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In this work, we propose a variation of Miura origami which, different from the existing out-of-plane bending Miura origami, has an in-plane bent configuration due to its graded crease pattern. By combining with the one-way shape memory alloy spring, we show that the proposed graded Miura origami can serve as a smart actuator and can be applied to drive crawling robots or grippers. First, we constructed a physical model of the graded Miura origami, from which a curvature-programmable geometric equation is proposed. Then, in addition to providing a mechanical model that can capture the mechanical behavior of the initial force–displacement relationship of the curved beam, we show that the proposed curved origami has a different mechanical behavior compared to the corresponding simple flexible arch, specifically if realized by silicon rubbers. By arranging anisotropic friction to the feet, the origami robot can crawl with an omega-elongation/compression motion like an inchworm. With a closed-loop current source control system using a high-frequency pulse width modulation-based topology, where the strain state of the arched origami is detected by a demodulator-free fiber Bragg grating sensor, the average speed of the origami crawling robot can reach 2.72 mm/s. In addition, by arranging three graded Miura origami, a gripper capable of lifting a weight of 518.5 g can be formed, where the carried load is over 4.5 times its own weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The back contact of p-type semiconductors and metal electrodes have always been a difficulty in fabricating photovoltaics with high performance. The incompatibility of high HOMO with a metal work function may lead to Schottky contact at a back semiconductor–metal interface and lead to device inversion. Thus, the performance of the photovoltaic is restricted, especially for solution-processed CdTe NC solar cells. In our research, we proposed using Cu salts as a Cu source to dope CdTe NCs and improve the back contact interface. Enhanced performance in solution-processed NC solar cells is achieved by introducing an engineered Cu salt layer (CuCl2 and CuBr2). Exceptional performance is attained with the optimized CdTe NC doped with CuCl2, exhibiting a high short-circuit current of 20.20 mA cm−2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.58 V, and a fill factor of 53.74%, resulting in a power conversion efficiency of 6.3%. These results represent a significant improvement over the control group. Through detailed first principles studies and experimental verification, we demonstrate that the copper halide-doped CdTe NC thin film is promising to promote the carrier concentration of the CdTe NC and suppress carrier recombination by improving band alignment at the back contact interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active layer morphology optimization is a widely employed and effective method to enhance the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. In this study,D18:L8-BO bulk heterojunction organic solar cells were prepared, and chloroform was utilized as the primary solvent and halogen-free toluene was used as the secondary solvent to optimize the active layer morphology by regulating the solvent evaporation process. Morphological characterization indicates that the optimized volume ratio of chloroform : toluene significantly improves the molecule stacking and domain purity of the donor and acceptor materials, and rational phase separation facilitates exciton dissociation and charge transfer. Electrical property characterization of the transient photovoltage/transient photocurrent, open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density dependence on light intensity, and the relationship between net photocurrent density and effective voltage indicate that the chloroform : toluene solvent effectively suppresses carrier recombination as well as greatly improves charge transport in the active layer. The proposed strategy provides a practical pathway to improve the power conversion efficiency obviously from 17.89% to 18.92% for the D18:L8-BO organic solar cells. The results highlight the important role of solvent evaporation dynamics in determining the active layer morphology and photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. Without additives or other complicated processing, the solvent strategy not only contributes to the preparation of more efficient organic photovoltaic devices, but also plays important roles in the large-scale commercialization of organic solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver fibrosis can progress to end-stage cirrhosis and liver cancer. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were considered the most promising therapeutic strategy, but most of the MSCs injected intravenously traditionally are trapped in the lungs, rapidly reducing their survival ability. MSC spheroids cultured in 3D have shown higher tolerance to fluid shear stress and better survival than dissociated MSCs. Simulating the route of orthotopic liver transplantation, transplanting MSC spheroids into the liver via hepatic portal vein may impact superior therapeutic effects. Methods: In the present study, human umbilical cord-derived MSC spheroids (hUC-MSCsp) were transplanted into rhesus monkey models of liver fibrosis via B-ultrasound-guided percutaneous portal vein puncture with minimized body invasion. The therapeutic effect is evaluated through hematology, ultrasound, and pathology. To study the effect of hUC-MSCsp on gene expression in rhesus monkeys with liver injury, transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed on the livers of rhesus monkeys. The distribution of transplanted hUC-MSCsp was traced with RNA scope technology. Results: We found that hUC-MSCsp significantly restored liver function, including ALT, AST, ALB, GLOB and bilirubin. hUC-MSCsp also significantly reduced liver collagen deposition and inflammatory infiltration, and promote dismission of liver ascites. Subsequently, the therapeutic effects were further validated in TGF-β1/Smad pathway by global transcription profile. The distribution of transplanted hUC-MSCsp were also tracked, and we found that hUC-MSCsp distributed in the liver in a sphere status at 1 h after transplantation. After 16 days, the hUC-MSCsp were dispersed into dissociated cells that were predominantly distributed in the spleen, and a significant number of dissociated cells were still present in the liver. Conclusions: This study reveals the distributions of transplanted hUC-MSCsp after liver portal vein transplantation, and provides a novel approach and new insights into the molecular events of potential molecular events underlying the treatment of liver fibrosis with hUC-MSCsp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of common urologic diseases, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urinary tract infections (UTI), urolithiasis, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and prostate cancer, varies both geographically and within specific regions. It is essential to conduct a comprehensive and precise assessment of the global burden of urologic diseases. Methods: We obtained data on incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for the aforementioned urologic diseases by age, sex, location, and year from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021. We analyzed the burden associated with urologic diseases based on socio-demographic index (SDI) and attributable risk factors. The trends in burden over time were assessed using estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: In 2021, BPH and UTI were the leading causes of age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), with rates of 5531.88 and 2782.59 per 100,000 persons, respectively. Prostate cancer was the leading cause of both age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR), with rates of 12.63 and 217.83 per 100,000 persons, respectively. From 1990 to 2021, there was an upward trend in ASIR, ASPR, ASMR, and ASDR for UTI, while urolithiasis showed a downward trend. The middle and low-middle SDI quintile levels exhibited higher incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs related to UTI, urolithiasis, and BPH, while the high and high-middle SDI quintile levels showed higher rates for the three cancers. The burden of these six urologic diseases displayed diverse age and sex distribution patterns. In 2021, a high body mass index (BMI) contributed to 20.07% of kidney cancer deaths worldwide, while smoking accounted for 26.48% of bladder cancer deaths and 3.00% of prostate cancer deaths. Conclusions: The global burden of 6 urologic diseases presents a significant public health challenge. Urgent international collaboration is essential to advance the improvement of urologic disease management, encompassing the development of effective diagnostic screening tools and the implementation of high-quality prevention and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) poses significant physical and psychological challenges for affected individuals. Quercetin, a natural plant flavonoid, shows promise in reducing miscarriage rates, yet its precise mechanism remains elusive. This study uses network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation to explore the molecular pathways through which quercetin mitigates RSA. Methods: Quercetin-related target genes were sourced from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and RSA target genes were retrieved from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), with overlapping targets identified using Venn diagrams. All genes were visualized using the STRING database, and core targets were selected with Cytoscape 3.7.3. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted using the DAVID and Reactome online resources. Subsequently, HTR-8/SVneo cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with varying concentrations of quercetin (1, 5, and 10 μM), then subjected to CCK-8, wound healing, transwell, and annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis assays. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of IL-1p, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPSinduced cells post-quercetin intervention, and western blotting was used to measure AKT1, MMP9, and caspase-3 protein levels. Results: A total of 139 quercetin-associated target genes were identified from the TCMSP database, and 98 disease-associated target genes were obtained from the CTD, resulting in 25 shared target genes. Gene ontology enrichment highlighted the involvement of these targets in positive regulation of apoptosis, response to hypoxia, and intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway in response to DNA damage. KEGG pathway analysis indicated enrichment in pathways related to interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 signaling, cytokine signaling in the immune system, and apoptosis. Molecular docking studies revealed robust binding of quercetin with MMP9, AKT1, IL-1p, TNF, and caspase-3. In vitro experiments demonstrated that quercetin enhanced LPS-induced cell activity, fostering proliferation, migration, and invasion, and reducing apoptosis. Moreover, quercetin reduced IL-1p, TNF-α, and IL-6 mRNA expression, increased AKT1 and MMP9 protein levels, and reduced caspase-3 expression. Conclusion: Quercetin could mitigate the incidence of RSA by modulating inflammatory responses and apoptotic processes, through upregulation of AKT1 and MMP9, and downregulation of caspase-3, IL-1p, TNF-α, and IL-6. Quercetin opens up a new way of thinking about treating RSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the features of endolymphatic hydrops and hearing loss in patients with Bilateral Meniere's Disease. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 77 patients diagnosed with Bilateral Meniere's Disease. The features of endolymphatic hydrops in the affected ear were evaluated through gadolinium-enhanced inner ear Magnetic resonance imaging. The Spearman correlation coefficient, paired t-tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were employed for data analysis. Results: The analysis revealed a significant correlation between the degree of endolymphatic hydrops and hearing loss across all frequencies(0.125–8 kHz), including the cochlear, vestibular, and overall degree of endolymphatic hydrops. The strongest correlation between the overall degree of endolymphatic hydrops and hearing loss was observed at low frequencies (r = 0.571, p < 0.05), followed by mid-frequencies (r = 0.508, p < 0.05), and high-frequencies (r = 0.351, p < 0.05), with a correlation of r = 0.463, p < 0.05 for the staging of Meniere's disease. Affected Ears with endolymphatic hydrops both in the cochlea and vestibule exhibited more severe hearing loss and Meniere's disease staging compared to those with isolated endolymphatic hydrops within the same patient. Conclusions: The features of endolymphatic hydrops in patients with Bilateral Meniere's Disease were found to correlate with the severity of hearing loss and the staging of Meniere's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the distributed optimization operation method for micro-energy grid clusters within an electric, thermal, and hydrogen integrated energy system. The research focuses on precisely modeling the Power-to-Hydrogen (P2H) conversion process in electrolytic cells by considering their startup characteristics. An optimization operation model is established, with each micro-energy grid as the principal entity, to cater to their individual interests and demands. The Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) algorithm is adopted for distributed solution. Case studies demonstrate that the connection topology between micro-energy grids significantly impacts the total operating cost, and the effectiveness of the ADMM algorithm is validated through a comparison with centralized optimization approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the heterogeneity among tissues is the greatest advantage of single-cell-sequencing. Marker genes not only act as the key to correctly identify cell types, but also the bio-markers for cell-status under certain experimental imputations. Current analysis methods such as Seurat and Monocle employ algorithms which compares one cluster to all the rest and select markers according to statistical tests. This pattern brings redundant calculations and thus, results in low calculation efficiency, specificity and accuracy. To address these issues, we introduce starTracer, a novel algorithm designed to enhance the efficiency, specificity and accuracy of marker gene identification in single-cell RNA-seq data analysis. starTracer operates as an independent pipeline, which exhibits great flexibility by accepting multiple input file types. The primary output is a marker matrix, where genes are sorted by the potential to function as markers, with those exhibiting the greatest potential positioned at the top. The speed improvement ranges by 2 ~ 3 orders of magnitude compared to Seurat, as observed across three independent datasets with lower false positive rate as observed in a simulated testing dataset with ground-truth. It's worth noting that starTracer exhibits increasing speed improvement with larger data volumes. It also excels in identifying markers in smaller clusters. These advantages solidify starTracer as an important tool for single-cell RNA-seq data, merging robust accuracy with exceptional speed. A novel marker gene search algorithm for single cell/nucleus RNA-seq improves speed by 2-3 orders of magnitude, greatly enhances accuracy, and substantially reduces false positive rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale coal mine gas explosion (CMGE) accidents have occurred occasionally and exerted a devastating effect on society. Therefore, it is essential to systematically identify the characteristics and association rules of causes of CMGE accidents through analysis on large-scale CMGE accident reports. In this study, 298 large-scale CMGE accidents in China from 2000 to 2021 were taken as the data sample, and mathematical statistical methods were adopted to analyze their general characteristics, coupling cross characteristics, and characteristics of gas accumulation and ignition sources. Moreover, the text mining technology and the Apriori algorithm were used for exploring the formation mechanism of CMGE accidents, during which 46 main causal factors were identified and 59 strong association rules were obtained. Furthermore, an accident causation network was constructed based on the co-occurrence matrix. The key causal items and sets of CMGE accidents were clarified through network centrality analysis. According to the research results, electrical equipment failure, cable short circuit, mine lamp misfire, hot-line work, and blasting spark are the key ignition sources of CMGE. Fan failure, airflow short circuit, and local ventilation fan damage are the main causes of gas accumulation. Besides, the confidence levels of two association rules of "static spark-fan failure" and "blasting spark-airflow short circuit" are higher than 70%, indicating that they are the two dominant risk-coupling paths of gas explosions. In addition, six causes appear frequently in the shortest risk paths of gas explosion and are closely related to other causes, i.e., fan failure, local ventilation fan damage, static sparks, electrical equipment failure, self-heating ignition, and friction impact sparks. This study provides a new perspective on identifying causes of accidents and their complex association mechanisms from accident report data for practical guidance