Clinical characteristics, diagnosis and short-term outcomes of COVID-19-associated acute myocarditis in China.

AIMS: Acute myocarditis (AM) has been recognized as a rare complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. This study was conducted to present the clinical characteristics, disease courses and short-term prognoses of Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induced AM in China, which has been unavailable so far. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from 28 patients diagnosed with definite COVID-19-associated AM from 6 hospitals in China between 1 December 2022 and 30 June 2023 were collected and analysed. The diagnosis of AM was based on increased troponin level plus typical findings of AM on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and/or endomyocardial biopsy. Among 28 patients with definite COVID-19-related AM, median age was 37 years (Q1-Q3: 22-52) and 53.6% were men. Twenty-three patients occurred within 2 weeks of the onset of COVID-19 infection, 10 patients underwent endomyocardial biopsy and CMR was performed in all patients. Seven (25.0%) patients developed fulminant myocarditis that required inotropic agents or temporary mechanical circulatory support. Of the nine patients (32.1%) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 50% on admission, five had fully recovered LVEF and two demonstrated improvement but to levels below normal at discharge. The comparison of CMR parameters between the baseline and first follow-up showed that ECV was decreased at the first follow-up [28.95 (25.38, 32.55)% vs. 33.65 (31.58, 37.55)%, P = 0.028), while other CMR parameters had no significant changes. Eighteen patients (64.3%) were prescribed with corticosteroids, and seven patients (25.0%) underwent temporary mechanical circulatory support. Only two patients died during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of COVID-19-associated AM occurred within 2 weeks of Omicron variant infection. Fulminant myocarditis complicated by hemodynamic instability requiring temporary mechanical circulatory support was not uncommon. However, short-term outcome was generally good and most AM patients fully recovered.

Construction of a prognostic model for colon cancer by combining endoplasmic reticulum stress responsive genes.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress may affect the occurrence and development of cancer. However, its effect on the prognosis of colon cancer (CC) patients is not clear yet. Herein, based on TCGA database, we screened 15 endoplasmic reticulum stress responsive genes (ERSRGs) associated with the prognosis of CC patients by Cox regression. By LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a prognostic risk assessment model involving 12 genes (DNAJB2, EIF4A1, YPEL4, COQ10A, IRX3, ASPHD1, NTRK2, TRIM39, XBP1, GRIN2B, LRRC59, and RORC) was built. The survival curves indicated that patients in the low-risk group had good prognosis. ROC curves demonstrated a good performance of this 12-gene prognostic model, and the Riskscore could be considered as an independent prognostic factor. Patients in low-risk group benefit more from immune checkpoint inhibitor and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment. Besides, the enrichment analysis suggested a remarkable difference in Ca2+ signaling in both groups. Finally, based on the cMAP database, we identified several potential drugs that could target high-risk groups, such as Dasatinib, GNF-2, Saracatinib, and WZ-1-84. To sum up, our research constructed an ERSRGs-characteristic prognostic model. The model is a promising biomarker for prediction of clinical outcomes and immune therapy response of CC patients. SIGNIFICANCE: Based on the transcriptomic data of colon cancer in the TCGA database, this study screens 12 endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (ERSRGs), including DNAJB2, EIF4A1, YPEL4, COQ10A, IRX3, ASPHD1, NTRK2, TRIM39, XBP1, asphD1, NTRK2. GRIN2B, LRRC59, and RORC, and a prognostic model was constructed. This model can be used as a predictor of prognosis and immunotherapy response in colon cancer patients. At the same time, model-based prediction of drugs can also be a potential option for colon cancer treatment in the future.

Enhanced Coexistence of Quantum Key Distribution and Classical Communication over Hollow-Core and Multi-Core Fibers.

In this paper, we investigate the impact of classical optical communications in quantum key distribution (QKD) over hollow-core fiber (HCF), multi-core fiber (MCF) and single-core fiber (SCF) and propose wavelength allocation schemes to enhance QKD performance. Firstly, we theoretically analyze noise interference in QKD over HCF, MCF and SCF, such as spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS) and four-wave mixing (FWM). To mitigate these noise types and optimize QKD performance, we propose a joint noise suppression wavelength allocation (JSWA) scheme. FWM noise suppression wavelength allocation and Raman noise suppression wavelength allocation are also proposed for comparison. The JSWA scheme indicates a significant enhancement in extending the simultaneous transmission distance of classical signals and QKD, reaching approximately 100 km in HCF and 165 km in MCF under a classical power per channel of 10 dBm. Therefore, MCF offers a longer secure transmission distance compared with HCF when classical signals and QKD coexist in the C-band. However, when classical signals are in the C-band and QKD operates in the O-band, the performance of QKD in HCF surpasses that in MCF. This research establishes technical foundations for the design and deployment of QKD optical networks.

