The association between urbanization and adolescent depression in China.

Background: With the rapid urbanization in many countries, more attention is being paid to the relationship between urbanization and mental health, especially depression. However, in countries with rapid urbanization, few empirical studies exist on the relationship between urbanization and adolescent depression. Methods: Nationally representative survey data from the China Family Panel Studies in 2012, 2016 and 2018 were used. Data of 1,588 adolescents were obtained from 25 provinces. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiology Studies of Depression 20-item score. The urbanization rate was obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics of China. The generalized estimating equation was used to estimate the statistical relationship. Results: The participants' mean age at baseline was 15 years, and 51.2% (813/1,588) of participants were male. After adjusting for all covariates (gender, age, ethnicity, level of education, marital status, urban/rural areas, body mass index, self-rated health, academic pressure, smoking, drinking and exercise), the rate of urbanization was monotonically and negatively associated with adolescent depression (odds ratio 0.34, 95% CI [0.14-0.79]). Compared with female adolescents, male adolescents had a lower risk of depression (odds ratio 0.80, 95% CI [0.67-0.97]). Conclusion: In the context of China, urbanization has a positive effect on the mental health of adolescents. Female adolescents are more likely to experience depression than male adolescents.

Osimertinib-induced severe bilateral pneumothorax: A case report.

RATIONALE: Osimertinib is the third-generation, pyrimidine-based, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that received approval from the FDA in November 2015 and has become the standard approach in patients with advanced, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially with brain metastases. Osimertinib is beneficial in terms of progression-free and overall survival in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. However, the rarity of bilateral pneumothorax among adverse events necessitates further research on its potential fatality rate. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 72-year-old man diagnosed with stage IV (T2NxM1) NSCLC with the 21L858R mutation of the EGFR gene received osimertinib treatment. Unfortunately, 10 weeks after osimertinib treatment, the patient developed severe interstitial lung disease and pneumothorax. Thus, osimertinib treatment was discontinued, and prednisolone (160 mg/day) and supportive treatment were administered. DIAGNOSES: Osimertinib-induced severe interstitial lung disease and pneumothorax. INTERVENTIONS: Osimertinib treatment was discontinued, and prednisolone (160 mg/day) and supportive treatment were administered. OUTCOMES: The bilateral pneumothorax was difficult to correct and the patient eventually died. LESSONS: Osimertinib-induced pneumothorax occurred approximately 10 weeks after receiving the drug and had severe cough and chest tightness as initial symptoms. In addition, the incidence of drug-induced pneumothorax increases in patients treated with osimertinib when combined with underlying respiratory diseases.

Increase in cotton yield through improved leaf physiological functioning under the soil condition of reduced chemical fertilization compensated by the enhanced organic liquid fertilization.

Introduction: Low agricultural nutrient input efficiency remains a significant impediment for crop production globally. To address this issue in cotton agroecosystems, there is a need to develop sustainable crop nutrient management strategies to achieve high crop yields. We hypothesized that organic liquid fertilizer (OF) combined with reduced chemical fertilizer (CF) would enhance cotton yield by improving leaf functioning and soil properties. However, the underlying mechanism and its related process is poorly understood. Methods: This study explored the effects of OF combined with reduced CF on cotton yield, physiology and soil properties. Treatments included a single application of CF (CF: N, P2O5 and K2O applied at 228, 131 and 95 kg ha-1) and combined applications of OF and CF (OF0.6-OF1.4) in the following ratios: OF0.6, OF+60% CF; OF0.8, OF+80% CF; OF1.0, OF+100% CF; OF1.2, OF+120% CF; OF1.4, OF+140% CF. Results and discussion: The result showed that compared with CF, OF0.8, OF1.0 and OF1.2 increased soil organic matter (SOM) content by 9.9%, 16.3% and 23.7%, respectively. Compared with CF, the OF0.6, OF0.8, OF1.0, and OF1.2 treatments increased leaf area (LA) by 10.6-26.1%, chlorophyll content (Chl content) by 6.8-39.6%, and the efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) light energy (Y(II)), electron transfer rate of PSII (ETR) and photochemical quenching (qP) by 3.6-26.3%, 4.7-15.3% and 4.3-9.8%, respectively. The OF0.8 treatment increased net photosynthetic rate (P n), stomatal conductance (G s) and transpiration rate (E) by 22.0%, 27.4% and 26.8%, respectively, resulting in higher seed cotton yield. The seed cotton yield and economic coefficient were positively correlated with P n, E, G s and Y(II) from the full boll stage to the boll opening stage. In summary, the OF0.8 treatment can maintain a high SOM content and photosynthetic performance with reduced chemical fertilizer input without sacrificing yield. The integration of OF+80% CF (OF0.8) is a promising nutrient management strategy for highly efficient cotton production under mulch drip irrigation systems.

