Millennial changes and cooling trends in land surface warm-season temperatures during the Holocene.

The scarcity of proxies and calibration models for quantitatively reconstructing millennial timescale seasonal temperature tremendously constraints our understanding of the Holocene thermal variation and its driven mechanisms. Here, we established two global warm-season temperature models by applying deep learning neural network analysis to the branched tetraether membrane lipids originating from surface soil and lacustrine sediment bacteria. We utilized these optimal models in global well-dated lacustrine, peatland, and loess profiles covering the Holocene. All reconstructions of warm-season temperatures, consistent with climate model simulations, indicate cooling trends since the early Holocene, primarily induced by decreased solar radiation in the Northern Hemisphere due to the precession peak at the early. We further demonstrated that the membrane lipids can effectively enhance the future millennial seasonal temperature research, including winter temperatures, without being restricted by geographical location and sedimentary carrier.

Rechargeable Zn-H2O hydrolysis battery for hydrogen storage and production.

Reactive metals hydrolysis offers significant advantages for hydrogen storage and production. However, the regeneration of common reactive metals (e.g., Mg, Al, etc.) is energy-intensive and produces unwanted byproducts such as CO2 and Cl2. Herein, we employ Zn as a reactive mediator that can be easily regenerated by electrolysis of ZnO in an alkaline solution with a Faradaic efficiency of >99.9 %. H2 is produced in the same electrolyte by constructing a Zn-H2O hydrolysis battery consisting of a Zn anode and a Raney-Ni cathode to unlock the Zn-H2O reaction. The entire two-step water splitting reaction with a net energy efficiency of 70.4 % at 80 °C and 50 mA cm-2. Additionally, the Zn-H2O system can be charged using renewable energy to produce H2 on demand and runs for 600 cycles only sacrificing 3.76 % energy efficiency. DFT calculations reveal that the desorption of H* on Raney-Ni (-0.30 eV) is closer to zero compared with that on Zn (-0.87 eV), indicating a faster desorption of H* at low overpotential. Further, a 24 Ah electrolyzer is demonstrated to produce H2 with a net energy efficiency of 65.5 %, which holds promise for its real application.

CT imaging features of lung ground-glass nodule patients with upgraded intraoperative frozen pathology.

PURPOSE: Intraoperative frozen section pathology (FS) is widely used to guide surgical strategies while the accuracy is relatively low. Underestimating the pathological condition may result in inadequate surgical margins. This study aims to identify CT imaging features related to upgraded FS and develop a predictive model. METHODS: Collected data from 860 patients who underwent lung surgery from January to December 2019. We analyzed the consistency rate of FS and categorized the patients into three groups: Group 1 (n = 360) had both FS and Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded section (FP) as non-invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC); Group 2 (n = 128) had FS as non-IAC but FP as IAC; Group 3 (n = 372) had both FS and FP as IAC. Clinical baseline characteristics were compared and propensity score adjustment was used to mitigate the effects of these characteristics. Univariate analyses identified imaging features with inter-group differences. A multivariate analysis was conducted to screen independent risk factors for FS upgrade, after which a logistic regression prediction model was established and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. RESULTS: The consistency rate of FS with FP was 84.19%. 26.67% of the patients with non-IAC FS diagnosis were upgraded to IAC. The predictive model's Area Under Curve (AUC) is 0.785. Consolidation tumor ratio (CTR) ≤ 0.5 and smaller nodule diameter are associated with the underestimation of IAC in FS. CONCLUSION: CT imaging has the capacity to effectively detect patients at risk of upstaging during FS.

Seeded growth of single-crystal black phosphorus nanoribbons.

Two-dimensional materials have emerged as an important research frontier for overcoming the challenges in nanoelectronics and for exploring new physics. Among them, black phosphorus, with a combination of a tunable bandgap and high mobility, is one of the most promising systems. In particular, black phosphorus nanoribbons show excellent electrostatic gate control, which can mitigate short-channel effects in nanoscale transistors. Controlled synthesis of black phosphorus nanoribbons, however, has remained an outstanding problem. Here we report large-area growth of black phosphorus nanoribbons directly on insulating substrates. We seed the chemical vapour transport growth with black phosphorus nanoparticles and obtain uniform, single-crystal nanoribbons oriented exclusively along the [100] crystal direction. With comprehensive structural calculations, we discover that self-passivation at the zigzag edges holds the key to the preferential one-dimensional growth. Field-effect transistors based on individual nanoribbons exhibit on/off ratios up to ~104, confirming the good semiconducting behaviour of the nanoribbons. These results demonstrate the potential of black phosphorus nanoribbons for nanoelectronic devices and also provide a platform for investigating the exotic physics in black phosphorus.

