Metabolic syndrome’s new therapy:Supplement the gut microbiome

This letter to the editor discusses the publication on gut microbiome supple-mentation as therapy for metabolic syndrome.Gut microbiome dysbiosis disrupts intestinal bacterial homeostasis and is related to chronic inflammation,insulin resistance,cardiovascular diseases,type 2 diabetes mellitus,and obesity.Previous research has found that increasing the abundance of beneficial microbiota in the gut modulates metabolic syndrome by reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.Prebiotics,probiotics,synbiotics,and postbiotics are often used as supplements to increase the number of beneficial microbes and thus the produc-tion of short-chain fatty acids,which have positive effects on the gut microbiome and metabolic syndrome.In this review article,the author summarizes the available supplements to increase the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota and reduce the abundance of harmful microbiota in patients with metabolic disorders.Our group is also researching the role of the gut microbiota in chronic liver disease.This article will be of great help to our research.At the end of the letter,the mechanism of the gut microbiota in chronic liver disease is discussed.

Customized heat treatment process enabled excellent mechanical properties in wire arc additively manufactured Mg-RE-Zn-Zr alloys

Customized heat treatment is essential for enhancing the mechanical properties of additively manufactured metallic materials,especially for alloys with complex phase constituents and heterogenous microstructure.However,the interrelated evolutions of different microstructure features make it difficult to establish optimal heat treatment processes.Herein,we proposed a method for customized heat treatment process exploration and establishment to overcome this challenge for such kind of alloys,and a wire arc additively manufactured(WAAM)Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy with layered heterostructure was used for feasibility verification.Through this method,the optimal microstructures(fine grain,controllable amount of long period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure and nano-scaleβ'precipitates)and the corresponding customized heat treatment processes(520°C/30 min+200°C/48 h)were obtained to achieve a good combination of a high strength of 364 MPa and a considerable elongation of 6.2%,which surpassed those of other state-of-the-art WAAM-processed Mg alloys.Furthermore,we evidenced that the favorable effect of the undeformed LPSO structures on the mechanical properties was emphasized only when the nano-scaleβ'precipitates were present.It is believed that the findings promote the application of magnesium alloy workpieces and help to establish customized heat treatment processes for additively manufactured materials.

Accelerating Asteroidal Period and Pole Inversion from Multiple Lightcurves Using Parallel Differential Evolution and Cellinoid Shape Model

Determining asteroid properties provides valuable physical insights but inverting them from photometric lightcurves remains computationally intensive.This paper presents a new approach that combines a simplified Cellinoid shape model with the Parallel Differential Evolution(PDE)algorithm to accelerate inversion.The PDE algorithm is more efficient than the Differential Evolution algorithm,achieving an extraordinary speedup of 37.983 with 64 workers on multicore CPUs.The PDE algorithm accurately derives period and pole values from simulated data.The analysis of real asteroid lightcurves validates the method’s reliability:in comparison with results published elsewhere,the PDE algorithm accurately recovers the rotational periods and,given adequate viewing geometries,closely matches the pole orientations.The PDE approach converges to solutions within 20,000 iterations and under one hour,demonstrating its potential for large-scale data analysis.This work provides a promising new tool for unveiling asteroid physical properties by overcoming key computational bottlenecks.

