Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of diabetic kidney disease among individuals with hyperglycemia: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is associated with a variety of complications, including micro- and macrovascular complications, neurological manifestations and poor wound healing. Adhering to a Mediterranean Diet (MED) is generally considered an effective intervention in individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, little is known about its effect with respect to the different specific manifestations of T2DM. This prompted us to explore the effect of MED on the three most significant microvascular complications of T2DM: diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and vascular diabetic neuropathies (DN). METHODS: We examined the association between the MED and the incidence of these microvascular complications in a prospective cohort of 33,441 participants with hyperglycemia free of microvascular complications at baseline, identified in the UK Biobank. For each individual, we calculated the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, which yields a semi-continuous measure of the extent to which an individual's diet can be considered as MED. We used Cox proportional hazard models to analyze hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, medical histories and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Over a median of 12.3 years of follow-up, 3,392 cases of microvascular complications occurred, including 1,084 cases of diabetic retinopathy (DR), 2,184 cases of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and 632 cases of diabetic neuropathies (DN), with some patients having 2 or 3 microvascular complications simultaneously. After adjusting for confounders, we observed that higher AMED scores offer protection against DKD among participants with hyperglycemia (comparing the highest AMED scores to the lowest yielded an HR of 0.79 [95% CIs: 0.67, 0.94]). Additionally, the protective effect of AMED against DKD was more evident in the hyperglycemic participants with T2DM (HR, 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.83). No such effect, however, was seen for DR or DN. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort study, we have demonstrated that higher adherence to a MED is associated with a reduced risk of DKD among individuals with hyperglycemia. Our study emphasizes the necessity for continued research focusing on the benefits of the MED. Such efforts including the ongoing clinical trial will offer further insights into the role of MED in the clinical management of DKD.

Regular use of paracetamol and risk of liver cancer: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Paracetamol induces hepatotoxicity and subsequent liver injury, which may increase the risk of liver cancer, but epidemiological evidence remains unclear. We conducted this study to evaluate the association between paracetamol use and the risk of liver cancer. METHODS: This prospective study included 464,244 participants free of cancer diagnosis from the UK Biobank. Incident liver cancer was identified through linkage to cancer and death registries and the National Health Service Central Register using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes (C22). An overlap-weighted Cox proportional hazards model was utilized to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk of liver cancer associated with paracetamol use. The number needed to harm (NNH) was calculated at 10 years of follow-up. RESULTS: During a median of 12.6 years of follow-up, 627 cases of liver cancer were identified. Paracetamol users had a 28% higher risk of liver cancer than nonusers (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.06-1.54). This association was robust in several sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses, and the quantitative bias analysis indicated that the result remains sturdy to unmeasured confounding factors (E-value 1.88, lower 95% CI 1.31). The NNH was 1106.4 at the 10 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The regular use of paracetamol was associated with a higher risk of liver cancer. Physicians should be cautious when prescribing paracetamol, and it is recommended to assess the potential risk of liver cancer to personalize the use of paracetamol.

Genetic risk, adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors, and risk of cholelithiasis: A population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic and lifestyles contribute to cholelithiasis, but the impact of adhering to healthy lifestyle on cholelithiasis risk remains uncertain. We aimed to assess combined lifestyle factors and a polygenic risk score on incident cholelithiasis. METHODS: We utilized cholelithiasis genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from FinnGen study, constructing varied polygenic risk score (PRS), and applied them to 317,640 UK Biobank participants. The relative and absolute risk of incident cholelithiasis associated with six well-established lifestyle risk factors, was evaluated and stratified by PRS (low risk [quintile 1], intermediate risk [quintiles 2-4] and high risk [quintile 5]). Lifestyle score was also categorized into favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable groups. RESULTS: The PRS derived from 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (p ≤ 5 × 10-6, r2 < 0.001) showed the best performance. A significant gradient of increase in risk of cholelithiasis was observed across the quintiles of the polygenic risk score (p < 0.001). Compared to participants with low genetic risk, those with intermediate or high genetic risk had a 10% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.17) and 24% (95% CI = 1.16-1.32) higher risk of cholelithiasis. An unfavorable lifestyle was associated with an approximately 50% higher risk of cholelithiasis than a favorable lifestyle. Participants with high genetic risk and an unfavorable lifestyle had 98% (Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.67-2.35) higher risk of cholelithiasis than those with low genetic risk and a favorable lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of lifestyle behaviors intervention on cholelithiasis risk regardless of the genetic risk in White European population.

