Seismic performance and resilience of composite damping self-centering braced frame structures.

A magnetorheological self-centering brace (MR-SCB) has been proposed to improve the energy dissipation capability of the brace. In this paper, a 15-story MR-SCB braced frame is numerically analyzed to examine its seismic performance and resilience. The MR-SCB provides higher lateral stiffness than the buckling restrained brace and greater energy dissipation capability than the existing self-centering brace. The brace also exhibits a reliable recentering capacity. Under rare earthquakes, the maximum average residual deformation ratio of the structure is less than the 0.5% limit. Under mega earthquakes, the maximum average interstory drift ratio of the structure does not exceed the 2.0% elastoplastic limit, and its maximum average floor acceleration ratio is 1.57. The effects of mainshock and aftershock on the structural behavior are also investigated. The interstory drift and residual deformation of the structure increase with the increase of the intensity of the aftershock. Under aftershocks with the same intensity as the mainshocks, the maximum increment of the residual deformation ratio of the structure is 81.8%, and the average interstory drift ratios of the 12th, 7th, and 3rd stories of the structure are increased by 13.4%, 9.2% and 7.5%, respectively. The strong aftershock may significantly cause increased damage to the structure, and increase its collapse risk and residual deformation.

Acupuncture for generalized anxiety disorder: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a sharp increase in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Acupuncture therapy has the advantages of accurate clinical efficacy, safety and reliability, few adverse reactions, and no dependence, and is gradually becoming one of the emerging therapies for treating GAD. We present a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial with the aim of exploring the mechanism of brain plasticity in patients with GAD and evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of acupuncture treatment. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be used to assess cortical excitability in GAD patients and healthy people. Sixty-six GAD patients meeting the inclusion criteria will be randomly divided into two groups: TA group, (treatment with acupuncture and basic western medicine treatment) and SA group (sham acupuncture and basic western medicine treatment). Twenty healthy people will be recruited as the control group (HC). The parameters that will be evaluated are amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs), cortical resting period (CSP), resting motor threshold (RMT), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score. Secondary results will include blood analysis of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), serotonin (5-HT), and brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF). Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention (week 8). This study protocol is the first clinical trial designed to detect differences in cerebral cortical excitability between healthy subjects and patients with GAD, and the comparison of clinical efficacy and reliability before and after acupuncture intervention is also one of the main contents of the protocol. We hope to find a suitable non-pharmacological alternative treatment for patients with GAD.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Alternative Splicing Events during Different Fruit Ripening Stages of Coffea arabica L.

To date, genomic and transcriptomic data on Coffea arabica L. in public databases are very limited, and there has been no comprehensive integrated investigation conducted on alternative splicing (AS). Previously, we have constructed and sequenced eighteen RNA-seq libraries of C. arabica at different ripening stages of fruit development. From this dataset, a total of 3824, 2445, 2564, 2990, and 3162 DSGs were identified in a comparison of different fruit ripening stages. The largest proportion of DSGs, approximately 65%, were of the skipped exon (SE) type. Biologically, 9 and 29 differentially expressed DSGs in the spliceosome pathway and carbon metabolism pathway, respectively, were identified. These DSGs exhibited significant variations, primarily in S1 vs. S2 and S5 vs. S6, and they involve many aspects of organ development, hormone transduction, and the synthesis of flavor components. Through the examination of research findings regarding the biological functions and biochemical pathways associated with DSGs and DEGs, it was observed that six DSGs significantly enriched in ABC transporters, namely, LOC113712394, LOC113726618, LOC113739972, LOC113725240, LOC113730214, and LOC113707447, were continually down-regulated at the fruit ripening stage. In contrast, a total of four genes, which were LOC113732777, LOC113727880, LOC113690566, and LOC113711936, including those enriched in the cysteine and methionine metabolism, were continually up-regulated. Collectively, our findings may contribute to the exploration of alternative splicing mechanisms for focused investigations of potential genes associated with the ripening of fruits in C. arabica.

Fire acupuncture for plaque psoriasis case series.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of fire acupuncture (FA) on plaque psoriasis (PP), exploring its suitable syndrome types, in order to achieve better therapeutic effects, accelerate the possibility of psoriasis skin lesion recovery, and provide assistance for clinical treatment. METHODS: A total of 8 patients with PP aged between 18 and 60 years were recruited and treated with FA once a week, and the lesion area and severity index (PASI), visual analog scale and pruritus were measured before, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after treatment and at the follow-up period (week 12), respectively. Visual analog scale, and dermoscopy were used for assessment. RESULTS: All patients showed improvement in pruritus after 1 FA treatment, and lesions were reduced to varying degrees after 2 weeks. Except for patients 5 and 8, who only achieved effective results due to severe disease, all other patients with psoriasis achieved significant results at 8 weeks after treatment. CONCLUSION: FA can significantly control the development of lesions, reduce the symptoms of PP lesions and pruritus, and help prevent psoriasis recurrence.

