VV116 versus Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir for Oral Treatment of Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir has been authorized for emergency use by many countries for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). However, the supply falls short of the global demand, which creates a need for more options. VV116 is an oral antiviral agent with potent activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, noninferiority, observer-blinded, randomized trial during the outbreak caused by the B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant of SARS-CoV-2. Symptomatic adults with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 with a high risk of progression were assigned to receive a 5-day course of either VV116 or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir. The primary end point was the time to sustained clinical recovery through day 28. Sustained clinical recovery was defined as the alleviation of all Covid-19-related target symptoms to a total score of 0 or 1 for the sum of each symptom (on a scale from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating greater severity; total scores on the 11-item scale range from 0 to 33) for 2 consecutive days. A lower boundary of the two-sided 95% confidence interval for the hazard ratio of more than 0.8 was considered to indicate noninferiority (with a hazard ratio of >1 indicating a shorter time to sustained clinical recovery with VV116 than with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir). RESULTS: A total of 822 participants underwent randomization, and 771 received VV116 (384 participants) or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (387 participants). The noninferiority of VV116 to nirmatrelvir-ritonavir with respect to the time to sustained clinical recovery was established in the primary analysis (hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.35) and was maintained in the final analysis (median, 4 days with VV116 and 5 days with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir; hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.36). In the final analysis, the time to sustained symptom resolution (score of 0 for each of the 11 Covid-19-related target symptoms for 2 consecutive days) and to a first negative SARS-CoV-2 test did not differ substantially between the two groups. No participants in either group had died or had had progression to severe Covid-19 by day 28. The incidence of adverse events was lower in the VV116 group than in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group (67.4% vs. 77.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 who were at risk for progression, VV116 was noninferior to nirmatrelvir-ritonavir with respect to the time to sustained clinical recovery, with fewer safety concerns. (Funded by Vigonvita Life Sciences and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05341609; Chinese Clinical Trial Registry number, ChiCTR2200057856.).

Downregulation of Ebp1Khib210 promotes keratinocyte proliferation through induction of TIF-IA-mediated rRNA synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory dermatosis characterized by excessive proliferation of keratinocytes. Protein lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib) is a newly identified post-translational modification that regulates various biological processes. Abnormal Khib modification has been closely associated with the development of autoimmune diseases. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the abnormal Khib profile and its pathogenic role in psoriasis. METHODS: We utilized liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze Khib-modified proteins in the epidermis of psoriasis and healthy controls. Mutated cells and mice with downregulated Ebp1Khib210 were generated to investigate its functional effects in psoriasis. RESULTS: The omic analysis revealed dysregulation of Khib modification in psoriatic lesions, exhibiting a distinct profile compared to controls. We observed the downregulation of Ebp1Khib210 in psoriatic lesions and IMQ-induced psoriatic mice. Notably, the expression of Ebp1Khib210 was upregulated in psoriatic patients following effective treatment. Decreased Ebp1Khib210 enhanced keratinocyte viability, proliferation, and survival while inhibiting apoptosis in vitro. Additionally, Pa2g4K210A mice with downregulated Ebp1Khib210 exhibited more severe psoriatic lesions and enhanced keratinocyte proliferation. Moreover, we found that Ebp1K210A mutation increased the interaction between Ebp1 and nuclear Akt, thereby inhibiting MDM2-mediated TIF-IA ubiquitination, and resulting to increased rRNA synthesis and keratinocyte proliferation. The downregulation of Ebp1Khib210 was attributed to inflammation-induced increases in HDAC2 expression. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that downregulation of Ebp1Khib210 promotes keratinocyte proliferation through modulation of Akt signaling and TIF-IA-mediated rRNA synthesis. These insights into Khib modification provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis and suggest potential therapeutic targets.

Influence of Galvanic Interaction between the Iron Grinding Medium and Chalcopyrite on Collectorless Flotation Behavior of Chalcopyrite: Experimental and Density Functional Theory Study.

