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The replacement of common urea with controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer can improve rice yield and quality, but the effect of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer on rice yield and quality at different release stages is still unclear. In this experiment, two nitrogen application rates (240 kg/ha and 300 kg/ha) and five different nutrient release characteristics (urea and coated urea with controlled release periods of 30, 50, 70 and 90 days, respectively) were set up to explore the effects of nitrogen application rate, release characteristics and their interactions on rice yield, quality, starch structure, and physicochemical properties. The results showed that, compared with other controlled-release nitrogenous fertilizers, application of controlled-release nitrogenous fertilizers for 30 days and 90 days could increase rice yield (14.17% to 20.83%), and application of controlled-release nitrogenous fertilizers for 70 days and 90 days had the highest comprehensive evaluation of rice quality. The decrease of amylose content and the increase of protein content significantly improved the eating and nutritional quality of rice by changing the structure and physicochemical properties of starch particles. The results showed that in the comprehensive evaluation system based on rice yield and quality, under the condition of 300 kg/ha, controlled-release nitrogen treatment with a controlled release period of 90 days had the highest comprehensive score, which could increase rice yield and improve grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain after lung transplantation (LTx) can substantially reduce quality of life (QoL), yet current consensus guidelines say little about how to prevent or manage it. Research on pain after LTx has tended to focus on acute rather than chronic pain, and it has not extensively examined the factors associated with onset or resolution of chronic pain, which differ from factors influencing chronic pain after general thoracic surgery. This narrative review explores what is known about the epidemiology and risk factors of chronic pain after LTx, as well as effective ways to treat or prevent it. The review identifies key questions and issues that should be the focus of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hesperetin (HT) is a type of citrus flavonoid with various pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. However, the role and mechanism of HT in ulcerative colitis (UC) have been rarely studied. Our study aimed to uncover the beneficial effects of HT and its detailed mechanism in UC. Experimental colitis was induced by 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) for seven days. HT ameliorated DSS-induced colitis in mice, showing marked improvement in weight loss, colon length, colonic pathological severity, and the levels of TNFα and IL6 in serum. A combination of informatics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking identified eight key targets and multi-pathways influenced by HT in UC. As a highlight, the experimental validation demonstrated that PTGS2, a marker of ferroptosis, along with other indicators of ferroptosis (such as ACSL4, Gpx4, and lipid peroxidation), were regulated by HT in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the supplement of HT increased the diversity of gut microbiota, decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, and restored beneficial bacteria (Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001). In conclusion, HT is an effective nutritional supplement against experimental colitis by suppressing ferroptosis and modulating gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: "Multidisciplinary fast-track" (MFT) care can accelerate recovery and improve prognosis after surgery, but whether it is effective in older people after hip fracture surgery is unclear. Methods: We retrospectively compared one-year all-cause mortality between hip fracture patients at least 80 years old at our institution who underwent hip fracture surgery between January 2014 and December 2018 and who then received MFT or conventional care. Multivariable regression was used to assess the association between MFT care and mortality after adjustment for confounders. Results: The final analysis included 247 patients who received MFT care and 438 who received conventional orthopedic care. The MFT group showed significantly lower one-year mortality (8.9% vs. 14.4%, P = 0.037). Log-rank testing of Kaplan-Meier survival curves confirmed the survival advantage. However, the two groups did not differ significantly in rates of mortality during hospitalization or at 30 or 90 days after surgery. Regression analysis confirmed that MFT care was associated with lower risk of one-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.281–0.788, P = 0.04), and the survival benefit was confirmed in subgroups of patients with anemia (HR 0.453, 95% CI 0.268–0.767, P = 0.003) and patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists grade III (HR 0.202, 95% CI 0.08–0.51, P = 0.001). Conclusions: MFT care can reduce one-year mortality among hip fracture patients at least 80 years old. This finding should be verified and extended in multi-center randomized controlled trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive scar formation such as hypertrophic scars and keloids, resulting from trauma or surgical procedures, present a widespread concern for causing disfigurement, discomfort, and functional limitations. Macrophages play pivotal roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis, orchestrating tissue development, repair, and immune responses, and its transition of function and phenotype plays a critical role in regulating the balance between inflammation and tissue regeneration, which is central to cutaneous scar formation. Recent evidence suggests the involvement of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) in the induction of anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophage phenotypes within tumor microenvironments. In our study, we observed increased SHH expression in human hypertrophic scars, prompting an investigation into its influence on macrophage polarization, efferocytosis, and cutaneous scar formation. Our findings reveal that SHH can enhance oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in macrophages, augment macrophage efferocytosis, and promote M2 polarization, finally contributing to the progression of cutaneous scar formation. Notably, targeting SHH signaling with vismodegib exhibited promising potential in mitigating scar formation by reversing the effects of enhanced OXPHOS and M2 polarization in macrophages. In conclusion, this study underscores the critical roles of macrophage metabolism, particularly OXPHOS, efferocytosis and SHH signaling in cutaneous scar formation. Understanding these mechanisms provides new avenues for potential