Optimized Intermediates Adsorption Configuration on Co-Doped Fe2 P@NiP2 Heterojunction Interface for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Nitrate-To-Ammonia Conversion.

The extraction of ammonia (NH3 ) through electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 - RR) represents a sustainable avenue in NH3 generation and utilization. However, the catalytic efficiency of the NO3 - RR is hindered by the sluggish kinetics. This study first theoretically found that phosphide-based heterostructure can alter the adsorption structure of intermediates in the nitrate-to-ammonia process, thereby achieving precise regulation of the energy barrier in the rate-determining step. Based on theoretical design, a novel Co-doped Fe2 P@NiP2 heterojunction catalyst is successfully synthesized, which deliver a notable NH3 yield rate of 0.395 mmol h-1  cm-2 at -0.7 V versus RHE, as well as a remarkable ammonia Faraday efficiency of 97.2% at -0.6 V versus RHE. Experimental and theoretical results further confirm that redistributing electrons and shifting the center of the d-band upwards through interfacial doping modulate intermediates adsorption strength and inhibition of hydrogen evolution, leading to excellent performance in NO3 - -to-NH3 . Further integrating the Co-Fe2 P@NiP2 catalyst into a Zn-nitrate battery exhibits a substantial voltage output of 1.49 V and a commendable power density of 13.2 mW cm-2 . The heteroatom-doped heterojunction strategy provides a versatile route for developing advanced catalysts, thereby broadening the horizons of electrocatalytic methodologies for nitrate reduction and ammonia synthesis.

The regulatory role of the RUS family in plant growth and development / 生物工程学报

The chloroplast genome encodes many key proteins involved in photosynthesis and other metabolic processes, and metabolites synthesized in chloroplasts are essential for normal plant growth and development. Root-UVB (ultraviolet radiation B)-sensitive (RUS) family proteins composed of highly conserved DUF647 domain belong to chloroplast proteins. They play an important role in the regulation of various life activities such as plant morphogenesis, material transport and energy metabolism. This article summarizes the recent advances of the RUS family proteins in the growth and development of plants such as embryonic development, photomorphological construction, VB6 homeostasis, auxin transport and anther development, with the aim to facilitate further study of its molecular regulation mechanism in plant growth and development.

Constructing Ru@C3 N4 /Cu Tandem Electrocatalyst with Dual-Active Sites for Enhanced Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia.

Electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia reaction (NO3 - RR) is considered as a promising carbon-free energy technique, which can eliminate nitrate from waste-water also produce value-added ammonia. However, it remains a challenge for achieving satisfied ammonia selectivity and Faraday efficiency (FE) due to the complex multiple-electron reduction process. Herein, a novel Tandem electrocatalyst that Ru dispersed on the porous graphitized C3 N4 (g-C3 N4 ) encapsulated with self-supported Cu nanowires (denoted as Ru@C3 N4 /Cu) for NO3 - RR is presented. As expected, a high ammonia yield of 0.249 mmol h-1  cm-2 at -0.9 V and high FENH3 of 91.3% at -0.8 V versus RHE can be obtained, while achieving excellent nitrate conversion (96.1%) and ammonia selectivity (91.4%) in neutral solution. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that the superior NO3 - RR performance is mainly resulted from the synergistic effect between the Ru and Cu dual-active sites, which can significantly enhance the adsorption of NO3 - and facilitate hydrogenation, as well as suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction, thus lead to highly improved NO3 - RR performances. This novel design strategy would pave a feasible avenue for the development of advanced NO3 - RR electrocatalysts.