Metabolic syndrome increases osteoarthritis risk: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The association between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), its components, and the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) has been a topic of conflicting evidence in different studies. The aim of this present study is to investigate the association between MetS, its components, and the risk of OA using data from the UK Biobank. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the UK Biobank to assess the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) related to MetS. MetS was defined according to the criteria set by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Additionally, lifestyle factors, medications, and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) were included in the model. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The cumulative risk of OA was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. To explore potential nonlinear associations between MetS components and OA risk, a restricted cubic splines (RCS) model was employed. In addition, the polygenic risk score (PRS) of OA was calculated to characterize individual genetic risk. RESULTS: A total of 45,581 cases of OA were identified among 370,311 participants, with a median follow-up time of 12.48 years. The study found that individuals with MetS had a 15% higher risk of developing OA (HR = 1.15, 95%CI:1.12-1.19). Additionally, central obesity was associated with a 58% increased risk of OA (HR = 1.58, 95%CI:1.5-1.66), while hyperglycemia was linked to a 13% higher risk (HR = 1.13, 95%CI:1.1-1.15). Dyslipidemia, specifically in triglycerides (HR = 1.07, 95%CI:1.05-1.09) and high-density lipoprotein (HR = 1.05, 95%CI:1.02-1.07), was also found to be slightly associated with OA risk. When stratified by PRS, those in the high PRS group had a significantly higher risk of OA compared to those with a low PRS, whereas no interaction was found between MetS and PRS on OA risks. Furthermore, the presence of MetS significantly increased the risk of OA by up to 35% in individuals with elevated CRP levels (HR = 1.35, 95% CI:1.3-1.4). CONCLUSION: MetS and its components have been found to be associated with an increased risk of OA, particularly in individuals with elevated levels of CRP. These findings highlight the significance of managing MetS as a preventive and intervention measure for OA.

Atmospheric Light Estimation Using Polarization Degree Gradient for Image Dehazing.

A number of image dehazing techniques depend on the estimation of atmospheric light intensity. The majority of dehazing algorithms do not incorporate a physical model to estimate atmospheric light, leading to reduced accuracy and significantly impacting the effectiveness of dehazing. This article presents a novel approach for estimating atmospheric light using the polarization state and polarization degree gradient of the sky. We utilize this approach to enhance the outcomes of image dehazing by applying it to pre-existing dehazing algorithms. Our study and development of a real-time dehazing system has shown that the approach we propose has a clear advantage over previous methods for estimating ambient light. After incorporating the proposed approach into existing defogging methods, a significant improvement in the effectiveness of defogging was noted through the assessment of various criteria such as contrast, PSNR, and SSIM.

Genetic factors, adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors, and risk of bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Genetic and lifestyle factors both contribute to the pathogenesis of bladder cancer, but the extent to which the increased genetic risk can be mitigated by adhering to a healthy lifestyle remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of combined lifestyle factors with bladder cancer risk within genetic risk groups. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 375 998 unrelated participants of European ancestry with genotype and lifestyle data and free of cancer from the UK biobank. We generated a polygenic risk score (PRS) using 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms and a healthy lifestyle score based on body weight, smoking status, physical activity, and diet. Cox models were fitted to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of genetic and lifestyle factors on bladder cancer. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.8 years, 880 participants developed bladder cancer. Compared with those with low PRS, participants with intermediate and high PRS had a higher risk of bladder cancer (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.07-1.56; HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.32-2.02, respectively). An optimal lifestyle was associated with an approximately 50% lower risk of bladder cancer than a poor lifestyle across all genetic strata. Participants with a high genetic risk and a poor lifestyle had 3.6-fold elevated risk of bladder cancer compared with those with a low genetic risk and an optimal lifestyle (HR 3.63, 95% CI 2.23 -5.91). CONCLUSIONS: Adhering to a healthy lifestyle could substantially reduce the bladder cancer risk across all genetic strata, even for high-genetic risk individuals. For all populations, adopting an intermediate lifestyle is more beneficial than a poor one, and adhering to an optimal lifestyle is the ideal effective strategy for bladder cancer prevention.