Balancing the Components of Biomass and the Reactivity of Pyrolysis Gas: Biomass-Assisted Recycling of Spent LiCoO2 Batteries.

Waste biomass is one of the promising feedstocks to supply syngas that can be used as fuels, chemicals, reductants, etc. However, the relationship between the component of biomass and the constituent of pyrolysis gas remains unclear. Here, we study the pyrolysis behaviors of various biomasses and reveal the relationship between the biomass components and gas compositions. Further, different pyrolysis gases are applied for the reduction of spent lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) below 500 °C. The pyrolysis gas with a higher concentration of CO has a higher reductivity to convert LiCoO2 to CoO and Li2CO3 with a conversion rate close to 100% in 1 h at 500 °C. The biomass rich in cellulose and with a lower content of lignin tends to produce pyrolysis gas with a high concentration of CO, which comes from the deliberate breakdown of carboxyl, carbonyl, ether, and ester linkages. Moreover, LiCoO2 exerts catalytic functions over the deoxygenation and enhancement of oxygenates and single-ring aromatics. Overall, this paper offers a tailored approach to regulating biomass pyrolysis gases, enabling highly efficient battery recycling and syngas production.

Identification of nonvolatile organic compounds (NVOCs) in biopharmaceuticals through non-target analysis and quantification using complexation-precipitation extraction.

Single-use systems in biopharmaceutical manufacturing can potentially release chemical constituents (leachables) into drug products. Prior to conducting toxicological risk assessments, it is crucial to establish the qualitative and quantitative methods for these leachables. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive screening and structure elucidation of 23 leachables (nonvolatile organic compounds, NVOCs) in two antibody drugs using multiple (self-built and public) databases and mass spectral simulation. We identified 7 compounds that have not been previously reported in medical or medicinal extractables and leachables. The confidence levels for identified compounds were classified based on analytical standards, literature references, and fragment assignments. Most of the identified leachables were found to be plasticizers, antioxidants, slip agents or polymer degradants. Polysorbate (namely Tween) is commonly used as an excipient for protein stabilization in biopharmaceutical formulations, but its ionization in liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry can interfere with compound quantification. To address this, we employed a complexation-precipitation extraction method to reduce polysorbate content and quantify the analytes. The developed quantitative method for target NVOCs demonstrated high sensitivity (limit of quantification: 20 or 50 µg/L), accuracy (recoveries: 77.2 to 109.5 %) and precision (RSD ≤ 8.2 %). Overall, this established method will facilitate the evaluation of NVOC safety in drug products.

Hyperglycemia-induced STING signaling activation leads to aortic endothelial injury in diabetes.

Hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy and macroangiopathy. STING, which is a newly discovered regulator of innate immunity, has also been reported to play an important role in various metabolic diseases. However, the role of STING in diabetes-induced endothelial cell dysfunction is unknown. In this study, we established a diabetic macroangiopathy mouse model by streptozotocin (STZ) injection combined with high-fat diet (HFD) feeding and a glucotoxicity cell model in high glucose (HG)-treated rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs). We found that STING expression was specifically increased in the endothelial cells of diabetic arteries, as well as in HG-treated RAECs. Moreover, genetic deletion of STING significantly ameliorated diabetes-induced endothelial cell dysfunction and apoptosis in vivo. Likewise, STING inhibition by C-176 reversed HG-induced migration dysfunction and apoptosis in RAECs, whereas STING activation by DMXAA resulted in migration dysfunction and apoptosis. Mechanistically, hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress promoted endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA release, which subsequently activated the cGAS-STING system and the cGAS-STING-dependent IRF3/NF-kB pathway, ultimately resulting in inflammation and apoptosis. In conclusion, our study identified a novel role of STING in diabetes-induced aortic endothelial cell injury and suggested that STING inhibition was a potential new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetic macroangiopathy. Video Abstract.

An insertion of transposon in DcNAP inverted its function in the ethylene pathway to delay petal senescence in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.).