Analysis of serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E in 3 051 patients with eczema or dermatitis in an allergy clinic / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To analyze measurement results of serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with eczema/dermatitis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in 3 051 patients with eczema/dermatitis, who visited the allergy clinic of Huashan Hospital from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The serum allergen-specific IgE level was detected by using the Phadia allergen detection system, and positive rates of allergens were calculated to determine common inhaled allergens and food allergens in patients with eczema/dermatitis. Comparisons of enumeration data between groups were performed by chi-square test.Results:Among the 3 051 patients with eczema/dermatitis, there were 1 412 with atopic dermatitis and 1 639 were other eczema/dermatitis. Detection of serum allergen-specific IgE showed that 1 629 (53%) patients were positive for allergens, and the number of positive allergen-specific IgEs in each patient was 3.0 ± 1.6. The top 3 common inhaled allergens in patients with eczema/dermatitis were Dermatophagoides farinae (904/1 522, 59%) , Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (891/1 513, 59%) and Alternaria alternata (206/1 068, 19%) , and the top 3 common food allergens were shrimps (251/1 432, 18%) , egg white (165/992, 17%) and cow milk (149/994, 15%) . Among the 3 051 patients, 25 (1%) were aged < 2 years, 571 (19%) aged 2 - 12 years, 285 (9%) aged 12 - 18 years, and 2 170 (71%) were aged > 18 years. The most common food allergens were both egg white in the age groups of < 2 years and 2 -12 years (77%, 37%, respectively) , and were both shrimps in the age groups of 12 - 18 years and > 18 years (31%, 17%, respectively) . Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina were the top 2 common inhaled allergens in all age groups, with the positive rate ranging from 36% to 84%; in addition, the positive rate of molds was relatively high in the age group of 2 - 12 years (mold mixture: 37%; Alternaria alternata: 27%) . From April 2021 to March 2022, the positive rate of outdoor allergens ranged from 10% to 15% among outpatients in every month; the positive rates of tree pollen and grass pollen increased from April 2021, and peaked in October 2021. The patients with atopic dermatitis showed a significantly increased positive rate of allergens (73%) compared with those with other eczema/dermatitis (37%, χ2 = 389.36, P<0.001) , and the rank of common allergens in the patients with atopic dermatitis was basically the same as that in those with eczema/dermatitis. Conclusions:The common allergens were Dermatophagoides farina, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Alternaria alternata in the patients with eczema/dermatitis. Food allergy was more common in infant patients, and inhalation allergy was more common in child, adolescent and adult patients. The positive rate of allergen-specific IgEs was markedly higher in the patients with atopic dermatitis than in those with other eczema/dermatitis.

Effect of a care bundle on prevention of nasal pressure injury in patients with nasotracheal intubation undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of care bundles on prevention of nasal medical device-related pressure injury in patients with nasotracheal intubation undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia.Methods:This was a retrospective study. Using the convenient sampling method, patients with a surgical time more than 4 hours and a surgical grade of 3 or 4, with nasotracheal intubation undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia from Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University were selected. A total of 96 patients from July to December 2019 were in the control group, and 99 patients from July to December 2020 were selected as the observation group. The control group was treated with routine nursing measures, the observation group was subjected to a nursing care bundle. The incidence of nasal pressure injury was observed after the operation, 24, 48, 72 hours after the nasotracheal intubation was removed, and patients′ satisfaction score was compared.Results:The incidence of nasal pressure injury in the control group was 6.25% (6/96). None of the patients in the observation group had any pressure injury, which was significantly lower than the control group (Fisher exact probability method, P=0.013). The satisfaction scores in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (26.88 ± 1.94 vs 24.71 ± 3.33), the difference was statistically significant ( t=-5.54, P<0.01). Conclusions:The care bundle can effectively prevent the occurrence of nasal pressure injury in patients undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery with nasotracheal intubation and improve patient satisfaction.

Epidemiological Trends and Attributable Risk Burden of Cervical Cancer: An Observational Study from 1990 to 2019.

