Introduction: The safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR) have been reported. However, the impacts of different types of mitral valves on the safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation in patients with AF who underwent MVR have not been elucidated. Methods and results: From 2015 to 2021, 17,496 patients underwent catheter ablation of AF for the first time in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were screened. The inclusion criteria were (1) aged 18 years or older; (2) diagnosed with AF; (3) history of mitral valve replacement. The exclusion criteria were a history of catheter ablation, surgical maze procedure, left atrial appendage closure or resection. A total of 68 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: the bioprosthetic MVR group (n=12) and the mechanical MVR group(n=58). The size of the left atrial was larger (49.5mm vs. 46.0mm, p<0.05), the thickness of the left interventricular septum was larger (11.0mm vs. 10.0mm, p<0.05), and the mitral ring area was smaller (2.3mm2 vs. 2.6mm2, p<0.05) for the bioprosthetic MVR group than the mechanical MVR group. During 23.4 (6.1, 36.5) months of follow-up, the incidence of the endpoint events was not significantly different between the two groups (33.3% vs. 30.4%, log-rank p=0.48). There were 2 cases (3.4%) of pseudoaneurysm and 1 case of acute cerebral infarction in the mechanical MVR group. No complication was observed in the bioprosthetic MVR group. No significant clinical bleeding events were observed in the bioprosthetic group while eight patients in the mechanical MVR groups had bleeding events (p=0.368) during the follow-up. Conclusion: The safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation of AF were comparable between the patients with mechanical MVR and bioprosthetic MVR.

Introduction: It was a century ago, whether used separately or in combination with other medicines, that radiotherapy evolved into a successful cancer treatment. In traditional radiation therapy, a dose volume histogram (DVH) is utilized for quantitative analysis of the treatment plan after the adoption of the treatment planning system. An isodose distribution is also used for qualitative analysis and evaluation of the treatment plan during this phase. The right treatment plan is assessed using physical and radiobiological models by in-house software developed for radiation oncologists. Materials and Methods: The first process was the OSCAR (Object Scoring with Coloured Area of Regret) treatment planning system, developed by Theratronics International, Kanata, Canada in 1991, which was one of the numerous plan evaluation software programs that were established in the field of radiation medicine to analyse and regularize the dose distribution. Many plan evaluation programs have been created over the developing years, with the commercial software used primarily and the primary inclusion MATLAB, and very few have been created using Microsoft Visual Basic, C++, and Java. As a substitute for MATLAB, Python is utilized because it is freely available and has no commercial value. Results: This study’s primary objective is to personalize the radiobiological effects to predict each patient by using the DVH data, which are now accessible, to improve the overall performance of the prior model. Several programming languages were initially investigated to check the portability and quick program execution to illustrate the novel ideas. It was discovered that Python was adequate for this research even if it has no economic value compared to other languages. The software receives the DVH data in text format as an input, and for convenience, it displays the output using a variety of Python widgets. Discussion: The major radiobiological parameter values, TD50/5, slope parameter (m), and volume parameter (n), are used to calculate the tumor control probability (TCP) and NTCP values of numerous targets and oars from their respective DVH statistics using Python software. The evaluation of the physical indices of the treatment plans, the AAPM, RTOG, and QUANTEC protocols were used in a clinical analysis for the execution of treatment plans. Conclusion: The problem in the previous plan evaluation tool was fixed by the custom-made PYTHON program used for this research investigation, which also added clinical and radiobiological understanding of the treatment plan. The software produces a report using Microsoft Excel for the comprehensive radiobiological and dosimetric plan evaluation study for cancer patients.

This study aimed to explore the associations between the home literacy environment (HLE) and preschoolers’ eye movements during storybook reading. A total of 87 Mandarin-speaking children between the ages of 3 and 6 participated in the study. Their vocabulary and ability to recognize Chinese characters tested were tested, and their eye movements while reading picture books were recorded. Their parents filled out a questionnaire that measured home literacy environment (HLE), including social interactions and literacy activities. The results showed that the home literacy environment was associated with children’s attention to print as indicated by their proportion of fixation duration on the print during storybook reading. Among the components of HLE, interactive reading was found to contribute the most distinctive variances to children’s fixations on the print during storybook reading. The experience of interactive reading was also related to young children’s literacy skills but not vocabulary. These findings provide empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of interactive reading as a potential avenue for improving children’s reading abilities.

