Severe brain injury and trends of gestational-age-related neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born very preterm: A population cohort study.

AIM: To investigate the impact of severe neonatal brain injury (SNBI) on gestational age-related trends in neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) outcome in infants born very preterm. METHOD: A population-based cohort study recruited 1091 infants born at a gestational age of less than 31 weeks between 2011 and 2020. The trends in neonatal morbidities, mortality, and 24-month NDI severity (no/mild, moderate, severe) by epoch (2011-2015, 2016-2020) and gestational age (22-25 weeks, 26-28 weeks, 29-30 weeks) were determined in infants with and without SNBI inclusion. RESULTS: There was increased antenatal steroid use and higher maternal education and socioeconomic status over time. The rates of neonatal morbidities and mortality had no temporal changes. Among 825 infants with follow-up, those in the 22 to 25 weeks gestational age group had declining trends in cerebral palsy and severe cognitive impairment, with decreased rates of severe NDI from 19% to 8% across epochs, particularly in those without SNBI (from 16% to 2%). Relative to its occurrence in epoch 2011 to 2015, risk of severe NDI was significantly reduced in epoch 2016 to 2020 (adjusted relative risk 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.96) for infants born at 22 to 25 weeks gestational age, and the risk dropped even lower in these infants without SNBI (0.12, 0.02-0.84). INTERPRETATION: Infants born at 22 to 25 weeks gestational age had decreased rates of severe NDI in the decade between 2011 and 2020, particularly those without SNBI. The improvement might be attributed to better perinatal/neonatal and after-discharge care.

Development of an artificial intelligent model for pre-endoscopic screening of precancerous lesions in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Given the high cost of endoscopy in gastric cancer (GC) screening, there is an urgent need to explore cost-effective methods for the large-scale prediction of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC). We aim to construct a hierarchical artificial intelligence-based multimodal non-invasive method for pre-endoscopic risk screening, to provide tailored recommendations for endoscopy. METHODS: From December 2022 to December 2023, a large-scale screening study was conducted in Fujian, China. Based on traditional Chinese medicine theory, we simultaneously collected tongue images and inquiry information from 1034 participants, considering the potential of these data for PLGC screening. Then, we introduced inquiry information for the first time, forming a multimodality artificial intelligence model to integrate tongue images and inquiry information for pre-endoscopic screening. Moreover, we validated this approach in another independent external validation cohort, comprising 143 participants from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. RESULTS: A multimodality artificial intelligence-assisted pre-endoscopic screening model based on tongue images and inquiry information (AITonguequiry) was constructed, adopting a hierarchical prediction strategy, achieving tailored endoscopic recommendations. Validation analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of AITonguequiry were 0.74 for overall PLGC (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.76, p < 0.05) and 0.82 for high-risk PLGC (95% CI 0.82-0.83, p < 0.05), which were significantly and robustly better than those of the independent use of either tongue images or inquiry information alone. In addition, AITonguequiry has superior performance compared to existing PLGC screening methodologies, with the AUC value enhancing 45% in terms of PLGC screening (0.74 vs. 0.51, p < 0.05) and 52% in terms of high-risk PLGC screening (0.82 vs. 0.54, p < 0.05). In the independent external verification, the AUC values were 0.69 for PLGC and 0.76 for high-risk PLGC. CONCLUSION: Our AITonguequiry artificial intelligence model, for the first time, incorporates inquiry information and tongue images, leading to a higher precision and finer-grained pre-endoscopic screening of PLGC. This enhances patient screening efficiency and alleviates patient burden.

Pharmacotherapy and cardiovascular challenges: a case report of olverembatinib-induced myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries.

The anticancer drug of tyrosine kinase-inhibitors (TKIs) has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with specific leukemia but has also increased the risk of organ adverse reactions. Herein, we present a case of a patient diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasms who experienced recurrent chest pain after receiving treatment with Olverembatinib. Electrocardiography and coronary angiography confirmed the diagnosis of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries. This case serves as a reminder for clinicians to pay more attention and actively prevent the cardiac adverse reactions of TKIs when using such medications.

Secretion of WNT7A by UC-MSCs assist in promoting the endometrial epithelial regeneration.

