Retraction Note: MiR-1294 acts as a tumor suppressor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma through targeting HOXA6.

The article "MiR-1294 acts as a tumor suppressor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma through targeting HOXA6", by W. Pan, L.-J. Pang, H.-L. Cai, Y. Wu, W. Zhang, J.-C. Fang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (9): 3719-3725-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201905_17797-PMID: 31114997 has been retracted by the Editor in Chief. Following some concerns raised on PubPeer regarding a possible manipulation in Figures 2 and 3, the Editor in Chief has started an investigation to assess the validity of the results as well as possible figure manipulation. The authors have been informed about the journal's investigation but remained unresponsive. The journal investigation revealed duplications in panels miR-1294 mimic - Caki01 and Caki01 of Figure 2D and in the Western blots of Figure 3 with previously published articles. Consequently, the Editor in Chief mistrusts the results presented and has decided to retract the article. This article has been retracted. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17797.

Interplay of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and papillary thyroid carcinoma: insights from a Chinese cohort.

PURPOSE: Thyroid cancer is one of a set of extrahepatic cancers that closely linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, the connection between MAFLD and the characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains unexplored. METHODS: Between Jan 2020 and Oct 2022, surgical cases of PTC patients were examined at the first Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data extracted from the electronic medical system underwent a rigorous comparison between two groups, classified based on MAFLD criteria, using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In this study of 4,410 PTC patients, 18.3% had MAFLD. MAFLD emerged as a distinct risk factor for lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.230, 95% CI 1.018-1.487) in this cohort, especially in females (OR = 1.321, 95% CI 1.026-1.702) and those with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 (OR = 1.232, 95% CI 1.004-1.511). The presence of MAFLD was found to significantly elevate the risk of BRAF V600E mutation in both subgroups characterized by FIB-4 score ≥ 1.3 (OR = 1.968, 95% CI 1.107-3.496) and BMI < 23 kg/m2 (OR = 2.584, 95% CI 1.012-6.601). Moreover, among the subset of individuals without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it was noted that MAFLD considerably increased the likelihood of tumor multifocality (OR = 1.697, 95% CI 1.111-2.592). Nevertheless, MAFLD did not exhibit any correlation with increased tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension (ETE), or later TNM stage in PTC. CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, we discovered a significant association between MAFLD and increased occurrences of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, MAFLD was linked to a higher chance of BRAF V600E mutation and the presence of multiple tumors in certain subgroups.

[Comparison of ultrathin bronchoscopy with conventional bronchoscopy for the diagnostic value of peripheral pulmonary lesions].

Objective: To assess and compare the diagnostic efficacy of next-generation ultrathin bronchoscopy (UTB) and conventional bronchoscopy (CB), both combined with radial endobronchial ultrasound (r-EBUS), in the evaluation of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL). Methods: A cohort of 39 patients with PPL who underwent multimodal bronchoscopy at Dushu Lake Hospital, Soochow University, from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2023 was consecutively enrolled. A single bronchoscopist performed multimodal bronchoscopies using CB (external diameter 4.9 mm or 5.9 mm, working channel diameter 2 or 3 mm, CB group) for transbronchial biopsy under r-EBUS guidance (rEBUS-TBLB), followed by UTB (external diameter 3 mm, working channel diameter 1.7 mm, UTB group) for transbronchial biopsy under r-EBUS guidance. Pathological findings and a 6-month clinical follow-up were used as the gold standard to compare the diagnostic yield of biopsy specimens, ultrasound characteristics, and localization rates of the two bronchoscope types. The aim was to evaluate the clinical application value of UTB combined with r-EBUS. Binary variables were analysed using the McNemar test for paired data. Continuous variables or ranked data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired data. Results: The diagnostic yields for UTB and CB groups were 66.67% (26/39) and 30.77% (12/39), respectively, with the UTB group significantly surpassing the CB group (χ2=10.56, P=0.001, 1-ß=0.968). r-EBUS with CB exhibited no visible lesion in 13 cases, adjacent to the lesion in 19 cases, and within the lesion in 7 cases.Substitution of UTB resulted in r-EBUS images changing from no visible lesion to adjacent to the lesion in 7 cases, from no visible lesion to within the lesion in 3 cases, and from adjacent to the lesion to within the lesion in 12 cases. The positioning of the r-EBUS probe in relation to the lesions improved significantly with UTB usage (Z=-4.46, P<0.001). Localization rates (number of patients with "within" or "adjacent to" the image/total number of patients) for UTB and CB were 92.30% (36/39) and 66.67% (26/39), respectively (χ2=8.10, P=0.002). UTB improved r-EBUS probe localization rates. The diagnostic yields of UTB were higher than CB for solid lesions, lesions>30 mm in diameter, non-upper lobar location, benign or malignant lesions and lesions with or without a bronchus sign. Conclusion: The UTB group demonstrated a significantly higher diagnostic yield than the CB group, providing superior r-EBUS probe images, and a significant diagnostic advantage for PPL.

