Development and validation of a nomogram superior to CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc models for predicting left atrial appendage dense spontaneous echo contrast/left atrial appendage thrombus.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most frequently encountered arrhythmias in clinical practice, with stroke triggered by detachment of left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) after AF being its most critical complication. The purpose of this study was to construct a nomogram model for forecasting left atrial appendage (LAA) dense spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and LAAT to accurately identify patients at high risk for stroke. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 433 patients with AF receiving transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2019 to July 2022. These patients were assigned into a non-dense SEC/LAAT group or a dense SEC/LAAT group. We constructed a nomogram model dependent on the odds ratios (ORs) of logistic regression and subsequently compared its performance with two models, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc. Results: Female gender, high D-dimer level, low left ventricular ejection fraction, low left atrial ejection fraction, and low left atrial reservoir strain rate were found to be independent factors for predicting LAA SEC/LAAT, with OR values and 95% confidence intervals of 2.811 (1.445-5.469), 2.460 (1.230-4.921), 0.961 (0.927-0.996), 0.950 (0.932-0.967), and 0.173 (0.035-0.848), respectively. The consistency statistic of the nomogram based on these given predictive factors was 0.921, and the calibrated consistency statistic was 0.903. According to receiver operation curve analysis and decision curve analysis, the nomogram was demonstrated to be superior to the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc models in predicting LAA dense SEC/LAAT. The net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement of the nomogram were 0.449 (0.324-0.575) and 0.461 (0.408-0.515), when compared with the CHADS2 model, and were 0.521 (0.411-0.632), and 0.432 (0.400-0.504), respectively, when compared with the CHA2DS2-VASc models. Conclusions: The nomogram model constructed in this study demonstrated excellent performance in predicting LAA dense SEC/LAAT, displaying a superior ability to that of the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc models.

Epigenetic age acceleration and risk of aortic valve stenosis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Aortic valve stenosis (AVS) is the most prevalent cardiac valve lesion in developed countries, and pathogenesis is closely related to aging. DNA methylation-based epigenetic clock is now recognized as highly accurate predictor of the aging process and associated health outcomes. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between epigenetic clock and AVS by conducting a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: Summary genome-wide association study statistics of epigenetic clocks (HannumAge, HorvathAge, PhenoAge, and GrimAge) and AVS were obtained and assessed for significant instrumental variables from Edinburgh DataShare (n = 34,710) and FinnGen biobank (cases = 9870 and controls = 402,311). The causal association between epigenetic clock and AVS was evaluated using inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median (WM), and MR-Egger methods. Multiple analyses (heterogeneity analysis, pleiotropy analysis, and sensitivity analysis) were performed for quality control assessment. RESULTS: The MR analysis showed that the epigenetic age acceleration of HorvathAge and PhenoAge was associated with an increased risk of AVS (HorvathAge: OR = 1.043, P = 0.016 by IVW, OR = 1.058, P = 0.018 by WM; PhenoAge: OR = 1.058, P = 0.005 by IVW, OR = 1.053, P = 0.039 by WM). Quality control assessment proved our findings were reliable and robust. However, there was a lack of evidence supporting a causal link from AVS to epigenetic aging. CONCLUSION: The present MR analysis unveiled a causal association between epigenetic clocks, especially HorvathAge and PhenoAge, with AVS. Further research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and develop strategies for potential interventions.

A rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for determination of phytohormones in the medicinal plant saffron.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a valuable Chinese herb with high medicinal value. Saffron pistils are used as medicine, so increasing the number of flowers can increase the yield. Plant hormones have essential roles in the growth and development of saffron, as well as the response to biotic and abiotic stresses (especially in floral initiation), which may directly affect the number of flowers. Quantitative analysis of plant hormones provides a basis for more efficient research on their synthesis, transportation, metabolism, and action. However, starch (which interferes with extraction) is present in high levels, and hormone levels are extremely low, in saffron corms, thereby hampering accurate determination of plant-hormone levels in saffron. Herein, we screened an efficient and convenient pre-treatment method for plant materials containing abundant amounts of starch. Also, we proposed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin (IAA). Then, the method was applied for the detection of hormone-content differences between flowering and non-flowering top buds, as well as between lateral and top buds. Our method showed high sensitivity, reproducibility, and reliability. Specifically, good linearity in the range 2-100 ng ml-1 was achieved in the determination of ABA and IAA, and the correlation coefficient (R2) was >0.9982. The relative standard deviation was 2.956-14.51% (intraday) and 9.57-18.99% (interday), and the recovery range was 89.04-101.1% (n = 9). The matrix effect was 80.38-90.50% (n = 3). The method was thoroughly assessed employing various "green" chemistry evaluation tools: Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI), Complementary Green Analytical Procedure Index (Complex GAPI) and Red Green Blue 12 Algorithm (RGB12). These tools revealed the good greenness, analytical performance, applicability, and overall sustainability alignment of our method. Quantitative results showed that, compared with saffron with a flowering phenotype cultivated at 25 °C, the contents of IAA and ABA in the terminal buds of saffron cultivated at 16 °C decreased significantly. When cultivated at 25 °C, the IAA and ABA contents in the terminal buds of saffron were 1.54- and 4.84-times higher than those in the lateral buds, respectively. A simple, rapid, and accurate UPLC-MS/MS method was established to determine IAA and ABA contents. Using this method, a connection between the contents of IAA and ABA and the flowering phenotype was observed in the quantification results. Our data lay a foundation for studying the flowering mechanism of saffron.

Cerium-Luteolin Nanocomplexes in Managing Inflammation-Related Diseases by Antioxidant and Immunoregulation.

Oxidative stress, characterized by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the antioxidant defense system, plays a pivotal role in inflammation-related diseases. Excessive ROS levels can induce cellular damage and impair normal physiological functions, triggering the release of inflammatory mediators and exacerbating the inflammatory response, ultimately leading to irreversible tissue damage. In this study, we synthesized cerium ion-luteolin nanocomplexes (CeLutNCs) by coordinating Ce ions with the natural product luteolin, aiming to develop a therapeutic agent with excellent antioxidant and immunoregulation properties for ROS-related inflammation treatment. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the prepared CeLutNCs effectively scavenged excess ROS, prevented cell apoptosis, down-regulated levels of important inflammatory cytokines, regulated the response of inflammatory macrophages, and suppressed the activation of the nuclear factor-κ-gene binding (NF-κB) pathway. In an acute kidney injury (AKI) animal model, CeLutNCs exhibited significant efficacy in improving kidney function, repairing damaged renal tissue, and reducing oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and cellular apoptosis. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of CeLutNCs in an acute lung injury (ALI) model was confirmed through the assessment of inflammatory responses and histopathological studies. This study emphasizes the effectiveness of these metal-natural product coordination nanocomplexes as a promising therapeutic approach for preventing AKI and other diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Evaluating combustion kinetics and quantifying fuel-N conversion tendency of shoe manufacturing waste.

Combustion is an effective and cost-efficient thermochemical conversion method for solid waste, showing promise for the resource utilization of shoe manufacturing waste (SMW). However, SMW is generally composed of different components, which can lead to unstable combustion and excessive pollutant emissions, especially NOx. To date, combustion characteristics, reaction mechanism and fuel nitrogen (fuel-N) conversion of different SMW components remain unclear. In this work, the combustion behavior of typical SMW components combustion was investigated using Thermogravimetric coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrum (TG-FTIR). A simplified single-step reaction mechanism was proposed according to the temperature interval to estimate reaction mechanism of SMW. Additionally, the relationship between fuel-N conversion tendency and fuel properties was established. The results indicate that the values for the comprehensive combustion performance index (S) and flammability index (C) range from 1.65 to 0.44 and 3.98 to 1.37, respectively. This demonstrates the significant variability in combustion behavior among different SMW components. Cardboard, leather and sponge have higher values of S and C, suggesting a better ignition characteristic and a stable combustion process. During the combustion of SMW, nitrogen oxides (NO and N2O) are the main nitrogen-containing compounds in the flue gases, with NO being the major contributor, accounting for over 82.97 % of the nitrogen oxides. NO has a negative correlation with nitrogen content, but it is opposite for N2O, HCN and NH3. Furthermore, the conversion of NO, N2O and NH3 is proportional to logarithmic values of O/N, while its conversion to HCN is proportional to logarithmic values of VM/N. These findings facilitate the prediction of the fuel-N conversion of solid waste combustion. This work might shed light on combustion optimization and in-situ pollutant emission control in solid waste combustion.

