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Root resource acquisition strategies play a crucial role in understanding plant water uptake and drought adaptation. However, the interrelationships among mycorrhizal associations, root hair development, and fine root strategies, as well as the disparities between C 3 and C 4 grasses, remain largely unknown. A pot experiment was conducted to determine leaf gas exchange, root morphology, root hair, mycorrhizal fungi, and biomass allocation of three C 4 grasses and four C 3 grasses, common species of grasslands in Northeast China, under the control and drought conditions. Compared to the C 3 grasses, the C 4 grasses increased specific surface area by decreasing tissue density, yet exhibited root hair factor at only 21 % of the C 3 grasses. Under the drought conditions, the C 4 grasses exhibited more intense and extensive adjustments in root traits, characterized by shifts toward a more conservative morphology with increased root diameter and tissue density, as well as reduced mycorrhizal colonization rates. These adaptations led to a decrease in root absorptive function, which was compensated in the C 4 grasses by greater root biomass partitioning and root hair factor. Variances in root strategies between plants functional groups were closely related to leaf photosynthetic rate, water and nitrogen use efficiency. We observed that the C 4 grasses prefer direct acquisition of soil resources through the fine root pathway over the root hair or mycorrhizal pathway, suggesting a 'do-it-yourself' approach. These findings provide valuable insights into how plant communities of different photosynthetic types might respond to future climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study focused on detecting streptomycin (STR) residues using a luminescent aptasensor encapsulated with aptamer. Utilizing MOF-74-Co with peroxidase-like activity, luminol was enclosed in its pores. The specific STR aptamer acted as a gatekeeper, ensuring excellent performance. Upon exposure to STR, the aptamers detached, releasing luminol and amplifying the luminescent signal through MOF-74-Co catalytic activity. A linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and STR concentration (50 nM ∼ 5 × 10 6  nM) was established, with a limit of detection of 0.065 nM. The sensor exhibited high selectivity for STR even in the presence of other aminoglycoside antibiotics. Applied to tea, egg, and honey samples, the sensor showed recovery rates of 91.38-100.2%, meeting safety standards. This MOF-based aptasensor shows promise for detecting harmful residues., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a gut-derived hormone secreted by intestinal L cells and vital for postprandial glycemic control. As open-type enteroendocrine cells, whether L cells can sense mechanical stimuli caused by chyme and thus regulate GLP-1 synthesis and secretion is unexplored. Molecular biology techniques revealed the expression of Piezo1 in intestinal L cells. Its level varied in different energy status and correlates with blood glucose and GLP-1 levels. Mice with L cell-specific loss of Piezo1 ( Piezo1 IntL-CKO) exhibited impaired glucose tolerance, increased body weight, reduced GLP-1 production and decreased CaMKKβ/CaMKIV-mTORC1 signaling pathway under normal chow diet or high-fat diet. Activation of the intestinal Piezo1 by its agonist Yoda1 or intestinal bead implantation increased the synthesis and secretion of GLP-1, thus alleviated glucose intolerance in diet-induced-diabetic mice. Overexpression of Piezo1, Yoda1 treatment or stretching stimulated GLP-1 production and CaMKKβ/CaMKIV-mTORC1 signaling pathway, which could be abolished by knockdown or blockage of Piezo1 in primary cultured mouse L cells and STC-1 cells. These experimental results suggest a previously unknown regulatory mechanism for GLP-1 production in L cells, which could offer new insights into diabetes treatments., Competing Interests: YH, HM, JY, LG, TT, QS, WG, YZ, JL, QW, JG, HZ, LZ, HC, GX No competing interests declared, (© 2024, Huang, Mo, Yang et al.)

Hydrogels with remarkable flexibility have gained popularity as materials for current research. However, the unfavorable properties of short-term adhesion, susceptibility to damage, and freezing in low-temperature presented by conventional hydrogels have become bottlenecks for further applications. In this work, an anti-freezing hydrogel with excellent mechanical, adhesion, and self-healing properties were developed by constructing a persistent semiquinone/quinone-catechol redox equilibrium environment. The introduction of lignin-modified cellulose nanofibers (LCNFs) significantly improved the overall mechanical properties of the material, driven by strong hydrogen bond interactions. This enhancement was evident in the tensile properties (97.74 ± 1.72 kPa, 783 %) and compression properties (> 90 %). Within the internal network of the gel, the synergistic action of lignin and ammonium persulfate resulted in the production of catechol, which imparted the gel with excellent adhesion properties (28.26 ± 2.13 KPa) and broad adhesion applicability. In addition, the incorporation of ethylene glycol (EG) positively contributed to the strengthening of the gel while endowed with tunable anti-freezing properties. Given the exceptional advantages of the prepared hydrogels, they were used to assemble flexible strain sensors with outstanding sensitivity for monitoring human motions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, the paradigm of neural implicit representations has gained substantial attention in the field of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). However, a notable gap exists in the existing approaches when it comes to scene understanding. In this paper, we introduce NIS-SLAM, an efficient neural implicit semantic RGB-D SLAM system, that leverages a pre-trained 2D segmentation network to learn consistent semantic representations. Specifically, for high-fidelity surface reconstruction and spatial consistent scene understanding, we combine high-frequency multi-resolution tetrahedron-based features and low-frequency positional encoding as the implicit scene representations. Besides, to address the inconsistency of 2D segmentation results from multiple views, we propose a fusion strategy that integrates the semantic probabilities from previous non-keyframes into keyframes to achieve consistent semantic learning. Furthermore, we implement a confidence-based pixel sampling and progressive optimization weight function for robust camera tracking. Extensive experimental results on various datasets show the better or more competitive performance of our system when compared to other existing neural dense implicit RGB-D SLAM approaches. Finally, we also show that our approach can be used in augmented reality applications. Project page: https://zju3dv.github.io/nis_slam.

