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The study focuses on the critically endangered Dabry's sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus), a species on the brink of extinction in the wild. This research investigates the role of the Forkhead box protein L2 (foxl2) in the gonadal development and differentiation of this species. The foxl2 gene, known for its role in various physiological processes, including sexual maturation, is hypothesized to play a significant role in the sex differentiation of Dabry's sturgeon. This study cloned the full-length cds sequence of the foxl2 gene and analyzed its expression across various tissues, focusing on its response to estradiol treatment. Our findings indicate that foxl2 is predominantly expressed in ovaries and shows a dose-dependent response to estradiol, suggesting its potential role in ovarian differentiation. This research underscores the importance of foxl2 in understanding reproductive biology and offers a foundation for future conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to regional and cultural differences, the current status of extremely preterm infants(EPIs) treatment across different areas of mainland China remains unclear. This study investigated the survival rate and incidence of major diseases among EPIs in the southwest area of Fujian province. Method: This retrospective and multicenter study collected perinatal data from EPIs with gestational ages between 22–27+ 6w and born in the southwest area of Fujian province. The study population was divided into 6 groups based on gestational age at delivery. The primary outcome was the survival status at ordered hospital discharge or correct gestational age of 40 weeks, and the secondary outcome was the incidence of major diseases. The study analyzed the actual survival status of EPIs in the area. Result: A total of 2004 preterm infants with gestational ages of 22–27+ 6 weeks were enrolled in this study. Among them, 1535 cases (76.6%) were born in the delivery room but did not survive, 469 cases (23.4%) were transferred to the neonatal department for treatment, 101 cases (5.0%) received partial treatment, and 368 cases (18.4%) received complete treatment. The overall all-cause mortality rate was 84.4% (1691/2004). The survival rate and survival rate without major serious disease for EPIs who received complete treatment were 85.1% (313/368) and 31.5% (116/318), respectively. The survival rates for gestational ages 22–22+ 6w, 23–23+ 6w, 24–24+ 6w, 25–25+ 6w, 26–26+ 6w, and 27–27+ 6w were 0%, 0%, 59.1% (13/22), 83% (39/47), 88.8% (87/98), and 89.7% (174/198), respectively. The survival rates without major serious disease were 0%, 0%, 9.1% (2/22), 19.1% (9/47), 27.6% (27/98), and 40.2% (78/194), respectively. Conclusion: The all-cause mortality of EPIs in the southwest area of Fujian Province remains high, with a significant number of infants were given up after birth in the delivery room being the main influencing factor. The survival rate of EPIs who received complete treatment at 25–27 weeks in the NICU was similar to that in developed countries. However, the survival rate without major serious disease was significantly lower compared to high-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biliary stricture caused by malignant tumors is known as Malignant Biliary Stricture (MBS). MBS is challenging to differentiate clinically, and accurate diagnosis is crucial for patient prognosis and treatment. This study aims to identify the risk factors for malignancy in all patients diagnosed with biliary stricture by Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and to develop an effective clinical predictive model to enhance diagnostic outcomes. Methodology: Through a retrospective study, data from 398 patients diagnosed with biliary stricture using ERCP between January 2019 and January 2023 at two institutions: the First People's Hospital affiliated with Jiangsu University and the Second People's Hospital affiliated with Soochow University. The study began with a preliminary screening of risk factors using univariate regression. Lasso regression was then applied for feature selection. The dataset was divided into a training set and a validation set in an 8:2 ratio. We analyzed the selected features using seven machine learning algorithms. The best model was selected based on the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUROC) and other evaluation indicators. We further evaluated the model's accuracy using calibration curves and confusion matrices. Additionally, we used the SHAP method for interpretability and visualization of the model's predictions. Results: RF model is the best model, achieved an AUROC of 0.988. Shap result indicate that age, stricture location, stricture length, carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), total bilirubin (TBil), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), (Direct Bilirubin) DBil/TBil, and CA199/C-Reactive Protein (CRP) were risk factors for MBS, and the CRP is a protective factor. Conclusion: The model's effectiveness and stability were confirmed, accurately identifying high-risk patients to guide clinical decisions and improve patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a disease with molecular heterogeneity that is closely related to gene mutations and epigenetic changes. The principal histological subtype of lung cancer is non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a kind of RNA that is without protein coding function, playing a critical role in the progression of cancer. In this research, the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA phosphorylase kinase regulatory subunit alpha 1 antisense RNA 1 (PHKA1‐AS1) in the progression of NSCLC were explored. The increased level of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification in NSCLC caused the high expression of PHKA1‐AS1. Subsequently, high‐expressed PHKA1‐AS1 significantly facilitated the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells, and these effects could be reversed upon the inhibition of PHKA1‐AS1 expression, both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the target protein of PHKA1‐AS1 was actinin alpha 4 (ACTN4), which is known as an oncogene. Herein, PHKA1‐AS1 could enhance the protein stability of ACTN4 by inhibiting its ubiquitination degradation process, thus exerting the function of ACTN4 in promoting the progress of NSCLC. In conclusion, this research provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the potential mechanism of NSCLC metastasis and searching novel biomarkers related to the pathogenesis and progression of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermodynamics as a fundamental branch of physics examines the relationships between heat, work, and energy. The maximum energy extraction can be characterized by using the passive states that have no extracted energy under any cyclic unitary process. In this paper, the focus is on the concept of marginal passive state energy and derive polygon inequalities for multi‐qubit entangled pure states. It is shown that the marginal passive state energies collectively form a convex polytope for each class of quantum states that are equivalent under SLOCC. Multipartite passive state energy criteria is introduced to classify multipartite entanglement under SLOCC. The present result provides a thermodynamic method to witness multipartite entanglement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea cucumber-derived fungi have attracted much attention due to their capacity to produce an incredible variety of secondary metabolites. Genome-wide information on Aspergillus micronesiensis H39 obtained using third-generation sequencing technology (PacBio-SMRT) showed that the strain contains nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-like gene clusters, which aroused our interest in mining its secondary metabolites. 