Stem cell therapy for intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) has been widely used in clinical treatment. However, intravenous injection lacks sufficient targeting capabilities, while in situ injection poses challenges in ensuring the effective survival of stem cells. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying the interaction between stem cells and endometrial cells in vivo remains poorly understood, and there is a lack of suitable in vitro models for studying these problems. Here, we designed an extracellular matrix (ECM)-adhesion mimic hydrogel for intrauterine administration, which was more effective than direct injection in treating IUAs. Additionally, we analyzed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and confirmed that the activation of endometrial epithelial stem cells is pivotal. Our findings demonstrated that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) secrete WNT7A to activate endometrial epithelial stem cells, thereby accelerating regeneration of the endometrial epithelium. Concurrently, under transforming growth factor alpha (TGFA) stimulation secreted by the EMT epithelium, UC-MSCs upregulate E-cadherin while partially implanting into the endometrial epithelium.

Greedy Ensemble Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection.

Hyperspectral images include information from a wide range of spectral bands deemed valuable for computer vision applications in various domains such as agriculture, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Anomaly detection in hyperspectral images has proven to be a crucial component of change and abnormality identification, enabling improved decision-making across various applications. These abnormalities/anomalies can be detected using background estimation techniques that do not require the prior knowledge of outliers. However, each hyperspectral anomaly detection (HS-AD) algorithm models the background differently. These different assumptions may fail to consider all the background constraints in various scenarios. We have developed a new approach called Greedy Ensemble Anomaly Detection (GE-AD) to address this shortcoming. It includes a greedy search algorithm to systematically determine the suitable base models from HS-AD algorithms and hyperspectral unmixing for the first stage of a stacking ensemble and employs a supervised classifier in the second stage of a stacking ensemble. It helps researchers with limited knowledge of the suitability of the HS-AD algorithms for the application scenarios to select the best methods automatically. Our evaluation shows that the proposed method achieves a higher average F1-macro score with statistical significance compared to the other individual methods used in the ensemble. This is validated on multiple datasets, including the Airport-Beach-Urban (ABU) dataset, the San Diego dataset, the Salinas dataset, the Hydice Urban dataset, and the Arizona dataset. The evaluation using the airport scenes from the ABU dataset shows that GE-AD achieves a 14.97% higher average F1-macro score than our previous method (HUE-AD), at least 17.19% higher than the individual methods used in the ensemble, and at least 28.53% higher than the other state-of-the-art ensemble anomaly detection algorithms. As using the combination of greedy algorithm and stacking ensemble to automatically select suitable base models and associated weights have not been widely explored in hyperspectral anomaly detection, we believe that our work will expand the knowledge in this research area and contribute to the wider application of this approach.

Pre-school children single inhalation anesthetic exposure and neuro-psychological development: a prospective study and Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: For children who are unable to cooperate due to severe dental anxiety (DA), dental treatment of childhood caries under Dental General Anesthesia (DGA) is a safe and high-quality treatment method. This study aims to evaluate the impact on neurocognitive functions and the growth and development of children 2 years after dental procedure based on previous research, and further establish a causal relationship between general anesthesia (GA) and changes in children's neurocognitive functions by incorporating Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis. Methods: Data were collected and analyzed from 340 cases of S-ECC procedures of preschool children conducted in 2019. This involved comparing the neurocognitive outcomes 2 years post-operation of preschool children receiving dental procedures under general anesthesia or local anesthesia. Physical development indicators such as height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of children were also compared at baseline, half a year post-operation, and 2 years post-operation. We performed a Mendelian randomization analysis on the causal relationship between children's cognitive development and general anesthesia, drawing on a large-scale meta-analysis of GWAS for anesthesia, including multiple general anesthesia datasets. Results: Outcome data were obtained for 111 children in the general anesthesia group and 121 children in the local anesthesia group. The mean FSIQ score for the general anesthesia group was 106.77 (SD 6.96), while the mean score for the local anesthesia group was 106.36 (SD 5.88). FSIQ scores were equivalent between the two groups. The incidence of malnutrition in children in the general anesthesia group was 27.93% (p < 0.001) before surgery and decreased to 15.32% (p > 0.05) after 2 years, which was not different from the general population. The IVW method suggested that the causal estimate (p = 0.99 > 0.05, OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 5.98 × 10-4-1.82 × 103) was not statistically significant for disease prevalence. This indicates no genetic cause-and-effect relationship between anesthesia and childhood intelligence. Conclusion: There were no adverse outcomes in neurocognitive development in 2 years after severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) procedure under total sevoflurane-inhalation in preschool children. The malnutrition condition in children can be improved after S-ECC procedure under general anesthesia. Limited MR evidence does not support a correlation between genetic susceptibility to anesthesia and an increased risk for intelligence in children.