Objective: To evaluate the classification and prognostic effects of a 2 cm tumor size in patients with ureteral cancer (UC) undergoing segmental ureterectomy (SU)., Patients and Methods: A total of 75 patients with UC who underwent SU in our hospital between April 2013 and April 2023 were included in this study. The study population was grouped based on tumor size, which was defined as the maximum diameter of the pathological specimens, resulting in 30 patients (40.0%) with tumor size <2 cm and 45 patients (60.0%) with tumor size ≥2 cm. The clinicopathological variables, perioperative parameters, and oncological outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. The endpoints were recurrence-free survival (RFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS)., Results: A tumor ≥2 cm was related to a higher positive rate of urine exfoliative cytology (P = 0.049) and fewer preoperative ureteroscopies (P = 0.033) than tumors <2 cm. After a follow-up of 6.3 to 128.7 months (median 40.2 months), 23 cases (30.7%) experienced recurrence and 11 patients (14.7%) succumbed to UC in the end. Compared to those with tumor size <2 cm, patients with tumor size ≥2 cm experienced more urothelial recurrence (P = 0.032). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with tumor size ≥2 cm displayed inferior urothelial RFS than those with tumor size <2 cm (P = 0.026). Multivariate Cox analysis identified tumor size ≥2 cm, and pathological stage ≥T2 were significant prognostic factors of poor urothelial RFS (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Tumor size ≥2 cm was associated with a high rate of urothelial recurrence and served as an independent prognostic factor of adverse urothelial RFS in SU-treated patients with UC. Patients are advised to select surgical treatments for UC following the EAU guidelines., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: To evaluate the effect of Embrella, a novel-designed colonoscopic distal attachment, on adenoma detection rate (ADR) and adenoma per colonoscopy (APC), compared with standard colonoscopy in routine practice., Methods: All consecutive participants who underwent routine colonoscopic examinations at 3 endoscopy centers in China were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the Embrella-assisted colonoscopy (EAC) or standard colonoscopy (SC) groups. ADR, APC, inspection time, pain scores, and adverse events were recorded., Results: Overall, 1,179 participants were randomized into the EAC (n = 593) and SC groups (n = 586). EAC increased the overall ADR from 24.6% to 34.2% ( P < 0.001) and improved APC from 0.44 to 0.64 ( P = 0.002). Subgroup analyses indicated that EAC significantly improved ADR for adenomas < 10 mm (13.8% vs 8.5%, P = 0.004 for 5-9 mm and 27.0% vs 17.2%, P < 0.001 for < 5 mm), nonpedunculated adenomas (26.6% vs 18.8%, P < 0.001), and adenomas in the transverse (10.8% vs 6.1%, P = 0.004) and left colon (21.6% vs 13.7%, P < 0.001). APC in the subgroup analyses was consistent with ADR. The mean inspection time was shorter with EAC (6.52 vs 6.68 minutes, P = 0.046), with no significant impact on participants' pain scores ( P = 0.377). Moreover, no EAC-related adverse events occurred., Discussion: EAC significantly increased ADR and APC compared with SC, particularly for adenomas <10 mm, nonpedunculated adenomas, and adenomas in the transverse and left colon., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Lysosome targeting chimeras (LYTACs) have emerged as a powerful modality that can eliminate traditionally undruggable extracellular tumor-related pathogenic proteins, but their low bioavailability and nonspecific distribution significantly restrict their efficacy in precision tumor therapy. Developing a LYTAC system that can selectively target tumor tissues and enable a modular design is crucial but challenging. We here report a programmable nanoplatform for tumor-specific degradation of multipathogenic proteins using an intelligent modular DNA LYTAC (IMTAC) nanodevice. We employ circular DNA origami to integrate predesigned modular multitarget protein binding sites and pH-responsive protein degradation promoters that specifically recognize cell-surface lysosome-shuttling receptors in tumor tissues. By precisely manipulating the stoichiometry and modularity of promoters and ligands targeting diverse proteins, the IMTAC nanodevice enables accurate localization and delivery into tumor tissues, where the acidic tumor microenvironment triggers degradation switch activation, multivalent binding, and efficient degradation of various prespecified proteins. The tissue-specificity and multiple ligands in IMTACs significantly improve the drug utilization rate while reducing off-target effects. Importantly, this system demonstrates the capability of collabo-rative degradation of EGFR and PDL1 in tumor tissue for combined targeting and immunity therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), resulting in obvious tumor necrosis and inhibition of tumor growth in vivo even at low concentrations. This study presents a unique strategy for building a general, intelligent, modular, and simple encoded nanoplatform for designing precision medicine degraders and developing proprietary antitumor drugs.

Lignin has attracted wide attention in sustainable environment remediation, especially the polyphenol-metal-network (PMN) based on lignin that shows unique applicability. In this work, by self-assembly of double PMN formed by lignin, plant tannins (TA) and Fe ions, a universal gravel-like lignin catalysts were reported for cost-efficient water purification. A controllable self-assembly technique dependent in pH was developed, achieving the controllable synthesis of materials with highly uniformity. Driven by strong multiple intermolecular interactions and PMN mediated TA-Fe Fenton system, this bio-based material exhibited efficient interfacial capture (65.70 mg·g -1 ) and in-situ degradation performance (95.40 %), and removed ubiquitous dye contaminants through static and flowing operation. Benefiting from this, effective flowing purify platform that continuously purify large-scale dye-containing wastewater through flowthrough strategy was profiled, confirming the potential in real industrial system. The theoretical calculations including molecular dynamics simulation contributed to providing insightful comprehension for co-assembly of system and their intermolecular interaction with dye molecules. Additionally, this material also showed magnetic response ability, stable reusability performance, and extended preparation advantages. This work provided a facile strategy to develop advanced lignin-based double PMN derived materials to support water purification by utilizing solid-waste to repair liquid-waste., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence this work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper reports the antitumor activity and possible mechanism of anthraquinone derivatives containing substituted bisbenzyloxy groups. Series of anthraquinone derivatives containing substituted bisbenzyloxy groups were designed and synthesized by etherification and esterification. The antitumor activities of the synthesized substituted bisbenzyloxy anthraquinone derivatives on liver cancer cell Huh7, triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and lung cancer cell A549 were in the order of methoxy substitution > methyl substitution > chloral substitution. Among these, the Compound KA-MO-g showed strong antitumor activity, especially against liver cancer Huh7 cells. Further studies on the antitumor mechanism showed that the Compound KA-MO-g simultaneously activated three pathways of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), also caused impairment of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) functions, such as glycoprotein synthesis and disulfide bond formation are impeded and caused calcium overload, then increased mitochondrial ROS, damaged of mitochondria, changed of apoptosis-related protein levels, activated Caspase 3, induced the apoptosis of Huh7 cells. Because KA-MO-g showed strong antitumor activity, it is expected to be a new candidate drug for treating liver cancer and is worth further study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite continuous expansion of the RNA binding protein (RBP) world, there is a lack of systematic understanding of RBPs in the mammalian testis, which harbors one of the most complex tissue transcriptomes. We adapted RNA interactome capture to mouse male germ cells, building an RBP atlas characterized by multiple layers of dynamics along spermatogenesis. Trapping of RNA-cross-linked peptides showed that the glutamic acid-arginine (ER) patch, a residue-coevolved polyampholytic element present in coiled coils, enhances RNA binding of its host RBPs. Deletion of this element in NONO (non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein) led to a defective mitosis-to-meiosis transition due to compromised NONO-RNA interactions. Whole-exome sequencing of over 1000 infertile men revealed a prominent role of RBPs in the human genetic architecture of male infertility and identified risk ER patch variants.

This study aimed to enhance the efficiency of SBES in remediating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soils by modifying the anode with laccase. The experiment involved four SBES anodes: a carbon nanotube-modified anode (CNT), a free laccase-modified anode (Lac), a gelatin-encapsulated laccase-modified anode (Lac-Gel), and a CaCO 3 sustained-release microsphere-loaded laccase-modified (CaCO 3 -SMs@Laccase) anode (Lac-SMs). The CaCO 3 -SMs@Laccase notably extended the active period of laccase, with laccase activity in the Lac-SMs measured at 1.646 U/g after 16 days, which was significantly higher than the 0.813 U/g observed in the Lac-Gel group and the 0.206 U/g in the Lac group. The superior electricity generation and degradation efficiency observed in the Lac-SMs group were due to the sustained enzymatic activity provided by the CaCO3-SMs@Laccase. The prevention of anode acidification through CaCO 3 decomposition, and promote the forward progress of electrochemical reactions. The phenanthrene (Phe) and pyrene (Pyr) removal efficiency in the soil of the Lac-SMs reached 90.78 % and 84.72 %, surpassing those of the Lac-Gel (80.36 % and 79.14 %), Lac (79.38 % and 69.31 %), and CNT (63.22 % and 56.98 %). The degradation pathway from Pyr to Phe was possible started with hydroxylation. In addition, the laccase also transformed the predominant microbial communities and metabolism pathways., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Macrocycles incorporating conformationally defined indoles are widely found in bioactive natural products. However, the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of planar-chiral indoles via indolization involving macrocyclization remains elusive. Herein, we present the first rhodium(III)-catalyzed atroposelective macrocyclization, which involves the C-H activation of aniline, and a subsequent oxidation [3 + 2] annulation reaction with an intramolecular alkyne. This protocol achieves the construction of indoles, macrocyclization, and planar chirality control in a single step. Importantly, this strategy produces macrocyclic atropisomers bearing full-carbon ansa chains, which represent challenging targets in organic synthesis. Thermodynamic experiments revealed that the rotational barrier of the full-carbon ansa chain-linked macrocyclic atropisomer was lower than that of the atropisomer bearing an oxa-ansa chain. The reaction mechanism was elucidated by computational studies, which revealed that the C-H activation and intramolecular alkyne insertion steps collectively determined the enantioselectivity.

