Elevated remnant cholesterol is a risk factor for acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: Remnant cholesterol (RC) is thought to be an important pathogenic risk factor for atherosclerosis, however, the relationship between RC and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is still unclear. This study aimed to determine whether fasting blood RC level is an independent risk factor for AIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 650 patients with AIS and 598 healthy controls during the same time period. The association between RC and AIS was investigated using binary logistic regression, and the relationship between RC and AIS risk was demonstrated using Restricted Cubic Splines (RCS). RESULTS: RC was significantly higher in the AIS group compared with control group, and was an independent risk factor for AIS when the covariates were not adjusted;After adjusting some covariates, RC was still an independent risk factor for AIS. The RCS analysis found the risk was non-linear: when RC concentration was less than 0.69 mol/L, the risk of AIS increased with the elevation of RC, and when RC concentration was more than or equal to 0.69 mol/L, the risk of AIS was insignificant with the elevation of RC. Correlation analysis revealed that RC was associated with diabetes and fasting glucose. Further analysis revealed that the incidence of AIS in diabetic patients increased significantly with the increase of RC, and RCS analysis revealed that the risk of AIS in diabetic patients increased with the increase of RC when RC was more than 1.15 mol/L. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms RC as an independent risk factor for AIS, which highlights a distinct non-linear association between RC levels and AIS risk. These findings suggest the need for targeted AIS risk assessment strategies, especially in diabetic patients, and underscore the relevance of RC as a biomarker in AIS risk stratification.

Enhancing Surface Strain of Intermetallic Fuel Cell Catalysts by Composition-Induced Phase Transition.

The lattice parameter of platinum-based intermetallic compounds (IMCs), which correlates with the intrinsic activity of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), can be modulated by crystal phase engineering. However, the controlled preparation of IMCs with unconventional crystal structures remains highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of carbon-supported PtCu-based IMC catalysts with an unconventional L10 structure by a composition-regulated strategy. Experiment and machine learning reveal that the thermodynamically favorable structure changes from L11 to L10 when slight Cu atoms are substituted with Co. Benefiting from crystal-phase-induced strain enhancement, the prepared L10-type PtCu0.8Co0.2 catalyst exhibits much-enhanced mass and specific activities of 1.82 A mgPt-1 and 3.27 mA cmPt-2, which are 1.91 and 1.73 times higher than those of the L11-type PtCu catalyst, respectively. Our work highlights the important role of crystal phase in determining the surface strain of IMCs, and opens a promising avenue for the rational preparation of IMCs with different crystal phases by doping.

Air oxidation of carbon supports boosts the low-humidity fuel cell performance.

We introduce a straightforward, yet effective strategy to combat the performance decline of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells in low-humidity environments. Our method centers on air-oxidizing carbon supports, significantly improving proton and oxygen transport within the cathode catalyst layer.

First report on establishment and characterization of the extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma cell line CBC2T-2.

BACKGROUND: Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma is extremely rare in clinical practice. These cells consist of both epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Patient-derived cell lines that maintain tumor characteristics are valuable tools for studying the molecular mechanisms associated with carcinosarcoma. However, cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma cell lines are not available in cell banks. AIM: To establish and characterize a new extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma cell line, namely CBC2T-2. METHODS: We conducted a short tandem repeat (STR) test to confirm the identity of the CBC2T-2 cell line. Furthermore, we assessed the migratory and invasive properties of the cells and performed clonogenicity assay to evaluate the ability of individual cells to form colonies. The tumorigenic potential of CBC2T-2 cells was tested in vivo using non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice. The cells were injected subcutaneously and tumor formation was observed. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis was carried out to examine the expression of epithelial marker CK19 and mesenchymal marker vimentin in both CBC2T-2 cells and xenografts. The CBC2T-2 cell line was used to screen the potential therapeutic effects of various clinical agents in patients with cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma. Lastly, whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify genetic alterations and screen for somatic mutations in the CBC2T-2 cell line. RESULTS: The STR test showed that there was no cross-contamination and the results were identical to those of the original tissue. The cells showed round or oval-shaped epithelioid cells and mesenchymal cells with spindle-shaped or elongated morphology. The cells exhibited a high proliferation ratio with a doubling time of 47.11 h. This cell line has migratory, invasive, and clonogenic abilities. The chromosomes in the CBC2T-2 cells were polyploidy, with numbers ranging from 69 to 79. The subcutaneous tumorigenic assay confirmed the in vivo tumorigenic ability of CBC2T-2 cells in NOD/SCID mice. CBC2T-2 cells and xenografts were positive for both the epithelial marker, CK19, and the mesenchymal marker, vimentin. These results suggest that CBC2T-2 cells may have both epithelial and mesenchymal characteristics. The cells were also used to screen clinical agents in patients with cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma, and a combination of paclitaxel and gemcitabine was found to be the most effective treatment option. CONCLUSION: We established the first human cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma cell line, CBC2T-2, with stable biogenetic traits. This cell line, as a research model, has a high clinical value and would facilitate the understanding of the pathogenesis of cholangiocarcinoma sarcoma.

