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Surface-specific sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy is applied to study the molecular configuration of short-chain n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs with n = 2–6) on the Au surface. For monolayers with n ≥ 3, the alkanethiols are upright-oriented, with the CH3 tilt angle varying between ∼33° and ∼46° in clear even–odd dependency. The ethanethiol monolayer (n = 2) is, however, found to exhibit a distinct lying-down configuration with a larger methyl tilt angle (67°–79°) and a smaller CH2 tilt angle (56°–68°). Such a unique configurational transition from n = 2 to n ≥ 3 discloses the steric effect owing to chain–chain interaction among neighboring molecules. Through density functional theory calculations, the transition is further confirmed to be energetically favorable for thiols on a defective reconstructed Au(111) surface but not on the pristine one. Our study highlights the roles of the chain–chain interaction and the substrate surface atomic structure when organizing SAMs, offering a strategic pathway for exploiting their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study uses qualitative data generated over three years to explore how a Chinese expert teacher constructs her personal practical theory (PPT) about teaching. The data analysis showed that the teacher successfully constructed a personally relevant, institutionally expected, and socio-culturally embedded PPT that manifested her teaching beliefs. The teacher constructed the PPT through five essential and interrelated steps: (a) identifying effective teaching practice; (b) crystalising a core concept from effective teaching; (c) proposing theoretical tenets around the core concept; (d) configuring the theoretical tenets into a preliminary PPT; (e) refining the PPT in relevant communities. The theory construction experience deepened the teacher's understanding of teaching and enhanced her confidence in engaging with educational theories and university-based scholars. However, the teacher's lack of knowledge about educational theories and hands-on tools for theory construction posed significant challenges to the teacher. This study generates new empirical evidence and conceptual insights into teacher theory construction, enriching international discussions on the theory-practice gap in education. The research findings also suggest practical implications for frontline teachers, facilitating their engagement with theories to close the theory-practice divide in their situated contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic generalized epilepsies (GGE) exhibit widespread morphometric alterations in the subcortical structures. Subcortical structures are essential for understanding GGE pathophysiology, but their fine-grained morphological diversity has yet to be comprehensively investigated. Furthermore, the relationships between macroscale morphological disturbances and microscale molecular chemoarchitectures are unclear. High-resolution structural images were acquired from patients with GGE (n = 97) and sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs, n = 184). Individual measurements of surface shape features (thickness and surface area) of seven bilateral subcortical structures were quantified. The patients and HCs were then compared vertex-wise, and shape anomalies were co-located with brain neurotransmitter profiles. We found widespread morphological alterations in GGE and prominent disruptions in the thalamus, putamen, and hippocampus. Shape area dilations were observed in the bilateral ventral, medial, and right dorsal thalamus, as well as the bilateral lateral putamen. We found that the shape area deviation pattern was spatially correlated with the norepinephrine transporter and nicotinic acetylcholine (Ach) receptor (α4β2) profiles, but a distinct association was seen in the muscarinic Ach receptor (M1). The findings provided a comprehensive picture of subcortical morphological disruptions in GGE, and further characterized the associated molecular mechanisms. This information may increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of GGE. Genetic generalized epilepsies (GGE)exhibited widespread shape alterations in subcortical structures and these morphological anomalies linked to specific neurotransmitter profiles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ru(II)-nitrite complex, Ru4, is explored to release nitric oxide (NO) under acidic conditions and selectively induce a cytotoxic effect towards SK-MEL-28 cisplatin-resistant malignant melanoma cells. These findings suggest that targeting the tumor-associated pHe level could be an effective strategy for the drug function of Ru(II)-nitrite compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactoferrin, a glycoprotein derived from breastmilk, is recognized for its health benefits in infants and children; however, its protective effects when administered during gestation and lactation against offspring hypertension remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether maternal lactoferrin supplementation could prevent hypertension in offspring born to mothers with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with a focus on nitric oxide (NO), renin–angiotensin system (RAS) regulation, and alterations in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Prior to pregnancy, female rats were subjected to a 0.5% adenine diet for 3 weeks to induce CKD. During pregnancy and lactation, pregnant rats received one of four diets: normal chow, 0.5% adenine diet, 10% lactoferrin diet, or adenine diet supplemented with lactoferrin. Male offspring were euthanized at 12 weeks of age (n = 8 per group). Supplementation with lactoferrin during gestation and lactation prevented hypertension in adult offspring induced by a maternal adenine diet. The maternal adenine diet caused a decrease in the index of NO availability, which was restored by 67% with maternal LF supplementation. Additionally, LF was related to the regulation of the RAS, as evidenced by a reduced renal expression of renin and the angiotensin II type 1 receptor. Combined maternal adenine and LF diets altered beta diversity, shifted the offspring's gut microbiota, decreased propionate levels, and reduced the renal expression of SCFA receptors. The beneficial effects of lactoferrin are likely mediated through enhanced NO availability, rebalancing the RAS, and alterations in gut microbiota composition and SCFAs. Our findings suggest that maternal lactoferrin supplementation improves hypertension in offspring in a model of adenine-induced CKD, bringing us closer to potentially translating lactoferrin supplementation clinically for children born to mothers with CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, there were around 20 million new cases and over 9.7 million cancer‐related deaths worldwide. An increasing number of metabolites with anticancer activity in algae had been isolated and identified, which were promising candidates for cancer therapy. Red algae are well‐known for the production of brominated metabolites, including terpenoids and phenols, which have the capacity to induce cell toxicity. Some non‐toxic biological macromolecules, including polysaccharides, are distinct secondary metabolites found in many algae, particularly green algae. They possess anticancer activities by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, stimulating the immune response, and inducing apoptosis. However, the structure–activity relationship between these components and antitumor activity, as well as certain taxa within the algae, remains relatively unstudied. This work is based on the reports published from 2003 to 2024 in PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases. A comprehensive review