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Purpose: This study aimed to compare postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms between patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y (R-Y) and Billroth-II with Braun (B-II B) reconstruction. Methods: This observational study retrospectively analyzed 151 patients (110 in R-Y group and 41 in B-II B group) who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy from January 2020 to December 2021. A comparison was made regarding surgical outcomes, perioperative nutritional and inflammatory markers, postoperative dietary patterns, and gastrointestinal symptoms between the two groups. Results: The operation time was longer in the R-Y group than the B-II B group (261.00 ± 56.17 min versus 239.88 ± 57.78 min, p = 0.046). However, there were no significant differences in the length of hospital stay, ASA classification, complications, nutritional and inflammatory indexes, or recovery of postoperative diet between the two groups. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the occurrence of postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms in the post-discharge week (PDW) 1 and postoperative month (POM) 1 between the B-II B and R-Y groups. Conclusions: Abdominal distention emerged as the main gastrointestinal symptom burden in patients with gastric cancer undergoing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. Both Billroth-II with Braun and R-Y reconstructions exhibited a high and similar incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the short term. Therefore, medical staff should pay attention to the management of gastrointestinal symptoms in these patients postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Explore the effects of mitochondrial transplantation (MT) after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the polarization of microglia/macrophages (MG/MΦ) and neurological function. Methods: Seventy-five Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham, normal saline (NS), vehicle, mitochondria (Mito), and non-functional mitochondria (N-Mito) group. Rats in sham group underwent surgical procedures without cardiac arrest, while the other four groups underwent cardiac arrest and CPR, and then received NS, respiration buffer, mitochondrial suspension or non-functional mitochondria, immediately after the restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The number of mitochondria in the hippocampus, the morphology and structure of mitochondria in MG/MΦ, the phenotype of MG/MΦ, and hippocampal tissue injury, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis were detected on days 1 and 3 after ROSC. Neurodeficit score (NDS) was performed on days 1, 3, 7, 15 and 30 after ROSC. Results: Compared with other groups, the number of mitochondria in the hippocampus was increased, and the morphology and structure of mitochondria in MG/MΦ were significantly improved in the Mito group. Our results show higher expression of M2-type markers in MG/MΦ and decreased hippocampal tissue damage in the Mito group. Levels of NSE and S100β in serum, and TNF-α, IL-6 in the hippocampus were decreased, while the levels of TGF-β and IL-10 were increased in the Mito group. Apoptosis rate of neurons in the Mito group was decreased and the NDS of the Mito group was higher than the other groups. Conclusions: Exogenous MT can improve neurological function after CPR by promoting the polarization of MG/MΦ to M2-type cells, and this could be a potential method for brain protection after CPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While sedation is routinely used in pediatric PET examinations to preserve diagnostic quality, it may result in side effects and may affect the radiotracer's biodistribution. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of sedation-free pediatric PET imaging using ultra-fast total-body (TB) PET scanners and deep learning (DL)-based attenuation and scatter correction (ASC). Methods: This retrospective study included TB PET (uExplorer) imaging of 35 sedated pediatric patients under four years old to determine the minimum effective scanning time. A DL-based ASC method was applied to enhance PET quantification. Both quantitative and qualitative assessments were conducted to evaluate the image quality of ultra-fast DL-ASC PET. Five non-sedated pediatric patients were subsequently used to validate the proposed approach. Results: Comparisons between standard 300-second and ultra-fast 15-second imaging, CT-ASC and DL-ASC ultra-fast 15-second images, as well as DL-ASC ultra-fast 15-second images in non-sedated and sedated patients, showed no significant differences in qualitative scoring, lesion detectability, and quantitative Standard Uptake Value (SUV) (P = ns). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that pediatric PET imaging can be effectively performed without sedation by combining ultra-fast imaging techniques with a DL-based ASC. This advancement in sedation-free ultra-fast PET imaging holds potential for broader clinical adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variable-sweep wing, as an important morphing wing technology, has received widespread attention because it can change the sweep angle according to different flight conditions. It has the advantage of simultaneously utilizing a large sweep angle to reduce shock wave drag at high speeds and improving lift characteristics at small sweep angles. However, it has always been the case that the variable-sweep wing will bring about a rearward shift of the center of gravity when the sweep angle increases, leading to a decrease in aircraft stability. This paper focuses on a structural design of a variable-sweep wing based on a four-bar planar linkage. The novel variable-sweep wing structure containing a four-bar planar linkage and an outer wing section is proposed, and key parameters are extracted to establish a mathematical model of the mechanism. Through parametric analysis, main parameters have been identified, and the structure is optimized: the longitudinal position (direction of the fuselage) of the wing's center of gravity is designed to maintain minimal change during the morphing process, but remain the same at both the beginning and ending states of the transformation. The structural design of the variable-sweep wing is carried out based on this. Then, the finite-element model is established to validate the load-bearing capacity of the variable-sweep wing and derive the driving force. Finally, as one of the main novelties, a full-size prototype is successfully manufactured for load testing. The results of finite-element simulation and load testing show that this variable-sweep wing structure can achieve movement from 30° to 70° under an aerodynamic load that is up to 460 kg/m2. The present study demonstrates the effectiveness and potential of the proposed morphing trailing edge concept for real application on aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a global context, the hydrochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater in coalfields exhibit high degrees of diversity and complexity that are rooted in the intricate interplay of geological variations, diverse climatic conditions, and extensive human activities. The specific types and concentrations of ions, such as Ca2+, Cl−, and NO3−, show stark differences across geographical regions. Given the crucial roles of coalfields as energy suppliers, the potential environmental contamination risks posed by mining activities to groundwater cannot be overlooked as such pollution directly impacts human health and ecological safety. This study focuses on the Huainan coal mining area in northern Anhui Province (China), where shallow groundwater samples were systematically collected and analyzed to determine the hydrochemical characteristics and ascertain the water quality status. By integrating hydrogeochemical analysis techniques with inverse modeling methods, it was revealed that the groundwater in this region is predominantly HCO3-Ca type, exhibiting weak alkaline characteristics. The formation mechanisms are primarily governed by silicate rock weathering and mineral dissolution-precipitation processes, albeit with discernible influences from human activities. PHREEQC simulations were used to further confirm the precipitation tendencies of minerals like calcite, dolomite, and fluorite as well as the significant dissolution characteristics of halite. The inverse modeling pathway analysis reveals specific hydrochemical processes along different paths: paths I and IV are notably dominated by Ca2+ dissolution-precipitation and cation exchange-adsorption processes, whereas paths II and III are closely associated with the precipitation of calcium montmorillonite as well as dissolution of kaolinite, calcite, quartz, and mineral incongruents. Moreover, evaluations based on the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) indicated overall positive trends of the groundwater quality indicators within the Huainan mining area, reflecting the effectiveness of regional water quality management efforts and providing a scientific basis for future water quality protection and improvement strategies. In summary, this study not only deepens our understanding of the groundwater chemistry in the Huainan coal mining area but also underscores the importance of scientifically assessing and managing groundwater resources to address the environmental challenges potentially arising from coal mining activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of hydrogels in soft electronics has led to significant progress in the field of wearable and implantable devices. However, challenges persist in hydrogel electronics, including the delicate equilibrium between stretchability and electrical conductivity, intricacies in miniaturization, and susceptibility to