The First Report of Tritrichomonas Foetus and Tetratrichomonas Buttreyi in Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes Procyonoides) in China.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the trichomonosis in raccoon dogs in China had occurred frequently. Pentatrichomonas hominis had been described in raccoon dogs in China in some previous studies. PURPOSE TO REVEAL: whether raccoon dogs can be infected by other trichomonad species besides P. hominis, and clarify the prevalence and species distribution of trichomonad in raccoon dogs. METHODS: Herein, the 389 fecal samples were collected from farm-raised raccoon dogs in Hebei Province, all the samples were detected using the microscopic examination and several fecal samples containing trichomonad-like organisms were processed, cultured, stained, and photographed. Meanwhile, all the samples were screened by the species-specific nested PCR based on the small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene of P. hominis,Tritrichomonas foetus and Tetratrichomonas buttreyi, respectively, and all positive secondary PCR amplications obtained in this study were sequenced, aligned and analysed. RESULTS: 62 fecal samples (15.9%,62/389) were trichomonad-positive under light microscopy, and the trichomonad-like cells were clearly observed in the culture contents. The PCR results showed that 100 samples were trichomonad-positive, including 45 P. hominis-positive samples (11.6%,45/389), 32 T. foetus-positive samples (8.2%,32/389), and 33 T. buttreyi-positive samples (8.5%,33/389), respectively. Double mixed infections were observed in 10 samples. The prevalence of T. foetus and P. hominis were both significantly higher in raccoon dogs with diarrhea (13.9%, and 25.0%) than that in raccoon dogs without diarrhea (7.6%, and 9.3%) (p < 0.05).All samples confirmed as trichomonad-positive under microscopy were also found to be trichomonad-positive by PCR analysis. The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the sequences obtained in this study belonged to P. hominis, T. foetus and T. buttreyi SSU rRNA, respectively. Among them, the T. buttreyi SSU rRNA sequences obtained in this study harbored the new sequence polymorphisms. Based on preliminary morphological and molecular analyses, raccoon dogs are considered as the new host of T. foetus and T. buttreyi. CONCLUSION: This is the first report about the identifcation and prevalence of T. foetus and T. buttreyi in raccoon dogs in China, and the results increase our knowledge about the host range and prevalence of trichomonad species.

Energy Band Specific to Injected Li-Ion-Induced Formation of Lithium Dendrites in Garnet Solid Electrolytes.

As one of the most significant challenges in solid-state batteries, thorough investigation is necessary on the formation process of lithium dendrites in solid-state electrolytes. Here, we reveal that the growth of lithium dendrites in solid electrolytes is a physical-electrochemical reaction process caused by injected lithium ions and electron carriers, which requires a low electrochemical potential. A unique energy band specific to injected Li ions is identified at the bottom of the conduction band, which can be occupied by electron carriers from low-potential electrodes, leading to dendrite formation. In this case, it is quantitatively determined that the employed anodes with higher working voltages (>0.2 V versus Li/Li+) can effectively prevent dendrite formation. Moreover, lithium dendrite formation exclusively occurs during the charging process (i.e., lithium plating), where lithium ions meet electrons at mixed conductive grain boundaries under highly reductive potentials. The proposed model has significant scientific significance and application value.

Comparative study of optical fiber immunosensors based on traditional antibody or nanobody for detecting HER2.

In this study, we present a novel biomarker detection platform employing a modified S-tapered fiber coated with gold nanoparticle/graphene oxide (GNP/GO) for quantifying human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) concentrations, using antibodies as sensing elements. The fabrication of this device involves implementing an in-situ layer-by-layer technique coupled with a chemical adsorption step to achieve the self-assembly of GNP, GO, and antibodies on the STF surface. The detection mechanism relies on monitoring the refractive index changes induced by the adsorption of HER2 onto the immobilized antibodies. For comparative analysis, both monoclonal antibody (mAb) and the novel nanobody (Nb) were employed in constructing the STF immunosensor, referred to as the mAb immunosensor and Nb immunosensor, respectively. Spectral analysis results highlight that the Nb immunosensor exhibits twice the sensitivity of the mAb immunosensor. This enhanced sensitivity is attributed to the small size, high antigen affinity, strong specificity, and structural stability of Nb. The Nb immunosensor demonstrated an impressive detection limit of 0.001 nM for HER2, surpassing the detection limit of the mAb immunosensor. These findings underscore the potential of the proposed Nb immunosensor as a promising and sensitive tool for HER2 detection, contributing to the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer. Furthermore, the simplicity of production and excellent optical performance position the Nb immunosensor as a prospective real-time biosensor with minimal cytotoxicity.