The eco-friendly flotation process for chalcopyrite is economically significant and promotes sustainable development in mining. Collectorless flotation is a green and clean method for chalcopyrite utilization, but galvanic interactions during the grinding process can affect the surface structure, chemical composition, and electrochemical properties, impacting collectorless flotation recovery. This article uses a self-made device and flotation experiments to study galvanic interactions and their effects on surface oxidation and collectorless flotation behavior under different grinding conditions (including mineral particle size, slurry water content, pressure, and galvanic interaction time). The impact of galvanic interaction on the surface chemical composition and electrochemical properties of chalcopyrite is studied using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical tests. Additionally, the effect of the galvanic interaction on the surface structure is analyzed with density functional theory. XPS and HPLC results show that iron grinding media contact with chalcopyrite, reducing elemental sulfur content of the chalcopyrite surface, improving hydrophilicity, and decreasing chalcopyrite collectorless flotation recovery. Grinding conditions, such as mineral particle size, slurry water content, and galvanic interaction time, significantly impact collectorless flotation and can be regulated to optimize results.

Construction and Properties of High-Toughness Soft-Soft Interfaces Based on the Adhesion of Natural Polyphenols.

Artificial joint replacement is the most effective way to treat osteoarthritis. However, these artificial joints are too stiff with high interfacial contact stress and poor surface lubrication, resulting in stress shielding and severe wear and tear lead to an extremely high failure rate. At present, hydrogels are considered the most promising substitute for artificial joint prostheses owing to their good biocompatibility, adjustable mechanical properties, and excellent flexibility. Nevertheless, a traditional single-layer hydrogel has poor bearing capacity and lubrication, which are far from the properties of natural articular cartilage. The high strength and low friction properties of natural articular cartilage are based on its own multilayer fibrous structure. Therefore, by simulating the multilayer structure of natural cartilage, a bilayer bionic cartilage hydrogel was prepared; that is, the upper hydrogel realized excellent lubrication and the lower hydrogel realized high load-bearing capacity. However, the interface binding of bilayer hydrogels is a challenge at present. Therefore, the interfacial adhesion of the bilayer hydrogel is improved by adding tannic acid (TA) based on the adhesion of the natural polyphenol structure. The average interfacial toughness reaches 3650 J/m2, and the average interfacial shear force reaches 800 kPa. In the preparation of the bilayer hydrogel, taking advantage of the coordination reaction between TA and metal cations, Fe3+ is further added to endow the bilayer hydrogel with excellent mechanical properties and good sliding friction performance. Therefore, this work opens up a new way to construct cartilage-like materials with high toughness and a soft-soft interface.

The toxicity of hexavalent chromium to soil microbial processes concerning soil properties and aging time.

Chromium (Cr) pollution has attracted much attention due to its biological toxicity. However, little is known regarding Cr toxicity to soil microorganisms. The present study assesses the toxicity of Cr(VI) on two microbial processes, potential nitrification rate (PNR) and substrate-induced respiration (SIR), in a wide range of agricultural soils and detected the abundance of soil bacteria, fungi, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea. The toxicity thresholds of 10% and 50% effective concentrations (EC10 and EC50) for PNR varied by 32.18- and 38.66-fold among different soils, while for SIR they varied by 391.21- and 16.31-fold, respectively. Regression model analysis indicated that for PNR, CEC as a single factor explained 27% of the variation in EC10, with soil clay being the key factor explaining 47.3% of the variation in EC50. For SIR, organic matter and pH were found to be the most vital predictors for EC10 and EC50, explaining 34% and 61.1% of variation, respectively. In addition, extended aging time was found to significantly attenuate the toxicity of Cr on PNR. SIR was mainly driven by total bacteria rather than fungi, while PNR was driven by both AOA and AOB. These results were helpful in deriving soil Cr toxicity threshold based on microbial processes, and provided a theoretical foundation for ecological risk assessments and establishing a soil environmental quality criteria for Cr.

A New Orientation Detection Method for Tilting Insulators Incorporating Angle Regression and Priori Constraints.

The accurate detection of insulators is an important prerequisite for insulator fault diagnosis. To solve the problem of background interference and overlap caused by the axis-aligned bounding boxes in the tilting insulator detection tasks, we construct an improved detection architecture according to the scale and tilt features of the insulators from several perspectives, such as bounding box representation, loss function, and anchor box construction. A new orientation detection method for tilting insulators based on angle regression and priori constraints is put forward in this paper. Ablation tests and comparative validation tests were conducted on a self-built aerial insulator image dataset. The results show that the detection accuracy of our model was increased by 7.98% compared with that of the baseline, and the overall detection accuracy reached 82.33%. Moreover, the detection effect of our method was better than that of the YOLOv5 detection model and other orientation detection models. Our model provides a new idea for the accurate orientation detection of insulators.

Afterload-related reference values for myocardial work indices.

