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Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients are associated with prognosis. This study investigated the feasibility of predicting left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in STEMI patients using an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled ECG algorithm developed to diagnose STEMI. Serial ECGs from 637 STEMI patients were analyzed with the AI algorithm, which quantified the probability of STEMI at various time points. The time points included pre-PCI, immediately post-PCI, 6 h post-PCI, 24 h post-PCI, at discharge, and one-month post-PCI. The prevalence of LV dysfunction was significantly associated with the AI-derived probability index. A high probability index was an independent predictor of LV dysfunction, with higher cardiac death and heart failure hospitalization rates observed in patients with higher indices. The study demonstrates that the AI-enabled ECG index effectively quantifies ECG changes post-PCI and serves as a digital biomarker capable of predicting post-STEMI LV dysfunction, heart failure, and mortality. These findings suggest that AI-enabled ECG analysis can be a valuable tool in the early identification of high-risk patients, enabling timely and targeted interventions to improve clinical outcomes in STEMI patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Canine obesity is a major health concern that predisposes dogs to various disorders. The fecal microbiome has been attracting attention because of their impact on energy efficiency and metabolic disorders of host. However, little is known about specific microbial interactions, and how these may be affected by obesity in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in fecal microbiome and specific microbial networks between obese and normal dogs. A total of 20 beagle dogs (males = 12, body weight [BW]: 10.5 ± 1.08 kg; females = 8, BW: 11.3 ± 1.71 kg; all 2-year-old) were fed to meet the maintenance energy requirements for 18 weeks. Then, 12 beagle dogs were selected based on body condition score (BCS) and divided into two groups: high BCS group (HBCS; BCS range: 7-9, males = 4, females = 2) and normal BCS group (NBCS; BCS range: 4-6, males = 4, females = 2). In the final week of the experiment, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum, before breakfast, for analyzing the fecal microbiome using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The HBCS group had a significantly higher final BW than the NBCS group (P < 0.01). The relative abundances of Faecalibacterium, Phascolarctobacterium, Megamonas, Bacteroides, Mucispirillum, and an unclassified genus within Ruminococcaceae were significantly higher in the HBCS group than those in the NBCS group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, some Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) modules related to amino acid biosynthesis and B vitamins biosynthesis were enriched in the HBCS group (P < 0.10), whereas those related to carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in the NBCS group (P < 0.10). Microbial network analysis revealed distinct co-occurrence and mutually exclusive interactions between the HBCS and NBCS groups. In conclusion, several genera related to short-chain fatty acid production were enriched in the HBCS group. The enriched KEGG modules in the HBCS group enhanced energy efficiency through cross-feeding between auxotrophs and prototrophs. However, further studies are needed to investigate how specific networks can be interpreted in the context of fermentation characteristics in the lower gut and obesity in dogs., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Studies investigating the relationship between germline telomere length and the clinical characteristics of tumors are very limited. This study evaluated the relationship between germline telomere length and the clinical characteristics of neuroblastoma. In addition, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to investigate the genetic factors associated with germline telomere length. The germline telomere length of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 186 patients with neuroblastoma was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The association between germline telomere length and clinical characteristics, including long-term survival, was investigated. For the GWAS, genotyping was performed with a high-density bead chip (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). After strict quality-control checks of the samples, an association analysis was conducted. The result showed that longer germline telomeres were significantly associated with longer event-free survival (P = 0.032). To identify significantly assocated genetic markers for germline telomere length, genome wide association analysis was performed. As a result, several single nucleotide polymorphisms located in HIVEP3, LRRTM4, ADGRV1, RAB30, and CHRNA4 genes were discovered. During gene-based analysis (VEGAS2 tool), the CNTN4 gene had the most significant association with germline telomere length (P = 1.0E-06). During gene ontology analysis, susceptible genes associated with germline telomere length were mainly distributed in neurite morphogenesis and neuron development. A longer germline telomere length is associated with favorable prognostic factors at diagnosis and eventually better event-free survival in patients with neuroblastoma. In addition, the GWAS demonstrated that genetic markers and genes related to germline telomere length are associated with neurite morphogenesis and neuron