Study on fluid inclusions and stable isotopics of W-Mo ore deposits in the Ningshan-Zhen'an area, South Qinling, China.

The study of the fluid inclusions of W-Mo deposits in the mineralization area of Ningshan-Zhen'an , Shaanxi Province, China shows that the gas-liquid two-phase inclusions are mainly present in W-Mo deposits, and the ore-forming fluid can be divided into four types: high-temperature type, middle-high-temperature type, middle-temperature type and low-temperature type. The formation depths of the W-Mo mineralization range from 4.2 to 8.4 km. The boiling and mixing of fluid may have been important mechanisms for the formation of W-Mo mineralization. The skarn-type mineralization is dominated by magmatic water, the quartz-vein-type mineralization includes both magmatic water and meteoric water, and the meteoric water is more involved in the quartz-fluorite-vein-type, beryl-quartz-vein-type and pegmatite-type mineralization. Magma is the main source of sulfur; that is, magma is the main source of mineralization. Combined with the metallogenic setting and geological characteristics of typical ore deposits, in the process of structural system transformation in South Qinling, the ore-forming magma fluid in the Late Indosinian-Yanshanian period was uplifted and emplaced along the NW-WNW direction and NE-NNE direction, and eventually, NW-WNW fault-controlled skarn-type W-Mo mineralization and quartz-vein-type W-Mo deposits accompanied by greisenization, albitization and potash feldspathization formed.

Core antibiotic resistance genes mediate gut microbiota to intervene in the treatment of major depressive disorder.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between depression and gut microbiota remains unclear, but an important role of gut microbiota has been verified. The relationship between gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) may be a potential new explanatory pathway. METHODS: We collected samples from 63 depressed patients and 30 healthy controls for metagenomic sequencing. The two groups' microbiota characteristics, functional characteristics, and ARG differences were analyzed. RESULTS: We obtained 30 differential KEGG orthologs (KOs) and their producers in 5 genera and 7 species by HUMAnN3. We found 6 KOs from Weissella_cibaria and Lactobacillus_plantaru are potentially coring functional mechanism of gut microbiota. Different metabolites including sphingolipids, pyrans, prenol lipids, and isoflavonoids also showed significance between MDD and HC. We detected 48 significantly different ARGs: 5 ARGs up-regulated and 43 ARGs down-regulated in MDD compared to HC. Based on Cox model results, Three ARGs significantly affected drug efficacy (ARG29, ARG105, and ARG111). Eggerthella, Weissella, and Lactobacillus were correlated with different core ARGs, which indicated different mechanisms in affecting MDD. LIMITATIONS: The present study needs to be replicated in different ethnic groups. At the same time, a larger Chinese cohort study and detailed experimental verification are also the key to further discussion. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that ARGs play a role in the interplay between major depressive disorder and gut microbiota. The role of ARGs should be taken into account when understanding the relationship between depression and gut microbiota.

Factors affecting the diagnostic value of liquid-based cytology by EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of pancreatic cystic neoplasms.

Background and Objectives: This study retrospectively evaluated the value of liquid-based cytology (LBC) alone for diagnosing pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) in a large sample and initially estimated factors that might affect LBC diagnostic ability. Methods: From April 2015 to October 2022, we prospectively enrolled 331 patients with suspected PCNs in our prospective database. Among them, 112 patients chosen to receive surgical resection were included. Only 96 patients who underwent EUS-guided cystic fluid LBC were finally studied. The diagnostic values of LBC for differentiating benign and malignant PCNs and subtypes of PCNs were evaluated. Results: There were 71 female and 25 male patients with a mean age of 47.6 ± 14.4 years. The median cyst size was 43.4 mm. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of LBC for the differentiation of benign and malignant PCNs were 96.9%, 57.1%, 100%, 100%, and 96.7%, respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy of LBC for specific cyst types was 33.3% (32/96). Cysts located in the pancreatic body/tail or with irregular shapes were more likely to obtain a definite LBC diagnosis. At the same time, age, sex, tumor size, cystic fluid viscosity, operation time, needle type, and presence of septation were not significantly different. Conclusion: Liquid-based cytology alone is useful for differentiating benign PCNs from malignant PCNs and can successfully characterize the PCN subtypes in one-third of patients. Pancreatic cystic neoplasms located in the body/tail or exhibiting irregular shapes are more likely to obtain a definite LBC diagnosis.