Hydrogen will potentially play a key role while transitioning to a net-zero economy. This study addresses resource, environmental, economic, policy, and societal issues related to low-carbon hydrogen production by steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage in Wyoming and other natural-gas-rich states. For low-carbon hydrogen produced from natural gas and electricity supplies and which stores CO 2 in saline reservoirs in Wyoming, the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) ranges from $1.62-2.00/kg H 2 , and the life cycle emissions range from 3.85-5.74 kg CO 2 -eq/kg H 2 . If claimed, the 45Q tax credit decreases the LCOH by 19%. Although the supplies of renewable natural gas feedstock and zero- or low-carbon electricity can lower the carbon footprint to make hydrogen projects qualified for the 45V tax credit, the 45Q tax credit is still a stronger economic incentive. To reduce the supply cost, a hydrogen cluster can be developed in the state by leveraging the colocation and coavailability of multiple natural resources and transport infrastructure. Developing a hydrogen cluster can directly create several thousand construction jobs and several hundred permanent jobs in Wyoming. Low-carbon hydrogen production can also be scaled up in other states across the nation.

Fusarium head blight in wheat is mainly caused by Fusarium graminearum and results in significant economic losses. Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is ubiquitously produced across organisms and functions as a hydrogen carrier in energy metabolism. While UbiH in Escherichia coli serves as a hydroxylase in CoQ biosynthesis, its role in phytopathogenic fungi is not well understood. This study explored the role of the hydroxylase FgUbiH in F. graminearum . Using a FgUbiH deletion mutant, we observed reduced hyphal growth, conidial production, germination, toxin synthesis, and pathogenicity compared to the wild-type. A transcriptome analysis indicated FgUbiH 's involvement in regulating carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Deletion of FgUbiH impaired mitochondrial function, reducing adenosine triphosphate synthesis and increasing reactive oxygen species. Additionally, genes related to terpene skeleton synthesis and aldehyde dehydrogenase were downregulated. Our results underscore the importance of FgUbiH in F. graminearum 's growth, toxin production, and energy metabolism, aiding in the development of strategies for disease management.

The diversity of soil adsorbents for arsenic (As) and the often-overlooked influence of manganese (Mn) on As(III) oxidation impose challenges in predicting As adsorption in soils. This study uses Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction of oriented clay, and batch experiments to develop a kinetic coupled multi-surface complexation model that characterizes As adsorbents in natural soils and quantifies their contributions to As adsorption. The model integrates dynamic adsorption behaviors and Mn-oxide interactions with unified thermodynamic and kinetic parameters. The results indicate that As adsorption is governed by five primary adsorbents: poorly crystalline Fe oxides, well crystalline Fe oxides, Fe-rich clay, Fe-depletion clay, and organic carbon (OC). Fe oxides dominate As adsorption at low As concentrations. However, at higher As concentrations, soils from carbonate strata, with higher content of Fe-rich clay, exhibit stronger As adsorption capabilities than soils from Quaternary sediment strata. The enrichment in Fe-rich clay can enhance the resistance of adsorbed As to reduction processes affecting Fe oxides. Additionally, extensive redox cycles in paddy fields increase OC levels, enhancing their As adsorption compared to upland fields. This model framework provides novel insights into the intricate dynamics of As within soils and a versatile tool for predicting As adsorption across diverse soils., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The work intends to extend the moiré physics to three dimensions. Three-dimensional moiré patterns can be realized in ultracold atomic gases by coupling two spin states in spin-dependent optical lattices with a relative twist, a structure currently unachievable in solid-state materials. We give the commensurate conditions under which the three-dimensional moiré pattern features a periodic structure termed a three-dimensional moiré crystal. We emphasize a key distinction of three-dimensional moiré physics: In three dimensions, the twist operation generically does not commute with the rotational symmetry of the original lattice, unlike in two dimensions, where these two always commute. Consequently, the moiré crystal can exhibit a crystalline structure that differs from the original underlying lattice. We demonstrate that twisting a simple cubic lattice can generate various crystal structures. This capability of altering crystal structures by twisting offers a broad range of tunability for three-dimensional band structures.

Atroposelective synthesis of meta -disubstituted [ n ]paracyclophanes is a difficult task in organic chemistry. We describe a facile approach for the synthesis of meta -disubstituted [ n ]paracyclophanes using Pd-catalyzed enantioselective C-H olefination and sequential reductive cleavage. A wide range of [ n ]paracyclophanes was obtained with excellent enantioselectivity. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the rotational barrier of meta -disubstituted [ n ]paracyclophanes was lower than that of para -disubstituted [ n ]paracyclophanes. The synthesized planar-chiral [14]paracyclophane showed a bright fluorescence emission and impressive circularly polarized luminescence activity.

Research into aging constitutes a pivotal endeavor aimed at elucidating the underlying biological mechanisms governing aging and age-associated diseases, as well as promoting healthy longevity. Recent advances in transcriptomic technologies, such as bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), single-cell transcriptomics, and spatial transcriptomics, have revolutionized our ability to study aging at unprecedented resolution and scale. These technologies present novel opportunities for the discovery of biomarkers, elucidation of molecular pathways, and development of targeted therapeutic strategies for age-related disorders. This review surveys recent breakthroughs in different types of transcripts on aging, such as mRNA, long noncoding (lnc)RNA, tRNA, and miRNA, highlighting key findings and discussing their potential implications for future studies in this field., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