Sp1 mediated the inhibitory effect of glutamate on pulmonary surfactant synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that the release of endogenous glutamate (Glu) participates in lung injury by activating N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), but the mechanism is still unclear. This study was to investigate the effects and related mechanisms of Glu on the lipid synthesis of pulmonary surfactant (PS) in isolated rat lung tissues. METHODS: The cultured lung tissues of adult SD rats were treated with Glu. The amount of [3H]-choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine (PC) was detected. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the changes of mRNA and protein expression of cytidine triphosphate: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha (CCTα), a key regulatory enzyme in PC biosynthesis. Western blot was used to detect the expression of NMDAR1, which is a functional subunit of NMDAR. Specific protein 1 (Sp1) expression plasmids were used. After transfected with Sp1 expression plasmids, the mRNA and protein levels of CCTα were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot in A549 cells. After treated with NMDA and MK-801, the mRNA and protein levels of Sp1 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot in A549 cells. RESULTS: Glu decreased the incorporation of [3H]-choline into PC in a concentration- and time- dependent manner. Glu treatment significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of CCTα in lungs. Glu treatment up-regulated NMDAR1 protein expression, and the NMDAR blocker MK-801 could partially reverse the reduction of [3H]-choline incorporation induced by Glu (10-4 mol/L) in lungs. After transfected with Sp1 plasmid for 30 h, the mRNA and protein expression levels of CCTα were increased and the protein expression of Sp1 was also up-regulated. After A549 cells were treated with NMDA, the level of Sp1 mRNA did not change significantly, but the expression of nucleus protein in Sp1 was significantly decreased, while the expression of cytoplasmic protein was significantly increased. However, MK-801could reverse these changes. CONCLUSIONS: Glu reduced the biosynthesis of the main lipid PC in PS and inhibited CCTα expression by activating NMDAR, which were mediated by the inhibition of the nuclear translocation of Sp1 and the promoter activity of CCTα. In conclusion, NMDAR-mediated Glu toxicity leading to impaired PS synthesis may be a potential pathogenesis of lung injury.

The effect of the leisure activities based on chess and cards for improving cognition of older adults: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: With the increase in age, the probability of cognitive impairment in the older people is increasing. More and more evidence shows that participating in leisure activities, especially chess and cards, is beneficial to the cognition and mental state of the older people. But the evidence for causal inference is limited. There is a need to conduct a fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) and long-term follow-up to test the effectiveness of intervention measures in improving cognitive function and mental state. This paper describes the methodology of a cluster RCT designed to determine the effect of chess and cards leisure activities on the cognitive function of the older people over 60 years old. METHODS/DESIGN: A cluster RCT consisting of 8 clusters will be conducted in four regions of Ningxia, China (Helan, Litong, Qingtongxia, and Shapotou). Clusters will be randomly assigned to the advocacy intervention group, which is also delivered with free leisure activities tools (chess and cards), or the control group. A baseline survey will be conducted before the intervention. A mid-term and final survey will be carried out twelve and twenty-four months after the intervention, respectively. The primary outcome is a change in cognitive function, and the secondary outcomes are changes in anxiety, depression, and loneliness. DISCUSSION: The results of this RCT will be helpful to (1) confirm the effectiveness of chess and cards leisure activities in improving the cognitive function of the older people over 60 years old; (2) determine the relationship between the frequency and duration of chess and cards leisure activities and cognitive function; (3) provide evidence of promoting participation in leisure activities through education campaigns and free provision of chess and cards tools; and (4) provide valuable information for successful aging. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200066817. Registered on 19 December 2022.