Association of triglyceride glucose-related parameters with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease in NAFLD patients: NHANES 1999-2018.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its derived index, the triglyceride glucose-waist height ratio (TyG-WHtR), with mortality and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. METHODS: This study enrolled 6627 adults aged 18 and above diagnosed NAFLD from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999-2018). Binary weighted logistic regression analyses, cox proportional hazards model and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to analyze the relationship between TyG and TyG-WHtR with all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and CVDs. Mediation analysis explored the mediating role of glycohemoglobin, insulin and hypertension in the above relationships. Meanwhile, the incremental predictive value of the TyG index and TyG-WHtR was further assessed. RESULTS: Except for no significant association between the TyG index and both all-cause mortality and chronic heart failure (CHF), both TyG and TyG-WHtR exhibited significant positive correlations or trends of positive correlation with all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, total-CVD, CHF, coronary heart disease (CHD) and angina pectoris. For all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and CHF, TyG-WHtR was a better predictor than TyG (TyG-WHtR: HR 1.31, 95%CI 1.03-1.66; HR 2.22, 95%CI 1.42-3.47; OR 3.99, 95%CI 1.79-8.93). In contrast, TyG index demonstrated a stronger association with total-CVD, CHD and angina pectoris (TyG index: OR 2.00, 95%CI 1.26-3.18; OR 1.85, 95%CI 1.19-2.91; OR 2.93, 95%CI 1.23-7.00). RCS analysis showed that after adjusting for covariates, most of the aforementioned relationships were linear(P overall < 0.0001, P-nonlinear > 0.05), while the associations of the TyG index and TyG-WHtR with all-cause mortality and CHF were non-linear(P overall < 0.0001, P nonlinear < 0.05). The addition of the TyG index and TyG-WHtR to the basic model for outcomes improved the C-statistics, net reclassification improvement value, and integrated discrimination improvement value. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive value of TyG or TyG-WHtR for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk in NAFLD patients was significant. The TyG index and TyG-WHtR might be valid predictors of cardiovascular outcomes of patients with NAFLD.

Effects of Prophylactic Antibiotics on Intestinal Microflora Diversity in Preterm Infants: A Meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aims to investigate the effects of prenatal prophylactic antibiotics on the diversity of intestinal flora in premature infants, with a focus on elucidating the rationale behind this investigation and the potential impact of altered intestinal flora on the health of preterm infants, such as increased susceptibility to infections, impaired nutrient absorption, and compromised immune function. Methods: Relevant literature consistent with the effects of prenatal prophylactic antibiotics on intestinal flora diversity in preterm infants was systematically searched and screened from both domestic and foreign databases, including Wanfang Medical Center, CNKNET, VIpp, and PubMed. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2 software. Inclusion criteria for the study were: (1) comparison of prophylactic antibiotic use versus non-use, (2) no restrictions on subjects' characteristics, (3) follow-up loss < 20%, (4) institutional approval, (5) publication within the time frame from January 2017 to December 2022, (6) minimal missing data or suppliable by author contact, and (7) no major errors in sequencing or detection. Outcome measures included intestinal flora composition, phylum flora content, abundance index, and Shannon index, comparing antibiotic-treated and non-treated groups. RevMan 5.2 software was used for statistical analysis. Counting data was expressed as risk ratio (RR), and weighted mean difference (WMD) or standard mean difference (SMD) was selected as analysis statistics. Results: The study encompassed five Chinese literature sources, with one deemed low quality and four high quality. No significant publication bias was observed. Among the included studies, a significant reduction in the intestinal flora abundance index ACE was noted in the treated group compared to the non-treated group (RR: -8.10, 95% CI: -8.81 to -7.40, P < .00001). ACE estimates species richness in a microbial community by considering both abundant and rare species. Higher ACE values indicate greater diversity. Similarly, the Shannon diversity index was lower in the medication group compared to the non-medication group (RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.82, P < .00001). Shannon Diversity Index measures species diversity and evenness within a community. Higher values indicate higher diversity, considering both the number of species and their relative abundance. Analysis of Firmicutes content revealed a higher level in the treated group (RR: -6.44, 95% CI: -7.26 to -5.63, P < .00001). Additionally, lower Proteus (RR: 10.96, 95% CI: 9.47 to 12.45, P < .00001) and Klebsiella (RR: 15.96, 95% CI: 15.31 to 16.62, P < .00001) content was observed in the treated group. Conversely, Enterococcus content was higher in the treated group (RR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.84 to 2.52, P < .00001), along with a higher proportion of Enterococcus (RR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.76, P = .003). These findings collectively suggest that prophylactic antibiotic use in preterm infants significantly alters the composition of intestinal flora. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that prophylactic antibiotic use in preterm infants leads to a notable reduction in intestinal flora diversity, potentially impacting their health outcomes. Decreased microbial diversity has been linked to gastrointestinal issues, infections, and weakened immune function. These results highlight the importance of cautious antibiotic use in this vulnerable population and the need for further research to better understand and mitigate the potential health implications.