11 known compounds (1–11), including two γ-aromatic butenolides (γ-AB) and five cytochalasans, were isolated from A. micronesiensis H39. The structures of the compounds were determined by NMR and ESIMS, and comparison with those reported in the literature. From the perspective of biogenetic origins, the γ-butyrolactone core of compounds 1 and 2 was assembled by NRPS-like enzyme. All of the obtained compounds showed no inhibitory activity against drug-resistant bacteria and fungi, as well as compounds 1 and 2 had no anti-angiogenic activity against zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Papilio macilentus (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea: Papilionidae) was sequenced by next-generation sequencing method. The mitochondrial genome is a circular DNA molecule of 15,264 bp in size with 80.7% AT content, including 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes), and a long non-coding region (Control region). All protein-coding genes are initiated by ATN codons, and terminated with TAA, TAG, or single T. All tRNAs can be folded into common clover leaf secondary structure, except trn-S1. Phylogenetic analyses based on 13 protein-coding genes and 2 rRNA genes using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference confirmed that P. macilentus and Papilio memnon are clustered into a clade, and revealed the relationships between Papilionini, Troidini, Teinopaippini and Leptocircini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs), as a common "vector" of pollutants in the aquatic environment, have a significant impact on the migration and transformation of heavy metals. In order to explore the mechanism and the influencing factors of the adsorption behavior of microplastics (MPs) on selenium (Se) in aqueous solution under the coexistence of nanoparticles, polystyrene microplastics (PS), nano-titanium dioxide particles (TiO2) and their coexisting compounds (PS + TiO2) were used as adsorbents to investigate the adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamic processes of Se. The effects of pH, humic acid concentration and coexisting ions on the ad-sorption behavior of Se(VI) were also analyzed. The results showed that the adsorption process of Se(VI) by PS and PS + TiO2 could be well fitted by pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model, and it was an endothermic reaction with increased entropy. The adsorption capacity of Se(VI) by PS, TiO2, and PS + TiO2 were decreased with the increase of solution pH. Humic acid and Ca2+ promoted the adsorption of Se (VI), while PO43- significantly inhibited the adsorption of Se(VI) in the above three systems. The main adsorption mechanism of PS on Se(VI) was electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen bonding. The TiO2 adsorbed on the surface of PS mainly affected the adsorption behavior of PS on Se(VI) through hydrogen bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many forms of Intangible Culture Heritage (ICH) are fast disappearing. The Lantern Festival is an important part of Chinese tradition and a critical ICH of Taiwan. However, few young people attend ICH activities. Given the importance of ICH education, this study describes what participants learned after lantern exhibitions that combined Augmented Reality (AR), mobile websites, and Paper-based Exhibition Brochures. This study evaluated what a cohort of college students (n = 115) learned about ICH through experiments and questionnaires. The results show that the public understood ICH better through digital technology. All participants thought that applying AR to ICH was good for the public to gain more information on lantern culture, although it took a lot of time to learn the new technology. The results also encouraged the application of AR to engage in ICH education. Therefore, a large number of digital technologies that are popular among young people should be used as part of ICH education in order to improve their cultural awareness and learning motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Stent-assisted coil (SAC) embolization is a commonly used endovascular treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) but can be associated with symptomatic delayed intracerebral hemorrhage (DICH). Our study aimed to investigate the hemodynamic risk factors contributing to DICH following SAC embolization and to establish a classification for DICH predicated on hemodynamic profiles. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with UIAs located in the internal carotid artery (ICA) treated with SAC embolization at our institution from January 2021 to January 2022. We focused on eight patients who developed postoperative DICH and matched them with sixteen control patients without DICH. Using computational fluid dynamics, we evaluated the hemodynamic changes in distal arteries [terminal ICA, the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), and middle cerebral artery (MCA)] pre-and post-embolization. We distinguished DICH-related arteries from unrelated ones (ACA or MCA) and compared their hemodynamic alterations. An imbalance index, quantifying the differential in flow velocity changes between ACA and MCA post-embolization, was employed to gauge the flow distribution in distal arteries was used to assess distal arterial flow distribution. Results: We identified two types of DICH based on postoperative flow alterations. In type 1, there was a significant lower in the mean velocity increase rate of the DICH-related artery compared to the unrelated artery (-47.25 ± 3.88% vs. 42.85 ± 3.03%; p < 0.001), whereas, in type 2, there was a notable higher (110.58 ± 9.42% vs. 17.60 ± 4.69%; p < 0.001). Both DICH types demonstrated a higher imbalance index than the control group, suggesting an association between altered distal arterial blood flow distribution and DICH occurrence. Conclusion: DICH in SAC-treated UIAs can manifest as either a lower (type 1) or higher (type 2) in the rate of velocity in DICH-related arteries. An imbalance in distal arterial blood flow distribution appears to be a significant factor in DICH development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autotetraploid Carassius auratus (4nRR, 4n=200, RRRR) is derived from whole-genome duplication of Carassius auratus red var. (RCC, 2n=100, RR). In the current study, we demonstrated that chromatophores and pigment changes directly caused the coloration and variation of 4nRR skin (red in RCC, brownish-yellow in 4nRR). To further explore the molecular mechanisms underlying coloration formation and variation in 4nRR, we performed transcriptome profiling and molecular functional verification in RCC and 4nRR. Results revealed that scarb1, associated with carotenoid metabolism, underwent significant down-regulation in 4nRR. Efficient editing of this candidate pigment gene provided clear evidence of its significant role in RCC coloration. Subsequently, we identified four divergent scarb1 homeologs in 4nRR: two original scarb1 homeologs from RCC and two duplicated ones. Notably, three of these homeologs possessed two highly conserved alleles, exhibiting biased and allele specific expression in the skin. Remarkably, after precise editing of both the original and duplicated scarb1 homeologs and/or alleles, 4nRR individuals, whether singly or multiply mutated, displayed a transition from brownish-yellow skin to a cyan-gray phenotype. Concurrently, the proportional areas of the cyan-gray regions displayed a gene-dose correlation. These findings illustrate the sub functionalization of duplicated scarb1, with all scarb1 genes synergistically and equally contributing to the pigmentation of 4nRR. This is the first report concerning the functional differentiation of duplicated homeologs in an autopolyploid fish, substantially enriching our understanding of coloration formation and change within this group of organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the impact of circadian disturbance on erectile function, we randomly divided 24 adult male rats into groups of control (light on at 8:00 a.m. and off at 8:00 p.m.), dark/dark (DD; constant dark), light/light (LL; constant light), and shift dark/light (DL; light off at 8:00 a.m. and on at 8:00 p.m.). Four weeks later, erectile function was measured and corpora cavernosa were harvested for analysis. The maximum intracavernous pressure (mICP) and mICP/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio in the DD, LL, and DL groups were significantly lower than that in the control group. The LL and DL groups showed significantly attenuated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), while DD, LL, and DL showed reduced neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) at both mRNA and protein levels. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) was inhibited by altered light/dark cycles to varying degrees. Circadian disturbance impaired endothelial function and contributed to erectile dysfunction. For the core circadian elements, mRNA expression of circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (Clock) and brain/muscle aryl-hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (Bmal1) was elevated in the DL group, but their protein expression was not significantly changed. DD, LL, and DL increased period 1 (Per1) and Per3 levels, while LL and DL increased PER1 levels. No significant difference was found for Per2 levels, and PER2 and PER3 concentrations were not significantly changed. Moreover, LL and DL significantly increased cryptochrome-1 (CRY1) and CRY2 at both mRNA and protein levels. The altered light/dark rat model showed that circadian disturbance contributed to erectile dysfunction probably by impairing endothelial function. Meanwhile, the core circadian elements were detected in the corpora cavernosa, but these were disrupted. However, which circadian element regulates erectile function and how it works need further analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HAP clade, mainly including Helichrysum Mill, Anaphalis DC., and Pseudognaphalium Kirp., is a major component of tribe Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae). In this clade, Anaphalis represents the largest genus of Asian Gnaphalieae. The intergeneric relationships among Anaphalis and its related genera and the infrageneric taxonomy of this genus are complex and remain controversial. However, there are few studies that have focused on these issues. Herein, based on the current most comprehensive sampling of the HAP clade, especially Anaphalis, we conducted phylogenetic analyses using chloroplast (cp) genome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) to evaluate the relationships within HAP clade, test the monophyly of Anaphalis, and examine the infrageneric taxonomy of this genus. Meanwhile, the morphological characters were verified to determine the circumscription and infrageneric taxonomy system of Anaphalis. Additionally, the biogeographical history, diversification processes, and evolution of crucial morphological characters were estimated and inferred. Our phylogenetic analyses suggested that Anaphalis is polyphyletic because it nested with Helichrysum and Pseudognaphalium. Two and four main clades of Anaphalis were identified in cp genome and nrDNA trees, respectively. Compared with nrDNA trees, the cp genome trees were more effective for phylogenetic resolution. After comprehensively analyzing morphological and phylogenetic evidence, it was concluded that the achene surface ornamentation and leaf base showed less homoplasy and supported the two Anaphalis lineages that were inferred from cp genome. Our biogeographical analyses based on cp genome indicated that HAP clade underwent rapid diversification from late Miocene to Pliocene. The two Anaphalis lineages appeared to have originated in Africa, then spread to Western and Southern Asia, and subsequently moved into Southwestern China forming a diversity center. The dispersal patterns of the two Anaphalis lineages were different. One dispersed around the world, except in Africa and South America. The other one dispersed to Eastern and Southeastern Asia from the ancestral origin region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the clinical value of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), restricted comprehension of its toxicity limits the secure and efficacious application. Previous studies primarily focused on exploring specific toxicities within CHM, without providing an overview of CHM's toxicity. The absence of a quantitative assessment of focal points renders the future research trajectory ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal research trends and areas of concern for the past decade. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on publications related to CHM and toxicity over the past decade from Web of Science Core Collection database. The characteristics of the publication included publication year, journal, institution, funding, keywords, and citation counts were recorded. Cooccurrence analysis and trend topic analysis based on bibliometric analysis were conducted on keywords and citations. Results: A total of 3,225 publications were analyzed. Number of annal publications increased over the years, with the highest number observed in 2022 (n = 475). The Journal of Ethnopharmacology published the most publications (n = 425). The most frequently used toxicity classifications in keywords were hepatotoxicity (n = 119) or drug-induced liver injury (n = 48), and nephrotoxicity (n = 40). Co-occurrence analysis revealed relatively loose connections between CHM and toxicity, and their derivatives. Keywords emerging from trend topic analysis for the past 3 years (2019-2022) included ferroptosis, NLRP3 inflammasome, machine learning, network pharmacology, traditional uses, and pharmacology. Conclusion: Concerns about the toxicity of CHM have increased in the past decade. However, there remains insufficient studies that directly explore the intersection of CHM and toxicity. Hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, as the most concerned toxicity classifications associated with CHM, warrant more in-depth investigations. Apoptosis was the most concerned toxicological mechanism. As a recent increase in attention, exploring the mechanisms of ferroptosis in nephrotoxicity and NLRP3 inflammasome in hepatotoxicity could provide valuable insights. Machine learning and network pharmacology are potential methods for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-purity 1T′-WS2 film has been experimentally synthesized [Nature Materials, 20, 1113–1120 (2021)] and theoretically predicted to be a two-dimensional (2D) superconducting material with Dirac cones [arXiv:2301.11425]. In the present work, we further study the superconducting properties of monolayer 1T′-WS2 by applying biaxial tensile strain. It is shown that the superconducting critical temperature Tc firstly increases and then decreases with respect to tensile strains, with the highest superconducting critical temperature Tc of 7.25 K under the biaxial tensile strain of 3%. In particular, we find that Dirac cones also exist in several tensile strained cases. Our studies show that monolayer 1T′-WS2 may provide a good platform for understanding the superconductivity of 2D Dirac materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the essential roles of phosphorylation in mediating the proliferation of T. gondii in its cell lytic life. Methods: We profiled the phosphoproteome data of T. gondii residing in HFF cells for 2 h and 6 h, representing the early- and late-stages of proliferation (ESP and LSP) within its first generation of division. Results: We identified 70 phosphoproteins, among which 8 phosphoproteins were quantified with the phosphorylation level significantly regulated. While only two of the eight phosphoproteins, GRA7 and TGGT1_242070, were significantly down-regulated at the transcriptional level in the group of LSP vs. ESP. Moreover, GO terms correlated with host membrane component were significantly enriched in the category of cellular component, suggesting phosphoprotein played important roles in acquiring essential substance from host cell via manipulating host membrane. Further GO analysis in the categories of molecular function and biological process and pathway analysis revealed that the cellular processes of glucose and lipid metabolism were regulated by T. gondii phosphoproteins such as PMCAA1, LIPIN, Pyk1 and ALD. Additionally, several phosphoproteins were enriched at the central nodes in the protein–protein interaction network, which may have essential roles in T. gondii proliferation including