Background: Cervical cancer, especially in underdeveloped areas, poses a great threat to human health. In view of this, we stratified the age and social demographic index (SDI) based on the epidemiological development trend and attributable risk of cervical cancer in countries and regions around the world. Methods: According to the data statistics of the global burden of disease database (GBD) in the past 30 years, we adopted the annual percentage change (EAPCs) to evaluate the incidence trend of cervical cancer, that is, incidence rate, mortality, and disability adjusted life expectancy (DALY). Meanwhile, we investigated the potential influence of SDI on cervical cancer's epidemiological trends and relevant risk factors for cervical cancer-related mortality. Results: In terms of incidence rate and mortality, the high SDI areas were significantly lower than those of low SDI areas. The incidence and mortality in women aged 20 to 39 were relatively stable, whereas an upward trend existed in patients aged 40 to 59. The global cervical cancer incidence rate increased from 335642 in 1990 to 565541 in 2019 (an increase of 68.50%, with an average annual growth rate of 2.28%), while the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) showed a slight downward trend of 14.91/100000 people (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 13.37-17.55) in 1990 to 13.35/100,000 persons (95% UI, 11.37-15.03) in 2019. The number of annual deaths at a global level increased constantly and there were 184,527 (95% UI, 164,836-218,942) deaths in 1990 and 280,479 (95% UI, 238,864-313,930) deaths in 2019, with an increase of 52.00%(average annual growth rate: 1.73%). The annual age-standardized disability adjusted annual life rate showed a downward trend (decline range: 0.95%, 95% confidence interval [CI], from -1.00% to - 0.89%). In addition, smoking and unsafe sex were the main attributable hazard factors in most GBD regions. Conclusions: In the past three decades, the increase in the global burden of cervical cancer is mainly concentrated in underdeveloped regions (concentrated in low SDI). On the contrary, in countries with high sustainable development index, the burden of cervical cancer tends to be reduced. Alarmingly, ASIR in areas with low SDI is on the rise, which suggests that policy makers should pay attention to the allocation of public health resources and focus on the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in underdeveloped areas, so as to reduce its incidence rate, mortality, and prognosis.

An Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Dimerization Inhibitor Prevents the Progression of Osteoarthritis.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease. Excessive nitric oxide (NO) mediates the chondrocyte inflammatory response, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation during the occurrence and development of OA. NO in chondrocytes is mainly produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The aim of this study was to design and synthesize an iNOS dimerization inhibitor and evaluate its effects on chondrocyte inflammation and articular cartilage injury in OA via in vitro and in vivo experiments. Design: The title compound 22o was designed, synthesized, and screened based on a previous study. The effects of different concentrations (5, 10, and 20 µM) of compound 22o on chondrocyte inflammatory response and ECM anabolism or catabolism were evaluated by Western blot and real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using the rat chondrocyte model of IL-1ß-induced OA. Furthermore, different doses (40 and 80 mg/kg) of compound 22o were administered by gavage to a rat OA model induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT), and their protective effects on the articular cartilage were evaluated by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Results: Compound 22o showed effective iNOS inhibitory activity by inhibiting the dimerization of iNOS. It inhibited the IL-1ß-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) in the chondrocytes, decreased NO production, and significantly increased the expression levels of the ECM anabolic markers, aggrecan (ACAN), and collagen type II (COL2A1). Gavage with compound 22o was found to be effective in the rat OA model induced by ACLT, wherein it regulated the anabolism and catabolism and exerted a protective effect on the articular cartilage. Conclusions: Compound 22o inhibited the inflammatory response and catabolism of the chondrocytes and reduced articular cartilage injury in the rat OA model, indicating its potential as a disease-modifying OA drug.

Understanding the Aging Mechanism of Na-Based Layered Oxide Cathodes with Different Stacking Structures.

Manganese-based layered oxides are one of the most promising cathodes for Na-ion batteries, but the prospect of their practical application is challenged by high sensitivity to ambient air. The stacking structure of materials is critical to the aging mechanism between layered oxides and air, but there remains a lack of systematic study. Herein, comprehensive research on model materials P-type Na0.50MnO2 and O-type Na0.85MnO2 reveals that the O-phase displays a much higher dynamic affinity toward moisture air compared to P-type compounds. For air-exposed O-type material, Na+ ions are extracted from the crystal lattice to form alkaline species at the surface in contact with air, accompanying by the increase of the valence state of transition metals. The series of undesired reactions result in an increase of interfacial resistance and huge capacity loss. Comparatively, the insertion of H2O into the Na layer is the main reaction during air-exposure of P-type material, and the inserted H2O can be extracted by high-temperature treatment. The H2O de/insertion process not only causes no performance degradation but also can enlarge the interlayer distance. With these understandings, we further propose a washing-resintering strategy to recover the performance of aged O-type materials and an aging strategy to build high-performance P-type materials.

