T1 Mapping and Amide Proton Transfer Weighted Imaging for Predicting Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate preoperative judgment of lymph node (LN) metastasis is a critical step in creating a treatment strategy and evaluating prognosis in rectal cancer (RC) patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the value of T1 mapping and amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) imaging in predicting LN metastasis in patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: In a retrospective study, twenty-three patients with pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent MRI and surgery from August 2019 to August 2021 were selected. Then, 3.0T/MR sequences included conventional sequences (T1WI, T2WI, and DWI), APTw imaging, and T1 mapping. Patients were divided into LN metastasis (group A) and non-LN metastasis groups (group B). The intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the inter-observer consistency. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between T1 and APT values. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the differential performance of each parameter and their combination. The difference between AUCs was compared using the DeLong test. RESULTS: The APT value in patients with LN metastasis was significantly higher than in those without LN metastasis group (P=0.020). Also, similar results were observed for the T1 values (P=0.001). The area under the ROC curve of the APT value in the prediction of LN metastasis was 0.794; when the cutoff value was 1.73%, the sensitivity and specificity were 71.4% and 88.9%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the T1 value was 0.913; when the cutoff value was 1367.36 ms, the sensitivity and specificity were 78.6% and 100.0%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of T1+APT was 0.929, with a sensitivity of 78.6% and specificity of 100.0%. CONCLUSION: APT and T1 values show great diagnostic efficiency in predicting LN metastasis in rectal cancer.

Design, Synthesis, Nematicidal, and Fungicidal Activities of Novel Azo and Azoxy Compounds.

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (B. xylophilus) and Meloidogyne are parasitic nematodes that have caused severe ecological and economic damage in pinewood and crops, respectively. Jietacins (jietacin A and B) were found to have excellent biological activity against B. xylophilus. Based on our tremendous demand for chemicals against B. xylophilus, a novel scaffold based on the azo and azoxy groups was designed, and a series of compounds were synthesized. In the bioassay, Ia, IIa, IIc, IId, and IVa exhibited higher activity against B. xylophilus in vitro than avermectin (LC50 = 2.43 µg·mL-1) with LC50 values of 1.37, 1.12, 0.889, 1.56, and 1.10 µg·mL-1, respectively. Meanwhile, Ib, Ic, IIc, and IVa showed good inhibition effects against Meloidogyne in vivo at the concentrations of 80 and 40 µg·mL-1 with inhibition rates of 89.0% and 81.6%, 95.6% and 75.7%, 96.3% and 41.2%, and 86.8% and 78.7%, respectively. In fungicidal activity in vitro, IIb and IVa exhibited excellent effect against Botryosphaeria dothidea with the inhibition of 82.59% and 85.32% at the concentration of 10 µg·mL-1, while the inhibition of Ia was 83.16% against Rhizoctonia solani at the concentration of 12.5 µg·mL-1. Referring to the biological activity against B. xylophilus, a 3D-QASR model was built in which the electron-donating group and small group at the 4-phenylhydrazine were favorable for the activity. In general, the novel azoxy compounds, especially IIc possess great potential for application in the prevention of B. xylophilus.

Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis using enhanced images based on dual-energy computed tomography material decomposition: a comparison with quantitative computed tomography.

Background: Many patients with malignant tumors require chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which can result in a decline in physical function and potentially influence bone mineral density (BMD). Furthermore, these treatments necessitate enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans for determining disease staging or treatment outcomes, and opportunistic screening with available imaging data is beneficial for patients at high risk for osteoporosis if existing imaging data can be used. The study aimed to investigate the feasibility of opportunistic screening for osteoporosis using enhanced CT based on a dual-energy CT (DECT) material decomposition technique. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 346 consecutive patients who underwent abdominal unenhanced and triphasic contrast-enhanced CT (arterial, portal venous, and delayed phases) between June 2021 and June 2022. The BMD, and the density of hydroxyapatite (HAP) on HAP-iodine images and calcium (Ca) on Ca-iodine images were measured on the L1-L3 vertebral bodies. The iodine intake was recorded. Pearson analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between iodine intake and the density values in three phases and the correlation between BMD and the densities of HAP and Ca. Furthermore, linear regression was employed for quantitative evaluation. Bland-Altman analysis was used to evaluate the agreement between calculated BMD derived from DECT (BMD-DECT) and reference BMD derived from quantitative CT (BMD-QCT). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to assess the diagnostic efficacy. Results: The HAP and Ca density of the L1-L3 vertebral bodies did not differ significantly among the three phases of contrast-enhanced CT (F=0.001-0.049; P>0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between HAP, Ca densities, and BMD (HAP-BMD: r=0.9472, R2=0.8973; Ca-BMD: r=0.9470, R2=0.8968; all P<0.001). Bland-Altman plots showed high agreement between BMD-DECT and BMD-QCT. The area under the curve (AUC) using HAP and Ca measurements was 0.963 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.937-0.980] and 0.964 (95% CI: 0.939-0.981), respectively, for diagnosing osteoporosis and was 0.951 (95% CI: 0.917-0.973) and 0.950 (95% CI: 0.916-0.973), respectively, for diagnosing osteopenia. Conclusions: The HAP and Ca density measurements generated through the material decomposition technique in DECT have good diagnostic performances in assessing BMD, which offers a new perspective for opportunistic screening of osteoporosis on contrast-enhanced CT.

