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Adding corrosion inhibitors is considered to be a cost-effective way to inhibit metal corrosion. In this study, we report the synthesis of a bi-mannich base corrosion inhibitor (BMT) with an impressive inhibition efficiency on carbon steel in H2S and HCl co-existing solution. At the BMT concentration of 9 ppm, the inhibition efficiency (η) of 96.9%, 97.6% and 98.0% were determined by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The adsorption of BMT on the carbon steel surface follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the calculated free energy indicates that the adsorption is a spontaneous process. This research also delves into understanding the adsorption behavior and corrosion inhibition mechanism of BMT on carbon steel surfaces through quantum chemistry calculations. The results of this study provide guidance for the application of BMT as a corrosion inhibitor in sour and acid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to evaluate the effect of thermal aging on the microscale mechanical properties of glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRP) composites in three typical media environments of oil and gas fields. These include circulating air, simulated produced water, and simulated oil. A nanoindentation technique was employed to partition the indentation locations in the microstructure of the GFRP composites in order to assess the decay of the elastic modulus of the fiber and polymer matrix phases, the bond strength of the matrix, and the changes in viscoelastic behavior. The deterioration in the mechanical properties of GFRP materials following exposure to the aging process is investigated in conjunction with the Barcol hardness test, with observations and verification conducted via SEM. The test results demonstrate that the modulus increases from 2.73 Gpa in the pure resin region to 15.88 Gpa in the restrained region. This is attributed to the restraining and reinforcing effects of the fibers in the unaged samples. Additionally, it was determined that the GFRP material exhibited had the highest sensitivity to the hydrothermal environment, with notable effects on the outer resin and fiber/resin interfaces. This resulted in a 55% reduction in interfacial strength. The next most significant factor was the sensitivity to the thermal-oxygen environment, which resulted in a more pronounced reduction in fiber strength, amounting to a 18.3% decline. The oil-heat environment did not exert a notable influence on the overall performance of the GFRP material. Nevertheless, the hydrothermal and oleothermal environments result in the plasticization by degradation of the polymer network, which alters the damage mechanism of the surface resin and transforms brittle damage into plastic deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhein, a component derived from rhubarb, has been proven to possess anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we show that rhein mitigates obesity by promoting adipose tissue thermogenesis in diet-induced obese mice. We construct a macrophage-adipocyte co-culture system and demonstrate that rhein promotes adipocyte thermogenesis through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. Moreover, clues from acetylome analysis identify SIRT2 as a potential drug target of rhein. We further verify that rhein directly interacts with SIRT2 and inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation in a SIRT2-dependent way. Myeloid knockdown of SIRT2 abrogates adipose tissue thermogenesis and metabolic benefits in obese mice induced by rhein. Together, our findings elucidate that rhein inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages by regulating SIRT2, and thus promotes white adipose tissue thermogenesis during obesity. These findings uncover the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects of rhein, and suggest that rhein may become a potential drug for treating obesity. Zhou et al. reveal that rhein improves adipose tissue thermogenesis via suppressing the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages during obesity. They further identify that rhein directly binds to SIRT2 and inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome by activating SIRT2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning models have been developed for various predictions in glioma; yet, they were constrained by manual segmentation, task-specific design, or a lack of biological interpretation. Herein, we aimed to develop an end-to-end multi-task deep learning (MDL) pipeline that can simultaneously predict molecular alterations and histological grade (auxiliary tasks), as well as prognosis (primary task) in gliomas. Further, we aimed to provide the biological mechanisms underlying the model's predictions. We collected multiscale data including baseline MRI images from 2776 glioma patients across two private (FAHZU and HPPH, n = 1931) and three public datasets (TCGA, n = 213; UCSF, n = 410; and EGD, n = 222). We trained and internally validated the MDL model using our private datasets, and externally validated it using the three public datasets. We used the model-predicted deep prognosis score (DPS) to stratify patients into low-DPS and high-DPS subtypes. Additionally, a radio-multiomics analysis was conducted to elucidate the biological basis of the DPS. In the external validation cohorts, the MDL model achieved average areas under the curve of 0.892–0.903, 0.710–0.894, and 0.850–0.879 for predicting IDH mutation status, 1p/19q co-deletion status, and tumor grade, respectively. Moreover, the MDL model yielded a C-index of 0.723 in the TCGA and 0.671 in the UCSF for the prediction of overall survival. The DPS exhibits significant correlations with activated oncogenic pathways, immune infiltration patterns, specific protein expression, DNA methylation, tumor mutation burden, and tumor-stroma ratio. Accordingly, our work presents an accurate and biologically meaningful tool for predicting molecular subtypes, tumor grade, and survival outcomes in gliomas, which provides personalized clinical decision-making in a global and non-invasive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to NSF (2017), even though the number of minority students in America's college-age population has been on the rise, those who choose Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as their majors are significantly fewer. There is an urgent need for African Americans, being the underrepresented minorities in STEM-related domains, be provided with opportunities to increase their presence and achievements (Hansen, Palakal & White, Journal for STEM Education Research, 1–26 2023). This paper was to develop an active flipped learning (AFL) model to enhance engineering students learning. Instructional video, audio, lecture notes, and reading materials are developed while initiating active learning activities in class to engage students in active flipped learning. By monitoring 103 students' engagement and identifying their motivation and learning strategies, a custom-tailored plan to fit each underrepresented student in STEM was formed, valued by two indicators: Engaged Learning Index and Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. After practicing the longitudinal research for three years from 2016 to 2018, some results were found during the procedure through ANOVA and correlation analysis on the collected data. The AFL model effectively promotes underrepresented students' performance in various science disciplines such as engineering, physics, and mathematics, such as helpful to foster underrepresented students' deep understanding of STEM disciplines and making them more engaged in STEM learning. In the future, the AFL can be potentially expanded to other institutions to help all students succeed in STEM classrooms and careers, to increase the national STEM literacy and be applied to non-STEM majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behavior of carbon steel under the coexistence of carbon dioxide and SRB was studied by means of corrosion weight loss, SEM, EDS, in situ pH test, and other methods. The results showed that Chloride ions, temperature, pH, and oxygen coexist with iron bacteria will affect the corrosion under the coexistence of CO2 and SRB, and SRB tends to grow in a favorable environment for itself, and the corrosion rate of X52N at 42 days is slightly higher than that at 21 days. However, the pitting depth increased sharply from 21.20 µm in 21 days to 39.79 µm in 42 days. So that the corrosion can be divided into two stages. First, SRB catalyze the dissolution of FeCO3, leading to local uniform corrosion. Second, SRB directly obtain electrons from the metal surface, resulting in local pitting. In addition, the environment under the stable mineralized biofilm was found to be slightly