dehydration. Here, a lignin‐polyacrylamide (Ag‐LPA) hydrogel composite endowed with anti‐freeze, self‐adhesive, exceptional water retention properties, and high stretchability (1072%) is presented. Notably, this composite demonstrated impressive electrical conductivity at room temperature (47.924 S cm−1) and extremely cold temperatures (42.507 S cm−1). It is further proposed for microfluidic‐assisted hydrogel patches (MAHPs) to facilitate customizable designs of the Ag‐LPA hydrogel composite. This approach enhances water retention and offers versatility in packaging materials, making it a promising choice for enduring soft electronics applications. As a proof‐of‐concept, soft electronics across diverse applications and dimensions, encompassing healthcare monitoring, environmental temperature sensing, and 3D‐spring pressure monitoring electronics are successfully developed. The scenery of an extremely cold environment is further extended. The conductivity of the embedded Ag‐LPA hydrogel composite unveils the potential of MAHPs in polar rescue missions. It is envisioned that MAHPs will impact the development of sophisticated and tailored soft electronics, thereby forging new frontiers in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Administration of antibiotics via inhalation is considered an effective strategy for pneumonia treatment; however, it encounters challenges related to the development of drug formulations with precise particle sizes and controlled release profiles. Herein, size-tailored and acid-degradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microgels are utilized for nebulized inhalation delivery of piperacillin (PIP) antibiotics to effectively treat pneumonia. These microgels loaded with PIP (G@PIP) were prepared through the UV-crosslinking of thermo-triggered vinyl ether methacrylate-functionalized PVA (PVAVEMA) micro-aggregates in aqueous solution. The size of G@PIP microgels could be tailored by adjusting concentrations during the crosslinking process above phase-transition temperature at 15 °C. Additionally, under simulated inflammatory acidic conditions, the G@PIP microgels degraded and released PIP with relatively high inhibition efficiency against E. coli. Furthermore, in vivo therapeutic outcomes revealed that inhalational delivery of G@PIP microgel with a medium-size of 3.5 μm (G-3.5@PIP) exhibited superior lung deposition compared to other microgel sizes owing to its reduced exhalation and enhanced diffusion capacity within the pulmonary system. The high accumulation of G-3.5@PIP significantly reduced E. coli infection and associated inflammation while maintaining the biocompatibility of the microgels. Overall, these acid-degradable PVA microgels offer a versatile and efficacious inhalation therapy for pneumonia-associated infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Pd‐mediated bioorthogonal cleavage reactions have been extensively utilized in the activation of prodrug molecules, precise regulation of protein function, and cellular engineering. However, the availability of cleavable "caging" groups is quite limited, and their application in nucleic acid modification has seldom been reported. Herein, we introduce a method based on Pd‐catalyzed reduction amination of azides as a decaging strategy to activate the activity of biomolecules. We designed modifications on the bioactive sites with azides or their derivatives to mask the related biological function, followed by the release of biological activity through Pd‐catalyzed NaBH4 reduction amination reaction. This study has demonstrated that the strategy can effectively be used to activate bioactive molecules such as fluorescent probes, prodrugs, and to regulate the biological function of RNA, including reverse transcription extension, binding to ligands, and cleavage activity of the CRISPR‐Cas system. All results confirm that this strategy provides an efficient and controllable "OFF to ON" biological switch, capable of achieving significant regulatory effects substoichiometrically, and is expected to be extended to other biological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractory lithospheric deep roots are the cornerstone for the prolonged stability of cratons and mantle xenoliths are normally the key targets for study on the evolution of such deep roots. In regions with few mantle xenoliths, the basalts enriched in radiogenic isotopic compositions due to marked lithospheric mantle contribution are crucial to unmask the lithospheric mantle evolution based on a comprehensive study involving petrology, geochemistry and thermodynamic modelling. Here, the Early Cretaceous basalts from the northwest North China Craton with few mantle xenoliths are taken as an example to show the significance of enriched basalts on the study of lithospheric mantle. These basalts are characterized by high silica and alkali contents (SiO2=45.8–59.8 wt.%, K2O+Na2O=4.81–9.88 wt.%), arc-type trace-element patterns and enriched radiogenic isotope compositions (e.g., εNd=−2.64–−12.88,87Sr/86Sr=0.7063–0.7093). The TiO2 and FeO (total) contents are higher than those of natural and experimental melts from refractory mantle peridotite but comparable to those of partial melts of fertile mantle rocks. The high contents of fluid-loving elements (e.g., Rb and Ba) suggest source metasomatism by aqueous fluids. Combined with thermodynamic modelling and regional tectonic history, these enriched basalts likely record simultaneous decompression melting of asthenosphere and low-extent melting of thin and fertile lithospheric mantle fluxed by aqueous fluids from the subducted Paleo-Asian oceanic slab. The newly unmasked lithospheric mantle under the western NCC contrasts with the coeval thick and refractory one supporting the eastern NCC, and highlights that the craton destruction, especially the loss of its ancient refractory mantle root, should take place in a diachronous manner related to the craton-girded subduction episodes. Our study illustrates the potential of enriched basalts to recover the nature and evolution of mantle lithosphere beneath craton margins and associated tectonic histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preschooling is a critical time for intervention in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); thus, we analyzed brain tissue component volumes (BTCVs) and clinical indicators in preschool children with ASD to identify new biomarkers for early screening. Methods: Eighty preschool children (3–6 years) with ASD were retrospectively included. The whole-brain myelin content (MyC), white matter (WM), gray matter (GM), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and non-WM/GM/MyC/CSF brain component volumes were obtained using synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI). Clinical data, such as intelligence scores, autism diagnostic observation schedule-calibrated severity scores, age at first production of single words (AFSW), age at first production of phrases (AFP), and age at walking onset (AWO), were also collected. The correlation between the BTCV and clinical data was evaluated, and the effect of BTCVs on clinical data was assessed by a regression model. Results: WM and GM volumes were positively correlated with intelligence scores (both P < 0.001), but WM and GM did not affect intelligence scores (P = 0.116, P = 0.290). AWO was positively correlated with AFSW and AFP (both P < 0.001). The multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that MyC, AFSW, AFP, and AWO were significantly different (P = 0.005, P < 0.001, P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study revealed positive correlations between WM and GM volumes and intelligence scores. Whole-brain MyC affected AFSW, AFP, and AWO in preschool children with ASD. Noninvasive quantification of BTCVs via SyMRI revealed a new visualizable and quantifiable biomarker (abnormal MyC) for early ASD screening in preschool children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐throughput synthesis and screening of chemical libraries play pivotal roles in drug discovery. Click chemistry has emerged as a powerful strategy for constructing highly modular chemical libraries. However, the development of new click reactions and unlocking new clickable building blocks remain exceedingly challenging. Herein, we describe a double‐click strategy that enables the sequential ligations of widely available carboxylic acids and amines with fluorosulfuryl isocyanate (FSO2NCO) via a modular amidation/SuFEx (sulfur‐fluoride exchange) process. This method provides facile access to chemical libraries of N‐fluorosulfonyl amides (RCONHSO2F) and N‐acylsulfamides (RCONHSO2NR′R′′) in near‐quantitative yields under simple and practical conditions. The robustness and efficiency of this double click strategy is showcased by the facile construction of chemical libraries in 96‐well microtiter plates from a large number of carboxylic acids and amines. Preliminary biological activity screening reveals that some compounds exhibit high antimicrobial activities against Gram‐positive bacterium S. aureus and drug‐resistant MRSA (MIC up to 6.25 μg ⋅ mL−1). These results provide compelling evidence for the potential application of modular click chemistry library as an enabling technology in high‐throughput medicinal chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the importance of understanding the propagation of transient waves in the piezomagnetic solids, the thermal effect on the transient behavior of a piezomagnetic half-space subjected to dynamic anti-plane load is investigated analytically in this paper. Using one-sided, two-sided Laplace transformation and Cagniard–de Hoop (CH) technique, an efficient and accurate analytical derivation for the solution of the anti-plane displacement, shear stress, magnetic potential, and induction in Laplace domain is