Trend of gastrointestinal and liver diseases in China: Results of the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2019.

BACKGROUND: China is one of the countries with the largest burden of gastrointestinal and liver diseases (GILD) in the world. The GILD constitutes various causes of mortality and disability. The study aimed to investigate the trend of GILD in China using the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 (GBD 2019) data resources from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: The data on the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for GILD in China from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the GBD 2019 data resources. Furthermore, the ranking of the main causes of deaths and DALYs, as well as the trends of ASMR, DALYs, years of life lost (YLLs), and years of life lost due to disability (YLDs) per 1,000,000 in GILD were reported. RESULTS: The ASMR and DALYs for stomach cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer, which ranked top three among the GILDs from 1990 to 2019, were gradually decreasing. Significant decreases in the ASMR and DALYs were found in diarrheal diseases and acute hepatitis (A, E, and C). However, noteworthy increases were found in those of colon and rectum cancer (CRC) and pancreatic cancer. Trend of DALYs, mortality, and YLLs rates for most of GILD were decreasing from 1990 to 2019, except the burden of CRC and pancreatic cancer with an increasing trend. The DALYs, mortality and YLLs of most GILD diseases showed decreasing trends from 1990 to 2019, except the burden of CRC and pancreatic cancer with an increasing trends. CONCLUSIONS: The result of the GBD 2019 showed that the rates of most GILDs decreased in China; however, gastrointestinal and liver cancer, such as stomach cancer still held the top ranking. Furthermore, the shift from infectious diseases to non-communicable causes among GILD burden is occurring and is likely to continue with many public health strategies implications.

Investigating the Impact of IL-6 and CXCL8 on Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting the elderly, characterized by severe cognitive impairment and memory loss. Emerging evidence suggests that neuroinflammation plays a significant role in AD pathogenesis, with cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) contributing to the disease progression. METHODS: We utilized GEO datasets to identify IL-6 and CXCL8 as pivotal inflammatory markers in AD. In vitro experiments were conducted using SK-N-BE(2)-M17 and THP-1 cell lines treated with IL-6 and CXCL8 to model AD. Additionally, in vivo tests on Amyloid Precursor Protein/Presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) AD mouse models were performed to assess the impact of these cytokines on cognitive functions and brain pathology. RESULTS: The results indicated a significant decrease in cell viability, increased apoptosis, and elevated inflammatory factor secretion following IL-6 and CXCL8 treatment in vitro. In vivo, AD mouse models treated with these cytokines exhibited exacerbated emotional distress, decreased social interaction, impaired cognitive functions, and increased amyloid protein deposition in neural tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the detrimental effects of IL-6 and CXCL8 on neuronal health and cognitive functions in AD. These findings suggest that targeting these cytokines could offer potential therapeutic interventions for improving patient outcomes in Alzheimer's disease.

Establishing the robustness of chip trade networks by dynamically considering topology and risk cascading propagation.

Risk cascading propagation research mostly focuses on complex theoretical networks. Recently, the vulnerability of international chip supply has increased notably, and it is strategically important to explore how shortage risk affects the emergence dynamics of the real chip trade systems. This study abstracts the global chip trade relationship data for 2009-2021 into multiple asymmetrically weighted networks. Using macro-network and micro-node indicators, we explore the topological traits of international chip trade networks and their evolutionary laws. Accordingly, we propose risk cascading propagation models driven by node failure and edge restraint and further innovate to open up the research paradigm of focused-edge networks. Furthermore, a community infection-driven risk cascading propagation mechanism that incorporates community risk absorption capacity is introduced, considering both the propagation attenuation effects and the trade dependency degree. A multi-dimensional dynamic perspective reveals the hidden systemic risks in international chip trade. The main results are as follows: first, international chip trade networks are highly connected and cohesive, consistent with small-world characteristics. Second, the proportion of economies that collapse because of supply shortage risk shocks increases with the impact coefficient α / ß . The dominant power in chip crisis propagation has shifted from Europe and America to Asia, and mainland China's risk penetration capacity has enhanced significantly. Third, focused-edge networks conform to a multi-hub radiation pattern. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the degree of control and spillover effects of chip supply shortages in hub economies on the international trade was increasing progressively. Fourth, an increase in absorption capacity λ or attenuation factor γ consistently leads to a decline in avalanche scale, with λ exhibiting critical thresholds. These findings will help policymakers pursue efficient management strategies for chip trade, thereby improving supply stability and security.

