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Abstract The classical M1/M2 polarity of macrophages may not be applicable to inflammatory lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to the complex microenvironment in lungs and the plasticity of macrophages. We examined macrophage sub-phenotypes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in 25 participants with CD40 (a M1 marker) and CD163 (a M2 marker). Of these, we performed RNA-sequencing on each subtype in 10 patients using the Illumina NextSeq 500. Approximately 25% of the macrophages did not harbor classical M1 or M2 surface markers (double negative, DN), and these cells were significantly enriched in COPD patients compared with non-COPD patients (46.7% vs. 14.5%, p

YbB6 is recently predicted to be a moderately correlated topological insulator, which provides a playground to explore the interplay between correlation and topological properties. With angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we directly observed almost linearly dispersive bands around the time-reversal invariant momenta Γ and X with negligible kz dependence, consistent with odd number of surface states crossing the Fermi level in a Z2 topological insulator. Circular dichroism photoemission spectra suggest that these in-gap states possess chirality of orbital angular momentum, which is related to the chiral spin texture, further indicative of their topological nature. The observed insulating gap of YbB6 is about 100 meV, larger than that found by theoretical calculations. Our results present strong evidence that YbB6 is a correlated topological insulator and provide a foundation for further studies of this promising material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tremendous efforts towards improvement in the critical current density 'Jc' of iron based superconductors (FeSCs), especially at relatively low temperatures and magnetic fields, have been made so far through different methods, resulting in real progress. Jc at high temperatures in high fields still needs to be further improved, however, in order to meet the requirements of practical applications. Here, we demonstrate a simple approach to achieve this. Hydrostatic pressure can significantly enhance Jc in NaFe0.97Co0.03As single crystals by at least tenfold at low field and more than a hundredfold at high fields. Significant enhancement in the in-field performance of NaFe0.97Co0.03As single crystal in terms of pinning force density (Fp) is found at high pressures. At high fields, the Fp is over 20 and 80 times higher than under ambient pressure at12 K and 14 K, respectively, at P = 1 GPa. We believe that the Co-doped NaFeAs compounds are very exciting and deserve to be more intensively investigated. Finally, it is worthwhile to say that by using hydrostatic pressure, we can achieve more milestones in terms of high Jc values in tapes, wires or films of other Fe-based superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaFe2As2 is investigated experimentally using powder x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy at pressures up to 23 GPa at room temperature and using ab-initio calculations. The results reveal a pressure-induced structural modification at 4 GPa from the starting tetragonal to a collapsed tetragonal phase. We determined the changes in interatomic distances under pressure that allowed us to connect the structural changes and superconductivity. The transition is related to the formation of interlayer As-As bonds at the expense of weakening of Fe-As bonds in agreement with recent theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructure arrays such as nanowire, nanopillar, and nanocone arrays have been proposed to be promising antireflection structures for photovoltaic applications due to their great light trapping ability. In this paper, the optical properties of Si nanopillar and nanocone arrays in visible and infrared region were studied by both theoretical calculations and experiments. The results show that the Mie resonance can be continuously tuned across a wide range of wavelength by varying the diameter of the nanopillars. However, Si nanopillar array with uniform diameter exhibits only discrete resonance mode, thus can't achieve a high broadband absorption. On the other hand, the Mie resonance wavelength in a Si nanocone array can vary continuously as the diameters of the cross sections increase from the apex to the base. Therefore Si nanocone arrays can strongly interact with the incident light in the broadband spectrum and the absorbance by Si nanocone arrays is higher than 95% over the wavelength from 300 to 2000 nm. In addition to the Mie resonance, the broadband optical absorption of Si nanocone arrays is also affected by Wood-Rayleigh anomaly effect and metal impurities introduced in the fabrication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YbB6 is recently predicted to be a moderately correlated topological insulator, which provides a playground to explore the interplay between correlation and topological properties. With angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we directly observed almost linearly dispersive bands around the time-reversal invariant momenta Γ and X with negligible kz dependence, consistent with odd number of surface states crossing the Fermi level in a Z2 topological insulator. Circular dichroism photoemission spectra suggest that these in-gap states possess chirality of orbital angular momentum, which is related to the chiral spin texture, further indicative of their topological nature. The observed insulating gap of YbB6 is about 100 meV, larger than that found by theoretical calculations. Our results present strong evidence that YbB6 is a correlated topological insulator and provide a foundation for further studies of this promising material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to utilize optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) techniques for the purpose of identifying abnormalities in retinal and conjunctival vascular density among patients afflicted with renal hypertension. From October 2022 to October 2023, a cohort of sixteen patients diagnosed