Distribution, risk evaluation, and source allocation of cesium and strontium in surface soil in a mining city.

Radioactive nuclides cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) possess long half-lives, with 135Cs at approximately 2.3 million years and 87Sr at about 49 billion years. Their persistent accumulation can result in long-lasting radioactive contamination of soil ecosystems. This study employed geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (PEPI), health risk assessment model (HRA), and Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the pollution and health risks of Cs and Sr in the surface soil of different functional areas in a typical mining city in China. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was used to elucidate the potential sources of Cs and Sr and the respective contribution rates of natural and anthropogenic sources. The findings indicate that soils in the mining area exhibited significantly higher levels of Cs and Sr pollution compared to smelting factory area, agricultural area, and urban residential area. Strontium did not pose a potential ecological risk in any studied functional area. The non-carcinogenic health risk of Sr to the human body in the study area was relatively low. Because of the lack of parameters for Cs, the potential ecological and human health risks of Cs was not calculated. The primary source of Cs in the soil was identified as the parent material from which the soil developed, while Sr mainly originated from associated contamination caused by mining activities. This research provides data for the control of Cs and Sr pollution in the surface soil of mining city.

Nanoparticle-delivered RNAi-based pesticide target screening for the rice pest white-backed planthopper and risk assessment for a natural predator.

Vacuolar-type (H+)-ATPase (vATPase) is a conserved multi-subunit eukaryotic enzyme composed of 14 subunits that form a functional complex consisting of an ATP-hydrolytic domain (V1) and a proton-translocation domain (V0). ATP hydrolysis and subsequent H+ translocation rely heavily on a fully assembled V1/V0 complex. Since vATPase is crucial for insect survival, it is a viable molecular target for pest control. However, detailed functional analyses of the 14 subunits and their suitability for pest control have not been fully explored in a single insect species. In this study, we identified 22 vATPase subunit transcripts that correspond to 13 subunits (A1, A2, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, a1, a2, c and d) in the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera, a major hemipteran pest of rice. RNAi screens using microinjection and spray-based methods revealed that the SfVHA-F, SfVHA-a2 and SfVHA-c2 subunits are critical. Furthermore, star polymer (SPc) nanoparticles were utilized to conduct spray-induced and nanoparticle-delivered gene silencing (SI-NDGS) to evaluate the pest control efficacy of RNAi targeting the SfVHA-F, SfVHA-a2 and SfVHA-c2 transcripts. Target mRNA levels and vATPase enzymatic activity were both reduced. Honeydew excreta was likewise reduced in WBPH treated with dsRNAs targeting SfVHA-F, SfVHA-a2 and SfVHA-c2. To assess the environmental safety of the nanoparticle-wrapped dsRNAs, Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Reuter, a major natural enemy of planthoppers, was also sprayed with dsRNAs targeting SfVHA-F, SfVHA-a2 and SfVHA-c2. Post-spray effects of dsSfVHA-a2 and dsSfVHA-c2 on C. lividipennis were innocuous. This study identifies SfVHA-a2 and SfVHA-c2 as promising targets for biorational control of WBPH and lays the foundation for developing environment-friendly RNAi biopesticides.

Direct regeneration of spent LiFePO4 materials via a green and economical one-step hydrothermal process.

The rapid development of electronic devices, electric vehicles and mobile energy storage devices, has increasingly emphasized the shortage of lithium resources for us in lithium-ion batteries are developing rapidly. The key to the disposal of spent lithium-ion batteries is to carry out green and efficient regeneration. Herein, we propose a one-step hydrothermal process for the direct regeneration of spent LiFePO4. To reduce the Fe3+ in the spent LiFePO4, the hydroxyl group was oxidized to an aldehyde group via a decarburization reaction, with DL-malic acid utilized as a low-cost and environmentally friendly reducing agent. The effects of various different Li concentrations, hydrothermal times and hydrothermal temperatures on the performance of regenerated LiFePO4 were investigated. The results revealed optimal electrochemical performance under a Li concentration of 1.2 mol L-1, a hydrothermal time of 6 h, and a hydrothermal temperature of 100 °C. The cycling stability of LiFePO4 regenerated under these conditions considerably improved. The initial discharge specific capacity and the discharge specific capacity of the regenerated LFP after 200 cycles were 138.4 mAh g-1 and 136.6 mAh g-1. All coulomb efficiencies of the regenerated LFP were above 97.2 %, and the capacity retention rate was 98.7%. This developed method can therefore be considered a green and feasible means for regeneration of LiFePO4.