Bailout intracranial angioplasty or stenting following thrombectomy for acute large vessel occlusion in China (ANGEL-REBOOT): a multicentre, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Unsuccessful recanalisation or reocclusion after thrombectomy is associated with poor outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischaemic stroke (LVO-AIS). Bailout angioplasty or stenting (BAOS) could represent a promising treatment for these patients. We conducted a randomised controlled trial with the aim to investigate the safety and efficacy of BAOS following thrombectomy in patients with LVO. METHODS: ANGEL-REBOOT was an investigator-initiated, multicentre, prospective, randomised, controlled, open-label, blinded-endpoint clinical trial conducted at 36 tertiary hospitals in 19 provinces in China. Participants with LVO-AIS 24 h after symptom onset were eligible if they had unsuccessful recanalisation (expanded Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction score of 0-2a) or risk of reocclusion (residual stenosis >70%) after thrombectomy. Eligible patients were randomly assigned by the minimisation method in a 1:1 ratio to undergo BAOS as the intervention treatment, or to receive standard therapy (continue or terminate the thrombectomy procedure) as a control group, both open-label. In both treatment groups, tirofiban could be recommended for use during and after the procedure. The primary outcome was the change in modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety outcomes were compared between groups. This trial was completed and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05122286). FINDINGS: From Dec 19, 2021, to March 17, 2023, 706 patients were screened, and 348 were enrolled, with 176 assigned to the intervention group and 172 to the control group. No patients withdrew from the trial or were lost to follow-up for the primary outcome. The median age of patients was 63 years (IQR 55-69), 258 patients (74%) were male, and 90 patients (26%) were female; all participants were Chinese. After random allocation, tirofiban was administered either intra-arterially, intravenously, or both in 334 [96%] of 348 participants. No between-group differences were observed in the primary outcome (common odds ratio 0·86 [95% CI 0·59-1·24], p=0·41). Mortality was similar between the two groups (19 [11%] of 176 vs 17 [10%] of 172), but the intervention group showed a higher risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (eight [5%] of 175 vs one [1%] of 169), parenchymal haemorrhage type 2 (six [3%] of 175 vs none in the control group), and procedure-related arterial dissection (24 [14%] of 176 vs five [3%] of 172). INTERPRETATION: Among Chinese patients with unsuccessful recanalisation or who are at risk of reocclusion after thrombectomy, BAOS did not improve clinical outcome at 90 days, and incurred more complications compared with standard therapy. The off-label use of tirofiban might have affected our results and their generalisability, but our findings do not support the addition of BAOS for such patients with LVO-AIS. FUNDING: Beijing Natural Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key R&D Program Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Incubating Program, Shanghai HeartCare Medical Technology, HeMo (China) Bioengineering, Sino Medical Sciences Technology.

Parameter optimization of vibration control system for adjacent building structures based on negative stiffness inerter damper.