with renal hypertension (RH), comprising a total of 32 eyes, was selected from the Department of Nephrology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Concurrently, a group of sixteen healthy individuals, carefully matched in characteristics, was recruited from volunteers at the Ophthalmology Research Center and designated as the healthy controls (HCs) group. Optical coherence tomography angiography was employed to assess and examine the superficial vascular plexus (SVP) and deep vascular plexus (DVP) of the macular retina in both eyes. Subsequently, a comparative analysis was conducted between the two groups, focusing on the superficial and deep retinal microvessels (MIR), macrovascular (MAR), and total microvascular (TMI). The present study employed the central annuli segmentation method (C1-C6), the hemispheric segmentation method (SL, IL, SR, IR), and the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (S, I, L, R) to evaluate deviations in retinal blood vessel density. The investigation aimed to examine the association between blood vessel density and TMI in conjunctival capillaries. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in macular retinal vascular density was observed between the two groups based on the OCTA data. Specifically, in SVP, the density of TMI, MIR, and MAR in the RH group was significantly lower compared to the HCs group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the deep density of TMI and MIR in DVP of the RH group was significantly lower than that of the HCs group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, using the hemispheric segmentation method, both the superficial and deep retina showed a significant reduction in the density of SL, SR and IL regions (p < 0.05). In the ETDRS method, there was a significant decrease in superficial and deep retinal S, I, and L in the RH group (p < 0.05). When applying the central annuli segmentation methods, the RH group exhibited a significant decrease in the superficial retinal C1-3 region (p < 0.05) and a noticeable reduction in the deep retina in the C1-4 region (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a higher positive likelihood ratio was observed in the deep SL and superficial C2 region. There was a positive correlation between conjunctival capillary density and the region of TMI in depth. The results of the OCTA investigation revealed a significant disparity in the density of superficial and deep retinal blood vessels between RH group and the HCs group. Additionally, a notable correlation was observed between the depth of TMI and the density of conjunctival capillaries. These findings highlight the potential of retinal OCTA as a valuable tool for early detection and image-assisted diagnosis of retinopathy progression in patients with RH., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Reports on the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in adult patients with severe pneumonia after cardiac surgery remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of mNGS analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in such patients.A retrospective cohort study was conducted on adult patients with severe pneumonia after cardiac surgery. Samples were collected from patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2019 and March 2024. Upon diagnosis of severe pneumonia, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained via bronchoscopy within 24 h. The mNGS group was composed of patients tested using mNGS and conventional microbiological tests. BALF was detected only by the conventional microbiological test (CMT) method in the CMT group, which involved examining bacterial and fungal smears and cultures at least. We reviewed a total of 4,064 cardiac surgeries, and based on the inclusion criteria, a total of 113 adult patients with severe pneumonia after cardiac surgery were included in this study. The overall positive rate detected by mNGS was significantly higher than that of the culture method (98% vs. 58%, P<0.0001). After receipt of the microbiological results, the mNGS group exhibited a higher incidence of antibiotic adjustments in comparison to the CMT group (P = 0.0021). After adjusting the treatment plan based on microbial testing results, the mNGS group showed an improvement in ventilator-free days within 28 days (P = 0.0475), with a shorter duration of invasive ventilation compared to the CMT group (P = 0.0208). The detection of mNGS can significantly improve the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE II) score (P = 0.0161) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (P = 0.0076) on the 7th day after admission to the SICU. In this study, the mNGS group showed signs of having a positive impact on the length of stay in ICU (median: 9 days, IQR: 7-10 days vs. median: 10 days, IQR: 8-13.75 days, P = 0.0538), length of stay in Hospital (median: 20 days, IQR: 17-28 days vs. median: 25 days, IQR: 18-29 days, P = 0.1558), mortality in 28 days (19% vs. 20%, P = 0.8794), in-hospital mortality (19% vs. 22%, P = 0.7123); however, statistical analysis did not confirm these differences to be significant. mNGS could serve as a valuable complement to conventional diagnostic approaches in adult patients with severe pneumonia after cardiac surgery, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy and leading to more precise and timely interventions, with significant potential to inform clinical decision-making and enhance patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The protocol used in this retrospective study was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital (No: 2024-30). The study was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and all data were anonymous before analysis. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Anatomy-based guidelines for shoulder surgery have established the routine preoperative evaluation of the humeral head. Despite recognized sex differences in humeral head size, there has been limited investigation into sex-specific variations in acromiohumeral contact surface (AHCS) arc length. This study aims to assess sex differences in the AHCS arc length within a sample of the Chinese population. We retrospectively analyzed 169 normal shoulder CT images from a single medical center, collected between 2011 and 2021. The AHCS arc length was defined as the distance from the superior glenoid tubercle to the lateral edge of the greater tuberosity, measured using a three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm. Physiological reference values for the AHCS arc length were determined at three abduction angle intervals. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the correlation between the AHCS arc length and abduction angle in both sexes. The reference values for AHCS arc length were significantly lower in women across three abduction angle intervals (male 48.07 ± 3.37 mm vs. female 43.54 ± 2.54 mm, (0-10] °, p < 0.001; male 45.07 ± 2.34 mm vs. female 40.78 ± 2.06 mm, (10-20] °, p < 0.001; male 42.08 ± 2.03 mm vs. female 38.09 ± 2.44 mm, > 20 °, p = 0.001, respectively). Additionally, the AHCS arc length was linearly and negatively correlated with the abduction angle (male R2 = 0.436, p < 0.001; female R2 = 0.434, p < 0.001, respectively). The present study identified a significant sex difference in the anatomical AHCS arc length in a sample of the normal Chinese population. Preoperative assessment of the AHCS arc length may be necessary for certain shoulder surgeries in the future., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patients to publish this paper. Institutional review board statement: The protocol was previously reviewed and approved by Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University Ethics and Research Committees ([2022]02-013-01), and with the 1975 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Akt (also known as protein kinase B) belongs to the multifunctional serine/threonine kinase family and is an important component of the insulin signaling pathway that plays a key role in many biological processes such as cell growth, proliferation, and survival. However, few studies have reported the effect of Akt on reproduction in Hemiptera. In this study, we cloned and characterized the Akt gene from Coridius chinensis (CcAkt). The open reading frame of CcAkt has a length of 1,563 bp and encodes 520 amino acids. It has a conserved pleckstrin homology domain (PH), catalytic domain of serine/threonine protein kinases (S&#95;TKc), and extension of Ser/Thr-type protein kinases (S&#95;TK&#95;X). Phylogenetic analysis showed that CcAkt and HhAkt of Halyomorpha halys had the highest similarity. Analysis of temporal and spatial expression patterns revealed that CcAkt is expressed throughout development and in various tissues of C. chinensis adults. CcAkt was highly expressed in the female adult and the fourth-instar nymph, as well as in the testis and ovary of C. chinensis. Injection of bovine insulin and methoprene induced the CcAkt expression, whereas that of 20-hydroxyecdysone significantly reduced the CcAkt expression. These three hormones, however, induced the expression of vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR). In unmated females, knockdown of CcAkt resulted in decreased expression of CcVg and CcVgR, stunted the development of the ovarioles, decreased the number of eggs and hatching rate. These findings from RNA interference experiment suggested that CcAkt may be involved in regulating the reproduction of C. chinensis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In recent years, as river-borne sediment transport has decreased, land loss in estuarine areas has become increasingly severe. Particularly from 2009 to 2022, due to the reduced sediment load from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, significant changes in the erosion-deposition conditions at the Yangtze River Estuary have become a critical concern. The suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the estuary is closely linked to sediment content, and against this backdrop, this study aims to thoroughly explore the response mechanisms of the Yangtze River Estuary's SSC to changes in erosion-deposition conditions, with the goal of providing scientific bases and strategic recommendations for erosion-deposition management. To this end, this research collected historical water depth data for the Yangtze River Estuary, measured vertical distribution of SSC in September 2022, surface suspended sediment concentration (SSSC) data from 2021 to 2023, and 25 factors influencing SSSC, to analyze in detail the changes in the erosion-deposition conditions at the Yangtze River Estuary and the response mechanisms of SSC to these changes. The analysis showed that between 2009 and 2022, the mouth bar area of the Yangtze River Estuary experienced net erosion for the first time since 1958, with an annual erosion rate reaching 63.2 × 10^6 m 3 /yr, and the highest erosion rate occurring in the North Passage area, reaching 83.3 mm/yr. This phenomenon is likely caused by human-induced changes in underwater topography, with the Yangtze River Estuary shifting from deposition to erosion. Between 2021 and 2023, the turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) of the Yangtze River Estuary did not show regular changes in SSSC, which may be related to the frequent occurrence of typhoons and changes in sediment supply in the submerged delta of the Yangtze River Estuary., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The study of mechanical properties and failure mechanism of propellants under impact loads is crucial for analyzing structural integrity of propellant charges. An experimental investigation was conducted on NEPE propellant using a separated Hopkinson pressure bar to conduct high strain rate uniaxial impact tests. Deformation and failure processes of the propellant under impact conditions were recorded with a high-speed camera. The microscopic failure forms of the propellants were observed using a scanning electron microscope and an optical microscope. Stress-strain curves and high-speed images revealed that the damage behavior and failure mechanism of NEPE propellants are significantly influenced by strain rate. As the strain rate increases, there is a notable increase in the deformation degree of the