s-1, and a height of 14.3 cm under the stimulation of near-infrared light. The present work possesses great potential in the applications of bioinspired actuators in various fields, such as microrobots, sensors, and locomotion.