Virtual unenhanced images derived from dual-energy computed tomography for assessing bone mineral density and detecting osteoporosis.

Background: The early detection and treatment of osteoporosis can help prevent osteoporosis-related fractures, especially in patients who undergo enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans for disease diagnosis or evaluation of treatment outcomes. Although Hounsfield unit (HU) measurement of the vertebral body has been shown to have a strong positive correlation with bone mineral density (BMD), the contrast media will impact the CT value of the vertebral body and decrease the accuracy. This study is aimed to examine the distinctions in vertebral body CT attenuation measurement on true unenhanced (TUE) and virtual unenhanced (VUE) images generated from triphasic enhanced dual-energy CT (DECT) scans and to determine the feasibility of assessing BMD and detecting osteoporosis on VUE images as compared to quantitative CT (QCT). Methods: A total of 235 patients underwent abdominal CT examinations that included unenhanced (with 120 kVp and Smart mA) and triphasic enhanced DECT scans. The BMD and CT attenuation values of the L1-L2 vertebrae were measured on TUE and VUE images reconstructed from the triphasic enhanced CT. The differences and associations between TUE and VUE generated from triphasic enhanced CT were analyzed. The diagnostic performances of HU measurements obtained from TUE and VUE images were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The BMD and HU measurements of the vertebrae showed good interobserver repeatability on both TUE and VUE images (all intercorrelation coefficients >0.92). The CT attenuation values of L1 and L2 and their average value showed no statistically significant difference among the triphasic VUE images (F=0.121, F=0.061, F=0.090; all P values >0.05) but were significantly lower than those obtained from the TUE images. HU measurements in both the TUE and triphasic VUE images, along with the reference BMD derived from QCT, demonstrated a strong positive correlation (rTUE =0.981, rVUEa =0.966, rVUEv =0.962, rVUEd =0.964; all P values <0.05), with excellent diagnostic performance for the diagnoses of osteoporosis and osteopenia (all areas under curve >0.95). The Bland-Altman scatter plot exhibited good agreement, as the deviations between the reference BMD and the calculated BMD were evenly distributed around 0. Conclusions: Although the attenuation values of the vertebrae on the VUE images were underestimated compared to those on the TUE images, the HU measurement on VUE image was effective in assessing BMD and detecting osteoporosis and osteopenia with good diagnostic performance.

Intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics based on contrast-enhanced MRI for preoperatively predicting treatment response of transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive and precise methods to estimate treatment response and identify hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who could benefit from transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are urgently required. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics based on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) to preoperatively predict tumor response to TACE in HCC patients. METHODS: A total of 138 patients with HCC who received TACE were retrospectively included and randomly divided into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. Total 1206 radiomics features were extracted from arterial, venous, and delayed phases images. The inter- and intraclass correlation coefficients, the spearman's rank correlation test, and the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm were used for radiomics feature selection. Radiomics models on intratumoral region (TR) and peritumoral region (PTR) (3 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm) were established using logistic regression. Three integrated radiomics models, including intratumoral and peritumoral region (T-PTR) (3 mm), T-PTR (5 mm), and T-PTR (10 mm) models, were constructed using TR and PTR radiomics scores. A clinical-radiological model and a combined model incorporating the optimal radiomics score and selected clinical-radiological predictors were constructed, and the combined model was presented as a nomogram. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utilities were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The T-PTR radiomics models performed better than the TR and PTR models, and the T-PTR (3 mm) radiomics model demonstrated preferable performance with the AUCs of 0.884 (95%CI, 0.821-0.936) and 0.911 (95%CI, 0.825-0.975) in both training and validation cohorts. The T-PTR (3 mm) radiomics score, alkaline phosphatase, tumor size, and satellite nodule were fused to construct a combined nomogram. The combined nomogram [AUC: 0.910 (95%CI, 0.854-0.958) and 0.918 (95%CI, 0.831-0.986)] outperformed the clinical-radiological model [AUC: 0.789 (95%CI, 0.709-0.863) and 0.782 (95%CI, 0.660-0.902)] in the both cohorts and achieved good calibration capability and clinical utility. CONCLUSIONS: CE-MRI-based intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics approach can provide an effective tool for the precise and individualized estimation of treatment response for HCC patients treated with TACE.

