Characterisation of aroma compounds, sensory characteristics, and bioactive components of a new type of huangjiu fermented with Chinese wild rice (Zizania latifolia).

Chinese wild rice (CWR) is a nutritious and healthy whole grain, worth developing. To develop and use its value, a new type of huangjiu was brewed with CWR, and the flavour characteristics, sensory quality, functional and bioactive components were evaluated. CWR (67 flavour substances) and glutinous rice (GR)-CWR huangjiu (62 flavour substances) had a better flavour than GR huangjiu (54 flavour substances), and the overall style of GR-CWR huangjiu was more skewed towards GR. The fruity, honey, caramel-like, herb and smoky aroma attributes of CWR huangjiu were higher than those of GR huangjiu (P < 0.05), while only the alcoholic was weaker (P < 0.05) due to the lower alcohol content. The huangjiu brewed using CWR had a better taste than that brewed using only GR. Furthermore, CWR huangjiu had the highest content of total dietary fiber (732.0 ± 15.2 mg/100 g), followed by GR-CWR (307.0 ± 8.5 mg/100 g), and GR (127.0 ± 2.3 mg/100 g). CWR huangjiu also had the highest total phenolic compounds (3.32 ± 0.05 mg/100 g/%vol) and total saponins (2.46 ± 0.03 mg/100 g/%vol) contents, followed by GR-CWR and GR. This study provides guidance for exploring further possibilities for CWR in the future.

Plasmonic colorimetry and G-quadruplex fluorescence-based aptasensor: A dual-mode, protein-free and label-free detection for OTA.

G-quadruplexes (G4) have received significant attention in the field of aptasensors owing to their unique physicochemical characteristics. A dual-mode, protein-free and label-free aptamer sensor based on plasmonic colorimetry and G4 fluorescence (PC@GF-aptasensor) was proposed for ochratoxin A (OTA). Colorimetry mode was achieved through the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, which related to the OTA-Apt-based G4-OTA. The fluorescence mode was reflected by the insertion of thioflavin T (ThT) into G4-OTA. The OTA could be interpreted via three readouts: (1) naked eye (LOD of 2.0 ng mL-1), (2) smartphone (LOD of 1.65 ng mL-1), and (3) spectrofluorometer (LOD of 0.93 ng mL-1). The PC@GF-aptasensor exhibited several advantages, such as a standardised recognition group, simplified operation, low background signal, and practicality. The proposed PC@GF-aptasensor integrated SPR-based multicolour interpretation and ThT-inserted fluorescence reflection to obtain a dual-mode optical biosensor, which may provide valuable insights for the development of other targets with G4-based aptamers.

Localization of Ectopic Hyperparathyroidism: Ultrasound Versus 99mTc-sestamibi, 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography, and 11C-choline Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of ultrasound (US) for the localization of ectopic hyperparathyroidism and compare it with 99mTc-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI), 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT), and 11C-choline positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT). METHODS: Of the 527 patients with surgically confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism, 79 patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of US, 99mTc-MIBI, US + MIBI, 4D-CT, and 11C-choline PET/CT was calculated, and the factors affecting the sensitivity of US and 99mTc-MIBI were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-three ectopic parathyroid lesions were found in 79 patients. The sensitivity was 75.9%, 81.7%, 95.1%, 83.3%, and 100% for US, 99mTc-MIBI, US + MIBI, 4D-CT, and 11C-choline PET/CT, respectively. The difference in sensitivity among these different modalities did not achieve statistical significance (P > .05). The US sensitivity was significantly higher for ectopic lesions in the neck region than for those in the anterior mediastinum/chest wall (85.9% vs. 42.1%, P < .001). The 99mTc-MIBI and 4D-CT sensitivity was not significantly different between these two groups (84.1% vs. 94.6%, P = .193 and 81.3% vs. 85.7%, P = 1). The 11C-choline PET/CT sensitivity was 100% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: US is a valuable tool for the localization of ectopic hyperparathyroidism, especially for ectopic lesions in the neck region.

Study on the correlation between the dominant microflora and the main flavor substances in the fermentation process of cigar tobacco leaves.