interventions and scar prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fix a positive integer N and a real number 0 < β < 1 / (N + 1) . Let Γ be the homogeneous symmetric Cantor set generated by the IFS { ϕ i (x) = β x + i 1 - β N : i = 0 , 1 , … , N }. For m ∈ Z + we show that there exist infinitely many translation vectors t = (t 0 , t 1 , … , t m) with 0 = t 0 < t 1 < ⋯ < t m such that the union ⋃ j = 0 m (Γ + t j) is a self-similar set. Furthermore, for 0 < β < 1 / (2 N + 1) , we give a finite algorithm to determine whether the union ⋃ j = 0 m (Γ + t j) is a self-similar set for any given vector t . Our characterization relies on determining whether some related directed graph has no cycles, or whether some related adjacency matrix is nilpotent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sandwich plasmonic coupled surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) tape is proposed prepared by peeling the chemical printed silver nanocorals (AgNCs) from Cu sheet with adhesive tape, which can sample targets from food surface and sandwich them between substrates and Cu sheet for SERS detection. The solid-to-solid transformation method for fabricating SERS tapes can effectively avoid the weakening of tape stickiness during the preparation process. The sandwich plasmonic coupled structure of AgNC substrate, targets, and Cu sheet display excellent SERS activity (EF = 1.62 × 107) for sensitive determination of analytes. In addition, due to the high heat conductivity of Cu sheet, the thermal effect of laser irradiation during SERS detection cannot damage the AgNC tapes, which ensures the reproducibility of subsequent quantification. The sandwich plasmonic coupled SERS tape is demonstrated to quantify malachite green (MG) and methyl parathion (MP) with good linear coefficients (> 0.98) by two typical calibration plots under different concentration ranges. The limit of detection (LOD) of the method is 0.17 ng/cm2 and 0.48 μg/cm2 (S/N = 3) for MG and MP. This method can realize the quantitative determination of MP and MG on the surface of fruits and fish scale with recoveries of 93–113%. The satisfactory detection results demonstrate the proposed sandwich plasmonic coupled AgNC tape can be successfully applied to SERS-based point-of-care testing (POCT) for pesticide residue determination, which will provide a new path for designing and constructing SERS tapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunostimulants were widely used in aquafeed due to their multiple important functions, including promoting growth, enhancing non‐specific defence mechanisms and resisting infectious diseases. But the efficiencies of the positive effects of immunostimulants were affected by the duration of the administration and their dose. Short‐term and normal‐dose of immunostimulants promoted the growth and enhance non‐specific immunity of aquatic animals. However, improper use led to several immune disorders, including immune tolerance, immune exhaustion and over‐immunity. The application of two immunostimulant diets in rotation technique and the intermittent use of immune stimulant diets may solve the problems associated with immune disorders, but this application method will be limited by both species and immunostimulants. The occurrence of immune disorders is accompanied by different degrees of gut microbiota dysbiosis, especially significantly up‐regulated the abundance of Proteobacteria. Besides, the gut symbiotic microbiota plays a significant role in host immunity. Consequently, the regulation of gut microbiota may be an effective way to modulate immune disorders caused by improper use of polysaccharide immunostimulants. Regulating the gut microbiota not only solves the negative effects caused by improper use of immunostimulants without restrictions on both species and immunostimulants, but also has the advantage of simplicity and convenience compared to conventional approaches. In summary, this article reviews the possible negative effects caused by improper use of immunostimulants on aquatic animals and compares regular approaches with regulating gut microbiota. And gut microbiota maybe be used as a therapeutic target to improve immune disorders caused by immunostimulants in aquatic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although several independent risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after spinal tumor surgery have been studied, a simple and valid predictive model for PPC occurrence after spinal tumor surgery has not been developed. Patients and methods: We collected data from patients who underwent elective spine surgery for a spinal tumor between 2013 and 2020 at a tertiary hospital in China. Data on patient characteristics, comorbidities, preoperative examinations, intraoperative variables, and clinical outcomes were collected. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression models to assess predictors of PPCs and developed and validated a nomogram for PPCs. We evaluated the performance of the nomogram using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration curves, the Brier Score, and the Hosmer–Lemeshow (H–L) goodness-of-fit test. For clinical use, decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted to identify the model's performance as a tool for supporting decision-making. Results: Among the participants, 61 (12.4%) individuals developed PPCs. Clinically significant variables associated with PPCs after spinal tumor surgery included BMI, tumor location, blood transfusion, and the amount of blood lost. The nomogram incorporating these factors showed a concordance index (C-index) of 0.755 (95% CI: 0.688–0.822). On internal validation, bootstrapping with 1000 resamples yielded a bias-corrected area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.733, indicating the satisfactory performance of the nomogram in predicting PPCs. The calibration curve demonstrated accurate predictions of observed values. The decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated a positive net benefit for the nomogram across most predicted threshold probabilities. Conclusions: We have developed a new nomogram for predicting PPCs in patients who undergo spinal tumor surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elsinochrome A (EA) is a naturally occurring photosensitizer with potential applications in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for various malignancies. Despite its promising therapeutic properties, the poor solubility of EA hampers its effective utilization in clinical settings. To circumvent this limitation, we engineered four distinct nano-formulations: PLGA/EA nanoparticles (NPs), CMC-PLGA/EA NPs, mPEG-PCL/EA nanomicelles (NMs), and LHP-CHOL/EA nanoliposomes (NLs), all designed to enhance the solubility of EA. A comparative evaluation of these formulations, based on metrics such as particle size, Zeta potential, drug loading efficiency, and encapsulation efficiency, identified PLGA/EA NPs and mPEG-PCL/EA NMs as the most efficacious candidates. Subsequent in vitro investigations into the drug release kinetics under varying pH conditions and the impact on cell viability and apoptosis in A549 and MCF-7 cell lines were conducted. Remarkably, the maximum drug release for PLGA/EA NPs and mPEG-PCL/EA NMs was recorded at 62.5% and 70.8% in an acidic environment (pH 5.7), respectively. Upon exposure to 460 nm light, PLGA/EA NPs induced a significant reduction in A549 cell viability to 13.8% and an apoptosis rate of 93.8%, whereas mPEG-PCL/EA NMs elicited a decrease in MCF-7 cell viability to 12.8% and an apoptosis rate of 73.