Petal senescence is the final stage of flower development. Transcriptional regulation plays key roles in this process. However, whether and how post-transcriptional regulation involved is still largely unknown. Here, we identified an ethylene-induced NAC family transcription factor DcNAP in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.). One allele, DcNAP-dTdic1, has an insertion of a dTdic1 transposon in its second exon. The dTdic1 transposon disrupts the structure of DcNAP and causes alternative splicing, which transcribes multiple domain-deleted variants (DcNAP2 and others). Conversely, the wild type allele DcNAP transcribes DcNAP1 encoding an intact NAC domain. Silencing DcNAP1 delays and overexpressing DcNAP1 accelerates petal senescence in carnation, while silencing and overexpressing DcNAP2 have the opposite effects, respectively. Further, DcNAP2 could interact with DcNAP1 and interfere the binding and activation activity of DcNAP1 to the promoters of its downstream target ethylene biosynthesis genes DcACS1 and DcACO1. Lastly, ethylene signalling core transcriptional factor DcEIL3-1 can activate the expression of DcNAP1 and DcNAP2 in the same way by binding their promoters. In summary, we discovered a novel mechanism by which DcNAP regulates carnation petal senescence at the post-transcriptional level. It may also provide a useful strategy to manipulate the NAC domains of NAC transcription factors for crop genetic improvement.

Research on high school students' behavior in art course within a virtual learning environment based on SVVR.

Introduction: Students who use spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) teaching materials for learning are able to gain more self-regulated, explorative, and immersive experiences in a virtual environment. Using SVVR teaching materials in art courses can present diverse and unique teaching effects, while also leading to the emergence of students' flow states. Methods: Therefore, through an art course teaching experiment, this study investigated 380 high school students and used structural equation modeling to analyze the antecedents and outcomes of students' flow state in using SVVR teaching materials. Results: The results show that in using SVVR teaching materials in art courses, more attention should be paid to the control and telepresence in the antecedents of students' flow state. Discussion: Only when they obtain better flow experiences can they have higher perceived usefulness and satisfaction with the content of the art course, as well as stronger intentions to continue using it. These results can provide a reference for the development and use of SVVR teaching materials in high school art courses.

Construction and Application of a Big Data System for Regional Lakes in Coalbed Methane Development.

With the rapid development and widespread application of big data and artificial intelligence, the upgrading of digital and intelligent industries has been rapidly popularized in the oil and gas industry. First, based on the theory of ″regional data lake″, the digital nature of the CBM governance system is analyzed, and the optimization model of CBM governance for different data types is established. Second, considering the geological characteristics and development mode of the CBM reservoir, the regional data lake expansion model is established. Third, a theoretical model of coupling ″on-site data, laboratory data, management data, and data management system″ has been established. The research shows the following: (a) The CBM governance system based on the regional data lake can be divided into four parts: basic support, data life cycle, core governance areas, and governance strategy support. (b) The coupling of the coalbed methane governance model with the BP neural network model in this article has good application results. (c) The computational efficiency of this model has been improved by 12%, which has broad application prospects.

Demonstrating analytical similarity of a biosimilar HLX04 to bevacizumab with a panel of state-of-the-art methods and tiering of quality attributes.

Therapeutical monoclonal antibodies are structurally and functionally complex, whereas the innovator's manufacturing processes are proprietary. With respect to the similarity assessment, a proposed biosimilar product needs to demonstrate a side-by-side comparison between the reference product (RP) and candidate product in terms of physicochemical properties and biological activities, as well as nonclinical and clinical outcomes. Here, a comprehensive analytical similarity assessment was performed for in-depth comparison of HLX04, China-sourced Avastin® (CN-Avastin®), and Europe-sourced Avastin® (EU-Avastin®) following a tier-based quality attribute (QA) evaluation. A series of orthogonal and state-of-the-art analytical techniques were developed for the assessment. Ten lots of HLX04 were compared with 29 lots bevacizumab RP. Referred to the characterization results, HLX04 is highly similar to the RPs with respect to physicochemical properties and biological functions. In addition, HLX04 was found with similar stability and degradation behaviors upon multiple stressed conditions to bevacizumab. Minor differences were observed in glycosylation, aggregates, FcγRIIIa(F), and FcγRIIIa(V) binding activities; nevertheless, they were evaluated and demonstrated not to impact clinical outcomes. According to the reported clinical results, the totality of evidence, including the pharmacokinetic, efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity, further shows that HLX04 is similar to CN-/EU-Avastin®.

