Global, regional, and national trends in metabolic risk factor-associated mortality among the working-age population from 1990-2019: An age-period-cohort analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic diseases contribute significantly to premature mortality worldwide, with increasing burdens observed among the working-age population (WAP). This study assessed global, regional, and national trends in metabolic disorders and associated mortality over three decades in WAP. METHODS: Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study were leveraged to assess global metabolism-associated mortality and six key metabolic risk factors in WAP from 1990-2019. An age-period-cohort model was employed to determine the overall percentage change in mortality. RESULTS: The 2019 global metabolic risk-related mortality rate in WAP rose significantly by 50.73%, while the age-standardized mortality rate declined by 21.5%. India, China, Indonesia, the USA, and the Russian Federation were the top contributing countries to mortality in WAP, accounting for 51.01% of the total. High systolic blood pressure (HSBP), high body mass index (HBMI), and high fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) were the top metabolic risk factors for the highest mortality rates. Adverse trends in HBMI-associated mortality were observed, particularly in lower sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. HFPG-related mortality declined globally but increased in older age groups in lower SDI countries. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a general decline in metabolic risk-related deaths in WAP, increasing HBMI- and HFPG-related mortality in lower SDI areas poses ongoing public health challenges. Developing nations should prioritize interventions addressing HBMI and HFPG to mitigate mortality risks in WAP.

Intrinsically Safe Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by Thermo-Electrochemical Compatible In Situ Polymerized Solid-State Electrolytes.

In situ polymerized solid-state electrolytes have attracted much attention due to high Li-ion conductivity, conformal interface contact, and low interface resistance, but are plagued by lithium dendrite, interface degradation, and inferior thermal stability, which thereby leads to limited lifespan and severe safety hazards for high-energy lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, an in situ polymerized electrolyte is proposed by copolymerization of 1,3-dioxolane with 1,3,5-tri glycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) as a cross-linking agent, which realizes a synergy of battery thermal safety and interface compatibility with Li anode. Functional TGIC enhances the electrolyte polymeric level. The unique carbon-formation mechanism facilitates flame retardancy and eliminates the battery fire risk. In the meantime, TGIC-derived inorganic-rich interphase inhibits interface side reactions and promotes uniform Li plating. Intrinsically safe LMBs with nonflammability and outstanding electrochemical performances under extreme temperatures (130 °C) are achieved. This functional polymer design shows a promising prospect for the development of safe LMBs.

Electrochemically and Thermally Stable Inorganics-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Robust Lithium Metal Batteries.

Severe dendrite growth and high-level activity of the lithium metal anode lead to a short life span and poor safety, seriously hindering the practical applications of lithium metal batteries. With a trisalt electrolyte design, an F-/N-containing inorganics-rich solid electrolyte interphase on a lithium anode is constructed, which is electrochemically and thermally stable over long-term cycles and safety abuse conditions. As a result, its Coulombic efficiency can be maintained over 98.98% for 400 cycles. An 85.0% capacity can be retained for coin-type full cells with a 3.14 mAh cm-2 LiNi0.5 Co0.2 Mn0.3 O2 cathode after 200 cycles and 1.0 Ah pouch-type full cells with a 4.0 mAh cm-2 cathode after 72 cycles. During the thermal runaway tests of a cycled 1.0 Ah pouch cell, the onset and triggering temperatures were increased from 70.8 °C and 117.4 °C to 100.6 °C and 153.1 °C, respectively, indicating a greatly enhanced safety performance. This work gives novel insights into electrolyte and interface design, potentially paving the way for high-energy-density, long-life-span, and thermally safe lithium metal batteries.

A Dynamically Stable Mixed Conducting Interphase for All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

All-solid-state lithium (Li) metal batteries (ASSLMBs) employing sulfide solid electrolytes have attracted increasing attention owing to superior safety and high energy density. However, the instability of sulfide electrolytes against Li metal induces the formation of two types of incompetent interphases, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and mixed conducting interphase (MCI), which significantly blocks rapid Li-ion transport and induces uneven Li deposition and continuous interface degradation. In this contribution, a dynamically stable mixed conducting interphase (S-MCI) is proposed by in situ stress self-limiting reaction to achieve the compatibility of Li metal with composite sulfide electrolytes (Li6 PS5 Cl (LPSCl) and Li10 GeP2 S12 (LGPS)). The rational design of composite electrolytes utilizes the expansion stress induced by the electrolyte decomposition to in turn constrain the further decomposition of LGPS. Consequently, the S-MCI inherits the high dynamical stability of LPSCl-derived SEI and the lithiophilic affinity of Li-Ge alloy in LGPS-derived MCI. The Li||Li symmetric cells with the protection of S-MCI can operate stably for 1500 h at 0.5 mA cm-2 and 0.5 mAh cm-2 . The Li||NCM622 full cells present stable cycling for 100 cycles at 0.1 C with a high-capacity retention of 93.7%. This work sheds fresh insight into constructing electrochemically stable interphase for high-performance ASSLMBs.