Prevalence of chronic diarrhea and its association with obesity in a Chinese community-based population.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data on chronic diarrhea in the Chinese population are lacking, and the association between obesity and chronic diarrhea in East Asian populations remains inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chronic diarrhea and its association with obesity in a representative community-dwelling Chinese population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a multistage, randomized cluster sampling involving 3503 residents aged 20-69 years from representative urban and rural communities in Beijing. Chronic diarrhea was assessed using the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), and obesity was determined based on body mass index (BMI). Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the relationship between obesity and chronic diarrhea. RESULTS: The standardized prevalence of chronic diarrhea in the study population was 12.88%. The average BMI was 24.67 kg/m 2 . Of all the participants, 35.17% (1232/3503) of participants were classified as overweight and 16.13% (565/3503) as obese. After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals with obesity had an increased risk of chronic diarrhea as compared to normal weight individuals (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.20-2.06). A nonlinear association between BMI and the risk of chronic diarrhea was observed in community residents of males and the overall participant group ( P  = 0.026 and 0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study presents initial findings on the prevalence of chronic diarrhea among residents of Chinese communities while offering substantiated evidence regarding the significant association between obesity and chronic diarrhea. These findings offer a novel perspective on gastrointestinal health management.

Transcriptome analysis suggests broad jejunal alterations in Linghu's obesity-diarrhea syndrome: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with a significantly increased risk for chronic diarrhea, which has been proposed as Linghu's obesity-diarrhea syndrome (ODS); however, its molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. AIM: To reveal the transcriptomic changes in the jejunum involved in ODS. METHODS: In a cohort of 6 ODS patients (JOD group), 6 obese people without diarrhea (JO group), and 6 healthy controls (JC group), high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify jejunal mucosal mRNA expression alterations and dysfunctional biological processes. In another cohort of 16 ODS patients (SOD group), 16 obese people without diarrhea (SO group), and 16 healthy controls (SC group), serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactate (D-LA) concentrations were detected to assess changes in intestinal barrier function. RESULTS: The gene expression profiles of jejunal mucosa in the JO and JC groups were similar, with only 1 differentially expressed gene (DEG). The gene expression profile of the JOD group was significantly changed, with 411 DEGs compared with the JO group and 211 DEGs compared with the JC group, 129 of which overlapped. The enrichment analysis of these DEGs showed that the biological processes such as digestion, absorption, and transport of nutrients (especially lipids) tended to be up-regulated in the JOD group, while the biological processes such as rRNA processing, mitochondrial translation, antimicrobial humoral response, DNA replication, and DNA repair tended to be down-regulated in the JOD group. Eight DEGs (CDT1, NHP2, EXOSC5, EPN3, NME1, REG3A, PLA2G2A, and PRSS2) may play a key regulatory role in the pathological process of ODS, and their expression levels were significantly decreased in ODS patients (P < 0.001). In the second cohort, compared with healthy controls, the levels of serum intestinal barrier function markers (DAO and D-LA) were significantly increased in all obese individuals (P < 0.01), but were higher in the SOD group than in the SO group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Compared with healthy controls and obese individuals without diarrhea, patients with Linghu's ODS had extensive transcriptomic changes in the jejunal mucosa, likely affecting intestinal barrier function and thus contributing to the obesity and chronic diarrhea phenotypes.

The relationship of peripheral blood cell inflammatory biomarkers and psychological stress in unmedicated major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has explored the linkage between major depressive disorder (MDD) and inflammation, especially via altered peripheral blood immune markers. However, the relationship between several novel leukocyte-derived ratios (LDR) and psychological stress in MDD remains uncertain. This study aimed to explore the relationship between LDR, clinical characteristics, recent life events, and childhood maltreatment in MDD patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted involving 59 healthy controls (HC) and 50 unmedicated MDD patients. Subjects underwent psychological assessments and peripheral blood measurements. LDR assessed in this study included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR (dNLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), white blood cell-to-mean platelet volume ratio (WMR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), multiplication of neutrophil and monocyte counts (MNM), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI). RESULTS: MDD patients displayed significant alterations in WMR, PLR, and MNM compared to HC, as well as correlations between several LDR and various clinical features (duration of untreated psychosis and dNLR, the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and PLR, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire and SIRI (NLR and dNLR). There was a significant difference in the comparison of WMR in first-episode patients than in recurrent patients. Analyses further revealed an association between Life Event Scale total scores and NLR (dNLR). No correlation was found between Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total (or subscale) scores and LDR. Additionally, WMR and dNLR presented potential predictive value for distinguishing between MDD and HC. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that MDD and some clinical features are associated with alterations in some peripheral blood LDR. These findings emphasize the potential role of peripheral blood LDR in the pathogenesis and clinical heterogeneity of MDD.