Building structures are subjected to strong earthquakes, which result in lateral collisions between them. Such collisions often cause severe structural damage and exacerbate the seismic hazard risk of building structures during earthquake events. This paper discusses the application of vibration control devices based on negative stiffness inerter damper in single-story adjacent building structures. The dynamic equations of the vibration control system containing different types of negative stiffness inerter damper under seismic excitation are established as a unified model. The H2 norm theory and Monte Carlo pattern search method are used to optimize the design parameters to improve the vibration control performance of the system, and the dynamic characteristics of the system are investigated. The results demonstrate that attaching negative stiffness inerter damper to adjacent building structures can effectively improve the overall seismic capacity reserve of the building and reduce the risk of collision of adjacent building structures; improve the robustness and stability of the system, and better reduce the displacement response of the building structure under seismic excitation. In addition, the potential of NSID-based vibration control devices to convert seismic energy into usable electricity has been investigated.

The serum soluble ASGR1 concentration is elevated in patients with coronary artery disease and is associated with inflammatory markers.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Current research has suggested that asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) is involved in cholesterol metabolism and is also related to systemic inflammation. This study aimed to assess the correlation between the serum soluble ASGR1 (sASGR1) concentration and inflammatory marker levels. Moreover, the second objective of the study was to assess the association between sASGR1 levels and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: The study subjects included 160 patients who underwent coronary angiography. Ninety patients were diagnosed with CAD, while seventy age- and sex-matched non-CAD patients served as controls. We measured the serum sASGR1 levels using an ELISA kit after collecting clinical baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Patients with CAD had higher serum sASGR1 levels than non-CAD patients did (P < 0.0001). sASGR1 was independently correlated with the risk of CAD after adjusting for confounding variables (OR = 1.522, P = 0.012). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that sASGR1 had a larger area under the curve (AUC) than did the conventional biomarkers apolipoprotein B (APO-B) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In addition, multivariate linear regression models revealed that sASGR1 is independently and positively correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) (ß = 0.86, P < 0.001) and WBC (ß = 0.13, P = 0.004) counts even after adjusting for lipid parameters. According to our subgroup analysis, this relationship existed only for CAD patients. CONCLUSION: Our research demonstrated the link between CAD and sASGR1 levels, suggesting that sASGR1 may be an independent risk factor for CAD. In addition, this study provides a reference for revealing the potential role of sASGR1 in the inflammation of atherosclerosis.

Intramyocardial Hemorrhage Leads to Higher MACE Rate by Increasing Myocardial Infarction Volume in Patients with STEMI.

Background and Aims: Whether IMH can directly cause persistent myocardial necrosis after reperfusion therapy in STEMI patients is still unclear. We conducted a prospective study to compare the cardiovascular parameters in patients with STEMI with and without IMH to explore the potential correlations between IMH and poor outcomes. Methods and Results: We prospectively enrolled 65 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed STEMI admitted to the CCU of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between April 2019 and November 2021, all of whom underwent primary PCI. Of these, 38 (58.5%) and 27 (41.5%) patients were in the IMH-absent and IMH-present groups, respectively. At a mean time of 5-7 days after reperfusion therapy, the volume of MI measured using LGE sequence was larger in STEMI patients with IMH than in patients without IMH (34.2 ± 12.7 cm3 vs 21.1 ± 13.1 cm3, P<0.001). HsTNT levels were significantly higher in the IMH-present group than in the IMH-absent [2500.0 (1681.5-4307.0) pg/mL vs 1710.0 (203.0-3363.5) pg/mL, P=0.021] group during hospitalization. The LVEF measured using CMR in the IMH-present group was lower than that in the IMH-absent group (30.7 ± 9.8% vs 42.3 ± 11.0%, P < 0.001). The rate of MACE at 12 months in IMH-present group was significantly higher than in the IMH-absent group (9/27 VS 2/38, P = 0.012). Conclusion: IMH can lead to further expansion of MI volumes in patients with STEMI, resulting in lower LVEF and higher MACE rate in the post-discharge follow-up.

Research progress on plant functional traits in agroecosystems.

Plant functional traits have an essential role in community formation and ecosystem function. Unlike natu-ral ecosystems, agroecosystems are affected by natural conditions and human management. Plant (i.e., crop)functional traits in the agroecosystems are thus shaped by natural and human selection. We reviewed the development of functional trait research, focusing on crop functional traits, research methods of agroecosystems based on traits, and the application of functional traits in agriculture. We then elaborated on the effect of domestication on crop trait trade-offs, the relationship between community functional structure and agroecosystem services, and the application of functional traits in weed management, cover cropping, and intercropping systems. Future research directions of crop functional traits include enriching the types of agroecosystems and crop species in studies, buil-ding up a crop functional trait database, and focusing on agroecosystem multifunctionality.