Composite membrane of graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles functionalized S fiber taper aptasensor for highly sensitive bisphenol A detection.

The S fiber taper (SFT) aptasensor with a composite sensitive membrane of graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles was proposed for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of bisphenol A (BPA). The SFT was obtained using a fusion splicer; subsequently, the composite film was deposited on its surface, and the specific aptamer was covalently bonded to the surface of gold nanoparticles. The detection mechanism relies on monitoring changes in the external refractive index induced by the specific binding of BPA to the aptamer. The developed SFT aptasensor exhibited a remarkable sensitivity of 15.5 nm/nM and a limit of detection as low as 0.01 nM for BPA. These findings highlight the aptasensor's potential for diverse monitoring applications.

Photocatalytic selective synthesis of (E)-ß-aminovinyl sulfones and (E)-ß-amidovinyl sulfones using Ru(bpy)3Cl2 as the catalyst.

Selectively producing a variety of valuable compounds using controlled chemical reactions starting from a common material is an appealing yet complex concept. Herein, a photocatalytic approach for the selective synthesis of (E)-ß-aminovinyl sulfones and (E)-ß-amidovinyl sulfones from allenamides and sodium sulfinates was established. This reaction exhibits the traits of an eco-friendly solvent and adjustable amide cleavage, and can accommodate a diverse range of substrates with exceptional functional group tolerance. Based on control experiments and deuterium labeling experiments, a plausible radical reaction pathway is proposed.

Transformer guided self-adaptive network for multi-scale skin lesion image segmentation.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, skin lesion has become a major public health concern, and the diagnosis and management of skin lesions depend heavily on the correct segmentation of the lesions. Traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated promising results in skin lesion segmentation, but they are limited in their ability to capture distant connections and intricate features. In addition, current medical image segmentation algorithms rarely consider the distribution of different categories in different regions of the image and do not consider the spatial relationship between pixels. OBJECTIVES: This study proposes a self-adaptive position-aware skin lesion segmentation model SapFormer to capture global context and fine-grained detail, better capture spatial relationships, and adapt to different positional characteristics. The SapFormer is a multi-scale dynamic position-aware structure designed to provide a more flexible representation of the relationships between skin lesion characteristics and lesion distribution. Additionally, it increases skin lesion segmentation accuracy and decreases incorrect segmentation of non-lesion areas. INNOVATIONS: SapFormer designs multiple hybrid transformers for multi-scale feature encoding of skin images and multi-scale positional feature sensing of the encoded features using a transformer decoder to obtain fine-grained features of the lesion area and optimize the regional feature distribution. The self-adaptive feature framework, built upon the transformer decoder module, dynamically and automatically generates parameterizations with learnable properties at different positions. These parameterizations are derived from the multi-scale encoding characteristics of the input image. Simultaneously, this paper utilizes the cross-attention network to optimize the features of the current region according to the features of other regions, aiming to increase skin lesion segmentation accuracy. MAIN RESULTS: The ISIC-2016, ISIC-2017, and ISIC-2018 datasets for skin lesions are used as the basis for the experiment. On these datasets, the proposed model has accuracy values of 97.9 %, 94.3 %, and 95.7 %, respectively. The proposed model's IOU values are, in order, 93.2 %, 86.4 %, and 89.4 %. The proposed model's DSC values are 96.4 %, 92.6 %, and 94.3 %, respectively. All three metrics surpass the performance of the majority of state-of-the-art (SOTA) models. SapFormer's metrics on these datasets demonstrate that it can precisely segment skin lesions. Notably, our approach exhibits remarkable noise resistance in non-lesion areas, while simultaneously conducting finer-grained regional feature extraction on the skin lesion image. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the integration of a transformer-guided position-aware network into semantic skin lesion segmentation results in a notable performance boost. The ability of our proposed network to capture spatial relationships and fine-grained details proves beneficial for effective skin lesion segmentation. By enhancing lesion localization, feature extraction, quantitative analysis, and classification accuracy, the proposed segmentation model improves the diagnostic efficiency of skin lesion analysis on dermoscopic images. It assists dermatologists in making more accurate and efficient diagnoses, ultimately leading to better patient care and outcomes. This research paves the way for advances in diagnosing and treating skin lesions, promoting better understanding and decision-making in the clinical setting.