Evaluation on sustainable development of fire safety management policies in smart cities based on big data.

The fire safety management policy is the premise for city managers to master the urban fire safety situation and solve the urban fire safety problems. An excellent fire safety management policy can obtain the basic data of fire safety, analyze the existing problems and potential safety hazards, and provide targeted measures for urban fire safety management. At present, the traditional fire safety management policy has exposed many shortcomings, such as the lack of technical support for firefighting means, inaccurate fire data analysis, etc., which ultimately led to low fire extinguishing efficiency and wasted some human and material resources. In the context of smart cities, big data (BD) and artificial intelligence (AI) have gradually integrated into various fields of urban development. This paper studied the fire safety management policies of smart cities based on BD analysis method. First, it summarized the relationship among BD, AI and smart cities, then analyzed the limitations of traditional urban fire safety management models, and finally proposed new fire safety management methods based on BD, AI and sustainable development. This article analyzed the urban fire protection situation from January to June 2022 in Nanchang, and verified the effectiveness of the method proposed in this article. Research has shown that the new fire safety management policy has reduced the number of fires, improved fire extinguishing efficiency by 9.07%, reduced property damage and casualties, and has a high recognition of the method. This also provides a reference for the next step of BD's application in smart cities.

Zinc Hydroxystannate/Carbon Nanotube Hybrids as Flame Retardant and Smoke Suppressant for Epoxy Resins.

Novel hybrid flame retardants containing zinc hydroxystannate and carbon nanotubes (ZHS-CNTs) were synthesized using the coprecipitation method, and the structure and morphology of ZHS-CNTs were investigate using an X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Then, the ZHS, CNTs and ZHS-CNTs were incorporated into EP, respectively, and the flame-retardant and smoke inhibition performance of the composites were compared and studied. Among the three composites, the EP/ZHS-CNT composites have the highest improvements on the fire resistance and smoke inhibition properties. With only 2.0 wt.% ZHS-CNT hybrids, the pHRR of EP/ZHS-CNT composite materials is reduced by 34.2% compared with EP. Moreover, the release of toxic gases including CO, CO2 and SPR from the composites was also effectively inhibited. The mechanisms of flame retardant and smoke inhibition were investigated and the improved properties were generally ascribed to the synergistic flame-retardant effects between ZHS and CNTs, the catalyzing effect of ZHS and the stable network structure of CNTs.

Novel self-healing and recyclable fire-retardant polyvinyl alcohol/borax hydrogel coatings for the fire safety of rigid polyurethane foam.

Rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) has attracted great attention as an insulation material, but its inherent flammability restricts its practical application. Developing a sustainable fire-retardant strategy that can improve its fire safety is particularly desirable and challenging. Herein, novel fire-retardant hydrogel coatings based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and borax are proposed and applied in RPUF, and the self-healing, recyclability and flame retardant properties of the coatings are investigated. The dynamic and reversible cross-linked networks based on the borate ester bonds and hydrogen bonds endow the hydrogels with excellent repairability, recyclability, and elasticity. Compared with a neat RUPF, the coated RPUF exhibited improved fire-retardant properties without the inherent advantages being influenced and can be reflected by the 8% increase in the limiting oxygen index (LOI), 20% reduction in total heat release (THR), and 25% decrease in total smoke production (TSP) with the coatings, along with a rapid self-quenching behavior. The novel hydrogel coatings provide a new strategy for the development of flame-retardant coatings, demonstrating the potential of the next generation of self-healing hydrogel coatings to reduce the fire risk of the RPUF.

Exploring the potential role of bikeshare to complement public transit: The case of San Francisco amid the coronavirus crisis.

