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Assessing street walkability is a critical agenda in urban planning and multidisciplinary research, as it facilitates public health, community cohesion, and urban sustainability. Existing evaluation systems primarily focus on objective measurements, often neglecting subjective assessments and the diverse walking needs influenced by different urban spatial elements. This study addresses these gaps by constructing a comprehensive evaluation framework that integrates both subjective and objective dimensions, combining three neighbourhood indicators: Macro-Scale Index, Micro-Scale Index, and Street Walking Preferences Index. A normalization weighting method synthesizes these indicators into a comprehensive index. We applied this framework to assess the street environment within Beijing's Fifth Ring Road. The empirical results demonstrate that: (1) The framework reliably reflects the distribution of walkability. (2) The three indicators show both similarities and differences, underscoring the need to consider the distinct roles of community and street-level elements and the interaction between subjective and objective dimensions. (3) In high-density cities with ring-road development patterns, the Macro-Scale Index closely aligns with the Comprehensive Index, demonstrating its accuracy in reflecting walkability. The proposed framework and findings offer new insights for street walkability research and theoretical support for developing more inclusive, sustainable and walkable cities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene compound that has been reported to cause cholestatic liver injury. However, the regulation and pathogenic role of bile acids in OA-induced development of cholestatic liver injury remains largely unclear. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a metabolic nuclear receptor that plays an important role in bile acid homeostasis in the liver by regulating efflux transporters bile salt export pump (BSEP) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of OA on hepatocyte tight junction function and determine the role of FXR, BSEP, and MRP2 in the mechanism of impairment of transport of bile acids induced by OA. Both in vivo and in vitro models were used to characterize the OA-induced liver injury. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to characterize the efflux function of the transporters, and the results showed that OA caused a blockage of bile acids efflux. OA treatment resulted in decreased expression levels of the tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 and occludin. Immunofluorescence results showed that OA treatment significantly reduced the number of bile ducts and the immunofluorescence intensity. Pretreatment with agonists of FXR and MRP2, respectively, in animal experiments attenuated OA-induced liver injury, while pretreatment with inhibitors of BSEP and MRP2 further aggravated OA-induced liver injury. These results suggest that OA inhibits FXR-mediated BSEP and MRP2, leading to impaired bile acid efflux and disruption of tight junctions between liver cells, resulting in liver damage., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Context: Palliative care is increasingly recognized as an important aspect of heart failure (HF) management, but data on gender differences regarding palliative care needs are scarce., Objective: We retrospectively studied patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of HF who received an initial palliative care consultation in the Mount Sinai Health System to examine gender differences., Methods: From electronic health records, we extracted patient information, diagnostic codes, and the palliative care consult assessment which included the Karnofsky performance status (KPS) and the Edmonton symptom assessment scale (ESAS). The population was stratified according to self-identified gender. Unadjusted and adjusted generalized linear models were fitted to study the association of gender with KPS and ESAS scores., Results: Among 667 patients with HF who received a palliative care consultation, 327 (49.0%) were women. Women with HF were older than men and less likely to be married. As compared to men, women had worse functional status, were less likely to have capacity to designate a surrogate medical decision-maker, had a higher symptom burden and were more likely to experience severe symptoms at the time of initial palliative care consultation. Differences in functional status and symptom burden were particularly pronounced in young women and women identifying as Black or Hispanic. The association of gender with functional status and symptom burden remained statistically significant after adjusting for possible confounders., Conclusion: As compared to men, women with HF were more severely impaired at the time of palliative care consult, and dedicated efforts to better address their needs are warranted., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a significant global health issue linked to dietary habits, especially high salt intake. However, the precise mechanisms driving this progression remain incompletely understood. This study reveals that a high-salt diet intensifies macrophage trained immunity, leading to a marked pro-inflammatory response upon repeated pathogenic exposures, as evidenced by increased renal damage and fibrosis. Under high-salt conditions, there was an induction of CD45 + F4/80 + macrophage infiltration into the renal tissue, accompanied by heightened production of inflammatory cytokines. Distinct responses were observed between circulating and resident renal macrophages to a high-salt diet, with a notable upsurge in the migration of pro-inflammatory macrophages, driven by CCL2-CCR2 signaling and aberrant mTORC1 pathway activation. Treatment with rapamycin-liposome effectively reduced this inflammatory cascade by mitigating mTORC1 signaling. Transplantation of monocytes from CKD mice with a high-salt diet significantly exacerbates renal inflammatory damage in the host mice, showing increased migratory tendency and inflammatory activity. The cell co-culture experiment further confirmed that macrophages derived from CKD mice, particularly those under conditions of high salt exposure, significantly induced apoptosis and inflammatory responses in renal tubular cells. Taken together, recurrent exposure to LPS elicits the activation of trained immunity, consequently augmenting inflammatory response of monocytes/macrophages in the involved kidneys. The high-salt diet exacerbates this phenomenon, attributable at least in part to the overactivation of the mTORC1 pathway. This research emphasizes the importance of dietary modulation and targeted immunological interventions in slowing CKD progression, providing new insights into mTORC1-mediated pathophysiological mechanisms and potential management strategies for CKD., 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.)

Urban road traffic environmental stress impacts outdoor population health, with oxidative damage serving as an early indicator of xenobiotic exposure. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as priority carcinogens pose significant public health burden, yet knowledge remains limited regarding the endogenous metabolic alternations associated with oxidative DNA injury. This cross-sectional study focused on the cohort consisting of 109 sanitation workers ("traffic exposure group") and 112 demographics-matched common residents ("controls") in South China. The goal was to elucidate the occurrence of internal exposure to nine hydroxyl PAHs, and the interrelations with oxidative DNA damage (indicated by 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG) by linear mixed-effect regression model. T-test and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were used to determine differential metabolites in non-targeted metabolomics. Results revealed outdoor workers suffered from the heavier PAH exposure burden and exhibited a stronger dose-dependent correlation with 8-OHdG, evidenced by the higher regression coefficient (0.244, 95% CI: 0.154-0.334) than controls (0.203, 95% CI: 0.079-0.328). In total 42 differential endogenous metabolites witnessed significant expression under traffic emission scenario, mainly implicated in phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis. The down-expressed uric acid was the unique metabolite that inversely correlated with the increased intake of ∑ 8 PAH especially in cases. Partially attributed to the traffic-derived PAHs, the dysregulated amino acid, nicotinamide, purine, and steroid hormones metabolic pathways encompassing 11 metabolites were determined as underlying biomarkers in mediating DNA damage. Notably, our findings proposed uric acid may act as a potential antioxidant, as evidenced by the negative correlation with 8-OHdG. The study illustrates outcomes of metabolomics can collaboratively indicate DNA oxidative damage caused by PAHs linked to urban traffic exposure, which holds significant implications for future toxicological research., 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 Ltd.)