Coexistence of 1 Tbps classical optical communication and quantum key distribution over a 100.96 km few-mode fiber.

The integration of quantum key distribution (QKD) and classical optical communication has attracted widespread attention. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate a real-time co-propagation of 1 Tbps for 10 classical channels with one discrete-variable QKD channel in the weakly coupled few-mode fiber (FMF). Based on the selection of optimal device parameters and wavelength assignment of classical channels, as well as the optimization of equipment performance, a secure key rate of as high as 2.7 kbps of coexistence transmission of QKD and classical optical communication can be achieved using a 100.96 km weakly coupled FMF. Therefore, this study is a step toward realizing long-distance quantum-classical coexistence transmission.

Few-mode erbium-doped fiber with trench and weak coupling for mode gain equalization based on layered-doping technology.

A few-mode erbium-doped fiber (FM-EDF) with a step refractive index and trench structure is designed and proposed to realize the modal gain equalization of a few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier (FM-EDFA). The layered-doping technology is used to reduce the mode gain difference (DMG). The doping radius and doping concentration are adjusted to obtain the optimum FM-EDF structure. When the designed FM-EDF is applied to the FM-EDFA, the DMG of the whole C-band is less than 0.15 dB and the DMG is less than 0.12 dB at 1550 nm. The minimum refractive index difference (Δ n eff) between modes can be calculated according to the refractive index and radius of the fiber core; i.e., 1.35×10-3, which will greatly reduce the coupling between modes in a practical application. Tolerances in the fiber manufacturing process are also considered for reliable FM-EDFA performance. When the doping radius and concentration of each doping layer fluctuate by ±15% based on the precise value, the maximum DMG increases to 1.8 dB. In general, DMG can maintain a small value, which is beneficial for application in optical communications systems.

E2F3/CDCA2 reduces radiosensitivity in gastric adenocarcinoma by activating PI3K/AKT pathway.

OBJECTIVES: Gastric adenocarcinoma is primarily responsible for tumor-associated deaths and its incidence is increasing global. CDCA2 is a nuclear protein binding to protein phosphatase one γ (PP1γ) and plays a pro-oncogenic role in tumors. This study aimed to elucidate the biological function of CDCA2 in gastric adenocarcinoma progression and radiosensitivity, as well as its potential mechanisms. METHODS: Differentially expressed mRNAs in gastric adenocarcinoma were obtained by bioinformatics and upstream regulatory factors were predicted. The correlation between their expressions was analyzed. The expressions of E2F3 and CDCA2 in cells were assayed by qRT-PCR and their regulatory relationship was validated by molecular experiments. Cell viability was tested via CCK-8. Cell proliferation and survival after radiotherapy were determined by colony formation assay. The expressions of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins were assessed through western blot. RESULTS: CDCA2 was significantly upregulated in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues and cells, promoted cell proliferation, and reduced radiosensitivity. The impact of CDCA2 on cell proliferation and radiosensitivity was reversed by the PI3K/AKT inhibitor. Furthermore, the upstream transcription factor of CDCA2 was found to be E2F3, which was highly expressed in gastric adenocarcinoma. The binding relationship between the two was validated by dual luciferase and ChIP experiments. The rescue experiment showed that E2F3 activated CDCA2 to drive cell proliferation and reduce radiosensitivity through PI3K/AKT pathway in gastric adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study found that E2F3 activated CDCA2 to drive cell proliferation and reduce radiosensitivity in gastric adenocarcinoma through the PI3K/AKT pathway, suggesting that E2F3/CDCA2 axis is a new therapeutic target for gastric adenocarcinoma. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: 1. CDCA2 reduced the radiosensitivity of gastric adenocarcinoma cells;2. CDCA2 reduced the radiosensitivity of gastric adenocarcinoma cells through the PI3K/AKT pathway;3. E2F3 activated CDCA2 to reduce the radiosensitivity of gastric adenocarcinoma cells through the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Prognostic-related genes for pancreatic cancer typing and immunotherapy response prediction based on single-cell sequencing data and bulk sequencing data.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is associated with high mortality and is one of the most aggressive of malignancies, but studies have not fully evaluated its molecular subtypes, prognosis and response to immunotherapy of different subtypes. The purpose of this study was to explore the molecular subtypes and the key genes associated with the prognosis of pancreas cancer patients and study the clinical phenotype, prognosis and response to immunotherapy using single-cell seq data and bulk RNA seq data, and data retrieved from GEO and TCGA databases. Methods: Single-cell seq data and bioinformatics methods were used in this study. Pancreatic cancer data were retrieved from GEO and TCGA databases, the molecular subtypes of pancreatic cancer were determined using the six cGAS-STING related pathways, and the clinical phenotype, mutation, immunological characteristics and pathways related to pancreatic cancer were evaluated. Results: Pancreatic cancer was classified into 3 molecular subtypes, and survival analysis revealed that patients in Cluster3 (C3) had the worst prognosis, whereas Cluster1 (C1) had the best prognosis. The clinical phenotype and gene mutation were statistically different among the three molecular subtypes. Analysis of immunotherapy response revealed that most immune checkpoint genes were differentially expressed in the three subtypes. A lower risk of immune escape was observed in Cluster1 (C1), indicating higher sensitivity to immunotherapeutic drugs and subjects in this Cluster are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The pathways related to pancreatic cancer were differentially enriched among the three subtypes. Five genes, namely SFRP1, GIPR, EMP1, COL17A and CXCL11 were selected to construct a prognostic signature. Conclusions: Single-cell seq data were to classify pancreatic cancer into three molecular subtypes based on differences in clinical phenotype, mutation, immune characteristics and differentially enriched pathways. Five prognosis-related genes were identified for prediction of survival of pancreatic cancer patients and to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in various subtypes.