Suitability of agronomic water saving in karst areas and its enlightenment in the karst desertification control.

The special "dual" hydrogeological structure in karst areas causes rainfall easily "leaking" into the ground, resulting a unique "karst drought". In these areas, drought and insufficient water resources seriously restrict the sustainable development of agriculture. In order to restore the ecology of karst desertification, develop ecological industries, improve the utilization efficiency of water resources, and advance water-saving agriculture in such areas, literature review method was applied to discuss the suitability of agronomic water-saving measures in karst areas. The results are as follows. (1) Agronomic water-saving measures including tillage, mulching, water-fertilizer coupling, chemical regulation, crop allocation and deficit irrigation can all enhance the crop WUE. For example, deep tillage and deep loosening increased the WUE by 15.1 % and 15.9 % respectively. The WUE of spring wheat under straw mulching increased by 17.17 %-43.01 % compared with that under mulching film. Increased density of intercropping corn and wheat saved 9.85 % of water. (2) The cultural or natural particularity of karst areas limits the application of all agronomic water-saving measures in karst areas, and therefore choices and adjustments are necessary according to local conditions: ① No tillage should be adopted because of the high output of labor force; ② straw mulching need to be crushed; ③ the coupling of water and fertilizer reaches better effect when applied to crops several hours before rainfall; ④ the shallow soil layer and the complexity of preparing water retaining agent make it unsuitable to use water retaining agent; ⑤ agroforestry with dwarf and dense planting is more suitable; ⑥ crop deficit irrigation can be carried out by using ecological small pools. Based on the above results, proposes are offered in the following. First, it is necessary to construct the optimal model of regional water and fertilizer coupling in karst areas, and apply composite agronomic water-saving measures. Second, it is suggested to establish a model of coordinating forest, grain and grass, and vigorously develop ecologically derivative agroforestry. Third, there is a necessity to strengthen the research and development of technology about soil and water leakage monitoring and resistance, and intensify studies on "five waters" transformation at the basin scale. The research results and implication are an important reference for developing water-saving agriculture, solving the shortage of agricultural water resources, ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and improving farmers' living standards. Rational use of agronomic water-saving measures is of great significance to enhance the utilization efficiency of water resources and boost regional economy in karst desertification areas.

Improvement effects of a novel Chinese herbal formula in imiquimod and IL-23-stimulated mouse models of psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory skin disease. A novel herbal formula containing nine Chinese herbal medicines, named Inflammation Skin Disease Formula (ISDF), has been prescribed in clinics for decades. AIMS: To investigate the efficacy and action mechanisms of ISDF on psoriasis using imiquimod (IMQ) and Interleukin-23 (IL-23)-induced models in mice and reveal the pharmacokinetics profile of ISDF in rats. METHODS: Topical administration of IMQ and intradermal injection with IL-23 respectively induced skin lesions like psoriasis on the dorsal area of Balb/c and C57 mice. The mice's body weight, skin thickness, and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) were assessed weekly. SD rats were used in the pharmacokinetics study and the contents of berberine and baicalin were determined. RESULTS: The PASI scores and epidermal thickness of mice were markedly decreased after ISDF treatment in both models. ISDF treatment significantly decreased the contents of IL-17A and IL-22 in the serum of IMQ- and IL-23-treated mice. Importantly, ISDF markedly downregulated IL-4, IL-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) gene expression, and the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, JNK, ERKs and MAPK p38 in IMQ-treated mice. The protein phosphorylation of Jak1, Jak2, Tyk2 and Stat3 was significantly mitigated in the ISDF-treated groups. The absorption of baicalin and berberine of ISDF through the gastrointestinal tract of rats was limited, and their distribution and metabolism in rats were also very slow, which suggested ISDF could be used in the long-term application. CONCLUSIONS: ISDF has a strong anti-psoriatic therapeutic effect on mouse models induced with psoriasis through IMQ and IL-23, which is achieved by inhibiting the activation of the Jak/Stat3-activated IL-23/Th17 axis and the downstream NF-κB signalling and MAPK signalling pathways. ISDF holds great potential to be a therapy for psoriasis and should be further developed for this purpose.