With the rapid development of flexible wearable electronics, the demand for stretchable energy storage devices has surged. In this work, a novel gradient-layered architecture was design based on single-pore hollow lignin nanospheres (HLNPs)-intercalated two-dimensional transition metal carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene) for fabricating highly stretchable and durable supercapacitors. By depositing and inserting HLNPs in the MXene layers with a bottom-up decreasing gradient, a multilayered porous MXene structure with smooth ion channels was constructed by reducing the overstacking of MXene lamella. Moreover, the micro-chamber architecture of thin-walled lignin nanospheres effectively extended the contact area between lignin and MXene to improve ion and electron accessibility, thus better utilizing the pseudocapacitive property of lignin. All these strategies effectively enhanced the capacitive performance of the electrodes. In addition, HLNPs, which acted as a protective phase for MXene layer, enhanced mechanical properties of the wrinkled stretchable electrodes by releasing stress through slip and deformation during the stretch-release cycling and greatly improved the structural integrity and capacitive stability of the electrodes. Flexible electrodes and symmetric flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors capable of enduring 600% uniaxial tensile strain were developed with high specific capacitances of 1273 mF cm -2 (241 F g -1 ) and 514 mF cm -2 (95 F g -1 ), respectively. Moreover, their capacitances were well preserved after 1000 times of 600% stretch-release cycling. This study showcased new possibilities of incorporating biobased lignin nanospheres in energy storage devices to fabricate stretchable devices leveraging synergies among various two-dimensional nanomaterials., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Spike compactness (SC) is strongly associated with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield. In this study, we conducted a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from a cross between two common wheat varieties with contrasting spike morphology, revealing 16 stable QTLs associated with SC. The effect of a major QTL, QSc.cau-6B.1, was validated in 231 F7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the same cross as the DH population. Using two residual heterozygous lines (RHLs), we delimited QSc.cau-6B.1 to an approximately 0.5-Mbp physical interval containing four high-confidence genes. The tetratricopeptide repeat-TraesCS6B03G1214400 (TaTPR-B1) was the priority candidate gene according to sequence and expression variations between near-isogenic lines. Accordingly, TaTPR-B1 knockout in the common wheat variety 'CB037' significantly increased SC compared to the wild type (WT). Conversely, TaTPR-B1 overexpression in the common wheat variety 'Fielder' significantly decreased SC compared to the WT. Moreover, we developed a PCR-based marker targeting the 32-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) between the two TaTPR-B1 alleles, which could be practical and valuable in modern wheat breeding programs for diagnostic purposes. Collectively, these findings provide insight into the genetic basis of SC in common wheat and present a valuable target with a breeder-friendly diagnostic marker for gene pyramid breeding., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a predominant cause of intestinal infections. The intrinsic enteric nervous system (ENS) occupies the intestinal tissue in large numbers and intricately regulates various aspects of intestinal function. Nonetheless, the specific effects of CDI on the intrinsic ENS remain underexplored. Herein, we employed the TcdB variant (TcdB2) derived from hypervirulent C. difficile to elucidate the impact of CDI on neurons located in colonic wall. We found that TcdB2 directly induced dose-dependent cytopathic effects on enteric neurons both in vitro and in adult mice colons. Notably, an increased expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and neural nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in colonic neurons prior to the onset of cytopathic changes following treatment with TcdB2 were observed, both in vivo and in vitro. These findings suggest that during CDI, TcdB not only causes neuronal loss but also alters the composition of neurotransmitters in the ENS., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a blistering autoimmune disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. The precise mechanisms by which PV antibodies induce a complete loss of cohesion of keratinocytes are not fully understood. But it is accepted that the process starts with antibody binding to desmosomal targets which leads to its disassembly and subsequent structural changes to cell-cell adhesions. In vitro immunofluorescence imaging of desmosome molecules has been used to characterize this initial phase, often qualitatively. However, there remains an untapped potential of image analysis in providing us more in-depth knowledge regarding ultrastructural changes after antibody binding. Currently, there is no such effort to establish a quantitative framework from immunofluorescence images in PV pathology. We take on this effort here in a comprehensive study to examine the effects of antibodies on key adhesion molecules and the cytoskeletal network, aiming to establish a correlation of ultrastructural changes in cell-cell adhesion with antibody pathogenicity. Specifically, we introduced a data-driven approach to quantitatively evaluate perturbations in adhesion molecules, including desmoglein 3, E-cadherin, as well as the cytoskeleton, following antibody treatment. We identify distinct immunofluorescence imaging signatures that mark the impact of antibody binding on the remodeling of the adhesion molecules and introduce a pathogenicity score to compare the relative effects of different antibodies. From this analysis, we showed that the biophysical response of keratinocytes to distinct PV associated antibodies is highly specific, allowing for accurate prediction of their pathogenicity. For instance, the high pathogenicity scores of the PVIgG and AK23 antibodies show strong agreement with their reported PV pathology. Our data-driven approach offers a more detailed framework for the action of autoantibodies in pemphigus and has the potential to pave the way for the development of effective novel diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies., Competing Interests: COMPETING INTERESTS None to declare.

Context/objective: The 13-item Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) is the most widely used generic patient activation measure, but spinal cord injury (SCI) related psychometric evaluation of PAM-13 has not been explored globally. This study aimed to assess the validity of the Chinese version of the PAM-13 (PAM-13-C) for individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (CSCI)., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center, and some participants were recruited in a WeChat group (the most commonly used social media platform in China)., Participants: 284 individuals with spinal cord injury who had lived with the injury for ≥0.5 year., Interventions: NA., Outcome Measures: The PAM-13-C, global QoL, seven-item generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7) and nine-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) were used., Results: The mean (SD) PAM-13-C score was 57.4 (16.5). The highest percentage of NA could be observed in item 9 (12.0%). Floor and ceiling effects of the total scores of PAM-13-C were small (0.7% and 6.7%), but a ceiling effect could be observed among all items. Exploratory Factor Analysis supported a one-factor model of the PAM-13-C (CFI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.07). Construct validity was established through correlation analysis among the PAM-13-C, GAD-7/PHQ-9, global QoL, and GSES. The PAM-13-C demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α  = 0.95) and acceptable test-retest reliability., Conclusion: The PAM-13-C is a reliable and valid measure of patient activation for individuals with CSCI in China.

The malicious use of deepfake videos seriously affects information security and brings great harm to society. Currently, deepfake videos are mainly generated based on deep learning methods, which are difficult to be recognized by the naked eye, therefore, it is of great significance to study accurate and efficient deepfake video detection techniques. Most of the existing detection methods focus on analyzing the discriminative information in a specific feature domain for classification from a local or global perspective. Such detection methods based on a single type feature have certain limitations in practical applications. In this paper, we propose a deepfake detection method with the ability to comprehensively analyze the forgery face features, which integrates features in the space domain, noise domain, and frequency domain, and uses the Inception Transformer to learn the mix of global and local information dynamically. We evaluate the proposed method on the DFDC, Celeb-DF, and FaceForensic++ benchmark datasets. Extensive experiments verify the effectiveness and good generalization of the proposed method. Compared with the optimal model, the proposed method with a small number of parameters does not use pre-training, distillation, or assembly, but still achieves competitive performance. The ablation experiments evaluate the role of each component., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Ding et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Pod width influences pod size, shape, yield, and consumer preference in snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In this study, we map PvPW1, a quantitative trait locus associated with pod width in snap beans, through genotyping and phenotyping of recombinant plants. We identify Phvul.006G072800, encoding the β-1,3-glucanase 9 protein, as the causal gene for PvPW1. The PvPW1 G3555 allele is found to positively regulate pod width, as revealed by an association analysis between pod width phenotype and the PvPW1 G3555C genotype across 17 bi-parental F 2 populations. 97.7% of the 133 wide pod accessions carry PvPW1 G3555 , while 82.1% of the 78 narrow pod accessions carry PvPW1 C3555 , indicating strong selection pressure on PvPW1 during common bean breeding. Re-sequencing data from 59 common bean cultivars identify an 8-bp deletion in the intron linked to PvPW1 C3555 , leading to the development of the InDel marker of PvM436. Genotyping 317 common bean accessions with PvM436 demonstrated that accessions with PvM436 247 and PvM436 227 alleles have wider pods compared to those with PvM436 219 allele, establishing PvM436 as a reliable marker for molecular breeding in snap beans. These findings highlight PvPW1 as a critical gene regulating pod width and underscore the utility of PvM436 in marker-assisted selection for snap bean breeding., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Hydrogels have garnered tremendous attention for their applications in the repair of intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration and postoperative IVD defects. However, it is still challenging to develop a hydrogel fulfilling the requirements for high mechanical properties, adhesive capability, biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and anti-inflammatory performance. Herein, we report a multifunctional double-network (DN) hydrogel composed of physically cross-linked carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and tannic acid (TA) networks as well as chemically cross-linked acrylamide (AM) networks, which integrates the properties of high strength, adhesion, biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, and anti-inflammation for the repair of postoperative IVD defects. The treatment with CMCS/TA/PAM DN hydrogels can significantly decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines and degeneration-related factors and upregulated collagen type II alpha 1. In addition, the hydrogels can effectively seal the annulus fibrosus defect, prevent nucleus pulposus degeneration, retain IVD height, and restore the biomechanical properties of the disc to some extent. This polyphenol-mediated DN hydrogel is promising for sealing IVD defects and preventing herniation after lumbar discectomy.