卡铂+依托泊苷联合阿比特龙+强的松治疗转移性去势抵抗性前列腺患者的疗效和安全性

目的:评价转移性去势抵抗性前列腺癌(metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer,mCRPC)患者多西他赛+强的松(docetaxel+prednisone,DP)方案化疗和(或)新型内分泌治疗(novel hormone therapy,NHT)进展后应用卡铂+依托泊苷(carboplatin+etoposide,CE)方案联合阿比特龙+强的松(abiraterone+prednisone,AAP)治疗的疗效和安全性。方法:回顾性分析mCRPC患者接受DP方案化疗和(或)NHT治疗后进展,进行CE方案+AAP治疗,每3周为1周期×6周期。观察指标包括前列腺特异性抗原(prostate specific antigen,PSA)缓解率、PSA进展时间(time to PSA progression,TTPP)、影像学无进展生存期(radiographic progression-free survival,rPFS)、PSA下降30%、PSA下降90%、客观缓解率和总生存期(overall survival,OS)。结果:2019年3月至2024年2月,在北京市朝阳区桓兴肿瘤医院和中国医学科学院肿瘤医院收治的符合条件的37例mCRPC患者,进展后应用CE方案联合AAP方案治疗,中位年龄66.0岁,中位随访12.0(3.0~57.0)个月,中位治疗4个周期。PSA缓解率42.1%,中位TTPP 4.0个月,中位rPFS 8.9个月,中位OS 15.0个月。客观缓解率24.3%,PSA下降30%者占59.5%,PSA下降90%者占16.2%;安全性方面,3级及以上不良反应10例。结论:联合应用CE方案和AAP对初始DP方案化疗和(或)NHT治疗失败的去势抵抗性前列腺癌(castration-resistant prostate cancer,CRPC)患者显示出良好的临床疗效和耐受性,但需要更多的样本量和随访时间进一步验证其疗效。

Clinical pathological characteristics of“crawling-type”gastric adenocarcinoma cancer:A case report

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is a significant health problem worldwide,and early detection and accurate diagnosis are crucial for improving patient outcomes.Crawling-type gastric adenocarcinoma is a rare subtype of GC that has unique histopathological and clinical characteristics,and its diagnosis and management can be challenging.This pathological type of GC is also rare.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report the case of a patient who underwent ordinary endoscopy,na-rrow-band imaging,and endoscopic ultrasonography intending to determine the extent of tumor invasion and upper abdominal enhanced computed tomography and whether there was tumor metastasis.Then,endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed.After pathological and immunohistochemical examination,the pathological diagnosis was crawling-type gastric adenocarcinoma.This is a very rare and special pathological type of tumor.This case highlights the importance of using advanced endoscopic techniques and pathological examination in diagnosing and managing gastric crawling-type adenocarcinoma.Moreover,the findings underscore the need for continued research and clinical experience in this rare subtype of GC to improve patient outcomes.CONCLUSION The“crawling-type”GC is a rare and specific tumor pathology.It is difficult to identify and diagnose gliomas via endoscopy.The tumor is ill-defined,with a flat appearance and indistinct borders due to the lack of contrast against the background mucosa.Pathology revealed that the tumor cells were hand-like,so the patient has diagnosed with“crawling-type”gastric adenocarcinoma.

CNN-LSTM based incremental attention mechanism enabled phase-space reconstruction for chaotic time series prediction

To improve the prediction accuracy of chaotic time series and reconstruct a more reasonable phase space structure of the prediction network,we propose a convolutional neural network-long short-term memory(CNN-LSTM)prediction model based on the incremental attention mechanism.Firstly,a traversal search is conducted through the traversal layer for finite parameters in the phase space.Then,an incremental attention layer is utilized for parameter judgment based on the dimension weight criteria(DWC).The phase space parameters that best meet DWC are selected and fed into the input layer.Finally,the constructed CNN-LSTM network extracts spatio-temporal features and provides the final prediction results.The model is verified using Logistic,Lorenz,and sunspot chaotic time series,and the performance is compared from the two dimensions of prediction accuracy and network phase space structure.Additionally,the CNN-LSTM network based on incremental attention is compared with long short-term memory(LSTM),convolutional neural network(CNN),recurrent neural network(RNN),and support vector regression(SVR)for prediction accuracy.The experiment results indicate that the proposed composite network model possesses enhanced capability in extracting temporal features and achieves higher prediction accuracy.Also,the algorithm to estimate the phase space parameter is compared with the traditional CAO,false nearest neighbor,and C-C,three typical methods for determining the chaotic phase space parameters.The experiments reveal that the phase space parameter estimation algorithm based on the incremental attention mechanism is superior in prediction accuracy compared with the traditional phase space reconstruction method in five networks,including CNN-LSTM,LSTM,CNN,RNN,and SVR.