Background: Accurate prediction of compound-protein interaction (CPI) plays a crucial role in drug discovery. Existing data-driven methods aim to learn from the chemical structures of compounds and proteins yet ignore the conceptual knowledge that is the interrelationships among the fundamental elements in the biomedical knowledge graph (KG). Knowledge graphs provide a comprehensive view of entities and relationships beyond individual compounds and proteins. They encompass a wealth of information like pathways, diseases, and biological processes, offering a richer context for CPI prediction. This contextual information can be used to identify indirect interactions, infer potential relationships, and improve prediction accuracy. In real-world applications, the prevalence of knowledge-missing compounds and proteins is a critical barrier for injecting knowledge into data-driven models., Results: Here, we propose BEACON, a data and knowledge dual-driven framework that bridges chemical structure and conceptual knowledge for CPI prediction. The proposed BEACON learns the consistent representations by maximizing the mutual information between chemical structure and conceptual knowledge and predicts the missing representations by minimizing their conditional entropy. BEACON achieves state-of-the-art performance on multiple datasets compared to competing methods, notably with 5.1% and 6.6% performance gain on the BIOSNAP and DrugBank datasets, respectively. Moreover, BEACON is the only approach capable of effectively predicting knowledge representations for knowledge-lacking compounds and proteins., Conclusions: Overall, our work provides a general approach for directly injecting conceptual knowledge to enhance the performance of CPI prediction., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Dietary plants are an indispensable part of the human diet, and the various natural active compounds they contain, especially polyphenols, polysaccharides, and amino acids, have always been a hot topic of research among nutritionists. As precursors to polyphenolic substances in dietary plants, chalcones are not only widely distributed but also possess a variety of biological activities due to their unique structure. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive article summarizing the biological activities and mechanisms of dietary chalcones. This review began by discussing the dietary sources and bioavailability of chalcones, providing a comprehensive description of their biological activities and mechanisms of action in antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, and resistance to pathogenic microbes. Additionally, based on the latest research findings, some future research strategies and challenges for dietary chalcones have been proposed, including computer-aided design and molecular docking, targeted biosynthesis and derivative design, interactions between the gut microbiota and chalcones, as well as clinical research. It is expected that this review will contribute to supplementing the scientific understanding of dietary chalcones and promoting their practical application and the development of new food products.

The effects of pH-shifting treatments (pH 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11) on the stability of gelatin emulsions made by low-energy stirring were investigated. pH-shifting treatments significantly enhanced the ESI and EAI of the emulsion (P < 0.05) and reduced its particle size (P < 0.05) under low-energy emulsifying conditions. The pH 11-7 shifting treatment significantly increased the degree of depolymerization and the level of ordered structure of gelatin (P < 0.05). These transformations resulted in a significant increase in the exposure of hydrophobic and negatively charged residues (P < 0.05) on the surface of gelatin, facilitating a faster adsorption rate of gelatin onto the oil-water interface as well as an increase in the amount of gelatin adsorbed at the interface. Moreover, the alkali-shifting treatment promoted the formation of a thin viscoelastic interfacial film, which contributed to the enhanced stability of the emulsion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background and Objective: Concealed penis (CP) is a condition involving a congenital abnormality of the external genitalia, wherein the penile shaft is partially or completely obscured by surrounding skin tissues, negatively affecting the psychological and physical health of children. The guardians, who are primarily responsible for the daily care of children, play a crucial role in the early detection of this condition. Therefore, this study aims to explore knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) toward CP among guardians of young boys; results would provide a theoretical basis for the development of health education programs., Methods: This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among guardians of boys in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, local hospital between June 2023 and September 2023. A self-designed questionnaire was developed to collect demographic information of the guardians and to assess their knowledge, attitudes and practices toward CP., Results: A total of 394 questionnaires were collected. Among the guardians, 143 (36.29%) of them were male, 375 (95.18%) were the parents of the children, 279 (70.81%) had a junior college or bachelor's degree, and 46 (11.68%) reported their children had CP. The knowledge, attitudes and practices scores were 4.00±2.00 (possible range: 0-7), 35.63±3.40 (possible range: 9-45), and 23.03±6.97 (possible range: 9-45), respectively. The structural equation model demonstrated that knowledge had direct effects on attitudes (β=0.63, p<0.001), and practices (β=0.81, p<0.001). Moreover, attitudes had direct effects on practices (β=0.43, p<0.001)., Conclusion: This study found insufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, but poor practices toward the CP in guardians of boys, especially among participants from rural areas of families with lower income. It is recommended to tailor educational initiatives and implement strategies to bridge the knowledge-practice gap toward concealed penis in boys., Competing Interests: The author(s) report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Li et al.)

Introduction: Classical Muscovy duck reovirus (C-MDRV) and goose-origin Muscovy duck reovirus (Go-MDRV) infections cause "Liver white-spots disease" in Muscovy duckling and gosling. It is difficult to differentiate the infections caused by C-MDRV and Go-MDRV using conventional serological methods., Methods: Specific primers were designed and synthesized according to σNS and λA nucleotide sequences of C-MDRV and Go-MDRV, respectively. The PCR amplified products were cloned into the pMD-18-T vector. The recombinant plasmid DNA was used to establish an SYBR Green І based duplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of C-MDRV and Go-MDRV using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. The specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability of the methodology were examined based on the optimization of the reaction system and amplification conditions., Results: C-MDRV and Go-MDRV were identified by their distinctive melting temperatures with 84.50 ± 0.25°C for C-MDRV and 87.50 ± 0.20°C for Go-MDRV, respectively. The amplifications were specific, and other non-targeted waterfowl viruses employed in this study did not show normalized melting peaks. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variations were between 0.05 and 1.83%, demonstrating good repeatability. The detection limits of this assay were 51.4 copies·μl -1 for C-MDRV and 61.8 copies·μl -1 for Go-MDRV, respectively. A total of 45 clinical samples were tested by RT-qPCR, with positive rates of 15.56% for C-MDRV and 22.22% for Go-MDRV, without co-infections., Discussion: These results suggest that this duplex RT-qPCR method is highly sensitive, specific, and reproducible. The HRM assay established in this study provides a powerful tool for the differential detection and epidemiological investigation of C-MDRV and Go-MDRV., 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 Xu, Liu, Zheng, Cheng, Wang, You, Zhu, Zheng, Dong, Xiao, Zeng, Zeng, Chen and Chen.)