Internal carotid artery injury during endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery: risk factors, management.

BACKGROUND: Transsphenoidal surgeons should try to avoid internal carotid artery (ICA) injury but also be prepared to manage it. We analyzed our experience with ICA injury during endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery and present associated risk factors and a management protocol. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the medical records of 1596 patients who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumor resection in our institution from January 2009 to October 2022. RESULTS: Six patients experienced an ICA injury. All received timely and effective hemostasis with immediate direct tamponade followed by endovascular treatment. No serious postoperative complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed a treatment plan for ICA injuries encountered during endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery and described our hemostasis process, methods of endovascular treatment, and means of postoperative follow-up in detail.

miR-460b-5p promotes proliferation and differentiation of chicken myoblasts and targets RBM19 gene.

The meat production of broilers is crucial to economic benefits of broiler industries, while the slaughter performance of broilers is directly determined by skeletal muscle development. Hence, the broiler breeding for growth traits shows a great importance. As a kind of small noncoding RNA, microRNA (miRNA) can regulate the expression of multiple genes and perform a wide range of regulation in organisms. Currently, more and more studies have confirmed that miRNAs are closely associated with skeletal muscle development of chickens. Based on our previous miR-seq analysis (accession number: PRJNA668199), miR-460b-5p was screened as one of the key miRNAs probably involved in the growth regulation of chickens. However, the regulatory effect of miR-460b-5p on the development of chicken skeletal muscles is still unclear. Therefore, miR-460b-5p was further used for functional validation at the cellular level in this study. The expression pattern of miR-460b-5p was investigated in proliferation and differentiation stages of chicken primary myoblasts. It was showed that the expression level of miR-460b-5p gradually decreased from the proliferation stage (GM 50%) to the lowest at 24 h of differentiation. As differentiation proceeded, miR-460b-5p expression increased significantly, reaching the highest and stabilizing at 72 h and 96 h of differentiation. Through mRNA quantitative analysis of proliferation marker genes, CCK-8 and Edu assays, miR-460b-5p was found to significantly facilitate the transition of myoblasts from G1 to S phase and promote chicken myoblast proliferation. mRNA and protein quantitative analysis of differentiation marker genes, as well as the indirect immunofluorescence results of myotubes, revealed that miR-460b-5p significantly stimulated myotube development and promote chicken myoblast differentiation. In addition, the target relationship was validated for miR-460b-5p according to the dual-luciferase reporter assay and mRNA quantitative analysis, which indicates that miR-460b-5p was able to regulate RBM19 expression by specifically binding to the 3' UTR of RBM19. In summary, miR-460b-5p has positive regulatory effects on the proliferation and differentiation of chicken myoblasts, and RBM19 is a target gene of miR-460b-5p.

Irisin Prevents Cell Death in High Glucose via NLRP3 Inhibition.

