Diagnostic Value of cTnl, NT-pro BNP, and Combined Tests in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Objective: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is characterized by heart damage resulting from blocked blood flow. Prompt diagnosis is vital for timely treatment and saving lives. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of cTnl, NT-pro BNP, and a combined test in AMI patients. Methods: In this study, a retrospective observational design was employed, and we selected 221 patients with AMI admitted to our hospital within a 3-year period as the research subjects and included them in the AMI group. Additionally, 200 patients from the control group, who visited our hospital for physical examinations, were selected to compare the expressions of cardiac Troponin I (cTnl) and N-Terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-pro BNP) between the two groups. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to analyze the diagnostic value of cTnl combined with NT-pro BNP for AMI. Furthermore, AMI patients were categorized into four groups based on the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification (grades I, II, III, and IV). The differences in cTnl, NT-pro BNP, and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) were compared among the AMI patients with different cardiac function grades to analyze their correlation and diagnostic value in assessing the severity of AMI-related cardiac insufficiency. Results: The levels of cTnl and NT-pro BNP in AMI patients were significantly higher than those in the control group, and their combined detection effectively facilitated the diagnosis of AMI occurrence. Moreover, cTnl and NT-pro BNP concentrations increased with the severity of cardiac dysfunction (NYHA grades) and showed a notable negative correlation with LVEF. Furthermore, the combined testing of cTnl and NT-pro BNP demonstrated significant value in evaluating the severity of AMI in patients. Conclusions: The combined detection of cTnl and NT-pro BNP holds considerable application value in diagnosing AMI occurrence and assessing its severity.

NCAPH regulates gastric cancer progression through DNA damage response.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common devastating and deadly malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract in the world. GLOBOCAN data analysis showed that GC accounted for approximately 1,033,000 new cases of cancer and 78,200 deaths in 2018. Nonstructural maintenance of chromosomes (non-SMC) condensin I complex subunit H (NCAPH) is a regulatory subunit that encodes the non-SMC condensin I complex. Previous studies have demonstrated that NCAPH is highly expressed in multiple cancers. This study aimed to explore the function and potential mechanism of NCAPH in GC. Our study showed that NCAPH expression was significantly upregulated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Oncomine datasets. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to detect NCAPH expression in GC and paracarcinoma tissues. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were used to examine cell proliferation. Cell scratch and Transwell invasion assays were performed to assess cell migration. In addition, western blotting was used to detect the expression of proteins related to the cell cycle, DNA damage repair, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Flow cytometry was applied for cell cycle and apoptosis detection. A xenograft model was employed to assess the effect of NCAPH in vivo. The results demonstrated that NCAPH expression was significantly increased in GC tissue samples and cell lines. Knockout of NCAPH notably inhibited cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, cell cycle progression, and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, and induced the G1-phase cell cycle arrest by regulating the DNA damage response. In addition, knockout of NCAPH promoted cell apoptosis and regulated the expression of EMT-related proteins. The results indicate that the knockout of NCAPH in GC cells inhibits proliferation and metastasis via the DNA damage response in vitro and in vivo. NCAPH plays an important role in GC and may be a potential therapeutic target for GC treatment.

The Facile Dissociation of Carbon-Oxygen Bonds in CO2 and CO on the Surface of LaCoSiHx Intermetallic Compound.

In catalysis science, the electronic structure of the active site determines the structure-activity relationship of the catalyst to a large extent. Therefore, modulating the electronic structure has become a main route for the rational design of metal-based catalyst materials. In this work, we prepared a LaCoSiHx material that has more electronegativity and a lower workfunction than traditional supported Co-based catalysts. Using CO2 methanation as a model catalytic reaction, the facile dissociation of CO2 and CO (a key reaction intermediate) on the surface of the LaCoSiHx catalyst is observed by various experimental methods (e.g., in situ Raman and FTIR) at room temperature. Moreover, theoretical calculation results further show that LaCoSiHx has a much stronger capacity for carbon-oxygen bond activation than the Co surface. The intrinsic mechanism is attributed to the marked electron transfer from catalysts into the antibonding orbital of CO2 and CO.

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Oxidation on Ni/NiO/C Derived from a Nickel-Based Metal-Organic Framework.

The sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) under alkaline conditions has hindered the commercialization of hydroxide-exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cells. A low-cost Ni/NiO/C catalyst with abundant Ni/NiO interfacial sites was developed as a competent HOR electrocatalyst in alkaline media. Ni/NiO/C exhibits an HOR activity one order of magnitude higher than that of its parent Ni/C counterpart. Moreover, Ni/NiO/C also shows better stability and CO tolerance than commercial Pt/C in alkaline media, which renders it a very promising HOR electrocatalyst for hydrogen fuel cell applications. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also performed to shed light on the enhanced HOR performance of Ni/NiO/C; the DFT results indicate that both hydrogen and hydroxide achieve optimal binding energies at the Ni/NiO interface, resulting from the balanced electronic and oxophilic effects at the Ni/NiO interface.

A novel ViewRNA in situ hybridization method for the detection of the dynamic distribution of Classical Swine Fever Virus RNA in PK15 cells.

BACKGROUND: Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious fatal infectious disease caused by classical swine fever virus (CSFV). A better understanding of CSFV replication is important for the study of pathogenic mechanism of CSF. With the development of novel RNA in situ Hybridization method, quantitatively localization and visualization of the virus RNA molecular in cultured cell or tissue section becomes very important tool to address these pivotal pathogenic questions. In this study, we established ViewRNA ISH method to reveal the dynamic distribution of CSFV RNA in PK15 cells. METHODS: We designed several specific probes of CSFV RNA and reference gene ß-actin for host PK15 cells to monitor the relative location of CSFV RNA and house-keeping gene in the infected cells. After determining the titer of reference strain CSFV (HeBHH1/95) with the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50), we optimized the protease K concentration and formalin fixation time to analyze the hybridization efficiency, fluorescence intensity and repeatability. In order to measure the sensitivity of this assay, we compared it with the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and immunohistochemical(IHC) method. Specificity of the ViewRNA ISH was tested by detecting several sub genotypes of CSFV (sub genotype 1.1, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3) which are present in China and other normal pig infectious virus (bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), porcine parvovirus (PPV), porcine pseudorabies virus (PRV) and porcine circovirusII(PCV-2). RESULTS: The lowest detection threshold of the ViewRNA ISH method was 10-8, while the sensitivity of FAT and IHC were 10-5 and 10-4, respectively. The ViewRNA ISH was specific for CSFV RNA including 1.1, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 subtypes, meanwhile, there was no cross-reaction with negative control and other viruses including BVDV, PPV, PRV and PCV-2. Our results showed that after infection at 0.5 hpi (hours post inoculation, hpi), the CSFV RNA can be detected in nucleus and cytoplasm; during 3-9 hpi, RNA was mainly distributed in nucleus and reached a maximum at 12hpi, then RNA copy number was gradually increased around the cell nucleus during 24-48 hpi and reached the peak at 72hpi. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first to reveal the dynamic distribution of medium virulence CSFV RNA in PK15 cells using the ViewRNA ISH method. The sensitivity of the ViewRNA ISH was three to four orders of magnitude higher than that of FAT and IHC methods. The specificity experiment showed that the ViewRNA ISH was highly specific for CSFV and no cross-reaction occurred to negative control and other pig infectious virus. This assay is more suitable for studying the CSFV RNA life cycle in cell nucleus. The results proved that CSFV RNA enters into PK15 cells earlier than 0.5hpi, relative to the eclipse period of cytoplasm is 6-9 hpi and CSFV RNA has ever existed in nucleus.

Association of dietary patterns with depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Depression is highly prevalent in adolescents and may have adverse social and health consequences. To investigate the effect of diet on the occurrence of depression in adolescents, this study examined the correlation between dietary patterns and depression in adolescents. Methods: A total of 853 participants were recruited in September to October 2022 in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China. The Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess the subjects' depressive symptoms in the past 2 weeks. Relevant dietary information was obtained through a food frequency questionnaire. The associations between dietary patterns and the risk of depression were assessed using a logistic regression model. Results: Four dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis, including the modern pattern, the snack-aquatic pattern, the traditional pattern, and the vegetarian pattern. The risk of mild depression among adolescents was higher in the Q2 and Q3 groups of the modern model than in the Q1 group of this type, and the risk of mild depression was higher in the Q4 group of the snack-aquatic model than in the Q1 group of this type; while the risk of moderate depressive symptoms was lower in the Q3 group of the vegetarian model compared with the Q1 group. Conclusion: Modern and snack-aquatic patterns are associated with an increased risk of depression in Chinese adolescents, and vegetarian patterns are associated with a reduced risk of depression. The current findings emphasize the importance of adolescents consuming moderate amounts of rice flour, adequate vegetables and fruits, and reducing snack intake.

