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Spintronic devices have become a crucial technology for overcoming the power consumption bottleneck in integrated circuits, due to their low power consumption, high-speed processing capability. Two-dimensional materials offer potential for performance enhancement and device miniaturization in spintronics because of their unique electronic and spin properties. Specifically, two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) are favored in the field of spintronics for their strong spin–orbit coupling effects, enabling effective control over the electron spin state. However, the preparation techniques for 2D TMDs are still in the exploratory stage. In this work, we explore novel preparation method combining magnetron sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy, leading to wafer-scale high-quality monocrystalline PtTe2 thin films. Further, Spin-Orbit Torque (SOT) efficiency is investigated in PtTe2-based heterostructures, which reveals a significant spin Hall angle of over 0.094. Our work provides a new way to fabricate the wafer-scale PtTe2 thin films and confirms a large SOT efficiency, which indicates the great promise for spintronic applications.

This research focuses on the Chinese learning strategies employed by learners from Central Asian countries, specifically examining the effects of gender, age, and learning duration. The study aims to identify and analyze the demographic factors that influence the learning approaches of these learners, providing insights for more effective teaching and learning of Chinese as a foreign language. Data are collected through questionnaires and interviews, and statistical analysis is conducted to explore the correlations between gender, age, learning duration, and learning strategies. The learning strategy model adopted in this study provides a comprehensive classification of language learning strategies. The results underscore the significance of incorporating these factors into language education programs, providing valuable insights into the unique needs and challenges encountered by learners from Central Asian countries. The findings indicate that students from Central Asian countries predominantly utilize social strategies, metacognitive strategies, and affective strategies in their Chinese language learning. These are followed by compensatory strategies, cognitive strategies, and memory strategies. While gender does not exert a significant impact on the utilization of Chinese learning strategies, there are discernible variations in memory and affective strategies between males and females. Age does not significantly affect overall learning strategies, but there are notable disparities in compensatory strategies among different age groups. Learning duration has a significant effect on compensation and metacognitive strategies. The correlation between learning duration and overall strategies is significant indicating that learners with different learning durations exhibit notable differences in compensation and metacognitive strategies.

Primary biliary cholangitis is a rare, chronic immune-mediated liver disease triggered by environmental exposures in genetically susceptible individuals. Here, the authors investigate the functional mechanism underlying the association of 19p13.3 variants with primary biliary cholangitis.

The three-dimensional (3D) low-frequency lightning mapping system (LF-LMS) in north China has been updated. The lightning electric field derivative (dE/dt) sensor and continuous acquisition mode has been newly designed to ensure a capability of entire lightning processes detection, especially weak discharges during lightning the initiation process. The twice cross-correlation delay estimation and the grid iteration nested optimization location algorithm are used to realize the 3D location of the discharge channel, and the location resolution and calculation speed are balanced consequently. The location results of the rocket-triggered lightning demonstrated that the system achieved a high-resolution mapping of lightning discharge channels, which coincided well with the optical images. The horizontal and vertical location error for rocket triggered lightning was less than 40 m in both horizontal and vertical. Intracloud (IC) lightning flashes were observed to be initiated by three different discharge processes, initial breakdown pulse (IBP), narrow bipolar event (NBE), and initial E-change (IEC). The corresponding initial height was 10.5 km, 6.9 km, and 9.2 km, respectively. The upward negative leader was initially located, followed by scatter radiation sources and negative recoil leaders in the lower negative charge region for all cases. The electric field characteristics of the IEC and subsequent IBPs indicated that they are different discharge processes with the same current direction. The IEC process might correspond to the discharge process with continuous current and less noticeable current changes.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an inflammatory liver disease driven by the hyperactivation of various intrahepatic antigen‐specific T cells due to a breach of immune tolerance. Studies in immunometabolism demonstrate that activated T cells harbor increased levels of reactive oxygen species that cause oxidative DNA damage. In this study, we assessed the potential of DNA damage repair enzyme MutT homolog 1 (MTH1) as a therapeutic target in AIH and karonudib as a novel drug for patients with AIH. We report herein that MTH1 expression was significantly increased in liver samples from patients with AIH compared to patients with chronic hepatitis B and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and from healthy controls. In addition, the expression of MTH1 was positively correlated with AIH disease severity. We further found abundant T cells that expressed MTH1 in AIH. Next, we found that karonudib significantly altered T‐cell receptor signaling in human T cells and robustly inhibited proliferation of human T cells in vitro. Interestingly, our data reflected a preferential inhibition of DNA damage repair in activated T cells by karonudib. Moreover, MTH1 was required to develop liver inflammation and damage because specific deletion of MTH1 in T cells ameliorated liver injury in the concanavalin A (Con A)‐induced hepatitis model by inhibiting T‐cell activation and proliferation. Lastly, we validated the protective effect of karonudib on the Con A‐induced hepatitis model. Conclusion: MTH1 functions as a critical regulator in the development of AIH, and its inhibition in activated T cells reduces liver inflammation and damage.