alkaline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tarim area, characterized by deep reservoirs, high temperatures, and limited fresh water resources, necessitates a fracturing fluid system that exhibits excellent temperature shear resistance, low friction, and salinity tolerance. This study presents the development of a zwitterionic hydrophobic polymer, HPC-5, as an effective thickener using five types of polymeric monomers, including AM, AA, DMC, AMPS, and a non-ionic hydrophobic monomer. The method employed for synthesis was free-radical polymerization in solution. A series of experiments including viscosity measurement with variation of salinity, solubility and drag reduction test, crosslinking test, thermal and shear resistance, sand-carrying test, gel breaking evaluation, and core damage test were conduct under the simulated reservoir conditions. The zwitterionic design imparts great salt tolerance to HPC-5, and the apparent viscosities of HPC-5 solutions can maintain comparably high values with 10×104 ppm NaCl and CaCl2 concentration. Meanwhile, the molecules of HPC-5 associate with each other to form tight net structures, resulting in an excellent viscoelasticity of the solution. To achieve high pump rate during hydraulic fracturing operation in ultra-deep reservoirs, the delayed crosslinking agent ZDC-L was prepared for forming a delayed crosslinking gel fracturing fluid system using reservoir brine, and the drag reduction rate can reach over 70% before crossing link within 4 min. Under pH = 4 conditions, the crosslinking time can be significantly delayed to over 4 min while maintaining exceptional temperature resistance up to 160 ℃ for the gel. These properties make it highly suitable for hydraulic fracturing operations in ultra-deep wells with temperatures reaching up to 7000 m depth at pump rates of 4~5m3/min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroless Ni–P coating has been validated for its exemplary corrosion resistance in the realm of oil and natural gas industries. Nevertheless, the precise corrosion mechanisms remain a subject of considerable debate and contention. In this study, we employed the variable in question, namely temperature, to emulate fluctuations in the driving forces of corrosive medium diffusion, offering an in-depth exploration into the corrosion behavior of Ni–P coatings within a saturated CO2 milieu. Our findings elucidate that diminished driving forces predispose the coating to localized corrosion, whereas augmented driving forces enhance uniform corrosion. Moreover, the empirical evidence predominantly supports the dissolution of Ni and the deposition of POx as the prevailing corrosion mechanisms, with the infiltration of the corrosive medium primarily contingent upon the magnitude of the diffusion-driven force, rather than the inherent nano-scale pores of the coating. Furthermore, employing in situ electrochemical analysis, we delineated the corrosion mechanisms of Ni–P coatings under varying diffusion-driven forces in this milieu and proffered a corrosion model adeptly explicating this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of the drag forces generated by vegetation stems is crucial for the comprehensive assessment of the impact of aquatic vegetation on hydrodynamic processes in aquatic environments. The coupling relationship between vegetation layer flow velocity and vegetation drag makes precise prediction of submerged vegetation drag forces particularly challenging. The present study utilized published data on submerged vegetation drag force measurements and employed a genetic programming (GP) algorithm, a machine learning technique, to establish the connection between submerged vegetation drag forces and flow and vegetation parameters. When using the bulk velocity, U, as the reference velocity scale to define the drag coefficient, Cd, and stem Reynolds number, the GP runs revealed that the drag coefficient of submerged vegetation is related to submergence ratio (H*), aspect ratio (d*), blockage ratio (ψ*), and vegetation density (λ). The relation between vegetation stem drag forces and flow velocity is implicitly embedded in the definition of Cd. Comparisons with experimental drag force measurements indicate that using the bulk velocity as the reference velocity, as opposed to using the vegetation layer average velocity, Uv, eliminates the need for complex iterative processes to estimate Uv and avoids introducing additional errors associated with Uv estimation. This approach significantly enhances the model's predictive capabilities and results in a simpler and more user-friendly formula expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure moulding offers an efficient route to process the infusible cellulose into bulk materials. However, generally, it needs the assistance of heat, which leads to local decomposition of the cellulose molecules and heterogeneity of the as-prepared bulk materials. Considering the multi-scaled relaxation behavior in the structure, interaction and movement of cellulosic molecules, herein, we propose a scheme of pressure-mediated moulding for preparing cellulosic bulk materials under ambient temperature. In brief, microcrystalline cellulose is moulded under a specific pressure in the range of 100–900 MPa, and undergoes a period of pressure retention and pressure relief. Experimental optimizations and characterizations demonstrate that an elevated pressure, reasonable pressure retention and slow pressure relief processes contribute to a densified bulk material with high crystallinity index. The densified and highly ordered structure exhibits a compressive strength up to 575.3 MPa, which is higher than that of almost all commercial plastics. Further investigations reveal the mechanism for illustrating the formation and mechanical improvement of the moulded material, which is expressed as pressure-mediated reconstruction of hydrogen bonding networks in cellulosic bulks. Specifically, the hydrogen-bonding networks break under applied high pressure in the pressurization and pressure retention phases, which ensures the motions of cellulosic molecules; and the slow pressure relief allows the subsequent reconstruction of hydrogen bonding networks, leading to an increasing density from 0.96 g/cm3 to 1.55 g/cm3 and an improving crystallinity index from 85.07% to 93.37%. We highlight this finding as a feasible academic and technical route for preparing high-performance cellulosic bulk materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation-induced in situ tumor vaccination alone is very weak and insufficient to elicit robust antitumor immune responses. In this work, we address this issue by developing chiral vidarabine monophosphate-gadolinium nanowires (aAGd-NWs) through coordination-driven self-assembly. We elucidate the mechanism of aAGd-NW assembly and characterize their distinct features, which include a negative surface charge, ultrafine topography, and right-handed chirality. Additionally, aAGd-NWs not only enhance X-ray deposition but also inhibit DNA repair, thereby enhancing radiation-induced in situ vaccination. Consequently, the in situ vaccination induced by aAGd-NWs sensitizes radiation enhances CD8+ T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity and synergistically potentiates the efficacy immune checkpoint blockade therapies against both primary and metastatic tumors. The well-established aAGd-NWs exhibit exceptional therapeutic capacity and biocompatibility, offering a promising avenue for the development of radioimmunotherapy approaches. Radiation-induced tumor vaccination is insufficient to elicit robust antitumor immune response. Here they combine chiral vidarabine monophosphate-gadolinium nanowires with immune checkpoint blockade therapy to synergistically induce antitumor immunity. Reviewer recognition: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For two sets of nonnegative integers A and B, the distance between these two sets, denoted by d(A, B), is defined by d (A , B) = min { | a - b | : a ∈ A , b ∈ B } . For a positive integer n, let S n denote the family { X : X ⊆ N ∪ { 0 } , | X | = n } . Given a graph G and positive integers n, p and q, an n-fold L(p, q)-labeling of G is a function f : V (G) → S n satisfies d (f (u) , f (v)) ≥ p if d G (u , v) = 1 , and d (f (u) , f (v)) ≥ q if d G (u , v) = 2 . An n-fold k-L(p, q)-labeling f of G is an n-fold L(p, q)-labeling of G with the property that max { a : a ∈ ⋃ u ∈ V (G) f (u) } ≤ k . The smallest number k to guarantee that G has an n-fold k-L(p, q)-labeling is called the n -fold L(p, q)-labeling number of G and is denoted by λ p , q n (G) . When p = 2 , q = 1 , we use λ n (G) to replace λ 2 , 1 n (G) for simplicity. We study the n-fold L(2, 1) -labeling numbers of Cartesian product of paths and cycles in this paper. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for λ n (C m □ P 2) equals 4 n + 1. Based on this, we determine the exact value of λ 2 (C m □ P 2) (except for m = 5 , 6 and 9) and λ 3 (C m □ P 2) (except for m = 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 , 13 and 17). We also give bounds for λ n (C m □ P k) when n, m satisfy certain conditions, and from this, we obtain the exact value of λ 2 (P m □ P k) (except for the case P 4 □ P 3 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth and division of mycobacteria, which include clinically relevant pathogens, deviate from that of canonical bacterial models. Despite their Gram-positive ancestry, mycobacteria synthesize and elongate a diderm envelope asymmetrically from the poles, with the old pole elongating more robustly than the new pole. The phosphatidylinositol-anchored lipoglycans lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are cell envelope components critical for host-pathogen interactions, but their physiological functions in mycobacteria remained elusive. In this work, using biosynthetic mutants of these lipoglycans, we examine their roles in maintaining cell envelope integrity in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We find that mutants defective in producing mature LAM fail to maintain rod cell shape specifically at the new pole and para-septal regions whereas a mutant that produces a larger LAM becomes multi-septated. Therefore, LAM plays critical and distinct roles at subcellular locations associated with division in mycobacteria, including maintenance of local cell wall integrity and septal placement.Mycobacteria have a unique cell envelope that includes characteristic lipoglycans, such as lipoarabinomannan. Here, Sparks et al. show that this lipoglycan plays roles in maintenance of local cell envelope integrity and septal placement during cell division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the world's first in vitro fertilization baby was born in 1978, there have been more than 8 million children conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) worldwide, and a significant proportion of them have reached puberty or young adulthood. Many studies have found that ART increases the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, small size for gestational age, perinatal mortality, and congenital anomalies. However, data regarding the long-term outcomes of ART offspring are limited. According to the developmental origins of health and disease theory, adverse environments during early life stages may induce adaptive changes and subsequently result in an increased risk of diseases in later life. Increasing evidence also suggests that ART offspring are predisposed to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases, such as malignancies, asthma, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the risks for long-term health in ART offspring, discuss the underlying mechanisms, including underlying parental infertility, epigenetic alterations, non-physiological hormone levels, and placental dysfunction, and propose potential strategies to optimize the management of ART and health care of parents and children to eliminate the associated risks. Further ongoing follow-up and research are warranted to determine the effects of ART on the long-term health of ART offspring in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality interview simulator (VRIS) is an effective and valid tool that uses virtual reality technology to train people’s interview skills. Typically, it offers candidates prone to being very nervous during interviews the opportunity to practice interviews in a safe and manageable virtual environment and realistic settings, providing real-time feedback from a virtual interviewer on their performance. It helps interviewees improve their skills, reduce their fears, gain confidence, and minimize the cost and time associated with traditional interview preparation. Yet, the major anxiety-inducing elements remain unknown. During an interview, the anxiety levels, overall experience, and performance of interviewees might be affected by various circumstances. By analyzing electrodermal activity and questionnaire, we investigated the influence of five variables: (I) Realism; (II) Question type; (III) Interviewer attitude; (IV) Timing; and (V) Preparation. As such, an orthogonal design L 8 (4 1 × 2 4) with eight experiments ( O A 8 matrix) was implemented, in which 19 college students took part in the experiments. Considering the anxiety, overall experience, and performance of the interviewees, we found that Question type plays a major role; secondly, Realism, Preparation, and Interviewer attitude all have middle influence; lastly, Timing has little to no impact. Specifically, professional interview questions elicited a greater degree of anxiety than personal ones among the categories of interview questions. This work contributes to our understanding of anxiety-stimulating factors during job interviews in virtual reality and provides cues for designing future VRIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polyethyleneimine (PEI) was grafted on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) to prepare PEI-GO material. The PEI-GO/EP composite coating was successfully deposited on carbon steel through the cathodic electrophoretic deposition (C-EPD) process. The zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) methods were used to characterize the GO and PEI-GO materials. The dispersibility of PEI-GO in epoxy electrophoretic paint was studied by TEM and the fracture surface morphology of the coatings was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies evaluated the corrosion resistance of composite coatings. In summary, the impedance modulus of PEI-GO/EP composite coating is two orders of magnitude higher than that of neat epoxy coating, with enhanced anticorrosion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single image super-resolution (SISR) refers to the reconstruction from the corresponding low-resolution (LR) image input to a high-resolution (HR) image. However, since a single low-resolution image corresponds to multiple high-resolution images, this is an ill-posed problem. In recent years, generative model-based SISR methods have outperformed conventional SISR methods in performance. However, the SISR methods based on GAN, VAE, and Flow have the problems of unstable training, low sampling quality, and expensive computational cost. These models also struggle to achieve the trifecta of diverse, high-quality, and fast sampling. In particular, denoising diffusion probabilistic models have shown impressive variety and high quality of samples, but their expensive sampling cost prevents them from being well applied in the real world. In this paper, we investigate the fundamental reason for the slow sampling speed of the SISR method based on the diffusion model lies in the Gaussian assumption used in the previous diffusion model, which is only applicable for small step sizes. We propose a new Single Image Super-Resolution with Denoising Diffusion GANS (SRDDGAN) to achieve large-step denoising, sample diversity, and training stability. Our approach combines denoising diffusion models with GANs to generate images conditionally, using a multimodal conditional GAN to model each denoising step. SRDDGAN outperforms existing diffusion model-based methods regarding PSNR and perceptual quality metrics, while the added latent variable Z solution explores the diversity of likely HR spatial domain. Notably, the SRDDGAN model infers nearly 11 times faster than diffusion-based SR3, making it a more practical solution for real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) showing unusual expressions have been discovered in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of these circRNAs still remain largely unclear. Our current study discovered a notable increase in the expression of circRNA hsa_circ_0002395 (circ_0002395) in both PAAD tissues and cell lines. This up-regulation of circ_0002395 was found to be associated with larger tumor sizes and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, our findings showed that circ_0002395 facilitated aerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation in PAAD cells by regulating the miR-548c-3p/PDK1 axis. Mechanistically, we identified circ_0002395 as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that sponged miR-548c-3p, thereby promoting PDK1 expression and aerobic glycolysis, and ultimately resulting in the enhancement of cell proliferation. Our findings found that circ_0002395 promoted proliferation of PAAD cells by enhancing PDK1 expression and aerobic glycolysis by sponging miR-548c-3p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) combined with endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD) is widely used. However, the optimal duration of small balloon dilation in choledocholithiasis remains controversial. We aimed