The additive function of YIGE2 and YIGE1 in regulating maize ear length.

Ear length (EL) is a key trait that greatly contributes to yield in maize. Although dozens of EL quantitative trait loci have been mapped, very few causal genes have been cloned, and the molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Our previous study showed that YIGE1 is involved in sugar and auxin pathways to regulate ear inflorescence meristem (IM) development and thus affects EL in maize. Here, we reveal that YIGE2, the paralog of YIGE1, regulates maize ear development and EL through auxin pathway. Knockout of YIGE2 causes a significant decrease of auxin level, IM length, floret number, EL, and grain yield. yige1 yige2 double mutants had even shorter IM and ears implying that these two genes redundantly regulate IM development and EL. The genes controlling auxin levels are differential expressed in yige1 yige2 double mutants, leading to lower auxin level. These results elucidated the critical role of YIGE2 and the redundancy between YIGE2 and YIGE1 in maize ear development, providing a new genetic resource for maize yield improvement.

Modeling autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa by using patient-specific retinal organoids with a class-3 RHO mutation.

Rhodopsin-mediated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RHO-adRP) causes progressive vision loss and is potentially incurable, accounting for 25% of adRP cases. Studies on RHO-adRP mechanism were at large based on the biochemical and cellular properties, especially class-3. Nonetheless, the absence of an appropriate model for class-3 RHO-adRP has impeded comprehensive exploration. Here, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from a healthy control and two sibling RP patients with the same point mutation, c.403C>T (p.R135W). The first three-dimensional (3D) retinal organoid model of a class-3 RHO point mutation from patient-derived iPSCs was generated. Significant defects were observed in rod photoreceptors in terms of localization, morphology, transcriptional profiling and single cell resolution, to better understand the human disease resulting from RHO mutations from a developmental perspective. This first human model of class-3 RHO-adRP provides a representation of patient's retina in vitro and displays features of RHO-adRP retinal organoids relevant for therapeutic development.

Long Noncoding RNA PSMB8-AS1 Mediates the Tobacco-Carcinogen-Induced Transformation of a Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Line by Regulating Cell Cycle.

Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer deaths around the world. Nitrosamine 4-(methyl nitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a tobacco-specific carcinogen of lung cancer. Abundant evidence implicates long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis. Yet, the effects and mechanisms of lncRNAs in NNK-induced carcinogenesis are still unclear. In this study, we discovered that NNK-induced transformed Beas-2B cells (Beas-2B-NNK) showed increased cell migration and proliferation while decreasing rates of apoptosis. RNA sequencing and differentially expressed lncRNAs analyses showed that lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 was obviously upregulated. Interestingly, silencing the lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 in Beas-2B-NNK cells reduced cell proliferation and migration and produced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase along with a decrease in CDK1 expression. Conclusively, our results demonstrate that lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 could promote the malignant characteristics of Beas-2B-NNK cells by regulating CDK1 and affecting the cell cycle, suggesting that it may supply a new prospective epigenetic mechanism for lung cancer.

Erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA are inversely associated with breast cancer risk among Chinese women.

The relationship between erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA and breast cancer risk is controversial. We aimed to examine the associations of erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA with odds of breast cancer among Chinese women by using a relatively large sample size. A case-control study was conducted including 853 newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed breast cancer cases and 892 frequency-matched controls (5-year interval). Erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA were measured by GC. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were used to quantify the association between erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA and odds of breast cancer. Erythrocyte membrane α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and total n-3 PUFA were inversely and non-linearly associated with odds of breast cancer. The OR values (95 % CI), comparing the highest with the lowest quartile (Q), were 0·57 (0·43, 0·76), 0·43 (0·32, 0·58) and 0·36 (0·27, 0·49) for ALA, DPA and total n-3 PUFA, respectively. Erythrocyte membrane EPA and DHA were linearly and inversely associated with odds of breast cancer ((EPA: ORQ4 v. Q1 (95 % CI) = 0·59 (0·45, 0·79); DHA: ORQ4 v. Q1 (95 % CI) = 0·50 (0·37, 0·67)). The inverse associations were observed between ALA and odds of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, and between DHA and oestrogen receptor+ breast cancer. This study showed that erythrocyte membrane total and individual n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with odds of breast cancer. Other factors, such as menopause and hormone receptor status, may warrant further investigation when examining the association between n-3 PUFA and odds of breast cancer.