Preparation and characterization of bifunctional wolfsbane-like magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles-decorated lignin-based carbon nanofibers composites for electromagnetic wave absorption and electrochemical energy storage.

Recently, with the pursuit of high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) and electrochemical energy storage (EES) materials, multifunctional lignin-based composites have attracted significant interest due to their low cost, vast availability, and sustainability. In this work, lignin-based carbon nanofibers (LCNFs) was first prepared by electrospinning, pre-oxidation and carbonization processes. Then, different content of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of LCNFs via the facile hydrothermal way to produce a series of bifunctional wolfsbane-like LCNFs/Fe3O4 composites. Among them, the synthesized optimal sample (using 12 mmol of FeCl3·6H2O named as LCNFs/Fe3O4-2) displayed excellent EMWA ability. When the minimum reflection loss (RL) value achieved -44.98 dB at 6.01 GHz with an thickness of 1.5 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) was up to 4.19 GHz ranging from 5.10 to 7.21 GHz. For supercapacitor electrode, the highest specific capacitance of LCNFs/Fe3O4-2 reached 538.7 F/g at the current density of 1 A/g, and the capacitance retention remained at 80.3 %. Moreover, an electric double layer capacitor of LCNFs/Fe3O4-2//LCNFs/Fe3O4-2 also showed a remarkable power density of 7755.29 W/kg, outstanding energy density of 36.62 Wh/kg and high cycle stability (96.89 % after 5000 cycles). In short, the construction of this multifunctional lignin-based composites has potential applications in electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers and supercapacitor electrodes.

Secular trend of non-communicable chronic disease prevalence throughout the life span who endured Chinese Great Famine (1959-1961).

BACKGROUND: Famine is a risk factor for non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), which account for over 80% of deaths in China. The effect of famine on the prevalence of NCDs in terms of various age groups, time periods and cohorts is currently poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore long-term trends in the impact of China's Great Famine (1959-1961) on NCDs in China. METHODS: This study used data from the 2010-2020 China Family Panel Longitudinal Survey across 25 provinces in China. The subjects were aged 18-85 years, and the total number of subjects was 174,894. The prevalence of NCDs was derived from the China Family Panel Studies database (CFPS). An age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to estimate the age, period and cohort effects of NCDs in 2010-2020 and the effect of famine on the risk of NCDs in terms of cohort effects. RESULTS: The prevalence of NCDs increased with age. Additionally, the prevalence did not clearly decrease over the survey period. Regarding the cohort effect, people born in the years adjacent to the famine period had a higher risk of NCDs; additionally, females, those born in rural areas, and those who lived in provinces with severe famine and post-famine had a higher likelihood of NCDs. CONCLUSIONS: Experiencing famine at an early age or the experience of famine in a close relative's generation (births after the onset of famine) are associated with an increased risk of NCDs. Additionally, more severe famine is associated with a higher risk of NCDs.

Mangcuo Lake in Hengduan Mountains: An Important Alpine Breeding and Stopover Site along Central Asian Flyway.