to determine the optimal duration for 10 mm diameter balloon dilation after limited EST in choledocholithiasis. In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 320 patients were randomly assigned to receive small balloon dilation (10 mm in diameter) for 1 min (n = 160) or 3 min (n = 160) after deep bile duct cannulation. No significant difference in success rate of stone extraction between the two groups was observed. The incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) was higher in the 1 min group (10.6%) than in the 3 min group (4.4%) (P = 0.034). The logistic regression analysis showed that guidewire into the pancreatic duct, cannulation time > 5 min and 1 min balloon dilation were independent risk factors for PEP. There were no significant differences in other post-ERCP adverse events such as acute cholangitis, bleeding, perforation, etc. between the two groups. In conclusion, 3 min in duration was determined to be the optimal dilation condition for the removal of common bile duct stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as a group of signaling molecules in rice functioning in regulation of development and stress responses. Respiratory burst oxidase homologues (Rbohs) are key enzymes in generation of ROS. However, the role of the nine Rboh family members was not fully understood in rice multiple disease resistance and yield traits. In this study, we constructed mutants of each Rboh genes and detected their requirement in rice multiple disease resistance and yield traits. Our results revealed that mutations of five Rboh genes (RbohA, RbohB, RbohE, RbohH, and RbohI) lead to compromised rice blast disease resistance in a disease nursery and lab conditions; mutations of five Rbohs (RbohA, RbohB, RbohC, RbohE, and RbohH) result in suppressed rice sheath blight resistance in a disease nursery and lab conditions; mutations of six Rbohs (RbohA, RbohB, RbohC, RbohE, RbohH and RbohI) lead to decreased rice leaf blight resistance in a paddy yard and ROS production induced by PAMPs and pathogen. Moreover, all Rboh genes participate in the regulation of rice yield traits, for all rboh mutants display one or more compromised yield traits, such as panicle number, grain number per panicle, seed setting rate, and grain weight, resulting in reduced yield per plant except rbohb and rbohf. Our results identified the Rboh family members involved in the regulation of rice resistance against multiple pathogens that caused the most serious diseases worldwide and provide theoretical supporting for breeding application of these Rbohs to coordinate rice disease resistance and yield traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have garnered significant attention in the field of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s diseases due to their covalently closed loop structure. However, the involvement of circRNAs in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is still largely unexplored. To identify the genes differentially expressed between non-POCD (NPOCD) and POCD mice, we conducted the whole transcriptome sequencing initially in this study. According to the expression profiles, we observed that circAKT3 was associated with hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in POCD mice. Moreover, we found that circAKT3 overexpression reduced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and alleviated POCD. Subsequently, through bioinformatics analysis, our data showed that circAKT3 overexpression in vitro and in vivo elevated the abundance of miR-106a-5p significantly, resulting in a decrease of HDAC4 protein and an increase of MEF2C protein. Additionally, this effect of circAKT3 was blocked by miR-106a-5p inhibitor. Interestingly, MEF2C could activate the transcription of miR-106a-5p promoter and form a positive feedback loop. Therefore, our findings revealed more potential modulation ways between circRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA, providing different directions and targets for preclinical studies of POCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ni-P-WS2 composite coatings with prominent structures were constructed by composite electrodeposition by adding tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoparticles to the electroplating solution. Modification of the Ni-P-WS2 composite coating with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) is going to achieve the superhydrophobic effect. The successful construction of the superhydrophobic surface was demonstrated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurement (CA). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to investigate the corrosion resistance. The finding indicates that hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) reduces the surface energy of the Ni-P-WS2 composite coating, generates a film on its rough surface, blocks the corrosive medium, and improves the corrosion resistance of the composite coating. The Ni-P-WS2 nanocomposite coating's water contact angle is 156.8° and its sliding angle is 8° at 3 g/L of WS2 particle concentration. And the composite plating has the highest self-corrosion potential (Ecorr = − 0.285 V) and the lowest self-corrosion current density (icorr = 3.206 μA cm−2), with a better corrosion resistance. In addition, the prepared superhydrophobic coating showed excellent corrosion resistance under the hydrophobic barrier and the layer barrier of WS2 nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent corrosion or abrasion damage of equipment used in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sand conditions, high wear and corrosion-resistant coatings are needed. In this study, a cemented carbide Cr3C2–25NiCr coating was applied to 304 stainless steel substrate via high-velocity oxygen fuel thermal spraying to investigate its wear and corrosion resistance in an oil and gas field model environment. The coating exhibits high hardness (1062.4HV0.1) that is five times greater than the substrate and a 50% reduction in wear pit depth. The corrosion rate of the coating is 72% less than that of stainless steel (0.17 mm/y). These results suggest that Cr3C2–25NiCr coating has great potential for use in the oil and gas industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is involved in mammalian reproduction via binding to FSH receptor (FSHR). However, several studies have found that FSH and FSHR play important roles in extragonadal tissue. Here, we identified the expression of FSHR in human and mouse pancreatic islet β-cells. Blocking FSH signaling by Fshr knock-out led to impaired glucose tolerance owing to decreased insulin secretion, while high FSH levels caused insufficient insulin secretion as well. In vitro, we found that FSH orchestrated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in a bell curve manner. Mechanistically, FSH primarily activates Gαs via FSHR, promoting the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) and calcium pathways to stimulate GSIS, whereas high FSH levels could activate Gαi to inhibit the cAMP/PKA pathway and the amplified effect on GSIS. Our results reveal the role of FSH in regulating pancreatic islet insulin secretion and provide avenues for future clinical investigation and therapeutic strategies for postmenopausal diabetes. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is involved in mammalian reproduction, but several studies have suggested a role of FSH and its receptor in extragonadal tissue. Here, the authors show that FSH orchestrates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) via its receptor on pancreatic β-cells, with pre-menopausal FSH levels dose-dependently promoting GSIS and postmenopausal FSH levels inhibiting this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papain-like cysteine proteinases (PLCPs) are very stable proteolytic enzymes with the pH dependency and substrate specificity, which participate in the autophagy pathway and are usually found in apoplast, vacuole, and lysosome. However, limited information about the PLCP genes in grapes is available. In this study, according to the conservative domain and evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis, 22 VviPLCP genes were identified in the grape and subdivided into nine subgroups. Differential expression pattern of the VviPLCP genes indicated that they may be involved in response to various hormonal treatments. Yeast two-hybrid and Biomolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed that VviALP interacted with the Cystatin protein VviCYS6 in grapes. In addition, overexpression of VviALP and VviCYS6 in Nicotiana tabacum leaves found that VviALP played an antagonistic role in the resistance of Phytophthora capsica inhibited by VviCYS6. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of VviPLCP involving biological progress. It is found that the regulatory modules of VviALP and VviCYS6 play an important role in the resistance of Phytophthora capsici. In future studies, the transgenic grape of VviALP and VviCYS6 can more clearly prove their role in plant disease resistance.Kindly check and confirm hierarchy of the affiliation 2.OK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current diagnosis of glioma types requires combining both histological features and molecular characteristics, which is an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Determining the tumor types directly from whole-slide images (WSIs) is of great value for glioma diagnosis. This study presents an integrated diagnosis model for automatic classification of diffuse gliomas from annotation-free standard WSIs. Our model is developed on a training cohort (n = 1362) and a validation cohort (n = 340), and tested on an internal testing cohort (n = 289) and two external cohorts (n = 305 and 328, respectively). The model can learn imaging features containing both pathological morphology and underlying biological clues to achieve the integrated diagnosis. Our model achieves high performance with area under receiver operator curve all above 0.90 in classifying major tumor types, in identifying tumor grades within type, and especially in distinguishing tumor genotypes with shared histological features. This integrated diagnosis model has the potential to be used in clinical scenarios for automated and unbiased classification of adult-type diffuse gliomas. Determining glioma types directly from whole-slide images (WSIs) would be of great diagnostic utility. Here, the authors develop a deep learning model to identify diffuse glioma types from WSIs according to the 2021 WHO classification across multiple cohorts and with interpretable features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imbalanced glutamate signaling has been implicated in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This case-control study was to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in glutamate receptor and carrier genes and determine their association with childhood ASD in a Chinese Han population. A total of 12 SNPs in genes encoding glutamate receptors (GRM7 and GRM8) and carriers (SLC1A1 and SLC25A12) were examined in 249 autistic children and 353 healthy controls. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and its verbal communication domain were applied to evaluate the severity of the disease and language impairment, respectively. The T allele of rs2292813 in the SLC25A12 gene was significantly associated with an increased risk of ASD (odds ratio (OD) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–2.6, P = 0.0107). Neither the genotypes nor allele distributions of other SNPs were associated with the risk of ASD. Notably, rs1800656 and rs2237731 in the GRM8 gene, but not other SNPs, were related to the severity of language impairment. All SNPs were not correlated with the overall severity of ASD. Our findings support associations between the SLC25A12 gene variant and the risk of childhood ASD, and between the GRM8 gene variant and the severity of language impairment in the Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism underlying the hypnosis effect of propofol is still not fully understood. In essence, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is crucial for regulating wakefulness and may be directly engaged in the principle of general anesthesia. However, the role of NAc in the process of propofol-induced anesthesia is still unknown. We used immunofluorescence, western blotting, and patch-clamp to access the activities of NAc GABAergic neurons during propofol anesthesia, and then we utilized chemogenetic and optogenetic methods to explore the role of NAc GABAergic neurons in regulating propofol-induced general anesthesia states. Moreover, we also conducted behavioral tests to analyze anesthetic induction and emergence. We found out that c-Fos expression was considerably dropped in NAc GABAergic neurons after propofol injection. Meanwhile, patch-clamp recording of brain slices showed that firing frequency induced by step currents in NAc GABAergic neurons significantly decreased after propofol perfusion. Notably, chemically selective stimulation of NAc GABAergic neurons during propofol anesthesia lowered propofol sensitivity, prolonged the induction of propofol anesthesia, and facilitated recovery; the inhibition of NAc GABAergic neurons exerted opposite effects. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of NAc GABAergic neurons promoted emergence whereas the result of optogenetic inhibition was the opposite. Our results demonstrate that NAc GABAergic neurons modulate propofol anesthesia induction and emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The large variability in tumor appearance and shape makes manual delineation of the clinical target volume (CTV) time-consuming, and the results depend on the oncologists' experience. Whereas deep learning techniques have allowed oncologists to automate the CTV delineation, multi-site tumor analysis is often lacking in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate the deep learning models that automatically contour CTVs of tumors at various sites on computed tomography (CT) images from objective and subjective perspectives. Methods and Materials: 577 patients were selected for the present study, including nasopharyngeal (n = 34), esophageal (n = 40), breast-conserving surgery (BCS) (left-sided, n = 71; right-sided, n = 71), breast-radical mastectomy (BRM) (left-sided, n = 43; right-sided, n = 37), cervical (radical radiotherapy, n = 45; postoperative, n = 85), prostate (n = 42), and rectal (n = 109) carcinomas. Manually delineated CTV contours by radiation oncologists are served as ground truth. Four models were evaluated: Flexnet, Unet, Vnet, and Segresnet, which are commercially available in the medical product "AccuLearning AI model training platform". The data were divided into the training, validation, and testing set at a ratio of 5:1:4. The geometric metrics, including Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff Distance (HD), were calculated for objective evaluation. For subjective assessment, oncologists rated the segmentation contours of the testing set visually. Results: High correlations were observed between automatic and manual contours. Based on the results of the independent test group, most of the patients achieved satisfactory quantitative results (DSC > 0.8), except for patients with esophageal carcinoma (DSC: 0.62–0.64). The subjective review indicated that 82.65% of predicted CTVs scored either as clinically accepting (8.68%) or requiring minor revision (73.97%), and no patients were scored as rejected. Conclusion: This experimental work demonstrated that auto-generated contours could serve as an initial template to help oncologists save time in CTV delineation. The deep learning-based auto-segmentations achieve acceptable accuracy and show the potential to improve clinical efficiency for radiotherapy of a variety of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understory vegetation is a vital part of urban forests and provides a habitat for the sustainability of plant and animal biodiversity. Understory vegetation in urban forests is highly sensitive to anthropogenic stress and thus more prone to plant invasions. However, the influencing factors and invasion mechanisms of nonnative species (nonnatives) in the understory layers of urban forests remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the understory community structure and composition in 75 plots across 16 urban forests in Shanghai, China. We employed the random forest model, structural equation models and phylogenetic methods to explore the factors contributing to invasion success and impact of nonnatives, and also examined the phylogenetic distance and trait difference between native and nonnatives. We found that 19.4% of the species were nonnatives and Erigeron philadelphicus Willd. was the most frequent species, occurring in 33.5% of the plots. Socio-economic variables (gross domestic product, population, and distance from the city center), the understory cover of native species, and overstory canopy cover were the primary factors driving the invasion success and impact of nonnatives. The variation of the nearest phylogenetic distance between native and nonnative species indicated that both anthropogenic stress and light availability affect understory invasion success, but with different mechanisms. Specifically, an increase in light availability reduces the competition for light and provides invasion opportunities for nonnatives that are phylogenetically close to natives, while more habitat types created by human activities provide more invasion opportunities for species with distant phylogenetic relationships with the native species. We believe that these findings have important implications in