[Source Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Groundwater of Shijiazhuang, a Typical City in North China Plain].

Increasing attention has been paid to the heavy metal pollution in groundwater. The source analysis and risk assessment of heavy metals will provide data and method support for the targeted control of heavy metal pollution in groundwater. In this study, 20 sampling sites were selected in Shijiazhuang City. The APCS-MLR model and health risk model were applied to analyze and evaluate the pollution sources and health risks of 10 types of heavy metals in the groundwater of Shijiazhuang. The results showed that ① the mean concentration of heavy metals in groundwater followed the order of Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu>Al>Pb>Cr>As>Cd>Hg, and the mean ρ(Fe) and ρ(Pb) were 260.3 µg·L-1 and 10.01 µg·L-1, respectively. According to the results of the single factor and Nemerow index, Pb, Fe, and Cd primarily contributed to the heavy metal pollution in the groundwater. ② The concentration of heavy metals ranged from 47.30 to 2560 µg·L-1. In terms of spatial distribution, the highest concentration appeared at S3 (2560 µg·L-1), whereas the lowest concentration was at S9 (47.30 µg·L-1). ③ Source analysis results showed that industrial and agricultural activities, transportation emission, and geological background were the major heavy metal sources, among which the contribution of industrial and agricultural activities was the highest (47.83%). ④ The industrial-agricultural activities posed a potential threat to adults (HI>1); however, the non-cancer and the cancer risks of other sources for both adults and children were at an acceptable level (HI<1) and potential threat level, respectively; industrial-agricultural activities were the major source of non-cancer (adults:52.46%, children:52.45%) and cancer risks (adults:65.22%, children:65.69%), among which Cd and As showed high cancer risk. Therefore, to ensure the safety of the groundwater environment, strictly controlling the pollution sources and further strengthening the risk control of heavy metal pollution in groundwater are necessary.

Influence analysis and promotion countermeasures of green finance policy in China-Traceability based on grounded theory and validation using the csQCA method.

Green finance is closely related to sustainable energy development. Using the NVivo12plus software, a governance model of China's green finance policy was constructed using 22 green finance policy texts at the central level as research objects. Furthermore, based on the csQCA method, Tosmana software was used to develop and verify a theoretical model of 19 policy text cases. The research results demonstrate that policy belief, policy objectives, policy tools, policy feedback, and policy cycle are the main components of China's green finance policy governance. Furthermore, policy instruments are the fundamental factors affecting the governance effectiveness of China's green finance policy. Policy goals and policy feedback dominate the influence pattern of green finance policy in China. There are three modes driving the influence of green finance policies: regulation-oriented, collaborative-driven, and tool-guided. Finally, for the optimization and improvement of green finance policies, three forces must be improved: stimulus force, driving force, and promotion force.

[Spatial-temporal Distribution and Risk Assessment of Quinolones Antibiotics in Soil of Shijiazhuang City].

Due to their importance in human medicine, quinolones (QNs), as a typical class of antibiotics, are considered to be the "highest priority critically important antimicrobials" by the World Health Organization (WHO). In order to clarify the spatial-temporal variation and risk of QNs in soil, 18 representative topsoil samples were respectively collected in September 2020 (autumn) and June 2021 (summer). The contents of QNs antibiotics in soil samples were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), and the ecological risk and resistance risk were calculated using the risk quotient method (RQ). The results showed that:① the average content of QNs decreased from autumn to summer (the average contents of QNs were 94.88 µg·kg-1in autumn and 44.46 µg·kg-1 in summer); the highest values appeared in the middle area. ② The average proportion of silt was without change, whereas the average proportion of clay and sand was increased and decreased, respectively; the average contents of total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) also decreased. ③ The content of QNs was significantly correlated with soil particle size, nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N), and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) (P<0.05). ④ The combined ecological risk of QNs showed high risk level (RQsum>1), whereas the combined resistance risk of QNs showed medium risk level (0.1

