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The development of CO2 separation membranes with high permeability and high selectivity, as well as ultra-thin selective layers, has always been challenging. Herein, a molecular-scaled co-assembly strategy is employed to fabricate the Pebax-Mo132 (Pebax = polyether-block-amide copolymer; Mo132 = (NH4)42[Mo72VIMo60VO372(CH3COO)30(H2O)72]) membranes. The optimal self-standing membrane, Pebax-Mo132-5%, shows a CO2 permeability of ∼384 Barrer and an ultra-high ideal CO2/N2 selectivity of ∼244, outperforming most membranes reported in the literature. The CO2 permeability and ideal CO2/N2 selectivity are increased by 70% and 367%, respectively, compared with the pristine Pebax membrane. A thin-film composite membrane prepared by spin-coating technique on a support membrane with gutter layers also exhibits a CO2 permeance of 838 GPU and a CO2/N2 selectivity of 136. Such excellent performance can be attributed to the following reasons: (1) strong hydrogen bonding interactions between {Mo132} clusters and Pebax confer excellent interfacial compatibility to the mixed matrix membranes; (2) incorporation of hollow {Mo132} clusters into the Pebax molecular chain decreases the crystallinity of Pebax, and thereby accelerates the chain dynamics and increases the free volume of the membrane; (3) in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy demonstrates that the {Mo132} clusters can effectively catalyze the hydration reaction of CO2 and promote the transport of CO2; (4) furthermore, the 0.35 nm pores of the crown ether-type {Mo9O9} allow the accurate size sieving of CO2 (0.33 nm) and N2 (0.36 nm) molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Branched aromatic α-amino acids are valuable building blocks in natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds. However, their chemical or enzymatic synthesis is challenging due to the presence of two stereocenters. We design phenylalanine ammonia lyases (PAL) variants for the direct asymmetric synthesis of β-branched aromatic α-amino acids. Based on extensive computational analyses, we unravel the enigma behind PAL's inability to accept β-methyl cinnamic acid (β-MeCA) as substrate and achieve the synthesis of the corresponding amino acids of β-MeCA and analogs using a double (PcPAL-L256V-I460V) and a triple mutant (PcPAL-F137V-L256V-I460V). The reactions are scaled-up using an optimized E. coli based whole-cell biotransformation system to produce ten β-branched phenylalanine analogs with high diastereoselectivity (dr > 20:1) and enantioselectivity (ee > 99.5%) in yields ranging from 41-71%. Moreover, we decipher the mechanism of PcPAL-L256V-I460V for the acceptance of β-MeCA and converting it with excellent stereoselectivity by computational simulations. Thus, this study offers an efficient method for synthesizing β-branched aromatic α-amino acids. β-Branched aromatic α-amino acids are valuable building blocks in natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds, but their synthesis is challenging due to the presence of two stereocenters. Here, the authors design phenylalanine ammonia lyases variants for the direct asymmetric synthesis of β-branched aromatic α-amino acids and reveal the reasons for enzyme's inability to accept β-methyl cinnamic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a leading cause of drug-induced liver damage, highlighting the limitations of current emergency treatments that primarily involve administering the glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine and supportive therapy. This study highlights the essential protective role of the type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP), hepsin, in mitigating acetaminophen-induced liver injury, particularly through its regulation of gap junction (GJ) abundance in response to reactive oxygen stress in the liver. We previously reported that reduced levels of activated hepatocyte growth factor and the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase—both of which are vital for maintaining cellular redox balance—combined with increased expression of GJ proteins in hepsin-deficient mice. Here, we show that hepsin deficiency in mice exacerbates acetaminophen toxicity compared to wild-type mice, leading to more severe liver pathology, elevated oxidative stress, and greater mortality within 6 h after exposure. Administering hepsin had a protective effect in both mouse models, reducing hepatotoxicity by modulating GJ abundance. Additionally, transcriptome analysis and a functional GJ inhibitor have highlighted hepsin's mechanism for managing oxidative stress. Combining hepsin with relatively low doses of N-acetylcysteine had a synergistic effect that was more efficacious than high-dose N-acetylcysteine alone. Our results illustrate the crucial role of hepsin in modulating the abundance of hepatic GJs and reducing oxidative stress, thereby offering early protection against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and a new, combination approach. Emerging as a promising therapeutic target, hepsin holds potential for combination therapy with N-acetylcysteine, paving the way for novel approaches in managing drug-induced liver injury. 1. Hepsin−/− mice exhibit exacerbated APAP toxicity, resulting in more severe liver damage, elevated oxidative stress, and higher mortality. 2. Hepsin is crucial in protecting against APAP-induced liver injury by regulating gap junctions and reducing oxidative stress. 3. Combining hepsin with low doses of N-acetylcysteine provides greater protection against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity than high-dose NAC alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the predictive efficacy of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in parametrial invasion (PMI) in cervical cancer patients. Methods: A total of 83 cervical cancer patients (32 PMI-positive and 51 PMI-negative) retrospectively underwent pretreatment IVIM-DWI and DCE-MRI scans. IVIM-DWI parameters included apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), slow apparent diffusion coefficient (D), fast apparent diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f). DCE-MRI parameters included volume transfer constant (Ktrans), flux rate constant (Kep), and fractional extravascular extracellular space volume (Ve). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent variables associated with PMI. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess the predictive performance of significant parameters. Results: Multivariable analysis revealed that the MRI parameters D (odds ratio [OR]: 7.05; 95% CI 1.78–27.88; P = 0.005), D* (OR 6.58; 95% CI 1.49–29.10; P = 0.01), f (OR 5.12; 95% CI 1.23–21.37; P = 0.03), Ktrans (OR 4.60; 95% CI 1.19–17.81; P = 0.03), and Kep (OR 4.90; 95% CI 1.25–19.18; P = 0.02) were independent predictors of PMI in cervical cancer patients. The combined parameter incorporating these parameters demonstrated the highest performance in predicting PMI, yielding an area under the curve of 0.906, sensitivity of 84.4%, and specificity of 86.3%. Conclusion: The proposed combined parameter exhibited favorable performance in identifying PMI in cervical cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics/Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Similar to species richness, genotypic richness of plants plays a pivotal role in the structure and function of ecosystems. While the contribution of intraspecific variability to ecosystem function has been well-established, the mechanisms underlying the effect of genotypic richness on nitrogen (N) uptake patten remain poorly understood. We established experimental populations consisting of 1, 4, or 8 genotypes of the clonal plant Hydrocotyle verticillata in microcosms and conducted 15N-labeling to quantify plant N uptake. NH4+-N uptake rate of the populations with 8 genotypes was significantly higher than that of the populations with 1- and 4-genotypes, while genotypic richness did not influence NO3−-N uptake rate. Increasing genotypic richness also enhanced NH4+-N uptake preference and reduced NO3−-N uptake preference. Additionally, increasing genotypic richness facilitated the transformation of the soil nitrogen pool, resulting in a reduction of total soil N content and an increase in soil NH4+-N, thereby causing a shift in population N uptake preference. Our findings highlight