presented. The study shows that the thermal stresses developed in x -axis and y -axis directions have significant influence on the transient response of the half-space. The magnetic induction B x increases obviously when the thermal stress is applied in x -axis direction, while it decreases when the thermal stress is applied in y -axis direction. Approaching time of magnetic induction B x and B y will become longer with higher thermal stress in x -axis direction. With the growth of the thermal stress in x -direction, contribution from the electromagnetic–elastic head (EH) wave increases, while the contribution from the shear elastic (SE) wave and the static value of shear stress decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify articles that evaluated the efficacy of tele-rehabilitation after total hip replacement and to provide a reference for clinical decision-making and continuous improvement of rehabilitation exercise intervention strategies for clinical medical staff. Methods: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, China National Knowledge Network and Google Scholar databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of tele-rehabilitation after total hip replacement from inception to March 4, 2023. The two researchers used the PEDro scale to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Two researchers used the PEDro scale to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Results: Ten studies with 632 participants were analysed.Compared to face-to-face rehabilitation, Internet-based telerehabilitation showed better outcomes in Get-up and go test (SMD −0.54, 95% CI −0.79 to −0.29). telerehabilitation showed no significant difference in outcomes of other functional tests and functional questionnaires. Conclusion: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, internet-based tele-rehabilitation and face-to-face rehabilitation had the same effect on patients after total hip replacement, and compliance was higher in the tele-rehabilitation group, but attention should be devoted to standardizing this form of rehabilitation to avoid adverse events. In addition, the number and quality of included studies in this study are limited, and the outcome indicators and intervention means have not been unified. More high-quality studies are needed to verify these conclusions to better evaluate the effectiveness and advantages of telerehabilitation. Implications for rehabilitation: With the development of science and technology, remote rehabilitation technology will be applied to various fields of rehabilitation, providing personalized and extensive rehabilitation services. The application of tele-rehabilitation technology to postoperative rehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty is feasible and can reduce the workload of healthcare professionals to a certain extent. This review evaluated the randomized controlled trials of telerehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty, and the results showed that the clinical efficacy of telerehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty was not inferior to that of traditional rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐throughput synthesis and screening of chemical libraries play pivotal roles in drug discovery. Click chemistry has emerged as a powerful strategy for constructing highly modular chemical libraries. However, the development of new click reactions and unlocking new clickable building blocks remain exceedingly challenging. Herein, we describe a double‐click strategy that enables the sequential ligations of widely available carboxylic acids and amines with fluorosulfuryl isocyanate (FSO2NCO) via a modular amidation/SuFEx (sulfur‐fluoride exchange) process. This method provides facile access to chemical libraries of N‐fluorosulfonyl amides (RCONHSO2F) and N‐acylsulfamides (RCONHSO2NR′R′′) in near‐quantitative yields under simple and practical conditions. The robustness and efficiency of this double click strategy is showcased by the facile construction of chemical libraries in 96‐well microtiter plates from a large number of carboxylic acids and amines. Preliminary biological activity screening reveals that some compounds exhibit high antimicrobial activities against Gram‐positive bacterium S. aureus and drug‐resistant MRSA (MIC up to 6.25 μg ⋅ mL−1). These results provide compelling evidence for the potential application of modular click chemistry library as an enabling technology in high‐throughput medicinal chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luteinizing hormone (LH), a heterodimeric glycoprotein produced by pituitary gonadotrope cells, regulates gonadal function. Hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates LH synthesis and secretion. GnRH induces LHβ subunit (Lhb) expression via the transcription factor, early growth response 1 (EGR1), acting on the Lhb promoter. In contrast, overexpression of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) represses LH production in mice, but the underlying mechanism was not previously elucidated. Here, we observed that ZEB1 inhibited GnRH-stimulated but not basal Lhb mRNA expression in homologous murine LβT2 cells. Moreover, ZEB1 blocked GnRH and/or EGR1 induction of murine Lhb but not human LHB promoter-reporter activity in these cells. Using chimeric reporters, we mapped the species-specific ZEB1 sensitivity to sequence differences, including in Z- and E-boxes, in the proximal Lhb/LHB promoters, immediately upstream of the transcription start sites. ZEB1 bound to the murine Lhb promoter with higher affinity than to the human LHB promoter in this region. To examine ZEB1's physiological role in LH synthesis, we characterized gonadotrope-specific Zeb1 knockout mice. Loss of ZEB1 in gonadotropes did not affect LH production or secretion. Collectively, the data suggest that ZEB1, when overexpressed, can inhibit GnRH/EGR1 induction of murine Lhb transcription but does not play a necessary role in LH synthesis in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains challenging to translate the findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) into interventional targets, presumably due to the lack of knowledge on how the GWAS risk variants contribute to AIDs. In addition, current immunomodulatory drugs for AIDs are broad in action rather than disease-specific. We performed a comprehensive protein-centric omics integration analysis to identify AIDs-associated plasma proteins through integrating protein quantitative trait loci datasets of plasma protein (1348 proteins and 7213 individuals) and totally ten large-scale GWAS summary statistics of AIDs under a cutting-edge systematic analytic framework. Specifically, we initially screened out the protein-AID associations using proteome-wide association study (PWAS), followed by enrichment analysis to reveal the underlying biological processes and pathways. Then, we performed both Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses to further identify protein-AID pairs with putatively causal relationships. We finally prioritized the potential drug targets for AIDs. A total of 174 protein-AID associations were identified by PWAS. AIDs-associated plasma proteins were significantly enriched in immune-related biological process and pathways, such as inflammatory response (P = 3.96 × 10–10). MR analysis further identified 97 protein-AID pairs with potential causal relationships, among which 21 pairs were highly supported by colocalization analysis (PP.H4 > 0.75), 10 of 21 were the newly discovered pairs and not reported in previous GWAS analyses. Further explorations showed that four proteins (TLR3, FCGR2A, IL23R, TCN1) have corresponding drugs, and 17 proteins have druggability. These findings will help us to further understand the biological mechanism of AIDs and highlight the potential of these proteins to develop as therapeutic targets for AIDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replicable signals from different yet conceptually related studies provide stronger scientific evidence and more powerful inference. We introduce STAREG, a statistical method for replicability analysis of high throughput experiments, and apply it to analyze spatial transcriptomic studies. STAREG uses summary statistics from multiple studies of high throughput experiments and models the the joint distribution of p-values accounting for the heterogeneity of different studies. It effectively controls the false discovery rate (FDR) and has higher power by information borrowing. Moreover, it provides different rankings of important genes. With the EM algorithm in combination with pool-adjacent-violator-algorithm (PAVA), STAREG is scalable to datasets with millions of genes without any tuning parameters. Analyzing two pairs of spatially resolved transcriptomic datasets, we are able to make biological discoveries that otherwise cannot be obtained by using existing methods. Author summary: Irreplicable research wastes time, money, and/or resources. Approximately $28 billion is estimated to be spent on preclinical research that cannot be replicated every year in the United States alone. Possible causes of irreplicable research may include experimental design, laboratory practices, and data analysis. We focus on data analysis. The past two decades have witnessed the expansion and increased availability of genomic data from high-throughput experiments. Due to privacy concerns or logistic reasons, raw data can be difficult to access but summary data such as p-values are readily available. We introduce STAREG, which jointly analyzes p-values from multiple genomic datasets that target the same scientific question with different populations or different technologies. This allows us to have more convincing and robust findings. STAREG is computationally scalable with solid statistical analysis. Moreover, it is