High-efficiency photocatalytic H2-evolution in water/seawater over a novel noble metal free Ni3C/Mn0.5Cd0.5S Schottky junction.

Solar-powered seawater production of clean hydrogen fuel is highly prospective. In this work, Ni3C/Mn0.5Cd0.5S (NCMCS) Schottky junctions with excellent visible-light correspondence and photogenerated carrier separation properties are constructed using electrostatic attraction. The material achieves a hydrogen evolution rate of 6472.9 µmol h-1 g-1 in simulated seawater, which is 11 times higher than that of a single Mn0.5Cd0.5S (MCS). More attractively, the composite exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution rates in natural river water, groundwater and tap water, with significantly enhanced practical applicability. The underlying hydrogen evolution mechanism was extrapolated from a combination of experimental and theoretical calculations. The present work provides a low-cost and efficient hydrogen evolution photocatalyst for practical application, which can help promote the efficient conversion of solar-hydrogen energy.

Photoinduced Phosphoniumation of Aryl Halides and Arylthianthrenium Salts via an Electron Donor-Acceptor Complex.

Owing to their remarkable practicality and utility, phosphonium salts have attracted substantial interest and are widely applied in critical areas, such as medicine, materials science, and catalysis. Herein, we developed a facile and photocatalyst/metal-free synthetic strategy for the preparation of phosphonium salts utilizing aryl halides/arylthianthrenium salts as aryl radical precursors. This approach is disclosed to undergo an efficient light-induced electron donor-acceptor pathway, facilitating the synthesis of a structurally diverse range of phosphonium salts.

Evidence evaluation of acupuncture and its related therapies for female urinary incontinence: an overview and quality assessment of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

INTRODUCTION: Through methodological quality assessment, this paper summarized the report quality and evidence level of systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) of acupuncture and its related treatment of female urinary incontinence (UI). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We conducted a comprehensive search in four internationally recognized databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) for SRs/MAs pertaining to the treatment of female UI using acupuncture and its related therapies. We evaluated the methodological quality of the SRs/MAs using the "Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2" (AMSTAR-2) tool, assessed the quality of evidence using the "Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation" (GRADE) system, and evaluated the reporting quality of the SRs/MAs using the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020" (PRISMA-2020) guidelines. This overview is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42024557600. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: In the final selection of 7 SRs/MAs, a consistent finding of the superiority of acupuncture and related therapies in the treatment of female UI was observed. Methodological quality was classified according to AMSTAR-2, with three rated as "high," two as "moderate," and two as "low." The main sources of downgrading included the absence of funding sources, failure to provide a reasonable explanation for heterogeneity, and not reporting potential conflicts of interest. According to the GRADE system, the quality of evidence ranged from moderate to very low. The most common reason for downgrading the evidence quality was the repeated utilization of the same original randomized controlled trials. Some results were also downgraded due to inconsistency, imprecision, and potential publication bias. According to the PRISMA-2020 statement, most SR/MAs clearly presented their title information, and almost all of them correctly used meta-analysis methods. However, some of them lacked comprehensive analysis and discussion of bias risk and consistency of results and were deficient in terms of protocol registration and documentation. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture and related therapies demonstrate superiority in terms of efficacy and safety for the treatment of female urinary incontinence (UI). The overall quality of the SRs/MAs seems to be satisfactory, particularly when compared to studies of acupuncture for the treatment of other conditions. However, attention should still be given to the proper use of methods and ensuring completeness in reporting.

Nitroreductase-Based "Turn-On" Fluorescent Probe for Bacterial Identification with Visible Features.