The stopovers provide food and habitat for migratory birds and therefore play an important role in facilitating the birds' completion of their migration. The Hengduan Mountains, which have a complex topography, are located in a large corridor of the Central Asian migratory flyway, so the lakes along the Hengduan Mountains are important for waterbird migration. The existing research on lakes in the Hengduan Mountain area is mostly concentrated in the central and southern parts of the mountains, which proves that many lakes are wintering grounds for migrating birds. We wonder whether the ecological functions of lakes will change more with further elevation. With this question, we conducted four surveys for the seasonal bird survey in Mangcuo Lake, which is located in the northwest of the Hengduan Mountains, in Markam County of Qamdo City, between October 2019 and July 2020. We recorded a total of 6109 birds from 20 species of waterbirds, including 20 species of migratory waterbirds, accounting for 100% of all bird species. The diversity and richness of waterbirds in Mangtso Lake is shown as spring > autumn ≥, summer > winter, with no waterbirds in winter. The black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis), great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), bar-headed goose (Anser indicus), and ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) were the dominant species in the waterbird community. The highest number of waterbird species and total individuals were found in the transition zone between the marsh wetlands and lakes, and the number of waterbird species differed significantly among habitats (X2 = 14.405, p = 0.000), with habitat complexity being an important factor influencing waterfowl abundance and distribution. The IUCN Red-listed species recorded include the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), and common pochard (Aythya ferina). By comparing with other lakes in Hengduan Mountain, we found that the ecological functions of the plateau lakes in the Hengduan Mountains, to support the life histories of migrating waterbirds, are gradually transforming as the altitude rises, and can be divided into approximately three levels, with the first level of Qionghai, Chenghai, Erhai, and Jianhu at altitudes of 1500-2200 m being the most important ecological function in terms of providing wintering grounds for migrating birds. The second layer, at an altitude of 2400-3300 m, includes Lashihai, Lugu Lake, and Napahai, which are not only wintering wetlands for migratory birds but also important stopover sites. The third layer of Mangcuo Lake, which is above 4000 m above sea level, provides a breeding ground for some migratory waterbirds in summer and a migratory resting place for migratory waterbirds in spring and autumn. We advocate for the importance of Mangcuo Lake in the alpine region along the central Asian flyway, as well as emerging nature conservation action that was previously neglected.

Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Treating Abdominal Skin Tension Pain After Kyphosis Surgery: A Pilot Study in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Setting.

BACKGROUND: The postsurgical management of patients with ankylosing spondylitis is often only focused on the incision pain, and the pain caused by abdominal skin traction is paid little attention. OBJECTIVES: To explore the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) in treating abdominal skin tension pain after kyphosis surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: This prospective study consecutively enrolled patients scheduled to undergo kyphosis correction surgery at the Department of Orthopedics of Xijing Hospital from March 2021 to December 2021. METHODS: The patients were randomized 1:1 to the TAPB and control groups. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for abdominal pain, Bruggrmann Comfort Scale (BCS), abdominal skin tension blisters, bed rest duration, length of hospitalization, and the use of patient-controlled analgesia pumps (PCAPs) were compared. The primary endpoint was pain alleviation at 24 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were enrolled, without differences between the 2 groups regarding age, body mass index, preoperative kyphosis severity, operation duration, and blood loss. The TAPB group (n = 16) had lower abdominal VAS scores than the control group (n = 15) at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after surgery (P < 0.05). The TAPB group had higher BCS scores than the control group at 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after surgery (P < 0.05). The TAPB group used PCAPs less frequently than the control group after surgery (P < 0.001). The incidence of tension blisters in the TAPB group was numerically lower than that of the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (18.8% vs 33.3%, P > 0.05). LIMITATIONS: The sample size of this study is small and a single-center study, there might be data bias. CONCLUSIONS: In the first 24 hours after severe kyphosis surgery, TAPB can reduce the pain from abdominal skin tension and increase the comfort scores, but its effects on tension blisters remain to be further studied.

Influenza vaccination coverage among health-care workers during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020/2021 influenza season: Evidence from a web-based survey in northwestern China.

Vaccinating health-care workers against influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic can effectively prevent and control influenza and reduce COVID-19 strain on health systems. This study was conducted to explore influenza vaccination coverage and determinants among health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/2021 influenza season in Ningxia. This cross-sectional survey included demographic characteristics of health-care workers, influenza vaccination status, reasons for not getting vaccinated, and whether influenza vaccination was recommended for others. We found that influenza vaccine rate of health-care workers was 39.6%. A binary logistic regression analysis showed that health-care workers' vaccination coverage was higher when the individuals were aware of the effect of the influenza vaccine (OR = 0.624, 95% CI: 0.486-0.802). Health-care workers who from internal medicine (OR = 1.494, 95% CI: 1.146-1.948), pediatrics (OR = 2.091, 95% CI: 1.476-2.962), and surgery departments (OR = 1.373, 95% CI: 1.014-1.859) had a lower coverage than those who worked in vaccination and infectious disease departments. The main reasons that some stated for not getting vaccinated were that they felt it was unnecessary (52.22%). Health-care workers who were vaccinated against influenza were more likely to recommend influenza vaccination to their patients than health-care workers who had not been vaccinated. The incidence of influenza among health-care workers was higher than that of the general population in Ningxia. Under the policy of voluntary and self-pay influenza vaccination in Ningxia, the coverage rate of influenza vaccine among health-care workers was far below the vaccination requirements of influenza vaccine in influenza season even during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Happiness, depression, physical activity and cognition among the middle and old-aged population in China: a conditional process analysis.