Development of a prediction model for predicting the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese nurses: the first-year follow data of a web-based ambispective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is gradually becoming a huge threat to public health. With complex working characteristics, female nurses had been found with high risk of NAFLD. To develop and validate a prediction model to predict the prevalence of NAFLD based on demographic characteristics, work situation, daily lifestyle and laboratory tests in female nurses. METHODS: This study was a part of the Chinese Nurse Cohort Study (The National Nurse Health Study, NNHS), and data were extracted from the first-year follow data collected from 1st June to 1st September 2021 by questionnaires and physical examination records in a comprehensive tertiary hospital. The questionnaires included demographic characteristics, work situation and daily lifestyle. Logistic regression and a nomogram were used to develop and validate the prediction model. RESULTS: A total of 824 female nurses were included in this study. Living situation, smoking history, monthly night shift, daily sleep time, ALT/AST, FBG, TG, HDL-C, UA, BMI, TBil and Ca were independent risk factors for NAFLD occurance. A prediction model for predicting the prevalence of NAFLD among female nurses was developed and verified in this study. CONCLUSION: Living situation, smoking history, monthly night shift, daily sleep time, ALT/AST, FBG, TG, UA, BMI and Ca were independent predictors, while HDL-C and Tbil were independent protective indicators of NAFLD occurance. The prediction model and nomogram could be applied to predict the prevalence of NAFLD among female nurses, which could be used in health improvement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was a part of the Chinese Nurse Cohort Study (The National Nurse Health Study, NNHS), which was a ambispective cohort study contained past data and registered at Clinicaltrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04572347 ) and the China Cohort Consortium ( http://chinacohort.bjmu.edu.cn/project/102/ ).

The impact of China's universal two-child policy on total, preterm, and multiple births: a nationwide interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although years have passed since the implementation of China's universal two-child policy, the effectiveness of this policy remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we, here, assessed the impact of the two-child policy on total live births, preterm births, and multiple live births. METHODS: Data identifying pregnancies resulting in at least one live birth between April 1 2013 and December 31 2018 were collected from the Hospital Quality Monitoring System database. Using an interrupted time-series analysis, we estimated immediate level changes and long-term trends in total, preterm (birth before 37 weeks' gestation), and multiple live births that had occurred after July 2016, when the universal two-child policy had taken effect. RESULTS: A total of 8,273,622 live births were reported during the study time frame. The number of live births (p = 0.277), preterm births (p = 0.052), and multiple births (p = 0.856) per month slightly increased immediately after July 2016, but these increases did not meet statistical significance. Further, all three outcomes showed a significant downward trend that lasted until the end of 2018 (p < 0.0001 for all). Among all live births, the percentage of preterm births remained stable (p = 0.101), while the percentage of multiple live births that were preterm significantly increased (trend change = 0.21% per month, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.28, p < 0.0001). The percentage of live multiple births among all live births significantly decreased (p for trend = 0.0039). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our data reveal a transient baby boom, as well as an increase in the proportion of live multiple births that were preterm, after China's two-child policy took effect. The latter should be noted by healthcare professionals due to the high risk of complications and special medical care required by preterm babies.

Shame in patients undergoing ureterostomy: A cross-sectional survey.