Effect of Inconel 718 Filler on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Inconel 690 Joint by Ultrasonic Frequency Pulse Assisted TIG Welding.

Ultrasonic frequency pulse assisted TIG welding (UFP-TIG) experiments were conducted to join Inconel 690 alloy (IN690) by adding Inconel 718 alloy (IN718) as the filler. The effect of the filler on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and ductility dip cracking (DDC) susceptibility of IN690 joints were investigated. The results show that a variety of precipitates, including MC-type carbide and Laves phases, are formed in the weld zone (WZ), which are uniformly dispersed in the interdendritic region and grain boundaries (GBs). The increase in the thickness of the IN718 filler facilitates the precipitation and growth of Laves phases and MC carbides. However, the formation of Laves phases in the WZ exhibits a lower bonding force with the matrix and deteriorates the tensile strength of IN690 joints. Due to the moderate content of Laves phases in the WZ, the IN690 joint with 1.0 mm filler reaches the maximum tensile strength (627 MPa), which is about 96.5% of that of the base metal (BM). The joint with 1.0 mm filler also achieves the highest elongation (35.4%). In addition, the strain-to-fracture tests indicate that the total length of cracks in the joint with the IN718 filler decreases by 66.49% under a 3.8% strain. As a result, the addition of the IN718 filler significantly improves the mechanical properties and DDC resistance of IN690 joints.

Systematic analysis of levels of evidence supporting Chinese clinical practice guidelines for gastrointestinal disease.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) inform healthcare decisions and improve patient care. However, an evaluation of guidelines on gastrointestinal diseases (GIDs) is lacking. This study aimed to systematically analyze the level of evidence (LOE) supporting Chinese CPGs for GIDs. METHODS: CPGs for GIDs were identified by systematically searching major databases. Data on LOEs and classes of recommendations (CORs) were extracted. According to the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, LOEs were categorized as high, moderate, low, or very low, whereas CORs were classified as strong or weak. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the distribution of LOEs and CORs across different subtopics and assess changes in evidence quality over time. FINDINGS: Only 27.9% of these recommendations were supported by a high LOE, whereas approximately 70% were strong recommendations. There was a significant disparity among different subtopics in the proportion of strong recommendations supported by a high LOE. The number of guidelines has increased in the past 5 years, but there has been a concomitant decline in the proportion of recommendations supported by a high LOE. CONCLUSIONS: There is a general lack of high-quality evidence supporting Chinese CPGs for GIDs, and there are inconsistencies in strong recommendations that have not improved. This study identified areas requiring further research, emphasizing the need to bridge these gaps and promote the conduct of high-quality clinical trials. FUNDING: This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFC2503604 and 2022YFC2503605) and Special Topics in Military Health Care (22BJZ25).

HAMMF: Hierarchical attention-based multi-task and multi-modal fusion model for computer-aided diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition, and early intervention can help slow its progression. However, integrating multi-dimensional information and deep convolutional networks increases the model parameters, affecting diagnosis accuracy and efficiency and hindering clinical diagnostic model deployment. Multi-modal neuroimaging can offer more precise diagnostic results, while multi-task modeling of classification and regression tasks can enhance the performance and stability of AD diagnosis. This study proposes a Hierarchical Attention-based Multi-task Multi-modal Fusion model (HAMMF) that leverages multi-modal neuroimaging data to concurrently learn AD classification tasks, cognitive score regression, and age regression tasks using attention-based techniques. Firstly, we preprocess MRI and PET image data to obtain two modal data, each containing distinct information. Next, we incorporate a novel Contextual Hierarchical Attention Module (CHAM) to aggregate multi-modal features. This module employs channel and spatial attention to extract fine-grained pathological features from unimodal image data across various dimensions. Using these attention mechanisms, the Transformer can effectively capture correlated features of multi-modal inputs. Lastly, we adopt multi-task learning in our model to investigate the influence of different variables on diagnosis, with a primary classification task and a secondary regression task for optimal multi-task prediction performance. Our experiments utilized MRI and PET images from 720 subjects in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. The results show that our proposed model achieves an overall accuracy of 93.15% for AD/NC recognition, and the visualization results demonstrate its strong pathological feature recognition performance.