The recent worldwide SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has reshaped the way people live, how they access goods and services, and how they perform various activities. For public transit, there have been health concerns over the potential spread to transit users and transit service staff, which prompted transportation agencies to make decisions about the service, e.g., whether to reduce or temporarily shut down services. These decisions had substantial negative consequences, especially for transit-dependent travelers, and prompted transit users to explore alternative transportation modes, e.g., bikeshare. However, local governments and the public in general have limited information about whether and to what extent bikeshare provides adequate accessibility and mobility to those transit-dependent residents. To fill this gap, this study implemented spatial and visual analytics to identify how micro-mobility in the form of bikesharing has addressed travel needs and improved the resilience of transportation systems. The study analyzed the case of San Francisco in California, USA, focusing on three phases of the pandemic, i.e., initial confirmed cases, shelter-in-place, and initial changes in transit service. First, the authors implemented unsupervised machine learning clustering methods to identify different bikesharing trip types. Moreover, through spatiotemporally matching bikeshare ridership data with transit service information (i.e., General Transit Feed Specification, GTFS) using the tool called OpenTripPlanner (OTP), the authors studied the travel behavior changes (e.g., the proportion of bikeshare trips that could be finished by transit) for different bikeshare trip types over the three specified phases. This study revealed that during the pandemic, more casual users joined bikeshare programs; the proportion of recreation-related bikeshare trips increased; and routine trips became more prevalent considering that docking-station-based bikeshare trips increased. More importantly, the analyses also provided insights about mode substitution, because the analyses identified an increase in dockless bikeshare trips in areas with no or limited transit coverage.

Dapagliflozin alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing ferroptosis via MAPK signaling inhibition.

Reperfusion is essential for ischemic myocardium but paradoxically leads to myocardial damage that worsens cardiac functions. Ferroptosis often occurs in cardiomyocytes during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAPA) exerts cardioprotective effects independent of hypoglycemia. Here, we investigated the effect and potential mechanism of DAPA against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI)-related ferroptosis using the MIRI rat model and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Our results show that DAPA significantly ameliorated myocardial injury, reperfusion arrhythmia, and cardiac function, as evidenced by alleviated ST-segment elevation, ameliorated cardiac injury biomarkers including cTnT and BNP and pathological features, prevented H/R-triggered cell viability loss in vitro. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that DAPA inhibited ferroptosis by upregulating the SLC7A11/GPX4 axis and FTH and inhibiting ACSL4. DAPA notably mitigated oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, ferrous iron overload, and reduced ferroptosis. Subsequently, network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis suggested that the MAPK signaling pathway was a potential target of DAPA and a common mechanism of MIRI and ferroptosis. DAPA treatment significantly reduced MAPK phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that DAPA might protect against MIRI by reducing ferroptosis through the MAPK signaling pathway.

Dual char-forming strategy driven MXene-based fire-proofing epoxy resin coupled with good toughness.

It is challenging that the functionalized MXene-based nanofillers are designed to modify the inherent flammability and poor toughness of epoxy polymeric materials and further to facilitate the application of EP composites. Herein, silicon-reinforced Ti3C2Tx MXene-based nanoarchitectures (MXene@SiO2) are synthesized by simple self-growth method, and its enhancement effects on epoxy resin (EP) are investigated. The as-prepared nanoarchitectures realize homogeneous dispersion in EP matrix, indicating well performance-enhancing potential. The incorporation of MXene@SiO2 achieves improved thermal stability for EP composites with higher T-5% and lower Rmax values. Moreover, EP/2 wt% MXene@SiO2 composites obtain a 30.2% and 34.0% reduction in peak heat release rate (PHRR) and peak smoke production rate (PSPR) compared to those of pure EP, respectively, also achieving a 52.5% fall in smoke factor (SF) values and increased yield and stability of chars. The dual char-forming effects of MXene@SiO2 nanoarchitectures, including the catalytic charring of MXene and the migration of SiO2 to induce charring, are accounted for the results, as well as lamellar barrier effects. Additionally, EP/MXene@SiO2 composites achieve an enhanced storage modulus of 51.5%, along with improved tensile strength and elongation at break, compared to those of pure EP.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus the optimal drug therapy (ODT) for stable coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Many studies have reported potential benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus optimal drug therapy (ODT) for patients with stable coronary heart disease but with inconsistent results. To examine this, an explicit systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to compared the clinical outcomes of PCI and ODT in these patients. Methods: The following terms were combined to search relative articles through databases PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and Web of Science published from January 2010 to November 2021 according to Participants, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, Study (PICOS) criteria: "coronary heart disease", "stable coronary heart disease", "stable angina pectoris", "percutaneous coronary intervention", "PCI", "percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty", "drug therapy", "optimized drug treatment", and "optimized drug therapy". The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.2, and the Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Results: A total of 12 articles were included in the final analysis. There were 4,288 cases of PCI patients and 4,261 cases of ODT patients. The results showed that, when comparing PCI with ODT, there was a significant difference in the probability of myocardial infarction [relative risk (RR) =0.63; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.45-0.90] and the patient mortality (RR =0.51; 95% CI: 0.40-0.64). However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of stroke (RR =1.33; 95% CI: 0.82-2.17), revascularization (RR =0.86; 95% CI: 0.46-1.62) and patient quality of life (MD =10.44; 95% CI: -1.84 to 22.73). Performance bias and detection bias were all unclear in the included studies and should be warned. Discussion: Compared with ODT, PCI reduced the mortality and myocardial infarction rate of patients with CTO or severe coronary artery stenosis. However, the incidence of stroke, revascularization, and quality of life of patients were not significant different between PCI and ODT. Performance bias and detection bias should be cautioned.

