Reference values of carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness in Chinese adults based on ultrasound radio frequency signal: A nationwide, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants. METHODS: A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, ß stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson's correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance. RESULTS: All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The ß stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 µm/year in women and 5.8 µm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.

Association of diet and outdoor time with inflammatory bowel disease: a multicenter case-control study using propensity matching analysis in China.

Objective: To investigate the association between dietary and some other environmental factors and the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Chinese population. Materials and methods: A multicenter case-control study was conducted involving 11 hospitals across China. A total of 1,230 subjects were enrolled consecutively, and diet and environmental factor questionnaires were collected. IBD patients were matched with healthy controls (HC) using propensity-score matching (PSM) at a 1:1 ratio with a caliper value of 0.02. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between diet, environmental factors, and IBD. Results: Moderate alcohol and milk consumption, as well as daily intake of fresh fruit, were protective factors for both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Conversely, the consumption of eggs and chocolate increased the risk of IBD. Outdoor time for more than 25% of the day was a protective factor only for CD. In eastern regions of China, CD patients had higher egg consumption and less outdoor time, while UC patients consumed more chocolate. IBD patients from urban areas or with higher per capita monthly income consumed more fruit, eggs, and chocolate. Conclusions: This study reveals an association between specific foods, outdoor time, and the emergence of IBD in the Chinese population. The findings emphasize the importance of a balanced diet, sufficient outdoor time and activities, and tailored prevention strategies considering regional variations.

Dysrhythmic saliva microbiota in mobile phone addicts with sleep disorders and restored by acupuncture.

Background: Mobile phone addiction (MPA) greatly affects the biological clock and sleep quality and is emerging as a behavioral disorder. The saliva microbiota has been linked to circadian rhythms, and our previous research revealed dysrhythmic saliva metabolites in MPA subjects with sleep disorders (MPASD). In addition, acupuncture had positive effects. However, the dysbiotic saliva microbiota in MPASD patients and the restorative effects of acupuncture are unclear. Objectives: To probe the circadian dysrhythmic characteristics of the saliva microbiota and acupunctural restoration in MPASD patients. Methods: MPASD patients and healthy volunteers were recruited by the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Saliva samples were collected every 4 h for 72 h. After saliva sampling, six MPDSD subjects (group M) were acupuncturally treated (group T), and subsequent saliva sampling was conducted posttreatment. Finally, all the samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Results: Significantly increased MPATS and PSQI scores were observed in MPDSD patients (p< 0.01), but these scores decreased (p<0.001) after acupuncture intervention. Compared with those in healthy controls, the diversity and structure of the saliva microbiota in MPASD patients were markedly disrupted. Six genera with circadian rhythms were detected in all groups, including Sulfurovum, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas and Prevotella. There were five genera with circadian rhythmicity in healthy people, of which the rhythmicities of the genera Rothia and Lautropia disappeared in MPASD patients but effectively resumed after acupuncture intervention. Conclusions: This work revealed dysrhythmic salivary microbes in MPASD patients, and acupuncture, as a potential intervention, could be effective in mitigating this ever-rising behavioral epidemic.

Low-molecular-weight heparin ameliorates intestinal barrier dysfunction in aged male rats via protection of tight junction proteins.