Psychological and physiological effects of soundscapes: A systematic review of 25 experiments in the English and Chinese literature.

The aim of this systematic review was to conduct a comprehensive and rigorous investigation of both psychological and physiological responses to, and audio-visual interactions with, soundscapes to present an overview of the current status and to provide suggestions for future research. Our literature search focused on empirical and quantitative studies of journal articles and gray literature in English and Chinese. This systematic review excluded literature related to pure music, religious sounds, humanistic sounds, historical sounds, medical research, and differences in materials used. The Joanna Briggs Institute's Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Twenty-five studies were included, involving 1950 participants. The major findings of this systematic review were that: (1) there were significant associations between the psychological and physiological responses; (2) the audio-visual interaction affected the psychological and physiological responses; and (3) because of the high risk of bias of the included studies, interpretation of their findings should be cautious. Nevertheless, given that this systematic review has a higher level of evidence than a single study and the synthesized evidence identified in this review is aligned with the results of other studies, the studies reviewed herein together provide consistent evidence. Replications are important in empirical research to build trustworthy results. Future research should focus on the psychological responses of pleasantness, preference, tranquility, the eight semantic dimensions (ISO 12913-2:2018), and the 11 pairs of adjectives describing the soundscape (Ba et al., 2023) and the physiological responses of heart rate variability and salivary, and follow the CONSORT guidelines to improve the research quality. An integration of sensory modalities, environmental factors, contextual indicators, temporal data, demographic variables, socio-cultural factors, and psychological and physiological responses may provide deeper insights into how people experience and understand the acoustic environment in context.

Role of submucosal injection in radiofrequency ablation of gastric low-grade dysplasia: Effects on symptoms and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: To date, there is still a lack of standardized management strategies for gastric low-grade dysplasia (LGD), which is a direct neoplastic precancerous lesion and requires specifically superficial destruction. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is expected to be an effective method for gastric LGD, but post-RFA pain may affect patients' satisfaction and compliance. The current study aimed to evaluate the value of a submucosal injection prior to RFA (SI-RFA) for postoperative pain and treatment outcomes. METHODS: Between October 2014 and July 2021, gastric LGDs without risk factors (size >2 cm, unclear boundary, and abnormal microsurface and microvascularity) undergoing regular RFA and SI-RFA were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative pain scores, wound healing, and clinical efficacy were compared. Propensity score matching, stratified analysis, and multivariable logistic regression were performed to control the confounding variables. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-seven gastric LGDs in 151 patients received regular RFA. Forty-nine gastric LGDs in 36 patients received SI-RFA. Thirty-six pairs of patients were selected for the assessment of postoperative pain by propensity score matching. Compared to regular RFA, SI-RFA significantly decreased the degree and duration of postoperative pain (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.84; P = 0.020), improved wound healing rate (80.0% [36/45] vs. 58.9% [89/151], P = 0.012), increased the complete ablation rate (91.8% [45/49] vs. 86.3% [170/197], χ2 = 1.094, P = 0.295), but correlated with higher rates of local recurrence and progression (25.6% [10/39] vs. 13.2% [18/136], χ2 = 3.471, P = 0.062; 8.3% [3/36] vs. 0.9% [1/116], P = 0.042). The multivariable logistic regression model confirmed that submucosal injection was associated with local recurrence (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.13-7.58; P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Submucosal injections prior to RFA may reduce postoperative pain and scar formation while ensuring complete ablation of gastric LGD. However, local recurrence and progression should be considered seriously.

Friction Reduction Achieved by Ultraviolet Illumination on TiO2 Surface.