Investigating Accessibility of Hospitals in Cold Regions: A Case Study of Harbin in China.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to explore healthcare resource accessibility in Harbin, a typical city in a cold region in China. BACKGROUND: Recently, investments in the construction of medical resources have been increasing annually in China, and consequently, the allocation of these resources has improved. Snow and ice on surfaces in China's cold regions have certain effects on the traffic capacity of urban roads, leading to a great difference in the accessibility of medical resources in winter and summer. METHODS: The basic spatial data, including spatial road data, medical facility data, and population distribution data, are analyzed using geographic information system. Then, a spatial barrier model is used to measure healthcare accessibility based on geographic and population weighting; we explore the accessibility of hospitals under the influence of weather by defining a novel distance attenuation function. Finally, the accessibility of medical institutions in the study area is explored by analyzing data about the related separation factors. RESULTS: It was found that the spatial distribution of medical resources was not equal, and the dominant resources were concentrated in the city center. Some regions are always in an advantageous position regardless of traffic conditions. In contrast, in areas far from the city center, the accessibility of medical resources significantly decreases in winter. CONCLUSIONS: These results will help optimize the layout of medical institutions and improve medical equality and propose strategies for the optimization of the accessibility of urban medical institutions in cold regions of China.

[Review of classical prescriptions in treatment of ulcerative colitis].

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is a continuous inflammatory bowel disease with the main clinical manifestations of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and mucous bloody stools, mainly attacking the colorectal mucosa and submucosa. It is characterized by high recurrence rate, difficult cure, and clustering and regional occurrence. Chinese medicinal prescriptions for the treatment of UC have good therapeutic effect, multi-target regulation, slight toxicity, and no obvious side effects. In particular, the classical prescriptions highlight the characteristics and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine theory and have attracted much attention in recent years. To enable researchers to timely and comprehensively understand the classical prescriptions in the treatment of UC, we reviewed the studies about the pharmacodynamic material basis, quality control, action mechanism, and clinical application of relevant classical prescriptions. We first introduced the latest research progress in the active components such as alkaloids, polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids in relevant classical prescriptions. Then, we reviewed the latest research achievements on the quality control of classical prescriptions for the treatment of UC by gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and the like. Further, we summarized the research advances in the mechanisms of relevant prescriptions in the treatment of UC based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, integrated pharmacology platform, and animal experiments. Finally, we generalized the clinical application of the classical prescriptions for clearing heat and removing dampness, mildly regulating cold and heat, soothing liver and regulating spleen, strengthening spleen and invigorating Qi, and tonifying spleen and stomach. By systematic summary of the research progress in relevant classical prescriptions, we hope to promote the application and development of such prescriptions in UC treatment.

Stochastic Lag Time Parameterization for Markov State Models of Protein Dynamics.

Markov state models (MSMs) play a key role in studying protein conformational dynamics. A sliding count window with a fixed lag time is widely used to sample sub-trajectories for transition counting and MSM construction. However, sub-trajectories sampled with a fixed lag time may not perform well under different selections of lag time, which requires strong prior practice and leads to less robust estimation. To alleviate it, we propose a novel stochastic method from a Poisson process to generate perturbative lag time for sub-trajectory sampling and utilize it to construct a Markov chain. Comprehensive evaluations on the double-well system, WW domain, BPTI, and RBD-ACE2 complex of SARS-CoV-2 reveal that our algorithm significantly increases the robustness and power of a constructed MSM without disturbing the Markovian properties. Furthermore, the superiority of our algorithm is amplified for slow dynamic modes in complex biological processes.