Prediction of clinical risk assessment and survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have an increased risk of disease exacerbation and decreased survival. We aimed to develop and validate a non-invasive nomogram for predicting COPD associated with severe PH and a prognostic nomogram for patients with COPD and concurrent PH (COPD-PH). METHODS: This study included 535 patients with COPD-PH from six hospitals. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the risk factors for severe PH in patients with COPD and a multivariate Cox regression was used for the prognostic factors of COPD-PH. Performance was assessed using calibration, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and decision analysis curves. Kaplan-Meier curves were used for a survival analysis. The nomograms were developed as online network software. RESULTS: Tricuspid regurgitation velocity, right ventricular diameter, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), the red blood cell count, New York Heart Association functional class and sex were non-invasive independent variables of severe PH in patients with COPD. These variables were used to construct a risk assessment nomogram with good discrimination. NT-proBNP, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, partial pressure of arterial oxygen, the platelet count and albumin were independent prognostic factors for COPD-PH and were used to create a predictive nomogram of overall survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed nomograms based on a large sample size of patients with COPD-PH could be used as non-invasive clinical tools to enhance the risk assessment of severe PH in patients with COPD and for the prognosis of COPD-PH. Additionally, the online network has the potential to provide artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and treatment. HIGHLIGHTS: A multicentre study with a large sample of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients diagnosed with PH through right heart catheterisation. A non-invasive online clinical tool for assessing severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) in COPD. The first risk assessment tool was established for Chinese patients with COPD-PH.

Response of a simulated aquatic fungal community to nanoplastics exposure and functional consequence on leaf decomposition.

Nanoplastics pose a potential threat to a wide variety of aquatic organisms. Despite the awareness of this existing hazard, the impact of nanoplastics on natural fungal communities remains a research gap. In this study, five dominant fungi species, isolated from a stream ecosystem, were used to explore the effects of different nano-polystyrene (nano-PS) particles concentrations on a simulated fungal community. Specifically, the evaluation was conducted regarding the fungal growth, reproductivity, structural composition, and ecological function in leaf litter decomposition. A 15-day exposure experiment showed that 100 µg/L nano-PS significantly reduced the microcosm pH. The extracellular enzyme activities of ß-glucosidase, leucine-aminopeptidase, and peroxidase were significantly promoted by nano-PS exposure for 5 days or 15 days. Total sporulation rate significantly decreased after the 15-day exposure to 1 and 100 µg/L nano-PS and significantly increased under 10 µg/L nano-PS. In contrast, nano-PS concentrations had no effects on fungal biomass. In addition, the reduced relative abundance of Geotrichum candidum lowered its contribution to leaf decomposition, resulting in a decreased litter decomposition rate of a 24.5-27.9 % after exposure. This suggests that 1-100 µg/L nano-PS inhibited leaf decomposition by inhibiting fungal reproduction and reducing the contribution of specific fungal species. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of exploring the potential mechanisms of the interaction between nanoplastics and fungal species.

Aging-Associated Metabolite Methylmalonic Acid Increases Susceptibility to Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by pulmonary fibroblast overactivation, resulting in the accumulation of abnormal extracellular matrix and lung parenchymal damage. Although the pathogenesis of IPF remains unclear, aging was proposed as the most prominent nongenetic risk factor. Previous studies have indicated that propionate metabolism undergoes reprogramming in the aging population, leading to the accumulation of the by-product methylmalonic acid (MMA). This study aims to explore alterations in propionate metabolism in IPF and the impact of the by-product MMA on pulmonary fibrosis. The present study revealed alterations in the expression of enzymes involved in propionate metabolism within IPF lung tissues, characterized by an increase in propionyl-CoA carboxylase and methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase expression, and a decrease in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase expression. Knockdown of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, the key enzyme in propionate metabolism, in A549 cells induced a profibrotic phenotype and activated co-cultured fibroblasts. MMA exacerbated bleomycin-induced mouse lung fibrosis and induced a profibrotic phenotype in both epithelial cells and fibroblasts through activation of the canonical transforming growth factor-ß/Smad pathway. Overall, our findings unveil an alteration of propionate metabolism in IPF, leading to MMA accumulation, thus exacerbating lung fibrosis through promoting profibrotic phenotypic transitions via the canonical transforming growth factor-ß/Smad signaling pathway.