Background: Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy(ICBT) improves the impact of breast cancer through online platforms, modular learning, goal setting, relaxation exercises, and other techniques. Compared to traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), ICBT offers advantages such as the convenience of flexible time and location choices and reduced manpower requirements. In recent years, research exploring the impact of ICBT on breast cancer patients has been increasing, with conflicting results across different studies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to comprehensively examine the impact of ICBT on the psychological health and quality of life of breast cancer patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis., Methods: We searched ten databases in both English and Chinese, with the search period extending from the inception of the databases to December 30, 2023. Literature screening, bias risk assessment, data extraction, and evidence level evaluation were independently conducted by two researchers. All the data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 17.0 software., Results: A total of 2079 breast cancer patients were included in this study, of which 1171 patients received ICBT treatment. The results show that ICBT can reduce anxiety [SMD=-0.19, 95%CI (-0.37, -0.01), P=0.0008] and depression [SMD=-0.20, 95%CI (-0.37, -0.02), P=0.001], alleviate fatigue [SMD=-0.34, 95%CI (-0.67, -0.01), P=0.04], and improve quality of life [SMD=0.20, 95% CI (0.03, 0.38), P=0.02] in breast cancer patients. However, the intervention effects of ICBT on insomnia [SMD=-0.44, 95%CI (-0.93, 0.06), P=0.08] and sleep quality [SMD=-0.14, 95%CI (-0.30, 0.01), P=0.06] in breast cancer patients are not significant. The subgroup analysis showed that when the intervention period is longer than 8 weeks, the number of intervention modules exceeds 6, and a waitlist control group is included, there is a significant effect on reducing patients' anxiety and depression. However, the method of guidance and whether the intervention period exceeds 12 weeks are not related., Conclusion: ICBT can alleviate anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients, with the intervention effects being independent of the guidance method. Significant results were obtained when the intervention period was >8 weeks and the number of modules was >6. ICBT can reduce fatigue and improve quality of life in breast cancer patients, but its impact on sleep quality was not significant. More high-quality research is needed in the future., Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42024494744., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Han, Ding, Wang, Li, Zhai and He.)

Epidemiological studies have suggested a positive association between environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Skeletal muscle insulin resistance (IR) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of T2DM. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic low-level Cd exposure on skeletal muscle IR and its potential mechanism. Rats were exposed to drinking water containing 2 or 10 mg/L Cd for 24 weeks. Differentiated L6 myotubes were treated with Cd for 72 h. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry assay, RNA-sequencing, and Seahorse analysis were conducted to determine the effects of Cd and its underlying mechanism on relevant parameters, including insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake, oxidative stress, mitophagy, and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle and L6 myotubes. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitophagy inhibitor Cyclosporin A (CsA) were used to confirm the role of oxidative stress in mitophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by Cd. We found that rats exposed to 10 mg/L Cd exhibited hyperglycemia and skeletal muscle IR. Cd markedly increased IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser612, while decreased levels of phosphorylated PI3K, Akt, AS160, inhibited GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake. Mechanistically, Cd increased the intracellular ROS, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde levels and decreased antioxidase activity in L6 myotubes. Furthermore, Cd upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of LC3II/I, PINK1, and Parkin. In addition, Cd induced the formation of mitophagosomes, reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased the adenosine triphosphate content, and impaired the mitochondrial respiratory capacity. Strikingly, NAC ameliorated oxidative stress, excessive mitophagy, and the associated reduction in myotube insulin sensitivity, while inhibition of mitophagy by CsA alleviated skeletal muscle IR. In conclusion, this study reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism that chronic low-level Cd exposure may induce mitophagy by activating the PINK1/Parkin signal pathway by increasing ROS, thus causing skeletal muscle IR and elevated blood glucose., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Aspergillus flavus infects important crops and produces carcinogenic aflatoxins, posing a serious threat to food safety and human health. Biochemical analysis and RNA-seq were performed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of piperitone on A. flavus growth and aflatoxin B1 biosynthesis. Piperitone significantly inhibited the growth of A. flavus, AFB1 production, and its pathogenicity on peanuts and corn flour. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the synthesis of chitin, glucan, and ergosterol were markedly down-regulated, and the ergosterol content was reduced, resulting in a disruption in the integrity of the cell wall and cell membrane. Moreover, antioxidant genes were down-regulated, the correspondingly activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase were reduced, and levels of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide were increased, leading to a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Accompanied by ROS accumulation, DNA fragmentation and cell autophagy were observed, and 16 aflatoxin cluster genes were down-regulated. Overall, piperitone disrupts the integrity of the cell wall and cell membrane, triggers the accumulation of ROS, causes DNA fragmentation and cell autophagy, ultimately leading to defective growth and impaired AFB1 biosynthesis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ocean energy harvesting based on a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has great application potential, while the encapsulation of triboelectric devices in water poses a critical issue. Herein, a triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid nanogenerator (TE-HNG) consisting of TENGs and electromagnetic generators (EMGs) is proposed to harvest water flow energy. A magnetic coupling transmission component is applied to replace traditional bearing structures, which can realize the fully enclosed packaging of the TENG devices and achieve long-lasting energy harvesting from water flow. Under the intense water impact, magnetic coupling reduces the possibility of internal gear damage due to excessive torque, indicating superior stability and robustness compared to conventional TENG. At the waterwheel rotates speed of 75 rpm, the TE-HNG can generate an output peak power of 114.83 mW, corresponding to a peak power density of 37.105 W m -3 . After 5 h of continuous operation, the electrical output attenuation of TENG is less than 3%, demonstrating excellent device durability. Moreover, a self-powered temperature sensing system and a self-powered cathodic protection system based on the TE-HNG are developed and illustrated. This work provides a prospective strategy for improving the output stability of TENGs, which benefits the practical applications of the TENGs in large-scale blue energy harvesting., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Climate change is often closely related to vegetation dynamics; time lag (T lag ) and accumulative effects (T acc ) are non-negligible phenomena when studying the interaction between climate and vegetation. But, amidst the escalating frequency of extreme climatic events, the quantification of temporal effects (T effects ) of such extremes on vegetation remains scarce. This research quantifies the T lag and T acc responses of China's vegetation to episodes of extreme temperature and precipitation since the early 2000s, utilizing daily meteorological data series. Overall, the precipitation in China has become wetter, and nighttime temperatures have risen significantly. The proportion of areas with T effects ranged from 1.15 % to 15.95 %, and the correlation coefficient between the climate indices and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) increased by 0.05 to 0.38 when considering the T effects , compared to not considering it. The T acc of vegetation had the strongest response (70.74-88.01 %) to extreme events among all the tested climate indices. Moreover, the T acc of consecutive climate events had a greater impact on vegetation growth than individual climate event. The average T acc for extreme temperature and extreme precipitation was 1.7-3.09 months and 2.17-3.25 months, respectively. Events like the over 95 % (R95p) and 99 % (R99p) percentile heavy precipitation and the maximum precipitation amount in one day (Rx1day) caused significant T effects on NDVI. In addition, 90 % of grasslands exhibit T acc , mainly contributed by the extreme precipitation indices (55.7 %), while the T effects of forests were stronger than those of extreme temperature. Furthermore, NDVI was more affected by annual precipitation than by extreme precipitation, but the opposite was true for temperature. The results of this study highlight the importance of considering the T lag and T acc when predicting the effects of climate change on vegetation dynamics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ultrahigh-dose-rate therapy, also known as FLASH radiotherapy (RT), is an emerging technique that is garnering significant interest in cancer treatment due to its potential to revolutionize therapy. This method can achieve comparable tumor control to conventional-dose-rate RT while offering the enhanced protection of normal tissue through the FLASH-sparing effect. This innovative technique has demonstrated promising results in preclinical studies involving animals and cell lines. Particularly noteworthy is its potential application in treating head and neck (HN) cancers, especially in patients with challenging recurrent tumors and reirradiation cases, where the toxicity rates with conventional radiotherapy are high. Such applications aim to enhance tumor control while minimizing side effects and preserving patients' quality of life. In comparison to electron or photon FLASH modalities, proton therapy has demonstrated superior dosimetric and delivery characteristics and is a safe and effective FLASH treatment for human malignancies. Compared to the transmission proton FLASH, single-energy Bragg peak FLASH is a novel delivery method that allows highly conformal doses to targets and minimal radiation doses to crucial OARs. Proton Bragg peak FLASH for HN cancer has still not been well studied. This review highlights the significance of proton FLASH in enhancing cancer therapy by examining the advantages and challenges of using it for HN cancer reirradiation.

