Dynamic process of ecosystem water use efficiency and response to drought in the Yellow River Basin, China.

Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial indicator of the impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems, reflecting the balance between biological processes (photosynthesis and transpiration) and physical processes (evapotranspiration). However, the response mechanisms and driving processes of WUE to drought remain to be further understood. In this study, we analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics and response mechanisms of WUE in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) using data on Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), Evapotranspiration (ET) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), which revealed the cumulative effect of drought on WUE and assessed the ecosystem's resilience. The study results showed that (1) GPP, ET and WUE in the YRB exhibited a significant increasing trend, with 63.04 % of the area showing a marked increase in WUE. (2) GPP was the dominant factor influencing WUE in 65.36 % of the area, particularly in cropland and grassland, while ET was more influential in forested areas. Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) was identified as the principal driver affecting vegetation GPP in semi-arid and semi-humid regions of the YRB. In contrast, soil moisture (SM) was the limiting factor in arid areas. (3) 71.00 % of the WUE in the basin was affected by drought cumulative effects, with an average cumulative duration of 4.5 months. Arid regions experienced the most extended duration of 7.29 months, compared to 3.05 months in semi-humid regions. (4) 74.85 % of the regional ecosystems exhibited ecological resilience to drought, particularly in the source areas of the western basin of the YRB. Shrublands have the highest drought resilience among vegetation types, while grasslands have the lowest. The resilience of each climatic zone was in the order of semi-humid, semi-arid, and arid order. This study comprehensively analyzed of the spatial and temporal dynamics and response mechanisms of WUE in the YRB, offering a new perspective and scientific basis for understanding and predicting the ecosystem response to climate change.

[Process in the role of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the treatment of ulcerative colitis by regulating the balance of T follicular helper cells/T follicular regulatory cells].

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune disease based on the persistent damage of colonic mucosal barrier. It has been found that the abnormal expression of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells is closely related to the occurrence and development of UC. Tfh cells can secrete pro-inflammatory factors and assist B cells to produce antibodies, which can promote the development of UC, while Tfr cells can inhibit the activity of Tfh cells and secrete anti-inflammatory factors. How to regulate the balance between them has become one of the potential therapeutic targets of UC. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has preventive and therapeutic effect on UC, and its mechanism is closely related to the regulation of Tfh/Tfr cell balance, which can provide help for the treatment of UC.

Asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to impervious surface expansion: Case studies in the Yellow and Yangtze River Basins.

Terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) changes due to impervious surfaces significantly impact ecosystem services in watersheds. Understanding the asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to impervious surface expansion is essential for regional development planning and ecosystem management. However, the asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to the impacts of impervious surface expansion is unknown in different watersheds. This paper selected the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins as case studies. We characterized the overall change in GPP based on changes in impervious surface ratio (ISR), determined impervious surface expansion's direct and indirect impacts on GPP in the two watersheds, and further analyzed the asymmetric response of the compensatory effects of indirect influences on the impervious surface expansion in different watersheds. The results showed that: (1) The vegetation GPP decreased with increasing ISR in the Yangtze River Basin, while that in the Yellow River Basin first increased and then reduced. (2) The direct impacts of increased ISR reduced vegetation GPP, while the indirect impacts both had a growth-compensating effect. Growth compensation stabilized at approximately 0.40 and 0.30 in the Yellow and Yangtze River Basins. (3) When the ISR was 0.34-0.56, the growth compensation could offset the reduction of GPP due to direct impact and ensure that the background vegetation GPP was not damaged in the Yellow River Basin. In contrast, the background vegetation GPP was inevitably impaired with increased ISR in the Yangtze River Basin. Therefore, this study suggests that the ISR should be ensured to be between 0.34 and 0.56 to maximize the impervious surface of the Yellow River Basin without compromising the background vegetation GPP. While pursuing impervious surface expansion in the Yangtze River Basin, other programs should be sought to compensate for the loss to GPP.

Water Quality Degradation Due to Heavy Metal Contamination: Health Impacts and Eco-Friendly Approaches for Heavy Metal Remediation.