Background and aimsTetraspanin proteins are closely related to the functional changes of B cells, including antigen presentation, production of cytokines, and transduction. We aim to explore the potential role of Tetraspanin 1 (TSPAN1) in the biological activities of B cells in AIH.Methods and resultsHerein, this study found that numbers of cells expressing TSPAN1 were significantly increased in AIH patients compared to PBC, chronic hepatitis B, and healthy control (P < 0.0001). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between numbers of TSPAN1+ cells and AIH disease severity (P < 0.0001). Immunofluorescence staining further confirmed that TSPAN1 was primarily expressed on CD19+ B cells. Flow-cytometric analysis showed that TSPAN1+ B cells secreted more inflammatory cytokines and expressed higher level of CD86 than TSPAN1- B cells. Furthermore, compared with TSAPN1- cells, the expression of CXCR3 on TSPAN1+ cells was also higher. Meanwhile, CXCL10, the ligand of CXCR3, was significantly elevated in the liver of AIH (P < 0.01) and had positive correlation with the quantities of TSPAN1 (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the numbers of TSPAN1+ B cells were decreased in AIH patients after immunosuppressive therapy.ConclusionsTSPAN1+ B cells in the liver may promote the progression of AIH via secreting cytokines and presenting antigens. The chemotactic movement of TSPAN1+ B cells toward the liver of AIH was possibly due to CXCR3 - CXCL10 interaction.

Background: As there is a growing concern about the cerebral embolism events secondary to non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) has been more and more widely used as an anticoagulation treatment for the prevention of stroke. However, in the face of life-threatening bleeding or emergency surgery/treatment, NOAC-related antagonists such as idarucizumab need to be urgently used to reverse the NOAC. Using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke requires a time window of 4.5 h. This case reports rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis after reversal of dabigatran anticoagulation with idarucizumab in patients with acute ischemic stroke.Case Presentation: We report the case of 62-year-old Chinese female with NVAF treated with dabigatran 110 mg twice daily, and missed a dose on the eve of the stroke. The patient presented with acute ischemic stroke causing the angle of mouth deviated to right side and left limb weakness in the early morning of the next day. However, the last dosing time of dabigatran was between 24 and 48 h, the patients were given rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis after reversal of dabigatran anticoagulation with idarucizumab, while any potential relative contraindication had been excluded by means of laboratory test and CT scan in the hospitalization services. National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score was reduced from 4 to 1, and the patient was discharged after 2 weeks.Conclusion: Our case report adds to the evidence that idarucizumab administration is safe and effective in the setting of patients with atrial fibrillation treated with dabigatran who develop acute ischemic stroke requiring rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis.

Abstract During tumorigenesis and development, participation of the tumor microenvironment is not negligible. As an important component in the tumor microenvironment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been corroborated to mediate proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance in many cancers, including osteosarcoma. What’s more, because of tumor site tropism, MSCs can be engineered to be loaded with therapeutic agents so that drugs can be precisely delivered to tumor lesions. In this review, we mainly discuss recent advances concerning the functions of MSCs in osteosarcoma and their possible clinical applications in the future.

Quick differentiation of the circulating variants and the emerging recombinant variants of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to monitor their transmission. However, the widely used gene sequencing method is time-consuming and costly when facing the viral recombinant variants, because partial or whole genome sequencing is required. Allele-specific real time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) represents a quick and cost-effective method in SNP genotyping and has been successfully applied for SARS-CoV-2 variant screening. In the present study, we developed a panel of 3 multiplex allele-specific qRT-PCR assays targeting 12 key differential mutations for quick differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant variants (XD and XE) and Omicron subvariants (BA.1 and BA.2). Two parallel multiplex qRT-PCR reactions were designed to separately target the protype allele and the mutated allele of the four mutations in each allele-specific qRT-PCR assay. The variation of Cp values (ΔCp) between the two multiplex qRT-PCR reactions was applied for mutation determination. The developed multiplex allele-specific qRT-PCR assays exhibited outstanding analytical sensitivities (with limits of detection [LoDs] of 2.97-27.43 copies per reaction), wide linear detection ranges (107-100 copies per reaction), good amplification efficiencies (82% to 95%), good reproducibility (Coefficient of Variations (CVs) < 5% in both intra-assay and inter-assay tests) and clinical performances (99.5%-100% consistency with Sanger sequencing). The developed multiplex allele-specific qRT-PCR assays in this study provide an alternative tool for quick differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant variants (XD and XE) and Omicron subvariants (BA.1 and BA.2).