Inoculating sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) habitats offers an eco-friendly method for treating sulfate-metal laden wastewater, characterized by high sulfate levels, low pH, and elevated heavy metals. This study optimizes source habitat selection of SRB by evaluating groundwater, sewage sludge, and lake sediment, focusing on their suitability and adaptability to aerobic-anaerobic transitions in industrial settings. Sewage sludge, with its slightly acidic pH, reducing environment, and high nutrient levels (Total organic carbon: 207.53 g kg -1 , Total nitrogen: 47.12 g kg -1 ), provides robust SRB potential, as supported by its highest diversity index. However, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pose application challenges. All habitats effectively reduced metal concentrations anaerobically, with Cu removal reaching 95%-99%, and groundwater achieved the highest chemical oxygen demand reduction (63.6%) aerobically. Sludge and sediment showed high biomass and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) accumulation, while groundwater's nucleic acid-rich EPS enhanced metal immobilization, resulting in stable residual metal forms but with potential remobilization under oxidative conditions. Microbial analysis revealed that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were key players during transitions, with the highest SRB abundance in groundwater. SRB composition varied across habitats, with Sedimentibacter (13.04%), Desulfovibrio (6.33%), and Desulfomonile (8.1%) dominating in groundwater, sludge, and sediment, respectively, during the anaerobic stage. Functional analysis highlighted sludge's persistence in sulfate reduction under aerobic conditions, while groundwater's limited nitrogen cycle involvement indicated broader biogeochemical limitations. Collectively, these findings highlight strengths and limitations of each habitat as SRB inoculum source, emphasizing the importance of tailored anaerobic-to-aerobic strategies for effective wastewater management., 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: Depression and anxiety are common psychiatric symptoms in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). While face-to-face psychotherapy is a common option, tele-based interventions provide a more accessible alternative. However, a comprehensive synthesis of evidence from clinical trials for COPD patients has yet to be conducted., Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of tele-based interventions in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with COPD., Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE databases was conducted from inception to May 5, 2024. Eligible studies included Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of people with COPD patients receiving tele-based interventions reporting on the outcomes of depression or anxiety. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two researchers. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan (version 5.4) and Stata (version 18.0) software., Results: Following the search, 9 RCTs with a total of 2064 patients with COPD were included. The meta-analysis revealed that tele-based interventions reduced depressive symptoms in patients with COPD (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD] = -0.15, 95 % CI -0.24 to -0.06; P = 0.001). The subgroup analysis indicated that the PHQ-9 (SMD = -0.24, 95 % CI -0.37 to -0.10; P = 0.001) was better at detecting changes in depressive symptoms compared to other scales; the first 3 months of intervention (SMD = -0.36, 95 % CI -0.52 to -0.19; P < 0.001) was the most pronounced improvement; and telehealth interventions were more effective (SMD = -0.30, 95 % CI -0.46 to -0.15; P < 0.001) than telemonitoring interventions. Tele-based interventions also reduced anxiety symptoms in patients with COPD (SMD = -0.12, 95 % CI -0.22 to -0.02; P = 0.02)., Conclusions: The evidence supports the efficacy of tele-based interventions in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms in COPD patients. However, further large-scale and rigorously designed studies are warranted to strengthen the evidence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sestrin 2 (SESN2) has been reported to participate in the regulation of granulosa cell function in ovarian tissues. However, the role of SESN2 in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is still incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the functional role and mechanism of SESN2 in dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced granulosa cells. In this study, DHT was utilized to induce PCOS cell model and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor Compound C (CC) was utilized to inhibit the AMPK pathway. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of SESN2 in HGLS cells. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Oxidative stress was detected by DCFH-DA staining, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) kits. The expression of SESN2, cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, mitophagy and AMPK/ULK1 signaling-related proteins were measured by western blot. The results showed that SESN2 was downregulated in DHT-induced granulosa cells. Overexpression of SESN2 inhibited the DHT-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress of HGLS cells. DHT induction aggravated HGLS cell apoptosis and oxidative stress. SESN2 overexpression inhibited the DHT-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress of HGLS cells. In addition, overexpression of SESN2 activated the AMPK/ULK1 signaling pathway and promoted mitophagy. Treatment of CC reversed the regulatory effect of SESN2 on mitophagy. CC also reversed the influences of SESN2 overexpression on apoptosis and oxidative stress in DHT-induced HGLS cells. Overall, SESN2 suppressed DHT-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in PCOS through AMPK/ULK1-mediated mitophagy., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Given the high prevalence and significant challenges of frailty, a state of increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes, among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate its prevalence and explore its association with nutritional status and other relevant factors., Methods: The study involved 290 MHD patients with an average age of 52.98 ± 13.65 years. Frailty assessments, nutritional evaluations, and medical status measurements were performed. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multivariate logistic regression., Results: Among the patients, 70.3% were identified with frailty (16.9% frail, 53.4% pre-frail). Frailty was more prevalent in female patients compared to males and correlated positively with age, marital status, caregiving needs, comorbidities, dialysis duration, and higher nutritional risk scores. Negative correlations were observed with serum albumin, hemoglobin, body weight, and height., Conclusion: A significant prevalence of frailty was found in MHD patients, with notable associations to various demographic, clinical, and nutritional factors., (© 2024 International Society for Apheresis and Japanese Society for Apheresis.)

To determine the optimal variation in SUVlbm via 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging between the baseline and interim stages, and assess early response among patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) of 5-DS score ≥ 4, 20 patients after four cycles of chemotherapy were retrospectively enrolled and received re-biopsy targeting PET-positive residual masses. The optimal cutoff value for evaluating early response assessment was 66.75% for ΔSUVlbm%, with the area under curve of 0.985. All patients with a 5-DS score of 4 exhibited negative results upon re-biopsy. During follow-up, the median PFS of patients characterized by ΔSUVlbm% ≥66.75% and <66.75% were unreached and 10 months, respectively. Utilizing ΔSUVlbm% between baseline and interim 18 F-FDG PET/CT scans can effectively identify a subset of patients who were visually analyzed as false positives(5-DS ≥ 4), which was confirmed by interim biopsy results, thus serving as a crucial indicator for early assessment of treatment outcomes in patients with ENKTCL.