GAP45, MLC1, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, GRAs and so on. Conclusion: This study revealed the main cellular processes and key phosphoproteins crucial for the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii, which would provide clues to explore the roles of phosphorylation in regulating the development of tachyzoites and new insight into the mechanism of T. gondii development in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing application of digital education in intangible cultural heritage (ICH), user acceptance of digital technology needs further investigation. In this study, a mobile AR system for ICH education was developed to understand user acceptance of digital technology. This study developed a conceptual model and hypotheses based on cultural awareness, generic learning outcomes (GLOs), and the technology acceptance model, aiming to construct an appropriate digital learning model for ICH. The results of the study indicated that the reliability and validity of the measurement model were satisfactory. In addition, the importance of external variables was confirmed. Cultural awareness and GLOs affected users' perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. In addition, perceived usefulness and ease of use had a positive effect on attitudes toward the use, which in turn had a positive effect on behavioural intention to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence and clinical correlates of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bronchiectasis are not entirely clear. We aimed to profile the ARGs in sputum from adults with bronchiectasis, and explore the association with airway microbiome and disease severity and subtypes. In this longitudinal study, we prospectively collected 118 sputum samples from stable and exacerbation visits of 82 bronchiectasis patients and 19 healthy subjects. We profiled ARGs with shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and linked these to sputum microbiome and clinical characteristics, followed by validation in an international cohort. We compared ARG profiles in bronchiectasis according to disease severity, blood and sputum inflammatory subtypes. Unsupervised clustering revealed a Pseudomonas predominant subgroup (n = 16), Haemophilus predominant subgroup (n = 48), and balanced microbiome subgroup (N = 54). ARGs of multi-drug resistance were over-dominant in the Pseudomonas-predominant subgroup, while ARGs of beta-lactam resistance were most abundant in the Haemophilus-predominant subgroup. Pseudomonas-predominant subgroup yielded the highest ARG diversity and total abundance, while Haemophilus–predominant subgroup and balanced microbiota subgroup were lowest in ARG diversity and total abundance. PBP-1A, ksgA and emrB (multidrug) were most significantly enriched in Haemophilus-predominant subtype. ARGs generally correlated positively with Bronchiectasis Severity Index, fluoroquinolone use, and modified Reiff score. 68.6% of the ARG-clinical correlations could be validated in an independent international cohort. In conclusion, ARGs are differentially associated with the dominant microbiome and clinical characteristics in bronchiectasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perylene-3,4-(dicarboxylic monoimide)-9,10-(dicarboxylic monoanhydrate) (PIA) is one key intermediate to construct functionalized perylene diimides (PDIs) for various applications. However, the difficulty in synthesizing chlorinated PIA hinders the study of chlorinated PDI-based materials. Although chlorination has been widely used to modify the properties of organic semiconductors. We successfully synthesize chlorinated PIA via a simple hydrolysis reaction using LiOH as the base, then a PDI dimer connected at the imide position, N-di-PDI-4Cl, is synthesized as an application example of chlorinated PIA. The heavily chlorinated PDI dimer exhibits deeper energy levels, slightly blue-shifted UV-Vis absorption compared to the non-chlorinated analogue. In addition, the photovoltaic performance of N-di-PDI-4Cl is characterized. This study paves one easy way to synthesize chlorinated PIA and its more delicate derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with enzymolytic soybean meal (ESBM) on broilers fed low crude protein (CP) diets. Methods: A total of 360 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to six treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 10 chicks per replicate for a period of 42 days. Chicks were fed a basal standard high-CP diet as a positive control (PC), a low-CP diet (reducing 10 g/kg CP from the PC) as a negative control (NC), or an NC + 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, or 2.0% ESBM diet. Results: Compared to chicks fed the PC, chicks fed the NC had a decreased body weight gain (BWG, p<0.05) from 1 to 42 days, but supplementation with 2.0% ESBM restored BWG (p<0.05) and even linearly improved the feed conversion rate (FCR, p<0.05). Digestibility of CP and ether extract was increased (p<0.05) in chicks fed a 1.0% ESBM diet compared to the PC. With increasing levels of ESBM, nitrogen (N) excretion decreased (p<0.05). The addition of ESBM to the diet did not affect (p>0.05) serum concentrations of total protein, albumin and total cholesterol but led to a descending trend in triglycerides and an ascending trend in calcium and urea N at 42 days (p<0.10). There were no differences (p>0.05) in villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and VH/CD (V/C) of the duodenum and jejunum between the PC and NC at both 21 days and 42 days, while increasing dietary ESBM levels linearly (p<0.05) decreased CD and increased V/C of the duodenum and jejunum at both 21 days and 42 days. Conclusion: The findings indicated that ESBM could be used in broiler low-CP diets to improve production performance, decrease N excretion, and enhance intestinal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious diversity education has become increasingly prominent in the last few years. As the region with the second-highest religious diversity globally, Chinese Taiwan provides its students religious education early on, thus minimising misunderstandings and discrimination on the basis of religion. To diversify teaching methods, educators have adopted interactive technology as one of the primary teaching aids. This study aims to develop and evaluate the impact of an interactive technology, augmented reality (AR) in the provision of religious education. A series of experiments were conducted during the 2020 Taipei Lantern Festival of Religious Education Exhibition to explore whether using the interactive technology system significantly improved learning outcomes in comparison to traditional learning methods. To this end, a total of 50 elementary students across two experimental (n = 24) and control (n = 26) groups were recruited to participate in the study. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyse students' subjective and objective learning outcomes. The results of the study showed that the experimental group performed significantly better in both subjective and objective learning outcomes. The findings obtained from the open-ended questions showed interactive AR technology system use positively affected the learning process. In conclusion, this study proposes that combining religious diversity education with interactive AR technology has the potential to improve students' motivation, engage their interest, improve learning outcomes, and contribute to an increased awareness of religious diversity. It may also be helpful in limiting students' cognitive overload during the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The protein encoded by ring finger protein 157 (RNF157) is known to function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. However, whether the level of RNF157 expression in breast cancer correlates with prognosis and immune cell infiltration among breast cancer patients remains to be further explored. Methods: In this study, publicly available datasets were used for evaluating RNF157 expression in different tumors compared with normal samples. Several independent datasets were screened for investigating the relationship between