Among pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the six leading causes for the deaths associated with antibiotic resistance in 2019. Although new treatment options are urgently needed, the precise identification of the bacterial species remains pivotal for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Clinically, mass spectrometry is used to distinguish these bacteria based on their protein mass pattern at the genus and species level. Herein, we report an alternative approach to identify these bacteria using the nitroreductase-based "turn-on" fluorescent probes (ETH1-NO2 and ETH2-NO2), with potential visual indicators for the six individual bacteria species. The limits of detection (LODs) of the probes for NTRs are 0.562 (ETH1-NO2) and 0.153 µg/mL (ETH2-NO2), respectively. They respond effectively to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with the lowest LOD at 1.2 × 106 CFU/mL for E. coli. In particular, different bacteria show noticeable difference in the apparent color of ETH1-NO2 samples, allowing possible identification of these bacteria visually. In addition, ETH1-NO2 also has potential applications in bacterial fluorescence imaging. Thus, our study provides an alternative approach for bacteria identification and new reagents for bacteria imaging.

The Principle of Limb Reconstruction-"One Walking, Two Lines, and Three Balances": A Retrospective Analysis of Post-Traumatic Lower Limb Deformity Correction.

OBJECTIVE: The principles of limb reconstruction are crucial for treatment success, but there is no unified standard for complex limb deformities. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the cases of post-traumatic lower limb deformity and explore the new principle of limb reconstruction. METHOD: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 148 patients with post-traumatic lower limb deformity who underwent surgery from May 1978 to December 2023; 85 were males (57.4%) and 63 were females (42.6%); 65 cases of left side (43.9%), 79 cases of right side(53.4%), and 4 cases were on both sides (2.7%), the average age was 24.64 years (5-69). There were 4 cases suffering hip deformities, 40 cases of femoral deformities, 18 cases from knee, 40 cases from tibiofibular, 93 cases of foot and ankle deformities, and some patients also had two or more types. All patients underwent surgical intervention in an average of 40.5 months (12-96) after injury. According to the evaluation of limb deformities, deformity correction and functional reconstruction with external fixation were implemented, following the principle of "one walking, two lines, and three balances." The clinical evaluation adopts the criteria of Qinsihe lower limb deformity correction and functional reconstruction. RESULT: 148 patients with post-traumatic lower limb deformities were followed up for 40.9 (12-356) months. The main surgical procedures implemented were tendon lengthening and soft tissue release (84 cases), osteotomy (93 cases), joint fusion (30 cases), and tendon transposition (16 cases); there were multiple surgical procedures in some patients. Among them, 124 cases used external fixators for stress control and 27 cases used internal fixation, while 3 cases used plaster or brace. There were 5 wire reactions postoperatively, which improved after dressing change and oral antibiotics. There were 2 pin infections, which improved by pin removing. No surgical related deep infections occurred, and no surgical related neurovascular damage occurred. At the last follow-up, all limb deformities were corrected, limb function improved, and the results of treatment was very satisfactory. According to Qinsihe evaluation criteria for lower limb deformities, 74 cases were excellent, 56 cases good, and 18 cases fair, with an excellent and good rate of 87.84%. CONCLUSION: Stress control with external fixation is effective, safe, and controllable in correcting and reconstructing post-traumatic lower limb deformities. The principle of "one walking, two lines, and three balances" plays an important role in the entire process of stress control limb reconstruction.

Circadian Rhythm and Nitrogen Metabolism Participate in the Response of Boron Deficiency in the Root of Brassica napus.