of the characterized algal anticancer active compounds, together with their structure and mechanism of action was performed. Also, their structure–activity relationship was preliminarily summarized to better assess their potential properties as a natural, safe bioactive product to be used as an alternative for the treatment of cancers, leading to new opportunities for drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational scholars have argued for fair pedagogical practices in response to the learning needs of diverse students. While pedagogical fairness has been widely advocated, few studies have systematically assessed its impact on student learning, and even fewer have examined pedagogical fairness from a school organisational perspective. To narrow this gap in research, the current study develops an expansive conceptualisation of pedagogical fairness as an integral part of organisational culture, which varies by school. Our data, gathered from 7,746 immigrant-background students attending 563 schools in six East Asian societies, were analysed based on a hierarchical linear model explaining their academic performance as a function of pedagogical fairness in terms of both teacher practice and school culture. The results suggest that fair pedagogy can effectively help immigrant children succeed in school. It is particularly notable that pedagogical unfairness embedded in school culture is negatively associated with the academic performance of immigrant children, even after controlling for unfair pedagogical practices exercised by individual teachers. These findings suggest that implementing fair pedagogy is not simply the responsibility of individual teachers; it is also the responsibility of school leaders, as they are in the position to substantially influence the school as an organisational whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human body communication technology with human biological tissue as a communication medium provides a new way for wireless communication. However, the current research on human body communication technology is limited to single body communication. This paper expands the application of human body communication technology through the study of two-person handshake communication. First, the impedance and size of the transmitter and receiver were discussed to reduce the influence of the transmitter and receiver on path loss. Then, the effects of palm contact areas on path loss was analyzed in the ultra-wide band (UWB) high and human body communication (HBC) low bands. Finally, the safety of human communication technology was evaluated based on whether the local maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) reached the international limit. In this paper, the path loss was calculated at different communication distances with the optimal parameters of the transmitter and receiver. Under the same communication distance, with the decrease in the contact area of two people's palms, the path loss of UWB and HBC bands gradually decreases. By comparing SAR values in different frequency bands, it was found that communication through the human body is safe, and the SAR in HBC is smaller than that in UWB. Furthermore, it is less affected by changes in the palm contact area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Parallel I/O is a critical technique for moving data between compute and storage subsystems of supercomputers. With massive amounts of data produced or consumed by compute nodes, high‐performant parallel I/O is essential. I/O benchmarks play an important role in this process; however, there is a scarcity of I/O benchmarks representative of current workloads on HPC systems. Toward creating representative I/O kernels from real‐world applications, we have created h5bench , a set of I/O kernels that exercise hierarchical data format version 5 (HDF5) I/O on parallel file systems in numerous dimensions. Our focus on HDF5 is due to the parallel I/O library's heavy usage in various scientific applications running on supercomputing systems. The various tests benchmarked in the h5bench suite include I/O operations (read and write), data locality (arrays of basic data types and arrays of structures), array dimensionality (one‐dimensional arrays, two‐dimensional meshes, three‐dimensional cubes), I/O modes (synchronous and asynchronous). In this paper, we present the observed performance of h5bench executed along several of these dimensions on existing supercomputers (Cori and Summit) and pre‐exascale platforms (Perlmutter, Theta, and Polaris). h5bench measurements can be used to identify performance bottlenecks and their root causes and evaluate I/O optimizations. As the I/O patterns of h5bench are diverse and capture the I/O behaviors of various HPC applications, this study will be helpful to the broader supercomputing and I/O community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) research suggests that the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) influences neuroplasticity within the primary motor cortex (M1) through indirect (I) wave interneuronal circuits. However, it is unclear how the influence of PMd on the plasticity of M1 I‐waves changes with advancing age. This study therefore investigated the neuroplastic effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to M1 early and late I‐wave circuits when preceded by iTBS (PMd iTBS‐M1 iTBS) or sham stimulation (PMd sham‐M1 iTBS) to PMd in 15 young and 16 older adults. M1 excitability was assessed with motor evoked potentials (MEP) recorded from the right first dorsal interosseous using posterior–anterior (PA) and anterior–posterior (AP) current TMS at standard stimulation intensities (PA1mV, AP1mV) and reduced stimulation intensities (PA0.5mV, early I‐waves; AP0.5mV, late I‐waves). PMd iTBS‐M1 iTBS lowered the expected facilitation of PA0.5mV (to M1 iTBS) in young and older adults (P = 0.009), whereas the intervention had no effect on AP0.5mV facilitation in either group (P = 0.305). The modulation of PA0.5mV following PMd iTBS‐M1 iTBS may reflect a specific influence of PMd on different I‐wave circuits that are involved in M1 plasticity within young and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous adsorption of Cu(II) and dyes (MB and MO) on LDH@GO-SH was investigated in single, MB–Cu, and MO–Cu binary systems. The coexistence of dye enhanced the adsorption of Cu(II) by LDH@GO-SH, while the presence of Cu(II) differently affected the adsorption of MB and MO. The adsorption capacity of MO remarkably increased due to the presence of Cu(II). The presence of Cu(II) had a negative effect on MB adsorption for lower MB initial concentration systems (2–10 mg·L−1), while it had a positive effect for higher MB concentration systems (25 mg·L−1 and 50 mg·L−1). The adsorption of Cu(II) in binary systems was satisfactorily fitted by a Langmuir model and pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Surface complex interaction was supposed to be a potential mechanism for the enhancement of Cu(II) adsorption in both MB–Cu and MO–Cu binary systems. The electrostatic interactions between MO and Cu(II) were another reason for the enhancement of Cu(II) adsorption in the MO–Cu binary system. LDH@GO-SH maintained a high adsorption capacity after three adsorption–desorption cycles, indicating that it can be repeatedly used for the treatment of heavy-metal-ion-containing wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is a major public health concern and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Various studies have reported the use of serum microRNAs (miRNAs) as non-invasive biomarkers for cancer detection. However, large-scale pan-cancer studies based on serum miRNAs have been relatively scarce. Methods: An optimized machine learning workflow, combining