Synthesis of Bis-Cycloborate Olefin and Butatriene Derivatives through the Reduction of Alkynyl-Bridged Diboryl Compounds.

A series of bis-cycloborate olefin and butatriene derivatives were synthesized from alkynyl-bridged diboryl compounds using a simple reduction strategy. In the reduction route of 1,2-bis[2-(dimesitylboranyl)phenyl]ethyne (1), bis-cycloborate olefin (4) to diborate-bridged stilbene (5) can be obtained selectively by varying the reaction temperature. In addition, a thermal isomerization from 4 to 5 was found as a result of the rearrangement of double bonds. The generality of this reaction was further verified in similar reduction reactions. In the direduction of 1,2-bis[8-(dimesitylboranyl)naphthalen-1-yl]ethyne (2), the bis-cycloborate olefin (6) was isolated in high yield and demonstrated no thermal isomerization. In the two-electron reduction of 1,8-bis{[2-(dimesitylboranyl)phenyl]ethynyl}naphthalene (3), the bis-cycloborate butatriene (7) was obtained unexpectedly because of the departure of the naphthyl group. When using Na as the reductant and diethyl ether as the solvent, 1,2-bis[( Z)-2-(dimesitylboranyl)benzylidene]-1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene (8) was isolated after adding 1 or 2 drops of H2O to the reduction reaction filtrates. Meanwhile, the related mechanisms for radical cyclization, thermal isomerization, and formation of bis-cycloborate butatriene were also discussed.

H- and J-aggregates formed from a nontraditional π-gelator depending on the solvent polarity for the detection of amine vapors.

A tert-butyl carbazole-modified difluoroboron ß-diketonate complex (TCbzB) has been synthesized. Although no traditional gelation group was involved in TCbzB, it could form organogels in the mixed solvents of o-dichlorobenzene/cyclohexane (v/v = 1/5 or 1/2), toluene/cyclohexane (v/v = 1/2) and chlorobenzene/cyclohexane (v/v = 1/2). Interestingly, an orange organogel was obtained in o-dichlorobenzene/cyclohexane (v/v = 1/2) with relatively high polarity and red organogels were gained in the other three mixed solvents with relatively low polarity. TCbzB self-assembled into H-aggregates and J-aggregates in orange and red organogels, respectively, and the corresponding xerogels emitted yellow and red light, respectively, under UV illumination. The red emission of the xerogel-based film could be quenched significantly by gaseous n-propylamine and aniline because of the decomplexation of the difluoroboron ß-diketonate complex by n-propylamine and the weak interactions between aniline and boron difluoride units.

Diarylethene-based xerogels: the fabrication of more entangled networks driven by isomerization and acidofluorochromism.