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limited transmission capabilities of terrestrial intelligent devices within the Internet of Remote Things (IoRT), this paper proposes an optimization scheme aimed at enhancing data transmission rate while ensuring communication reliability. This scheme focuses on multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted IoRT data communication within the satellite–aerial–terrestrial integrated network (SATIN), which is one of the key technologies for the sixth generation (6G) networks. To optimize the system's data transmission rate, we introduce a multi-dimensional coverage and power optimization (CPO) algorithm, rooted in the block coordinate descent (BCD) method. This algorithm concurrently optimizes various parameters, including the number and deployment of UAVs, the correlation between IoRT devices and UAVs, and the transmission power of both devices and UAVs. To ensure comprehensive coverage of a large-scale randomly distributed array of terrestrial devices, combined with machine learning algorithm, we present the Dynamic Deployment based on K-means (DDK) algorithm. Additionally, we address the non-convexity challenge in resource allocation for transmission power through variable substitution and the successive convex approximation technique (SCA). Simulation results substantiate the remarkable efficacy of our CPO algorithm, showcasing a maximum 240% improvement in the uplink transmission rate of IoRT data compared to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aquaculture plays an important role in global protein supplies and food security. The ban on antibiotics as feed additive proposes urgent need to develop alternatives. Gut microbiota plays important roles in the metabolism and immunity of fish and has the potential to give rise to novel solutions for challenges confronted by fish culture. However, our understanding of fish gut microbiome is still lacking. Results: We identified 575,856 non-redundant genes by metagenomic sequencing of the intestinal content samples of grass carp. Taxonomic and functional annotation of the gene catalogue revealed specificity of the gut microbiome of grass carp compared with mammals. Co-occurrence analysis indicated exclusive relations between the genera belonging to Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria/Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, suggesting two independent ecological groups of the microbiota. The association pattern of Proteobacteria with the gene expression modules of fish gut and the liver was consistently opposite to that of Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, implying differential functionality of Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria/Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes. Therefore, the two ecological groups were considered as two functional groups, i.e., Functional Group 1: Proteobacteria and Functional Group 2: Fusobacteria/Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes. Further analysis revealed that the two functional groups differ in genetic capacity for carbohydrate utilization, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance. Finally, we proposed that the ratio of "Functional Group 2/Functional Group 1" can be used as a biomarker that efficiently reflects the structural and functional characteristics of the microbiota of grass carp. Conclusions: The gene catalogue is an important resource for investigating the gut microbiome of grass carp. Multi-omics analysis provides insights into functional implications of the main phyla that comprise the fish microbiota and shed lights on targets for microbiota regulation. 1YbXK-dqL_pw3VeN5U8xcT Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of antibiotics in the environment has raised serious concerns, impacting both human life and ecosystems. This has led to a growing focus on the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly adsorbent materials. Mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41, known for its strong adsorption capacity, low cost, and efficient regenerative properties, holds significant promise for addressing this issue. In this study, we investigated the adsorption behavior of demolded MCM-41 materials in relation to tetracycline, doxycycline, and levofloxacin at different temperatures and pH levels. Our experiments encompassed the adsorption of these three common antibiotics, revealing that a neutral or weakly acidic pH environment promoted adsorption, whereas alkaline conditions hindered it. Utilizing the equilibrium isotherm model, we determined the theoretical maximum adsorption capacities for tetracycline (TC), doxycycline (DOX), and levofloxacin (LFX) as 73.41, 144.83, and 33.67 mg g−1, respectively. These findings underscore the significant potential of MCM-41 in mitigating antibiotic wastewater contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Acetyl ferulic 7‐hydroxyisoflavone ester (AHE) was synthesized and its antioxidant capacity in vitro was evaluated by free radical scavenging assay and thermo‐oxidative stability analysis of fish oil in this study. The formation of primary and secondary oxidation products can be effectively inhibited by AHE, tert‐butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), ferulic acid and 7‐hydroxyisoflavone. The intensity of UV‐Vis absorption spectra increased significantly, whereas the intensity of fluorescence spectra decreased obviously with the deepening of oxidation degree of fish oil. AHE significantly alleviated the degradation of unsaturated fatty acids in fish oil. The results demonstrated that AHE was more effective than TBHQ, ferulic acid and 7‐hydroxyisoflavone in retarding the oxidative degradation of fish oil during high temperature storage (80 °C). Moreover, the formation of oxidation products in fish oil followed a first‐order kinetic model, and AHE effectively reduced reaction rate constant and delayed secondary lipid oxidation process. As a result, AHE is an effective antioxidant that can stabilise fish oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are employed as mobile relay nodes to enable timely remote monitoring by collecting information from monitoring devices and transferring the collected information to base station. The freshness of delivered information is critical to system