Controlling friction by light field is a low-cost, low-energy, non-polluting method. By applying ultraviolet light on the surface of photosensitive materials, the properties of the friction pairs or lubricant can be influenced, thus achieving the purpose of reducing friction. In this study, TiO2, an inorganic photosensitive material, was selected to investigate the modulating effect of light fields on friction lubrication when using polyalphaolefin (PAO) base oil as a lubricant, and the modulation law of light fields on the friction lubrication behavior was investigated under different loads (1-8 N), different speeds (20-380 mm/s), and different viscosities (10.1-108.6 mPa·s) of PAO base oil. The experimental results showed that light treatment could reduce the friction coefficient of PAO4 base oil lubrication from 0.034 to 0.016, with a reduction of 52.9% under conditions of 3 N-load and 56.5 mm/s-speed, and the best regulation effect could be achieved under the mixed lubrication condition. After TiO2 was treated with ultraviolet light, due to its photocatalytic property, PAO molecules were oxidized and adsorbed on the TiO2 surface to form an adsorption layer, which avoided the direct contact of rough peaks and thus reduced the friction coefficient. This study combines photosensitivity, photocatalysis, and friction, presenting a method to reduce the friction coefficient by applying a light field without changing the friction pairs or lubricants, which provides a new direction for friction modulation and gives new ideas for practical applications.

Rapid and Green Fabrication of Nanozyme with Geminal CuN3O Configuration for Efficient Catecholase-Mimicking.

Fabrication of nanozyme with catecholase-like catalytic activity faces the great challenge of merging outstanding activity with low cost as well as simple, rapid, and low-energy-consumed production, restricting its industrial applications. Herein, an inexpensive yet robust nanozyme (i.e., DT-Cu) via simple one-step coordination between diaminotriazole (DT) and CuSO4 within 1 h in water at room temperature is constructed. The asymmetric dicopper site with CuN3O configuration for each copper as well as Cu─O bond length of ≈1.83 Å and Cu···Cu distance of ≈3.5 Å in DT-Cu resemble those in catechol oxidase (CO), which ensure its prominent intrinsic activity, outperforming most CO-mimicking nanozymes and artificial homogeneous catalysts. The use of inexpensive DT/CuSO4 in this one-pot strategy endows DT-Cu with only ≈20% cost of natural CO per activity unit. During catalysis, O2 experienced a 4e-dominated reduction process accompanied by the formation of 1O2 and H2O2 intermediates and the product of H2O. Benefiting from the low cost as well as the distinctive structure and superior intrinsic activity, DT-Cu presents potential applications ranging from biocatalysis to analytical detection of biomolecules such as epinephrine and beyond.

Searching for Two-Neutrino and Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of

^{134}Xe is a candidate isotope for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νßß) search. In addition, the two-neutrino case (2νßß) allowed by the standard model of particle physics has not yet been observed. With the 656-kg natural xenon in the fiducial volume of the PandaX-4T detector, which contains 10.4% of ^{134}Xe, and its initial 94.9-day exposure, we have established the most stringent constraints on 2νßß and 0νßß of ^{134}Xe half-lives, with limits of 2.8×10^{22} yr and 3.0×10^{23} yr at 90% confidence level, respectively. The 2νßß (0νßß) limit surpasses the previously reported best result by a factor of 32 (2.7), highlighting the potential of large monolithic natural xenon detectors for double beta decay searches.

A novel self-inflatable balloon for treating refractory benign esophageal strictures: a prospective, single-arm, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Current treatments for refractory benign esophageal strictures (BESs) often take several years and have poor effects. The authors propose a novel method of self-help inflatable balloon (SHIB) and evaluate its efficacy and safety. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter study was conducted from January 2019 to March 2022. All enrolled patients were diagnosed with refractory BESs and received SHIB. The primary endpoint was the clinical success rate at 12 months after removing SHIB. The secondary endpoints were the number of days of placing SHIB, and changes from baseline in BMI and health-related quality of life at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The clinical success rate was 51.2% (21/41) with the median days of placing SHIB being 104.0 days (range: 62.0-134.5 days), which was higher in the endoscopic group compared to the caustic and surgery groups (63.3 vs. 28.6% vs. 0, P=0.025). All patients (100%) showed significant improvement in dysphagia scores during placing SHIB. Although 20 patients (48.8%) experienced recurrent stricture, the median stricture length was decreased (P<0.001) and the median intervention-free interval was prolonged (P<0.001). In all patients, the mean BMI at and health-related quality of life at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were significantly increased compared with baseline (P<0.05). On multivariate analysis, stricture etiology and wearing time were independent predictors of recurrent stricture. CONCLUSIONS: The SHIB has high efficacy and safety in treating refractory BESs of different origins, especially for endoscopic resection. Stricture etiology and wearing time were independent predictors of recurrent stricture.

