Influence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease on response to antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Although hepatitis B virus infection is the leading cause of chronic liver injury globally,nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is gradually gaining attention as another major chronic liver disease.The number of patients having chronic hepatitis B(CHB)with concomitant hepatic steatosis has increased.AIM To analyze the effect of NAFLD on the response to antiviral treatment in patients with CHB.METHODS Relevant English studies were systematically searched across PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science,and Cochrane Library until October 2023.Studies in which the treatment outcomes were compared between patients with CHB only and those with CHB and hepatic steatosis were included.RESULTS Of the 2502 retrieved studies,11 articles were finally included.Biochemical response until 48 wk(OR=0.87,95%CI:0.50–1.53,P=0.000)and 96 wk(OR=0.35,95%CI:0.24–0.53,P=0.24)and virological response until 96 wk(OR=0.80,95%CI:0.43–1.49,P=0.097)were lower in patients with hepatic steatosis than in patients with CHB alone.CONCLUSION Hepatic steatosis lowers the biochemical response to antiviral treatment in patients with CHB.

Experimental study on jet pulse assembly design and numerical simulation

Jet pulse assembly is one of the main components of jet hydraulic oscillator.The pressure wave characteristics produced by jet pulse assembly have an important influence on the performance of the tool.In this paper,the structure and working principle of jet pulse assembly are studied,the mechanical analysis model of piston rod is established,the dynamic resistance ratio formula of jet pulse assembly is deduced,and the numerical simulation test of 89-mm jet pulse assembly structure parameters is carried out.The results show that the piston rod downward stroke is driven by both the jet element driving force and the throttle plate load driving force,and can stably descend.The driving force of the piston rod upward stroke jet element is opposite to the load acting force of the throttle disc,and the jet driving force needs to be greater than the load resistance of the throttle disc to stably ascend.The dynamic resistance ratio formula is deduced.When the area of the end of the piston rod is reduced,the resistance of the throttle disc is reduced and the jet power is increased,thus solving the problem of insufficient power of the piston rod in the upstroke and ensuring the normal operation of the tool.Ten groups of numerical simulation tests were carried out,and it was found that the pressure amplitude and pressure drop of the tool decreased significantly with the increase of the tool size,and the error between the numerical simulation value and the theoretical calculation value was less than 9%,which verified the correctness of the theory.It is suggested to select tools on site according to the drilling construction situation to ensure the drilling effect.

Alcohol consumption in relation to the incidence of atrial fibrillation in an elderly Chinese population

BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption is a known modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation.The association,however,might differ according to gender.We investigated gender-specific associations between alcohol consumption and incident atrial fibrillation in an elderly Chinese population.METHODS Our study participants were elderly residents(≥65 years)recruited from five community health centers in the urban area of Shanghai(n=6,618).Alcohol intake was classified as never drinkers and current light-to-moderate(<40 g/day)and heavy drinkers(≥40 g/day).Atrial fibrillation was detected by a 30-s single-lead electrocardiography(ECG,AliveCor®Heart Monitor)and further evaluated with a regular 12-lead ECG.RESULTS During a median of 2.1 years(interquartile range:2.0−2.2)follow-up,the incidence rate of atrial fibrillation was 1.10%in all study participants.It was slightly but non-significantly higher in men(n=2849)than women(n=3769,1.30%vs.0.96%,P=0.19)and in current drinkers(n=793)than never drinkers(n=5825,1.64%vs.1.03%,P=0.12).In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses,there was interaction between sex and current alcohol intake in relation to the incidence of atrial fibrillation(P<0.0001).After adjustment for confounding factors,current drinkers had a significantly higher incidence rate of atrial fibrillation than never drinkers in women(12.96%[7/54]vs.0.78%[29/3715],adjusted odds ratio[OR]=10.25,95%confidence interval[CI]:3.54−29.67,P<0.0001),but not in men(0.81%[6/739]vs.1.47%[31/2110],OR=0.62,95%CI:0.25−1.51,P=0.29).CONCLUSIONS Our study showed a significant association between alcohol intake and the incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly Chinese women,but not men.