Fully-conjugated styrylbenzoxazoles and styrylbenzothiazoles of BOAF24, BOACl24, BOACl35, BOABr24, BOABr35, BTAF24, BTACl24 and BTABr24 without traditional gelation groups could form organogels. It was found that introduction of chlorine atoms in the 2,4-positions of the phenyl group would improve gelation abilities, and benzothiazole derivatives exhibited better gelation abilities than benzoxazoles with a similar π-skeleton due to better π-electron delocalization. Interestingly, the organogel of BTACl24 could change into solution by UV light due to trans-cis isomerization, which could also induce morphological changes in xerogels. The smooth organogel nanofibers stretched out lots of thin 'arms' to hold together or to catch other nanofibers upon UV irradiation, so more entangled networks were generated. Moreover, TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) could induce a gel-sol transformation on account of the protonation of the benzoxazole or benzothiazole unit, accompanied by emission quenching. BTACl24 exhibited higher performance than BOACl24 in the detection of TFA because of its strong basicity. The decay time and the detection limit of BTACl24 in xerogel-based film towards TFA vapor were of 0.7 s and 0.3 ppm, respectively. Therefore, organogelation of non-traditional organogelators is a powerful approach to the fabrication of multi-stimuli-responsive soft materials, and provides a new method to generate more entangled 3D networks through photochemical reactions in xerogels.

Bending, Curling, Rolling, and Salient Behavior of Molecular Crystals Driven by [2+2] Cycloaddition of a Styrylbenzoxazole Derivative.

We report interesting photomechanical behaviors of the dynamic molecular crystals of (E)-2-(2,4-dichlorostyryl)benzo[d]oxazole (BOACl24). The photosalient effect of the rod-like crystal based on a metal-free olefin driven by photodimerization is observed. Moreover, the needle-like crystals of BOACl24 exhibit a reversible bending away from a UV light source. The nanofibers curl easily under UV irradiation in an organogel, in which the photo-induced rolling of a small slice occurs. This suggests that the rapid release of the accumulated strain during photodimerization may lead to a photosalient effect, and the bending or curling happens when the strain is released slowly. Notably, [2+2] cycloaddition takes place between two different conformational isomers of BOACl24 on account of the rotation of the benzoxazole ring around the C-C bond in an excited state before photodimerization. Such topo-photochemical reaction has not been reported elsewhere.

Wavefront sensorless adaptive optics based on the trust region method.

We present what is to the best of our knowledge the first implementation of a trust region method for derivative-free optimization (TRDF) in a wavefront sensorless (WFSless) adaptive optics (AO) system. We compare the trust region method with the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm and stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the trust region method is superior to both the SA algorithm and SPGD algorithm with respect to convergence rates. These results indicate that the trust region method is a promising approach for correcting static or slowly changing wavefront aberrations in practical applications.

Surface reconstruction in amorphous CoFe-based hydroxides/crystalline phosphide heterostructure for accelerated saline water electrolysis.

Developing electrocatalysts with high activity and robust performance for large-scale seawater electrolysis to produce hydrogen holds immense significance. Herein, a highly active bifunctional electrode composed of amorphous cobalt-iron layered double hydroxides (CoFeLDH) and crystalline nickel phosphide (Ni2P) (denoted as CoFeLDH@Ni2P), is employed to boost hydrogen production through seawater electrolysis. The strong interface coupling effectively modifies the electronic structure at active sites, thereby accelerating the catalytic reaction kinetics. Impressively, in situ Raman and post-stability analyses demonstrate a unique reconstruction behavior on the CoFeLDH@Ni2P electrode. Bimetal co-incorporated NiOOH (CoFe-NiOOH) and Ni(OH)2 species are formed during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), while CoFeLDH@Ni2P can transform into Ni(OH)2 species during the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) process. Furthermore, the highly negatively charged surface selectively rejects Cl- ions by formed PO43-, endowing CoFeLDH@Ni2P with excellent tolerance and promising durability in saline electrolytes. Consequently, the CoFeLDH@Ni2P electrode exhibits an overpotential of 106 mV for HER at 10 mA cm-2 and 308 mV for OER to achieve 100 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH solution. Additionally, the CoFeLDH@Ni2P(+,-) electrolyzer requires a low cell voltage of 1.56 V to deliver 10 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH + Seasalt. This work presents an appealing strategy for the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts with amorphous-crystalline interfaces, which reveals the source of the activity of transition-metal phosphating compounds in saline water electrolysis.

Synthesis, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity and molecular docking of novel chitosan derivatives containing glycine Schiff bases as potential succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors.