Enhanced strength-ductility synergy in a wire and arc additively manufactured Mg alloy via tuning interlayer dwell time

Strength-ductility trade-off is a common issue in Mg alloys. This work proposed that a synergistic enhancement of strength and ductility could be achieved through tuning interlayer dwell time(IDT) in the wire and arc additive manufacturing(WAAM) process of Mg alloy.The thermal couples were used to monitor the thermal history during the WAAM process. Additionally, the effect of different IDTs on the microstructure characteristics and resultant mechanical properties of WAAM-processed Mg alloy thin-wall were investigated. The results showed that the stable temperature of the thin-wall component could reach 290 ℃ at IDT=0s, indicating that the thermal accumulation effect was remarkable. Consequently, unimodal coarse grains with an average size of 39.6 μm were generated, and the resultant room-temperature tensile property was poor. With the IDT extended to 60s, the thermal input and thermal dissipation reached a balance, and the stable temperature was only 170 ℃, closing to the initial temperature of the substrate. A refined grain structure with bimodal size distribution was obtained. The remelting zone had fine grains with the size of 15.2 μm, while the arc zone owned coarse grains with the size of 24.5 μm.The alternatively distributed coarse and fine grains lead to the elimination of strength-ductility trade-off. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the samples at IDT=60s are increased by 20.6 and 75.0% of those samples at IDT=0s, respectively. The findings will facilitate the development of additive manufacturing processes for advanced Mg alloys.

Study on anisotropy of microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing

Based on wire arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)technology,AZ31 magnesium alloy in bulk was successfully fabricated,and its microstructure as well as mechanical properties in different planes were observed and analyzed.The AZ31 magnesium alloy has a similar microstructure in the building direction(Z)and travel direction(X),both of which are equiaxed grains.There are heat-affected zones(HAZs)with coarse grains below the fusion line.The second phase is primarily composed of the Mg17Al12 phase,which is evenly distributed in different directions.In addition,the residual stress varies in different directions.There is no significant difference in the hardness of the AZ31 alloy along the Z and X directions,with the average hardness being 68.4 HV and 67.9 HV,respectively.Even though the specimens’ultimate tensile strength along the travel direction is higher in comparison to that along the building direction,their differences in elongation and yield strength are smaller,indicating that the anisotropy of the mechanical properties of the material is small.

应用型本科高校物理化学课程思政教学的探索与实践

当前专业课程与思政教育深度融合的教学模式是高等教育的改革重点。以地方应用型本科高校为载体,立足大学理工专业课程自身的特点,从教与学两方面入手,将学生做为主体,深刻挖掘课程中蕴含的思政元素,针对教学目标、内容、方法、考核等方面对物理化学课程思政教学模式进行了初步探索和实践。与传统教学相比,提高了课堂教学质量和效果,进一步激发了学生学习的积极性和主动性,对德智体全面发展的应用型人才培养具有重要意义。

A novel true triaxial test system for microwave-induced fracturing of hard rocks

This study introduces a test system for microwave-induced fracturing of hard rocks under true triaxial stress.The test system comprises a true triaxial stress loading system,an open-ended microwaveinduced fracturing system,a data acquisition system,an acoustic emission(AE)monitoring system,and an auxiliary specimen loading system.Microwave-induced surface and borehole fracturing tests under true triaxial stress were fulfilled for the first time,which overcomes the problem of microwave leakage in the coupling loading of true triaxial stress and microwave.By developing the dynamic monitoring system,the thermal response and fracture evolution were obtained during microwave irradiation.The monitoring system includes the infrared thermometry technique for monitoring rock surface temperature,the distributed optic fiber sensing technique for monitoring temperature in borehole in rock,the AE technique and two-dimensional digital speckle correlation technique for monitoring the evolution of thermal damage and the rock fracturing process.To validate the advantages of the test system and investigate the characteristics of microwave-induced fracturing of hard rocks,the study demonstrates the experimental methods and results for microwave-induced surface and borehole fracturing under true triaxial stress.The results show that thermal cracking presented intermittent characteristics(calm eactiveecalm)during microwave-induced surface and borehole fracturing of basalt.In addition,true triaxial stress can inhibit the development and distribution of thermal cracks during microwave-induced surface fracturing.When microwave-induced borehole fracturing occurs,it promotes the distribution of thermal cracks in rock,but inhibits the width of cracks.The results also prove the reliability of the test system.

