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The absence of catalytic asymmetric methods for synthesizing chiral (hetero)bicyclo[n.1.1]alkanes has hindered their application in new drug discovery. Here we demonstrate the achievability of an asymmetric polar cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butane using a chiral Lewis acid catalyst and a bidentate chelating bicyclo[1.1.0]butane substrate, as exemplified by the current enantioselective formal (3 + 3) cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with nitrones. In addition to the diverse bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes incorporating an acyl imidazole group or an acyl pyrazole moiety, a wide array of nitrones are compatible with this Lewis acid catalysis, successfully assembling two congested quaternary carbon centers and a chiral aza-trisubstituted carbon center in the pharmaceutically important hetero-bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane product with up to 99% yield and >99% ee., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Apelin is an endogenous prepropeptide that regulates cardiac homeostasis and various physiological processes. Intravenous injection has been shown to improve cardiac contractility in patients with heart failure. However, its short half-life prevents studying its impact on left ventricular remodeling in the long term. Here, we aim to study whether microparticle-mediated slow release of apelin improves heart function and left ventricular remodeling in mice with myocardial infarction (MI)., Methods: A cardiac patch was fabricated by embedding apelin-containing microparticles in a fibrin gel scaffold. MI was induced via permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in adult C57BL/6J mice followed by epicardial patch placement immediately after (acute MI) or 28 days (chronic MI) post-MI. Four groups were included in this study, namely sham, MI, MI plus empty microparticle-embedded patch treatment, and MI plus apelin-containing microparticle-embedded patch treatment. Cardiac function was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography. Cardiomyocyte morphology, apoptosis, and cardiac fibrosis were evaluated by histology. Cardioprotective pathways were determined by RNA sequencing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot., Results: The level of endogenous apelin was largely reduced in the first 7 days after MI induction and it was normalized by day 28. Apelin-13 encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles displayed a sustained release pattern for up to 28 days. Treatment with apelin-containing microparticle-embedded patch inhibited cardiac hypertrophy and reduced scar size in both acute and chronic MI models, which is associated with improved cardiac function. Data from cellular and molecular analyses showed that apelin inhibits the activation and proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts by preventing transforming growth factor-β-mediated activation of Smad2/3 (supporessor of mothers against decapentaplegic 2/3) and downstream profibrotic gene expression., Conclusions: Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles prolonged the apelin release time in the mouse hearts. Epicardial delivery of the apelin-containing microparticle-embedded patch protects mice from both acute and chronic MI-induced cardiac dysfunction, inhibits cardiac fibrosis, and improves left ventricular remodeling., Competing Interests: None.

Cells contain intricate protein nanostructures, but replicating them outside of cells presents challenges. One such example is the vertical fibronectin pillars observed in embryos. Here, we demonstrate the creation of cell-free vertical fibronectin pillar mimics using nonequilibrium self-assembly. Our approach utilizes enzyme-responsive phosphopeptides that assemble into nanotubes. Enzyme action triggers shape changes in peptide assemblies, driving the vertical growth of protein nanopillars into bundles. These bundles, with peptide nanotubes serving as a template to remodel fibronectin, can then recruit collagen, which forms aggregates or bundles depending on their types. Nanopillar formation relies on enzyme-catalyzed nonequilibrium self-assembly and is governed by the concentrations of enzyme, protein, peptide, the structure of the peptide, and peptide assembly morphologies. Cryo-EM reveals unexpected nanotube thinning and packing after dephosphorylation, indicating a complex sculpting process during assembly. Our study demonstrates a cell-free method for constructing intricate, multiprotein nanostructures with directionality and composition.

The first step in blood testing necessitates blood separation to obtain an adequate volume of plasma. Traditional centrifugation is bulky, expensive and electricity-powered, which is not suitable for micro-scale blood plasma separation in point-of-care testing (POCT) cases. Microfluidic paper-based plasma separation devices present a promising alternative for plasma separation in such occasions. However, they are limited in terms of plasma yield, which hinders analyte detection. Herein, we proposed a humidity-enhanced paper-based microfluidic plasma separation method to address this issue. Specifically, paper was first treated by blood-typing antibodies, then samples of whole blood were introduced into the prepared paper. After waiting for 5 min for RBC agglutination and plasma wicking under high humidity, micro-scale plasma separation from whole blood was achieved. As a result, an extremely high plasma yield of up to 60.1% could be separated from whole blood through using Xuan-paper. Meanwhile, the purity of plasma could reach 99.99%. Finally, this innovative approach was effortlessly integrated into distance-based glucose concentration detection, enabling rapid determination of blood glucose levels through naked-eye observation. Considering the simplicity and inexpensiveness of this method, we believe that this technology could be integrated to more paper-based microfluidic analytical devices for rapid and accurate detection of plasma analytes in POCT.

Carbopalladation-initiated cascade reaction involving 1,4-Pd migration is a straightforward and powerful approach to activate remote C─H bond, forging versatile fused polycyclic compounds containing fluorene fragment which are highly valuable synthetic targets. However, its asymmetric variants pose considerable challenges and have not been explored. Here the first asymmetric palladium-catalyzed tandem carbopalladation is reported, 1,4-Pd migration reaction of ortho-iodophenol-derived allyl ether under mild conditions, allowing the transformation of a wide range of substrates in good to excellent enantioselectivities, and providing a facile and straight forward access to tetracyclic dihydroindeno[1,2,3-de]chromene bearing a chiral fluorene skeleton. A good functional group tolerance, high stereoselectivity, as well as the good chiroptical properties (high fluorescence quantum yields, circular dichroism) of the products make this approach highly attractive. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the protonation of five-membered palladacycle intermediate is more favorable rather than its direct reductive elimination process., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced intestinal injury remains a major limiting factor in abdominal radiation therapy, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. In this study, mouse models of IR-induced intestinal injury were established, and the effect of IR on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was determined. More severe IR-induced intestinal damage was observed in Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice than in wild-type mice. Then, the negative regulation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS/STING) signaling by Nrf2 was examined both in vivo and in vitro after IR. This was accompanied by alterations in the intestinal neutrophil and macrophage populations in mice. Subsequently, the effect of the cGAS/STING pathway on the intestinal toxicity of IR was also investigated. Moreover, the downregulation of cGAS/STING by Nrf2 via its target gene, Pirin, was confirmed using transfection assays. A rescue experiment with Pirin was also conducted using adeno-associated virus in Nrf2 KO mice. Finally, the protective effect of calcitriol against IR-induced intestinal injury, along with increased Nrf2 and Pirin levels and decreased cGAS, pSTING, and interferon-beta levels, were observed. Taken together, our results suggest that Nrf2 alleviates IR-induced intestinal injury through Pirin-mediated inhibition of the innate immunity-related cGAS/STING pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Although the molecular composition and architecture of synapses have been widely explored, much less is known about what genetic programs directly activate synaptic gene expression and how they are modulated. Here, using Caenorhabditis elegans dopaminergic neurons, we reveal that EGL-43/MECOM and FOS-1/FOS control an activity-dependent synaptogenesis program. Loss of either factor severely reduces presynaptic protein expression. Both factors bind directly to promoters of synaptic genes and act together with CUT homeobox transcription factors to activate transcription. egl-43 and fos-1 mutually promote each other's expression, and increasing the binding affinity of FOS-1 to the egl-43 locus results in increased presynaptic protein expression and synaptic function. EGL-43 regulates the expression of multiple transcription factors, including activity-regulated factors and developmental factors that define multiple aspects of dopaminergic identity. Together, we describe a robust genetic program underlying activity-regulated synapse formation during development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Secretoneurin is a neuropeptide with several neuroprotective properties. Here, we discuss the importance of serum secretoneurin in assessing severity and predicting delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and functional outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH)., Methods: A prospective cohort study of 167 patients with aSAH and 100 controls was performed to determine serum secretoneurin levels. Severity was reflected by the Hunt-Hess and modified Fisher scores. Prognostic parameters included DCI and poor 6-month prognosis (extended Glasgow outcome scale scores of 1-4). Univariate analysis followed by multivariate analysis was performed to determine the correlation between severity and prognosis., Results: Compared to controls, patients exhibited a marked elevation in serum secretoneurin levels. Serum secretoneurin levels, which were independently correlated with Hunt-Hess scores and modified Fisher scores, independently predicted DCI and bad 6-month prognosis. Serum secretoneurin levels, which were linearly related to the risk of DCI and poor prognosis under a restricted cubic spline, effectively distinguished the risks under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Subgroup analysis for prognosis or DCI prediction revealed no substantial interactions between serum secretoneurin levels and other variables, such as age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, alcohol consumption, and cigarette consumption. In addition, the prognosis model, in which serum secretoneurin, Hunt-Hess scale, and modified Fisher scale were merged, was graphically represented by a nomogram and performed well under the calibration, decision, and ROC curves., Conclusion: Serum secretoneurin levels significantly increased after aSAH, which was intimately correlated with disease severity and independently associated with DCI and worse outcomes, indicating that serum secretoneurin may be a potential prognostic biomarker of aSAH., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Ma et al.)