Cirrhosis represents a significant global health challenge, characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates that severely impact human health. Timely and precise prognostic assessments of liver cirrhosis are crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality rates as they enable physicians to identify high-risk patients and implement early interventions. This paper features a thorough literature review on the prognostic assessment of liver cirrhosis, aiming to summarize and delineate the present status and constraints associated with the application of traditional prognostic tools in clinical settings. Among these tools, the Child-Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scoring systems are predominantly utilized. However, their accuracy varies significantly. These systems are generally suitable for broad assessments but lack condition-specific applicability and fail to capture the risks associated with dynamic changes in patient conditions. Future research in this field is poised for deep exploration into the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with routine clinical and multi-omics data in patients with cirrhosis. The goal is to transition from static, unimodal assessment models to dynamic, multimodal frameworks. Such advancements will not only improve the precision of prognostic tools but also facilitate personalized medicine approaches, potentially revolutionizing clinical outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In recent years, digital dentistry has increasingly utilized advanced image analysis techniques, such as image classification and disease diagnosis, to improve clinical outcomes. Despite these advances, the lack of comprehensive benchmark datasets is a significant barrier. To address this gap, our research team develop LMCD-OR, a substantial collection of oral radiograph images designed to support extensive artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics. LMCD-OR comprises 3,818 digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) oral X-ray images from local medical institutions that are meticulously annotated to provide broad category information for both primary dental outpatient services and detailed secondary disease diagnoses. This dataset is engineered to train and validate multiclassification models to improve the precision and scope of oral disease diagnostics. To ensure robust dataset validation, we employ four cutting-edge visual neural network classification models as benchmarks. These models are tested against rigorous performance metrics, demonstrating the ability of the dataset to support advanced image classification and disease diagnosis tasks. LMCD-OR is publicly available at http://dentaldataset.zeroacademy.net ., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To evaluate the effects of different delivery methods on the pelvic floor structure and function among primiparas by transperineal ultrasound, with a view to providing guidance for early postpartum intervention. Primiparas who underwent postpartum examination with transperineal ultrasound were recruited. Subjects were divided according to mode of delivery (vaginal and cesarean delivery). General information (including age, pre-pregnancy BMI and neonatal weight) were collected, and transperineal ultrasound was performed to measure such indicators as the levator hiatus areas in resting, constrictive anal and maximum Valsalva states, the posterior vesicourethral angles and distances between vesical neck and posterior inferior margin of pubic symphysis in resting and maximum Valsalva states, as well as the vesical neck mobility and urethral rotation angle in maximum Valsalva state. The inter-group differences in ultrasound indicators between the resting and Valsalva states were compared to analyze the postpartum incidences of pelvic floor dysfunctions like stress urinary incontinence, urethral funnel formation, bladder prolapse and uterine prolapse in primiparas. The levator hiatus areas in resting, constrictive anal and maximum Valsalva states were all larger in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean delivery group (P < 0.05). Compared to the cesarean delivery group, the vaginal delivery group exhibited larger posterior vesicourethral angles in resting and maximum Valsalva states (P < 0.05). The distances between vesical neck and posterior inferior margin of pubic symphysis were greater in the cesarean delivery group than in the vaginal delivery group at both resting and maximum Valsalva, with that at maximum Valsalva showing significant inter-group difference (P < 0.05). The vaginal delivery group exhibited greater vesical neck mobility and urethral rotation angle at maximum Valsalva compared to the cesarean delivery group (P < 0.05). The incidences of stress urinary incontinence, urethral funnel formation, bladder prolapse and uterine prolapse were all higher in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean delivery group, with the stress urinary incontinence and bladder prolapse incidences showing significant inter-group differences (P < 0.05). With transperineal ultrasound, various pelvic floor indicators of primiparas can be clearly measured and, through these ultrasound indicators, the effects of different delivery methods on the pelvic floor function can be evaluated, which is conducive to early clinical detection and intervention of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunctions, thus facilitating the early postpartum treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have garnered growing interest in large-scale energy storage devices for the high safety, high theoretical capacity and low electrochemical potential. Nevertheless, their widespread applications are significantly impeded by dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution and corrosion reactions of Zn anodes. Herein, a bi-functional polyacrylic acid (PAA) modified-Zn anode (Zn-PAA) is designed to concurrently inhibit Zn dendrite formation and alleviate side reactions. The bi-functional PAA coating not only selectively acid-etches the active Zn crystal facets to guide the planar deposition along the highly-exposed Zn(002) crystal facet, but also facilitate uniform Zn deposition through coordination between the polymer functional groups and Zn2+. Meanwhile, the electrically-insulated PAA protective layer effectively separates Zn anodes from the electrolyte and modulates the solvation structure of Zn2+.6H2O, significantly suppressing side reactions. Consequently, the assembled Zn-PAA//Zn-PAA symmetrical cell delivers an outstanding cycling stability of 1600 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. The assembled KVO//Zn-PAA full cell shows exceptional cycling stability over 1500 cycles at 2.0 A g-1 with a high Coulombic efficiency approaching 100%. The facile bi-functional surface modification strategy, which enables to finely tune the crystal facet texture and ion distribution manner, opens up a groundbreaking path towards safe and durable ZIBs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Nanozymes are a class of nanomaterials with enzyme-like activity that can mimic the catalytic properties of natural enzymes. The small size, high catalytic activity, and strong stability of nanozymes compared to those of natural enzymes allow them to not only exist in a wide temperature and pH range but also maintain stability in complex environments. Recently developed single-atom nanozymes have metal active sites composed of a single metal atom fixed to a carrier. These metal atoms can act as independent catalytically active centers. Metal single-atom nanozymes have a homogeneous single-atom structure and a suitable coordination environment for stronger catalytic activity and specificity than traditional nanozymes. The antioxidant metal single-atom nanozymes with the ability of removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) can simulate superoxidase dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase to show different effects in vivo . Furthermore, due to the similar structure of antioxidant enzymes, a metal single-atom nanozyme often has multiple antioxidant activities, and this synergistic effect can more efficiently remove ROS related to oxidative stress. The versatility of single-atom nanozymes encompasses a broad spectrum of biomedical applications such as anti-oxidation, anti-infection, immunomodulatory, biosensing, bioimaging, and tumor therapy applications. Herein, the nervous, circulatory, digestive, motor, immune, and sensory systems are considered in order to demonstrate the role of metal single-atom nanozymes in biomedical antioxidants.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women and poses a significant health burden, especially in China. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, patient variability and limited early detection contribute to poor outcomes. This study examines the role of CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment to identify new biomarkers that improve prognosis and guide treatment strategies., Methods: CD8 + T-cell marker genes were identified using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and a CD8 + T cell-related gene prognostic signature (CTRGPS) was developed using 10 machine-learning algorithms. The model was validated across seven independent public datasets from the GEO database. Clinical features and previously published signatures were also analyzed for comparison. The clinical applications of CTRGPS in biological function, immune microenvironment, and drug selection were explored, and the role of hub genes in BC progression was further investigated., Results: We identified 71 CD8 + T cell-related genes and developed the CTRGPS, which demonstrated significant prognostic value, with higher risk scores linked to poorer overall survival (OS). The model's accuracy and robustness were confirmed through Kaplan-Meier and ROC curve analyses across multiple datasets. CTRGPS outperformed existing prognostic signatures and served as an independent prognostic factor. The role of the hub gene TTK in promoting malignant proliferation and migration of BC cells was validated., Conclusion: The CTRGPS enhances early diagnosis and treatment precision in BC, improving clinical outcomes. TTK, a key gene in the signature, shows promise as a therapeutic target, supporting the CTRGPS's potential clinical utility., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Our previous study indicated that exosomes derived from mouse adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mADSC-Exos) alleviated the benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced mouse dry eye model. However, the specific active molecules in mADSC-Exos that contribute to anti-dry eye therapy remain unidentified. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of miR-223-3p derived from mADSC-Exos in dry eye models., Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) experiments were conducted to determine miR-223-3p derived from mADSC-Exos that exerted anti-inflammatory effects on hyperosmolarity-induced mouse corneal epithelial cells (MCECs). The therapeutic efficacy of miR-223-3p was evaluated in mice with dry eye induced by either BAC or scopolamine (Scop). Mice were randomly assigned to 5 groups: sham, model, miR-223-3p overexpression, miR-223-3p knockdown, and 0.1% pranoprofen (positive group). Post-treatment, the severity of dry eye symptoms, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were assessed. The effect of miR-223-3p on silencing the target gene was verified using ELISA and dual luciferase reporter assays., Results: The mADSC-Exos that knocked out miR-223-3p did not reduce interleukin (IL)-6 content. Supplementing with miR-223-3p could restore the reduction of IL-6. The miR-223-3p effectively ameliorated ocular surface damage and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines or chemokines in both BAC- and Scop-induced mouse dry eye models. Furthermore, miR-223-3p inhibited cell apoptosis. F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (Fbxw7) was the potential direct target of miR-223-3p. The miR-223-3p suppressed the 3'-untranslated region of Fbxw7. The Fbxw7 knockdown suppressed hyperosmolarity-induced inflammation in MCECs., Conclusions: The mADSC-derived exosomal miR-223-3p mitigates ocular surface damage and inflammation, indicating its potential as a promising treatment option for dry eye.

The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is an essential interface that coordinates cellular metabolism and is as a primary route determining the fate of a variety of fuel sources, including glucose, fatty acid and glutamate. The crosstalk of nutrients replenished TCA cycle regulates breast cancer (BC) progression by changing substrate levels-induced epigenetic alterations, especially the methylation, acetylation, succinylation and lactylation. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) have dual roles in inhibiting or promoting energy reprogramming, and so altering the metabolic flux of fuel sources to the TCA cycle, which may regulate epigenetic modifications at the cellular level of BC. This narrative review discussed the central role of the TCA cycle in interconnecting numerous fuels and the induced epigenetic modifications, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in BC., 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.)

This study investigated the abnormal dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) variability of the thalamo-cortical circuit in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and explored the relationship between these changes and the clinical characteristics of patients with OSA. A total of 91 newly diagnosed patients with moderate-to-severe OSA and 84 education-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. All participants underwent neuropsychological testing and a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. We explored the thalamo-cortical dFC changes by dividing the thalamus into 16 subregions and combining them using a sliding-window approach. Correlation analysis assessed the relationship between dFC variability and clinical features, and the support vector machine method was used for classification. The OSA group exhibited increased dFC variability between the thalamic subregions and extensive cortical areas, compared with the HCs group. Decreased dFC variability was observed in some frontal-occipital-temporal cortical regions. These dFC changes positively correlated with daytime sleepiness, disease severity, and cognitive scores. Altered dFC variability contributed to the discrimination between patients with OSA and HCs, with a classification accuracy of 77.8%. Our findings show thalamo-cortical overactivation and disconnection in patients with OSA, disrupting information flow within the brain networks. These results enhance understanding of the temporal variability of thalamo-cortical circuits in patients with OSA., (© 2024 European Sleep Research Society.)

Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea are the main pathogens that cause fruit decay and reduce the postharvest shelf life of cherry tomatoes. Boosting the potency of natural products requires implementing structural modification to combat postharvest pathogens. Herein, we developed a novel Vanillin-Deep Eutectic Agent (V-DEA) from natural compounds and evaluated its effectiveness against tomato fruit rot pathogens. The results demonstrated that V-DEA suppressed mycelium growth and spore germination of F. oxysporum and B. cinerea by enhancing cell membrane permeability, increasing lipid peroxidation, and inhibiting enzyme activities. Importantly, using 8-mM V-DEA successfully prevented postharvest decay in cherry tomatoes, while 4-mM significantly extended their shelf life by reducing weight loss and shriveling, and enhancing key fruit qualities such as total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, and lycopene. In conclusion, V-DEA exhibits dual properties as a potent pathogen inhibitor and antioxidant activity, thus prolonging the shelf life of cherry tomatoes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Li-Yan Zeng reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 32302931). Li-Yan Zeng reports financial support was provided by Shanwei Science and Technology Plan Project (No. 2023B002). N/A If there are other authors, they 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 present study aimed to investigate the impact of the light-emitting diode (LED) green light alone or in combination with melatonin on pecking-related hormone regulation during incubation under normal and under hormonal stress conditions in breeder eggs. This study was divided into 2 experiments: In the first experiment effect of LED green light incubation on pecking-related hormones under normal conditions, on Hy-line brown (low pecking phenotype) and Roman pink (high pecking phenotype) eggs were tested. The 296 eggs of each strain were divided into two groups: LED green light incubation and dark incubation (control), each containing four replicates (37 eggs/replicate). The second experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of LED green light incubation alone or in combination with melatonin under hormonal stress conditions on Roman pink eggs. A total of 704 Roman pink eggs were taken and divided into four groups, each consisting of 176 eggs. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups, LED green light-regulated incubation and dark incubation with 88 eggs per subgroup, having 4 replicates of 22 eggs each. The groups were as follows: corticosterone solution injection (CI), corticosterone + melatonin mixed solution injection (CMI), Phosphate buffer solution injection (PI), and no injection (UI)., Results: Results of the first experiment revealed a higher level of serotonin hormone and lower corticosterone hormone in Hy-Line brown embryos compared to Roman pink embryos during dark incubation. The LED green light incubation significantly (P < 0.05) increased the level of 5-HT while decreasing the CORT level in Roman pink embryos indicating its regulatory effect on pecking-related hormones. Results of the second experiment showed that LED green light incubation significantly (P < 0.05) alleviated the CORT-induced hyperactivity of plasma 5-HT in Roman pink embryos. Furthermore, Melatonin (MLT) injection and LED green light together significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the hormonal stress caused by corticosterone injection in the eggs., Conclusions: Overall, the LED green light regulatory incubation demonstrated a regulatory effect on hormones that influence pecking habits. Additionally, when coupled with MLT injection, it synergistically mitigated hormonal stress in the embryos. So, LED green light incubation emerged as a novel method to reduce the damaging pecking habits of poultry birds., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Field research on phthalate monoesters (MPEs) and their relationships with phthalate esters (PAEs) is limited, especially in wild fishes. Here, PAEs and MPEs were measured in surface water, sediment, and wild fish collected from a representative river basin with high economic development. Several metabolites of emerging plasticizers, such as mono(3,5,5-trimethyl-1-hexyl) phthalate and mono(6-oxo-2-propylheptyl) phthalate, have already existed in fish with high detection frequencies (95 % and 100 %). Monobutyl phthalate and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were the predominant MPEs in fish and natural environment (surface water and sediment), while bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was the most abundant PAEs in all matrices. The total concentrations (median) of 9 PAEs and 16 MPEs were 5980 and 266 ng/L in water, 231 and 10.6 ng/g (dw) in sediment, and 209 and 32.5 ng/g (ww) in fish, respectively. The occurrence of MPEs was highly related to their parent PAEs, with similar spatial distribution characteristics in the aquatic environments. Moreover, municipal wastewater discharge was recognized as the main source of MPEs in the research area. Fish species can accumulate targeted chemicals, and it seems more MPEs were from the PAE degradation in fish other than the direct uptake of MPEs in water. Parent PAEs showed higher ecological risk than their corresponding metabolites., 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.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: HuoXueTongFu Formula (HXTF) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been used as a supplement and alternative therapy for intraperitoneal adhesion (IA). However, its specific mechanism of action has not been fully understood., Aim of the Study: In surgery, IA presents an inevitable challenge, significantly impacting patients' physical and mental well-being and increasing the financial burden. Our previous research has confirmed the preventive effects of HXTF on IA formation. However, the precise mechanism of its action still needs to be understood., Methods: In this study, the IA model was successfully established by using the Ischemic buttons and treated with HXTF for one week with or without Mer Tyrosine Kinase (MerTK) inhibitor. We evaluated the pharmacodynamic effect of HXTF on IA mice. The MerTK/phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway-associated proteins were detected by Western blotting. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were detected by immunofluorescence. Macrophage phenotype was assessed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Inflammatory cytokines were detected by Real Time Quantitative PCR and Western blotting., Results: HXTF reduced inflammatory response and alleviated IA. HXTF significantly enhanced MerTK expression, increased the number of M2c macrophages, and decreased the formation of NETs. In addition, the MerTK/PI3K/AKT pathway was significantly activated by HXTF. However, after using MerTK inhibitors, the role of HXTF in inducing M2c macrophage through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway was suppressed and there was no inhibitory effect on NETs formation and inflammatory responses, resulting in diminished inhibition of adhesion., Conclusion: HXTF may improve IA by activating the MerTK/PI3K/AKT pathway to induce M2c polarization, which removes excess NETs and attenuates the inflammatory response., 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.)

