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Purpose: Spatiotemporal encoding (SPEN) MRI offers a unique alternative to address image distortion problems in echo planar acquisition-based techniques, at portable low-field systems that lack multiple receiver coils. However, existing 2-π multislice SPEN schemes fail to keep consistent SNRs and contrasts with different numbers of slice settings. This work proposes a new multislice SPEN scheme (SPENms) to achieve stable quality imaging in portable low-field MRI systems., Methods: The proposed SPENms includes the insertion of one selective π pulse and one non-selective π pulse, closely arranged together, before the frequency-swept π pulse in the original 2D SPEN sequence. Theoretical simulations and experiments on phantoms and human brains were conducted to validate its SNR and contrast performances under different parameters compared to the existing 2-π multislice SPEN scheme., Results: Both simulations and experiments demonstrate the consistent image quality of SPENms with different scanning parameters and targets, as well as good distortion resistance and scan efficiency. Robust diffusion weighted multislice SPEN images of diagnostic value were also highlighted., Conclusion: SPENms provides a robust fast echo planar acquisition approach to obtain multislice 2D images with less distortions, consistent SNRs and contrasts at portable low-field MRI systems., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

We demonstrate the generation of high-order, high-power vortex modes from a Hermite-Gaussian (HG) Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator, with tunable mode orders ranging continuously from one to ten. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest order of HG and vortex modes obtained using a thin-disk module. The output power for most of these modes reaches up to 10 W, setting a new benchmark for intracavity high-order HG mode generation. The mode tunability is demonstrated experimentally and supported by simulations, realized by adjusting the angle and position of the output coupler to manipulate the intracavity resonance conditions. A cylindrical-lens mode converter is employed to transform the generated HG modes into Laguerre-Gaussian vortex modes. The properties of the resulting vortex beams are measured using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and phase retrieval algorithms. Our results demonstrate significant progress in generating high-order structured light with an extended tunable range and high-power operation within thin-disk laser systems, providing new opportunities for applications in light-matter interaction, remote sensing, and optical manufacturing.

Patellar dysplasia (PD) can cause patellar dislocation and subsequent osteoarthritis (OA) development. Herein, a novel ABCA6 mutation contributing to a four-generation family with familiar patellar dysplasia (FPD) is identified. In this study, whole exome sequencing (WES) and genetic linkage analysis across a four-generation lineage presenting with six cases of FPD are conducted. A disease-causing mutation in ABCA6 is identified for FPD. Further analyses reveal a consistent correlation between ABCA6 expression downregulation and PD occurrence, chondrocyte degeneration, and OA onset. Moreover, ABCA6-KO mice demonstrate severe knee joint degeneration and accelerated OA progression. Besides, synovial mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) are extracted from WT, ABCA6 -/+ , and ABCA6 -/- mice to create chondrogenic organoids in vitro, confirming ABCA6 deficiency can lead to chondrocyte degeneration via modulating cell cycle and activating cellular senescence. Moreover, transcriptome and metabolomic sequencing analysis on ABCA6-KO chondrocytes unveils that the ABCA6 deficiency inhibits cholesterol efflux, leading to intracellular cholesterol accumulation and subsequent cellular senescence and impaired chondrogenesis.A disease-causing mutation of ABCA6 is identified for FPD. ABCA6 is correlated with PD occurrence and subsequent OA progression. ABCA6 can serve as a potential target in chondrogenesis and OA treatment by orchestrated intracellular cholesterol efflux and delayed cellular senescence., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

This study demonstrates the preparation of needle-like Ce-MOF crystals on molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) nanosheets using in-situ growth technology. This hybrid structure significantly enhances the thermal management and mechanical properties of thermosetting epoxy resin (EP). Specifically, EP/Ce-MOF@MoS 2 -3 exhibits a notable increase in tensile strength (TS) to 50.87 MPa and elongation at break (EB) to 10.84 %. Moreover, Ce-MOF@MoS 2 provides synergistic flame retardant benefits, reducing the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) of EP/Ce-MOF@MoS 2 -3 by 38 % and 12.64 %, respectively, compared to EP-0. Additionally, Ce-MOF@MoS 2 suppresses smoke and reduces toxic emissions; at a 3 % loading, it decreases CO and CO 2 production in EP nanocomposites by 48.8 % and 38.7 %, respectively. Thus, this Ce-MOF@MoS 2 hybrid, synthesized via in-situ growth, offers a novel approach for developing EP nanocomposites with superior thermal management and mechanical properties, along with effective flame retardancy and reduced hazardous emissions during thermal events., 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.)

The study constructed a model of temperature fluctuation (TF, -20 °C ∼ -10 °C) during frozen status to build a link between the tilapia fillets muscle of ice crystal morphology, moisture distribution, protein oxidation index and the edible quality. When TF treatment more than 3 times, the brightness, color and hardness of frozen tilapia fillets decreased significantly, and the cooking loss and thawing loss increased significantly. The free and unconjugated water in frozen fish fillets exceeded 97 % and did not change much after 9 times TF. The K and TVB-N values were within the safety standards (K < 60 %, TVB-N < 30 mg N/100 g). The ice crystals in the tissues were significantly increased. Protein carbonyls and Ca 2+ -ATPase were significantly reduced, and secondary structures were irregular. Network correlation analysis showed that ice crystal morphology was significantly correlated with the color, texture and protein oxidation index of frozen tilapia fillets. The results would provide theoretical approach for the transportation and sales of tilapia industrial enterprises., 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.)

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies have shown promise in glioblastoma clinical studies, but responses remain inconsistent due to heterogeneous tumor antigen expression and immune evasion post-treatment. NKG2D CAR-T cells have demonstrated a favorable safety profile in patients with hematologic tumors, and showed robust antitumor efficacy in various xenograft models, including glioblastoma. However, malignant glioma cells evade immunological surveillance by reducing NKG2D ligands expression or cleavage. To enhance the effectiveness of NKG2D CAR-T therapy, we investigated the potential of combining NKG2D CAR-T with approved drugs that cross the blood-brain barrier and augment NKG2D ligands expression in glioma cells. We found that sodium valproate (VPA), an antiepileptic drug, significantly increased surface NKG2D ligands expression on glioblastoma cells at a sublethal concentration. VPA treatment enhanced the susceptibility of glioblastoma cells to NKG2D CAR-T mediated cytotoxicity in both 2D monolayer and 3D tumor spheroid models in vitro . Moreover, VPA-treated glioblastoma cells stimulated CAR-T cells to produce higher levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-6). Mechanistically, VPA upregulated NKG2D ligands expression via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, VPA treatment augmented the antitumor activity of NKG2D CAR-T cells in a glioblastoma xenograft model in vivo . These preclinical results suggest that combining VPA with NKG2D CAR-T therapy represents a promising strategy for improving glioblastoma treatment, warranting further clinical investigation., 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 © 2025 Liu, Dai, Saliu, Salisu, Gan, Afolabi, Yan, Zhang, Liu and Wan.)