Adsorption behavior of H2O on the strontium bromide surface: first-principles and molecular dynamics calculations.

Thermochemical adsorption heat storage based on gas-solid interaction is an energy storage technology for the effective recovery of industrial waste heat and renewable energy sources such as solar energy. Currently, hygroscopic salts and water are commonly used as the working pairs in thermochemical thermal storage systems. Strontium bromide (SrBr2) is a highly potential material for low-grade thermal energy storage and building applications due to its high sorption capacity and reaction enthalpy. In order to better understand the microscopic mechanism of adsorption, the water adsorption behavior of strontium bromide surfaces on the atomic scale is investigated in this study by using density functional theory (DFT). The effects of doping Ca or Mg into strontium bromide on water adsorption are analyzed by the comparison of the energy barrier, density of states (DOS) and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) obtained before and after metal atom doping. The energy barrier of the SrBr2/H2O reaction system is 5.916 kcal mol-1, and the energy barrier of Ca-doped SrBr2 reduces to 3.432 kcal mol-1, whereas the energy barrier of Mg-doped SrBr2 increases to 13.394 kcal mol-1. The thermodynamic properties of strontium bromide are significantly improved by doping with calcium atoms. The absolute value of the COHP for Ca-doped SrBr2 decreases, which indicates that Ca-doped SrBr2 can adsorb the H2O molecules more easily at the same temperature. The doping of Ca atoms has a positive effect on the adsorption heat storage process. This study provides insight into the adsorption mechanism of water molecules on strontium bromide and could facilitate the design of efficient composite adsorbents.

IL-36 Regulates Neutrophil Chemotaxis and Bone Loss at the Oral Barrier.

Tissue-specific mechanisms regulate neutrophil immunity at the oral barrier, which plays a key role in periodontitis. Although it has been proposed that fibroblasts emit a powerful neutrophil chemotactic signal, how this chemotactic signal is driven has not been clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the site-specific regulatory mechanisms by which fibroblasts drive powerful neutrophil chemotactic signals within the oral barrier, with particular emphasis on the role of the IL-36 family. The present study found that IL-36γ, agonist of IL-36R, could promote neutrophil chemotaxis via fibroblast. Single-cell RNA sequencing data disclosed that IL36G is primarily expressed in human and mouse gingival epithelial cells and mouse neutrophils. Notably, there was a substantial increase in IL-36γ levels during periodontitis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-36γ specifically activates gingival fibroblasts, leading to chemotaxis of neutrophils. In vivo experiments revealed that IL-36Ra inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and bone resorption, while IL-36γ promoted their progression in the ligature-induced periodontitis mouse model. In summary, these data elucidate the function of the site-enriched IL-36γ in regulating neutrophil immunity and bone resorption at the oral barrier. These findings provide new insights into the tissue-specific pathophysiology of periodontitis and offer a promising avenue for prevention and treatment through targeted intervention of the IL-36 family.

Event-free survival by residual cancer burden with pembrolizumab in early-stage TNBC: exploratory analysis from KEYNOTE-522.