Merging traditional Chinese medicine's (TCM) principles of medicine-food homology with modern flavor chemistry, this research unveils PungentDB (http://www.pungentdb.org.cn/home), a database documenting 205 unique pungent flavor compounds from 231 TCMs. It provides detailed insights into their chemical attributes, biological targets (including IC50/EC50 values), and molecular structures (2D/3D), enriched with visualizations of target organ distribution and protein structures, exploring the pungent flavor space with the help of a feature-rich visual interface. This collection, derived from over 3249 sources and highlighting 9129 targets, delves into the compounds' unique pungent flavors-taste, aroma, and thermal sensations-and their interaction with taste and olfactory receptors. PungentDB bridges ancient wisdom and culinary innovation, offering a nuanced exploration of pungent flavors' role in enhancing food quality, safety, and sensory experiences. This initiative propels flavor chemistry forward, serving as a pivotal resource for food science advancement and the innovative application of pungent flavors., Competing Interests: In the preparation of our manuscript titled “PungentDB: Bridging Traditional Chinese Medicine of medicine food homology and Modern Food Flavor Chemistry,” submitted to the special issue on Flavor Chemistry of Food in Food Chemistry: X, we have meticulously adhered to the ethical standards of scientific research and publishing. We hereby declare that there are no conflicts of interest, including financial, consultative, institutional, or other relationships that might lead to bias or a conflict of interest. Our research is purely academic in nature, aiming to contribute to the body of knowledge within the realms of food science, traditional Chinese medicine, and flavor chemistry. All data were collected and processed with the utmost integrity, and all contributors to this work have been duly acknowledged. This work has not received funding or support from any organization that could have influenced its outcome. Furthermore, this manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not currently under consideration by any other journal. We have cited all references appropriately to acknowledge the contributions of previous research in our work. Through this submission, we aim to contribute valuable insights into the interplay between traditional Chinese medicine and modern food flavor chemistry, with a particular focus on the chemistry of pungent flavors and their potential applications in enhancing food quality, safety, and sensory properties. Conflict of interest statement: None declared., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

As a critical part of the circulatory system, blood vessels transport oxygen and nutrients to every corner of the body, nourishing each cell, and also remove waste and toxins. Defects in vascular development and function are closely associated with many diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis. In the nervous system, the nervous and vascular systems are intricately connected in both development and function. First, peripheral blood vessels and nerves exhibit parallel distribution patterns. In the central nervous system (CNS), nerves and blood vessels form a complex interface known as the neurovascular unit. Second, the vascular system employs similar cellular and molecular mechanisms as the nervous system for its development. Third, the development and function of CNS vasculature are tightly regulated by CNS-specific signaling pathways and neural activity. Additionally, vascular endothelial cells within the CNS are tightly connected and interact with pericytes, astrocytes, neurons, and microglia to form the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB strictly controls material exchanges between the blood and brain, maintaining the brain's microenvironmental homeostasis, which is crucial for the normal development and function of the CNS. Here, we comprehensively summarize research on neural regulation of vascular and BBB development and propose directions for future research.

Asymmetric Pd-catalyzed three-component carboamination reactions of dienes to construct chiral cyclohexenylamines, which are of great importance in many fields of chemistry, have remained largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate a highly enantio- and regioselective Pd/ Ming-Phos -catalyzed carboamination reactions of 1,3-cyclohexadiene with readily available aryl iodides and anilines for facile access to diverse valuable chiral cyclohexenylamines. The process shows excellent functional group tolerance, easy scalability, and mild conditions. Moreover, mechanistic studies suggest that this reaction has a first-order dependence on the concentration of the palladium catalyst and aniline.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease. Abnormal formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) at the synovial membrane leads to the release of many inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Elastase, histone H3, and myeloperoxidase, which are carried by NETs, damage the soft tissues of the joints and aggravate the progression of RA. The balance of NET formation coordinates the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects and plays a key role in the development of RA. Therefore, when NETs are used as effector targets, highly targeted drugs with fewer side effects can be developed to treat RA without damaging the host immune system. Currently, an increasing number of studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicines and natural products can regulate the formation of NETs through multiple pathways to counteract RA, which shows great potential for the treatment of RA and has a promising future for clinical application. In this article, we review the latest biological progress in understanding NET formation, the mechanism of NETs in RA, and the potential targets or pathways related to the modulation of NET formation by Chinese medicines and natural products. This review provides a relevant basis for the use of Chinese medicines and natural products as natural adjuvants in the treatment of RA., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Deficient (d) DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a biomarker predictive of better response to PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in solid tumors. dMMR can be caused by mutations in MMR genes or by protein inactivation, which can be detected by sequencing and immunohistochemistry, respectively. To investigate the role of dMMR in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), MMR gene mutations and expression of MSH6, MSH2, MLH1, and PMS2 proteins were evaluated by targeted next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry in a large cohort of DLBCL patients treated with standard chemoimmunotherapy, and correlated with the tumor immune microenvironment characteristics quantified by fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry and gene-expression profiling. The results showed that genetic dMMR was infrequent in DLBCL and was significantly associated with increased cancer gene mutations and favorable immune microenvironment, but not prognostic impact. Phenotypic dMMR was also infrequent, and MMR proteins were commonly expressed in DLBCL. However, intratumor heterogeneity existed, and increased DLBCL cells with phenotypic dMMR correlated with significantly increased T cells and PD-1 + T cells, higher average nearest neighbor distance between T cells and PAX5 + cells, upregulated immune gene signatures, LE4 and LE7 ecotypes and their underlying Ecotyper-defined cell states, suggesting the possibility that increased T cells targeted only tumor cell subsets with dMMR. Only in patients with MYC¯ DLBCL, high MSH6/PMS2 expression showed significant adverse prognostic effects. This study shows the immunologic and prognostic effects of genetic/phenotypic dMMR in DLBCL, and raises a question on whether DLBCL-infiltrating PD-1 + T cells target only tumor subclones, relevant for the efficacy of PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in DLBCL., Competing Interests: D.O., Q.A., and H.N. are employees of NeoGenomics Laboratories, Inc. The NeoGenomics Laboratories, Inc. had no role in the design of the study, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.)