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is an important inner mitochondrial membrane-bound enzyme involved in redox reactions during the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Therefore, a series of novel chitosan derivatives were designed and synthesized as potential microbicides targeting SDH and precisely characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR and SEM. Their antifungal and antibacterial activities were evaluated against Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium graminearum, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The bioassays revealed that these chitosan derivatives exerted significant antifungal effects, with four of the compounds achieving 100 % inhibition of Fusarium graminearum merely at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. Additionally, CSGDCH showed 79.34 % inhibition of Botrytis cinerea at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. In vitro antibacterial tests revealed that CSGDCH and CSGDBH have excellent Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli inhibition with MICs of 0.0156 mg/mL and 0.03125 mg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking studies have been carried out to explore the binding energy and binding mode of chitosan and chitosan derivatives with SDH. The analyses indicated that chitosan derivatives targeted the active site of the SDH protein more precisely, disrupting its normal function and ultimately repressing the growth of microbial cells. Furthermore, the chitosan derivatives were also evaluated biologically for antioxidation, and all of these compounds had a greater degree of reducing power, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical and DPPH-radical scavenging activity than chitosan. This research has the potential for the development of agricultural antimicrobial agents.

Sludge reduction and hydrogen production in a microbial photoelectrochemical cell with a g-C3N4/CQDs/BiOBr composite photocathode.

Hydrogen (H2) remains a pivotal clean energy source, and the emergence of Solar-powered Microbial Photoelectrochemical Cells (MPECs) presents promising avenues for H2 production while concurrently aiding organic matter degradation. This study introduces an MPEC system employing a g-C3N4/CQDs/BiOBr photocathode and a bioanode, successfully achieving simultaneous H2 production and sludge reduction. The research highlights the effective formation of a Z-type heterojunction in the g-C3N4/CQDs/BiOBr photocathode, substantially enhancing the photocurrent response under light conditions. Operating at - 0.4 V versus RHE, it demonstrated a current density of - 3.25 mA·cm-2, surpassing that of g-C3N4/BiOBr (-2.25 mA·cm-2) by 1.4 times and g-C3N4 (-2.04 mA·cm-2) by 1.6 times. When subjected to visible light irradiation and a 0.8 V applied bias voltage, the MPEC system achieved a current density of 1.0 mA·cm-2. The cumulative H2 production of the MPEC system reached 8.9 mL, averaging a production rate of 0.13 mL·h-1. In the anode chamber, the degradation rates of total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD), soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), total suspended solids (TSS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), proteins, polysaccharides, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the sludge were recorded at 57.18%, 82.64%, 64.98%, 86.39%, 42.81%, 67.34%, and 29.01%, respectively.

Association of coffee and tea consumption with osteoporosis risk: A prospective study from the UK biobank.

OBJECTIVE: The association of coffee and tea consumption with osteoporosis is highly controversial, and few studies have focused on the combined effects of the two beverages. This study aimed to investigate the independent and combined associations of coffee and tea consumption with osteoporosis risk. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involving 487,594 participants aged 38-73 years from the UK Biobank was conducted. Participants with reported coffee and tea consumption and without osteoporosis at baseline were included. Coffee and tea consumption were assessed via a touch-screen questionnaire at baseline. Newly diagnosed osteoporosis during the follow-up period, defined based on ICD-10 codes (M80-M82), was the primary outcome. Cox regression analyses were utilized to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). Dose-effect associations were assessed using restricted cubic spline analysis. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.8 years, 15,211 cases of osteoporosis were identified. Compared to individuals without coffee or tea consumption, drinking coffee was associated with an HR of 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.89-0.96), and tea consumption with an HR of 0.86 (95 % CI: 0.83-0.90). Continuous trends were significant for both coffee and tea consumption, showing non-linear associations with osteoporosis incidence. Moderate consumption, such as 1-2 cups of coffee or 3-4 cups of tea per day, was associated with a lower incidence of osteoporosis, with HRs of 0.9 (95 % CI: 0.86-0.94) and 0.85 (95 % CI: 0.81-0.90), respectively. Additionally, combined coffee and tea consumption displayed a U-shaped association with osteoporosis risk, with the lowest risk observed in individuals who consumed 1-2 cups of both beverages daily, with an HR of 0.68 (95 % CI: 0.61-0.75). CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the potential benefits of moderate coffee and tea consumption in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Functional types of long trichoid sensilla responding to sex pheromone components in Plutella xylostella.