the importance of genotypic richness on both N uptake and N form preference of plant populations. Such intraspecific variability in N uptake and N form preference may further influence population dynamics and ecosystem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity commonly contributes to ecosystem functioning and provides ecosystem services. Biochar application is frequently used to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals. As many invasive plant species can quickly form huge amounts of biomass, they are potentially useful for producing biochar for remediating contaminated soils. However, it remains untested whether invasive species richness contributes to biochar-mediated soil remediation. We applied single biochar made from each of six invasive plant species and biochar mixtures (i.e., mixtures of biochar derived from 2, 3, and 6 invasive plant species) to soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd), with no biochar application as the control. We then grew native plant communities on these soils. Compared to the control, biochar application significantly decreased Cd bioavailability (− 34% averaged across the three richness treatments) in the soils, and this effect increased with increasing invasive species richness involved in the biochar mixtures (from − 22 to − 38%). Biochar application significantly increased both the concentration (+ 126%) and pool size (+ 59%) of Cd in roots of the native plant community, although it significantly decreased its biomass (− 25%). Thus, invasive species diversity can contribute to biochar-mediated remediation of soils contaminated with Cd. Our findings indicate a novel biodiversity-mediated ecosystem service, i.e., the use of multiple invasive plant species for the production of biochar. As harvesting of invasive species for biochar production may also contribute to their management, this might mitigate the two ecological problems at once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Carbon materials with defect-rich structure are highly demanded for various electrochemical scenes, but encountering a conflict with the deteriorative intrinsic conductivity. Herein, we build a highway-mediated nanoarchitecture that consists of the ordered pseudographitic nanodomains among disordered highly nitrogen-doped segments through a supramolecular self-assembly strategy. The "order-in-disorder" nanosheet-like carbon obtained at 800 °C (O/D NSLC-800) achieves a tradeoff with high defect degree (21.9 at% of doped nitrogen) and compensated electrical conductivity simultaneously. As expected, symmetrical O/D NSLC-800 electrodes exhibit superior capacitive deionization (CDI) performance, including brackish water desalination (≈82 mgNaCl g−1 at a cell voltage of 1.6 V in a 1000 mg L−1 NaCl solution) and reusage of actual refining circulating cooling water, outperforming most of the reported state-of-the-art CDI electrodes. The implanted pseudographitic nanodomains lower the resistance and activation energy of charge transfer, which motivates the synergy of hosting sites of multiple nitrogen configurations. Our findings shed light on electrically conductive nanoarchitecture design of defect-rich materials for advanced electrochemical applications based on molecular-level modulation. Carbon materials are widely used in electrochemical technologies. However, their intrinsic conductivity deteriorates over time. Here the authors build a highway-mediated nanoarchitecture of ordered pseudographitic nanodomains to promote charge transfer for electrochemical ion capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurons play an important role in forming behaviors and cognition through synaptic interactions. When organized into neural networks, these neurons can exhibit complex dynamic behaviors, such as multi-scroll and hyperchaotic attractors. In this study, we investigated the dynamic behavior of memristor synapses between four small neurons and proposed a new segmented linear memristor. Based on this, an improved version of the second memristor was obtained by modification. Subsequently, a new neural network was constructed, and the coefficients of the neural network were slightly adjusted. Two memristor synapse HNNs were constructed separately. Finally, these memristors were integrated as synapses and autapses to create the third memristive synapse HNN. It is worth noting that the last memristive HNN can generate hyperchaotic multi-scroll attractors, and its memristor function effectively controls the number of scroll axes. The dynamics of the hyperchaotic multi-scroll memristive HNN were analyzed using phase diagrams, bifurcation diagrams, Poincare maps, and Lyapunov exponent plots. In terms of hardware implementation, we used FPGA to implement the proposed hyperchaotic multi-scroll model and demonstrated 6 memristive HNN attractors on an oscilloscope to validate the accuracy of the model. Finally, a simple image encryption scheme with high information entropy was designed, demonstrating good encryption effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the agreement and repeatability of scotopic pupil size measurement using 2WIN-S (Adaptica, Padova, Italy) portable refractor in Chinese adults. This prospective non-randomized open-label controlled study assessed the scotopic pupil size of 100 right eyes using OPD-Scan III (Optical path difference) (Nidek Technologies, Gamagori, Japan) and 2WIN-S. OPD-Scan III and 2WIN-S measure pupil size using infrared light and detector, while 2WIN-S measures bilateral eyes simultaneously, OPD-Scan III measures unilateral eyes individually. Participants were first measured once using OPD-Scan III and two consecutive measurements were performed using 2WIN-S after 15 min of rest interval. The primary outcome was to evaluate the agreement between 2WIN-S and OPD-Scan III, and the secondary outcome was to evaluate the repeatability of 2WIN-S. Scotopic pupil size of 100 right eyes of 100 adults (28 male and 72 female) aged 18–53 years (mean 36 ± 12 years) was assessed using OPD-Scan III and 2WIN-S, respectively. The mean scotopic pupil size of OPD-Scan III and 2WIN-S was recorded to be 6.24 ± 0.88 mm and 6.27 ± 0.81 mm, respectively. For the mean scotopic pupil size of OPD-Scan III and 2WIN-S the difference was − 0.03 mm (95%CI − 0.10 to 0.04 mm), p = 0.445, the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) was − 0.71 to 0.66 mm. ICC between the two devices was 0.92 (95% CI 0.88–0.94) (ICC > 0.9 indicates excellent consistency). Coefficients of repeatability (CoR) of 2WIN-S was 0.37, which has a high repeatability. For the mean scotopic pupil size of 2WIN-S of the repeated measurements, the difference was -0.04 mm (95%CI − 0.08 to 0.01 mm), p = 0.019, the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) was − 0.41 to 0.32 mm, with a narrow LOA. However, the majority of the variations were less than ± 0.50 mm (98% of scotopic pupil size measurements were below this threshold), within the clinically acceptable range (± 0.50 mm). Our study showed excellent agreement between 2WIN-S and OPD-Scan III (ICC > 0.9) and a good repeatability of 2WIN-S (CoR = 0.37). This study suggests a novel technique for measuring pupillary responses in low light conditions, which can be considered an alternative to OPD-Scan III in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) combined with adjuvant chemotherapy on myelosuppression for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients using network meta-analysis (NMA). Methods: Literature searches in both international (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese (China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure) databases for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted from inception until October 10, 2022. We included RCTs of patients who received CHM combined with chemotherapy, including FOLFOX, XELOX, FOLFIRI, and other relevant regimens in the CHM treatment group. The outcomes included the incidence of myelosuppression, leukopenia, hemoglobin reduction, and thrombocytopenia. Two reviewers independently screened the databases, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias and credibility of evidence. RevMan 5.4.1 software and STATA 14.0 were used to perform the NMA. Results: A total of 31 RCTs were included, published from 2008 to 2021 in Chinese. Among these, 2,314 participants comparing the following 9 