Background: Craniotomy to remove brain tumors is an intricate procedure with multiple postoperative symptoms. However, there has been limited research on the symptom networks of these patients. To this end, this study aims to explore these symptom networks, revealing their interplay to inform better symptom control, hasten the discovery of postoperative issues, and tailor Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, all to enhance recovery and enhance patient care., Methods: From September 2023 to March 2024, 211 patients with primary brain tumors who underwent craniotomy at Shanghai Tongji Hospital were recruited. Their symptoms were assessed using the MDASI-BT (M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor Module) one day post-craniotomy. The symptom network of 22 symptoms was visualized using R, with central and bridge symptoms identified., Results: Sadness (r s =2.482) and difficulty in understanding (r s =1.138) have the highest strength of all symptoms, indicating they are the central symptoms. Sadness (r b =2.155) and loss of appetite (r b =1.828) have the highest value of betweenness, indicating they are the bridge symptoms. Strong correlations were found between difficulty in understanding and difficulty in speaking (r = 0.701), distress and sadness (r = 0.666), fatigue and lethargy (r = 0.632), and nausea and vomiting (r = 0.601). Subgroup analysis revealed that noninvasive tumor patients exhibited similar symptom networks to the overall cohort, whereas invasive tumor patients showed weak symptom connections, resulting in no discernible network., Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of understanding symptom networks in brain tumor patients post-craniotomy, highlighting key symptom interrelationships. These insights can guide more effective symptom management, early complication detection, and optimization of ERAS protocols, ultimately enhancing recovery and patient care., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Soil contamination with heavy metals from industrial and mining activities poses significant environmental and public health risks, necessitating effective remediation strategies. This review examines the utilization of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. Specifically, it focuses on SRB metabolic pathways for heavy metal immobilization, interactions with other microorganisms, and integration with complementary remediation techniques such as soil amendments and phytoremediation. We explore the mechanisms of SRB action, their synergistic relationships within soil ecosystems, and the effectiveness of combined remediation approaches. Our findings indicate that SRB can effectively immobilize heavy metals by converting sulfate to sulfide, forming stable metal sulfides, thereby reducing the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including the need to optimize environmental conditions for SRB activity, address their sensitivity to acidic conditions and high heavy metal concentrations, and mitigate the risk of secondary pollution from excessive carbon sources. This study underscores the necessity for innovative and sustainable SRB-based bioremediation strategies that integrate multiple techniques to address the complex issue of heavy metal soil contamination. Such advancements are crucial for promoting green mining practices and environmental restoration., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: This study aimed to explore the genetic basis of a fetus with ultrasound indicating a thickening of the nuchal translucency (NT) and a choroid plexus cyst., Methods: Fetal amniotic fluid and peripheral blood were collected for a G-banding karyotype analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-array) detection., Results: The chromosome karyotypes of the fetus and its parents were normal. SNP-array showed the fetus had carried 277 kb microdeletion at 14q11.2, which was a new mutation. After the induced abortion, the fetus was diagnosed with macrocephaly., Conclusions: A prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with 14q11.2 microdeletion-induced intrauterine growth retardation was confirmed, which has provided guidance for the subsequent pregnancy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between perceived social support and presenteeism among nurses., Background: The concept of presenteeism explored in this study refers to the behavior of nurses who hold on to their jobs despite poor physical or mental health, manifested in poor work productivity and loss of productivity. Perceived social support and psychological capital may help reduce presenteeism. However, there is limited knowledge about the association between perceived social support, psychological capital, and presenteeism among nurses., Methods: Data were collected through questionnaires from 468 RNs. Data analysis used Pearson's correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and structural equation model., Results: The results indicated that perceived social support and psychological capital were significantly negatively correlated with nurses' presenteeism. Structural equation modeling revealed that psychological capital mediated the relationship between perceived social support and presenteeism, with a partial mediating effect of -0.191, accounting for 28% of the total effect., Conclusions: These results identified structural relationships between the 3 variables of perceived social support, psychological capital, and presenteeism and provided a theoretical reference for developing strategies to decrease nurses' presenteeism., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: BPD is a refractory disease affecting preterm infants with alveolar dysplasia and declined pulmonary function. However, the molecular mechanism underlying BPD is largely unknown. To explore the pathogenic mechanism of BPD and to facilitate better diagnosis and treatment of this disease., Method: The DEMs and DEGs in BPD vs. Control samples from the miRNA expression data in GSE108754 and mRNA expression data in the GSE108755 were screened, followed by the construction of the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network. DEGs PPI network and hub DEGs analysis were constructed by using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were then performed for these DEGs and DEMs based on the ClusterProfiler package in the R and the miRWalk database. The k-mean algorithm is used to perform clustering analysis of DEGs. Cellular experiments (flow cytometry, western blot, RT-PCR, dual-luciferase reporter assay) were used to validate the results of bioinformatics., Results: We obtained 20 DEMs and 262 DEGs. A 15 DEMs-11 DEGs regulatory network was constructed. miR-3202-RAG1 is a core sub-network. Hyperoxia induced a cell model of BPD. The upregulation of RAG1 and downregulation of miR-3202 were observed in BPD cells. Furthermore, siRNA targeting RAG1 was transfected into BEAS-2B cells to inhibit its expression and miR-3202 mimics was transfected into the cells to increase its expression. Inhibition of RAG1 and elevation of miR-3202 inhibit cell apoptosis and reduce ROS level caused by hyperoxia. A double-luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-3202 directly targets RAG1., Conclusion: The miRNA-3202/RAG1 axis contributes into BPD-induced cell apoptosis and ROS production. The present study provides a probable target for the treatment of BPD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Effectively addressing retinal issues represents a pivotal aspect of blindness-related diseases. Novel approaches involving reducing inflammation and rebalancing the immune response are paramount in the treatment of these conditions. This study delves into the potential of a nanogel system comprising polyethylenimine-benzene boric acid-hyaluronic acid (PEI-PBA-HA). We have evaluated the collaborative impact of cerium oxide nanozyme and chemokine CX3CL1 protein for targeted immunomodulation and retinal protection in uveitis models. Our nanogel system specifically targets the posterior segment of the eyes. The synergistic effect in this area reduces oxidative stress and hampers the activation of microglia, thereby alleviating the pathological immune microenvironment. This multifaceted drug delivery system disrupts the cycle of oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune response, suppressing initial immune cells and limiting local retinal structural damage induced by excessive immune reactions. Our research sheds light on interactions within retinal target cells, providing a promising avenue for the development of efficient and innovative drug delivery platforms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The urgency and risk of clinical nursing may cause nurses to experience traumatic stress, but it may also lead to posttraumatic growth. However, no study has comprehensively analyzed the prevalence of posttraumatic growth among nurses using a unified outcome measure and a validated assessment tool., Aim: This study aims to systematically assess the prevalence and factors of posttraumatic growth among nurses based on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)., Methods: Ten databases, including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Springerlink, Embase, Chinese Biomedical (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, and VIP databases, were searched as of December 31, 2022. The prevalence of posttraumatic growth was pooled using Stata 17.0 software. The PRISMA guideline was used to report the systematic review and meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022365620., Results: A total of 30 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis, consisting of 14,022 nurses worldwide from four countries. In our study, the pooled mean score of posttraumatic growth among nurses was 66.34 (95% CI: 61.25-71.43). From 2015 to 2022, nurses' posttraumatic growth levels gradually increased. In addition, Turkey nurses have the lowest posttraumatic growth levelnurses who experienced workplace violence have a lower posttraumatic growth level compared with other nurses; while nurses aged over 30 and male have higher posttraumatic growth levels., Conclusions: While several studies on the prevalence of posttraumatic growth among nurses have been published, the reported data are quite different. Our systematic review and meta-analysis found that nurses' posttraumatic growth level was "moderate," and nurses' posttraumatic growth may vary based on publication year, country, traumatic event, age, and gender., Implications for Nursing and Health Policy: Our findings may provide a theoretical basis for hospital administrators and policy makers to scientifically manage human resources, comprehensively evaluate nurses' mental health, and promote nurses' posttraumatic growth in different traumatic events, which is conducive to the formulation and implementation of relevant policy guidelines., (© 2024 International Council of Nurses.)

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an inflammatory and necrotizing intestinal emergency that occurs in preterm infants and low birth weight newborns; however, no specific serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of NEC has been identified so far., Methods: Serum samples were collected from healthy neonatal controls and patients with NEC newly admitted to the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. ELISA was used to measure serum PK2 levels, and ROC curve analysis was sued to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of PK2 and other clinical biomarkers., Results: Serum PK2 levels in the NEC group ( n  = 53) were significantly lower than those in the control group ( n  = 18), but increased to near-normal levels after the postoperative recovery period. The NLR value of NEC group was higher than that of control group ( P  < 0.05). There was no significant difference in WBC and PLT count between NEC group and control group ( P  > 0.05). Serum CRP and PCT levels in NEC group were significantly higher than those in control group ( P  < 0.001 for CRP and P  < 0.05 for PCT, respectively). After surgery, serum CRP, NLR and PCT levels were lower than before surgery, while serum PK2 levels were higher than before surgery ( P  < 0.05). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of PK2, PCT and CRP for the diagnosis of NEC were 0.837, 0.662 and 0.552, respectively. The AUC of PK2 combined with PCT, PK2 combined with CRP, and PK2 combined with PCT and CRP were 0.908, 0.854 and 0.981, respectively. PK2 exhibited the highest diagnostic efficacy for NEC., Conclusion: PK2 has higher diagnostic efficacy than PCT and CRP in the diagnosis of NEC; the combination of PK2 and PCT or CRP can significantly improve its diagnostic efficiency, especially when the three are combined at the same time.

Somatostatin, a naturally produced neuroprotective peptide, depresses excitatory neurotransmission and exerts anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on the retina. In this review, we summarize the progress of somatostatin treatment of diabetic retinopathy through analysis of relevant studies published from February 2019 to February 2023 extracted from the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Insufficient neuroprotection, which occurs as a consequence of declined expression or dysregulation of retinal somatostatin in the very early stages of diabetic retinopathy, triggers retinal neurovascular unit impairment and microvascular damage. Somatostatin replacement is a promising treatment for retinal neurodegeneration in diabetic retinopathy. Numerous pre-clinical and clinical trials of somatostatin analog treatment for early diabetic retinopathy have been initiated. In one such trial (EUROCONDOR), topical administration of somatostatin was found to exert neuroprotective effects in patients with pre-existing retinal neurodysfunction, but had no impact on the onset of diabetic retinopathy. Overall, we concluded that somatostatin restoration may be especially beneficial for the growing population of patients with early-stage retinopathy. In order to achieve early prevention of diabetic retinopathy initiation, and thereby salvage visual function before the appearance of moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, several issues need to be addressed. These include the needs to: a) update and standardize the retinal screening scheme to incorporate the detection of early neurodegeneration, b) identify patient subgroups who would benefit from somatostatin analog supplementation, c) elucidate the interactions of somatostatin, particularly exogenously-delivered somatostatin analogs, with other retinal peptides in the context of hyperglycemia, and d) design safe, feasible, low cost, and effective administration routes., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Neural Regeneration Research.)