Objective: This study aims to explore the causal relationship between cholecystectomy and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)/irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the role of serum bile acids and gut microbiota in this context., Methods: Utilizing genetic variant data from previous Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), this study employed a two-sample MR approach to assess the causal effect of cholecystectomy on IBD/IBS., Results: The MR analysis suggested a potential negative causal relationship between cholecystectomy and UC (p = 0.0233, OR 0.9773, 95%CI 0.9581-0.9969) and a positive causal relationship between cholecystectomy and IBS (p = 0.0395, OR 4.077, 95%CI 1.0699-15.5362). Various sensitivity analyses reinforced the reliability of the causal relationship. However, the analysis did not find definitive results between serum bile acids or gut microbiota and cholecystectomy or IBD/IBS, possibly due to insufficient statistical power. MVMR find a causal relationship between bile acids and IBS (p = 0.0015, b = 0.4085) and UC (p = 0.0198, b = 0.0029)., Conclusion: This study provides evidence of a causal relationship between cholecystectomy and IBD/IBS, highlighting the potential risk reduction for UC and increased risk for IBS following cholecystectomy. The role of bile acids and gut microbiota in this relationship remains unclear, necessitating further research to validate the causality and explore underlying mechanisms., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although significant progress has been made in controlling emissions from stationary combustion sources in China over the past decade, understanding of condensable particulate matter (CPM) emissions from these sources and their impact on ambient PM 2.5 remains limited. In this study, we established the source profiles and emission inventories of CPM from coal-fired industrial boilers (CFIBs), coal-fired power plants (CFPPs), and iron and steel industry (ISIs) for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China; furthermore, the air quality model (Community Multiscale Air Quality, CMAQ) was used to evaluate the impact of CPM emissions from these three types of stationary combustion sources on ambient PM 2.5 during Feb. 2018, a month characterized by elevated PM 2.5 concentrations. The results indicated that CPM emissions from these three sources in the YRD region before and after the implementation of the ultra-low emissions (ULE) policy amounted to 109,839 and 43,338 tons, respectively, with particularly high emission intensity along the Yangtze River. The implementation of CFPPs ULE policy was shown to reduce the impact of CPM emissions from these three stationary sources on monthly PM 2.5 concentrations from 0.92 μg/m 3 to 0.41 μg/m 3 (with a maximum of 5.35 μg/m 3 ). This reduction exceeded the 0.31 μg/m 3 decrease in PM 2.5 concentrations resulting from the emission reductions of conventional pollutants (FPM, SO 2 and NOx). CPM emissions from these three stationary sources were found to increase the PM 2.5 by 0.68 μg/m 3 during pollution periods. The largest components of PM 2.5 contributed by CPM emissions from stationary combustion sources were sulfate, organic carbon, and nitrate, accounting for 21.4 %, 21.1 %, and 18.2 %, respectively. Particularly, contributions from CPM emissions to PM 2.5 varied by altitude, with a relatively large impact at altitudes between 220 and 460 m. Attention should be given to CPM emission control, with particular priority placed on implementing ULE measures for ISIs and CFIBs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This study aims to assess the effects of antithrombotic therapy on the outcomes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) in ICU patients, focusing on in-hospital mortality, rebleeding, and length of hospital and ICU stays., Method: This retrospective observational study utilized the MIMIC-IV 2.2 database, which includes 513 ICU patients with LGIB., Result: The in-hospital mortality rate was 7.6%, and the rebleeding rate was 11.1%. The average Oakland risk score among the study population was 22.54. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified the use of antiplatelet drugs as an independent protective factor for in-hospital mortality (HR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.15-0.90, p = 0.029). Patients on anticoagulants experienced significantly longer hospital stays (13.1 ± 12.2 days vs. 17.4 ± 12.6 days, p = 0.031) compared to those not using these drugs. Propensity score matching also supported these findings, indicating that antithrombotic therapy was associated with lower in-hospital mortality and longer hospital stays even after adjusting for factors like age, gender, and primary diagnosis., Conclusions: Our analysis using various statistical methods, including propensity score matching and multivariate regression, confirms that use of antithrombotic drugs in 2.3 days, particularly antiplatelets, are associated with a lower risk of in-hospital mortality. However, they may increase the risk of rebleeding and extend hospital stays in certain subgroups., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Polarons are quasiparticles formed as a result of lattice distortions induced by charge carriers. The single-electron Holstein model captures the fundamentals of single polaron physics. We examine the power of the exponential ansatz for the polaron ground-state wavefunction in its coupled cluster, canonical transformation, and (canonically transformed) perturbative variants across the parameter space of the Holstein model. Our benchmark serves to guide future developments of polaron wavefunctions beyond the single-electron Holstein model., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibrous mats prepared by electrospinning serve as suitable packaging materials. However, their practical applications are limited by their weak mechanical properties, poor thermal stability, and high cost. In this study, green and low-cost lignin-containing cellulose nanocrystals (LCNCs) with different lignin contents were developed and employed as reinforced materials to synergistically enhance the thermal, mechanical, and hydrophobic properties of PLA electrospun nanofibrous mats. The presence of moderate lignin improved the interfacial compatibility between the LCNCs and PLA, resulting in excellent mechanical properties of the nanofibrous mats. Compared to pure PLA mats, the tensile strength of the composites reached up to 21.0 MPa, representing a 6.6-fold increase. Its toughness was synchronously enhanced by 16 times, reaching a maximum of 3.6 MJ/m 3 . The maximum decomposition temperature of PLA/LCNCs electrospun nanofibrous mats increased from 339 °C to 365 °C. Furthermore, the increase in lignin in the LCNCs positively contributed to improving the hydrophobicity of the PLA/LCNCs electrospun nanofibrous mats. This bio-based strategy of LCNCs employed in the enhancement of fully bio-based PLA nanofibrous mats offers a viable approach for the advancement of packaging films., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence this work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives . How to promote the safety citizenship behavior (SCB) of construction workers has been studied in academic circles. However, most current research methods focus on the 'net effect' between the independent variable and SCB. Methods and Results . Based on the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method and from the perspective of 'configuration', this article proposes that the emergence of SCB not only depends on a single condition, but also depends on the interaction of safety leadership behavior (SLB), organizational safety climate (OSC), organizational safety support (OSS), safety attitude (SA), safety motivation (SM), safety risk perception (SRP) and psychological belonging (PB). Conclusion . The research shows that the emergence of construction workers' SCB can be realized through different combinations of variables, and both 'external environment-driven' and 'interpersonal relationship-driven' paths can promote the generation of SCB. This research provides a more systematic and practical explanation for how to promote the generation of SCB of construction workers, expand the research scope of safety management and play a positive role in reducing the incidence of safety accidents in the construction industry.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a kind of fibrotic interstitial pneumonia with poor prognosis. Aging, environmental pollution, and coronavirus disease 2019 are considered as independent risk factors for pulmonary fibrogenesis. Consequently, the morbidity and mortality striking continues to rise in recent years. However, the clinical therapeutic efficacy is very limited and unsatisfactory. So it is necessary to develop a new effective therapeutic approach for pulmonary fibrosis. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) are considered as a promising treatment for various diseases because of their multiple differentiation and immunomodulatory function. The key bottleneck in the clinical application of hucMSCs therapy is the high-quality and large-scale production. This study used FloTrix miniSpin bioreactor, a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system, for large-scale expansion of hucMSCs in vitro, and proved 3D cultured hucMSCs inhibited the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts and myofibroblasts proliferation and migration, leading to slow down the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Further mechanistic studies clarified that hucMSCs reduced the amount of binding between circELP2 and miR-630, resulting in blocking YAP/TAZ translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus. This condition inhibited mitochondrial fusion and promoted mitochondrial fission, and ultimately improved fusion/fission balance and cellular homeostasis. To sum up, this work clarified the anti-fibrosis and mechanism of hucMSCs cultured from the 3D FloTrix miniSpin bioreactor. We hope to provide new ideas and new methods for the clinical transformation and industrialization of hucMSCs therapy., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