Serum ASGR2 level: an efficacy biomarker for balloon pulmonary angioplasty in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Background: This study aimed to employ plasma proteomics to investigate the molecular changes, pathway alterations, and potential novel biochemical markers associated with balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Methods: Pre- and post-BPA plasma samples from five CTEPH patients in the PRACTICE study were analyzed to identify differentially expressed proteins. Proteomic and bioinformatics analyses were conducted, and the identified proteins were further validated using ELISA assays in a separate cohort of the same study. Correlation and multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between these differentially expressed proteins and clinical parameters. Results: Significantly higher serum levels of asialoglycoprotein receptor 2 (ASGR2) were detected in 5 CTEPH patients compared to those in healthy individuals but decreased significantly after successful BPA procedures. The decrease in serum levels of ASGR2 after the completion of BPA procedures was further validated in a separate cohort of 48 patients with CTEPH [0.70 (0.51, 1.11) ng/mL vs. 0.38 (0.27, 0.59) ng/mL, P < 0.001]. Significant associations were found between the pre-BPA ASGR2 level and clinical parameters, including neutrophil percentage (R = 0.285, P < 0.05), platelet (PLT) count (R = 0.386, P < 0.05), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) before BPA (R = -0.285, P < 0.05). Significant associations were detected between post-BPA serum ASGR2 levels and lymphocyte percentage (LYM%) (R = 0.306, P < 0.05), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (R = -0.294, P < 0.05), and pulmonary vascular resistance after BPA (R = -0.35, P < 0.05). Multivariate stepwise regression analysis revealed that pre-BPA ASGR2 levels were associated with HDL-C and PLT count (both P < 0.001), while post-BPA ASGR2 levels were associated with LYM% (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum levels of ASGR2 may be a biomarker for the effectiveness of BPA treatment in CTEPH patients. The pre-BPA serum level of ASGR2 in CTEPH patients was associated with HDL-C and the PLT count. The post-BPA serum level of ASGR2 was correlated with the LYM%, which may reflect aspects of immune and inflammatory status.

Urban virtual environment landscape design and system based on PSO-BP neural network.

In the last few years, with the fast growing of neural network field such as those for virtual reception and enhanced nature, the practice and theory of conventional landscape are impacted and challenged by virtual landscape based on these sorts of neural network technologies. On the one hand, the virtual landscape changes the carrier of landscape design from material real world to the networked virtual world, which breaks the traditional way of generating landscape and the way of expression of results. On the other hand, the virtualized and networked morphological characteristics of the virtual landscape itself and its capacity that can offer users a sense of immertion, interplay and enjoyment of the experience provide a way of extending and deepening the realm of scenery. It is also a new type of landscape that conforms to the trend of the times created in the background of the fast evolution of scientific and technical development. Virtual landscape brings new construction thinking and practical means for the application of digital city, the construction of urban context, and the development and utilization of relics. It provides an important research source for thinking about the relationship between current humanities and science, material and virtual, history and contemporary. After the research and experiment on the urban environment landscape design of PSO-BP neural network, the experimental data showed that before using the neural network method to improve Yanta East Garden, 57% of the crowd were satisfied with the overall impression of Yanta East Garden, and 17% were dissatisfied. After the improvement, 67% were satisfied with the landscape of Yanta East Garden, only 5% were dissatisfied, and the landscape satisfaction increased by 10%. The survey group believed that the landscape color of Yanta East Garden was full of historical flavor, especially the small sculptures convey the unique Qin Opera culture. The above data show that the method based on neural network is very suitable for the improvement and development of urban landscape design.