the management and control of understory invasions in urban forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp), characterized by high virulence and epidemic potential, has become a global public health challenge. Therefore, improving the identification of hvKp and enabling earlier and faster detection in the community to support subsequent effective treatment and prevention of hvKp are an urgent issue. To address these issues, a number of assays have emerged, such as String test, Galleria mellonella infection test, PCR, isothermal exponential amplification, and so on. In this paper, we have collected articles on the detection methods of hvKp and conducted a retrospective review based on two aspects: traditional detection technology and biomarker-based detection technology. We summarize the advantages and limitations of these detection methods and discuss the challenges as well as future directions, hoping to provide new insights and references for the rapid detection of hvKp in the future. The aim of this study is to focus on the research papers related to Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae involving the period from 2012 to 2022. We conducted searches using the keywords "Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, biomarkers, detection techniques" on ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Additionally, we also searched on PubMed, using MeSH terms associated with the keywords (such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella Infections, Virulence, Biomarkers, diagnosis, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel vibration-based method (VBM) for damage identification, nodal line active modulation (NLAM), is proposed in this study. Unlike traditional VBMs, the NLAM can identify damage by taking advantage of the nodal line effect, which is that when a defect is located on the nodal lines, the dynamic responses of the structure remain nearly unchanged. The basic idea of NLAM is introduced through a simply supported beam. In numerical study, we have discussed the detection steps of the method in detail by detecting a cleft detection in an aluminum plate. In experimental research, piezoelectric transducers work as both actuators and sensors for an added mass damaged detection in carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminates, while a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer is employed for measuring the full-field dynamic response. The damage is visualized from the highlighted nodal lines of the modulated operational deflection shapes. The present investigation provides a new idea for VBM damage detection, which will have practical applications for structural health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concreteness effect refers to the advantage in speed and accuracy of processing concrete words over abstract words. Previous studies have shown that the processing of the two types of words is mediated by distinct neural mechanisms, but these studies were mainly conducted with task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging. This study investigates the associations between the concreteness effect and grey matter volume (GMV) of brain regions as well as resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of these identified regions. The results show that the GMV of left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right supplementary motor area and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) negatively correlates with the concreteness effect. The rsFC of the left IFG, the right MTG and the right ACC with the nodes, mainly in default mode network, frontoparietal network and dorsal attention network positively correlates with the concreteness effect. The GMV and rsFC jointly and respectively predict the concreteness effect in individuals. In conclusion, stronger connectivity amongst functional networks and higher coherent engagement of the right hemisphere predict a greater difference in the verbal memory of abstract and concrete words. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial biofilms are formed on environmental surfaces and host tissues, and facilitate host colonization and antibiotic resistance by human pathogens. Bacteria often express multiple adhesive proteins (adhesins), but it is often unclear whether adhesins have specialized or redundant roles. Here, we show how the model biofilm-forming organism Vibrio cholerae uses two adhesins with overlapping but distinct functions to achieve robust adhesion to diverse surfaces. Both biofilm-specific adhesins Bap1 and RbmC function as a "double-sided tape": they share a β-propeller domain that binds to the biofilm matrix exopolysaccharide, but have distinct environment-facing domains. Bap1 adheres to lipids and abiotic surfaces, while RbmC mainly mediates binding to host surfaces. Furthermore, both adhesins contribute to adhesion in an enteroid monolayer colonization model. We expect that similar modular domains may be utilized by other pathogens, and this line of research can potentially lead to new biofilm-removal strategies and biofilm-inspired adhesives. Bacteria often express multiple adhesive proteins (adhesins) for biofilm formation, but it is often unclear whether adhesins have specialized or redundant roles. Here, the authors show that Vibrio cholerae uses two adhesins with overlapping but distinct functions to achieve robust adhesion to diverse surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that several variables affect language control among bilingual speakers but the effect of affective processing remains unexplored. Chinese–English bilinguals participated in a novel prime-target language switching experiment in which they first judged the affective valence (i.e., positive or negative) of auditorily presented words and then named pictures with neutral emotional valence in either the same (non-switch trial) or different language (switch trial). Brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The behavioral performance showed that the typical switch cost (i.e., the calculated difference between switch and non-switch trials) emerged after processing positive words but not after negative words. Brain imaging demonstrated that processing negative words immediately before non-switch picturing naming trials (but not for switch trials) increased activation in brain areas associated with domain-general cognitive control. The opposite patterns were found after processing positive words. These findings suggest that an (emotional) negative priming effect is induced by spontaneous exposure to negative words and that these priming effects may be triggered by reactive emotional processing and that they may interact with higher level cognitive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop and validate a deep learning imaging signature (DLIS) for risk stratification in patients with multiforme (GBM), and to investigate the biological pathways and genetic alterations underlying the DLIS. Methods: The DLIS was developed from multi-parametric MRI based on a training set (n = 600) and validated on an internal validation set (n = 164), an external test set 1 (n = 100), an external test set 2 (n = 161), and a public TCIA set (n = 88). A co-profiling framework based on a radiogenomics analysis dataset (n = 127) using multiscale high-dimensional data, including imaging, transcriptome, and genome, was established to uncover the biological pathways and genetic alterations underpinning the DLIS. Results: The DLIS was associated with survival (log-rank p < 0.001) and was an independent predictor (p < 0.001). The integrated nomogram incorporating the DLIS achieved improved C indices than the clinicomolecular nomogram (net reclassification improvement 0.39, p < 0.001). DLIS significantly correlated with core pathways of GBM (apoptosis and cell cycle-related P53 and RB pathways, and cell proliferation-related RTK pathway), as well as key genetic alterations (del_CDNK2A). The prognostic value of DLIS-correlated genes was externally confirmed on TCGA/CGGA sets (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our study offers a biologically interpretable deep learning predictor of survival outcomes in patients with GBM, which is crucial for better understanding GBM patient's prognosis and guiding individualized treatment. Key Points: • MRI-based deep learning imaging signature (DLIS) stratifies GBM into risk groups with distinct molecular characteristics. • DLIS is associated with P53, RB, and RTK pathways and del_CDNK2A mutation. • The prognostic value of DLIS-correlated pathway genes is externally demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the improved image quality of the portal vein using the contrast-enhancement boost (CE-boost) technique for the improved visibility of abdominal-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans in clinical