Introduction. Adolescents living in peri-urban communities are more vulnerable to risky behaviours such as substance use. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence, risk and protective factors of adolescent substance use in peri-urban communities in Abuja. Methods. Date on lifetime and current substance use was collected using the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey Instrument. Data on risk and protective factors of adolescent substance use, based on the Problem Behaviour Theory, was also collected. Using the SPSS software, bivariate analysis was conducted using chi-square and independent t-tests, and multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The prevalence of lifetime substance use was 22.8% and current substance use was 18.5%. “Mixed drinks” was the most currently consumed substance at 8.1%, followed by alcohol (5.7%), and shisha (4.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that self-esteem (p=0.007), delinquency (p<0.001) and parent alcohol use (p=0.045) were independently associated with adolescent substance use. Discussion. There is a high prevalence of substance use among adolescents living in peri-urban communities in Abuja, Nigeria, and a new pattern of substance use consumption. Some risk factors identified by the problem behaviour theory were independently associated with adolescent substance use.

Background: In the multiple trials that established the efficacy of implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) in preventing sudden cardiac death, patients aged ≥ 80 years were poorly represented. One aspect of the paucity of data on outcomes in this subgroup pertains to any difference in survival based on the indication for the device, i.e. primary vs secondary prevention of ventricular arrhythmias. Methods: We performed a monocentric retrospective observational study of octogenarians receiving ICD therapy over a twelve-year period (n=95). Fisher exact and Chi-squared tests were used for categorical variables and student t-test and Wilcoxon rank-sum for continuous variables. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using logrank test and an adjusted Cox regression Hazard Ratio model was performed to compare survival between primary and secondary prevention groups. Results: Mean age of the cohort was 83.1 ± 3 years, with 85% (n=81) being male. 73% (n=69) of the participants had ischaemic cardiomyopathy and 43% (n=41) met the primary prevention indications. Overall survival at 5 years was 80% with a median survival time post device implantation at 27 months (IQR 12 – 55). The difference in survival rates between primary and secondary prevention was not statistically significant (p=0.63). Inappropriate shocks were delivered in 2 patients while 14 patients were successfully treated with appropriate therapy. Complications were encountered in 9.5% (n=9) of cases. Conclusion: In carefully selected octogenarians, there is no significant difference in the survival benefit conferred by ICD therapy based on the indication for the device. Advanced chronological age alone should not unduly influence the decision for ICD selection. There is an imperative for a greater representation of this cohort in future trials

Since the invention of whole genome prediction (WGP) more than two decades ago, breeding programs have established extensive reference populations that are cultivated under diverse environmental conditions. The introduction of the CGM-WGP model, which integrates crop growth models (CGM) with WGP, has expanded the applications of WGP to the prediction of unphenotyped traits in untested environments, including future climates. However, CGMs require multiple seasonal environmental records, unlike WGP, which makes CGM-WGP less accurate when applied to historical reference populations that lack crucial environmental inputs. Here, we investigated the ability of CGM-WGP to approximate missing environmental variables to improve prediction accuracy. Two environmental variables in a wheat CGM, initial soil water content (InitlSoilWCont) and initial nitrate profile, were sampled from different normal distributions separately or jointly in each iteration within the CGM-WGP algorithm. Our results showed that sampling InitlSoilWCont alone gave the best results and improved the prediction accuracy of grain number by 0.07, yield by 0.06 and protein content by 0.03. When using the sampled InitlSoilWCont values as an input for the traditional CGM, the average narrow-sense heritability of the genotype-specific parameters (GSPs) improved by 0.05, with GNSlope, PreAnthRes and VernSen showing the greatest improvements. Moreover, the root mean square of errors for grain number and yield was reduced by about 7% for CGM and 31% for CGM-WGP when using the sampled InitlSoilWCont values. Our results demonstrate the advantage of sampling missing environmental variables in CGM-WGP to improve prediction accuracy and increase the size of the reference population by enabling the utilisation of historical data that is missing environmental records.