Reforming the Uniformity of Solid Electrolyte Interphase by Nanoscale Structure Regulation for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries.

The stability of high-energy-density lithium metal batteries depends on the uniformity of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on lithium metal anodes. Rationally improving SEI uniformity is hindered by poorly understanding the effect of structure and components of SEI on its uniformity. Herein, a bilayer structure of SEI formed by isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) additives in localized high-concentration electrolytes was demonstrated to improve SEI uniformity. In the bilayer SEI, LiNx Oy generated by ISDN occupies top layer and LiF dominates bottom layer next to anode. The uniformity of lithium deposition is remarkably improved with the bilayer SEI, mitigating the consumption rate of active lithium and electrolytes. The cycle life of lithium metal batteries with bilayer SEI is three times as that with common anion-derived SEI under practical conditions. A prototype lithium metal pouch cell of 430 Wh kg-1 undergoes 173 cycles. This work demonstrates the effect of a reasonable structure of SEI on reforming SEI uniformity.

Thermoresponsive Electrolytes for Safe Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Exploring advanced strategies in alleviating the thermal runaway of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) is critically essential. Herein, a novel electrolyte system with thermoresponsive characteristics is designed to largely enhance the thermal safety of 1.0 Ah LMBs. Specifically, vinyl carbonate (VC) with azodiisobutyronitrile is introduced as a thermoresponsive solvent to boost the thermal stability of both the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and electrolyte. First, abundant poly(VC) is formed in SEI with thermoresponsive electrolyte, which is more thermally stable against lithium hexafluorophosphate compared to the inorganic components widely acquired in routine electrolyte. This increases the critical temperature for thermal safety (the beginning temperature of obvious self-heating) from 71.5 to 137.4 °C. The remained VC solvents can be polymerized into poly(VC) as the battery temperature abnormally increases. The poly(VC) can not only afford as a barrier to prevent the direct contact between electrodes, but also immobilize the free liquid solvents, thereby reducing the exothermic reactions between electrodes and electrolytes. Consequently, the internal-short-circuit temperature and "ignition point" temperature (the starting temperature of thermal runaway) of LMBs are largely increased from 126.3 and 100.3 °C to 176.5 and 203.6 °C. This work provides novel insights for pursuing thermally stable LMBs with the addition of various thermoresponsive solvents in commercial electrolytes.

Thermally Stable Polymer-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Safe Lithium Metal Pouch Cells.

Serious safety risks caused by the high reactivity of lithium metal against electrolytes severely hamper the practicability of lithium metal batteries. By introducing unique polymerization site and more fluoride substitution, we built an in situ formed polymer-rich solid electrolyte interphase upon lithium anode to improve battery safety. The fluorine-rich and hydrogen-free polymer exhibits high thermal stability, which effectively reduces the continuous exothermic reaction between electrolyte and anode/cathode. As a result, the critical temperature for thermal safety of 1.0 Ah lithium-LiNi0.5 Co0.2 Mn0.3 O2 pouch cell can be increased from 143.2 °C to 174.2 °C. The more dangerous "ignition" point of lithium metal batteries, the starting temperature of battery thermal runaway, has been dramatically raised from 240.0 °C to 338.0 °C. This work affords novel strategies upon electrolyte design, aiming to pave the way for high-energy-density and thermally safe lithium metal batteries.

Operando Quantified Lithium Plating Determination Enabled by Dynamic Capacitance Measurement in Working Li-Ion Batteries.

The access to full performance of state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is hindered by the mysterious lithium plating behavior. A rapid quantified lithium plating determination method compatible with actual working conditions is an urgent necessity for safe working LIBs. In this contribution, the relationship between electrical double layer (EDL) capacitance and electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) of graphite anodes during the Li-ion intercalation and Li plating processes is unveiled. We propose an operando lithium plating determination method based on the dynamic capacitance measurement (DCM) test. Reasonable selection of alternating current (AC) frequency protects the anodic responses from the interference of cathodic responses, which allows DCM to be applied in practical LIBs. The onset of lithium plating can be quantitatively traced, demonstrating the promise for real-time operando determination for lithium plating in a working battery.