Effects of ginseng consumption on the biomarkers of oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Oxidative stress (OS) is a key factor involved in the initiation and development of chronic diseases. Despite its widespread acceptance as an antioxidant, the effects of ginseng on OS in human clinical trials have not been comprehensively analyzed. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize the results of previous randomized clinical trials (RCTs) examining the impact of ginseng consumption on OS indicators. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched for articles on the effects of ginseng consumption on oxidative stress markers up to March 20, 2023. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess effect sizes. Twelve RCTs with 15 effect sizes revealed that the effects of ginseng lowered serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: -0.87, -0.08; p = 0.03) and significantly increased the serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (SMD = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.45; p = 0.04), oxidative dismutase (SOD) (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.57; p < 0.0001), glutathione (GSH) (SMD = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.61; p = 0.005), and glutathione reductase (GR) (SMD = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.81; p < 0.0001) levels compared to the effects of placebo. However, the effects on serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) were not significant. Moreover, subgroup analysis based on intervention duration showed that ginseng consumption increased GPx (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.05, 1.78; p = 0.039) and CAT (SMD = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.27, 1.21; p = 0.002) levels after more than 4 weeks of intervention. According to the results of this meta-analysis, ginseng supplementation dramatically reduced MDA levels and increased TAC, SOD, GSH, and GR levels. Our results open up a new line of defense against oxidative stress-induced diseases.

The Association Between Serum Magnesium Levels and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Observational studies suggest that the potential role of magnesium remains controversial in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This meta-analysis aims to consolidate the available information from observational studies that have focused on the relationship between magnesium levels and GDM. A systematic and comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang databases. Data were extracted independently by two investigators. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to summarize the circulating magnesium levels (CI). This meta-analysis included a total of 17 studies involving 2858 participants including 1404 GDM cases and 1454 healthy controls, which showed that magnesium levels were significantly lower in GDM compared to healthy controls (SMD: - 0.35; 95% CI: - 0.62, - 0.07, P = 0.013). Likewise, the same phenomenon was observed in the third trimester (SMD = - 1.07; 95% CI: - 1.84 to - 0.29, P = 0.007). Other subgroup analyses revealed that this trend of decreasing magnesium concentration was only observed in Europeans (SMD = - 0.64; 95% CI: - 0.90, - 0.38, P < 0.0001). This meta-analysis revealed that serum magnesium levels were lower in patients with GDM than in healthy pregnant women, and this discrepancy was most pronounced in European populations and during the third trimester. Nevertheless, current evidence suggests that circulating magnesium deficiency is associated with gestational diabetes; the challenge for the future is to further elucidate the possible benefits of preventing gestational diabetes through magnesium supplementation.

High-resolution sequencing of nine elite upland cotton cultivars uncovers genic variations and breeding improvement targets.

Structural variations (SVs) are critical factors affecting genome evolution and important traits. However, identification results and functional analyses of SVs in upland cotton are rare. Here, based on the genetic relationships, breeding history and cumulative planting area of upland cotton in China, nine predominant cultivars from the past 60 years (1950s-2010s) were selected for long read sequencing to uncover genic variations and breeding improvement targets for this crop. Based on the ZM24 reference genome, 0.88-1.47 × 104 SVs per cultivar were identified, and an SV set was constructed. SVs affected the expression of a large number of genes during fiber elongation, and a transposable element insertion resulted in the glandless phenotype in upland cotton. Six widespread inversions were identified based on nine draft genomes and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture data. Multiple haplotype blocks that were always associated with aggregated SVs were demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the agronomic traits of upland cotton and drove its adaptation to the northern planting region. Exotic introgression was the source of these haplotype blocks and increased the genetic diversity of upland cotton. Our results enrich the genome resources of upland cotton, and the identified SVs will promote genetic and breeding research in cotton.

