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Background:The gut microbiome has a significant impact on human wellness, contributing to the emergence and progression of a range of health issues including inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular problems, and psychiatric disorders. Notably, clinical observations have revealed that these illnesses can display differences in incidence and presentation between genders. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the composition of gut microbiota is associated with sex-specific differences and to elucidate the mechanism. Methods: 16S-rRNA-sequencing technology, hormone analysis, gut microbiota transplantation, gonadectomy, and hormone treatment were employed to investigate the correlation between the gut microbiome and sex or sex hormones. Meanwhile, genes and proteins involved bile acid signaling pathway were analyzed both in the liver and ileum tissues. Results: The composition and diversity of the microbiota from the jejunum and feces and the level of sex hormones in the serum differed between the sexes in young and middle-aged Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. However, no similar phenomenon was found in geriatric rats. Interestingly, whether in young, middle-aged, or old rats, the composition of the microbiota and bacterial diversity differed between the jejunum and feces in rats. Gut microbiota transplantation, gonadectomy, and hormone replacement also suggested that hormones, particularly testosterone (T), influenced the composition of the gut microbiota in rats. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein level of genes involved bile acid signaling pathway (specifically SHP, FXR, CYP7A1, and ASBT) exhibited gender-specific differences, and T may play a significant role in mediating the expression of this pathway. Conclusion: Sex-specific differences in the structure of the gut microbiota are mediated by T through the bile acid signaling pathway, pointing to potential targets for disease prevention and management techniques by indicating that sex differences and T levels may alter the composition of the gut microbiota via the bile acid signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the plastic design and development of PLC controllers, the key is to control the flatness and deviation of the installation hole axis. The article uses simulation technology to calculate the flatness and axis deviation of the PLC controller after injection molding, and designs orthogonal tests to explore the influence of process parameters and optimization schemes. The orthogonal test results indicate that the maximum values of the flatness and axis deviation of the PLC controller under different combinations of process parameters are 2.5 times and 1.8 times of the minimum values, respectively, indicating that the influence of process parameters is significant. Taking into account the flatness or axis deviation, the optimal process parameter is A2B2C3D1. The simulation results of the optimized process show that the shrinkage estimation and gas cavity on the main appearance surface meet the requirements, and the injection pressure and clamping force are also within the normal range, verifying the feasibility of the optimized process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-native freshwater fish species are regarded as a key factor responsible for the degradation of freshwater ecosystems. Although research on China's non-native freshwater fish species has been conducted at the national scale, the spatial distribution and introduction pathways of these species in China remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, this study compiled a dataset of non-native freshwater fish species across administrative regions in China. We first assessed the number of non-native freshwater fish species by taxonomy, geographical origin, introduction pathway, and province. There were 177 non-native freshwater fish species, belonging to 17 orders, 48 families, and 118 genera. The orders Cypriniformes (33.3%), Perciformes (28.2%), Siluriformes (10.2%), and Salmoniformes (6.2%) accounted for the largest proportion of non-native freshwater fish species. Eighty-nine nonnative species were introduced from other countries or regions, mostly from North America (31 species; 34.8%), Asia (20 species; 22.5%), Africa (13 species; 14.6%), Europe (11 species; 12.4%), and South America (10 species; 11.2%). Aquaculture was the most common introduction pathway. Non-native freshwater fish species were more widely distributed in southwest China. Our study showed that there were obvious differences in the number and composition of non-native freshwater fish species across various provinces in China. The variation in the number of non-native freshwater fish species across provinces in China was attributed to distinct geographical features, development of the aquaculture industry, and efforts to study non-native freshwater fish species. Therefore, comprehensive surveys and studies of non-native freshwater fish species are needed, which are of great importance for the management and control of non-native species invasions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gelation of crude oil with high wax and asphaltene content at low temperatures often results in the block of transportation pipeline in Africa. In recent years, it was reported that surface hydrophobicmodified nanoparticles have important applications in crude oil flow modification. In this work, four kinds of core-shell hybride nanoparticles by grafting poly (octadecyl, docosyl acrylate) and poly (acrylate-a-olefin) onto the surface of nano-sized SiO2 were synthesized by grafting polymerization method. The chemical structure of nanoparticles was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The rheological behaviors of crude oil and precipitation of asphaltenes in the presence of nanoparticles were studied by measuring the viscose-temperature relationship curve, the cumulative wax precipitation amount, and morphology of waxes and asphaltenes. The results indicate that the docosyl polyacrylate@SiO2 nanoparticle (PDA@SiO2) can reduce the cumulative wax precipitation amount of crude oil by 72.8%, decline the viscosity of crude oil by 85.6% at 20 ℃, reduce the average size of wax crystals by 89.7%, and inhibit the agglomeration of asphaltene by 74.8%. Therefore, the nanoparticles not only adjust the crystalline behaviors of waxes, but also inhibit the agglomeration of asphaltenes. Apparently, core-shell hybride nanoparticles provides more heterogeneous nucleation sites for the crystallization of wax molecules, thus inhibiting the formation of three-dimensional network structure. The core-shell polymer@SiO2 hybride nanoparticles are one of promising additives for inhibiting crystallization of waxes and agglomeration of asphaltenes in crude oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-term heat stress (HS) severely restricts the growth performance of beef cattle and causes various health problems. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in HS-associated inflammation and immune stress involving lymphocyte function. This study investigated the effects of dietary tea polysaccharide (TPS), a natural acidic glycoprotein, on HS-induced anorexia, inflammation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis in Simmental beef cattle. Methods: The cattle were divided into two groups, receiving either normal chow or normal chow plus TPS (8 g/kg, 0.8%). Transcriptome sequencing analysis was used to analysis the differential signaling pathway of liver tissue. 