In his 1972 landmark paper „More is Different,” Philip W. Anderson established „complexity” as a fundamentally important subject of inquiry. He highlighted the profound limitations of reductionist approaches in understanding nature’s complexity, and he set in motion new lines of investigation that have, among other things, led to systems biology.Protonic ceramic solid oxide cells (P-SOCs) have gained widespread attention due to their potential for operation in the temperature range of 300-500 °C, which is not only beneficial in terms of material stability but also offers unique possibilities from a thermodynamic point of view to realize a series of reactions. For instance, they are ideal for the production of synthetic fuels by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, upgradation of hydrocarbons, or dehydrogenation reactions. However, the development of P-SOC is quite challenging because it requires a multifront optimization in terms of material synthesis and fabrication procedures. Herein, we report in detail a method to overcome various fabrication challenges for the development of efficient and robust electrode-supported P-SOCs (Ni-BCZY/BCZY/Ni-BCZY) based on a BaCe0.2Zr0.7Y0.1O3-δ (BCZY271) electrolyte. We examined the effect of pore formers on the porosity of the Ni-BCZY support electrode, various electrolyte deposition techniques (spray, spin, and vacuum-assisted), and thermal treatments for developing robust and flat half-cells. Half-cells containing a thin (10-12 μm) pinhole-free electrolyte layer were completed by a screen-printed Ni-BCZY electrode and evaluated as an electrochemical hydrogen pump to access the functionality. The P-SOCs are found to show a current density ranging from 150 to 525 mA cm-2 at 1 V over an operating temperature range of 350-450 °C. The faradaic efficiency of the P-SOCs as well as their stability were also evaluated.Cathepsin B is a lysosomal protease that participates in protein degradation. However, cathepsin B is also active under neutral pH conditions of the cytosol, nuclei, and extracellular locations. The dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase (DPCP) activity of cathepsin B, assayed with the Abz-GIVR↓AK(Dnp)-OH substrate, has been reported to display an acidic pH optimum. In contrast, the endopeptidase activity, monitored with Z-RR-↓AMC, has a neutral pH optimum. These observations raise the question of whether other substrates can demonstrate cathepsin B DPCP activity at neutral pH and endopeptidase activity at acidic pH. To address this question, global cleavage profiling of cathepsin B with a diverse peptide library was conducted under acidic and neutral pH conditions. Results revealed that cathepsin B has (1) major DPCP activity and modest endopeptidase activity under both acidic and neutral pH conditions and (2) distinct pH-dependent amino acid preferences adjacent to cleavage sites for both DPCP and endopeptidase activities. The pH-dependent cleavage preferences were utilized to design a new Abz-GnVR↓AK(Dnp)-OH DPCP substrate, with norleucine (n) at the P3 position, having improved DPCP activity of cathepsin B at neutral pH compared to the original Abz-GIVR↓AK(Dnp)-OH substrate. The new Z-VR-AMC and Z-ER-AMC substrates displayed improved endopeptidase activity at acidic pH compared to the original Z-RR-AMC. These findings illustrate the new concept that cathepsin B possesses DPCP and endopeptidase activities at both acidic and neutral pH values. These results advance understanding of the pH-dependent cleavage properties of the dual DPCP and endopeptidase activities of cathepsin B that function under different cellular pH conditions.Epidemiological data on cerebral venous thrombosis in China are still lacking at present on the aspects of incidence, recurrence, risk factors, and so on. Herein, we aimed to fill the gap, based on the result of this multicenter prospective cohort study. A total of 26 top tertiary hospitals distributed in China Mainland will take part in this study. For the first time, a dataset of cerebral venous thrombosis cohort (including multiethnic patients of all ages in almost all regions of Mainland China, regardless of gender) will be built. Inclusion criteria were as follows (1) aged ≥14 years, (2) neuroimaging-confirmed cerebral venous thrombosis, (3) symptom onset was within 30 days prior to enrollment, (4) signed the informed consent form. Demographic data, risk factors, clinical and neuroimaging features, ophthalmologic and aural results, blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid examination, therapeutic strategies, and adverse events were analyzed. Two milliliters of fasting venous blood and 2 mL of cerebrospinal fluid will be collected and stored. Furthermore, patients will be followed up at months 1, 3, 6, and 12 after baseline assessment. Primary outcome will be all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes (1) cerebrospinal fluid pressure and Frisen grade; (2) recanalization rate on imaging; (3) rating scales such as GCS, NIHSS, mRS, Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item, HIT-6, and Tinnitus Handicap Index. This study will for the first time provide strong evidence on the incidence rate, recurrence rate, and demographic data, as well as special risk factors, clinical outcomes, symptomatic and imaging features of cerebral venous thrombosis in Chinese population. The results of this study will also provide an important reference on prevention, early diagnosis, and customized treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis in Chinese patients.

Growing bodies of evidence suggest that angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the key factors involved in angiogenesis. Because of this importance, we investigated the serum levels of VEGF in MS patients according to their clinical phase and subtype of MS in this study.