versatile, platform-independent, and only requires p-values as input. By analyzing data sets from spatially resolved transcriptomic studies, we make biological discoveries that otherwise cannot be obtained with existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) of zinc (Zn) electrode is an effective strategy to stabilize Zn electrode/electrolyte interface. However, single-layer SEIs of Zn electrodes undergo rupture and consequent failure during repeated Zn plating/stripping. Here, we propose the construction of a robust bilayer SEI that simultaneously achieves homogeneous Zn2+ transport and durable mechanical stability for high Zn utilization rate (ZUR) and Coulombic efficiency (CE) of Zn electrode by adding 1,3-Dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone as a representative electrolyte additive. This bilayer SEI on Zn surface consists of a crystalline ZnCO3-rich outer layer and an amorphous ZnS-rich inner layer. The ordered outer layer improves the mechanical stability during cycling, and the amorphous inner layer homogenizes Zn2+ transport for homogeneous, dense Zn deposition. As a result, the bilayer SEI enables reversible Zn plating/stripping for 4800 cycles with an average CE of 99.95% (± 0.06%). Meanwhile, Zn | |Zn symmetric cells show durable lifetime for over 550 h with a high ZUR of 98% under an areal capacity of 28.4 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, the Zn full cells based on the bilayer SEI functionalized Zn negative electrodes coupled with different positive electrodes all exhibit stable cycling performance under high ZUR. The stabilization of the zinc electrode/electrolyte interface is critical for aqueous zinc battery operation. Here, authors report an electrolyte additive which promotes the formation of a bilayer solid electrolyte interphase, increasing the efficiency and utilization of zinc plating and stripping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many organizations are adopting multiple team membership (MTM) as a job model to enhance competitiveness in the digital era. However, studies on MTM in management are still limited and there are few studies on how and when MTM stimulates employee creativity. Research has confirmed that psychological factors are key drivers of employee creativity. Therefore, we propose that MTM enhances creativity by increasing employee self-reflection. We propose that need for cognition moderates the positive effect of MTM on self-reflection and further moderates the above mediating effect. Drawing on the Software Process Hayes, model 4 is adopted to test the mediation, and model 7 is adopted to test the moderated mediation. The results show that MTM does not directly trigger creativity, but indirectly stimulates creativity through self-reflection. Furthermore, need for cognition strengthens the positive relationship between MTM and self-reflection and enhances the above mediating effect. Our study further riches the understanding of the relationship between MTM and creativity. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial virulence plays an important role in infection. Antibacterial virulence factors are effective for preventing crop bacterial diseases. Resin acid copper salt as an effective inhibitor exhibited excellent anti-Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) activity with an EC50 of 50.0 μg mL−1. Resin acid copper salt (RACS) can reduce extracellular polysaccharides' (EPS's) biosynthesis by down-regulating gumB relative expression. RACS can also effectively inhibit the bio-mass of Xoo biofilm. It can reduce the activity of Xoo extracellular amylase at a concentration of 100 μg mL−1. Meanwhile, the results of virtual computing suggested that RACS is an enzyme inhibitor. RACS displayed good curative activity with a control effect of 38.5%. Furthermore, the result of the phytotoxicity assessment revealed that RACS exhibited slight toxicity compared with the control at a concentration of 200 μg mL−1. The curative effect was increased to 45.0% using an additional antimicrobial agent like orange peel essential oil. RACS markedly inhibited bacterial pathogenicity at a concentration of 100 μg mL−1 in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: DNA 5‐formylcytosine (5fC) is a prominent epigenetic modification within biological systems. Recent investigations have shed light on its pivotal role in governing cell fate, gene expression, and disease pathways. However, our comprehension of the precise control of the 5fC site structure to influence its functionality remains limited. In this study, we have successfully achieved precise control over 5fC activity by harnessing the interaction between streptavidin and biotin. This research underscores the potential application of interactions between biomacromolecules and small molecules in advancing the field of DNA epigenetic functional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based materials/metal hydroxide composite materials are one type of the most promising electrode materials for improving the performance of supercapacitors. They have the advantages of low cost, controllable morphology, high theoretical capacity, and excellent stability. In this study, nickel hydroxide nanosheets were grown vertically on the surface of carbon nanotubes (Ni(OH)2@CNTs) by a wet chemical method at low temperatures. The unique spatial configuration provides a larger specific surface area and exposes more electrochemically active sites, which is more conducive to improving electrochemical performance. The prominent conductivity of carbon nanotubes can quickly transfer electrons and improve the electrochemical cycling stability of the composite. The Ni(OH)2@CNTs composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 1234 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 under a three-electrode system. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) assembled using Ni(OH)2@CNTs as a cathode material shows an energy density of 65.63 W h kg−1 at a power density of 752.39 W kg−1 and a capacity retention rate of 85.9% after 10 000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1. The results indicate that Ni(OH)2@CNTs has prospects for application as a cathode material in high-performance supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered widespread attention due to their distinctive attributes, such as high surface area, tunable properties, biodegradability, extremely low density, high loading capacity, diverse chemical functionalities, thermal stability, well-defined pore sizes, and molecular dimensions. Increasingly, biomedical researchers have turned their focus towards their multifaceted development. Among these, stimuli-responsive MOFs, with their unique advantages, have captured greater interest from researchers. This review will delve into the merits and drawbacks of both endogenous and exogenous stimuli-responsive MOFs, along with their application directions. Furthermore, it will outline the characteristics of different synthesis routes of MOFs, exploring various design schemes and modification strategies and their impacts on the properties of MOF products, as well as how to control them. Additionally, we will survey different types of stimuli-responsive MOFs, discussing the significance of various MOF products reported in biomedical applications. We will categorically summarize different strategies such as anticancer therapy, antibacterial treatment, tissue repair, and biomedical imaging, as well as insights into the development of novel MOFs nanomaterials in the future. Finally, this review will conclude by summarizing the challenges in the development of stimuli-responsive MOFs in the field of biomedicine and providing prospects for future research endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic showed forcefully the fundamental importance broadband data communication and the internet has in our society. Optical communications forms the undisputable backbone of this critical infrastructure, and it is supported by an interdisciplinary research community striving to improve and develop it further. Since the first 'Roadmap of optical communications' was published in 2016, the field has seen significant progress in all areas, and time is ripe for an update of the research status. The optical communications area has become increasingly diverse, covering research in fundamental physics and materials science, high-speed electronics and photonics, signal processing and coding, and communication systems and networks. This roadmap describes state-of-the-art and future outlooks in the optical communications field. The article is divided into 20 sections on selected areas, each written by a leading expert in that area. The sections are thematically grouped into four parts with 4–6 sections each, covering, respectively, hardware, algorithms, networks and systems. Each section describes the current status, the future challenges, and development needed to meet said challenges in their area. As a whole, this roadmap provides a comprehensive and unprecedented overview of the contemporary optical communications research, and should be essential reading for researchers at any level active in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV) leads to considerable economic losses for the global pig industry. Investigating PRRSV–host interactions is important for understanding PRRSV pathogenesis and developing antiviral strategies. This study focuses on the post-transcriptional regulation of let-7f-5p in response to PPRSV infection. Lipids play a key role in the replication cycle of PRRSV. We found that let-7f-5p directly targets the master lipid metabolism regulator SREBP2 and influences the expression of lipogenesis genes, which provide a novel target for PRRSV antiviral therapy. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has caused substantial damage to the pig industry. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were found to play crucial roles in modulating the pathogenesis of PRRS virus (PRRSV). In the present study, we revealed that PRRSV induced let-7f-5p to influence lipid metabolism to regulate PRRSV pathogenesis. A transcriptome analysis of PRRSV-infected PK15CD163 cells transfected with let-7f-5p mimics or negative control (NC) generated 1718 differentially expressed genes, which were primarily associated with lipid metabolism processes. Furthermore, the master regulator of lipogenesis SREBP2 was found to be directly targeted by let-7f-5p using a dual-luciferase reporter system and Western blotting. The findings demonstrate that let-7f-5p modulates lipogenesis by targeting SREBP2, providing novel insights into miRNA-mediated PRRSV pathogenesis and offering a potential antiviral therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that electroacupuncture (EA) has obvious therapeutic effects and unique advantages in alleviating myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury (MIRI), while the underlying neuromolecular mechanisms of EA intervention for MIRI have not been fully elucidated. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of the neural pathway of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons projecting to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in the alleviation of MIRI rats by EA preconditioning. MIRI models were established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2 h. Electrocardiogram recording, chemogenetics, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, multichannel physiology recording and haematoxylin–eosin and immunofluorescence staining methods were conducted to demonstrate that the firing frequencies of neurons in the PVN and the expression of c‐Fos decreased by EA pretreatment. Meanwhile, EA preconditioning significantly reduced the levels of creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK‐MB), cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Virus tracing showed a projection connection between PVN and RVLM. The inhibition of the PVN‐RVLM neural pathway could replicate the protective effect of EA pretreatment on MIRI rats. However, the activation of the pathway weakened the effect of EA preconditioning. EA pretreatment alleviated MIRI by regulating PVN neurons projecting to RVLM. This work provides novel evidence of EA pretreatment for alleviating MIRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The voltage‐gated sodium channel isoform NaV1.7 is a high‐interest target for the development of non‐opioid analgesics due to its preferential expression in pain‐sensing neurons. NaV1.7 is also expressed in autonomic neurons, yet its contribution to involuntary visceral reflexes has received limited attention. The small molecule inhibitor ST‐2560 was advanced into pain behaviour and cardiovascular models to understand the pharmacodynamic effects of selective inhibition of NaV1.7. Experimental Approach: Potency of ST‐2560 at NaV1.7 and off‐target ion channels was evaluated by whole‐cell patch‐clamp electrophysiology. Effects on nocifensive reflexes were assessed in non‐human primate (NHP) behavioural models, employing the chemical capsaicin and mechanical stimuli. Cardiovascular parameters were monitored continuously in freely‐moving, telemetered NHPs following administration of vehicle and ST‐2560. Key Results: ST‐2560 is a potent inhibitor (IC50 = 39 nM) of NaV1.7 in primates with ≥1000‐fold selectivity over other isoforms of the human NaV1.x family. Following systemic administration, ST‐2560 (0.1–0.3 mg·kg−1, s.c.) suppressed noxious mechanical‐ and chemical‐evoked reflexes at free plasma concentrations threefold to fivefold above NaV1.7 IC50. ST‐2560 (0.1–1.0 mg·kg−1, s.c.) also produced changes in haemodynamic parameters, most notably a 10‐ to 20‐mmHg reduction in systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure, at similar exposures. Conclusions and Implications: Acute pharmacological inhibition of NaV1.7 is antinociceptive, but also has the potential to impact the cardiovascular system. Further work is merited to understand the role of NaV1.7 in autonomic ganglia involved in the control of heart rate and blood pressure, and the effect of selective NaV1.7 inhibition on cardiovascular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Biomarkers for cytopenias following CAR T‐cell treatment in relapsed/refractory (RR) multiple myeloma (MM) are not completely defined. We prospectively analysed 275 sequential peripheral blood (PB) samples from 58 RRMM patients treated with BCMA‐targeted CAR T cells, and then divided them into three groups: (i) baseline (before leukapheresis), (ii) ≤day+30, and (iii) >day+30 after CAR T‐cell therapy. We evaluated laboratory data and performed flow cytometry to determine the (CAR) T‐cell subsets. Baseline hyperferritinaemia was a risk factor for long‐lasting grade ≥3 anaemia (r = 0.47, p < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia (r = 0.44, p = 0.002) after CAR T‐cell therapy. Low baseline haemoglobin (Hb) and PLT were associated with long‐lasting grade ≥3 anaemia (r = −0.56, p < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia (r = −0.44, p = 0.002) respectively. We observed dynamics of CAR‐negative T‐cell subsets following CAR T‐cell infusion. In the late phase after CAR T‐cell therapy (>day+30), CD4Tn frequency correlated with anaemia (r = 0.41, p = 0.0014) and lymphocytopenia was related to frequencies of CD8+ T cells (r = 0.72, p < 0.001) and CD8Teff (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). CD4Tcm frequency was correlated with leucocytopenia (r = −0.49, p < 0.001). In summary, preexisting cytopenias and hyperferritinaemia indicated long duration of grade ≥3 post‐CAR T‐cell cytopenias. Prolonged cytopenia may be related to immune remodelling with a shift in the CAR‐negative T‐cell subsets following CAR T‐cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interpretability of AI is just as important as its performance. In the LegalAI field, there have been efforts to enhance the interpretability of models, but a trade-off between interpretability and prediction accuracy remains inevitable. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework called LK-IB for compulsory measure prediction (CMP), one of the critical tasks in LegalAI. LK-IB leverages Legal Knowledge and combines an Interpretable model and a Black-box model to balance interpretability and prediction performance. Specifically, LK-IB involves three steps: (1) inputting cases into the first module, where first-order logic (FOL) rules are used to make predictions and output them directly if possible; (2) sending cases to the second module if FOL rules are not applicable, where a case distributor categorizes them as either "simple" or "complex"; and (3) sending simple cases to an interpretable model with strong interpretability and complex cases to a black-box model with outstanding performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the LK-IB framework provides more interpretable and accurate predictions than other state-of-the-art models. Given that the majority of cases in LegalAI are simple, the idea of model combination has significant potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friendship racial homophily, the tendency to form friendships with individuals who share the same racial background, is a normative developmental phenomenon that holds particular significance for youth of color in a racialized society. Yet, there exists a paucity of longitudinal research elucidating the stability and change of friendship racial composition across developmental span. This study aimed to examine the friendship racial homophily trajectories over a six-year period encompassing four time points. The sample comprised 437 Asian American youth (MAge = 16.52, SDAge = 1.36, 53% female), with 197 Filipino and 240 Korean participants. Using logistic multilevel modeling analyses, it was found that both Filipino and Korean American youth demonstrated an increase in friendship racial homophily from high school to college, but that Filipino youth overall reported lower levels of racial homophily compared to their Korean counterparts. The study findings also pinpointed several influential factors impacting these trajectories, including proficiency in heritage languages, ethnic identity, and encounters with racial discrimination from both White Americans and other People of Color. These results highlight the continuous evolution of friendship racial composition from high school to college and emphasize the crucial role of ethnic identity and experiences of discrimination in influencing these dynamics, with ethnic identity exerting more enduring effects and experiences of discrimination showing more situational impacts on the levels of racial homophily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a severe invasive species, is responsible for causing widespread pine wilt disease. The CytCo protein, a pore‐forming toxin derived from Conidiobolus obscurus, exhibits nematotoxicity towards B. xylophilus. RESULTS: Our present study reveals the expression variation of a range of gene products in B. xylophilus that respond to the effects of CytCo using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification proteomics technology. Functional enrichment analysis indicates that many differentially expressed proteins are linked to calcium signaling system, proteasome, energy production and conversion, and the determination of adult lifespan. It suggests that the dysregulation of calcium homeostasis, energy metabolism, and apoptosis contribute to the CytCo nematotoxicity. Using the calcium ion (Ca2+)‐indicator calcein, we detected changes in Ca2+ levels in B. xylophilus, with a significantly increase in fluorescence in the nematode's intestine and pseudocoelom following CytCo treatments. Meanwhile, the apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays showed an enhancement of fluorescence in B. xylophilus cells, with increased CytCo concentrations. CONCLUSION: The protein toxin CytCo triggers Ca2+ leakage, disrupts Ca2+ balance in B. xylophilus, and induces apoptosis and ROS outburst, thereby intensifying its nematotoxic effects. This finding facilitates our understanding of the modes of action of nematotoxic proteins, and contributes to the development of innovative nematode control strategies. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have revealed the effects of different physical activity (PA) types on visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation in individuals with overweight/obesity. However, the independent association (especially the dose–response relationship) between PA and VAT in individuals with and without overweight/obesity remains less explored. Visceral adiposity index (VAI), calculated from waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, is a novel indicator of VAT. This study aims to elucidate the association between PA and VAI in participants with and without overweight/obesity. Methods: Participants who are overweight or obese and with complete data on VAI, PA, and other essential covariates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2015–2018) were included in this study. PA was evaluated by the PA questionnaire and converted into metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours per week (MET-h/wk) based on the suggested MET scores. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify the association between PA and VAI. Subgroup analyses, combined with interaction tests and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analyses, were utilized to explore the stability and nonlinearity of PA-VAI association, respectively. Results: A total of 4, 312 participants with complete data on PA and VAI was included in this study, with 3, 441 of them being overweight or obese. After adjusting for all potential covariates, increased PA was found to be significantly associated with remarkable lower level of VAI in all participants (β = -0.0004, P = 0.003), participants with (β = -0.0013, P = 0.012) and without (β = -0.0004, P = 0.003) overweight/obesity. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests revealed that the PA-VAI association was not modified by other covariates in individuals with overweight/obesity. Furthermore, RCS analyses revealed that PA was significantly, linearly and negatively associated with VAI in all participants, participants with and without overweight/obesity (all P < 0.05, all P for nonlinearity > 0.05). Noteworthily, as opposed to individuals without overweight/obesity, PA was significantly associated with lower VAI in participants with overweight/obesity after exceeding the threshold of 150 MET-h/wk. Conclusion: Increased PA was significantly associated with lower level of VAI, but a higher level of PA (> 150 MET-h/wk) was needed to obtain significantly lower level of VAI in individuals with overweight/obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lignocellulose is a renewable and sustainable resource used to produce second-generation biofuel ethanol to cope with the resource and energy crisis. Furfural is the most toxic inhibitor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells produced during lignocellulose treatment, and can reduce the ability of S. cerevisiae to utilize lignocellulose, resulting in low bioethanol yield. In this study, multiple rounds of progressive ionizing radiation was combined with adaptive laboratory evolution to improve the furfural tolerance of S. cerevisiae and increase the yield of ethanol. Results: In this study, the strategy of multiple rounds of progressive X-ray radiation combined with adaptive laboratory evolution significantly improved the furfural tolerance of brewing yeast. After four rounds of experiments, four mutant strains resistant to high concentrations of furfural were obtained (SCF-R1, SCF-R2, SCF-R3, and SCF-R4), with furfural tolerance concentrations of 4.0, 4.2, 4.4, and 4.5 g/L, respectively. Among them, the mutant strain SCF-R4 obtained in the fourth round of radiation had a cellular malondialdehyde content of 49.11 nmol/mg after 3 h of furfural stress, a weakening trend in mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, a decrease in accumulated reactive oxygen species, and a cell death rate of 12.60%, showing better cell membrane integrity, stable mitochondrial function, and an improved ability to limit reactive oxygen species production compared to the other mutant strains and the wild-type strain. In a fermentation medium containing 3.5 g/L furfural, the growth lag phase of the SCF-R4 mutant strain was shortened, and its growth ability significantly improved. After 96 h of fermentation, the ethanol production of the mutant strain SCF-R4 was 1.86 times that of the wild-type, indicating that with an increase in the number of irradiation rounds, the furfural tolerance of the mutant strain SCF-R4 was effectively enhanced. In addition, through genome-transcriptome analysis, potential sites related to furfural detoxification were identified, including GAL7, MAE1, PDC6, HXT1, AUS1, and TPK3. Conclusions: These results indicate that multiple rounds of progressive X-ray radiation combined with adaptive laboratory evolution is an effective mutagenic strategy for obtaining furfural-tolerant mutants and that it has the potential to tap genes related to the furfural detoxification mechanism. Highlights: Multi-round progressive X-ray radiation combined ALE bred furfural-resistant mutants Mutants obtained through four rounds of radiation exhibited higher resistance to furfural Membrane integrity, stable mitochondrial function, and antioxidant capacity, played an important role in resisting furfural stress Multi-omics analysis identified many potential mutational sites that enhance the strain's furfural tolerance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robot-assisted surgery has evolved into a crucial treatment for prostate cancer (PCa). However, from its appearance to today, brain-computer interface, virtual reality, and metaverse have revolutionized the field of robot-assisted surgery for PCa, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Especially in the context of contemporary big data and precision medicine, facing the heterogeneity of PCa and the complexity of clinical problems, it still needs to be continuously upgraded and improved. Keeping this in mind, this article summarized the 5 stages of the historical development of robot-assisted surgery for PCa, encompassing the stages of emergence, promotion, development, maturity, and intelligence. Initially, safety concerns were paramount, but subsequent research and engineering advancements have focused on enhancing device efficacy, surgical technology, and achieving precise multi modal treatment. The dominance of da Vinci robot-assisted surgical system has seen this evolution intimately tied to its successive versions. In the future, robot-assisted surgery for PCa will move towards intelligence, promising improved patient outcomes and personalized therapy, alongside formidable challenges. To guide future development, we propose 10 significant prospects spanning clinical, research, engineering, materials, social, and economic domains, envisioning a future era of artificial intelligence in the surgical treatment of PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing technology has the potential to enhance the lake's large-scale and long-term dynamic monitoring capabilities significantly. High-quality in-situ datasets are essential for improving the accuracy and reliability of remote sensing retrieval of lake ecosystems. This dataset provides satellite-ground synchronized in-situ data on water multi-parameters for typical lakes in China spanning the period between 2020 and 2023. It includes quality-checked water optical parameters (remote sensing reflectance (Rrs), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended matter (TSM) and Secchi disk depth (SDD)), and water surface temperature (WST) data. It encompasses 586 sampling points across 18 lakes. The dataset exhibits two significant highlights: Firstly, synchronous observations from multiple satellites are coordinated during the data collection effectively supporting the retrieval and validation of water remote sensing products. Secondly, it encompasses diverse data types, collecting synchronous measurements of Rrs and various parameters. This dataset will continuously update, substantially enhancing regional and global lake monitoring capabilities through satellite remote sensing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Heretofore, a series of research has targeted enhancing feed efficiency and identifying dependable feed efficiency biomarkers, yet less research has focused on improving RFI in Chuanzang black pigs. Therefore, our study facilitates a deeper understanding of the differences in serum and urine metabolites of Chuanzang black pigs with different residual feed intakes in seeking to identify differential metabolites with residual feed intake. Our study used a nontargeted metabolomics approach to analyze pig metabolite markers by differences in Chuanzang black pigs' serum and urine metabolites, providing new insights into the biological differences in residual feed intake selection in Chuanzang black pigs. We believe this paper would be of great interest to breeders of animals. This study was conducted to evaluate associations of blood variables and urine variables with different residual feed intakes (RFIs) in growing Chuanzang black (CB) pigs. A total of 228 growing CB boars from 99 days were used. The same basal diet was offered ad libitum and individual feed intake and body weight were measured over a period of 181 d. The CB pigs were categorized based on their residual feed intake values, with six individuals each from the high and low ends selected and divided into two groups: the low residual feed intake group (LS) and the high residual feed intake group (HS). Serum and urine samples were collected at the end of the experiment for determination of metabolomics profiling. Results showed that there were significantly different metabolites in serum and urine of different RFI groups (fold-change, FC > 2.0 or FC < 0.5, and p < 0.05), and 21 metabolites were identified in serum and 61 in urine. Cluster analysis showed that 20 metabolites were up-regulated and one metabolite was down-regulated in serum; 44 metabolites were up-regulated and 17 metabolites were down-regulated in urine. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the differential metabolites of serum were enriched in linoleic acid metabolism, and the differential metabolites of urine were enriched in steroid hormone biosynthesis, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis. The correlations between serum metabolites and urine metabolites indicated a significant positive correlation between all fatty acyls in serum metabolites and L-glutamate in urine. However, no compelling genetic or blood biomarkers have been found to explain the differences in RFI, suggesting multiple approaches to effective feed use in pigs. This study provides new insights into the subsequent assessment of RFI by metabolomics profiling, as well as the development of novel feed additives for the factors that will facilitate future research directions in CB pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of duck adenovirus Type 3 (DAdV-3) in chickens. In this study, this virus was identified through the amplification of specific viral fragments and whole-genome sequencing, and its pathogenicity was identified by means of its inoculation into chickens. The isolated DAdV-3 led to higher pathogenicity and fatality rates in chickens. The main clinical symptoms in the sacrificed chicks were hepatitis–hydropericardium syndrome (HHS), swollen and petechial hemorrhages of the bursa, and the gizzard's endothelium falling off easily. Histopathological examination showed swelling, necrosis, lymphocyte infiltration, and basophilic inclusion bodies in multiple organs. Higher antibody levels were found in the surviving chickens. The major variation domains (ORF19B, ORF66, and ORF67) did not change after infection with the virus in Muscovy ducks and chickens. This is the first study to report the pathogenicity of DAdV-3 in chickens, and it provides an experimental basis for newly infected hosts of DAdV-3. Duck adenovirus Type 3 (DAdV-3) severely affects the health of ducks; however, its pathogenicity in chickens remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the pathogenicity and major pathological changes caused by DAdV-3 in chickens. Viral DNA was extracted from the liver of the Muscovy duck, and the fiber-2 and hexon fragments of DAdV-3 were amplified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The evolutionary tree revealed that the isolated virus belonged to DAdV-3, and it was named HE-AN-2022. The mortality rate of chicks that received inoculation with DAdV-3 subcutaneously via the neck was 100%, while the mortality rate for eye–nose drop inoculation was correlated with the numbers of infection, with 26.7% of chicks dying as a result of exposure to multiple infections. The main symptoms exhibited prior to death were hepatitis–hydropericardium syndrome (HHS), ulceration of the glandular stomach, and a swollen bursa with petechial hemorrhages. A histopathological examination revealed swelling, necrosis, lymphocyte infiltration, and basophilic inclusion bodies in multiple organs. Meanwhile, the results of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) demonstrated that DAdV-3 could affect most of the organs in chickens, with the gizzard, glandular stomach, bursa, spleen, and liver being the most susceptible to infection. The surviving chicks had extremely high antibody levels. After the chickens were infected with DAdV-3 derived from Muscovy ducks, no amino acid mutation was observed in the major mutation regions of the virus, which were ORF19B, ORF66, and ORF67. On the basis of our findings, we concluded that DAdV-3 infection is possible in chickens, and that it causes classic HHS with ulceration of the glandular stomach and a swollen bursa with petechial hemorrhages, leading to high mortality in chickens. The major variation domains did not change in Muscovy ducks or in chickens after infection. This is the first study to report DAdV-3 in chickens, providing a new basis for preventing and controlling this virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In electric vehicles (EVs), the low voltage dc‐dc converter (LDC) with synchronous rectifier switches (SRs) can be used to reduce conduction loss caused by the high load current and improve the efficiency. Therefore, it is important to design a proper turn‐on time of SRs. As a popular driving strategy for the SRs, the drain–source voltage across the SRs is sensed to generate the gate driving signal. However, when LLC dc–dc converter operates at O mode, there will be a voltage ringing across the SRs. If the ringing voltage reaches to the threshold voltage −Vth,on, it would make SRs turn‐on early and results in abnormally working of the converter. The novelty and contribution of this paper lie in: (1) elaborating on the voltage ringing across the SRs, (2) the accurate ringing model is established during O mode, and (3) a simple, lossless, and low‐cost filter circuit is used to solve the negative effect of the ringing voltage for LLC converter at high load current. A 1.26 kW experimental prototype with ≈250–430 V wide input voltage and ≈9–16 V wide output voltage is implemented, 96.7% peak efficiency and 96% full load efficiency are achieved with a 3.12 kW/L power density. The theoretical analysis has been validated by the simulated and experimental results, and the SR LLC dc–dc converter with the SR works efficiently and reliably with the proposed solution at a high load current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to high computation complexity, traditional design methods for LLC converter usually consider limited kinds of performance, and the process for searching the optimal parameter scheme is discrete, which might cause the missing of real optimal solution. In order to solve these problems, a multi‐objectives optimization design method for the LLC converter is proposed in this paper. According to the numerical calculation method, a closed parameter space for resonant parameters is established under the constraints of operation mode, switching frequency, zero voltage switching (ZVS), and voltage stress of resonant capacitor. Besides, the root‐mean‐square (RMS) value of resonant current and secondary current, as well as the core loss of the transformer, are selected as the optimization objectives. Non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA‐II) is utilized to deal with these multi‐objective formulations. In order to reduce the computation complexity, a data‐driven method, called adaptive polynomial approximation (APA), is selected to obtain the explicit expressions of the parameter space and the optimization objectives. Then, by substituting this simplified surrogate model into the NSGA‐II algorithm, the optimal parameter scheme is obtained. The comprehensive comparison analysis is performed, and a 400 W/48 V experimental prototype was built to verify the theoretical analysis, which shows that the proposed method features the highest efficiency of 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a reduced‐switch‐count two‐phase interleaved LLC converter with precise current balancing is proposed by using switching‐control‐capacitor (SCC) technology. Compared with the conventional SCC‐LLC converter, the proposed two‐phase SCC‐LLC converter reduces the switch count with the SCC circuits, and achieves excellent current sharing under all the tolerance conditions between the two‐phase resonant elements. In the proposed converter, the SCC circuit is only used in the first phase. The design of the SCC circuit parameters is analyzed to reduce the voltage stress of the SCC circuit and to ensure that two‐phase currents are balancing with large tolerance of resonant elements. A 2.16‐kW GaN‐based two‐phase interleaved SCC‐LLC converter prototype is established for data center application, and the experimental results show that the 98.1% peak efficiency, the 97.6% full load efficiency, and higher than 96% efficiency at the wide range from 3‐A to 40‐A load current are achieved. The precise current sharing lower than 1% is achieved by using a cheap ceramic capacitor with high tolerance, which validates the performance of the converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic inflammation stands as a pivotal factor tightly interwoven with the progression of COVID‐19. This study endeavors to elucidate the significance of three key inflammatory molecules, that is, heparin‐binding protein (HBP), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and C‐reactive protein (CRP), in assessing the severity and prognostic implications of COVID‐19. Methods: The demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were retrospectively collected from a cohort of 214 adult patients diagnosed with COVID‐19. Patients were divided into two groups: nonsevere (n = 93; 43.5%) and severe (n = 121; 56.5%). Additionally, based on their organ function, patients were categorized into nonorgan failure (n = 137) and organ failure (n = 77) groups. The levels of inflammation‐related cytokines were then compared among these defined