Water quality depends on its physicochemical and biological parameters. Changes in parameters such as pH, temperature, and essential and non-essential trace metals in water can render it unfit for human use. Moreover, the characteristics of the local environment, geological processes, geochemistry, and hydrological properties of water sources also affect water quality. Generally, groundwater is utilized for drinking purposes all over the globe. The surface is also utilized for human use and industrial purposes. There are several natural and anthropogenic activities responsible for the heavy metal contamination of water. Industrial sources, including coal washery, steel industry, food processing industry, plastic processing, metallic work, leather tanning, etc., are responsible for heavy metal contamination in water. Domestic and agricultural waste is also responsible for hazardous metallic contamination in water. Contaminated water with heavy metal ions like Cr (VI), Cd (II), Pb (II), As (V and III), Hg (II), Ni (II), and Cu (II) is responsible for several health issues in humans, like liver failure, kidney damage, gastric and skin cancer, mental disorders and harmful effects on the reproductive system. Hence, the evaluation of heavy metal contamination in water and its removal is needed. There are several physicochemical methods that are available for the removal of heavy metals from water, but these methods are expensive and generate large amounts of secondary pollutants. Biological methods are considered cost-effective and eco-friendly methods for the remediation of metallic contaminants from water. In this review, we focused on water contamination with toxic heavy metals and their toxicity and eco-friendly bioremediation approaches.

Berberine alleviates myocardial diastolic dysfunction by modulating Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission and Ca2+ homeostasis in a murine model of HFpEF.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) displays normal or near-normal left ventricular ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, and poor exercise capacity. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, possesses cardiovascular benefits. Adult male mice were assigned to chow or high-fat diet with L-NAME ("two-hit" model) for 15 weeks. Diastolic function was assessed using echocardiography and noninvasive Doppler technique. Myocardial morphology, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and cardiomyocyte mechanical properties were evaluated. Proteomics analysis, autophagic flux, and intracellular Ca2+ were also assessed in chow and HFpEF mice. The results show exercise intolerance and cardiac diastolic dysfunction in "two-hit"-induced HFpEF model, in which unfavorable geometric changes such as increased cell size, interstitial fibrosis, and mitochondrial swelling occurred in the myocardium. Diastolic dysfunction was indicated by the elevated E value, mitral E/A ratio, and E/e' ratio, decreased e' value and maximal velocity of re-lengthening (-dL/dt), and prolonged re-lengthening in HFpEF mice. The effects of these processes were alleviated by berberine. Moreover, berberine ameliorated autophagic flux, alleviated Drp1 mitochondrial localization, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and fragmentation, and promoted intracellular Ca2+ reuptake into sarcoplasmic reticulum by regulating phospholamban and SERCA2a. Finally, berberine alleviated diastolic dysfunction in "two-hit" diet-induced HFpEF model possibly because of the promotion of autophagic flux, inhibition of mitochondrial fragmentation, and cytosolic Ca2+ overload.

PHB2 ameliorates Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy through interaction with NDUFV2 and restoration of mitochondrial complex I function.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX) is among the most widely employed antitumor agents, although its clinical applications have been largely hindered by severe cardiotoxicity. Earlier studies described an essential role of mitochondrial injury in the pathogenesis of DOX cardiomyopathy. PHB2 (Prohibitin 2) is perceived as an essential regulator for mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) although its involvement in DOX cardiomyopathy remains elusive. METHODS: To decipher the possible role of PHB2 in DOX cardiomyopathy, tamoxifen-induced cardiac-specific PHB2 conditional knockout mice were generated and subjected to DOX challenge. Cardiac function and mitochondrial profiles were examined. Screening of downstream mediators of PHB2 was performed using proteomic profiling and bioinformatic analysis, and was further verified using co-immunoprecipitation and pulldown assays. RESULTS: Our data revealed significantly downregulated PHB2 expression in DOX-challenged mouse hearts. PHB2CKO mice were more susceptible to DOX cardiotoxicity compared with PHB2flox/flox mice, as evidenced by more pronounced cardiac atrophy, interstitial fibrosis and decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Mechanistically, PHB2 deficiency resulted in the impairment of mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative phosphorylation in DOX cardiotoxicity. Proteomic profiling and interactome analyses revealed that PHB2 interacted with NDUFV2 (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit V2), a key subunit of mitochondrial respiratory Complex I to mediate regulatory property of PHB2 on mitochondrial metabolism. PHB2 governed the expression of NDUFV2 by promoting its stabilization, while PHB2 deficiency significantly downregulated NDUFV2 in DOX-challenged hearts. Cardiac overexpression of PHB2 alleviated mitochondrial defects in DOX cardiomyopathy both in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our study defined a novel role for PHB2 in mitochondrial dynamics and energetic metabolism through interacting with NDUFV2 in DOX-challenged hearts. Forced overexpression of PHB2 may be considered a promising therapeutic approach for patients with DOX cardiomyopathy.