Boron (B) deficiency has been shown to inhibit root cell growth and division. However, the precise mechanism underlying B deficiency-mediated root tip growth inhibition remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of BnaA3.NIP5;1, a gene encoding a boric acid channel, in Brassica napus (B. napus). BnaA3.NIP5;1 is expressed in the lateral root cap and contributes to B acquisition in the root tip. Downregulation of BnaA3.NIP5;1 enhances B sensitivity in B. napus, resulting in reduced shoot biomass and impaired root tip development. Transcriptome analysis was conducted on root tips from wild-type B. napus (QY10) and BnaA3.NIP5;1 RNAi lines to assess the significance of B dynamics in meristematic cells during seedling growth. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in plant circadian rhythm and nitrogen (N) metabolism pathways. Notably, the circadian-rhythm-related gene HY5 exhibited a similar B regulation pattern in Arabidopsis to that observed in B. napus. Furthermore, Arabidopsis mutants with disrupted circadian rhythm (hy5/cor27/toc1) displayed heightened sensitivity to low B compared to the wild type (Col-0). Consistent with expectations, B deficiency significantly disrupted N metabolism in B. napus roots, affecting nitrogen concentration, nitrate reductase enzyme activity, and glutamine synthesis. Interestingly, this disruption was exacerbated in BnaA3NIP5;1 RNAi lines. Overall, our findings highlight the critical role of B dynamics in root tip cells, impacting circadian rhythm and N metabolism, ultimately leading to retarded growth. This study provides novel insights into B regulation in root tip development and overall root growth in B. napus.

Automatic rehabilitation exercise task assessment of stroke patients based on wearable sensors with a lightweight multichannel 1D-CNN model.

Approximately 75% of stroke survivors have movement dysfunction. Rehabilitation exercises are capable of improving physical coordination. They are mostly conducted in the home environment without guidance from therapists. It is impossible to provide timely feedback on exercises without suitable devices or therapists. Human action quality assessment in the home setting is a challenging topic for current research. In this paper, a low-cost HREA system in which wearable sensors are used to collect upper limb exercise data and a multichannel 1D-CNN framework is used to automatically assess action quality. The proposed 1D-CNN model is first pretrained on the UCI-HAR dataset, and it achieves a performance of 91.96%. Then, five typical actions were selected from the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale for the experiment, wearable sensors were used to collect the participants' exercise data, and experienced therapists were employed to assess participants' exercise at the same time. Following the above process, a dataset was built based on the Fugl-Meyer scale. Based on the 1D-CNN model, a multichannel 1D-CNN model was built, and the model using the Naive Bayes fusion had the best performance (precision: 97.26%, recall: 97.22%, F1-score: 97.23%) on the dataset. This shows that the HREA system provides accurate and timely assessment, which can provide real-time feedback for stroke survivors' home rehabilitation.

"Hepatic hilum area priority, liver posterior first": An optimized strategy in laparoscopic resection for type III-IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, pure laparoscopic radical surgery for Bismuth-Corlette type III and IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) has been preliminarily explored and applied, but the surgical strategy and safety are still worthy of further improvement and attention. AIM: To summarize and share the application experience of the emerging strategy of "hepatic hilum area dissection priority, liver posterior separation first" in pure laparoscopic radical resection for patients with HCCA of Bismuth-Corlette types III and IV. METHODS: The clinical data and surgical videos of 6 patients with HCCA of Bismuth-Corlette types III and IV who underwent pure laparoscopic radical resection in our department from December 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 6 patients, 4 were males and 2 were females. The average age was 62.2 ± 11.0 years, and the median body mass index was 20.7 (19.2-24.1) kg/m2. The preoperative median total bilirubin was 57.7 (16.0-155.7) µmol/L. One patient had Bismuth-Corlette type IIIa, 4 patients had Bismuth-Corlette type IIIb, and 1 patient had Bismuth-Corlette type IV. All patients successfully underwent pure laparoscopic radical resection following the strategy of "hepatic hilum area dissection priority, liver posterior separation first". The operation time was 358.3 ± 85.0 minutes, and the intraoperative blood loss volume was 195.0 ± 108.4 mL. None of the patients received blood transfusions during the perioperative period. The median length of stay was 8.3 (7.0-10.0) days. Mild bile leakage occurred in 2 patients, and all patients were discharged without serious surgery-related complications. CONCLUSION: The emerging strategy of "hepatic hilum area dissection priority, liver posterior separation first" is safe and feasible in pure laparoscopic radical surgery for patients with HCCA of Bismuth-Corlette types III and IV. This strategy is helpful for promoting the modularization and process of pure laparoscopic radical surgery for complicated HCCA, shortens the learning curve, and is worthy of further clinical application.