Background: Happiness is one variable of subjective well-being, which has been increasingly shown to have protective effects on health. Although the association between happiness and cognition has been established, the mechanism by which happiness leads to cognition remains unclear. Since happiness, depression, and physical activity may all be related to cognition, and happiness is related to depression and physical activity, this study explored the effect of depression and physical activity on the relationship between happiness and cognition among middle and old-aged individuals in China. Methods: Data on 14,344 participants above 45 years of age were obtained from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies survey. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the correlation factors of cognition. The conditional process analysis was used to assess the mediatory effect of depression and physical activity on the relationship between happiness and cognition. Results: Residence, age, sex, income level, social status, smoking, napping, reading, education, exercise times, satisfaction, happiness, and depression had associations with cognition. When other variables were held constant, cognition score increased by 0.029 standard deviation(SD) for every 1 SD increased in happiness. Mediation analysis showed that happiness had a significant positive total effect on cognition. The direct effect of happiness was significant and accounted for 57.86% of the total effect. The mediatory effect of depression (path of happiness→depression→cognition) accounted for 38.31% of the total effect, whereas that of physical activity (path of happiness→exercise times→cognition) accounted for 3.02% of the total effect. Conclusion: Happiness has a positive correlation with cognitive function, and depression and physical activity play mediatory roles in this association. Effective interventions to improve happiness levels of middle and old-aged population will not only improve their subjective well-being but also improve their cognitive function, which carries great potential for reducing public health burdens related to cognitive aging.

Image Analysis by Fractional-Order Gaussian-Hermite Moments.

Moments and moment invariants are effective feature descriptors. They have widespread applications in the field of image processing. The recent researches show that fractional-order moments have notable image representation ability. Hermite polynomials are defined over the interval from negative infinity to positive one. Such unboundedness prevents us from developing fractional-order Gaussian-Hermite moments via the existing ideas or approaches. In this paper, we propose fractional-order Gaussian-Hermite moments by forcing the definition domain of Hermite polynomials to be a bounded interval, meanwhile, resorting to a value-decreasing standard deviation to maintain the orthogonality. Moreover, we successfully develop contrast, translation and rotation invariants from the proposed moments based on the inherent properties of Hermite polynomials. The reconstructions of different types of images demonstrate that the proposed moments have more superior image representation ability to the most existing popular orthogonal moments. Besides, the salient performance in invariant image recognition, noise robustness and region-of-interest feature extraction reflect that these moments and their invariants possess the stronger discrimination power and the better noise robustness in comparison with the existing orthogonal moments. Furthermore, both complexity analysis and time consumption indicate that the proposed moments and their invariants are easy to implement, they are suitable for practical engineering applications.

Corrigendum: Chloroquine Inhibits Stemness of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Through Targeting CXCR4-STAT3 Pathway.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00311.].

BoNT/A alleviates neuropathic pain in osteoarthritis by down-regulating the expression of P2X4R in spinal microglia.