Viral infection and Transmission in a large well-traced outbreak caused by the Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant

We report the first local transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in mainland China. All 167 infections could be traced back to the first index case. Daily sequential PCR testing of the quarantined subjects indicated that the viral loads of Delta infections, when they first become PCR+, were on average [~]1000 times greater compared to A/B lineage infections during initial epidemic wave in China in early 2020, suggesting potentially faster viral replication and greater infectiousness of Delta during early infection. We performed high-quality sequencing on samples from 126 individuals. Reliable epidemiological data meant that, for 111 transmission events, the donor and recipient cases were known. The estimated transmission bottleneck size was 1-3 virions with most minor intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs) failing to transmit to the recipients. However, transmission heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 was also observed. The transmission of minor iSNVs resulted in at least 4 of the 30 substitutions identified in the outbreak, highlighting the contribution of intra-host variants to population level viral diversity during rapid spread. Disease control activities, such as the frequency of population testing, quarantine during pre-symptomatic infection, and level of virus genomic surveillance should be adjusted in order to account for the increasing prevalence of the Delta variant worldwide.

Genetic predisposition to psychiatric disorders and risk of COVID-19

BackgroundPre-pandemic psychiatric disorders have been associated with an increased risk of COVID-19. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown, e.g. to what extent genetic predisposition to psychiatric disorders contributes to the observed association. MethodsThe analytic sample consisted of white British participants of UK Biobank registered in England, with available genetic data, and alive on Jan 31, 2020 (i.e., the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK) (n=346,554). We assessed individuals genetic predisposition to different psychiatric disorders, including substance misuse, depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorder, using polygenic risk score (PRS). Diagnoses of psychiatric disorders were identified through the UK Biobank hospital inpatient data. We performed a GWAS analysis for each psychiatric disorder in a randomly selected half of the study population who were free of COVID-19 (i.e., the base dataset). For the other half (i.e., the target dataset), PRS was calculated for each psychiatric disorder using the discovered genetic variants from the base dataset. We then examined the association between PRS of each psychiatric disorder and risk of COVID-19, or severe COVID-19 (i.e., hospitalization and death), using logistic regression models. The ascertainment of COVID-19 was through the Public Health England dataset, the UK Biobank hospital inpatient data and death registers, updated until July 26, 2020. For validation, we repeated the PRS analyses based on publicly available GWAS summary statistics. Results155,988 participants (including 1,451 COVID-19 cases), with a mean age of 68.50 years at COVID-19 outbreak, were included for PRS analysis. Higher genetic liability forwards psychiatric disorders was associated with increased risk of both any COVID-19 and severe COVID-19, especially genetic risk for substance misuse and depression. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for any COVID-19 were 1.15 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.31) and 1.26 (1.11-1.42) among individuals with a high genetic risk (above the upper tertile of PRS) for substance misuse and depression, respectively, compared with individuals with a low genetic risk (below the lower tertile). Largely similar ORs were noted for severe COVID-19 and similar albeit slightly lower estimates using PRSs generated from GWAS summary statistics from independent samples. ConclusionIn the UK Biobank, genetic predisposition to psychiatric disorders was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, including severe course of the disease. These findings suggest the potential role of genetic factors in the observed phenotypic association between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19, underscoring the need of increased medical surveillance of for this vulnerable population during the pandemic.

Environmental Controls on Multi-Scale Dynamics of Net Carbon Dioxide Exchange From an Alpine Peatland on the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Peatlands are characterized by their large carbon storage capacity and play an essential role in the global carbon cycle. However, the future of the carbon stored in peatland ecosystems under a changing climate remains unclear. In this study, based on the eddy covariance technique, we investigated the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and its controlling factors of the Hongyuan peatland, which is a part of the Ruoergai peatland on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Our results show that the Hongyuan alpine peatland was a CO2 sink with an annual NEE of -226.61 and -185.35 g C m-2 in 2014 and 2015, respectively. While, the non-growing season NEE was 53.35 and 75.08 g C m-2 in 2014 and 2015, suggesting that non-growing seasons carbon emissions should not be neglected. Clear diurnal variation in NEE was observed during the observation period, with the maximum CO2 uptake appearing at 12:30 (Beijing time, UTC+8). The Q10 value of the non-growing season in 2014 and 2015 was significantly higher than that in the growing season, which suggested that the CO2 flux in the non-growing season was more sensitive to warming than that in the growing season. We investigated the multi-scale temporal variations in NEE during the growing season using wavelet analysis. On daily timescales, photosynthetically active radiation was the primary driver of NEE. Seasonal variation in NEE was mainly driven by soil temperature. The amount of precipitation was more responsible for annual variation of NEE. The increasing number of precipitation event was associated with increasing annual carbon uptake. This study highlights the need for continuous eddy covariance measurements and time series analysis approaches to deepen our understanding of the temporal variability in NEE and multi-scale correlation between NEE and environmental factors.