This case-control study was done on 47 definite MS patients with the first clinical attack and 47 randomly selected individuals without any underlying inflammatory and autoimmune disease as the control group. The total serum VEGF level was measured from the subject’s peripheral blood sample by ELISA during the first and second attacks of MS and 6 months after the first attack in the remission phase as well as the control group. In addition, the correlation between these variables and the influence of gender, age, and duration of the remission phase on such associations was evaluated by using the independent t test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

There was an increase in the serum level of VEGF in all phases of MS compared with non-MS individuals (p value <0.0001) and a significant correlation between the serum level of VEGF and the interval between first and second attacks (r = -720, p < 0.0001). A higher serum level of VEGF in the first attack leads to higher VEGF levels in the second and sixth mount of remission phases.

Rise in the serum VEGF level may be involved in MS’s relapsing phases and a shorter remission phase. Therefore, it could be used as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for MS disease.

Rise in the serum VEGF level may be involved in MS’s relapsing phases and a shorter remission phase. Therefore, it could be used as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for MS disease.

The study aimed to estimate weekly differences in the prevalence of a short cervix during the period of 18+0 to 23+6 weeks of gestation in pregnant women with and without a history of previous preterm delivery (PTD).

An observational study was conducted.

Setting and participants 20,002 pregnant women, 18,591 without a history of previous PTD (low risk) and 1,411 with at least one previous PTD (high risk), were evaluated at 18+0 to 23+6 weeks + days of gestation. Weekly differences in the prevalence of a short cervix (≤25 mm, ≤20 mm, and ≤15 mm) between women with and without previous PTD were estimated.

High-risk women had a significantly higher prevalence of a short cervix, defined as either ≤25 mm (4.4% vs. 2.2%; p < 0.0001) or ≤20 mm (2.4% vs. 1.2%; p < 0.0001) but not for ≤15 mm (1.2% vs. 0.9%; p < 0.2) as compared to low-risk pregnant women. The odds ratio for a short cervix ≤25 mm in high-risk as compared to low-risk women was 2.0 (95% CI 1.54-2.61; p < 0.0001). Among low-risk women, those evaluated at 22 or 23 weeks of gestation had a significantly higher prevalence of a short cervix ≤25 mm (3.8% vs. 1.9%; p < 0.0001), ≤20 mm (2.4% vs. 0.98%; p < 0.0001), and ≤15 mm (1.6% vs. 0.7%; p < 0.0001) than low-risk women scanned between 18 and 21 weeks of gestation. Similar results were observed for high-risk women.

No gestational age at delivery was evaluated.

There is higher prevalence of short cervix when pregnant women are evaluated at 22+0 to 23+6 than at 18+0 to 21+6 weeks of gestation.

There is higher prevalence of short cervix when pregnant women are evaluated at 22+0 to 23+6 than at 18+0 to 21+6 weeks of gestation.

It remains unclear if fetal repair of myelomeningocele (MM) is associated with a greater risk of developing symptomatic dermal inclusion cysts (ICs) at the neural placode. We report two infants treated with fetal surgery who developed symptomatic IC at less than 1 year of age, and we discuss the current literature on symptomatic IC in children with MM.

Two infants underwent fetal MM repair at 24 weeks of gestational age. Case 1 was born at 30 weeks and had two revisions of the MM wound early in life. At 8 months of age, the patient presented with meningismus and imaging findings of an IC, which was resected at the time of presentation. At 3 years of age, this patient was found to have recurrence of the IC after presenting with worsening bladder function and underwent repeat debulking with no recurrence at 6 years of age. Case 2 was born at 32 weeks of gestational age with uncomplicated recovery. At 8 months of age, the patient presented with irritability and fullness at the lumbar repair site. Imaging showed a large IC with restricted diffusion and extension into the subcutaneous tissue; this was resected completely at the time of presentation, see intraoperative photographs. There has been no sign of recurrence at age of 15 months.

Careful monitoring for IC in infancy in MM patients who have had fetal surgery is recommended.

Careful monitoring for IC in infancy in MM patients who have had fetal surgery is recommended.A high-resolution nutrient emission inventory can provide reliable and accurate identification of priority control areas, which is crucial for efficient decisions on water quality restoration. However, the inventories widely used in large-scale modeling are usually based on provincial inputs, which induce the challenges of lacking localized parameters and missing localized characteristic when provincial scale inputs are converted to finer scales with the down-scale methods. Based on elaborate investigations and statistical data at the county scale with multi-scale data conversion, the China Emission Inventory of Nutrients (CEIN) was developed with a spatial resolution of a 0.1° grid and sub-basin scales. The Yangtze River Basin was used as a case study to illustrate the potential applications of CEIN. The emissions of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of Yangtze River Basin is 0.43 Mt and 0.04 Mt for point sources, 11.09 Mt and 4.64 Mt for diffuse sources in 2017. The hotspot analysis for 2606 sub-basins indicated that cropland is the key source of nutrient emissions, accounting for 58.