CHMs were identified: Shengbai Recipe (SBR), Bazhen Decoction (BZD), Jianpi Jiedu Recipe (JJR), Jianpi Recipe (JR), Compound Cantharis Capsule (CCC), Zaofan Pill (ZFP), Guilu Erxian Gel (GL), Buzhong Tiaogan Decoction (BZ), and Qiamagu Capsule (QM). The results of NMA found an indirect comparison. Based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), the ZFP+ chemotherapy group had the lowest incidence of myelosuppression, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.08 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01, 0.76], whereas the GL+ chemotherapy group had the lowest incidence of leukopenia, hemoglobin reduction, and thrombocytopenia, with an OR of 5.25 (95% CI: 2.41, 11.43), 4.66 (95% CI: 2.23, 9.72), and 0.27 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.54), respectively. Moreover, BZD + chemotherapy could alleviate leukopenia, hemoglobin reduction, and thrombocytopenia (P<0.01). Pairwise comparison showed that there was no difference in the efficacy among the 8 CHMs+ chemotherapy group. The comparison and adjustment funnel plot indicated that small-study effect had no impact on these outcomes. Conclusions: This NMA provided evidence to support that patients with CRC benefit from receiving different combination of CHM chemotherapies. Among these, GL plus chemotherapy and BZD plus chemotherapy were the more effective for myelosuppression in patients; however, as the qualtiy of evidence is insufficient, further research is needed. (PROSPERO, No. CRD42022369025) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water evaporation-driven power generation has attracted wide attention in recent years due to its capability to obtain electricity from the natural water evaporation. However, low output power and difficulties in large-scale manufacturing are still changeable for further development. Here, we design an asymmetric electrode with the three-layer structure (carbon cloth/filter paper/copper plate) for an evaporation-driven generator. Mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanoparticles are loaded on the net-like structured carbon cloth to provide more ion exchange microchannels, which can promote water evaporation. As a result, the generator can output electricity at room temperature with a stable open circuit voltage of 200 mV for about 24 h. The output current density and the output power of the generator can reach 90 μA/cm2 and 14 μW/cm2, respectively. This research provides an effective strategy for sustainable energy harvesting based on the water evaporation device without the limitation of dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sample and hold circuit (SHC), as a key module of the analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), directly affects the sampling speed and accuracy of the entire data acquisition system. Using TSMC 0.18 μm current-mode SHC for high-speed ADC was designed using CMOS technology. The proposed circuit combines a single amplifier and negative feedback structure to eliminate clock-feed through noise and high signal-to-noise distortion ratio (SNDR) from low power supply voltage and very low current consumption. Meanwhile, a differential structure is provided to reduce distortion caused by channel charge injection. Discussed design issues such as clock feedthrough noise, channel modulation effects, and power consumption. The design verification of the proposed current-mode SHC was completed through circuit layout simulation using CMOS model parameters. The results show that, from a 1.0 V supply and with a power consumption of 54.4 μW, the proposed circuit provides 71.2 dB SNDR, 11.53 bit effective number of bits, and a figure of merit of 1.8 fJ/conversion-step when the sampling frequency is 10 KS/S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend our previous study of the interactions of D ¯ (∗) Λ c - D ¯ (∗) Σ c (∗) within an analytic, unitary, coupled-channel approach by including the J / ψ p channel and performing fits to the J / ψ p invariant mass distributions in the Λ b 0 → J / ψ p K - decay by the LHCb Collaboration. We take into account the contributions of t-channel pseudoscalar and vector meson exchanges and u-channel baryon exchanges in this work, and a series of bound states and resonances with different spin-parities are dynamically generated. According to the results, four states have a significant impact on the physical observables, with two having a spin-parity of 1 / 2 - and the other two having 3 / 2 - . These states can be associated with the LHCb hidden-charm pentaquarks. We further provide the coupling strength between each pole and different channels, which provides some insights on how to search for them in future experiments. Moreover, we also search for poles in higher partial waves up to J = 7 / 2 and find indications for the existence of several states with larger widths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have successfully fabricated the second-generation YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO)-coated conductors on the solution deposition planarization (SDP) yttrium oxide and aluminum oxide (Y2O3-Al2O3, YAlO) templates. Distinguishing from commercially available coated conductors, the SDP-YAlO process employs chemical solution deposition to fabricate multi-layer amorphous oxides on polycrystalline metal substrates, presenting a cost-effective alternative to replace sputtering-Al2O3, sputtering-Y2O3, and electrochemical polishing processes. The detailed SDP-YAlO fabrication process has been studied systematically. The YAlO seed layer exhibits smooth and flat surface morphology with an optimal root mean square roughness (RMS) of 1.6 nm over a 5 μm x 5 μm area, indicative of a smooth surface. Furthermore, the YBCO functional layer was deposited on ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) MgO buffer layers, utilizing both SDP-Y2O3 and SDP-YAlO as seed layers. The critical current (Jc) uniformity of YBCO films on SDP-YAlO is much better that those on SDP-Y2O3, indicating the potential of SDP-YAlO as a promising seed layer for YBCO-coated conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing stable, high-performance chloride-ion storage electrodes is essential for energy storage and water purification application. Herein, a P, S co-doped porous hollow nanotube array, with a free ion diffusion pathway and highly active adsorption sites, on carbon felt electrodes (CoNiPS@CF) is reported. Due to the porous hollow nanotube structure and synergistic effect of P, S co-doped, the CoNiPS@CF based capacitive deionization (CDI) system exhibits high desalination capacity (76.1 mgCl– g–1), fast desalination rate (6.33 mgCl– g–1 min–1) and good cycling stability (capacity retention rate of > 90%), which compares favorably to the state-of-the-art electrodes. The porous hollow nanotube structure enables fast ion diffusion kinetics due to the swift ion transport inside the electrode and the presence of a large number of reactive sites. The introduction of S element also reduces the passivation layer on the surface of CoNiP and lowers the adsorption energy for Cl– capture, thereby improving the electrode conductivity and surface electrochemical activity, and further accelerating the adsorption kinetics. Our results offer a powerful strategy to improve the reactivity and stability of transition metal phosphides for chloride capture, and to improve the efficiency of electrochemical dechlorination technologies. P, S co-doped porous nanotube arrays on carbon felt (CoNiPS@CF) enhance chloride-ion storage for energy and water purification. This structure provides a short ion diffusion pathway, and improves activity of adsorption sites, promoting conductivity and activity for efficient chloride capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both increasing native species diversity and reducing nutrient availability can increase the ability of native plant communities to resist alien plant invasions. Furthermore, native species diversity and nutrient availability may interact to influence alien plant invasions. So far, however, little is known about the interactive effect of species diversity and nutrient availability on reproduction of alien invasive plants. We constructed native plant communities with one, four or eight species under low and high nutrient supply and then let them be invaded by the invasive alien plant Bidens pilosa. Results: At both high and low nutrient supply, increasing native species richness significantly increased aboveground biomass of the native plant community and decreased aboveground biomass and biomass proportion of the invader B. pilosa. Reproductive biomass of B. pilosa decreased significantly with increasing native species richness under high nutrient supply, but this effect was not observed under low nutrient supply. Net biodiversity effect on seed mass of B. pilosa decreased significantly with increasing native species diversity under high nutrient supply, but not under low nutrient supply. This was mainly because the selection effect became dominant with increasing species richness under high nutrient supply. Conclusions: Our study suggest that native species richness and nutrient supply can interact to influence reproduction of invasive alien plant species and that measures to help maintain a high level of native species richness and to reduce nutrient supply could be useful for efficient invasive plant control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, and its pathological mechanisms are thought to be closely linked to apoptosis. Anoikis, a specific type of apoptosis, has recently been suggested to play a role in the progression of Parkinson's disease; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. To explore the potential mechanisms involved in PD, we selected genes from the GSE28894 dataset and compared their expression in PD patients and healthy controls to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and selected anoikis-related genes (ANRGs) from the DEGs. Furthermore, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression approach and multivariate logistic regression highlighted five key genes—GSK3B, PCNA, CDC42, DAPK2, and SRC—as biomarker candidates. Subsequently, we developed a nomogram model incorporating these 5 genes along with age and sex to predict and diagnose PD. To evaluate the model's coherence, clinical applicability, and distinguishability, we utilized receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the C-index, and calibration curves and validated it in both the GSE20295 dataset and our center's external clinical data. In addition, we confirmed the differential expression of the 5 model genes in human blood samples through qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Our constructed anoikis-related PD diagnostic model exhibits satisfactory predictive accuracy and offers novel insights into both diagnosis and treatment strategies for Parkinson's disease while facilitating its implementation in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dehydroepiandrosterone plays an important role in the human beings due to its ability to be converted into androgens and oestrogens. The aim of this paper is to synthesize a series of novel dehydroepiandrosteronyl 1,2,3-triazole derivatives and study the antitumor activity of the synthesized compounds. Methods: Novel dehydroepiandrosteronyl 1,2,3-triazole derivatives were synthesized across the Mitsunobu and click reaction, respectively. The cytotoxicities of the synthesized compounds against HeLa, HGC-27, and HEK-293T cells were determined by MTT assay. Results and Discussion: The results showed that compound (V) (3R,8R,9S,10R,13S,14S)3-(4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16-tetradecahydro17H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-one had better inhibitory activity against the tumor cell lines tested. The IC50 value of inhibitory activity on human cervical cancer cell (HeLa) and human gastric cancer cell (HGC-27) was 33.6 and 22.3 μmolL–1, respectively. Conclusions: This work provides useful strategies for the design and synthesis of new steroidal antitumor drugs. The synthesized compounds have certain inhibitory activity on tumor cell growth and proliferation, but have little damage on normal cells, which deserves further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both heavy metal pollution and plant invasion are serious global environmental problems. Nutrient availability has been shown to influence the performance of invasive plants in heavy metal polluted environments. However, it is still unclear whether the effects of nutrients differ between different forms. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to test the effects of cadmium (0.5, 1 and 2 mg L−1) and nitrogen concentration (0.5, 2 and 8 mmol L−1) as well as nitrogen form (ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and glycine) on the invasive, widespread plant Alternanthera philoxeroides. Cadmium did not affect the overall growth of Alternanthera philoxeroides. In the presence of cadmium, plants grew better when provided with nitrate nitrogen than with ammonia nitrogen or glycine. Cadmium interacted with nitrogen level and nitrogen form to affect the growth. At medium (1 mg L−1) and high (2 mg L−1) cadmium levels, promotion of high level nitrate nitrogen (8 mmol L−1) on plant growth was significantly reduced. Our results suggest that the growth performance of Alternanthera philoxeroides in cadmium polluted water is related to both nitrogen level and form. These findings could provide a basis for predicting the spread of Alternanthera philoxeroides in polluted water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpesviruses adhere to a precise temporal expression model in which immediate-early (IE) genes play a crucial role in regulating the viral life cycle. However, there is a lack of functional research on the IE genes in Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 (IcHV-1). In this study, we identified the IcHV-1 ORF24 as an IE gene via a metabolic inhibition assay, and subcellular analysis indicated its predominant localisation in the nucleus. To investigate its function, we performed yeast reporter assays using an ORF24 fusion protein containing the Gal4-BD domain and found that BD-ORF24 was able to activate HIS3/lacZ reporter genes without the Gal4-AD domain. Our findings provide concrete evidence that ORF24 is indeed an IE gene that likely functions as a transcriptional regulator during IcHV-1 infection. This work contributes to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fish herpesvirus IE gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-eluting stents are a commonly used treatment for coronary artery disease. However, the coatings used in drug-eluting stents have some limitations such as poor biocompatibility and drug loading capacity. In recent years, self-assembly methods have emerged as a promising alternative for stent coatings. Self-assembled coatings employ biomaterials and offer several advantages over traditional coatings, including thinner thickness, stronger binding capacity, and better biocompatibility. This review discusses the latest research on self-assembled biomaterial-based coatings for drug-eluting stents. We explore how layer-by-layer coatings and composite coating films have been utilized to load and release drugs with high drug loading capacity and biocompatibility, as well as how they promote endothelial adhesion and growth. Additionally, we examine how self-assembled coatings have been used to release active molecules for anti-coagulation and deliver gene therapy. Moreover, we discuss the potential of self-assembled coatings for future development, including intelligent targeted drug delivery, bionic stent coatings, and 3D printed stent coatings. These advancements have the potential to further improve the effectiveness of drug-eluting stents in treating coronary artery disease. The next-generation coronary artery stent by self-assembled coating: Self-assembled coatings in drug-eluting stents can bind biomaterials and offer several advantages over traditional coatings, including thinner structures, stronger binding capacity, and better biocompatibility. The encouraging achievements of self-assembled stent coatings include corrosion resistance, anti-fouling, anti-thrombogenicity, endothelialization, and targeted gene therapy. Future investigation and development of self-assembly in stent coatings will help improve the functionalities of self-assembled coatings in coronary artery stents and greatly extend their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cat states, as an important resource in the study of macroscopic quantum superposition and quantum information applications, have garnered widespread