Currently, the development of high-performance adsorbents for the removal of nanoplastics in complex aquatic environments is challenging. In this study, a functionalized polyethyleneimine-phosphorylated microcrystalline cellulose/MoS 2 (PEI-PMCC/MoS 2 ) hybrid aerogel was prepared and applied to remove carboxyl-modified polystyrene (PS-COOH) nanoplastics from the aqueous solution. Benefiting from the introduced functional groups and the expanded lamellar structure in MoS 2 nanosheets as well as the highly porous 3D structure of the aerogel, PEI-PMCC/MoS 2 demonstrated high efficiency in PS-COOH nanoplastics removal, achieving a 402.4 ± 7.5 mg/g maximum adsorption capacity at the optimal adsorption pH of 7.0 (C 0  = 300 mg/L). The adsorption isotherm and kinetics data fitted well with the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models, respectively, suggesting that the removal of PS-COOH nanoplastics was dominated by the monolayer chemisorption process, and the thermodynamic studies revealed the exothermic nature of the spontaneous adsorption process. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of PEI-PMCC/MoS 2 in different complex aqueous environments, as well as its reusability, was evaluated, and the interactions between PEI-PMCC/MoS 2 and PS-COOH nanoplastics were analyzed to elaborate the adsorption mechanism. These results confirmed the high nanoplastics removal efficiency and favorable reusability in PEI-PMCC/MoS 2 , laying a solid foundation for developing high-performance adsorbents for nanoplastics removal., 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 © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This review describes our current understanding of the role of the mitochondria in the repurposing of the anti-diabetes drugs metformin, gliclazide, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors for additional clinical benefits regarding unhealthy aging, long COVID, mental neurogenerative disorders, and obesity. Metformin, the most prominent of these diabetes drugs, has been called the "Drug of Miracles and Wonders," as clinical trials have found it to be beneficial for human patients suffering from these maladies. To promote viral replication in all infected human cells, SARS-CoV-2 stimulates the infected liver cells to produce glucose and to export it into the blood stream, which can cause diabetes in long COVID patients, and metformin, which reduces the levels of glucose in the blood, was shown to cut the incidence rate of long COVID in half for all patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2. Metformin leads to the phosphorylation of the AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK, which accelerates the import of glucose into cells via the glucose transporter GLUT4 and switches the cells to the starvation mode, counteracting the virus. Diabetes drugs also stimulate the unfolded protein response and thus mitophagy, which is beneficial for healthy aging and mental health. Diabetes drugs were also found to mimic exercise and help to reduce body weight.

Endometriosis (EMS) belongs to a gynecological disorder with inflammation and the existence of endometrial-like tissues beyond the uterus, often leading to infertility and pelvic pain. Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is significantly expressed in endometriosis (EMS) and recognized as a promising therapeutic target for EMS treatment by inhibiting ERβ activity. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms for tetramethylpyrazine (TMP)-mediated ERβ suppression, and the synergistic inhibitory effect of TMP and evodiamine (EVO) on ERβ expression and EMS development. We found that TMP suppresses ERβ expression by reducing the association of Oct3/4 with the ERβ promoter and decreasing Oct3/4 protein levels without affecting Oct3/4 transcript levels. A minimum dosage of 10 µM TMP is required to inhibit ERβ expression. Neither TMP (5 µM) nor EVO (2 µM) alone had any effect, but their combination synergistically inhibited ERβ expression and modulated related cellular processes, including redox balance, mitochondrial function, inflammation, and proliferation. Additionally, the combination of TMP (10 mg/kg body weight) and EVO (5 mg/kg) synergistically inhibited ERβ expression and EMS development in the mouse model. In conclusion, TMP suppresses ERβ expression by reducing the association of Oct3/4 with the ERβ promoter. Neither TMP nor EVO alone effectively suppresses ERβ in both laboratory and live organism models. However, their combination synergistically inhibits ERβ expression and EMS development, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for EMS using TMP and EVO., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest This is to claim that there are no conflicts of interest in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In natural or engineered anaerobic environments, iron oxidation-driven microbial denitrification plays a critical role in the water or wastewater treatment. Herein, we report a previously unidentified metallic iron (Fe 0 )-dependent denitrification mode driven by the electro-syntrophic interaction between electroactive microorganism and denitrifier. In a model denitrifying consortium of Shewanella oneidensis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we find that P. aeruginosa can accept electrons for nitrate reduction via the constructed electron transfer system of Fe 0 -S. oneidensis-P. aeruginosa. In the electro-syntrophic consortium, the membrane-bound CymA-OmcA-MtrC protein complexes of S. oneidensis drive the generation, transfer and consumption of electrons, thus enabling modulation of microbial metabolic activity. Specially, using Fe 0 as the sole electron donor, S. oneidensis can act as a bio-engine to harvest electrons and conserve energy from Fe 0 biocorrosion. Electrons released by S. oneidensis are utilized by P. aeruginosa for accomplishing microbial denitrification. Metatranscriptomics analysis demonstrated that the direct electron cross-feeding process facilitates the expression of genes encoding for denitrification enzymes, intracellular electron transfer proteins, and quorum sensing of P. aeruginosa. The Fe 0 -dependent electronic syntrophy in this work could provide a metabolic window for the growth of denitrifiers that is a new insight into nitrate removal or global nitrogen cycle., 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.)

Background: The benefits of spontaneous ventilation (SV)-video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in octogenarian patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have rarely been reported. This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the safety and feasibility of SV-VATS in octogenarian patients with NSCLC., Methods: Patients with NSCLC aged >80 years who underwent SV-VATS or mechanical ventilation (MV)-VATS between 2017 and 2022 were included in this study. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced by a 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM). Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression., Results: A total of 251 patients were initially included, and after applying selection criteria and PSM, 22 patients were in the SV-VATS group and 44 in the MV-VATS group. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. Compared with the MV-VATS group, the SV-VATS group had shorter post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay (88.8±22.3 vs. 111±38.8, P=0.01) and shorter resuscitation time (88.8±22.7 vs. 112±40.4, P=0.02). No statistically significant differences were observed in the surgical and anaesthesia times, chest tube duration, total volume of chest drainage, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, or complications in the PACU. The OS and DFS of patients who underwent SV-VATS were comparable to those of patients who underwent MV-VATS., Conclusions: SV-VATS appears to be a safe and feasible option for octogenarian patients with NSCLC, providing a new approach to surgical treatment. Large-scale prospective studies are required to further validate its feasibility., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tlcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tlcr-24-725/coif). L.L. reports funding from the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, The Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research Jointly Funded by the Municipality and University (Hospital) for the language modification and polishing (Fund No. 202201020584). The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 AME Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)

Shear thinning of associative polymers is tied to bond breakage under deformation and retraction of dangling chains, as predicted by transient network theories. However, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms is limited by our ability to measure the molecular states of the polymers during deformation. Herein, utilizing a custom-built rheo-fluorescence setup, bond dissociation in model end-linked associative polymers is quantified in real time with nonlinear shear deformation based on a fluorescence quench transition when phenanthroline ligands bind with Ni 2+ . All of the networks exhibit shear thinning, and the dangling chain fraction increases with the shear rate. However, the number of broken bonds is smaller than that predicted by transient network theories, indicating additional relaxation modes or topological inhomogeneities in the networks. Through tuning counteranion chemistry, networks with similar relaxation times but varying dissociation and association rate constants ( k d and k a ) of Ni 2+ -phenanthroline cross-links are developed. Decreasing k a contributes to more dangling chain formation, while the effect of k d is less pronounced. Following force-accelerated bond dissociation of bridging chains, the dangling ends in networks with higher k a tend to reassociate to form elastically inactive loops, while the dangling chains are preserved in networks with lower k a . This indicates the critical role of bond reassociation kinetics in dictating shear-induced topological interchange of different chain configurations. Besides reaction kinetics, decreasing network junction functionality results in less shear thinning and broken bonds, originating from the lower amount of bond breakage required to flow and the higher tendency of the dissociated bonds to reform bridging chains.