in risk assessment and accident prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrants are highly entrepreneurial. But, what is the broader relationship between high-skilled immigration and regional entrepreneurship activity beyond the ventures that immigrants establish themselves? Using administrative data on newly awarded H-1B visas in the United States, we document a positive relationship between high-skilled immigration and regional entrepreneurship. A doubling of immigrants to a metropolitan statistical area is followed by a 6% increase in entrepreneurship within three years. In contrast, continuing H-1Bs and the arrival of unskilled immigrants (H-2B visas) do not increase regional entrepreneurship. Focusing on Indian immigrants (representing about 70% of all H-1B visas), we find the effect is stronger in metropolitan statistical areas with a larger local Indian population, but not other nationalities, suggesting that presence of conationals facilitates the relationship between high-skilled immigration and regional entrepreneurship. We present this and other evidence as consistent with a knowledge transfer mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the expression of androgen receptor (AR) and clinical characteristics in breast cancer. Patients and methods: The clinical records of all 432 patients tested for AR in our institution between January 2020 and May 2023 were reviewed. Clinical characteristics, age, menopausal status, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, distant metastasis, pathological complete response (pCR), histopathological features histological grade, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor, Her-2, Ki-67, and molecular subtype were registered for all patients. Results: About 377 (87.27%) of the 432 patients had AR expression. No significant difference in AR expression was found with age, menopausal status, TNM stage of primary tumor, or pCR. AR was positively and significantly associated with the histological grade, and recurrence. The AR expression was significantly related with molecular subtypes, including ER, PR Her-2, Ki67 and molecular subtype. ER (OR = 10.489, 95%CI: 5.470–21.569), PR (OR = 7.690, 95%CI: 3.974–16.129, Her-2 (OR = 10.489, 95%CI: 2.779–23.490 and tumor recurrence (OR = 0.110, 95%CI: 0.031–0.377 were significant independent risk factors affecting AR expression. Conclusions: AR expression can serve as a reliable basis for judging the clinical molecular types and poor prognosis for breast cancer. AR may be a novel biomarker and target in AR-positive breast cancer depending on significant difference in AR expression among different molecular types of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composite is one of the most important composite materials in the world. Many researchers have conducted a lot of research on epoxy resin matrix systems in recent years, mainly to improve the problem with the short curing time of the matrix system and epoxy resin's high viscosity. The final aim is to enhance various aspects of composites' performance and optimize the production process. A new type of water dispersed epoxy resin matrix system is investigated in this paper and the target is to optimize the mechanical, thermal, and electrical performances of the composites with the water dispersed epoxy resin matrix by varying different doping particles and different resin/catalyst ratios. Through a series of experiments, it is evident that varying the ratio of resin to catalyst in the matrix system will not significantly improve the mechanical as well as thermal properties of the composites. However, increasing the amount of catalyst in the matrix system can greatly improve the electrical properties of its composite samples. In addition to this, the addition of doping particles to the matrix systems has the effect of slightly enhancing the tensile modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity of their composites. Highlights: A new water‐dispersed epoxy resin matrix system improves processing technology.Increasing amount of catalyst in the matrix system improves electrical resistivity.Adding particles to matrix systems has a slight effect on different properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still a lot of research space and market demand for lightweight, heat-insulating, and EMI-shielding construction materials. This paper develops and compares the thermal insulation, ohmic heating effect, and EMI shielding properties of a kind of multifunctional sandwich material with "ROTIS" and "FLAT" structures. The ROTIS-structured sample exhibits slightly higher thermal conductivity than the FLAT-structured sample, owing to its lower volume porosity and higher plated copper content per unit area. Since ROTIS technology allows for a significant increase in the thickness of thinner raw materials, this structure allows for an increase in the thermal insulation of thinner materials. Also, samples with ROTIS structures have a better ohmic heating effect than samples with FLAT structures. This is because the active layer has more plated copper content per unit area, while the insulation layer has less thermal resistance. Unsatisfactorily, the samples with the ROTIS structure show lower electromagnetic shielding effectiveness at 1-1.5 GHz, which is mainly due to their reduced volume porosity. In conclusion, this research develops sandwich materials with the ROTIS structure that exhibit excellent thermal insulation, electromagnetic shielding, and ohmic heating properties, making them suitable for use as building materials in demanding indoor temperatures and electromagnetic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental friendliness and low‐cost zinc‐air batteries for flexible rechargeable applications have great potential in the field of flexible electronics and smart wearables owing to high energy density and long service life. However, the current technology of flexible rechargeable zinc‐air batteries to meet the commercialization needs still facing enormous challenges due to the poor adaptability of each flexible component of the zinc‐air batteries. This review focused on the latest progress over the past 5 years in designing and fabricating flexible self‐standing air electrodes, flexible electrolytes and zinc electrodes of flexible Zn‐air batteries, meanwhile the basic working principle of each component of flexible rechargeable zinc‐air batteries and battery structures optimization are also described. Finally, challenges and prospects for the future development of flexible rechargeable zinc‐air batteries are discussed. This work is intended to provide insights and general guidance for future exploration of the design and fabrication on high‐performance flexible rechargeable zinc‐air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate breed identification is essential for the conservation and sustainable use of indigenous farm animal genetic resources. In this study, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationships and genomic breed compositions of 13 sheep breeds using SNP and InDel data from whole genome sequencing. The breeds included 11 Chinese indigenous and 2 foreign commercial breeds. We compared different strategies for breed identification with respect to different marker types, i.e. SNPs, InDels, and a combination of SNPs and InDels (named SIs), different breed-informative marker detection methods, and different machine learning classification methods. Results: Using WGS-based SNPs and InDels, we revealed the phylogenetic relationships between 11 Chinese indigenous and two foreign sheep breeds and quantified their purities through estimated genomic breed compositions. We found that the optimal strategy for identifying these breeds was the combination of DFI_union for breed-informative marker detection, which integrated the methods of Delta, Pairwise Wright's FST, and Informativeness for Assignment (namely DFI) by merging the breed-informative markers derived from the three methods, and KSR for breed assignment, which integrated the methods of K-Nearest Neighbor, Support Vector Machine, and Random Forest (namely KSR) by intersecting their results. Using SI markers improved the identification accuracy compared to using SNPs or InDels alone. We achieved accuracies over 97.5% when using at least the 1000 most breed-informative (MBI) SI markers and even 100% when using 5000 SI markers. Conclusions: Our results provide not only an important foundation for conservation of these Chinese local sheep breeds, but also general approaches for breed identification of indigenous farm animal breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor cells possess complex immune evasion mechanisms to evade immune system attacks, primarily through metabolic reprogramming, which significantly alters the tumor microenvironment (TME) to modulate immune