attention. To date, preparing large-sized optical cat states has remained challenging. We demonstrate that, by utilizing interaction-free measurement and the quantum Zeno effect, even a fragile quantum microscopic system can deterministically control and become entangled with strong light fields, thereby generating large-amplitude optical cat states. During the entire preparation process, our method ensures that the microscopic system functions within a weak field environment, so that its quantum property can be protected. Furthermore, we show that the preparation of cat states is possible even when the quantum microsystem suffers from significant photon loss, provided that optical losses from classical devices are kept low, which implies that the fidelity of the cat state can be enhanced by improvements to and the perfection of the classical optical system. In quantum physics, superposition—illustrated by Schrödinger's cat being both dead and alive—inspires 'cat states', utilized in quantum technologies. The authors propose a theory where the optical state, through multiple indirect atom interactions in an interferometric setup, can generate large-amplitude optical cat states, advancing quantum applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the problem of long-term uplift of high-speed railway subgrade in a red mudstone area, dehydration shrinkage under different relative humidity gradients was tested. The combined analysis of mineral composition and micro-fissure structure was made to assess the influences of the humidity gradient on the dehydration-shrinkage characteristics and residual deformation of mudstone. Compared with the process of gas moisture absorption-expansion, the range of humidity gradient in which irreversible residual deformation occurs significantly was determined. The results show that the dehydration-shrinkage characteristic of mudstone is time-dependent, but the dehydration process lags the shrinkage process; the dehydration rate and shrinkage rate increase with the increase of humidity gradient. Unlike the gas moisture absorption-expansion, the rate of moisture migration is higher in the dehydration process, and the shrinkage rate is much higher than the expansion rate. This sharp shrinkage is more likely to lead to residual deformation of mudstone. The larger the humidity gradient experienced by the absorption-dehydration cycle, the stronger the water-holding capacity of mudstone, indicating that the change of humidity has an irreversible effect on the structure of mudstone. The measured humidity range of irreversible residual deformation of mudstone is RH85% to RH99%. It is under the action of repeated changes in environmental humidity that the continuous accumulation of irreversible residual deformation causes the slow uplift of mudstone subgrade. The results provide a new perspective for revealing the internal mechanism of long-term uplifting of red mudstone in central Sichuan, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In engineering design, attention is usually paid to avoiding the low-order modal resonance of elastomers, but it is difficult to avoid high-order modal resonance. Although the amplitude of high-order modal resonance is generally not large, due to the higher frequency, it will also lead to vibration fatigue of the structure. To accurately analyze the higher order modes of a one-dimensional elastomer, the vibration reduction efficiency of a nonlinear energy sink (NES) cell element at higher order excitation frequencies is explored. Methods: First, a Timoshenko beam dynamic model of transverse nonlinear vibration of elastic body is established. The natural frequencies and the modes of the first eight orders of the elastic beam are analyzed and compared with the numerical results of ANSYS software. The correctness of modal analysis of elastic beam is verified. To suppress the resonance of the higher order modes of the elastomer, the centralized and distributed control strategies of the NES cell are introduced. The dynamic model of forced vibration of Timoshenko beam coupled with NES cell is established. The harmonic balance method (HBM) and the pseudo arc-length method are combined to solve the partial differential–integral equation of Timoshenko beam coupled with multiple NES cell nonlinear differential equations. The amplitude–frequency response curve of the system is obtained. The approximate analytical results are numerically verified by the Runge–Kutta method (RKM). The resonant steady-state response of the nonlinear vibration of Timoshenko beam without NES cell control is compared. Results and Conclusion: For both different vibration reduction strategies, the NES cell element has good vibration reduction efficiency. As the number of NES cell elements increases, the vibration reduction efficiency also increases. However, the vibration reduction efficiency does not keep increasing, but tends to a stable value. For both vibration reduction strategies, the NES cell elements have highly similar vibration reduction efficiencies at higher order resonant frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Through facial basicity adjustment, kinetically favorable ZnxNi1-xO@CF electrode was formed with a high density hierarchical structure and three dimensional open pores. The optimal Zn-doping ratio in ZnxNi1-xO@CF has excellent sodium storage and desalination performance (128.9 mg g-1). The mechanism of Na+ intercalation process was studied by electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring in situ test and the activation mechanism of redox-inert Zn-doping on electrode materials was reported. Despite the promising potential of transition metal oxides (TMOs) as capacitive deionization (CDI) electrodes, the actual capacity of TMOs electrodes for sodium storage is significantly lower than the theoretical capacity, posing a major obstacle. Herein, we prepared the kinetically favorable ZnxNi1 − xO electrode in situ growth on carbon felt (ZnxNi1 − xO@CF) through constraining the rate of OH− generation in the hydrothermal method. ZnxNi1 − xO@CF exhibited a high-density hierarchical nanosheet structure with three-dimensional open pores, benefitting the ion transport/electron transfer. And tuning the moderate amount of redox-inert Zn-doping can enhance surface electroactive sites, actual activity of redox-active Ni species, and lower adsorption energy, promoting the adsorption kinetic and thermodynamic of the Zn0.2Ni0.8O@CF. Benefitting from the kinetic-thermodynamic facilitation mechanism, Zn0.2Ni0.8O@CF achieved ultrahigh desalination capacity (128.9 mgNaCl g−1), ultra-low energy consumption (0.164 kW h kgNaCl−1), high salt removal rate (1.21 mgNaCl g−1 min−1), and good cyclability. The thermodynamic facilitation and Na+ intercalation mechanism of Zn0.2Ni0.8O@CF are identified by the density functional theory calculations and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, respectively. This research provides new insights into controlling electrochemically favorable morphology and demonstrates that Zn-doping, which is redox-inert, is essential for enhancing the electrochemical performance of CDI electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of aerospace, the large complex curved workpiece is widely used. However, the lack of digital monitoring and detection in the current manufacturing process leads to the low efficiency of the parts produced and processed, and quality consistency cannot be guaranteed. Aiming at the problems of low degree of virtual visualization and insufficient monitoring ability of large complex surface machining, a framework of large complex surface machining monitoring system based on digital twin technology was proposed. The digital research of intelligent processing monitoring system is carried out from six dimensions. By studying the key technologies of virtual twin model construction, multi-source data acquisition and transmission, and virtual-real mapping relationship construction, a digital twin monitoring system for large complex surface machining is developed. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the twin system are verified by a real scene, and it provides a reference for monitoring the machining process of large complex curved workpieces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium-based materials (e.g., In2O3) are a class of promising non-noble metal-based catalysts for electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2). However, competitive hydrogen reduction reaction (HER) on indium-based catalysts hampers CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) process. We herein tune the interfacial microenvironment of In2O3 through chemical graft of alkyl phosphoric acid molecules using a facile solution-processed strategy for the first time, which is distinguished from other researches that tailor intrinsic activity of In2O3 themselves. The surface functionalization of alkyl phosphoric acids over In2O3 is demonstrated to remarkably boost CO2 conversion. For example, octadecylphosphonic acid modified In2O3 exhibits Faraday efficiency for H2 ( FE H 2 ) of as low as 6.6% and FEHCOOH of 86.5% at −0.67 V vs. RHE, which are far superior to parent In2O3 counterparts ( FE H 2 of 24.0% and FEHCOOH of 63.1%). Moreover, the enhancing effect of alkyl phosphoric acid functionalization is found to be closely related to the length of alkyl chains. By virtue of comprehensive experimental characterizations and molecular dynamics simulations, it is revealed that the modification of alkyl phosphoric acids significantly alters the interface microenvironment of the electrocatalyst, which changes the electrocatalyst surface from hydrophilic and aerophobic to hydrophobic and aerophilic. In this case, the water molecules are pushed away and more CO2 molecules are trapped, increasing local CO2 concentration at In2O3 active sites, thus leading to the significantly enhanced CO2RR and suppressed HER. This work highlights the importance of regulating the interfacial microenvironment of inorganic catalysts by molecular surface functionalization as a means for promoting the electrochemical performance in electrosynthesis and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Currently, the most used peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) regimen for neuroendocrine tumors comprises 4 treatment cycles, and there is not enough large-scale data to support the safety of more individualized extended PRRT. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and potential nephrotoxicity related to PRRT using more than four treatment cycles. Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we included patients who had received at least four PRRT cycles and had available follow-up data. We analyzed renal function indicators before and after multiple treatments, comparing nephrotoxicity in patients receiving four cycles ("standard") with those receiving more than four ("extended treatment"). Nephrotoxicity was assessed via creatinine levels and CTCAE creatinine grades. Treatment effectiveness was gauged using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, focusing on overall survival and disease-specific survival (DSS). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26 (IBM), R 4.2.3, and GraphPad Prism 9.0.0. Statistical significance was defined as a P-value of less than 0.05. Results: Our study cohort consisted of 281 patients in the standard group and 356 in the extended treatment group. No significant differences in baseline characteristics or renal function were noted between the two groups pre-treatment. Mean post-treatment creatinine levels did not significantly differ between the standard (89.30 ± 51.19 μmol/L) and extended treatment groups (93.20 ± 55.98 μmol/L; P = 0.364). Similarly, there was no statistical significance between the CTCAE creatinine grades of the two groups (P = 0.448). Adverse renal events were observed in 0.4% of patients in the standard group and 1.1% in the extended treatment group. After a median follow-up time of 88.3 months, we found that median overall survival was significantly higher in the extended treatment group (72.8 months) compared to the standard treatment group (52.8 months). A Cox regression analysis further supported these findings, indicating a better prognosis for the extended treatment group in terms of overall survival (HR: 0.580, P < 0.001) and DSS (HR: 0.599, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that extending PRRT treatment beyond the standard four cycles may be a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for NET patients. This approach could be particularly beneficial for patients experiencing disease recurrence or progression following standard treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiome–derived metabolite, and its precursors (carnitine, choline, betaine) have not been fully examined in relation to thyroid cancer (TC) risk. The aim of this study was to assess the value of TMAO and its precursors in diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods: In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was utilized to measure the levels of plasma TMAO and its precursors (choline, carnitine, and betaine) in 215 TC patients, 63 benign thyroid nodules (BTN) patients and 148 healthy controls (HC). The distribution of levels of TMAO and its precursors among the three groups were compared by the Kruskal–Wallis test. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and the predictive accuracy of single and combined biomarkers. Results: In comparison to HC, TC showed higher levels of TMAO and lower levels of its precursors (carnitine, choline, and betaine) (all P < 0.001). Plasma choline (P < 0.01) and betaine (P < 0.05) were declined in BTN than HC. The levels of carnitine (P < 0.001) and choline (P < 0.05) were significantly higher in BTN than that in TC group. Plasma TMAO showed lower levels in TC with lymph node metastasis (101.5 (73.1–144.5) ng/ml) than those without lymph node metastasis (131 (84.8–201) ng/ml, P < 0.05). Combinations of these four metabolites achieved good performance in the differential diagnosis, with the area under the ROC curve of 0.703, 0.741, 0.793 when discriminating between TC and BTN, BTN and HC, TC and HC, respectively. Conclusion: Plasma TMAO, along with its precursors could serve as new biomarkers for the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This single-arm, multi-center clinical trial aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, DLT, recommended dose (RD), preliminary efficacy, and pharmacokinetics (PK) characteristics of lurbinectedin, a selective inhibitor of oncogenic transcription, in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors, including relapsed SCLC. Patients with advanced solid tumors were recruited in the dose-escalation stage and received lurbinectedin in a 3 + 3 design (two cohorts: 2.5 mg/m2 and 3.2 mg/m2, IV, q3wk). The RD was expanded in the following dose-expansion stage, including relapsed SCLC patients after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. The primary endpoints included safety profile, tolerability, DLT, RD, and preliminary efficacy profile, while the secondary endpoints included PK characteristics. In the dose-escalation stage, ten patients were included, while one patient had DLT in the 3.2 mg/m2 cohort, which was also the RD for the dose-expansion stage. At cutoff (May 31, 2022), 22 SCLC patients were treated in the ongoing dose-expansion stage, and the median follow-up was 8.1 months (range 3.0–11.7). The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) included neutropenia (77.3%), leukopenia (63.6%), thrombocytopenia (40.9%), anemia (18.2%), and ALT increased (18.2%). The most common severe adverse events (SAEs) included neutropenia (27.3%), leukopenia (22.7%), thrombocytopenia (18.2%), and vomiting (9.1%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. The Independent Review Committee (IRC)-assessed ORR was 45.5% (95% CI 26.9–65.3). Lurbinectedin at the RD (3.2 mg/m2) showed manageable safety and acceptable tolerability in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors, and demonstrates promising efficacy in Chinese patients with SCLC as second-line therapy. Trial registration: This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04638491, 20/11/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroencephalogram (EEG) emotion recognition technology is essential for improving human–computer interaction. However, the practical application of emotion recognition technology is limited due to the variety of subjects and sessions. Transfer learning has been applied to address this issue and has received extensive research and application. Studies mainly concentrate on either instance transfer or representation transfer