BACKGROUND: KEYNOTE-522 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pathological complete response (pCR) with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and event-free survival (EFS) with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with high-risk, early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Prior studies have shown the prognostic value of the residual cancer burden (RCB) index to quantify the extent of residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In this preplanned exploratory analysis, we assessed RCB distribution and EFS within RCB categories by treatment group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 1174 patients with stage T1c/N1-2 or T2-4/N0-2 TNBC were randomized 2 : 1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo every 3 weeks given with four cycles of paclitaxel + carboplatin, followed by four cycles of doxorubicin or epirubicin + cyclophosphamide. After surgery, patients received pembrolizumab or placebo for nine cycles or until recurrence or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoints are pCR and EFS. RCB is a prespecified exploratory endpoint. The association between EFS and RCB was assessed using a Cox regression model. RESULTS: Pembrolizumab shifted patients into lower RCB categories across the entire spectrum compared with placebo. There were more patients in the pembrolizumab group with RCB-0 (pCR), and fewer patients in the pembrolizumab group with RCB-1, RCB-2, and RCB-3. The corresponding hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for EFS were 0.70 (0.38-1.31), 0.92 (0.39-2.20), 0.52 (0.32-0.82), and 1.24 (0.69-2.23). The most common first EFS events were distant recurrences, with fewer in the pembrolizumab group across all RCB categories. Among patients with RCB-0/1, more than half [21/38 (55.3%)] of all events were central nervous system recurrences, with 13/22 (59.1%) in the pembrolizumab group and 8/16 (50.0%) in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy resulted in fewer EFS events in the RCB-0, RCB-1, and RCB-2 categories, with the greatest benefit in RCB-2. These findings demonstrate that pembrolizumab not only increased pCR rates, but also improved EFS among most patients who do not have a pCR.

Preparation, thermal storage properties and application of sodium acetate trihydrate/expanded graphite composite phase change materials.

The development of energy storage technology is beneficial for the efficient use of energy and sustainable development. As an effectual approach for storing and transporting thermal energy, latent heat storage using phase change materials (PCMs) has attracted tremendous attention. However, low thermal conductivity, poor stability, and leakages are considerable challenges to the widespread application of solid-liquid PCMs. Composite phase change materials (CPCMs) were prepared by combining expanded graphite (EG) and sodium acetate trihydrate (CH3COONa·3H2O, SAT). EG as a supporting material plays a crucial part in both enhancing the thermal conductivity and preventing the melted PCMs from leakage. The chemical structure, micromorphology, thermal stability, thermal conductivity, phase change behavior and heat storage performance of SAT/EG CPCMs have been extensively investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal conductivity analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and cycling stability measurement. The results of SEM indicate that EG with a loose and porous layered structure has a good molding effect and can adsorb SAT well. XRD and FTIR results show that only a simple physical combination between EG and SAT exists, and no new substances have been produced. Compared with pure SAT, thermal conductivity and supercooling tests show that the supercooling degree of the CPCMs was decreased and the thermal conductivity was increased by 205.1%. In addition, the addition of 2 wt% of disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate (Na2HPO4·12H2O, DHPD) as a nucleating agent and 0.5 wt% of gelatin as a thickening agent to SAT could reduce the supercooling degree and inhibit the phase separation well. Based on SAT/EG-8% CPCMs, an oven with phase change energy storage was designed and the heat storage/release performance of the oven was investigated under different operating conditions.

Increased Dietary Niacin Intake Improves Muscle Strength, Quality, and Glucose Homeostasis in Adults over 40 Years of Age.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength begins at 40 years of age, and limited evidence suggests that niacin supplementation increases levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in mouse muscle tissue. In addition, skeletal muscle has a key role in the body's processing of glucose. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary niacin and skeletal muscle mass, strength, and glucose homeostasis in people aged 40 years and older. METHODS: This study was an American population-based cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Considering that some outcomes are only measured in specific survey cycles and subsamples, we established three data sets: a grip strength dataset (2011-2014, n=3772), a body mass components dataset (2011-2018, n=3279), and a glucose homeostasis dataset (1999-2018, n=9189). Dietary niacin and covariates were measured in all survey cycles. Linear regression or logistic regression models that adjusted for several main covariates, such as physical activity and diet, was used to evaluate the relationship between dietary niacin and grip strength, total lean mass, appendicular lean mass, total fat, trunk fat, total bone mineral content, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glycose, fasting insulin and sarcopenia risk. Subgroup analyses, a trend test, an interaction test, and a restricted cubic spline were used for further exploration. RESULTS: Higher dietary niacin intake was significantly correlated with higher grip strength (ß 0.275, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.192-0.357), higher total lean mass (ß 0.060, 95% CI 0.045-0.074), higher appendicular lean mass (ß 0.025, 95% CI 0.018-0.033), and higher total bone mineral content (ß 0.005, 95% CI 0.004-0.007). By contrast, higher dietary niacin intake was significantly associated with lower total fat (ß -0.061, 95% CI -0.076 to -0.046), lower trunk fat (ß -0.041, 95% CI -0.050 to -0.032) and lower sarcopenia risk (OR 0.460, 95% CI 0.233 to 0.907). In addition, dietary niacin significantly reduced HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose (in participants without diabetes), and fasting insulin (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: Niacin is associated with improved body composition (characterized by increased muscle mass and decreased fat content) and improved glucose homeostasis in dietary doses. Dietary niacin supplementation is a feasible way to alleviate age-related muscular loss.