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to analysis gut microbiota of beef cattle. Serum metabolite components were detected by untargeted metabolomics analysis. Results: Hepatic transcriptomics analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes in TPS-fed cattle were primarily enriched in immune processes and lymphocyte activation. TPS administration significantly reduced the expression of the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway, alleviating HS-induced hepatic inflammation. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that TPS improved intestinal homeostasis in HS-affected cattle by increasing bacterial diversity and increasing the relative abundances of Akkermansia and Alistipes while decreasing the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundance of Agathobacter. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis indicated that TPS significantly increased the levels of long-chain fatty acids, including stearic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and adrenic acid, in the serum of cattle. Conclusion: These findings suggest that long-term consumption of tea polysaccharides can ameliorate heat stress-induced hepatic inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis in beef cattle, suggesting a possible liver-gut axis mechanism to mitigate heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To summarize the clinical characteristics, outcomes and identify risk factors of Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) meningitis in children. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study. Children hospitalized between January 2016 and December 2021 who were diagnosed with AB meningitis were included. The clinical characteristics and outcomes were reviewed. Risk factors were determined using univariate analyses (chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests). Results: Seventeen patients were included; 15 cases were secondary to neurosurgery, and two were neonates with primary bacterial meningitis. Common symptoms included fever, convulsions and nervous system abnormalities. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests typically showed increased white blood cell counts dominated by neutrophils, reduced glucose levels and elevated protein levels. Ten patients were successfully treated (successful treatment [ST] group); seven had failed treatment (failed treatment [FT] group). Univariate analyses revealed that mechanical ventilation, routine white cell counts in the peripheral blood, procalcitonin, protein in the CSF, septic shock and carbapenem-resistant AB (CRAB) differed significantly between the groups. Conclusion: AB meningitis in children has a high mortality rate. FT was associated with mechanical ventilation, septic shock, CRAB, lower peripheral leukocyte counts, higher protein levels in the CSF and procalcitonin. Larger studies are needed to identify independent risk factors for adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na5YSi4O12 (NYSO) is demonstrated as a promising electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and low activation energy for practical use in solid Na-ion batteries. Solid-state NMR was employed to identify the six types of coordination of Na+ ions and migration pathway, which is vital to master working mechanism and enhance performance. The assignment of each sodium site is clearly determined from high-quality 23Na NMR spectra by the aid of Density Functional Theory calculation. Well-resolved 23Na exchangespectroscopy and electrochemical tracer exchange spectra provide the first experimental evidence to show the existence of ionic exchange between sodium at Na5 and Na6 sites, revealing that Na transport route is possibly along three-dimensional chain of open channel-Na4-open channel. Variable-temperature NMR relaxometry is developed to evaluate Na jump rates and self-diffusion coefficient to probe the sodium-ion dynamics in NYSO. Furthermore, NYSO works well as a dual ion conductor in Na and Li metal batteries with Na3V2(PO4)3 and LiFePO4 as cathodes, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The in-plane growth of high-quality crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNWs) guided by laser-heated metal catalysts provides a solid one-dimensional channel material for the integration of high-performance Si-based electronics, while the growth control of these SiNWs remains an unexplored problem. In this study, we demonstrate that the laser-heated growth of IPSLS SiNWs can be modulated by the diameter of leading catalysts. The large catalysts with a diameter of ∼220 nm were directly heated under continuous laser illumination by a typical selected laser-droplet-heating mode, which resulted in the rapid growth of high-quality SiNWs with a large diameter of 166 ± 27 nm. Conversely, the small catalysts (diameter of <130 nm) can only be activated by the underlying silicon substrate heated under laser illumination, allowing the rapid growth of thin SiNWs of 74 ± 9 nm within 30 s. The different growth modes can be explained by a size-dependent heating theory of nanoscale catalysts with laser illumination. This study proposes a comprehensive understanding of the growth and diameter control of in-plane SiNWs under laser illumination, providing high-quality channel arrays for the construction of Si-based electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the domain of lithium metal batteries (LMBs), the integration of three-dimensional (3D) composite lithium metal anodes emerges as a critical strategy to combat dendrite growth. However, traditional challenges such as poor lithophilicity of 3D hosts and nonuniform charge distribution from imbalanced ion/electron transport typically undermine electrochemical performance. Herein, we present a 3D lithiophilic host comprising Co2P nanosheets and ZnO nanorods for stable Li metal anode. The 3D configuration of carbon cloth drastically reduces local current density during lithium deposition, while nanoscale lithophilic ZnO bestows 3D framework with sufficient lithophilic sites, thereby substantially lowering the energy barrier for lithium nucleation. The Co2P nanosheets interact with Li to form uniformly distributed Co nanoparticles within the Li3P phase, which is replete with ionic and electronic pathways. This Li3P interphase, characterized by high Li+ conductivity, effectively lowers the Li+ diffusion barrier. Simultaneously, the uniformly distributed electron-conductive cobalt domains help ensure a well-distributed current density, promoting an even distribution of Li+ flux at the interface. Consequently, such a lithium anode evidences superior interface kinetics and extended cycling stability. Additionally, full cells outfitted with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes demonstrate marked enhancements in both rate performance and cycling stability. This breakthrough marks a notable advance toward the realization of a stable lithium anode for high-energy-density LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) poses a considerable health risk. Nevertheless, its risk factors are not thoroughly comprehended, and the association between the reticulocyte count and MASLD remains uncertain. This study aimed to explore the relationship between