Z-ligustilide alleviates atherosclerosis by reconstructing gut microbiota and sustaining gut barrier integrity through activation of cannabinoid receptor 2.

Background: Z-Ligustilide (ZL) is an essential phthalide found in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for treating atherosclerosis (AS) clinically. ZL has been shown to be effective in treating AS. However, the underlying mechanism of ZL against AS and its potential targets remain elusive.

Site differentiation strategy for selective strontium uptake and elution within an all-inorganic polyoxoniobate framework.

Selective uptake and elution of trace amounts of hazardous radioactive Sr from large-scale high-level liquid waste (HLW) is crucial for sustainable development. Here, we propose a site differentiation strategy, based on the presence of distinct selective metal capture sites (concavity site and tweezer site) within the giant polyoxoniobate (PONb) nanoclusters of an all-inorganic PONb framework (FZU-1). Through this strategy, FZU-1 can not only effectively remove 98.

A Palladium-Containing Polyoxotungstate with Anisotropic Proton Conductivity.

Here, a case of bilayer heterojunction Pd-containing polyoxotungstate (POW), connecting a TePd ring and an Anderson-like TeW cluster, has been synthesized. The Anderson-like cluster is the first example in POW. The coordination of Pd in the ring with the S atom on the sulfo group breaks the traditional coordination configuration of Pd and O in polyoxometalates (POMs), enriching the structural types of Pd-containing POMs.

Zigzag Barbed Polydioxanone Thread Implantation and Evaluation Using Polydimethylsiloxane Model to Simulate Thread Migration in Tissue.

Facial lifting with polydioxanone barbed threads has been widely used in aesthetic treatment for years. However, gravity resists the thread and continuously pulls the face downward. This study aims to determine methods to lift the skin more efficiently with longer longevity.

Insights into the panorama of multiple DNA viruses in municipal wastewater and recycled sludge in Tianjin, China.

Environmental viruses in wastewater and sludge are widely recognized for their roles in waterborne diseases. However, previous studies mainly focused on RNA viruses, and little is known about the diversity of DNA viral communities and their driving factors in municipal wastewater treatment environments. Herein, we conducted a pilot study to explore DNA virus profiles in municipal wastewater and recycled sludge by metagenomics method, and track their temporal changes in northern China.

A fast correction method of the scattering contributions in the area gamma dosemeter calibration field.

In the calibration procedure of area gamma dosemeters, how to accurately evaluate and correct the scattering contribution from the complex environmental factors to the point of test is the key problem to ensure the calibration accuracy. This paper proposed a fast correction method of the scattering contributions in the area gamma dosemeter calibration field. First, Monte Carlo method is employed to simulate the influence of scattering caused by different environmental factors in the calibration field, which is named as semi-panoramic reference radiation field.

Increased resected lymph node stations improved survival of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and surgery have been recommended as the standard treatments for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In addition, nodal metastases decreased in frequency and changed in distribution after neoadjuvant therapy. This study aimed to examine the optimal strategy for lymph node dissection (LND) in patients with ESCC who underwent nCRT.

Initiation of China Alliance of Research in High Myopia (CHARM): protocol for an AI-based multimodal high myopia research biobank.

Introduction: High myopia is a pressing public health concern due to its increasing prevalence, younger trend and the high risk of blindness, particularly in East Asian countries, including China. The China Alliance of Research in High Myopia (CHARM) is a newly established consortium that includes more than 100 hospitals and institutions participating across the nation, aiming to promote collaboration and data sharing in the field of high myopia screening, classification, diagnosis and therapeutic development.

Methods And Analysis: The CHARM project is an ongoing study, and its initiation is distinguished by its unprecedented scale, encompassing plans to involve over 100 000 Chinese patients.

Fundus Tessellated Density of Pathologic Myopia.

Purpose: The study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the fundus tessellated density (FTD) in different categories of pathologic myopia (PM) using fundus photographs with the application of artificial intelligence.

Methods: A retrospective review of 407 PM (META-PM, Category 2-Category 4) eyes was conducted, employing a biomimetic mechanism of human vision and integrated image processing technologies for FTD extraction and calculation. Different regions of interest were analyzed, including circle O4.

Clinical Features of Fundus Tessellation and Its Relationship with Myopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: This study aims to assess the existing literature on fundus tessellation (FT), focusing on its prevalence, associated factors, distribution, and progression.

Methods: Systemic methods were employed to search and gather published literature on FT from databases such as the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Web of Science (WOS), and Elsevier on July 1, 2023. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria.

Folic acid conjugated palygorskite/Au hybrid microgels: Temperature, pH and light triple-responsive and its application in drug delivery.