Background: Gliomas are the most common primary malignant tumours of the central nervous system, and neddylation may be a potential target for the treatment of gliomas. Our study analysed neddylation's potential role in gliomas of different pathological types and its correlation with immunotherapy., Methods: Genes required for model construction were sourced from existing literature, and their expression data were extracted from the TCGA and CGGA databases. LASSO regression was employed to identify genes associated with the prognosis of glioma patients in TCGA and to establish a clinical prognostic model. Biological changes in glioma cell lines following intervention with hub genes were evaluated using the CCK-8 assay and transwell assay. The genes implicated in the model construction were validated across various cell lines using Western blot. We conducted analyses to examine correlations between model scores and clinical data, tumor microenvironments, and immune checkpoints. Furthermore, we investigated potential differences in molecular functions and mechanisms among different groups., Results: We identified 249 genes from the Reactome database and analysed their expression profiles in the TCGA and CGGA databases. After using LASSO-Cox, four genes (BRCA1, BIRC5, FBXL16 and KLHL25, p < 0.05) with significant correlations were identified. We selected FBXL16 for validation in in vitro experiments. Following FBXL16 overexpression, the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of glioma cell lines all showed a decrease. Then, we constructed the NEDD Index for gliomas. The nomogram indicated that this model could serve as an independent prognostic marker. Analysis of the tumour microenvironment and immune checkpoints revealed that the NEDD index was also correlated with immune cell infiltration and the expression levels of various immune checkpoints., Conclusion: The NEDD index can serve as a practical tool for predicting the prognosis of glioma patients, and it is correlated with immune cell infiltration and the expression levels of immune checkpoints., 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.)

Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CPP) and rare element selenium (Se) have been proved to exert various biological activities, and our previous study demonstrated that selenium nanoparticles modified with CPP (CPP-SeNPs) possessed significantly enhanced tumor cytotoxicity in vitro. This study aimed to investigated the inhibitory effects of CPP-SeNPs complex on H22 solid tumors via immune enhancement. In this study, the H22 tumor-bearing mice model was constructed, and the potential mechanisms of CPP-SeNPs antitumor effects were further explored by evaluating cytokines expression levels, immune cells activities and tumor cells apoptotic indicators in each group. The results demonstrated that CPP-SeNPs effectively exerted dose-dependent protective effects on the immune organs of tumor-bearing mice in vivo, leading to increase in peripheral white blood cell counts and inhibition of solid tumor growth with inhibitory rate of 47.18% in high-dose group (1.5 mg/kg). Furthermore, CPP-SeNPs treatment significantly elevated the levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2 in mice sera, enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity, augmented macrophage phagocytosis capacity, as well as increased both the amounts and proliferation activity of lymphocyte subsets. CPP-SeNPs improved the immune system's ability to clear tumor cells by up-regulating Bax expression while down-regulating Bcl-2 expression within solid tumors, indicating the potential activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Therefore, CPP-SeNPs administration can effectively inhibit tumor growth by enhancing immune response in tumor-bearing mice, which might be relevant to the regulation of gut microbiota short-chain fatty acids metabolisms. These findings could provide theoretical support and data foundation for further development of CPP-SeNPs as functional food and drug adjuvants.

Background: Although maintaining a stable body temperature during the perioperative period is crucial for the recovery of neonates, hypothermia frequently occurs during surgical procedures in this vulnerable population. A comprehensive analysis of intraoperative details, including medical history and monitoring, is therefore essential for understanding temperature variations and identifying risk factors for severe hypothermia., Objective: In this study, we delineated the characteristic patterns of intraoperative temperature fluctuations in neonates and determined the risk factors impacting the severity of hypothermia., Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center study, enrolling 648 subjects who underwent surgery under general anesthesia and collected demographic, perioperative, and intraoperative data., Results: Intraoperative hypothermia occurred in 79.17% of the neonates. Significant risk factors for severe hypothermia included surgery type (OR, 1.183; 95%, CI [1.028-1.358]; p = 0.018), preoperative weight (OR, 0.556; 95% CI [0.412-0.748]; p < 0.01), infusion and transfusion volume (mL/kg) (OR, 1.011; 95% CI [1.001-1.022]; p = 0.018), and duration of hypothermia (OR, 1.011; 95% CI [1.007-1.014]; p < 0.01). Preterm neonates experienced a greater temperature drop than did full-term neonates. The nadir of intraoperative temperature occurred approximately 90 min after surgery, followed by a brief stabilization period and a slow recovery process., Conclusion: The significant incidence of intraoperative hypothermia in neonates highlights the need for efficient strategies that reduce both the frequency and severity of this condition., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Dai et al.)

We demonstrate the generation of stable femtosecond vortices from a self-started Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator. By using a defective mirror inscribed with a fine line, 218-fs Hermite-Gaussian (HG) pulses are delivered directly from the thin-disk oscillator with an average power of 12 W at the repetition rate of 105 MHz and subsequently converted to Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) vortices by a cylindrical-lens mode-converter. The average output power of the Hermite-Gaussian pulses is further improved to 19 W by applying a rectangular aperture. This is the highest, to the best of our knowledge, average power obtained from any mode-locked Hermite-Gaussian oscillator to date. This work provides an effective way to generating a high-order and high-power ultrafast vortex beam.

Recently, more and more epidemiological studies have examined the impact of exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on depression, but the results are inconsistent. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to better understand the effects of POPs exposure on the risk of depression in the general population. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for studies before March 20, 2024. Random-effects meta-analysis was applied to calculate pooled relative risk (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We also assessed potential heterogeneity and publication bias across studies and conducted sensitivity analysis. A total of 26 studies were included, and the results indicated that exposure to ΣPBDEs, PBDE-47, and PBDE-99 increased the risk of depression, with OR of 1.37 (95 % CI = 1.06-1.79), 1.30 (95% CI = 1.08-1.56), 1.46 (95 % CI = 1.00-2.12) respectively. On the contrary, the exposure assessment results of PFOS showed a negative correlation with the risk of depression. There is no association between exposure to ΣPFAS, ΣPCBs, and ΣOCPs and increased risk of depression. More standardized studies and more samples are needed in the future to confirm the findings of this study. This finding could provide theoretical references for the prevention and management of depression and offer insights for the risk assessment of POPs exposure., 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.)