High intensity interval training attenuates osteoarthritis-associated hyperalgesia in rats.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a physical therapy that may benefit patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Cacna2d1 is a calcium channel subunit protein that plays an important role in the activity of nerve cells. However, there is currently no evidence on HIIT relieving OA-associate hyperalgesia by decreased Cacna2d1. Our study established the OA rat models with intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). This experiment was divided into two stages. The first stage comprised three groups: the control, OA, and OA-HIIT groups. The second stage comprised two groups, including the AAV-C and AAV-shRNA-Cacna2d1 groups. OA rats were positioned at the L5-L6 segments, and 20 µl of AAV virus was injected intrathecally. The pain threshold, cartilage analysis, Cacna2d1, and pain neurotransmitters were measured and compared. The pain threshold was significantly lower in OA rats than in control rats from the first to the tenth week. Starting from the sixth week, OA-HIIT rats exhibited significantly increased pain thresholds. The expression of Cacna2d1 increased in OA rats. Moreover, the knockdown of Cacna2d1 significantly down-regulated the expression of c-Fos, SP, and Vglut2 in the posterior horn of the spinal cord. In conclusion, HIIT attenuates OA-associated hyperalgesia, which may be related to the down-regulation of Cacna2d1.

The combined application of amide proton transfer imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging for differentiating stage Ia endometrial carcinoma and endometrial polyps.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the diagnostic performance of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging combined with diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating stage Ia endometrial carcinoma (EC) and endometrial polyps (EP). METHODS: All patients were scanned with APT and DKI sequences with 3.0 T MRI before surgery. The MRI data of 32 patients with histopathologically confirmed stage Ia EC and 17 patients with EP were retrospectively analyzed. Amide proton transfer, mean kurtosis (MK) and mean diffusivity (MD) values were measured. ROC curves were employed to evaluate the efficiency of differentiating and diagnosing stage Ia EC and EP, followed by the Delong test to compare the differences between the areas under the curve (AUCs) of each parameter. Additionally, the Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the correlation between APT values and MK and MD. RESULTS: The measured APT, MK, and MD values of the patients with stage Ia EC were 2.609 ± 0.504%,0.641 ± 0.113 and 0.904(0.816, 1.108) µm2/ms, while those of patients with EP were1.909 ± 0.418%, 0.495 ± 0.069, and 1.650 (1.458, 1.815) µm2/ms. The AUCs of APT, MK, MD, MK + MD, and APT + MK + MD in differentiating stage Ia EC and EP were.850, 0.879, 0.893, 0.930 and 0.976, respectively. The AUCs of APT + MK + MD were significantly higher than the AUCs of APT or MK (P < 0.05). The APT value was weakly and positively correlated with the MK value (r = 0.299, P = 0.037), while the APT value was moderately and negatively correlated with the MD value (r = -0.520, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Both APT and DKI effectively differentiated stage Ia EC and EP; however, when combined, APT and DKI improved the ability to differentiate these diseases, boosting the value of using a combination of these modalities in clinical applications.

Effects of trunk injection with emamectin benzoate on arthropod diversity.