The intestinal barrier weakens and chronic gut inflammation occurs in old age, causing age-related illnesses. Recent research shows that low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), besides anticoagulation, also has anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, protecting the intestinal barrier. This study aims to analyze the effect of LMWH on the intestinal barrier of old male rodents. This study assigned Sprague-Dawley male rats to four groups: young (3 months), young + LMWH, old (20 months), and old + LMWH. The LMWH groups received 1 mg/kg LMWH via subcutaneous injection for 7 days. Optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine morphological changes in intestinal mucosa due to aging. Intestinal permeability was measured using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran. ELISA kits were used to measure serum levels of IL-6 and IL-1ß, while Quantitative RT-PCR detected their mRNA levels in intestinal tissues. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) evaluated the tight junction (TJ) protein levels such as occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and claudin-2. Western blotting assessed the expression of the apoptosis marker cleaved caspase 3, while IHC was used to detect LGR5+ intestinal stem cells. The intestinal permeability of aged rats was significantly higher than that of young rats, indicating significant differences. With age, the protein levels of occludin and ZO-1 decreased significantly, while the level of claudin-2 increased significantly. Meanwhile, our study found that the levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 increased significantly with age. LMWH intervention effectively alleviated age-related intestinal barrier dysfunction. In aged rats treated with LMWH, the expression of occludin and ZO-1 proteins in the intestine increased, while the expression of claudin-2 decreased. Furthermore, LMWH administration in aged rats resulted in a decrease in IL-1ß and IL-6 levels. LMWH also reduced age-related cleaved caspase3 expression, but IHC showed no difference in LGR5+ intestinal stem cells between groups. Research suggests that LMWH could potentially be a favorable therapeutic choice for age-related diseases associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction, by protecting TJ proteins, reducing inflammation, and apoptosis.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts-secreted exosomal miR-92a-3p promotes tumor growth and stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma through activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway by suppressing AXIN1.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major cellular component in the tumor microenvironment and have been shown to exhibit protumorigenic effects in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to delve into the mechanisms underlying the tumor-promoting effects of CAFs in HCC. Small RNA sequencing was conducted to screen differential expressed microRNAs in exosomes derived from CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs). The miR-92a-3p expression was then measured using reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time PCR in CAFs, NFs, CAFs-derived exosomes (CAFs-Exo), and NF-derived exosomes (NFs-Exo). Compared to NFs or NF-Exo, CAFs and CAFs-Exo significantly promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and stemness. Additionally, compared to NFs or NF-Exo, miR-92a-3p level was notably higher in CAFs and CAFs-Exo, respectively. Exosomal miR-92a-3p was found to enhance HCC cell proliferation, migration, and stemness. Meanwhile, AXIN1 was targeted by miR-92a-3p. Exosomal miR-92a-3p could activate ß-catenin/CD44 signaling in HCC cells by inhibiting AXIN1 messenger RNA. Furthermore, in vivo studies verified that exosomal miR-92a-3p notably promoted tumor growth and stemness through targeting AXIN1/ß-catenin axis. Collectively, CAFs secreted exosomal miR-92a-3p was capable of promoting growth and stemness in HCC through activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway by suppressing AXIN1. Therefore, targeting CAFs-derived miR-92a-3p may be a potential strategy for treating HCC.

Role of TAP1 in the identification of immune-hot tumor microenvironment and its prognostic significance for immunotherapeutic efficacy in gastric carcinoma.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC), a multifaceted gastrointestinal malignancy, is the fourth most prevalent contributor to cancer-related fatalities globally. As a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family, transporter associated with antigen processing 1 (TAP1) is crucial for conveying antigen peptides from the cytoplasm to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and subsequently loading them onto the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Recent studies have established the biological significance of TAP1 in upholding tumor survival and facilitating immune evasion by remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME) and orchestrating immune infiltration. The study was conducted to elucidate the association of TAP1 expression with immunological characteristics, and sought to exploit the value of TAP1 as a biomarker reflecting the inflamed TME and immunotherapeutic response. Methods: RNA-sequencing profiles and clinical annotations were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas-stomach adenocarcinoma (TCGA-STAD) cohort and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) portal. Preprocessing was conducting using the limma package. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify gene modules and TAP1 co-expressed genes (CEGs) based on correlation patterns. Consensus clustering and silhouette analysis determined the optimal number of TAP1-related groups. Gene expression profiles were integrated and classified using the pamr package. The Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumors using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were used to evaluate immunological characteristics. Differential expression analysis was conducted using the limma package. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets were analyzed using the Seurat toolkit to characterize cell types. Results: Within this investigation, no significant differences in TAP1 expression were observed among patients exhibiting various clinicopathological features, indicating that TAP1 expression was not specific to molecular subtypes. Subsequent analysis revealed a positive correlation between TAP1 and diverse immunological traits, encompassing immunomodulators, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, as well as immune checkpoints across multiple datasets. Besides, within a GC immunotherapy cohort, individuals displaying high TAP1 expression demonstrated an increased likelihood of achieving complete remission (CR) post-treatment, suggesting heightened sensitivity to immunotherapy. In the clinical cohort, TAP1 overexpression in GC patients was positively correlated with CD8. Conclusions: TAP1 appears linked to an inflamed TME and serves as a prospective biomarker for discerning immunological attributes and gauging immunotherapeutic responses in GC, particularly in identifying immune-reactive tumors.