Promoting ordering degree of intermetallic fuel cell catalysts by low-melting-point metal doping.

Carbon supported intermetallic compound nanoparticles with high activity and stability are promising cathodic catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. However, the synthesis of intermetallic catalysts suffers from large diffusion barrier for atom ordering, resulting in low ordering degree and limited performance. We demonstrate a low-melting-point metal doping strategy for the synthesis of highly ordered L10-type M-doped PtCo (M = Ga, Pb, Sb, Cu) intermetallic catalysts. We find that the ordering degree of the M-doped PtCo catalysts increases with the decrease of melting point of M. Theoretic studies reveal that the low-melting-point metal doping can decrease the energy barrier for atom diffusion. The prepared highly ordered Ga-doped PtCo catalyst exhibits a large mass activity of 1.07 A mgPt-1 at 0.9 V in H2-O2 fuel cells and a rated power density of 1.05 W cm-2 in H2-air fuel cells, with a Pt loading of 0.075 mgPt cm-2.

Etiology composition and prognosis of pediatric chronic critical illness in a pediatric intensive care unit / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the etiology composition and outcomes of pediatric chronic critical illness (PCCI) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).@*METHODS@#The children who were hospitalized in the PICU of Dongguan Children's Hospital Affiliated to Guangdong Medical University and met the diagnostic criteria for PCCI from January 2017 to December 2022 were included in the study. The etiology of the children was classified based on their medical records and discharge diagnoses. Relevant clinical data during hospitalization were collected and analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Among the 3 955 hospitalized children in the PICU from January 2017 to December 2022, 321 cases (8.12%) met the diagnostic criteria for PCCI. Among the 321 cases, the most common etiology was infection (71.3%, 229 cases), followed by unintentional injury (12.8%, 41 cases), postoperation (5.9%, 19 cases), tumors/immune system diseases (5.0%, 16 cases), and genetic and chromosomal diseases (5.0%, 16 cases). Among the 321 cases, 249 cases (77.6%) were discharged after improvement, 37 cases (11.5%) were discharged at the request of the family, and 35 cases (10.9%) died in the hospital. Among the deaths, infection accounted for 74% (26/35), unintentional injury accounted for 17% (6/35), tumors/immune system diseases accounted for 6% (2/35), and genetic and chromosomal diseases accounted for 3% (1/35). From 2017 to 2022, the proportion of PCCI in PICU diseases showed an increasing trend year by year (P<0.05). Among the 321 children with PCCI, there were 148 infants and young children (46.1%), 57 preschool children (17.8%), 54 school-aged children (16.8%), and 62 adolescents (19.3%), with the highest proportion in the infant and young children group (P<0.05). The in-hospital mortality rates of the four age groups were 14.9% (22/148), 8.8% (5/57), 5.6% (3/54), and 8.1% (5/62), respectively. The infant and young children group had the highest mortality rate, but there was no statistically significant difference among the four groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The proportion of PCCI in PICU diseases is increasing, and the main causes are infection and unintentional injury. The most common cause of death in children with PCCI is infection. The PCCI patient population is mainly infants and young children, and the in-hospital mortality rate of infant and young children with PCCI is relatively high.