[Updated studies on the immunotherapy of prostate cancer].

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common urogenital malignancy in elderly men, for which current treatment strategies include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and androgen-deprivation therapy. However, PCa patients with recurrence or metastasis may ultimately develop therapeutic resistance. Recent studies show that PCa is an immunosensitive tumor and immunotherapy is a feasible option for its treatment, which involves therapeutic vaccination, immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor microenvironment regulators, bi-specific antibodies, and adoptive cell metastasis. The application of immunotherapy, however, has been hindered by the adverse reactions of the patients and limited effects of single-drug medication. Individualized treatment and combination therapy are expected to be the alternatives in the development of the treatments of PCa.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation restores hematopoiesis in acute radiation disease.

OBJECTIVE: Nuclear technology has been widely used in military and civilian fields, and radiotherapy is an effective and common form of treatment for cancer. However, acute radiation disease caused by high doses of radiation is a serious complication. The aim of this study was to investigate the chance of mitigating radiation-triggered hematopoiesis failure using human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (HUCMSC) transplantation. METHODS: Umbilical cords were obtained from three full-term female neonatus through cesarean section at Xinqiao Hospital. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were cultivated as depicted before. Briefly, monocytes were collected from bone marrow blood by means of density separation columns. An acute radiation disease mouse model was established to compare the restoration effect of HUCMSCs and BMSCs transplanted via the tail vein. The hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) mouse model was obtained through bone marrow cell transplantation (BMCT) from C57BL/6 mice (H-2b, donor) to female CB6F1 mice (H-2b×d, recipient) after irradiation. The mice were divided into five groups, including control (saline), irradiated (radiation), bone marrow (HSCT, transplanted 1×106 BM cells), HUCMSC (transplanted a mixture of 1×106 HUCMSCs and 1×106 BM cells), and BMSC group (transplanted a mixture of 1×106 BMSCs and 1×106 BM cells). The blood condition results were used to test the radiation-induced inflammatory reaction, and bone marrow pathological staining (H&E) was used to determine the radiation-induced bone marrow hematopoiesis failure. RESULTS: After radiation, HUCMSC transplantation significantly improved the survival rate. By analyzing the blood condition test, colony formation, and bone marrow pathology, it was found that the HUCMSC group demonstrated significant functional improvements in terms of the recovery from hematopoiesis failure and reduction of inflammatory reaction. CONCLUSIONS: HUCMSCs have more advantages over BMSCs in restoring and promoting the recovery of radiation-induced hematopoietic damage, thus having a new therapeutic potential for patients with acute radiation disease.

Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.

Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from canines to humans and livestock. Periodic deworming is recommended by the WHO/OIE as a highly effective measure against echinococcosis. However, manual deworming involves significant challenges, particularly in remote areas with scarce resources. The insufficient awareness delivering praziquantel (PZQ) baits for dogs leads to low compliance rate. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a novel smart collar for dogs to address these challenges. We developed a smart Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming collar which can deliver PZQ baits for dogs automatically, regularly, quantitatively with predominant characteristics of being waterproof, anti-collision, cold-proof and long life battery. Its performance was tested in two remote locations on the Tibetan Plateau. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the compliance of the dog owners. Further, a randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the difference between smart-collar deworming and manual deworming. The collar's effectiveness was further assessed on the basis of Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE). The testing and evaluation was done for 10 smart deworming collars in factory laboratory, 18 collars attached for 18 dogs in Seni district, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, and 523 collars attached for 523 dogs in Hezuo city, Gansu province, China. The anti-collision, waterproof, and coldproof proportion of the smart collars were 100.0%, 99.5%, and 100.0%, respectively. When compared to manual deworming, the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus on smart-collar deworming is down to 0.182 times (95% CI: 0.049, 0.684) in Seni district and 0.355 (95%CI: 0.178, 0.706) in Hezuo city, the smart collar has a significant protective effect. The owners' overall compliance rate to attach the smart collars for their dogs was 89%. The smart deworming collar could effectively reduce the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus in dogs, significantly increase the deworming frequency and coverage and rapidly remove worm biomass in dogs. Thus, it may be a promising alternative to manual deworming, particularly in remote areas on the Tibetan Plateau.