Analyzing the infertility burden of polycystic ovarian syndrome in China: A comprehensive age-period-cohort analysis with future burden prediction (1990-2030).

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common but complex endocrine disorder widely linked to infertility and miscarriage. This study assessed the correlation between PCOS and infertility. METHODS: Using the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database, we conducted an in-depth assessment of the disease burden attributed to PCOS in China. This analysis was performed using the joinpoint regression, age-period-cohort, and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. RESULTS: Between 1990-2019, an upward trend was observed in the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related female infertility in China. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed an increasing trend in the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related female infertility burden indicators as well as the average annual percentage change and annual percentage change across all age groups in China. In terms of the cohort effect, the period rate ratios associated with the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related infertility increased steadily over time. The ARIMA model predicted a relatively swift upward trend in the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related infertility in China from 2020-2030. CONCLUSION: The age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related female infertility in China has increased between 1990-2019. The ARIMA model predicted that the age-standardized prevalence of this disease may continue to increase over the next decade. This study can increase the public's attention, improve women's health awareness, and have a certain significance for reducing female infertility related to PCOS.

Microbacterium algihabitans sp. nov., Microbacterium phycohabitans sp. nov., and Microbacterium galbum sp. nov., isolated from dried beach seaweeds.

Three actinobacterial strains, KSW2-21T, KSW2-29T and KSW4-17T, were isolated from dried seaweeds collected around Gwakji Beach in Jeju, Republic of Korea. Their taxonomic positions were determined based on genomic, physiological and morphological characteristics. The isolates were Gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacteria characterized by the following chemotaxonomic features: ornithine as the cell wall diamino acid, the N-glycolyl type of murein, MK-11 as the predominant menaquinone, polar lipids including diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified glycolipids and four unidentified phospholipids, with anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0 as the the major fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny showed that the novel strains formed three distinct sublines within the genus Microbacterium. Strain KSW4-17T formed a tight cluster with the type strain of Microbacterium hydrothermale, while strains KSW2-21T and KSW2-29T occupied distinct positions between the type strains of M. hydrothermale and Microbacterium testaceum. Strains KSW4-17T and KSW2-29T showed 99.9 % rRNA gene sequence similarity to M. hydrothermale CGMCC 1.12512T, while strain KSW2-21T revealed 99.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strains of M. hydrothermale and M. testaceum. The genome sizes and genomic G+C contents of the three isolates ranged from 3.44 to 3.74 Mbp and from 70.3 to 70.8 mol%, respectively. The phylogenomic tree based on 92 core gene sequences exhibited similar topologies to the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny. The comparison of overall genomic relatedness indices, such as average nucleotide indentity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization, supported that the isolates represent three new species of the genus Microbacterium. Based on the results obtained here, Microbacterium algihabitans sp. nov. (type strain, KSW2-21T=KACC 23322T=DSM 116381T), Microbacterium phycohabitans sp. nov. (type strain KSW2-29T=KACC 22350T=NBRC 115221T) and Microbacterium galbum sp. nov. (type strain, KSW4-17T=KACC 23323T=DSM 116383T) are proposed.

Synthetic lethal CRISPR screen identifies a cancer cell-intrinsic role of PD-L1 in regulation of vulnerability to ferroptosis.