Bibliometrics and visual analysis based on blood donor cohort study / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the relevant studies on blood donor cohort and explore the current research status, research hotspots and development trends of blood donor cohort studies abroad. 【Methods】 Based on the Web of Science Core Collection, the literature related to blood donor cohort was searched. After screening and data processing, bibliometric analysis was carried out from the volume of literature trends, disciplines, authors, institutional distribution and other aspects of the included literature. At the same time, CiteSpace 5.6R5 software was used to carry out visual analysis of countries/regions, literature co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering and keyword emergence. Results A total of 672 papers (654 research papers, 18 review papers) were included. The total number of papers published in the field of blood donor cohort study showed a steady upward trend since 1991, the fastest growth was between 2019 and 2020. The top three cited authors were Kaaks R (1 301 citations), Rinaldi S (1 186 citations) and Riboli E (1 130 citations); the top three institutions were RLUK library in the UK, the University of California and the University of Copenhagen; the top three countries/regions in the volume of literature were the United States (176 papers), Germany (64 papers) and France (54 papers), and they all co-operated closely with other countries. The top five keywords were "blood donor" , "prevalence" , "infection" , "risk" and "antibody" . A total of 19 clusters were obtained by keyword cluster analysis, it was reflected in the immune mechanism and prevalence of blood-borne diseases, the relationship between blood donation behavior and non-communicable disease and its influencing factors, and the classification of the characteristics of blood donors. "Non-hepatitis B" was the keyword with the greatest burst intensity. The keywords that have burst out in recent years and continue to this day include "donation" , "seroprev-alence" , "donor" and "management" . Conclusion At present, the cohort study of blood donors has been paid more and more attention in the world, and its research trends mainly focus on the study of transfusion-transmitted disease risk. However, more researches begin to pay attention to the health problems and influencing factors of blood donors or recipients, which provides the research ideas and directions for establishing cohort study among blood donors in China.

Correlation between serum nesfatin-1, apelin and HO-1 levels and the severity of diabetic retinopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To analyze the correlation between serum nesfatin-1, apelin and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)levels and the severity of diabetic retinopathy(DR).METHODS:Totally 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)who were admitted to the hospital from September 2020 to September 2022 were selected. They were divided into non-DR(NDR)group(35 cases), nonproliferative DR(NPDR)group(33 cases)and proliferative DR(PDR)group(32 cases)according to the condition of fundus lesions. Another 30 healthy individuals who received health check-ups in the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. Serum nesfatin-1, apelin and HO-1 levels in each group were detected, and panretinal ischemia index(ISI)was evaluated.RESULTS:Serum nesfatin-1 and HO-1 levels in the T2DM patients were lower, and apelin level was higher as compared with the control group. The levels of nesfatin-1 and HO-1 in the PDR group were the lowest, while the apelin level was the highest. Panretinal ISI in the PDR group was higher than that in the NPDR group(4.56±0.57 vs. 2.05±0.29, P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). Correlation analysis found that serum nesfatin-1 and HO-1 levels were negatively correlated with panretinal ISI in patients with DR, while apelin level was positively correlated with panretinal ISI. The receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve analysis found that the areas under the curves of serum nesfatin-1, apelin and HO-1 for predicting PDR were 0.842, 0.833 and 0.807 respectively.CONCLUSION:Serum nesfatin-1, apelin and HO-1 levels are closely related to the severity of DR. Dynamic monitoring of serum nesfatin-1, apelin and HO-1 levels is important for the early detection of PDR.