BACKGROUND: The novel noninvasive pressure-strain loop (PSL) is a reliable tool that reflects myocardial work (MW). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the only independent factor for MW indices. However, afterload-related reference values have not been previously reported. The aim of the present study was to establish reference values for MW parameters by wide range SBP grading. METHODS: We prospectively selected healthy individuals and subjects with SBP ≥ 140 mmHg at the time of study without myocardial remodeling. MW parameters were collected and the reference values achieved were grouped by SBP in 10-mmHg. RESULTS: Significant differences were noted among the SBP-groups for global work index (GWI) and global constructive work (GCW). The majority of statistical comparisons of the differences in GWI and GCW were significant at each SBP-group. With SBP ranging from 90 to 189 mmHg, the parameters GWI and GCW tended to increase linearly with afterload. Overall, the global wasted work (GWW) tended to rise as SBP was increased, but not all of the differences noted in GWW were significant for each SBP-group. Global work efficiency (GWE) remained stable across all SBP-groups, with the exception of a slight drop noted when it exceeded 160 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of MW but not the work efficiency varied greatly according to the different afterload. This finding cannot be ignored during clinical research or diagnosis and afterload-related reference values are required to make a reasonable judgment on the myocardial function.

Protective effect of coumarin-pi against t-BHP-induced hepatotoxicity by upregulating antioxidant enzymes via enhanced Nrf2 signaling.

Coumarin-pi, a new coumarin derivative isolated from the mushroom Paxillus involutus, has antioxidative activity, but the underlying mechanism against intracellular oxidative stress is still unclear. This study investigated its cytoprotective effects and the antioxidative mechanism in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced HepG2 cells. The results demonstrated that coumarin-pi suppressed t-BHP-stimulated cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, coumarin-pi promoted nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and upregulated the protein expression of antioxidantenzymes, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidase (NQO1), glutamyl cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and glutamate-cysteine ligase regulatory subunit (GCLM). After coumarin-pi treatment, transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis revealed that 256 genes were differentially expressed; interestingly, only 20 genes were downregulated, and the rest of the genes were upregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional annotation were used to identify changes in metabolic pathways. Collectively, the results presented in this study indicate that coumarin-pi has a protective effect against t-BHP-induced cellular damage and oxidative stress.

Restarting of anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation after major bleeding: A meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Benefits and risks of restarting oral anticoagulants (OACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation after major bleeding remain unknown. A meta-analysis was performed to systematically evaluate the effects of restarting OACs on thromboembolism and bleeding events in these patients. METHODS: Relevant studies were obtained via systematically search of PubMed, Cochrane's Library and Embase databases. A randomized-effect model was used to pool the results. Subgroup analyses according to the types of OACs and sites of reoccurred bleeding were performed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Seven retrospective cohort studies with 12 197 patients were included. Restarting OACs was associated with reduced risk of thromboembolism (risk ratio [RR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.87; P = .007). Subgroup analyses showed that restarting warfarin reduced risk of thromboembolism (RR = 0.59, P = .05), but not for the new oral anticoagulants (NOACs; RR = 1.37, P = .18). Moreover, restarting OACs did not affect the risk of reoccurred bleeding (RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.74-1.30, P = .89). Similar results were found for warfarin and NOACs, as well as for reoccurred intracranial haemorrhage or gastrointestinal bleeding. In addition, restarting OACs was associated with significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality (RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.33-0.52, P < .001). Consistent results were found for warfarin and NOACs. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Restarting of OACs after major bleeding in AF patients may be associated with reduced risks of thromboembolism and mortality without increasing reoccurrence of bleeding.

Realization of fully automated quantification of left ventricular volumes and systolic function using transthoracic 3D echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Study on automated three-dimensional (3D) quantification of left heart parameters by using Heartmodel software is still in the early stage and fully automatic analysis was not clearly achieved. The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of this new technology in measuring left ventricular (LV) volume and ejection fraction (EF) in patients with a variety of heart diseases on the basis of rationally determining the default endocardial border values. METHODS: Subjects with a variety of heart diseases were included prospectively. High quality Heartmodel images were selected to determine the end-diastolic and end-systolic default values of endocardial border. The accuracy and reproducibility of automated three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) for measuring LV end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and EF were evaluated with the traditional manual 3DE as the relative standard. RESULTS: Ninety seven subjects were enrolled in the study. The default endocardial border values were determined as 66% and 40% for end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES), respectively. Most of the subjects (84/97) were automatically analyzed by Heartmodel software without manual adjustment, revealing a close correlation of automated 3DE with manual 3DE in measuring EDV, ESV and EF (r-values: EDV: 0.96, ESV: 0.97, EF: 0.96). The EDV and ESV values obtained by automated 3DE were higher than those measured by manual 3DE (biases: EDV: 16 ± 18 ml, ESV: 11 ± 12 ml). The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of automated 3DE was better than that of manual 3DE. Automated 3DE with manual adjustment showed good consistency with manual 3DE in assessing the impairment degree of systolic function in patients with wall motion abnormalities (n = 58), (Kappa = 0.74, P = 0.00). CONCLUSION: Fully automated 3DE quantification of LV volume and EF could be achieved in most patients. Since automated 3DE was accurate and more reproducible, it could replace the existing manual 3DE technology and be routinely used in clinical practice.