reticulocyte count and MASLD. Methods: A total of 310,091 individuals from the UK Biobank were included in this cross-sectional study, and 7,316 individuals were included in this prospective study. The cross-sectional analysis categorized reticulocyte count into quartiles, considering the sample distribution. Logistic regression models examined the connection between reticulocyte count and MASLD. In the prospective analysis, Cox analysis was utilized to investigate the association. Results: Our study findings indicate a significant association between higher reticulocyte count and an elevated risk of MASLD in both the cross-sectional and prospective analyses. In the cross-sectional analysis, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of MASLD increased stepwise over reticulocyte count quartiles (quartile 2:OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.17-1.28, p < 0.001; quartile 3: OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.38-1.51, p < 0.001; quartile 4: OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.59-1.74, p < 0.001). The results of prospective analyses were similar. Conclusion: Increased reticulocyte count was independently associated with a higher risk of MASLD. This discovery offers new insights into the potential of reticulocytes as biomarkers for MASLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have explored the associated factors of attitudes of nonpsychiatric nurses towards mental disorders. Therefore, this study is aimed to evaluate the attitudes of nonpsychiatric nurses towards mental disorders and especially explore the association between psychiatric clinical practice and these attitudes. Methods: A total of 1324 nonpsychiatric nurses and students majoring in nursing were recruited through an online questionnaire from December 2021 to March 2022 in Sichuan Province, China. Demographic information, personal care experience, psychiatric nursing education and the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) were collected. A higher score indicates a stigmatizing attitude in the authoritarianism and social restrictiveness (SR) subscales and a positive attitude in the benevolence and community mental health ideology (CMHI) subscales. Multivariate linear regression was employed to analyze associated factors of attitudes towards mental disorders, and hierarchical linear regression was used to analyze the association between psychiatric clinical practice and the attitudes towards mental disorders. Results: Under the control of confounders, high education level, long residence in urban and personal care experience were positively correlated with score of authoritarianism and SR (p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with score of benevolence (p < 0.05). Long residence in urban and personal care experience were negatively correlated with score of CMHI (p < 0.05). Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for demographic information, psychiatric clinical practice was associated with lower score of benevolence (B = -0.09, 95%CI = -0.17 ~ -0.003, p = 0.043) and CMHI (B = -0.09, 95%CI = -0.17 ~ -0.01, p = 0.027), but the initial associations between psychiatric clinical practice and authoritarianism, SR disappeared. Conclusions: High education level, long residence in urban, personal care experience and the psychiatric clinical practice were associated with the discrimination of nonpsychiatric nurses towards mental disorders. Further exploring practical strategies to optimize the psychiatric clinical practice experience of nonpsychiatric nurses could help improve their attitudes towards mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adolescent and young adults in China from December 14, 2022 to February 28, 2023, when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Methods: Students in middle and high schools and colleges and universities in the province of Sichuan, China were asked to complete on-line cross-sectional surveys. Information was collected about sociodemographics, experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Participants also filled out the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and the Social Support Rate Scale surveys. Factors associated with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts were explored using logistic regression. Results: Of the 82,873 respondents (aged 12 to 24 years), 21,292 (25.7%) reported having thought of suicide at least once in their lifetime, 10,382 (12.5%) reported having thought about suicide within the previous 12 months, and 1,123 (1.4%) reported having attempted it within the previous 12 months. Risk of lifetime suicidal ideation was higher among middle school students than among older students. Risk of suicidal ideation and risk of suicide attempts correlated directly with severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and inversely with level of social support. Greater risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts was associated with: being female, living in an urban environment, attending a boarding school, currently being in love, having parents who divorced or remarried, having parents who exhibit non-authoritative parenting behavior, having higher family income, having been COVID-19 infected, having been quarantined for a long time, and being dissatisfied with one's education. Conclusions: Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts remain prevalent among young people in China. The potential associated factors identified in our study may be useful for targeting appropriate psychosocial interventions and developing mental health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unbalanced inflammatory response is a critical feature of sepsis, a lifethreatening condition with significant global health burdens. Immune dysfunction, particularly that involving different immune cells in peripheral blood, plays a crucial pathophysiological role and shows early warning signs in sepsis. The objective is to explore the relationship between sepsis and immune subpopulations in peripheral blood, and to identify patients with a higher risk of 28-day mortality based on immunological subtypes with machine-learning (ML) model. Methods: Patients were enrolled according to the sepsis-3 criteria in this retrospective observational study, along with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Data on clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and lymphocyte immunophenotyping were collected. XGBoost and k-means clustering as ML approaches, were employed to analyze the immune profiles and stratify septic patients based on their immunological subtypes. Cox regression survival analysis was used to identify potential biomarkers and to assess their association with 28-day mortality. The accuracy of biomarkers for mortality was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) analysis. Results: The study enrolled 100 septic patients and 89 HCs, revealing distinct lymphocyte profiles between the two groups. The XGBoost model discriminated sepsis from HCs with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 1.0 and 0.99 in the training and testing set, respectively. Within the model, the top three highest important contributions were the percentage of CD38+CD8+T cells, PD-1+NK cells, HLA-DR+CD8+T cells. Two clusters of peripheral immunophenotyping of septic patients by k-means clustering were conducted. Cluster 1 featured higher proportions of PD1+ NK