Cloning, heterologous expression, and molecular characterization of a highly active and stable non-specific endonuclease from Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Non-specific endonucleases can be used for the digestion of nucleic acids because they hydrolyze DNA/RNA into 3-5 base pairs (bp) length oligonucleotide fragments without strict selectivity. In this work, a novel non-specific endonuclease from Pseudomonas fluorescens (PfNuc) with high activities for both DNA and RNA was successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The production of PfNuc in flask scale could be achieved to 1.73 × 106 U/L and 4.82 × 106 U/L for DNA and RNA by investigation of the culture and induction conditions. The characterization of PfNuc indicated that it was Mg2+-dependent and the catalytic activity was enhanced by 3.74 folds for DNA and 1.06 folds for RNA in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+. The specific activity of PfNuc for DNA was 1.44 × 105 U/mg at pH 8.0 and 40 °C, and 3.93 × 105 U/mg for RNA at pH 8.5 and 45 °C. The Km of the enzyme for both DNA and RNA was close to 43 µM. The Vmax was 6.40 × 105 U/mg and 1.11 × 106 U/mg for DNA and RNA, respectively. There was no observed activity loss when PfNuc was stored at 4 °C and - 20 °C after 28 days or 10 repeated freeze-thaw cycles at - 80 °C. Molecular docking revealed that PfNuc formed 17 and 19 hydrogen bonds with single-stranded RNA and double-stranded DNA, respectively. These results could explain the high activity and stability of PfNuc, suggesting its great potential applications in the industry and clinic.

Nitrogen and nitrous oxides emission characteristics of anoxic/oxic wastewater treatment process under different oxygen regulation strategies.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) (i.e., nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)), which could be produced in wastewater treatment process and result in greenhouse effect and atmospheric pollution, respectively, have been studied limitedly in their emission characteristics and transformation mechanisms. In this study, intelligent oxygen regulation was applied in anoxic/oxic wastewater treatment process (I-A/O), and its effects on regulating NOx and N2O transformations were extensively explored by comparing it with conventional A/O process (C-A/O). Results showed that the average emission amounts of N2O and NOx in I-A/O were 7.45 ± 0.66 mg and 1.88 ± 0.10 mg, respectively. Satisfactory reduction of N2O by 29.28 %-45.08 % was achieved in I-A/O compared to that of C-A/O, but together with increased NOx emission by 83.19 %-120.57 %. Pearson correlation and transcriptional analysis suggested that NO2--N reduction in the anoxic phase dominated N2O production, while no significant N2O production in the oxic phase was found. Hence, the reduced N2O production in I-A/O was mainly attributed to its efficient denitrification process. On the other hand, both the anoxic and oxic phases played important roles in NO production. More importantly, sufficient oxygen in I-A/O promoted the ammonia oxidation process, resulting in higher NO emission in I-A/O in the oxic phase. The imbalance in NO and N2O emissions was then amplified by the NOR enzyme, which mediates the conversion of NO to N2O in both the anoxic and oxic phases. Besides, carbon emission reduction by 31.32 %-36.50 % was obtained in I-A/O due to aeration consumption savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to C-A/O. Overall, intelligent oxygen regulation optimized the nitrogen transformation and achieved carbon emission reduction in A/O process, but special attention should be paid to the associated risk caused by increased NO emissions.