Stay strong, stay healthy: exploring a predictive model of psychological adaptation among Macau students studying in Mainland China within the postcolonial context.

The prevailing research on adaptation primarily centers around the settlement of international students and immigrants in different cultural environments. However, there is a notable gap in understanding the intra-cultural adaptation process for individuals from postcolonial areas when relocating to their home country. The primary focus of the current study lies in constructing a predictive model that delineates the psychological adaptation experienced by Macau students studying in Mainland China. In total, two hundred and fifty-five Macau students completed a questionnaire which assessed variables falling into two categories: identity-related variables, such as language proficiency and identity, and intergroup-related variables, including intergroup contact and the quality of contact, and psychological adaptation. The findings from the present study revealed that identity and quality of contact continued to make significant contributions to psychological adaptation in intra-cultural environments as in inter-cultural environments, whereas language proficiency and intergroup contact were unrelated to psychological adaptation in intra-cultural adaptation. The present study extended the adaptation research by transporting hypotheses and findings from inter-cultural adaptation and testing their validity and applicability in postcolonial contexts. The findings also provided practical implications for Chinese education institutions and policy-makers.

Infections and Influencing Factors of Pathogens in Rattus norvegicus along the Zengjiang River in Guangzhou, China.

Background: Rattus norvegicus can carry and transmit various zoonotic pathogens. Some studies were conducted to investigate a few zoonotic pathogens in Guangzhou, China, but no coinfections were investigated or specifically mentioned. Studies on the infections and the influencing factors of various zoonotic pathogens in R. norvegicus along the Zengjiang River in Guangzhou have not been carried out. Materials and Methods: In this study, R. norvegicus was captured in November 2020 and September 2021 along the Zengjiang River, and was tested for Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., Orientia tsutsugamushi, Borrelia burgdorferi, Hantavirus (HV), Ehrlichia spp., and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) by the RT-PCR. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact of habitat and demographic factors on the infections and coinfections of the surveyed pathogens. Results: In 119 R. norvegicus, the detection rates of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., O. tsutsugamushi, B. burgdorferi, and HV were 46.2%, 31.9%, 5%, 0.8%, and 18.5%, respectively. Ehrlichia spp. and SFTSV were negative. The triple coinfection rate of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and HV was 11.8%. In addition, the coinfection of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and B. burgdorferi was 0.8%. Dual coinfection of Bartonella spp. and Leptospira spp., Leptospira spp. and HV, Bartonella spp. and O. tsutsugamushi, Leptospira spp. and O. tsutsugamushi, and HV and O. tsutsugamushi was 9.2%, 3.4%, 1.7%, 1.7%, and 0.8%, respectively. Infections of these pathogens in R. norvegicus were found in habitats of banana plantation, grassland, and bush. Weight affected the infection of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., or HV in R. norvegicus. Conclusions: R. norvegicus along the Zengjiang River not only carried various potentially zoonotic pathogens but also had a variety of coinfections. Surveillance of the density and pathogens in R. norvegicus should be strengthened to reduce the incidence of relevant zoonotic diseases.