BACKGROUND: Pine wood nematode is a major plant quarantine object in the world. Trunk injection is an effective method for controlling pests that cause disease. To evaluate the ecological safety of trunk injection with emamectin benzoates in forests of Pinus massoniana, the community diversity and community composition of soil arthropods and flying insects (Hymenoptera) were studied at different stages of trunk injection. RESULTS: The dominant taxonomic groups of soil arthropods were Collembola (30.80%), Insecta (26.42%), and Arachnida (23.84%). The taxonomic groups of flying insects (Hymenoptera) were Ichneumonidae (48.94%), Formicidae (14.10%), and Braconidae (8.44%). Trunk injection with emamectin benzoate has no significant effect on the community diversity indices of total soil arthropods and flying insects (Hymenoptera). However, it has a significant effect on the community diversity indices of detritivores for soil arthropods. It changed the community composition of soil arthropods but did not impact the community composition of flying insects (Hymenoptera). Redundancy analysis of arthropod community structure and environmental variables showed that total potassium, residual of green leaf, and residual of litter leaf have a significant impact on the community structure of soil arthropods, and total phosphorus, total nitrogen, water content, organic matter, and total potassium have a significant impact on the community structure of flying insects (Hymenoptera). CONCLUSION: Trunk injection with emamectin benzoate is safe for the ecological environment. This study provides a new insight into the field for the prevention and control of pine wood nematode disease, which is of great significance to forest management and pest control. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pyroligneous acids from biomass charcoal by-product as a potential non-selective bioherbicide for organic farming: its chemical components, greenhouse phytotoxicity and field efficacy.

Effective and environmentally friendly herbicides are urgently needed to meet consumer demand for organic products. To evaluate the weed control effect of four pyroligneous acid (PAs) mixtures, the byproducts of bamboo/wood/straw vinegar, two herbicide discovery tests were done: (1) the greenhouse tests by using four indicative plants: wheat (Triticum sativa), radish (Raphanus sativus), cucumber (Cucumus sativus), and Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv; (2) Field trials with four weeds: E. crusgalli, Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn, Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb, and Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. Greenhouse tests showed that the efficacy of PAs and acetic acid (AA) to control four test plants increased with the increasing of PAs concentration. The inhibition rates of four tested PAs (FBV (0.6-9.2% AA + (0.3-5.0% tar), HWV (0.2-1.8% AA + 0.3-4.3% tar), ASV (0.5-8.7% AA + 0.4-7.0% tar), and CWV (0.7-5.3% AA + 0.5-7.5% tar) gave inhibition rates of 56 ± 4-97 ± 2%, 21 ± 2-90 ± 6%, 29 ± 3-98 ± 5%, and 44 ± 6-86 ± 2%, respectively, and the field effects of PAs against four weeds were enhanced with the increasing of concentrations and time after spraying (1 to 14 days). Their control effects against E. crusgalli, E. indica, A. philoxeroides, and C. canadensis were 4 ± 1-93 ± 4%, 7 ± 3-90 ± 3%, 32 ± 2-95 ± 3%, and 31 ± 5-96 ± 4%, respectively. The mixed effect of the four PAs was higher than the same dose of AA. These results will help to determine the potential of PAs to be developed as non-selective herbicides to control weeds in organic farming.

Cranial electrotherapy stimulation alleviates depression-like behavior of post-stroke depression rats by upregulating GPX4-mediated BDNF expression.

To elucidate whether cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) improves depression-like behavior of post-stroke depression (PSD) via regulation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)-mediated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) were used to develop a rat PSD model. CES was applied, and RAS-selective lethal 3 (RSL3) was injected into the hippocampus to inhibit GPX4 in PSD rats. The depression behavior was detected by sucrose preference and forced swimming tests. The structure and morphology of the hippocampus were observed and analyzed by histopathological hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The mRNA and protein expressions of GPX4 and BDNF in the hippocampus were detected by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemical analysis.The degeneration and necrosis of hippocampal neurons, the depression-like behavior were severer and the expression of BDNF in the hippocampus were decreased in PSD rats than those in MCAO and control groups. CES promoted the hippocampal neuron repair, alleviated the depression-like behavior and increased the expression of BDNF in PSD rats. The inhibition of GPX4 by RSL3 exacerbated the depression-like behavior and decreased the expression of BDNF in PSD rats. In addition, we found that RSL3 disrupted the positive effects of CES on the PSD rats. Conclusion: CES improves depression-like behavior of PSD rats through upregulation of GPX4-mediated BDNF expression in the hippocampus.

Simulation the potential distribution of Dendrolimus houi and its hosts, Pinus yunnanensis and Cryptomeria fortunei, under climate change in China.