Background: Physical activity is beneficial for preventing non-communicable and infectious diseases, such as pneumonia. Physical activity is also a potential protective factor for reducing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Conversely, outbreaks of respiratory viral infections are more likely to occur owing to group activities, opportunities for contact with individuals and vocalisations. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, several cases of COVID-19 outbreaks during various sports and exercise have been reported. However, the common causes underlying these outbreaks remain unclear., Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the causes of COVID-19 outbreaks during sports and exercise using systematic review approach., Methods: Our eligibility criteria were published articles reporting case investigation on COVID-19 outbreaks and the cause during sports and exercise. Studies such as reviews and observational studies without case investigations were excluded. PubMed, CINAHL, WHO COVID-19 Research Database and Ichushi Web were searched on 28 August 2023. The quality of included studies was rated using a quality criteria checklist adapted from a previous systematic review of influenza outbreaks. Vote counting of outbreak causes was performed by type of sports (team or individual)., Results: Twenty-one articles reporting 22 outbreaks were identified (quality: high, 9; medium, 9; and low, 3). The outbreaks were most frequently reported in fitness classes, followed by soccer. Most studies listed multiple causes of the outbreaks. The most common suspected cause of outbreaks in individual exercise, mostly from fitness classes, was poor ventilation and not wearing masks, followed by not maintaining physical distance and participation of individuals with some symptoms. In team sports, the most common cause was interaction outside the game, such as social events., Conclusions: This systematic review found a limited number of case investigations suggesting that COVID-19 outbreaks during sports and exercise may be associated with the inhalation of aerosols in indoor settings, interactions outside of team sports games and participation of individuals with some symptoms. Prevention strategies that focus on mitigating these issues may be effective at preventing sports and exercise-associated respiratory infectious diseases outbreaks., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42023443158., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: None declared. Patient consent for publication: Not applicable. Ethics approval: This study is a systematic review of published studies; therefore, ethics approval was not required. Author contributions: M.M., I.N. and S.I. conceived the idea for this review. M.M. and K.D. conducted the search, study selection, data extraction and quality assessments. M.M. and S.I. drafted the manuscript. M.M., K.D., I.N. and S.I. wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. Funding: This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant number 23K16728. Data availability statement: The data are from published research and, therefore, are in the public domain. The template data collection forms and all data extracted from the included studies are shown in Supplementary Information File 2., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The risk of limb graft occlusion (LGO) after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is increased by severe tortuosity of the iliac artery. A bare metal stent (BMS) may protect LGO, according to the hypothesis of this single-center retrospective analysis., Methods: All patients undergoing elective EVAR with a bifurcated stent graft between January 2012 and June 2022 were included in this cohort study. Patients demonstrating significant tortuosity at the iliac angle were incorporated into this study and classified into two groups: group A comprised those who received a BMS. In contrast, group B consisted of those who did not receive a BMS. The primary outcomes were the incidence of limb occlusion and technical success during the follow-up period. However, secondary outcomes included perioperative mortality, external iliac angioplasty, and crossed-limb techniques., Statement: This study has been reported as being in line with the STROCSS criteria., Result: A total of 157 patients (mean age = 71.6 ± 8 years) with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms were enrolled. In total, 50 individuals were included in group A, while 107 were in group B. Overall technical success was 100%, and only one (2%) patient from group A and 17 (15%) from group B suffered from limb occlusion during follow-up ( p  < 0.05). At a mean follow-up imaging duration of 28.7 ± 23.6 months (range 1-124), the estimated primary limb patency at 2 years was 98% for the BMS group and 84% for the non-BMS group ( p  < 0.05). There were no changes in perioperative mortality or crossed-limb procedures between the BMS and non-BMS groups. Nonetheless, there were disparities in external iliac angioplasty between the two groups during the follow-up period ( p  < 0.05)., Conclusion: Deploying a BMS inside the iliac artery to prevent or treat limb occlusion is a safe and effective strategy, with clear prolonged outcomes concerning patency and re-interventions., 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., (© 2024 Zeng, Ju, Min, Zeng, Chen, Dai, Zhou and Qiu.)

In recent years, the advent of the smart era has confronted a novel "energy crisis"-the challenge of distributed energy provision, necessitating an imperative for clean energy development. Encompassing 71% of the Earth's surface, water stands as the predominant conduit for energy transfer on our planet, effectively harnessing a fraction thereof to fulfill global energy demands. Modern hydropower technology primarily harnesses concentrated low-entropy water energy. However, the majority of natural water energy is widely dispersed in the environment as high-entropy distributed water energy, encompassing raindrop energy, stream energy, wave energy, evaporation energy, and other small-scale forms of water energy. While these energies are readily available, their collection poses significant challenges. Consequently, researchers initiated investigations into high-entropy water energy harvesting technology based on the electrodynamic effect, triboelectric effect, water volt effect, and other related phenomena. The present paper provides a comprehensive review of high-entropy water energy harvesting technologies, encompassing their underlying mechanisms, optimization strategies, and diverse applications. The current bottlenecks of these technologies are comprehensively analyzed, and their future development direction is prospectively discussed, thereby providing valuable guidance for future research on high-entropy water energy collection technology.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe disease that often leads to disability and death. Neuroinflammatory response is a key causative factor of early secondary brain injury after ICH. AIM2 is a DNA-sensing protein that recognizes cytosolic double-stranded DNA and take a significant part in neuroinflammation. Mitochondrial DNA participates in the translation of proteins such as the respiratory chain in the mitochondria. Whether mtDNA is involved in forming AIM2 inflammasome after ICH remains unclear. We used mice to construct ICH model in vivo and we used BV2 microglial cells treated with oxyhemoglobin to simulate ICH in vitro. Following lentiviral transfection to overexpress AIM2 antagonist P202, a notable decrease was observed in the levels of AIM2 inflammasome-associated proteins, leading to a reduction in dead neurons surrounding the hematoma and an enhancement in long-term and short-term behavior of neurological deficits. We further explored whether mtDNA took part in the AIM2 activation after ICH. The cytosolic mtDNA level was down-regulated by the mitochondrial division protector Mdivi-1 and up-regulated by transfection of mtDNA into cytoplasm. We found the expression level of AIM2 inflammasome-related proteins and inflammatory cytokines release were regulated by the cytosolic mtDNA level. In conclusion, after ICH, the mtDNA content in the cytoplasm of microglia around the hematoma rises, causing AIM2 inflammation leading to neuronal apoptosis, which leads to neurological deficits in mice. On the other hand, P202 was able to block inflammatory vesicle activation and improve neurological function by preventing the interaction between AIM2 protein and mitochondrial DNA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by low platelet counts. ITP patients with anti-platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ibα (a subunit of GPIb-IX-V complex) autoantibodies, which induce Fc-independent signaling and platelet clearance, are refractory to conventional treatment. Protein kinase C (PKC) is activated by the binding of the ligand von Willebrand factor (VWF) to GPIbα and regulates VWF-GPIbα-induced platelet activation. However, the role of PKC in anti-GPIbα antibody-induced thrombocytopenia remains unknown., Materials and Methods: The anti-GPIbα antibody-induced PKC activation and its underlying mechanisms were first detected by Western blot, and then the effects of PKC inhibitors, PKC knockout, or GPIbα C-terminal removal on anti-GPIbα antibody-induced platelet apoptosis, activation, aggregation, and clearance were investigated by flow cytometry, platelet aggregometry, and platelet posttransfusion, respectively. Meanwhile, platelet retention and co-localization with macrophages in the liver were detected by spinning disc intravital confocal microscopy., Results: Anti-GPIbα antibody-induced PKC activation depends on GPIbα clustering and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation and results in Akt phosphorylation. Pharmacologic inhibition or genetic ablation of PKC suppresses anti-GPIbα antibody-induced platelet apoptosis and activation. Moreover, the GPIbα cytoplasmic tail is required for antibody-induced PKC activation, platelet apoptosis, and activation. Inhibition or ablation of PKC and deletion of the GPIbα cytoplasmic tail protect platelets from clearance in vivo., Conclusions: Our study indicates the important role of PKC and the GPIbα cytoplasmic tail in anti-GPIbα antibody-mediated platelet signaling and clearance and suggests a novel therapeutic target for ITP and other thrombocytopenic diseases., 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.)

