Evaluating the Impact of an Organic Trace Mineral mix on the Redox Homeostasis, Immunity, and Performance of Sows and their Offspring.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of trace mineral supplementation in sows during gestation and lactation on the performance and health status of sows and their offspring. Sows (n = 30; Landrace × Yorkshire; avg parity = 3.9) were randomly allocated into two dietary treatments. Sows received a basal diet supplemented with 12 mg/kg Cu, 30 mg/kg Fe, 90 mg/kg Zn, 70 mg/kg Mn, 0.30 mg/kg Se, and 1.5 mg/kg I from an inorganic trace mineral source (ITM) or a blend of hydroxychloride and organic trace mineral source (HOTM) from day 1 of gestation until the end of the lactation period at day 21. Compared to the ITM, the HOTM supplementation increased (P < 0.05) both litter birth weight and individual piglet birth weight. Although not statistically significant, HOTM tended to increase (P = 0.069) the level of lactose in colostrum. HOTM increased (P < 0.05) the concentration of Mn and Se in the colostrum, milk, and serum of sows and/or piglets. Notably, the Zn concentration in the serum of sows was higher in sows supplemented with ITM compared to HOTM. Moreover, HOTM increased (P < 0.05) the activities of GPX and SOD in gestating sows and piglets, as well as increased (P < 0.05) cytokines (IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-10) in the serum of sows. The immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM) also increased in sows and/or piglets at certain experimental time points. In conclusion, HOTM supplementation positively affected piglet development and improved the health status of sows and piglets potentially by regulating redox homeostasis and immunity.

TRPML1 gating modulation by allosteric mutations and lipids (Design of allosteric mutations that recapitulate the gating of TRPML1).

Transient Receptor Potential Mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) is a lysosomal cation channel whose loss-of-function mutations directly cause the lysosomal storage disorder mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV). TRPML1 can be allosterically regulated by various ligands including natural lipids and small synthetic molecules and the channel undergoes a global movement propagated from ligand-induced local conformational changes upon activation. In this study, we identified a functionally critical residue, Tyr404, at the C-terminus of the S4 helix, whose mutations to tryptophan and alanine yield gain- and loss-of-function channels, respectively. These allosteric mutations mimic the ligand activation or inhibition of the TRPML1 channel without interfering with ligand binding and both mutant channels are susceptible to agonist or antagonist modulation, making them better targets for screening potent TRPML1 activators and inhibitors. We also determined the high-resolution structure of TRPML1 in complex with the PI(4,5)P 2 inhibitor, revealing the structural basis underlying this lipid inhibition. In addition, an endogenous phospholipid likely from sphingomyelin is identified in the PI(4,5)P 2 -bound TRPML1 structure at the same hotspot for agonists and antagonists, providing a plausible structural explanation for the inhibitory effect of sphingomyelin on agonist activation.

Inhibition and Mechanism of Citral on Bacillus cereus Vegetative Cells, Spores, and Biofilms.

Bacillus cereus causes food poisoning by producing toxins that cause diarrhea and vomiting and, in severe cases, endocarditis, meningitis, and other diseases. It also tends to form biofilms and spores that lead to contamination of the food production environment. Citral is a potent natural antibacterial agent, but its antibacterial activity against B. cereus has not been extensively studied. In this study, we first determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations, growth curves, killing effect in different media, membrane potential, intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), reactive oxygen species levels, and morphology of vegetative cells, followed by germination rate, morphology, germination state of spores, and finally biofilm clearance effect. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations of citral against bacteria ranged from 100 to 800 µg/mL. The lag phase of bacteria was effectively prolonged by citral, and the growth rate of bacteria was slowed down. Bacteria in Luria-Bertani broth were reduced to below the detection limit by citral at 800 µg/mL within 0.5 h. Bacteria in rice were reduced to 3 log CFU/g by citral at 4000 µg/mL within 0.5 h. After treatment with citral, intracellular ATP concentration was reduced, membrane potential was altered, intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration was increased, and normal cell morphology was altered. After treatment with citral at 400 µg/mL, spore germination rate was reduced to 16.71%, spore morphology was affected, and spore germination state was altered. It also had a good effect on biofilm removal. The present study showed that citral had good bacteriostatic activity against B. cereus vegetative cells and its spores and also had a good clearance effect on its biofilm. Citral has the potential to be used as a bacteriostatic substance for the control of B. cereus in food industry production.