All-solid-state potassium metal batteries have caught increasing interest owing to their abundance, cost-effectiveness, and high energy/power density. However, their development is generally constrained by the lack of suitable solid-state electrolytes. Herein, we report a new complex KCB 9 H 10  ⋅ 2C 3 H 4 N 2 , synthesized by grinding and heating the mixture of potassium decahydrido-monocarba-closo-decaborate (KCB 9 H 10 ) and imidazole (C 3 H 4 N 2 ) under mild conditions, to achieve the K-ion superionic solid-state electrolyte. The crystal structure was revealed as an orthorhombic lattice with the space group of Pna2 1 by FOX software. The diffusion properties for K + in the crystal structure were calculated using the climbing image nudged elastic band (CI-NEB) method. KCB 9 H 10  ⋅ 2C 3 H 4 N 2 exhibited a high ionic conductivity of 1.3×10 -4  S cm -1 at 30 °C, four orders of magnitude higher than that of KCB 9 H 10 . This ionic conductivity is also the highest value of hydridoborate-based K + conductors reported. Moreover, KCB 9 H 10  ⋅ 2C 3 H 4 N 2 demonstrated a K + transference number of 0.96, an electrochemical stability window of 1.2 to 3.2 V vs. K/K + , and good stability against the K metal coated by a layer of potassium imidazolate (KIm). These great performances make KCB 9 H 10  ⋅ 2C 3 H 4 N 2 a promising K-ion solid-state electrolyte., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique known to enhance athletic performance metrics such as vertical jump and lower limb strength. However, it remains unclear whether combining tDCS with the post-activation effects of high-load resistance training can further improve lower limb performance., Objective: This study investigated the synergistic effects of tDCS and high-load resistance training, using electroencephalography to explore changes in the motor cortex and vertical jump dynamics., Methods: Four experiments were conducted involving 29 participants. Each experiment included tDCS, high-load resistance training, tDCS combined with high-load resistance training, and a control condition. During the tDCS session, participants received 20 min of central stimulation using a Halo Sport 2 headset, while the high-load resistance training session comprised five repetitions of a 90% one-repetition maximum weighted half squat. No intervention was administered in the control group. Electroencephalography tests were conducted before and after each intervention, along with the vertical jump test., Results: The combination of tDCS and high-load resistance training significantly increased jump height ( p < 0.05) compared to tDCS or high-load resistance training alone. As for electroencephalography power, tDCS combined with high-load resistance training significantly impacted the percentage of α-wave power in the frontal lobe area (F3) of the left hemisphere (F = 6.33, p < 0.05). In the temporal lobe area (T3) of the left hemisphere, tDCS combined with high-load resistance training showed a significant interaction effect (F = 6.33, p < 0.05). For β-wave power, tDCS showed a significant main effect in the frontal pole area (Fp1) of the left hemisphere (F = 17.65, p < 0.01). In the frontal lobe area (F3) of the left hemisphere, tDCS combined with high-load resistance training showed a significant interaction effect (F = 7.53, p < 0.05). The tDCS combined with high-load resistance training intervention also resulted in higher β-wave power in the parietal lobe area (P4) and the temporal lobe area (T4) ( p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The findings suggest that combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and high-load resistance training significantly enhances vertical jump performance compared to either intervention alone. This improvement is associated with changes in the α-wave and β-wave power in specific brain regions, such as the frontal and temporal lobes. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms and long-term effects of this combined intervention.