Viral Hepatitis B Reactivation With Delayed Cholestatic Effect Secondary to Acalabrutinib.

One significant complication of hepatitis B virus includes reactivation (HBVr) in the context of the use of immunosuppressive agents, such as corticosteroids and rituximab, among others. Limited data exist on the topic of HBVr risk in the context of tyrosine kinase inhibitors for which there is no strong guidance recommendation. We describe the clinical characteristics, diagnostic challenges, and the clinical course of a single patient with recurrent mantle cell lymphoma who developed HBVr after treatment with acalabrutinib, a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

IL-6 Inhibitor Tocilizumab Reduces Bone Resorption Around Implants with Bacterial Infection During Osseointegration: A Pilot Study in Rabbits.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor (tocilizumab) on bacterial infection-associated bone resorption around implants during osseointegration in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At total of 24 male, 9-monthold New Zealand white rabbits were included, and their two mandibular anterior teeth were extracted. Three months after extraction, 24 one-piece Dentium implants (Ø 2.5 mm, intraosseous length of 12 mm) were inserted in the anterior mandible, and the rabbits were divided into four groups (n = 6 per group). Different treatment methods were used in each group: blank control group (BC); only silk ligation (negative control [NC]); silk ligation and injection with minocycline hydrochloride ointment (positive control [PC]); and silk ligation and injection with tocilizumab at 8 mg/kg via the auricle vein (experimental [EP]). Eight weeks later, the animals were sacrificed, and samples were collected and then analyzed using microcomputed tomography (microCT) scanning, immunohistochemical analysis, and histologic analysis. RESULTS: From the microCT measurement, the ratio of the bone volume to the total volume (BV/TV) in the EP group was 67.00% ± 2.72%, which was higher than that in the other three groups (58.85% ± 2.43% in the BC group, 55.72% ± 2.48% in the PC group, and 36.52% ± 3.02% in the NC group). From immunohistochemical analysis, the expression of IL-6 was found to be higher in the NC group than in the BC, PC, and EP groups, but there was no statistical difference between these three groups. Furthermore, the RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand) expression was the lowest in the EP group, followed by the BC group, the PC group, and the NC group, which had the highest expression; there was no difference between the NC and PC groups. Upon histologic analysis, significant new bone was found on the implant surfaces in the EP group, sparse and less new bone could be seen in the BC and PC groups, and the most serious bone resorption occurred in the NC group. CONCLUSIONS: Tocilizumab, an inhibitor of IL-6, has a certain effect in preventing bone loss around implants caused by bacterial infection during the osseointegration period.

Toxic Effects of Methamphetamine on Reproductive Systems, Embryo Development, and Newborns: An Evidence-Based Review.

Methamphetamine (METH), an amphetamine-type stimulant, has been extensively abused globally in the past decades. METH use causes great harm to the major systems of the human body. Specifically, METH has a negative impact on the hypothalamic- pituitary-testicular axis, testicular structure, sperm function, ovarian folliculogenesis, oocyte quality, embryo development, and newborns. However, the mechanisms underlying these toxic effects have not yet been fully described. This study reviews the evidence concerning the impact of METH on male and female reproduction in the context of the testis, sperm, ovaries, oocytes, reproductive hormones, embryo development, and newborns, discussing the potential pathophysiological mechanisms in the reproductive toxicity induced by METH.

Effect of Cyclic Ice Plug Deformation on Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviors of Nuclear-Grade Low-Carbon Tubular Steel.

This study subjected nuclear-grade 20# pipeline steel to cyclic freeze-thaw ice plugging tests, simulating the plastic deformation experienced by pipes during ice plug removal procedures. Subsequently, the dislocation morphology and mechanical properties of the specimens post cyclic ice plugging were examined. The cyclic ice plugging process led to an increase in the dislocation density within the specimens. After 20 and 40 cycles of ice plugging, the internal dislocation structures evolved from individual dislocation lines and dislocation tangles to high-density dislocation walls and dislocation cells. These high-density dislocation walls and cells hindered dislocation motion, giving rise to strain hardening phenomena, thereby resulting in increased strength and hardness of the specimens with an increasing number of ice plugging cycles. In addition, a large stress field was generated around the dislocation buildup, which reduced the pipe material's plastic toughness. The findings elucidate the effects of cyclic ice plugging on the microstructure and properties of nuclear-grade 20# pipeline steel, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the safe and stable application of ice plugging technology in nuclear piping systems.

