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This paper explores the Riemann–Hilbert method for deriving exact N‐soliton solutions of the sixth‐order nonlinear Schrödinger (6th‐NLS) equation with nonzero boundary condition. The analytical process comprises three fundamental steps. First, transformations are used to simplify the nonzero boundaries. Next, the inverse scattering method establishes a crucial link between the solutions of the 6th‐NLS equation and the corresponding Riemann–Hilbert problem. Finally, this Riemann–Hilbert problem is systematically solved. Additionally, selected parameter values in the solutions generate graphical representations, vividly illustrating the solutions to the 6th‐NLS equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Teclistamab, the first approved B‐cell maturation antigen‐directed bispecific antibody for treatment of triple‐class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, demonstrated deep, durable responses with a manageable safety profile in the pivotal MajesTEC‐1 cohort (NCT03145181/NCT04557098). Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics from the MajesTEC‐1 China cohort are reported. Methods: Patients received teclistamab 1.5 mg/kg subcutaneously weekly after step‐up dosing; patients could switch to less frequent dosing with continued response. Results: In the China cohort (N = 26; median age, 66 years; median prior lines of therapy, 5) 15‐month median follow‐up, overall response rates, very good partial response or better, and complete response or better (≥CR) were 76.9%, 76.9%, and 57.7%, respectively. Median time to first response and ≥CR were 1.4 and 6.3 months, respectively; among patients with ≥CR and have available MRD samples, MRD negativity was achieved in 14/15 (93.3%) patients. Median duration of response, progression‐free survival, and overall survival were not reached; 12‐month duration of response, progression‐free survival, and overall survival rates were 78.5%, 68.0%, and 83.5%, respectively. The safety profile was consistent with the pivotal cohort. Although infections occurred in 96.2% of patients, incidence decreased over time with six patients experiencing infections for >12 to 18 months. There were no discontinuations because of adverse events and no dose reductions. Ten patients switched to less frequent dosing. Teclistamab serum concentrations were consistent with the pivotal cohort, with a slightly lower mean pharmacokinetics profile. Conclusions: Teclistamab demonstrated efficacy and safety profiles in the China cohort consistent with the pivotal cohort, supporting teclistamab as a promising treatment option for triple‐class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in China. In the MajesTEC‐1 China cohort, teclistamab showed deep and durable responses, a manageable safety profile, and pharmacokinetics consistent with the pivotal recommended phase 2 dose cohort. These findings support teclistamab for heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower semi‐open box (LSOB) girder is widely used in large‐span bridges due to its favorable stress performance and cost‐effectiveness. The vortex‐induced vibration (VIV) of the LSOB girder was studied by using a 1:55 section model wind tunnel test. The test results show that there are obvious vertical and torsional VIV intervals with significant amplitudes at each angle of attack with the damping ratios of about 0.35%. The CFD numerical simulations indicate that VIVs of LSOB girders are mainly induced by two types of vortices: one at the inclined webs of leeward wind nozzles and another at the upstream upper surfaces of the deck. Conventional aerodynamic vibration suppression measures, such as the lower central stabilizing plate and the guide vane at the gantry rail, demonstrate that the lower central stabilizing plate can reduce the VIV response at all wind angles of attack, decreasing vertical amplitude by 40%–50% and torsional amplitude by 10%–25%. Although adding a guide vane further optimizes the VIV performance, its effect is limited. Installing the lower central stabilizing plate helps redistribute vortices below the girder, transforming large vortices into smaller ones, most of which do not detach, thereby reducing vortex shedding intensity in the wake area. The bilateral guide vanes at the maintenance car track further weaken the wake vortices at the diagonal webs on the leeward side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that caused by NF1 mutations. NF1 gene encodes neurofibromin (a GTPase‐activating protein) and plays a regulatory role in many signalling pathway such as the Ras/MAPK pathway, which is important for regulating cell growth, proliferation and neural development. Therefore, NF1 gene mutations causes the excessive activation of signalling pathways and uncontrolled cell growth. NF1 exhibits complete genetic penetrance and clinical heterogeneity. Glomerular disease has rarely been reported in patients with NF1, especially in children. Currently, the relationship between NF1 and nephrotic syndrome is unclear. Here, we present a case of NF1 with nephrotic syndrome and further explore the association between NF1 and glomerular diseases. It also reminds clinicians that NF1 has complex and highly variable clinical manifestations and that a comprehensive workup is essential for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substantial contribution of northern forest growth to the global increase of biomass carbon stock is well