Theoretical and Computational Analysis of the Thermal Quasi-Geostrophic Model.

This work involves theoretical and numerical analysis of the thermal quasi-geostrophic (TQG) model of submesoscale geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD). Physically, the TQG model involves thermal geostrophic balance, in which the Rossby number, the Froude number and the stratification parameter are all of the same asymptotic order. The main analytical contribution of this paper is to construct local-in-time unique strong solutions for the TQG model. For this, we show that solutions of its regularised version α-TQG converge to solutions of TQG as its smoothing parameter α→0 and we obtain blow-up criteria for the α-TQG model. The main contribution of the computational analysis is to verify the rate of convergence of α-TQG solutions to TQG solutions as α→0, for example, simulations in appropriate GFD regimes.

Participation effects of workplace promoting activities on healthy eating behavior.

Objective: The study intends to examine the effect of participating healthy eating related games or activities in workplace on changes of employee's self-reported behavioral stage for adopting healthy eating. Study design: A quasi-experimental study. Methods: A multi-strategic intervention for 8-month was designed and implemented in a main staff canteen area within a non-profit academic organization. The initial event included exhibition of custom-made dining plates filled with correct portions of food models for three caloric levels and provision of user-friendly online resources, which were followed by three promotion activities (long-term exhibition of my balanced plates, matching games for six food groups, and do-it-yourself healthy plate) in the 8 months. Results: A total of 86 adult participants (males = 37, female = 49) who had completed pre- and post-surveys were included in the analysis. Participants who participated all three promotion activities presented greater advancement in stage of healthy eating behaviors (HEB) than those who did not participate any activity (ß= 1.118, 95% CI = 0.428-1.808, P = 0.001 among male participants; ß = 0.740, 95% CI = 0.145-1.336, P = 0.015 among all participants). Adjustment has been made for significantly-associated covariates including types of promotion activities, initial-HEB and gender. Conclusions: A multi-strategic intervention providing balanced food plates and online resources followed by consecutive promotion activities are effective in advancing HEB for the workplace adults. Differential impacts of promotion activities and gender should also be considered for designing workplace interventions.

[Study on the consistency of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 of peripheral whole blood and venous serum in children].

This study aimed to explore the consistency of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) by detecting peripheral whole blood and venous serum among children. As a cross-sectional study, children who were aged 0-14 as well as received physical examinations in the Child Healthcare Department of the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during January 2022 to April 2022 were enrolled in this study. Meanwhile, both of peripheral whole blood and venous serum samples were collected, and the levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were assayed individually via chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Additionally, linear regression equation was used to analyze the correlation of results between two categories of samples, while Inter-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the consistency of test results among two types of samples. The change trends of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 with age were analyzed at the same time. A total of 203 valid matched samples were collected, including 117 boys and 86 girls. Peripheral whole blood was well correlated with serum IGF-1 (r=0.986, P<0.001) and IGFBP-3 (r=0.974, P<0.001), and the linear regression equation is shown as follows: (IGF-1) venous serum =1.047×(IGF-1) peripheral whole blood-6.840; (IGFBP-3) venous serum=0.924×(IGFBP-3) peripheral whole blood+0.396. The correlation and consistency were still persisted after being stratified by sex and age. ICC of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were 0.983 and 0.967, respectively which provided an excellent strength of agreement. The levels of IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 in boys' and girls' peripheral whole blood and serum showed significant statistical differences among various age groups (all P<0.001), and also increased significantly with age (all P trend<0.001). In conclusion, the results of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood and venous serum had positive comparability that could be mutually recognized. The detection of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood had great potential for young age children by providing guidance for nutritional intervention, growth and development assessment.