Ordered Intermetallic PtCu Catalysts Made from Pt@Cu Core/Shell Structures for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Platinum-based ordered intermetallic compounds are promising low-Pt catalysts toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for high-performance fuel cells. However, the synthesis of ordered intermetallic catalysts usually requires high-temperature annealing to overcome the energy barrier for atom diffusion, which leads to inevitable sintering of catalysts and greatly reduced mass-specific activity. Herein, we developed a new strategy to synthesize PtCu-ordered intermetallic catalysts by the generation of the Pt@Cu core/shell nanoparticles (Pt@Cu NPs) by Pt-assisted H2 reduction of Cu2+ with subsequent annealing at 500-1000 °C. Compared to the commonly used wet-impregnation method, the core/shell structure starts to form ordered PtCu alloys at a lower annealing temperature (500 °C). The Pt@Cu core/shell structure avoids the necessary process of Cu atoms diffusing to Pt NPs across the carbon supports occurred during high-temperature annealing in the wet-impregnation method, which ensures the formation of PtCu NPs with higher ordering degree while annealing at the same temperature. The highly ordered small-sized PtCu catalysts prepared by the core/shell strategy exhibit higher mass activity and specific activity compared to those prepared by the wet-impregnation method. Moreover, a positive correlation between the ORR activity and the ordering degree of the intermetallic PtCu NPs is identified, which could be associated with the increase of compressive strain with the ordering degree.

Schisantherin D from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. exhibits anti-liver fibrosis capacity via modulating ETBR involved signaling, an in vitro and in vivo study.

Excess levels of chemical hepatotoxicants (alcohol, aflatoxin B1), oxidative drugs (acetaminophen) and some cytokines (ET-1, TGF-ß1) can induce chronic or acute liver injury. After these, the severe hepatic disease, especially the liver fibrosis (LF) occurs without taking measures, which brings threat to human health. The dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans of S. chinensis (SCDLs) were found to act as the hepatoprotective components via blocking endothelin B receptor (ETBR). While study on its anti-LF mechanisms especially for its refined compound of schisantherin D (SC-D) is still a lack. So this study aims to investigate the anti-fibrosis effect of SC-D with in vitro and in vivo assays. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the close relations of ETBR to Smad2, Smad3, Nrf2, etc. in LF-related signaling pathways (such as TGF-ß/Smad and Nrf2/ARE). Histopathological staining on livers showed the recovery trend in SC-D treated LF mice. SC-D also modulated expressions of ETBR and fibrosis or anti-oxidative related proteins (such as TIMP1, p-Smad2/3, Nrf2, Smad7, etc.) in LF mice livers. Serum levels of TNF-α, COLI, ALT, AST and LDH in SC-D treated mice were also downregulated compared with LF mice, and upregulated expression of GSH. In vitro studies, SC-D also modulated expressions of LF-related proteins to the normal tendency in LX-2 cell, while weakened its anti- LX-2 proliferation effect by transfections of si-Smad7 or si-Nrf2. Accordingly the anti-LF approach of SC-D showed relations with modulating ETBR linked fibrosis and anti-oxidative related signaling. Also, Smad7 and Nrf2 might be the key factors for SC-D mediated anti-LF effect.

Correlation analysis of smell and taste loss with COVID-19 outbreak trend based on big data of internet / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To analyze the correlation between loss of smell/taste and the number of real confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide based on Google Trends data, and to explore the guiding role of smell/taste loss for the COVID-19 prevention and control. Methods: "Loss of smell" and "loss of taste" related keywords were searched in the Google Trends platform, the data were obtained from Jan. 1 2019 to Jul. 11 2021. The daily and newly confirmed COVID-19 case number were collected from World Health Organization (WHO) since Dec. 30 2019. All data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 23.0 software. The correlation was finally tested by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: A total of data from 80 weeks were collected. The retrospective analysis was performed on the new trend of COVID-19 confirmed cases in a total of 186 292 441 cases worldwide. Since the epidemic of COVID-19 was recorded on the WHO website, the relative searches related to loss of smell/taste in the Google Trends platform had been increasing globally. The global relative search volumes of "loss of smell" and "loss of taste" on Google Trends was 10.23±2.58 and 16.33±2.47 before the record of epidemic while 80.25±39.81 and 80.45±40.04 after (t value was 8.67, 14.43, respectively, both P<0.001). In the United States and India, the relative searches for "loss of smell" and "loss of taste" after the record of epidemic were also much higher than before (all P<0.001). The correlation coefficients between the trend of weekly new COVID-19 cases and the Google Trends of "loss of smell" in the global, United States, and India was 0.53, 0.76, and 0.82 respectively (all P<0.001), the correlation coefficients with Google Trends of "loss of taste" was 0.54, 0.78, and 0.82 respectively (all P<0.001). The lowest and highest point of loss of smell/taste search curves of Google Trends in different periods appeared 7 to 14 days earlier than that of the weekly newly COVID-19 confirmed cases curves, respectively. Conclusions: There is a significant positive correlation between the number of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide and the amount of keywords, such as "loss of smell" and "loss of taste", retrieved in Google Trends. The trend of big data based on Google Trends might predict the outbreak trend of COVID-19 in advance.

