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Rub-impact is one of the common failures in dual-rotor systems, and seriously affects the machine's operation cost. Currently, research about this fault mainly focuses on models that gain initial excitation through rotor unbalance. Whereas, this excitation source is rarely aggravated during rotating machinery's full life period. Aiming at this issue, a Hertz impact-contact model of casing-disc-shaft dual-rotor system with rubbing fault caused by disc looseness is developed to simulate a deteriorating failure. Thus, the system vibration variation during the fault deterioration can be analyzed, and the necessary basis for prediction of the coupling faults are provided. In this model, slight unbalance provides the initial excitation amplified by disc looseness, from which the rub-impact defect is induced between the loose disc and the outer casing. Further, motion equations for this coupling fault system are derived to simulate the vibration signals. Result shows that the critical parameters significantly affect the system's vibration, and the deterioration of coupling faults takes the system from steady-state to chaotic-state. The study of this paper provides theoretical bases for the rub-impact fault tracing of dual-rotor systems, and proposes different scales to indicate the fault severity degree qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully π-conjugated polymers with rigid aromatic units are promising for flexible optoelectronic devices, but their inherent brittleness poses a challenge for achieving high-performance, intrinsically stretchable fully π-conjugated polymer. Here, we are establishing an external-plasticizing strategy using semiconductor fluid plasticizers (Z1 and Z2) to enhance the optoelectronic, morphological, and stretchable properties of fully π-conjugated polymer films for flexible light-emitting diodes. The synergistic effect of hierarchical structure and optoelectronic properties of Z1 in poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) films enable excellent stretchable deformability (~25%) and good conductivity. PLEDs based on F8BT/Z1 films show stable electroluminescence and efficiency under 15% stretch and 100 cycles at 10% strain, revealing outstanding stress tolerance. This strategy is also improving the stretchable properties of polymers like poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO) and poly(2-methoxy-5(2′-ethyl)hexoxy-phenylenevinylene) (Super Yellow), demonstrating its general applicability. Therefore, this strategy can provide effective guidance for designing high-performance stretchable fully π-conjugated polymers films for flexible electronic devices. The realization of intrinsically stretchable fully π-conjugated polymer film is challenging due to their inherent brittle nature. Here, authors apply semiconductor fluid molecular plasticizers to improve stretchable deformability, achieving high performance flexible polymer light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SABRE is emerging as a fast, simple and low-cost hyperpolarization method because of its ability to regenerate enhanced NMR signals. Generally, SABRE hyperpolarization has been performed predominantly manually, leading to variations in reproducibility and efficiency. Recent advances in SABRE include the development of automated shuttling systems to address previous inconsistencies. However, the operational complexity of such systems and the challenges of integration with existing workflows hinder their widespread adoption. This work presents a fully automated lab workstation based on a benchtop NMR spectrometer, specifically designed to facilitate SABRE of different nuclei across different polarization fields. We demonstrated the capability of this system through a series of routine SABRE experimental protocols, including consecutive SABRE hyperpolarization with high reproducibility (average standard deviation of 1.03%), optimization polarization of 13C nuclei respect to the polarization transfer field, and measurement of polarization buildup rate or decay time across a wide range of magnetic fields. Furthermore, we have iteratively optimized the durations for pulsed SABRE-SHEATH 13C pyruvate. The constructed SABRE workstation offers full automation, high reproducibility, and functional diversification, making it a practical tool for conducting routine SABRE hyperpolarization experiments. It provides a robust platform for high-throughput and reliable SABRE and X-SABRE hyperpolarization studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysregulated lipid oxidation occurs in several pathological processes characterized by cell proliferation and migration. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanism of lipid oxidation is not well appreciated in liver fibrosis, which is accompanied by enhanced fibroblast proliferation and migration. Methods: We investigated the causes and consequences of lipid oxidation in liver fibrosis using cultured cells, animal models, and clinical samples. Results: Increased ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (ENPP1) expression caused increased lipid oxidation, resulting in the proliferation and migration of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) that lead to liver fibrosis, whereas fibroblast-specific ENPP1 knockout reversing these results. Elevated ENPP1 and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) levels were associated with high expression of Wilms tumor 1 associated protein (WTAP). Mechanistically, WTAP-mediated m6A methylation of the 3'UTR of ENPP1 mRNA and induces its translation dependent of YTH domain family proteins 1 (YTHDF1). Additionally, ENPP1 could interact with hypoxia inducible lipid droplet associated (HILPDA) directly; overexpression of ENPP1 further recruits HILPDA-mediated lipid oxidation, thereby promotes HSCs proliferation and migration, while inhibition of ENPP1 expression produced the opposite effect. Clinically, increased expression of WTAP, YTHDF1, ENPP1, and HILPDA, and increased m6A mRNA content, enhanced lipid oxidation, and increased collagen deposition in human liver fibrosis tissues. Conclusions: We describe a novel mechanism in which WTAP catalyzes m6A methylation of ENPP1 in a YTHDF1-dependent manner to enhance lipid oxidation, promoting HSCs proliferation and migration and liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulated cell death (RCD) plays a crucial role in the immune microenvironment, development, and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, reliable immune-related cell death signatures have not been explored. In this study, we collected 12 RCD modes (e.g., apoptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis), including 1078 regulators, to identify immune-related cell death genes based on HCC immune subgroups. Using a developed competitive machine learning framework, nine genes were screened to construct the immune-related cell death index (IRCDI), which is available for online application. Multi-omics data, along with clinical features, were analyzed to explore the HCC malignant heterogeneity. To validate the efficacy of this model, more than 18 independent cohorts, including survival and diverse treatment cohorts and datasets, were utilized. These findings were further validated using in-house samples and molecular biological experiments. Overall, the IRCDI may have a wide application in individual therapeutic decision-making and improving outcomes for HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to test the hypothesis that disease duration may affect the response to generic tofacitinib (TOF) and investigate the influence of concomitant medications with TOF on elderly rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study retrospectively collected 76 elderly patients (age > 60) treated with TOF from 2019 to 2023 and grouped them according to age of disease onset. Data were collected from baseline to the last follow-up visit within 24 months. The demographic characteristics and follow-up results were compared. TOF retention and the effect of concomitant drugs (methotrexate, MTX, prednisone) were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier plots and COX regression analysis. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to explore the correlation among demographic characteristics, medication regimen, and improved clinical outcomes. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients achieving low disease activity (LDA) between different disease duration groups. Patients in the group of MTX had a shorter time of using TOF in follow-up (log-rank p = 0.041). Prednisone dosage at baseline had a predictive value for functionally disabled situation. We found significant associations between discontinuation of TOF in the last follow-up and getting LDA. A total result of CCA yielded a significant positive correlation with set 1 (demographic characteristics and medication regimen) and set 2 (improved clinical outcomes) (canonical coefficient = 0.887, p < 0.001). Disease duration may not affect response to generic TOF and medication regimen was the factor related to efficacy of generic TOF in elderly RA in the real world. Demographic characteristics and medication regimen were correlated positively with improved clinical outcomes. Key Points • There is scarce data from the western area of China regarding the use of tofacitinib in elderly rheumatoid arthritis patients, despite widespread use. • In this retrospective analysis of 76 elderly patients at a single center, we found disease duration may not affect response to generic TOF. • Concomitant MTX might contribute to better control of the disease activity. • Concomitant prednisone dosage at baseline was the independent risk factor for functionally disabled situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate if circulating plasma cells (CPC) detected by flow cytometry could add prognostic value of R2-ISS staging. We collected the electronic medical records of 336 newly diagnosed MM patients (NDMM) in our hospital from January 2017 to June 2023. The median overall survival (OS) for patients and R2-ISS stage I-IV were not reached (NR), NR, 58 months and 53 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in OS between patients with stage I and patients with stage II (P = 0.309) or between patients with stage III and patients with stage IV (P = 0.391). All the cases were re-classified according to R2-ISS stage and CPC numbers ≥ 0.05% (CPC high) or<0.05% (CPC low) into four new risk groups: Group 1: R2-ISS stage I + R2-ISS stage II and CPC low, Group 2: R2-ISS stage II and CPC high + R2-ISS stage III and CPC low, Group 3: R2-ISS stage III and CPC high + R2-ISS stage IV and CPC low, Group 4: R2-ISS stage IV and CPC high. The median OS were NR, NR, 57 months and 32 months. OS of Group 1 was significantly longer than that of Group 2 (P = 0.033). OS in Group 2 was significantly longer than that of Group 3 (P = 0.007). OS in Group 3 was significantly longer than that of Group 4 (P = 0.041). R2-ISS staging combined with CPC can improve risk stratification for NDMM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature fusion for multimodal sentiment analysis is a challenging but worthwhile research topic. With the extension of the time dimension, there are interactions between multimodal signals and the lack of control over the target modal representations during the fusion process leads to erroneous shifts of vectors in the feature space. Moreover, ignoring the representation of target modal features under different fusion orders may lead to insufficient fusion of complementary information. To address the above issues, this paper proposes a transformer-encoder-based multimodal multi-attention fusion network model. The model constructs a multi-attention fusion transformer-encoder to learn inter-modal consistent features and enhance the representation of target modal features. Meanwhile, for each target modality, we construct multi-attention fusion transformer-encoder with different fusion orders in the model to capture the complementary features among the sequences with different fusion orders. Then, the three target modal representations containing consistent features and complementary features are fused with initial features through residual connections to guide the final sentiment analysis. We conduct extensive experiments on three public multimodal datasets. The results show that our approach outperforms the compared multimodal sentiment analysis methods on most metrics and can explain the contributions of inter- and intra-modal interactions in multiple modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in human-in-the-loop or human-centric research have sparked a new wave of scientific exploration. These studies have enhanced the understanding of complex social systems and contributed to more sustainable artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems. However, the incorporation of human or social factors increases system complexity, making traditional approaches inadequate for managing these complex systems and necessitating a novel operational paradigm. Over decades of work, a mature and comprehensive theory of parallel intelligence (PI) has been established. Rooted in cyber-physical-social systems (CPSS), PI adapts flexibly to various situations within complex systems through the ACP framework (Artificial systems, Computational experiments, and Parallel execution), ensuring system reliability. This paper provides a detailed review and a novel perspective on PI, beginning with the historical and philosophical origins of CPSS and proceeding to present both the fundamental framework and technological implementations of PI. PI-based Industry 5.0 is highlighted, where three pillars are adopted to help realize the supposed vision. Additionally, the paper outlines applications of PI in multiple fields, such as transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture, and discusses the opportunities and challenges for imaginative intelligence. The continuous exploration of PI is expected to eventually facilitate the realization of “6S”-based (safe, secure, sustainable, sensitive, service, and smart) parallel ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. is a serious threat to many crops, and C. siamense has become increasingly prevalent worldwide. However, the mycelial growth and virulence of many of these species, especially below 26 °C, has largely remained unknown. Here, mycelial growth of five representative Colletotrichum strains (three C. siamense [Cs], one C. fructicola [Cf] and one C. gloeosporioides s.s. [Cg]) from diseased strawberry was measured at 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 °C. Their virulence on Fragaria vesca and highly susceptible F. × ananassa cv. Benihoppe was tested at 14 °C and 22 °C. The strains did not differ much in mycelial growth between 10 and 26 °C, although growth of the Cs and Cg strains was somewhat faster than that of Cf. However, the strains varied greatly in their virulence on the two hosts. Strain Cs GQHZJ19, which grew fastest at 22 °C, was also the most virulent on both hosts at 14 °C and 22 °C. But growth rate of Cs was only positively correlated with virulence on susceptible cv. Benihoppe after 3 days at 22 °C. Based on the virulence analysis of the five Colletotrichum strains on hosts that vary in susceptibility at distinct temperatures, host genotype might play a decisive role in disease severity at an early stage, while temperature might influence the host–Colletotrichum spp. interaction at a later stage. More Colletotrichum strains (especially C. siamense) need to be tested to determine the mycelial growth and virulence in a wider temperature range and thus we can effectively manage disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of different 5ʹ untranslated regions (UTRs) on mRNA vaccine translation efficiency, five dual-reporter gene expression plasmids with different 5ʹUTRs were constructed. The corresponding mRNA transcripts were transcribed and capped in vitro. By comparing the expression levels of reporter genes with different 5ʹUTRs, we identified the 5ʹUTR associated with the highest expression level. Subsequently, HIVgp145 mRNA vaccines containing various 5ʹUTRs were constructed and verified. The results demonstrated that mRNA 3 (β-globin 5ʹUTR) displayed the greatest number of green fluorescence-positive cells and the highest luciferase fluorescence intensity in the reporter gene expression system. Further, among the HIVgp145 mRNA vaccines with different 5ʹUTRs, mRNA 7 (β-globin 5ʹUTR) exhibited the highest level of expression. These findings indicate that it is feasible to use the 5ʹUTR of β-globin in an mRNA vaccine, laying the foundation for animal immunogenicity testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biological systems, the activities of macromolecular complexes must sometimes be turned off. Thus, a wide variety of protein inhibitors has evolved for this purpose. These inhibitors function through diverse mechanisms, including steric blocking of crucial interactions, enzymatic modification of key residues or substrates, and perturbation of post-translational modifications1. Anti-CRISPRs—proteins that block the activity of CRISPR–Cas systems—are one of the largest groups of inhibitors described, with more than 90 families that function through diverse mechanisms2–4. Here, we characterize the anti-CRISPR AcrIF25, and we show that it inhibits the type I-F CRISPR–Cas system by pulling apart the fully assembled effector complex. AcrIF25 binds to the predominant CRISPR RNA-binding components of this complex, comprising six Cas7 subunits, and strips them from the RNA. Structural and biochemical studies indicate that AcrIF25 removes one Cas7 subunit at a time, starting at one end of the complex. Notably, this feat is achieved with no apparent enzymatic activity. To our knowledge, AcrIF25 is the first example of a protein that disassembles a large and stable macromolecular complex in the absence of an external energy source. As such, AcrIF25 establishes a paradigm for macromolecular complex inhibitors that may be used for biotechnological applications.AcrIF25 inhibits the type I-F CRISPR–Cas system by disassembling its ribonucleoprotein effector complex without an external energy source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation has been considered involved in the process of cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury (CIRI). Transcription factors play a crucial role in regulating gene transcription and the expressions of specific proteins during the progression of various neurological diseases. Evidence showed that transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 1 (NFE2L1, also known as Nrf1) possessed strong biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. However, its role and potential molecular mechanisms in CIRI remain unclear. In our study, we observed a significant elevation of Nrf1 in the cerebral cortex following cerebral ischemia–reperfusion in rats. The Nrf1 downregulation markedly raised COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 protein levels during middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion in rats, which led to worsened neurological deficits, higher cerebral infarct volume, and intensified cortical