Background: Impaired cardiac microvascular function has been implied in the pathophysiology of diabetic cardiovascular disease. However, the specific mechanism remains to be determined. Pyroptosis is a type of cell death that differs from apoptosis and autophagy. It is caused by the formation of plasma membrane pores through amino-terminal fragments of Gasdermin D (GSDMD), leading to the secretion of IL-1ß and IL-18. Recent studies have shown that irisin, a myokine cleaved by the extracellular domain of FNDC5, plays a protective role in cardiovascular diseases. Here, we investigated the potential role of pyroptosis on the cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) injury induced by high glucose (HG) and further determined the protective effect of irisin on pyroptosis. Methods: CMECs were cultured with normal glucose (control group, 5.5 mM) and high glucose (25 mM) medium for 12, 24, and 48 h respectively. The pyroptosis of CMECs was measured by immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and Western blot assays. Moreover, the apoptosis level was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. Results: Our results showed that HG promoted apoptosis and pyroptosis. However, irisin reversed the increased apoptosis and pyroptosis. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we overexpressed the NLRP3 protein. We found the protective effect of irisin on apoptosis and pyroptosis was abolished by NLRP3 over-expression. Conclusions: Our data suggest that irisin protects CMECs against apoptosis and pyroptosis, at least in part, by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome.

Photocatalytic Radical Cascade Dehalogenation/Carbo-cyclization/Sulfonylation Leading to Indole- and Benzofuran-Based Benzylic Sulfones.

This study presents a convenient approach to the synthesis of indole- and benzofuran-based benzylic sulfones using unactivated alkynes containing aryl iodides and sodium sulfinates under visible light irradiation. The procedure involves a sequential series of dehalogenation, carbo-cyclization, and radical sulfonylation. Plausible insights into the reaction mechanism are derived from control experiments, leading to the proposal of a radical cascade reaction pathway.

Charge disproportionation-induced multiferroics and electric field control of magnetism in a 2D MXene - Mo2NCl2.

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetoelectric multiferroic materials with the coexistence of magnetization and ferroelectric polarization hold potential for application for the development of next-generation nano-memory devices. However, intrinsic 2D multiferroics with a high critical temperature and strong magnetoelectric coupling are still rare to date. Here, we propose a novel mechanism of 2D monolayer multiferroicity. Based on density functional theory (DFT), we predicted that in a Mo2NCl2 monolayer, the non-equilibrium charge disproportionation of Mo ions will induce an out-of-plane electric polarization, making this material a 2D monolayer multiferroic material. More importantly, the magnetic critical temperature is calculated to be ∼168 K, which is larger than those of the recently reported 2D multiferroic and ferromagnetic systems. Our findings also provide a promising platform to control the magnetic properties and electric behavior in 2D multiferroics using an external electric field.

The Study on the Morphology and Compression Properties of Microcellular TPU/Nanoclay Tissue Scaffolds for Potential Tissue Engineering Applications.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials have shown promise in tissue engineering applications due to their mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, the addition of nanoclays to TPU can further enhance its properties. In this study, the effects of nanoclays on the microstructure, mechanical behavior, cytocompatibility, and proliferation of TPU/nanoclay (TPUNC) composite scaffolds were comprehensively investigated. The dispersion morphology of nanoclays within the TPU matrix was examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the nanoclays exhibited a well-dispersed and intercalated structure, which contributed to the improved mechanical properties of the TPUNC scaffolds. Mechanical testing revealed that the addition of nanoclays significantly enhanced the compressive strength and elastic resilience of the TPUNC scaffolds. Cell viability and proliferation assays were conducted using MG63 cells cultured on the TPUNC scaffolds. The incorporation of nanoclays did not adversely affect cell viability, as evidenced by the comparable cell numbers between nanoclay-filled and unfilled TPU scaffolds. The presence of nanoclays within the TPUNC scaffolds did not disrupt cell adhesion or proliferation. The incorporation of nanoclays improved the dispersion morphology, enhanced mechanical performance, and maintained excellent biocompatibility. These findings suggest that TPUNC composites have great potential for tissue engineering applications, providing a versatile and promising scaffold material for regenerative medicine.

Genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing reveals epigenetic features and potential biomarkers of Sjögren syndrome.