Despite the success of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition in tumor therapy, many patients do not benefit. This failure may be attributed to the intrinsic functions of PD-L1. We perform a genome-wide CRISPR synthetic lethality screen to systematically explore the intrinsic functions of PD-L1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells, identifying ferroptosis-related genes as essential for the viability of PD-L1-deficient cells. Genetic and pharmacological induction of ferroptosis accelerates cell death in PD-L1 knockout cells, which are also more susceptible to immunogenic ferroptosis. Mechanistically, nuclear PD-L1 transcriptionally activates SOD2 to maintain redox homeostasis. Lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ferroptosis are observed in patients with HNSCC who have higher PD-L1 expression. Our study illustrates that PD-L1 confers ferroptosis resistance in HNSCC cells by activating the SOD2-mediated antioxidant pathway, suggesting that targeting the intrinsic functions of PD-L1 could enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Risk Analysis Index Frailty Score as a Predictor of Otolaryngology Surgical Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The Risk Analysis Index (RAI) score is a screening tool to assess patient frailty. It has been shown to be predictive of postoperative outcomes and mortality in orthopedic, urologic, and neurosurgical patient populations. We sought to evaluate the predictive ability of RAI score for surgical outcomes in an otolaryngology patient population. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Academic tertiary medical center. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of adult patients undergoing otolaryngology surgery at a tertiary medical care center over 21 months. Patients were sent electronic RAI survey questionnaires via direct messaging, which was completed prior to surgery. Endpoint data were analyzed, including demographics, RAI score, and patient outcome data. Univariate analysis, ROC curves, and predictive modeling were utilized. RESULTS: A total of 517 patients responded to the RAI questionnaire, resulting in a 59.6% response rate. Mean RAI score was 21.38 ± 11.83. Higher RAI scores were associated with increased 30-day readmissions (P < .0015), postoperative complications (P < .001), hospital length of stay (P < .001), and discharge with home health (P < .001). Predictive models for RAI score and postoperative outcomes were created, and a cutoff score of RAI = 30 was established to identify frail patients. CONCLUSION: We evaluated if RAI scoring predicted postoperative complications in an otolaryngology patient population. Increased RAI score is significantly associated with poorer surgical outcomes, including increased hospital length of stay, 30-day readmissions, and postoperative complications. We propose a predictive model with suggested RAI cutoff scoring for use in the otolaryngology surgical population.

Triple modal aptasensor arrays driven by CHA-mediated DNAzyme for signal-amplified atrazine pesticide accumulation monitoring in agricultural crops.

Developing sensors with high selectivity and sensitivity is of great significance for pesticide analysis in environmental assessment. Herein, a versatile three-way sensor array was designed for the detection of the pesticide atrazine, based on the integration of catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) amplification and three-mode signal transducers. With atrazine, CHA was triggered to generate abundant G-quadruplex. The produced G-quadruplex hybrid could assemble with thioflavin T (TFT) or hemin to mimic enzyme and induce the fluorescence enhancement by TFT, or the colorimetric increase by the oxidized chromogenic substrate and the naked-eye color change by inhibiting the L-cysteine-mediated aggregation of gold nanoparticles. A distinctive three-mode array was successfully constructed with convenience, on-site accessibility and high sensitivity for enzyme-free practical analysis of atrazine. It is also effective and reliable for analyzing real samples including paddy water, paddy soil and polished rice. The detection limits for atrazine were as low as 7.4 pg/mL by colorimetric observation and 0.25 pg/mL by fluorescent detection. Furthermore, the array was exploited to monitor the residue, distribution and bioaccumulation of atrazine in maize and rice for food security and environmental assessment. Hence, this work presented a versatile example for sensitive and on-site all-in-one pesticide analysis arrays with multiple signal report modes.

Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals the underlying mechanisms for male reproductive toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in mouse spermatocyte-derived GC-2spd(ts) cells.