cells, while cluster 2 featured higher proportions of naïve CD4+T cells. Furthermore, the level of PD-1+NK cells was significantly higher in the non-survivors than the survivors (15.1% vs 8.6%, P<0.01). Moreover, the levels of PD1+ NK cells combined with SOFA score showed good performance in predicting the 28-day mortality in sepsis (AUC=0.91,95%CI 0.82-0.99), which is superior to PD1+NK cells only(AUC=0.69, sensitivity 0.74, specificity 0.64, cut-off value of 11.25%). In the multivariate Cox regression, high expression of PD1+ NK cells proportion was related to 28-day mortality (aHR=1.34, 95%CI 1.19 to 1.50; P<0.001). Conclusion: The study provides novel insights into the association between PD1+NK cell profiles and prognosis of sepsis. Peripheral immunophenotyping could potentially stratify the septic patients and identify those with a high risk of 28-day mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium plating is considered an undesirable side reaction because it can induce capacity fading and pose safety concerns in Li-ion batteries. The timely detection of lithium plating onset is crucial for both mechanistic investigations and ensuring the safe and durable operation of batteries. In this study, discharging tests were conducted by varying the set capacity in graphite/Li cells to induce lithium plating on the graphite electrode. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the voltage curves and the morphological characterization of disassembled cells, the inflection point on the differential voltage curve during the discharging process was identified as the precise onset time of lithium plating. Electrochemical models were developed to further elucidate the mechanisms governing the onset of lithium plating. Compared with the model based on the potential criterion, the model employing the concentration criterion demonstrated enhanced precision in predicting lithium plating, particularly under high C rates. Based on the model with the concentration criterion, the discharging protocol was optimized parametrically to achieve high discharging efficiency and restrain lithium plating. This nuanced understanding contributes to determining the onset of lithium plating more accurately, thereby facilitating a more robust battery design and durable yet fast charging protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many useful experimental results on the cracking behaviors of fractured rocks have been obtained via uniaxial, biaxial, triaxial, and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) tests. In this paper, the influence of the inclination angle of flaws, number of flaws, and patterns of cracks on the mechanical properties during the failure process under static loading and dynamic loading conditions is introduced and reviewed. The results show that the presence of cracks can decrease the strengths of precracked specimens, and the inclination angles, numbers, and crack patterns of pre-existing flaws can change the mechanical properties and cracking behaviors of precracked specimens. Under static loading, the closer the inclination angle is to 90°, the greater the strength, the elastic modulus, and the peak strain of the precracked specimen. However, under dynamic loading, the influence of the inclination angle varies, and the strength can increase or decrease, possibly in a V-shaped manner. This change can be determined by multiple factors, such as the loading path, the materials of the precracked specimen, and the number of pre-existing cracks. Under dynamic loading, the precracked specimen usually exhibits an Xshaped conjugated failure. Additionally, some problems in the study of the cracking behaviors of fractured rocks and related future research are described and presented, and corresponding suggestions and solutions are given. In particular, excavation in deep rock engineering, support of the rock surrounding the tunnel, and mining engineering have important scientific and engineering significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study endeavors to translate and psycho-metrically validate the metacognitive awareness inventory scale (MAS) for nursing students in China. Method: A total of 592 nursing students were enlisted from four universities situated in the eastern, southern, western, and northern regions of China. Content validity and reliability were evaluated using the content validity index and item-total correlation coefficient, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients, respectively. Convergent validity examined the goodness of fit among subscales through the average extracted variance and composite reliability. Results: Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the first-order and secondorder factor models, contributing to a cumulative variance of 89.4 and 59.5%, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha values were 0.963 and 0.801, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis outcomes indicated an excellent overall fit index for the model, satisfying the convergent validity criteria and achieving a target coefficient of 96.0%, which is consistent with the original scale structure. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the MAS (C-MAS) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing metacognitive awareness among Chinese nursing students. Further research should consider a broader sample of nursing students across China to reinforce the scale's applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis is related to synovitis and tenosynovitis. Nonetheless, whether these associations are causal is currently unknown. Objectives: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to reveal the causality of gut microbiota with synovitis and tenosynovitis. Methods: The summary statistical data from a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) were applied as the basis for a two-sample MR analysis. The causal effect was estimated using inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, simple mode, MR-Egger, and weighted mode methods, of which IVW was the important method. Meanwhile, the pleiotropy and heterogeneity were detected and measured using MR-Egger regression, Cochran's Q statistics, funnel plots, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) methods. Results: The IVW technique demonstrated that genetically predicted five genera, namely Gordonibacter [odds ratio (OR) = 0.999, 95% confidence interval (CI): (0.9977, 0.9998), p = 0.019], Paraprevotella [OR = 0.999, 95% CI: (0.9971, 0.9999), p = 0.036], Lachnoclostridium [OR = 0.998, 95% CI: (0.9954, 0.9999), p = 0.041], RuminococcaceaeUCG003 [OR = 0.997, 95% CI: (0.9955, 0.9994), p = 0.011], and FamilyXIIIAD3011group [OR = 0.997, 95% CI: (0.9954, 0.9992), p = 0.006] were negatively correlated with the risk of synovitis and tenosynovitis, while two other genera, namely Ruminococcustorquesgroup [OR = 1.003, 95% CI: (1.0004, 1.0049), p = 0.019] and Parabacteroides [OR = 1.003, 95% CI: (1.0002, 1.0052), p = 0.035] were positively associated with synovitis and tenosynovitis risk. In addition, the data of sensitivity analyses demonstrated that there were no outliers, horizontal pleiotropy, or heterogeneity in the causal relationship of the above-mentioned gut microbiota on synovitis and tenosynovitis (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study suggested that the gut microbiota was causally involved in synovitis and tenosynovitis and identified specific