We present CO-Net++, a cohesive framework that optimizes multiple point cloud tasks collectively across heterogeneous dataset domains with a two-stage feature rectification strategy. The core of CO-Net++ lies in optimizing task-shared parameters to capture universal features across various tasks while discerning task-specific parameters tailored to encapsulate the unique characteristics of each task. Specifically, CO-Net++ develops a two-stage feature rectification strategy (TFRS) that distinctly separates the optimization processes for task-shared and task-specific parameters. At the first stage, TFRS configures all parameters in backbone as task-shared, which encourages CO-Net++ to thoroughly assimilate universal attributes pertinent to all tasks. In addition, TFRS introduces a sign-based gradient surgery to facilitate the optimization of task-shared parameters, thus alleviating conflicting gradients induced by various dataset domains. In the second stage, TFRS freezes task-shared parameters and flexibly integrates task-specific parameters into the network for encoding specific characteristics of each dataset domain. CO-Net++ prominently mitigates conflicting optimization caused by parameter entanglement, ensuring the sufficient identification of universal and specific features. Extensive experiments reveal that CO-Net++ realizes exceptional performances on both 3D object detection and 3D semantic segmentation tasks. Moreover, CO-Net++ delivers an impressive incremental learning capability and prevents catastrophic amnesia when generalizing to new point cloud tasks.

Platelets are terminally differentiated anucleated cells, but they still have cell-like functions and can even produce progeny platelets. However, the mechanism of platelet sprouting has not been elucidated so far. Here, we show that when platelet-rich plasma(PRP) was cultured at 37°C, platelets showed a spore phenomenon. The number of platelets increased when given a specific shear force. It is found that AMP-related signaling pathways, such as PKA and AMPK are activated in platelets in the spore state. Meanwhile, the mRNA expression levels of genes, such as CNN3 , CAPZB , DBNL , KRT19 , and ESPN related to PLS1 skeleton proteins also changed. Moreover, when we use the AMPK activator AICAR(AI) to treat washed platelets, cultured platelets can still appear spore phenomenon. We further demonstrate that washed platelets treated with Forskolin, an activator of PKA, not only platelet sprouting after culture but also the AMPK is activated. Taken together, these data demonstrate that AMPK plays a key role in the process of platelet budding and proliferation, suggesting a novel strategy to solve the problem of clinical platelet shortage.

Theranostic prodrugs that enable real-time, non-invasive monitoring of drug release and biodistribution are highly desirable for optimizing therapeutic efficacy and guiding personalized medication. Herein, we report a colon-targeted theranostic prodrug system (P1) for the simultaneous delivery and tracking of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). P1 comprises a fluorescent 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (7-AMC) reporter covalently linked to 5-ASA via an azo bond, which quenches the fluorescence of 7-AMC until P1 is activated by azoreductases in the colonic microenvironment. This selective activation triggers the release of 5-ASA and the revival of 7-AMC fluorescence, enabling real-time monitoring of drug delivery. To improve the solubility and targeted delivery of P1, it was encapsulated within polymeric micelles (PM) that selectively adhere to the positively charged, inflamed colonic tissues. In vitro studies confirmed the stability, biocompatibility, and selective activation of P1 under simulated colonic conditions. Notably, in a mouse model of UC, the P1-loaded PM achieved targeted delivery of 5-ASA to the inflamed colon, resulting in effective attenuation of colitis symptoms. Importantly, the in situ activation of P1 allowed for the real-time, non-invasive visualization of drug release and biodistribution, providing valuable insights for treatment optimization. This theranostic prodrug approach offers a promising strategy for the simultaneous therapy and tracking of 5-ASA delivery in UC treatment, with the potential to facilitate personalized medication and improve therapeutic outcomes., 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 B.V.)

The immunomodulatory function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is plastic and susceptible to resident microenvironment in vivo or inflammatory factors in vitro. We propose a unique method to enhance the immunoregulatory functions of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through an artificially controllable in vivo inflammatory microenvironment generated by biomaterials loaded with BMP-2 that induce bone development. MSCs activated through this method effectively induce M1 macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype, promote differentiation of naïve T cells into regulatory T cells, and inhibit the proliferation of activated T cells via prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion. This in vivo licensing not only preserves the immunogenicity of MSCs but also alters DNA methylation patterns, enabling MSCs to exhibit immunoregulatory effects with epigenetic memory. Validation in a mouse colitis model demonstrated their therapeutic efficacy and long-term viability. Furthermore, we found that the material composition influences the inflammatory response during development, with polysaccharide-based biomaterials proving advantageous over protein-based materials in establishing an inflammatory niche conducive to MSC activity. These findings underscore the potential of tissue engineering to create in vivo environments that license MSCs, offering a strategic avenue to enhance MSC-based therapies for addressing significant immune disorders., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Live-cell imaging of RNA in specific subcellular compartments is essential for elucidating the rich repertoire of cellular functions, but it has been limited by a lack of simple, precisely controlled methods. Here such an approach is presented via the combination of hybridization chain reaction and spatially restricted enzymatic activation with organelle-targeted delivery. The system can localize engineered DNA hairpins in the mitochondria, where target RNA-initiated chain reaction of hybridization events is selectively activated by a specific enzyme, enabling amplified RNA imaging with high precision. It is demonstrated that the approach is compatible with live cell visualization and enables the regulatable imaging of microRNA in mitochondria. Since in situ activation of the signal amplification with enzyme eliminates the need for genetically encoded protein overexpression, it is envisioned that this simple platform will be broadly applicable for precise RNA imaging with subcellular resolution in a variety of biological processes., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Deeply understanding how local microstrain environment around diatomic sites influences their electronic state and adsorption is crucial for improving electrochemical CO 2 reduction (eCO 2 R) reaction; however, precise engineering of the atomic microstrain environment is challenging. Herein, we fabricate Ag-CdTMT electrocatalysts with AgN 2 S 2 -CdN 2 S 2 diatomic sites by anchoring Ag to the nodes of CdTMT (TMT = 2,4,6-trimercaptotriazine anion) coordination polymers. The Ag-CdTMT catalysts achieve approximately 100% Faradaic efficiency for CO reduction with an industrial level current density (∼200 mA cm -2 in H-cell). The embedded Ag atoms induce the formation of Ag-Cd diatomic sites with local microstrain, stretching Cd-N/S bonds, and reinforcing electron localization at Cd sites. The microstrain engineering and adjacent Ag atoms synergistically reduced Cd 4d-C 2p antibonding orbital occupancy for intensifying *COOH adsorption as the rate-determining step. This study provides novel insights into customizing the electronic structure of diatomic sites through strain engineering.