Paired associative stimulation improves synaptic plasticity and functional outcomes after cerebral ischemia

Paired associative stimulation is a relatively new non-invasive brain stimulation technique that combines transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation. The effects of paired associative stimulation on the excitability of the cerebral cortex can vary according to the time interval between the transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation. We established a model of cerebral ischemia in rats via transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. We administered paired associative stimulation with a frequency of 0.05 Hz 90 times over 4 weeks. We then evaluated spatial learning and memory using the Morris water maze. Changes in the cerebral ultra-structure and synaptic plasticity were assessed via transmission electron microscopy and a 64-channel multi-electrode array. We measured mRNA and protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 in the hippocampus using a real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay. Paired associative stimulation treatment significantly improved learning and memory in rats subjected to cerebral ischemia. The ultra-structures of synapses in the CA1 area of the hippocampus in rats subjected to cerebral ischemia were restored by paired associative stimulation. Long-term potentiation at synapses in the CA3 and CA1 regions of the hippocampus was enhanced as well. The protein and mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 increased after paired associative stimulation treatment. These data indicate that paired associative stimulation can protect cog-nition after cerebral ischemia. The observed effect may be mediated by increases in the mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1, and by enhanced synaptic plasticity in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. The animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China(approval No. TJ-A20151102) on July 11, 2015.

Two New Pentacyclic Triterpenes from Sabia parviflora

Two new pentacyclic triterpene acids, 1a, 3b-dihydroxyl-olean-12-en-28-oic acid and 1a, 2a, 3b-trihydroxyl-olean-12-en-28-oic acid, were isolated from the arial parts of Sabia parviflora.

Simulation of one-dimensional column leaching of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore

The ion exchange model of the leaching process was determined via batch leaching experiments using the Kerr model, with the selectivity coefficient experimentally determined to be 12.59×10^-10 L^2/g^2. Solute transport laws of ammonium ions (NH4 +) and rare earth ions (RE^3+) in column leaching were described by the convection-dispersion equation (CDE). The source and sink in the CDE were determined by the Kerr model. The CDE with strong nonlinearity was solved using the sequential non-iterative method. Compared with the breakthrough curve of RE^3+, the correlation coefficient between the simulated and experimental curves reached 0.8724. Therefore, this method can simulate the one-dimensional column leaching of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. Moreover, the effects of different concentrations of ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) solution on the leaching rate of rare earth were analyzed. The optimal concentration of the (NH4)2SO4 solution had a linear relationship with the rare earth grade.

Effects of nutritional and psychological status in gastrointestinal cancer patients on tolerance of treatment

AIM: To assess the effects of poor nutritional and psychological status on tolerance of cancer treatment and the recovery of physical performance status in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: An epidemiological survey with respect to nutritional and psychological status in patients with gastrointestinal cancer was conducted among 182 operated patients in four provincial-level hospitals from December 2005 to June 2006. The food frequency survey method, state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and depression status inventory (DSI) were used to obtain information about the diet and psychological status in the patients. Nutritional status in the participants was reflected by serum albumin (Alb), hemoglobin (HB) and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Alb, protein intake and anxiety were associated with the severity of side effects of treatment. The adjusted relative risk (RR) for Alb, protein intake and anxiety was 3.30 (95% CI: 1.08, 10.10, P = 0.03), 3.25 (95% CI: 1.06, 9.90, P = 0.04) and 1.48 (95% CI: 1.29, 1.70, P < 0.0001), respectively. Moreover, calorie intake, HB and depression were associated with the recovery of physical performance status in the patients. Adjusted relative risk was 2.12 (95% CI: 1.09, 4.03, P = 0.028), 2.05 (95% CI: 1.08, 3.88, P =0.026) and 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.12, P = 0.007), respectively. CONCLUSION: Both poor nutrition status and psychological status are independent risk factors for severe side effects of cancer treatment, and have impact on the recovery of physical performance status in patients after treatment.