Spin-Orbit-Locking Chiral Bound States in the Continuum.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs), which are confined optical modes exhibiting infinite quality factors and carrying topological polarization configurations in momentum space, have recently sparked significant interest across both fundamental and applied physics. Here, we show that breaking time-reversal symmetry by an external magnetic field enables a new form of chiral BICs with spin-orbit locking. Applying a magnetic field to a magneto-optical photonic crystal slab lifts doubly degenerate BICs into a pair of chiral BICs carrying opposite pseudospins and orbital angular momenta. Multipole analysis verifies the nonzero angular momenta and reveals the spin-orbital-locking behaviors. In momentum space, we observe ultrahigh quality factors and near-circular polarization surrounding chiral BICs, enabling potential applications in spin-selective nanophotonics. Compared to conventional BICs, the magnetically induced chiral BICs revealed here exhibit distinct properties and origins, significantly advancing the topological photonics of BICs by incorporating broken time-reversal symmetry.

Pharmacological inhibition of Septins with Forchlorfenuron attenuates thrombus formation in experimental thrombotic mice models with modulating multiple signaling pathways in platelets.

INTRODUCTION: The Septin family of cytoskeletal proteins is abundant in platelets. When these proteins are functionally blocked using the compound forchlorfenuron (FCF), it hampers the normal activation processes of purified human platelets. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the in vivo effects of FCF on physiological haemostasis and pathological thrombosis in mice and to investigate possible molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The impact of FCF on haemorrhage risk in the brain, liver, and tail of mice was investigated. Using several experimental models, thrombus development in the lung, mesenteric arteries, and postcava was studied. Functional assays were performed on mice and human platelets, both with and without FCF pretreatment. These tests included aggregation, granule release, ROS production, integrin αIIbß3 activation, cytoskeletal remodeling imaging, and clot retraction. RESULTS: Neither oral nor intravenous administration of FCF showed any apparent impairment of haemostasis in the tissues studied, but only later administration resulted in a significant reduction in thrombus formation in different mice vessel types. FCF generally inhibited agonist-induced platelet aggregation, degranulation, ROS burst, morphological expansion on the fibrinogen matrix with completely disordered dynamic organizations of the cytoskeleton for septin, tubulin and actin. In addition, FCF was found to antagonise agonist-induced dephosphorylation of VASP (Ser239) and PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: FCF showed preferences in attenuating pathological thrombus formation, apart from physiological haemostasis, with possible mechanisms to prevent cytoskeletal remodelling and signal transduction of AKT, ERK1/2 and VASP signalling pathways, suggesting that Septin may serve as a promising target for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic diseases.

6-Hydroxy Picolinohydrazides Promoted Cu(I)-Catalyzed Hydroxylation Reaction in Water: Machine-Learning Accelerated Ligands Design and Reaction Optimization.

Hydroxylated (hetero)arenes are privileged motifs in natural products, materials, small-molecule pharmaceuticals and serve as versatile intermediates in synthetic organic chemistry. Herein, we report an efficient Cu(I)/6-hydroxy picolinohydrazide-catalyzed hydroxylation reaction of (hetero)aryl halides (Br, Cl) in water. By establishing machine learning (ML) models, the design of ligands and optimization of reaction conditions were effectively accelerated. L32 (6-HPA-DMCA) demonstrated high efficiency for (hetero)aryl bromides, promoting hydroxylation reactions with a minimal catalyst loading of 0.01 mol% (100 ppm) at 80 °C to reach 10000 TON or under near-room temperature conditions for substrates containing sensitive functional groups (3.0 mol%); L42 (6-HPA-DTBCA) displayed superior reaction activity for chloride substrates, enabling hydroxylation reactions at 100 °C with 2-3 mol% catalyst loading. These represent the state of art for both lowest catalyst loading and temperature in the copper-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions. Furthermore, this method features a sustainable and environmentally friendly solvent system, accommodates a wide range of substrates, and shows potential for developing robust and scalable synthesis processes for key pharmaceutical intermediates.

Utilizing radiomics for differential diagnosis of inverted papilloma and chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps based on unenhanced CT scans.