A remote management system for control and surveillance of echinococcosis: design and implementation based on internet of things.

BACKGROUND: As a neglected cross-species parasitic disease transmitted between canines and livestock, echinococcosis remains a global public health concern with a heavy disease burden. In China, especially in the epidemic pastoral communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the harsh climate, low socio-economic status, poor overall hygiene, and remote and insufficient access to all owned dogs exacerbate the difficulty in implementing the ambitious control programme for echinococcosis. We aimed to design and implement a remote management system (RMS) based on internet of things (IoT) for control and surveillance of echinococcosis by combining deworming devices to realise long-distance smart deworming control, smooth statistical analysis and result display. New methods and tools are urgently needed to increase the deworming coverage and frequency, promote real-time scientific surveillance, and prevent transmission of echinococcosis in remoted transmission areas. METHODS: From 2016 to 2019, we had cooperated and developed the smart collar and smart feeder with the Central Research Institute of Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) and Shenzhen Jizhi Future Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen, China). From September 2019 to March 2020, We had proposed the RMS based on IoT as a novel tool to control smart deworming devices to deliver efficient praziquantel (PZQ) baits to dogs regularly and automatically and also as a smart digital management platform to monitor, analyse, and display the epidemic trends of echinococcosis dynamically, in real time in Hezuo City, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. Starting from January 2018, The RMS has been maintained and upgraded by Shanghai Yier Information Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). The database was based on MySQL tools and the Chi-square test was used to probe the difference and changes of variables in different groups. RESULTS: The smart collars are fully capable of anti-collision, waterproof, and cold-proof performance, and the battery's energy is sufficient, the anti-collision rate, water-proof rate, cold-proof rate and voltage normal rate is 99.6% (521/523), 100.0% (523/523), 100.0% (523/523) and 100.0% (523/523), respectively. The RMS can accurately analyse the monitoring data and parameters including positive rates of canine faeces, and the prevalence of echinococcosis in the general population livestock, and children. The data of dogs deworming and surveillance for echinococcosis is able to be controlled using RMS and has expanded gradually in townships to the whole Hezuo region. The automatic delivering PZQ rate, collar positioning rate, deliver PZQ reminding rate, and fault report rate is 91.1% (1914/2102), 92.1% (13 580/14 745), 92.1% (1936/2102) and 84.7% (1287/1519), respectively. After using the RMS from 2019, the missing rate of monitoring data decreased from 32.1% (9/28) to 0 (0/16). A total of 48 administrators (3, 3, 8, 11, 23 at the provincial, municipal, county, township, village levels, respectively) participated in the questionnaire survey, with 93.8% of its overall satisfaction rate. CONCLUSIONS: The existing difficulties and challenges in the way of prevention and control for echinococcosis can partially be resolved using the innovative, IoT-based technologies and tools. The proposed RMS advance the upgrade of existing manual prevention and control models for echinococcosis, especially in the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as social distance and community blockade continue.

Prognostic Value of Changes in Preoperative and Postoperative Serum CA19-9 Levels in Gastric Cancer.

Objective: The prognostic significance of serum CA19-9 levels in gastric cancer patients remains a matter debate. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of changes in preoperative and postoperative serum CA19-9 levels in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 1,046 gastric cancer patients who underwent curative gastrectomy in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2011 to December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were categorized by minimum P-value using X-tile, while the baseline confounders for CA19-9 changes were balanced through propensity score matching (PSM). The relationships between CA19-9 changes and other clinicopathologic features were measured. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to explore the risk factors associated with survival outcomes. Results: We included 653 patients. Changes in CA19-9 levels significantly correlated with age, tumor size, macroscopic type, histological grade, T stage and TNM stage. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that patients with CA19-9 changes <20% had significant better overall survival than those with changes more than 20% (p < 0.001); Cox regression analysis revealed the CA19-9 change (p = 0.010), gender (p = 0.031), histological grade (p = 0.036) and TNM stage (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for survival after PSM. Stratification analysis indicated that patients with CA19-9 change more than 20% had worse prognosis that those with CA19-9 change no more than 20% in male (p = 0.002), poorly differentiated or undifferentiated type (p = 0.031) and TNM stage III (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Changes in preoperative and postoperative serum CA19-9 levels were closely associated with clinicopathological traits and was an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients. This parameter may be a reliable marker for prediction of survival.

Stripe and supersolid phases of spin-orbit coupled spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates in an optical lattice.