bacterial taxa that affect synovitis and tenosynovitis, which provide new insights into the pathogenesis underlying the development of synovitis and tenosynovitis mediated by gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review delves into the profound implications of flooding events on buried infrastructures, specifically pipelines, tunnels, and culverts. While these buried infrastructures are vital for community resilience, their susceptibility to damage from flooding, storm surges, and hurricanes poses significant challenges. Unlike the obvious impact on above-ground structures, the effects of flooding on buried infrastructures, being out of sight, are not quickly and easily observable. This review aims to 1) review the state-of-the-art research on the flooding effects on buried structures and summarize causes of failures of buried infrastructures induced by flooding; 2) identify the research gaps on this topic to motivate in-depth investigations; and 3) discuss the future research directions. This review sheds light on how factors contributing to the vulnerability of buried infrastructures are multifaceted and can vary based on the specific characteristics of the infrastructure, the local environment, and the nature of the flood event. Despite the availability of many articles on the topic, this review also highlights a lack of methodologies to assess flooding damage and its impact on the serviceability of buried infrastructures. We suggested three future research directions to bridge this research gap including investigating and distinguishing key factors to quantify flooding damage to buried infrastructures, developing advanced modeling techniques, and exploring the integration of smart technologies in health monitoring of buried infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most challenging breast cancer subtype. Molecular stratification and target therapy bring clinical benefit for TNBC patients, but it is difficult to implement comprehensive molecular testing in clinical practice. Here, using our multi-omics TNBC cohort (N = 425), a deep learning-based framework was devised and validated for comprehensive predictions of molecular features, subtypes and prognosis from pathological whole slide images. The framework first incorporated a neural network to decompose the tissue on WSIs, followed by a second one which was trained based on certain tissue types for predicting different targets. Multi-omics molecular features were analyzed including somatic mutations, copy number alterations, germline mutations, biological pathway activities, metabolomics features and immunotherapy biomarkers. It was shown that the molecular features with therapeutic implications can be predicted including the somatic PIK3CA mutation, germline BRCA2 mutation and PD-L1 protein expression (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.78, 0.79 and 0.74 respectively). The molecular subtypes of TNBC can be identified (AUC: 0.84, 0.85, 0.93 and 0.73 for the basal-like immune-suppressed, immunomodulatory, luminal androgen receptor, and mesenchymal-like subtypes respectively) and their distinctive morphological patterns were revealed, which provided novel insights into the heterogeneity of TNBC. A neural network integrating image features and clinical covariates stratified patients into groups with different survival outcomes (log-rank P < 0.001). Our prediction framework and neural network models were externally validated on the TNBC cases from TCGA (N = 143) and appeared robust to the changes in patient population. For potential clinical translation, we built a novel online platform, where we modularized and deployed our framework along with the validated models. It can realize real-time one-stop prediction for new cases. In summary, using only pathological WSIs, our proposed framework can enable comprehensive stratifications of TNBC patients and provide valuable information for therapeutic decision-making. It had the potential to be clinically implemented and promote the personalized management of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing high-damping rubber bearings (HDRBs) for seismic isolation significantly enhances building seismic performance. However, previous studies have often neglected the nonlinear rotational behavior of these bearings when assessing base-isolated systems using HDRBs. This study introduces two numerical models of the HDRBs, each comprising six springs. The first model, referred to as the BIL model, assumes linear behavior for the rotational degrees of freedom of the bearings. The second model, referred to as the BINL model, accounts for the nonlinear rotational behavior. The parameters of the bearing shear springs and the rotational springs of the two models are calibrated using experimental data. In order to investigate the influence of nonlinear rotational behavior of HDRBs on the seismic performance of base-isolated buildings, nonlinear time history analysis is conducted on a six-story base-isolated RC frame building. Comparative analysis between the BIL model and the BINL model covers bearing behavior, superstructure response, and energy dissipation distribution. Results indicate a significant influence of considering nonlinear rotational behavior on column bending moments. These findings provide crucial insights for enhancing seismic design strategies for base-isolated buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are experiencing a large-scale renaissance to supplement or replace expensive lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and low energy density lead-acid batteries in electrical energy storage systems and other applications. In this case, layered oxide materials have become one of the most popular cathode candidates for SIBs because of their low cost and comparatively facile synthesis method. However, the intrinsic shortcomings of layered oxide cathodes, which severely limit their commercialization process, urgently need to be addressed. In this review, inherent challenges associated with layered oxide cathodes for SIBs, such as their irreversible multiphase transition, poor air stability, and low energy density, are systematically summarized and discussed, together with strategies to overcome these dilemmas through bulk phase modulation, surface/interface modification, functional structure manipulation, and cationic and anionic redox optimization. Emphasis is placed on investigating variations in the chemical composition and structural configuration of layered oxide cathodes and how they affect the electrochemical behavior of the cathodes to illustrate how these issues can be addressed. The summary of failure mechanisms and corresponding modification strategies of layered oxide cathodes presented herein provides a valuable reference for scientific and practical issues related to the development of SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precipitation and deposition of waxes in high waxy crude oil often result in the low throughput and clogging of pipeline. Adding polymers is a practical approach to solve these problems. In this study, poly(styrene-co-docosyl maleate) s (PSDMs) were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The chemical structure and molecular weight of copolymers were characterized using Fourier infrared spectroscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The ratio of phenyl to aliphatic branches varies from 10:8 to 25:8. The