To evaluate whether radiomics models based on unenhanced paranasal sinuses CT images could be a useful tool for differentiating inverted papilloma (IP) from chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwNP). This retrospective study recruited 240 patients with CRSwNP and 106 patients with IP from three centers. 253 patients from Qilu Hospital were randomly divided into the training set (n = 151) and the internal validation set (n = 102) with a ratio of 6:4. 93 patients from the other two centers were used as the external validation set. The patients with the unilateral disease (n = 115) from Qilu Hospital were selected to further develop a subgroup analysis. Lesion segmentation was manually delineated in CT images. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was performed for feature reduction and selection. Decision tree, support vector machine, random forest, and adaptive boosting regressor were employed to establish the differential diagnosis models. 43 radiomic features were selected for modeling. Among the models, RF achieved the best results, with an AUC of 0.998, 0.943, and 0.934 in the training set, the internal validation set, and the external validation set, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, RF achieved an AUC of 0.999 in the training set and 0.963 in the internal validation set. The proposed radiomics models offered a non-invasion and accurate differential approach between IP and CRSwNP and has some significance in guiding clinicians determining the best treatment plans, as well as predicting the prognosis.

A high functional cure rate was induced by pegylated interferon alpha-2b treatment in postpartum hepatitis B e antigen-negative women with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: an exploratory study.

Background and aims: Limited data have been reported on achieving functional cure using pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) alpha-2b treatment for postpartum hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative women with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of Peg-IFN alpha-2b in HBV postpartum women without HBeAg and identify factors linked to the functional cure. Methods: A total of 150 HBeAg-negative postpartum women were retrospectively recruited.47 patients received Peg-IFN alpha-2b [Peg-IFN(+) group] and 103 patients did not [Peg-IFN(-) group]. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust the baseline imbalance between the two groups. The patients were followed for at least 48 weeks. The primary endpoints were hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) loss and HBsAg seroconversion at 48 weeks. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with HBsAg loss at 48 weeks. Results: At week 48,the HBsAg loss and seroconversion rate in Peg-IFN(+) group were 51.06%(24/47) and 40.43%(19/47), respectively. Even after PSM, Peg-IFN(+) group still showed higher HBsAg loss rate (50.00% vs 7.14%,p<0.001) and higher HBsAg seroconversion rate (38.10% vs 2.38%,p<0.001). Baseline HBsAg levels (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.051, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.003-0.273, P=0.010), HBsAg at week 24 (OR:0.214, 95%CI:0.033-0.616, P=0.022), HBsAg decline at week 24 (OR:4.682, 95%CI: 1.624-30.198, P=0.022) and postpartum flare (OR:21.181, 95%CI:1.872-633.801, P=0.030) were significantly associated with HBsAg loss at week 48 after Peg-IFN alpha-2b therapy. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed that the use of baseline HBsAg<182 IU/mL, HBsAg at week24 < 4 IU/mL and HBsAg decline at week24>12IU/mL were good predictors of HBsAg loss. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Peg-IFN alpha-2b treatment could achieve a high rate of HBsAg loss and seroconversion in HBeAg-negative postpartum women with reliable safety, particularly for patients experience postpartum flare and have low baseline HBsAg levels.

Ultrasonic-assisted Fenton reaction inducing surface reconstruction endows nickel/iron-layered double hydroxide with efficient water and organics electrooxidation.

Nickel/iron-layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) tends to undergo an electrochemically induced surface reconstruction during the water oxidation in alkaline, which will consume excess electric energy to overcome the reconstruction thermodynamic barrier. In the present work, a novel ultrasonic wave-assisted Fenton reaction strategy is employed to synthesize the surface reconstructed NiFe-LDH nanosheets cultivated directly on Ni foam (NiFe-LDH/NF-W). Morphological and structural characterizations reveal that the low-spin states of Ni2+ (t2g6eg2) and Fe2+ (t2g4eg2) on the NiFe-LDH surface partially transform into high-spin states of Ni3+ (t2g6eg1) and Fe3+ (t2g3eg2) and formation of the highly active species of NiFeOOH. A lower surface reconstruction thermodynamic barrier advantages the electrochemical process and enables the NiFe-LDH/NF-W electrode to exhibit superior electrocatalytic water oxidation activity, which delivers 10 mA cm-2 merely needing an overpotential of 235 mV. Besides, surface reconstruction endows NiFe-LDH/NF-W with outstanding electrooxidation activities for organic molecules of methanol, ethanol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, glucose, and urea. Ultrasonic-assisted Fenton reaction inducing surface reconstruction strategy will further advance the utilization of NiFe-LDH catalyst in water and organics electrooxidation.