We study the ground-state phases of two-dimensional spin-orbit coupled spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates in a one-dimensional spin-dependent optical lattice. Due to the competition among optical lattice, spin-orbit coupling and spin-exchange interaction, the exotic ground-state phases are found, i.e. three types of the stripe phases and three types of the supersolid phases. The spin-exchange interaction can adjust the direction of the stripe in the stripe phase and generate various vortex lattice structures in the supersolid phase, which shows that the spin-exchange interaction plays an important role in the formation of the stripe and supersolid phases of spin-orbit coupled spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates in an optical lattice.

Visceral Fat Area (VFA) Superior to BMI for Predicting Postoperative Complications After Radical Gastrectomy: a Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity may impact surgical outcomes of gastrectomy. Whether visceral fat area (VFA) is a better obesity parameter than body mass index (BMI) is still controversial. The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy and effectiveness of VFA and BMI in predicting the short-term surgical outcomes of gastrectomy. METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer were measured for BMI and VFA preoperatively and then divided into a VFA-H (VFA-high) group and VFA-L (VFA-low) group, at the cutoff point of 100 cm2, and a BMI-H (BMI-high) group and BMI-L (BMI-low) group, at the cutoff point of 25 kg/m2. The short-term surgical outcomes were compared between the different groups. RESULTS: In total, 276 patients were enrolled in this study; 55 (19.9%) patients were classified into the BMI-H group, and 122 (44.2%) patients were classified into the VFA-H group. There was a significant correlation between BMI and VFA (r = 0.652, p < 0.001). Compared with the VFA-L group, the VFA-H group had a higher incidence of postoperative complications (31.1% vs. 13.0%; p < 0.001), longer operation duration (270.0 (235.0-305.0) vs. 255.0 (223.8-295.0), p = 0.046), and more blood loss (100.0 (100.0-150.0) vs. 80.0 (80.0-100.0), p < 0.001), while the BMI-H group had more blood loss than the BMI-L group (100.0 (100.0-120.0) vs. 100.0(80.0-100.0), p = 0.006). Logistic regression showed that VFA was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio 2.813, 95% CI 1.523-5.194; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: For gastric cancer patients, VFA is superior to BMI in accurately and effectively illuminating the impact of obesity on short-term surgical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02800005.

"Four-Step Procedure" of laparoscopic exploration for gastric cancer in West China Hospital: a retrospective observational analysis from a high-volume institution in China.

BACKGROUND: The preoperative work-up has limitations on finding peritoneal dissemination (PD) in gastric cancer patients. Laparoscopic exploration (LE) can discover radiographically occult PD, obtain accurate stage and avert futile laparotomy. The aim of our study was to introduce "Four-Step Procedure" LE in West China Hospital and further evaluate its safety and feasibility. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis on 165 patients from July 2016 to December 2017 who underwent "Four-Step Procedure" LE in gastrointestinal surgery department of West China Hospital. All the patients were diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma without explicit distant metastasis through Computed Tomography and/or Gastrointestinal Ultrasonography. Peritoneal lavage cytological examination (CY) was routinely performed during LE in our research. The "Four-Step" technical process of LE was introduced comprehensively. The clinicopathologic features and the presence of PD or CY at LE were analyzed, and the stratified analysis by cT and cN stages on the proportion of P1 and/or CY1 was also reported in this study. RESULTS: Total of 165 patients accepted LE in our study, among these patients: 27 (16.4%) patients with P1 and/or CY1: 19 (11.5%) patients were found PD (P1), 17 (10.3%) patients with positive cytological examination (CY1) and 9 (3.6%) patients with P1Cy1. The stratified analysis by cT stage indicated that there was no P1 and/or Cy1 in cT1-cT2 stages, 1 (2.7%) patient with P1 and 1 (2.7%) with Cy1 in cT3 stage, 18 (20.0%) patients with P1 and 16 (17.8%) with Cy1 in cT4 stage. After LE, there were 74 (44.8%) patients underwent laparoscopic assistant gastrectomy, 25 (15.2%) patients with open gastrectomy, 50 (30.3%) patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 16 (9.7%) patients with palliative chemotherapy and/or conversion therapy. CONCLUSION: "Four-Step Procedure" LE is reliable and feasible for gastric cancer. From our study, LE has unique superiority on ascertaining PD and cytological examination and LE should be recommended in cT4 stage gastric cancer before resection.