crystallization and morphology of waxes in model oil were investigated by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and polarized light microscopy. The cold flow behaviors of crude oil were evaluated by rheological methods. With the increase of the ratio of phenyl to aliphatic branches, the crystallinity, viscosity, and yield stress of crude oil first increase and then decrease. In the presence of PSDM-2, the crystallinity and enthalpy of phase transition (H) are reduced by 44.2% and 48.9%. Thus, the pour point, viscosity, and yield stress of crude oil are reduced by 6.0°C, 76.8% and 77.4%, respectively. Therefore, welldefined PSDMs are promising to be remarkable flow improvers for waxy crude oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides are promising candidates for sodium storage but suffering from low intrinsic electronic conductivity and limited interlayer spacing for fast electron/ion transport, which restricts their high-rate capability and cycling stability. In this work, rGO@MoSe2/NAC hierarchical architectures, consisting of conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported by hollow nanospheres that are rolled from superlattices of alternatively overlapped MoSe2 and N-doped amorphous carbon (NAC) monolayers, are synthesized as a highperformance sodium storage anode. Theoretical calculations reveal the intercalation of NAC monolayer between two adjacent MoSe2 monolayers improving electronic conductivity of MoSe2 in both surface and internal bulk to fully accelerate electron transport and enhance Na+ adsorption. The interoverlapped MoSe2/NAC superlattice featuring a wide interlayer expansion (72.3 %) of MoSe2 dramatically decreases Na+ diffusion barriers for fast insertion/extraction. Moreover, the hollow nanospheres and the rGO conductive network contribute to a robust hiberarchy that can well release internal stress and buffer the volume expansion, thereby enabling outstanding structural stability. Consequently, the rGO@MoSe2/NAC anode exhibits excellent high-rate capability of 194 mAh g-1 and ultralong cyclability of 12 000 cycles with a low capacity fading rate of 0.0038 % per cycle at an ultra-high current of 50 A g-1, delivering the best high-rate cycling performance to date. Remarkably, the Na3V2 (PO4)3krGO@MoSe2/NAC full cells also present outstanding cycling stability (600 cycles) at 10C rate, which proves the great potential in fast-charging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease occurring worldwide. It is currently considered a multisystem disease, which is associated with several comorbidities. Aim: To deeply understand the clinical characteristics of psoriasis comorbidities and explore the relationship between psoriasis comorbidities, different subtypes and related influencing factors. Material and methods: This retrospective study analysed data from the electronic inpatient medical record system of dermatology and non-dermatology departments at a tertiary hospital in China. We collected relevant demographic data and clinical features of all patients diagnosed with psoriasis from January 2013 to September 2023. Results: This study ultimately included a total of 1097 patients with psoriasis. Psoriasis vulgaris was the most common among the subtypes of psoriasis, with 957 (87.2%) cases. The sample consisted of 65.6% of males and 34.4% of females, with an average age of 53.5 ±15.2 years. Common comorbidities of psoriasis included hypertension (38.2%), hyperlipidaemia (29.4%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (24.6%), fatty liver disease (21.4%), coronary heart disease (21.0%), tumours (15.5%), gastroduodenal disease (14.4%), osteoarthropathy (11.8%), and cerebrovascular disease (10.8%). The incidence of hypertension (p = 0.015), hyperuricemia (p < 0.001), osteoarthropathy (p < 0.001), and autoimmune disease (p = 0.003) among different subtypes of psoriasis showed statistically significant differences. In addition, gender, smoking and alcohol consumption all have significant impacts on the distribution of comorbidities. Conclusions: The distribution of psoriasis comorbidities and complications varies among different subtypes of psoriasis. Lifestyles such as smoking and alcohol abuse, as well as gender, are also associated with the occurrence of psoriasis comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is a solid combustible mineral, and coal-bearing strata have important hydrocarbon generation potential and contribute to more than 12% of the global hydrocarbon resources. However, the deposition and hydrocarbon evolution process of ancient coal-bearing strata is characterized by multiple geological times, leading to obvious distinctions in their hydrocarbon generation potential, geological processes, and production, which affect the evaluation and exploration of hydrocarbon resources derived from coaly source rocks worldwide. This study aimed to identify the differences on oil-generated parent macerals and the production of oil generated from different coaly source rocks and through different oil generation processes. Integrating with the analysis of previous tectonic burial history and hydrocarbon generation history, high-temperature and high-pressure thermal simulation experiments, organic geochemistry, and organic petrology were performed on the Carboniferous-Permian (CeP) coaly source rocks in the Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin. The oil-generated parent macerals of coal's secondary oil generation process (SOGP) were mainly hydrogen-rich collotelinite, collodetrinite, sporinite, and cutinite, while the oil-generated parent macerals of tertiary oil generation process (TOGP) were the remaining small amount of hydrogen-rich collotelinite, sporinite, and cutinite, as well as dispersed soluble organic matter and unexhausted residual hydrocarbons. Compared with coal, the oil-generated parent macerals of coaly shale SOGP were mostly sporinite and cutinite. And part of hydrogen-poor vitrinite, lacking hydrocarbon-rich macerals, and macerals of the TOGP, in addition to some remaining cutinite and a small amount of crude oil and bitumen from SOGP contributed to the oil yield. The results indicated that the changes in oil yield had a good junction between SOGP and TOGP, both coal and coaly shale had higher SOGP aborted oil yield than TOGP starting yield, and coaly shale TOGP peak oil yield was lower than SOGP peak oil yield. There were significant differences in saturated hydrocarbon and aromatic parameters in coal and coaly shale. Coal SOGP was characterized by a lower Ts/Tm and C31-homohopane22S/ (22Sþ22R) and a higher Pr/nC17 compared to coal TOGP, while the aromatic parameter methyl dibenzothiophene ratio (MDR) exhibited coaly shale TOGP was higher than coaly shale SOGP than coaly TOGP than coaly SOGP, and coal trimethylnaphthalene ratio (TNR) was lower than coaly shale TNR. Thus, we established oil generation processes and discriminative plates. In this way, we distinguished the differences between oil generation parent maceral, oil generation time, and oil production of coaly source rocks, and therefore, we provided important support for the evaluation, prediction, and exploration of oil resources from global ancient coaly source rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) causes severe organ damage, worsened by high-altitude conditions with lower oxygen and temperatures. Existing research lacks specific insights on brain and heart damage