Long-term global gridded population data is crucial in deepening our understanding of spatiotemporal population dynamics and essential in disaster exposure assessment studies. Several gridded population datasets exist but only cover a single period of observational, historical, or future. Here, based on a unified data and method framework, we created a coherent and consistent gridded population dataset at 1 km resolution with a 10-year interval spanning from 1870 to 2100. Using the observed population maps (2000-2020), historical population hindcast (1870-2000), and future population projection (2020-2100) under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) were modeled. The validation shows that the constructed dataset achieves a high quantitative agreement with existing datasets and can better distribute the population within the built-up area, resulting in a more reasonable allocation. The constructed gridded population dataset can clearly show the evolution of population distribution over a long period in a spatially explicit way and exhibit high temporal consistency. From 1870 to 2100 (SSPs), the global population showed an S-shaped growth pattern, increasing by about 4.17 to 8.49 times, which has exerted substantial pressure on global sustainable development. At the local scale, the consistent, long-term, high-resolution gridded population data reveals diverse spatial (cluster, linear, and ring) and temporal (emergence, increase, stable, decrease) dynamics of population patterns across distinct regions, periods, and scenarios. Applying the long-term gridded population data, we revealed a substantial increase in the proportion of the global population exposed to floods, rising from 10.61 % in 1870 to 11.98 %-13.93 % in 2100 (SSPs), highlighting a rapid population expansion within flood-prone areas. In general, this study provides a consistent global gridded population dataset spanning over 200 years, which can provide insights into the whole life cycle of the global population spatiotemporal dynamics and holds great application value in various 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.)

Lignite, as one of the coal materials, has been considered a promising precursor for hard carbon anodes in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to its low cost and high carbon yield. Nevertheless, hard carbon directly derived from lignite pyrolysis typically exhibits highly ordered microstructure with narrow interlayer spacing and relatively unreactive interfacial properties, owing to the abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and inert aromatic rings within its molecular composition. Herein, an innovative demineralization activating strategy is established to simultaneously modulate the interfacial properties and the microstructure of lignite-derived carbon for the development of high-performance SIBs. Demineralization process not only creates numerous void spaces in the matrix of lignite precursor to assist aromatic hydrocarbon rearrangement, thereby reducing the ordering and expanding interlayer spacing, but also exposes more interfacial oxygen-containing functional groups to effectively increasing the sodium storage active sites. As a result, the optimal demineralized lignite-derived hard carbon (DLHC 1300) delivers a high reversible capacity of 335.6 mAh g -1 at 30 mA g -1 , superior rate performance of 246.3 mAh g -1 at 6 A g -1 and nearly 100 % capacity retention after 1100 cycles at 1A g -1 . Furthermore, the optimized DLHC 1300 material functions as an outstanding anode in sodium ion full cells. This work significantly advances the development of low-cost, high-performance commercial hard carbon anodes for SIBs., 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: This study aimed to identify potential symptom clusters among primary brain tumor patients using factor analysis. Understanding these clusters enables better-targeted interventions post-craniotomy., Methods: A total of 211 participants visiting Department of Neurosurgery at Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital for proposed surgical treatment between January 2021 and March 2022 were enrolled. Two weeks after craniotomy, the patients' symptoms were measured using MDASI-BT (M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor Module), and factor analysis was performed to identify symptom clusters., Results: A total of three symptom clusters, i.e., symptom cluster 1, symptom cluster 2, and symptom cluster 3, were identified. Among them, symptom cluster 1 represented the fatigue-related symptom cluster, including fatigue, lethargy, dry mouth, pain, and sleep disturbance (Cronbach's α = 0.742); symptom cluster 2 represented the gut-brain axis symptom cluster, including loss of appetite, weakness in one side of the body, and change in bowel habits (Cronbach's α = 0.532); and symptom cluster 3 represented the self-image symptom cluster, including change in appearance, sadness, and distress (Cronbach's α = 0.547)., Conclusion: This study identified three potential symptom clusters among primary brain tumor patients. Understanding these clusters could well contribute to earlier interventions and improved quality of care., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Depression and anxiety are common mental disorders in later life. Digital intelligence interventions overcome the limitations of conventional psychotherapy and offer new treatments for depression and anxiety. However, the effectiveness among older adults remains unclear., Methods: Databases including Pubmed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) from inception to November 22, 2023. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata 18.0 and Review Manager 5.4., Results: The initial search found 9369 papers, with 21 meeting the inclusion criteria (e.g., RCTs involving older adults aged 50 and older that assessed digital intelligence interventions on depression and anxiety symptoms). Meta-analyses revealed that, compared to control groups, digital intelligence interventions significantly reduced depression symptoms (SMD: -0.58; 95 % CI: -0.80, -0.35) and anxiety symptoms (SMD: -0.39; 95 % CI: -0.58, -0.19). Subgroup analysis revealed that internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT), interventions lasting 7 to 10 weeks, and the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales, especially in other regions, had the most pronounced effects., Conclusions: Digital intelligence interventions reduce depressive and anxious symptoms in older adults, supporting the development of evidence-based treatment guidelines in the digital era., 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.)