Shame has an important impact on the mental health and quality of life of patients. The shame in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy remains unclear. This survey aimed to evaluate the status quo and influencing factors of shame in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy, to provide support for the clinical care. Patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy treated in the wound stomy clinic of a third-class hospital from 1 June 2022 to 31 July 2023 were included. General data questionnaire and social impact scale (SIS) were used for data collection. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate the influencing factors of shame in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy. One hundred and sixty four patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy were included. The total score of shame in patients with ureterostomy was (60.75 ± 6.31), which was in the high level. Age (r = 0.442), home place (r = 0.427), per capita monthly household income (r = 0.605), self-care ability (r = 0.597) and complications of stoma (r = 0.542) were correlated with the SIS score in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy (all p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that age, home place, per capita monthly household income, self-care ability and complications of stoma were the influencing factors of SIS score in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy (all p < 0.05). The five variables explained 64.5% of the patients' sense of shame variation. Patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy have a serious sense of shame in the early stage after operation and there are many influencing factors. Health care providers should take early nursing interventions targeted on those influencing factors to reduce the patients' sense of shame.

Sperm retrieval rate and patient factors in azoospermia factor c microdeletion azoospermia: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the overall sperm retrieval rate (SRR) and range in patients with azoospermia factor c (AZFc) microdeletion azoospermia by microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) and discuss the differences of preoperative patient factors among studies with various SRRs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Embase until February 2023. All studies reporting SRRs by mTESE and required parameters of patients with AZFc microdeletions were included. The primary outcome was the SRR and, if available, the pregnancy rate (PR) and live-birth rate (LBR) after intracytoplasmic sperm injection were also investigated as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Eventually 11 cohort studies were included in this review. A total number of 441 patients underwent mTESE and in 275 of them sperm was obtained, reaching an overall SRR of 62.4%. The SRRs among studies had a wide range from 25.0% to 85.7%. The studies reporting higher SRRs generally had older mean ages, and higher follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone levels. Only four studies provided practical data on pregnancies and live-born children of patients with AZFc microdeletions, so the overall PR and LBR were unavailable. CONCLUSIONS: The overall SRR of patients with AZFc microdeletion azoospermia was 62.4%. The effect of patient factors in SR needs further evidence in future work.

Serum levels of n-3 PUFA and colorectal cancer risk in Chinese population.

Circulating n-3 PUFA, which integrate endogenous and exogenous n-3 PUFA, can be better used to investigate the relationship between n-3 PUFA and disease. However, studies examining the associations between circulating n-3 PUFA and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk were limited, and the results remained inconclusive. This case­control study aimed to examine the association between serum n-3 PUFA and CRC risk in Chinese population. A total of 680 CRC cases and 680 sex- and age-matched (5-year interval) controls were included. Fatty acids were assayed by GC. OR and 95 % CI were calculated using multivariable logistic regression after adjustment for potential confounders. Higher level of serum α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), DHA, long-chain n-3 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA were associated with lower odds of CRC. The adjusted OR and 95 % CI were 0·34 (0·24, 0·49, Pfor trend < 0·001) for ALA, 0·57 (0·40, 0·80, Pfor trend < 0·001) for DPA, 0·48 (0·34, 0·68, Pfor trend < 0·001) for DHA, 0·39 (0·27, 0·56, Pfor trend < 0·001) for long-chain n-3 PUFA and 0·31 (0·22, 0·45, Pfor trend < 0·001) for total n-3 PUFA comparing the highest with the lowest quartile. However, there was no statistically significant association between EPA and odds of CRC. Analysis stratified by sex showed that ALA, DHA, long-chain n-3 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with odds of CRC in both sexes. This study indicated that serum ALA, DPA, DHA, long-chain n-3 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with odds of having CRC in Chinese population.