under these conditions. This study hypothesizes that high-altitude and cold (HAC) environments exacerbate HS-induced damage in the brain and heart, aiming to improve treatment strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (200-250 g of weight) were randomly assigned into sham, HS + normal, HS + HAC (4,000 m), and HS + HAC (6,000 m). The HS model was established in SD rats (35% loss of total blood volume), and histopathological injuries of the brain and heart were detected using hematoxylin and eosin staining, Sirius red staining, and immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis of the brain and heart tissues was detected by terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) immunofluorescence staining. To determine the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-β), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (Mcp-1), BCL2-associated X (BAX), and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) protein, western blotting assay was used. RESULTS: The HAC environment induced pathological damage to the brain and heart and aggravated the degree of cardiac fibrosis in HS rats. However, it did not cause apoptosis of the brain and heart. In addition, it upregulated TNFα, IFNβ, Mcp-1, and BAX protein levels, but downregulated Mcl-1 protein levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The HAC environment aggravated the degree of brain and heart damage in HS rats, which may be related to neuron nucleus pyknosis, myocardial fibrosis, and inflammatory and apoptosis activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a rare case of trans-anal barotrauma in a 25-year-old man who was shot in the anus with an air gun. The patient experienced symptoms of abdominal distension and pain, and imaging revealed air in the abdomen, chest, and scrotum. The patient underwent laparoscopic exploration and loop ileostomy, and had a successful recovery. The article emphasizes the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment for this condition, as well as the need for education and training for users of high-pressure air equipment. The document is a systematic review of laparoscopic appendicectomy in obese patients, conducted by Dasari BVM, Baker J, Markar S, and Gardiner K and published in the International Journal of Surgery in 2015. The review examines the clinical outcomes of this surgical procedure and concludes that it leads to improvements in patient outcomes. This review provides valuable information for researchers and medical professionals interested in the topic. [Extracted from the article]

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Background: Curcumin is a plant polyphenol with antitumor properties and inhibits the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, as the molecular mechanism associated is still unclear, our study aimed to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms by which curcumin inhibits CRC. Methods: HT29 and SW480 cells were treated with curcumin or/and Doxycycline (DOX), and cell viability, colony forming ability, migration and invasion were confirmed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony forming, Transwell assays. And Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) and PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) signaling-related genes or proteins were analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot, and immunofluorescence assays. Then nude mice xenograft tumor model was constructed, YAP and Ki67 expressions were tested by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results: In our study, we proved that curcumin significantly inhibited the CRC cell viability, cell migration, and cell invasion abilities. In addition, curcumin inhibited YAP and Transcriptional coactivator with TAZ or the YAP/TAZ signaling axis in CRC cells. Further, in the nude mice model, curcumin treatment significantly decreased the size and weight of xenotransplant tumors. Conclusion: Therefore, curcumin significantly inhibited CRC development and invasion by regulating the YAP/TAZ signaling axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on post-infarction insomnia, particularly short sleep duration following myocardial infarction (MI), remains limited. Currently, there are no existing guidelines or risk prediction models to assist physicians in managing or preventing short sleep duration or insomnia following MI. This study aims to develop a nomogram for predicting the risk of short sleep duration after MI. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 1434 MI survivors aged 20 and above, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning from 2007 to 2018. Among them, 710 patients were assigned to the training group, while 707 patients were allocated to the testing group. We utilized logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and the elastic network for variable selection. The stability and accuracy of the prediction model were assessed using receiver operator characteristics (ROCs) and calibration curves. Results: We included five variables in the nomogram: age, poverty income ratio (PIR), body mass index (BMI), race, and depression. The ROC curves yielded values of 0.636 for the training group and 0.657 for the testing group, demonstrating the model’s good prediction accuracy and robustness through a calibration curve test. Conclusions: Our nomogram can effectively predict the likelihood of short sleep duration in MI survivors, providing valuable support for clinicians in preventing and managing post-MI short sleep duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes SIGN (Syntactic-Informed Graph Network), a model for sentence matching that overcomes the limitation of existing models by incorporating multiple syntactic structures through a heterogeneous graph-based approach. It is reported that SIGN utilizes Graph Attention Network (GAT) or Heterogeneous Graph Attention Network (HGAT) to capture rich syntactic and semantic information, demonstrating superior performance over existing baselines on three public datasets.

Rationale: Increasing evidence shows that imidazoline I2 receptor agonists enhance opioid-induced analgesia, suggesting that the combination of I2 receptor agonists with opioids could be a favorable strategy for pain control. However, the effect of I2 receptor agonists on the abuse liability of opioids is unknown. This study examined the impact of the I2 receptor agonist 2-BFI on some abuse-related behavioral effects of the opioid morphine in rats. Objectives: The von Frey filament test was used to determine the antinociceptive effects of 2-BFI (intravenous, i.v.) in a rat model of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain. IV self-administration was used to assess the reinforcing effects of 2-BFI alone and to assess the effects of non-contingent injections of 2-BFI (i.p.) on morphine self-administration. A two-lever drug discrimination paradigm in which rats were trained to discriminate 3.2 mg/kg morphine (i.p.) from saline was used to examine whether 2-BFI or another I2 receptor agonist 2-(4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-yl)quinoline hydrochloride (BU224) affected the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine. Results: 2-BFI could not maintain reliable self-administration behavior in rats with no pain or CFA-treated inflammatory pain. However, pretreatment with 2-BFI (i.p.) produced dose-dependent decreases in the