Factors Affecting Patient Satisfaction with Double-Eyelid Blepharoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Blepharoplasty is a common surgical technique performed in individuals seeking aesthetic enhancement. Thus, it is essential to investigate the factors influencing postoperative satisfaction from the patient's perspective. In this study, patient-rated outcome measure questionnaires were used to identify the factors affecting patient satisfaction after full-incision upper blepharoplasty. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed patients who underwent full-incision upper blepharoplasty at an outpatient clinic in China. The questionnaire responses were collected by telephone, text messaging, or email at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: In total, 149 questionnaires were collected. After a mean follow-up of 23.23 months, the patients' overall satisfaction rate was 89.43%. The factors that significantly affected postoperative satisfaction were the patient's education level, the source of referral to the surgeon, the patient's understanding of the surgical risks, application of a cold compress after surgery as recommended, unsatisfactory postoperative double-eyelid width, postoperative bilateral asymmetry, apparent postoperative cicatrices, and postoperative caterpillar-like appearance of the double eyelids. Education level, apparent postoperative cicatrices, and postoperative bilateral asymmetry influenced the patient's satisfaction with the surgical outcome. The patient's understanding of the surgical risks, unsatisfactory postoperative double-eyelid width, postoperative bilateral asymmetry, apparent postoperative cicatrices, and postoperative caterpillar-like appearance influenced the satisfaction of the patient's family and friends. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative bilateral asymmetry, apparent postoperative cicatrices, and a low education level of the patient are independent factors that negatively affect patient satisfaction with the outcome of double-eyelid blepharoplasty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Disease types and pathogenic mechanisms induced by PM2.5 in five human systems: An analysis using omics and human disease databases.

Atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can harm various systems in the human body. Due to limitations in the current understanding of epidemiology and toxicology, the disease types and pathogenic mechanisms induced by PM2.5 in various human systems remain unclear. In this study, the disease types induced by PM2.5 in the respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and female and male urogenital systems have been investigated and the pathogenic mechanisms identified at molecular level. The results reveal that PM2.5 is highly likely to induce pulmonary emphysema, reperfusion injury, malignant thyroid neoplasm, ovarian endometriosis, and nephritis in each of the above systems respectively. The most important co-existing gene, cellular component, biological process, molecular function, and pathway in the five systems targeted by PM2.5 are Fos proto-oncogene (FOS), extracellular matrix, urogenital system development, extracellular matrix structural constituent conferring tensile strength, and ferroptosis respectively. Differentially expressed genes that are significantly and uniquely targeted by PM2.5 in each system are BTG2 (respiratory), BIRC5 (circulatory), NFE2L2 (endocrine), TBK1 (female urogenital) and STAT1 (male urogenital). Important disease-related cellular components, biological processes, and molecular functions are specifically induced by PM2.5. For example, response to wounding, blood vessel morphogenesis, body morphogenesis, negative regulation of response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, and response to type I interferon are the top uniquely existing biological processes in each system respectively. PM2.5 mainly acts on key disease-related pathways such as the PD-L1 expression and PD-1 checkpoint pathway in cancer (respiratory), cell cycle (circulatory), apoptosis (endocrine), antigen processing and presentation (female urogenital), and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction (male urogenital). This study provides a novel analysis strategy for elucidating PM2.5-related disease types and is an important supplement to epidemiological investigation. It clarifies the risks of PM2.5 exposure, elucidates the pathogenic mechanisms, and provides scientific support for promoting the precise prevention and treatment of PM2.5-related diseases.

Thoracic SMARCA4-Deficient Undifferentiated Tumor Mimicking Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma on FDG PET/CT.