performance, which can be quantified by the concept of age of information (AoI). Nevertheless, the fresher information comes at the cost of higher energy consumption at UAVs. Considering the limited onboard energy, it is essential to strike a balance between the age of delivered information and the required energy budget. here, both straight trajectory and circular trajectory of UAV are considered, and study a problem with the goal of supporting timely data collection while minimizing the energy consumption at UAV. The problem is formulated as a multi‐criteria optimization problem by jointly considering the aging of collected information, the trajectory planning of UAV and energy consumption at UAV. To solve the formulated problem, a solution procedure to find a sequence of Pareto‐optimal points is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate the Pareto‐optimal curve, which yields the energy‐efficient UAV trajectory for timely data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane pyrolysis (CH4 → 2H2 + C) is a promising H2 production process with zero CO2 emissions. Utilizing its solid carbon co‐products can make it economically more competitive. Herein, this work demonstrates that graphitic carbon from methane pyrolysis can work as both cathodes and anodes to enable high‐rate‐performance dual‐carbon batteries (DCBs), outperforming commercial natural and synthetic graphite. The graphite purity can reach 99.32 and 97.59 wt%, respectively, using a standard high‐temperature thermal treatment or a room‐temperature electrochemical method. Compared to graphite, they have smaller crystalline sizes and larger surface areas, enabling faster surface redox reactions and better structural stability upon electrolyte ion intercalation. DCB full cells with LiPF6 ethyl methyl carbonate electrolyte deliver energy storage capacities of 75.1 and 74.7 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 with capacity retentions of 79.2% and 93.4% after the high‐rate charge–discharge over 5000 mA g−1, respectively. They can also be cycled at 500 mA g−1 over 300 cycles without capacity decay, demonstrating excellent cycling stability. They show energy densities of 168.7 and 159.7 Wh kg−1 at power densities of 10.6 and 10.8 kW kg−1, outperforming recently reported DCBs. These findings open a new application of graphite co‐product from the emission‐free H2 production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic amendments have been widely used in coastal saline–alkali soil remediation; however, the mechanisms involved and the interactions between organic and inorganic amendments are still unclear. In this work, furfural residue (particulate; C/N ratio: 51.87; O‐alkyl C + di‐O‐alkyl C: 42.35%, aromatic C: 40.89%) and black liquor (dissolved; C/N ratio: 3.11; O‐alkyl C + di‐O‐alkyl C: 32.20%, aromatic C: 28.32%) were tested to examine their effects on chemical properties, water‐stable aggregate fractions, chemical compositions of solid‐state soil organic matter (SOM), gloaming‐related soil protein contents, and microbial communities of coastal saline–alkali soil under a 400‐day incubation experiment. Furthermore, organic amendments mixed with mineral amendment (4:1) were employed to explore the interactions between organic and inorganic amendments. Furfural residue had stronger and longer effects on soil macroaggregate stability (~240 days, intense) than black liquor (~15 days, weak), and mineral amendment addition had a positive effect on the stability of microaggregates. Our results revealed that qualities (primary form, C/N ratio, and chemical composition) of organic amendment which can change microbial communities by increasing soil C/N ratio and effective chemical compositions of solid‐state SOM, are the key factors in promoting the rapid formation and longer stability of coastal saline–alkali soil aggregates. Moreover, inorganic amendment addition can further improve the formation and stability of microaggregates rather than those of macroaggregates. This study provided a much‐needed technical basis for remediation of coastal saline–alkali soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, highly efficient ECL luminophores composed of iridium complex-based nanowires (Ir–NCDs) were synthesized via covalently linking bis(2-phenylpyridine)-(4-carboxypropyl-2,2′-bipyridyl) iridium(III) hexafluorophosphate with nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCDs). The ECL intensity of the nanowires showed a five-fold increase in ECL intensity compared with the iridium complex monomer under the same experimental conditions. A label-free ECL biosensing platform based on Ir–NCDs was established for Salmonella enteritidis (SE) detection. The ECL signal was quenched linearly in the range of 102–108 CFU/mL for SE with a detection limit of 102 CFU/mL. Moreover, the relative standard deviations (RSD) of the stability within and between batches were 0.98% and 3.9%, respectively. In addition, the proposed sensor showed high sensitivity, selectivity and stability towards SE in sheep feces samples with satisfactory results. In summary, the excellent ECL efficiency of Ir–NCDs demonstrates the prospects for Ir(III) complexes in bioanalytical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurologists typically identify epileptic seizures from electroencephalograms (EEGs) by visual inspection. This process is often time-consuming, especially for EEG recordings that last hours or days. To expedite the process, a reliable, automated, and patient-independent seizure detector is essential. However, developing a patient-independent seizure detector is challenging as seizures exhibit diverse characteristics across patients and recording devices. In this study, we propose a patient-independent seizure detector to automatically detect seizures in both scalp EEG and intracranial EEG (iEEG). First, we deploy a convolutional neural network with transformers and belief matching loss to detect seizures in single-channel EEG segments. Next, we extract regional features from the channel-level outputs to detect seizures in multi-channel EEG segments. At last, we apply post-processing filters to the segment-level outputs to determine seizures' start and end points in multi-channel EEGs. Finally, we introduce the minimum overlap evaluation scoring as an evaluation metric that accounts for minimum overlap between the detection and seizure, improving upon existing assessment metrics. We trained the seizure detector on the Temple University Hospital Seizure (TUH-SZ) dataset and evaluated it on five independent EEG datasets. We evaluate the systems with the following metrics: sensitivity (SEN), precision (PRE), and average and median false positive rate per hour (aFPR/h and mFPR/h). Across four adult scalp EEG and iEEG datasets, we obtained SEN of 0.617–1.00, PRE of 0.534–1.00, aFPR/h of 0.425–2.002, and mFPR/h of 0–1.003. The proposed seizure detector can detect seizures in adult EEGs and takes less than 15 s for a 30 