BACKGROUND: Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs), are ubiquitous pollution sources in human environments, posing significant biosafety and health risks. While recent studies, including our own, have illustrated that PS-NPs can breach the blood-testis barrier and impact germ cells, there remains a gap in understanding their effects on specific spermatogenic cells such as spermatocytes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Herein, we employed an integrated approach encompassing phenotype, metabolomics, and transcriptomics analyses to assess the molecular impact of PS-NPs on mouse spermatocyte-derived GC-2spd(ts) cells. Optimal exposure conditions were determined as 24 h with 50 nm PS-NPs at 12.5 µg/mL and 90 nm PS-NPs at 50 µg/mL for subsequent multi-omics analysis. Our findings revealed that PS-NPs significantly influenced proliferation and viability, causing alterations in transcriptome and metabolome profiles. Transcriptomics analysis of GC-2spd(ts) cells exposed to PS-NPs indicated the pivotal involvement of cell proliferation and cycle, autophagy, ferroptosis, and redox reaction pathways in PS-NP-induced effects on the proliferation and viability of GC-2spd(ts) cells. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis identified major changes in amino acid metabolism, cyanoamino acid metabolism, and purine and pyrimidine metabolism following PS-NP exposure. CONCLUSION: Our integrated approach, combining metabolomics and transcriptomics profiles with phenotype data, enhances our understanding of the adverse effects of PS-NPs on germ cells.

Perianal fistulizing lesions of Crohn's disease are associated with long-term behavior and its transition: a Chinese cohort study.

Background/Aims: Crohn's disease (CD) has a progressive nature and commonly perianal involvement. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence, surgical treatment, and outcome of perianal fistulizing CD with associated risk factors in a large Chinese cohort. Methods: Hospitalized patients diagnosed with CD in our center were consecutively enrolled between January 2000 and December 2018. Transition of disease behavior was classified according to the presence or absence of penetrating behavior (B3 in the Montreal classification) at diagnosis and at a median follow-up of 102 months. Results: A total of 504 patients were included, of whom 207 (41.1%) were classified as B3 and 348 (69.0%) as L2/3 at follow-up. Transition of behavior to B3 was observed in 86 patients (17.1%). The incidence of perianal fistulizing lesions was 10.9% at 10 years with a final prevalence of 27.0% (n = 136) at the end of follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression identified independent risks of perianal fistulizing lesions for persistent B3 (hazard ratio, 4.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.91-11.66) and behavior transition of progressed to B3 (hazard ratio, 9.90; 95% confidence interval, 4.60-21.33). Perianal surgical treatments were performed in 104 patients (20.6%). Thirty-six cases (7.1%) were refractory, and it is independently associated with behavior of persistent B3 (P= 0.011). Conclusions: Perianal fistulizing lesions occurred frequently in Chinese CD patients. Its incidence and refractory outcome were closely associated with the penetrating CD behavior. An additional risk of perianal fistulizing lesions was indicated for CD patients with behavior of progressing to B3, suggesting further attention.

Surface saturation of drug-loaded hollow manganese dioxide nanoparticles with human serum albumin for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease accompanied by energy depletion and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) offer great promise for the treatment of RA because they mostly have functions beyond being drug carriers. However, conventional nanomaterials become coated with a protein corona (PC) or lose their cargo prematurely in vivo, reducing their therapeutic efficacy. To avoid these problems, we loaded methotrexate (MTX) into hollow structured manganese dioxide nanoparticles (H-MnO2 NPs), then coated them with a 'pseudo-corona' of human serum albumin (HSA) at physiological concentrations to obtain HSA-MnO2@MTX NPs. Efficacy of MTX, MnO2@MTX, and HSA-MnO2@MTX NPs was compared in vitro and in vivo. Compared to MnO2@MTX, HSA-coated NPs were taken up better by lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW264.7 and were more effective at lowering levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and preventing ROS accumulation. HSA-MnO2@MTX NPs were also more efficient at blocking the proliferation and migration of fibroblast-like synoviocytes from rats with collagen-induced arthritis. In this rat model, HSA-MnO2@MTX NPs showed better biodistribution than other treatments, specifically targeting the ankle joint. Furthermore, HSA-MnO2@MTX NPs reduced swelling in the paw, regulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and limited cartilage degradation and signs of inflammation. These results establish the therapeutic potential of HSA-MnO2@MTX NPs against RA.

Recommendations on approving the name " Entomosporium", with a new species, E.dichotomanthes from China (Leotiomycetes, Drepanopezizaceae).