AIM: Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a slowly progressive, inflammatory, autoimmune disease. The aim of this study was to construct the DNA methylation profiles of whole blood of SS patients and healthy controls (HC), and to explore the role of differentially methylated genes in the pathogenesis of the disease. METHODS: Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing was performed on three SS patients and four HC. The biological function of genes associated with differentially methylated regions (DMRs) was investigated using Gene Ontology functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, using network-based key driver analysis (KDA) to find KDA genes. In clinical samples of SS patients and controls, the expression levels of KDA genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analysis. Moreover, the diagnostic value of KDA genes for SS was confirmed using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: We identified 322 DMRs, annotated as 162 associated genes. Six genes were selected via the number of networks of KDA genes. Differential expression of genes such as human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, ADAR, and OAS2 was observed in patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the minor salivary glands, which can be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers for SS. CONCLUSION: Clinical sample validation suggested that HLA class I, ADAR, and OAS2 might play a role in the development of SS. Our study shows epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and potential disease markers associated with SS, which in turn will enable us to identify new therapeutic targets.

Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution, physical activity with blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Background: Long-term exposure to air pollution and physical activity (PA) are linked to blood pressure and hypertension. However, the joint effect of air pollution and PA on blood pressure and hypertension are still unknown in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Methods: A total of 14,622 middle-aged and older adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study wave 3 were included in this study. Ambient air pollution [particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5), or ≤10 µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbonic oxide (CO)] were estimated using satellite-based spatiotemporal models. PA was investigated using International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Generalized linear models were used to examine the associations of air pollution, PA score with blood pressure [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP)], and the prevalence of hypertension. Subgroup analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of air pollution on blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension in different PA groups. Results: The results showed that for each inter-quartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 (25.45 µg/m3), PM10 (40.56 µg/m3), SO2 (18.61 µg/m3), NO2 (11.16 µg/m3), CO (0.42 mg/m3) and PA score (161.3 MET/h-week), the adjusted odd ratio (OR) of hypertension was 1.207 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.137, 1.281), 1.189 (95%CI: 1.122, 1.260), 1.186 (95%CI: 1.112, 1.266), 1.186 (95%CI: 1.116, 1.260), 1.288 (95%CI: 1.223, 1.357), 0.948 (95%CI: 0.899, 0.999), respectively. Long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO was associated with increased SBP, DBP, and MAP levels. For example, each IQR increase in PM2.5 was associated with 1.20 mmHg (95%CI: 0.69, 1.72) change in SBP, 0.66 mmHg (95%CI: 0.36, 0.97) change in DBP, and 0.84 mmHg (95%CI: 0.49, 1.19) change in MAP levels, respectively. Each IQR increase in PA score was associated with -0.56 mmHg (95%CI: -1.03, -0.09) change in SBP, -0.32 mmHg (95%CI: -0.59, -0.05) change in DBP, and -0.33 mmHg (95%CI: -0.64, -0.02) change in MAP levels, respectively. Subgroup analysis found that the estimated effects in the sufficient PA group were lower than that in the insufficient PA group. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with increased blood pressure and hypertension risk, while high-level PA is associated with decreased blood pressure and hypertension risk. Strengthening PA might attenuate the adverse effects of air pollution on blood pressure and hypertension risk.

The incremental significance of heart rate recovery as a predictor during exercise-stress myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging in individuals with suspected coronary artery disease.