ABSTRACT: We describe contrast-enhanced CT and FDG PET/CT findings in a case of thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumor with extensive pleural involvement and mediastinal lymph node metastases. Contrast-enhanced CT showed multiple enhancing right-sided pleural masses and soft tissue plaques and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. The pleural lesions and mediastinal lymph nodes showed intense FDG uptake mimicking malignant pleural mesothelioma with mediastinal lymph node metastases.

Comparison of learning curves and related postoperative indicators between endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUD: Endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) and robotic thyroidectomy (RT) yield similar perioperative outcomes. This study investigated how the learning curve (LC) affects perioperative outcomes between ET and RT, identifying factors that influence the LC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two researchers individually searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for relevant studies published until February 2024. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessed study quality. Random effects model was used to compute the odds ratio and weighted mean difference (WMD). Poisson regression comparison of the number of surgeries (NLC) was required for ET and RT to reach the stable stage of the LC. Heterogeneity was measured using Cochran's Q. Publication bias was tested using funnel plots, and sensitivity analysis assessed findings robustness. Subgroup analysis was done by operation type and patient characteristics. RESULTS: This meta-analysis involved 33 studies. The drainage volume of ET was higher than that of RT (WMD=-17.56 [30.22, -4.49]). After reaching the NLC, the operation time of ET and RT was shortened (ET: WMD=28.15[18.04, 38.26]; RT: WMD=38.53[29.20, 47.86]). Other perioperative outcomes also improved to varying degrees. Notably, RT showed more refined central lymph node resection(5.67 vs. 4.71), less intraoperative bleeding (16.56 mL vs. 42.30 mL), and incidence of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury(24.59 vs. 26.77). The NLC of RT was smaller than that of ET(Incidence-rate ratios [IRR]=0.64[0.57, 0.72]). CUSUM analysis (ET: IRR=0.84[0.72, 0.99]; RT: IRR=0.55[0.44, 0.69]) or a smaller number of respondents (ET: IRR=0.26[0.15, 0.46]; RT: IRR=0.51[0.41, 0.63]) was associated with smaller NLC. In RT, transoral approach (IRR=2.73[1.96, 4.50]; IRR=2.48[1.61, 3.84]) and retroauricular approach (RAA) (IRR=2.13[1.26, 3.60]; IRR=1.78[1.04, 3.05]) had smaller NLC compared to bilateral axillo-breast and transaxillary approach (TAA). In ET, the NLC of RAA was smaller than that of TAA (IRR=1.61[1.04, 2.51]), breast approach(IRR=1.67[1.06, 2.64]), and subclavian approach(IRR=1.80[1.03, 3.14]). CONCLUSIONS: Rich surgical experience can improve surgical results of ET and RT. After reaching the NLC, the perioperative outcomes of RT are better than those of ET. Study subjects, surgical approaches, and analysis methods can affect NLC.

SHH induces macrophage oxidative phosphorylation and efferocytosis to promote scar formation.

Excessive scar formation such as hypertrophic scars and keloids, resulting from trauma or surgical procedures, present a widespread concern for causing disfigurement, discomfort, and functional limitations. Macrophages play pivotal roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis, orchestrating tissue development, repair, and immune responses, and its transition of function and phenotype plays a critical role in regulating the balance between inflammation and tissue regeneration, which is central to cutaneous scar formation. Recent evidence suggests the involvement of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) in the induction of anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophage phenotypes within tumor microenvironments. In our study, we observed increased SHH expression in human hypertrophic scars, prompting an investigation into its influence on macrophage polarization, efferocytosis, and cutaneous scar formation. Our findings reveal that SHH can enhance oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in macrophages, augment macrophage efferocytosis, and promote M2 polarization, finally contributing to the progression of cutaneous scar formation. Notably, targeting SHH signaling with vismodegib exhibited promising potential in mitigating scar formation by reversing the effects of enhanced OXPHOS and M2 polarization in macrophages. In conclusion, this study underscores the critical roles of macrophage metabolism, particularly OXPHOS, efferocytosis and SHH signaling in cutaneous scar formation. Understanding these mechanisms provides new avenues for potential interventions and scar prevention strategies.