RNF157 and breast cancer survival, different mutation profiles, and tumor immune cell infiltration. We conducted a pathway enrichment analysis to identify signaling pathways associated with RNF157. Results: Analysis of public and online databases revealed that RNF157 expression markedly decreased in breast cancer tissue samples compared to non-carcinoma counterparts. Consistently, immunohistochemistry assays also demonstrated this RNF157 down-regulation in breast cancer samples. RNF157 up-regulation could predict the improved survival of breast cancer cases. Further, different RNF157 expression level groups exhibited different mutational profiles. Pathway enrichment profiling of RNF157-related genes suggested its possible involvement in regulating breast cancer via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data and genomic enrichment analysis showed that RNF157 downregulated several genes positively associated with the MAPK signaling pathway. We also explored RNF157 expression and immune cell infiltration in breast cancer and found that RNF157 mRNA levels were negatively related to non-T immune cell infiltration. Conclusion: According to our work, RNF157 may be a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF) is proposed in this work. The proposed DC-PCF PBS contains two kinds of lattices and three kinds of air holes to form the asymmetrical elliptic dual-core structure. By using the full-vector finite element method, the propagation characteristics of the proposed DC-PCF PBS are investigated. The simulation results show that the bandwidth of the proposed DC-PCF PBS can reach to 340 nm, which covers the S + C + L + U communication bands, the shortest splitting length is 1.97 mm, and the maximum extinction ratio appears near wavelength 1550 nm. Moreover, the insertion loss of the proposed DC-PCF PBS is very low. It is believed that the proposed DC-PCF PBS has important applications in the field of all-optical communication and network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (turmeric), Curcumae Radix and Curcumae Rhizoma are derived from the Curcuma species, and have gradually become three of the most commonly used medicinal herbs in China due to their different origins, processing methods and medicinal part. These three herbs have certain similarities inmorphology, chemical composition, and pharmacological effects. All three of these herbs contain curcuminoids and volatile oil compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, althoughmodern clinical applications have their own requirements. At present, there is no systematic guidelines for the clinical application of these three of Curcuma species; consequently, there is a high risk of unwanted phenomena associated with the mixing and indiscriminate use of these herbs. In this review, we focus predominantly on morphology, chemical composition, and the pharmacological activity of these three Curcuma herbs and summarize the current status of research in this field. Our goal is to provide a better understanding of clinical value of these Curcuma species so that we can provide reference guidelines for their further development, utilization and rational clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of highly crystalline two-dimensional (2D) superconductors provides a new alluring branch for exploring the fundamental significances. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict a new kind of 2D stable material W2C3, which is a semimetal but not a superconductor because of the weak electron–phonon coupling (EPC) strength. After hydrogenation, W2C3H2 possesses the intrinsic metallic properties with a large density of states (DOS) at the Fermi energy (EF). More interestingly, the EPC strength is greatly enhanced after hydrogenation and the calculated critical temperature (Tc) is 40.5 K. Furthermore, the compressive strain can obviously soften the low-frequency phonons and enhance the EPC strength. Then, the Tc of W2C3H2 can be increased from 40.5 K to 49.1 K with −4% compressive strain. This work paves the way for providing a new platform for 2D superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infrageneric taxonomy system, species delimitation, and interspecies systematic relationships of Leontopodium remain controversial and complex. However, only a few studies have focused on the molecular phylogeny of this genus. In this study, the characteristics of 43 chloroplast genomes of Leontopodium and its closely related genera were analyzed. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred based on chloroplast genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). Finally, together with the morphological characteristics, the relationships within Leontopodium were identified and discussed. The results showed that the chloroplast genomes of Filago, Gamochaeta, and Leontopodium were well-conserved in terms of gene number, gene order, and GC content. The most remarkable differences among the three genera were the length of the complete chloroplast genome, large single-copy region, small single-copy region, and inverted repeat region. In addition, the chloroplast genome structure of Leontopodium exhibited high consistency and was obviously different from that of Filago and Gamochaeta in some regions, such as matk, trnK (UUU)-rps16, petNpsbM, and trnE (UUC)-rpoB. All the phylogenetic trees indicated that Leontopodium was monophyletic. Except for the subgeneric level, our molecular phylogenetic results were inconsistent with the previous taxonomic system, which was based on morphological characteristics. Nevertheless, we found that the characteristics of the leaf base, stem types, and carpopodium base were phylogenetically correlated and may have potential value in the taxonomic study of Leontopodium. In the phylogenetic trees inferred using complete chloroplast genomes, the subgen. Leontopodium was divided into two clades (Clades 1 and 2), with most species in Clade 1 having herbaceous stems, amplexicaul, or sheathed leaves, and constricted carpopodium; most species in Clade 2 had woody stems, not amplexicaul and sheathed leaves, and not constricted carpopodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study compared the clinical effects of two different lipid emulsions in premature infants with gestational age < 32 weeks (VPI) or birth weight < 1500 g (VLBWI) to provide an evidence-based medicine basis for optimizing intravenous lipid emulsion. Methods: This was a prospective multicenter randomized controlled study. A total of 465 VPIs or VLBWIs, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of five tertiary hospitals in China from March 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, were recruited. All subjects were randomly allocated into two groups, namely, medium-chain triglycerides/long-chain triglycerides (MCT/LCT) group (n = 231) and soybean oil, medium-chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oil (SMOF) group (n = 234). Clinical features, biochemical indexes, nutrition support therapy, and complications were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results: No significant differences were found in perinatal data, hospitalization, parenteral and enteral nutrition support between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the MCT/LCT group, the incidence of neonates with a peak value of total bilirubin (TB) > 5 mg/dL (84/231 [36.4% vs. 60/234 [25.6%]), a peak value of direct bilirubin (DB) ≥ 2 mg/dL (26/231 [11.3% vs. 14/234 [6.0%]), a peak value of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) > 900 IU/L (17/231 [7.4% vs. 7/234 [3.0%]), and a peak value of triglycerides (TG) > 3.4 mmol/L (13/231 [5.6% vs. 4/234[1.7%]]) were lower in the SMOF group (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that in the subgroup analysis of < 28 weeks, the incidence of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) and metabolic bone disease of prematurity (MBDP) were lower in the SMOF group (P = 0.043 and 0.029, respectively), whereas no significant differences were present in the incidence of PNAC and MBDP between the two groups at > 28 weeks group (P = 0.177 and 0.991, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the