Cardiac valve calcification as a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes in peritoneal dialysis patients: an inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular events (CVE) are the leading cause of death in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The predictive value of cardiac valve calcification (CVC) for CVE in dialysis patients remains controversial. In particular, such studies are limited in PD patients. We aimed to examine the predictive role of CVC for CVE and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who initiated PD in our hospital. According to the result of echocardiography, patients were divided into CVC group and non-CVC group. The differences in baseline demographic characteristics, biochemical variables, comorbidities, and clinical outcomes between the two groups were compared. Kaplan-Meier method was used to obtain survival curves. The Cox regression model was used to evaluate the influence of CVC for cardiovascular outcomes. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to eliminate influence of the confounders in the groups. RESULTS: 458 peritoneal dialysis patients were enrolled in this study. 77 patients were in CVC group and 381 patients in non-CVC group. The average follow-up time was (32 ± 21) months. At baseline, the absolute standardized difference (ASD) of age, BMI, history of CVE, diabetes, LVEF, LVMI, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, triglycerides, hsCRP, urine volume, Kt/V, statins and vitamin D intake rate were greater than 0.1 between the two groups. All of ASD dropped to less than 0.1 after IPTW, which meant that the balance had been reached between the two groups. Multivariable logistic analysis showed that advanced age, diabetes, and hyperphosphatemia were associated with CVC. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed the cumulative CVE-free survival rate and cardiovascular survival rate of CVC group were significantly lower than that of non-CVC group before and after IPTW (log-rank P < 0.05). After IPTW was used to eliminate the effect of confounders, multivariate Cox regression analysis still showed CVC was an independent risk factor for CVE (HR = 2.383, 95% CI 1.331~4.264, P = 0.003) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 2.347, 95% CI 1.211~4.548, P = 0.012) in PD patients. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CVC is high in peritoneal dialysis patients. CVC is an independent risk factor for CVE and cardiovascular mortality in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Efficacy of oxidized regenerated cellulose combined with fibrin glue in reducing pulmonary air leakage after segmentectomy in a porcine lung model.

Objectives: Pulmonary air leakage is a common complication following lung resection. We have designed a new method combining oxidized regenerated cellulose and fibrin glue to cover the intersegmental plane in clinical lung segmentectomy to prevent postoperative air leakage. In this study, an excised porcine lung segmentectomy model was created to validate its adhesive strength and effect on reducing air leakage. Methods: In the pre-experiment, six different larger lung segments were separated using electrocautery on the fresh isolated porcine lungs (n = 5 in each group). The air leakage degree and operation time of the lung segments were comprehensively evaluated to select the most suitable target segment for establishing the ex vivo porcine lung segmentectomy models. In the experiment, according to the different materials covered on the intersegmental plane, these models were randomly divided into four groups: group A used fibrin glue and oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) mesh (n = 20); group B used fibrin glue and polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet (n = 20); group C used fibrin glue (n = 20); group D was the blank control group (n = 20). The minimum air leakage pressure (MALP) of the selected target segment in each group was measured using a stepwise increase of airway pressure, and histological assessment was performed on the sealed area samples from the four groups. Results: The operation time of the a segment of the right cranial lobe (R1a) was shorter than that of other segments (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in the air leakage pressures between the six isolated segments (p = 0.76); thus, R1a was chosen for segmentectomy. In addition, the MALP was significantly higher in group A (41.8 ± 4.5 cmH2O) than in groups C (28.1 ± 2.3 cmH2O) and D (17.3 ± 1.2 cmH2O) (both p < 0.001). The MALP of group B (69.5 ± 5.2 cmH2O) was significantly higher than that of group A (p < 0.001), whereas that of group C was significantly higher than that of group D (p < 0.001). Histological examination confirmed that the combined use of fibrin glue and ORC or PGA patch adhered more firmly to the intersegmental plane than that of fibrin glue alone, although some gaps could be seen between the fibrin glue and the surface of the lung segments in group C. Conclusion: The application of ORC combined with fibrin glue on the intersegmental plane has a good sealing performance in the ex vivo porcine lung segmentectomy model, suggesting that ORC may be an effective alternative material to replace PGA sheet to combine with fibrin glue for preventing air leakage after segmentectomy.

Decoupled Asian monsoon intensity and precipitation during glacial-interglacial transitions on the Chinese Loess Plateau.

The discrepancies among the variations in global ice volume, cave stalagmite δ18O and rainfall reconstructed by cosmogenic 10Be tremendously restrain our understanding of the evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). Here, we present a 430-ka EASM mean annual precipitation record on the Chinese Loess Plateau obtained using branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers based on a deep learning neural network; this rainfall record corresponds well with cave-derived δ18O data from southern China but differs from precipitation reconstructed by 10Be. Both branched tetraether membrane lipids and cave δ18O may be affected by soil moisture and atmospheric temperature when glacial and interglacial conditions alternated and were thus decoupled from atmospheric precipitation; instead, they represent variations in the intensity of the EASM. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the brGDGT-DLNN method can significantly extend the temporal scale record of the EASM and is not restricted by geographic location compared with stalagmite records.

[Comparison of Two-dimensional and Three-dimensional Features of Chest CT
 in the Diagnosis of Invasion of Pulmonary Ground Glass Nodules].