min EEG. Hence, this system could aid clinicians in reliably identifying seizures expeditiously, allocating more time for devising proper treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the structures and dynamics of bacterial communities in activated sludge (AS) in full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is of both engineering and ecological significance. Previous investigations have mainly focused on the AS communities of WWTP aeration tanks, and the differences and interactions between the communities in anaerobic and anoxic tanks of the AS system remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the structures of bacterial communities and their inter-connections in three tanks (anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic) and influent from a full-scale WWTP with conventional anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A/A/O) process over a year to explore their functionality and network differentiation. High-throughput sequencing showed that community compositions did not differ appreciably between the different tanks, likely due to the continuous sludge community interchange between tanks. However, network analysis showed significant differences in inter-species relationships, OTU topological roles, and keystone populations in the different AS communities. Moreover, the anoxic network is expected to be more unstable and easily affected by environmental disturbance. Tank-associated environmental factors, including dissolved oxygen, pH, and nutrients, were found to affect the relative abundance of functional genera (i.e., AOB, NOB, PAOs, and denitrifiers), suggesting that these groups were more susceptible to environmental variables than other bacteria. Therefore, this work could assist in improving our understanding of tank-associated microbial ecology, particularly the response of functional bacteria to seasonal variations in WWTPs employing A/A/O process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemostatic disturbances after cardiac surgery can lead to excessive postoperative bleeding. Thromboelastography (TEG) was employed to evaluate perioperative coagulative alterations in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), investigating the correlation between factors concomitant with cardiac surgery and modifications in coagulation. Coagulation index as determined by TEG correlated significantly with postoperative bleeding at 24-72 h after cardiac surgery (P<.001). Among patients with a normal preoperative coagulation index, those with postoperative hypocoagulability showed significantly lower nadir temperature (P = .003), larger infused fluid volume (P = .003), and longer CPB duration (P = .033) than those with normal coagulation index. Multivariate logistic regression showed that nadir intraoperative temperature was an independent predictor of postoperative hypocoagulability (adjusted OR: 0.772, 95% CI: 0.624-0.954, P = .017). Multivariate linear regression demonstrated linear associations of nadir intraoperative temperature (P = .017) and infused fluid volume (P = .005) with change in coagulation index as a result of cardiac surgery. Patients are susceptible to hypocoagulability after cardiac surgery, which can lead to increased postoperative bleeding. Ensuring appropriate temperature and fluid volume during cardiac surgery involving CPB may reduce risk of postoperative hypocoagulability and bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The registration process is free of charge and simple, and the platform has a short review and approval period of three to five working days to make the entry publicly available.[13] The PREPARE platform has been available for 7 years as a guideline registration platform, however, a systematic and comprehensive analysis of its content has not yet been conducted. For developers and administrators of the PREPARE platform, we suggest (1) improving the registration mechanism to promote adherence and (2) increasing the publicity of the PREPARE platform. Keywords: Practice guidelines; PREPARE; Registered records EN Practice guidelines PREPARE Registered records 341 346 6 01/03/23 20221201 NES 221201 Research registration encompasses a record of basic information, protocols, and the progress of a study through an open public platform.[1] Registration platforms of clinical trials and systematic reviews, such as ClinicalTrials.gov, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) and PROSPERO,[2], [3], [4] have reduced unnecessary duplication of research and review efforts, improved the transparency of the research process, reduced reporting bias, and enhanced the quality of research.[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10] A number of organizations have initiated public registries of guidelines to promote quality and transparency of practice guidelines in the field of evidence-based health care. [Extracted from the article]

Fenton processes allow to degrade and mineralize toxic organic contaminants, yet classical Fenton processes require continuously adding hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ions, costly solution pH adjustment, and treatment of secondary iron sludge pollution. Heterogeneous electro-Fenton processes deliver oxidizing radicals with only oxygen and electricity consumed. Bifunctional catalysts allow the synthesis and activation of hydrogen peroxide simultaneously, eliminate additional chemical reagents, and yield no metal residues in treated water. Here, we review bifunctional catalysts for heterogeneous electro-Fenton processes. We describe the mechanisms of oxidizing radical generation from oxygen. Then, we compare different types of bifunctional catalysts based on their elemental compositions: (1) metal/carbon composite catalysts, i.e., monometallic iron/carbon composite catalysts, bimetallic/trimetallic carbon composite catalysts, and transition metal single-atom catalysts; (2) metal composite catalysts without carbon; and (3) metal-free carbon catalysts. Then, we present five other approaches beyond electrocatalysts, which have been used to improve the performance of heterogeneous electro-Fenton processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection is known to occur in a substantial proportion of patients following spinal surgery and predictive modeling may provide a useful means for identifying those at higher risk of complications and poor prognosis, which could help optimize pre- and postoperative management strategies. The outcome measure of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of all-cause infection during hospitalization following scoliosis surgery. To meet this aim, the present study retrospectively analyzed 370 patients who underwent surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between January 2016 and October 2022, and patients who either experienced or did not experience all-cause infection while in hospital were compared in terms of their clinicodemographic characteristics, surgical