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the role of blood biomarkers in RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is ill-defined. We aim to evaluate the role of YKL-40 and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) in the diagnosis and severity evaluation of RA-ILD., Methods: 45 RA-non-ILD patients and 38 RA-ILD patients were included. The clinical data and the levels of YKL-40 and KL-6 were measured and collected for all patients. The risk factors for RA-ILD were analyzed and their correlation with relevant indicators and predictive value for RA-ILD was explored., Results: The levels of YKL-40 and KL-6 in RA-ILD patients were higher than RA-non-ILD patients ( p < .001). Both YKL-40 and KL-6 were correlated with the incidence of RA-ILD. The predictive power of combined KL-6 and YKL-40 for the presence of ILD was 0.789, with a sensitivity and specificity at 73.7% and 73.3%, respectively. In RA-ILD patients, both YKL-40 and KL-6 were positively correlated with the Scleroderma Lung Study (SLS) I score and negatively correlated with pulmonary function., Conclusions: KL-6 and YKL-40 might be a useful biomarker in the diagnosis and severity evaluation of RA-ILD.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening method that uses capture-based enrichment to genotype fetal autosomal recessive disorders. This method was applied in pregnancies at high risk of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) to assess its accuracy and effectiveness., Methods: This assay measured the allele counts in both white blood cell DNA and cfDNA from the blood samples of pregnant women using a capture-based next-generation sequencing method. It then applied a binomial model to infer the fetal genotypes with the maximum likelihood. Ninety-four pregnant couples that were carriers of variants of ARNSHL in GJB2 or SLC26A4 were enrolled. The fetal genotypes deduced using this screening method were compared with the results of genetic diagnosis using amniocentesis., Results: Of the 94 couples, 65 carried more than one variant, resulting in 170 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci to be inferred in the fetuses. Of the 170 fetal SNP genotypes, 150 (88.2%) had high confidence calls and 139 (92.7%) of these matched the genotypes obtained by amniocentesis result. Out of the remaining 20 (11.8%) cases with low-confidence calls, only 14 (70.0%) were concordant with genetic diagnosis using amniocentesis. The concordance rate was 100% for sites where the maternal genotype was wild-type homozygous. The discordance was site-biased, with each locus showing a consistent direction of discordance. Genetic diagnosis identified a total of 19 wild-type homozygotes, 46 heterozygotes, 19 compound heterozygotes, and 10 pathogenic homozygotes. This screening method correctly genotyped 81.9% (77/94) of fetuses and demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.7% and a specificity of 89.2% for correctly identifying ARNSHL., Conclusion: This capture-based method of prenatal screening by cfDNA demonstrated strong potential for fetal genotyping of autosomal recessive disorders., (© 2024 The Authors. Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Sarcopenia is linked to an unfavorable prognosis in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Early identification and treatment of sarcopenia are clinically significant. This study aimed to create and validate a nomogram for predicting sarcopenia risk in RA patients, providing clinicians with a reliable tool for the early identification of high-risk patients., Methods: Patients with RA diagnosed between August 2022 and January 2024 were included and randomized into training and validation sets in a 7:3 ratio. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression analysis and multifactorial logistic regression analysis were used to screen the risk variables for RA-associated muscle loss and to create an RA sarcopenia risk score. The predictive performance and clinical utility of the risk model were evaluated by plotting the receiver operating characteristic curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC), along with the calibration curve and clinical decision curve (DCA)., Results: A total of 480 patients with RA were included in the study (90% female, with the largest number in the 45-59 age group, about 50%). In this study, four variables (body mass index, disease duration, hemoglobin, and grip strength) were included to construct a nomogram for predicting RA sarcopenia. The training and validation set AUCs were 0.915 (95% CI: 0.8795-0.9498) and 0.907 (95% CI: 0.8552-0.9597), respectively, proving that the predictive model was well discriminated. The calibration curve showed that the predicted values of the model were basically in line with the actual values, demonstrating good calibration. The DCA indicated that almost the entire range of patients with RA can benefit from this novel prediction model, suggesting good clinical utility., Conclusion: This study developed and validated a nomogram prediction model to predict the risk of sarcopenia in RA patients. The model can assist clinicians in enhancing their ability to screen for RA sarcopenia, assess patient prognosis, make early decisions, and improve the quality of life for RA patients., 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 Qu, Zhang, Liu, Fu, Wang, Liu, Wang, Wan, Xu, Zhang, Li and Jiang.)

Designing highly efficient orally administrated nanotherapeutics with specific inflammatory site-targeting functions in the gastrointestinal tract for ulcerative colitis (UC) management is a noteworthy challenge. Here, we focused on exploring a specific targeting oral nanotherapy, serving as "one stone," for the directed localization of inflammation and the regulation of redox homeostasis, thereby achieving effects against "two birds" for UC treatment. Our designed nanotherapeutic agent OPNs@LMWH (oxidation-sensitive ε-polylysine nanoparticles at low-molecular weight heparin) exhibited specific active targeting effects and therapeutic efficacy simultaneously. Our results indicate that OPNs@LMWH had high integrin αM-mediated immune cellular uptake efficiency and preferentially accumulated in inflamed tissues. We also confirmed its effectiveness in the treatment experiment of colitis in mice by ameliorating oxidative stress and inhibiting the activation of inflammation-associated signaling pathways while simultaneously bolstering the protective mechanisms of the colonic epithelium. Overall, these findings underscore the compelling dual functionalities of OPNs@LMWH, which enable effective oral delivery to inflamed sites, thereby facilitating precise UC management.

Mn/TiO 2 catalysts with varying solid contents were innovatively prepared by the sol-gel method and were used for selective catalytic reduction of NO at low temperatures using NH 3 (NH 3 -SCR) as the reducing agent. Surprisingly, it was found that as the solid content of the sol increased, the catalytic activity of the developed Mn/TiO 2 catalyst gradually increased, showing excellent catalytic performance. Notably, the Mn/TiO 2 (50%) catalyst demonstrates outstanding denitration performance, achieving a 96% NO conversion rate at 100 °C under a volume hourly space velocity (VHSV) of 24,000 h -1 , while maintaining high N 2 selectivity and stability. It was discovered that as the solid content increased, the catalyst's specific surface area (SSA), surface Mn 4+ concentration, chemisorbed oxygen, chemisorption of NH 3 , and catalytic reducibility all improved, thereby enhancing the catalytic efficiency of NH 3 -SCR in degrading NO. Moreover, NH 3 at the Lewis acidic sites and NH 4+ at the Bronsted acidic sites of the catalyst were capable of reacting with NO. Conversely, NO and NO 2 adsorbed on the catalyst, along with bidentate and monodentate nitrates, were unable to react with NH 3 at low temperatures. Consequently, the developed catalyst's low-temperature catalytic reaction mechanism aligns with the E-R mechanism.