Dietary fruits and vegetables and risk of cardiovascular diseases in elderly Chinese.

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the potential effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) was limited and inconsistent among Asian people. METHODS: We prospectively examined associations of fruit and vegetable consumption with the risk of CVD among 9740 participants aged 65 years and older (mean baseline age: 88 years) in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) (2008-2018). Dietary data were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: During 37 366 person-years of follow-up, a total of 3738 CVD cases were recorded. After adjusting for demographics, dietary, lifestyle and economical social factors, higher intakes of total fruits and vegetables were associated with lower risk of CVD [comparing with extreme quintiles, hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval: 0.84 (0.74, 0.95)]. The inverse association was mainly driven by vegetable consumption [0.86 (0.77, 0.95)]. Furthermore, the inverse association was stronger for the risk of hypertension [0.84 (0.72, 0.98)]. These associations were consistent across age, sex, body mass index, residence, exercise status, smoking, drinking, meat intake, modified hPDI and health status. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests higher intakes of total fruits and vegetables are associated with a lower risk of CVD among elderly Chinese people, supporting the current recommendations of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as part of a healthy diet for the prevention of CVD.

Life history responses of the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus to temperature change.

Temperature is a key environmental factor in ectotherms and influences many life history traits. In the present study, the nymphal development time, sex ratio and wing dimorphism of the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus were examined under the conditions of constant temperatures, naturally varying temperatures (or different generations), and different temperatures combined with different photoperiod. The results showed that from 18 to 28 °C, the developmental time of nymphs was gradually shortened with the increase of temperature, whereas the high temperatures of 30 and 32 °C in the third to fifth instar nymphal stages and high summer temperature of 28.8 and 29.7 °C significantly delayed developmental time and resulted in higher mortality of nymphs. In all treatments, the developmental time was longer in females than males. The nymphs took significantly longer time to develop in the short daylength of 12 h than in longer daylengths of 13, 14, 15 and 16. Differences in developmental time were also found between wing morph, with long-winged individuals being significantly longer than the short-winged individuals at lower temperatures and significantly shorter than the short-winged individuals at higher temperatures. In all treatments, the sex ratio was stable, approaching 1:1, without being affected by temperature, generations and photoperiod. Photoperiod and temperature had significantly influence on the wing dimorphism. Long daylength combined with different temperatures resulted in significantly higher proportions of long-winged morph, whereas the low temperatures combined with the short daylengths in autumn and winter resulted in significantly high proportion of short-winged morph. This study broadens our understanding of the life-history traits of this planthopper and provides basic data for analyzing the effects of climate change on the planthopper reproduction.

Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles from Different Stem Cells in Chronic Wound Healing.