African swine fever (ASF), a highly infectious and devastating disease affecting both domestic pigs and wild boars, owes its etiology to African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASFV encodes more than 165 proteins. However, novel immunogenic proteins remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the antigenicity of the F317L protein (pF317L) of ASFV. The results revealed that pF317L was able to react with convalescent pig sera, indicating that pF317L could be a candidate antigen. The antigenic potential of pF317L expressed by rHCLV-F317L, a recombinant virus in the backbone of C-strain (a lapinized live attenuated classical swine fever virus) was further investigated in rabbits and pigs. The results revealed that antibodies and cell-mediated immune responses against pF317L were induced in either rabbits or pigs inoculated with rHCLV-F317L. Importantly, anti-pF317L antibodies from rabbits or pigs immunized with rHCLV-F317L significantly inhibited ASFV replication in vitro. In conclusion, pF317L demonstrates favorable immunogenic properties, positioning it as a promising candidate for the development of protective antigens in the ongoing endeavor to formulate efficacious ASF vaccine strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of resveratrol (RES) against gastric cancer (GC) and explore the potential mechanisms. We first measured the anti-cancer effects of RES on GC cell lines (i.e. AGS and HGC-27). Then protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, followed by GO and KEGG analysis to screen the possible targets. Molecular docking analysis was given to visualize the pharmacological effects of RES on GC cell lines. For the in vivo experiments, xenograft tumor model was established, and Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of protein screened by network pharmacology. Our results showed that RES could promote the apoptosis of GC cells. Five hub targets were identified by network pharmacology, including AKT1, TP53, JUN, ESR1 and MAPK14. GO and KEGG analyses revealed the PI3K/Akt/P53 signaling pathway was the most related signaling pathway. Molecular docking analysis indicated that RES could form 3 hydrogen bonds with AKT1 and 3 hydrogen bonds with TP53. The inhibitory effects of RES on the proliferation and promoting effects of RES on the apoptosis of AGS and HGC-27 cells were significantly reversed when blocking the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway using the LY294002. In vivo results showed that RES induced significant decrease of tumor volume and tumor weight without changing the body weight, or inducing significant cytotoxicities. Western blot analysis proved that RES could induce down-regulation of p-Akt and up-regulation of P53 in vivo. In conclusion, RES showed anti-cancer effects in GC by regulating the PI3K/Akt/P53 signaling pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mannoproteins have traditionally been recognized as effective wine organoleptic modulators, however, ambiguous understanding of the relationship between their organoleptic functions and physiochemical characteristics often lead to inappropriate application in winemaking. To reveal the possible role the physiochemical characteristics of mannoproteins play in modulating wine color and aroma properties, three water-soluble mannoproteins (MP1, MP2, MP3) with different physiochemical characteristics have been prepared, and accelerated red wine aging, malvidin pigments formation experiments, accelerated aroma release experiments have been designed to observe their organoleptic modulating functions in this research. Results suggest that the phenolic/chromatic stability of red wines could be enhanced by MP3, probably due to its low steric hindrance potential, high reactivity, and good hydro-alcoholic stability conferred by its high Mannan/Glucan ratio (8.68), abundant hydrophobic/hydrophilic amino acids (65.29 % of total protein), and low/medium molecular weight level (30.71-57.77 kDa), respectively, which protected the phenolic compounds and promoted the formation of pyranoanthocyanins. Mannoproteins could modulate the volatility of aroma compounds by expelling or retention effects, which depended on the duration of mannoprotein application (the expelling effect was firstly observed possibly because of the significant adsorption of free H 2 O by MPs) and the types of mannoproteins. MP1 and MP2 were prone to retain and expel aroma compounds, respectively, probably due to their medium/high molecular weight levels (60.48-135.39 kDa) that conferred abundant interacting sites, and the high proportion of hydrophobic and hydrophilic components in MP1 (97.71 % polysaccharides of total mannoprotein, 34.58 % hydrophobic amino acids of total protein) and MP2 (97.96 % polysaccharides of total mannoprotein, 28.36 % hydrophobic amino acids of total protein) guaranteed a relatively higher interacting frequency with aroma compounds and free H 2 O molecules, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Efficient and sustainable energy development is a powerful tool for addressing the energy and environmental crises. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have received high attention for their extremely high atom utilization efficiency and excellent catalytic activity, and have broad application prospects in energy development and chemical production. M-N 4 is an active center model with clear catalytic activity, but its catalytic properties such as catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability need to be further improved. Adjustment of the coordination environment of the central metal by incorporating heteroatoms (e.g., sulfur) is an effective and feasible modification method. This paper describes the precise synthetic methods for introducing sulfur atoms into M-N 4 and controlling whether they are directly coordinated with the central metal to form a specific coordination configuration, the application of sulfur-doped carbon-based single-atom catalysts in electrocatalytic reactions such as ORR, CO 2 RR, HER, OER, and other electrocatalytic reaction are systematically reviewed. Meanwhile, the effect of the tuning of the electronic structure and ligand configuration parameters of the active center due to doped sulfur atoms with the improvement of catalytic performance is introduced by combining different characterization and testing methods. Finally, several opinions on development of sulfur-doped carbon-based SACs are put forward., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objectives: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is an important pathological change after cerebral infarction that exacerbates brain injury. We aimed to investigate and compare the predictive utility of pre-treatment BBB permeability (BBBP) and BBBP within 1 h after endovascular treatment (EVT) for hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and 90-day prognosis., Methods: Patients underwent preoperative computed tomography perfusion (CTP) and non-contrast CT (NCCT) within 1 h after EVT. Preoperative BBBP was determined by the relative permeability surface area product (rPS) in the hypoperfusion area. Postoperative BBBP was determined by the post-EVT Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (Post-ASPECTS), which is based on brain parenchymal hyperdensity on the postoperative NCCT., Outcomes: We included 100 patients. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed correlations of preoperative rPS with HT, poor outcomes, and death. However, these correlations were not observed in multivariate logistic regression. A Post-ASPECTS ≤7 and could independently predict poor outcomes, while Post-ASPECTS ≤6 could independently predict death and HT. The baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score could independently predict poor outcomes and death but not HT. A combined model using the baseline NIHSS and Post-ASPECTS scores had better predictive performance for poor outcomes and death than baseline NIHSS score alone; however, it was not superior to the predictive performance of the Post-ASPECTS score., Conclusion: The preoperative rPS cannot independently predict clinical outcomes in EVT-treated patients; contrastingly, the Post-ASPECTS score could independently predict poor outcomes, death, and HT. This parameter could inform prompt postoperative treatment decisions., (© 2024. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.)

Background: Previous studies have used different imaging sequences and different enhanced phases for breast lesion calsification in radiomics. The optimal sequence and contrast enhanced phase is unclear., Purpose: To identify the optimal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics model for lesion clarification, and to simulate its incremental value for multiparametric MRI (mpMRI)-guided biopsy., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: 329 female patients (138 malignant, 191 benign), divided into a training set (first site, n = 192) and an independent test set (second site, n = 137)., Field Strength/sequence: 3.0-T, fast spoiled gradient-echo and fast spin-echo T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), fast spin-echo T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and fast spoiled gradient-echo contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI)., Assessment: Two breast radiologists with 3 and 10 years' experience developed radiomics model on CE-MRI, CE-MRI + DWI, CE-MRI + DWI + T2WI, CE-MRI + DWI + T2WI + T1WI at each individual phase (P) and for multiple combinations of phases. The optimal radiomics model (Rad-score) was identified as having the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in the test set. Specificity was compared between a traditional mpMRI model and an integrated model (mpMRI + Rad-score) at sensitivity >98%., Statistical Tests: Wilcoxon paired-samples signed rank test, Delong test, McNemar test. Significance level was 0.05 and Bonferroni method was used for multiple comparisons (P = 0.007, 0.05/7)., Results: For radiomics models, CE-MRI/P3 + DWI + T2WI achieved the highest performance in the test set (AUC = 0.888, 95% confidence interval: 0.833-0.944). The integrated model had significantly higher specificity (55.3%) than the mpMRI model (31.6%) in the test set with a sensitivity of 98.4%., Data Conclusion: The CE-MRI/P3 + DWI + T2WI model is the optimized choice for breast lesion classification in radiomics, and has potential to reduce benign biopsies (100%-specificity) from 68.4% to 44.7% while retaining sensitivity >98%., Level of Evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2., (© 2023 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Water is considered an effective microwave absorber due to its high transmittance and frequency-dispersive dielectric constant, yet it is challenging to form it into a stable state as an absorber. Herein, we developed a water-containing microwave absorber using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), namely, the bifunctional carbon/NaCl multi-interfaces hybrid with excellent water harvesting and microwave absorption performance. Carbon/NaCl exhibits remarkable water harvesting abilities from air, exceeding 210 % of its weight in 12 h. The development of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic heterojunction interface is responsible for this outstanding performance. Additionally, the interfacial polarization provided by carbon/NaCl, along with the dipole polarization induced by the internally captured water and defects, enhances its microwave absorption. The carbon/NaCl hybrid achieved a minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of -69.62 dB at 17.1 GHz with a thickness of 2.13 mm, and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB max ) of 6.74 GHz at a thickness of 2.5 mm. Compared with raw NaCl (RL min of -24.5 dB, EAB max of 3.88 GHz), the RL min and EAB max values of the absorber increased by approximately 2.85 and 1.74 times. These results highlight the potential for bifunctional carbon/NaCl hybrid in applications within extreme environments, presenting a promising avenue for further research and development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution can be significantly enhanced while maintaining cost-effectiveness through the synergistic effect of defect surface engineering and multi-component heterojunctions. The structure and properties of NiCo 2 O 4 nanorods were modified by inducing oxygen vacancies at different temperatures in this study, resulting in improved optical properties and electron adsorption capacity. The presence of oxygen vacancies leads to a reduction in the band gap of NiCo 2 O 4 , thereby enhancing electron transport efficiency through band gap engineering. Simultaneously, surface properties undergo changes, and vacancy defects serve as electron trapping centers, facilitating an increased participation of electrons in the hydrogen evolution reaction process. The dodecahedron KMP with a cavity structure is additionally introduced to form an S-scheme heterojunction with NiCo 2 O 4 . This establishes a novel mechanism for electron transport, which effectively enhances the separation of electron-hole pairs and improves the redox capacity of the photocatalytic system. The adsorption of intermediates in the hydrogen production process is enhanced through synergistic regulation of d-band centers via surface defect engineering and S-scheme heterojunction. Additionally, this approach improves the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs and accelerates electron transfer dynamics, significantly enhancing hydrogen production efficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)