Effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on cytokines in adolescents with subthreshold depression:a randomized controlled study

Strong evidence has accumulated to show a correlation between depression symptoms and inflammatory responses.Moreover,anti-inflammatory treatment has shown partial effectiveness in alleviating depression symptoms.Lycium barbarum polysaccharide(LBP),derived from Goji berries,exhibits notable antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.In our recent double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial,we found that LBP significantly reduced depressive symptoms in adolescents with subthreshold depression.It is presumed that the antidepressant effect of LBP may be associated with its influence on inflammatory cytokines.In the double-blinded randomized controlled trial,we enrolled 29 adolescents with subthreshold depression and randomly divided them into an LBP group and a placebo group.In the LBP group,adolescents were given 300 mg/d LBP.A 6-week follow up was completed by 24 adolescents,comprising 14 adolescents from the LBP group(15.36±2.06 years,3 men and 11 women)and 10 adolescents from the placebo group(14.9±1.6 years,2 men and 8 women).Our results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment,the interleukin-17A level in the LBP group was lower than that in the placebo group.Network analysis showed that LBP reduced the correlations and connectivity between inflammatory factors,which were associated with the improvement in depressive symptoms.These findings suggest that 6-week administration of LBP suppresses the immune response by reducing interleukin-17A level,thereby exerting an antidepressant effect.

240 nm AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet micro-LEDs:size effect versus edge effect

240 nm AlGaN-based micro-LEDs with different sizes are designed and fabricated.Then,the external quantum efficiency(EQE)and light extraction efficiency(LEE)are systematically investigated by comparing size and edge effects.Here,it is revealed that the peak optical output power increases by 81.83%with the size shrinking from 50.0 to 25.0μm.Thereinto,the LEE increases by 26.21%and the LEE enhancement mainly comes from the sidewall light extraction.Most notably,transversemagnetic(TM)mode light intensifies faster as the size shrinks due to the tilted mesa side-wall and Al reflector design.However,when it turns to 12.5μm sized micro-LEDs,the output power is lower than 25.0μm sized ones.The underlying mechanism is that even though protected by SiO2 passivation,the edge effect which leads to current leakage and Shockley-Read-Hall(SRH)recombination deteriorates rapidly with the size further shrinking.Moreover,the ratio of the p-contact area to mesa area is much lower,which deteriorates the p-type current spreading at the mesa edge.These findings show a role of thumb for the design of high efficiency micro-LEDs with wavelength below 250 nm,which will pave the way for wide applications of deep ultraviolet(DUV)micro-LEDs.

Effect of aflibercept combined with triamcinolone acetonide on aqueous humor growth factor and inflammatory mediators in diabetic macular edema

AIM:To investigate the efficacy of aflibercept combined with sub-tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide(TA)in treating diabetic macular edema(DME)and to examine changes in growth factors and inflammatory mediator levels in aqueous humor after injection.METHODS:Totally 67 DME patients(67 eyes)and 30 cataract patients(32 eyes)were enrolled as the DME group and the control group,respectively.The DME group was divided into the aflibercept group(34 cases)and the aflibercept combined with TA group(combined group,33 cases).The aqueous humor of both groups was collected during the study period.The aqueous levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-8(IL-8),and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)were detected using a microsphere suspension array technology(Luminex 200TM).Aqueous cytokines,best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),central macular thickness(CMT),and complications before and after treatment were compared between the aflibercept group and combined group.RESULTS:The concentrations of VEGF,MCP-1,IL-6,and IL-8 in the aqueous humor were significantly higher in the DME group than those of the control group(all P<0.01).After 1mo of surgery,the concentrations of VEGF,MCP-1,IL-6,and IL-8 in the aqueous humor were significantly lower in the combined group than those of the aflibercept group(all P<0.01).The BCVA and CMT values of the two groups were statistically different after 1 and 2mo of treatment(P<0.01).However,the difference was not statistically significant after 3mo of treatment(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:The cytokines VEGF,MCP-1,IL-6,and IL-8 in the aqueous humor of DME patients are significantly increased.Aflibercept and aflibercept combined with TA have good efficacy in DME patients,can effectively reduce CMT,improve the patient’s vision,and have high safety.Aflibercept combined with TA can quickly downregulate the aqueous humor cytokines and help to relieve macular edema rapidly.However,the long-term efficacy is comparable to that of aflibercept alone.