Elderly patients with hypertension self-perceived of aging status and compliance with medical behaviour.

At present, it is rare for studies to be performed on the impact of self-perceptions of aging on the compliance behaviour of elderly people.The present study explored the relationship between self-perceived of aging level and compliance behavior among asample of elderly Chinese hypertension patients. Participants (N=1129) were recruited from four community health service centres and two township hospitals in Suzhou. Self-perceptions of aging represent an independent risk factor for compliance behaviour in elderly patients with hypertension. Self-perceptions of aging had acute/chronic timeliness (OR=0.793), periodic timeliness (OR=1.439), emotional representation (OR=0.735), positive results (OR=1.322), and identity latitude (OR=0.995). Gender (OR=1.390), age (OR=1.982), residence (OR=7.037), hypertension grade (OR=0.598), sleep (OR=1.709), number of hospital admissions in a year (OR=2.757), number of daily uses of antihypertensive drugs (OR=0.338), and frequency of blood pressure measurement (OR=0.387) were independent factors affecting the compliance behavior of elderly patients with hypertension. The results suggest that self-perceptions of aging can be used as an indirect index to monitor the compliance behaviour of the elderly. In the future medical staff should combine the characteristics of the elderly patients with hypertension, which would help them to establish a positive self-perception of aging, thus improving their compliance behaviour, and the levels of health and literacy.

A novel homozygous frameshift mutation in / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) refers to the combination of various sperm abnormalities, including a decreased sperm count, reduced motility, and abnormal sperm morphology. Only a few genetic causes have been shown to be associated with OAT. Herein, we identified a novel homozygous frameshift mutation in meiosis-specific nuclear structural 1 (MNS1; NM_018365: c.603_604insG: p.Lys202Glufs*6) by whole-exome sequencing in an OAT proband from a consanguineous Chinese family. Subsequent variant screening identified four additional heterozygous MNS1 variants in 6/219 infertile individuals with oligoasthenospermia, but no MNS1 variants were observed among 223 fertile controls. Immunostaining analysis showed MNS1 to be normally located in the whole-sperm flagella, but was absent in the proband's sperm. Expression analysis by Western blot also confirmed that MNS1 was absent in the proband's sperm. Abnormal flagellum morphology and ultrastructural disturbances in outer doublet microtubules were observed in the proband's sperm. A total of three intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles were carried out for the proband's wife, but they all failed to lead to a successful pregnancy. Overall, this is the first study to report a loss-of-function mutation in MNS1 causing OAT in a Han Chinese patient.

The prevalence and clinical characteristics of macroprolactinemia: A single center survey / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To describe the prevalence and clinical characteristics of macroprolactinemia in hyperprolactinemia patients.Methods:Consecutive 111 outpatients diagnosed with hyperprolactinemia were included in this study. Macroprolactin was routinely screened using the polyethylene glycol(PEG) precipitation method. Recovery of monomeric prolactin less than 40% was defined as macroprolactinemia. Clinical characteristics were analyzed in this study.Results:Among the 111 cases included, 99 were female and 12 were male, with an average age of(32.2±7.9) years. There were 32 cases(28.8%) of macroprolactinemia and 28 of them with normal monomeric prolactin levels(simple macroprolactinemia). prolactin levels before precipitation in simple macroprolactinemia were significantly lower than those with true hyperprolactinemia[(49.81±23.58 vs 83.56±65.82) ng/mL, P<0.05]. No amenorrhea and infertility were observed in patients with simple macroprolactinemia. The clinical manifestations of prolonged menstruation, oligomenorrhea and galactorrhea in female patients accounted for 25.9%, 37.0%, and 7.4%, respectively. Imaging data were obtained in 92 cases. The prevalence of pituitary adenomas in simple macroprolactinemia and true hyperprolactinemia was 42.9% and 66.0%, respectively. Fifteen(46.8%) of the macroprolactinemia cases were receiving or had received bromocriptine treatment, and 66.7% of them failed to achieve normal prolactin levels during therapy. Conclusion:Macroprolactinemia might be common in clinical practice. Macroprolactin should be screened in hyperprolactinemia patients lack of amenorrhea and infertility, and with poor response to dopamine agonist therapy.