methods. This paper proposes an emotion recognition method called Joint Distributed Instances Represent Transfer (JD-IRT), which includes two core components: Joint Distribution Deep Adaptation (JDDA) and Instance-Representation Transfer (I-RT). Specifically, JDDA is different from common representation transfer methods in transfer learning. It bridges the discrepancies of marginal and conditional distributions simultaneously and combines multiple adaptive layers and kernels for deep domain adaptation. On the other hand, I-RT utilizes instance transfer to select source domain data for better representation transfer. We performed experiments and compared them with other representative methods in the SEED, SEED-IV, and SEED-V datasets. In cross-subject experiments, our approach achieved an average accuracy of 83.21% in SEED, 52.12% in SEED-IV, and 60.17% in SEED-V. Similarly, in cross-session experiments, the accuracy was 91.29% in SEED, 59.02% in SEED-IV, and 65.91% in SEED-V. These results demonstrate the improvement in the accuracy of EEG emotion recognition using the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with dissipative chaotic systems, conservative chaotic systems are more suitable for secure communication based on chaos. In this paper, an effective method for constructing a class of four-dimensional conservative chaotic systems is proposed by coupling four generalized Euler equations with four coupling parameters. Moreover, this method is also applicable to the construction of higher-dimensional Hamiltonian conservative systems. The chaotic and conservative properties of the system are verified in detail by relevant analytical methods, including equilibrium points, phase diagram, Lyapunov exponents, bifurcation diagram, energy, and transient quasi-periodic orbit. An interesting transient quasi-period phenomenon is observed in the new system. In addition, the Hamiltonian energy level affects the coexistence behavior of the new system. The coexistence phenomenon was analyzed from an energy perspective. With the increase in Hamiltonian energy level, the ergodicity and randomness increase. Besides, the system also has abundant coexistence orbitals at equal energy levels. Finally, the National Institute of Standards and Technology test verifies that the pseudo-random sequence based on the new system has good pseudo-randomness, and the hardware circuit of the system is realized by field programmable gate array, and the physical feasibility of the system is verified. This study demonstrates that the constructed class of Hamiltonian conservative chaotic systems is a good entropy source that can be applied to various chaotic embedded systems, including secure communication systems, cryptographic systems, and random number generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is believed that local activation is the origin of all complexities, and the locally active memristive synaptic neural network can generate complex chaotic dynamic behaviors, such as hyperchaotic, multi-scroll, multi-stability and hidden dynamical behaviors. However, there are few studies on the simultaneous occurrence of multiple complex dynamic behaviors in neural networks. No chaotic system of multi-scroll hyperchaotic hidden attractors based on neural network has been found yet. To solve the problem, in this paper, we propose a new locally active memristive Hopfield neural network (HNN) model based on a multi-segment function, which is affected by electromagnetic radiation and external current. The multi-scroll hyperchaotic hidden attractors are found in the memristive HNN for the first time. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation results show that the memristive HNN model has no equilibrium point, and the number of multi-scroll attractors is controlled by the state equation parameters of the memristive synapse. In addition, the structures and number of scrolls are also affected by electromagnetic radiation and external current. At the same time, under the appropriate parameter conditions, by modifying the initial value of the system, the memristive HNN has a controllable number of coexisting attractors, showing extreme multi-stability. Finally, a memristive HNN analog circuit is designed. The hardware experiment results reproduce the multi-scroll dynamics phenomenon, which verifies the correctness of the theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to spatial resolution limitations, conventional NaI-SPECT typically overestimates the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) in patients with small LV volumes. The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical application value of the small heart (SH) reconstruction protocol embedded in the postprocessing procedure of D-SPECT. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who undergo both D-SPECT and echocardiography (Echo) within one week. Patients with small LV volume were defined as those with a rest end-systolic volume (rESV) ≤ 25 mL and underwent reconstruction using the standard (SD) reconstruction protocol. The SH protocol was deemed successful in correcting the LVEF value if it decreased by 5% or more compared to the SD protocol. The ROC curve was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value of the SH protocol. LVEF, ESV and EDV were computed with SD and SH, respectively. Echo was performed as a reference, and Echo-LVEF, ESV, and EDV were calculated using the Teichholz formula. One-way ANOVA was used to compare these parameters among the three groups. Results: The final study included 209 patients (73.21% female, age 67.34 ± 7.85 years). Compared with the SD protocol, the SH protocol significantly decreased LVEF (67.43 ± 7.38% vs. 71.30 ± 7.61%, p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff value for using the SH protocol was rESV > 17 mL (AUC = 0.651, sensitivity = 78.43%, specificity = 45.57%, p = 0.001). In the subgroup of rESV > 17 mL, there was no significant difference in LVEF (61.84 ± 4.67% vs. 62.83 ± 2.85%, p = 0.481) between the SH protocol and Echo, and no significant difference was observed in rESV (26.92 ± 3.25 mL vs. 27.94 ± 7.96 mL, p = 0.60) between the SH protocol and Echo. Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated that the SH reconstruction protocol was able to effectively correct the overestimation of LVEF in patients with small LV volumes. Particularly, in the rESV > 17 mL subgroup, the time and computing power waste could be reduced while still ensuring the accuracy of the LVEF value and image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution is a global concern. Various organic compounds are released into the environment through wastewater, waste gas, and waste residue, ultimately accumulating in the environment and the food chain. This poses a significant threat to both human health and ecology. Currently, a growing body of research has demonstrated that microorganisms employ their Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) system for biodegradation, offering a crucial approach for eliminating these pollutants in environmental remediation. CYP450, a ubiquitous catalyst in nature, includes a vast array of family members distributed widely across various organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and mammals. These enzymes participate in the metabolism of diverse organic compounds. Furthermore, the rapid advancements in enzyme and protein engineering have led to increased utilization of engineered CYP450s in environmental remediation, enhancing their efficiency in pollutant removal. This article presents an overview of the current understanding of various members of the CYP450 superfamily involved in transforming organic pollutants and the engineering of biodegrading CYP450s. Additionally, it explores the catalytic mechanisms, current practical applications of CYP450-based systems, their potential applications, and the prospects in bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building artificial neural network models and studying their dynamic behaviors is extremely important from both a theoretical and practical standpoint due to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. In addition to its engineering applications, this article concentrates primarily on the memristor model and chaotic dynamics of the asymmetric memristive neural network. First, we develop a novel memristor model, which is multistable