Experimental study on the effect of water absorption level on rockburst occurrence of sandstone

To investigate the mechanism of rockburst prevention by spraying water onto the surrounding rocks,15 experiments are performed considering different water absorption levels on a single face.High-speed photography and acoustic emission(AE)system are used to monitor the rockburst process.The effect of water on sandstone rockburst and the prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst are analyzed from the perspective of energy and failure mode.The results show that the higher the ab-sorption degree,the lower the intensity of the rockburst after absorbing water on single side of sand-stone.This is reflected in the fact that with the increase in the water absorption level,the ejection velocity of rockburst fragments is smaller,the depth of the rockburst pit is shallower,and the AE energy is smaller.Under the water absorption level of 100%,the magnitude of rockburst intensity changes from medium to slight.The prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst is that water reduces the capacity of sandstone to store strain energy and accelerates the expansion of shear cracks,which is not conducive to the occurrence of plate cracking before rockburst,and destroys the conditions for rockburst incubation.

Evaluation of the intracellular lipid-lowering effect of polyphenols extract from highland barley in HepG2 cells

Active ingredients from highland barley have received considerable attention as natural products for developing treatments and dietary supplements against obesity.In practical application,the research of food combinations is more significant than a specific food component.This study investigated the lipid-lowering effect of highland barley polyphenols via lipase assay in vitro and HepG2 cells induced by oleic acid(OA).Five indexes,triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(T-CHO),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and alanine aminotransferase(ALT),were used to evaluate the lipidlowering effect of highland barley extract.We also preliminary studied the lipid-lowering mechanism by Realtime fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q PCR).The results indicated that highland barley extract contains many components with lipid-lowering effects,such as hyperoside and scoparone.In vitro,the lipase assay showed an 18.4%lipase inhibition rate when the additive contents of highland barley extract were 100μg/m L.The intracellular lipid-lowering effect of highland barley extract was examined using 0.25 mmol/L OA-induced HepG2 cells.The results showed that intracellular TG,LDL-C,and T-CHO content decreased by 34.4%,51.2%,and 18.4%,respectively.ALT and AST decreased by 51.6%and 20.7%compared with the untreated hyperlipidemic HepG2 cells.q PCR results showed that highland barley polyphenols could up-regulation the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes such as PPARγand Fabp4.

High responsivity photodetectors based on graphene/WSe_(2) heterostructure by photogating effect

Graphene, with its zero-bandgap electronic structure, is a highly promising ultra-broadband light absorbing material.However, the performance of graphene-based photodetectors is limited by weak absorption efficiency and rapid recombination of photoexcited carriers, leading to poor photodetection performance. Here, inspired by the photogating effect, we demonstrated a highly sensitive photodetector based on graphene/WSe_(2) vertical heterostructure where the WSe_(2) layer acts as both the light absorption layer and the localized grating layer. The graphene conductive channel is induced to produce more carriers by capacitive coupling. Due to the strong light absorption and high external quantum efficiency of multilayer WSe_(2), as well as the high carrier mobility of graphene, a high photocurrent is generated in the vertical heterostructure. As a result, the photodetector exhibits ultra-high responsivity of 3.85×10~4A/W and external quantum efficiency of 1.3 × 10~7%.This finding demonstrates that photogating structures can effectively enhance the sensitivity of graphene-based photodetectors and may have great potential applications in future optoelectronic devices.

Engineering Strategies for Suppressing the Shuttle Effect in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S)batteries are supposed to be one of the most potential next-generation batteries owing to their high theoretical capacity and low cost.Nevertheless,the shuttle effect of firm multi-step two-electron reaction between sulfur and lithium in liquid electrolyte makes the capacity much smaller than the theoretical value.Many methods were proposed for inhibiting the shuttle effect of polysulfide,improving corresponding redox kinetics and enhancing the integral performance of Li–S batteries.Here,we will comprehensively and systematically summarize the strategies for inhibiting the shuttle effect from all components of Li–S batteries.First,the electrochemical principles/mechanism and origin of the shuttle effect are described in detail.Moreover,the efficient strategies,including boosting the sulfur conversion rate of sulfur,confining sulfur or lithium polysulfides(LPS)within cathode host,confining LPS in the shield layer,and preventing LPS from contacting the anode,will be discussed to suppress the shuttle effect.Then,recent advances in inhibition of shuttle effect in cathode,electrolyte,separator,and anode with the aforementioned strategies have been summarized to direct the further design of efficient materials for Li–S batteries.Finally,we present prospects for inhibition of the LPS shuttle and potential development directions in Li–S batteries.