A simplified and facile preparation method for the [Ca24Al28O64]4+(e-)4 electride.

Wide application of novel materials often requires low-cost preparation methods. In this study, we present a simplified and facile preparation method for the [Ca24Al28O64]4+(e-)4 electride material (C12A7:e-). Successful preparation of the C12A7:e- electride was confirmed by XRD patterns and magnetic behavior analysis. The concentration of electrons in the prepared C12A7:e- powder was calculated to be approximately 2.23 × 1021 cm-3, as evaluated by iodometry and TPD. DFT calculations provided insight into the unique electronic structure of C12A7:e-. Additionally, the substitution of the Ca reductant with CaH2 led to a reduction in the solid-state reaction temperature from 1100 to 950 °C, which can be attributed to thermodynamic effects such as a reduction in ΔG°.

Critical thinking abilities among newly graduated nurses: A cross-sectional survey study in China.

AIM: The aim of this study is to describe critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses with different educational background in China and to explore related factors. DESIGN: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. METHODS: The data were collected using the Chinese Version of Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CTDI-CV). Overall, 588 newly graduated nurses finally completed the survey. Spearman and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to examine the correlation between the CDTI-CV and nurses' general characteristics. RESULTS: In terms of open-mindedness, analysis and inquisitiveness subscales, significant differences were found among nurses based on three educational level. When dichotomizing total CTDI scores into high and low, nearly 80% of the respondents fell into low score group. Pressure from workplace was high for 68.4% of them. Significant correlation was found among the new graduated nurses' critical thinking ability and their age, education level, reading habit and attitude towards nursing profession.

Automatic identification and morphological comparison of bivalve and brachiopod fossils based on deep learning.

Fossil identification is an essential and fundamental task for conducting palaeontological research. Because the manual identification of fossils requires extensive experience and is time-consuming, automatic identification methods are proposed. However, these studies are limited to a few or dozens of species, which is hardly adequate for the needs of research. This study enabled the automatic identification of hundreds of species based on a newly established fossil dataset. An available "bivalve and brachiopod fossil image dataset" (BBFID, containing >16,000 "image-label" data pairs, taxonomic determination completed) was created. The bivalves and brachiopods contained in BBFID are closely related in morphology, ecology and evolution that have long attracted the interest of researchers. We achieved >80% identification accuracy at 22 genera and ∼64% accuracy at 343 species using EfficientNetV2s architecture. The intermediate output of the model was extracted and downscaled to obtain the morphological feature space of fossils using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). We found a distinctive boundary between the morphological feature points of bivalves and brachiopods in fossil morphological feature distribution maps. This study provides a possible method for studying the morphological evolution of fossil clades using computer vision in the future.

First-Principles Study of Three-Dimensional Electrides Containing One-Dimensional [Ba3N]3+ Chains.

Electrides, a unique type of compound where electrons act as anions, have a high electron mobility and a low work function, which makes them promising for applications in electronic devices and high-performance catalysts. The discovery of novel electrides and the expansion of the electride family have great significance for their promising applications. Herein, we reported four three-dimensional (3D) electrides by coupling crystal structure database searches and first-principles electronic structure analysis. Subnitrides (Ba3N, LiBa3N, NaBa3N, and Na5Ba3N) containing one-dimensional (1D) [Ba3N]3+ chains are identified as 3D electrides for the first time. The anionic electrons are confined in the 3D interstitial space of Ba3N, LiBa3N, NaBa3N, and Na5Ba3N. Interestingly, with the increase of Na content, the excess electrons of Na5Ba3N play two roles of metallic bonding and anionic electrons. Therefore, the subnitrides containing 1D [Ba3N]3+ chains can be regarded as a new family of 3D electrides, where anionic electrons reside in the 3D interstitial spaces and provide a conduction path. These materials not only are experimentally synthesizable 3D electrides but also are promising to be exfoliated into advanced 1D nanowire materials. Furthermore, our work suggests a discovery strategy of novel electrides based on one parent framework like [Ba3N]3+ chains, which would accelerate the mining of electrides from the crystal structure database.