variables and laboratory test results. Logistic regression was subsequently applied to data from a subset of patients in order to build a model to predict infection, which was validated using another subset of patients. All-cause, in-hospital postoperative infections were found to have occurred in 66/370 patients (17.8%). The following variables were included in a predictive model: Sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, preoperative levels of white blood cells and preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and duration of surgery. The model exhibited an area under the curve of 0.776 against the internal validation set. In conclusion, dynamic nomograms based on sex, ASA classification, BMI, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, preoperative levels of white blood cells and CRP and duration of surgery may have the potential to be a clinically useful predictor of all-cause infection following scoliosis. The predictive model constructed in the present study may potentially facilitate the real-time visualization of risk factors associated with all-cause infection following surgical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has received considerable attention as a powerful analytical technique for the sensitive and accurate detection of biological analytes owing to its high sensitivity and selectivity and wide dynamic range. To satisfy the growing demand for ultrasensitive analysis techniques with high efficiency and accuracy in complex real sample matrices, considerable efforts have been dedicated to developing ECL strategies to improve the sensitivity of bioanalysis. As one of the most effective approaches, diverse signal amplification strategies have been integrated with ECL biosensors to achieve desirable analytical performance. This review summarizes the recent advances in ECL biosensing based on various signal amplification strategies, including DNA-assisted amplification strategies, efficient ECL luminophores, surface-enhanced electrochemiluminescence, and ratiometric strategies. Sensitivity-enhancing strategies and bio-related applications are discussed in detail. Moreover, the future trends and challenges of ECL biosensors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the effect of multimodal analgesia combined with auricular point therapy on physical and mental stress and rehabilitation quality of patients with meniscus injury during the perioperative period. Methods. 148 patients in our hospital from October 2019 to October 2021 who were scheduled to undergo meniscus surgery were selected and grouped according to the order of file establishment, with 74 cases in each. The control group was given routine analgesia, and the observation group was given multimodal analgesia combined with auricular point therapy. The pain level (visual analogue scale (VAS)), physical and mental stress (heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), depression scale (PHQ-9), and anxiety scale (GAD-7)), complications, rehabilitation quality, and analgesia satisfaction were observed. Results. The VAS scores of pain in the observation group were lower than those in the control group at 6 hours before operation and at 6 hours, 24 hours, and 72 hours after operation (P < 0.05). The MAP, HR, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group 6 hours before operation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in MAP, HR, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores between the two groups at 6 hours and 24 hours after operation (P > 0.05). The analgesic satisfaction of the observation group was better than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group was 8.11% compared with 12.16% in the control group, which was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The first exhaust, getting out of bed, and hospital stay in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Multimodal analgesia combined with auricular acupuncture therapy is effective in perioperative patients with meniscus injury. It can reduce perioperative pain, reduce physical and mental stress, and promote early postoperative recovery through a variety of analgesic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm-associated Candida albicans infections, the leading cause of invasive candidiasis, can cause high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a promising approach for controlling infections caused by biofilm-associated C. albicans. This study shows the effect of Elsinochrome A (EA) against different stages of C. albicans biofilms in vitro by XTT reduction assay and crystal violet staining. The mechanism of action of EA on C. albicans biofilm was analyzed with flow cytometry, confocal laser microscopy, and the Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). EA-mediated PACT significantly reduced the viability of C. albicans, with an inhibition rate on biofilm of 89.38% under a concentration of 32 μg/mL EA. We found that EA could not only inhibit the adhesion of C. albicans in the early stage of biofilm formation, but that it also had good effects on pre-formed mature biofilms with a clearance rate of 35.16%. It was observed that EA-mediated PACT promotes the production of a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in C. albicans and down-regulates the intracellular expression of oxidative-stress-related genes, which further disrupted the permeability of cell membranes, leading to mitochondrial and nuclear damage. These results indicate that EA has good photodynamic antagonizing activity against the C. albicans biofilm, and potential clinical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation is vital to the preservation of genotypic diversity of plant species. In the present study, an efficient procedure for cryopreservation of Chrysanthemum cv. Chuju shoot tips was established for the first time. The adventitious shoot clusters of Chuju were transferred to MS medium fortified with 100 µM melatonin (MLT) and cultured at 4 °C for 4 days. Then, the shoot tips were excised and precultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.4 M sucrose for 4 days at 4 °C in the dark. After that, the shoot tips were loaded in 60% plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) for 20 min at 0 °C, followed by immersion in 100% PVS2 solution for 60 min. Then, put the shoot tips into liquid nitrogen (LN, − 196 °C). After at least 1 h, the LN-stored shoot tips were rapidly rearmed for 2 min at 39 °C, and liquid MS medium containing 1.2 M sucrose was used as the unloading solution for 15 min. Finally, the cells were postcultured in recovery medium for shoot regeneration. Under these conditions, 65.7% of cryopreserved shoot tips survived and regenerated. Further biochemical and histological analysis showed that exogenous MLT could improve the survival rate by regulating the level of oxidative stress and maintaining the morphological structure of shoot tip cells, which provided a new method for