incidence of PNAC (aRR: 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20–0.70, P = 0.002) and MBDP (aRR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.19–0.81, P = 0.029) in the SMOF group were lower than that in the MCT/LCT group. In addition, no significant differences were recorded in the incidence of patent ductus arteriosus, feeding intolerance, necrotizing enterocolitis (Bell's stage ≥ 2), late-onset sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity and extrauterine growth retardation between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The application of mixed oil emulsion in VPI or VLBWI can reduce the risk of plasma TB > 5 mg/dL, DB ≥ 2 mg/dL, ALP > 900 IU/L, and TG > 3.4 mmol/L during hospitalization. SMOF has better lipid tolerance, reduces the incidence of PNAC and MBDP, and exerts more benefits in preterm infants with gestational age < 28 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Kaiser scoring system for breast magnetic resonance imaging is a clinical decision-making tool for diagnosing breast lesions. However, the Kaiser score (KS) did not include the evaluation of breast vascularity. Therefore, this study aimed to use KS combined with breast vascular assessment, defined as KS*, and investigate the effectiveness of KS* in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions. Methods: This retrospective study included 223 patients with suspicious breast lesions and pathologically verified results. The histopathological diagnostic criteria were according to the fifth edition of the WHO classification of breast tumors. The KS* was obtained after a joint evaluation combining the original KS and breast vasculature assessment. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used for comparing differences in the diagnostic performance between KS* and KS, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) was compared. Results: There were 119 (53.4%) benign and 104 (46.6%) malignant lesions in total. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of increased ipsilateral breast vascularity were 69.2%, 76.5%, and 73.1%, respectively. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of AVS were 82.7%, 76.5%, and 79.4%, respectively. For all lesions included the AUC of KS* was greater than that of KS (0.877 vs. 0.858, P = 0.016). The largest difference in AUC was observed in the non-mass subgroup (0.793 vs. 0.725, P = 0.029). Conclusion: Ipsilaterally increased breast vascularity and a positive AVS sign were significantly associated with malignancy. KS combined with breast vascular assessment can effectively improve the diagnostic ability of KS for breast lesions, especially for non-mass lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the stochastic dynamics of trophic cascade chemostat model perturbed by regime switching, Gaussian white noise and impulsive toxicant input. For the system with only white noise interference, sufficient conditions for stochastically ultimate boundedness and stochastically permanence are obtained, and we demonstrate that the stochastic system has at least one nontrivial positive periodic solution. For the system with Markov regime switching, sufficient conditions for extinction of the microorganisms are established. Then we prove the system is ergodic and has a stationary distribution. The results show that both impulsive toxins input and stochastic noise have great effects on the survival and extinction of the microorganisms. Finally, a series of numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the deformation and instability of the layered floor of weakly cemented soft rock roadway, taking the mining roadway of Meihuajing Mine as the engineering background, the deformation and instability mechanism of the floor and the control measures of the surrounding rock under different stratum combination conditions are studied by using the methods of field investigation, numerical calculation and field test. The results show that: (1) the layered characteristics of surrounding rock in weakly cemented soft rock roadways are significant, and the combination structure of floor rock strata is complex and changeable. Under the influence of engineering disturbance, the roadway has a tendency of large deformation, especially floor heave. (2) The buckling instability of the layered floor is caused by the layered weakening effect, and the unstable zone, the substable zone and the stable zone are formed successively from the shallow to the deep. With the increase of the layer thickness, the integrity of the layered floor is improved, the layered weakening effect is reduced, and the overall stability of the layered floor is improved. (3) The existence of weak interlayer further degrades the integrity of layered floor, and the progressive failure of floor rock mass layer by layer is more significant under the influence of layered weakening effect. (4) The relatively hard rock stratum in the composite structure plays an important role in controlling the deformation and failure of the floor, playing the role of "local key stratum." (5) Based on the cooperative control countermeasure of roof–rib–floor surrounding rock, the support technology of roof and ribs supported by blots mesh beam cable + floor supported by bolts grouting hardening + full section shotcrete is proposed. The results of numerical calculation and field test show that the support scheme greatly improves the stability of layered floor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is proposed that the development of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) was significantly associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, infection, etc.; however, the etiology and pathogenesis of PNAC are not fully understood. Most of the studies examining PNAC-associated risk factors were single-center studies with relatively small sample sizes. Objective: To analyze the risk factors associated with PNAC in preterm infants in China. Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter observational study. Clinical data on the effect of multiple oil-fat emulsions (soybean oil-medium chain triglycerides-olive oil-fish oil, SMOF) in preterm infants were collected from a prospective multicenter randomized controlled study. A secondary analysis was performed in which preterm infants were divided into the PNAC group and the non-PNAC group based on the PNAC status. Results: A total of 465 cases very preterm infants or very low birth weight infants were included in the study in which 81 cases were assigned to the PNAC group and 384 cases were assigned to the non-PNAC group. The PNAC group had a lower mean gestational age, lower mean birth weight, longer duration of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, a longer duration oxygen support, and longer hospital stay (P < 0.001 for all). The PNAC group had higher respiratory distress syndrome, hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) with stage II or higher, surgically treated NEC, late-onset sepsis, metabolic bone disease, and extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) compared to the non-PNAC group (P < 0.05 for all). In contrast with the non-PNAC group, the PNAC group received a higher maximum dose of amino acids and fat emulsion, more medium/long-chain fatty emulsion, less SMOF, had a longer duration of parenteral nutrition, lower rates of breastfeeding, higher incidence of feeding intolerance (FI), more accumulated days to achieve total enteral nutrition, less accumulated days of total calories up to standard 110 kcal/kg/day and slower velocity of weight growth (P < 0.05 for all). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the maximum dose of amino acids (OR, 5.352; 95% CI, 2.355 to 12.161), EUGR (OR, 2.396; 95% CI, 1.255 to 4.572), FI (OR, 2.581; 95% CI, 1.395 to 4.775), surgically treated NEC (OR, 11.300; 95% CI, 2.127 ~ 60.035), and longer total hospital stay (OR, 1.030; 95% CI, 1.014 to 1.046) were independent risk factors for the development of PNAC. SMOF (OR, 0.358; 95% CI, 0.193 to 0.663) and breastfeeding (OR, 0.297; 95% CI, 0.157 to 0.559) were protective factors for PNAC. Conclusions: PNAC can be reduced by optimizing the management of enteral and parenteral nutrition and reducing gastrointestinal comorbidities in preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Nocturnal hypertension is reported as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to explore the potential association between nocturnal hypertension and heart failure (HF) rehospitalization in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). METHODS A total of 538 patients with HFpEF from May 2018 to December 2021 were consequently recruited in this study and followed up until they were readmitted for HF or the end of this study. Cox regression analysis was used to reveal the potential association between nighttime blood pressure (BP) levels, nocturnal hypertension and nocturnal BP patterns and HF rehospitalization. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to assess the cumulative event-free survival rate between groups. RESULTS There were 537 patients with HFpEF were included in the final analysis. The mean age of the study population was 77.14 ± 8.68 years, and 41.2% of patients were men. After a median follow-up duration of 10.93 (4.19-21.13) months, 176 patients (32.7%) with HFpEF were readmitted for HF. Cox regression analysis had revealed that nighttime systolic BP level [hazards ratio (HR) = 1.018, 95% CI: 1.008-1.028, P = 0.001], nighttime diastolic BP level (HR = 1.024, 95% CI: 1.007-1.042, P = 0.007), nocturnal hypertension (HR = 1.688, 95% CI: 1.229-2.317, P = 0.001) were associated with HF rehospitalization. Kaplan-Meier analysis had demonstrated that patients with nocturnal hypertension had significantly lower event-free survival rate (log-rank P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with a riser pattern had a higher risk of HF rehospitalization (HR = 1.828, 95% CI: 1.055-3.166, P = 0.031) and lower eventfree survival rate (log-rank P = 0.003) than those with a dipper pattern. These findings were also confirmed in patients with HFpEF and hyperuricemia. CONCLUSIONS Nighttime BP levels, nocturnal hypertension and a riser pattern are independently associated with HF rehospitalization in patients with HFpEF, and prominently in patients with HFpEF and hyperuricemia. Well controlled nighttime BP levels should be emphasized and considered in patients with HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is proposed that the development of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) was significantly associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, infection, etc.; however, the etiology and pathogenesis of PNAC are not fully understood. Most of the studies examining PNAC-associated risk factors were single-center studies with relatively small sample sizes. Objective: To analyze the risk factors associated with PNAC in preterm infants in China. Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter observational study. Clinical data on the effect of multiple oil-fat emulsions (soybean oil-medium chain triglycerides-olive oil-fish oil, SMOF) in preterm infants were collected from a prospective multicenter randomized controlled study. A secondary analysis was performed in which preterm infants were divided into the PNAC group and the non-PNAC group based on the PNAC status. Results: A total of 465 cases very preterm infants or very low birth weight infants were included in the study in which 81 cases were assigned to the PNAC group and 384 cases were assigned to the non-PNAC group. The PNAC group had a lower mean gestational age, lower mean birth weight, longer duration of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, a longer duration oxygen support, and longer hospital stay (P < 0.001 for all). The PNAC group had higher respiratory distress syndrome, hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) with stage II or higher, surgically treated NEC, late-onset sepsis, metabolic bone disease, and extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) compared to the non-PNAC group (P < 0.05 for all). In contrast with the non-PNAC group, the PNAC group received a higher maximum dose of amino acids and fat emulsion, more medium/long-chain fatty emulsion, less SMOF, had a longer duration of parenteral nutrition, lower rates of breastfeeding, higher incidence of feeding intolerance (FI), more accumulated days to achieve total enteral nutrition, less accumulated days of total calories up to standard 110 kcal/kg/day and slower velocity of weight growth (P < 0.05 for all). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the maximum dose of amino acids (OR, 5.352; 95% CI, 2.355 to 12.161), EUGR (OR, 2.396; 95% CI, 1.255 to 4.572), FI (OR, 2.581; 95% CI, 1.395 to 4.775), surgically treated NEC (OR, 11.300; 95% CI, 2.127 ~ 60.035), and longer total hospital stay (OR, 1.030; 95% CI, 1.014 to 1.046) were independent risk factors for the development of PNAC. SMOF (OR, 0.358; 95% CI, 0.193 to 0.663) and breastfeeding (OR, 0.297; 95% CI, 0.157 to 0.559) were protective factors for PNAC. Conclusions: PNAC can be reduced by optimizing the management of enteral and parenteral nutrition and reducing gastrointestinal comorbidities in preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The shaping of an accurate and stable microcatheter plays a vital role in the successful embolization of intracranial aneurysms. Our study aimed to investigate the application and the role of AneuShape™ software inmicrocatheter shaping for intracranial aneurysm embolization. Methods: From January 2021 to June 2022, 105 patients with single unruptured intracranial aneurysms were retrospectively analyzed with or without AneuShape™ software to assist in microcatheter shaping. The rates of microcatheter accessibility, accurate positioning, and stability for shaping were analyzed. During the operation, fluoroscopy duration, radiation dose, immediate postoperative angiography, and procedure-related complications were evaluated. Results: Compared to the manual group, aneurysm-coiling procedures involving the AneuShape™ software exhibited superior results. The use of the software resulted in a lower rate of reshaping microcatheters (21.82 vs. 44.00%, p = 0.015) and higher rates of accessibility (81.82 vs. 58.00%, p = 0.008), better positioning (85.45 vs. 64.00%, p = 0.011), and higher stability (83.64 vs. 62.00%, p = 0.012). The software group also requiredmore coils for both small (<7mm) and large (=7mm) aneurysms compared to the manual group (3.50 ± 0.19 vs. 2.78 ± 0.11, p = 0.008 and 8.22 ± 0.36 vs. 6.00 ± 1.00, p = 0.081, respectively). In addition, the software group achieved better complete or approximately complete aneurysmobliteration (87.27 vs. 66.00%, p = 0.010) and had a lower procedure-related complication rate (3.60 vs. 12.00%, p = 0.107). Without this software, the operation had a longer intervention duration (34.31 ± 6.51 vs. 23.87 ± 6.98min, p < 0.001) and a higher radiation dose (750.50 ± 177.81 vs. 563.53 ± 195.46 mGy, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Software-based microcatheter shaping techniques can assist in the precise shaping of microcatheters, reduce operating time and radiation dose, improve embolization density, and facilitate more stable and efficient intracranial aneurysm embolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NASA Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) Mission completed four seasonal deployments (August 2016, February 2017, October 2017, May 2018), each with regular 0.2-12 km profiling through transecting the remote Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins. Additional data are acquired also for the Southern Ocean and Artic basin, as well as two flights over Antarctica. ATom in situ measurements provide a near-complete chemical characterization of the ~140,000 10-second (80 m by 2 km) air parcels measured along the flight path. This paper presents the Modeling Data Stream (MDS), a continuous gap-filled record of the 10-s parcels containing the chemical species needed to initialize a gas-phase chemistry model for the budgets of tropospheric ozone and methane. Global 3D models have been used to calculate the Reactivity Data Stream RDS), which is comprised of the chemical reactivities (production and loss) for methane, ozone, and