Comprehensive determination of the processing level of rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum by macroscopic, micromorphological, and microscopic characterizations.

The rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum Red. (PR, Huangjing in Chinese) has served as traditional medicine and foodstuff in China for over 2000 years. However, due to its irritating effect on the throat, Huangjing must be processed before clinical use. People have been exploring to determine the processing level of traditional Chinese medicine in an accurate tool. The evaluation of PR processing levels based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics has not yet been performed. This study aimed to provide a convenient method to determine the level of PR processing by monitoring the changes in color and crystal inclusion. According to the Chinese Pharmacopeia (2020 edition), macroscopic, micromorphological, and microscopic observations were performed with a polarized light microscope. Color quantization based on the CIE L* a* b* color system using a CM-2300d colorimeter. Color parameters h° , L* , and ΔE* had a significant influence on the differentiation ability. The inner transverse section of PR samples gradually turned into moist black with specular luster, which was consistent with the traditional identification of "brightness like oil and color like black lacquer." The change rate of the needle crystal morphology increased with the processing level, and the change rate of the needle crystal of the fifth product was over 90%. Combined with the correlation analysis, needle-like crystals were related to color parameters and could be used as an alternative marker to discriminate PR samples from different processing levels. The results confirmed the potential applicability of macroscopic and microscopic features for the classification of PR samples with different processing levels. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Color parameters h° , L* , and ΔE* had a significant influence on the differentiation ability. Micromorphological results were consistent with the traditional identification. High correlations were found between color parameters and needle-like crystals.

Isolation, molecular characterization, immunological and anticoagulatant activities of polysaccharides from frankincense and its vinegar processed product.

Frankincense (FRA), the oily resin consisting of essential oils, boswellic acids (BAs) and polysaccharides, has been used to improve the blood circulation and relieve pain against carbuncles. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, vinegar processed frankincense (VPF) can increase the effects of promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. Existing studies have carried out much on BAs and essential oils. However, the comparative analysis of polysaccharides from FRA and VPF has not been reported. In this paper, two polysaccharides were isolated and purified from FRA and the other two were from VPF, and their structures and physicochemical properties were analyzed. The immunological and anticoagulatant activities of the four polysaccharides were tested in RAW 264.7 cell and Sprague-Dawley rats, respectively. The polysaccharides purified from VPF showed better immunological and anticoagulatant activities than those in FRA. Therefore, polysaccharides may be one of the active substances for the synergistic effect of VPF.

Sensitive inkjet printing paper-based colormetric strips for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with indoxyl acetate substrate.

A new paper-based biosensing approach has been developed for sensitive and rapid detection of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. The biosensing zone of the paper strip is constructed with an inkjet printing method, and the biomolecule AChE is immobilized into two layers of biocompatible sol-gel-derived silica ink with a "sandwich" form. Indoxyl acetate (IDA) is used as a chromogenic substrate, which is colorless and can be catalytically hydrolyzed into blue-colored indigo dipolymer. When the enzymatic activity of AChE is inhibited after incubation with organophosphate pesticides (OPs), there is a decreased hydrolysis of IDA accompanying with a drop in color intensity. Paraoxon and trichlorfon are used as the representative OPs in the assay. Due to the low solubility and high molar absorption coefficient of the IDA dipolymer product, the paper-based strip can form a neat blue sensing zone and shows obviously improved sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.01ngmL-1 paraoxon and 0.04ngmL-1 trichlorfon (S/N=3) and the LODs for visual detection are 0.03ngmL-1 for paraoxon and 0.1ngmL-1 for trichlorfon comparing with the previously reported colorimetric methods. The concentrations of paraoxon in apple juice samples are also detected, and the results are in accord well with these results from high-performance liquid chromatography, showing great potential for on-site detection of OPs in practical application. The developed assay can be used to qualitatively and semiquantitatively estimate with naked eyes and quantitatively assess OPs through image analysis.

Nitric Oxide Mediates 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Induced Antioxidant Defense in Leaves of Elymus nutans Griseb. Exposed to Chilling Stress.