groups. Results: The severe group was characterized by a higher proportion of males, older age, and longer hospital stays compared to nonsevere cases. Additionally, severe cases exhibited a higher prevalence of underlying diseases and organ failure. Statistical analysis revealed significantly elevated levels of HBP, IL‐6, and CRP in the severe group. HBP, IL‐6, and CRP were identified as independent risk factors for severe COVID‐19. Furthermore, a combined assessment of these biomarkers demonstrated superior diagnostic sensitivity (85.10%) and specificity (95.70%) for predicting COVID‐19 severity. A positive relationship between elevated HBP, IL‐6, and CRP levels and impaired organ function was also observed. The predictive efficiency significantly increased (hazard ratio = 3.631, log‐rank p = 0.003) when two or more of them were combinedly used. Notably, elevated levels of HBP, IL‐6, and CRP were associated with an increased risk of mortality. Conclusions: In conclusion, the combined assessment of HBP, IL‐6, and CRP offers enhanced accuracy and specificity in predicting the severity, organ failure, and mortality risk associated with COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of patellar denervation (PD) and non‐patellar denervation (NPD) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without patellar resurfacing, this study conducted systematic electronic searches in November 2023 using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus, adhering to Cochrane Collaboration recommendations. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Additionally, a manual search was performed to identify potentially eligible studies from the reference lists of review articles. Two researchers independently conducted literature reviews, data extraction, and risk of bias assessments. The outcome analysis encompassed the incidence of anterior knee pain (AKP), visual analogue scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM), American Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), patellar score (PS), complications, and reoperations. Meta‐analysis was executed using RevMan 5.3 software. To enhance the credibility of the study, TSA v0.9 software was utilized to perform power analysis on the overall efficacy of primary and secondary outcomes. Twelve studies involving 1745 patients (1587 knees) were included, with 852 undergoing PD and 893 undergoing NPD. Results indicated a superior reduction in AKP incidence in the PD group compared to the NPD group. Statistically significant differences were observed between PD and NPD in KSS, OKS, and PS. However, the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for each outcome fell below the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). No significant differences were found in VAS and ROM between PD and NPD. Additionally, PD was not associated with an increased incidence of complications or reoperations. Within 12 months and beyond, PD was proven to be a beneficial intervention in reducing AKP following TKA without patellar resurfacing, achieved without an increase in complications or reoperations. Regarding KSS, OKS, and PS, the minimal advantage achievable through PD may not be clinically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the associations of tea, coffee, and red wine intakes with health risks among individuals with hypertension. Methods This prospective cohort study included participants with hypertension from the UK Biobank cohort. Study exposures included self-reported intakes of coffee, tea, and red wine. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes were cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular disease. The associations of beverage intake with outcomes were analyzed using Cox regression models. The hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Results A total of 187 708 participants with hypertension were included. The median follow-up period was 13.8 years. In individuals with hypertension, drinking one to two cups/day of coffee or three to four cups/day of tea was significantly associated with the lowest risk of all-cause mortality compared with less than one cup/day [hazard ratio for coffee, 0.943 (95% confidence interval, 0.908–0.979); hazard ratio for tea, 0.882 (95% confidence interval, 0.841–0.924)]. Red wine intake was inversely associated with all-cause mortality risk. Dose–response analysis revealed that high coffee intake (approximately greater than or equal to six cups/day) was significantly associated with increased risks of cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular disease, but high tea and red wine intakes were not. Furthermore, replacing plain water with tea, but not coffee, significantly reduced the risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease. Replacing other alcoholic beverages with red wine also significantly reduced the risks of all three outcomes. Conclusions These findings suggest that tea and red wine, but not coffee, can be part of a healthy diet for the hypertensive population. What is already known on this topic Previous studies showed that intakes of tea, coffee, and red wine were associated with health benefits in the general population. What this study adds Tea and red wine intakes were inversely associated with mortality and cardiovascular risk in individuals with hypertension, and these effects were not attributable to the respective water and alcohol ingredients. Modest and high coffee intakes were associated with slightly reduced mortality and elevated cardiovascular risk, respectively, and coffee intake was not more beneficial than water intake. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy Tea and red wine, but not coffee, can be part of a healthy diet in individuals with hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise monitoring of bearings is crucial for the timely detection of issues in rotating mechanical systems. However, the high complexity of the structures makes the paths of vibration signal transmission exceedingly intricate, posing significant challenges in diagnosing aero-engine bearing faults. Therefore, a Rotational-Spectrum-informed Scale-aware Robustness (RSSR) neural network is proposed in this study to address intricate fault characteristics and significant noise interference. The RSSR algorithm amalgamates a scale-aware feature extraction block, a non-activation convolutional network, and an innovative channel attention block, striking a balance between simplicity and efficacy. We provide a comprehensive analysis by comparing traditional CNNs, transformers, and their respective variants. Our strategy not only elevates diagnostic precision but also judiciously moderates the network's parameter count and computational intensity, mitigating the propensity for overfitting. To assess the efficacy of our proposed network, we performed rigorous testing using two complex, publicly available datasets, with additional artificial noise introductions to simulate challenging operational environments. On the noise-free dataset, our technique increased the accuracy by 5.11% on the aero-engine dataset compared with the current mainstream methods. Even under maximal noise conditions, it enhances the average accuracy by 4.49% compared with other contemporary approaches. The results demonstrate that our approach outperforms other techniques in terms of diagnostic performance and generalization ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of social science research investigates whether the economic payoff to a college education is heterogeneous — in particular, whether disadvantaged youth can benefit more from attending and completing college relative to their more advantaged peers. Scholars, however, have employed different analytical strategies and reported mixed findings. To shed light on this literature, I propose a causal mediation approach to conceptualizing, evaluating, and unpacking the causal effects of college on earnings. By decomposing the total effect of attending a four-year college into several direct and indirect components, this approach not only clarifies the mechanisms through which college attendance boosts earnings, but illuminates the ways in which the postsecondary system may be both an equalizer and a stratifier. The total effect of college attendance, its direct and indirect components, and their heterogeneity across different subpopulations are all identified under the assumption of sequential ignorability. I introduce a debiased machine learning (DML) method for estimating all quantities of interest, along with a set of bias formulas for sensitivity analysis. I illustrate the proposed framework and methodology using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Submerged Floating Tunnel (SFT) relies on a tensioned mooring system for precise positioning. The sudden breakage of a single cable can trigger an immediate alteration in the constraint conditions of the tube, inducing a transient heave response within the structure along with a transient increase in cable tension experienced by adjacent cables. In more severe cases, this may even lead to a progressive failure culminating in the global destruction of the SFT. This study used ANSYS/AQWA to establish a numerical model of the entire length SFT for the hydrodynamic response analysis, and conducted a coupled calculation of the dynamic responses of the SFT-mooring line model based on OrcaFlex to study the global dynamic responses of the SFT at the moment of cable breakage and the redistribution of cable internal forces. The most unfavorable position for SFT cable breakage was identified, the influence mechanism of cable breakage at different positions on the global dynamic response was revealed, and the progressive chain failure pattern caused by localized cable breakage are also clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]