A Description of the Imaging Innovations for Placental Assessment in Response to Environmental Pollution Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of Placental Assessment in Response to Environmental Pollution Study (PARENTs) was to determine whether imaging of the placenta by novel multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in early pregnancy could help predict adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) due to ischemic placental disease (IPD). Additionally, we sought to determine maternal characteristics and environmental risk factors that contribute to IPD and secondary APOs. STUDY DESIGN: Potential patients in their first trimester of pregnancy, who agreed to MRI of the placenta and measures of assessment of environmental pollution, were recruited into PARENTs, a prospective population-based cohort study. Participants were seen at three study visits during pregnancy and again at their delivery from 2015 to 2019. We collected data from interviews, chart abstractions, and imaging. Maternal biospecimens (serum, plasma, and urine) at antepartum study visits and delivery specimens (placenta, cord, and maternal blood) were collected, processed, and stored. The primary outcome was a composite of IPD, which included any of the following: placental abruption, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, or a newborn of small for gestational age. RESULTS: In this pilot cohort, of the 190 patients who completed pregnancy to viable delivery, 50 (26%) developed IPD. Among demographic characteristics, having a history of prior IPD in multiparous women was associated with the development of IPD. In the multiple novel perfusion measurements taken of the in vivo placenta using MRI, decreased high placental blood flow (mL/100 g/min) in early pregnancy (between 14 and 16 weeks) was found to be significantly associated with the later development of IPD. CONCLUSION: Successful recruitment of the PARENTs prospective cohort demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the use of MRI in human pregnancy to study the placenta in vivo and at the same time collect environmental exposure data. Analysis is ongoing and we hope these methods will assist researchers in the design of prospective imaging studies of pregnancy. KEY POINTS: · MRI was acceptable and feasible for the study of the human placenta in vivo.. · Functional imaging of the placenta by MRI showed a significant decrease in high placental blood flow.. · Measures of environmental exposures are further being analyzed to predict IPD..

A Drop-in, Focus-Extending Phase Mask Simplifies Microscopic and Microfluidic Imaging Systems for Cost-Effective Point-of-Care Diagnostics.

Microscopic imaging and imaging flow cytometry have wide potential in point-of-care assays; however, their narrow depth of focus necessitates precise mechanical or fluidic focus control of a sample in order to acquire high-quality images that can be used for downstream analysis, increasing the cost and complexity of the imaging system. This complexity represents a barrier to miniaturization and translation of point-of-care assays based on microscopic imaging or imaging flow cytometry. To address this challenge, we present a simple drop-in phase mask with a physics-informed, circularly symmetric asphere phase profile that extends the depth of focus by >5-fold while largely preserving the image quality compared to other depth extending methods. We show that such a focus-extended system overcomes manufacturing tolerances in low-cost sample chambers, enlarges the useable field-of-view of low-cost objectives, and permits increased throughput and precision in flow imaging systems without the need for complex flow-focusing. As the image quality is preserved without the need for postacquisition image restoration, our solution is also highly appropriate for on-line applications such as cell sorting.

[Health Risk Assessment and Environmental Benchmark of Heavy Metals in Cultivated Land in Mountainous Area of Northwest Guizhou Province].

An extensive investigation of heavy metal (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, and Cr) levels in 137 pairs of soil-maize/rice samples was conducted in cultivated land from a typical karst mountain area in the Northwest of Guizhou Province. A health risk assessment model was used to assess the health risks of those areas, and the environmental benchmarks of heavy metals in soils were evaluated using the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) model. The results showed that the soils of maize and rice were polluted by heavy metals. Cd was the primary pollutant, with an exceeding rate ranging from 87% to 445%. The contaminated level of maize fields was higher than those of rice fields. In contrast, only 3.51% and 13.4% of Cd content in maize kernels and rice grains exceeded the national threshold, and the Cd heavy metal accumulation ability of rice was higher than that of maize. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of heavy metals for adults and children in the study area were at a low level. The carcinogenic risk of rice consumption was slightly higher than that of maize, and the health risk to children was higher than that to adults. The results derived from the SSD method showed that the 95% and 5% hazardous concentrations (HC5 and HC95) of maize fields were 0.67 for Cd, 771.99 for As, 40.85 for Pb and 609.88 for Cr mg·kg-1, and HC95were 48.47 for Cd, 159.67 for As, 1735.68 for Pb and 1671.74 for Cr mg·kg-1, respectively. The HC5 values of rice fields were 2.42 for Cd, 8.88 for As, 41.41 for Pb and 27.84 for Cr mg·kg-1, and the HC95 values were 48.47 for Cd, 159.67 for As, 1735.68 for Pb and 1671.74 for Cr mg·kg-1, respectively. The HC5 values of Cd, As, and Cr in maize fields and Cd in rice fields were significantly higher than the soil risk screening values in the current standard, and the HC95 values of the two fields were higher than the soil risk intervened values. The results indicated that the current standard would be too strict to evaluate the actual pollution level of soil heavy metals in this area.