Excess cardiovascular deaths in the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak

ImportanceThe healthcare demand created by the COVID-19 pandemic was far beyond the hospital surge capacity in many countries, resulting in possible negative influence on prognosis of other severe diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). ObjectiveTo assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on CVD-related hospitalizations and mortality. DesignCommunity-based prospective cohort study. Setting the UK Biobank population. Participants421,717 UK Biobank participants who were registered in England and alive on December 1st 2019. Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome of interest was CVD death, as deaths with CVD as a cause of death according to the death registers. We retrieved information on hospitalizations with CVD as the primary diagnosis based on the UK Biobank hospital inpatient data. The study period was between December 1st 2019 and May 30th 2020, and we used the same calendar period of the three preceding years as the reference period. Standardized mortality/incidence ratios (SMRs/SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate the relative risk of CVD outcomes during the study period, compared with the reference period, to control for seasonal variations and aging of the study population. ResultsWe observed a distinct increase in CVD-related deaths in March and April 2020 as compared to the corresponding months of the three preceding years. The observed number of CVD death (n=217) was almost doubled in April, compared with the expected number (n=120), corresponding to an SMR of 1.81 (95% CI 1.58-2.06). We observed a sharp decline of CVD hospitalization in March (n=841) and April (n=454), compared with the expected number (n=1208 for March and 1026 for April), leading to an SIR of 0.70 (95% CI 0.65-0.74) for March and 0.44 (95% CI 0.40-0.48) for April. There was also a clear increase of death, but a clear decrease of hospitalization, in March and April for all the five major subtypes of CVD. ConclusionsWe observed a distinct excess in CVD deaths in the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK Biobank population. In addition to CVD complications of SARS-CoV-2 infections, the reduced hospital capacity might have contributed to the observed excess CVD deaths. Key PointsO_ST_ABSQuestionC_ST_ABSHow did the COVID-19 outbreak affect rates of CVD-related death and hospitalization? FindingIn this prospective study involving 421,717 UK Biobank participants, we observed excess CVD-related mortality in parallel with decreased CVD-related hospitalization in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, March and April 2020. MeaningIn addition to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection progressing to CVD-related death, reduced hospital resources might have partially contributed to the excess CVD mortality.

Pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders and risk of COVID-19: a cohort analysis in the UK Biobank