The flavor of cigar tobacco leaf determines the quality of finished cigar tobacco, and the enhancement of flavor generally relies on microbial fermentation. In this paper, the correlation between the dominant microorganisms and the main flavor substances of cigar tobacco leaves during fermentation and the correlation between the two were investigated to reveal the correlation between microorganisms and flavor and the metabolic pathways of microorganisms affecting the flavor substances. During the fermentation process, the main flavors of cigar tobacco leaves were sweet, light and grassy, with hexanal, 2,6-dimethylpyridine, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, naphthalene, and methyl benzoate as the main constituents, and the key microorganisms Haloferax mediterranei, Haloterrigena limicola, Candidatus Thorarchaeota archaeon SMTZ-45, the genera Methyloversatilis, Sphingomonas, Thauera, Pseudomonas, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. Correlation analysis revealed that fungi were negatively correlated with the main aroma and inhibited the main flavor substances, while bacteria were positively correlated with Benzoic acid, methyl ester in the main flavor substances, which was conducive to the accumulation of green aroma. Functional analysis revealed that the dominant bacterial population was producing aroma by metabolizing glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases, performing amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and film transport metabolism. The present study showed that the bacterial and fungal dominant microorganisms during the fermentation of cigar tobacco were influencing the production and degradation of the main flavor substances through the enzyme metabolism by the occurrence of the Merad reaction.

Short-term effect of beinaglutide combined with metformin versus metformin alone on weight loss and metabolic profiles in obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot randomized trial.

Objective: To observe the effect of beinaglutide combined with metformin versus metformin alone on weight loss and metabolic profiles in obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). Methods: A total of 64 overweight/obese women with PCOS diagnosed via the Rotterdam criteria were randomly assigned to metformin(MET) 850 mg twice a day(BID) or combined MET 850 mg BID with beinaglutide (COMB) starting at 0.1mg three times a day(TID)and increasing to 0.2mg TID two weeks later. The main endpoints were changes in anthropometric measurements of obesity. Glucose and lipid metabolic, gonadal profiles, and antral follicle count changes as secondary outcomes were also observed. Results: 60(93.75%) patients completed the study. In terms of lowering weight, body mass index (BMI),waist circumference(WC) and waist to height ratio(WHtR), COMB treatment outperformed MET monotherapy. Subjects in the COMB arm lost weight 4.54±3.16kg compared with a 2.47±3.59kg loss in the MET arm. In the COMB group, BMI,WC and WHtR were reduced significantly compared with that in the MET group, respectively. COMB therapy is also more favorable in the reduction of fasting insulin(FINS), total testosterone(TT), and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance(HOMA-IR) when compared to MET therapy. Antral follicle count and ovarian volume were non-significantly changed in both groups.The most frequent side effects in both groups were mild and moderate digestive symptoms. Itching and induration at the injection site were reported with COMB treatment. Conclusion: Short-term combined treatment with beinaglutide and metformin appears superior to metformin monotherapy in lowering body weight, BMI, WC,WHtR and improving insulin sensitivity and androgen excess in women with PCOS and obesity, with tolerable adverse events. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx, identifier ChiCTR2000033741.

Study on Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Fatigue Damage of A7N01 Aluminum Alloy for High-Speed Trains.

Online monitoring of the fatigue damage process of A7N01 aluminum alloy base metal and weld seam was conducted based on acoustic emission (AE) and digital microscopic imaging technology. The AE signals were recorded during the fatigue tests and analyzed using the AE characteristic parameter method. Fatigue fracture was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze the source mechanism of AE. The AE results show that the AE count and rise time can effectively predict the initiation of fatigue microcracks in A7N01 aluminum alloy. The digital image monitoring results of a notch tip verified the prediction of fatigue microcracks using the AE characteristic parameters. In addition, the AE characteristics of the A7N01 aluminum alloy under different fatigue parameters were studied, and the relationships between the AE characteristic values of the base metal and weld seam and the crack propagation rate were calculated using the seven-point recurrence polynomial method. These provide a basis for predicting the remaining fatigue damage in the A7N01 aluminum alloy. The present work indicates that AE technology can be used to monitor the fatigue damage evolution of welded aluminum alloy structures.

Predicting multigland disease in primary hyperparathyroidism using ultrasound and clinical features.