Soundwalk path affecting soundscape assessment in urban parks.

Introduction: Previous soundscape studies focused on sound perception and acoustic comfort in sampled sites and ignored the characteristics of the experiential process along the paths. Therefore, the effects of soundwalk paths on soundscape assessment should be explored. Methods: In this study, a typical urban park was selected as a case study. The differences, characteristics, and effects of soundwalk paths on the soundscapes were explored, based on a soundwalk survey and laboratory study. Results: The results are as follows: first, in the soundwalk, different soundwalk paths in the urban park had significant effects on the perceived extent of individual sound and soundscape assessment. Second, the soundscape assessment was consistent with the peak-end rule. In the laboratory experiments, the peak assessment of soundscape appeared at the end location of the soundwalk paths, it was critical to the overall soundscape assessment. Furthermore, in the soundwalk, the overall perceived extent of individual sound was strongly affected by the perceived extent of dominant sounds at the end location of the soundwalk paths. Third, in the soundwalk, the sound loudness contrast path (noise-quiet/quiet-noise) and sound source contrast path (natural-artificial sound/artificial-natural sound) were compared. In the noise-quiet path, the assessment of acoustic comfort was higher than that in the quiet-noise path, and the assessment of subjective loudness was lower than that in the quiet-noise path (p < 0.01). The subjective loudness of the artificial-natural sound path was lower than that in the natural-artificial sound path (p < 0.05). Discussion: Thus, the design of the soundwalk paths was expected to enhance visitors' soundscape assessment of urban parks.

Description and Genomic Characterization of Oceaniferula flavus sp. nov., a Novel Potential Polysaccharide-Degrading Candidate of the Difficult-to-Cultivate Phylum Verrucomicrobiota Isolated from Seaweed.

A novel strain, isolate 5K15T, which belongs to difficult-to-cultivate phylum Verrucomicrobiota, was recovered from kelp collected from Li Island, Rongcheng, China. The genome sequence of the strain (genome size 3.95 Mbp) showed the presence of four putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), namely, two terpene biosynthetic gene clusters, one aryl polyene biosynthetic cluster, and one type III PKS cluster. Genomic analysis revealed 79 sulfatase-encoded genes, 24 sulfatase-like hydrolase/transferase-encoded genes, and 25 arylsulfatase-encoded genes, which indicated the great potential of 5K15T to degrade sulfated polysaccharides. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the novel strain was most closely related to Oceaniferula marina N1E253T (96.4%). On the basis of evidence from a polyphasic study, it is proposed that the strain 5K15T (= KCTC 82748T = MCCC 1H00442T = SDUM 810003T) be classified as Oceaniferula flavus sp. nov. The strain has the ability of carbohydrate transport and metabolism. This ability allows it to survive in carbohydrate-rich materials such as kelp. It has the potential to be used in the marine drug industry using seaweed.

Reliability and validity of DSM-IV and DSM-5 methamphetamine use disorder diagnoses using the Chinese Version of the Semi-Structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA).

BACKGROUND: The Semi-structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA) was developed to assess substance-use disorders and other psychiatric traits. We translated the SSADDA into Chinese and evaluated its inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity in diagnosing DSM-IV methamphetamine (MA) dependence and DSM-5 MA-use disorder (MUD). METHODS: The sample comprised 231 participants who were interviewed using the Chinese SSADDA and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (Chinese MINI) for concurrent validation. Of the 231 participants, 191 were interviewed by two different interviewers two weeks apart. We evaluated the inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the diagnoses using percent agreement and Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ). Cohen's linear weighted kappa was used to assess the reliability of DSM-5 MUD severity. RESULTS: It showed good inter-rater reliability and no significant differences among the DSM-5 MUD (κ = 0.71), DSM-IV MA abuse or dependence (κ = 0.72), and the DSM-IV diagnoses of MA dependence (κ = 0.66) and abuse (κ = 0.68) tested separately. The weighted kappa was 0.67 across the three DSM-5 MUD severity levels. The reliability of each individual diagnostic criterion for DSM-5 MUD ranged from fair to excellent (κ = 0.41-0.80), except for "repeated attempts to quit/control use" (κ = 0.38). The concurrent validity based on MINI-derived diagnoses ranged from good to excellent (κ = 0.65-0.78). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the Chinese version of SSADDA has good reliability and validity among Chinese MA users.