Sex-Specific Associations of Dietary Iron Intake with Brain Iron Deposition on Imaging and Incident Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate the association of dietary iron intake with incident dementia and brain iron deposition. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: We included dementia-free participants from the UK Biobank who completed at least one 24-hour dietary recall at study baseline (2009-2012) and were followed up to 2021. Incident dementia was determined through linkage to medical records and death registries. Brain MRI was conducted in a subgroup of participants since 2014, with T2* measurements being used as indicators of brain iron deposition. MEASUREMENTS: Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the associations of high (top quintile) and low (bottom quintile) versus medium (quintile 2 to 4) level of dietary iron intake with incident dementia, respectively. Linear regression was applied to assess the relations between dietary iron intake and brain T2* measurements. RESULTS: During follow-up (mean = 9.5 years), a total of 1,454 participants (650 women and 804 men) developed dementia among 191,694 participants (55.0% female; mean age, 56.2 years). When adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and other dietary factors, participants with low dietary iron intake (< 10.05 mg/day) had a significantly higher dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.89), while the relation for high intake (> 16.92 mg/day) was non-significant (HR, 1.16, 95% CI, 0.92-1.46). A significant gender difference (P-interaction < 0.001) was observed, with a U-shaped association in male participants (HR for low vs. medium, 1.56, 95% CI, 1.14-2.13; HR for high vs. medium, 1.39, 95% CI, 1.03 - 1.88; P-nonlinearity < 0.001) and no significant association in females, regardless of their menopause status. In general, dietary iron intake was not related to T2* measurements of iron deposition in most brain regions. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested a U-shape relationship between dietary iron intake and risk of dementia among males, but not females.

[Phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis under a gonioscope in the treatment of angle-closure glaucoma: the effect of reopening the synechial anterior chamber angle].

A total of 170 consecutive patients (181 eyes) who were diagnosed with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation (PEI) combined with goniosynechialysis (GSL) with an instrument under a gonioscope in the Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 were observed. Anterior chamber angle synechiae of 0 (0, 2) clock hour were released after PEI, while after combined goniosynechialysis, synechiae of 6 (3, 8) clock hours were further released. No matter in chronic PACG and acute PACG with cornea edema, the extent of anterior chamber angle synechiae was different before surgery and after PEI, and so was it in post-PEI and PEI-GSL prospectively (all P<0.01). Phacoemulsification alone can reopen the synechial anterior chamber angle in both chronic PACG and acute PACG in part, but not sufficiently. Combined goniosynechialysis under a gonioscope with an instrument is essential and effective.

[Outcome comparison between LSA complete reconstruction and partial coverage with endovascular technique for patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection].

Objectives: To compare the short-term outcomes of branched stentgrafts for left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization or partial LSA coverage without reconstruction in the treatment of type B aortic dissection with proximal tear close to LSA. Methods: A total of 125 type B aortic dissection patients were treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in Xinqiao Hospital of the Army Medical University from January 2019 to March 2021. Their medical records were reviewed and the outcomes were followed up. According to the different treatment methodologies, the patients were divided into complete LSA coverage with reconstruction group (n=25) and partial LSA coverage without reconstruction group (n=100). The data of baseline characteristics, clinical outcomes, and incidence of postoperative in-hospital adverse events were collected and compared between the two groups. The adverse events during one-year follow-up were also compared between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to compare the cumulative survival rates between groups. Results: Compared with partial LSA coverage group, distance of proximal tear to LSA((8.69±2.32)mm vs. (13.77±1.71) mm) was shorter, in-hospital expenses[175 400(166 000-189 900) yuan vs. 143 700 (138 100-151 800) yuan] was higher, average length of stent [200.00 mm vs. 150.00 (150.00-150.00) mm] and operation time [155.00 (140.00-170.00) min vs. 95.00 (80.00-100.00) min] were longer, and volumes of contrast agent [300.00 (200.00-300.00) ml vs. 200.00 (200.00-300.00) ml] (P<0.05) were higher for patients in the complete LSA coverage with reconstruction group. The incidence of post-operative fever was significantly higher in complete LSA coverage with revascularization group than that in partial LSA partial coverage with reconstruction group (56% vs. 25%, P=0.003). There was no significant difference in the incidences of all-cause death, stroke, endoleak, paraplegia, and LSA branch vessel occlusion between the two groups during follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the cumulative survival rates between the two groups (log-rank test: P=0.572 5). Conclusion: The TEVAR with complete LSA revascularization or partial LSA coverage without reconstruction for type B aortic dissection close to LSA are safe and effective with high success rates. There is no significant difference between these two techniques in short-term outcomes.