Carbon Emission Effects Driven by Evolution of Chinese Dietary Structure from 1987 to 2020

Exploring carbon emission effects based on the evolution of residents’ dietary structure to achieve the carbon neutrality goal and mitigate climate change is an important task.This study took China as the research object(data excluding Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan) and used the carbon emission coefficient method to quantitatively measure the food carbon emissions from 1987–2020,then analyzed the carbon emission effects under the evolution of dietary structure.The results showed that during the study period,the Chinese dietary structure gradually changed to a high-carbon consumption pattern.The dietary structure of urban residents developed to a balanced one,while that of rural residents developed to a high-quality one.During the study period,the per capita food carbon emissions and total food consumption of Chinese showed an increasing trend.The per capita food carbon emissions of residents in urban and rural showed an overall upward trend.The total food carbon emissions in urban increased significantly,while that in rural increased first and then decreased.The influence of beef and mutton on carbon emissions is the highest in dietary structure.Compared with the balanced dietary pattern,the food carbon emissions of Chinese residents had not yet reached the peak,but were evolving to a high-carbon consumption pattern.

“Buckets effect”in the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions

In this study,we systematically investigated the effect of proton concentration on the kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)on Pt(111)in acidic solutions.Experimental results demonstrate a rectangular hyperbolic relationship,i.e.,the ORR current excluding the effect of other variables increases with proton concentration and then tends to a constant value.We consider that this is caused by the limitation of ORR kinetics by the trace oxygen concentration in the solution,which determines the upper limit of ORR kinetics.A model of effective concentration is further proposed for rectangular hyperbolic relationships:when the reactant concentration is high enough to reach a critical saturation concentration,the effective reactant concentration will become a constant value.This could be due to the limited concentration of a certain reactant for reactions involving more than one reactant or the limited number of active sites available on the catalyst.Our study provides new insights into the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions,and it is important for the proper evaluation of catalyst activity and the study of structureperformance relationships.

Understanding the Relationship Between Shrinking Cities and Land Prices:Spatial Pattern,Effectiveness,and Policy Implications

Urban shrinkage has emerged as a widespread phenomenon globally and has a significant impact on land,particularly in terms of land use and price.This study focuses on 2851 county-level cities in China in 2005–2018(excluding Hong Kong,Macao,Taiwan,and‘no data’areas in Qinhai-Tibet Plateau)as the fundamental units of analysis.By employing nighttime light(NTL)data to identify shrinking cities,the propensity score matching(PSM)model was used to quantitatively examine the impact of shrinking cities on land prices,and evaluate the magnitude of this influence.The findings demonstrate the following:1)there were 613 shrinking cities in China,with moderate shrinkage being the most prevalent and severe shrinkage being the least.2)Regional disparities are evident in the spatial distribution of shrinking cities,especially in areas with diverse terrain.3)The spatial pattern of land price exhibits a significant correlated to the economic and administrative levels.4)Shrinking cities significantly negatively impact on the overall land price(ATT=–0.1241,P<0.05).However,the extent of the effect varies significantly among different spatial regions.This study contributes novel insights into the investigation of land prices and shrinking cities,ultimately serving as a foundation for government efforts to promote the sustainable development of urban areas.