ObjectiveTo determine the association between pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders and the risk of COVID-19. DesignCommunity-based prospective cohort study. SettingUK Biobank population. Participants421,048 participants who were recruited in England and alive by January 31st 2020, i.e., the start of COVID-19 outbreak in the UK. 50,815 individuals with psychiatric disorders recorded in the UK Biobank inpatient hospital data before the outbreak were included in the exposed group, while 370,233 participants without such conditions were in the unexposed group. MeasurementsWe obtained information on positive results of COVID-19 test as registered in the Public Health England, COVID-19 related hospitalizations in the UK Biobank inpatient hospital data, and COIVD-19 related deaths from the death registers. We also identified individuals who was hospitalized for infections other than COVID-19 during the follow-up. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), controlling for multiple confounders. ResultsThe mean age at outbreak was 67.8 years and around 43% of the study participants were male. We observed an elevated risk of COVID-19 among individuals with pre-pandemic psychiatric disorder, compared with those without such diagnoses. The fully adjusted ORs were 1.44 (95%CI 1.27 to 1.64), 1.67 (1.42 to 1.98), and 2.03 (1.56 to 2.63) for any COVID-19, inpatient COVID-19, COVID-19 related death, respectively. The excess risk was observed across all levels of somatic comorbidities and subtypes of pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders, while further increased with greater number of pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders. We also observed an association between pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders and increased risk of hospitalization for other infections (1.85 [1.65 to 2.07]). ConclusionsPre-pandemic psychiatric disorders are associated with increased risk of COVID-19, especially severe and fatal COVID-19. The similar association observed for hospitalization for other infections suggests a shared pathway between psychiatric disorders and different infections, including altered immune responses. Summary boxO_ST_ABSWhat is already known on this topic?C_ST_ABSPsychiatric morbidities have been associated with risks of severe infections through compromised immunity and/or health-behaviors. While recent studies showed that unhealthy lifestyle and psychosocial factors (including self-reported psychological distress) increased the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, data on the role of clinically confirmed psychiatric disorders in COVID-19 susceptibility are to date absent. What this study adds?Using the large community-based data in UK Biobank, our analysis is the first to demonstrate an increase in the risk of COVID-19, especially severe and fatal COVID-19, among individuals with pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders, independently of many important confounders. A similar association was also observed between pre-pandemic psychiatric disorder and hospitalization due to other infections during the COVID-19 outbreak, suggesting a shared pathway between psychiatric disorders and different infections, including altered immune responses. This finding underscores the need of surveillance and care in vulnerable populations with history of psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Comprehensive Quality Evaluation of Agrimonia pilosa with Entropy Weight TOPSIS Method Based on Extract and Characteristic Spectrum / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish an overall quality evaluation model for Agrimonia pilosa based on extract and characteristic spectrum，and to provide evidence for comprehensive quality evaluation of the medicinal material and screening of high-quality provenance. METHODS ：Referring to different extraction method and solvent condition stated in 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia （part Ⅳ），using the content and total peak area of HPLC characteristic chromatogram of extract as indexes，and the extraction technology was optimized by weighted comprehensive score. HPLC characteristic spectrum of 15 batches of A. pilosa was established ，and similarity evaluation and characteristic peak identification were performed. SPSS 25.0 software was used to conduct single factor analysis and Pearson correlation analysis for the extract content and total peak area of A. pilosa from different origins. The quality of medicinal materials from different origins were compared. Entropy weight TOPSIS method was adopted to evaluate comprehensive quality of A. pilosa using the extract content and total peak area of 15 batches of A. pilosa . RESULTS ：The extraction technology of A. pilosa extract，which was extracted with hot dip plating using 50％ ethanol as solvent ，was optimized. The similarity of 15 batches of A. pilosa was higher than 0.92，and 4 characteristic components were identified（ellagic acid ，quercetin，apigenin，kaempferol）. There were significant differences in average extract content and total peak area of characteristic chromatogram of A. pilosa from different origins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01），and there was a certain positive correlation between them （r＝0.86，P＜0.01）. Results of entropy weight TOPSIS evaluation showed that the average Ci values of A. pilosa in Anhui ，Zhejiang，Sichuan，Henan and Jiangsu provinces were 0.689，0.351，0.218，0.308 and 0.361 respectively. CONCLUSIONS：The quality of A. pilosa from Anhui was the best ，that from Zhejiang and Jiangsu was better ，that from Henan was the second ，and that from Sichuan was poor. Established extraction technology and characteristic spectrum determination method of A. pilosa are stable and feasible. The entropy weight TOPSIS model is objective and quantifiable for comprehensive quality evaluation of A. pilosa ，and can effectively evaluate its quality.

Role of Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer andMagnetization Transfer MRI in Detecting Metabolicand Structural Changes of Renal Fibrosis in an AnimalModel at 3T