Analysis of quality control indexes of clinical blood transfusion in Hubei province from 2018 to 2020 / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To explore the quality management strategy of clinical blood utilization by analyzing the quality control indexes of clinical blood transfusion in Hubei province from 2018 to 2020.Methods:The quality control indexes of clinical blood utilization in 244 secondary or above hospitals in Hubei province from 2018 to 2020 were investigated, including the number of professional and technical personnel per thousand units of blood transfusion, the internal quality control rate of blood transfusion compatibility test, the participation rate of external quality evaluation in blood transfusion compatibility test, the per capita blood consumption of discharged patients, and the development rate of autologous blood transfusion for patients undergoing surgery, and the differences of each index were compared and analyzed.Results:The indexes in Hubei province showed an increasing trend from 2018 to 2020, but there was no significant difference( P>0.05). The distribution of each index in Hubei province was unbalanced( P<0.05). The average blood consumption of discharged patients(0.13±0.14 U), the internal quality control rate of blood transfusion compatibility test(84.92%), the participation rate of external quality evaluation of blood transfusion compatibility test(93.65%) and the development rate of autologous blood transfusion(55.56%) in the tertiary hospitals were significantly higher than those in the secondary hospitals(0.09±0.10 U, 43.22%, 55.08%, 29.66%), while the number of professional and technical personnel of blood transfusion in thousand units(1.34±1.43) in the tertiary hospitals was significantly lower than that in secondary hospitals(2.41±2.39)( P<0.05). The average blood consumption of discharged patients(0.12±0.11 U), the participation rate of external quality evaluation of blood transfusion compatibility(82.18%) and the development rate of autologous blood transfusion(62.64%) in general hospitals were significantly higher than those in specialized hospitals(0.08±0.13 U, 68.57%, 27.14%), while the number of professional and technical personnel in thousand units of blood transfusion(1.44±1.60) was significantly lower than that in specialized hospitals(2.88±2.53)( P<0.05). The internal quality control rate(73.73%), the participation rate of external quality evaluation(87.10%) and the development rate of autologous blood transfusion(52.07%) in public hospitals were significantly higher than those in private hospitals(29.63%, 51.85%, 25.93%), however, the number of professional and technical personnel in blood transfusion(1.70±1.98) was lower than that in private hospitals(3.95±3.21)( P<0.05). Conclusions:The overall quality of clinical blood utilization in Hubei has been steadily increasing. However, the quality of clinical blood was not balanced among different areas. The overall clinical blood utilization quality of tertiary hospitals was significantly higher than the secondary hospitals, the general hospitals was significantly higher than the specialized hospitals, and the public hospitals was significantly higher than the private hospitals. The professional and technical personnel of blood transfusion in tertiary, general and public hospitals need to be strengthened.

Dysbiosis of lung commensal bacteria in the process of lung epithelial-mesenchymal transition in mice with silicosis / 中国职业医学

