Aberrant splicing of CaV1.2 calcium channel induced by decreased Rbfox1 enhances arterial constriction during diabetic hyperglycemia.

Diabetic hyperglycemia induces dysfunctions of arterial smooth muscle, leading to diabetic vascular complications. The CaV1.2 calcium channel is one primary pathway for Ca2+ influx, which initiates vasoconstriction. However, the long-term regulation mechanism(s) for vascular CaV1.2 functions under hyperglycemic condition remains unknown. Here, Sprague-Dawley rats fed with high-fat diet in combination with low dose streptozotocin and Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were used as diabetic models. Isolated mesenteric arteries (MAs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from rat models were used to assess K+-induced arterial constriction and CaV1.2 channel functions using vascular myograph and whole-cell patch clamp, respectively. K+-induced vasoconstriction is persistently enhanced in the MAs from diabetic rats, and CaV1.2 alternative spliced exon 9* is increased, while exon 33 is decreased in rat diabetic arteries. Furthermore, CaV1.2 channels exhibit hyperpolarized current-voltage and activation curve in VSMCs from diabetic rats, which facilitates the channel function. Unexpectedly, the application of glycated serum (GS), mimicking advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), but not glucose, downregulates the expression of the splicing factor Rbfox1 in VSMCs. Moreover, GS application or Rbfox1 knockdown dynamically regulates alternative exons 9* and 33, leading to facilitated functions of CaV1.2 channels in VSMCs and MAs. Notably, GS increases K+-induced intracellular calcium concentration of VSMCs and the vasoconstriction of MAs. These results reveal that AGEs, not glucose, long-termly regulates CaV1.2 alternative splicing events by decreasing Rbfox1 expression, thereby enhancing channel functions and increasing vasoconstriction under diabetic hyperglycemia. This study identifies the specific molecular mechanism for enhanced vasoconstriction under hyperglycemia, providing a potential target for managing diabetic vascular complications.

Is cardiac function associated with the clinical course of disease in patients with gout? A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the function of the left heart in patients with different courses of gout, the independent influencing factors for left heart functional changes, and interactions between left atrial and left ventricular functions. METHODS: Patients with gout (n = 171) were selected; 87 patients with a disease course <10 years were included in Group I, and 84 patients with a disease course ≥10 years were included in Group II. Ninety-four healthy volunteers comprised the control group. RESULTS: The intergroup differences in cardiac strain parameters were statistically significant (p < .05). Moreover, the differences gradually declined with disease progression. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that uric acid was an independent predictor of decreased left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS). Moreover, LVGLS had a positive effect on the left atrial systolic rate (LASr) and the left atrial systolic contraction time (LASct) but no interaction with the left atrial systolic contraction duration (LAScd). CONCLUSION: The course of the disease significantly affected the function of the left heart in gout patients, and uric acid was observed to be an independent predictor of decreased LVGLS in gout patients.

Can industrial symbiosis policies be effective? Evidence from the nationwide industrial symbiosis system in China.

Policies directly or indirectly influence the development of industrial symbiosis (IS). Quantitatively analyzing the effects of policies on IS at a national level is necessary, but current research has lagged. Focusing on the symbiotic system that includes the thermal power industry, cement industry, iron and steel industry, and social sector in China, this paper assesses the efficacy of policies on this nationwide IS system between 2015 and 2022. A policy influence framework is proposed, combining a cost-benefit analysis, agent-based model, and comparative analysis. Results show: (1) the symbiosis probability of the nationwide IS system experiences a fluctuating increase. The maximum increments of the symbiosis probability are 5%, and the resulting environmental benefits are equivalent to an emission reduction of 6.99 Mt from blast furnace slag, 20.97 Mt from iron mine tailing, 36.02 Mt from household waste, 25.01 Mt from steel slag, and 22.95 Mt from fly ash. However, the stimulation effects of policies vary across different subsystems. (2) Thermal power-chemical subsystems, thermal power-environmental protection subsystems, iron and steel-environmental protection subsystems, and social sector-cement subsystems need policy support in the future. (3) Approximately 50% of fields in this nationwide IS system is insensitive to current policies; policy approaches should shift from economic stimulation to symbiotic guidance. This paper fills the research gap by quantitatively studying the IS policy efficacy from a national level. The findings can contribute to the improvement of the Chinese IS policy system.

Estimation of photovoltaic waste spatio-temporal distribution by 2060 in the context of carbon neutrality.