Metal-Organic Framework with Space-Partition Pores by Fluorinated Anions for Benchmark C2H2/CO2 Separation.

The efficient separation of C2H2 from C2H2/CO2 or C2H2/CO2/CH4 mixtures is crucial for achieving high-purity C2H2 (>99%), essential in producing contemporary commodity chemicals. In this report, we present ZNU-12, a metal-organic framework with space-partitioned pores formed by inorganic fluorinated anions, for highly efficient C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CO2/CH4 separation. The framework, partitioned by fluorinated SiF62- anions into three distinct cages, enables both a high C2H2 capacity (176.5 cm3/g at 298 K and 1.0 bar) and outstanding C2H2 selectivity over CO2 (13.4) and CH4 (233.5) simultaneously. Notably, we achieve a record-high C2H2 productivity (132.7, 105.9, 98.8, and 80.0 L/kg with 99.5% purity) from C2H2/CO2 (v/v = 50/50) and C2H2/CO2/CH4 (v/v = 1/1/1, 1/1/2, or 1/1/8) mixtures through a cycle of adsorption-desorption breakthrough experiments with high recovery rates. Theoretical calculations suggest the presence of potent "2 + 2" collaborative hydrogen bonds between C2H2 and two hexafluorosilicate (SiF62-) anions in the confined cavities.

Association of sudden sensorineural hearing loss with meteorological factors: a time series study in Hefei, China, and a literature review.

Air pollution can cause disease and has become a major global environmental problem. It is currently believed that air pollution may be related to the progression of SSNHL. As a rapidly developing city in recent years, Hefei has serious air pollution. In order to explore the correlation between meteorological variables and SSNHL admissions, we conducted this study. This study investigated the short-term associations between SSNHL patients admitted to the hospital and Hefei climatic variables. The daily data on SSNHL-related hospital admissions and meteorological variables containing mean temperature (T-mean; °C), diurnal temperature range (DTR; °C), atmospheric pressure (AP; Hp), and relative humidity (RH; %), from 2014 to 2021 (2558 days), were collected. A time-series analysis integrating distributed lag non-linear models and generalized linear models was used. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched. Literature published up to August 2023 was reviewed to explore the potential impact mechanisms of meteorological factors on SSNHL. The mechanisms were determined in detail, focusing on wind speed, air pressure, temperature, humidity, and air pollutants. Using a median of 50.00% as a baseline, the effect of exceedingly low T-mean in the single-day hysteresis effect model began at a lag of 8 days (RR = 1.032, 95% CI: 1.001 ~ 1.064). High DTR affected the admission rate for SSNHL on lag 0 day. The significance of the effect was the greatest on that day (RR = 1.054, 95% CI: 1.007 ~ 1.104) and then gradually decreased. High and exceedingly high RH affected the admission rate SSNHL on lag 0 day, and these effects lasted for 8 and 7 days, respectively. There were significant associations between all grades of AP and SSNHL. This is the first study to assess the effect of meteorological variables on SSNHL-related admissions in China using a time-series approach. Long-term exposures to high DTR, RH values, low T-mean values, and all AP grades enhance the incidence of SSNHL in residents. Limiting exposure to extremes of ambient temperature and humidity may reduce the number of SSNHL-related hospital visits in the region. It is advisable to maintain a suitable living environment temperature and avoid extreme temperature fluctuations and high humidity. During periods of high air pollution, it is recommended to stay indoors and refrain from outdoor exercise.