Unrevealing the effects of low temperature on cycling life of 21700-type cylindrical Li-ion batteries

The low-temperature performance of Li-ion batteries(LIBs) has important impacts on their commercial applications. Besides the metallic lithium deposition, which is regarded as one of the main failure mechanisms of the LIBs at low temperatures, the synergistic effects originating from the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separators to the batteries are still not clear. Here, the 21700-type cylindrical batteries were evaluated at a wide range of temperatures to investigate the failure mechanism of batteries. Voltage relaxation, and the post-mortem analysis combined with the electrochemical tests, unravel that the capacity degradation of batteries at low temperature is related to the lithium plating at graphite anodes,the formation of unsatisfied solid deposited/decomposed electrolyte mixture phase on the anode, the precipitation of solvent in the electrolytes and the block of separator pores, and the uneven dissolved transition metal-ions from the cathode. We hope this finding may open up a new avenue to alleviate the capacity degradation of advanced LIBs at low temperatures and shed light on the development of outstanding low-temperature LIBs via simultaneous optimization of all the components including electrodes, electrolytes and separators.

Time trends of incidence of digestive system cancers in changle of China during 1988-2002

AIM： To analyze the incidence of digestive system cancer in Changle of China over a 15-year period. METHODS： The datasets were presented as timeseries of China-standardized annual incidence during 1988-2002. Linear regression model was used to analyze the incidence of stomach, liver, esophagus and colorectal cancers. RESULTS： Linear regression models for the time-series of stomach and esophagus cancer incidences for both men and women were statistically significant （P 〈 0.05）; Regression models for liver cancer and for colorectal cancer were statistically significant for men （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： The incidence rates of stomach and esophagus cancers for both men and women had down tendencies. For men, liver cancer had a down trend of the incidence and colorectal cancer had an upward trend of the incidence rate.

Dasycarine, a New Quinoline Alkaloid from Dictamnus dasycarpus

Dasycarine, a new quinoline alkaloid along with five known compounds, dictamine, dihydroobacunone, obacunone, fraxinellone and beta-sitosterol, were isolated from Dictamnus dasycarpus. The structure of dasycarine was identified as 4, 5, 8- trimethoxyl -3- (3- methyl -2-butenyl)- 2- quinone by 1D and 2D NMR techniques.

Assessment of the relationship between resilience and quality of life in patients with digestive cancer

AIM: To study the relationship between resilience and quality of life (QOL) in patients with digestive cancer.

A New Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid from Sabia parviflora

A new benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-5-hydroxyl-8-methoxyl-2- methyl-4'-methoxyl-benzylisoquinoline, was isolated from the arial parts of Sabia parviflora. Its structure was established on the basis of spectral analysis.

Preparation of crystalline rare earth carbonates with large particle size from the lixivium of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

Crystalline rare-earth(RE)carbonates having large particle size were prepared from the lixivium of weathered crust elution-deposited rare-earth ores using the precipitation method with ammonium bicarbonate as the precipitant.Their chemical composition was studied using elemental and thermogravimetric analyses(TGA),and their structure and morphology were characterized using Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction(XRD),and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The results demonstrate that the crystalline rareearth carbonate is a hydrated basic carbonate or oxycarbonate and not astable intermediate carbonate in the process of thermal decomposition.The particle size of crystalline rare-earth carbonates with large particle size is in the range of 50–200μm.With an RE2O3 content of up to 95wt%,the quality of crystalline rare-earth carbonates is higher compared to the Chinese National Standard(GB/T 28882–2012).The quality of the product is superior to the Chinese National Standard.