[Impact factors for efficacy of specific immunotherapy in children with dust mite allergic asthma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate impact factors for the efficacy of specific immunotherapy (SIT) in children with dust mite allergic asthma. METHODS: Ninety-nine children with house dust mite allergic asthma received standardized SIT, and the level of asthma control was evaluated after 6 months (S1 stage), 12 months (S2 stage), 18 months (S3 stage), and 24 months (S4 stage) of treatment. The age of first visit, course of asthma, level of asthma severity, initial serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) level, combination with allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, use of inhaled corticosteroids, and local or systemic side effects during treatment were recorded, and their impacts on the level of asthma control were analyzed. RESULTS: As the SIT proceeded, the number of clinically controlled cases increased significantly (P<0.01). The level of asthma control was significantly affected by the age of patients at first visit in S1 and S3 stages, and combination with allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis in S1 stage (P<0.05). In all stages of SIT, the controlled cases had significantly higher initial serum sIgE levels than the uncontrolled cases (P<0.05). In S1 and S2 stages, there was a significantly higher proportion of controlled cases among children with a high level of asthma severity than among those with a low level of asthma severity (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive correlation between long-term efficacy of SIT and the course or the total dose of treatment. Patients with higher initial serum sIgE levels achieve clinical control earlier than those with lower initial serum sIgE levels during SIT.

Does environmental psychology matter: role of green finance and government spending for sustainable development.

Over 30% of the global GDP and 60% of the worldwide population are involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making it one of the greatest development projects in the world. If infrastructure developments in BRI countries are successful, economic growth in those nations will increase dramatically. Using data from 2005 to 2020, this research examines the relationships between environmental psychology, green finance, and sustainable development and variables such as GDP per capita and its square, green financing, government expenditure, and human capital in 57 strategically chosen BRI economies. Economists used cutting-edge techniques that take into account multiple variables at once in their analysis, such as cross-sectional dependence, unit root testing, co-integration analysis, IFE estimation, dynamic panel data (DCCE), and generalized method of moments (system GMM). The findings indicate that green financing, government spending, and GDP per capita squared reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. In this analysis, the level of human capital is similar to GDP per capita in its beneficial effect on carbon emissions. Carbon emissions are negatively impacted by government spending, which has a minor effect on GDP per capita, green financing, and human capital. Using the results of this study, the authors offer recommendations for how a country can reduce its carbon output.

Acupoint catgut embedding for chronic non-specific low back pain: A protocol of randomized controlled trial.

Chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Acupoint embedding (ACE) is widely used in China for the treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain, but there are no rigorous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to confirm the effectiveness and safety of ACE for chronic non-specific low back pain. In this study, we design a single-center, single-blind, prospective RCT, with the aim of evaluating the efficacy and safety of ACE for CNLBP. 82 participants with CNLBP will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into an ACE group and a sham ACE group. Participants will receive either ACE treatment or sham ACE treatment at once every 2 weeks, for an 8-week period, and followed by 6 months of follow-up. The primary outcome will be the change in visual analog scale (VAS) scores before and after treatment. Secondary outcomes will include the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and the Short Form 36-Health Survey (SF-36). Adverse events that occur during the course of the trial will be recorded. Data will be analyzed according to a predefined statistical analysis plan. This study was approved by the medical ethics committee of Guangzhou Panyu Hospital of Chinese Medicine (202230). Written informed consent from patients is required. This trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200059245). Trial results will be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2200059245.

Integrative application of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for enhanced chromium resistance in Medicago sativa.

Soil chromium (Cr) contamination has become an environmental problem of global concern. However, the joint effects of combined utilization of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inoculum, which are considered as two promising remediation strategies of soil heavy metal pollutions, on plant Cr resistance are still poorly understood. In this study, a two-factor pot experiment was conducted to investigate how biochar and AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis regulate Medicago sativa growth, physiological trait, nutrient and Cr uptake, relevant gene expressions, soil properties, and Cr speciation, independently or synergistically. The results showed that biochar notably decreased AM colonization, while biochar and AM fungus could simultaneously increase plant dry biomass. The greatest growth promotion was observed in mycorrhizal shoots at the highest biochar level (50 g kg-1 soil) by 91 times. Both biochar application and AM fungal inoculation enhanced plant photosynthesis and P nutrition, but the promoting effects of AM fungus on them were significantly greater than that of biochar. In addition, the combined application of biochar and AM fungus dramatically reduced shoot and root Cr concentrations by up to 92 % and 78 %, respectively, compared to the non-amended treatment. Meanwhile, down-regulated expressions were observed for metal chelating-related genes. Furthermore, Cr translocation from roots to shoots was reduced by both two soil amendments. Transcriptional levels of genes involved in reactive oxygen species and proline metabolisms were also regulated by biochar application and AM fungal colonization, leading to alleviation of Cr phytotoxicity. Furthermore, AM fungal inoculation slightly elevated soil pH but decreased plant-available soil P, which was, by contrast, lifted by biochar addition. The combined application reduced soil acid-extractable Cr concentration by 40 %. This study provides new insights into comprehensively understanding of the mechanisms of biochar and AM fungi combination on improving plant Cr tolerance.