[Objectives] This study aimed to observe the efficacy and safety of Yinzhihuang granules and entecavir in the treatment of hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis. [Methods] Total 80 patients with decompensated hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis were evenly and randomly divided into two groups, treatment group and control group. The patients in the treatment group were given orally with 0.25 mg entecavir and 5 000 mg Yinzhihuang granules once a day, and those in the control group were given orally with 0. 5 mg entecavir once a day. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hyaluronic acid (HA) and HBV DNA, the Child-Pugh score, and the positive situation of HBeAg in different groups were observed before treatment and 12, 24,48 and 96 weeks after the treatment, respectively. [Results] The serum ALT, AST, HA and HBV DNA levels, the HBeAg positive rate, and the Child-Pugh score in the treatment and control groups were significantly improved after the treatment (P <0.05). The improvement of the above indicators in the treatment group at week 96 was significantly better than that in the control group (P <0. 05). [ Conclusions] The combination of Yinzhihuang granules and entecavir is superior to entecavir in the treatment of decompensated hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ring1 and YY1 binding protein (RYBP), a member of the polycomb group proteins, has been implicated in transcription repression and tumor cell-specific apoptosis. Previously, RYBP has been reported as a putative tumor suppressor in cancer tissues by regulating mouse double minute 2 homolog-p53 signaling. However, the exact role and underlying mechanisms of RYBP in cancer remain to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the expression profile of RYBP in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and examined the association between the expression of RYBP and metastasis of HCC. It was found that RYBP was down-regulated in HCC tissues, compared with matched adjacent non-tumor tissues, as detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. In addition, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the negative expression of RYBP was associated with decreased overall survival rates in patients with HCC. It was also found that RYBP was associated with zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2, which were over-expressed in HCC and correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The results of the present study suggested the importance of RYBP in HCC and its possible mechanism in the metastasis of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to explore the differences in the composition of astringent substances in different tissues of fresh lotus seeds and the expression of key enzyme genes involved in the synthesis of astringent compounds. The contents of soluble tannins, insoluble tannins and proanthocyanidins in lotus seed coat, lotus seed pulp without coat and lotus seed plumule were determined. Meanwhile, the activity and gene expression of key enzymes in the tannin synthesis pathway were detected. Sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis were performed on lotus seed samples. The data obtained was analyzed by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and correlation analysis. Results showed that the major substance contributing to the astringency of lotus seeds was soluble tannins. Tannins had a positive effect on its excellent flavor at the waxy ripeness stage. Anthocyanin reductase was a key enzyme affecting the astringency intensity of lotus seeds. SnANR9 played a role in regulating the astringency of different tissues of lotus seeds.

In this study, Fusarium graminearum was identified as the pathogen causing the decay of ginger from Jiangshan, Zhejiang Province during postharvest storage by tissue separation, morphological characterization, ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA-ITS) sequence analysis and phylogenetic tree construction. By using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the changes of volatile flavor in fresh ginger during infection with F. graminearum postharvest were studied through the determination of volatile flavor compounds in healthy tissues, the junction between healthy and diseased tissues, and diseased tissues of fresh ginger. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the flavor quality of fresh ginger during postharvest disease development. The results showed that a total of 58 volatile flavor substances were detected in ginger, of which 40 substances were detected in healthy tissues, 35 substances in the junction of diseased and healthy tissues, and 39 substances in diseased tissues. These volatile flavor substances mainly included olefins, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and ketones. Olefin compounds were the major components contributing to fresh ginger flavor, accounting for more than 80% of all flavor compounds. During disease development, the content of olefin flavor compounds increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the sesquiterpene components zingiberene and β-sesquiterpene were detected in different parts of fresh ginger and their contents continued to increase, which could be used as the indexes for determining whether or not fresh ginger is infected with F. graminearum after harvest. This may be due to the activation of the resistance mechanism of pathogen infected fresh ginger and consequent release of sesquiterpene components in large quantities.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality associated with influenza infection. In this study, we show in a mouse model that preceding influenza infection promotes S. aureus resistance to killing by antibiotics. This resistance coincides with influenza-induced accumulation of inflammatory monocytes in the lung. CCR type 2 (CCR2) is responsible for pulmonary monocyte recruitment after influenza infection. We found that antibiotic-treated Ccr2-deficient (Ccr2-/-) mice exhibit significantly improved bacterial control and survival from influenza and methicillinresistant S. aureus coinfection, despite a delay in viral clearance. Mechanistically, our results from in vivo studies indicate that influenza-induced monocytes serve as reservoirs for intracellular S. aureus survival, thereby promoting bacterial resistance to antibiotic treatment. Blocking CCR2 with a small molecular inhibitor (PF-04178903), in conjunction with antibiotic treatment, enhanced lung bacterial clearance and significantly improved animal survival. Collectively, our study demonstrates that inflammatory monocytes constitute an important and hitherto underappreciated mechanism of the conflicting immune requirements for viral and bacterial clearance by hosts, which subsequently leads to exacerbated outcomes of influenza and S. aureus coinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]