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Disease Burden attributable to High Body Mass Index in Belt and Road Initiative Countries, 1990-2019.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of disease burden attributed to high body mass index (DB-hBMI) from 1990 to 2019 in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, in light of increasing hBMI prevalence worldwide. DESIGN: The study was a secondary analysis of global burden of disease 2019 (GBD 2019) that analyzed (using Joinpoint regression analysis) numbers and the age-standardized rate of mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of hBMI-induced diseases and their trends from 1990 to 2019 and in the final decade. SETTING: GBD 2019 study data for BRI countries were categorized by country, age, gender, and disease. PARTICIPANTS: GBD 2019 data were used to analyze DB-hBMI in BRI countries. RESULTS: In 2019, China, India, and Russia reported the highest mortality and DALYs among BRI countries. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized DALYs increased in Southeast Asia and South Asia, whereas many European countries saw declines. Notably, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Vietnam showed the steepest increases, with AAPC values of 4.42%, 4.19%, and 4.28%, respectively (all P<0.05). In contrast, Israel, Slovenia, and Poland experienced significant reductions, with APCC values of -1.70%, -1.63%, and -1.58%, respectively (all P<0.05). The most rapid increases among males were seen in Vietnam, Nepal, and Bangladesh, while Jordan, Poland, and Slovenia recorded the fastest declines among females. Across most BRI countries, the burden of diabetes and kidney diseases related to hBMI showed a significant uptrend. CONCLUSION: DB-hBMI varies significantly by region, age, gender, and disease type across BRI countries. It can pose a substantial threat to public health.

[The Effecacy and Safety of Daratumumab Based Regimens in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A Single-Center Real-World Data Analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of daratumumab based regimens in relapse and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) in the real world, as well as the impact of daratumumab on stem cell collection and engraftment. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with RRMM who received daratumumab in hematology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from February 2019 to March 2023 and had evaluable efficacy were retrospective analysis. RESULTS: All 43 RRMM patients were treated with daratumumab-based combination regimens, including Dd, DVd, DRd, Dkd, DId, and Dara-DECP. With median follow-up time 10.1 (2.1-36.6) months, the best overall response rate (ORR) was 74.4% and a best complete response rate (CR) was 25.6%. 1-year overall survival rate (OS) was 84.5%. The most common severe hematologic adverse events (Grade>3) are 3/4 grade leukopenia（18.6%）, and the most common severe non-hematologic adverse events were infusion-related reactions (IRRs， 20.9%) and infections（7.0%）. Multivariate prognostic analysis showed that extramedullary infiltration was an independent adverse prognostic factor affecting OS （P =0.004）. The use of daratumumab has no effect on stem cell collection, or engraftment. CONCLUSION: Daratumumab is safe and effective in RRMM.

Innovation and entrepreneurship of Chinese returning migrant workers in their home region.

This study aims to investigate the influence of pre-entrepreneurial career mobility frequency and job changes among returning migrant workers (RMWs) on the innovation level of enterprises, with a particular focus on the mediating role of urban social capital accumulated by RMWs. Using data from the "current entrepreneurial status of RMWs", we applied an ordered probit model to validate our hypotheses. To address endogeneity, a recursive bivariate probit model was used, and stepwise regression combined with bootstrap methods was employed to ascertain the mediating influence of urban social capital. Our results demonstrate a significant positive correlation (P < 0.01) between pre-entrepreneurial career mobility frequency and the innovation level of enterprises among RMWs. However, there's a notable negative correlation (P < 0.01) between experiences as elementary workers and enterprise innovation level, while technical and marketing roles correlate positively (P < 0.01) with enterprise innovation level. Urban social capital mediates the relationship between career mobility and enterprise innovation level, suggesting that career mobility enhance urban social capital accumulation, influencing RMWs' enterprise innovation levels. This empirical evidence holds even after robustness tests. We further observed that RMWs with fewer than three career moves lean towards low level of enterprise innovation, while those with three or more gravitate towards high level of enterprise innovation. This study advances the theory of career mobility and enriches the understanding of enterprise innovation levels. Additionally, it provides critical theoretical insights for prospective RMWs entrepreneurs in strategizing their career mobility and job changes. Policy implications suggest that, in addition to providing entrepreneurial support, the government should facilitate pre-entrepreneurial career mobility channels for migrant workers and consider the transition from rural to urban employment as a socialized ritual for RMWs engaging in entrepreneurship.