histopathological damage. In subsequent in vitro studies, the expression of Nrf1 protein increased following oxygen–glucose deprivation/reperfusion treatment on neurons. Subsequently, Nrf1 knockdown resulted in a significant upregulation of inflammatory factors, leading to a substantial increase in the cell death rate. Through analyzing the alterations in the expression of inflammatory factors under diverse interventions, it is indicated that Nrf1 possesses the capacity to discern variations in inflammatory factors via specific structural domains. Our findings demonstrate the translocation of the Nrf1 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, thereby modulating the protein expression of IL-6/TNF-α and subsequently reducing the expression of multiple inflammatory factors. This study signifies, for the first time, that during cerebral ischemia–reperfusion, Nrf1 translocases to the nucleus to regulate the protein expression of IL-6/TNF-α, consequently suppressing COX-2 expression and governing cellular inflammation, ultimately upholding cellular homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is one of the most endangered medicinally important wild animals in the world. Forest musk deer farming is the main way of production of musk. However, the single provenance and lack of genetic information lead to reduced genetic diversity of forest musk deer. Therefore, more SSR markers need to be developed to identify forest musk deer germplasm. In this study, bone marrow derived mesenchymal cells were used to construct cDNA library for transcriptome sequencing. The datasets were de novo assembled and annotated. 9 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were finally identified and used to detect population genetic diversity. 6.07 Gb clean data were generated using Illumina sequencing technology, and de novo assembled into 138,591 transcripts and 81,553 unigenes. 5,777 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified, in which there were 578 repeating motif types, with mono-nucleotide and tri-nucleotides comprising 55.88% and 25.60%, respectively. 100 primer pairs were designed to validate amplification and polymorphism using DNA from fecal samples. 9 polymorphic SSRs were developed and used to detect population genetic diversity of 122 forest musk deer in 2 farms. The average number of alleles per locus varied from 4 to 15 (average = 8.3). The observed heterozygosity (HO) per locus ranged from 0.102 to 0.941, while the expected heterozygosity (HE) per locus was from 0.111 to 0.651. All loci deviated significantly from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p < 0.001). The polymorphism information content (PIC) of these loci varied from 0.108 to 0.619. 9 polymorphic SSR markers were developed in this research. These sites can be used for breeding planning and conservation of germplasm resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigated lipid and metabolite changes in diabetic neuropathy, using untargeted lipidomics and metabolomics analyses of the spinal cords from streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats.170 metabolites and 45 lipids were dysregulated in the painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) phase. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed perturbations in starch and sucrose, tryptophan, pyrimidine, cysteine and methionine, thiamine, tyrosine, and nucleotides. The disturbance of tyrosine, tryptophan, methionine, triacylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine metabolism indicated that pathological mechanisms in the PDN involved energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and neural reparative regeneration. These revelations offered potential biomarkers for PDN and enriched the comprehension of the complex molecular mechanisms characterizing PDN, establishing a solid foundation for subsequent inquiries into neural convalescence and recovery after PDN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the goal of developing high-performance lubricant additives for industrial lubrication. Herein, tetradecylphosphonic acid (TDPA) modified Ti3C2TX and graphene oxide (GO) were used as nanohybrid lubricant additives in the polyalphaolefins base oil (PAO6). The high-speed reciprocating friction and wear test shows that TDPA–Ti3C2/GO is an efficient friction-reduction and antiwear additive. The base oil mixed with 0.05 wt%TDPA–Ti3C2/0.05 wt% GO exhibits the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate with the value of 0.09 and 4.4 × 10–6 mm3/Nm, decreased by 54.5 and 90.0% compared with pure PAO6 oil, respectively. Detailed characterization analysis shows that the tribological film of the modified TDPA–Ti3C2/GO nanohybrids oil-lubricated surface was mainly composed of PAO6, TDPA, GO, and iron oxide. This indicates that the friction-reduction and antiwear mechanism of TDPA–Ti3C2/GO in base oil lies in the adsorption of the two nanomaterials and the formation of a self-lubricating film on the rubbing interface. This study provides a new approach to the design of nanohybrid lubricant additives and creates new prospects for the application of nanomaterials in tribology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) is rich in a variety of medicinally active compounds which have a very high economic value. Various types of explants (stem, stem with axillary bud, terminal bud, and leaves) were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with different types and concentrations of growth regulators. The present study found that the cultured stem explants induced callus. Terminal bud and the stem with axillary bud–cultured explants induced clustered regenerated plantlets. The terminal bud was designated as clustered regenerated plantlets I after culture, while the stem with axillary bud was labeled as clustered regenerated plantlets II after culture. The highest induction rate of clustered regenerated plantlets was 66.67% after culture on medium supplemented with 0.5 mg ּL−1 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and 0.01 mg ּL−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The highest induction rate of callus tissue was 80.66% following culture on medium containing 0.09 mg ּL−1 NAA and 0.5 mg ּL−1 6-BA. The medicinal active ingredients of clustered regenerated plantlets and callus tissue were compared with those in natural seedlings and demonstrated that there was little difference in the types of compounds between clustered regenerated plantlets and natural seedlings. The contents of phenylpropanoids, phenols, flavonoids, lignin, and iridoids in different induced tissues were determined and showed that the best material for obtaining lignin compounds was clustered regenerated plantlets induced by terminal bud, and the best material for obtaining phenylpropanoids, phenols, and iridoids was clustered regenerated plantlets induced by stems with axillary bud. The theoretical basis and technical support provided in this study are essential for the establishment of an asexual propagation system for E. ulmoides and the commercial regeneration of plants. Furthermore, in vitro culture can efficiently produce a significant amount of medicinally active components, thereby decreasing reliance on wild resources. Research on the variations of medicinal components in E. ulmoides not only offers a theoretical foundation but also supplies experimental materials for the development of novel drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence shows that some probiotics can improve vaccine responses as adjuvants. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus MIANGUAN (PPM) on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-elicited immune response in mice. Six-week-old female ICR mice were primed and boosted with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intramuscularly at weeks 0 and 4, respectively. Mice were gavaged with PPM (5 × 109 CFU/mouse) or PBS (control) for 3 days immediately after boosting vaccination. Compared to the control, oral PPM administration resulted in significantly higher levels of RBD-specific IgG binding antibodies (> 2.3-fold) and RBD-specific IgG1 binding antibodies (> 4-fold) in the serum. Additionally, PPM-treated mice had higher titers of RBD-specific IgG binding antibodies (> 2.29-fold) and neutralization antibodies (> 1.6-fold) in the lung compared to the control mice. The transcriptional analyses showed that the B cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway was upregulated in both splenocytes and BAL cells in the PPM group vs. the control group. In addition, the number of IFN-γ-producing splenocytes (mainly in CD4 + T cells as determined by flow cytometry) in response to restimulation of RBD peptides was significantly increased in the PPM group. RNA sequencing showed that the genes associated with T cell activation and maturation and MHC class II pathway (CD4, H2-DMa, H2-DMb1, H2-Oa, Ctss) were upregulated, suggesting that oral administration of PPM may enhance CD4 + T cell responses through MHC class II pathway. Furthermore, PPM administration could downregulate the expression level of proinflammatory genes. To conclude, oral administration of PPM could boost SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy through enhancing the specific humoral and cellular immunity response and decrease the expression of inflammation pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to reveal the metabolic differences between SDC-1 knockout mice and wild-type mice and the metabolic differences caused by shock in SDC-1 knockout mice by integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics. A total of 1009 differential metabolites were differentially expressed based on untargeted metabolomics and high-resolution mass spectrometry detection techniques. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment, SDC-1 knockout significantly altered fat digestion and absorption, GnRH signaling pathway, fructose and mannose metabolism, and some other amino-related metabolic pathways and significantly modulated positively regulated longevity regulatory pathways, longevity regulatory pathways-worm, nicotinamide and niacinamide metabolism, and vitamin digestion and absorption pathways after its shock. Our findings indicate that SDC-1 knockout may have potential therapeutic effects in hemorrhagic shock by increasing nicotinamide metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is a promising strategy for osteoporosis treatment. However, limited sources and poor tissue-homing efficiency limit their clinical capabilities. In this study, we isolated a kind of MSCs from women's menstrual blood (MenSCs) noninvasively and established a novel MSCs bone marrow-targeted delivery system by utilizing water-in-oil-in-water droplet microfluidics. MenSCs were encapsulated within β-cyclodextrin-functionalized alginate microcapsules loaded with zoledronates, which has a high affinity for bone. With this delivery system, MenSCs could be preferentially delivered to the bone marrow tissues via intravenous infusion, and restored bone mass by remodeling the bone marrow niche in situ in ovariectomized mouse models. Moreover, scRNA-seq analysis demonstrated that those MenSCs homed to the bone marrow recruited CD4+FOXP3+ natural regulatory T (nTreg) cells by secreting CCL28. The recruited nTreg promoted CD8+ T cells to secret Wnt family member 10B (WNT10B), activating the Wnt signaling in osteoblasts and thus promoting bone formation in situ in the bone marrow. This study reveals a promising application of MenSCs in postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment and highlights the clinical value of MenSCs by encouraging women to reserve autologous MenSCs before menopause to prevent and alleviate postmenopausal osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that language acquisition influences both the structure and function of the brain. However, whether the acquisition of a second language at different periods of life alters functional network organization in different ways remains unclear. Here, functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 27 English-speaking monolingual controls and 52 Spanish–English bilingual individuals, including 22 early bilinguals who began learning a second language before the age of ten and 30 late bilinguals who started learning a second language at age fourteen or later, were collected from the OpenNeuro database. Topological metrics of resting-state functional networks, including small-world attributes, network efficiency, and rich- and diverse-club regions, that characterize functional integration and segregation of the networks were computed via a graph theoretical approach. The results showed obvious increases in network efficiency in early bilinguals and late bilinguals relative to the monolingual controls; for example, the global efficiency of late bilinguals and early bilinguals was improved relative to that of monolingual controls, and the local efficiency of early bilinguals occupied an intermediate position between that of late bilinguals and monolingual controls. Obvious increases in rich-club and diverse-club functional connectivity were observed in the bilinguals relative to the monolingual controls. Three network metrics were positively correlated with Spanish proficiency test scores. These findings demonstrated that early and late acquisition of a second language had different impacts on the functional networks of the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosizing confers unique functions in materials such as graphene and quantum dots. Here, we present two nanoscale-covalent organic frameworks (nano-COFs) that exhibit exceptionally high activity for photocatalytic hydrogen production that results from their size and morphology. Compared to bulk analogues, the downsizing of COFs crystals using surfactants provides greatly improved water dispersibility and light-harvesting properties. One of these nano-COFs shows a hydrogen evolution rate of 392.0 mmol g−1 h−1 (33.3 μmol h−1), which is one of the highest mass-normalized rates reported for a COF or any other organic photocatalysts. A reverse concentration-dependent photocatalytic phenomenon is observed, whereby a higher photocatalytic activity is found at a lower catalyst concentration. These materials also show a molecule-like excitonic nature, as studied by photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy, which is again a function of their nanoscale dimensions. This charts a new path to highly efficient organic photocatalysts for solar fuel production.Nanosizing covalent organic frameworks using surfactants provides greatly improved water dispersibility and light-harvesting properties, leading to dramatically enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. Here the authors observe a reverse concentration-dependent photocatalytic phenomeno, whereby a higher photocatalytic activity is found at a lower catalyst concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of complex root classification, i.e., finding the conditions on the coefficients of a univariate polynomial for all possible multiplicity structures on its complex roots. It is well known that such conditions can be written as conjunctions of several polynomial equalities and one inequality in the coefficients. Those polynomials in the coefficients are called discriminants for multiplicities. It is also known that discriminants can be obtained by using repeated parametric gcd's. The resulting discriminants are usually nested determinants, i.e., determinants of matrices whose entries are determinants, and so on. In this paper, we give a new type of discriminants which are not based on repeated gcd's. The new discriminants are simpler in the sense that they are non-nested determinants and have smaller maximum degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of global warming on the initial growth and development of fish, including sturgeons, is evident. The embryonic development phase is crucial for the preservation and propagation of the Chinese sturgeon, yet the specific influence of water temperature on this process remains inadequately documented. This study conducted experiments using three temperature groups (16, 19, and 22 ℃) to investigate the impact of temperature on the embryonic development of Chinese sturgeon. Subsequently, five statistical models were utilized to fit the developmental data through regression analysis, in order to determine the correlation between incubation time and temperature of the embryos. Data from cultured Chinese sturgeon embryos were finally utilized to validate water temperature development indices. Over the temperature range of 16–22 ℃, water temperature was positively related to the rate of embryonic development in Chinese sturgeon. The time to hatching in the group experiencing the highest temperature (22 ℃) was nearly cut in half in comparison to the group exposed to the lowest temperature (16 ℃). Among the five regression models, the S (sigmoidal) model was the best for predicting the incubation period of Chinese sturgeon embryos from temperature (R2 = 0.939, p < 0.01). Based on the progression from incubation to initial hatching, we estimated daily development indices, ranging from 10.66 to 32.22% between 14 and 25.9 ℃. The water temperature development indices of Chinese sturgeon established in this study have the potential to improve the accuracy of predicting hatch timing and the transfer of fish fry, thereby aiding in the conservation and enhancement of Chinese sturgeon resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golden pompano is an important aquaculture product in the coastal regions of southern China, which is highly dependent on insulin-like growth factor (IGF) for various biological processes. The cDNAs of ToIGF1, ToIGF2, and ToIGF3 are 1718 bp, 1658 bp, and 2272 bp in length, respectively, with corresponding amino acid sequences of 185 aa, 215 aa, and 194 aa. These sequences consist of 5 parts, including the signal peptide, the B domain, the C domain, the A domain, the D domain, and the E domain, which are also found in other species. While ToIGF1 has no SSR polymorphism, ToIGF2 and ToIGF3 have 3 and 1 SSR polymorphism sites, respectively. In terms of tissue expression, ToIGF1 is predominantly expressed in the liver, ToIGF2 shows its highest expression in the gills, and ToIGF3 also shows its highest expression in the gills, but no expression in the liver and spleen. These tissue distribution results suggest that ToIGFs are not only present in growth-related tissues such as the brain, muscle, and liver, but also in reproductive tissues, tissues that regulate osmotic pressure, and tissues related to food intake. This observation is consistent with other bony fish species and highlights the extensive biological functions of ToIGFs that need to be further explored and exploited. In addition, the expression levels of ToIGFs were found to be different in the different dietary groups, including the pelleted food group, the frozen squid group, and the frozen fish group. In the pelleted diet group, ToIGF1 and ToIGF2 were highly expressed in the liver and intestinal tissues, followed by the frozen fish group. These results suggest that the type of diet can affect the body's energy metabolism by influencing tissue expression of growth-related genes, which in turn affects individual growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane proteins are considered the major source of drug targets and are indispensable for drug design and disease prevention. However, traditional biomechanical experiments are costly and time-consuming; thus, many computational methods for predicting membrane protein types are gaining popularity. The position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM) method is an excellent method for describing the evolutionary information of protein sequences. In this study, we propose an improved capsule neural network (ICNN) model based on a capsule neural network to acquire sufficient relevant information from the PSSM. Furthermore, accounting for the complementarity between traditional machine learning and deep learning, we propose a hybrid framework that combines both approaches to predict protein types. This framework trains 41 baseline models based on the PSSM. The optimal subset features, selected after traversal, are fused using a two-level decision-level feature fusion approach. Subsequently, comparisons are made using three combined strategies within an ensemble learning framework. The experimental results demonstrate that solely relying on PSSM input, the proposed method not only surpasses the optimal methods by 1.52 % , 2.26 % and 2.67 % on Dataset1, Dataset2, and Datasets3, respectively, but also exhibits superior generalizability. Furthermore, the code and dataset can be free download at https://github.com/ruanxiaoli/membrane-protein-types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tree rings play an important role in reconstructing past climate. Growth differences among individual trees due to microclimatic conditions and local disturbances are averaged in developing tree-ring chronologies. Here, we addressed the problem of averaging by investigating growth synchrony in individual trees. We used tree-ring data of 1046 juniper trees from 32 sites on the Tibetan Plateau and 538 pine trees from 20 sites in the subtropical region of eastern China and calculated the tree-growth synchrony index (TGS). Results: Our results showed that both the TGS index and tree-ring index could be indicators of interannual variation of climatic factors. The TGS index identified 20% more climatic extremes than tree-ring index over the last 50 years that high synchrony indicates extreme climate forcing in controlling forest growth. Conclusions: The TGS index can identify extreme climatic events effectively than tree-ring index. This study provides a novel perspective for climate reconstruction, especially in the realm of tree growth response to extreme climate. Our findings contribute to understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics and the causes of historical climate extremes and provide guidance for protecting trees from climate extremes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribavirin (RBV), which is extensively used to treat viral diseases such as COVID-19, is considered one of the major emerging contaminants due to its long-term existence and health risk in the aqueous environmental system. However, research on effective removal of RBV still remains insufficient. In this study, we investigated the RBV degradation kinetics and mechanism in UV/chlorine/Fe(II) process. The degradation rate constant kobs-RBV of RBV was 2.52 × 10−4 s−1 in UV/chlorine/Fe(II) process, which increased by 1.6 times and 1.3 times than that in chlorine alone and UV/chlorine process, respectively. Notably, trace amount Fe(II) promoted RBV degradation in UV/chlorine system through Fe2+/Fe3+ cycles, enhancing the yield of reactive species such as HO· and certain species reactive chlorine radicals (RCS). The contributions of HO· and RCS toward RBV degradation were 53.91% and 16.11%, respectively. Specifically, Cl·, ClO·, and Cl2·− were responsible for 8.59%, 2.69%, and 4.83% of RBV removal. The RBV degradation pathway indicated that the reactive species preferentially attacked the amide moiety of RBV, which cleaved the ether bond and the hydroxyl group. The toxicity evaluation of RBV degradation products elucidated that UV/chlorine/Fe(II) process was beneficial for RBV detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat extremes frequently hit different regions synchronously during boreal summer over the Eurasian continent. A remarkable coupling is first revealed between Eurasian heat extreme occurrence and individual extratropical intraseasonal oscillation (EISO). Further, the combined EISOs facilitate and largely increase the occurrence probabilities of synchronous Eurasian heat extremes. These dominant combined EISOs together contribute 20–45% to the total heat extreme days over the five Eurasian regions where the climatological heat extremes occur most frequently. A multi-model hindcast further shows that the subseasonal prediction exhibits higher skills for synchronous heat extremes over the combined-EISO hotspot regions when the associated combined EISOs are active, supporting the notion that the monitoring and prediction of EISOs are crucial for heat extremes' early warning. Skillful prediction of EISOs opens a pathway for heat extremes' prediction by extending it from the weather to the subseasonal timescales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional catalytic techniques often encounter obstacles in the search for sustainable solutions for converting CO2 into value-added products because of their high energy consumption and expensive catalysts. Here, we introduce a contact-electro-catalysis approach for CO2 reduction reaction, achieving a CO Faradaic efficiency of 96.24%. The contact-electro-catalysis is driven by a triboelectric nanogenerator consisting of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride loaded with single Cu atoms-anchored polymeric carbon nitride (Cu-PCN) catalysts and quaternized cellulose nanofibers (CNF). Mechanistic investigation reveals that the single Cu atoms on Cu-PCN can effectively enrich electrons during contact electrification, facilitating electron transfer upon their contact with CO2 adsorbed on quaternized CNF. Furthermore, the strong adsorption of CO2 on quaternized CNF allows efficient CO2 capture at low concentrations, thus enabling the CO2 reduction reaction in the ambient air. Compared to the state-of-the-art air-based CO2 reduction technologies, contact-electro-catalysis achieves a superior CO yield of 33 μmol g−1 h−1. This technique provides a solution for reducing airborne CO2 emissions while advancing chemical sustainability strategy. Traditional catalytic techniques often encounter obstacles in the search for sustainable solutions for converting CO2 into value-added products because of their high energy consumption and expensive catalysts. Here, we introduce a contact-electro-catalysis approach for CO2 reduction reaction, achieving CO Faradaic efficiency of 96.24%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the distribution of nine (9) urine biomarkers in people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with or without microvascular complications. Methods: In total, 407 people with T2DM were enrolled from 2021 to 2022. According to diabetic retinopathy (DR) and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR), the 407 people were divided into four (4) groups, DR(–)UACR(–), DR(+)UACR(–), DR(–)UACR(+), and DR(+)UACR(+). In addition, 112 healthy volunteers were enrolled during the same period. The nine (9) urine markers included α1-microglobulin (u-α1MG), immunoglobulin G (u-IgG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipid carrier protein (u-NGAL), cystatin C (u-CysC), retinol-binding protein (u-RBP), β2-microglobulin (u-β2MG), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (u-NAG), transferrin (u-Trf), and collagen type IV (u-Col). For each marker, the respective level of 97.5 percentile in healthy volunteers was taken as an upper reference limit. Results: Among the 407 people, 248 individuals (61%) were DR(–)UACR(–), 100 (25%) were DR(-)UACR(+), 37 (9%) were DR(+)UACR(–), and 22 (5%) were DR(+)UACR(+). The u-NAG/Cr biomarker level showed a significant difference between healthy participants and people with T2DM. In the DR(–)UACR(–)group, u-Trf/Cr showed the highest positive rate (21.37%), followed by u-IgG/Cr (14.52%); u-NAG/Cr (10.48%); u-β2MG/Cr (4.44%); u-CysC/Cr (4.03%); u-NGAL/Cr (4.03%); u-RBP/Cr (2.82%); u-α1MG/Cr (2.42%); 17.34% of people with T2DM showed multiple biomarkers positive (≥2 biomarkers). The positive rates of one biomarker (21.33%) and two biomarkers (18.67%) in people who have less than five (5) years of T2DM were almost close to those of the DR(–)UACR(–) group (21.37%, and 12.10%, respectively). Conclusion: Renal tubule biomarkers may be used as an indicator in the early detection and monitoring of renal injury in diabetes mellitus. The u-NAG biomarker should be measured for the people with T2DM of the first-time diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of online social networks has fundamentally transformed the traditional way of social interaction and information dissemination, leading to a growing interest in precise community detection and in-depth network structure analysis. However, the complexity of network structures and potential issues like singularity and subjectivity in information extraction affect the accuracy of community detection. To overcome these challenges, we propose a new community detection algorithm, known as the Hierarchical Louvain (H-Louvain) algorithm. It enhances the performance of community detection through a multi-level processing and information fusion strategy. Specifically, the algorithm integrates graph compression techniques with