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the impact of a nursing intervention based on stress system theory, coupled with painting therapy, on children experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subsequent to an accidental injury., Methods: The clinical data of 100 children diagnosed with PTSD following accidental injuries were retrospectively analyzed for the period spanning April 2021 to May 2023. There were 48 children who received standard nursing care between April 2021 and April 2022 in the control group, and 52 children who received nursing intervention based on stress system theory combined with painting therapy between May 2022 and May 2023 in the observation group. Scores of PTSD Self-evaluation Scale (PTSD-SS), post-traumatic growth, coping style, quality of life, and family satisfaction were compared between the two groups., Results: Prior to nursing care, the scores of each dimension in the PTSD-SS, post-traumatic growth, coping style, and quality of life were similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). Following nursing intervention, the observation group exhibited lower scores in each dimension of the PTSD-SS compared to the control group. Moreover, the scores in each dimension of the children's version of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were higher in the observation group than in the control group. Additionally, the Confrontation scores in the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) were higher in the observation group than in the control group, while the scores of Avoidance and Resignation were lower in the observation group than in the control group. The scores of each dimension in the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Measurement Models (PedsQL4.0) were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and the family satisfaction in the observation group (96.15%) was higher than that in the control group (81.25%), with P < 0.05., Conclusion: The implementation of nursing intervention based on stress system theory combined with painting therapy in children with PTSD following an accidental injury can alleviate stress, help them actively cope with the condition, promote post-traumatic growth, and improve the quality of life and family satisfaction., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Precise regulation of the active site structure is an important means to enhance the activity and selectivity of catalysts in CO 2 electroreduction. Here, we creatively introduce anionic groups, which can not only stabilize metal sites with strong coordination ability but also have rich interactions with protons at active sites to modify the electronic structure and proton transfer process of catalysts. This strategy helps to convert CO 2 into fuel chemicals at low overpotentials. As a typical example, a composite catalyst, CuO/Cu-NSO 4 /CN, with highly dispersed Cu(II)-SO 4 sites has been reported, in which CO 2 electroreduction to formate occurs at a low overpotential with a high Faradaic efficiency (-0.5 V vs. RHE, FE formate =87.4 %). Pure HCOOH is produced with an energy conversion efficiency of 44.3 % at a cell voltage of 2.8 V. Theoretical modeling demonstrates that sulfate promotes CO 2 transformation into a carboxyl intermediate followed by HCOOH generation, whose mechanism is significantly different from that of the traditional process via a formate intermediate for HCOOH production., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Green manuring is a conservation agricultural practice that improves soil quality and crop yield. However, increasing the active nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) pools during green manure (GM) amendment may accelerate soil N transformation and stimulate N loss. Previous studies have reported the effects of cover crop incorporation on N 2 O emission; however, the driving mechanisms and other N losses remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 109 published articles (517 paired observations) to clarify the effects of GM amendment on soil reactive N (Nr) losses (N 2 O emissions, NH 3 volatilization, and N leaching and runoff), N pools, and N cycling functional gene abundance. The results showed that green manuring increased soil microbial biomass N (MBN) and NO 3 - -N concentrations and stimulated N 2 O emission but significantly lowered N leaching and yield-scaled NH 3 volatilization. Practices of green manuring made a dominant contribution to the variation in N 2 O emissions and NH 3 volatilization after GM application. Furthermore, applying legume-based GM, using N derived from GM (GMN) as an additional input, and short-term GM amendment each stimulated N 2 O emissions. In contrast, adopting non-legume GM, using GMN to partially substitute mineral N, and applying GM to the soil surface or paddy field mitigated NH 3 loss during GM amendment. Additionally, the variation in NH 3 volatilization was positively related to soil pH and N application rate (NAR) but had a negative relationship with mean annual precipitation (MAP). This study highlighted the marked effects of green manuring on soil N retention and loss. Agricultural operations that adopt GM amendment should select suitable GM species and optimize mineral N inputs to minimize N loss., 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.)

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a complicated inflammatory reaction that impacts the pancreas, often resulting in damage to numerous organs. This disorder encompasses a range of processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and pancreatitis. The hormone melatonin (MT) is primarily secreted by the pineal gland and plays a crucial role in mitigating inflammation, countering the harmful effects of free radicals, and regulating oxidative stress. The aim of this research was to investigate the potential protective impact and the underlying mechanism of melatonin in mice afflicted with SAP. The biochemical and histological assessments unequivocally demonstrated that melatonin effectively inhibited necrosis, infiltration, edema and cell death in pancreatic tissues, thereby suppressing acute pancreatitis. Notably, melatonin also alleviated the consequent harm to distant organs, notably the lungs, liver, and kidneys. Furthermore, both preventive and therapeutic administration of melatonin prompted nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation followed by Nrf2 target gene expression. Nrf2 initiates the activation of antioxidant genes, thereby providing defense against oxidative stress. Conversely, Nrf2 reduction may contribute to impaired antioxidant protection in SAP. The beneficial impact of Nrf2 on antioxidants was absent in Nrf2-knockout mice, leading to the accumulation of LDH and exacerbation of cell death. This deterioration in both pancreatitis and injuries in distant organs intensified significantly. The results indicate that melatonin has an enhanced ability to protect against multiorgan damage caused by SAP, which is accomplished through the increase in Nrf2 expression. Additionally, Nrf2 initiates the activation of antioxidant genes that offer defense against cell death., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: To describe the anatomical and histological characteristics of the human MTL (meniscotibial ligament) that keeps the meniscus stable and are rarely discussed., Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study., Methods: In total, six fresh-frozen adult cadaver knees were dissected, and the dissection protocol were designed by two experienced anatomy professors. The anatomical morphology of MTL was observed. The main anatomical specimens included meniscus, tibial plateau, MTL. The osteotome was used to excise the portion of the tibial plateau, which could obtain the complex including partial meniscus, MTL, and a tibial fragment. A histopathologic study was performed by two experienced pathologists., Results: Macroscopically, the MTL could be divided into two parts: medial meniscotibial ligament (MMTL)and lateral meniscotibial ligament (LMTL). The MMTL is distributed continuously, whereas the LMTL is discontinuous on the tibial plateau. The average length from the tibial attachment of the LMTL to the articular surface was 19 ± 1.0mm (mean ± SD). The average length from the tibial attachment of the MMTL to the articular surface was 10 ± 1.2 mm (mean ± SD). Microscopy of the MTL showed that the MTL is a ligamentous tissue, composed of a network of oriented collagenous fibers., Conclusions: In all knees, the MTL was inserted on the outer edge of the meniscus, attaching to the tibia below the level of articular cartilage, which was key to maintaining the rotational stability of knee and the meniscus in the physiological position on the tibial plateau. Histological analysis of this ligament demonstrated that the MTL is a veritable ligamentous structure, which is made up of collagen type I-expressing fibroblasts., Clinical Relevance: This article contributes to the understanding of the anatomical and histological characteristics of the MTL. It is beneficial to promote the development of relevant surgical techniques for the MTL lesion., (© 2024 Asia Pacific Knee, Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Society. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.)

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly hazardous toxic substance that can cause serious harm to animals. Previous studies have indicated that cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ) can damage organs, such as the liver, ovaries, and testicles. Naringenin (Nar) represents a flavonoid with various properties that promote the alleviation of Cd-induced damage. In this experiment, 60 chickens were divided into the control group, 150 mg/kg CdCl 2 treatment group, 250 mg/kg Nar treatment group, and 150 mg/kg CdCl 2 + 250 mg/kg Nar co-treatment group, which were treated for 8 weeks. Kidney tissues samples were collected to investigate kidney function, including oxidative stress (OS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and autophagy activity. Experimental results showed the decreased weight of chickens and increased relative weight of their kidneys after CdCl 2 treatment. The increase in NAG, BUN, Cr, and UA activities, as well as the increase in MDA and GSH contents, and the decrease activities of T-AOC, SOD, and CAT in the kidney, manifested renal injury by OS in the chickens. TUNEL staining revealed that CdCl 2 induced apoptosis in renal cells. CdCl 2 upregulates the mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78, PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, ATF6, CHOP, and LC3, and inhibited the mRNA and protein expression levels of P62 proteins, which leads to ER stress and autophagy. The CdCl 2 + Nar co-treatment group exhibited alleviated CdCl 2 -induced kidney injury, OS, ER stress, and autophagy. Research has demonstrated that Nar reduces CdCl 2 -induced kidney injury through alleviation of OS, ER stress, and autophagy., 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 Shi, Gao, Xu, Mao, Wang, Liu and Wang.)