Background: The identification of multigland disease (MGD) in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients is essential for minimally invasive surgical decision-making. Objective: To develop a nomogram based on ultrasound (US) findings and clinical factors to predict MGD in PHPT patients. Materials and methods: Patients with PHPT who had surgery between March 2021 and January 2022 were consecutively enrolled to this study. Biochemical and clinicopathological data were recorded. US images were analyzed to extract US features for prediction. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify MGD risk factors. A nomogram was constructed based on these factors and its performance evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow tests, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: A total of 102 PHPT patients were included; 82 (80.4%) had single-gland disease (SGD) and 20 (19.6%) had MGD. Using multivariate analyses, MGD was positively correlated with age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.033, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.190-4.047), PTH levels (OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000-1.002), multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) (OR = 29.730, 95% CI: 3.089-836.785), US size (OR = 1.198, 95% CI: 0.647-2.088), and US texture (cystic-solid) (OR = 5.357, 95% CI: 0.499-62.912). MGD was negatively correlated with gender (OR = 0.985, 95% CI: 0.190-4.047), calcium levels (OR = 0.453, 95% CI: 0.070-2.448), and symptoms (yes) (OR = 0.935, 95% CI: 0.257-13.365). The nomogram showed good discrimination with an AUC = 0.77 (0.68-0.85) and good agreement in predicting MGD in PHPT patients. Also, 65 points was recommended as a cut-off value, with specificity = 0.94 and sensitivity = 0.50. Conclusion: US was useful in evaluating MGD. Combining US and clinical features in a nomogram showed good diagnostic performance for predicting MGD.

Monitoring the baking quality of Tieguanyin via electronic nose combined with GC-MS.

Roasting is extremely important for Tieguanyin oolong tea production because it strongly affects its chemical composition and sensory quality. In addition, there were significant differences in the preference for roasted tea among different people. However, the effect of roasting degree on the aroma characteristics and flavor quality of Tieguanyin tea is still unclear. To further study this, an electronic nose combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to monitor the baking process of Tieguanyin. The physicochemical indexes, sensory quality, and odor characteristics of the tea leaves subjected to different roasting conditions were measured. The increase in the roasting degree caused a decrease in the amount of taste substances such as tea polyphenols, catechins, and amino acids and a sharp increase in the phenol to ammonia ratio. Sensory evaluation results showed that moderate roasting could help improve the quality of the tea leaves. The results obtained using the electronic nose and GC-MS showed that there were substantial differences in the volatile substances, and 103 flavor compounds were highly correlated with the aroma characteristics of roasted tea with different roasting degrees. In addition, the electronic nose combined with various classification models could better distinguish tea leaves with different roasting degrees. Among them, the accuracy of the RF training set and prediction set reached>98.44%. The results of this study will aid in comprehensively monitoring the effects of the baking process on the flavor, chemical composition, and aroma of Tieguanyin as well as in distinguishing Tieguanyin tea leaves with different qualities.

Hydrochar more effectively mitigated nitrous oxide emissions than pyrochar from a coastal soil of the Yellow River Delta, China.

Application of char amendments (e.g., pyrochar or biochar, hydrochar) in degraded soils is proposed as a promising solution for mitigating climate change via carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission reduction. However, the hydrochar-mediated microbial modulation mechanisms underlying N2O emissions from coastal salt-affected soils, one of essential blue C ecosystems, were poorly understood. Therefore, a wheat straw derived hydrochar (SHC) produced at 220 °C was prepared to investigate its effects on N2O emissions from a coastal salt-affected soil in the Yellow River Delta and to distinguish the microbial regulation mechanisms in comparison with corresponding pyrochar pyrolyzed at 500 °C (SPC) using a 28-day soil microcosm experiment. Compared with SPC, the acidic SHC (pH 4.15) enriched in oxygenated functional groups, labile C and N constituents. SHC application more efficiently depressed cumulative soil N2O emissions (48.4-61.1 % vs 5.57-45.2 %) than those of SPC. SHC-induced inhibition of ammonia-oxidizing gene (amoA)-mediated nitrification and promotion of full reduction of N2O to N2 by nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ) were the underlying microbial mechanisms. Structural equation models further revealed that SHC-modulated bacterial N-transformation responses, i.e., inhibited nitrification and promoted heterotrophic denitrification, mainly contributed to reduced N2O emissions, whereas modification of soil properties (e.g., decreased pH, increased total C content) by SPC dominantly accounted for decreased N2O emissions. These results address new insights into microbial regulation of N2O emission reduction from the coastal salt-affected soils amended with hydrochar, and provide the promising strategies to enhance C sequestration and mitigate GHG emissions in the blue C ecosystems.