The QDOT MICROTM Catheter is a novel open-irrigated contact force-sensing single-tip radiofrequency ablation catheter. It incorporates six thermocouples at its tip and offers temperature-controlled and very high-power short-duration (vHPSD) ablation with 90 Watts for 4 seconds to improve safety and efficacy of catheter ablation procedures. The QDOT MICROTM Catheter was recently evaluated for pulmonary vein isolation and safety, efficacy and long-term follow-up found promising results. Although the QDOT MICROTM Catheter was mainly designed for pulmonary vein isolation its versatility to treat atrial fibrillation as well as other types of arrythmias was recently evaluated by the FAST and FURIOUS study series and other studies and will be presented in this article.

Glyoxalase 2 (Glo2) is the second enzyme in the glyoxalase system, and while its cytoplasmic function is well-established, its subcellular localization in the nucleus and potential role there remain unexplored. This study investigates nuclear localization and function of Glo2 in human breast cancer (MCF7) and normal fibroblast-derived (HDF) cells. Glo2 was present in both cytoplasm and nucleus of MCF7 and HDF cells. Interestingly, Glo2 expression levels were significantly higher in MCF7 compared to HDF, especially when considering the nuclear Glo2. Western-blot analysis revealed the monomeric 29 KDa Glo2 form and a 47 KDa Glo2 form suggesting complex formation with other proteins in the cytoplasm of MCF7 and HDF cells. Interestingly, at the nuclear level only the tumor cells showed the 47 KDa Glo2 form. Sequential salt extraction indicated a potential association of Glo2 with non-histone proteins. Intriguingly, nuclear Glo2 positively correlated with cell cycle proliferative phase (G2/M), more markedly in MCF7. Furthermore, higher levels of S-glutathionylation of nuclear proteins were observed in MCF7 compared to HDFs, and “in vitro” addition of Glo2 to nuclear extracts increased S-glutathionylation levels, significantly in MCF7. Finally, inhibiting Glo2 increased doxorubicin cytotoxicity in MCF7. Overall, these results indicate that nuclear Glo2 may play a role in in promoting cancer cell survival and targeting Glo2 could be a promising strategy to improve the efficacy of some anticancer therapies in breast cancer.

Understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of the coordination of habitual and goal-directed behaviors is particularly important, as impaired coordination will cause various behavioral disorders. However, inducing habitual responses in human beings through repetitive stimuli-response training in a laboratory setting is a challenge. Well-trained sports experts, who have automatic perception-action associations towards expertise-related stimuli, provide a natural sample to address this critical knowledge gap. We used scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) to record the brain activity of well-trained sports experts when they performed a Simon task using expertise-related stimuli. By manipulating the congruency between the location of expertise-related stimuli and the response hand, we dissociated automatic habitual response and goal-directed inhibition control. We observed a stronger congruency effect on expertise-related stimuli than neutral stimuli. Particularly, sports experts exhibited larger response-locked lateralized readiness potentials (LRP) and stronger frontocentral beta band (15-25Hz) activity in the congruent condition than the incongruent condition, which indicate an enhanced automatic habitual response tendency towards expertise-related stimuli. In contrast, prominent mid-frontal theta (3-7Hz) activity observed in the incongruent condition signaled the involvement of inhibition control. Moreover, the response-locked lateralized readiness potential (LRP) amplitude and theta power showed significant behavioral relevance to performance efficiency. Taken together, these results suggest that sports experts exhibit an enhanced coordination process towards expertise-related stimuli, with automatic response preparation and proficient response inhibition through extensive training.