Objective@#To investigate the value of combined chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and conventional magnetizationtransfer imaging (MT) in detecting metabolic and structural changes of renal fibrosis in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO) at 3T MRI. @*Materials and Methods@#Thirty-five Sprague-Dawley rats underwent UUO surgery (n = 25) or sham surgery (n = 10). Theobstructed and contralateral kidneys were evaluated on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after surgery. After CEST and MT examinations,18F-labeled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography was performed to quantify glucose metabolism. Fibrosis wasmeasured by histology and western blots. Correlations were compared between asymmetrical magnetization transfer ratio at1.2 ppm (MTRasym(1.2ppm)) derived from CEST and maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) and between magnetization transferratio (MTR) derived from MT and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). @*Results@#On days 3 and 7, MTRasym(1.2ppm) and MTR of UUO renal cortex and medulla were significantly different from those ofcontralateral kidneys (p < 0.05). On day 7, MTRasym(1.2ppm) and MTR of UUO renal cortex and medulla were significantly differentfrom those of sham-operated kidneys (p < 0.05). The MTRasym(1.2ppm) of UUO renal medulla was fairly negatively correlated withSUVmax (r = -0.350, p = 0.021), whereas MTR of UUO renal medulla was strongly negatively correlated with α-SMA (r = -0.744, p <0.001). @*Conclusion@#CEST and MT could provide metabolic and structural information for comprehensive assessment of renal fibrosisin UUO rats in 3T MRI and may aid in clinical monitoring of renal fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Study on HPLC Characteristic Chromatogram and Chemical Pattern Recognition of Different Medicinal Parts of Cirsium japonicum / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish HP LC ch aracteristic ch romatogram of different medicinal parts of Cirsium japonicum ， and to compare the difference of chemical components in different medicinal parts of C. japonicum according to chemical identification method ，and to provide reference for quality control and evaluation of C. japonicum . METHODS ：Medicinal material （overground part ），leaves，flower，main stem and lateral stem of C. japonicum were determined by HPLC. According to the TCM Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System （2012A edition ），the chromatograms were matched to generate the HPLC characteristic chromatogram of each medicinal part. The differences of common characteristic peak area were analyzed according to variance analysis of single factor. The chromatographic peaks were identified by comparison of reference substance. Meanwhile，the chemical pattern recognition was performed to research the different medicinal parts of C. japonicum according to principal component analysis （PCA）and cluster analysis. RESULTS ：HPLC characteristic chromatograms of medicinal material ， leaves，flower，main stem and lateral stem from C. japonicum were established respectively ，and 15 common peaks were confirmed for medicinal material ，leaves and flower of C. japonicum ；11 common peaks were confirmed in chromatograms of main stem and lateral stem from C. japonicum （absence of No. 7，9，12，13 peak）. The contents of chemical components were different greatly among different medicinal parts. No. 1，2，3，10，11 peaks were identified as neochlorogenic acid ，chlorogenic acid ， cryptochlorogenic acid ，linarin and pectolinarin. Results of PCA and cluster analysis showed that chemical pattern recognition and clustering of the flower and stem of C. japonicum were distinct and can be clustered into one category respectively. However ，the leaves distribution of C. japonicum was relatively scattered ，so it was difficult to cluster . CONCLUSIONS ：Established HPLC characteristic chromatogram-chemical pattern recognition can reflect the differences of different medicinal parts of C. japonicum integrally， comprehensively and truly ， which has vital significance for origin indentification ， quality control and overall evaluation of C. japonicum .

Suppression of Monoclinic Phase Transitions of O3-Type Cathodes Based on Electronic Delocalization for Na-Ion Batteries.

As high capacity cathodes, O3-type Na-based oxides always suffer from a series of monoclinic transitions upon sodiation/desodiation, mainly caused by Na+/vacancy ordering and Jahn-Teller (J-T) distortion, leading to rapid structural degradation and serious performance fading. Herein, a simple modulation strategy is proposed to address this issue based on refrainment of electron localization in expectation to alleviate the charge ordering and change of electronic structure, which always lead to Na+/vacancy ordering and J-T distortion, respectively. According to density functional theory calculations, Fe3+ with slightly larger radius is introduced into NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 with the intention of enlarging transition metal layers and facilitating electronic delocalization. The obtained NaFe0.3Ni0.35Mn0.35O2 exhibits a reversible phase transition of O3hex-P3hex without any monoclinic transitions in striking contrast with the complicated phase transitions (O3hex-O'3mon-P3hex-P'3mon-P3'hex) of NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2, thus excellently improving the capacity retention with a high rate kinetic. In addition, the strategy is also effective to enhance the air stability, proved by direct observation of atomic-scale ABF-STEM for the first time.