Rapid and sensitive detection of quizalofop-p-ethyl by gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassay in agriproducts and environmental samples.

Quizalofop-p-ethyl is a widely used herbicide that poses a threat to human health and environmental safety. In this study, anti-quizalofop-p-ethyl monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were prepared and used to develop a gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassay (AuNP-LFIA) for the detection of quizalofop-p-ethyl in agriproducts and environmental samples. Four hybridoma cell lines were obtained, among which 5B6D10E11 secreted mAb with the highest sensitivity, with a 50 % inhibition concentration of 4.57 ng/mL in the indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After optimization, the AuNP-LFIA strip based on the mAb (5B6D10E11) showed a visual detection limit of 10 ng/mL, and the results could be directly determined by the naked eye within 8 min. The cross-reactivity of the AuNP-LFIA for analogs of quizalofop-p-ethyl was negligible except for quizalofop-p-acid. The established AuNP-LFIA was proven to be accurate and precise based on the recovery test. Furthermore, the detection results of AuNP-LFIA were consistent with those of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Comparison of the predictive value of the modified CADILLAC, GRACE and TIMI risk scores for the risk of short-term death in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To establish a modified controlled abciximab and device investigation to lower late angioplasty complication (CADILLAC) score, and to compare the predictive value of modified CADILLAC score, the global registry of acute coronary event (GRACE) score and the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) score in predicting the risk of short-term death after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted. The clinical data of 169 STEMI patients under going PCI admitted to the department of cardiology of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from September 2019 to December 2020 through emergency chest pain fast track were enrolled. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the factors closely related to the mortality risk within 30 days of STEMI, and a modified CADILLAC scoring system was established by referring to CADILLAC scoring settings. The score of modified CADILLAC, GRACE and TIMI scores of patients were calculated after admission, and the number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) within 30 days after onset was recorded. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the predictive value of three scoring systems on the risk of death within 30 days after PCI in patients with STEMI.Results:In 169 STEMI patients, 16 patients died of CVD within 30 days after PCI, and the actual case mortality was 9.47%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age > 75 years old, cardiac function Killip ≥ Grade Ⅲ, ventricular arrhythmia, ST segment elevation ≥ 0.2 mV, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) increase, systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 90 mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa) were all independent predictors of death after PCI in STEMI patients. The improved CADILLAC scoring system was constructed based on the above predictive factors combined with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 0.40. The GRACE, TIMI and modified CADILLAC scores of dead patients were significantly higher than those of survival patients (GRACE score: 197.60±31.83 vs. 149.81±36.72, TIMI score: 11.21±2.13 vs. 7.27±1.97, modified CADILLAC score: 12.60±2.52 vs. 6.96±2.17, all P < 0.05). The higher the risk stratification of the three scores, the higher the mortality of patients with CVD within 30 days after PCI [the mortality of patients with low, medium and high risk in GRACE score were 2.41% (2/83), 9.61% (5/52) and 26.47% (9/34); the mortality of patients with low, medium and high risk in TIMI score were 3.12% (3/96), 12.82% (5/39) and 23.53% (8/34); and the mortality of patients with low, medium and high risk in modified CADILLAC score were 3.19% (3/94), 7.69% (4/52) and 39.13% (9/23), respectively, all P < 0.01]. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the GRACE, TIMI and the modified CADILLAC scores predicting the risk of death 30 days after PCI in STEMI patients were 0.855 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.702-0.923], 0.725 (95% CI was 0.666-0.812) and 0.882 (95% CI was 0.732-0.936), respectively, all P = 0.000; the sensitivity of its prediction accuracy were 81.59%, 78.65% and 89.26%, and the specificity were 78.62%, 57.12% and 75.54%, respectively. Conclusions:The GRACE and the modified CADILLAC scores have predictive value for the short-term mortality risk of STEMI patients after PCI, and the modified CADILLAC score is more accurate. But the TIMI score has a poor predictive effect on the short-term mortality risk of STEMI patients after PCI.