Due to climate change, it is significant to explore the impact of rising temperatures on the distribution of Dendrolimus houi Lajonquiere (Lepidoptera) and its host plants, Pinus yunnanensis and Cryptomeria fortunei, and to simulate their suitable future distribution areas in order to provide a theoretical basis for the monitoring of, and early warning about, D. houi and the formulation of effective prevention and control policies. Based on the known distribution areas of, and relevant climate data for, D. houi, P. yunnanensis, and C. fortunei, their suitable habitat in China was predicted using the ENMeval data package in order to adjust the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model parameters. The results showed that the regularization multiplier was 0.5 when the feature combination was LQHPT, with a MaxEnt model of lowest complexity and excellent prediction accuracy. The main climate variable affecting the geographical distribution of D. houi, P. yunnanensis, and C. fortunei is temperature, specifically including isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of warmest month, minimum temperature of warmest month, average temperature of coldest quarter. The potential suitable distribution areas for P. yunnanensis and D. houi were similar under climate change, mainly distributed in southwest China, while C. fortunei was mainly distributed in southeast China. Under different future-climate scenarios, the areas suitable for the three species will increase, except for P. yunnanensis in the 2070s under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5-8.5. With climate change, all three species were found to have a tendency to migrate to higher latitudes and higher altitudes. The centroids of the areas suitable for P. yunnanensis and D. houi will migrate to the northwest and the centroids of the areas suitable for C. fortunei will migrate to the northeast.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of Pine Wilt Disease in China under Climate Change.

The primary culprits of pine wilt disease (PWD), an epidemic forest disease that significantly endangers the human environment and the world's forest resources, are pinewood nematodes (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). The MaxEnt model has been used to predict and analyze the potential geographic spread of PWD in China under the effects of climate change and can serve as a foundation for high-efficiency monitoring, supervision, and prompt prevention and management. In this work, the MaxEnt model's criteria settings were optimized using data from 646 PWD infestation sites and seven climate variables from the ENMeval data package. It simulated and forecasted how PWD may be distributed under present and future (the 2050s and 2070s) climatic circumstances, and the key climate factors influencing the disease were examined. The area under AUC (area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve) is 0.940 under the parameters, demonstrating the accuracy of the simulation. Under the current climate conditions, the moderately and highly suitable habitats of PWD are distributed in Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, and other provinces. The outcomes demonstrated that the fundamental climate variables influencing the PWD distribution were rainfall and temperature, specifically including maximum temperature of warmest month, mean temperature of driest quarter, coefficient of variation of precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of wettest quarter. The evaluation outcomes of the MaxEnt model revealed that the total and highly suitable areas of PWD will expand substantially by both 2050 and 2070, and the potential distribution of PWD will have a tendency to spread towards high altitudes and latitudes.

Synthesis, herbicidal activity and soil degradation of novel 5-substituted sulfonylureas as AHAS inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl and ethametsulfuron can damage sensitive crops in rotation pattern as a result of their long persistence in soil. To explore novel sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides with favorable soil degradation rates, four series of SUs were synthesized through a structure-based drug design (SBDD) strategy. RESULTS: The target compounds, especially Ia, Id and Ie, exhibited prospective herbicidal activity against dicotyledon oil seed rape (Brassica campestris), amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus), monocotyledon barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli) and crab grass (Digitaria sanguinalis) at a concentration of 15 a.i. g ha-1 . Additionally, Ia, Id and Ig displayed excellent inhibitory effects against AtAHAS, with Kapp i values of 59.1, 34.5 and 71.8 µm, respectively, which were much lower than that of chlorsulfuron at 149.4 µm. The π-π stack and H-bonds between the Ia conformation and AtAHAS in the molecular docking results confirmed the series of compounds to be conventional AHAS inhibitors. In alkaline soil (pH = 8.46), compounds Ia-Ig revealed various degrees of acceleration in the degradation rate compared with chlorsulfuron. Besides, compound Ia showed considerable wheat and corn safety under postemergence at the concentration of 30, 60 and even 120 a.i. g ha-1 . CONCLUSION: Overall, based on the synthetic procedure, herbicidal activity, soil degradation and crop safety, the Ia sulfonylureas series were chosen to be investigated as prospective AHAS inhibitors. The 5-dimethylamino group on SUs accelerated the degradation rate at different levels in alkaline soils which seems to be controllable in conventional cropping systems in their further application. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Simulation of the potential distribution of rare and endangered Satyrium species in China under climate change.