Synthesis of alkenylphosphine oxides via Tf2O promoted addition-elimination of ketones and secondary phosphine oxides.

Herein, we describe an efficient method for the synthesis of alkenylphosphine oxides via a Tf2O promoted addition-elimination process. Various diarylphosphine oxides and alkylarylphosphine oxides react with ketones smoothly and produce alkenylphosphine oxides in moderate to excellent yields with abundant functional group compatibility. In addition, several transformations and applications of the product also demonstrate the potential value of the methodology.

Nickel-Catalyzed Deoxygenative Amidation of Alcohols with Carbamoyl Chlorides.

We report a deoxygenative amidation reaction of alcohols with carbamoyl chlorides to afford amides through nickel-photoredox dual catalysis. Good to excellent yields can be obtained even for diverse complex sugar and steroid derivatives. The reaction is scalable, and the synthetic utility of the reaction was demonstrated by the homologation of alcohols to deliver several important γ-amino alcohols and a synthetically challenging bioactive compound intermediate.

Acupuncture for generalized anxiety disorder: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

During the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a sharp increase in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Acupuncture therapy has the advantages of accurate clinical efficacy, safety and reliability, few adverse reactions, and no dependence, and is gradually becoming one of the emerging therapies for treating GAD. We present a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial with the aim of exploring the mechanism of brain plasticity in patients with GAD and evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of acupuncture treatment. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be used to assess cortical excitability in GAD patients and healthy people. Sixty-six GAD patients meeting the inclusion criteria will be randomly divided into two groups: TA group, (treatment with acupuncture and basic western medicine treatment) and SA group (sham acupuncture and basic western medicine treatment). Twenty healthy people will be recruited as the control group (HC). The parameters that will be evaluated are amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs), cortical resting period (CSP), resting motor threshold (RMT), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score. Secondary results will include blood analysis of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), serotonin (5-HT), and brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF). Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention (week 8). This study protocol is the first clinical trial designed to detect differences in cerebral cortical excitability between healthy subjects and patients with GAD, and the comparison of clinical efficacy and reliability before and after acupuncture intervention is also one of the main contents of the protocol. We hope to find a suitable non-pharmacological alternative treatment for patients with GAD.

1,3-Butadiene Dicarbofunctionalization Enabled by the Dual Role of Diaryl Ketone in Photo-HAT/Chromium Catalysis.

We report a three-component Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi type reaction of 1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-butadienes, and aldehydes to access masked aldehyde-incorporated homoallylic alcohols, facilitated by photo-hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)/chromium dual catalysis. The diaryl ketone serves dual roles both in the HAT process and in facilitating the turnover of the chromium catalyst. A range of functional groups are tolerated owing to the mild conditions. Both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes are suitable substrates for coupling with several 1,3-butadienes and 1,3-dioxolane.

Photoredox and NHC Enabled Deoxygenative Alcohol Homologation via Formal 1,2-Addition.

A highly efficient photoinduced iron-catalyzed method has been developed for the direct use of alcohols as surrogates for organometallic reagents in the synthesis of tertiary alcohols. This method can be applied to both primary and secondary alcohols with diverse structures, enabling their reaction with aryl ketones under mild conditions. A variety of functional groups, including those that are typically reactive under conventional tertiary alcohol synthesis conditions, are compatible. Mechanistically, this reaction proceeds through the direct addition of the radical to the carbonyl pathway.

Interstitial Injection of Hydrogels with High-Mechanical Conductivity Relieves Muscle Atrophy Induced by Nerve Injury.

Injectable hydrogels have been extensively used in tissue engineering where high mechanical properties are key for their functionality at sites of high physiological stress. In this study, an injectable, conductive hydrogel is developed exhibiting remarkable mechanical strength that can withstand a pressure of 500 kPa (85% deformation rate) and display good fatigue resistance, electrical conductivity, and tissue adhesion. A stable covalent cross-linked network with a slip-ring structure by threading amino ß-cyclodextrin is formed onto the chain of a four-armed (polyethylene glycol) amino group, and then reacted with the four-armed (polyethylene glycol) maleimide under physiological conditions. The addition of silver nanowires enhances the hydrogel's electrical conductivity, enabling it to act as a good conductor in vivo. The hydrogel is injected into the fascial space, and the results show that the weight and muscle tone of the atrophied gastrocnemius muscle improve, subsequently alleviating muscle atrophy. Overall, this study provides a simple method for the preparation of a conductive hydrogel with high mechanical properties. In addition, the interstitial injection provides a strategy for the use of hydrogels in vivo.

Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cyanation of Propargylic Radicals via Direct Decarboxylation of Propargylic Carboxylic Acids.

Chiral propargylic cyanides are often used as small-molecule feedstocks for the introduction of chiral centers into various valuable products and complex molecules. Here, we have developed a highly atom-economical strategy for the chiral copper complex-catalyzed synthesis of chiral propargylic cyanides. Propargylic radicals can be smoothly obtained by direct decarboxylation of the propargylic carboxylic acids without preactivation. The reactions show excellent selectivity and functional group compatibility. Gram-scale reaction and several conversion reactions from chiral propargylic cyanide have demonstrated the synthetic value of this strategy.

Ubiquitous conservative interaction patterns between post-spliced introns and their mRNAs revealed by genome-wide interspecies comparison.

Introns, as important vectors of biological functions, can influence many stages of mRNA metabolism. However, in recent research, post-spliced introns are rarely considered. In this study, the optimal matched regions between introns and their mRNAs in nine model organism genomes were investigated with improved Smith-Waterman local alignment software. Our results showed that the distributions of mRNA optimal matched frequencies were highly consistent or universal. There are optimal matched frequency peaks in the UTR regions, which are obvious, especially in the 3'-UTR. The matched frequencies are relatively low in the CDS regions of the mRNA. The distributions of the optimal matched frequencies around the functional sites are also remarkably changed. The centers of the GC content distributions for different sequences are different. The matched rate distributions are highly consistent and are located mainly between 60% and 80%. The most probable value of the optimal matched segments is about 20 bp for lower eukaryotes and 30 bp for higher eukaryotes. These results show that there are abundant functional units in the introns, and these functional units are correlated structurally with all kinds of sequences of mRNA. The interaction between the post-spliced introns and their corresponding mRNAs may play a key role in gene expression.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Decarboxylative Cyanation of Benzylic Acids Promoted by Hypervalent Iodine(III) Reagents.

Copper-catalyzed asymmetric radical cyanation reactions have emerged as a powerful strategy for rapid construction of α-chiral nitriles. However, the directly decarboxylative cyanation reactions of common alkyl carboxylic acids remain largely elusive. Herein, we report a protocol for copper-catalyzed direct and enantioselective decarboxylative cyanation of benzylic acids. The in situ activation of acid substrates by a commercially inexpensive hypervalent iodine(III) reagent promoted the yield of the alkyl radicals under mild reaction conditions without prefunctionalization. The structurally diverse chiral alkyl nitriles were produced in good yields with high enantioselectivities. In addition, the chiral products can be readily converted to other useful chiral compounds via further transformations.

Novel strategy of combined interstitial macrophage depletion with intravenous targeted therapy to ameliorate pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe interstitial lung disease with poor prognosis and high mortality rate. In the process of IPF, inflammatory dysregulation of macrophages and massive fibroblast aggregation and proliferation destroy alveoli, which cause pulmonary dysfunction, and ultimately lead to death due to respiratory failure. In the treatment of IPF, crossing biological barriers and delivering drugs to lung interstitium are the major challenges. In order to avoid the side effect of macrophages proliferation, we proposed, designed, and evaluated the strategy which combined macrophage depletion by intervaginal space injection and intravenous targeted therapy on bleomycin mouse model. We found that it inhibited pulmonary macrophages, reduced macrophage depletion in non-target organs, improved pulmonary drug targeting, impeded the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, and accelerated the recovery of pulmonary function. This combination therapeutic strategy shows good biosafety and efficacy, induces a targeted response, and is promising as a practical new clinical approach towards the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

[Effect of Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with western medication on depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine: a multi-central randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture (acupuncture for soothing the liver and regulating the mentality) combined with western medication on depression and sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, and investigate the potential mechanism from the perspective of cortical excitability. METHODS: Sixty patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a sham-acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. The patients of both groups were treated with oral administration of sertraline hydrochloride tablets. In the acupuncture group, Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture was supplemented. Body acupuncture was applied to Yintang (GV 24+), Baihui (GV 20), Hegu (LI 4), Zhaohai (KI 6), Qihai (CV 6), etc. The intradermal needling was used at Xin (CO15), Gan (CO12) and Shen (CO10). In the sham-acupuncture group, the sham-acupuncture was given at the same points as the acupuncture group. The compensatory treatment was provided at the end of follow-up for the patients in the sham-acupuncture group. In both groups, the treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week, for consecutive 8 weeks. The self-rating depression scale (SDS) and insomnia severity index (ISI) scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment and 1 month after the end of treatment (follow-up) separately. The cortical excitability indexes (resting motor threshold [rMT], motor evoked potential amplitude [MEP-A], cortical resting period [CSP]) and the level of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, SDS and ISI scores were decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the decrease range in the acupuncture group after treatment was larger than that in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, rMT was reduced (P<0.05), while MEP-A and CSP were increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group compared with that before treatment. The levels of serum 5-HT in both groups were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The rMT in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the sham-acupuncture group, while MEP-A and CSP, as well as the level of serum 5-HT were higher in the acupuncture group in comparison with the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with western medication can relieve depression and improve sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, which is probably related to rectifying the imbalanced excitatory and inhibitory neuronal functions.