Transcriptomic and neuroimaging data integration enhances machine learning classification of schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia is a polygenic disorder associated with changes in brain structure and function. Integrating macroscale brain features with microscale genetic data may provide a more complete overview of the disease etiology and may serve as potential diagnostic markers for schizophrenia. Objective: We aim to systematically evaluate the impact of multi-scale neuroimaging and transcriptomic data fusion in schizophrenia classification models. Methods: We collected brain imaging data and blood RNA sequencing data from 43 patients with schizophrenia and 60 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, and we extracted multi-omics features of macroscale brain morphology, brain structural and functional connectivity, and gene transcription of schizophrenia risk genes. Multi-scale data fusion was performed using a machine learning integration framework, together with several conventional machine learning methods and neural networks for patient classification. Results: We found that multi-omics data fusion in conventional machine learning models achieved the highest accuracy (AUC ~0.76-0.92) in contrast to the single-modality models, with AUC improvements of 8.88 to 22.64%. Similar findings were observed for the neural network, showing an increase of 16.57% for the multimodal classification model (accuracy 71.43%) compared to the single-modal average. In addition, we identified several brain regions in the left posterior cingulate and right frontal pole that made a major contribution to disease classification. Conclusion: We provide empirical evidence for the increased accuracy achieved by imaging genetic data integration in schizophrenia classification. Multi-scale data fusion holds promise for enhancing diagnostic precision, facilitating early detection and personalizing treatment regimens in schizophrenia.

An imbalance data quality monitoring based on SMOTE-XGBOOST supported by edge computing.

Product assembly involves extensive production data that is characterized by high dimensionality, multiple samples, and data imbalance. The article proposes an edge computing-based framework for monitoring product assembly quality in industrial Internet of Things. Edge computing technology relieves the pressure of aggregating enormous amounts of data to cloud center for processing. To address the problem of data imbalance, we compared five sampling methods: Borderline SMOTE, Random Downsampling, Random Upsampling, SMOTE, and ADASYN. Finally, the quality monitoring model SMOTE-XGBoost is proposed, and the hyperparameters of the model are optimized by using the Grid Search method. The proposed framework and quality control methodology were applied to an assembly line of IGBT modules for the traction system, and the validity of the model was experimentally verified.

SR9009 attenuates inflammation-related NPMSC pyroptosis and IVDD through NR1D1/NLRP3/IL-1ß pathway.

Intervertebral disc is a highly rhythmical tissue. As a key factor linking biorhythm and inflammatory response, the shielding effect of NR1D1 in the process of intervertebral disc degeneration remains unclear. Here, we first confirmed that NR1D1 in the nucleus pulposus tissue presents periodic rhythmic changes and decreases in expression with intervertebral disc degeneration. Second, when NR1D1 was activated by SR9009 in vitro, NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and IL-1ß production were inhibited, while ECM synthesis was increased. Finally, the vivo experiments further confirmed that the activation of NR1D1 can delay the process of disc degeneration to a certain extent. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that NR1D1 can bind to IL-1ß and NLRP3 promoters, and that the NR1D1/NLRP3/IL-1ß pathway is involved in this process. Our results demonstrate that the activation of NR1D1 can effectively reduce IL-1ß secretion, alleviate LPS-induced NPMSC pyroptosis, and protect ECM degeneration.