The survival and outcome of older patients with primary aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: a 2-year follow-up, multi-centre, observational study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The management of older aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) cases is a clinical challenge. This study aimed to analyse the survival and functional outcomes in older aSAH patients (age ≥ 70 years) to provide evidence for making treatment decisions for such patients. METHODS: We performed a 2-year follow-up analysis of the Chinese Multi-Centre Cerebral Aneurysm Database for older patients suffering from aSAH from 2017 to 2020. A survival analysis was used to investigate the mean survival and hazard ratios for death. Binary logarithmic regression was performed to investigate the odds ratio for independent survival and dependent survival. RESULTS: A total of 1,136 consecutive older patients with aSAH were assessed in this study, and 944 patients (83.1%) were followed up. The overall mean survival was 37.79 ± 1.04 months. A total of 380 (40.25%) patients died within 2 years after aSAH. In survival analysis, the predictors of mortality were older age, intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) history, Hunt-Hess (H-H) grade, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade and operative treatment decreased the risk of mortality compared to conservative treatment. In binary logarithmic regression, the predictors of dependent survival were hypertension, diabetes, WFNS grade. CONCLUSIONS: The risk for 2-year mortality after aSAH increases markedly with older age, ICH history, H-H grade and WFNS grade. Risk factors for 2-year dependent survival were associated with hypertension, diabetes and WFNS grade in older patients with aSAH. Operative treatment markedly decreased mortality but did not significantly decrease the morbidity of dependent survival compared to conservative treatment.

Higher Prevalence of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis in Asia? A Population-Based Study Using Claim Data in China and a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have reported the burden of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a severe and potentially life-threatening skin disease, especially at a national level. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to estimate the nationwide burden of GPP in China and make a systemic review of the published data. METHODS: We conducted a population-based study using Urban Basic Medical Insurance in China from 2012 to 2016. GPP cases were identified by primary diagnoses including the international classification of Diseases codes (ICD-10: L40.1 and ICD-9: 694.3). A systematic review was conducted using relevant databases up to January 2022. RESULTS: The crude prevalence and incidence of GPP in 2016 were 1.403 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.115-1.691) and 0.629 (95% CI: 0.483-0.775) per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The rates were higher in males than in females for both prevalence (1.429 vs. 1.135) and incidence (0.635 vs. 0.520). The prevalence and incidence showed a bimodal age distribution, with the first peak occurring in the 0- to 3-year age-group and the second peak occurring in the 30- to 39-year age-group. The per capita total cost per year for 1 patient with GPP was 609.26 (± 45.77) US dollars. Seven studies were identified in a systematic review, according to which the prevalence (per 100,000) of GPP tended to be higher in Asian countries (0.746-8.178 in Japan and 12.230 in Korea) than in France (0.176), Sweden (6.25), and Brazil (0.7). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study concerning the disease burden of GPP, and in this study, the prevalence seemed to be higher in Asia. Although the direct economic burden of GPP did not seem high during the study period, the future usage of biologics and the humanistic burden should also be considered for policy-related decision-making.

Association between Mobile Phone Use and Incidence of Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study Using the UK Biobank.

INTRODUCTION: The rapid growth in mobile phone use has led to public concern about its potential effects on the risk of dementia. This study aimed to investigate the association between mobile phone use in daily life and the risk of dementia incidence in community-dwelling adults based on the data from the UK Biobank. METHODS: Participants in the UK Biobank aged 60 years or older with no diagnosis of dementia at the time of recruitment were included in this prospective cohort study. A Cox regression model adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, general health factors, mental health, lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and medication use was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and confidence interval (CI) of the association between mobile phone use and dementia risk. RESULTS: The final analyses included 213,181 participants. During a median follow-up period of 12.4 years, 6,344 cases of incident dementia occurred. Mobile phone use displayed a modest association with lower risk of dementia incidence, with HRs of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.79-0.91), 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80-0.91), 0.78 (95% CI: 0.71-0.86), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.77-0.96), and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.98) for participants who reported phone call usage of fewer than 5 min, 5-29 min, 30-59 min, 1-3 h, and more than 3 h per week, respectively, compared with nonusers. In addition, the proportions of the association medicated by family/friend visits and other leisure/social activities were 2.62% (95% CI: -0.64-6.51) and 2.22% (95% CI: 1.12-4.12), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Daily mobile phone use is significantly associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia in community-dwelling adults in the UK Biobank population. This association seems to be mediated by improved social and mental activities.