A Differential Protein Study on Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid at Different Stages of Silicosis.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, by comparing the difference in protein expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between silicosis patients in different stages and healthy controls, the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis was discussed, and a new idea for the prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis was provided. METHODS: The lung lavage fluid was pretreated by 10 K ultrafiltration tube, Agilent 1100 conventional liquid phase separation, strong cation exchange column (SCX) HPLC pre-separation, and C18 reverse phase chromatography desalting purification, and protein was labeled with isotope. GO, KEGG pathway, and PPI analysis of differential proteins were conducted by bioinformatics, and protein types and corresponding signal pathways were obtained. RESULTS: Thermo Q-Exactive mass spectrometry identified 943 proteins. T-test analysis was used to evaluate the different significance of the results, and the different protein of each group was obtained by screening with the Ratio≥1.2 or Ratio≤0.83 and P<0.05. We found that there are 16 kinds of protein throughout the process of silicosis. There are different expressions of protein in stages Ⅲ/control, stages Ⅱ/control, stage Ⅰ/control, stages Ⅲ/ stages Ⅱ, stages Ⅲ/ stage Ⅰ and stages Ⅱ/ stage Ⅰ groups. The results of ontology enrichment analysis of total differential protein genes show that KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of differential protein suggested that there were nine pathways related to silicosis. CONCLUSION: The main biological changes in the early stage of silicosis are glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, autoimmunity, carbon metabolism, phagocytosis, etc., and microfibril-associated glycoprotein 4 may be involved in the early stage of silicosis. The main biological changes in the late stage of silicosis are autoimmunity, intercellular adhesion, etc. Calcium hippocampus binding protein may participate in the biological changes in the late stage of silicosis. It provides a new idea to understand the pathogenesis of silicosis and also raises new questions for follow-up research.

Treatment outcomes and cognitive function following electroconvulsive therapy in patients with severe depression.

BACKGROUND: Traditional treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), including medication and therapy, often fail and have undesirable side effects. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses electrical currents to induce brief seizures in the brain, resulting in rapid and potent antidepressant effects. However, owing to misconceptions and controversies, ECT is not as widely used as it could and often faces stigmatization. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ECT compared to those of medication and/or therapy in patients with severe MDD. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 220 individuals with severe MDD who were divided into the ECT and non-ECT groups. The patients in the ECT group underwent bilateral ECT three times a wk until they either achieved remission or reached a maximum of 12 sessions. The non-ECT group received medication and/or therapy according to clinical guidelines for MDD. The primary outcome was the variation in the hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) score from treatment/ECT initiation to week 12. In addition, patients' quality of life, cognitive abilities, and biomarkers were measured throughout the study. RESULTS: Although both groups showed significant improvements in their HDRS scores over time, the improvement was more pronounced in the ECT group than in the non-ECT group. Additionally, the ECT group exhibited a more substantial improvement in the quality of life and cognitive function than those of the non-ECT group. Compared with the non-ECT group, the ECT group exhibited evi-dently lower variations in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. The side effects were generally mild and comparable between the two groups. ECT is safer and more potent than medication and/or therapy in mitigating depressive symptoms, enhancing well-being, and bolstering cognitive capabilities in individuals with severe MDD. ECT may also affect the levels of BDNF and IL-6, which are indicators of neuroplasticity and inflammation, respectively. CONCLUSION: ECT has emerged as a potentially advantageous therapeutic approach for patients with MDD who are unresponsive to alternative treatments.

Global, regional, and national prevalence of hearing loss from 1990 to 2019: A trend and health inequality analyses based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

As a severe public health issue, hearing loss has caused an increasingly disease burden, especially in the elderly population. Hearing loss may inevitably induce asymmetric hearing, which makes it difficult for elderly individuals to locate sound sources, therefore resulting in increased postural instability and falling risk. To emphasize the public health emergence of hearing loss, we investigated the temporal trend of prevalence of hearing loss over the last 30 years and further predicted its changes in the next 20 years, decomposed the trend according to demographic factors and epidemiological changes, and quantified the cross-country healthy inequalities, using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. In 2019, there were more than 140 million cases of hearing loss worldwide, a 93.89% increase from 70 million cases in 1990. The age-standardized rate (ASR) also increased with an estimated annual percentage change of 0.08% per year. Population growth and aging are the major drivers contributing to the changes, accounting for 60.83% and 35.35%. Of note, the contribution of aging varies showing a gradual increasing trend with sociodemographic index (SDI) elevating. Also notable, there were significant health inequalities across 204 countries and territories, with slope index of inequality rising over time. Projection of the global burden of hearing loss from 2020 to 2040 indicated progressive increases in both case number and ASR. These reflect the heavy disease burden of hearing loss that needed more targeted and efficient strategies in its prevention and management.