Background: Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) are more likely to occur when abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR). This study aimed to assess the incremental predictive significance of HRR over exercise stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS) results for MACE in individuals with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2017, we continually gathered data on 595 patients with suspected CAD who received cycling exercise stress MPS. HRR at 1, 2, 3, and 4 min were used as study variables to obtain the optimal cut-off values of HRR for MACE. The difference between the peak heart rate achieved during exercise and the heart rate at 1, 2, 3, and 4 min was used to calculate the HRR, as shown in HRR3. Heart rate variations between two locations in time, such as HRR2 min-1 min, were used to establish the slope of HRR. All patients were followed for a minimum of 4 years, with MACE as the follow-up goal. The associations between HRR and MACE were assessed using Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results: Patients with MACE were older (P = 0.001), and they also had higher rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, abnormal MPS findings (SSS ≥ 5%), medication history (all P < 0.001), and lower HRR values (all P < 0.01). Patients with and without MACE did not significantly vary in their HRR4 min-3 min. The optimal cut-off of HRR1, 2, and 3 combined with SSS can stratify the risk of MACE in people with suspected CAD (all P < 0.001). HRR 1, 2, and 3 and its slope were linked to MACE in multivariate analysis, where HRR3 was the most significant risk predictor. With a global X2 increase from 101 to 126 (P < 0.0001), HRR3 demonstrated the greatest improvement in the model's predictive capacity, incorporating clinical data and MPS outcomes. Conclusions: HRR at 3 min has a more excellent incremental prognostic value for predicting MACE in patients with suspected CAD following cycling exercise stress MPS. Therefore, incorporating HRR at 3 min into known predictive models may further improve the risk stratification of the patients.

Prognostic value of summed motion score assessed by gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: The prognosis of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is poor and new indicators are urgently needed to predict lethal cardiac events. This study aimed to investigate the value of summed motion score (SMS) in predicting cardiac death of DCM patients using gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Methods and results: Eighty-one patients with DCM who underwent 99mTc-MIBI gated SPECT MPI were retrospectively enrolled and were divided into cardiac death and survivor groups. The functional parameters of left ventricle including SMS were measured using quantitative gated SPECT software. During the follow-up period of 44 (25, 54) months, 14 (17.28%) cardiac deaths were observed. Compared with the survivor group, SMS was significantly higher in the cardiac death group. Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that SMS was an independent predictor for cardiac death (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.02-1.77, P = 0.034). SMS also provided incremental prognostic value over other variables in the multivariate model as determined by likelihood ratio global chi-squared test. In the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the event-free survival rate was significantly lower in the high-SMS (HSMS) group than the low-SMS (LSMS) (log-rank P < 0.001). Furthermore, the area under curve (AUC) of SMS was larger than that of LVEF at the 12th month of follow-up (0.85 vs. 0.80, P = 0.045). Conclusion: SMS is an independent predictor of cardiac death in DCM patients and provides incremental prognostic value. SMS might have higher predictive value than LVEF for early cardiac death.

The prevalence of osteoporosis in China, a community based cohort study of osteoporosis.

Background: Osteoporosis has already been a growing health concern worldwide. The influence of living area, lifestyle, socioeconomic, and medical conditions on the occurrence of osteoporosis in the middle-aged and elderly people in China has not been fully addressed. Methods: The study was a multicenter cross-sectional study on the middle-aged and elderly permanent residents, which gathered information of 22,081 residents from June 2015 to August 2021 in seven representative regions of China. The bone mineral density of lumbar vertebrae and hip were determined using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry densitometer instruments. Serum levels of bone metabolism markers were also measured. Information about education, smoking, and chronic diseases were also collected through face-to-face interviews. Age-standardized prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of osteopenia and osteoporosis by various criteria were estimated by subgroups and overall based on the data of China 2010 census. The relationships between the osteoporosis or osteopenia and sociodemographic variables or other factors were examined using univariate linear models and multivariable multinomial logit analyses. Results: After screening, 19,848 participants (90%) were enrolled for the final analysis. The age-standardized prevalence of osteoporosis was estimated to be 33.49%(95%CI, 32.80-34.18%) in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese permanent residents, for men and women was 20.73% (95% CI, 19.58-21.87%) and 38.05% (95% CI, 37.22-38.89%), respectively. The serum concentrations of bone metabolic markers, and calcium and phosphorus metabolism were influenced by age, body mass index (BMI), gender, education level, regions, and bone mass status. Women, aged 60 or above, BMI lower than 18.5 kg/m2, low education level including middle school, primary school and no formal education as well as current regular smoking, a history of fracture were all significantly associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia in the middle-aged and elderly people. Conclusions: This study revealed dramatic regional differences in osteoporosis prevalence in China, and female, aged 60 or older, low BMI, low education level, current regular smoking, and a history of fracture were associated with a high risk of osteoporosis. More prevention and treatment resources should be invested into particular population exposed to these risk factors.