YKL-40 derived from infiltrating macrophages cooperates with GDF15 to establish an immune suppressive microenvironment in gallbladder cancer.

Despite of the high lethality of gallbladder cancer (GBC), little is known regarding molecular regulation of the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we determined tumor expression levels of YKL-40 and the molecular mechanisms by which YKL-40 regulates escape of anti-tumor immune surveillance. We found that elevated expression levels of YKL-40 in plasma and tissue were correlated with tumor size, stage IV and lymph node metastasis. Single cell transcriptome analysis revealed that YKL-40 was predominantly derived from M2-like subtype of infiltrating macrophages. Blockade of M2-like macrophage differentiation of THP-1 cells with YKL-40 shRNA resulted in reprogramming to M1-like macrophages and restricting tumor development. YKL-40 induced tumor cell expression and secretion of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), thus coordinating to promote PD-L1 expression mediated by PI3K, AKT and/or Erk activation. Interestingly, extracellular GDF15 inhibited intracellular expression of GDF15 that suppressed PD-L1 expression. Thus, YKL-40 disrupted the balance of pro- and anti-PD-L1 regulation to enhance expression of PD-L1 and inhibition of T cell cytotoxicity, leading to tumor immune evasion. The data suggest that YKL-40 and GDF15 could serve as diagnostic biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets for GBC.

Understanding structure-performance relationships of CoOx/CeO2 catalysts for NO catalytic oxidation: Facet tailoring and bimetallic interface designing.

Crystalline structure and bimetallic interaction of metal oxides are essential factors to determine the catalytic activity. Herein, three different CoOx/CeO2 catalysts, employing CeO2 nanorods (predominately exposed {110 facet), CeO2 nanopolyhedra ({111} facet) and CeO2 nanocubes ({100} facet) as the supports, are successfully prepared for investigating the effect of exposed crystal facets and bimetallic interface interaction on NO oxidation. In comparison with the {111} and {100} facets, the exposed crystal facet {110} exists the best superiority to anchor and stabilize Co species. Moreover, ultra-small CoOx clusters composed of strong Co-O coordination shells with minor Co-O-Ce interaction are formed and uniformly dispersed on the CeO2 nanorods. Structural characterizations reveal that the active exposed crystal facet {110} and the strong bimetallic interface interaction in CoOx/CeO2-nanorods (R-CC) result in more structural defect, endowing it with abundant oxygen vacancies, excellent reducibility and strong adsorption capacity. The DRIFTs spectra further indicate that the exposed crystal facet {110} has a significant promoting effect on the strength of nitrates compared with {111} and {100} facets. The bimetallic interface interaction not only significantly facilitates the formation of nitrate species at lower temperature, but also effectively suppresses the generation of sulfate and lower the sulphation rate. Therefore, R-CC catalyst exhibits the maximum NO oxidation activity with the conversion of 86.4 % at 300 °C and still sustains its high activity under cyclic condition or 50 ppm SO2. The provided crystalline structure and interaction-enhanced strategy sheds light on the design of high-activity NO oxidation catalysts.