Relationship between night shift and sleep problems, risk of metabolic abnormalities of nurses: a 2 years follow-up retrospective analysis in the National Nurse Health Study (NNHS).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Efforts to improve nurses' physical and mental health are critical to ensuring the safety and quality of the healthcare system. Long-term studies targeting the relevancy of nurses' occupation characteristics with health conditions remain insufficient. This study aimed to examine the relationship between nurses' night shift and sleep problems and metabolic abnormalities risk. METHODS: This study was a part of the National Nurse Health Study, an ambispective cohort study in China, in 2021. Based on an integration physical examination data system, this study carried out a retrospective analysis of 730 nurses from 2018 to 2020 and combined with a questionnaire survey in 2021. The STROBE guidelines were adopted for reporting. RESULTS: In the 23 (23.0, 24.0) months follow-up, higher night shift load was associated with more sleep problems such as shortened sleep duration, sleep disorders, poor sleep quality, and sleep deprivation. Moreover, night shift load was associated with chronic diseases risk factors, increasing body mass index and body fat, with more night shift density, increasing the occurrence of low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high triglyceride, triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and serum uric acid. CONCLUSION: The night shift load has become an occupational health concern, contributing to chronic diseases relevant metabolic risk factors and negative influence on sleep health. Focus on the strategies to improve the sleep quality of nurses undergoing night shift work, optimize work scheduling and ongoing monitor the relevant risk factors are essential to enhance the stability and well-being of the nursing workforce. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION INFORMATION: NCT04572347, on October 1, 2020. https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT04572347.

Estimating the occurrence of labial bone perforation and implantation into the maxillary sinus maxillary premolars based on the morphology of maxillary premolars: A clinical study.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Previous studies have classified the sagittal root position of the maxillary anterior teeth and measured buccal plate thickness to aid treatment planning. A thin labial wall and buccal concavity may cause buccal perforation, dehiscence, or both in maxillary premolars. However, data on the restoration-driven principle to classify the maxillary premolar region are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the occurrence of labial bone perforation and implantation into the maxillary sinus between various tooth-alveolar classifications with respect to the crown axis in maxillary premolars. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cone beam computed tomography images of 399 participants (1596 teeth) were analyzed to determine the probability of labial bone perforation and implantation into the maxillary sinus when associated with variables that included tooth position and tooth-alveolar classification. RESULTS: The morphology in the maxillary premolars was classified as straight, oblique, or boot-shaped. The first premolars were 62.3% straight, 37.0% oblique, and 0.8% boot-shaped, and labial bone perforation occurred in 4.2% (21 of 497) of the straight, 54.2% (160 of 295) of the oblique, and 83.3% (5 of 6) of the boot-shaped first premolars when the virtual implant was 3.5×10 mm. When the virtual tapered implant was 4.3×10 mm, labial bone perforation occurred in 8.5% (42 of 497) of the straight, 68.5% (202 of 295) of the oblique, and 83.3% (5 of 6) of the boot-shaped first premolars. The second premolars were 92.4% straight, 7.5% oblique, and 0.1% boot-shaped, and labial bone perforation occurred in 0.5% (4 of 737) of the straight, 33.3% (20 of 60) of the oblique, and 0% (0 of 1) of the boot-shaped, respectively, when the virtual tapered implant was 3.5×10 mm; and labial bone perforation occurred in 1.3% (10/737) of the straight, 53.3% (32/60) of the oblique, and 100% (1/1) of the boot-shaped second premolars when the virtual tapered implant was 4.3×10 mm. CONCLUSIONS: When an implant is placed in the long axis of a maxillary premolar, the tooth position and tooth-alveolar classification should be considered when assessing the risk of labial bone perforation. Attention should be paid to the implant direction, diameter, and length in the oblique and boot-shaped maxillary premolars.

Hierarchical shared transfer learning for biomedical named entity recognition.