Herein, folic acid conjugated poly (NIPAM-co-functional palygorskite-Au-co-acrylic acid) (FA-PNFA) hybrid microgels were fabricated by emulsion polymerization. The introduction of acrylic acid can increase the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of FA-PNFA from 36 °C at pH 5.5-42 °C at pH 7.

Template Design for Complex Block Copolymer Patterns Using a Machine Learning Method.

This study represents the first attempt to address the inverse design problem of the guiding template for directed self-assembly (DSA) patterns using solely machine learning methods. By formulating the problem as a multi-label classification task, the study shows that it is possible to predict templates without requiring any forward simulations. A series of neural network (NN) models, ranging from the basic two-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) to the large NN models (32-layer CNN with 8 residual blocks), have been trained using simulated pattern samples generated by thousands of self-consistent field theory (SCFT) calculations; a number of augmentation techniques, especially suitable for predicting morphologies, have been also proposed to enhance the performance of the NN model.

[Prevalence Survey of Functional Dyspepsia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Chinese College Students Based on Rome Ⅳ Diagnostic Criteria].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among college students in China.

Methods: An online questionnaire survey of college students aged 17-35 from across China was conducted. The online questionnaire survey was supplemented by an offline survey.

Anthocyanins from spp. inhibit the activity of by downregulating the expression of , , and .

plants are frequently devastated by the apple rust caused by Miyabe. When rust occurs, most spp. and cultivars produce yellow spots, which are more severe, whereas a few cultivars accumulate anthocyanins around rust spots, forming red spots that inhibit the expansion of the affected area and might confer rust resistance.

Research on the relationship between the scattering contribution and physical factors of the reference radiation regulated by ISO 4037-1.

In the latest version of ISO 4037-1:2019 standard, the minimum dimension of a gamma radiation reference field was not clearly specified, which makes the construction of a minitype gamma reference radiation field lack of scientific basis. This paper carried out the research on the relationship between the scattering contribution and physical factors of the reference radiation regulated by ISO 4037-1. LS-SVM was applied to construct the relational model between physical factors and scattering contribution based on the data simulated by Monte Carlo method.

Effects and Prognosis of Cataract Surgery in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Introduction: Cataract extraction could improve visual acuity (VA) for patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), while the surgery may increase photoreceptor degeneration through light damage. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness and prediction of VA after cataract surgery in patients with RP.

Methods: We comprehensively extracted data from literature of available studies with quality control processing.

Astrocyte polarization in glaucoma: a new opportunity.

Astrocyte polarization is a new concept which is similar to microglia polarization and in which astrocytes are classified as A1 (neurotoxic) and A2 (neuroprotective). Several studies on astrocyte polarization have focused mainly on neurodegenerative diseases, trauma, and infections. However, the role of astrocyte polarization in glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease, has not been fully explored.

Comparison of smear cytology with liquid-based cytology in pancreatic lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a safe and accurate technique to confirm the diagnosis of pancreatic cancers. Recently, numerous studies comparing the diagnostic efficacy of smear cytology (SC) and liquid-based cytology (LBC) for pancreatic lesions yielded mixed results.

Aim: To compare and identify the better cytology method for EUS-FNA in pancreatic lesions.

Simplicity in mean-field phase behavior of two-component miktoarm star copolymers.

Using self-consistent field theory, we systematically explore the microphase separation in the class of two-component miktoarm star copolymers containing a single conjunction point between different blocks by considering an extended list of candidate microphases. We plot mean-field phase diagrams in the plane of segregation strength and composition for an array of representative star copolymers. Three principal phase diagram topologies, dictated by different phase stabilities, are exposed, displaying a hierarchy in complexity by increasing the molecular asymmetry.

Fabrication of attapulgite-based dual responsive composite hydrogel and its efficient adsorption for methyl violet.

In this work, attapulgite (ATP)-based dual sensitive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) composite hydrogel, P(NIPAM-co-AA)/ATP, was prepared by free radical polymerization. The prepared composite hydrogel was characterized via methods of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), zeta potential analysis and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) etc. The composite hydrogel showed pH and temperature sensitive behaviour, with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 35°C and highest swelling occurred at pH 8.

Add-on pegylated interferon augments hepatitis B surface antigen clearance continuous nucleos(t)ide analog monotherapy in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis B surface antigen ≤ 1500 IU/mL: An observational study.

Background: Nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) has shown limited effectiveness against hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of add-on peginterferon α-2a (peg-IFN α-2a) to an ongoing NA regimen in CHB patients.

Methods: In this observational study, 195 CHB patients with HBsAg ≤ 1500 IU/mL, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative (including HBeAg-negative patients or HBeAg-positive patients who achieved HBeAg-negative after antiviral treatment with NA) and hepatitis B virus-deoxyribonucleic acid < 1.