Neuropathic pain in osteoarthritis is one of the reasons why the pain is difficult to treat, and P2X4R plays an important role in neuropathic pain. In addition, BoNT/A has been proven to have analgesic effects on both neuropathic pain and osteoarthritis, but its exact mechanism is still unknown. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the analgesic effect of BoNT/A on osteoarthritis and the expression of P2X4R in spinal cord microglia. The analgesic effect was compared between BoNT/A and compound betamethasone. Western blot analysis was used to examine the expression of P2X4R and BDNF proteins in the spinal cord. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the cellular location of P2X4R. Mechanical allodynia and weight asymmetry were identified using the hind paw withdrawal threshold and weight bearing test. The results showed that intra-articular injection of MIA induced persistent mechanical allodynia and weight asymmetry in rats. Both BoNT/A and betamethasone could relieve pain behavior in rats, but BoNT/A had a more obvious effect and lasted longer. Furthermore, BoNT/A could reverse the MIA-induced overexpression of BDNF and P2X4R in the spinal dorsal horn. To sum up, BoNT/A is more effective than betamethasone in relieving MIA-induced osteoarthritis pain in rats, and its analgesic effect may be related to the regulation of P2X4R-mediated BDNF release in spinal microglia and the relief of neuropathic pain in osteoarthritis.

Targeting CD276 by CAR-T cells induces regression of esophagus squamous cell carcinoma in xenograft mouse models.

Esophageal cancer, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), has a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells represent a potential ESCC treatment. In this study, we examined CD276 expression in healthy and esophageal tumor tissues and explored the tumoricidal potential of CD276-targeting CAR-T cells in ESCC. CD276 was strongly and homogenously expressed in ESCC and EAC tumor lesions but mildly in healthy tissues, representing a good target for CAR-T cell therapy. We generated CD276-directed CAR-T cells with a humanized antigen-recognizing domain and CD28 or 4-1BB co-stimulation. CD276-specific CAR-T cells efficiently killed ESCC tumor cells in an antigen-dependent manner both in vitro and in vivo. In patient-derived xenograft models, CAR-T cells induced tumor regression and extended mouse survival. In addition, CAR-T cells generated from patient T cells demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells. Our study indicates that CD276 is an attractive target for ESCC therapy, and CD276-targeting CAR-T cells are worth testing in ESCC clinical trials.

The nonequilibrium behaviors of covalent adaptable network polymers during the topology transition.

Vitrimers with bond exchange reactions (BERs) are a class of covalent adaptable network (CAN) polymers at the forefront of recent polymer research. They exhibit malleable and self-healable behaviors and combine the advantages of easy processability of thermoplastics and excellent mechanical properties of thermosets. For thermally sensitive vitrimers, a molecular topology melting/frozen transition is triggered when the BERs are activated to rearrange the network architecture. Notable volume expansion and stress relaxation are accompanied, which can be used to identify the BER activation temperature and rate as well as to determine the malleability and interfacial welding kinetics of vitrimers. Existing works on vitrimers reveal the rate-dependent behaviors of the nonequilibrium network during the topology transition. However, it remains unclear what the quantitative relationship with heating rate is, and how it will affect the macroscopic stress relaxation. In this paper, we study the responses of an epoxy-based vitrimer subjected to a change in temperature and mechanical loading during the topology transition. Using thermal expansion tests, the thermal strain evolution is shown to depend on the temperature-changing rate, which reveals the nonequilibrium states with rate-dependent structural relaxation. The influences of structural relaxation on the stress relaxation behaviors are examined in both uniaxial tension and compression modes. Assisted by a theoretical model, the study reveals how to tune the material and thermal-temporal conditions to promote the contribution of BERs during the reprocessing of vitrimers.

Organic Liquid Fertilizer Coupled With Single Application of Chemical Fertilization Improves Growth, Biomass, and Yield Components of Cotton Under Mulch Drip Irrigation.