Developing Janus fabrics with excellent one-way sweat transport capacity is an attractive way for providing comfort sensation and protecting the health during exercise. In this work, a 3D wetting gradient Janus fabric (3DWGJF) is first proposed to address the issue of excessive sweat accumulation in women's breasts, followed by integration with a sponge pad to form a 3D wetting gradient Janus sports bra (3DWGJSB). The 3D wetting gradient enables the prepared fabric to control the horizontal migration of sweat in one-way mode (x/y directions) and then unidirectionally penetrate downward (z direction), finally keeping the water content on the inner side of 3DWGJF (skin side) at ≈0%. In addition, the prepared 3DWGJF has good water vapor transmittance rate (WVTR: 0.0409 g cm -2  h -1 ) and an excellent water evaporation rate (0.4704 g h -1 ). Due to the high adhesion of transfer prints to the fabrics and their excellent mechanical properties, the 3DWGJF is remarkably durable and capable of withstanding over 500 laundering cycles and 400 abrasion cycles. This work may inspire the design and fabrication of next-generation moisture management fabrics with an effective sweat-removal function for women's health., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Groundwater resources serve as the primary source of water in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, where scarcity of water resources constrains the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. As a typical rainfed agricultural area, the agro-pastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia is entirely dependent on groundwater for agricultural irrigation. Due to the substantial groundwater consumption of irrigated farmland, groundwater levels have been progressively declining. To obtain a sustainable irrigation pattern that significantly conserves water, this study faces the challenge of unclear water transport relationships among water, soil, and crops, undefined water cycle mechanism in typical irrigation units, and water use efficiency, which was not assessed. Therefore, this paper, based on in situ experimental observations and daily meteorological data in 2022-2023, utilized the DSSAT model to explore the growth processes of potato , oat , alfalfa , and sunflower , the soil water dynamics, the water balance, and water use efficiency, analyzed over a typical irrigation area. The results indicated that the simulation accuracy of the DSSAT model was ARE < 10%, nRMSE/% < 10%, and R 2 ≥ 0.85. The consumption of the soil moisture during the rapid growth stage for the potatoes , oats , alfalfa , and sunflower was 7-13% more than that during the other periods, and the yield was 67,170, 3345, 6529, and 4020 kg/ha, respectively. The soil evaporation of oat, potato, alfalfa, and sunflower accounted for 18-22%, 78-82%; 57-68%, and 32-43%, and transpiration accounted for 40-44%, 56-60%, 45-47%, and 53-55% of ETa (333.8 mm-369.2 mm, 375.2 mm-414.2 mm, 415.7 mm-453.7 mm, and 355.0 mm-385.6 mm), respectively. It was advised that irrigation water could be appropriately reduced to decrease ineffective water consumption. The water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency for potatoes was at the maximum amount, ranging from 16.22 to 16.62 kg/m 3 and 8.61 to 10.81 kg/m 3 , respectively, followed by alfalfa, sunflowers, and oats. For the perspective of water productivity, it was recommended that potatoes could be extensively cultivated, alfalfa planted appropriately, and oats and sunflowers planted less. The findings of this study provided a theoretical basis for efficient water resource use in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northern China.

Condylar is one of the most vulnerable sites to be traumatized in pediatric mandible fracture, while temporomandibular joint ankylosis might be the most severe complication of condylar fracture in children. There exists a long-time controversy on the treatment of condylar fractures in children. Considering the risk of facial nerve injury and a certain probability of absorption or even ankylosis after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of condylar fractures, a series of nonsurgical approaches are preferred in cases without severe malocclusion or shortening of the ramus. Our treatment plan was carried out through combining procedures of Botulinum toxin A injection in lateral pterygoid muscle with ORIF of para symphyseal fracture; subsequently, a conservative way of the occlusal splint with elastic traction was performed. Three patients of bilateral or unilateral condylar fractures, aged between 2 y and 6 y, were involved in this treatment. After more than 1 year's follow-up, the occlusion was satisfactory in all patients. Condylar remodeling was approximately complete in 3 months, and no unwanted complications were observed. We may expect this method to offer a new idea when dealing with children's condylar fracture., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

While bond formation has historically been the mainstay of medicinal chemistry, the phenomenon of bond cleavage has received less focus. However, the success of numerous oral medications demonstrates the importance of controlled cleavage in prodrugs to achieve desired therapeutic outcomes. Nevertheless, effective strategies to control this cleavage remain limited. This concept article introduces a novel approach: employing peptides as conjugates to drugs to modulate the hydrolysis of these conjugates and enhance drug efficacy. The article begins by briefly outlining common prodrug strategies, followed by a few representative examples of how peptides can be leveraged to control the autohydrolysis of peptide-conjugated prodrugs for bacterial and cancer cell inhibition. Finally, it provides a brief outlook on the future potential of this promising new research direction in molecular medicine., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemMedChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Ultraviolet-based optical wireless communication (OWC) is emerging as a significant technology for the next-generation secure communication, particularly within the solar-blind spectra. In this study, we have synthesized two types of green-emitting II-VI family colloidal quantum dots (QDs), specifically ZnCdSe/ZnS and CdSe/CdZnS/ZnS QDs, which are stimulated by ultraviolet (UV) and solar-blind deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light, respectively. With a transmission distance of 1.5 m, the maximum data rate of ZnCdSe/ZnS QDs reaches 40 Mb/s, which is below the forward-error-correction (FEC) limit (3.8 × 10 -3 ) when excited by 385-nm UV light. However, both brightness and bit error rate are significantly deteriorated when excited by 280-nm DUV light. Conversely, 28 and 24 Mb/s were attained using CdSe/CdZnS/ZnS QDs under UV and DUV excitation, respectively. Our studies on light-conversion and communication capabilities of green QDs within the DUV OWC system may provide valuable insights for subsequent research in the field.