Assessment of the contribution of chiral odorants to aroma property of baked green teas using an efficient sequential stir bar sorptive extraction approach.

Chiral volatile compounds are known to be distributed in teas at various enantiomeric ratios. However, the performance of each enantiomer, including aroma characteristics, aroma intensities, and contribution to the overall flavor of tea, is still unclear. In this study, aroma characteristics and intensities of 38 volatile enantiomers in standards and baked green teas with chestnut-like aroma and clean aroma were evaluated by an efficient sequential headspace-stir bar sorptive extraction (seq-HS-SBSE) approach combined with the enantioselective gas chromatography-olfactometry/mass spectrometry (Es-GC-O/MS) technique. Moreover, aroma recombination results for the two types of baked green teas using 14 chiral odorants and four achiral odorants indicated that the combinations of the detected odorants mainly contributed to the "floral", "sweet", and "chestnut-like" aromas. R-Linalool simultaneously enhanced the "floral", "sweet", and "chestnut-like" aromas; R-limonene mainly contributed to the "sweet" and "clean" aromas; and S-α-terpineol promoted the "sweet" and "floral" aromas of baked green tea.

Establishment of a risk assessment system for peptic ulcer recurrence and its value in individualized intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the establishment of a risk assessment system for peptic ulcer (PU) recurrence and implement an individualized intervention for PU patients with a moderate to high recurrence risk to reduce the recurrence of PU in patients with a moderate to high recurrence risk. METHODS: The factors for PU recurrence were collected through consulting the literature, and a risk prediction model for PU recurrence was established using the univariate binary and multivariate multinomial Logistic stepwise regression analysis. According to the model, a total of 235 PU patients were divided into patients with high, moderate and low recurrence risks. A total of 71 PU patients with moderate to high recurrence risks were selected as the study subjects, and further divided into the control group (n=35) and the experimental group (n=36). The control group was not treated with intervention, while the experimental group was treated with individualized intervention. The PU recurrence, adverse emotions and changes of pain degree were assessed in the two groups at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after intervention. RESULTS: The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that drinking alcohol, smoking, chronic diseases, oral NSAIDS and depression were associated with the recurrence of PU. Individualized intervention improved the recurrence rate, anxiety, depression, pain degree and quality of life of patients with moderate to high PU recurrence risk. CONCLUSION: Drinking alcohol, smoking, chronic diseases, oral NSAIDS and depression were associated with the recurrence of PU. Individualized intervention can improve the quality of prognosis and the recurrence risk of PU in patients, which has positive clinical significance.