Nitric oxide (NO) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) are both extremely important signalling molecules employed by plants to control many aspects of physiology. In the present study, the role of NO in ALA-induced antioxidant defense in leaves of two sources of Elymus nutans Griseb. (Damxung, DX and Zhengdao, ZD) was investigated. Chilling stress enhanced electrolyte leakage, accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide radical in two E. nutans, which were substantially alleviated by exogenous ALA and NO application. Pretreatment with NO scavenger PTIO or NOS inhibitor L-NNA alone and in combination with ALA induced enhancements in electrolyte leakage and the accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and superoxide radical in leaves of DX and ZD exposed to chilling stress, indicating that the inhibition of NO biosynthesis reduced the chilling resistance of E. nutans and the ALA-enhanced chilling resistance. Further analyses showed that ALA and NO enhanced antioxidant defense and activated plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase and decreased the accumulation of ROS induced by chilling stress. A pronounced increase in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NO release by exogenous ALA treatment was found in chilling-resistant DX plants exposed to chilling stress, while only a little increase was observed in chilling-sensitive ZD. Furthermore, inhibition of NO accumulation by PTIO or L-NNA blocked the protective effect of exogenous ALA, while both exogenous NO treatment and inhibition of endogenous NO accumulation did not induce ALA production. These results suggested that NO might be a downstream signal mediating ALA-induced chilling resistance in E. nutans.

Decreased expression and prognostic role of EHD2 in human breast carcinoma: correlation with E-cadherin.

Decreased expression of epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) has been noted to associate with aggressiveness and metastasis of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of C-Terminal EH domain-containing protein 2 (EHD2) expression on E-cadherin and related mechanism in the metastasis of breast cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed in 96 human breast carcinoma samples and the data were correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was performed for EHD2 and E-cadherin in breast carcinoma samples and cell lines to evaluate their protein levels and molecular interaction. We found that the expression of EHD2 was positively related with E-cadherin expression (P < 0.01), moreover, EHD2 expression was significantly correlated with histologic grade (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, E-cadherin expression obtained similar results. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that decreased expression of EHD2 and E-cadherin exhibited a significant correlation with poor prognosis in human breast cancer (P < 0.01). While in vitro, we employed siRNA technique to knock down EHD2 expressions and observed their effects on breast cancer cells growth. EHD2 depletion by siRNA promoted PCNA expression, and it was concurrent with the decreased expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin and the increased expression of N-cadherin by Western blot analysis. Consistent with these observations, the suppression of EHD2 in breast cancer cells remarkably promoted cellular proliferation and migration. On the basis of these results, we suggested that EHD2 can inhibit the metastasis of human breast cancer by regulating the EMT key markers E-cadherin and N-cadherin.

Exogenous 5-aminolevulenic acid promotes seed germination in Elymus nutans against oxidative damage induced by cold stress.

The protective effects of 5-aminolevulenic acid (ALA) on germination of Elymus nutans Griseb. seeds under cold stress were investigated. Seeds of E. nutans (Damxung, DX and Zhengdao, ZD) were pre-soaked with various concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 and 25 mg l(-1)) of ALA for 24 h before germination under cold stress (5°C). Seeds of ZD were more susceptible to cold stress than DX seeds. Both seeds treated with ALA at low concentrations (0.1-1 mg l(-1)) had higher final germination percentage (FGP) and dry weight at 5°C than non-ALA-treated seeds, whereas exposure to higher ALA concentrations (5-25 mg l(-1)) brought about a dose dependent decrease. The highest FGP and dry weight of germinating seeds were obtained from seeds pre-soaked with 1 mg l(-1) ALA. After 5 d of cold stress, pretreatment with ALA provided significant protection against cold stress in the germinating seeds, significantly enhancing seed respiration rate and ATP synthesis. ALA pre-treatment also increased reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (AsA), total glutathione, and total ascorbate concentrations, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), whereas decreased the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide radical (O2•-) release in both germinating seeds under cold stress. In addition, application of ALA increased H+-ATPase activity and endogenous ALA concentration compared with cold stress alone. Results indicate that ALA considered as an endogenous plant growth regulator could effectively protect E. nutans seeds from cold-induced oxidative damage during germination without any adverse effect.