cell functions. When a tumor is sufficiently immunogenic, it can activate cytotoxic T-cells to target and destroy it. However, tumors adapt by manipulating their metabolic pathways, particularly glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism, to create an immunosuppressive TME that promotes immune escape. These metabolic alterations impact the function and differentiation of non-tumor cells within the TME, such as inhibiting effector T-cell activity while expanding regulatory T-cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Additionally, these changes lead to an imbalance in cytokine and chemokine secretion, further enhancing the immunosuppressive landscape. Emerging research is increasingly focusing on the regulatory roles of non-tumor cells within the TME, evaluating how their reprogrammed glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism influence their functional changes and ultimately aid in tumor immune evasion. Despite our incomplete understanding of the intricate metabolic interactions between tumor and non-tumor cells, the connection between these elements presents significant challenges for cancer immunotherapy. This review highlights the impact of altered glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism in the TME on the metabolism and function of non-tumor cells, providing new insights that could facilitate the development of novel cancer immunotherapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to limited drug efficacy and drug resistance, it is urgent to explore effective anti-liver cancer drugs. Repurposing drugs is an efficient strategy, with advantages including reduced costs, shortened development cycles, and assured safety. In this study, we adopted a synergistic approach combining computational and experimental methods and identified the antibacterial drug thiostrepton (TST) as a candidate for an anti-liver cancer drug. Although the anti-tumor capabilities of TST have been reported, its role and underlying mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. TST was found here to inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells effectively, arresting the cell cycle and inducing cell apoptosis, as well as suppressing the cell migration. Further, our findings revealed that TST induced mitochondrial impairment, which was demonstrated by destroyed mitochondrial structures, reduced mitochondria, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). TST caused the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the mitochondrial impairment and proliferation inhibition of HCC cells were completely restored by the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Moreover, we discovered that TST induced mitophagy, and autophagy inhibition effectively promoted the anti-cancer effects of TST on HCC cells. In conclusion, our study suggests TST as a promising candidate for the treatment of liver cancers, and these findings provide theoretical support for the further development and potential application of TST in clinical liver cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy, the standard of care treatment for cancer patients with advanced disease, has been increasingly recognized to activate host immune responses to produce durable outcomes. Here, in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) we identify oxaliplatin-induced Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP), a MondoA-dependent tumor suppressor gene, as a negative regulator of Growth/Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15). GDF15 is a negative prognostic factor in CRC and promotes the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which inhibit CD8 T-cell activation. Intriguingly, multiple models including patient-derived tumor organoids demonstrate that the loss of TXNIP and GDF15 responsiveness to oxaliplatin is associated with advanced disease or chemotherapeutic resistance, with transcriptomic or proteomic GDF15/TXNIP ratios showing potential as a prognostic biomarker. These findings illustrate a potentially common pathway where chemotherapy-induced epithelial oxidative stress drives local immune remodeling for patient benefit, with disruption of this pathway seen in refractory or advanced cases. Synopsis: The MondoA dependent relationship between TXNIP and GDF15 in response to oxaliplatin-induced ROS can be used to predict aggression and treatment sensitivity in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Non-lethal oxaliplatin treatment increases glucose update, oxidative phosphorylation and ROS in CRC models. The increase in the above drives MondoA to translocate to the nucleus and promote TXNIP expression which, amongst other impacts, inhibits GDF15 expression. GDF15 binds to CD48 on naïve CD4 T cells to induce Tregs which inhibit CD8 T cell activation. In aggressive or oxaliplatin-resistant cases, the inter-relationship between TXNIP and GDF15, and control of local Treg induction, is lost. The GDF15/TXNIP ratio can be used to predict aggression, sensitivity to oxaliplatin and highlight a population suitable for GDF15 targeting therapies. The MondoA dependent relationship between TXNIP and GDF15 in response to oxaliplatin-induced ROS can be used to predict aggression and treatment sensitivity in colorectal adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol (RES) is a lipophilic polyphenol susceptible to photo- and thermal-degradation. The strategies to enable its distribution in food matrices, prevent its degradation during storage and improve its bioaccessibility during digestion have obtained much attention and studies. In the present study, natural porous matrix in the form of freeze-dried yogurt cubes (FDYC) was investigated as an absorbent for loading RES. The sodium caseinate (NaCas)-coconut oil lotion was used as a carrier for delivering RES and was added to milk medium for L. helveticus MB2-1 fermentation to obtain freeze-dried Sayram ketteki yogurt cubes (SKYC) with fortified RES. The results showed that the loading capacity of RES in SKYC was 28.08 ± 0.31% in freshly prepared samples and was 26.34 ± 0.13% (93.80 ± 0.17% retention) after 90 d of ambient storage in amber vials. The photothermal stability of RES encapsulated in SKYC was significantly higher than that of the original RES due to the protective effect of SKYC (p < 0.05). During in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the RES release rate of the three treatments were in the following order: original RES < physical mixture of RES < encapsulated RES. Besides, the flavor of SKYC was enriched by the addition of NaCas-coconut oil lotion. Taken together, it can be demonstrated the SKYC has the potential to be loaded with lipophilic bioactive compounds for application in functional food. Highlights: The Sayram ketteki yogurt cubes fortified with RES were prepared. The RES changed into non-crystalline form after emulsification and encapsulation. The RES encapsulated in Sayram ketteki yogurt had significantly better stability. The 2H-pyrano-2 ketone enriched a rich coconut flavor to the fortified yogurt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of technological innovations is reshaping service industries, including the travel business. As competitive forces intensify, inbound tour operators face the challenge of adapting to both revolutionary technologies and business model innovations as they develop destination product offerings ushering a smarter tourism ecosystem. This paper explores how inbound tour operating businesses are being impacted by technology‐enabled innovations and proposes strategic responses to the disruptions affecting their businesses. The investigators addressed this gap through immersion in relevant industry communities involving participant observations and in‐depth interviewing. The authors examine prevailing and emerging models of inbound tour operations, drawing upon the service‐dominant logic framework and placing particular emphasis on value propositions. The present study formulates a comprehensive value co‐creation framework encompassing tourism industry stakeholders, which involves assessing their value propositions and creating focused R&D initiatives that are customized to market needs. It is essential to modularize in‐destination services to enable mass customization of travel experiences and to encourage value co‐creation that empowers travelers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In a previous study we have shown that, in the presence of interleukin (IL)-33, repeated, per-nasal challenge of murine airways with Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) organisms induces human asthma-like airways inflammation. It is not clear, however, whether this effect is unique or manifest in response to other common respiratory pathogens.Methods: To explore this, airways of BALB/c mice were repeatedly challenged per-nasally with