Cumulative effects of excess high-normal alanine aminotransferase levels in relation to new-onset metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in China

BACKGROUND Within the normal range,elevated alanine aminotransferase(ALT)levels are associated with an increased risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD).AIM To investigate the associations between repeated high-normal ALT measurements and the risk of new-onset MAFLD prospectively.METHODS A cohort of 3553 participants followed for four consecutive health examinations over 4 years was selected.The incidence rate,cumulative times,and equally and unequally weighted cumulative effects of excess high-normal ALT levels(ehALT)were measured.Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyse the association between the cumulative effects of ehALT and the risk of new-onset MAFLD.RESULTS A total of 83.13%of participants with MAFLD had normal ALT levels.The incidence rate of MAFLD showed a linear increasing trend in the cumulative ehALT group.Compared with those in the low-normal ALT group,the multivariate adjusted hazard ratios of the equally and unequally weighted cumulative effects of ehALT were 1.651[95%confidence interval(CI):1.199-2.273]and 1.535(95%CI:1.119-2.106)in the third quartile and 1.616(95%CI:1.162-2.246)and 1.580(95%CI:1.155-2.162)in the fourth quartile,respectively.CONCLUSION Most participants with MAFLD had normal ALT levels.Long-term high-normal ALT levels were associated with a cumulative increased risk of new-onset MAFLD.

The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise on autoimmune diseases:A 20-year systematic review

Background:The anti-inflammatory effect of exercise may be an underlying factor in improving several autoimmune diseases.The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence on the role of exercise training in mitigating inflammation in adolescents and adults with autoimmune disease.Methods:PubMed,Web of Science,and Embase databases were systematically reviewed for related studies published between January 1,2003,and August 31,2023.All randomized and non-randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions with autoimmune disease study participants that evaluated inflammation-related biomarkers were included.The quality of evidence was assessed using the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise scale and Cochrane bias risk tool.Results:A total of 14,565 records were identified.After screening the titles,abstracts,and full texts,87 were eligible for the systematic review.These studies were conducted in 25 different countries and included a total of 2779 participants(patients with autoimmune disease,in exercise or control groups).Overall,the evidence suggests that inflammation-related markers such as C-reactive protein,interleukin 6,and tumor necrosis factor a were reduced by regular exercise interventions.Regular exercise interventions combined with multiple exercise modes were associated with greater benefits.Conclusion:Regular exercise training by patients with autoimmune disease exerts an anti-inflammatory influence.This systematic review provides support for the promotion and development of clinical exercise intervention programs for patients with autoimmune disease.Most patients with autoimmune disease can safely adopt moderate exercise training protocols,but changes in inflammation biomarkers will be modest at best.Acute exercise interventions are ineffective or even modestly but transiently pro-inflammatory.

Effect of acupuncture on acupoint "Yingxiang-Hegu" on Th1, Th2 cytokines and T-bet/GATA-3 of allergic rhinitis rats

Objective:To explore the effect of"Yingxiang-Hegu"on Th1,Th2-related cytokines and[2]transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3 in rats with allergic rhinitis.Methods:Rats were randomly divided into three groups:blank group,model group and acupoint group.The rat model of ovalbumin(OVA)AR was established,and the general condition of the rats was observed and scored.Acupuncture intervention was performed on the acupoint group on the second day after successful modeling,once per day for 20 min for 10 d.After intervention,the general behavior,behavioral score and histomorphological changes of nasal mucosa were observed.Eosinophils(EOS)were counted under microscope after nasal lavage smear staining,and the contents of total IgE,IFN-γ,IL-12,IL-4 and IL-5 in serum were detected by ELISA.Westernblot and IHC were used to detect the protein level and positive protein expression of specific transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3 in rat nasal mucosa.Results:After the establishment of the model,except for the blank group,the behavioral observation scores of rats in the model group and acupoint group were more than 5 points,indicating that the model was successful.After acupuncture intervention on acupoint"Yingxiang-Hegu",the behavioral score of rats in the acupoint group and western medicine group was significantly lower than that in the model group(P<0.05).Microscopic examination showed that the structure of nasal mucosa in the model group was obviously damaged,cilia were arranged discontinuously,uneven,local congestion and swelling,a large number of epithelial cells exfoliated and necrotic,goblet cell proliferation,obvious inflammatory cell infiltration.The pathological degree of nasal mucosa in the pair point group was significantly less than that in the model group.Compared with the model group,the levels of IFN-γ,IL-2 and IL-12 in serum were significantly increased,while IgE,IL-4,IL-5 and IL-6 were significantly decreased,GATA-3 protein and positive expression in nasal mucosa were significantly decreased and T-bet was significantly increased after acupuncture.Conclusion:Acupuncture at"Yingxiang-Hegu"can effectively improve the nasal sensitive symptoms and control nasal inflammation in AR rats.The mechanism may be that acupuncture at Yingxiang-Hegu can up-regulate the expression of T-bet,decrease the level of GATA-3,promote the production of Th1 cytokines and inhibit the synthesis and secretion of Th2 cells,thus restoring the immune balance of Th1 and Th2.