Asymmetric Janus functionalization induced magnetization and switchable out-of-plane polarization in 2D MXene Mo2CXX'.

Exploring two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials with out-of-plane polarization and electromagnetic coupling is essential for the development of next-generation nano-memory devices. A novel class of 2D monolayer materials with predicted spin-polarized semi-conductivity, partially compensated antiferromagnetic (AFM) order, fairly high Curie temperature, and out-of-plane polarization is analyzed in this work for the first time. Based on density functional theory calculations, we systematically studied these properties in asymmetrically functionalized MXenes (Janus Mo2C)-Mo2CXX' (X, X' = F, O, and OH). Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and phonon spectrum calculations, the thermal and dynamic stabilities of six functionalized Mo2CXX' were identified. Our DFT+U calculation results also provided a switching path for out-of-plane polarizations, where the reverse of electric polarization is driven by terminal-layer atom flipping. More importantly, strong coupling between magnetization and electric polarization originating from spin-charge interactions was observed in this system. Our results confirm that Mo2C-FO would be a novel monolayer electromagnetic material, and its magnetization can be modulated by electric polarization.

Clinical characteristics and microbiological tests analysis of 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract:Objective　To investigate the clinical characteristics and early diagnostic methods of patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, so as to reduce the mortality of patients. Methods The clinical characteristics and microbiological analysis data including fungal culture, smear examination and mass spectrometry were collected from 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection in the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Tuberculosis, and Department of Critical Respiratory Medicine in Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021, and descriptive analysis was conducted. Results　All the 18 patients were confirmed to be infected with Talaromyces marneffei by conventional culture and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). The main infection sites of 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection were lungs and lymph nodes, and the patients were accompanied by clinical manifestations such as cough, sputum and fever. The imaging features such as patchy shadows, mediastinal lymph node shadows and nodular shadows were common. Microbiological testing showed a statistically significant difference between smear and culture with a higher positive culture rate (χ2=13.74, P<0.05). The positive rate of blood culture in microbiological test was 60.0% (9/15), the positive rate of bronchial lavage fluid culture was 26.7% (4/15), the positive rate of sputum culture was 5.6% (1/18), one case each of pus, bone marrow, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid was positive for culture and the other cases were negative, one case of sputum and one case of pus were positive for smear and the rest were negative. Colony characteristics showed that the colony morphology was mycelial phase at 25 ℃, producing red pigment, and the branching pattern of the penicillus was seen microscopically as monoverticillate or biverticillate; At 35 ℃, the yeast phase appeared at the initial stage, and then the mycelium phase changed after 5-6 days; the yeast phase was observed at 37 ℃, and yeast-like cells were seen under the microscope. All 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection got better after using antifungal drugs. Compared with non-HIV patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, leukopenia and anemia were common in HIV patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). 　Conclusions The infection of Talaromyces marneffei can be divided into localized type and disseminated type, which usually invade the lungs, skin, lymph nodes and other places. The main manifestations of patients are fever, cough, phlegm and other atypical symptoms. At present, the diagnosis of Talaromyces marneffei infection is mostly based on the fungal culture test, and the application of MALDI-TOF MS method can effectively shorten the diagnosis time of Talaromycosis marneffei. Clinical characteristics combined with microbiological analysis provide an objective basis for early diagnosis of patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, and timely use of antifungal therapy can improve the prognosis of patients.

First Observation of New Flat Line Fano Profile via an X-Ray Planar Cavity.

A new Fano profile of a flat line is achieved experimentally by manipulating the relative amplitude of the continuum path, when q takes the pure imaginary number of -i in the x-ray regime. The underlying mechanism is that the interference term in the scattering will cancel the discrete term exactly. This new Fano profile renders only an observable continuum along with an invisible response to the discrete state of atomic resonance. The results suggest not only a different strategy to invisibility studies which provides a possible tool to identify weaker structures hidden by the strong white line, but also a new scenario to enrich the manipulations of two-path interference and nonlinear Fano resonance.