Arabidopsis NIMIN1,2 mediate redox homeostasis and JA/ET pathways to modulate Botrytis cinerea resistance

Arabidopsis NIM1-INTERACTING1 (NIMIN1) and NIMIN2 are required for salicylic acid (SA)-dependent resistance against biotrophic pathogens. In this study, we have demonstrated that NIMIN1, 2 are also essential for plant defense response to necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. The nimin1 and nimin2 mutants displayed a higher susceptibility against B. cinerea than the wild type, which correlated with a decrease in B. cinerea-induced PDF).2 expression. Mutation in NIMIN1 or NIMIN2 enhanced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) with reductions in the activities of three main antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) at the early time (24h) of upon B. cinerea infection. These mutations also resulted in a visible decrease in B.cinerea-induced Ethylene Responsive Factor 1 (ERF1), Octadecanoid-Responsive Arabidopsis AP2/ERF 59 (ORA59), Allene Oxide Cyclase (AOC3), Opda Reductase 3 (OPR3),ACC Synthesis 2 (ACS2) and ACS6 expression, but an advance in MYC2 expression,indicating that NIMIN1,2 are essential for B. cinerea-activated jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene(ET) biosynthesis and signaling. However, mutation in NIMIN1 or NIMIN2 drastically suppressed JA-, but not ET-activated PDF1.2 expression. Together, these results suggest that NIMIN1,2 may positively control the B. cinerea resistance by mediating redox homeostasis and JA/ET pathways in Arabidopsis.

Dexmedetomidine alleviates oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced apoptosis in mesenchymal stem cell via downregulation of MKP-1

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)-based therapy is a novel candidate for heart repair.But ischemiareperfusion injury leads to low viability of MSC.Dexmedetomidine(Dex)has been found to protect neurons against ischemia-reperfusion injury.It remains unknown if Dex could increase the viability of MSCs under ischemia.The present study is to observe the potential protective effect of Dex on MSCs under ischemia and its underlying mechanisms.Specific mRNAs related to myocardial ischemia in the GEO database were selected from the mRNA profiles assessed in a previous study using microarray.The most dysregulated mRNAs of the specific ones from the above study were subject to bioinformatics analysis at our laboratory.These dysregulated mRNAs possibly regulated apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and were validated in vitro for their protective effect on MSCs under ischemia.MSCs were pre-treated with Dex at 10μM concentration for 24 h under oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD).Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were carried out to detect apoptosis in Dex-pretreated MSCs under OGD.The relative expressions of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1(MKP-1)and related genes were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting.Microarray data analysis revealed that Dex regulates MAPK phosphatase activity.Dex significantly reduced in vitro apoptosis of MSCs under OGD,which suppressed the synthesis level of Beclin1 and light chain 3 proteins.Dex down-regulated MKP-1 expression and attenuated an OGDinduced change in the mitogen activated protein kinase 3(MAPK3)signaling pathway.Dex increases the viability of MSC and improves its tolerance to OGD in association with the MKP-1 signaling pathway,thus suggesting the potential of Dex as a novel strategy for promoting MSCs efficacy under ischemia.

关节镜下半月板成形术与康复训练治疗中年退行性内侧半月板撕裂的疗效比较

目的对比分析关节镜下半月板成形术与康复治疗中年单纯退行性膝内侧半月板撕裂的临床疗效。方法回顾性分析2017年1月至2020年1月首都医科大学附属北京天坛医院骨科收治的90例中年内侧半月板撕裂患者资料,依据不同治疗方式,分为半月板成形组(48例),康复治疗组(42例),于术前、术后3个月、术后2年采集患者一般情况、膝关节功能评分量表(KOOS)、膝关节影像学评估(KL分级),比较两组患者的临床疗效。结果半月板成形组与康复治疗组在年龄、性别、体质量指数(BMI)方面组间差异无统计学意义;半月板成形组术前KOOS评分[(36.61±7.14)分]与康复治疗组[(36.7±11.59)分]相比差异无统计学意义;半月板成形组术后3个月KOOS评分[(64.3±14.39)分]显著高于康复治疗组[(44.65±1.66)分](P<0.05);半月板成形组术后2年KOOS评分[(71.2±14.37)分]与康复治疗组[(72.7±12.15)分]相比差异无统计学意义;术后2年膝骨关节炎进展半月板成形组(术前KL 0级3例,1级24例,2级21例;术后2年0级0例,1级12例,2级36例)显著快于康复治疗组(治疗前KL 0级4例,1级18例,2级20例;治疗后2年0级0例,1级16例,2级26例)(P<0.05)。结论相对于康复治疗方案,单纯退行性膝内侧半月板撕裂患者接受半月板成形术在早期可显著改善临床症状和膝关节功能,尤其是疼痛和日常生活能力,在中期临床随访中无显著差异,半月板成形术加速膝骨关节炎进展。与康复治疗相比,关节镜下半月板成形术治疗退行性膝内侧半月板撕裂并无明显优势,应采取谨慎态度。