Satyrium is an endangered and rare genus of plant that has various pharmacodynamic functions. In this study, optimized MaxEnt models were used in analyzing potential geographical distributions under current and future climatic conditions (the 2050s and 2070s) and dominant environmental variables influencing their geographic distribution. The results provided reference for implementation of long-term conservation and management approaches for the species. The results showed that the area of the total suitable habitat for Satyrium ciliatum (S. ciliatum) in China is 32.51 × 104 km2, the total suitable habitat area for Satyrium nepalense (S. nepalense) in China is 61.76 × 104 km2, and the area of the total suitable habitat for Satyrium yunnanense (S. yunnanense) in China is 89.73 × 104 km2 under current climatic conditions. The potential suitable habitat of Satyrium is mainly distributed in Southwest China. The major environmental variables influencing the geographical distribution of S. ciliatum were isothermality (bio3), temperature seasonality (bio4), and mean temperature of coldest quarter (bio11). Environmental variables such as isothermality (bio3), temperature seasonality (bio4), and precipitation of coldest quarter (bio19) affected the geographical distribution of S. nepalense; and environmental variables such as isothermality (bio3), temperature seasonality (bio4), and lower temperature of coldest month (bio6) affected the geographical distribution of S. yunnanense. The distribution range of Satyrium was extended as global warming increased, showing emissions of greenhouse gases with lower concentration (SSP1-2.6) and higher concentration (SSP5-8.5). According to the study, the distribution of suitable habitat will shift with a change to higher elevation areas and higher latitude areas in the future.

Effects of Wearing Face Masks on Exercise Capacity and Ventilatory Anaerobic Threshold in Healthy Subjects During the COVID-19 Epidemic.

BACKGROUND Face masks have become an important part of the COVID-19 prevention approach. This study aimed to explore the effect of wearing masks on exercise ability and ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT). MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-four young, healthy volunteers were included in this study, consisting of 18 men and 16 women. The subjects were randomized to perform 2 cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) on a cycle ergometer with gas exchange analysis, one with and another without wearing a face mask (cross-over design). The general data for all subjects and indicators from the 2 exercise tests performed with and without wearing a face mask were collected. RESULTS In cardiopulmonary exercise tests, wearing a mask significantly (P<0.05) decreased peak indexes (eg, work rate (WR), oxygen consumption per kg body weight (VO2/kg), heart rate (HR), ventilation per minute (VE) and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent (VE/VCO2)) and anaerobic threshold indexes (eg, WR, HR, VE, breath frequency (BF), dead space ratio (VD/VT), and VE/VCO2). However, the PETCO2 at peak was significantly higher. There was a positive linear correlation between WR difference and VO2 difference at VAT (abbreviated as deltaWR@VAT and deltaVO2@VAT, respectively) (r=0.495, P=0.003). Subgroup analysis of the VAT indexes showed that WR, VO2/kg, and VE were significantly decreased in the advanced VAT group with mask compared with the stable VAT group with mask (P<0.05). Logistic regression showed that deltaVE, deltaBF, and deltaVE/VCO2 had independent influences on VAT. CONCLUSIONS Wearing masks advances VAT in healthy young subjects during CPET. The advanced VAT was associated with changes in VE, BF, and VE/VCO2 while wearing masks.

The Effect of Modified Tai Chi Exercises on the Physical Function and Quality of Life in Elderly Women With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the leading cause of pain and stiffness, affecting older adults' physical function and quality of life. As a form of mind-body exercise, Tai Chi has been recommended as an exercise prescription for KOA patients. This study examined the effects and continuation of modified Tai Chi exercises on physical function and quality of life in elderly women with KOA. Methods: We conducted a single-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) on 40 older women with KOA. The participants were randomized to a 12 weeks Tai Chi or control group. The Tai Chi group attended a kind of modified Tai Chi training sessions three times per week; the control group attended wellness education sessions once a week. The primary outcome was the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Secondary outcomes were the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality of Index (PSQI), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Results: After the 12-weeks the Tai Chi group showed significan improvement in the WOMAC pain (mean difference, -5.09 points, p = 0.001), WOMAC stiffness (mean difference, -3.60 points, p = 0.002), WOMAC physical function (mean difference, -11.21 points, p = 0.001) compared to the control group. In addition, the Tai Chi group had also significant improvement in the BBS (mean difference, 1.70 points, p = 0.008), TUG (mean difference, -0.52s, p = 0.001), SF-36PCS (mean difference, 7.60 points, p = 0.001), MCS (mean difference, 7.30 points, p = 0.001), PSQI (mean difference, -3.71 points, p = 0.001), SDS (mean difference, -5.37 points, p = 0.025) and SAS (mean difference, -5.06 points, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The modified Tai Chi exercises are an effective treatment for improved physical function and quality of life in elderly women with KOA. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000040721), http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=65419&htm=4.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Abdominal Ectopic Fat Deposition in Correlation With Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.