Metal-organic Framework ZIF-67 Functionalized MXene for Enhancing the Fire Safety of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes.

In this work, a novel functionalization strategy for ZIF-67-modified layered MXene was proposed, aiming at improving the fire safety of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). The ZIF-67@MXene was verified by microscopic morphology, elemental composition, functional group species and crystal structure, and then the successfully prepared ZIF-67@MXene was introduced into the TPU material. When ZIF-67@MXene content was only 0.5 wt%, the peak heat release rate, total heat release rate, peak smoke release rate, total smoke release rate, and CO yield of the TPU/ZIF-67@MXene composites were reduced by 26%, 9%, 50%, and 22%, respectively, compared with the pure TPU. The thermogravimetric tests showed that the residual char of TPU/ZIF-67@MXene composites was the most in all samples. In short, the high-quality carbon layer of TPU/ZIF-67@MXene composites acts as a physical barrier to the transfer of heat and toxic gases, greatly improving the flame retardant properties of the TPU polymer.

DOPO/Silicon/CNT Nanohybrid Flame Retardants: Toward Improving the Fire Safety of Epoxy Resins.

Novel DOPO/silicon/CNT nanohybrid flame retardants (FR-CNTs) were synthesized and FR-CNTs were introduced into epoxy resins through thermal curing process. The SEM and TEM results indicate that CNTs distribute uniformly in epoxy resins due to the good dispersion of CNTs in DOPO/silicon/CNT nanohybrid flame retardants. The thermal stability and flame-retardant properties of EP/FR-CNTs composites are improved, which is attributed to the good dispersion of DOPO/silicon/CNT nanohybrid. The cone calorimeter results demonstrate that FR-CNTs can reduce peak heat release and the release of toxic gas effectively compared with EP/CNTs and EP/CNT/FR composites. The char-residue analysis indicates that the improved flame-retardant properties are due to the char-reinforcing effects and the catalyzing charring effect of FR-CNTs, which provides enough time for flame retardants to trap radicals. Generally, the char layers, which act as insulating barrier, can reduce the releasing of flammable gases and protect the underlying epoxy resins from the heat source.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Application of Three-Dimensional Graphene-Based Aerogels.

Three-dimensional graphene-based aerogels (3D GAs), combining the intrinsic properties of graphene and 3D porous structure, have attracted increasing research interest in varied fields with potential application. Some related reviews focusing on applications in photoredox catalysis, biomedicine, energy storage, supercapacitor or other single aspect have provided valuable insights into the current status of Gas. However, systematic reviews concentrating on the diverse applications of 3D GAs are still scarce. Herein, we intend to afford a comprehensive summary to the recent progress in the preparation method (template-free and template-directed method) summarized in Preparation Strategies and the application fields (absorbent, anode material, mechanical device, fire-warning material and catalyst) illustrated in Application of 3D GAs with varied morphologies, structures, and properties. Meanwhile, some unsettled issues, existing challenges, and potential opportunities have also been proposed in Future Perspectives to spur further research interest into synthesizing finer 3D GAs and exploring wider and closer practical applications.