Ground-state phases of spin-orbit coupled spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate in a plane quadrupole field.

We study the ground-state phases of two-dimensional spin-orbit coupled spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate loaded in a plane quadrupole field. In the absence of rotation, for the fixed spin-orbit coupling strength, the ordinary stripe phase is found when the strength of the magnetic field gradient is small. As the strength of magnetic field gradient enhances, the system realizes the phases with three layer vortices along the radial direction. The number of vortices in the second layer is successively increased and the vortices in the outermost layer disappear when the strength of magnetic field gradient surpass the critical value. For the large strength of magnetic field gradient, the system only has the inner layer vortices. The magnetic field inhibits the region of vortices. For the fixed magnetic field gradient strength, the vortices of the system elongate along the radial direction and form a series of vortex lines, the number of the vortex line increases as the strength of spin-orbit coupling enhances. By adding the rotation, for the fixed strengths of spin-orbit coupling and magnetic field gradient, the number of second layer vortices also successively increases as the rotational frequency increases. The number of vortices in the certain layer of the ground-state density can be regularly changed under the effects of the magnetic field and spin-orbit coupling.

Spin-orbit coupling induced three-dimensional topological objects in attractive Bose-Einstein condensates.

Attractive Bose-Einstein condensates of dilute alkali gases are unstable against collapse in two- and three-dimensional free space. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that the spin-orbit coupling of the two-component condensates counteracts the tendency of collapse and makes the system preferable to an extended spatial distribution in the three-dimensional case. Furthermore, stable topological objects can be formed in the condensates, which are shown to be the lowest energy states. Two configurations of the density profiles, called three-dimensional skyrmion and three-dimensional dimeron, respectively, are identified depending on the strength of the spin-orbit coupling.

miR-93­mediated collagen expression in stress urinary incontinence via calpain-2.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and mechanism of microRNA (miR)­93 in collagen expression in stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Vaginal tissue, primary fibroblasts and SUI primary fibroblasts were obtained to detect the expression of miR­93, interstitial collagenase (MMP1), collagen I and calpain­2. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect the levels of miR­93 and MMP1. Western blotting was used to evaluate the protein levels of calpain­2, MMP1 and collagen I. MMP1 and hydroxyproline levels in the supernatant were measured by ELISA. The association between miR­93 and calpain­2 was investigated by luciferase reporter assays. The expression of miR­93 and collagen I was significantly downregulated in the SUI group, while the expression of calpain­2 and MMP1 was significantly upregulated. ELISA analysis demonstrated that the MMP1 level increased and the hydroxyproline level decreased in the SUI group. Additionally, calpain­2 was identified to be a target of miR­93, and miR­93 was able to negatively regulate the expression of calpain­2. Restoration of calpain­2 in miR­93­overexpresseing SUI primary fibroblasts reversed the alteration in hydroxyproline expression, indicating that calpain­2 was negatively associated with collagen expression. The results of the present study suggested that miR­93 regulated MMP1 and collagen I expression in fibroblasts via calpain­2. miR­93 mediated collagen expression in stress urinary incontinence via calpain­2.

Deworming of stray dogs and wild canines with praziquantel-laced baits delivered by an unmanned aerial vehicle in areas highly endemic for echinococcosis in China.

BACKGROUND: Canines, the definitive hosts for the parasites causing alveolar (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE), are the main source of this infections playing the key role in the transmission. The ten-year mortality rate of AE is extremely high (94%) if the patients are not given sustained treatment. The aim of this field study is to explore the possibility of delivery of praziquantel-laced baits using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) aimed at deworming wild canines in the endemic areas. METHODS: UAVs were compared to manual bait delivery in the 1-km2 test areas followed by testing of canine faeces using an Echinococcus coproantigen ELISA test in the ensuing year. The outcomes of the two approaches were compared with respect to time of delivery and overall cost. FINDINGS: Compared to manual bait delivery, delivery by UAVs saved up to 67% of the overall cost. Three times more staff was needed for the former approach compared to the latter and, time wise, UAV bait delivery saved 350% compared to manual bait delivery on average. With regard to investment needed, the use of UAVs showed an efficiency 2.5 times better than manual bait delivery. Compared to the area served by UAVs, the average positive rate for the canine faecal samples was more than 38% higher in the area served manually. CONCLUSION: The technique of bait delivery with praziquantel using UAVs for canine deworming has a strong potential with regard to savings of manpower, time and overall cost in areas highly endemic for echinococcosis.