development. Further research with larger cohorts of patients and functional investigations are needed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Herein, an unprecedented report is presented on the incorporation of size-dependent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) capping into a conventional hole transport layer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The hole transport layer blocks ion-diffusion/migration in methylammonium-lead-bromide (MAPbBr 3 )-based perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) as a modified interlayer. The PVP-capped 90 nm AuNP device exhibited a seven-fold increase in efficiency (1.5%) as compared to the device without AuNPs (0.22%), where the device lifetime was also improved by 17-fold. This advancement is ascribed to the far-field scattering of AuNPs, modified work function and carrier trapping/detrapping. The improvement in device lifetime is attributed to PVP-capping of AuNPs which prevents indium diffusion into the perovskite layer and surface ion migration into PEDOT:PSS through the formation of induced electric dipole. The results also indicate that using large AuNPs (> 90 nm) reduces exciton recombination because of the trapping of excess charge carriers due to the large surface area., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The leaf beetle genus Suinzona, consisting of over 20 species, is mainly known for species from Southwest China, and its closely related genus Potaninia, with only two species, is widely distributed in South China and upper Southeast Asia. Despite recent morphological studies, the status of these taxa has long been controversial. Here, we investigated the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of the genera Suinzona and Potaninia within Chrysomelinae using molecular, morphological and ecological data. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supported that they should be regarded as distinct genera, which is consistent with morphological evidence, e.g., well-developed/reduced hind wings. Based on combined evidence from examination of larval and adult morphology, host plants and mitochondrial genomes, we demonstrate that P. cyrtonoides should be placed in the genus Suinzona and that specimens from South Korea represent a new species. Suinzona borowieci sp. nov., occurring in narrow strips of habitat, shows high levels of genetic divergence and distantly related host plants between populations. The population differentiation seems to be correlated with its non-functional wings causing reduced dispersal ability and genetic isolation. Several populations have declined dramatically over the last few decades due to loss of habitat and thus are in need of protection as conservation units.

The diffusion of solutes in two-dimensional random media is important in diverse physical situations including the dynamics of proteins in crowded cell membranes and the adsorption on nano-structured substrates. It has generally been thought that the diffusion constant, D, should display universal behavior near the percolation threshold, i.e., D ~ (ϕ - ϕ c ) μ , where ϕ is the area fraction of the matrix, ϕ c is the value of ϕ at the percolation threshold, and μ is the dynamic exponent. The universality of μ is important because it implies that very different processes, such as protein diffusion in membranes and the electrical conductivity in two-dimensional networks, obey similar underlying physical principles. In this work we demonstrate, using computer simulations on a model system, that the exponent μ is not universal, but depends on the microscopic nature of the dynamics. We consider a hard disc that moves via random walk in a matrix of fixed hard discs and show that μ depends on the maximum possible displacement Δ of the mobile hard disc, ranging from 1.31 at Δ ≤ 0.1 to 2.06 for relatively large values of Δ. We also show that this behavior arises from a power-law singularity in the distribution of transition rates due to a failure of the local equilibrium approximation. The non-universal value of μ obeys the prediction of the renormalization group theory. Our simulations do not, however, exclude the possibility that the non-universal values of μ might be a crossover between two different limiting values at very large and small values of Δ. The results allow one to rationalize experiments on diffusion in two-dimensional systems.

Neurochemical alterations associated with behavioral responses induced by re-exposure to nicotine have not been sufficiently characterized in the dorsal striatum. Herein, we report on changes in glutamate concentrations in the rat dorsal striatum associated with behavioral alterations after nicotine challenge. Nicotine challenge (0.4 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous) significantly increased extracellular glutamate concentrations up to the level observed with repeated nicotine administration. This increase occurred in parallel with an increase in behavioral changes in locomotor and rearing activities. In contrast, acute nicotine administration and nicotine withdrawal on days 1 and 6 did not alter glutamate levels or behavioral changes. Blockade of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) significantly decreased the nicotine challenge-induced increases in extracellular glutamate concentrations and locomotor and rearing activities. These findings suggest that behavioral changes in locomotor and rearing activities after re-exposure to nicotine are closely associated with hyperactivation of the glutamate response by stimulating α7 nAChRs in the rat dorsal striatum.