and highly tunable. Using this memristor model to build an asymmetric memristive Hopfield neural network (AMHNN), the chaotic dynamics of the proposed AMHNN are investigated and analyzed using fundamental dynamics techniques such as equilibrium stability, bifurcation diagrams, and Lyapunov exponents. According to the findings of this study, the proposed AMHNN possesses a number of complex dynamic properties, including scaling amplitude chaos with coupling strength control, and coexisting uncommon chaotic attractors with initial control and coupling strength control. Significantly, the proposed AMHNN has been observed to exhibit the phenomenon of infinitely persisting uncommon chaotic attractors. In the interim, a system for image encryption based on the proposed AMHNN is constructed. By analyzing correlation, information entropy, and key sensitivity, the devised encryption method reveals a number of benefits. The feasibility of the encryption method is validated through field-programmable gate arrays hardware experiments, and the proposed memristor and AMHNN models have been translated into a Simulink model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit photosystem not only performs photosynthesis for carbon fixation but is also related to photoprotection. This study is to investigate the changes within the fruit photosystem during maturation and their possible effects in photosynthesis and photoprotection. We investigated the changes of fruit photosynthesis during the three phases (green, pink, and blue) of blueberry fruit maturation via examining CO2 gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence. Also, we quantified chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolics using spectrometry, and determined photosynthetic components using LC–MS/MS. As a result, fruit photosynthesis contributed in supplying a part of the carbon requirements during the maturation process. The gross photosynthetic rate in green fruit accounted for 26.36% of that in the leaf, and 15.47% and 7.59%, respectively, in pink and blue fruit. Maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm = 0.77) in green fruit was comparable to that in leaf (0.78) and dropped to 0.65 in pink fruit (data unavailable in blue fruit). Notably, in early stage of fruit maturation, the components of photosystem reaction center (PS core), electron transport chain (ETC), and CO2 fixation were significantly downregulated, while the components in light-harvesting complex (LHC) were more highly stable than others. This led to a decrease in the ratio of PS core/LHC. Thus, more light energy absorbed by LHCs had to be dissipated as heat, since it could not be converted to chemical energy through enough PS core, ETC, and CO2 fixation. This led to an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), indicated by increased qN of 35.53%. The increased NPQ became necessary for photoprotection at the early stage of fruit maturation, while increased anthocyanin provided another kind of photoprotection at the late stage of maturation. The results suggest that the changes of photosynthetic components could be related to the transition from photosynthesis to photoprotection during fruit maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common clinical syndrome, which often results in pulmonary edema and respiratory distress. It has been recently reported that phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein 4 (PEBP4), a basic cytoplasmic protein, has anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects, but its relationship with ALI remains undefined so far. In this study, we generated PEBP4 knockout (KO) mice to investigate the potential function of PEBP4, as well as to evaluate the capacity of alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) and the activity of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/serine-theronine protein kinase B (PKB, also known as AKT) signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mice models. We found that PEBP4 deficiency exacerbated lung pathological damage and edema, and increased the wet/dry weight ratio and total protein concentration of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in LPS-treated mice. Meanwhile, PEBP4 KO promoted an LPS-induced rise in the pulmonary myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, serum interleuin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels, and pulmonary cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Mechanically, PEBP4 deletion further reduced the protein expression of Na+ transport markers, including epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)-α, ENaC-γ, Na,K-ATPase α1, and Na,K-ATPase β1, and strengthened the inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling in LPS-challenged mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that selective activation of PI3K/AKT with 740YP or SC79 partially reversed all of the above effects caused by PEBP4 KO in LPS-treated mice. Altogether, our results indicated the PEBP4 deletion has a deterioration effect on LPS-induced ALI by impairing the capacity of AFC, which may be achieved through modulating the PI3K/AKT pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Soil heterogeneity can be caused by plant-soil feedback (PSF), but little is known about how this affects plant growth and the distribution of roots. Moreover, as invasive and native plant species frequently differ in PSF and root-foraging ability, they may differ in their responses to PSF-mediated soil heterogeneity. Methods: We first conditioned soils by 16 plant species (eight confamilial pairs of invasive alien and native species). Then, we grew each species in a homogeneous treatment with unconditioned soil and in three heterogeneous treatments with four patches. In the home-soil treatment, we filled two patches with unconditioned soil and two with soil conditioned by the target species. In the foreign-soil treatment, we filled two patches with unconditioned soil and two with soil conditioned by the other species in a pair. In the home-and-foreign-soil treatment, we filled two patches with home soil and two with foreign soil. Results: Compared to the homogeneous unconditioned soil treatment, PSF negatively affected plant growth. In the heterogeneous treatment with control- and home-soil patches, biomass was reduced more strongly for the invasive species than for the native species. In the heterogeneous treatment with both home- and foreign-soil patches, root biomass of the invasive species was greater in the foreign-soil than in the home-soil patches, whereas the reverse was true for natives. Conclusion: Although invasive species suffered more from conspecific PSF, root foraging allowed them to avoid home soil. In the long term, this could help invasive species gain a competitive advantage over natives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bile duct tumor thrombosis (BDTT) is a complication mostly observed in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), causing jaundice and associated with poor clinical outcome. However, its underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. Here, we develop spontaneous preclinical HCC animal models with BDTT to identify the role of BMI1 expressing tumor initiating cells (BMI1high TICs) in inducing BDTT. BMI1 overexpression transforms liver progenitor cells into BMI1high TICs, which possess strong tumorigenicity and increased trans-intrahepatic biliary epithelial migration ability by secreting lysosomal cathepsin B (CTSB). Orthotopic liver implantation of BMI1high TICs into mice generates tumors and triggers CTSB mediated bile duct invasion to form tumor thrombus, while CTSB inhibitor treatment prohibits BDTT and extends mouse survival. Clinically, the elevated serum CTSB level determines BDTT incidence in HCC patients. Mechanistically, BMI1 epigenetically up-regulates CTSB secretion in TICs by repressing miR-218-1-3p expression. These findings identify a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for HCC patients with BDTT. Bile duct tumor thrombosis (BDTT) is a complication associated with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which can severely limits quality of life. Here, the authors develop a spontaneous BDTT mouse model to investigate the cellular original and mechanism underlying the formation of BDTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]