exploring the mechanism of MLT in cryopreservation. Intersimple sequence repeat analysis did not reveal any polymorphic bands in regenerants recovered from the shoot tips of Chuju. We expect that our results will facilitate the successful application of MLT in the cryopreservation of rare and commercially important plant germplasm. Key message: An efficient cryopreservation procedure for Chrysanthemum cv. Chuju was established. By enhancing the activity of antioxidant system and cell integrity in this process, exogenous melatonin improved the regeneration ability of shoot tips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The high cost of controlled‐release urea (CRU) has prompted this study to explore whether the amount of CRU can be reduced by adding biostimulants while maintaining or increasing rice yield. A 2 year field experiment was conducted with CRU at three levels (60%, 80%, and 100% of the recommended nitrogen (N) fertilizer) and a novel biostimulant Paecilomyces variotii extract (ZNC), to investigate their synergistic effects on yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and net profitability of rice. RESULTS: Controlled‐release urea achieved a significantly higher gain yield and NUE than conventional urea with the same N level, which could be attributed to its N supply. Even if the N level of CRU was reduced by 40%, both rice yield and net profit were still significantly higher than for the full amount of urea. Paecilomyces variotii extract sprayed on the surface of CRU at a dose of only 87.5 mL ha−1 exhibited ultra‐high effectiveness by increasing the panicles, the N accumulation, and the rice yield. Controlled‐release urea enriched by ZNC achieved significantly higher gain yield than CRU alone, increasing the yield by 9.2% and 8.7%, respectively, in 2 years under the full recommended N rate. The combination of 80% CRU and ZNC showed no significant difference in rice yield from treatment with 100% CRU, indicating that the rate of CRU could be reduced by ZNC. The application of ZNC further increased NUE, N partial factor productivity, and net profit. CONCLUSION: The CRU and ZNC combination provided a feasible approach for reducing N input while maintaining rice yield and agricultural sustainability. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green scheduling is not only an effective way to achieve green manufacturing but also an effective way for modern manufacturing enterprises to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction. The double-flexible job shop scheduling problem (DFJSP) considers both machine flexibility and worker flexibility, so it is more suitable for practical production. First, a multi-objective mixed-integer programming model for the DFJSP with the objectives of optimizing the makespan, total worker costs, and total influence of the green production indicators is formulated. Considering the characteristics of the problem, three-layer salp individual encoding and decoding methods are designed for the multi-objective hybrid salp swarm algorithm (MHSSA), which is hybridized with the Lévy flight, the random probability crossover operator, and the mutation operator. In addition, the influence of the parameter setting on the MHSSA in solving the DFJSP is investigated by means of the Taguchi method of design of experiments. The simulation results for benchmark instances show that the MHSSA can effectively solve the proposed problem and is significantly better than the MSSA and the MOPSO algorithm in the diversity, convergence, and dominance of the Pareto frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uneven distribution of metal nanoparticles is a vital influencing factor in the poor uniformity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, which is a challenge in SERS quantitative analysis. Recent reports showed that the reproducibility of a nonuniform SERS substrate can be effectively improved by the use of an internal standard (IS). However, most of these approaches require the investment of time for precise regulation, and those approaches based on the addition of an IS are specific to a certain substrate. In this work, we proposed a simple, rapid and universal method to incorporate an IS into a SERS substrate for improving the reproducibility of Raman signals based on the systematic evaluation of the influencing factors of the competitive adsorption between the IS and the target analytes. Following the proposed pressure drop-coating (PDC) method, an IS-modified gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs)/anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) SERS substrate was fabricated within 1 min, showing high reproducibility of Raman signals. In addition, the IS-modified Au NBPs/AAO SERS substrate was successfully applied to analyze thiram in freshly squeezed apple juice and the result showed a stable Raman signal with a relative standard deviation of less than 6.00%. What is more, three different commercial SERS chips were modified with an IS molecule using the PDC method. Compared to the traditional SERS chips, the Raman signal reproducibility of the functionalized SERS chips was improved significantly. Since the addition of an IS is not based on a certain substrate, the proposed approach could be useful for all the researchers working in the field of SERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advantages of excellent processability and biodegradability, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) becomes an environmentally friendly and biocompatible material in many fields currently. To further improve the mechanical properties of thermoplastic PVA films, the orientation was adopted and studied. In this work, the uniaxial stretched PVA films with ethylene glycol as plasticizer were prepared to explore the influence of stretching temperature and draw ratio on the structure and properties of oriented PVA films. The introduction of ethylene glycol improves the thermoplastic processing capacity of PVA. When the stretching temperature was lower than 100 °C, the strength of the film increased with the increase of temperature. However, as the temperature continued to increase, the strength decreased since the process of disorientation accelerated. In addition, with the increase of draw ratio, an increase in the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the films and a decrease in the elongation at break were observed. When the draw ratio at 5, the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the PVA films reached the maximum of 219.7 MPa and 219.6 MPa respectively. Thus through controlling the orientation conditions and plasticizers, the PVA films with enhanced performance could be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most harmful mycotoxin produced by filamentous fungi and presents a serious threat to human and animal health. Therefore, it is essential to protect humans and animals from AFB1-induced acute and chronic toxicity. In this study, Pseudomonas strain m29 having a high efficiency of AFB1 transformation was isolated from soil. The transformation ratio by m29 was more than 97% within 24 h, and the optimum temperature for transformation was 37°C. Moreover, the AFB1 transforming activity was mainly attributed to the cell-free supernatant of strain m29. The metabolite that plays a crucial role in AFB1 transformation is likely 1,2-dimethylhydrazine or 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, as identified by GC-MS and LC-MS analysis. AFB1 was transformed into a product with molecular formula C17H14O7. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of non-enzymatic AFB1 transformation by bacteria. Importantly, this AFB1 transformation mechanism could be universal to various microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KARRIKINS INSENSITIVE2 (KAI2) is the receptor gene for karrikins, recently found to be involved in seed germination, hypocotyl development, and the alleviation of salinity and osmotic stresses. Nevertheless, whether KAI2 could regulate cold tolerance remains elusive. In the present study, we identified that Arabidopsis mutants of KAI2 had a high mortality rate, while overexpression of, a bioenergy plant, Sapium sebiferum KAI2 (SsKAI2) significantly recovered the plants after cold stress. The results showed that the SsKAI2 overexpression lines (OEs) had significantly increased levels of proline, total soluble sugars, and total soluble protein. Meanwhile, SsKAI2 OEs had a much higher expression of cold-stress-acclimation-relate genes, such as Cold Shock Proteins and C-REPEAT BINDING FACTORS under cold stress. Moreover, the results showed that SsKAI2 OEs were hypersensitive to abscisic acid (ABA), and ABA signaling genes were w significantly affected in SsKAI2 OEs under cold stress, suggesting a potential interaction between SsKAI2 and ABA downstream signaling. In SsKAI2 OEs, the electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde contents were reduced under cold stress in Arabidopsis. SsKAI2 OEs enhanced the anti-oxidants like ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and total glutathione level under cold stress. Conclusively, these results provide novel insights into the understanding of karrikins role in the regulation of cold stress adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmentation is an essential part in SAR image analysis and application. However, the presence of speckle noise and intensity inhomogeneity regions leads to great difficulty in SAR image segmentation. In this letter, we propose a novel level set method that integrates the local intensity and the global feature information for better segmentation results. To establish the energy function, a new image model is developed to describe the inhomogeneous SAR images and form the local intensity clustering term. Meanwhile, the feature map extracted by invariant moment is used to define the global fitting term through a piecewise constant function. Segmentation is realized by solving the level set function from the minimization of the energy function. Experiments on the synthetic and real SAR images verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of modern electronic technology has provided high efficiency for social production, but it also brings serious electromagnetic interference (EMI). Although traditional metals and their alloys can serve as good electromagnetic shielding materials, their heavy weight, high cost as well as poor corrosion resistance limit their application in EMI shielding. Therefore, electromagnetic shielding materials with lightweight are gradually attracting more and more attention to meet the trend of lightweight and highly integrated electronic equipment. Polymers are widely used in EMI shielding materials because of their unique characteristics, such as lightweight, high flexibility and excellent corrosion resistance. This review is focused on the well-studied polymer-based lightweight composites, with the aim of providing a comprehensive review of the existing EMI shielding mechanism, preparation and application of polymer-based lightweight composites, along with retrieving new general insights into the advantages and limitations associated with the different measurement and prediction techniques, as well as the EMI shielding effectiveness of polymer-based lightweight composites including metal-containing composites, intrinsic conductive polymers, filler-containing polymers and newly discovered materials. These lightweight materials with fine EMI shielding performance will find more and more potential applications in communications, electronics, aerospace, military, environmental protection, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let N ⩾ 2 and ρ ∈ (0, 1/N2]. The homogenous Cantor set E is the self-similar set generated by the iterated function system Let s = dimH E be the Hausdorff dimension of E, and let be the s-dimensional Hausdorff measure restricted to E. In this paper we describe, for each x ∈ E, the pointwise lower s-density and upper s-density Θ∗s(μ, x) of μ at x. This extends some early results of Feng et al (2000 J. Math. Anal. Appl. 250 692–705). Furthermore, we determine two critical values ac and bc for the sets respectively, such that dimH E*(a) > 0 if and only if a < ac, and that dimH E*(b) > 0 if and only if b > bc. We emphasize that both values ac and bc are related to the Thue–Morse type sequences, and our strategy to find them relies on ideas from open dynamical systems and techniques from combinatorics on words. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Review Article Immune disorders induced by improper use of dietary immunostimulants in aquatic animals: Research progress and prospective solutions by targeting gut microbiota by Qingshuang Zhang and Hongwei Yang et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12852. [Correction added on 27 March 2024, after first online publication: Cover image has been changed] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics confer a health benefit on the host and could be used as a good alternative to antibiotics. Probiotics are strain‐specific when exerting their function, so it is necessary to identify them to strain level. In recent years, intra‐species molecular typing and identification methods have developed rapidly, which commonly are used for typing the main pathogenic bacteria and rare for studies on probiotic typing, whilst it is imperative. This article describes molecular typing methods including AFLP, RAPD, PFGE, ribotyping, MLST, rep‐PCR and whole‐genome sequencing to identity some aquatic probiotics approved by the Ministry of Agriculture of China, which are Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Aspergillus, Bacillus, Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Streptococcus thermophilus. In addition, the principles, applications, advantages and disadvantages of these typing methods are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]