A novel approach to analyze the association characteristics between post-spliced introns and their corresponding mRNA.

Studies have shown that post-spliced introns promote cell survival when nutrients are scarce, and intron loss/gain can influence many stages of mRNA metabolism. However, few approaches are currently available to study the correlation between intron sequences and their corresponding mature mRNA sequences. Here, based on the results of the improved Smith-Waterman local alignment-based algorithm method (SW method) and binding free energy weighted local alignment algorithm method (BFE method), the optimal matched segments between introns and their corresponding mature mRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) and their relative matching frequency (RF) distributions were obtained. The results showed that although the distributions of relative matching frequencies on mRNAs obtained by the BFE method were similar to the SW method, the interaction intensity in 5'and 3'untranslated regions (UTRs) regions was weaker than the SW method. The RF distributions in the exon-exon junction regions were comparable, the effects of long and short introns on mRNA and on the five functional sites with BFE method were similar to the SW method. However, the interaction intensity in 5'and 3'UTR regions with BFE method was weaker than with SW method. Although the matching rate and length distribution shape of the optimal matched fragment were consistent with the SW method, an increase in length was observed. The matching rates and the length of the optimal matched fragments were mainly in the range of 60%-80% and 20-30bp, respectively. Although we found that there were still matching preferences in the 5'and 3'UTR regions of the mRNAs with BFE, the matching intensities were significantly lower than the matching intensities between introns and their corresponding mRNAs with SW method. Overall, our findings suggest that the interaction between introns and mRNAs results from synergism among different types of sequences during the evolutionary process.

An engineered hydrogel with low-dose antitumor drugs enhances tumor immunotherapy through tumor interstitial wrap.

Stimulating immunogenic cell death (ICD) is the key to tumor immunotherapy. However, traditional chemoradiotherapy has limited effect on stimulating immunity and often requires repeated administration, which greatly reduces the tumor-killing effect. In this article, we created a sodium alginate hydrogel sustained-release system containing low-dose doxorubicin (Dox) and immune adjuvant R837, which were injected into the interstitial space to wrap around the tumor in situ, achieving a sustained release and long-lasting immune response. Cooperating with immune checkpoint blockade, Dox induced ICD, activated dendritic cells (DCs) and converted immunosuppressive M2-type tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) to tumor-killing M1-type TAMs. Simultaneously, it greatly promoted T cell proliferation and infiltration, and reduced tumor immunosuppressive factors, triggering a robust immune response to suppress tumors in vivo. In conclusion, this anti-tumor strategy based on interstitial injection can achieve continuous local immune stimulation by low-dose chemotherapy drugs, providing a potential approach for tumor immunotherapy.

[Effect of electroacupuncture at back-shu points of five zang on fatigue status and cortical excitability in chronic fatigue syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at back-shu points of five zang on fatigue status, quality of life and motor cortical excitability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), so as to explore the possible mechanism of EA for CFS. METHODS: A total of 72 patients with CFS were randomized into an EA group (36 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a sham EA group (36 cases, 3 cases dropped off). In the EA group, EA at Ganshu (BL 18), Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Feishu (BL 13) and Shenshu (BL 23) was adopted, with continuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency. In the sham EA group, sham EA at non-acupoints (1.5-2.0 cm lateral to back-shu points of five zang) was applied, with shallow needling, and no current was connected. The treatment in the both groups was 20 min each time, once every other day, 2 weeks as one course, 3 courses were required. Before and after treatment, the scores of fatigue scale-14 (FS-14) and the MOS 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) were observed, and cortical excitability (the resting motor threshold [RMT], amplitude of motor-evoked potential [MEP-A] and latency of motor-evoked potential [MEP-L]) was detected in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the physical fatigue score, mental fatigue score and total score of FS-14, as well as RMT of motor cortex in the EA group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01), the physical fatigue score and total score of FS-14 in the sham EA group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); each item score and total score of FS-14 and RMT of motor cortex in the EA group were lower than those in the sham EA group (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment, each item score and total score of SF-36 and MEP-A of motor cortex in the EA group were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01), which were higher than those in the sham EA group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA at back-shu points of five zang can effectively improve the fatigue status and quality of life in patients with CFS, its mechanism may be related to the up-regulating excitability of cerebral motor cortex.