PagERF81 regulates lignin biosynthesis and xylem cell differentiation in poplar

Lignin is a major component of plant cell walls and is essential for plant growth and development. Lignin biosynthesis is controlled by a hierarchical regulatory network involving multiple transcription factors. In this study, we showed that the gene encoding an APETALA 2/ethylene-responsive element binding factor(AP2/ERF) transcription factor, PagERF81,from poplar 84 K(Populus alba × P. glandulosa) is highly expressed in expanding secondary xylem cells. Two independent homozygous Pagerf81 mutant lines created by gene editing, produced significantly more but smaller vessel cells and longer fiber cells with more lignin in cell walls, while PagERF81 overexpression lines had less lignin,compared to non-transgenic controls. Transcriptome and reverse transcription quantitative PCR data revealed that multiple lignin biosynthesis genes including Cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1(PagCCR1),Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase 6(PagCAD6), and 4-Coumarate-CoA ligase-like 9(Pag4CLL9) were upregulated in Pagerf81 mutants, but down-regulated in PagERF81 overexpression lines. In addition, a transient transactivation assay revealed that PagERF81 repressed the transcription of these three genes.Furthermore, yeast one hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that PagERF81 directly bound to a GCC sequence in the PagCCR1 promoter. No known vessel or fiber cell differentiation related genes were differentially expressed, so the smaller vessel cells and longer fiber cells observed in the Pagerf81 lines might be caused by abnormal lignin deposition in the secondary cell walls. This study provides insight into the regulation of lignin biosynthesis, and a molecular tool to engineer wood with high lignin content, which would contribute to the lignin-related chemical industry and carbon sequestration.

Fine-tuning brassinosteroid biosynthesis via 3′UTR-dependent decay of CPD mRNA modulates wood formation in Populus

Brassinosteroids(BRs)are plant hormones that regulate wood formation in trees.Currently,little is known about the post-transcriptional regulation of BR synthesis.Here,we show that during wood formation,fine-tuning BR synthesis requires 3′UTR-dependent decay of Populus CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC DWARF 1(PdCPD1).Overexpression of PdCPD1 or its 3′UTR fragment resulted in a significant increase of BR levels and inhibited secondary growth.In contrast,transgenic poplars repressing PdCPD13′UTR expression displayed moderate levels of BR and promoted wood formation.We show that the Populus GLYCINE-RICH RNA-BINDING PROTEIN1(PdGRP1)directly binds to a GU-rich element in 3′UTR of Pd CPD1,leading to its mRNA decay.We thus provide a post-transcriptional mechanism underlying BRs synthesis during wood formation,which may be useful for genetic manipulation of wood biomass in trees.

The BZR1-EDS1 module regulates plant growth-defense coordination

Plants have developed sophisticated strategies to coordinate growth and immunity,but our understanding of the underlying mechanism remains limited.In this study,we identified a novel molecular module that reg-ulates plant growth and defense in both compatible and incompatible infections.This module consisted of BZR1,a key transcription factor in brassinosteroid(BR)signaling,and EDS1,an essential positive regulator of plant innate immunity.We found that EDS1 interacts with BZR1 and suppresses its transcriptional activ-ities.Consistently,upregulation of EDS1 function by a virulent Pseudomonas syringae strain or salicylic acid treatment inhibited BZR1-regulated expression of BR-responsive genes and BR-promoted growth.Furthermore,we showed that the cytoplasmic fraction of BZR1 positively regulates effector-triggered im-munity(ETI)controlled by the TIR-NB-LRR protein RPS4,which is attenuated by BZR1's nuclear transloca-tion.Mechanistically,cytoplasmic BZR1 facilitated AvrRps4-triggered dissociation of EDS1 and RPS4 by binding to EDS1,thus leading to efficient activation of RPS4-controlled ETI.Notably,transgenic expression of a mutant BZR1 that accumulates exclusively in the cytoplasm improved pathogen resistance without compromising plant growth.Collectively,these results shed new light on plant growth-defense coordina-tion and reveal a previously unknown function for the cytoplasmic fraction of BZR1.The BZR1-EDS1 mod-ule may be harnessed for the simultaneous improvement of crop productivity and pathogen resistance.

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass wastes and waste activated sludge: Dynamic model and material balances

The organic matter degradation process during anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste （MBW） and waste-activated sludge （WAS） under different organic loading rates （OLRs） was investigated in bench-scale and pilot-scale semi-continuous stirred tank reactors. To better understand the degradation process of MBW and WAS co-digestion and provide theoretical guidance for engineering application, anaerobic digestion model No. 1 was revised for the co-digestion of MBW and WAS. The results showed that the degradation of organic matter could be characterized into three different fractions, including readily hydrolyzable organics, easily degradable particulate organics, and recalcitrant particle organics. Hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step under lower OLRs, and methanogenesisis was the rate-limiting step for an OLR of 8.0 kg volatile solid （VS）/（m^3·day）. The hydrolytic parameters of carbohydrate, protein, and lipids were 0.104, 0.083, and 0.084 kg chemical oxygen demand （COD）/（kg COD·hr）, respectively, and the reaction rate parameters of lipid fermentation were 1 and 1.25 kg COD/（kg COD.hr） for OLRs of 4.0 and 6.0 kg VS/（m^3·day）. A revised model was used to simulate methane yield, and the results fit well with the experimental data. Material balance data were acquired based on the revised model, which showed that 58.50% of total COD was converted to methane.