With the increasing occurrence of global warming, drought is becoming a major constraint for plant growth and crop yield. Plant cell walls experience continuous changes during the growth, development, and in responding to stressful conditions. The plant WRKYs play pivotal roles in regulating the secondary cell wall (SCW) biosynthesis and helping plant defend against abiotic stresses. qRT-PCR evidence showed that OsWRKY12 was affected by drought and ABA treatments. Over-expression of OsWRKY12 decreased the drought tolerance of the rice transgenics at the germination stage and the seedling stage. The transcription levels of drought-stress-associated genes as well as those genes participating in the ABA biosynthesis and signaling were significantly different compared to the wild type (WT). Our results also showed that less lignin and cellulose were deposited in the OsWRKY12-overexpressors, and heterogenous expression of OsWRKY12 in atwrky12 could lower the increased lignin and cellulose contents, as well as the improved PEG-stress tolerance, to a similar level as the WT. qRT-PCR results indicated that the transcription levels of all the genes related to lignin and cellulose biosynthesis were significantly decreased in the rice transgenics than the WT. Further evidence from yeast one-hybrid assay and the dual-luciferase reporter system suggested that OsWRKY12 could bind to promoters of OsABI5 (the critical component of the ABA signaling pathway) and OsSWN3/OsSWN7 (the key positive regulators in the rice SCW thickening), and hence repressing their expression. In conclusion, OsWRKY12 mediates the crosstalk between SCW biosynthesis and plant stress tolerance by binding to the promoters of different downstream genes., 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 and Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive variant, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), constitute a burgeoning worldwide epidemic with no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. The multifunctional immunometabolic receptor, fatty acid translocase CD36 (CD36), plays an important role in the progression of hepatic steatosis. O-GlcNAcylation is a crucial posttranslational modification that mediates the distribution and function of CD36, but its involvement in NAFLD remains poorly understood., Methods: O-GlcNAcylation and CD36 expression were evaluated in human liver tissues obtained from NASH patients and normal control. Mice with hepatocyte-specific CD36 knockout were administered adeno-associated viral vectors expressing wild-type CD36 (WT-CD36) or CD36 O-GlcNAcylation site mutants (S468A&T470A-CD36) and were provided with a high-fat/high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet for 3 months. RT-qPCR analysis, immunoblotting, dual-luciferase reporter assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and coimmunoprecipitation were performed to explore the mechanisms by which O-GlcNAcylation regulates CD36 expression. Membrane protein extraction, immunofluorescence analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and fatty acid uptake assays were conducted to elucidate the impact of O-GlcNAcylation on CD36 function., Results: O-GlcNAcylation and CD36 expression were significantly increased in patients with NASH, mouse models of NASH, and palmitic acid-stimulated hepatocytes. Mechanistically, the increase in O-GlcNAcylation facilitated the transcription of CD36 via the NF-κB signalling pathway and stabilized the CD36 protein by inhibiting its ubiquitination, thereby promoting CD36 expression. On the other hand, O-GlcNAcylation facilitated the membrane localization of CD36, fatty acid uptake, and lipid accumulation. However, site-directed mutagenesis of residues S468 and T470 of CD36 reversed these effects. Furthermore, compared with their WT-CD36 counterparts, HFHC-fed S468A&T470A-CD36 mice exhibited decreases in systemic insulin resistance, steatosis severity, inflammation and fibrosis. Pharmacological inhibition of O-GlcNAcylation and CD36 also mitigated the progression of NASH., Conclusions: O-GlcNAcylation promotes the progression of NAFLD by upregulating CD36 expression and function. Inhibition of CD36 O-GlcNAcylation protects against NASH, highlighting a potentially effective therapeutic approach for individuals with NASH., 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.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a common occurrence during or after liver surgery, representing a major cause for postoperative complications or increased morbidity and mortality in liver diseases. Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP) is a traditional Chinese medicine frequently used and has garnered extensive attention for its therapeutic potential treating cardiovascular and hepatic ailments. Recent studies have indicated the possibility of RRP in regulating lipid accumulation and apoptosis in hepatocytes., Aim of the Study: This study aimed to investigate the specific mechanisms by which RRP may impede the progression of HIRI through the regulation of lipid metabolism., Materials and Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the major components of RRP water extract. C57BL/6J mice were orally given RRP at doses of 2.5 g/kg, 5 g/kg, and 10 g/kg for a duration of 7 days before undergoing HIRI surgery. Furthermore, we established a lipid-loaded in vitro model by exposing hepatocytes to oleic acid and palmitic acid (OAPA). The anti-HIRI effect of RRP was determined through transcriptomics and various molecular biology experiments., Results: After identifying active ingredients in RRP, we observed that RRP exerted lipid-lowering and hepatoprotective effects on HIRI mice and OAPA-treated hepatocytes. RRP activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibited mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which further on the one hand, inhibited the cleavage and activation of sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2) by limiting the movement of SREBPs cleavage-activating protein (SCAP)-SREBP2 complex with the help of endoplasmic reticulum lipid raft-associated protein 1 (ERLIN1) and insulin-induced gene 1 (INSIG1), and on the other hand, promoted liver X receptor α (LXRα) nuclear transportation and subsequent cholesterol efflux. Meanwhile, the anti-lipotoxic effect of RRP can be partly reversed by an LXRα inhibitor but largely blocked by the application of compound C, an AMPK inhibitor., Conclusion: Our study elucidated that RRP served as a potential AMPK activator to alleviate HIRI by blocking SREBP2 activation and cholesterol synthesis, while also activating LXRα to facilitate cholesterol efflux. These findings shed new light on the potential therapeutic use of RRP for improving HIRI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plastic waste pollution is the serious environmental problem, and catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics is an effective way to solve this problem. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are prepared by catalytic pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) waste plastics by one-stage method using iron nitrate and nickel nitrate as catalyst. The growth mechanism of CNTs is analyzed in detail. TPO, XRD, SEM and Raman analyses show that increasing Ni content contributes to the production of CNTs with good morphology and high graphitization degree. While the increasing Fe content contributes to improving the yield of CNTs. The outer and inner diameters of the FeNi12-CNTs-800 are about 21 nm and 8 nm with the length of 18.9 μm, respectively. LDPE pyrolysis gases are analyzed to determine that the primary carbon source required for CNTs growth is C 2 H 4 . The C 2 H 4 adsorption and decomposition processes on FeNi alloys are performed to reveal the growth mechanism of CNTs, based on density functional theory calculation. Three kinds of the growth models are proposed to explain the difference of the CNTs tubular shape. FeNi12-CNTs-800 are used to remove microplastics from wastewater due to existence of magnetic. PVC can be quickly removed from wastewater with removal of 100 % at 20 min. This study provides an effective way for recycling and treatment of waste plastic., 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.)

Objective: This study aims to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of CHF-II in combination with RG for treating AKI on CKD (A on C), and to explore potential therapeutic mechanisms through lipidomics analysis., Methods: 98 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the RG or RG + CHF groups. Both groups received RG therapy, with RG + CHF group additionally receiving CHF-II treatment over a duration of two weeks. Evaluation endpoints included changes in renal function, blood lipid profiles, urinary AKI biomarkers, and TCM symptoms before and after treatment. Serum samples were collected for lipid metabolite analysis., Results: The total clinical effective rate in RG + CHF group was 73.5%, and that of RG group was 40.8%. TCM syndrome scores in RG + CHF group showed a more pronounced decrease ( p  < 0.05). Scr, BUN, and UA levels decreased while eGFR levels increased in both groups ( p  < 0.05), with a greater magnitude of change observed in the RG + CHF group. Urinary AKI biomarkers decreased more in RG + CHF group ( p  < 0.05). No serious adverse events occurred during the trial. 58 different lipid metabolites and 48 lipid biomarkers were identified. According to the KEGG database, the possible metabolic pathways involved triglyceride metabolic pathway and fat digestion and absorption metabolic pathways., Conclusion: CHF-II effectively alleviated kidney injury and improved TCM syndrome scores in patients with A on C. Lipid differential metabolites could serve as diagnostic indicators for AKI in patients with CKD. The possible metabolic pathways might be implicated in therapeutic action of CHF-II in the prevention and treatment of patients with A on C.

The evolution of hypervirulent and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae can be categorized into three main patterns: the evolution of KL1/KL2-hvKp strains into CR-hvKp, the evolution of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKp) strains into hv-CRKp, and the acquisition of hybrid plasmids carrying carbapenem resistance and virulence genes by classical K. pneumoniae (cKp). These strains are characterized by multi-drug resistance, high virulence, and high infectivity. Currently, there are no effective methods for treating and surveillance this pathogen. In addition, the continuous horizontal transfer and clonal spread of these bacteria under the pressure of hospital antibiotics have led to the emergence of more drug-resistant strains. This review discusses the evolution and distribution characteristics of hypervirulent and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae, the mechanisms of carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence, risk factors for susceptibility, infection syndromes, treatment regimens, real-time surveillance and preventive control measures. It also outlines the resistance mechanisms of antimicrobial drugs used to treat this pathogen, providing insights for developing new drugs, combination therapies, and a "One Health" approach. Narrowing the scope of surveillance but intensifying implementation efforts is a viable solution. Monitoring of strains can be focused primarily on hospitals and urban wastewater treatment plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Nanofluids-based direct absorption solar collectors are promising candidates for medium-high-temperature solar energy harvesting. However, nanofluids' complicated preparation process and undesirable high-temperature stability have hindered their practical applications. Herein, we propose a facile method for synthesizing gold/carbon quantum dots (Au-CQDs) nanofluids by directly carbonizing the base fluid and spontaneously assembling with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) triggered by high temperatures. The results indicate that the self-assembled Au-CQDs nanofluids can maintain high stability at 110 °C for 100 h without precipitation and keep excellent photothermal conversion performance under 10 sun irradiation. The concentration and particle size of AuNPs are crucial factors affecting the self-assembly process. By modulating the microscopic morphologies of the self-assembled nanoparticles, the extinction coefficient of the prepared nanofluids is up to 88.7 % at a low loading of 30 ppm. The nanofluids can reach an equilibrium temperature of 50 °C under 1 sun irradiation, 10.4 °C higher than the base fluid due to the enhanced plasmonic effects and stability resulting from the CQDs dotted AuNPs. This work offers a new strategy to fabricate highly stable nanofluids with excellent light absorption properties for efficient solar thermal applications., 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 application of optimal control theory in practical engineering is often limited by the modeling cost and complexity of the mathematical model of the controlled plant, and various constraints. To bridge the gap between the theory and practice, this paper proposes a model-free direct method based on the sequential sampling and updating of surrogate model, and extends the ability of direct method to solve model-free optimal control problems with general constraints. The algorithm selects sample points from the current actual trajectory data to update the surrogate model of controlled plant, and solve the optimal control problem of the constantly refined surrogate model until the result converges. The presented initial and subsequent sampling strategies eliminate the dependence on the model. Furthermore, the new stopping criteria ensure the overlap of final actual and planned trajectories. The several examples illustrate that the presented algorithm can obtain constrained solutions with greater accuracy and require fewer sample data., 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 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nanoarchitectonics, as a technology to arrange nano-sized structural units such as molecules in a desired configuration, requires nano-organization, which usually relies on intermolecular interactions. This review briefly introduces the development of using enzymatic reactions to control intermolecular interactions for generating artificial nanoarchitectures in a cellular environment. We begin the discussion with the early examples and uniqueness of enzymatically controlled self-assembly. Then, we describe examples of generating intracellular nanostructures and their relevant applications. Subsequently, we discuss cases of forming nanostructures on the cell surface via enzymatic reactions. Following that, we highlight the use of enzymatic reactions for creating intercellular nanostructures. Finally, we provide a summary and outlook on the promises and future direction of this strategy. Our aim is to give an updated introduction to the use of enzymatic reaction in regulating intermolecular interactions, a phenomenon ubiquitous in biology but relatively less explored by chemists and materials scientists. Our goal is to stimulate new developments in this simple and versatile approach for addressing societal needs., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by National Institute for Materials Science in partnership with Taylor & Francis Group.)