Component analysis and network pharmacology of flavonoids in Sophora flavescens tissues at anthesis / 药学学报

italic>Sophora flavescens is a traditional Chinese medicine rich in flavonoids and has wide application potential in drug development and clinical practice. In this study, a total of 227 flavonoids were detected among five tissues of S. flavescens during anthesis using widely targeted metabolomics techniques. There were 137 flavonoids shared by five S. flavescens tissues and 18 root-specific flavonoids. There were 156, 155, 156 and 150 differentially accumulated metabolites identified in stem, leaf, flower, and young pod, respectively, compared with root. Forty-seven potentially active flavonoid components in S. flavescens were identified using the PubChem and SwissADME databases. The 58 potential target proteins for these potentially active components were predicted to be important in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on the SwissTargetPrediction and GeneCards database. These 58 target proteins were used to construct a protein-protein interaction network through the STRING database, from which we performed GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis. The mechanisms by which S. flavescens flavonoids may be useful in the treatment of T2DM was further explored in a multi-level and systematic way based on a "component-target-pathway" network. Finally, ten key potentially effective components were identified and found to be mainly distributed in the roots, flowers, and pods, and their content varied significantly between tissues. The results predict that the key targets of S. flavescens flavonoids in the treatment of T2DM are AKT1, ESR1, EGFR, PIK3R1, TNF and PTGS2, and that they play a hypoglycemic role through the regulation of endocrine resistance, AGE-RAGE, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance and other signaling pathways. This analysis of the tissue distribution and network pharmacology of S. flavescens flavonoids provides a theoretical basis for further studies on S. flavescens metabolites, the rational development and utilization of the S. flavescens aboveground parts, and initiates a comprehensive exploration of the mechanisms by which S. flavescens can be used in the treatment of T2DM.

Effect of Cyr61 on Imatinib Resistance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Its Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of Cyr61 on imatinib (IM) resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#Cyr61 level in cell culture supernatant was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of Cyr61 and Bcl-xL were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot. Cell apoptosis was analyzed using an Annexin V-APC Kit. Expression of signal pathways related proteins was determined by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#The level of Cyr61 obviously increased in K562G cells (IM resistance to CML cell line K562). Down-regulating the expression of Cyr61 decreased the resistance of K562G cells to IM and promoted IM induced apoptosis. In CML mouse model, down-regulating the expression of Cyr61 could increase the sensitivity of K562G cells to IM. The mechanism studies showed that Cyr61 mediated IM resistance in CML cells was related to the regulation of ERK1/2 pathways and apoptosis related molecule Bcl-xL by Cyr61.@*CONCLUSION@#Cyr61 plays an important role in promoting IM resistance of CML cells. Targeting Cyr61 or its related effectors pathways may be one of the ways to overcome IM resistance of CML cells.

Clinical features of autoimmune encephalitis secondary to epidemic encephalitis B in 5 children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical features of children with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) secondary to epidemic encephalitis B (EEB).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of five children with EEB with "bipolar course" who were treated in Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to June 2022.@*RESULTS@#Among the five children, there were three boys and two girls, with a median age of onset of 7 years (range 3 years 9 months to 12 years) and a median time of 32 (range 25-37) days from the onset of EEB to the appearance of AE symptoms. The main symptoms in the AE stage included dyskinesia (5/5), low-grade fever (4/5), mental and behavioral disorders (4/5), convulsion (2/5), severe disturbance of consciousness (2/5), and limb weakness (1/5). Compared with the results of cranial MRI in the acute phase of EEB, the lesions were enlarged in 3 children and unchanged in 2 children showed on cranial MRI in the AE stage. In the AE stage, four children were positive for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody (one was also positive for anti-γ-aminobutyric acid type B receptor antibody), and one was negative for all AE antibodies. All five children in the AE stage responded to immunotherapy and were followed up for 3 months, among whom one almost recovered and four still had neurological dysfunction.@*CONCLUSIONS@#EEB can induce AE, with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis as the most common disease. The symptoms in the AE stage are similar to those of classical anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Immunotherapy is effective for children with AE secondary to EEB, and the prognosis might be related to neurological dysfunction in the acute phase of EEB.