formaldehyde-inactivated bacterial bodies in the presence or absence of murine recombinant IL-33. Serum concentrations of S.pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis (M.catarrhalis) and Haemophilus influenzae (H.influenzae) lysates-specific IgE were measured in patients with asthma and control subjects.Results: We showed that in the presence of IL-33, repeated, per-nasal airways exposure to the bodies of these bacteria induced airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in the experimental mice. This was accompanied by cellular infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), eosinophilic infiltration and mucous hypertrophy of the lung tissue, with elevated local expression of some type 2 cytokines and elevated, specific IgG and IgE in the serum. The precise characteristics of the inflammation evoked by exposure to each bacterial species were distinguishable.Conclusions: These results suggest that in the certain circumstances, inhaled or commensal bacterial body antigens of both Gram-positive (S. pneumoniae) and Gram-negative (M. catarrhalis and H. influenzae) respiratory tract bacteria may initiate type 2 inflammation typical of asthma in the airways. In addition, we demonstrated that human asthmatic patients manifest elevated serum concentrations of M.catarrhalis- and H.influenzae-specific IgE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying perceived ageism is a critical step in eliminating ageism. This hybrid concept analysis aims to describe the concept of perceived ageism in health care. In the theoretical phase, a scoping review was conducted. In the field phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine community-dwelling older adults. In the final analytical phase, results from the theoretical phase were integrated with those from the fieldwork phase. The perceived ageism in health care includes four dimensions: self-internalization (self-denial, a sense of unease, and passivity of behavior in seeking health care), interpersonal interaction (perceived negative perceptions, neglected attitudes, and unfair care behaviors), organization system (perceived strangeness caused by unfamiliar technology, unsupportive environment, and inadequate resources), and procedure policy (perceived uniformity of healthcare process and lack of targeted practice policies). Research related to this concept has contributed to developing measurement tools for assessing perceived ageism in healthcare practice and subsequent research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immersive experience and diverse interaction modes provided by virtual digital technology match the spatial sensitivity and practical ability required in the field of architectural teaching, and its technological advantages can significantly enhance teaching outcomes. However, in the field of architecture teaching, there has been a lack of discussion on the suitability of different virtual technologies and teaching scenarios for historical buildings. Therefore, this study constructed a comprehensive adaptive evaluation system for virtual technology and selected 360-degree panoramic technology (360-degree PT), Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) technology, and Desktop Virtual Reality (DVR) technology as representatives for empirical study. The research method used in this experiment is a questionnaire survey, involving a total of 60 students majoring in architecture and planning, with a certain foundation in historical architecture knowledge. Multiple statistical methods are employed to analyze the data. The experimental data indicates that IVR technology performs the best in terms of learning outcomes, learning autonomy, and sense of presence, making it suitable for immersive and interactive learning needs. 360-degree PT demonstrates the best perception of architectural features, catering to the demand for visual effects. DVR technology exhibits the highest learning efficiency, meeting the need for simplicity, efficiency, and widespread application. On the other hand, augmented reality (AR) technology and mixed reality (MR) technology have lower adaptability and do not meet the learning requirements for immersive spatial experiences. This study is expected to provide a new technical pathway for teaching historical buildings and serve as a systematic reference for selecting specific technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effect of different levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP) control on new-onset chronic kidney disease in hypertension multimorbidity. The hypertensive patients with multimorbidity information were enrolled from the Kailuan Study. The isolated hypertension patients undergoing physical examination during the same period were selected in a 1:1 ratio as control. Finally, 12,897 participants were divided into six groups: Group SBP < 110 mmHg, Group 110 ≤ SBP < 120 mmHg, Group 120 ≤ SBP < 130 mmHg, Group 130 ≤ SBP < 140 mmHg, Group 140 ≤ SBP < 160 mmHg and Group SBP ≥ 160 mmHg. The outcomes were new-onset CKD, new onset proteinuria, decline in eGFR and high or very high risk of CKD. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the hazard ratios (HRs) of the outcomes among SBP levels. When 110 ≤ SBP < 120 mmHg, the incidence density of new-onset CKD, new onset proteinuria and decline in eGFR were 59.54, 20.23 and 29.96 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Compared to this group, the HR (95% CI) values for the risk of new-onset CKD from Group SBP < 110 mmHg to Group SBP ≥ 160 mmHg were 1.03 (0.81–1.32), 1.04 (0.91–1.19), 1.09 (0.95–1.16), 1.16 (1.02–1.21) and 1.18 (1.04–1.24), respectively. For patients over 65 years old, the risks of outcomes were increased when SBP < 120 mmHg. The lowest HR of high or very high risk of CKD for participants with or without multimorbidity occurred when 120 ≤ SBP < 130 mmHg. The HR of new-onset CKD in hypertension multimorbidity was lowest at 110–120 mmHg. The optimal SBP level was between 120 and 130 mmHg for individuals with high or very high risk of CKD. For patients over 65 years old, the low limit of target BP is advised to be not lower than 120 mmHg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively neutralizing inflammatory cytokines is crucial for managing a variety of inflammatory disorders. Current techniques that target only a subset of cytokines often fall short due to the intricate nature of redundant and compensatory cytokine networks. A promising solution to this challenge is using cell membrane‐coated nanoparticles (CNPs). These nanoparticles replicate the complex interactions between cells and cytokines observed in disease pathology, providing a potential avenue for multiplex cytokine scavenging. While the development of CNPs using experimental animal models has shown great promise, their effectiveness in scavenging multiple cytokines in human diseases has yet to be demonstrated. To bridge this gap, this study selected macrophage membrane‐coated CNPs (MФ‐CNPs) and assessed their ability to scavenge inflammatory cytokines in serum samples from patients with COVID‐19, sepsis, acute pancreatitis, or type‐1 diabetes, along with synovial fluid samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results show that MФ‐CNPs effectively scavenge critical inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8, interferon (IFN)‐γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, in a dose‐dependent manner. Overall, this study demonstrates MФ‐CNPs as a multiplex cytokine scavenging formulation with promising applications in clinical settings to treat a range of inflammatory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While numeric scales to represent pain intensity have been well validated, individuals use various conceptualizations when assigning a number to pain intensity, referred to as pain rating schema. The 18-item Pain Schema Inventory (PSI-18) quantifies pain rating schema by asking for numeric values for multiple mild, moderate or severe pain conditions. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of a shortened form of the PSI, using only 6 items (PSI-6). Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on two existing datasets. The first (n = 641) involved a community-based population that completed the PSI-18. The second (n = 182) included participants with chronic pain who completed the PSI-6 twice, one week apart. We assessed face validity, convergent validity, offset biases, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of the PSI-6 compared to the PSI-18. Results: Both the PSI-18 and PSI-6 demonstrated excellent face validity. The PSI-6 demonstrated excellent convergent validity relative to the PSI-18, with correlations from r = 0.88 to 0.92. Bland-Altman plots revealed offset biases near zero (< 0.22 on 0-10 scale) across all categories of mild, moderate, severe and average pain. Internal consistency was excellent, with Cronbach's Alpha = 0.91 and 0.80, for PSI-18 and PSI-6 respectively. Test-retest reliability of the PSI-6 was high with correlations from r = 0.70-0.76. Conclusion: The PSI-6 is a valid and reliable tool to assess pain rating schema with reduced subject burden, to better interpret individuals' pain ratings and adjust for inter-individual variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and TENG sensors have received great attention in cutting-edged electrical device applications, including energy collectors, wearable electronics, health monitoring, and human-machine interfaces. However, film TENG still has the problem of high cost, complicated production process, low integration and slow production speed. Furthermore, there are problems such as uneven and difficult to cut after processing. Here, laser-induced graphene based TENG (L-TENG) assembled with polyimide (PI) paper was developed for environmental energy harvesting and tactile perception. Laser programmable processing has the advantages of patterning, customization and efficiency, thereby producing diversified TENG in one step. L-TENG can be captured not only for mechanical energy harvesting but also for environmental sensing. By means of laser parameter optimization, L-TENG can produce voltage as high as 245 V. Through special shape design, the performance of L-TENG can be increased from 48 to 94 V. The L-TENG was first applied to wearable devices that collect energy from human movement to drive LED lights. In addition, the smart mask is synchronously made to capture human health information, such as breathing, speaking, detection. The wind energy collection device was constructed to realize the collection of environmental energy. To further illustrate L-TENG multifunctionally applied in the field of sensing, matrix sensor can also be applied by voltage signals to detect gesture touch recognition and writing movement detection. This laser-manufactured TENG using PI paper provides a promising platform for the development of environmental energy capture, flexible tactile sensing, human-computer interaction and intelligent wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Early neurological deterioration (END) post-intravenous thrombolysis significantly impacts the long-term prognosis of stroke patients. This study aimed to establish a rapid risk prediction model for unexplained END following intravenous thrombolysis. Methods: This prospective study consecutively enrolled patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator intravenous thrombolysis at the Department of Neurology, Third People's Hospital of Hubei Province, and Yangluo Hospital District between June 2019 and December 2022. Unexplained END was defined as an increase of ≥ 4 points in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between admission and 24 h. A nomogram was developed and assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). The calibration was assessed using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test. Results: A total of 211 patients (130 males and 110 patients aged < 65 years) were included, with 66 experiencing unexplained END. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified large arterial disease, transient ischemic attack, high blood glucose, high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, important perforator disease, and low the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT scores (APSECTS) as independent risk factors for END and established the nomogram used above indicators. The nomogram showed an AUC-ROC of 0.809 (95% CI 0.7429–0.8751), with a specificity of 0.862 and sensitivity of 0.712. The positive predictive value was 0.702, and the negative predictive value was 0.868. The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test (χ2 = 1.069, P = 0.169) indicated acceptable model calibration. Conclusion: This study successfully established a risk prediction model for END following intravenous thrombolysis and the model demonstrates good stability and predictive capacity. Further validation through a prospective, multicenter study is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of statistical life (VSL) reflects the trade-off between money and the risk of death. It is a key indicator for conducting regulatory impact assessments. The main purpose of this study was to estimate the VSL in the field of food safety. At the same time, it investigates respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for reducing the risk of death from foodborne illnesses and explores the impact of factors such as the average household monthly income, health status, and education level on WTP. We conducted a survey using an open-ended contingent valuation method among 1307 respondents aged 18 and above to determine their WTP. Based on the WTP survey results, we calculated the VSL in the food safety sector. We used binary logit and Tobit models to analyze the influencing factors. The results of the study show that the median WTP for reducing the risk of foodborne illness is CNY 100 (USD 16), and the estimated VSL is approximately CNY 9.09 million (USD 141 million). Indicators such as the average household monthly income, health status, and education level are important factors affecting WTP. This study will help practitioners, researchers, and policymakers understand the current population's attitudes towards food safety regulations and determine the priorities for regulatory implementation. Future research can explore the effects of different elicitation methods, cultural differences, and regional variations on WTP and VSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct seawater electrolysis is a promising technology within the carbon-neutral energy framework, leveraging renewable resources such as solar, tidal, and wind energy to generate hydrogen and oxygen without competing with the demand for pure water. High-selectivity, high-efficiency, and corrosion-resistant multifunctional electrocatalysts are essential for practical applications, yet producing stable and efficient catalysts under harsh conditions remains a significant challenge. This review systematically summarizes recent advancements in advanced electrocatalysts for seawater splitting, focusing on their multifunctional designs for selectivity and chlorine corrosion resistance. We analyze the fundamental principles and mechanisms of seawater electrocatalytic reactions, discuss the challenges, and provide a detailed overview of the progress in nanostructures, alloys, multi-metallic systems, atomic dispersion, interface engineering, and functional modifications. Continuous research and innovation aim to develop efficient, eco-friendly seawater electrolysis systems, promoting hydrogen energy application, addressing efficiency and stability challenges, reducing costs, and achieving commercial viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: White adipose tissue (WAT) is involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study explored its potential as an antirheumatic target. Experimental Approach: WAT status of healthy and adjuvant‐induced arthritis (AIA) rats were compared. The contribution of WAT to RA pathology was evaluated by pre‐adipocyte transplant experiments and by dissecting perirenal fat pads of AIA rats. The impact of RA on WAT was investigated by culturing pre‐adipocytes. Proteins differentially expressed in WAT of healthy and AIA rats were identified by the UPLC/MS2 method. These together with PPARγ siRNA and agonist were used to treat pre‐adipocytes in vitro. The medium was used for THP‐1 monocyte culture. Key Results: Compared with healthy controls, AIA WAT was smaller but secreted more leptin, eNAMPT, MCP‐1, TNF‐α, and IL‐6. AIA rat pre‐adipocytes increased the levels of these adipokines in healthy recipients. RA patients' serum induced a similar secretion change and impaired differentiation of pre‐adipocytes. Adipectomy eased AIA‐related immune abnormalities and arthritic manifestations. Hepatokines PON1, IGFBP4, and GPIHBP1 were among the differential proteins in high levels in RA blood, and induced inflammatory secretions by pre‐adipocytes. GPIHBP1 inhibited PPARγ expression and caused differentiation impairment and inflammatory secretion by pre‐adipocytes, a similar outcome to PPARγ‐silencing. This endowed the cells with an ability to activate monocytes, which can be abrogated by rosiglitazone. Conclusion and Implications: Certain hepatokines potentiate inflammatory secretions by pre‐adipocytes and expedite RA progression by inhibiting PPARγ. Targeting this signalling or abnormal WAT secretion by various approaches may reduce RA severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the growing demand for lightweight yet robust materials in electric vehicle (EV) battery casings, this study introduces an advanced carbon fiber-reinforced composite (CFRC). This novel material is engineered to address critical aspects of EV battery casing requirements, including mechanical strength, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and thermal management. The research strategically combines carbon composite components with copper-plated polyester non-woven fabric (CFRC/Cu) and melamine foam board (CFRC/Me) into a sandwich-structure composite plus a series of composites with graphite particle-integrated matrix resin (CFRC+Gr). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that the inclusion of copper-plated fabric significantly enhanced the stiffness, and the specific tensile strength of the new composites reached 346.8 MPa/(g/cm3), which was higher than that of other metal materials used for EV battery casings. The new developed composites had excellent EMI shielding properties, with the highest shielding effectives of 88.27 dB from 30 MHz to 3 GHz. Furthermore, after integrating the graphite particles, the peak temperature of all composites via Joule heating was increased. The CFRC+Gr/Me reached 68.3 °C under a 5 V DC power supply after 180 s. This research presents a comprehensive and innovative approach that adeptly balances mechanical, electromagnetic, and thermal requirements for EV battery casings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness changes and analyse factors associated with visual recovery of G11778A Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) patients. Methods: Patients diagnosed with G11778A LHON between July 2017 and December 2020 in Tongji hospital were included in this follow-up study. Patients were grouped according to disease duration. Variations in the RNFL thickness in each quadrant at different disease stages were characterised using optical coherence tomography. According to the absence or presence of significant visual acuity improvements, LHON patients of disease duration ≥ 6 months were divided into two groups. A bivariate logistic regression model was constructed to analyse the potential factors associated with spontaneous visual recovery. Results: This study included 56 G11778A LHON patients (112 eyes) and 25 healthy controls (50 eyes), with a mean follow-up of 5.25 ± 1.42 months. All quadrants and mean RNFL thicknesses of LHON patients first increased and then decreased, except for the temporal RNFL. As the disease progressed, RNFL thinning slowed; however, gradual RNFL thinning occurred. Logistic regression revealed that baseline best corrected visual acuity was related to spontaneous visual recovery of LHON patients with disease duration ≥ 6 months. Conclusion: The pattern of RNFL involvement could be helpful in the differential diagnosis of LHON and other optic neuropathies. LHON patients with better vision are more likely to experience some degree of spontaneous visual acuity recovery after the subacute phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Appropriate physical activity (PA) and good sleep are beneficial to maternal and fetal health. This paper sought to explore the associations of PA and sleep quality among healthy women at the first and second trimesters of pregnancy on mental health and pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Totally 268 healthy pregnant women were retrospectively analyzed as study subjects, 134 each in the first trimester (FT) and second trimester (ST). Their baseline clinical data were obtained respectively at two stages of pregnancy. The PA/sleep quality of subjects were assessed through the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire-Chinese version (PPAQ-C)/Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. The mental health was assessed via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The correlations of PA and sleep quality with mental health were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis. Pregnancy outcomes of all subjects, associations of moderate intensity (MI) PA and sleep quality with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and independent influencing factors for adverse outcomes were analyzed. Results: Pregnant women in the ST group exhibited higher levels of MI, worse sleep quality, and lower levels of anxiety and depression than those in the FT group. Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with MI but positively linked with PSQI scores at the first and second trimesters. MI ≥ 7.5 MET-h/week and good sleep quality were associated with a reduced incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusion: MI ≥ 7.5 MET-h/week and good sleep quality at the first and second trimesters of pregnancy benefit mental health and markedly reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the efficacy of bilateral mesh sacrospinous ligament suspension (MSSLS) compared to laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC) in patients with uterine prolapse. Ninety-eight patients with uterine prolapse were evaluated at our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023. Patients were equally divided into two groups: the study group (undergoing MSSLS) and the control group (undergoing LSC) using a random number table. Various parameters including operation time, bleeding volume, indwelling catheter time, exhaust time, hospital stay, pelvic organ prolapse stage, postoperative recurrence rate, pain severity, quality of life, pelvic floor function, impact on sexual life, complications, and recurrence rate were recorded. The study group showed significant reductions in operation time, bleeding volume, indwelling catheter time, exhaust time, and hospital stay compared to the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in Aa, Ba, Ap, Bp, and C between the two groups before surgery (P > 0.05), but six months postoperatively, these indexes were significantly lower in the study group (P < 0.05). Pain severity did not differ significantly between the two groups before surgery (P > 0.05), but was significantly lower in the study group six months postoperatively (P < 0.05). Quality of life, pelvic floor function, and sexual life quality did not significantly differ before surgery, at 6 months, and at 12 months postoperatively (P > 0.05). All patients were followed up for 12–14 months, with an average follow-up time of (13.02 ± 1.36) months. The incidence of complications was significantly lower in the study group (P < 0.05), but there were no recurrences in either group, thus the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). MSSLS emerges as a safe and efficacious treatment for uterine prolapse, notably reducing both complications and recurrence rates, rendering it suitable for broad clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) typically exhibit excellent high-temperature strength but limited ductility. In this study, a comprehensive machine learning strategy with integrated material knowledge is proposed to predict the elongation of TiZrNbVAl RHEAs. By referring to the ductility theories, a set of cost-effective material features is developed with various mathematical forms of thermodynamic parameters. These features are proven to effectively incorporate material knowledge into ML modeling. They also offer potential alternatives to those obtained from costly first-principles calculations. Based on Pearson correlation coefficients, the linear relationships between pairwise features were compared, and the seven key features with the greatest impact on the model were selected for ML modeling. Regression tasks were performed to predict the ductility of TiZrNbVAl, and the CatBoost gradient boosting algorithm exhibiting the best performance was eventually selected. The established optimized model achieves high predictive accuracies exceeding 0.8. These key features were further analyzed using interpretable ML methods to elucidate their influences on various ductility mechanisms. According to the ML results, different compositions of TiZrNbVAl with excellent tensile properties were prepared. The experimental results indicate that Ti44Zr24Nb17V5Al10 and Ti44Zr26Nb8V13Al9 both exhibited ultimate tensile strengths of approximately 1180 MPa and elongations higher than 21%. They verified that the ML strategy proposed in this study is an effective approach for predicting the properties of RHEAs. It is a potential method that can replace costly first-principles calculations. Thermodynamic parameters have been shown to effectively predict alloy ductility to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of achieving the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the development of clean resources has become an essential strategic support for the low-carbon energy transition. This paper presents a method for the modal decomposition and reconstruction of time series to enhance the prediction accuracy and performance regarding the 70 m wind speed. The experimental results indicate that the STL-VMD-BiLSTM hybrid algorithm proposed in this paper outperforms the STL-BiLSTM and VMD-BiLSTM models in forecasting accuracy, particularly in extracting nonlinearity characteristics and effectively capturing wind speed extremes. Compared with other machine learning algorithms, including the STL-VMD-LGBM, STL-VMD-SVR and STL-VMD-RF models, the STL-VMD-BiLSTM model demonstrates superior performance. The average evaluation criteria, including the RMSE, MAE and R2, for the proposed model, from t + 15 to t + 120 show improvements to 0.582–0.753 m/s, 0.437–0.573 m/s and 0.915–0.951, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to evaluate the performance of solar radiation forecasts produced by CMA-WSP v2.0 (version 2 of the China Meteorological Administration Wind and Solar Energy Prediction System) and to explore the application of machine learning algorithms from the scikit-learn Python library to improve the solar radiation prediction made by the CMA-WSP v2.0. It is found that the performance of the solar radiation forecasting from the CMA-WSP v2.0 is closely related to the weather conditions, with notable diurnal fluctuations. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) produced by the CMA-WSP v2.0 is approximately 74% between 11:00 and 13:00. However, the MAPE ranges from 193% to 242% at 07:00–08:00 and 17:00–18:00, which is greater than that observed at other daytime periods. The MAPE is relatively low (high) for both sunny and cloudy (overcast and rainy) conditions, with a high probability of an absolute percentage error below 25% (above 100%). The forecasts tend to underestimate (overestimate) the observed solar radiation in sunny and cloudy (overcast and rainy) conditions. By applying machine learning models (such as linear regression, decision trees, K-nearest neighbors, random forests regression, adaptive boosting, and gradient boosting regression) to revise the solar radiation forecasts, the MAPE produced by the CMA-WSP v2.0 is significantly reduced. The reduction in the MAPE is closely connected to the weather conditions. The models of K-nearest neighbors, random forests regression, and decision trees can reduce the MAPE in all weather conditions. The K-nearest neighbor model exhibits the most optimal performance among these models, particularly in rainy conditions. The random forest regression model demonstrates the second-best performance compared to that of the K-nearest neighbor model. The gradient boosting regression model has been observed to reduce the MAPE of the CMA-WSP v2.0 in all weather conditions except rainy. In contrast, the adaptive boosting (linear regression) model exhibited a diminished capacity to improve the CMA-WSP v2.0 solar radiation prediction, with a slight reduction in MAPE observed only in sunny (sunny and cloudy) conditions. In addition, the input feature selection has a considerable influence on the performance of the machine learning model. The incorporation of the time series data associated with the diurnal variation of solar radiation as an input feature can further improve the model's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a protein of the orphan nuclear receptor Nr4a family, Nr4a3 has no identified natural ligands. However, its biological activity can be mediated by inducing conformational changes through interactions with specific certain small molecules and receptors. Nr4a3 is activated as an early stress factor under various pathological conditions and plays a regulatory role in various tissues and cells, participating in processes such as cell differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism, and homeostasis. At present, research on the role of Nr4a3 in the pathophysiology of inflammation is considerably limited, especially with respect to its role in the central nervous system (CNS). In this review, we discuss the role of Nr4a3 in multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, retinopathy, Parkinson's disease, and other CNS diseases. This review shows that Nr4a3 has considerable potential as a therapeutic target in the treatment of CNS diseases. We provide a theoretical basis for the targeted therapy of CNS diseases and neuroinflammation, among other conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief communication finds a clear and universal inequality of authors' reference reuse behaviour. We observe that a few references are reused many times in an author's oeuvre while most of his or her references only occur in the reference list for quite a limited number of times. A power law distribution depicts such an inequality. We particularly utilise the power value, α , to characterise the nuanced difference of such inequalities. A pilot study based upon Microsoft Academic Graph (MAG) shows that the α tends to be normally distributed, regardless of whether it is from a citing or a cited perspective. Our empirical study also reveals that the α of highly cited publications tends to be greater than that of lowly cited ones, yet we also observe a saturation when the number of citations increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The concentrations of linezolid, its optimal regimen and the associated side effects in elderly patients remain unclear. Methods In this multicentre, prospective study, elderly patients receiving linezolid at four tertiary hospitals in Beijing between May 2021 and December 2022 were included. Linezolid concentrations and haematological toxicity were monitored dynamically. Risk factors for linezolid overexposure and moderate-to-severe linezolid-induced thrombocytopenia (M/S LIT) were analysed, and a predictive model of M/S LIT was developed. Results A total of 860 linezolid concentrations were measured in 313 patients. The median trough concentrations of linezolid were 24.4 (15.3, 35.8) mg/L at 36–72 h and 26.1 (17.0, 38.1) mg/L at 5–10 days (P  = 0.132). Severe linezolid exposure was independently associated with age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the worst SOFA score (SOFA1), and we further recommended dose regimens for elderly patients based on these findings. The incidences of linezolid-induced thrombocytopenia(LIT) and M/S LIT were 73.5% and 47.6%, respectively. M/S LIT was independently correlated with treatment duration, average trough concentration (TDMa), baseline platelet count, eGFR and baseline SOFA score (SOFA0). The developed nomogram predicted M/S LIT with an area under the curve of 0.767 (95% CI 0.715–0.820), a sensitivity of 71.1% and a specificity of 73.2%. Conclusions Linezolid trough concentrations increased dramatically in the elderly, by about 10 mg/L in patients aged 65–80 years, followed by a further increase of 10 mg/L for every 10 years of age. Therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended in elderly patients receiving linezolid. The developed nomogram may predict M/S LIT and guide dosage adjustments of linezolid. Clinical trial registration number : ChiCTR2100045707 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonium transporters (AMTs) are vital plasma membrane proteins facilitating NH4+ uptake and transport, crucial for plant growth. The identification of favorable AMT genes is the main goal of improving ammonium-tolerant algas. However, there have been no reports on the systematic identification and expression analysis of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) AMT genes. This study comprehensively identified eight CrAMT genes, distributed across eight chromosomes, all containing more than 10 transmembrane structures. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all CrAMTs belonged to the AMT1 subfamily. The conserved motifs and domains of CrAMTs were similar to those of the AMT1 members of OsAMTs and AtAMTs. Notably, the gene fragments of CrAMTs are longer and contain more introns compared to those of AtAMTs and OsAMTs. And the promoter regions of CrAMTs are enriched with cis-elements associated with plant hormones and light response. Under NH4+ treatment, CrAMT1;1 and CrAMT1;3 were significantly upregulated, while CrAMT1;2, CrAMT1;4, and CrAMT1;6 saw a notable decrease. CrAMT1;7 and CrAMT1;8 also experienced a decline, albeit less pronounced. Transgenic algas with overexpressed CrAMT1;7 did not show a significant difference in growth compared to CC-125, while transgenic algas with CrAMT1;7 knockdown exhibited growth inhibition. Transgenic algas with overexpressed or knocked-down CrAMT1;8 displayed reduced growth compared to CC-125, which also resulted in the suppression of other CrAMT genes. None of the transgenic algas showed better growth than CC-125 at high ammonium levels. In summary, our study has unveiled the potential role of CrAMT genes in high-ammonium environments and can serve as a foundational research platform for investigating ammonium-tolerant algal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]