The potentially wide application of Phenolic acids (PAs) in industries was severely limited by their inadequate solubility and stability in polar/non-polar media. To overcome these limits, studies on the enzymatic esterification of PAs with glycerol were carried out to reach a yield of 95% of phenolic acid glycerols (PAGs) under the following reaction conditions: 1:150 molar ratio of caffeic acid (CA) to glycerol; 25% Lipozyme 435 relative to the weight of total substrates; temperature 80 oC, 500 rpm; 86.7 kPa and reaction time 10 h. Three resulting PAGs including caffeoyl glycerol (CG), feruloyl glycerol (FG) and p-hydroxycinnamoyl glycerol ( p-HCG) were confirmed by MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. Among them, CG showed a comparative free radical scavenging ability to CA, indicating its potential use as a water-soluble antioxidant alternative to CA for food and cosmetic applications.

Objective : To evaluate the effects of Complete Decongestive Treatment (CDT) on both cancer-related fatigue and sleep quality using validated and reliable questionnaires in cancer patients is commendable. Material and Metods: 94 patients between the ages of 18 and 75 were included in the study. The demographic characteristics of the patients were recorded. The participants’ Stages of Lymphedema , Hirai Cancer Fatigue Scale (HCFS) score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Global score, lymphedema-specific quality of life questionnaire (LYMQOL- ARM) score, and Global health status were recorded before and after CDT. Results : The mean age of the patients was 58.49±10.96 years. Strong correlations were found between the severity of edema and global health status . There was a significant positive relationship among the HCFS score, PSQI Global score, LYMQOL- ARM score and CDT. After decongestive physiotherapy, majority of the lymphedema stages were downstaging .(P < 0.05), respectively. There was also a trend toward improvement in general well-being (P < 0.05). Conclusion : In our study, which is the first study to investigate the HCFS score in postmastectomy patients and relationship between PSQI Global score and CDT. The findings identify the risk factors that affect these outcomes in women with lymphedema can provide valuable insights for targeted interventions and improved patient care.

Anti-VEGF therapy is commonly used to treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), but the exact mechanism of VEGF signaling is not fully understood. Using data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS), we analyzed proteomic changes in aqueous humor (AH) samples collected before and one week after intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) treatment from 10 PDR patients to discover potential biomarkers. Resultantly, 875 proteins were quantified and 26 proteins were significantly altered in response to IVR treatment in PDR. Further investigation through gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis revealed that these differentially expressed proteins were primarily involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) and platelet degranulation signaling. Protein-protein interaction analysis highlighted five hub proteins (COL3A1, DPT, VEGFA, SPP1, SERPING1) that were found to be ECM components. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed the decreased levels of VEGFA and increased levels of DPT proteins after IVR treatment in another 8 samples of AH in 4 PDR patients. Our study provided novel insights into aqueous proteins of PDR following IVR treatment. Targeting the ECM pathway, particularly the elevation of DPT protein, may provide a deeper understanding of the anti-VEGF resistance and VEGF signaling in PDR.

Myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) is a rare complication in individuals with Noonan syndrome (NS) and an RIT1 pathogenic variant; only three cases have previously been reported. However, this condition can be life-threatening. In the present case, a neonate with a massive capillary leak and compromised general condition caused by aggressive MPD, we employed cytoreductive chemotherapy using low-dose cytarabine, which proved to be a valuable therapeutic intervention. For patients presenting with suspected MPD and exhibiting features associated with NS early in life, genetic testing that includes sequencing of RIT1 may confer significant benefits to diagnosis and disease management.

Immunotherapy harnesses neoantigens encoded within the human genome, but their therapeutic potential is hampered by low expression, which may be controlled by the Nonsense-Mediated Decay (NMD) pathway. This study investigates the impact of UPF1-knockdown on the expression of non-canonical/mutant proteins, employing proteogenomic to explore UPF1 role within the NMD pathway. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of UPF1 expression and evaluated UPF1 expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) tissue in-vivo. Our findings reveal that UPF1-knockdown leads to increased transcription of non-canonical/mutant proteins, particularly those originating from retained-introns, pseudogenes, long non-coding RNAs, and unannotated transcript biotypes. Moreover, our analysis demonstrates elevated UPF1 expression in various cancer types, with notably heightened protein levels in patient-derived TNBC tumours compared to adjacent tissues. This study elucidates UPF1 role in mitigating transcriptional noise by degrading transcripts encoding non-canonical/mutant proteins. Intriguingly, we observe an upregulation of the NMD pathway in cancer, potentially acting as a “neoantigen-masking” mechanism that suppresses non-canonical/mutant protein expression. Targeting this mechanism may reveal a new spectrum of neoantigens accessible to the antigen presentation pathway. Our novel findings provide a strong foundation for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting UPF1 or modulating the NMD pathway.