The phytopathogenic genus, Entomosporium can cause serious leaf diseases worldwide. Entomosporium has long been regarded as a synonym of Diplocarpon. However, different morphologies between Entomosporium and Diplocarpon make this doubtful. Based on morpho-phylogenetic analyses, the placement of the genus was re-evaluated in this study. The combined the internal transcribed spacer gene region (ITS) and the 28S large subunit ribosomal RNA gene region (LSU) phylogenetic analysis shows that Entomosporium is an independent clade within Drepanopezizaceae and formed a sister clade to the generic type Diplocarpon. Moreover, Hymenula and Pseudopeziza do not cluster in Drepanopezizaceae. We propose to resurrect the name Entomosporium, and exclude Hymenulacerealis and Pseudopezizamedicaginis from Drepanopezizaceae and propose to treat them under Ploettnerulaceae. A new species, E.dichotomanthes is also introduced from China based on morpho-molecular analyses which is associated with Dichotomanthestristaniicarpa.

On analysis of topological indices and heat of formation for benzyl sulfamoyl network via curve fitting model.

The study explores the intricate relationship between topological indices and the heat of formation in the benzyl sulfamoyl network. Topological indices of benzyl sulfamoyl networks are studied and also emphasize their properties statistically. The benzyl sulfamoyl has unique properties due to its crystalline structure and it is used in the form of artificial substance. We analyze the distributions and correlations of the benzyl sulfamoyl network with others by using statistical methods and also build a computational analysis for topological indices. The findings show a strong association between the variables, indicating that topological indices may be used to accurately predict thermodynamic characteristics and improve the effectiveness of molecular modelling and simulation procedures.

Sensitive subcellular scale and real-time detection of hydrogen peroxide by a W-doped Pt microelectrode.

A W-doped Pt modified graphene oxide (Pt-W-GO) electrochemical microelectrode was developed to detect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in real time at a subcellular scale. Interestingly, results showed that the concentration of H2O2 in the nucleus of HeLa cells was 2.68 times and 0.51 times that in the extracellular membrane and cytoplasm, respectively.

Properties of silicon nanoparticles prepared by pulse discharge and ball milling.

In this paper, nano-silicon particles were prepared by pulse discharge and ball milling. Firstly, the bulk silicon material was gasified and melted at high temperature in the process of pulse discharge, and then the micro nanoparticles with small grain sizes, a high degree of disorder in crystal orientation and a certain amorphous structure were obtained by rapid condensation. The particles and internal grains were further refined by ball milling, and finally silicon nanoparticles with a high degree of amorphization, an average particle size of about 80.4 nm and a uniform size distribution were obtained. The results show that the longer the milling time, the smaller the grain size and the higher the proportion of the amorphous phase. The electrochemical performance analysis shows that the first charge specific capacity of Si pulse discharge is 3824 mA h g-1, and the coulombic efficiency is 83.1%. After 100 cycles, the capacity retention rate is 14.2%, while the capacity retention rate of Si-15 h is 41.5%, which greatly improves the cycle life. The preparation method of silicon nanoparticles proposed in this paper is simple and effective, shortens the preparation time, and obtains silicon nanoparticles with a high degree of amorphization, which can provide a new method for the preparation of silicon nanoparticles.

Fabrication of PVA-Silica Sol Wood Composites via Delignification and Freezing Pretreatment.

The efficient exploitation of planted fast-growing wood is crucial for enhancing wood resource utilization. In this study, the fast-growing poplar wood was modified by in situ impregnation through vacuum impregnation with polyvinyl alcohol and nano-silica sol as impregnation modifiers, combined with delignification-freezing pretreatment. The samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, and the universal mechanical testing machine. The results showed that the wrinkle deformation and cracking of the wood blocks were greatly alleviated after the delignification-freezing pretreatment and the polyvinyl alcohol and nano-silica sol were successfully integrated into the wood. The resulting polyvinyl alcohol-silica sol poplar composites exhibited about 216%, 80% and 43% higher compressive strength with respect to delignified wood, natural wood and impregnated natural wood, respectively, thereby demonstrating superior mechanical properties and potential opportunities for value-added and efficient utilization of low-quality wood.