least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses, recursive feature elimination (RFE), and fourteen kinds of machine learning algorithms, was use to screen out candidate miRNAs from 2540 serum miRNAs and constructed a potent diagnostic signature (Cancer-related Serum miRNA Signatures) for pan-cancer detection, based on a serum miRNA expression dataset of 38,223 samples. Result: Cancer-related Serum miRNA Signatures performed well in pan-cancer detection with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.999, 94.51% sensitivity, and 99.49% specificity in the external validation cohort, and represented an acceptable diagnostic performance for identifying early-stage tumors. Furthermore, the ability of multi-classification of tumors by serum miRNAs in pancreatic, colorectal, and biliary tract cancers was lower than that in other cancers, which showed accuracies of 59%, 58.5%, and 28.9%, respectively, indicating that the difference in serum miRNA expression profiles among a small number of tumor subtypes was not as significant as that between cancer samples and non-cancer controls. Conclusion: We have developed a serum miRNA signature using machine learning that may be a cost-effective risk tool for pan-cancer detection. Our findings will benefit not only the predictive diagnosis of cancer but also a preventive and more personalized screening plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamical responses and performances of mono-, bi-, and tri-stable nonlinear energy sinks in simultaneous vibration suppression and energy harvesting as well as solely vibration mitigation. To this end, a realizable multi-stable nonlinear energy sink composed of a bimorph cantilever beam and arrays of magnets is considered for vibration mitigation. The target vibrating structure is a simply-supported beam under a harmonic excitation. The proposed absorber can exhibit multi-stability based on the magnet gaps. First, using extended Hamilton's principle, the coupled continuous magneto-electromechanical equations governing the system are obtained. Next, the bifurcations of the absorber fixed points that lead to different stability states are analyzed. Then, the time- and frequency-responses of the coupled system are studied using time integration. The results show that the bi- and tri-stable absorbers perform well in case of strongly modulated responses. Furthermore, the response of the coupled system is verified using the harmonic balance method and pseudo-arclength continuation. Next, the potential well escape method based on the harmonic balance solution is exploited to investigate the strongly modulated response emergence and disappearance as well as its variations with the system parameters. The coupling mechanism of the nonlinear absorber to the host beam is also studied using linearization and compared with the harmonic balance solution. In addition, in order to compare the performances of the bi-stable and tri-stable absorbers, energy-based analyses are performed. The results reveal the average harvested power per average kinetic energy of the main system for a bi-stable absorber is higher than a tri-stable absorber. Furthermore, the bi-stable absorber can mitigate the host structure vibration more than the tri-stable absorber. Finally, it is observed that the bi-stable absorber suppresses the vibration more than its corresponding mono-stable absorber and harvests more energy over a broader frequency region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry eye is a complicated ocular surface disease that causes discomfort, visual disturbance, and frequently observed ocular surface damage. Emerging hypotheses suggest probiotics may help relieve dry eye symptoms by modulating inflammation and oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Streptococcus thermophilus iHA318 probiotics on dry eye using in vitro assays and an in vivo murine model of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced dry eye. In vitro analyses revealed that S. thermophilus iHA318® exhibited antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting reactive oxygen species production and suppressing inflammatory cytokines. For the in vivo study, female ICR mice were assigned to normal control, UVB-induced dry eye, and UVB+iHA318 treatment groups. UVB exposure significantly decreased tear volume and tear film breakup time (TBUT) compared to normal controls. Supplementation with S. thermophilus iHA318® via oral gavage markedly improved tear production and TBUT on day 7 post-UVB exposure. Ocular surface photography demonstrated improved gradings of corneal opacity, smoothness, and lissamine green staining in the iHA318 group versus the UVB group. Topographical analysis further revealed improvement in the UVB-induced corneal irregularities by iHA318 treatment. Collectively, these results indicate that S. thermophilus iHA318 exerts a protective effect against dry eye symptoms by mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby preserving tear film stability and ocular surface integrity. This probiotic strain represents a promising therapeutic approach for managing dry eye syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA)-based assessment is easily and intuitively used in evaluating the learning outcomes of competency-based medical education (CBME). This study aimed to develop an EPA for occupational therapy focused on providing health education and consultation (TP-EPA3) and examine its validity. Methods: Nineteen occupational therapists who had completed online training on the EQual rubric evaluation participated in this study. An expert committee identified six core EPAs for pediatric occupational therapy. TP-EPA3 was developed following the EPA template and refined through consensus meetings. The EQual rubric, a 14-item, five-point criterion-based anchor system, encompassing discrete units of work (DU), entrustable, essential, and important tasks of the profession (EEIT), and curricular role (CR), was used to evaluate the quality of TP-EPA3. Overall scores below 4.07, or scores for DU, EEIT, and CR domains below 4.17. 4.00, and 4.00, respectively, indicate the need for modifications. Results: The TP-EPA3 demonstrated good validity, surpassing the required cut-off score with an average overall EQual score of 4.21 (SD = 0.41). Specific domain scores for DU, EEIT, and CR were 3.90 (SD = 0.69), 4.46 (SD = 0.44), and 4.42 (SD = 0.45), respectively. Subsequent revisions clarified observation contexts, enhancing specificity and focus. Further validation of the revised TP-EPA3 and a thorough examination of its reliability and validity are needed. Conclusion: The successful validation of TP-EPA3 suggests its potential as a valid assessment tool in occupational therapy education, offering a structured approach for developing competency in providing health education and consultation. This process model for EPA development and validation can guide occupational therapists in creating tailored EPAs for diverse specialties and settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human brain is organized as segregation and integration units and follows complex developmental trajectories throughout life. The cortical manifold provides a new means of studying the brain's organization in a multidimensional connectivity gradient space. However, how the brain's morphometric organization changes across the human lifespan remains unclear. Here, leveraging structural magnetic resonance imaging scans from 1,790 healthy individuals aged 8 to 89 years, we investigated age-related global, within- and between-network dispersions to reveal the segregation and integration of brain networks from 3D manifolds based on morphometric similarity network (MSN), combining multiple features conceptualized as a "fingerprint" of an individual's brain. Developmental