Background: Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5) human infections are a global concern, with many A(H5) human cases detected in Vietnam, including a case in October 2022. Using avian influenza virus surveillance from March 2017‒September 2022, we described the percent of pooled samples that were positive for avian influenza A, A(H5), A(H5N1), A(H5N6), and A(H5N8) viruses in live bird markets in Vietnam. Methods: Monthly at each LBM, 30 poultry oropharyngeal swab specimens and five environmental samples were collected. Samples were pooled in groups of five and tested for influenza A, A(H5), A(H5N1), A(H5N6), and A(H5N8) viruses by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Trends in the percent of pooled samples that were positive for avian influenza were summarized by LBM characteristics and time and compared to the number of passively detected avian influenza outbreaks using Spearman’s rank correlation. Results: A total of 25,774 pooled samples were collected through active surveillance at 167 LBMs in 24 provinces; 36.9% of pooled samples were positive for influenza A, 3.6% A(H5), 1.9% A(H5N1), 1.1% A(H5N6), and 0.2% A(H5N8). Influenza A(H5) viruses were identified January–December and at least once in 91.7% of sampled provinces. In 246 A(H5) outbreaks in poultry; 20.3% were influenza A(H5N1), 60.2% A(H5N6), and 19.5% A(H5N8); outbreaks did not correlate with active surveillance. Conclusions: In Vietnam, influenza A(H5) viruses were detected by active surveillance in LBMs year-round and in most provinces sampled. In addition to outbreak reporting, active surveillance for A(H5) viruses in settings with high potential for animal-to-human spillover can provide situational awareness.

Being a Letter to the Editor, abstract is not needed

In this paper, we study the uniqueness of nodal radial solutions to nonlinear elliptic equations in the unit ball in R 3 . Under suitable conditions, we prove that, for any given positive integer k, the problem we considered has at most one solution possessing exactly k−1 nodes. Together with the results presented by Nagasaki [J. Fac. Sci. Univ. Tokyo Sect. IA Math. 36 (2): 211–232, 1989] and Tanaka [Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Sect. A. 138 (6): 1331–1343, 2008], we can prove that more types of nonlinear elliptic equations have the uniqueness of nodal radial solutions.

The effects of three Bacillus strains and one Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain on nitrogen transformation and microbial communities in pig and chicken manure compost were investigated. The findings revealed that employing compound microbial inoculants raised compost temperature, expedited moisture reduction, enhanced cellulase activity, and stimulated the accumulation of NH4+-N, NO3–N, and total nitrogen (TN), resulting in a 9% increase in TN content. The abundance of Firmicutes at the maturation phase decreased by 3.95%, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased by 1.64% and 1.85%, respectively. Inoculation resulted in an augmentation of amoA, nxrA, and nifH gene copy numbers, while concurrently reducing the abundance of nirK, nosZ, and nirS genes. Furthermore, it led to an increase in functional enzyme levels, specifically nif and amo, along with a corresponding decrease in nor. Clostridium, Phascolarctobacterium, Eubacterium, and Faecalibacterium from class Clostridium, which exists a significant correlation with nifH and nxrA genes, suggesting their likely pivotal role in nitrogen retention and fixation. Inoculation helped remove pathogenic bacteria and ARGs like fluoroquinolones, nucleoside and nitroimidazole. This study provide effective theoretical support for nitrogen retention and fixation mechanism and improving the quality of compost.