More tree growth reduction due to consecutive drought and its legacy effect for a semiarid larch plantation in Northwest China

Extreme climate has increasingly led to negative impacts on forest ecosystems globally,especially in semiarid areas where forest ecosystems are more vulnerable.However,it is poorly understood how tree growth is affected by different drought events.In 2006–2009,the larch plantations in the semiarid areas of Northwest China were negatively affected by four consecutive dry years,which was a very rare phenomenon that may occur frequently under future climate warming.In this study,we analyzed the effect of these consecutive dry years on tree growth based on the data of the tree rings in the dominant layer of the forest canopy on a larch plantation.We found that the tree-ring width index(RWI)in dry years was lower than that in normal years,and it experienced a rapidly decreasing trend from 2006 to 2009(slope=-0.139 year^(-1),r=-0.94)due to water supply deficits in those dry years.Drought induced legacy effects of tree growth reduction,and consecutive dry years corresponded with greater growth reductions and legacy effects.Growth reductions and legacy effects were significantly stronger in the third and fourth consecutive dry years than that of single dry year(p<0.05),which might have been due to the cumulative stress caused by consecutive dry years.Our results showed that larch trees experienced greater tree growth reduction due to consecutive dry years and their legacy effect,and the trees had lower recovery rates after consecutive dry years.Our results highlight that consecutive dry years pose a new threat to plantations under climate warming,and thus,the effect of climate extremes on tree growth should be considered in growth models in semiarid areas.

Vibronic effect study of ^(1)A_(2) state of H_(2)O and D_(2)O

The generalized oscillator strengths of the dipole-forbidden excitations of the ^(1)A_(2) of H_(2)O and D_(2)O were calculated with the time dependent density functional theory,by taking into account the vibronic effect.It is found that the vibronic effect converts the dipole-forbidden excitation of the ^(1)A_(2) into a dipole-allowed one,which enhances the intensities of the corresponding generalized oscillator strength in the small squared momentum transfer region.The present investigation shows that the vibronic effect of H_(2)O is slightly stronger than that of D_(2)O,which exhibits a clear isotopic effect.

Association of Cytokines with Clinical Indicators in Patients with Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators.Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),antiinfective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed.Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group.Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-αand IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Full-domain collaborative deployment method of multiple interference sources and evaluation of its deployment effect

This paper realizes the full-domain collaborative deployment of multiple interference sources of the global satellite navigation system(GNSS)and evaluates the deployment effect to enhance the ability to disturb the attacker and the capability to defend the GNSS during navigation countermeasures.Key evaluation indicators for the jamming effect of GNSS suppressive and deceptive jamming sources are first created,their evaluation models are built,and their detection procedures are sorted out,as the basis for determining the deployment principles.The principles for collaboratively deploying multi-jamming sources are developed to obtain the deployment structures(including the required number,structures in demand,and corresponding positions)of three single interference sources required by collaboratively deploying.Accordingly,simulation and hardware-in-loop testing results are presented to determine a rational configuration of the collaborative deployment of multi-jamming sources in the set situation and further realize the full-domain deployment of an interference network from ground,air to space.Varied evaluation indices for the deployment effect are finally developed to evaluate the deployment effect of the proposed configuration and further verify its reliability and rationality.