Acupuncture-Neuroimaging Research Trends over Past Two Decades: A Bibliometric Analysis / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To identify topics attracting growing research attention as well as frontier trends of acupuncture-neuroimaging research over the past two decades.@*METHODS@#This paper reviewed data in the published literature on acupuncture neuroimaging from 2000 to 2020, which was retrieved from the Web of Science database. CiteSpace was used to analyze the publication years, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, co-citation of authors, journals, and references.@*RESULTS@#A total of 981 publications were included in the final review. The number of publications has increased in the recent 20 years accompanied by some fluctuations. Notably, the most productive country was China, while Harvard University ranked first among institutions in this field. The most productive author was Tian J with the highest number of articles (50), whereas the most co-cited author was Hui KKS (325). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (92) was the most prolific journal, while Neuroimage was the most co-cited journal (538). An article written by Hui KKS (2005) exhibited the highest co-citation number (112). The keywords "acupuncture" (475) and "electroacupuncture" (0.10) had the highest frequency and centrality, respectively. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) ranked first with the highest citation burst (6.76).@*CONCLUSION@#The most active research topics in the field of acupuncture-neuroimaging over the past two decades included research type, acupoint specificity, neuroimaging methods, brain regions, acupuncture modality, acupoint specificity, diseases and symptoms treated, and research type. Whilst research frontier topics were "nerve regeneration", "functional connectivity", "neural regeneration", "brain network", "fMRI" and "manual acupuncture".

Fabrication of UV-Stable Perovskite Solar Cells with Compact Fe2O3 Electron Transport Layer by FeCl3 Solution and Fe3O4 Nanoparticles.

Even though Fe2O3 is reported as the electron-transporting layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), its fabrication and defects limit its performance. Herein, we report a Fe2O3 ETL prepared from FeCl3 solution with a dopant Fe3O4 nanoparticle modification. It is found that the mixed solution can reduce the defects and enhance the performance of Fe2O3 ETL, contributing to improved electron transfer and suppressed charge recombination. Consequently, the best efficiency is improved by more than 118% for the optimized device. The stability efficiency of the Fe2O3-ETL-based device is nearly 200% higher than that of the TiO2-ETL-based device after 7 days measurement under a 300 W Xe lamp. This work provides a facile method to fabricate environmentally friendly, high-quality Fe2O3 ETL for perovskite photovoltaic devices and provides a guide for defect passivation research.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in intravenous leiomyomatosis: a single-center experiences.

Objective: Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is a rare disease, and few studies have focused on the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in this condition. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of CEUS in IVL and summarize the specific CEUS characteristics of IVL. Materials and Method: From December 2016 to March 2021, 93 patients admitted to our hospital with inferior vena cava (IVC) occupying lesions were prospectively enrolled and underwent detailed ultrasound multi-modality examinations, including conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound scans. The diagnostic value of CEUS and conventional ultrasound (CU) in IVL was compared, and the specific IVL signs were summarized. Results: Among the 93 patients with inferior vena cava mass, 67 were IVL while 26 were non-IVL. The inter-observer agreement of the two senior doctors was good, with Kappa coefficient = 0.71 (95% CI: 0.572-0.885). The area under the ROC curve of CU for IVL diagnosis was 0.652 (95% CI: 0.528-0.776), and its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, missed diagnosis rate, and misdiagnosis rate were 61.1%, 69.2%, 63.4%, 83.7%, 40.9%, 38.8%, and 30.8%, respectively. The area under curve (AUC) for IVL diagnosis by CEUS was 0.807 (95% CI: 0.701-0.911), and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, missed diagnosis rate, and misdiagnosis rate were 82.0%, 84.6%, 82.8%, 93.2%, 64.7%, 15.4%, and 17.9%, respectively. In CEUS mode, "sieve hole sign" and "multi-track sign" were detected in 57 lesions, and the detected rate was higher than that of CU (https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/1014187 < 0.01). Conclusion: CEUS can better show the fine blood flow inside the IVL, which is important for IVL differential diagnosis. Moreover, CEUS can obtain more information about IVL diagnosis than CU, compensating for the shortcomings of CU in detecting more blood flow within the lesion. Thus, this technique has great significance for IVL diagnosis.