@#Objective - To investigate the effect of lung flora dysbiosis on the process of pulmonary fibrosis and lung epithelial （ ） Methods - mesenchymal transition EMT in mice with silicosis. Male C57BL/6 mice of specific pathogen free grade were ， ， ， （ ） randomly divided into the blank control group silicosis model group solvent control group vancomycin VM + ampicillin （ ） ， （ ） （ ） ， AMP group metronidazole MNZ + neomycin NEO group and mixed treatment group 12 mice in each group. Except for ， ， the blank control group which was given 20.0 µL of 0.9% NaCl solution the other five groups of mice were dosed with 20.0 µL of silica dust suspension at a mass concentration of 250.0 g/L using a single tracheal drip to establish the silicosis mouse model. ： The intranasal drip method was used to treat silicosis mice in each group as following mice in the solvent control group were - ； ； given double distilled water mice in the VM+AMP group were given VM at a mass concentration of 0.5 g/L and AMP at 1.0 g/L ； mice in the MNZ+NEO group were given MNZ at a mass concentration of 1.0 g/L and NEO at 1.0 g/L mice in the mixed ， treatment group were given the same doses of the four antibiotics mentioned above all in a drip volume of 50.0 µL. Silicosis ， ， mice were treated seven days and half an hour before silica dusting and 7 14 and 21 days after silica dusting. Mouse lungtissue was collected aseptically 28 days after silica dusting. Hematoxylin eosin and Masson trichrome staining methods were - used to observe the pathological changes. Western blotting was used to detect the relative protein expression of α smooth muscle （ - ）， - （ - ） （ ） actin α SMA E cadherin E CAD and vimentin VIM . Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the relative expression of - - E CAD and VIM. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of （Col1a2） Results collagen type Ⅰ alpha 2 mRNA in lung tissues. The histopathological results showed that the alveoli of the ， blank control group were thin and structurally intact with few surrounding infiltrating inflammatory cells and no abnormal ， distribution of collagen fibers. The alveoli of the silicosis model group were structurally disorganized with a large number of ， ， infiltrating inflammatory cells thickened alveolar walls and cellular fibrous nodules with abundant blue collagen deposit. In the ， ， VM+AMP group MNZ+NEO group and the mixed treatment group the inflammation and fibrosis were reduced with diferent degrees in the lung tissues compared to the silicosis model group and the solvent control group. The relative expression levels of - ， Col1a2 α SMA VIM protein and mRNA in lung tissues of mice in the silicosis model group were higher than those in the blank （ P ）， -CAD control group all <0.05 and the relative expression levels of E protein were lower than those in the blank control （P ） - ， Col1a2 group <0.05 . The relative expression levels of α SMA VIM protein and mRNA in lung tissues of mice in the MNZ+ （ P ）， -CAD NEO group and the mixed treatment group were lower all <0.05 and the relative expression levels of E protein were （P ）， Conclusion higher <0.05 when compared with the silicosis model group and the solvent control group. Pulmonary fibrosis ， - was reduced in silicosis mice with interventions in lung flora where anaerobic and gram negative bacteria affected pulmonary fibrosis and dysbiosis of the lung flora affected pulmonary EMT.

Nutrients exported from upland stream water enlarge perennial biomass crops.

Rawanbuki, a variety of Japanese butterbur (Petasites japonicus subsp. giganteus), grow naturally along the Rawan River, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Most plants reach 2-3 m in height and 10 cm in diameter in 2 months and are much larger than those grown along other rivers. We examined the hypothesis that nutrients exported from upland streams enhance the growth of the Rawanbuki. Nutrient concentrations, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and base cations, in the Rawan River were much higher than those in rivers of adjacent watersheds. High nutrient concentrations and moisture contents were found in soil along the Rawan River and a significant relationship was found between physicochemical soil conditions and aboveground biomass of butterburs. This indicates that extremely large Rawanbuki plants could be caused by these high nutrient concentrations and moisture contents in the soils. A manipulation experiment showed that fertilization simulated the growth environment along the Rawan River and enhanced the stem height and stem diameter of butterburs. This study concluded that the extremely large butterburs are caused by a large amount of nutrients exported from upland areas. These results are the first demonstration of the role of stream water nutrients in enlarging agricultural crops.