Association of HbA1c with carotid artery plaques in patients with coronary heart disease: a retrospective clinical study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels have been shown to be related to carotid artery plaques. However, studies on the relationship between HbA1c levels and carotid artery plaques in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are limited and inconsistent. Our objective was to examine the correlation between HbA1c levels and carotid artery plaques in patients with CHD. METHODS: The study comprised 9275 Chinese adults with CHD from January 1, 2014, to September 30, 2020. HbA1c levels were assessed, and colour Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate the carotid artery, including plaque presence, intima-media thickness, and plaque echo properties, to investigate the association between HbA1c and carotid plaque. A logistic regression model was used to assess the association between carotid artery plaques, carotid plaque echogenicity, and HbA1c. RESULTS: The HbA1c level of the plaque-present group was higher than that of the plaque-absent group [6.1 (5.6-7.2) vs. 5.8 (5.5-6.5), p < 0.001]. In multiple linear regression analysis, intima-media thickness was associated with HbA1c (p < 0.001). Logistic regression showed that a higher HbA1c level was associated with plaque incidence as well as hyperechoic and heterogeneous plaques (p < 0.001). These associations persist after adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure, lipid profiles, alcohol consumption, and tobacco exposure. CONCLUSION: HbA1c levels are notably associated with carotid artery plaque incidence, intima-media thickness, and plaque echogenicity in patients with CHD. These findings show that different levels of HbA1c may be an indicator for carotid artery plaques and thus, should be observed in patients with CHD.

Mechanical Properties and Failure Mechanism of Anchored Bedding Rock Material under Impact Loading.

In view of the problem that anchored bedding rock material is prone to instability and failure under impact loading in the process of deep coal mining, and taking the lower roadway of a deep 2424 coal working face in the Suncun coal mine as the engineering background, a mechanical model of anchored bedding rock material was established, and the instability criterion of compression and shear failure of anchored bedding rock material was obtained. Then, the separated Hopkinson pressure bar was used to carry out an impact-loading test on the anchored bedding rock material, and the dynamic mechanical properties of the rock with different anchoring modes and bolt bedding angles were studied; the evolution law of the strain field of the anchored bedding rock material was also obtained. The results show the following: (1) The bolt support could effectively improve the dynamic load strength and dynamic elastic modulus of the rock material with anchorage bedding, the degree of improvement increased with the increase in the angle of the bolt bedding, and the full anchorage effect was much higher than the end anchorage effect was. (2) The bolt bedding angle and anchorage mode greatly influenced crack development and displacement characteristics. After an impact, the bedding rock material had obvious shear displacement along the bedding direction, and obvious macroscopic cracks were produced in the bedding plane. The research results offer theoretical guidance to and have reference significance for deep roadway anchorage support engineering.

Characterization of waste cell biomass derived glutamate decarboxylase for in vitro γ-aminobutyric acid production and value-addition.

Waste biomass of Lactobacillus brevis obtained from in vivo γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production was used for value-addition. This study aims to extract glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and characterize it for in vitro GABA production. Extracted GAD showed an excellent activity for in vitro GABA production. 52 W ultrasonic output was best in crude GAD extraction which was purified by Q HP anion-exchange column followed by Superdex-200 colloid separation column. The molecular weight of the purified GAD was determined to be ~53 kDa, and the Km value for L-glutamic acid was calculated ~7.65 mM. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) acted as the best cofactor for GAD. Optimum temperature and PLP dosing were deferring for crude and purified enzyme forms which respectively exhibited at 45°C, 55°C, 200 µmol and 20 µmol whereas optimum pH was the same at 4.5. GAD finds applications in food industries hence its detailed characterization would be promising for commercial exploitations.

Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Versus Kyphoplasty for Thoracolumbar Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures in Patients with Distant Lumbosacral Pain.