BACKGROUND: Biomedical named entity recognition (BioNER) is a basic and important medical information extraction task to extract medical entities with special meaning from medical texts. In recent years, deep learning has become the main research direction of BioNER due to its excellent data-driven context coding ability. However, in BioNER task, deep learning has the problem of poor generalization and instability. RESULTS: we propose the hierarchical shared transfer learning, which combines multi-task learning and fine-tuning, and realizes the multi-level information fusion between the underlying entity features and the upper data features. We select 14 datasets containing 4 types of entities for training and evaluate the model. The experimental results showed that the F1-scores of the five gold standard datasets BC5CDR-chemical, BC5CDR-disease, BC2GM, BC4CHEMD, NCBI-disease and LINNAEUS were increased by 0.57, 0.90, 0.42, 0.77, 0.98 and - 2.16 compared to the single-task XLNet-CRF model. BC5CDR-chemical, BC5CDR-disease and BC4CHEMD achieved state-of-the-art results.The reasons why LINNAEUS's multi-task results are lower than single-task results are discussed at the dataset level. CONCLUSION: Compared with using multi-task learning and fine-tuning alone, the model has more accurate recognition ability of medical entities, and has higher generalization and stability.

Validation of the Asia-Pacific colorectal screening score and its modified versions in predicting colorectal advanced neoplasia in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Several studies suggest using the Asia-Pacific colorectal screening (APCS) score and its modified versions to select high-risk populations for early colonoscopy, but external validation remains rare, and which score should be selected for CRC screening in China is unclear. Validation of multiple scores in the same population might help to choose the best performing score. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study under the framework of Cancer Screening Program in Urban China, data from asymptomatic colorectal cancer screening in Xuzhou was used to validate the APCS score, the colorectal neoplasia predict (CNP) score, the Korean colorectal screening (KCS) score, the Modified APCS score and the 8-point risk score in predicting colorectal advanced neoplasia (CAN). RESULTS: 1804 subjects were included in the analysis and 112 CAN (6.21%) was detected. In each score, the detection rate of CAN was higher in the high-risk group than in the non-high-risk group (P < 0.05), and the RR (95%C.I.) ranged 2.20 (1.50-3.22) [8-point risk] to 4.00 (2.41-6.65) [Modified APCS]. The c-statistics (95%C.I.) of the scoring systems ranged from 0.58 (0.53-0.62) [8-point risk] to 0.65 (0.61-0.69) [KCS]. The sensitivity (95%C.I.) of these systems ranged from 31.25 (22.83-40.70) [8-point risk] to 84.82 (76.81-90.90) [Modified APCS], while the specificity (95%C.I.) ranged from 43.50 (41.12-45.90) [Modified APCS] to 83.81 (81.96-85.53) [8-point risk]. Using the APCS scoring system as a comparator, the net reclassification improvement (NRI) of each modified version ranged from - 10.34% (95%C.I.: - 22.63 to 1.95%) [8-point risk] to 4.79% (95%C.I.: - 1.50% to 11.08) [KCS]. The colonoscopy resource load (95%C.I.) ranged from 9 [1-3] [8-point risk] to 11 [3-5] [APCS and Modified APCS]. CONCLUSIONS: The APCS score and its modified versions have certain ability to predict the risk of advanced neoplasia and reduce the resource load. The modified APCS score and the KCS score seemed the preferable systems to classify high risk subjects based on its high RR, sensitivity and predictive ability in the selected population. Future research could focus on adding risk factors or combining with laboratory test results to improve the predictive power of the scoring system.

Construction of Ultrafine Ag2S NPs Anchored onto 3D Network Rodlike Bi2SiO5 and Insight into the Photocatalytic Mechanism.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) network rodlike Ag2S/Bi2SiO5 photocatalyst with a p-n heterostructure composed of ultrafine Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) and Bi2SiO5 nanosheets was prepared using an anionic self-regulation strategy by a two-step hydrothermal process. The architecture facilitated the efficient transfer and separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The optimal Ag2S/Bi2SiO5 composite (ABSO0.10) exhibited an excellent reduction activity (93.5% Cr(VI) removal in wastewater containing 50 mg·L-1 Cr(VI) within 90 min under visible light), which was about 11.2 and 25.6 times higher than that of the pristine Ag2S and virgin Bi2SiO5, respectively. Assisted by experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, a possible photocatalytic mechanism for Cr(VI) reduction over the Ag2S/Bi2SiO5 composite under visible-light irradiation was proposed.