practice. Methods: This retrospective study included 50 patients in Group A who underwent routine abdominal-enhanced CT and 50 patients in Group B who underwent abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) with matched body mass index, age, and sex. Images in Group A were postprocessed with the CE-boost technique for further enhanced visibility of the portal vein. Both subjective and objective assessments of different branches of the portal vein in three types of images (i.e., Group A with CE-boost and without CE-boost, Group B) were statistically analyzed. Results: The subjective scores of two experienced radiologists showed good consistency (kappa value > 0.624, p < 0.001), and the score of Group A with CE-boost (mean, 4.64) was significantly higher than that of the others (p < 0.001). The liver parenchyma and most target veins in Group A with CE-boost showed the highest CT, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values and the lowest standard deviation (SD), while the CNR of most portal veins in Group A without CE-boost had the lowest CNR (p < 0.001). There were no differences in the SNR of the portal vein in Group A without CE-Boost and Group B (p > 0.05). Conclusion: CE-boost can significantly improve image quality in portal vein imaging without any additional scanning settings or changes in the clinical workflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mango flowering is highly sensitive to temperature changes. In this research, the maximum values of pollen germination rate (PGR), pollen tube length (PTL) and their cardinal temperatures (Tmin, Topt and Tmax) were estimated by using quadratic equation and modified bilinear model under the conditions of 14–36 °C. The pollen germination rate in four mango varieties ranged from 29.1% ('Apple mango') to 35.5% ('Renong No. 1'); the length of pollen tube ranged from 51.2 μm ('Deshehari') to 56.6 μm ('Jinhuang'). The cardinal temperatures ranges (Tmin, Topt and Tmax) of pollen germination were 20.3–22.8 °C, 26.7–30.6 °C and 30.4–34.3 °C, respectively; similarly, cardinal temperatures (Tmin, Topt and Tmax) of pollen tube growth were 20.3–21.2 °C, 27.9–32.1 °C and 30.2–34.4 °C respectively. Of those, 'Renong No. 1' could maintain relatively high pollen germination rate even at 30 °C, however, 'Deshehari' had the narrowest adaptive temperature range. These results were further confirmed by changes of superoxide dismutase, catalase activity and malondialdehyde content. These results showed that mango flowering was highly sensitive to temperature changes and there were significant differences in pollen germination rate and pollen tube length among different varieties. Current research results were of great significance for the introduction of new mango varieties in different ecological regions, the cultivation and management of mango at the flowering stage and the breeding of new mango varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral observations suggest a connection between anxiety and predator defense, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here we examine the role of the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN), a node in the predator defense network, in anxiety-like behaviors. By in vivo recordings in male mice, we find that activity of AHN GABAergic (AHNVgat+) neurons shows individually stable increases when animals approach unfamiliar objects in an open field (OF) or when they explore the open-arm of an elevated plus-maze (EPM). Moreover, object-evoked AHN activity overlap with predator cue responses and correlate with the object and open-arm avoidance. Crucially, exploration-triggered optogenetic inhibition of AHNVgat+ neurons reduces object and open-arm avoidance. Furthermore, retrograde viral tracing identifies the ventral subiculum (vSub) of the hippocampal formation as a significant input to AHNVgat+ neurons in driving avoidance behaviors in anxiogenic situations. Thus, convergent activation of AHNVgat+ neurons serves as a shared mechanism between anxiety and predator defense to promote behavioral avoidance. Anxiety is thought to be evolutionarily rooted in predator defense. Yan et al. show that GABAergic neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN), a node in the predator defense network, play an essential role in anxiety-like behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Focal lesions in fatty liver are difficult to diagnose using conventional ultrasonography (CVUS). The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of solitary necrotic nodules (SNNs) in fatty liver using CVUS and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and to evaluate the diagnostic value of CEUS for SNNs in fatty liver. Methods: Fifteen SNNs in the fatty liver of fifteen patients were examined by both CVUS and CEUS. The contrast agent SonoVue was used for CEUS. The characterization and shape of these SNNs in the fatty liver were analyzed using CEUS. Results: CVUS revealed eight oval-shaped, six irregularly shaped, and one wedge-shaped SNN in the fatty liver. The six irregularly shaped lesions on CVUS were revealed to comprise four gourd-shaped, one serpiginous, and one 3-pin socket-shaped nodule on CEUS. One of these SNNs showed a subcapsular wedge shape, with peripheral and distinct internal septal hyperenhancement in the arterial phases that washed out in the portal phase; moreover, most areas of th lesion showed no internal enhancement in any of the three phases. Fourteen of the lesions were characterized as lacking internal enhancement, and 12 of them had mild–moderate peripheral thin enhancement in the arterial phases. Twelve of the 15 nodules could be considered for diagnosis as SNNs by CEUS, which was further proved by US-guided biopsy and histopathology. However none of them could be considered for diagnosis as SNNs by CVUS. Conclusions: CEUS is a valuable tool for visualizing the characteristics of SNNs in fatty liver to improve the differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) supported cobalt catalysts (Co/Si3N4) were fabricated by using wetness impregnation procedure. The microscopic morphology, phase composition, and electronic states were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, and XPS, respectively. For comparison, cobalt catalyst supported on SiO2 (Co/SiO2) was also investigated. XPS studies and DFT calculations show that the cobalt species in Co/Si3N4 have lower valence state than those in Co/SiO2. The catalytic ESR reactions demonstrate that Co/Si3N4 exhibits distinctly higher catalytic activity and hydrogen selectivity than Si3N4 support and Co/SiO2 catalyst with the identical cobalt loading, indicative of the favorable effect of Si3N4 support on the catalytic performance of supported cobalt catalyst. Durability tests and TG-DSC studies show that Co/Si3N4 catalyst exhibits better stability and resistance to coke during the same catalytic experiment period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G-protein-signaling modulator 1 (GPSM1) exhibits strong genetic association with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Body Mass Index in population studies. However, how GPSM1 carries out such control and in which types of cells are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that myeloid GPSM1 promotes metabolic inflammation to accelerate T2D and obesity development. Mice with myeloid-specific GPSM1 ablation are protected against high fat diet-induced insulin resistance, glucose dysregulation, and liver steatosis via repression of adipose tissue pro-inflammatory states. Mechanistically, GPSM1 deficiency mainly promotes TNFAIP3 transcription via the Gαi3/cAMP/PKA/CREB axis, thus inhibiting TLR4-induced NF-κB signaling in macrophages. In addition, we identify a small-molecule compound, AN-465/42243987, which suppresses the pro-inflammatory phenotype by inhibiting GPSM1 function, which could make it a candidate for metabolic therapy. Furthermore, GPSM1 expression is upregulated in visceral fat of individuals with obesity and is correlated with clinical metabolic traits. Overall, our findings identify macrophage GPSM1 as a link between metabolic inflammation and systemic homeostasis. G-protein-signaling modulator 1 (GPSM1), an accessory protein which activates heterotrimeric G-protein signaling, exhibits a genetic association with type 2 diabetes. Here the authors show that myeloid GPSM1 ablation in mice inhibits inflammation and metabolic dysfunction upon high fat diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unclear how Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 signaling affects protein succinylation in the brain after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Here, we constructed a mouse ICH model to investigate the changes in ICH-associated brain protein succinylation, following a treatment with a TLR4 antagonist, TAK242, using