dose-effect curve of morphine self-administration. Both 2-BFI and BU224 did not substitute for morphine but significantly attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine. Conclusions: These results suggest that I2 receptor agonists do not enhance, but in fact appear to decrease, the abuse liability of opioids, further supporting the potential utility of I2 receptor agonist-opioid combination therapy for pain control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread and removal of pollution sources, namely, cough-released droplets in three different areas (front, middle, and rear areas) of a fully-loaded passenger car in a high-speed train under different fresh air flow volume were studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. In addition, the structure of indoor flow fields was also analysed. The results show that the large eddies are more stable and flow faster in the air supply under Mode 2 (fresh air volume: 2200m³/h) compared to Mode 1 (fresh air volume: 1100m³/h). By analysing the spreading process of droplets sprayed at different locations in the passenger car and with different particle sizes, the removal trends for droplets are found to be similar under the two air supply modes. However, when increasing the fresh air flow volume, the droplets in the middle and front areas of the passenger car are removed faster. When the droplets had dispersed for 60s, Mode 2 exhibited a removal rate approximately 1%-3% higher than Mode 1 for small and medium-sized droplets with diameters of 10 and 50 µm.While those in the rear area, the situation is reversed, with Mode 1 slightly surpassing Mode 2 by 1%-3%. For large droplets with a diameter of 100 µm, both modes achieved a removal rate of over 96% in all three regions at the 60 s. The results can provide guidance for air supply modes of passenger cars of high-speed trains, thus suppressing the spread of virus-carrying droplets and reducing the risk of viral infection among passengers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metallurgical quality control of magnesium (Mg) and Mg alloys in melting process is required to ensure a satisfied mechanical and corrosion performance, while the typical used steel crucible introduces impurities and interfacial interaction during melting process. Therefore, a systematic study about impurities diffusion and interfacial interaction between molten Mg and steel is necessary. In the present study, the interfacial reaction between molten AZ91D Mg alloy and mild steel during melting process was investigated with the melting temperatures of 700 °C, 750 °C and 800 °C. The results show that Al(Fe, Mn) intermetallic layer is the intermetallic primarily formed at the interfaces of AZ91D melt and mild steel. Meanwhile, Al8(Mn, Fe)5 is indexed between Al(Fe, Mn) and AZ91D. AlFe3C appears between the mild steel and Al(Fe, Mn) at 700 °C and 750 °C, but absent at 800 °C due to the increased solubility of carbon in Mg matrix. It is found that the growth of the intermetallic layer is controlled by diffusion mechanism, and Al and Mn are the dominant diffusing species in the whole interfacial reaction process. By measuring the thickness of different layers, the growth constant was calculated. It increases from 1.89(±0.03)×10-12 m² ·s-1 at 700 °C to 3.05(±0.05)×10-12 m² ·s-1 at 750 °C, and 5.18(±0.05)×10-12 m² ·s-1 at 800 °C. Meanwhile, the content of Fe is linearly increased in AZ91D with the increase of holding time at 700 °C and 750 °C, while it shows a significantly increment after holding for 8 h at 800 °C, indicating holding temperature is more crucial to determine the Fe content of AZ91D than holding time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of multiple metal ions in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) through one-pot synthesis can induce unique properties originating from specific atomic-scale spatial apportionment, but the extraction of this crucial information poses challenges. Herein, nondestructive solid-state NMR spectroscopy was used to discern the atomic-scale metal apportionment in a series of bulk Mg1−xCox-MOF-74 samples via identification and quantification of eight distinct arrangements of Mg/Co ions labeled with a 13C-carboxylate, relative to Co content. Due to the structural characteristics of metal-oxygen chains, the number of metal permutations is infinite for Mg1−xCox-MOF-74, making the resolution of atomic-scale metal apportionment particularly challenging. The results were then employed in density functional theory calculations to unravel the molecular mechanism underlying the macroscopic adsorption properties of several industrially significant gases. It is found that the incorporation of weak adsorption sites (Mg2+ for CO and Co2+ for CO2 adsorption) into the MOF structure counterintuitively boosts the gas adsorption energy on strong sites (Co2+ for CO and Mg2+ for CO2 adsorption). Such effect is significant even for Co2+ remote from Mg2+ in the metal-oxygen chain, resulting in a greater enhancement of CO adsorption across a broad composition range, while the enhancement of CO2 adsorption is restricted to Mg2+ with adjacent Co2+. Dynamic breakthrough measurements unambiguously verified the trend in gas adsorption as a function of metal composition. This research thus illuminates the interplay between atomic-scale structures and macroscopic gas adsorption properties in mixed-metal MOFs and derived materials, paving the way for developing superior functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa threaten the ecological integrity and beneficial uses of lakes globally. In addition to producing hepatotoxic microcystins (MC), M. aeruginosa exudates (MaE) contain various compounds with demonstrated toxicity to aquatic biota. Previously, we found that the ecotoxicity of MaE differed between MC-producing and MC-free strains at exponential (E-phase) and stationary (S-phase) growth phases. However, the components in these exudates and their specific harmful effects were unclear. In this study, we performed untargeted metabolomics based on liquid chromatographymass spectrometry to reveal the constituents in MaE of a MC-producing and a MC-free strain at both E-phase and S-phase. A total of 409 metabolites were identified and quantified based on their relative abundance. These compounds included lipids, organoheterocyclic compounds, organic acid, benzenoids and organic oxygen compounds. Multivariate analysis revealed that strains and growth phases significantly influenced the metabolite profile. The MC-producing strain had greater total metabolites abundance than the MC-free strain at S-phase, whereas the MC-free strain released higher concentrations of benzenoids, lipids, organic oxygen, organic nitrogen and organoheterocyclic compounds than the MC-producing strain at E-phase. Total metabolites had higher abundance in S-phase than in E-phase in both strains. Analysis of differential metabolites (DMs) and pathways suggest that lipids metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were more tightly coupled to growth phases than to strains. Abundance of some toxic lipids and benzenoids DMs were significantly higher in the MC-free strain than the MC-producing one. This study builds on the understanding of MaE chemicals and their biotoxicity, and adds to evidence that non-MC-producing strains of cyanobacteria may also pose a threat to ecosystem health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]