Flexible Cuprous Triazolate Frameworks as Highly Stable and Efficient Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction with Tunable C2 H4 /CH4 Selectivity.

Cu-based metal-organic frameworks have attracted much attention for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction, but they are generally instable and difficult to control the product selectivity. We report flexible Cu(I) triazolate frameworks as efficient, stable, and tunable electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to C2 H4 /CH4 . By changing the size of ligand side groups, the C2 H4 /CH4 selectivity ratio can be gradually tuned and inversed from 11.8 : 1 to 1 : 2.6, giving C2 H4 , CH4 , and hydrocarbon selectivities up to 51 %, 56 %, and 77 %, respectively. After long-term electrocatalysis, they can retain the structures/morphologies without formation of Cu-based inorganic species. Computational simulations showed that the coordination geometry of Cu(I) changed from triangular to tetrahedral to bind the reaction intermediates, and two adjacent Cu(I) cooperated for C-C coupling to form C2 H4 . Importantly, the ligand side groups controlled the catalyst flexibility by the steric hindrance mechanism, and the C2 H4 pathway is more sensitive than the CH4 one.

Should corticosteroids be administered for local infiltration analgesia in knee arthroplasty? A meta-analysis and systematic review.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: The benefits of local infiltration analgesia (LIA) in knee arthroplasty (KA) have been well-documented. However, it is unknown whether adding a corticosteroid to the composition of the LIA is beneficial. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of administering periarticular steroids intraoperatively in patients who underwent KA through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases up to January 19th, 2021 to perform a meta-analysis. Outcome variables included pain scores, total opioid consumption, knee range of motion (ROM) and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Corticosteroid injections did not reduce pain scores at 6, 12, 24 or 72 h postoperatively, although a minimal degree of transient pain relief was achieved at 48 h postoperatively compared with those in the placebo group, nor was there a significant difference in total opioid consumption. However, patients receiving corticosteroids did exhibit a transient ROM increase on postoperative days 1, 2 and 3. Since the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for ROM is unclear, it is unknown if the improvement in ROM is clinically significant. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Our specific end-point analysis demonstrated that corticosteroid administration did not provide pain relief or reduce opioid consumption compared with placebo. However, corticosteroids might provide a statistically significant, though transient and minimal improvement in knee ROM after KA, although no firm conclusions about the benefits of administering corticosteroids in KA can be made based on the available evidence.

Improved Resolution and Cost Performance of Low-Cost MEMS Seismic Sensor through Parallel Acquisition.

In earthquake monitoring, an important aspect of the operational effect of earthquake intensity rapid reporting and earthquake early warning networks depends on the density and performance of the deployed seismic sensors. To improve the resolution of seismic sensors as much as possible while keeping costs low, in this article the use of multiple low-cost and low-resolution digital MEMS accelerometers is proposed to increase the resolution through the correlation average method. In addition, a cost-effective MEMS seismic sensor is developed. With ARM and Linux embedded computer technology, this instrument can cyclically store the continuous collected data on a built-in large-capacity SD card for approximately 12 months. With its real-time seismic data processing algorithm, this instrument is able to automatically identify seismic events and calculate ground motion parameters. Moreover, the instrument is easy to install in a variety of ground or building conditions. The results show that the RMS noise of the instrument is reduced from 0.096 cm/s2 with a single MEMS accelerometer to 0.034 cm/s2 in a bandwidth of 0.1-20 Hz by using the correlation average method of eight low-cost MEMS accelerometers. The dynamic range reaches more than 90 dB, the amplitude-frequency response of its input and output within -3 dB is DC -80 Hz, and the linearity is better than 0.47%. In the records from our instrument, earthquakes with magnitudes between M2.2 and M5.1 and distances from the epicenter shorter than 200 km have a relatively high SNR, and are more visible than they were prior to the joint averaging.