Assessment of neovascularization of carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques using superb microvascular imaging: a comparison with contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and histology.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of superb microvascular imaging (SMI), a novel non-contrast-enhanced ultrasound technique, in characterizing neovessels within carotid atherosclerotic plaques through comparison with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and histology. METHODS: Patients with carotid plaque were recruited and underwent SMI and CEUS ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries. The maximum plaque thickness, length, and stenosis of each plaque were measured. Grade of the neovessels was determined by SMI and CEUS, respectively. Grade 0 was defined as no blood flow signal/microbubbles within plaques; grade 1 was defined as moderate blood flow signals/microbubbles confined to the shoulder and/or adventitial side of the plaque; and grade 2 was defined as extensive intraplaque signals/microbubbles. Patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis (stenosis ≥50%) or asymptomatic carotid stenosis (stenosis ≥70%) underwent endarterectomy, and plaque specimens were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis of CD31 expression. The neovessels were quantified by histology. The agreement of SMI with CEUS and histology in characterizing neovessels was analyzed using weighted Kappa statistic and Spearman's correlation analyses. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients (mean age: 67.3±8.9 years old, 63 males) were recruited. Of these patients, 52 (66.7%) had a unilateral plaque and 26 (33.3%) had bilateral plaques in the carotid arteries. For the 104 carotid plaques detected, the mean plaque thickness and length were 4.3±1.1 and 18.8±6.6 mm, respectively. The prevalence of <50%, 50-69%, and ≥70% stenosis was 43.3%, 24.0%, and 32.7%, respectively. Excellent agreement was found between SMI and CEUS (κ=0.825 at the plaque level; κ=0.820 at the patient level) in evaluating the neovessel grade within the carotid plaques. Of the 25 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy, a strong correlation (r=0.660, P<0.001) was found between SMI and histology in the evaluation of intraplaque neovessels. SMI had excellent scan-rescan (κ=0.857), intra-reader (κ=0.810), and inter-reader (κ=0.754) agreement in the assessment of intraplaque neovessels. CONCLUSIONS: The SMI technique is capable of reliably characterizing neovessels within carotid atherosclerotic plaques and demonstrates good to excellent agreement with histology and CEUS.

A qualitative study of the first batch of medical assistance team's first-hand experience in supporting the nursing homes in Wuhan against COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has global impact, Wuhan in Hubei province is a high-risk area. And the older people in nursing homes are the most susceptible group to COVID-19. The aim of this study was to describe the practice and experience of the first-line medical team, to provide insights of coping with COVID-19 in China. METHOD: This qualitative study used a descriptive phenomenological design to describe the experience of medical staff supported the nursing homes in Wuhan fighting against COVID-19. Unstructured interviews via online video were conducted with seven medical staffs who supported the nursing homes in Wuhan. Data were analyzed using content analysis in five main themes: for nursing homes, we interviewed the difficulties faced at the most difficult time, services for the older people, and prevention and management strategies, for the medical staff, the psychological experience were interviewed, and the implications for public health emergencies were also reported. CONCLUSIONS: It is imperative that effective preventive and response measures be implemented to face the outbreak of COVID-19 and meet the care needs of older people in the context of COVID-19. IMPLICATIONS: Findings will inform managers of some reasonable instructional strategies for implementing effective infection management. Nursing homes need to provide targeted services to help alleviating their bad psychology for residents.

Cajanolactone A, a stilbenoid from Cajanus cajan, inhibits energy intake and lipid synthesis/storage, and promotes energy expenditure in ovariectomized mice.

BACKGROUND: We had reported that cajanolactone A (CLA) from Cajanus cajan dose-dependently inhibited ovariectomy-induced obesity and liver steatosis in mice, showing potential to prevent postmenopausal obesity and fatty liver. In this study, the role of CLA in the regulation of energy and lipid homeostasis was investigated. METHODS: Ovariectomized mice treated with CLA or vehicle for 12 weeks were performed a 48 h monitoring for energy metabolism and food uptake. After that, hypothalami, perigonadal (pWATs), inguinal (iWATs) and brown (BATs) adipose tissues, livers, sera, and fecal and cecal contents were collected and analyzed. FINDINGS: In CLA-treated mice, we observed reduced food uptake; increased energy expenditure; inhibited expression of orexigenic genes (ORX, ORXR2, pMCH and Gal) in the hypothalami, of lipogenic genes (CD36, SREBP-1c, ChREBP, PPARγ) in the livers, and of lipid storage proteins in the WATs (FSP27, MEST and caveolin-1) and livers (FSP27, Plin2 and Plin5); stimulated expression of metabolism-related proteins (pATGL and Echs1) in the adipose tissues and of thermogenic protein (UCP1) in the inguinal WATs; increased BAT content; increased mitochondria in the pWATs and livers; inhibited angiogenesis in the pWATs; and altered gut microbiome diversity with an increased abundance of Bacteroides. INTERPRETATION: CLA prevents ovariectomy-induced obesity and liver steatosis via regulating energy intake and lipid synthesis/storage, promoting UCP1-dependent heat production, and protecting the mitochondrial function of hepatocytes and adipocytes. The improved gut microecology and inhibited angiogenesis may also contribute to the anti-obese activity of CLA.