Establishment and Comparative Analysis of Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay and Time-Resolved Fluoroimmunoassay for the Determination of Trace Quinclorac in Environment.

As a common herbicide in farmland, there has been wide concern over quinclorac residue because of its potential risks to the environment and human health. For the detection and monitoring of quinclorac residue in the environment, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) were established. The half-maximal inhibition concentrations (IC50) of ELISA and TRFIA were 0.169 mg/L and 0.087 mg/L with a linear range (IC20−IC80) of 0.020−1.389 mg/L and 0.004−1.861 mg/L, respectively. Compared with ELISA, the limit of detection (LOD, IC20) and IC50 of TRFIA improved approximately 5-fold and 2-fold. The cross-reaction rates for the quinclorac analogs were less than 2%. The average recoveries of quinclorac in river water, paddy water, paddy soil, and brown rice samples were 77.3−106.1%, with RSDs of 1.7−12.5%. More importantly, the results of the two methods were consistent with that of the referenced method of UPLC-MS/MS (R2 > 0.98). ELISA and TRFIA both showed good detection performance and could meet the requirements of the quantitative determination of quinclorac. Therefore, the proposed ELISA and TRFIA could be applied to the rapid and sensitive detection and monitoring of quinclorac residue in the environment.

Nep1-Like Proteins From the Biocontrol Agent Pythium oligandrum Enhance Plant Disease Resistance Independent of Cell Death and Reactive Oxygen Species.

Microbial necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide 1 (Nep1)-like proteins (NLPs) act as cytolytic toxins and immunogenic patterns in plants. Our previous work shows that cytolytic NLPs (i.e., PyolNLP5 and PyolNLP7) from the biocontrol agent Pythium oligandrum enhance plant resistance against Phytophthora pathogens by inducing the expression of plant defensins. However, the relevance between PyolNLP-induced necrosis and plant resistance activation is still unclear. Here, we find that the necrosis-inducing activity of PyolNLP5 requires amino acid residues D127 and E129 within the conserved "GHRHDLE" motif. However, PyolNLP5-mediated plant disease resistance is irrelevant to its necrosis-inducing activity and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, we reveal the positive role of non-cytotoxic PyolNLPs in enhancing plant resistance against Phytophthora pathogens and the fugal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Similarly, non-cytotoxic PyolNLPs also activate plant defense in a cell death-independent manner and induce defensin expression. The functions of non-cytotoxic PyolNLP13/14 rely on their conserved nlp24-like peptide pattern. Synthetic Pyolnlp24s derived from both cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic PyolNLPs can induce plant defensin expression. Unlike classic nlp24, Pyolnlp24s lack the ability of inducing ROS burst in plants with the presence of Arabidopsis nlp24 receptor RLP23. Taken together, our work demonstrates that PyolNLPs enhance plant resistance in an RLP23-independent manner, which requires the conserved nlp24-like peptide pattern but is uncoupled with ROS burst and cell death.

A systematic review of ozone therapy for treating chronically refractory wounds and ulcers.

This study aims at evaluating the efficacy and safety of ozone therapy for chronic wounds. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) about participants with chronic wounds were included. Risk of bias assessment was performed by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. A randomised-effects model was applied to pool results according to the types of wounds or ulcers. Among 12 included studies, ozone was implemented by topical application (ozone gas bath, ozonated oil, ozone water flushing) and systematic applications including autologous blood immunomodulation and rectal insufflation. The results indicated compared with standard control therapy for diabetic foot ulcers, ozone therapy regardless of monotherapy or combined control treatment markedly accelerated the improvement of the wound area(standardised mean difference(SMD) = 66.54%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [46.18,86.90], P < .00001) and reduced the amputation rate (risk ration (RR) = 0.36, 95% CI = [0.24,0.54], P < .00001). But there is no improvement in the proportion of participants with completely healed wounds and length of hospital stay. No adverse events associated with ozone treatment have been reported. And the efficacy of ozone therapy for other wound types is still uncertain because of no sufficient studies. More high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of ozone therapy for chronic wounds or ulcers.