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, we have found that the pain caused by thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is sometimes not limited to the level of the fractured vertebrae but instead occurs in areas far away from the injured vertebrae, such as the lower back, area surrounding the iliac crest, or buttocks, and this type of pain is known as distant lumbosacral pain. The pathogenesis of pain in distant regions caused by thoracolumbar OVCF remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical efficacy and imaging outcomes of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of distant lumbosacral pain accompanied by thoracolumbar OVCF and to explore the possible pathogenesis of distant lumbosacral pain caused by thoracolumbar OVCF. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A university hospital spinal surgery departments. METHODS: A total of 62 patients who underwent vertebral augmentation for thoracolumbar OVCF with lumbosacral pain were included and divided into the PVP group (28 cases) and the PKP group (34 cases). The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the severity of local and distant lumbosacral pain, and the Chinese modified Oswestry Disability Index (CMODI) was used for functional assessment. The anterior vertebral height (AVH) of the fractured vertebrae and local kyphotic angle were measured on plain radiographs. The average follow-up time was 28.62 ± 8.43 months in the PVP group and 29.22 ± 9.09 months in the PKP group. RESULTS: Within the 2 groups, the VAS score of local pain, VAS score of distant lumbosacral pain, and CMODI score at 3 days postoperatively and at the last follow-up improved significantly compared with the scores before surgery. However, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. At 3 days postoperatively and at last follow-up, the AVH and Cobb angle in the 2 groups improved significantly compared with those before surgery, but the magnitudes of AVH improvement and Cobb angle correction were significantly larger in the PKP group than in the PVP group. LIMITATIONS: First, this study is retrospective and may be prone to selection bias. Second, because of cultural and linguistic differences, the original version of the Oswestry Disability Index could not be properly understood and completed by people in mainland China. Therefore in this study, the CMODI was used, but the correlation coefficients of the CMODI within and between groups were 0.953 and 0.912, respectively. Third, a pain diagram was not used to accurately reflect the location of pain in the distant lumbosacral region. CONCLUSIONS: Both PVP and PKP can effectively alleviate pain in the distant lumbosacral region caused by thoracolumbar OVCF, and distant lumbosacral pain associated with thoracolumbar OVCF may be considered vertebrogenic referred pain.

Deletion of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Parkin, exacerbates chronic alcohol intake-induced cardiomyopathy through an Ambra1-dependent mechanism.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic alcohol consumption contributes to contractile dysfunction and unfavourable geometric changes in myocardium, accompanied by altered autophagy and disturbed mitochondrial homeostasis. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin encoded by PARK2 gene maintains a fundamental role in regulating mitophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis, although little is known of its role in the aetiology of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Here we assessed the effects of Parkin deletion in chronic alcohol-evoked cardiotoxicity. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Following alcohol (4%) or control diet intake for 8 weeks, adult male wild-type (WT) and PARK2 knockout (Parkin-/- ) mice were examined using echocardiography. Cardiomyocyte mechanical properties, morphology of myocardium, and mitochondrial damage were also evaluated. Autophagy and mitophagy levels were assessed by LC3B and GFP-LC3 puncta, and lysosome-dependent autophagic flux was scrutinized using GFP-mRFP-LC3 puncta and Bafilomycin A1 treatment. KEY RESULTS: Chronic alcohol exposure provoked unfavourable geometric changes in myocardium and led to mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac contractile defects, effects further exacerbated by Parkin knockout. Chronic alcohol exposure provoked autophagy and PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy without affecting lysosome-dependent autophagic flux, the effects of which were diminished by Parkin deletion. Parkin adenovirus infection in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes further increased autophagy and protected against alcohol-induced myocardial injury, effects blocked by siRNA for Ambra1 (Autophagy and Beclin1 regulator 1). Immunofluorescence staining and co-immunoprecipitation assays showed interactions between Parkin and Ambra1. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Parkin was essential for cardiac homeostasis in alcohol challenge, accompanied by increased autophagy/mitophagy and maintenance of mitochondrial integrity through its interaction with Ambra1.

Increased phagocytosis in the presence of enhanced M2-like macrophage responses correlates with increased primary and latent HSV-1 infection.

After HSV-1 infection, macrophages infiltrate early into the cornea, where they play an important role in HSV-1 infection. Macrophages are divided into M1 or M2 groups based on their activation. M1 macrophages are pro-inflammatory, while M2 macrophages are anti-inflammatory. Macrophage phenotypes can shift between M1 or M2 in vitro and in vivo following treatment with specific cytokines. In this study we looked at the effect of M2 macrophages on HSV-1 infectivity using mice either lacking M2 (M2-/-) or overexpressing M2 (M2-OE) macrophages. While presence or absence of M2 macrophages had no effect on eye disease, we found that over expression of M2 macrophages was associated with increased phagocytosis, increased primary virus replication, increased latency, and increased expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, in mice lacking M2 macrophages following infection phagocytosis, replication, latency, and cytokine expression were similar to wild type mice. Our results suggest that enhanced M2 responses lead to higher phagocytosis, which affected both primary and latent infection but not reactivation.