Sex pheromones, which consist of multiple components in specific ratios promote intraspecific sexual communications of insects. Plutella xylostella (L.) is a worldwide pest of cruciferous vegetables, the mating behavior of which is highly dependent on its olfactory system. Long trichoid sensilla on male antennae are the main olfactory sensilla that can sense sex pheromones. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, 3 sex pheromone components from sex pheromone gland secretions of P. xylostella female adults were identified as Z11-16:Ald, Z11-16:Ac, and Z11-16:OH in a ratio of 9.4 : 100 : 17 using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection. Electrophysiological responses of 581 and 385 long trichoid sensilla of male adults and female adults, respectively, to the 3 components were measured by single sensillum recording. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the long trichoid sensilla were of 6 different types. In the male antennae, 52.32%, 5.51%, and 1.89% of the sensilla responded to Z11-16:Ald, Z11-16:Ac, and Z11-16:OH, which are named as A type, B type, and C type sensilla, respectively; 2.93% named as D type sensilla responded to both Z11-16:Ald and Z11-16:Ac, and 0.34% named as E type sensilla were sensitive to both Z11-16:Ald and Z11-16:OH. In the female antennae, only 7.53% of long trichoid sensilla responded to the sex pheromone components, A type sensilla were 3.64%, B type and C type sensilla were both 0.52%, D type sensilla were 1.30%, and 1.56% of the sensilla responded to all 3 components, which were named as F type sensilla. The responding long trichoid sensilla were located from the base to the terminal of the male antennae and from the base to the middle of the female antennae. The pheromone mixture (Z11-16:Ald : Z11-16:Ac : Z11-16:OH = 9.4 : 100 : 17) had a weakly repellent effect on female adults of P. xylostella. Our results lay the foundation for further studies on sex pheromone communications in P. xylostella.

High incidence of gallstones after Roux-en-Y reconstruction gastrectomy in gastric cancer: a multicenter, long-term cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Roux-en-Y reconstruction is a common anastomosis technique during gastrectomy in gastric cancer. There is a lack of studies on gallstones after Roux-en-Y reconstruction gastrectomy. This study investigated the incidence and potential risk factors associated with gallstones after Roux-en-Y reconstructive gastrectomy in gastric cancer. METHODS: The study analyzed data from gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction at two hospitals between January 2014 and December 2020. The patients fall into distal and total gastrectomy groups based on the extent of gastrectomy. The cumulative event probability curve was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier, and differences in gallstone between groups were evaluated using the Log-Rank. Propensity score matching was applied to construct a balanced total versus distal gastrectomies cohort. A Cox regression was employed to analyze the risk factors for gallstones after Roux-en-Y reconstructive gastrectomy in gastric cancer. Further subgroup analysis was performed. RESULTS: Five hundred thirty-one patients were included in this study, 201 in the distal gastrectomy group and 330 in the total gastrectomy. During the follow-up, gallstones occurred in 170 cases after gastrectomy, of which 145 cases accounted for 85.29% of all stones in the first two years after surgery. Then, to reduce the impact of bias, a 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was performed on the two groups of patients. A total of 344 patients were evaluated, with each subgroup comprising 172 patients. In the matched population, the Cox regression analysis revealed that females, BMI ≥23 kg/m 2 , total gastrectomy, No.12 lymph node dissection, and adjuvant chemotherapy were risk factors for gallstones after Roux-en-Y reconstructive gastrectomy. Subgroup analysis showed that open surgery further increased the risk of gallstones after total gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: The incidence of gallstones increased significantly within 2years after Roux-en-Y reconstructive gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Patients with these risk factors should be followed closely after gastrectomy to avoid symptomatic gallstones.