In the context of escalating urban heat events due to climate change, air conditioning (AC) has become a critical factor in maintaining indoor thermal comfort. Yet the usage of AC can also exacerbate outdoor heat stress and burden the electricity system, and there is little scientific knowledge regarding how to balance these conflicting goals. To address this issue, we established a coupled modeling approach, integrating the Weather Research and Forecasting model with the building energy model (WRF&#95;BEP + BEM), and designed multiple AC usage scenarios. We selected Chongqing, China's fourth-largest megacity, as our study area due to its significant socioeconomic importance, the severity of extreme heat events, and the uniqueness of its energy infrastructure. Our analysis reveals that AC systems can substantially reduce indoor temperatures by up to 18 °C; however, it also identifies substantial nighttime warming (2-2.5 °C) and a decline in thermal comfort. Particularly for high-density neighborhoods, when we increase 2 °C indoors, the outdoor temperature can be alleviated by up to 1 °C. Besides, despite the limited capacity to regulate peak electricity demand, we identified that reducing the spatial cooled fraction, increasing targeted indoor temperature by 2 °C, and implementing temporal AC schedules can effectively lower energy consumption in high-density neighborhoods, especially the reduction of spatial cooled fraction (up to 50%). Considering the substantial demand for cooling energy, it is imperative to carefully assess the adequacy and continuity of backup energy sources. The study underscores the urgency of reassessing energy resilience and advocates for addressing the thermal equity between indoor and outdoor environments, contributing to the development of a sustainable and just urban climate strategy in an era of intensifying heat events.

Background: Chronic sympathetic stimulation drives desensitization and downregulation of β1 adrenergic receptor (β 1 AR) in heart failure. We aim to explore the differential downregulation subcellular pools of β 1 AR signaling in the heart., Methods and Results: We applied chronic infusion of isoproterenol to induced cardiomyopathy in male C57BL/6J mice. We applied confocal and proximity ligation assay to examine β 1 AR association with L-type calcium channel, ryanodine receptor 2, and SERCA2a ((Sarco)endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2a) and Förster resonance energy transfer-based biosensors to probe subcellular β 1 AR-PKA (protein kinase A) signaling in ventricular myocytes. Chronic infusion of isoproterenol led to reduced β 1 AR protein levels, receptor association with L-type calcium channel and ryanodine receptor 2 measured by proximity ligation (puncta/cell, 29.65 saline versus 14.17 isoproterenol, P <0.05), and receptor-induced PKA signaling at the plasma membrane (Förster resonance energy transfer, 28.9% saline versus 1.9% isoproterenol, P <0.05) and ryanodine receptor 2 complex (Förster resonance energy transfer, 30.2% saline versus 10.6% isoproterenol, P <0.05). However, the β 1 AR association with SERCA2a was enhanced (puncta/cell, 51.4 saline versus 87.5 isoproterenol, P <0.05), and the receptor signal was minimally affected. The isoproterenol-infused hearts displayed decreased PDE4D (phosphodiesterase 4D) and PDE3A and increased PDE2A, PDE4A, and PDE4B protein levels. We observed a reduced role of PDE4 and enhanced roles of PDE2 and PDE3 on the β 1 AR-PKA activity at the ryanodine receptor 2 complexes and myocyte shortening. Despite the enhanced β 1 AR association with SERCA2a, the endogenous norepinephrine-induced signaling was reduced at the SERCA2a complexes. Inhibiting monoamine oxidase A rescued the norepinephrine-induced PKA signaling at the SERCA2a and myocyte shortening., Conclusions: This study reveals distinct mechanisms for the downregulation of subcellular β 1 AR signaling in the heart under chronic adrenergic stimulation.

Background: Stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) may harbor anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, thereby exerting neuroprotective effects. This study was done with the intent to determine the role of serum STC1 in severity assessment and prognosis prediction of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI)., Methods: In this prospective longitudinal cohort study of 104 sTBI patients and 104 healthy individuals (controls), serum STC1 levels were quantified. Severity indicators were Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Rotterdam computed tomography classification. Follow-up time was 180 days and extended Glasgow outcome scale (GOSE) score 1-4 was deemed as poor prognosis. Multivariate analyses were applied to assess severity correlations and prognosis associations. Discriminative efficiencies were estimated in terms of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)., Results: Patients exhibited significantly higher serum STC1 levels than controls. Serum STC1 levels were substantially elevated in order of GCS scores from 8 to 3, Rotterdam scores from 3 to 6 and 180-day GOSE scores from 8 to 1. Also, serum STC1 levels were independently correlated with GCS scores, Rotterdam scores and 180-day GOSE scores. Serum STC1 levels were independently associated with 180-day death, overall survival and poor prognosis, as well as were efficiently predictive of death and poor prognosis. Prediction model containing GCS scores, Rotterdam scores and serum STC1 levels, as opposed to any of them, showed higher discriminative ability for the risks of death and poor prognosis. Alternatively, serum STC1 levels were linearly correlated with risk of death, overall survival and poor prognosis under restricted cubic spline. Subgroup analysis showed that serum STC1 levels non-statistically significantly interacted with age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc., Conclusion: A significant elevation of serum STC1 levels is highly related to severity and clinical outcome, suggesting that serum STC1 may be a potential prognostic biomarker of sTBI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work., (© 2024 Jin et al.)