Effect of hypercholesterolemia alone or combined with hypertension on the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris: A medical records based retrospective study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death globally. Angina pectoris is closely associated with coronary artery insufficiency, which seriously affects the quality of life and work of patients. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension (HTN) are risk factors for CHD angina pectoris. The correlation between hypercholesterolemia with or without HTN and the severity of coronary arteries has not been clarified. OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between hypercholesterolemia and the degree of coronary artery stenosis (CAS) of CHD angina pectoris, and to further research the influence of HTN on total cholesterol level and CAS, so as to provide guidance for clinical prevention and treatment. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective clinical study was conducted in the medical records management system of 6 hospitals in Tianjin. Patients who were suffered from CHD angina pectoris and aged from 35 to 75 years old are involved. They hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology between September 1, 2014, and September 1, 2019, and underwent coronary angiography. We divide patients into 3 groups based on the total cholesterol level, the degree of CAS is evaluated by Gensini score, and further divide them into 6 subgroups based on with or without HTN. Collect and analyze the demographics, laboratory information, clinical outcome data, and coronary angiographic data of patients. CONCLUSION: Through clinical research data, the study will help to provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of CHD angina pectoris complicated with diseases and promote further research.

Novel compact high-speed passive gamma-ray assay equipment for uranium enrichment measurement of fuel rods.

Uranium enrichment measurement is an essential quality inspection for fuel rods before delivery to users. Generally, compared with active neutron assay (ANA) equipment, passive gamma-ray assay (PGA) equipment is more economical and safer. However, the current PGA equipment based on photomultipliers is too slow (1 m/min) to meet the growing needs in China. Recently, we have developed a set of compact high-speed PGA equipment including four detection modules (128 units in total), a 128-channel data acquisition system (DAS), a power supply, special software, and an automatic loading and unloading mechanism. The detection unit is based on silicon photomultipliers in virtue of its compact size and good performance. The DAS processes signals of all units in parallel into a sequence of data packets carrying the energy information and the corresponding unit ID. The software integrates the data packets into a fluctuating count curve in a time-delay superposition method and identifies possible abnormal pellets. After calibrations, our equipment can locate abnormal pellets accurately at a speed of 6 m/min. In addition, it can directly measure the enrichment of fresh pellets not in secular equilibrium without waiting for two months. So far, the equipment has been successfully run for one year on the assembly line of China North Nuclear Fuel Co. and shows good potential to replace the traditional ANA equipment.

Acetylation in cardiovascular diseases: Molecular mechanisms and clinical implications.

Acetylation belongs to a class of post-translational modification (PTM) processes that epigenetically regulate gene expression and gene transcriptional activity. Reversible histone acetylation on lysine residues governs the interactions between DNA and histones to mediate chromatin remodeling and gene transcription. Non-histone protein acetylation complicates cellular function whereas acetylation of key mitochondrial enzymes regulates bioenergetic metabolism. Acetylation and deacetylation of functional proteins are essential to the delicated homeostatic regulation of embryonic development, postnatal maturation, cardiomyocyte differentiation, cardiac remodeling and onset of various cardiovascular diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiometabolic diseases, ischemia-reperfusion injury, cardiac remodeling, hypertension, and arrhythmias. Histone acetyltransferase (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) are essential enzymes mainly responsible for the regulation of lysine acetylation levels, thus providing possible drugable targets for therapeutic interventions in the management of cardiovascular diseases.