Background & Aims: Perilipin 1 (PLIN1) is an essential lipid droplet surface protein that participates in cell life activities by regulating energy balance and lipid metabolism. PLIN1 has been shown to be closely related to the development of numerous tumor types. The purpose of this work was to elucidate the clinicopathologic significance of PLIN1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as its impact on the biological functions of HCC cells, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms involved., Methods: Public high-throughput RNA microarray and RNA sequencing data were collected to examine PLIN1 levels and clinical significance in patients with HCC. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‒qPCR) were conducted to assess the expression levels and the clinicopathological relevance of PLIN1 in HCC. Then, SK and Huh7 cells were transfected with a lentivirus overexpressing PLIN1. CCK8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometric analysis were conducted to explore the effects of PLIN1 overexpression on HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle distribution. Ultimately, Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of PLIN1 in HCC progression based on HCC differentially expressed genes and PLIN1 co-expressed genes., Results: PLIN1 was markedly downregulated in HCC tissues, which correlated with a noticeably worse prognosis for HCC patients. Additionally, PLIN1 overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SK and Huh7 cells in vitro, as well as arresting the HCC cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. More significantly, energy conversion-related biological processes, lipid metabolism, and cell cycle signalling pathways were the three most enriched molecular mechanisms., Conclusion: The present study revealed that PLIN1 downregulation is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients and accelerated HCC progression by promoting cellular proliferation, migration, and metastasis, as well as the mechanisms underlying the regulation of lipid metabolism-related pathways in HCC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) have been shown to effectively retard myopia progression in myopic children. This study aimed to investigate the impact of spectacle lenses with HAL on refractive and axial length (AL) changes in Chinese children with low amount of hyperopia., Design: Randomized controlled trial., Methods: A total of 108 Chinese children aged 6.0 to 9.9 years and spherical equivalent refractive error (SERE) from 0.00 to +2.00 D were randomly allocated into two groups: the HAL group and the single vision spectacle lens (SVL) group. Cycloplegic refraction, AL, and uncorrected visual acuity were measured at baseline, 6 and 12 months after lens dispensing. The duration of spectacle lens wear was monitored using a wearable device attached to the spectacle frame and by questionnaire logs provided by participants at each follow-up visit., Results: The 1-year SERE change was -0.19 (-0.32, 0.03) D and -0.23 (-0.36, 0.05) D in the SVL and HAL groups (P = .883). The 1-year AL elongation was 0.24 (0.18, 0.34) mm and 0.19 (0.12, 0.27) mm in the SVL and HAL groups (P = .057). In the HAL group, changes in AL and SERE were significantly correlated to lens wearing time (P < .001 and P = .024, respectively). Participants in the HAL group who wore their lenses for more than 30 hours per week had significantly slower AL elongation (0.11 [0.05, 0.17] mm) compared to their SVL counterparts (0.27 [0.21, 0.33] mm) (P < .001)., Conclusions: Spectacle lenses with HAL significantly reduced AL elongation in low hyperopic children who wore lenses for over 30 hours per week. A dose-response relationship was evident with longer lens wearing time associated with less AL change., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Aerobic glycolysis and the cell cycle are well-established tumor hallmarks. Understanding their relationship could help to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms of breast cancer (BC) and suggest potential new strategies for treatment., Methods: Glycolysis-related genes (GRGs) were downloaded from the Reactome database and screened using univariate Cox analysis. The consensus clustering method was employed to identify a glycolytic activity signature (GAS) using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. A nomogram risk prediction model was constructed using coefficients from univariate Cox analysis. Immune cell infiltration was evaluated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and the ESTIMATE algorithm. Gene co-expression modules were created using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify hub genes. Gene expression in three BC cell lines was quantified using Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymera (qRT-PCR). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data was used to examine the relationship between GAS and hub genes. The sensitivity of different groups to cell cycle-related clinical drugs was also examined., Results: BC with high GAS (HGAS) showed high tumor grade and recurrence rate. HGAS was a prognostic indicator of worse overall survival (OS) in BC patients. HGAS BC showed more abundant immune cells and significantly higher expression of immunomodulators compared to BC with low GAS (LGAS). HGAS BC also showed enhanced cell cycle pathway, with high mRNA and protein expression levels of Cyclin B2 (CCNB2), a key component of the cell cycle pathway. Importantly, scRNA-seq analysis revealed that elevated CCNB2 expression was positively correlated with HGAS in triple-negative BC (TNBC). This was validated in clinical samples from TNBC patients. High expression of CCNB2 was found in three BC cell lines, and was also an indicator of poor prognosis. HGAS BC showed high sensitivity to several cell cycle-related clinical drugs, with 9 of these also showing activity in BC with high CCNB2 expression., Conclusions: HGAS was associated with enhanced cell cycle pathway and immune activity in BC. These results suggest that CCNB2 is a potential key therapeutic target in BC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

A new species Serangiumxinpingensis Huang & Wang, sp. nov. is described from Yunnan Province, China, as a newly discovered predator on Bemisiatabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae). The new species is a valuable addition to the 14 species of this genus in China known before. A diagnosis, detailed description, including the structure of its immature stages, illustrations, and the distribution of the new species are provided., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Chu-Yang Huang, Li-Ling Zeng, Wu-wei Fan, Ping Lin, Qi-Jin Dong, Yu-Long Su, Xing-Min Wang.)

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and often arises in the context of chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis B or C infection, and cirrhosis. Advanced unresectable HCC (uHCC) presents significant treatment challenges due to its advanced stage and inoperability. One efficient treatment method for advanced uHCC is the use of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE)., Patients and Methods: In this study, we conducted a retrospective collection of clinical data, including basic information, radiological data, and blood test parameters, for patients with advanced uHCC who underwent TAE + HAIC treatment from August 2020 to February 2023. A total of 743 cases involving 262 patients were included. Ultimately, the covariates included in the analysis were the Child-Pugh score, extrahepatic metastasis, tumor number, tumor size, and treatment method., Results: In the study, we performed univariable and multivariable analysis on 23 clinical factors that were screened by LASSO regression, indicating that the five variables aforementionedly were identified as independent factors influencing patient prognosis. Then we developed a nomogram of the sensitive model and calculated concordance indices of prognostic survival models., Conclusion: Based on the uHCC patient cohort, we have developed a prognostic model for OS in patients who received TAE + HAIC treatment. This model can accurately predict OS and has the potential to assist in personalized clinical decision-making., 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 Du, Sheng, Shi, Li, Liu, Tang, Liu and Zhang.)

Neurons rely heavily on high mitochondrial metabolism to provide sufficient energy for proper development. However, it remains unclear how neurons maintain high oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) during development. Mitophagy plays a pivotal role in maintaining mitochondrial quality and quantity. We herein describe that G protein-coupled receptor 50 (GPR50) is a novel mitophagy receptor, which harbors the LC3-interacting region (LIR) and is required in mitophagy under stress conditions. Although it does not localize in mitochondria under normal culturing conditions, GPR50 is recruited to the depolarized mitochondrial membrane upon mitophagy stress, which marks the mitochondrial portion and recruits the assembling autophagosomes, eventually facilitating the mitochondrial fragments to be engulfed by the autophagosomes. Mutations Δ502-505 and T532A attenuate GPR50-mediated mitophagy by disrupting the binding of GPR50 to LC3 and the mitochondrial recruitment of GPR50. Deficiency of GPR50 causes the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and disrupts OXPHOS, resulting in insufficient ATP production and excessive ROS generation, eventually impairing neuronal development. GPR50-deficient mice exhibit impaired social recognition, which is rescued by prenatal treatment with mitoQ, a mitochondrially antioxidant. The present study identifies GPR50 as a novel mitophagy receptor that is required to maintain mitochondrial OXPHOS in developing neurons., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Due to the unique working environment and nature of work in emergency departments, nurses are prone to experiencing compassion fatigue (CF), leading to job burnout and attrition. As more Generation Z (Gen Z) nurses enter the emergency department with distinct personality traits compared to previous generations, studying their experiences with CF will inform future management strategies., Methods: The qualitative phenomenological research method was utilised to investigate CF among Gen Z emergency nurses at a hospital in Shanghai, China. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological analysis method. Study participants were purposively selected., Results: Three main themes and nine sub-themes emerged from the study: secondary traumatic stress, including physiological symptoms, psychological symptoms, and behavioral changes; cumulative effects, including impaired empathy, interference with family life, and post-traumatic growth (PTG); coping strategies, including cognitive reconstruction, seeking support, and facilitating action., Conclusions: The aim of this study is to investigate the experience of CF among Gen Z emergency nurses, providing managers with a reference for future management strategies. The significance of multi-dimensional support for Gen Z emergency nurses is underscored by our findings. Additionally, interventions that enhance resilience and competency can facilitate their psychological transformation after experiencing CF and promote accelerated personal growth., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Accurate identification and rapid analysis of PM 2.5 sources and formation mechanisms are essential to mitigate PM 2.5 pollution. However, studies were limited in developing a method to apportion sources to the total PM 2.5 mass in real-time. In this study, we developed a real-time source apportionment method based on chemical mass balance (CMB) modeling and a mass-closure PM 2.5 composition online monitoring system in Shenzhen, China. Results showed that secondary sulfate, secondary organic aerosol (SOA), vehicle emissions and secondary nitrate were the four major PM 2.5 sources during autumn 2019 in Shenzhen, together contributed 76 % of PM 2.5 mass. The novel method was verified by comparing with other source apportionment methods, including offline filter analysis, aerosol mass spectrometry, and carbon isotopic analysis. The comparison of these methods showed that the new real-time method obtained results generally consistent with the others, and the differences were interpretable and implicative. SOA and vehicle emissions were the major PM 2.5 and OA contributors by all methods. Further investigation on the OA sources indicated that vehicle emissions were not only the main source of primary organic aerosol (POA), but also the main contributor to SOA by rapid aging of the exhaust in the atmosphere. Our results demonstrated the great potential of the new real-time source apportionment method for aerosol pollution control and deep understandings on emission sources., 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.)