Consumption of processed food and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Consumption of processed foods has been associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but with inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compute results regarding the association between processed foods and risk of NPC in included studies. Methods: Studies exploring the association between consumption of processed food and risk of NPC were included in the present study. All included studies were case-control or cohort designed. PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline and Google Scholar databases were searched for articles published before July 2021. We recorded the following data: author, publication year, sample size, study type, study location, years of diagnosis, food item and comparison, and the covariates considered were multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) or relative risks (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest vs. lowest categories of processed food intake. STATA 12.0 software was used to compute the multivariate ORs or RRs and 95% CIs of the association. Quality appraisal was made using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results: A meta-analysis was made for 29 case-control studies (including 14,378 NPC patients and 17,928 controls). The meta-analysis showed that the highest categories of processed food intake were associated with a 65% increase in NPC risk compared with the lowest categories in a random effects model (OR =1.67; 95% CI: 1.56-1.79; P value for Q test <0.001; I2=86.9%). Subgroup study showed significant positive associations regarding consumption of processed food and risk of NPC in both Asians and Caucasians (Asian: OR =1.68, 95% CI: 1.56-1.81; Caucasian: OR =1.36, 95% CI: 1.09-1.71). Conclusions: The association of processed foods with NPC risk might be significant. Further prospective studies and experimental research are needed to explore this relationship.

Diversity and distribution of CO2-fixing microbial community along elevation gradients in meadow soils on the Tibetan Plateau.

Soil CO2-fixing microbes play a significant role in CO2-fixation in the terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in the Tibetan Plateau. To understand carbon sequestration by soil CO2-fixing microbes and the carbon cycling in alpine meadow soils, microbial diversity and their driving environmental factors were explored along an elevation gradient from 3900 to 5100 m, on both east and west slopes of Mila Mountain region on the Tibetan Plateau. The CO2-fixing microbial communities were characterized by high-throughput sequencing targeting the cbbL gene, encoding the large subunit for the CO2-fixing protein ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The overall OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit) abundance is concentrated at an altitude between 4300 and 4900 m. The diversity of CO2-fixing microbes is the highest in the middle altitude area, and on the east slope is higher than those on the west slope. In terms of microbial community composition, Proteobacteria is dominant, and the most abundant genera are Cupriavidus, Rhodobacter, Sulfurifustis and Thiobacillus. Altitude has the greatest influence on the structural characteristics of CO2-fixing microbes, and other environmental factors are significantly correlated with altitude. Therefore, altitude influences the structural characteristics of CO2-fixing microbes by driving environmental factors. Our results are helpful to understand the variation in soil microbial community and its role in soil carbon cycling along elevation gradients.

Bio-Tribology and Corrosion Behaviors of a Si- and N-Incorporated Diamond-like Carbon Film: A New Class of Protective Film for Ti6Al4V Artificial Implants.

Ti6Al4V artificial implants are increasingly demanded for addressing human dysfunction caused by an aging population and major diseases. However, they are restricted due to the release of vanadium and aluminum ions in the process of corrosion and wear. This work is aimed to provide a protective film for Ti6Al4V artificial implants, and then, a Si-incorporated diamond-like carbon (Si-DLC) film and Si- and N-incorporated DLC (SiN-DLC) film were deposited on the surface of Ti6Al4V by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Results suggest that the thickness of the as-deposited DLC film is approximately 2 µm, and the SiN-DLC film shows the lowest surface roughness (53.0 ± 3.6 nm) compared with the Ti6Al4V and DLC films. The above DLC film possesses high mechanical properties compared with Ti6Al4V, and the SiN-DLC film shows the best resistance to plastic deformation. In addition, the DLC film exhibits high adhesive strength (>13 N) with Ti6Al4V, which is a prerequisite for service in liquid environments. Whether in SBF solution or SBF + BSA solution, the friction coefficient and wear rate of the above DLC film are much lower than those of Ti6Al4V, and the SiN-DLC film displays the optimal tribological properties (0.072 and 1.82 × 10-7 mm3·N-1·m-1, respectively). Moreover, Si-DLC and SiN-DLC films possess similar corrosion resistance but are far better than Ti6Al4V. Cytotoxicity test results show that the SiN-DLC film can significantly improve cell viability and promote cell proliferation to a certain extent. Consequently, the SiN-DLC film is a protective film with more potential for artificial implants.

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.