Seed germination traits and dormancy classification of 27 species from a degraded karst mountain in central Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau: seed mass and moisture content correlate with germination capacity.

In degraded karst ecosystem, vegetation restoration efforts almost exclusively rely on planted seedlings, but this is not effective to maintain community diversity and resilience. As seed functional traits, seed dormancy and germination are key to community assembly. Unfortunately, these elements are commonly overlooked in restoring degraded ecosystems. This work classifies seed dormancy of 27 species with different life forms that are common on a degraded karst mountain. We examined the effects of temperature regime and light conditions on percentage germination and assessed the relationships between seed traits and germination index using a partial least squares regression (PLSR). Approximately 48% of the investigated species had physiological dormancy, 37% were non-dormant, 7% had morphophysiological dormancy, 4% had morphological dormancy and 4% had physical dormancy. We found that 94% (15 out of 16) species had maximum germination in warm temperature regimes (20/13 and 25/18 °C), while the remaining species required cool temperatures (10/4 °C). PLSR analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between seed mass and T50m (time to 50% final germination), and a negative correlation between seed moisture content and percentage germination. Our findings indicate that seed traits are important factors in seed-based restoration practice. F. esculentum, O. opipara, P. fortuneana and S. salicifolia are recommended for direct seeding during the early rainy season to restore seriously degraded lands in subtropical karst regions.

[Preliminary evaluation on the efficacy of emergency transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a multicenter study].

Objectives: To explore the efficacy and safety of emergency transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: Data of patients who underwent emergency TAVR in eight centers, namely Fuwai Hospital, Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital, Xijing Hospital, Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, between May 2017 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The use of mechanical circulatory support system (MCS) and the results of laboratory tests (N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)) and echocardiography (mean aortic valve cross valve pressure difference and left ventricular ejection fraction) before and after operation were collected. The primary endpoint was all-cause death, and the secondary endpoints were stroke, major bleeding, major vascular complications, myocardial infarction, permanent pacemaker implantation, and acute renal injury. Device success was caculated, which refered to absence of procedural mortality and correct positioning of a single prosthetic heart valve into the proper anatomical location and intended performance of the prosthetic heart valve (mean aortic valve gradient<20 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) or peak velocity<3 m/s, with no moderate or severe prosthetic valve regurgitation). Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the survival rate of patients during follow-up. Results: This study included 48 patients. The age was (72.5±8.1) years, and 34 patients were males (70.8%). Device success rate was 91.7% (44/48). The mean aortic valve transvalvular pressure was significantly decreased after operation ((12.3±6.4)mmHg vs. (60.2±23.8)mmHg, P<0.000 1). Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly increased ((41.5±11.7)% vs. (31.0±11.3)%, P<0.000 1). NT-proBNP significantly decreased (3 492.0 (1 638.8, 7 165.5) ng/L vs. 12 418.5 (6 693.8, 35 000.0) ng/L, P<0.000 1). In-hospital all-cause mortality was 8.3% (4/48). During hospitalization, the rate of stroke was 2.1% (1/48), major bleeding was 6.3% (3/48), major vascular complications was 10.4% (5/48), myocardial infarction was 4.2% (2/48), permanent pacemaker implantation was 6.3% (3/48), and the rate of acute renal injury was 12.5% (6/48). MCS was used in 20 patients (41.7%). The median follow-up time was 196 days. During the follow-up, one patient died (due to systemic metastasis of pancreatic cancer), two cases suffered new myocardial infarction and one case received permanent pacemaker implantation. The survival rate of 30 days, 1 year and 2 years after the operation were 91.7% (44/48), 89.6% (43/48), 89.6% (43/48), respectively. Conclusion: Emergency TAVR may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe decompensated aortic valve stenosis.