In recent decades, large-scale deployment of photovoltaic (PV) power leads to management challenges for recycling PV module waste in China. With the growth of waste PV volumes, it is necessary to figure out the spatio-temporal distribution of PV waste at the provincial level. Based on China's carbon neutrality goal by 2060, six development pathways of PV installed capacity are proposed to identify in-use stocks of PV capacity. In particular, we develop the retired flow estimation model for PV modules that is constructed by three PV module degradation scenarios. The results show that a relatively large scale of PV waste will be started to emerge in China by 2030 and the cumulative waste is expected to reach 1100[Formula: see text]1450 GW by 2060. Our findings also indicate an unequal distribution of PV waste across regions and the highest PV waste volumes by 2060 is the East China region at 31.4%, with Shandong (8.99%) and Hebei(8.65%) ranking as the top provinces. This prospective research will help the PV industry plan the location and capacity of recovery facilities at an appropriate time to advance toward a more resource efficient and circular economy.

Effect of transthoracic echocardiography on short-term outcomes in patients with acute kidney injury in the intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study based on the MIMIC-III database.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common problem in the intensive care unit (ICU). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has become a common test in the ICU. But the effect of TTE on the short-term prognosis in ICU patients with AKI remains unclear. We aimed to analyze the relationship between TTE and short-term prognosis in ICU patients with AKI. Methods: AKI patients in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-III database were retrospectively enrolled according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and their clinical information was extracted. TTE was conducted during ICU stay. AKI was diagnosed according to KIDGO criteria. The primary endpoint was the outcome of 28-day ICU stay. The doubly robust estimation method was used to analyze the association of TTE with the primary and secondary outcomes of patients with AKI in ICU. The gradient boosted model (GBM) was used to estimate the propensity score of patients to undergo TTE examination, thereby minimizing the variable imbalance between the TTE and non-TTE groups. Weighted cohorts were built using the inverse probabilities weighting (IPW) model with estimated propensity scores as weights. The weighted cohort was analyzed using logistic regression and validated using other models. Results: A total of 2,983 patients were included. In the original cohort, 28-day mortality was 37.9% in the TTE group (n=1,684) and 40.8% in the non-TTE group (n=1,299). In the propensity score model (PSM) cohort, 28-day mortality was 34.6% in the TTE group (n=702) and 45.6% in the non-TTE group (n=702). Doubly robust analysis showed that TTE was associated with lower 28-day mortality. Conclusions: TTE examination might decrease the 28-day mortality in patients with AKI in the ICU and should be considered for critical patients when necessary.

Clinical utility of ultrasonographic evaluation in acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate ultrasonography (US) in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and the association of US findings with its clinical characteristics. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study evaluated US in AKI patients. A healthy control group was matched by sex and age at a ratio of 2:1 with the AKI group. The US characteristics were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The US characteristics of 111 patients with AKI were evaluated. Compared with the control group, AKI patients had greater kidney length and kidney volume (P<0.05). Patients with AKI also displayed thicker parenchyma than those in the control group, but only the difference in the right kidney was found to be significant. Of the 111 AKI patients, 38 had positive US findings including increased parenchymal echogenicity, increased renal resistance index (RRI), and hydronephrosis, while only 5 patients had increased RRI. The cause of AKI was attributed to obstructive nephropathy in eight patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although US evaluation indicated that most of the patients with AKI were "normal ultrasound imaging", abnormal findings beyond obstructive nephropathy were still detected in some cases. Aside from its ability to exclude obstructive nephropathy, US evaluation might hold further value. It was found that the kidney size of AKI patients is significantly larger than that of healthy controls. Kidney size combined with other ultrasound indicators could hold potential for the evaluation of AKI. KEYWORDS: Acute kidney injury (AKI); ultrasonography (US); clinical characteristics; parenchymal echogenicity; renal resistance index (RRI).

Cost-benefit analysis of waste photovoltaic module recycling in China.

With the rapid development of renewable energy, the impact on environment and resource caused by waste photovoltaic modules has been realized gradually. To solve the problem, recycling becomes an effectual way. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to assess the economic feasibility of the photovoltaic modules recycling project in China by using cost-benefit analysis. It was found that, under the estimated treatment quantity will generate in China in 2020-2034, the recovery cost per kilowatt (kW) of photovoltaic modules will be 25.11 USD, the unit benefit is 25.68 USD/kW, and the unit net benefit is 0.57 USD/kW. The net present value (NPV) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) are 21.14 million USD and 1.023. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the sale benefits of recycled materials and tax were the most sensitive factors affecting the project's economy. Finally, we proposed ways to improve the economy for the government and related enterprises.