Wound healing has long been a complex problem, especially in chronic wounds. Although debridement, skin grafting, and antimicrobial dressings have been used to treat chronic wounds, their treatment period is long, expensive, and has specific rejection reactions. The poor treatment results of traditional methods have caused psychological stress to patients and a substantial economic burden to society. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale vesicles secreted by cells. They play an essential role in intercellular communication. Numerous studies have confirmed that stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (SC-EVs) can inhibit overactive inflammation, induce angiogenesis, promote re-epithelization, and reduce scar formation. Therefore, SC-EVs are expected to be a novel cell-free strategy for chronic wound treatment. We first summarize the pathological factors that hinder wound healing and discuss how SC-EVs accelerate chronic wound repair. And then, we also compare the advantages and disadvantages of different SC-EVs for chronic wound treatment. Finally, we discuss the limitations of SC-EVs usage and provide new thoughts for future SC-EVs research in chronic wound treatment.

Time and risk preferences and the perceived effectiveness of incentives to comply with diabetic retinopathy screening among older adults with type 2 diabetes.

Behavioral economics has the potential to inform the design of incentives to improve disease screening programs by accounting for various behavioral biases. We investigate the association between multiple behavioral economics concepts and the perceived effectiveness of incentive strategies for behavioral change among older patients with a chronic disease. This association is examined by focusing on diabetic retinopathy screening, which is recommended but very variably followed by persons living with diabetes. Five time and risk preference concepts (i.e., utility curvature, probability weighting, loss aversion, discount rate, and present-bias) are estimated simultaneously in a structural econometric framework, based on a series of deliberately-designed economic experiments offering real money. We find that higher discount rates and loss aversion and lower probability weighting are significantly associated with lower perceived effectiveness of intervention strategies whereas present-bias and utility curvature have an insignificant association with it. Finally, we also observe strong urban vs. rural heterogeneity in the association between our behavioral economic concepts and the perceived effectiveness of intervention strategies.

Design of few-mode erbium-doped fiber with a low differential modal gain and weak coupling based on layered doping.

A step index few-mode erbium-doped fiber (FM-EDF) for mode gain equalization is designed and proposed in this paper, which uses the layered-doping method to reduce the differential mode gain (DMG). The optimum structure of FM-EDF is obtained by adjusting the doping radius and doping concentration. When this structure is applied to a few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier (FM-EDFA), the DMG in the range of 1550-1565 nm is ∼0.28d B, and the DMG of the whole C-band is usually less than 0.5 dB. At the same time, the gain of each mode in 1530-1555 nm is ∼20d B, while the gain decreases gradually in the 1555-1565 nm due to the absorption characteristics of erbium ions. In addition, the minimum refractive index difference (Δ n eff) between modes is 1.29∗10-3 due to the selection of the refractive index and radius of the fiber core, which will greatly reduce the coupling between modes in practical application. Tolerances in the fiber manufacturing process are also considered for reliable FM-EDFA performance. When the doping concentration or the doping radius changes based on the precise value, the DMG will increase to a certain extent. In general, the DMG can maintain a small value, which is beneficial to applications in optical communication systems.

Differential methylation in CD44 and SEC23A is associated with time preference in older individuals.

Time preference is a measure used to ascertain the level of which individuals prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards. We explored how an individual's time preference associates with their epigenetic profile. Time preferences were ascertained by asking participants of the Northern Ireland COhort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing to make a series of choices between two hypothetical income scenarios. From these, eight 'time preference' categories were derived, ranging from "patient" to "impatient" on an ordinal scale. The Infinium High Density Methylation Assay, MethylationEPIC (Illumina) was used to evaluate the status of 862,927 CpGs. Time preference and DNA methylation data were obtained for 1648 individuals. Four analyses were conducted, assessing the methylation patterns at single site resolution between patient and impatient individuals using two adjustment models. In this discovery cohort analysis, two CpG sites were identified with significantly different levels of methylation (p < 9 × 10-8) between the individuals allocated to the patient group and the remaining population following adjustment for covariates; cg08845621 within CD44 and cg18127619 within SEC23A. Neither of these genes have previously been linked to time preference. Epigenetic modifications have not previously been linked to time preference using a population cohort but they may represent important biomarkers of accumulated, complex determinants of this trait. Further analysis is warranted of both the top-ranked results and of DNA methylation as an important link between measurable biomarkers and health behaviours.