Although gaining much attention in recent years, it is unclear whether mycorrhizal fungi distribute meaningful amounts of resources among trees in ways that increase the fitness of the receiving trees. To this end, we used shaded and non-shaded pairs of inter- and intra-species Pinus halepensis and Quercus calliprinos saplings growing outdoors in forest soil. Carbon transfer was measured using pulse labeling with 13CO2 and the mycorrhizal community of each tree was identified by DNA barcoding. The effects of belowground connections were examined by tree performance and Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC) pools. Although we did not observe any growth benefits, shaded recipient oaks exhibited higher levels of root NSC compared to their control counterparts, which were not connected belowground. This finding suggests a potential benefit of establishing below-ground connections. We also show that non-shaded pines connected to shaded oaks were depleted of their starch pools, suggesting a possible cost of the tree-fungi-tree interaction. Additionally, we monitored the carbon (C) flow from a 13CO2 labeled donor pine tree to the final recipient oak tree and were able to demonstrate C transfer from pines to shaded oaks. Finally, we were able to identify the main fungal symbionts interacting with pines and oaks. Our results link specific mycorrhizal species to belowground C transfer and suggest C-driven fitness costs and benefits to the trees.

Background: As the population of people with CF (pwCF) continues to age, attention is shifting towards addressing the unique challenges teenagers and adults face, including substance use. Changing attitudes and legality regarding marijuana and CBD may influence their use among pwCF, but data on their prevalence, reasons for use, and administration methods are lacking. Objective: Investigate marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD), e-cigarette, and cigarette usage among pwCF and explore differences in demographics, disease severity, and CFTR modulator use between current and non-users. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a one-time electronic survey to assess marijuana, CBD, e-cigarette, and cigarette use in pwCF aged >13 years. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between current users and non-users. The association between current substance use and CFTR modulator use was analyzed using logistic regressions. Results: Among 226 participants, 29% used marijuana, 22% used CBD, 27% used e-cigarettes, and 22% used cigarettes. Current users of all substances were more likely to be college-educated, Black, or aged 29-39 years than non-users. Current e-cigarette users were 2.9 times more likely to use CFTR modulators (95% CI 0.98-11.00, p=0.08) and current marijuana users were 2.5 times more likely to use CFTR modulators compared to non-users, adjusted for confounders. Current users of CBD, e-cigarettes, and cigarettes were more likely to have an abnormal mental health screen compared to non-users. A high proportion of never-users of marijuana and CBD expressed interest in using. Conclusion: Substance use is more prevalent among pwCF than previously reported and needs to be addressed by healthcare providers.

Although it is well known that groundwater significantly influences plant communities, there have been few studies on how the soil and plant communities respond to groundwater level decline in a short time affected by coal mining. This paper examined the changes in groundwater depth before and after coal mining and the soil-vegetation response in a typical semi-arid grassland coal mine area of Hulunbuir Steppe, Northeastern China. The IsoSource model, based on the dual stable isotopes of δ D and δ 18O, was employed to estimate groundwater contributions to shallow soil (0-100cm) water under different groundwater depths. The results revealed that groundwater was the dominant water source (75.7±17.1%) for shallow soil water when the groundwater depth is less than 4 meters, indicating that 4m is a threshold in groundwater depth, separating groundwater-dependent, and precipitation-driven vegetation system in the study area. Secondly, a strong non-linear response between vegetation species, height, coverage, and groundwater decline was identified in the coal mine area. The vegetation properties were found to be lowest in the areas where groundwater depth increased from 1.5~4 m to 4~28 m before and after coal mining. Finally, the groundwater level decline in the mining area significantly influenced the groundwater-dependent vegetation ecosystem, with the soil CEC and organic matter reduced, and the plant community degraded, succeeding from mesophytic to xerophytic. Whereas, the soil-vegetation system in the non-groundwater-dependent area has no obvious response to the groundwater decline. These results suggest that caution should be exercised when mining in groundwater-dependent ecosystem regions.