Flame-retardant activity of ternary integrated modified boron nitride nanosheets to epoxy resin.

In order to improve the fire safety of epoxy resin, ZIF-8 nanoparticle in-situ decorated boron nitride nanosheet (BN-OH/ZIF-8) is fabricated via self-assembly method and then ternary integrated BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA hybrids are prepared through the chemical etching effect of phytic acid. FTIR, XRD, XPS, TEM and TGA measurements are used to characterize the structure and morphology of the nanohybrids. The researches show that BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA not only uniformly distributed in EP matrix, but also improve the thermal stability of EP. The peak heat release rate, peak smoke production rate, total smoke production values, the fire growth index and peak CO production rate obtained from cone test are significantly decreased, demonstrating the reduction of the fire hazards of EP composites containing BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA. The nano barrier effect and catalytic activity of BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA may be conducive to suppress the release of combustible volatile products and heat, facilitate the formation of graphitized carbon layer, and protect matrix from flame damage. The ternary integrated method developed in this study explores a new way to improve the flame retardant properties of EP, thereby promoting its application range.

Green, tough and highly efficient flame-retardant rigid polyurethane foam enabled by double network hydrogel coatings.

Designing eco-friendly fireproof rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) that can completely stop fire ignition or spread has significant technological implications, which has been proved to be extremely challenging. Herein, a novel green strategy based on double network hydrogel coating was developed to enhance the flame retardancy of RPUF via a facile casting and curing process. This strategy can create a homogeneous hydrogel fire-resistant layer with strong adhesion on the outermost surface of the substrate. Due to good water holding capacity and excellent thermal management properties, the hydrogel coating showed excellent fire retardancy. As a proof-of-concept, polyacrylic-polydopamine (PAAm-PDA) double network hydrogel coating was applied to an extremely flammable RPUF substrate. Compared with the neat foam, the PAAm-PDA coated RPUF exhibited an overall improvement in fire-safety performance, including a rapid self-quenching behavior, a six-fold enhancement in time to ignition (TTI), and 39.7% and 42.2% decreases in the mean heat release rate (HRR) and total smoke production (TSP), respectively. Furthermore, the tough hydrogel-coated RPUF possessed enough mechanical properties to meet the requirement of its practical applications. Benefiting from its low cost, easy-to-process and eco-friendly characteristics, this hydrogel fireproof coating strategy provides a new direction for developing green and safe structural materials with widespread use.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Antiplatelet Therapy-Related Bleeding Complications Among Elderly Patients After Coronary Stenting: A Multicenter Retrospective Observation.

Purpose: To determine the incidence and risk factors of bleeding events as well as assess the performance of the PRECISE-DAPT score in elderly patients (≥75 years) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and one-year dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Methods: A total of 940 patients (≥75 years) who received PCI and one-year DAPT were retrospectively enrolled into the study. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors of antiplatelet-related bleeding complications. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the Delong test were performed to obtain the optimized PRECISE-DAPT score. Results: It was observed that 89 (9.47%) patients suffered bleeding complications, while 37 (3.94%) of them had the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC, type ≥2) bleeding events. We stratified the PRECISE-DAPT score in tertiles (T1: ≤23; T2:24 to 32; T3: ≥33) and found that BARC ≥ 2 type bleeding occurred more frequently in T3 than in T1 and T2 (8.25 vs. 1.46% vs. 2.40%, p <0.05). The ROC curve analysis revealed that the PRECISE-DAPT score cutoff for BARC ≥2 type bleeding prediction was 33. In comparison with the current recommended cutoff score of 25 (AUC: 0.608, based on ROC analysis), the Delong test indicated significantly improved ability for predicting BARC ≥ 2 type bleeding events using the proposed cutoff value of 33, AUC of 0.676 (p = 0.03), and Brier Score of 0.04. The multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the PRECISE-DAPT score ≥ 33 [OR: 3.772; 95% CI (1.229, 11.578); p = 0.02] was associated with BARC ≥ 2 type bleeding event, along with a history of hemorrhagic stroke [OR: 6.806; 95% CI (1.465, 31.613); p = 0.014], peptic ulcer [OR: 3.871; 95% CI (1.378, 10.871); p = 0.01], and/or myocardial infarction [MI, OR: 3.081; 95% CI (1.140, 8.326); p = 0.027]. Conclusion: A higher PRECISE-DAPT score of 33 might be a more reasonable cutoff value for predicting BARC ≥2 type bleeding risk in CAD patients (≥75 years). In addition, the history of hemorrhagic stroke, peptic ulcer, and myocardial infarction were identified as the risk factors of BARC ≥2 type bleeding events.