Ontogenetic characteristics of the intestinal microbiota of Quasipaa spinosa revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

To analyse the correlation between the intestinal microbiota (IM) and differential development of Quasipaa spinosa across different stages of metamorphosis, we focused on four key developmental periods (15 days post-hatch [dph; Gosner stage, GS23], 60 dph [GS25], 90 dph [GS41] and 150 dph [GS25, GS41, GS42, GS46]) and used 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Results showed that IM diversity in Q. spinosa was related to life history. Specifically, there was a significant difference between the aquatic and terrestrial stages, and IM diversity increased with age. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in tadpoles, whereas Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Fusobacteria were the dominant phyla at the metamorphosis stages. The composition of the IM at different stages and ages varied considerably, but the changes were not substantial among different development stages at 150 dph. This was probably because age has a greater influence than growth factors, and host selective pressure increases with age. This study provides a theoretical reference for subsequent studies on the IM, as well as for the prevention of amphibian endogenous pathogenic microbial diseases.

[E.faecium QH06 alleviates TNBS-induced colonic mucosal injury in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Enterococcus faecium QH06 on TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in rats and explore the mechanisms in light of intestinal flora and intestinal immunity. METHODS: Thirty-six male Wistar rats were randomized equally into control group, UC model group, and E.faecium QH06 intervention group. The rats in the latter two groups were subjected to colonic enema with 5% TNBS/ethanol to induce UC, followed by treatment with intragastric administration of distilled water or E.faecium QH06 at the dose of 0.21 g/kg. After 14 days of treatment, the rats were examined for colon pathologies with HE staining. The mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ in the colon tissues were detected using RT-qPCR and ELISA, and the expression of TLR2 protein was detected with immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Illumina Miseq platform was used for sequencing analysis of the intestinal flora of the rats with bioinformatics analysis. The correlations of the parameters of the intestinal flora with the expression levels of TLR2 and cytokines were analyzed. RESULTS: The rats with TNBS- induced UC showed obvious weight loss (P < 0.01) and severe colon tissue injury with high pathological scores (P < 0.01). The protein expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, and TLR2 (P < 0.01) and the mRNA expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-12 and IL-10 (P < 0.05) were significantly increased in the colon tissues of the rats with UC. Illumina Miseq sequence analysis showed that in UC rats, the Shannon index (P < 0.05) ACE (P < 0.01)and Chao (P < 0.05) index for the diversity of intestinal flora both decreased with a significantly increased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae (P < 0.01) and a lowered abundance of Burkholderiaceae (P < 0.05). Compared with the UC rats, the rats treated with E. faecium QH06 showed obvious body weight gain (P < 0.05), lessened colon injuries, lowered pathological score of the colon tissue (P < 0.05), decreased protein expressions of IFN- γ, IL- 12, and TLR2 and mRNA expressions of IFN- γ and IL-12 (P < 0.01 or 0.05), and increased protein expressions of IL- 4 (P < 0.05). The Shannon index ACE (P < 0.05) and Chao (P < 0.05) index of intestinal microflora were significantly increased, the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was lowered and that of Burkholderiaceae and Rikenellaceae was increased in E.faecium QH06- treated rats (P < 0.01 or 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that IFN-γ was positively correlated with the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae, and IFN-γ was negatively correlated with the abundance of Prevotellaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, norank_o_Mollicutes_RF39 and Clostridiales_vadinBB60_group; TLR2 was negatively correlated with Clostridiales_vadinBB60_group, norank_o_Mollicutes_RF39 and Prevotellaceae. CONCLUSION: E.faecium QH06 can alleviate TNBS-induced colonic mucosal injury in rats, and its effect is mediated possibly by increasing the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria such as Prevotellaceae and inhibiting abnormal immune responses mediated by TLR2.