carbon monoxide, through 24-hour integration of the 10-s parcels. These parcels accurately sample tropospheric heterogeneity and allow us to partially deconstruct the spatial scales and variability that defines tropospheric chemistry from composition to reactions. This paper provides a first look and analysis of the up-to-date MDS and RDS data including all four deployments (Prather et al., 2023, doi: 10.7280/D1B12H). ATom's regular profiling of the ocean basins allows for weighted averages to build probability densities for key species and reactivities presented here. These statistics provide climatological metrics for global chemistry models, for example, the large-scale pattern of ozone and methane loss in the lower troposphere, and the more sporadic hot spots of ozone production in the upper troposphere. The profiling curtains of reactivity also identify meteorologically variable and hence deploymentspecific hot spots of photochemical activity. Added calculations of the sensitivities of the production and loss terms relative to each species emphasize the few dominant species that control the ozone and methane budgets, and whose statistical patterns should be key model-measurement metrics. From the sensitivities, we also derive linearized lifetimes of ozone and methane on a parcel-by-parcel basis and average over the basins, providing an observational basis for these previously model-only diagnostics. We had found that most model differences in the ozone and methane budgets are caused by the models calculating different climatologies for the key species such as O3, CO, H2O, NOx, CH4 plus T, and thus these ATom measurements provide a substantial contribution to the understanding of model differences and even identifying model errors in global tropospheric chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has become a popular weight loss method in recent years. It is widely used in the nutritional treatment of normal obese people and obese people with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and has shown many benefits. However, most TRF studies have excluded chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, resulting in a lack of sufficient evidence-based practice for the efficacy and safety of TRF therapy for CKD. Therefore, we explore the efficacy and safety of TRF in overweight and obese patients with moderate-to-severe stage CKD through this pilot study, and observe patient compliance to assess the feasibility of the therapy. Methods: This is a prospective, non-randomized controlled short-term clinical trial. We recruited overweight and obese patients with CKD stages 3-4 from an outpatient clinic and assigned them to either a TRF group or a control diet (CD) group according to their preferences. Changes in renal function, other biochemical data, anthropometric parameters, gut microbiota, and adverse events were measured before the intervention and after 12 weeks. Results: The change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) before and after intervention in the TRF group (D = 3.1 ± 5.3 ml/min/1.73m² ) showed significant improvement compared with the CD group (D = -0.8 ± 4.4 ml/min/1.73m² ). Furthermore, the TRF group had a significant decrease in uric acid (D = -70.8 ± 124.2 mmol/L), but an increase in total protein (D = 1.7 ± 2.5 g/L), while the changes were inconsistent for inflammatory factors. In addition, the TRF group showed a significant decrease in body weight (D = -2.8 ± 2.9 kg) compared to the CD group, and body composition indicated the same decrease in body fat mass, fat free mass and body water. Additionally, TRF shifted the gut microbiota in a positive direction. Conclusion: Preliminary studies suggest that overweight and obese patients with moderate-to-severe CKD with weight loss needs, and who were under strict medical supervision by healthcare professionals, performed TRF with good compliance. They did so without apparent adverse events, and showed efficacy in protecting renal function. These results may be due to changes in body composition and alterations in gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

tryptophan (dTry) and soy oligosaccharides (SO) on growth performance, caecal skatole level, and microflora of broiler chickens aged from 14 to 42 days. Methods: Three hundred and sixty broiler chicks were allocated equally to 36 cages at 14-dayof- age according to body weight and gender. Using a 3×2 factorial arrangement, 3 dietary dTry levels (0.18%, 0.23%, and 0.28%) supplemented with 0 or 3.5 g/kg of SO were used to create 6 diets (treatments). Each diet was fed to six replicates of 10 birds (60 birds/treatment), growth performance was measured. Caecal content samples were collected at 42 days of age. Results: Results showed that significantly different dTry level×SO interactions were found for average daily gain (ADG), caecal levels of indole, propionic acid, and butyric acid, and microbial Shannon index (p<0.05). Birds fed diet containing 0.23% dTry level with SO supplementation had higher ADG and lower feed/gain ratio than those fed the other diets (p<0.05). Broilers fed diets containing 0.28% dTry increased their caecal levels of indole and skatole compared with those containing 0.18% or 0.23% dTry (p<0.01), regardless of SO addition. SO supplementation to diets decreased the caecal skatole level by 16.17% (p<0.05), and increased the relative frequency of Clostridium IV (p<0.05), regardless of dietary dTry level. Conclusion: These results indicated that diets containing 0.23% dTry with SO supplementation positively promoted ADG, and decreased caecal skatole levels of broiler chickens. The dietary dTry level, SO affected the caecal skatole level, however, there was no interaction between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently emerged double-cable conjugated polymers have come into focus due to their significantly improved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in single-component organic solar cells (SCOSCs). In this work, the effect of chlorination in double-cable conjugated polymers with linear benzodithiophene backbone and pendant perylene bisimide on the photovoltaic performance in SCOSCs has been studied. After introducing chlorine atoms into conjugated side chains, the highest occupied molecular orbital level of the conjugated polymers is down-shifted, thus resulting in a higher open-circuit voltage. As a result, the chlorinated double-cable conjugated polymer exhibits improved photovoltaic performance from 3.46% to 3.57%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoplethysmography (PPG) signal is potentially suitable in atrial fibrillation (AF) detection for its convenience in use and similarity in physiological origin to electrocardiogram (ECG). There are a few preceding studies that have shown the possibility of using the peak-to-peak interval of the PPG signal (PPIp) in AF detection. However, as a generalized model, the accuracy of an AF detector should be pursued on the one hand; on the other hand, its generalizability should be paid attention to in view of the individual differences in PPG manifestation of even the same arrhythmia and the existence of sub-types. Moreover, a binary classifier for atrial fibrillation and normal sinus rhythm is not convincing enough for the similarity between AF and ectopic beats. In this study, we project the atrial fibrillation detection as a multiple-class classification and try to propose a training pipeline that is advantageous both to the accuracy and generalizability of the classifier by designing and determining the configurable options of the pipeline, in terms of input format, deep learning model (with hyperparameter optimization), and scheme of transfer learning. With a rigorous comparison of the possible combinations of the configurable components in the pipeline, we confirmed that first-order difference of heartbeat sequence as the input format, a 2-layer CNN–1-layer Transformer hybridR model as the learning model and the whole model fine-tuning as the implementing scheme of transfer learning is the best combination for the pipeline (F1 value: 0.80, overall accuracy: 0.87)R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]