Screening of Key Proteins Affecting Floral Initiation of Saffron Under Cold Stress Using iTRAQ-Based Proteomics.

BACKGROUND: Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is an expensive and valuable species that presents preventive and curative effects. This study aimed to screen the key proteins affecting the floral initiation of saffron under cold stress and thus increasing yield by regulating the temperature. RESULTS: Protein expression profiles in flowering and non-flowering saffron buds were established using isobaric tags for relative or absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). A total of 5,624 proteins were identified, and 201 differentially abundant protein species (DAPs) were further obtained between the flowering and non-flowering groups. The most important functions of the upregulated DAPs were "sucrose metabolic process," "lipid transport," "glutathione metabolic process," and "gene silencing by RNA." Downregulated DAPs were significantly enriched in "starch biosynthetic process" and several oxidative stress response pathways. Three new flower-related proteins, CsFLK, CseIF4a, and CsHUA1, were identified in this study. The following eight key genes were validated by real-time qPCR in flowering and non-flowering top buds from five different growth phases: floral induction- and floral organ development-related genes CsFLK, CseIF4A, CsHUA1, and CsGSTU7; sucrose synthase activity-related genes CsSUS1 and CsSUS2; and starch synthase activity-related genes CsGBSS1 and CsPU1. These findings demonstrate the important roles played by sucrose/starch biosynthesis pathways in floral development at the mRNA level. During normal floral organ development, the sucrose contents in the top buds of saffron increased, and the starch contents decreased. In contrast, non-flowering buds showed significantly decreased sucrose contents under cold stress and no significant changes in starch contents compared with those in the dormancy stage. CONCLUSION: In this report, the protein profiles of saffron under cold stress and a normal environment were revealed for the first time by iTRAQ. A possible "reactive oxygen species-antioxidant system-starch/sugar interconversion flowering pathway" was established to explain the phenomenon that saffron does not bloom due to low temperature treatment.

Artesunate-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)/polydopamine-manganese oxides nanoparticles as an oxidase mimic for tumor chemo-catalytic therapy.

Conventional tumor chemotherapy is limited by its low therapeutic efficacy and side effects, which severely hold back its further application as a first-line agent in clinic. To improve the cure efficacy of cancer, nanozyme with enzyme-like activity has now been extensively investigated as a new strategy for tumor treatment. Herein, an anti-tumor platform based on manganese oxides (MnOx) modified poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)@polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles (PP-MnOx NPs) as an oxidase mimic was developed. PP-MnOx NPs could not only produce abundant reactive oxygen species to inhibit tumor growth taking advantage of their oxidase-like activity, but also encapsulate and release antitumor drug (artesunate) to function as chemotherapy, achieving remarkable synergistic chemo-catalytic therapeutic effects. As an oxidase mimics, PP-MnOx NPs induced the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, down-regulation of Bcl-2, as well as activation of Bax and Caspase-3, demonstrating that the apoptosis triggered by PP-MnOx NPs was mediated via mitochondrial pathways. Importantly, the artesunate in PP-MnOx NPs further promoted this apoptosis. In addition, Mn ions released from PP-MnOx NPs facilitated the tumor-microenvironment-specific T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Taken together, this study well clarifies the antitumor mechanism of artesunate-loaded PP-MnOx NPs and offer a synergistic chemo-catalytic strategy for tumor theranostics.