ßig-h3 enhances chondrogenesis via promoting mesenchymal condensation in rat Achilles tendon heterotopic ossification model.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a poorly characterized disease with ectopic bone formation in the musculoskeletal soft tissues. HO is widely considered as a tissue repair process goes away, with endochondral ossification to be the major pathological basis. The molecular mechanism of how the resident/recruited progenitor cells for tissue regeneration error differentiated into the chondrocytes remains unknown. Here, we found Transforming Growth Factor B Induced Gene Human Clone 3 (ßig-h3) was highly expressed in the inflammation and chondrogenesis stages of a heterotopic ossification model after rat Achilles tendon injury, as well as upon chondrogenic differentiation conditions in vitro. ßig-h3 functioned as an extracellular matrix protein, which was induced by TGFß signaling, could bind to the injured tendon-derived stem cells (iTDSCs) and inhibit the attachment of iTDSCs to collagen I. Exogenous ßig-h3 was also found able to accelerate the process of mesenchymal condensation of cultured iTDSCs and promote chondrogenic differentiation in vitro, and additional injection of iTDSCs could promote endochondral ossification in Achilles tendon injury model. Taken together, ßig-h3 might function as an adhesion protein that inhibited the attachment of iTDSCs to collagen I (the injury site) but promoted the attachment of iTDSCs to each other, which resulted in promoting chondrogenic differentiation.

Chest CT screening in patients with overweight or obesity using spectral shaping at 150 kVp: compared with 120 kVp protocol and spectral shaping at 100 kVp protocol.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the image quality (IQ) and the figure of merit (FoM) of chest CT screening in patients with overweight or obesity using a tin filter for spectral shaping at 150 kVp. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with overweight or obesity (N = 150, body mass index ≥ 26 kg/m2) with indications for chest CT screening were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into three groups: 120 kVp group (standard radiation dose/tube voltage, 120 kVp/CT volume does index, 4.68 mGy); Sn100 kVp group (1/10th radiation dose level/100 kVp with a tin filter/0.47 mGy); Sn150 kVp group (1/2th radiation dose level/150 kVp with a tin filter/2.34 mGy). IQ and FoMs were evaluated and compared among the three groups. RESULTS: Image noise, signal-to-noise ratios and subjective IQ scores were significantly higher in the Sn150 kVp group than those in the Sn100 kVp group (all p < 0.05), but were not significantly different with those in the 120 kVp group. FoMs in the Sn150 kVp group were significantly higher than those in the 120 kVp group (all p < 0.05), but showed no statistical difference with those in the Sn100 kVp group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with scanning at 120 kVp, chest CT screening performed at 150 kVp with spectral shaping substantially reduces the radiation dose in overweight and obese patients while maintaining IQ.

Association between lumbar disc herniation and facet joint osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to investigate the association between lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and facet joint osteoarthritis (FJOA) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Between March 2012 and September 2018, a total of 441 segments from 394 patients with LDH were included in the study. LDH was classified according to the Michigan State University (MSU) classification, in which the degree of LDH is divided into 3 levels (expressed as 1, 2, and 3) and the location of LDH is divided into 4 zones (described as A, AB, B, and C). Bilateral FJOA was graded from 0 to 3 using the criteria introduced by Weishaupt et al., and bilateral facet orientations were measured on axial MRI slices. A mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression model was utilized to determine the potential factors that may be associated with FJOA, including sex, age, body mass index (BMI), segment, facet orientation and tropism, and the degree and location of LDH. RESULTS: In general, the prevalence of FJOA (grade ≥ 2) was 66.2% in LDH segments. For both the left and right sides, the degree of LDH was associated with the severity of FJOA (p < 0.01). Age and BMI were also associated with the severity of left and right FJOA (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001 for age, p < 0.001 and p = 0.003 for BMI, respectively), while segment, facet orientation, and facet tropism were not (p > 0.05 for all). Notably, MSU-B LDH was associated with greater odds of having more severe FJOA on the herniation side (left: p < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 2.714, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.583~4.650; right: p = 0.003, OR = 2.615, 95% CI = 1.405~4.870). However, other locations of LDH were not associated with the severity of FJOA (p > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Both the degree of LDH and MSU-B LDH are associated with the severity of FJOA. The association between LDH and FJOA highlights the complexity of the etiology of FJOA.