trajectories of global dispersion unfolded along patterns of molecular brain organization, such as acetylcholine receptor. Communities were increasingly dispersed with age, reflecting more disassortative morphometric similarity profiles within a community. Increasing within-network dispersion of primary motor and association cortices mediated the influence of age on the cognitive flexibility of executive functions. We also found that the secondary sensory cortices were decreasingly dispersed with the rest of the cortices during aging, possibly indicating a shift of secondary sensory cortices across the human lifespan from an extreme to a more central position in 3D manifolds. Together, our results reveal the age-related segregation and integration of MSN from the perspective of a multidimensional gradient space, providing new insights into lifespan changes in multiple morphometric features of the brain, as well as the influence of such changes on cognitive performance. There is much interest in how the brain's morphometric organization changes throughout the human lifespan to support cognition. By analyzing structural MRI data from subjects aged 8-89, this study reveals that networks within the brain become more dispersed with age, and that these effects may underlie age-related changes in cognitive flexibility and executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapting the coordination environment to influence the electronic configuration of active sites represents an efficient approach for improving the photocatalytic performance of the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) but how to execute it precisely remains challenging. Herein, heteroatom‐substitution in Ni‐porphyrin to break the coordination symmetry of Ni center is proposed to be an effective solution. Based on this, two symmetry‐breaking Ni‐porphyrins, namely Ni(Cl)ON3Por and Ni(Cl)SN3Por, are designed and successfully prepared. By theoretical calculation, it is found that symmetry‐breaking efficiently regulates the 3d orbital energy levels of Ni center. Furthermore, experimental and theoretical findings jointly revealed that coordination symmetry‐breaking of Ni‐porphyrins facilitates the generation of highly reactive NiI species during the catalytic process, effectively stabilizing and reducing the energy barrier of formation of the key *COOH intermediate. As a result, Ni(Cl)ON3Por and Ni(Cl)SN3Por gave CO production rates of 24.7 and 38.8 mmol g−1 h−1 as well as selectivity toward CO of 94.0% and 96.4%, respectively, outperforming that of symmetric NiN4Por (CO production rate of 6.6 mmol g−1 h−1 and selectivity of 82.8%). These findings offer microscopic insights into how to modulate the catalytic activity by precisely tuning the coordination environment of active sites and rational design of competent catalyst for CO2RR photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectricity, one of the most desirable properties of non-centrosymmetric crystalline materials, has long been blooming in academic research, industrial manufacturing, and daily applications owing to its unique electromechanical transformation capability. Compared with inorganic piezoelectric ceramics dominating the market, molecule-based piezoelectric materials exhibit advantages of light weight, mechanical flexibility, and environment friendliness and have attracted widespread interest recently. However, investigations on molecular materials with large piezoelectric coefficients are mainly focused on organic–inorganic hybrids, while pure organic homochiral piezoelectrics holding large piezoelectric coefficients remain scarce. Herein, by precise molecular modification on (S)-2-methylpiperazin-1-ium perchlorate ([(S)-MPP][ClO4]) with polar cyanomethyl groups, a homochiral pure organic compound (3S)-3-methyl-1,4-di(cyanomethyl)piperazin-1-ium perchlorate [DCM-(S)-MPP][ClO4] with large d22 of 18 pC/N was achieved, along with changes in the space group from nonpolar to polar, giving rise to second harmonic generation and phase transition behaviors. The modification strategy proposed here will benefit piezoelectricity enhancement in more chiral compounds, promoting their application potential in biological medicine, flexible devices, and green chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation into the distinctive difference of gait is of significance for the clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. However, human gait is affected by many factors like behavior, occupation and so on, and they may confuse the gait differences among Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease. For the purpose of examining distinctive gait differences of neurodegenerative diseases, this study extracts various features from both vertical ground reaction force and time intervals. Moreover, refined Lempel–Ziv complexity is proposed considering the detailed distribution of signals based on the median and quartiles. Basic features (mean, coefficient of variance, and the asymmetry index), nonlinear dynamic features (Hurst exponent, correlation dimension, largest Lyapunov exponent), and refined Lempel–Ziv complexity of different neurodegenerative diseases are compared statistically by violin plot and Kruskal–Wallis test to reveal distinction and regularities. The comparative analysis results illustrate the gait differences across these neurodegenerative diseases by basic features and nonlinear dynamic features. Classification results by random forest indicate that the refined Lempel–Ziv complexity can robustly enhance the diagnosis accuracy when combined with basic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective SIRT1, an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, is upregulated in CD4+ T cells from SLE patients and MRL/lpr lupus-like mice. This study aimed to explore the role of SIRT1 in follicular helper T (Tfh) cell expansion and its potential value as a therapeutic target for SLE. Methods Frequencies of CD4+CXCR5+PD-1+ Tfh cells in peripheral blood from SLE patients and their expression of SIRT1 and B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL-6) were determined with flow cytometry. Naïve CD4+ T cells were transfected with SIRT1 -expressing lentivirus and small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting SIRT1 , respectively, and then cultured under Tfh-polarizing conditions to study the impact of SIRT1 on Tfh cell differentiation. This impact was also evaluated in both CD4+ T cells and naïve CD4+ T cells by treatment with SIRT1 inhibitors (EX527 and nicotinamide) in vitro. MRL/lpr mice and pristane-induced lupus mice were treated with continuous daily intake of nicotinamide, and their lupus phenotypes (including skin rash, arthritis, proteinuria and serum anti-dsDNA autoantibodies) were compared with those of controls. Results Expression of SIRT1 was elevated in Tfh cells from SLE patients and was positively correlated with Tfh cell frequencies. SIRT1 expression gradually increased during Tfh cell differentiation. Overexpression of SIRT1 by lentiviral vectors significantly promoted Tfh cell differentiation/proliferation. Reciprocally, suppressing expression of SIRT1 by siRNA and inhibiting SIRT1 activity by EX-527 or nicotinamide hindered Tfh cell expansion. Continuous daily intake of nicotinamide alleviated lupus-like phenotypes and decreased serum CXCL13 in the two mouse models. Conclusion SIRT1 overexpression contributed to the expansion of Tfh cells in SLE and may serve as a potential target for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immersion tests with 5 wt.