propellant specimens, with a more pronounced shear effect. This leads to an earlier occurrence of failure and a more severe degree of failure. The predominant failure forms observed in NEPE propellants include transgranular failure, matrix tearing, and cavity merging. A nonlinear visco-hyperelastic constitutive model with damage at high strain rates was established to provide a precise account of the mechanical response of NEPE propellant under high strain rates., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study conducts push-out tests on eight geopolymer concrete filled steel tube column specimens with varying design parameters to evaluate the effects of steel tube wall thickness, concrete strength, and the presence of welded longitudinal ribs on the bond-slip performance at the interface between geopolymer concrete and steel tube. The study analyzes the influence mechanism of chemical bonding force, mechanical bite force, and friction resistance on bond strength and a three-stage bond-slip constitutive relationship is established. The results indicate that steel tube strain increases with height, with significant strain observed at the welding structure and the fixed end of the steel tube. The length-to-diameter ratio, diameter-to-thickness ratio, concrete strength, and construction measures of the steel tube are identified as key factors in enhancing interfacial bonding performance. The presence of welded longitudinal ribs on the inner wall of the steel tube significantly improves the interface bonding. The calculated bond strength ratios, compared with the test results, fall within an 11% margin, demonstrating good agreement., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is an affective disorder that can lead to persistent sadness and a decline in the quality of life, increasing the risk of suicide. Utilizing multimodal data such as electroencephalograms and patient interview audios can facilitate the timely detection of MDD. However, existing depression detection methods either consider only a single modality or do not fully account for the differences and similarities between modalities in multimodal approaches, potentially overlooking the latent information inherent in various modal data. To address these challenges, we propose EMO-GCN, a multimodal depression detection method based on an adaptive multi-graph neural network. By employing graph-based methods to model data from various modalities and extracting features from them, the potential correlations between modalities are uncovered. The model's performance on the MODMA dataset is outstanding, achieving an accuracy (ACC) of 96.30%. Ablation studies further confirm the effectiveness of the model's individual components.The experimental results of EMO-GCN demonstrate the application prospects of graph-based multimodal analysis in the field of mental health, offering new perspectives for future research., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We conducted a retrospective study of 1055 patients with urinary stones who attended our single center from September 2017 to June 2024. Clinical data and laboratory indicators of patients were evaluated and compared with stone components. The most common type in our study was calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones (76.6%), followed by infection stones (13.2%) and uric acid (UA) stones (7.8%). Among the 1055 specimens, 899 (85.2%) cases were mixed component stones, of which calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) mixture were the most frequent (34.8%). There were only 156 cases (14.8%) of pure-component stones, of which anhydrous UA was the most frequent (7.0%). There were 738 males and 317 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.33:1. Male dominance was evident in CaOx stones (79.0 vs. 71.0%, P = 0.005). Female dominance was noted in infection stones (21.1 vs. 9.8%, P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that higher serum albumin level was a risk factor for CaOx stone formation (OR = 2.959; 95% CI 1.470-5.953, P = 0.002). Women were more likely to develop infection stones than men (OR = 1.796; 95% CI 1.150-2.803, P = 0.010). As the urine pH increased, the risk of infection stones formation increased (OR = 2.521; 95% CI 1.809-3.513, P < 0.001). Moreover, a history of hypertension (OR = 2.339; 95% CI 1.409-3.881, P = 0.001), low urine pH (OR = 0.242; 95% CI 0.147-0.399, P < 0.001), and low serum albumin level (OR = 0.351; 95% CI 0.125-0.988, P = 0.047) were risk factors for the formation of UA stones., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Statement of ethics This study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital (Jinwan Central Hospital of Zhuhai), approval number 2024010 H. Moreover, the study has been granted an exemption from requiring written informed consent by the Ethical Committee of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital (Jinwan Central Hospital of Zhuhai)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The tectonic of the Middle and Late Ordovician in the western margin of the north China Platform is complex, and the accumulation models of organic matter of the Wulalike Formation formed during this period are still unclear. Total organic carbon (TOC) content, mineral composition, organic carbon isotope composition, as well as the major and trace elements in the shale samples were all measured in this study. The Wulalike Formation was formed during a tectonic transition from a passive continental margin to an active continental margin. Hydrocarbon-forming organisms are mainly algae. Primary productivity, terrigenous input, and sedimentation rates influence input, dilution, and degradation of organic matter. The degree of degradation, redox, and basin restriction control the preservation of organic matter. The TOC of the Wulalike Formation is determined by the input and preservation degree of organic matter at different sedimentary periods. The organic matter accumulation model in the Wulalike Formation is controlled by regional structures, dominated by sedimentation rate and preservation conditions., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)