The photosynthetic performance and photoprotective role of carotenoids response to light stress in intertidal red algae Neoporphyra haitanensis.

Neoporphyra haitanensis, a red alga harvested for food, thrives in the intertidal zone amid dynamic and harsh environments. High irradiance represents a major stressor in this habitat, posing a threat to the alga's photosynthetic apparatus. Interestingly, N. haitanensis has adapted to excessive light despite the absence of a crucial xanthophyll cycle-dependent photoprotection pathway. Thus, it is valuable to investigate the mechanisms by which N. haitanensis copes with excessive light and to understand the photoprotective roles of carotenoids. Under high light intensities and prolonged irradiation time, N. haitanensis displayed reduction in photosynthetic efficiency and phycobiliproteins levels, as well as different responses in carotenoids. The decreased carotene contents suggested their involvement in the synthesis of xanthophylls, as evidenced by the up-regulation of lycopene-ß-cyclase (lcyb) and zeaxanthin epoxidase (zep) genes. Downstream xanthophylls such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and antheraxanthin increased proportionally to light stress, potentially participating in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). When accompanied by the enhanced activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), these factors resulted in a reduction in ROS production. The responses of intermediates α-cryptoxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin were felt somewhere between carotenes and zeaxanthin/lutein. Furthermore, these changes were ameliorated when the organism was placed in darkness. In summary, down-regulation of the organism's photosynthetic capacity, coupled with heightened xanthophylls and APX activity, activates photoinhibition quenching (qI) and antioxidant activity, helping N. haitanensis to protect the organism from the damaging effects of excessive light exposure. These findings provide insights into how red algae adapt to intertidal lifestyles.

Effect of Wet Grinding Concrete Slurry Waste on Hydration and Hardening Properties of Cement: Micro-Nano-Scale Modification.

The concrete slurry waste (CSW) produced by concrete mixing plants is a type of hazardous waste that is difficult to handle. To better recycle the CSW separated from the aggregates, this study uses a variety of wet-grinding processes to refine the solid in it, replaces some of the cement with the solid particles in wet grinding concrete slurry waste (WCSW), and investigates the properties of WCSW and its effect on the hydration and hardening properties of cement. The results show that a suitable wet-grinding process can ensure that the particle size in WCSW is less than 10 µm, the particle morphology is more flat, and the degree of hydration is higher. The WCSW particles can promote early cement hydration; after adding WCSW, the heat release peak of cement hydration appears earlier and more early hydration products are produced, and with the increase in the substitution amount, the promoting effect on early cement hydration will be more significant. The WCSW particles have a great effect on improving the strength of mortar, especially in the early stage. At 1 d, when the substitution amount is 7.5 wt.%, the compressive and flexural strength is increased by 43.67% and 45.04%; this is related to the filling of matrix pores and the improvement of the interface transition zone by micro- and nanoparticles. After the wet grinding of CSW, fine WCSW particles are obtained, which can improve the performance of cement-based materials by replacing cement.

Effects of Lithium Carbonate and Superplasticizer on Ultra-Early Strength of Alite-Ye'elimite-Belite-Ferrite Cement.

Alite-ye'elimite-belite-ferrite cement (AYBFC) integrates the advantages of calcium sulfoaluminate cement and Portland cement, but its ultra-early strength needs to be further improved when applied to rush repair and construction works. In this study, the ultra-early strength of AYBFC was improved using lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and superplasticizer. The results showed that an appropriate amount of Li2CO3 could significantly improve the ultra-early strength of AYBFC, since it was capable of promoting the hydration reaction of AYBFC. After polycarboxylate superplasticizer was doped on this basis, the ultra-early compressive strength of AYBFC was further improved. This was because the superplasticizer could markedly enhance the matrix compactness despite its inhibitory effect on the hydration reaction of cement and the generation of hydration products.

Efficacy of post-surgery family-based participatory cluster pain care in children with developmental dislocation of hip.

BACKGROUND: Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) is a common congenital deformity of the skeletal system in children. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of post-surgery cluster nursing in children with DDH. METHODS: A total of 60 children with DDH who underwent hip joint orthopedic surgery in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled as the research participants in this prospective study, and divided into the control group and the observation group according to the numerical table method, with 30 patients in each group. The control group was given routine pain care, and the observation group was given cluster pain care. The hip joint function scores, pain scores, self-rating anxiety score (SAS) were compared between the two groups and between before intervention and after intervention in the two groups. RESULTS: The pain score of the children and the SAS of the primary caregivers after the intervention in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P< 0.05), and the hip joint function score and family satisfaction degree were higher than those in the control group (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Family-based cluster pain care can reduce pain in children with DDH after surgery, promote hip joint functional recovery, reduce the negative emotions of caregivers, and improve family satisfaction, and has clinical popularization value.

More attention should be paid to Omicron-associated sepsis: a multicenter retrospective study in south China.

Background: The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly transmissible but causes less severe disease compared to other variants. However, its association with sepsis incidence and outcomes is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of Omicron-associated sepsis, as per the Sepsis 3.0 definition, in hospitalized patients, and to explore its relationship with clinical characteristics and prognosis. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included adults hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection across six tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou, China from November 2022 to January 2023. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and its components were calculated at hospital admission to identify sepsis. Outcomes assessed were need for intensive care unit (ICU) transfer and mortality. Receiver operating characteristic curves evaluated the predictive value of sepsis versus other biomarkers for outcomes. Results: A total of 299 patients (mean age: 70.1±14.4 years, 42.14% female) with SOFA score were enrolled. Among them, 152 were categorized as non-serious cases while the others were assigned as the serious group. The proportion of male patients, unvaccinated patients, patients with comorbidity such as diabetes, chronic cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease was significantly higher in the serious than non-serious group. The median SOFA score of all enrolled patients was 1 (interquartile range, 0-18). In our study, 147 patients (64.19%) were identified as having sepsis upon hospital admission, with the majority of these septic patients (113, representing 76.87%) being in the serious group, the respiratory, coagulation, cardiovascular, central nervous, and renal organ SOFA scores were all significantly higher in the serious compared to the non-serious group. Among septic patients, 20 out of 49 (40.81%) had septic shock as indicated by lactate measurement within 24 hours of admission, and the majority of septic patients were in the serious group (17/20, 76.87%). Sepsis was present in 118 out of 269 (43.9%) patients in the general ward, and among those with sepsis, 34 out of 118 (28.8%) later required ICU care during hospitalization. By contrast, none of the patients without sepsis required ICU care. Moreover, the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with than without sepsis. Conclusions: A considerable proportion of patients infected with Omicron present with sepsis upon hospital admission, which is associated with a poorer prognosis. Therefore, early recognition of viral sepsis by evaluation of the SOFA score in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients is crucial.