the Hyperlink-Induced Topic Search (HITS) algorithm for initial network hierarchical partitioning, simultaneously filtering out low-quality posts and users while retaining critical information. Furthermore, the proposed method enhances semantic representation by automatically determining an appropriate number of attribute vector dimensions and obtaining attribute weight information through the calculation of self-authority values and the "minimum distance" attribute of posts. Lastly, the method creates an initial user training set through network re-partitioning in hierarchical layers and improves the Louvain algorithm for community partitioning by estimating the comprehensive influence of nodes. Extensive experimentation has demonstrated that the H-Louvain algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art comparative algorithms in terms of accuracy and stability in community detection based on real-world Twitter datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cerclage is the only effective treatment for cervical insufficiency, effectively preventing late miscarriage and preterm birth. The effectiveness and safety of emergency cervical cerclage (ECC) as an emergency treatment when the cervix is already dilated or when there is protrusion of the fetal membranes into the vagina remain controversial, especially in pregnancies at 24–28 weeks when the fetus is viable. There is still no consensus on whether emergency cervical cerclage should be performed in such cases. Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of emergency cervical cerclage in singleton pregnant women at 24–28 weeks of gestation. Methods: This study employed a single-center prospective cohort design, enrolling singleton pregnant women at 24–28 weeks of gestation with ultrasound or physical examination indicating cervical dilation or even membrane protrusion. Emergency cervical cerclage was compared with conservative treatment. The primary endpoints included a comprehensive assessment of perinatal pregnancy loss, significant neonatal morbidity, and adverse neonatal outcomes. Secondary endpoints included prolonged gestational age, preterm birth, neonatal hospitalization rate, premature rupture of membranes, and intrauterine infection/chorioamnionitis. Results: From June 2021 to March 2023, a total of 133 pregnant women participated in this study, with 125 completing the trial, and were allocated to either the Emergency Cervical Cerclage (ECC) group (72 cases) or the conservative treatment group (53 cases) based on informed consent from the pregnant women. The rate of adverse neonatal outcomes was 8.33% in the ECC group and 26.42% in the conservative treatment (CT) group, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.06). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of perinatal pregnancy loss and significant neonatal morbidity. The conservative treatment group had a mean prolonged gestational age of 63.0 (23.0, 79.5) days, while the ECC group had 84.0 (72.5, 89.0) days, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). Compared with CT group, the ECC group showed a significantly reduced incidence of preterm birth before 28 weeks, 32 weeks, and 34 weeks, with statistical significance (P = 0.046, 0.007, 0.001), as well as a significantly decreased neonatal hospitalization rate (P = 0.013, 0.031). Additionally, ECC treatment did not increase the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes or intrauterine infection/chorioamnionitis, with no statistically significant differences (P = 0.406, 0.397). Conclusion: In singleton pregnant women with cervical insufficiency at 24–28 weeks of gestation, emergency cervical cerclage can reduce adverse neonatal pregnancy outcomes, effectively prolong gestational age, decrease preterm births before 28 weeks, 32 weeks, and 34 weeks, lower neonatal hospitalization rates, and does not increase the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes or intrauterine infection/chorioamnionitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Lumbar facet pain is generally considered to be one of the major causes of chronic low back pain. Each lumbar facet joint is innervated by the medial branch of the posterior spinal nerve from its own level and above. Radiofrequency (RF) of the medial branch of the posterior branch of the spinal nerve is an effective method for the treatment of lumbar facet pain. RF technology is diverse, including traditional radiofrequency (TRF), pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), cooled radiofrequency (CRF), low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation (CA), and other treatment methods. The purpose of this paper is to compare the efficacy of different radiofrequency techniques and to analyze the reasons for this in the context of anatomy. Recent Findings: There have been studies confirming the differences in efficacy of different RF techniques. However, most of the studies only compared two RF techniques, not four techniques, TRF, CRF, PRF, and CA, and did not analyze the reasons for the differences in efficacy. Summary: This article reviews the differences in the efficacy of the above four RF techniques, clarifies that the differences are mainly due to the inability to precisely localize the medial branch of the posterior branch of the spinal nerve, analyzes the reasons for the inability to precisely localize the posterior branch of the spinal nerve in conjunction with anatomy, and proposes that the development of RF technology for lumbar facet pain requires more in-depth anatomical, imaging, and clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: A substantial inter-individual variability has been observed in the pharmacokinetics of lamotrigine. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of genetic polymorphism of the metabolizing enzymes (UGT2B7, UGT1A4) and transporter (ABCG2) on the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of lamotrigine in patients with epilepsy. Methods: The genetic analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms was conducted using polymerase chain reaction sequence. High-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was employed to measure the plasma concentrations of lamotrigine. The efficacy of lamotrigine was assessed by evaluating the reduction rate of epileptic seizure frequency. Results: This study included a cohort of 331 patients who were treated with lamotrigine as monotherapy. A linear correlation was observed between the lamotrigine concentration and daily dose taken (r = 0.58, p < 2.2e−16). Statistically significant differences were found in both the median plasma concentration and dose-adjusted concentration (C/D ratio) when comparing the ineffective to the effective group (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that UGT1A4 rs2011425, ABCG2 rs2231142 polymorphisms and age had a significant relationship with the lamotrigine concentrations (p < 0.05). Age was a predictive factor for C/D ratio (p < 0.001). Lamotrigine concentration and weight were good predictive factors for effective seizure outcomes (odds ratio [OR] = 0.715, 95% CI 0.658–0.776, p < 0.001; OR = 0.926, 95% CI 0.901–0.951, p < 0.001, respectively). The cut-off values of lamotrigine trough concentrations for clinical outcomes in the age-related groups were determined as 2.49 μg/ml (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve [AUC]: 0.828, 95% CI 0.690–0.966), 2.70 μg/ml (AUC: 0.805, 95% CI 0.745-0.866) and 3.25 μg/ml (AUC: 0.807, 95% CI 0.686–0.928) for the adult group, adolescent group, and toddler and school-age group, respectively. Conclusions: UGT1A4 rs2011425 and ABCG2 rs2231142 were correlated with lamotrigine concentrations. Lower lamotrigine trough concentration was found in the ineffective group and the troughs were associated with seizure outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of their large surface areas, nanotubes and nanowires demonstrate exquisite mechanical coupling to their surroundings, promising advanced sensors and nanomechanical devices. However, this environmental sensitivity has resulted in several ambiguous observations of vibrational coupling across various experiments. Herein, we demonstrate a temperature-dependent Radial Breathing Mode (RBM) frequency in free-standing, electron-diffraction-assigned Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (DWNTs) that shows an unexpected and thermally reversible frequency downshift of 10 to 15%, for systems isolated in vacuum. An analysis based on a harmonic oscillator model assigns the distinctive frequency cusp, produced over 93 scans of 3 distinct DWNTs, along with the hyperbolic trajectory, to a reversible increase in damping from graphitic ribbons on the exterior surface. Strain-dependent coupling from self-tensioned, suspended DWNTs maintains the ratio of spring-to-damping frequencies, producing a stable saturation of RBM in the low-tension limit. In contrast, when the interior of DWNTs is subjected to a water-filling process, the RBM thermal trajectory is altered to that of a Langmuir isobar and elliptical trajectories, allowing measurement of the enthalpy of confined fluid phase change. These mechanisms and quantitative theory provide new insights into the environmental coupling of nanomechanical systems and the implications for devices and nanofluidic conduits. Nanotubes exhibit high vibrational coupling to the environment but lack a theoretical description. Vacuum-isolated, suspended double walled nanotubes provide a damping model for mass coupling, offering new nanomechanics and nanofluidics insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to classify idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients with cardiac involvement (IIM-CI) into different categories based on their clinical phenotypes via cluster analysis and to explore their differences in outcomes. Methods: IIM-CI patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2015 to June 2021 were retrieved. The clinical data, laboratory examinations, and treatment were retrospectively reviewed, and the outcome was traced. A second-order clustering method was employed for categorization. Results: A total of 88 IIM-CI patients were enrolled in this study and were classified into two categories through cluster analysis. Category I consisted of patients who exhibited distinct cardiac structural and functional changes, such as enlargement of atriums and/or ventricles, along with the remarkable heart insufficiency biomarkers, whereas patients of category II displayed more widely systemic injuries and intensive skeletal muscle weakness. In comparison, pulmonary hypertension (58.8% vs 16.7%, p < 0.01), arrhythmia (82.4% vs 27.8%, p < 0.01), and positive serum anti-mitochondrial-M2 antibody (52.9% vs 5.6%, p < 0.01) were more prevalent in category I than in category II, and serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels (1703.5 pg/L vs 364.0 pg/L, p = 0.02) were significantly elevated in category I, whereas skeletal muscle weakness (50.0% vs 74.1%, p = 0.02), interstitial lung disease (20.6% vs 63.0%, p < 0.01), skin rash (11.8% vs 48.1%, p < 0.01), arthralgia (2.9% vs 27.8%, p < 0.01), fever (2.9% vs 27.8%, p < 0.01), and dysphagia (2.9% vs 22.2%, p < 0.01) were more common in category II patients. Heart failure was the primary cause of death in category I, but severe pneumonia was predominantly responsible for deaths in category II. Conclusion: Two categories of IIM-CI were identified based on clinical features with distinctive characteristics. Two categories exhibited differences in clinical manifestations, autoantibody profiles, and the primary cause of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) Cu2+–Mn2+ co-doped CsPb2(ClBr)5 nanocrystals (NCs) with various Cu/Mn molar ratios were synthesized by a simple one-pot method at room temperature. Additionally, we encapsulated C3H9SiCl to protect the co-doped CsPb2(ClBr)5 NCs from moisture. The analysis of the structure and composition confirmed the phase and chemical composition of the 2D co-doped CsPb2(ClBr)5 NCs. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy revealed the enhanced optical properties of the 2D co-doped CsPb2(ClBr)5 NCs. Meanwhile, the optical properties of Cu2+–Mn2+ co-doped NCs presented the good thermal stability even after 36 days. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) related to the Mn2+ emission of the 2D co-doped CsPb2(ClBr)5 NCs increased to 97.36% at a Cu/Mn molar ratio of 0.05/1. Furthermore, a prototype white light-emitting device (WLED) was successfully assembled by combining orange‒red Cu2+–Mn2+ co-doped CsPb2(ClBr)5 NCs, a CsPbBr3 film, and a 365 nm commercial UV chip; this prototype confirms its potential for a wide range of applications in general lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), a metric reflecting systemic inflammatory response and immune activation, remains underexplored concerning its correlation with mortality among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This study aimed to delineate the association between SII and both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality within the cohort of American adults diagnosed with RA, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999 to 2018. The investigation extracted data from NHANES cycles between 1999 and 2018, identifying RA patients through questionnaire responses. The SII was computed based on complete blood counts, employing the formula: (platelets × neutrophils) / lymphocytes. The optimal SII cutoff value for significant survival outcomes was determined using maximally selected rank statistics. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models assessed the relationship between SII levels and mortality (all-cause and cardiovascular) among RA patients, with subgroup analyses examining potential modifications by clinical confounders. Additionally, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were conducted to explore the linearity of the SII-mortality association. The study encompassed 2070 American adults with RA, among whom 287 exhibited a higher SII (≥ 919.75) and 1783 a lower SII (< 919.75). Over a median follow-up duration of 108 months, 602 participants died. After adjustments for demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle variables, a higher SII was associated with a 1.48-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–1.81, P < 0.001) and a 1.51-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.04–2.18, P = 0.030) compared to a lower SII. Kaplan–Meier analyses corroborated significantly reduced survival rates within the higher SII cohort for both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (Pall-cause mortality < 0.0001 and Pcardiovascular mortality = 0.0004). RCS analyses confirmed a positive nonlinear relationship between SII and mortality rates. In conclusion, the SII offers a straightforward indicator of the equilibrium between detrimental innate inflammation and beneficial adaptive immunity. Our investigation, utilizing a comprehensive and nationally representative sample, reveals that elevated SII levels independently forecast a greater risk of mortality from all causes, as well as cardiovascular-specific mortality, in individuals suffering from RA. These insights underscore the clinical relevance of the SII as an affordable and readily accessible biomarker. Its incorporation into regular clinical practice could significantly enhance the precision of risk assessment and forecasting for patients with RA, facilitating more tailored and effective management strategies. Specifically, patients with high SII levels could be identified for more stringent cardiovascular risk management, including closer monitoring, lifestyle interventions, and aggressive pharmacological treatments to mitigate their increased risk of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy have become the first-line treatment of metastatic gastric and gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GEACs). This study aims to figure out the optimal combined positive score (CPS) cutoff value. Methods: We searched for randomized phase III trials to investigate the efficacy of ICIs plus chemotherapy for metastatic GEACs compared with chemotherapy alone. Pooled analyses of hazard ratios (HRs) based on PD-L1 expression were performed. Results: A total of six trials (KEYNOTE-062, KEYNOTE-590, KEYNOTE-859, ATTRACTION-04, CheckMate 649, and ORIENT-16) were included, comprising 5,242 patients. ICIs plus chemotherapy significantly improved OS (HR: 0.79, 95% CI 0.72–0.86 in global patients; HR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.57–0.98 in Asian patients) and PFS (HR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.68–0.82 in global patients; HR: 0.64, 95% CI 0.56–0.73 in Asian patients) compared with chemotherapy alone. The differences in OS (ratio of HR: 1.05, 95% CI 0.79–1.40; predictive value: − 5.1%) and PFS (ratio of HR: 1.16, 95% CI 0.98–1.36; predictive value: − 13.5%) were not statistically significant between the global and Asian patients. Subgroup analyses indicated that the optimal CPS threshold was at ≥ 5 for OS and ≥ 10 for PFS with the highest predictive values. Conclusions: The benefit derived from ICIs plus chemotherapy is similar between Asian and global GEAC patients. However, those with a PD-L1 CPS < 5 or CPS < 10 may not have significant benefits from ICIs therapy. Therefore, it is advisable to routinely assess PD-L1 expression in GEAC patients considered for ICIs treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have indeed shown significant potential in the field of personalized recommendation. The core approach is to reorganize interaction data into a user–item bipartite graph, leveraging high-order connectivity between user and item nodes to enhance their representations. However, most existing methods only deploy graph neural networks on parallel interaction graphs and treat the information propagated from all neighbors as equivalent, failing to adaptively capture user preferences. Therefore, the representations obtained may contain redundant or even noisy information, leading to non-robustness and suboptimal performance. The recently proposed Multimodal Graph Attention Network (MGAT) disentangles personal interests at the granularity of modality, operating on individual modal interaction graphs while utilizing a gated attention mechanism to differentiate the impacts of different modalities on user preferences. However, MGAT merely uses averaging to fuse multimodal features, which might overlook unique or critical information within each modality. To address this issue, this paper proposes a multimodal preference-based graph attention network. Firstly, for each individual modality, a single-modality graph network is constructed by integrating the user–item interaction bipartite graph, enabling it to learn user preferences for that modality. GNNs are used to aggregate neighborhood information and enhance the representation of each node. Additionally, a GRU module is utilized to determine whether to aggregate neighborhood information, thereby achieving noise reduction. In addition, a lightweight complementary attention mechanism is proposed to fuse user and item representations learned from different modal graphs. The complementary attention mechanism can not only avoid information redundancy, but also alleviate the