Background: Giant cell tumor of bone is a locally aggressive and rarely metastasizing tumor, and also a potential malignant tumor that may develop into a primary malignant giant cell tumor., Aim: To evaluate the role of multimodal imaging in the diagnosis of giant cell tumors of bone., Methods: The data of 32 patients with giant cell tumor of bone confirmed by core-needle biopsy or surgical pathology at our hospital between March 2018 and March 2023 were retrospectively selected. All the patients with giant cell tumors of the bone were examined by X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 7 of them were examined by positron emission tomography (PET)-CT., Results: X-ray imaging can provide overall information on giant cell tumor lesions. CT and MRI can reveal the characteristics of the internal structure of the tumor as well as the adjacent relationships of the tumor, and these methods have unique advantages for diagnosing tumors and determining the scope of surgery. PET-CT can detect small lesions and is highly valuable for identifying benign and malignant tumors to aid in the early diagnosis of metastasis., Conclusion: Multimodal imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of giant cell tumor of bone and can provide a reference for the treatment of giant cell tumors., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The treatment of myeloid sarcoma (MS) is challenging and has not markedly improved patient prognosis. The introduction of venetoclax (VEN) has changed the treatment of MS, and venetoclax-based therapy has been described as very promising in several case reports., Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the treatment outcomes of 14 patients with MS treated with venetoclax-based therapy at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2020 to October 2023 RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 7 (50%) women and 7 (50%) men with an average age of 37.5 years. Four patients (28.6%) had isolated MS de novo, 2 (14.2%) were diagnosed synchronously with AML, and 8 (57.2%) had isolated extramedullary relapse. The most common sites for MS in our cohort were the skin and lung, followed by the spinal canal, soft tissue, bone and kidney. Five patients were affected at more than three sites. Nine patients received VEN in combination with azacytidine, and 5 patients received VEN in combination with other agents. The median number of venetoclax therapies administered was 2 cycles (range: 1-10 cycles). A response was observed in all patients included in the study, with 8 patients (57.2%) achieving a CR and 3 patients (21.4%) achieving a PR, corresponding to an ORR (including CR and PR) of 78.6%. The median follow-up time for all patients was 13 months (range 1-44 months), and the 1 year OS for all patients was 67.7%., Conclusions: Venetoclax-based therapy shows excellent efficacy and safety in MS patients in the "real world" at a single institution, and a corresponding prospective study is needed to verify this conclusion., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Quantum dot (QD) light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) are promising for next-generation lighting and displays. Considering the optimization design of both the QD and device structure is expected to improve the QLED's performance significantly but has rarely been reported. Here, we use the thick-shell QDs combined with a dual-hole transport layer device structure to construct a high-efficiency QLED. The optimized thick-shell QDs with CdS/CdSe/CdS/ZnS seed/spherical quantum well/shell/shell geometry exhibit a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 96% at a shell thickness of 5.9 nm. The intermediate emissive CdSe layer with coherent strain ensures defect-free growth of the thick CdS and ZnS outer shells. Based on the orthogonal solvents assisted Poly-TPD&PVK dual-hole transport layer device architecture, the champion QLED achieved a maximum external quantum efficiency of 22.5% and a maximum luminance of 259955 cd m -2 , which are 1.6 and 3.7 times that of thin-shell QDs based devices with single hole transport layer, respectively. Our study provides a feasible idea for further improving the performance of QLED devices.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of daratumumab based regimens in relapse and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) in the real world, as well as the impact of daratumumab on stem cell collection and engraftment., Methods: The clinical data of patients with RRMM who received daratumumab in hematology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from February 2019 to March 2023 and had evaluable efficacy were retrospective analysis., Results: All 43 RRMM patients were treated with daratumumab-based combination regimens, including Dd, DVd, DRd, Dkd, DId, and Dara-DECP. With median follow-up time 10.1 (2.1-36.6) months, the best overall response rate (ORR) was 74.4% and a best complete response rate (CR) was 25.6%. 1-year overall survival rate (OS) was 84.5%. The most common severe hematologic adverse events (Grade>3) are 3/4 grade leukopenia（18.6%）, and the most common severe non-hematologic adverse events were infusion-related reactions (IRRs， 20.9%) and infections（7.0%）. Multivariate prognostic analysis showed that extramedullary infiltration was an independent adverse prognostic factor affecting OS （ P =0.004）. The use of daratumumab has no effect on stem cell collection, or engraftment., Conclusion: Daratumumab is safe and effective in RRMM.

Mother nature accomplishes efficient ammonia synthesis via cascade N 2 oxidation by lightning strikes followed with enzyme-catalyzed nitrogen oxyanion (NO x - , x = 2,3) reduction. The protein environment of enzymatic centers for NO x - -to-NH 4 + process greatly inspires the design of glutathione-capped (GSH) quantum dots (QDs) for ammonia synthesis under visible light (440 nm) in tandem with plasma-enabled N 2 oxidation. Mechanistic studies reveal that GSH induces positive shift of surface charge to strengthen the interaction between NO x - and QDs. Upon visible light irradiation of QDs, the balanced and rapid hole and electron transfer furnish GS·radicals for 2e - /2H + alcohol oxidation and H·for 8e - /10H + NO 3 - -to-NH 4 + reduction simultaneously. For the first time, mmol-scale ammonia synthesis is realized with apparent quantum yields of 5.45% ± 0.64%, and gram-scale synthesis of value-added acetophenone and NH 4 Cl proceeds with 1:4 stoichiometry and stability, demonstrating promising multielectron and multiproton ammonia synthesis efficiency and sustainability with nature-inspired artificial photocatalysts., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Nitrate poses a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. This study focuses on the sulfur autotrophic denitrification mechanism in the process of water culture wastewater treatment, which has been successfully applied to the degradation of nitrogen in water culture farm effluents. However, the coexistence of organic acids in the treatment process is a common environmental challenge, significantly affecting the activity of denitrifying bacteria. This paper aims to explore the effects of adding benzoic acid and lactic acid on denitrification performance, organic acid removal rate, and microbial population abundance in sulfur autotrophic denitrification systems under optimal operating conditions, sulfur deficiency, and high hydraulic load. In experiments with 50 mg·L -1 of benzoic acid or lactic acid alone, the results show that benzoic acid and lactic acid have a stimulating effect on denitrification activity, with the stimulating effect significantly greater than the inhibitory effect. Under optimal operating conditions, the average denitrification rate of the system remained above 99%; under S/N = 1.5 conditions, the average denitrification rate increased from 88.34% to 91.93% and 85.91%; under HRT = 6 h conditions, the average denitrification rate increased from 75.25% to 97.79% and 96.58%. In addition, the addition of organic acids led to a decrease in microbial population abundance. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria has always been the dominant bacterial genus, and its relative abundance significantly increased after the addition of benzoic acid, from 40.2% to 61.5% and 62.4%. At the genus level, Thiobacillus, Sulfurimonas, Chryseobacterium, and Thermomonas maintained high population abundances under different conditions. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Employing autotrophic denitrification process for treating high-nitrate wastewater. Utilizing organic acids as external carbon sources. Denitrifying bacteria demonstrate high utilization efficiency towards organic acids. Organic acids promote denitrification more than they inhibit it. The promotion is manifested in the enhancement of activity and microbial abundance., (© 2024 Water Environment Federation.)

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria initially induces liver inflammation with proinflammatory cytokines expressions. However, the underlying hepatoprotective mechanism of quercetin on LPS-induced hepatic inflammation remains unclear. Specific pathogen-free chicken embryos (n = 120) were allocated control vehicle, PBS with or without ethanol vehicle, LPS (125 ng/egg) with or without quercetin treatment (10, 20, or 40 nmol/egg, respectively), quercetin groups (10, 20, or 40 nmol/egg). Fifteen-day-old embryonated eggs were inoculated abovementioned solutions via the allantoic cavity. At embryonic d 19, the livers of the embryos were collected for histopathological examination, RNA extraction, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry investigation. We found that the liver presented inflammatory response (heterophils infiltration) after LPS induction. The LPS-induced mRNA expressions of inflammation-related factors (TLR4, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-6, MYD88, NF-κB1, p38, and MMP3) were upregulated after LPS induction when compared with the PBS group, while quercetin could downregulate these expressions as compared with the LPS group. Quercetin significantly decreased the immunopositivity to TLR4 and MMP3 in the treatment group when compared with the LPS group. Quercetin could significantly downregulate the mRNA expressions of autophagy-related genes (ATG5, ATG7, Beclin-1, LC3A, and LC3B) and necroptosis-related genes (Fas, Bcl-2, Drp1, and RIPK1) after LPS induction. Quercetin significantly decreased the immunopositivity to LC3 in the treatment group when compared with the LPS group; meanwhile, quercetin significantly decreased the protein expressions of LC3-I, LC3-II, and the rate of LC3-II/LC3-I. In conclusions, quercetin can alleviate hepatic inflammation induced by LPS through modulating autophagy and necroptosis., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)