Effects of nanoplastic exposure routes on leaf decomposition in streams.

Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) released from plastic products have been demonstrated to pose a threat to leaf litter decomposition in streams. Given the multitrophic systems of species interactions, the effects of PS NPs through different exposure routes on ecosystem functioning remain unclear. Especially dietary exposure, a frequently overlooked pathway leading to toxicity, deserves more attention. A microcosm experiment was conducted in this study to assess the effects of waterborne and dietary exposure to PS NPs on the litter-based food chain involving leaves, microbial decomposers, and detritivores (river snails). Compared to waterborne contamination, dietary contamination resulted in lower microbial enzyme activities and a significantly higher decrease in the lipid content of leaves. For river snails, their antioxidant activity was significantly increased by 20.21%-69.93%, and their leaf consumption rate was significantly reduced by 16.60% through the dietary route due to the lower lipid content of leaves. Besides, the significantly decreased nutritional quality of river snails would negatively influence their palatability to predators. The findings of this study indicate that dietary exposure to PS NPs significantly impacts microbial and detritivore activities, thus affecting their functions in the detritus food chain as well as nutrient cycling.

[Proposal and Analysis of "Ternary" Model of Sensitization for Proton Therapy].

In order to improve the biological effect of proton therapy, the authors first propose a new method of boron-based proton-enhanced radiotherapy in a " ternary " radiotherapy mode, based on the existing sensitizing effect of proton radiotherapy: i.e, Boron-based mediators (11B and 10B) induce the proton-hydrogen-boron fusion reaction of the low-energy protons arriving at the Bragg peak region of the tumor target area (p+11B→3α) and thermal neutron capture (10B+n→7Li3+(0.84 MeV)+4He2+(1.47 MeV)+γ(0.477 MeV)), which release low-energy α-particles with high LETs to enhance the biological effect of proton dose in the target area, thus improve the clinical effect of proton therapy. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of the "ternary" model were analyzed from the theoretical basis and current research status, and finally, the "ternary" model is summarized and prospected.

Metal binding feature of copper‒induced metallothionein from freshwater crab Sinopotamon henanense reveals its Cu‒thionein character.

Sinopotamon Henanense expresses two metal‒induced metallothioneins (MTs), Cd‒induced MT and Cu‒induced MT (ShCuMT). The Cd‒induced MT has been characterized as a Cd‒thiolate MT. However, it is unknown whether ShCuMT is a Cu‒thiolate MT. In the present study, ShCuMT was expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni‒NTA column and superdex‒75 column. And its metal‒binding feature was evaluated by DTNB reaction, circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), isothermal microtitration (ITC), electrospray flight mass spectrometry (ESI‒TOF‒MS), and matrix‒assisted laser desorption ionization flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‒TOF‒MS). Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that ShCuMT possessed the cysteine‒triplet motif of a Cu‒specific MT. Expression and purification of ShCuMT illustrated that SUMO tag used as the production system for ShCuMT resulted in a high production yield. The stability order of ShCuMT binding metal ions were Cu (Ⅰ) > Cd (Ⅱ) > Zn (Ⅱ). The CD spectrum indicated that ShCuMT binding with Cu (I) exhibited a compact thiol metal clusters structure. Besides, there emerged no a visible nickel‒thiol absorption after Ni‒NTA column affinity chromatography. The ITC results implied that Cu‒ShCuMT possessed the optimal thermodynamic conformation and the highest stoichiometric number of Cu (Ⅰ). Overall, the results suggested that SUMO fusion system is a robust and inexpensive approach for ShCuMT expression and Ni‒NTA column had no influence on metal binding of ShCuMT and Cu(Ⅰ) was considered its cognate metal ion, and ShCuMT possessed canonical Cu‒thiolate characteristics. The metal binding feature of ShCuMT reported here contributes to elucidating the structure‒function relationship of ShCuMT in S. Henanense.