problem of modal loss to a certain extent, and ultimately input the fusion results into the prediction module. Experimental results on the MovieLens and TikTok datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the multimodal information and attention fusion mechanism in improving recommendation accuracy. Compared to baseline state-of-the-art algorithms, the proposed model achieves significant improvements in the Precision@K, Recall@K, NDCG@K and AUC metrics. Our code is publicly available on GitHub: [https://github.com/Oasisway624/mgpat]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere length is a putative biomarker of aging and is associated with multiple age-related diseases. There are limited data on the landscape of rare genetic variations in telomere length. Here, we systematically characterize the rare variant associations with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) through exome-wide association study (ExWAS) among 390,231 individuals in the UK Biobank. We identified 18 robust rare-variant genes for LTL, most of which estimated effects on LTL were significant (> 0.2 standard deviation per allele). The biological functions of the rare-variant genes were associated with telomere maintenance and capping and several genes were specifically expressed in the testis. Three novel genes (ASXL1, CFAP58, and TET2) associated with LTL were identified. Phenotypic association analyses indicated significant associations of ASXL1 and TET2 with cancers, age-related diseases, blood assays, and cardiovascular traits. Survival analyses suggested that carriers of ASXL1 or TET2 variants were at increased risk for cancers; diseases of the circulatory, respiratory, and genitourinary systems; and all-cause and cause-specific deaths. The CFAP58 carriers were at elevated risk of deaths due to cancers. Collectively, the present whole exome sequencing study provides novel insights into the genetic landscape of LTL, identifying novel genes associated with LTL and their implications on human health and facilitating a better understanding of aging, thus pinpointing the genetic relevance of LTL with clonal hematopoiesis, biomedical traits, and health-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensors with a small footprint and real-time detection capabilities are crucial in robotic surgery and smart wearable equipment. Reducing device footprint while maintaining its high performance is a major challenge and a significant limitation to their development. Here, we proposed a monolithic integrated micro-scale sensor, which can be used for vector force detection. This sensor combines an optical source, four photodetectors, and a hemispherical silicone elastomer component on the same sapphire-based AlGaInP wafer. The chip-scale optical coupling is achieved by employing the laser lift-off techniques and the flip-chip bonding to a processed sapphire substrate. This hemispherical structure device can detect normal and shear forces as low as 1 mN within a measurement range of 0–220 mN for normal force and 0–15 mN for shear force. After packaging, the sensor is capable of detecting forces over a broader range, with measurement capabilities extending up to 10 N for normal forces and 0.2 N for shear forces. It has an accuracy of detecting a minimum normal force of 25 mN and a minimum shear force of 20 mN. Furthermore, this sensor has been validated to have a compact footprint of approximately 1.5 mm2, while maintaining high real-time response. We also demonstrate its promising potential by combining this sensor with fine surface texture perception in the fields of compact medical robot interaction and wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homoacetogenesis is an important pathway for bio-utilization of CO2; however, oxygen is a key environmental influencing factor. This study explored the impact of different initial oxygen partial pressures (OPPs) on homoacetogenesis, while implementing low pH regulation enhanced acetic acid (HAc) accumulation under microaerobic conditions. Results indicated that cumulative HAc production increased by 18.2% in 5% OPP group, whereas decreases of 31.3% and 56.0% were observed in 10% and 20% OPP groups, respectively, compared to the control group. However, hydrogenotrophic methanogens adapted to microaerobic environment and competed with homoacetogens for CO2, thus limiting homoacetogenesis. Controlling influent pH 5.0 per cycle increased cumulative HAc production by 18.3% and 18.2% in 5% and 10% OPP groups, respectively, compared with the control group. Consequently, regulating low pH effectively inhibited methanogenic activity under microaerobic conditions, thus increasing HAc production. This study was expected to expand the practical application of homoacetogenesis in bio-utilization of CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Reduced graphene oxide/carbon foams (RGO/CFs) vdWs heterostructures are efficiently fabricated via a simple mixed-dimensional assembly strategy. Linkage effect of optimized impedance matching and enhanced dielectric loss abilities endows the excellent microwave absorption performances of RGO/CFs vdWs heterostructures. Multiple functions such as good corrosion resistance performances and outstanding thermal insulation capabilities can be integrated into RGO/CFs vdWs heterostructures. Considering the serious electromagnetic wave (EMW) pollution problems and complex application condition, there is a pressing need to amalgamate multiple functionalities within a single substance. However, the effective integration of diverse functions into designed EMW absorption materials still faces the huge challenges. Herein, reduced graphene oxide/carbon foams (RGO/CFs) with two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures were meticulously engineered and synthesized utilizing an efficient methodology involving freeze-drying, immersing absorption, secondary freeze-drying, followed by carbonization treatment. Thanks to their excellent linkage effect of amplified dielectric loss and optimized impedance matching, the designed 2D/3D RGO/CFs vdWs heterostructures demonstrated commendable EMW absorption performances, achieving a broad absorption bandwidth of 6.2 GHz and a reflection loss of − 50.58 dB with the low matching thicknesses. Furthermore, the obtained 2D/3D RGO/CFs vdWs heterostructures also displayed the significant radar stealth properties, good corrosion resistance performances as well as outstanding thermal insulation capabilities, displaying the great potential in complex and variable environments. Accordingly, this work not only demonstrated a straightforward method for fabricating 2D/3D vdWs heterostructures, but also outlined a powerful mixed-dimensional assembly strategy for engineering multifunctional foams for electromagnetic protection, aerospace and other complex conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoemulsions are colloidal dispersion systems that consist of oil, water, emulsifier, and co-emulsifier. They are isotropic and thermodynamically stable and possess either transparent or translucent properties. In this paper, a one-way test was employed to determine the experimental ranges of temperature, emulsifier dosage, and silicone monomer dosage for the polymerization reaction of silicone-modified acrylate nanoemulsions. The Box–Behnken central combination experimental design principle was utilized for response surface optimization tests. The results revealed that the optimal experimental conditions were found to be a reaction temperature of 80 °C, an emulsifier dosage of 3.7%, and an organosilicon content of 5.1%. Experimental verification demonstrated a conversion rate of 95.49% for acrylate nanoemulsion, with a gelation rate of 0.067%, aligning closely with the extrapolated results from the model. These findings highlight the efficacy of the interfacial response surface method in optimizing the preparation process of silicone-modified acrylate nanoemulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate removal from water through green, highly efficient technologies has received much attention. Biochar is an effective adsorbent for phosphate removal. However, adsorption capacity of phosphate on pristine rice straw-based biochar was not optimistic due to low anion exchange capacity. In this study, Fe-modified, Mg-modified and MgFe-modified rice straw-based biochar (Fe-BC, Mg-BC and MgFe-BC) were prepared by combining metal impregnation and biological template methods to improve the adsorption capacity of phosphate. The surface characteristics of biochar and the adsorption behavior of phosphate on biochar were investigated. The modified biochar had the specific surface area of 17.910–39.336 m2/g, and their surfaces were rich in a large number of functional groups and metal oxides. Phosphate release was observed on pristine rice straw-based biochar without metal impregnation. The maximum adsorption capacities of phosphate on MgFe-BC, Mg-BC and Fe-BC at 298 K were 6.93, 5.75 and 0.23 mg/g, respectively. Adsorption was a spontaneous endothermic process, while chemical adsorption dominated and electrostatic attraction and pores filling existed simultaneously. Based on the site energy distribution theory study, the standard deviation of MgFe-BC decreased from 6.96 to 4.64 kJ/mol with temperature increasing, which proved that the higher the temperature would cause the lower heterogeneity. Moreover, the effects of pH, humic acid, co-existing ions and ionic strength on phosphate adsorption of MgFe-BC were also discussed. MgFe-BC with fine pores and efficient adsorption sites is an ideal adsorbent for phosphate removal from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]