Excessive fertilization, low nutrient utilization rate, and continuous deterioration of cotton field environment have adversely affected the sustainable development of cotton in Xinjiang province of China. To overcome these issues, we hypothesized that an appropriate combination of liquid organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer (CF) would effectively reduce the input of CF without sacrificing the quality and yield of cotton. A 2-year field experiment explores the effects of three fertilization treatments on the growth, biomass accumulation, and yield of cotton. The three fertilization treatments, namely, no application of fertilizer (CK), the single application of CF, and the combined application of organic liquid fertilizer and CF (F0.6-F1.4), were set up in five ratios. Compared with CF treatment, the combined application of organic liquid fertilizer and CF treatments (F0.6-F1.2) speeded the growth period of cotton by 2-7 days with increased plant height, stem diameter, functional leaf width, and more number of branches, with 9.7-23.5 and 8.4-28.5% higher total plant biomass (TPB) and reproductive organs biomass (ROB), respectively. Compared with CF treatment, the rapid growth duration and maximum accumulation rate of reproductive organs were the highest in F0.8 treatment, with an average increase of 4.6 days and 20.3%. Increment in biomass accumulation contributed to an average increase of 21.8 and 18.9% in cotton boll number and yield, respectively, under F0.8 treatment. Principal component analysis shows that the total biomass, ROB, and total bolls per unit area were positively correlated with the yield, while stem diameter and vegetative organ biomass are negatively correlated with the yield. In conclusion, under film mulching with drip irrigation, organic liquid fertilizer combined with CF reduced by 20% (F0.8 treatment: N, P2O5, and K2O were 182, 104, and 76 kg hm-2, respectively) can sustain the normal growth, promote the accumulation rate of ROB, and lead to efficient cotton production.

An Optimized Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Pathway Improved Patient Care in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: An optimized Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program is lacking for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact and feasibility of an optimized ERAS pathway in patients with surgically treated AIS. METHODS: In total, 79 patients with AIS who underwent corrective surgery without 3-column osteotomy were recruited from Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University between 2012 and 2018. Forty-four patients were treated according to a traditional protocol and 35 were managed using an optimized ERAS pathway, which was designed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team. The following data were collected and retrospectively analyzed, demographic characteristics, Cobb angle, curve type (Lenke), surgical duration, fusion level, correction rate, estimated blood loss, postoperative hemoglobin level, postoperative pain score, pain relief time, hemovac drainage, drainage removal time, first ambulation time, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the traditional and ERAS groups with respect to demographic characteristics, Cobb angle, curve type (Lenke), fusion level, and correction rate. However, the ERAS group had a shorter surgical duration, less blood loss and hemovac drainage, a higher postoperative hemoglobin level, and earlier pain relief, ambulation, and discharge. The rates of postoperative nausea and vomiting were lower in the ERAS group than in the traditional group. CONCLUSIONS: The ERAS pathway is capable of improving the perioperative status of patients with AIS by offering stronger analgesia, faster ambulation, and earlier discharge.

[Responses of root physiological characteristics of different drought-tolerant cotton varieties to drought]. / ä¸¤ä¸ªä¸åŒè€æ—±æ€§æ£‰èŠ±å“ç§æ ¹ç³»ç”Ÿç†ç‰¹æ€§å¯¹å¹²æ—±çš„å“åº”.

In order to explore the physiological responses of root system of different drought-resistant cotton varieties to drought and their relationships with biomass, we examined the effects of drought stress on root vigor, antioxidant enzyme activities and anatomic structure (duct diameter, number) and biomass of different drought-tolerant varieties, including the drought-inolerant variety 'Xinluzao 17' (L17) and the drought-tolerant variety 'Xinluzao 22' (L22). Both varieties were grown under soil column cultivation conditions, with conventional irrigation (CK), mild drought (W1) and moderate drought (W2) treatments. The results showed that drought stress caused significant reductions in soluble protein (SP) content, root vigor (RV), the number of cork layers, the number of rhizome ducts, the diameter of the ducts in both varieties. The higher root MDA content, CAT, POD and SOD activities in response to drought led to reduction of aboveground dry mass. Compared with that of L17, SP content, 0-40 cm and 80-120 cm soil layer RV, the number of cork layers, the number of rhizome ducts, the diameter of ducts, and the aboveground dry mass of L22 all signi-ficantly increased. Under the W2 treatment, the RV decrease of L22 was 26.2% lower than that of L17, and CAT, POD, SOD activities and the thickness of cortex were 43.6%, 6.9%, 25.4%, 19.9% higher than that of L17. There were positive correlations between dry mass and RV, SOD, POD, the number of cork layers, the diameter and number of rhizome ducts. Therefore, cotton variety with strong drought tolerance could maintain higher root activity, cork layer number, the diameter of rhizome ducts, and number under drought conditions, and thus promote the accumulation of aboveground biomass, which was the physiological mechanism for their stronger drought tolerance.