Influence of HbCO structure of the bar-headed goose on photolysis thermodynamics as studied by the nanosecond laser-ultrasonic technique.

The bar-headed goose, a specialized high-altitude species, has a capacity for high oxygen uptake from a hypoxic environment. It thus has a higher oxygen affinity than other bird species of lower-altitude environments. Oxygen affinity is determined by molecular structures and genetic mutations of hemoglobin (Hb), which can also influence the coordinating structures and dynamics of oxygen-Hb. To explore the structural differences in Hbs as between high and low altitude species, photolysis dynamic parameters, including quantum yield, enthalpy, and conformational volume changes in carboxy-Hbs (HbCO) for the bar-headed goose and low altitude counterparts (the Chinese goose and chicken) were investigated by the laser pumping-probing technique and photoacoustic calorimetry. Comparing the photolysis results for HbCO of the three species, the enthalpy and conformational volume changes of the bar-headed goose were much smaller than those of the others, although the quantum yields of all three species are similar. To explain the possible mechanisms of these differences, modifications of salt bridges and key residue mutations at the α ß subunit interfaces of the proteins are described and discussed briefly.

Polarimetric Multi-View Inverse Rendering.

A polarization camera has great potential for 3D reconstruction since the angle of polarization (AoP) and the degree of polarization (DoP) of reflected light are related to an object's surface normal. In this paper, we propose a novel 3D reconstruction method called Polarimetric Multi-View Inverse Rendering (Polarimetric MVIR) that effectively exploits geometric, photometric, and polarimetric cues extracted from input multi-view color-polarization images. We first estimate camera poses and an initial 3D model by geometric reconstruction with a standard structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo pipeline. We then refine the initial model by optimizing photometric rendering errors and polarimetric errors using multi-view RGB, AoP, and DoP images, where we propose a novel polarimetric cost function that enables an effective constraint on the estimated surface normal of each vertex, while considering four possible ambiguous azimuth angles revealed from the AoP measurement. The weight for the polarimetric cost is effectively determined based on the DoP measurement, which is regarded as the reliability of polarimetric information. Experimental results using both synthetic and real data demonstrate that our Polarimetric MVIR can reconstruct a detailed 3D shape without assuming a specific surface material and lighting condition.

Behavioral, Electrophysiological, and Toxicological Responses of Plutella xylostella to Extracts from Angelica pubescens.

Plutella xylostella L. is a destructive pest affecting cruciferous vegetables, causing massive economic losses worldwide. Plant-based insecticides are considered promising insect control agents. The Angelica pubescens extract inhibited female oviposition, with an oviposition deterrence index (ODI) of 61.65% at 12.5 mg/mL. We aimed to identify the bioactive compounds in A. pubescens extract. The compounds from A. pubescens extract were analyzed using LC-MS techniques. The toxicity and behavioral responses of larvae and adults of P. xylostella to ten compounds were investigated. We found that the caryophyllene oxide and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid inhibited female oviposition; the ODIs were 98.31% and 97.59% at 1.25 mg/mL, respectively. The A. pubescens extract, caryophyllene oxide, and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid caused larval mortality, with LC50 values of 21.31, 4.56, and 5.52 mg/mL, respectively. The EAG response of females was higher than that of males under A. pubescens extract conditions, while the EAG response of males was higher than that of females in caryophyllene oxide and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid conditions. The A. pubescens extract and caryophyllene oxide showed repellent activity against both female and male adults, while the 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid did not elicit any notable behavioral responses from P. xylostella adults. A. pubescens extract and caryophyllene oxide are potential insecticides, oviposition deterrents, and behavioral regulators against P. xylostella, and they could be potential candidates for the development of biological insecticides to control P. xylostella.