% Na2SO4 solution were carried out to investigate the deterioration of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel in a sulfate environment. C-S-H gels with different Ca/(Si + Al) molar ratios were used for comparison. Particular attention was paid to the changes in element composition and Si-O-Si chain structure of the C-S-H gel. The results show that the C-S-H gels with a low Ca/(Si + Al) ratio (0.8–1.0) and appropriate Si-O-Si chain length (14.8) presented better stability in a severe sulfate environment. The C-S-H gels with a higher Ca/(Si + Al) ratio (>2.0) were more sensitive to the attack of sulfate ions. Calcium ions dissolved rapidly during the immersion process, causing the loss of cohesive strength of the C-S-H gel, and then decomposed into fine particles. The C-S-H gel with a lower Ca/(Si + Al) ratio (about 1.1) rarely leached out calcium ions and maintained good micromorphology. The 29Si MAS-NMR results indicate that the Si-O-Si chains with too short or too long chain lengths will break and recombine under the attack of sulfate ions. The Si-O-Si chains with an appropriate chain length (14.8) maintained the stability of the structure of the C-S-H gel in a sulfate environment. These changes are closely related to the asymmetric layered structure of amorphous C-S-H gel. Partial calcium ions between the layers of the main chain structure of Si-O-Si are easily taken away by sulfate ions, leading to the structural instability of the C-S-H gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Endo‐microscopy is crucial for real‐time 3D visualization of internal tissues and subcellular structures. Conventional methods rely on axial movement of optical components for precise focus adjustment, limiting miniaturization and complicating procedures. Meta‐device, composed of artificial nanostructures, is an emerging optical flat device that can freely manipulate the phase and amplitude of light. Here, an intelligent fluorescence endo‐microscope is developed based on varifocal meta‐lens and deep learning (DL). The breakthrough enables in vivo 3D imaging of mouse brains, where varifocal meta‐lens focal length adjusts through relative rotation angle. The system offers key advantages such as invariant magnification, a large field‐of‐view, and optical sectioning at a maximum focal length tuning range of ≈2 mm with 3 µm lateral resolution. Using a DL network, image acquisition time and system complexity are significantly reduced, and in vivo high‐resolution brain images of detailed vessels and surrounding perivascular space are clearly observed within 0.1 s (≈50 times faster). The approach will benefit various surgical procedures, such as gastrointestinal biopsies, neural imaging, brain surgery, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of functionalized 3‐arylazoindoles were prepared in good to excellent yields through an iron(III)‐catalyzed C−H azolation of 2‐substituted indoles with arylhydrazines under mild reaction conditions. The reaction underwent an initial TBN‐mediated nitrosation, 1,5‐hydrogen migration, intramolecular condensation, and 1,5‐hydrogen migration over four steps in one pot. A paracyclophane‐derived 3‐phenylazoindole could be prepared in 25% yield over three steps and some prepared 3‐arylazoindoles showed a different fluorescence emission wavelength and existed obvious pH conditions response. The present method highlights broad substrate scope of easily available starting materials, wide range of functional group compatibility, gram scalable preparations, high atom economy, avoidance of unstable and explosive azolation reagents, and simple purification operations by extraction, washing, and recrystallization without flash column chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? We originally proposed the design principle for molecular ferroelectrics: ferroelectrochemistry, including quasi‐spherical theory, the introduction of homochirality, and H/F substitution. Ferroelectrochemistry changed the blind search for molecular ferroelectrics into targeted chemical design, which will develop into a new discipline. How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers? I have been devoted to the field of molecular ferroelectrics for more than 20 years. In the early stage, I worked on non‐centrosymmetric metal‐organic complexes, which are potential molecular ferroelectrics. This laid a foundation for my further study of molecular ferroelectrics. Non‐centrosymmetric crystal symmetry is only one of the necessary requirements for ferroelectrics, which must adopt one of the 10 polar crystallographic point groups and should also generally undergo symmetry‐breaking phase transitions. Due to the lack of a feasible method, the discovery of molecular ferroelectrics has long depended on blindly searching. This process is like finding a needle in a haystack. After years of exploration in this field, I fully understood the Landau phase transition phenomenological theory, Curie symmetry, and Neumann principle from a chemical perspective, and proposed the design principle for molecular ferroelectrics: ferroelectrochemistry, transforming the discovery of molecular ferroelectrics from blind search to targeted chemical design. Never give up no matter how much difficulty you have met, because maybe there is an opportunity the next second. What is the most important personality for scientific research? Curiosity, divergent thinking, perseverance, team spirit, and gratitude. How do you supervise your students? Emphasis on independent problem‐solving abilities. Encourage students to read professional books frequently while doing research. What are your hobbies? What's your favorite book(s)? Jogging, reading, and swimming. My favorite book is The Journey to the West. Comprehensive Summary: Molecular ferroelectrics have attracted tremendous attention in the past decades due to their excellent ferroelectric performance and superiorities of easy processability, mechanical flexibility, and good biocompatibility. However, the discovery of molecular ferroelectrics is a great challenge and has long relied on blind search. This situation changed recently, with the development of ferroelectrochemistry proposed by our group. As a major design approach in ferroelectrochemistry, introducing homochirality, which facilitates the crystallization of materials in polar crystallographic point groups, greatly improves the probability of being ferroelectrics. Various new molecular ferroelectrics with splendid properties have been precisely synthesized by using this efficient and universal strategy. In this review, we summarize the advances in the chemical design of molecular ferroelectrics through the strategy of introducing homochirality. Key Scientists: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the electrical transport properties of nanodevices fabricated from exfoliated flakes of two-dimensional metallic ferromagnets Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) and Fe5Ge2Te2 (FG2T) down to below three layers in thickness. The per-layer anomalous Hall conductivity even in thick FGT and FG2T devices is found to be much smaller than ∼ e 2 h , the approximate value calculated for thick undoped crystals. Moreover, we obtain a power-law scaling relation between the per-layer anomalous Hall and per-layer longitudinal conductivities with an exponent close to 1.6, which agrees with the universal value for poor ferromagnetic conductors. Both FGT and FG2T devices show clear layer-dependent Curie temperatures and layer-dependent perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, with FG2T dominating the former and FGT dominating the latter for all thicknesses. Despite their declining trend as the device thickness decreases, both Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy retain a significant fraction of their bulk values (>60% and >80% of the bulk values, respectively, even in the thinnest FG2T device), indicating attractive potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess whether the diagnostic performance of Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SZUS) is non-inferior to that of SonoVue contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SVUS) in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in individuals with high risk. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted from October 2020 to May 2022 and included participants with a high risk of HCC who underwent SZUS and SVUS. All lesions were confirmed by clinical or pathological diagnosis. Each nodule was classified according to the Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2017 (CEUS LI-RADS v2017) for SVUS and SZUS and the modified CEUS LI-RADS (using Kupffer phase defect instead of late and mild washout) for SZUS. The diagnostic performance of both two modalities for all observations was compared. Analysis of the vascular phase and Kupffer phase imaging characteristics of CEUS was performed. Results: One hundred and fifteen focal liver lesions from 113 patients (94 HCCs, 12 non-HCC malignancies, and 9 benign lesions) were analysed. According to CEUS LI-RADS (v2017), SVUS and SZUS showed similar sensitivity (71.3% vs. 72.3%) and specificity (85.7% vs. 81.0%) in HCC diagnosis. However, the modified CEUS LI-RADS did not significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy of Sonazoid compared to CEUS LI-RADS v2017, having equivalent sensitivity (73.4% vs. 72.3%) and specificity (81.0% vs. 81.0%). The agreement between SVUS and SZUS for all observations was 0.610 (95% CI 0.475, 0.745), while for HCCs it was 0.452 (95% CI 0.257, 0.647). Conclusion: Using LI-RADS v2017, SZUS and SVUS showed non-inferior efficacy in evaluating HCC lesions. In addition, adding Kupffer phase defects to SZUS does not notably improve its diagnostic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactive effects of obesity and physical inactivity on lipid metabolism and prevalent dyslipidemia are scarcely reported in rural regions. 39029 subjects were obtained from the Henan Rural Cohort, and their metabolic equivalents (METs) of physical activity (PA) were computed. Independent associations of the obesity indices and PA with either lipid indices or prevalent dyslipidemia were analyzed by generalized linear models, and additive effects of obesity and PA on prevalent dyslipidemia were further quantified. Each obesity index was positively associated with total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein or prevalent dyslipidemia but negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein, whereas the opposite association of PA with either each lipid index or prevalent dyslipidemia was observed. Joint association of PA and each obesity index with each lipid index and prevalent dyslipidemia was observed. Furthermore, the association of each obesity index in association with each lipid index was attenuated by increased PA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nosema bombycis (Nb) is a pathogen causing pebrine in sericulture. Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is a common physical disinfection method, but the mechanisms underlying UV‐based disinfection have only been studied at the population level. In this study, changes in and germination of UV‐irradiated spores were observed using Raman tweezers and phase‐contrast imaging to evaluate the effects of UV radiation on Nb spores at the single‐cell level. We found that irradiation caused the complete leakage of trehalose from individual spores. We also found that more spores leaked as the UV dose increased. There was no significant loss of intracellular biomacromolecules and no marked changes in the peaks associated with protein secondary structures. Low‐dose radiation promoted spore germination and high‐dose radiation decreased the germination rate, while the germination time did not undergo significant alterations. These results suggest that UV radiation disrupts the permeability of the inner membrane and alters the spore wall, thereby affecting the ability of the spore to sense and respond to extracellular stimuli, which further triggers germination and reduces or stops spore germination. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying conventional disinfection measures on microsporidian spores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To repair reinforced concrete beams efficiently in a limited building space, the four-sided application of a reinforcing thin layer of reactive powder concrete ("RPCTL") was proposed to improve the bending capacity of the members. Static flexural tests of one comparison beam and five reinforced beams were completed on a four-point centralized loading device. Changes in deflection, cracks, stresses, and damage characteristics of the specimens were measured under various levels of loading. The test results showed that the damage patterns of the reinforced specimens were dominated by the yielding of longitudinal tensile reinforcement at the bottoms of the beams and the crushing of the cementitious material in the top compression zones of the beams. The cracking load greatly increased by 1.42 to 7.12 times, and the ultimate bearing capacity increased by 0.29 to 1.41 times. The distribution characteristics and dynamic changes in the displacement, stress, and damage of the specimens were dynamically simulated by finite element software. The effects of reinforcement and initial load-holding level on the reinforcement effect were investigated. A bending capacity calculation formula for RPCTL reinforcement technology is proposed that aligns with the test results and can provide a reference for the design of RPCTL reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemin, a heme oxygenase 1 activator has shown efficacy in the prevention and treatment of acute pancreatitis in mouse models. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the protective effect of Hemin administration to prevent post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) in patients at risk. In this multicenter, multinational, placebo-controlled, double-blind RCT, we assigned patients at risk for PEP to receive a single intravenous dose of Hemin (4 mg/kg) or placebo immediately after ERCP. Patients were considered to be at risk on the basis of validated patient- and/or procedure-related risk factors. Neither rectal NSAIDs nor pancreatic stent insertion were allowed in randomized patients. The primary outcome was the incidence of PEP. Secondary outcomes included lipase elevation, mortality, safety, and length of stay. A total of 282 of the 294 randomized patients had complete follow-up. Groups were similar in terms of clinical, laboratory, and technical risk factors for PEP. PEP occurred in 16 of 142 patients (11.3%) in the Hemin group and in 20 of 140 patients (14.3%) in the placebo group (p = 0.48). Incidence of severe PEP reached 0.7% and 4.3% in the Hemin and placebo groups, respectively (p = 0.07). Significant lipase elevation after ERCP did not differ between groups. Length of hospital stay, mortality and severe adverse events rates were similar between groups. We failed to detect large improvements in PEP rate among participants at risk for PEP who received IV hemin immediately after the procedure compared to placebo. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01855841). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Determining the exact type of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion (ex20ins) mutation in lung cancer has become important. We found that not all ex20ins mutations reported by cobas EGFR test v2 could be validated by Sanger sequencing even using surgical specimens with high tumor contents. This study aimed to validate the ex20ins results reported by the cobas test and to determine whether there were clinicopathological factors associated with aberrant cobas ex20ins report. In total, 123 cobas-reported cases with ex20ins were retrospectively collected and validated by Sanger sequencing and Idylla assay. Clinicopathological features between ex20ins cobas+/Sanger+ group (n = 71) and cobas+/Sanger− group (n = 52) were compared. The Idylla assay detected ex20ins in 82.6% of cobas+/Sanger+ cases but only in 4.9% of cobas+/Sanger− cases. The cobas+/Sanger− group was significantly associated with higher tumor contents, poorly differentiated patterns, tumor necrosis, and a lower internal control cycle threshold value reported by the Idylla which suggesting the presence of increased EGFR gene copy numbers. EGFR fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed the majority of cobas+/Sanger− group had EGFR high copy number gain (16%) or amplification (76%) according to the Colorado criteria. Among cases reported to have concomitant classic EGFR and ex20ins mutations by the cobas, the classic EGFR mutations were all detected by Sanger sequencing and Idylla, while the ex20ins mutations were undetected by Sanger sequencing (0%) or rarely reported by Idylla assay (3%). FISH revealed high EGFR copy number gain (17.9%) and amplification (79.5%) in cases reported having concomitant classic EGFR and ex20ins mutations by the cobas. This study demonstrated an unusually high frequency of EGFR amplification in cases with aberrant cobas ex20ins report which could not be validated by Sanger sequencing or Idylla assay. Ex20ins reported by the cobas test should be validated using other methods especially those reported having concomitant ex20ins and classic EGFR mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we synthesized a series of cholesteryl-based compounds, whose phases and their transformation can be modulated by temperature and the chain length of the fluoroalkyl moieties. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the phase transition could be modulated with perfluoroalkyl tail engineering in organic single-component ferroelectric crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body-centered cubic (BCC) lightweight refractory high-entropy alloys (LWRHEAs) with Al contents have attracted much attention due to their low density and excellent mechanical properties. However, these typical lightweight alloys often suffer from poor room temperature plasticity. In this study, we prepared TiZrNbTa0.1Alx LWRHEAs by using a high-vacuum arc-melting technique and investigated the influence of Al content on the phase structures and mechanical properties. It was found that the TiZrNbTa0.1Al1 alloy showed a BCC solid solution matrix with some micrometer-sized Al3Zr5 precipitates and exhibited a density of 6.110 ± 0.003 g/cm3. The TiZrNbTa0.1Al1 alloy had a low mixed enthalpy of −20.831 kJ/mol, a compressive yield strength of 1037 ± 178 MPa, and a fracture plasticity of ∼6%. As a result of reducing the Al content, the TiZrNbTa0.1Al0.2 alloy showed a simple BCC phase structure without any precipitates and maintained a low density of 6.743 ± 0.008 g/cm3. The TiZrNbTa0.1Al0.2 alloy had a relatively high mixed enthalpy of −4.5577 kJ/mol, a high yield strength of 1022 ± 51 MPa, and a plasticity of >70%. The TEM analysis results demonstrated that the excellent mechanical properties of this LWRHEA were mainly attributed to the reducing Al content, which could elevate the mixed enthalpy of the alloy to eliminate the brittle Al3Zr5 phase and induce the formation of dense network dislocations at the grain boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA modifications affect fundamental biological processes and diseases and are a research hotspot. Several micro-RNAs (miRNAs) exhibit genetic variant-targeted RNA modifications that can greatly alter their biofunctions and influence their effect on cancer. Therefore, the potential role of these miRNAs in cancer can be implicated in new prevention and treatment strategies. In this study, we determined whether RMvar-related miRNAs were closely associated with tumorigenesis and identified cancer-specific signatures based on these miRNAs with variants targeting RNA modifications using an optimized machine learning workflow. An effective machine learning workflow, combining least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analyses, recursive feature elimination, and nine types of machine learning algorithms, was used to screen candidate miRNAs from 504 serum RMvar-related miRNAs and construct a diagnostic signature for cancer detection based on 43,047 clinical samples (with an area under the curve value of 0.998, specificity of 93.1%, and sensitivity of 99.3% in the validation cohort). This signature demonstrated a satisfactory diagnostic performance for certain cancers and different conditions, including distinguishing early-stage tumors. Our study revealed the close relationship between RMvar-related miRNAs and tumors and proposed an effective cancer screening tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an evolving and growing disease, especially in developing countries. However, the clinical characteristics of HPV-associated HNSCC in regard to HPV infection rates, patient features, and prognosis are under-reported in the Asian population. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively enrolled a 400-case cohort of HNSCC with p16 immunochemistry and analyzed with long-term follow-up. We investigate the current HPV prevalence of HNSCC, unique HPV-associated patient clinical characteristics, and patient prognosis in the southern China population. Results: HPV infection exhibited a 15% prevalence in all HNSCC cases, notably higher in oropharyngeal cases (30.7%), followed by oral cavity (11.8%), laryngeal (10.1%), and hypopharyngeal (2.5%). HPV status, gender, old age, and location of tumor were significantly associated with the patient's survival. Tonsil invasion was found more frequent in HPV-positive oropharyngeal HNSCC than in HPV-negative cases. HPV-associated HNSCC patients tend to possess stronger tobacco and alcohol habits, which were correlated to poor survival. HPV status's correlation with gender, age, and anatomical location is associated intricately with patient survival. The secondary primary tumor rate was found higher within the HPV-negative group, compared to the HPV-positive group (9.12% versus 1.67%). Conclusion: Our study provided a current picture of HPV-associated HNSCC in the southern China population and elaborated the understanding of key factors that correlate to HNSCC prognosis. Our findings indicated a strong susceptibility of HPV-associated oropharyngeal HNSCC in the tonsil and the difference in secondary primary tumor rates associated with HPV status. Plain language summary: HPV in head and neck cancer In this study, we retrospectively enrolled a 400-case cohort of HNSCC with p16 immunochemistry and analyzed with long-term follow-up. We investigate the current HPV prevalence of HNSCC, unique HPV-associated patient characteristics, along with patient prognosis in southern China population. Our findings indicated a strong susceptibility of HPV-associated oropharyngeal HNSCC in tonsil and difference of secondary primary tumor associated with HPV status. Our study provided a current picture of HPV-associated HNSCC in southern China population and elaborated the understanding of key factors that correlate to HNSCC prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the value of alveolar nitric oxide concentration (CaNO) in the identification and disease control of cough variant asthma. A retrospective study was conducted on cough variant asthma (CVA-Group), nonasthmatic cough (NAC-Group) and healthy control children (C-Group) aged 5–12 years. The exhaled nitric oxide and spirometry test results of the three groups were collected and compared. A total of 410 children were included in this study, including 190 in the CVA-Group, 183 in the NAC-Group, and 37 in the C-Group. The CaNO values of the CVA-Group [11.40 ppb (8.48–14.25)] were significantly higher than those of the NAC-Group and C-Group (all p values <.05). The MMEF %pred values of the CVA-Group [63.65 (56.28–73.58)] were significantly lower than those of the NAC-Group and C-Group (all p values <.05). FeNO50, JawNO and other spirometry indices (FVC %pred, FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC %pred) showed no significant difference among the three groups. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff point value of CaNO was 9.45 ppb, corresponding to 0.816 sensitivity and 0.736 specificity. Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between the CaNO measurement and CVA control score. CaNO can not only help identify CVA early in children aged 5–12 years with chronic cough but is also significantly negatively correlated with the CVA control score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In real-world practice, most non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving combined immunochemotherapy are exposed to short-course corticosteroids following immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) infusion to prevent chemotherapy-related adverse events. However, whether this early short-course corticosteroid use prevents immune-related adverse events (irAEs) remains unknown. Methods: Between January 1st, 2015, and December 31st, 2020, NSCLC patients who received at least one cycle of ICI with or without chemotherapy were enrolled. Early short-course corticosteroids were defined as corticosteroids administered following ICI injection and before chemotherapy on the same day and no longer than 3 days afterward. The patients were categorized as either "corticosteroid group" or "non-corticosteroid group" depending on their exposure to early short-course corticosteroid. The frequencies of irAEs requiring systemic corticosteroid use and irAEs leading to ICI discontinuation were compared between the two groups, and exploratory survival analyses were performed. Results: Among 252 eligible patients, 137 patients were categorized as "corticosteroid group" and 115 patients as "non-corticosteroid group." The corticosteroid group enriched patients in the first-line setting (n = 75, 54.7%), compared to the non-corticosteroid group (n = 28, 24.3%). Thirty patients (21.9%) in the corticosteroid group and 35 patients (30.4%) in the non-corticosteroid group developed irAEs requiring systemic corticosteroid use (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35–1.18; p = 0.15). Eight patients (5.8%) in the corticosteroid group, as compared with 18 patients (15.7%) in the non-corticosteroid group, permanently discontinued ICI due to irAEs (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12–0.85; p = 0.013). Conclusion: Early short-course corticosteroids following each ICI injection may reduce the rate of irAEs that lead to ICIs discontinuation, warranting further investigation of its prophylactic use to mitigate clinically significant irAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare and analyze the presence of CD4+ and CD8 + lymphocyte infiltrates in Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissue versus adjacent tissue and their clinical significance. Methods: We enrolled a total of 152 patients diagnosed with OSCC, all of whom had confirmed diagnoses through pathological reports. Clinical and demographics data were extracted from medical records. Tissue microarrays were constructed and immunohistochemical staining for CD4 and CD8 was performed. Findings: The average number of infiltrating CD4+ T cells in OSCC tumor tissue was 1026.22± 1163.36 cells/mm2, which did not significantly differ from the count in adjacent tissue, which was 1163.36± 1013.23 cells/mm2. However, the number of CD8+ T cell infiltration in tumor tissue was significantly higher than in adjacent tissue (655.25± 705.70 vs 504.56± 659.26 cells/mm2, p = 0.026). We observed that, among patients who consumed alcohol, the CD4+ T cell infiltration in tumor tissue being significantly lower than that in adjacent tissue (P=0.036). Moreover, the CD8+ T cell infiltration in cancer tissue was significantly higher than in adjacent tissue for T1-2 patients (p=0.005). Patients with higher CD8+ T cell in tumor tissue exhibited significantly improved overall survival (p = 0.043). Multivariate analyses revealed that alcohol consumption had a significant impact on the number of CD4+T lymphocytes in tumor tissue (OR = 0.403, P = 0.033) while T stage was the independent factor affecting CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration in tumor tissue (OR = 0.459, P = 0.031). Interpretation: OSCC patients with a higher number of CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration in tumor tissue exhibited an improved prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CCDC88C gene, which encodes coiled‐coil domain containing 88C, is essential for cell communication during neural development. Variants in the CCDC88C caused congenital hydrocephalus, some accompanied by seizures. In patients with epilepsy without acquired etiologies, we performed whole‐exome sequencing (trio‐based). Two de novo and two biallelic CCDC88C variants were identified in four cases with focal (partial) epilepsy. These variants did not present or had low frequencies in the gnomAD populations and were predicted to be damaging by multiple computational algorithms. Patients with de novo variants presented with adult‐onset epilepsy, whereas patients with biallelic variants displayed infant‐onset epilepsy. They all responded well to anti‐seizure medications and were seizure‐free. Further analysis showed that de novo variants were located at crucial domains, whereas one paired biallelic variants were located outside the crucial domains, and the other paired variant had a non‐classical splicing and a variant located at crucial domain, suggesting a sub‐molecular effect. CCDC88C variants associated with congenital hydrocephalus were all truncated, whereas epilepsy‐associated variants were mainly missense, the proportion of which was significantly higher than that of congenital hydrocephalus‐associated variants. CCDC88C is potentially associated with focal epilepsy with favorable outcome. The underlying mechanisms of phenotypic variation may correlation between genotype and phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an increasing population that is experiencing a wide range of long-lasting symptoms after recovery from the acute infection. Long COVID refers to this specific condition and is associated with diverse symptoms, such as fatigue, myalgias, dyspnea, headache, cognitive impairment, neurodegenerative symptoms, anxiety, depression, and a sense of despair. The potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to improve chronic fatigue, cognitive impairments, and neurological disorders has been established; therefore, the use of HBOT to treat long COVID has also been studied. We conducted a literature search between 1 January 2019 and 30 October 2023, focusing on the clinical efficacy and utility of HBOT for treating long COVID and found ten clinical studies that fit the review topic, including one case report, five one-group pretest-posttest design studies, one safety report from a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and three complete reports of RCTs. Most studies found that HBOT can improve quality of life, fatigue, cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cardiopulmonary function. Although HBOT has shown some benefits for long COVID symptoms, further rigorous large-scale RCTs are required to establish precise indications, protocols, and post-treatment evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]