Emerging infectious diseases in voluntary blood donors in parts of China: Based on metagenomics analysis / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the metagenomics and microbiology of voluntary blood donors in China, so as to assess the potential threats of emerging infectious diseases to the safety of blood transfusion. 【Methods】 12 300 plasma samples (10 mL each) collected by central blood stations in Chongqing, Liuzhou, Urumqi, Mianyang, Wuhan, Nanjing, Mudanjiang, and Dehong Prefecture area from 2012 to 2018 were subjected to total DNA extraction after ultracentrifugation (32 000 rpm/min, centrifugal radius 91.9 mm) in minipools of 160 donations. The metagenomic library was constructed, and deep sequencing was conducted by Illumina Hiseq 4 500. By comparing with reference sequences of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, metagenomic data were analyzed, classification of microbes were identified, and potentially harmful pathogens were evaluated. 【Results】 A total of 632 GB clean data were obtained by deep sequencing, and the top three pathogens were Pseudomonas(0.561 1%), Burkholderia(0.468 7%) and Serratia(4.242 0%). Pathogens with potential threat which could be transmitted by blood transfusion or blood products were found, such as human parvovirus B19(0.126 6%), Leishmania spp(1.348 5%) and Toxoplasma gondii(0.615 8%). 【Conclusion】 Our study analyzed metagenomics of voluntary blood donors in parts of China and revealed pathogens that may cause potential harm to blood safety, which were helpful for targeted prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases.

Effect of Vitamin D3 to Platelet Activation Mediated by Tumor Cell Culture Medium / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of vitamin D3 to platelet activation by tumor cell culture medium.@*METHODS@#The peripheral blood platelets of BALB/c mice were isolated. The platelets were activated in 4T1 culture fluid for 24 h. The platelets were divided into 7 groups: control group, activation group, 1 nmol/L vitamin D3 group, 10 nmol/L vitamin D3 group, 50 nmol/L vitamin D3 group, 100 nmol/L vitamin D3 group, and positive drug (0.1 μmol/L eptifibatide) group. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the platelet proliferation at 24, 48 and 72 h. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD61 and CD62p and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) at 24, 48 and 72 h. ELISA was used to detect the level of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) at 24, 48 and 72 h.@*RESULTS@#The CD41@*CONCLUSION@#Vitamin D3 shows antiplatelet effect and can inhibit platelet proliferation and activation.

Effects of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate exposure on liver and glycolipid metabolism in male diabetic rats / 上海预防医学

Objective:Phthalates （PAEs） are common environmental endocrine disruptors. In this study， the effects of oxidative stress on liver and nutrient metabolism were determined in male diabetic rats exposed to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate （DEHP）， and the mechanism of DEHP toxicity was explored. Methods:Thirty-two SPF male Wistar rats aged five weeks， weighing 150-170 g， were fed adaptively for one week to establish the model of type 2 diabetes. The model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） （25 mg/kg） after feeding with high sugar and high fat diet for four weeks. Second STZ injection was given two days later. The model was considered to be established successfully when the random blood glucose level was found to be higher than 16.7 mmol/L in two separate tests. Twenty diabetic rats were then randomly divided into four groups， including control group （corn oil）， 100， 300 and 900 mg/kg DEHP groups. The rats were treated with DEHP by gavage （5 mL/kg） once a day for 30 days. They were fed with normal diet during the treatment period. Caudal venous blood was collected on the 1st， 14th， and 28th days to measure the random blood glucose level. The changes of glucose tolerance were determined by oral glucose tolerance test on the 29th day. Fasting blood glucose （FPG） was measured on the next day of the last exposure. After the rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital and killed， the liver was weighed， the liver coefficient was calculated and the liver pathological section was made. Blood was taken from the abdominal aorta. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， triacylglycerol （TG） and albumin （ALB） in serum were measured by spectrophotometry， and the levels of insulin， glutathione （GSH）， H2O2， malondialdehyde （MDA） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in fasting serum were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results:There was no significant difference in body weight and random blood glucose in the type 2 diabetic rats exposed to different concentrations of DEHP （all P>0.05）. At each time point of the glucose tolerance curve， the blood glucose value of the exposure groups was higher than that of the control group. A "false plateau period" appeared after the blood glucose value reached or exceeded the upper limit at 15 minutes， and the blood glucose level in each group was higher than that of the control group at 120 minutes. The liver organ coefficient of 300 and 900 mg/kg DEHP groups was higher than that of the control group （both P<0.01）， and the liver organ coefficient was positively correlated with the exposure concentration of DEHP （r=0.80，P<0.000 1）. Under the microscope， the liver cells in diabetic rats were swollen， the cytoplasm was light stained， and there were vacuoles in the cells. The serum ALP level in diabetic rats of 900 mg/kg DEHP group was significantly higher than that in the control group （P<0.01）. The serum ALP level was positively correlated with the concentration of DEHP （r=0.75， P<0.01）. The serum MDA level in diabetic rats of 300 mg/kg and 900 mg/kg DEHP groups was significantly higher than that of the control group （both P<0.01）， and the serum MDA level was positively correlated with the concentration of DEHP （r=0.84， P<0.000 1）. The serum SOD level of 900 mg/kg DEHP group was significantly higher than that of control group （P<0.01）. Conclusion:DEHP exposure could lead to liver damage， abnormal glycolipid metabolism， and increase the level of oxidative stress and antioxidant level in male diabetic rats， but did not show a significant effect on insulin resistance.