Purpose: Ectopic fat accumulation and abdominal fat distribution may have different cardiometabolic risk profiles. This study aimed to assess the associations between various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-acquired fat depots and cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods: A total of 320 subjects with median age of 59 years, 148 men and 172 women, were enrolled in the study. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area and fat fraction (FF), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) area and FF at the L1-L2 levels, preperitoneal adipose tissue (pPAT) area and FF, hepatic FF, pancreatic FF, and intramuscular FF were assessed by MRI FF maps. The associations of various MRI-acquired fat depots with blood pressure, glucose, and lipid were examined using sex-stratified linear regression. Logistic regression stratified by sex was used to analyze the association of various MRI-acquired fat depots with the risk of hypertension, T2DM, and dyslipidemia. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values were >0.9, which suggested good interobserver and intraobserver agreement. VAT area, V/S, hepatic fat, pancreatic fat, and pPAT rather than SAT area were significantly associated with multiple cardiometabolic risk factors (all p < 0.05). However, the patterns of these correlations varied by sex and specific risk factors. Also, VAT and SAT FF were only significantly associated with multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in women (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: VAT, hepatic fat, pancreatic fat, and pPAT were associated with cardiovascular metabolic risk factors independent of BMI. The patterns of these correlations were related to gender. These findings further the understanding of the association between ectopic fat deposition and cardiometabolic risk factors and help to better understand the obesity heterogeneity.

Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Enhances the Efficacy of Bone Marrow-Derived MSCs in Osteoarthritis Cartilage Repair by Regulating Autophagy-Mediated Exosome Release.

OBJECTIVE: The present study explored whether low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) enhances the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage repair by regulating autophagy-mediated exosome release. DESIGN: MSCs were isolated from the rat bone marrow and treated with rapamycin, 3-methyladenine, or LIPUS. The mechanism of the LIPUS-stimulated exosome release by MSCs was analyzed by inhibiting autophagy. In addition, the MSCs were co-cultured with OA chondrocytes and stimulated by LIPUS, with or without exosome release inhibitor intervention. The exosome release was detected through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis, and biomarker expression analysis. Autophagy was analyzed through TEM, autophagy-related gene expression analysis, and immunofluorescence analysis in vitro. Furthermore, a rat knee OA model was constructed and treated with MSCs, GW4869, and LIPUS. The cartilage repair was assessed through histopathological analysis and extracellular matrix protein expression analysis. RESULTS: The in vitro results indicated that LIPUS promoted MSC exosome release by activating autophagy. The in vivo results demonstrated that LIPUS significantly enhanced the positive effects of MSCs on OA cartilage. These effects were significantly blocked by GW4869, an inhibitor of exosome release. CONCLUSIONS: LIPUS can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs in OA cartilage repair, and the underlying mechanism is related to the increase in autophagy-mediated exosome release.

Predicting the potential distribution of Campsis grandiflora in China under climate change.

Because the research on the geographical distribution of species significantly influences people's understanding of species protection and utilization, it is important to study the influence of climate change on plants' geographical distribution patterns. Based on 166 distribution records and 11 climate and terrain variables, we used MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) model and ArcGIS software to predict the potential distribution of Campsis grandiflora under climate change and then determined the dominant climate variables that significantly affected its geographical distribution. In our study, the area under the curve (AUC) value of the training data was 0.939, proving the accuracy of our prediction. Under current climate conditions, the area of potentially suitable habitat is 238.29 × 104 km2, mainly distributed in northern, central, southern, and eastern China. The dominant variables that affect the geographical distribution of C. grandiflora are temperature, precipitation and altitude. In the future climate change scenario, the total area of suitable habitat and highly suitable habitat will increase, whereas the area of moderately suitable habitat and poorly suitable habitat will decrease. In addition, the centroid of the potentially suitable area of C. grandiflora will migrate to higher latitude and higher altitudes areas. The results could give strategic guidance for development, protection, and utilization of C. grandiflora in China.