Effects of different doses of glucose and fructose on central metabolic pathways and intercellular wireless communication networks in humans

Fructose and glucose are often widely used in food processing and may contribute to many metabolic diseases.To observe the effects of different doses of glucose and fructose on human metabolism and cellular communication,volunteers were given low,medium,and high doses of glucose and fructose.Serum cytokines,glucose,lactate,nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NADH)and metabolic enzymes were assayed,and central carbon metabolic pathway networks and cytokine communication networks were constructed.The results showed that the glucose and fructose groups basically maintained the trend of decreasing catabolism and increasing anabolism with increasing dose.Compared with glucose,low-dose fructose decreased catabolism and increased anabolism,significantly enhanced the expression of the inflammatory cytokine interferon-γ(IFN-γ),macrophage-derived chemokine(MDC),induced protein-10(IP-10),and eotaxin,and significantly reduced the activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase(ICDH)and pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes(PDHC).Both medium and high doses of fructose increase catabolism and anabolism,and there are more cytokines and enzymes with significant changes.Furthermore,multiple cytokines and enzymes show strong relevance to metabolic regulation by altering the transcription and expression of enzymes in central carbon metabolic pathways.Therefore,excessive intake of fructose should be reduced to avoid excessive inflammatory responses,allergic reactions and autoimmune diseases.

Effects of urbanization and forest type on species composition and diversity,forest characteristics,biomass carbon sink,and their associations in Changchun,Northeast China:implications for urban carbon stock improvement

Differences in forest attributes and carbon sequestration of each organ and layer between broadleaved and conifer forests of central and outer urban areas are not well-defined,hindering the precise management of urban forests and improvement of function.To clarify the effect of two forest types with different urbanization intensities,we determined differences in vegetation composition and diversity,structural traits,and carbon stocks of 152 plots(20 m×20 m)in urban park forests in Changchun,which had the largest green quantity and carbon density effectiveness.We found that 1.1-fold thicker and healthier trees,and 1.6-to 2.0-fold higher,healthier,denser,and more various shrubs but with sparser trees and herbs occurred in the central urban forests(p<0.05)than in the outer forests.The conifer forests exhibited 30–70%obviously higher tree aboveground carbon sequestration(including stem and leaf)and 20%bigger trees,especially in the outer forests(p<0.05).In contrast,1.1-to 1.5-fold higher branch stocks,healthier and more diverse trees were found in broadleaved forests of both the inner and outer forests(p<0.05).Plant size and dominant species had similarly important roles in carbon stock improvement,especially big-sized woody plants and Pinus tabuliformis.In addition,a higher number of deciduous or needle species positively affected the broadleaved forest of the central urban area and conifer forest of the outer urban area,respectively.These findings can be used to guide precise management and accelerate the improvement of urban carbon function in Northeast China in the future.

Review on Hydroxyurea Usage in Young Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Examining Hemoglobin Induction, Potential Benefits, Responses, Safety, and Effectiveness

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent condition, particularly in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, where the presence of specific genes associated with Malaria contributes to its high prevalence. Patients with sickle cell disease frequently experience painful episodes necessitating hospitalization, and their hemoglobin levels are typically lower than those of the general population. There are different treatment options available to manage complications, such as transfusing blood, hydroxyurea, and strong anti-pains. However, with all these treatments, patients still commonly experience pain crises and suffer from organ damage. Hydroxyurea, the sole approved medication for sickle cell anemia in developed and developing countries, is widely used in children despite being primarily indicated for adults. Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of hydroxyurea in inducing HbF production in young children with SCD. Elevated HbF levels have been associated with improved clinical outcomes, including a reduction in vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome, and the need for blood transfusions. Furthermore, increased HbF levels have been shown to ameliorate disease-related organ damage, such as pulmonary hypertension and sickle cell retinopathy. The response to hydroxyurea treatment in young children with SCD is variable. Some patients achieve substantial increases in HbF levels and experience significant clinical benefits, while others may have a more modest response. Factors influencing the response include baseline HbF levels, genetic modifiers, treatment adherence, and dose optimization. Safety is a crucial consideration when using hydroxyurea in young children. Studies have shown that hydroxyurea is generally well-tolerated, with the most common adverse effects being myelosuppression, gastrointestinal symptoms, and dermatological manifestations. However,long-term effects and potential risks, such as renal dysfunction and reproductive impacts, require further investigation. The effectiveness of hydroxyurea in young children with SCD has been demonstrated in various clinical trials and observational studies. These studies have shown a significant reduction in disease-related complications and improved quality of life. However, optimal dosing, treatment duration, and long-term outcomes are still areas of ongoing research. This review focuses on recent studies investigating the benefits, effectiveness, responses, and safety of hydroxyurea in pediatric individuals diagnosed with sickle cell disease.