Metabolic risk factors associated with sudden cardiac death(SCD)during acute myocardial ischemia

Sudden cardiac death(SCD)is the leading cause of death worldwide.Myocardial ischemia(MI)is the most common underlying causal disorder for SCD.Metabolic risks leading to SCD during acute MI are still not fully understood.Here,using tissue metabolomics,we aimed to investigate myocardial metabolic alterations relevant to SCD events in an acute MI rat model induced by coronary artery ligation(CAL).Thirty-four rats were successfully performed CAL,of which 13 developed lethal ventricular tachyarrhythmia(LVTA)-SCD and 7 developed severe atrioventricular block(AB)-SCD.Fourteen rats that survived within 70 min after the ligation were served as peer controls.The partial least squares-discriminant analysis plots demonstrated clear separations between the SCD rats and controls,indicating obvious differences in myocardial metabolome between these rats.The levels of isoleucine,lactate,glutamate choline,phosphorylcholine,taurine and asparagine in ischemic myocardia were positively associated with LVTA-SCD events;in contrast,the levels of alanine,urea,phenylalanine,linoleic acid,elaidic acid and stearic acid were inversely correlated with LVTA-SCD events.The levels of glutamate and urea were positively and negatively relevant to AB-SCD events,respectively.The dangerous metabolites indicated that lower levels of energy substrates,severe hypoxia,the inhibition of transamination and hyper sympathetic excitement and reactive oxygen species in myocardia were vulnerable to SCD during acute MI.The results suggest fatal metabolic alterations correlated with SCD events during acute MI,which could offer novel clues for the prevention or treatment of acute MI-related SCD.

The role of senescence-associated gene101 (PagSAG101a) in the regulation of secondary xylem formation in poplar

Wood is produced by the accumulation of secondary xylem via proliferation and differentiation of the cambium cells in woody plants. Identifying the regulators involved in this process remains a challenging task. In this study, we isolated Pag SAG101 a,the homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana SAG101, from a hybrid poplar(Populus alba × Populus glandulosa)clone 84 K and investigated its role in secondary xylem development. Pag SAG101 a was expressed predominantly in lignified stems and localized in thenucleus. Compared with non-transgenic 84 K plants,transgenic plants overexpressing Pag SAG101 a displayed increased plant height, internode number,stem diameter, xylem width, and secondary cell wall thickness, while opposite phenotypes were observed for Pag SAG101 a knock-out plants.Transcriptome analyses revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched for those controlling cambium cell division activity and subsequent secondary cell wall deposition during xylem formation.In addition, the tandem CCCH zinc finger protein Pag C3 H17, which positively regulates secondary xylem width and secondary wall thickening in poplar, could bind to the promoter of Pag SAG101 a and mediate the regulation of xylem differentiation.Our results support that Pag SAG101 a, downstream of Pag C3 H17, functions in wood development.

Degeneration and rejuvenation of shape memory effect associated with the precipitation of coherent nano-particles in a Co-Ni-Si shape memory alloy

In a solution treated Co-20Ni-6Si shape memory alloy,coherent nano-particles were precipitated after annealing at 873 K for 1 min,but the shape memory effect almost vanished.It is attributed to that the coherent nano-particles not only suppressed the stress-induced face-centered cubic to close-packed hexagonal martensite transformation but also damaged the crystallographic reversibility of reverse martensite transformation.After further annealing at 1073 K for 1 min,the shape memory effect was rejuvenated owing to the dissolution of nano-particles.Besides,the recovery strain significantly increased to5.1%from the solution treatment of 3.1%after annealing at 1073 K for 1 min.

An Integrated Observer Framework Based Mechanical Parameters Identification for Adaptive Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

An integrated observer framework based mechanical parameters identification approach for adaptive control of permanent magnet synchronous motors is proposed in this paper.Firstly,an integrated observer framework is established for mechanical parameters’estimation,which consists of an extended sliding mode observer(ESMO)and a Luenberger observer.Aiming at minimizing the influence of parameters coupling,the viscous friction and the moment of inertia are obtained by ESMO and the load torque is identified by Luenberger observer separately.After obtaining estimates of the mechanical parameters,the optimal proportional integral(PI)parameters of the speed-loop are determined according to third-order best design method.As a result,the controller can adjust the PI parameters in real time according to the parameter changes to realize the adaptive control of the system.Meanwhile,the disturbance is compensated according to the estimates.Finally,the experiments were carried out on simulation platform,and the experimental results validated the reliability of parameter identification and the efficiency of the adaptive control strategy presented in this paper.