Moisture loss, infection, and severe inflammatory reactions are the primary factors affecting burn wound healing and leading to scar formation. Herein, we developed a quercetin-loaded polysaccharide-based injectable hydrogel (named PECE). The PECE consists of oxidized sodium alginate (OAlg) coupled with chitosan (CS) via Schiff bases and electrostatic interactions, while Que is incorporated via hydrogen bonding. Benefiting from the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, PECE features distinguished moisturizing ability. Additionally, the sustained release of Que imparts remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Likewise, PECE demonstrates favorable in vitro anti-inflammatory capacity as released Que significantly downregulates pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α) secreted by RAW 264.7 macrophages. More importantly, in a rat model of deep second-degree burn wounds, PECE effectively inhibits wound infection, reduces inflammation, and promotes angiogenesis and collagen deposition, ultimately minimizing scar formation. Overall, this work presents a promising strategy for scarless healing of burn wounds.

Microarc oxidation (MAO) is a widely used surface treatment technology. However, its processing inevitably leads to the presence of micropores, microcracks, and other defects in the MAO coating. These defects lead to suboptimal tribological performance and diminished corrosion resistance of the MAO coating. Thus, this study proposed a new pore-sealing method with environmental protection and high efficiency. Polyurethane reactive (PUR) composite coating was prepared on the surface of MAO coating. The sealing effect of the PUR sample was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The molecular structure and elemental changes of the coating were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The tribological properties were analyzed using a tribological testing machine, and the corrosion resistance was tested using an electrochemical workstation. The test results show that the lubricity and corrosion resistance of PUR sample are improved significantly compared with MAO coating. When the mass fraction of PUR is 3 wt %, the PUR sample shows the best lubrication performance, and the coefficient of friction decreases by 70.8%. Compared with the traditional sealing technology, this experimental method is simple and low-cost and has a wide application prospect, which promotes the development of MAO technology.

Nanomaterials as an emerging tool are being used to improve plant's net photosynthetic rate (A N ) when suffering salt stress, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To clarify this, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the effects of polyacrylic acid coated nanoceria (PNC) on the A N of salt-stressed cotton and related intrinsic mechanisms. Results showed that the PNC-induced A N enhancement of salt-stressed leaves was strongly facilitated by the mesophyll conductance to CO 2 (g m ). Further analysis showed that the PNC-induced improvement of g m was related to the increased chloroplast surface area exposed to intercellular airspaces, which was attribute to the increased mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular airspaces and chloroplast number due to the increased K + content and decreased reactive oxygen species level in salt-stressed leaves. Interestingly, our results also showed that PNC-induced variations in cell wall composition of salt-stressed cotton leaves strongly influenced g m , especially, hemicellulose and pectin. Moreover, the proportion of pectin in cell wall composition played a more important role in determining g m . Our study demonstrated for the first time that nanoceria, through alterations to anatomical traits and cell wall composition, drove g m enhancement, which ultimately increased A N of salt-stressed leaves., 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 Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) poses a significant medical challenge due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) and the heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) pathway play crucial roles in GBM pathogenesis. Post-translational modifications, such as SUMOylation, regulate the mechanism of action of HSF1 and may influence the progression of GBM. Understanding the interplay between SUMOylation-modified HSF1 and GBM pathophysiology is essential for developing targeted therapies., Methods: We conducted a comprehensive investigation using cellular, molecular, and in vivo techniques. Cell culture experiments involved establishing stable cell lines, protein extraction, Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence analysis. Mass spectrometry was utilized for protein interaction studies. Computational modeling techniques were employed for protein structure analysis. Plasmid construction and lentiviral transfection facilitated the manipulation of HSF1 SUMOylation. In vivo studies employed xenograft models for tumor growth assessment., Results: Our research findings indicate that HSF1 primarily undergoes SUMOylation at the lysine residue K298, enhancing its nuclear translocation, stability, and downstream heat shock protein expression, while having no effect on its trimer conformation. SUMOylated HSF1 promoted the UPRmt pathway, leading to increased GBM cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and reduced apoptosis. In vivo studies have confirmed that SUMOylation of HSF1 enhances its oncogenic effect in promoting tumor growth in GBM xenograft models., Conclusion: This study elucidates the significance of SUMOylation modification of HSF1 in driving GBM progression. Targeting SUMOylated HSF1 may offer a novel therapeutic approach for GBM treatment. Further investigation into the specific molecular mechanisms influenced by SUMOylated HSF1 is warranted for the development of effective targeted therapies to improve outcomes for GBM patients., 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.)

Suillus luteus is an excellent edible fungus that has been applied in soil remediation and environmental pollution control, while the development of bioactive polysaccharide component including structural performance and intestinal flora regulation is still insufficient. In this study, a S. luteus acid-extracted polysaccharide (SLAP) was prepared under room temperature, then the structural characteristics and regulatory effects on gut microbiota metabolism in tumor-bearing mice were investigated. Results showed that SLAP was a kind of gulcomannan (average molecular weight of 1.76 × 10 7  Da) comprised of Xyl, Man, Glc, Gal (molar ratio of 0.19:1.00:0.72:0.53), which took β-(1 → 4)-Manp and β-(1 → 4)-Glcp as the backbone with β-(1 → 6)-Glcp and α-(1 → 6)-Galp as branches. The animal experiment results demonstrated that SLAP could effectively enhance the immunoregulatory activities of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in tumor-bearing mice via improving intestinal lactobacillaceae contents and promoting primary bile acids biosynthesis, finally leading to the suppression of solid tumors growth with an inhibitory rate of 61.14 % (100 mg/kg·d). These results would provide certain data support and research basis for further applications of SLAP as an immunomodulatory adjuvant in food and medicine fields., 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.)

Persistent free radicals (PFRs) in biochar are an important electron shuttle for mediating electron transfer, which has significant impact on the biogeochemical redox reactions. Although the influence of biochar on the extracellular electron transfer (EET) for redox cycle has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanism for promoting the EET with PFRs remains poorly understood. This study investigated the oxygen-centered PFRs-mediated Cr(VI) reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (MR-1) and exhibited the molecular mechanism of electron transfer between flavin substances and PFRs. Results showed that the Cr(VI) bioreduction rate by MR-1 increased from 31% to 70% with the addition of biochar. Electrochemical results illustrated that biochar increased biocurrent generation in the Cr(VI) bioreduction process. 3D-EEM and LC/MS spectra indicated that MR-1 secreted the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductase that relied on the [H] to provide the electrons. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra illustrated that PFRs in biochar accepted the electrons from FMN reductase and stored those bioelectrons. Because of the oxidation of FMN, the electron transfer from FMN reductase to PFRs would increase the intracellular reactive oxygen species, which further produced the extracellular ·O 2 - . The reduced PFRs released the bioelectrons, accelerating the Cr(VI) reduction by ·O 2 - . Together with the results of the mutant strains experiment, it was found that the EET by c-cytochrome and free radicals contributed to the Cr(VI) bioreduction by 7.1% and 92.9%, respectively. These findings revealed that the PFRs could participate in the EET process and promote the redox reactions, providing a new approach for enhancing the remediation of heavy metal pollution by microorganisms and suggesting the important role of PFRs in the electron transfer process., 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.)

Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is a potent lipid mediator and is also associated with cardiovascular diseases. We found that germline Pltp gene knockout (KO) mice have decreased circulating S1P without influencing apoM, a major S1P carrier on HDL. We then hypothesized that, like apoM, PLTP is another S1P carrier. We established inducible Pltp-KO, Apom-KO, and Pltp/Apom double KO mice and measured plasma lipoprotein and S1P levels under different diets. We found that PLTP deficiency, and the double deficiency have a similar effect on HDL reduction. Importantly, we found that all mice have about 50% reduction in plasma S1P levels, compared to WT mice, and PLTP deficiency significantly reduces apoM levels (about 40%), while apoM deficiency has no effect on PLTP activity, indicating that PLTP depletion reduces S1P through HDL reduction. To further evaluate this HDL reduction-mediated effect, we overexpressed PLTP which also caused a reduction of HDL. We found that the overexpression reduces S1P and apoM as well as apoA-I, a major apolipoprotein on HDL. Furthermore, we found that albumin (another reported S1P carrier) deficiency in mice has no effect on plasma S1P. We also found that the influence of PLTP on HDL may not require its direct binding to the particle. In conclusion, PLTP is not a direct S1P carrier. PLTP depletion or overexpression in adulthood dramatically reduces plasma S1P through HDL reduction. ApoM, but not albumin, deficiency reduces plasma S1P levels., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To enhance the fire safety performance in polystyrene (PS), a novel organic-inorganic hybrid material (FGO-AHP) was successfully prepared by the combination of functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) and aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) via a chemical deposition method. The resulting FGO-AHP nanohybrids were incorporated into PS via a masterbatch-melt blending to produce PS/FGO-AHP nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscope images confirm the homogeneous dispersion and exfoliation state of FGO-AHP in the PS matrix. Incorporating FGO-AHP significantly improves the thermal behavior and fire safety performance of PS. By incorporating 5 wt% FGO-AHP, the maximum mass loss rate (MMLR) in air, total heat release (THR), and maximum smoke density value (D smax ) of PS nanocomposite achieve a reduction of 53.1%, 23.4%, and 50.9%, respectively, as compared to the pure PS. In addition, thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared (TG-FTIR) results indicate that introducing FGO-AHP notably inhibits the evolution of volatile products from PS decomposition. Further, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to investigate the char residue of PS nanocomposite samples, elaborating the flame-retardant mechanism in PS/FGO-AHP nanocomposites.

Meloidogyne incognita is one of the globally serious plant parasitic nematodes. New control measure is urgently needed to replace the common chemical control method. Ascarosides are pheromones regulating the nematodes' aggregation, avoidance, mating, dispersal and dauer recovery and formation. Ascr#9, one of the ascarosides, exhibits the potential to repel M. incognita. However, the nematode genes involved in the perception of ascr# 9 signal are totally unknown. In this study, the transcriptome of ascr#9-treated second stage M. incognita juveniles (J2s) was analyzed, 44 pathways were significantly affected, multiple ligand-receptor and mucin type O-glycan were induced, and olfactory transduction was disturbed. A total of 11 highly differentially expressed genes involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and FMRFamide-like peptide related process were identified and knocked down by RNAi. The dispersal rates of M. incognita with three knocked-down genes (flp-14, mgl-1 and ADOR-1) significantly decreased, respectively, when ascr#9 was present. The results demonstrate that flp-14, mgl-1, and ADOR-1 are involved in the dispersal behavior of M. incognita nematodes responding to ascr#9, which promotes the interaction study between ascarosides and M. incognita, and provides new ideas for the prevention and control of M. incognita by using pheromone ascarosides., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background : Dendrobium officinale glycolipids (DOG), often left as residues after hot water extraction for polysaccharide production, are often discarded., Methods: This study investigates the optimal extraction of DOG using response surface methodology, focusing on liquid-solid ratios, ethanol concentrations, extraction temperatures, and extraction times, while preliminarily analyzing DOG's structural properties. Additionally, the differences in antioxidant effects between DOG and ascorbic acid based on intestinal flora metabolism were further evaluated., Results: The optimal parameters for DOG extraction were determined as follows: liquid-solid ratio of 20 mL/g, ethanol concentration of 70%, extraction temperature of 70 °C, and extraction time of 2.5 h, yielding 2.64 ± 0.18%. In addition, DOG was identified as a diglyceride, mainly composed of glucose, mannose, linoleic acid, 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, and presented certain direct free radicals scavenging effects. In animal experiments, unlike the direct free scavenging effects of ascorbic acid, DOG increased intestinal Bacteroides acidifaciens abundance in mice, up-regulated piceatannol expression, and down-regulated 1-naphthol expression, which contributed to antioxidant effects by enhancing the activities of SOD and GSH-Px while reducing MDA content., Conclusions: DOG was a diglyceride isolated from D. officinale residues after hot water extraction, and presented strong antioxidant effects by regulating intestinal flora metabolism. These findings could promote the efficient utilization of D. officinale and support further development of DOG in functional food applications.

Septic patients, coupling severe disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and thrombocytopenia, have poor prognoses and higher mortality. The platelet glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) is involved in thrombosis, hemostasis, and inflammation response. However, it remains unclear whether the GPIbα cytoplasmic tail regulates sepsis-mediated platelet activation and inflammation, especially in Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) infections. Using a mouse model of S. aureus -induced bacteremia, we found that both 10 amino acids of GPIbα C-terminal sequence deficiency and pharmacologic inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) alleviated pathogenesis by diminishing platelet activation and aggregate formation. Furthermore, the GPIbα cytoplasmic tail promoted the phagocytosis of platelets by Kupffer cells in vivo. The genetically deficient GPIbα cytoplasmic tail also downregulated inflammatory cytokines and reduced liver damage, ultimately improving the survival rate of the septic mice. Our results illustrate that the platelet GPIbα cytoplasmic domain exacerbates excessive platelet activation and inflammation associated with sepsis through a PKC-dependent pathway. Thus, our findings provide insights for the development of effective therapeutic strategies using PKC inhibitor treatment against bacterial infection.

A 75-year-old male with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) underwent left bundle branch (LBB) pacing (LBBP) implantation. Intraoperative recordings showed that the LBB potential-ventricular (LBB-V) interval gradually decreased from 47 to 19 ms (ms). Two-year follow-up indicated stable pacing parameters and consistent electrocardiogram (ECG) results. Despite potential conduction delays caused by lead implantation, a watchful waiting strategy demonstrated recovery potential without impacting long-term prognosis or pacing parameters., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The material properties and structural characteristics of ballistic composites are crucial to their ballistic performance. A numerical model of a 1.1 g FSP penetrating a UHMWPE target plate was established in this paper. The numerical results show that the failure process of the body armor target plate primarily involves shear failure, interlayer delamination, and tensile failure. Based on this, further research was conducted on the influence of material properties and structural characteristics on the ballistic limit velocity of the UHMWPE armor plate. Furthermore, the study evaluates the effects of elastic modulus, tensile strength, shear strength, number of layers, and interlayer strength on the ballistic limit velocity of UHMWPE body armor. The findings reveal that the ballistic limit velocity is most sensitive to changes in shear strength, with variation rates ranging from -18% to +11%, showing an approximate positive correlation, while the elastic modulus has the smallest impact on ballistic limit velocity, with variation rates ranging from -2% to +4%. Additionally, appropriate interlayer strength can improve the ballistic limit velocity of the body armor to a certain extent. This study provides theoretical methods and recommendations for optimizing anti-penetration performance of UHMWPE body armor.