BACKGROUND: At present, more and more studies predict invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) through three-dimensional features of pulmonary nodules, but few studies have confirmed that three-dimensional features have more advantages in diagnosing IAC than traditional two-dimensional features of pulmonary nodules. This study analyzed the differences of chest computed tomography (CT) features between IAC and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) from three-dimensional and two-dimensional levels, and compared the ability of diagnosing IAC. The non-invasive adenocarcinoma group includes precursor glandular lesions (PGL) and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA). METHODS: The clinical data of 1,045 patients with ground glass opacity (GGO) from January to December 2019 were collected. Then the correlation between preoperative CT image characteristics and pathological results were analyzed retrospectively. The independent influencing factors for the identification of IAC were screened out according to two-dimensional and three-dimensional classification by multivariate Logistic regression and the cut-off point for the identification of IAC was found out through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. At last, the ability of diagnosing IAC was evaluated by Yoden index. RESULTS: The diameter of nodule, the diameter of solid component, the diameter of mediastinal window nodule in two-dimensional factors, and the volume of nodule, the volume of solid part and the average CT value in three-dimensional factors were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of IAC. These factors were arranged by Yoden index: solid partial volume (0.601)>nodule volume (0.536)>solid component diameter (0.525)>nodule diameter (0.518)>mediastinal window nodule diameter (0.488)>proportion of solid component volume (0.471)>1-tumor disappearance ratio (TDR) (0.468)>consolidation tumor ratio (CTR) (0.394)>average CT value (0.380). CONCLUSIONS: The CT features of three-dimensional are better than two-dimensional in the diagnosis of IAC, and the size of solid components is better than the overall size of nodules.

Association between dietary inflammatory index score and muscle mass and strength in older adults: a study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002.

PURPOSE: Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation affects muscle protein metabolism. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®) is a tool designed to assess the inflammatory potential of the diet. The available data on the association between DII and sarcopenia are limited. We aimed to investigate the association of the DII with components of sarcopenia in individuals over 50 years of age. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002 dataset. Body composition was measured, and isokinetic strength of the knee extensors (peak force) was evaluated. Low muscle mass and strength were defined using sex-specific thresholds. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII™) scores were calculated using 24-h dietary recall data. Regression models were fit to evaluate the association between E-DII scores and low muscle mass and low muscle strength, alone and combined. RESULTS: Mean age of study participants was 62.1 ± 9.5 years, and 138 participants (7.4%) belonged to the combination group of low muscle mass and low muscle strength. In multivariable-adjusted regression models, higher E-DII score was associated with lower appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) (ß = - 0.03, P  < 0.001, P trend <0.001), and lower peak force (ß = -2.15, P  = 0.04, P trend = 0.01) and higher likelihood for these components combined (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.25, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Higher E-DII score is associated with lower muscle mass and muscle strength, and increased likelihood for the combination of low muscle mass and low muscle strength in older adults. This has important implications for healthy aging.

Diammonium glycyrrhizinate ameliorates portal hypertension by regulating portal macrophage oxidation and superoxide dismutase 3.

Portal hypertension (PHT) is a complication of liver diseases. Increased intrahepatic vascular resistance is attributed to reduced bioavailability of vasodilator substances. The macrophage activation and superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) involve in the pathogenesis of PHT. Diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG) is the salt form of glycyrrhizin derived from Radix glycyrrhizae, exerting anti-oxidant activities and be beneficial for liver injury. Here, we aimed to investigate effects of DG on PHT and explore its underlying mechanisms on regulation of macrophages and SOD3. The carbon tetrachloride induced PHT rats received administration of liposome-encapsulated clodronate for hepatic macrophage depletion, or PBS liposomes for matched control. DG (25 mg/kg) or vehicle was gavaged. Portal pressure in vivo, and serum biomarkers of macrophage activation were measured. The nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2) bioavailability was evaluated in the isolated portal perfused rat livers. Liver tissues were collected to evaluate cirrhosis, macrophage oxidation, and SOD3 activity. Depletion of hepatic macrophages decreased portal pressure, increased bioavailability of NO and PGI2, and restored SOD3 activity. DG effectively decreased portal pressure, relieved cirrhosis, inhibited macrophage activation. DG increased bioavailability of NO and PGI2 to relax portal veins. DG relieved portal macrophage oxidation through decreasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 and inducible NO synthase expressions, elevated SOD3 activities and increased SOD3 expressions at portal triads. These findings indicated that DG restored SOD3 activity, against portal macrophage oxidation, protected bioavailability of NO and PGI2, thereby reduced portal pressure. It suggested a potential use of DG for PHT treatment.