Prognostic implications of lymph node yield in pediatric patients with N1b papillary thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether lymph node (LN) yield influences clinical outcomes for pediatric patients with laterocervical lymph node metastasis (N1b) from papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: Conducted from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2022, this was a cohort study of pediatric patients (aged ≤ 18 years) with N1b PTC who underwent total thyroidectomy and therapeutic LN dissection in the central and lateral compartments at 3 hospitals in southwest China in 2008-2021, with follow-up until 2022. Patients with distant metastasis were excluded. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with persistent/recurrent diseases. RESULTS: A total of 102 pediatric patients (median [range] age, 16 [6-18] years) were analyzed: 36 patients (35 %) with T1; 27 patients (26 %), T2; 18 patients (18 %), T3; and 21 patients (21 %), T4. During a median follow-up of 50 months (range, 12-154 months), persistent diseases occurred in 40 (39 %) patients. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified LN yield cut-off (<42 LNs) to predict persistent diseases. Multivariate analysis revealed that a less-extensive lymphadenectomy (<42 LNs) was an independent risk factor for persistent diseases (hazard ratio, 2.4; 95 % confidence intervals, 1.09-5.29; P=.029). CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights that a higher LN yield may favorably influence prognosis in pediatric patients with N1b PTC.

Incompatible packaging signals and impaired protein functions hinder reassortment of bat H17N10 or H18N11 segment 7 with human H1N1 influenza A viruses.

Novel bat H17N10 and H18N11 influenza A viruses (IAVs) are incapable of reassortment with conventional IAVs during co-infection. To date, the underlying mechanisms that inhibit bat and conventional IAV reassortment remain poorly understood. Herein, we used the bat influenza M gene in the PR8 H1N1 virus genetic background to determine the molecular basis that restricts reassortment of segment 7. Our results showed that NEP and M1 from bat H17N10 and H18N11 can interact with PR8 M1 and NEP, resulting in mediating PR8 viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) nuclear export and formation of virus-like particles with single vRNP. Further studies demonstrated that the incompatible packaging signals (PSs) of H17N10 or H18N11 M segment led to the failure to rescue recombinant viruses in the PR8 genetic background. Recombinant PR8 viruses (rPR8psH18M and rPR8psH17M) containing bat influenza M coding region flanked with the PR8 M PSs were rescued but displayed lower replication in contrast to the parental PR8 virus, which is due to a low efficiency of recombinant virus uncoating correlating with the functions of the bat M2. Our studies reveal molecular mechanisms of the M gene that hinder reassortment between bat and conventional IAVs, which will help to understand the biology of novel bat IAVs. IMPORTANCE: Reassortment is one of the mechanisms in fast evolution of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and responsible for generating pandemic strains. To date, why novel bat IAVs are incapable of reassorting with conventional IAVs remains completely understood. Here, we attempted to rescue recombinant PR8 viruses with M segment from bat IAVs to understand the molecular mechanisms in hindering their reassortment. Results showed that bat influenza NEP and M1 have similar functions as respective counterparts of PR8 to medicating viral ribonucleoprotein nuclear export. Moreover, the incompatible packaging signals of M genes from bat and conventional IAVs and impaired bat M2 functions are the major reasons to hinder their reassortment. Recombinant PR8 viruses with bat influenza M open reading frames were generated but showed attenuation, which correlated with the functions of the bat M2 protein. Our studies provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms that restrict reassortment between bat and conventional IAVs.