One-Dimensional Face-Shared Perovskites with Broad-Band Bluish White-Light Emissions.

In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) hybrid lead halide perovskites based on corner-shared [PbX6] octahedrons have received extensive attention with important potentials in single-component white-light emitting diodes (WLEDs) due to the soft and distorted crystal lattices. However, limited research focused on the one-dimensional (1D) perovskites although they possess similar structural superiorities to achieve this performance. Herein, by using different types of organic amine cations as structural direction reagents, we report one new type of hybrid 1D perovskites of APbCl3 (A = (DTHPE)0.5, DMTHP, DBN) based on the same 1D face-shared octahedral [PbCl3]- chains. Upon UV light excitation, these 1D APbCl3 perovskites exhibit intrinsic broad-band bluish white-light emissions covering entire visible light spectra with the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 6.99%, which catches up with the values of previously reported 2D perovskites. Through the systematical studies of time-resolved, temperature-dependent PL emissions, theoretical calculations, and so on, these broad-band light emissions can be ascribed to the radiative transition within conjugated organic cations. The facile assembly process, intrinsic broad-band light emissions, and high PLQYs enable these 1D APbCl3 perovskites as new types of promising candidates in fabricating single-component WLEDs.

The prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors in China

ObjectivesThe prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors in China remains unknown. To reveal the missing information, we investigated the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among blood donors in the cities of Wuhan, Shenzhen, and Shijiazhuang of China. DesignCross-sectional study SettingThree blood centers, located in the central, south and north China, respectively, recruiting from January to April 2020. Participants38,144 healthy blood donors donated in Wuhan, Shenzhen and Shijiazhuang were enrolled, who were all met the criteria for blood donation during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Main outcome measuresSpecific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 including total antibody (TAb), IgG antibody against receptor-binding domain of spike protein (IgG-RBD) and nucleoprotein (IgG-N), and IgM. Pseudotype lentivirus-based neutralization test was performed on all TAb-positive samples. In addition, anonymous personal demographic information, including gender, age, ethnicity, occupation and educational level, and blood type were collected. ResultsA total of 519 samples from 410 donors were confirmed by neutralization tests. The SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among blood donors was 2.29% (407/17,794, 95%CI: 2.08% to 2.52%) in Wuhan, 0.029% (2/6,810, 95%CI: 0.0081% to 0.11%) in Shenzhen, and 0.0074% (1/13,540, 95%CI: 0.0013% to 0.042%) in Shijiazhuang, respectively. The earliest emergence of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in blood donors was identified on January 20, 2020 in Wuhan. The weekly prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Wuhans blood donors changed dynamically and were 0.08% (95%CI: 0.02% to 0.28%) during January 15 to 22 (before city lockdown), 3.08% (95%CI: 2.67% to 3.55%) during January 23 to April 7 (city quarantine period) and 2.33% (95%CI: 2.06% to 2.63%) during April 8 to 30 (after lockdown easing). Female and older-age were identified to be independent risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among donors in Wuhan. ConclusionsThe prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors in China was low, even in Wuhan city. According to our data, the earliest emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhans donors should not earlier than January, 2020. As most of the population of China remained uninfected during the early wave of COVID-19 pandemic, effective public health measures are still certainly required to block viral spread before a vaccine is widely available.