Background: Clinically mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a mild encephalopathy, which may be associated with various pathogens, including virus and bacteria. However, there have been no reports on MERS associated with co-infection by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or Pseudomonas putida in adults., Case Presentation: We reported a 29-year-old Chinese woman with MERS associated with RSV and Pseudomonas putida . This woman presented with fever, sore throat, cough, and altered mental states. The results of RSV-RNA in the specimens from throat and sputum culture of Pseudomonas putida were positive. The initial head CT scan on the day of admission revealed abnormal hypodense lesions in the suprasellar cistern (SCC). Subsequent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also demonstrated abnormal hypersignals in the same region. The patient's altered mental status improved on day after ceftriaxone and low-dose corticosteroid therapy. The SCC hypersignal on MRI completely resolved after three weeks, and no recurrence of symptoms occurred during the two-month follow-up period., Conclusions: It is the first reported case of MERS associated with RSV and Pseudomonas putida in the adult, which broadens the spectrum of potential etiologies in MERS. When a patient with a respiratory tract infection presents with neurological symptoms, the possibility of MERS should be considered., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Flexible conductive hydrogel-based electronic skin (E-skin) for simultaneous biotherapeutics and sensing applications is one of the current research directions. In this study, conductive and homogeneous silk fibroin/polyaniline/AgNP complexes (SPAg complexes) were prepared with the assistance of silk fibroin, which greatly optimized the compatibility of PANI with the hydrogel matrix. Then, SPAg was introduced into the covalently crosslinked polymer network to prepare poly(acrylamide- co -sulfobetaine methacrylate) - SPAg hydrogels (labeled as PSPAg hydrogels). The PSPAg hydrogels exhibit good biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties, superb adhesive performance, and fantastic sensing capabilities. Being connected to a smartphone via a Bluetooth system, the SPAg hydrogel-based E-skin was employed to accurately monitor human movements including vigorous joint movements and subtle facial micro-expressions. Finally, benefiting from the synergistic effect of antimicrobial and exogenous electrical stimulation, through promoting angiogenesis and accelerating collagen production in diabetic wounds, PSPAg E-skin successfully facilitates rapid diabetic wound healing. Therefore, the multifunctional PSPAg hydrogel-based E-skin shows great promise for applications in wearable devices and bioelectronics.

Magnesium ions play an important immune-regulatory role during bone repair. For this study, we prepared micro-nano bioactive glass (MNBG) containing magnesium, which can release magnesium, silicon, and calcium ions and has a positive impact on osteogenic differentiation and vascular regeneration. In this study, MgMNBG was compounded and combined with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) for 3D printing. Afterwards, the physicochemical properties and bone repair performance of the scaffolds were evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. We also investigated the effects of MgMNBG on osteogenic differentiation, immune regulation, and vascular regeneration. The results showed that MgMNBG can inhibit inflammation and promote osteogenesis and angiogenesis by regulating macrophages. PLGA/PCL/MgMNBG scaffolds have good osteogenic and angiogenic effects, and the composite scaffolds have excellent bone repair performance and potential application value., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Mode-locked oscillators with high-order transverse modes are excellent platforms for generating femtosecond optical vortices with high average power and good propagation stability. These have important applications in diverse fields such as optical communication, strong-field physics, and laser processing. So far, generating vortex pulses with ultrashort pulse duration remains a challenge. In this Letter, we report a Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:CALGO laser oscillator delivering Hermite-Gaussian (HG) pulses with a pulse duration of 86 fs using a non-collinear pumping technique. 91 fs optical vortex pulses were generated by using a cylindrical-lens mode converter. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest pulse duration ever obtained from a diode pumped solid-state mode-locked oscillator with a pure high-order Hermite-Gaussian mode. The phase structures of the generated femtosecond vortices are characterized.

Maize is one of the most successful crops in utilizing heterosis which significantly improves maize stresses resistance and yield. Drought is a destructive abiotic stress that significantly reduces crop yield, particularly in maize. Drought stress and re-watering frequently occur during the growth and development of maize; however, the molecular mechanisms of heterosis under drought stress and re-watering have rarely been systematically investigated. Zhengdan7137 and Zhengdan7153 are two maize hybrid varieties with robust heterosis, and separately belongs to the SS×NSS and Reid×Tangsipingtou heterotic groups. 54 transcriptomes of these two hybrids and their parental inbred lines were analyzed under well-watering (WW), water-deficit (WD), and re-watering (RW) conditions using RNA-Seq. In this study, we identified 3,411 conserved drought response genes (CDRGs) and 3,133 conserved re-watering response genes (CRRGs) between Zhengdan7137 and Zhengdan7153. When comparing CDRGs and CRRGs to overdominance and underdominance genes, we identified 303 and 252 conservative drought response overdominance genes (DODGs) and underdominance genes (DUDGs), respectively, and 165 and 267 conservative re-watering response overdominance genes (RODGs) and underdominance genes (RUDGs), respectively. DODGs are involved in stress response-related processes, such as L-phenylalanine metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and heat response, whereas DUDGs are associated with glucose metabolism, pentose-phosphate shunt, and starch metabolism. RODGs and RUDGs contribute to the recovery of hybrids from drought stress by upregulating cell propagation and photosynthesis processes, and repressing stress response processes, respectively. It indicated overdominant and underdominant genes conservatively contributed to hybrid heterosis under drought stress. These results deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of drought resistance, uncover conservative molecular mechanisms of heterosis under drought stress and re-watering, and provide potential targets for improving drought resistance in maize., 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 Dai, Zhang, Wang, Yang, Wang, Jia, Li, Wang, Song, Lu and Li.)

Superionic conductor-based solid-state electrolytes with preferred crystal structures hold great promise for realizing ultrafast lithium-ion (Li + ) transfer, which is urgently desired for all-solid-state lithium batteries. However, the precise control of crystal growth of superionic conductors is still challenging since the crystals always spontaneously grow to disordered structures with the lowest internal energy to ensure thermodynamic stability. Herein, a coaxial nanowire with a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) sheath and a Li 0.33 La 0.557 TiO 3 (LLTO) precursor core (PVP/LLTO-caNW) is prepared through coaxial electrospinning, followed by sintering into LLTO nanowire with an oriented crystal structure (LLTO-caNW). We demonstrate that the one-dimensional PVP sheath as a sacrificial layer generates uniform and the strongest adsorption ability on the (110) phase among different LLTO crystal planes, which induces the crystal to preferentially grow along the c -axis (the fastest Li + transfer direction) during the nucleation and growth processes. As a result, the prepared LLTO-caNW displays an ultrahigh bulk ionic conductivity of 3.13 × 10 -3 S cm -1 , exceeding most LLTO crystals and approaching the theoretical conductivity. Meanwhile, the oriented crystal growth imparts to LLTO-caNW significantly reduced grain boundary resistance, and the grain-boundary conductivity reaches up to 1.09 × 10 -3 S cm -1 . This endows the composite solid electrolyte with high ionic conduction performance and superior cycle stability in the assembled all-solid-state lithium battery.