A Chinese patent medicine's long-term efficacy on non-dialysis patients with CKD stages 3-5: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Chinese patent medicine is commonly used in China as an important treatment mechanism to thwart the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3-5, among which Niaoduqing granules are a representative Chinese patent medicine; however, its long-term efficacy on CKD prognosis remains unclear. Methods: Patients were grouped according to Niaoduqing granule prescription duration (non-Niaoduqing granule (non-NDQ) group vs Niaoduqing granule (NDQ) group). Serum creatinine (SCr) variation was compared using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Multivariate Cox regression models were constructed, adjusting for confounding factors, to explore the risk of composite outcomes (receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) or having an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<5 mL/min/1.73 m2, ≥50% decline in the eGFR from the baseline, and doubling of SCr) in individuals consuming Niaoduqing granules. Results: A total of 1,271 patients were included, with a median follow-up duration of 29.71 (12.10, 56.07) months. The mean SCr Z-scores for the non-NDQ group and NDQ group were -0.175 and 0.153, respectively, at baseline (p = 0.015). The coefficients of the NDQ group from visit 1 to visit 5 were -0.207 (95% CI: -0.346, -0.068, p = 0.004), -0.214 (95% CI: 0.389, -0.039, p = 0.017), -0.324 (95% CI: 0.538, -0.109, p = 0.003), -0.502 (95% CI: 0.761, -0.243, p = 0.000), and -0.252 (95% CI: 0.569, 0.065, p = 0.119), respectively. The survival probability was significantly higher in the NDQ group (p = 0.0039). Taking Niaoduqing granules was a significant protective factor for thwarting disease progression (model 1: HR 0.654 (95% CI 0.489-0.875, p = 0.004); model 2: HR 0.646 (95% CI 0.476, 0.877, p = 0.005); and model 3: HR 0.602 (95% CI 0.442, 0.820, p = 0.001)). Conclusion: The long-term use of Niaoduqing granules improved SCr variation and lowered the risk of CKD progression by 39.8%.

[Consistency evaluation of multidimensional quality attributes of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma by fusion of multi-source information].

The quality control of Chinese medicinal decoction pieces is one of the key tasks in the traditional Chinese medicine industry. In this study, multi-source information fusion was employed to fuse the data from near-infrared spectroscopy, electronic tongues, and other tests and establish an overall quality consistency evaluation method for Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, which provided methodological support for the overall quality evaluation of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma. The near-infrared spectroscopy information was measured in both static and dynamic states for 23 batches of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma samples from different sources, and the electronic tongue sensory information, moisture content, and leachate content were measured. The overall quality of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma was evaluated by multi-source information fusion. The results showed that the near-infrared spectroscopy information of 16122103, 801000509, 801000352, 701003656, HX21L01, and 160956 was different from that of other batches of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma powder in the static state, and 701003298, 16122103, 701003656, 701003107, 801000229, and 18090404 were the different batches in the dynamic state. The moisture content showed no significant difference between batches. The leachate content in the batch 801000509 was different from that in other batches. The electronic tongue sensory information of 150721004, 151237, 160703004, HX21M01, HX21K04, HX21K01, and 601003516 was different from that of other batches. Furthermore, data layer fusion was employed to analyze the overall quality of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma. Four batches, 150721004, HX21M01, HX21K04, and HX21K01, showed the parameters exceeding the 95% control limits and differed from the other samples in terms of the overall quality. This study integrated the information of moisture, near-infrared spectroscopy, and other sources to evaluate the quality consistency among 23 batches of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma samples, which provides a reference for the quality consistency evaluation of Chinese medicinal decoction pieces.

A Highly Conductive n-Type Conjugated Polymer Synthesized in Water.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a benchmark hole-transporting (p-type) polymer that finds applications in diverse electronic devices. Most of its success is due to its facile synthesis in water, exceptional processability from aqueous solutions, and outstanding electrical performance in ambient. Applications in fields like (opto-)electronics, bioelectronics, and energy harvesting/storage devices often necessitate the complementary use of both p-type and n-type (electron-transporting) materials. However, the availability of n-type materials amenable to water-based polymerization and processing remains limited. Herein, we present a novel synthesis method enabling direct polymerization in water, yielding a highly conductive, water-processable n-type conjugated polymer, namely, poly[(2,2'-(2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-phenylene)diacetic acid)-stat-3,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-2,6-dione] (PDADF), with remarkable electrical conductivity as high as 66 S cm-1, ranking among the highest for n-type polymers processed using green solvents. The new n-type polymer PDADF also exhibits outstanding stability, maintaining 90% of its initial conductivity after 146 days of storage in air. Our synthetic approach, along with the novel polymer it yields, promises significant advancements for the sustainable development of organic electronic materials and devices.