a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based, quantitative succinyllysine proteomics approach. We characterized the prevalence of approximately 6700 succinylation events and quantified approximately 3500 sites, highlighting 139 succinyllysine site changes in 40 pathways. Further analysis showed that TAK242 treatment induced an increase of 29 succinyllysine sites on 28 succinylated proteins and a reduction of 24 succinyllysine sites on 23 succinylated proteins in the ICH brains. TAK242 treatment induced both protein hypersuccinylations and hyposuccinylations, which were mainly located in the mitochondria and cytoplasm. GO analysis showed that TAK242 treatment-induced changes in the ICH-associated succinylated proteins were mostly located in synapses, membranes and vesicles, and enriched in many cellular functions/compartments, such as metabolism, synapse, and myelin. KEGG analysis showed that TAK242-induced hyposuccinylation was mainly linked to fatty acid metabolism, including elongation and degradation. Moreover, a combined analysis of the succinylproteomic data with previously published transcriptome data revealed that most of the differentially succinylated proteins induced by TAK242 treatment were mainly distributed throughout neurons, astrocytes, and endothelial cells, and the mRNAs of seven and three succinylated proteins were highly expressed in neurons and astrocytes, respectively. In conclusion, we revealed that several TLR4 signaling pathways affect the succinylation processes and pathways in mouse ICH brains, providing new insights on the ICH pathophysiological processes. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD025622. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the impact of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) on image quality and machine learning-based coronary CT angiography (CTA)-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFRML) values. Methods: Thirty-three consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease who underwent coronary CTA and subsequent invasive coronary angiography were enrolled. DLR was compared with filtered back projection (FBP), statistical-based iterative reconstruction (SBIR), model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) Cardiac, and MBIR Cardiac sharp for objective image qualities of coronary CTA. Invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) and quantitative flow ratio (QFR) were used as the reference standards. The diagnostic performances of different reconstruction approach-based CT-FFRML were calculated. Results: A total of 182 lesions in 33 patients were enrolled for analysis. The image quality of DLR was superior to the others. There were no significant differences in the CT-FFRML values among these five approaches (all p > 0.05). Of the 182 lesions, 17 had invasive FFR results, and 70 had QFR results. Using FFR as a reference, MBIR Cardiac, MBIR Cardiac sharp, and DLR achieved equal diagnostic performance, slightly higher than the other reconstruction approaches (MBIR Cardiac, MBIR Cardiac sharp, and DLR: AUC = 0.82, FBP and AIDR: AUC = 0.78, all p > 0.05). Using QFR as a reference, the AUCs of FBP, SBIR, MBIR Cardiac, MBIR Cardiac sharp, and DLR were 0.83, 0.81, 0.86, 0.84, and 0.83, respectively (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Our study showed that the DLR algorithm improved image quality, but there were no significant differences in the CT-FFRML values and diagnostic performance among different reconstruction approaches. Key Points: • Deep learning-based image reconstruction (DLR) improves the image quality of coronary CTA. • CT-FFRMLvalues and diagnostic performance of DLR revealed no significant differences compared to other reconstruction approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regret affects decision-making behavior, which is mediated by a cognitive process known as counterfactual thinking in economic science. Several studies indicate that orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a crucial role in decision-making behavior. However, the neural correlates of regret trait and the function of the OFC in decision-making remain unclear. In this study, we employed a typical monetary decision-making task, a modified 'Wheel of Fortune gamble' paradigm, to investigate decision-making behavior and its neural mechanism. We combined voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and task-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses to explore the neural substrates of regret trait. VBM analyses revealed that individual Regret Scale Score was negatively associated with the gray-matter volume (GMV) in the frontal and temporal areas, including the bilateral OFC. These results indicate that individuals with high regret trait have smaller GMV in these areas. Moreover, we found stronger task-evoked activation of the left OFC in high regret trait individuals during the decision-maker's choice (choose conditions) phase, whereas we did not find this relationship in computer-selected's (follow conditions) choice phase. Using generalized psychophysiological interactions (PPI) analysis, we further found that the functional connectivity of the left OFC to right inferior frontal gyrus and left cerebellum was stronger in the complete feedback choose condition (under regret theoretical framework) than partial feedback choose condition (under disappointment theoretical framework). These findings verify the critical role of the OFC in the decision-making, more importantly, provide novel insights into the morphological and functional substrates of individual regret trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal calculi are a common and recurrent urological disease and are usually detected by CT. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic capability, image quality, and radiation dose of abdominal ultra-low-dose CT (ULDCT) with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) for detecting renal calculi. Methods: Sixty patients with suspected renal calculi were prospectively enrolled. Low-dose CT (LDCT) images were reconstructed with hybrid iterative reconstruction (LD-HIR) and was regarded as the standard for stone and lesion detection. ULDCT images were reconstructed with HIR (ULD-HIR) and DLR (ULD-DLR). We then compared stone detection rate, abdominal lesion detection rate, image quality and radiation dose between LDCT and ULDCT. Results: A total of 130 calculi were observed on LD-HIR images. Stone detection rates of ULD-HIR and ULD-DLR images were 93.1% (121/130) and 95.4% (124/130). A total of 129 lesions were detected on the LD-HIR images. The lesion detection rate on ULD-DLR images was 92.2%, with 10 cysts < 5 mm in diameter missed. The CT values of organs on ULD-DLR were similar to those on LD-HIR and lower than those on ULD-HIR. Signal-to-noise ratio was highest and noise lowest on ULD-DLR. The subjective image quality of ULD-DLR was similar to that of LD-HIR and better than that of ULD-HIR. The effective radiation dose of ULDCT (0.64 ± 0.17 mSv) was 77% lower than that of LDCT (2.75 ± 0.50 mSv). Conclusion: ULDCT combined with DLR could significantly reduce radiation dose while maintaining suitable image quality and stone detection rate in the diagnosis of renal calculi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury is closely related to the overwhelming inflammation in the myocardium. Herein, cardiomyocyte-targeted nanotherapeutics were developed for the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-ultrasensitive co-delivery of dexamethasone (Dex) and RAGE small interfering RNA (siRAGE) to attenuate myocardial inflammation. PPTP, a ROS-degradable polycation based on PGE2-modified, PEGylated, ditellurium-crosslinked polyethylenimine (PEI) was developed to surface-decorate the Dex-encapsulated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), which simultaneously condensed siRAGE and gated the MSNs to prevent the Dex pre-leakage. Upon intravenous injection to IR-injured rats, the nanotherapeutics could be efficiently transported into the inflamed cardiomyocytes via PGE2-assisted recognition of over-expressed E-series of prostaglandin (EP) receptors on the cell membranes. Intracellularly, the over-produced ROS degraded PPTP into small segments, promoting the release of siRAGE and Dex to mediate effective RAGE silencing (72%) and cooperative antiinflammatory effect. As a consequence, the nanotherapeutics notably suppressed the myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis, ultimately recovering the systolic function. Therefore, the current nanotherapeutics represent an effective example for the co-delivery and on-demand release of nucleic acid and chemodrug payloads, and might find promising utilities toward the synergistic management of myocardial inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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