Background Adolescents living with obesity (AlwO) can have limited exercise capacity. Exercise capacity can be predicted by a 2-factor model comprising lung function and leg muscle function, but no study has looked at cycling leg muscle function and its contribution to cycling exercise capacity in AlwO. Methods 22 nonobese adolescents and 22 AlwO (BMI>95 percentile) were studied. Anthropometry, body composition (DEXA), spirometry, 30-sec isokinetic work capacity, and maximal exercise (cycle ergometry) were measured. Results AlwO had greater lean leg mass (LLM) (14.8±4.1 vs 21.0±4.3 kg, Con vs AlwO p<0.001). Lung function did not differ, although FEV 1 trended higher in AlwO (101.0±13.1 vs 107.9±12.7 percent predicted, p=0.08). Leg 30-second work output did not differ in absolute terms or per allometrically scaled LLM. Peak oxygen consumption did not differ between the groups in absolute terms or as percent predicted values (78.5±15.4 vs 82.1±16.5 percent predicted), but was lower in AlwO when expressed per scaled kg of LLM. Peak oxygen consumption related to both lung function and 30-second work capacity, with no observed group effect. 30-second leg work capacity related to the scaled muscle mass, with a small group effect. There was some correlation between leg work capacity and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity in AlwO (r s=0.39, p=0.07). Conclusion AlwO have larger LLM and preserved exercise capacity, when expressed as percentage of predicted, but not per allometrically scaled LLM. Increasing time spent in moderate to vigorous activity may benefit AlwO.

The characteristic protection villages (CPVs) are the basic types of rural revitalization, and one of the essential carriers of rural cultural heritage. Identifying its spatial structure characteristics contributes to the inheritance and continuation of rural civilization. Based on the CPVs data in Hubei Province, this paper identified spatial structure and evolution characteristic of CPVs in the perspective of spatial distribution types, direction, density, and equilibrium, respectively. At the same time, the Geodetector was used to analyze the influence mechanism of CPVs from 2009 to 2020. The main results showed that: (1) The spatial distribution of CPVs was an agglomeration structure type, which showed an increasing agglomeration trend of evolution characteristics in Hubei Province. And among them, the traditional villages (TVs) had the highest degree of agglomeration. (2) The CPVs showed the pattern of “east (slightly south) – west (slightly north)” with strong centripetal force and obvious directional, and they also showed a trend of gradual diffusion to east and west. (3) The high–density areas of CPVs presented an evolution trend from scattered independent structure to massive cluster structure, and generally presented a horizontal V shape kernel density structure. Meanwhile, the high–density areas of different types of CPVs had significant differences. (4) The CPVs were distributed in an unequal probability, and there were agglomerations in Yichang, Jingzhou, Shiyan, Xiangyang, and Enshi where it showed a gradually balanced development trend. The natural environment is the background and cornerstone of the site selection and layout of CPVs in Hubei Province. The influence of resource endowment, social economy and policy environment on the spatial distribution of CPVs are increasing gradually, and there are significant differences between different types of CPVs affected by various factors. We try to fill the gap in quantitative identification on the structure of CPVs to enrich the research regarding the special type features mechanism, which has significance for the protection and revitalization development of CPVs.

Our knowledge of biodiversity hinges on sufficient data, reliable methods, and realistic models. Without an accurate assessment of species distributions, we cannot effectively target and stem biodiversity loss. Species range maps are the foundation of such efforts, but countless studies have failed to account for the most basic assumptions of reliable species mapping practices, undermining the credibility of their results and potentially misleading and hindering conservation and management efforts. Here, we use examples from the recent literature and broader conservation community to highlight the substantial shortfalls in current practices and their consequences for both analyses and conservation management. We detail how different decisions on data filtering impact the outcomes of analysis and provide practical recommendations and steps for more reliable analysis, whilst understanding the limits of what available data will reliably allow and what methods are most appropriate. Whilst “perfect” analyses are not possible for many taxa given limited data, and biases, ensuring we use data within reasonable limits and understanding inherent assumptions is crucial to ensure appropriate use. By embracing and enacting such best practices, we can ensure both the accuracy and improved comparability of biodiversity analyses going forward, ultimately enhancing our ability to use data to facilitate our protection of the natural world.