documented. However, the ecological consequences of pest‐ and disease‐related losses in these forests have not received comparable attention. This study highlights that pine species are major contributors to carbon stocks in Northern Hemisphere. The total carbon storage of Pinus in the Northern Hemisphere was estimated at 70,726 teragrams of carbon (TgC; 17.7% of the total forest carbon 478,012 TgC), accounting for 4.9%, 28.4%, and 12.5% of the total carbon storage in the forests of Asia, Europe, and North America, respectively. However, pine trees were under threat from an invasive complex involving the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) and Japanese pine sawyer beetle (Monochamus spp.). Since 1977, this complex resulted in a carbon sink deficit of 1857 TgC (18% of the carbon currently stored in Europe's live tree biomass) in northern pine ecosystems. The carbon losses attributed to B. xylophilus exceeded those caused by wildfires, which are typically regarded as the primary factor of forest disturbances. Furthermore, the contributions of environmental variables indicate that the expected northward shift in precipitation patterns will exacerbate B. xylophilus threats, endangering 78% of the boreal forests across Eurasia by 2100. Among these high‐risk areas, 62% contributed significantly to global carbon sink, and 42% was protected forests. Following the present trend, carbon losses caused by the B. xylophilus complex could exceed 39% of the total carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems. This study provides comprehensive datasets that detail the global distribution and high‐risk habitats of pine species and B. xylophilus vector beetles in affected countries. Our findings underscore the substantial risk of carbon losses posed by B. xylophilus to northern pine forests, with potential implications for global carbon dynamics and the achievement of international goals related to "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving high energy density has always been the goal of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). SiOx has emerged as a compelling candidate for use as a negative electrode material due to its remarkable capacity. However, the huge volume expansion and the unstable electrode interface during (de)lithiation, hinder its further development. Herein, we report a facile strategy for the synthesis of surface fluorinated SiOx (SiOx@vG−F), and investigate their influences on battery performance. Systematic experiments investigations indicate that the reaction between Li+ and fluorine groups promotes the in situ formation of stable LiF‐rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the surface of SiOx@vG−F anode, which effectively suppresses the pulverization of microsized SiOx particles during the charge and discharge cycle. As a result, the SiOx@vG−F enabled a higher capacity retention of 86.4 % over 200 cycles at 1.0 C in the SiOx@vG−F||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 full cell. This approach will provide insights for the advancement of alternative electrode materials in diverse energy conversion and storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Highly heterogeneity and inconsistency in terms of prognosis are widely identified for early‐stage cervical cancer (esCC). Herein, we aim to investigate for an intuitional risk stratification model for better prognostication and decision‐making in combination with clinical and pathological variables. Methods: We enrolled 2071 CC patients with preoperative biopsy‐confirmed and clinically diagnosed with FIGO stage IA‐IIA who received radical hysterectomy from 2013 to 2018. Patients were randomly assigned to the training set (n = 1450) and internal validation set (n = 621), in a ratio of 7:3. We used recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) to develop a risk stratification model and assessed the ability of discrimination and calibration of the RPA‐derived model. The performances of the model were compared with the conventional FIGO 2018 and 9th edition T or N stage classifications. Results: RPA divided patients into four risk groups with distinct survival: 5‐year OS for RPA I to IV were 98%, 95%, 85.5%, and 64.2%, respectively, in training cohort; and 99.5%, 93.2%, 85%, and 68.3% in internal validation cohort (log‐rank p < 0.001). Calibration curves confirmed that the RPA‐predicted survivals were in good agreement with the actual survivals. The RPA model outperformed the existing staging systems, with highest AUC for OS (training: 0.778 vs. 0.6–0.717; internal validation: 0.772 vs. 0.595–0.704; all p < 0.05), and C‐index for OS (training: 0.768 vs. 0.598–0.707; internal validation: 0.741 vs. 0.583–0.676; all p < 0.05). Importantly, there were associations between RPA groups and the efficacy of treatment regimens. No obvious discrepancy was observed among different treatment modalities in RPA I (p = 0.922), whereas significant survival improvements were identified in patients who received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in RPA II–IV (p value were 0.028, 0.036, and 0.024, respectively). Conclusion: We presented a validated novel clinicopathological risk stratification signature for robust prognostication of esCC, which may be used for streamlining treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) stands as the second most fatal infectious disease after COVID‐19, the effective treatment of which depends on accurate diagnosis and phenotyping. Metabolomics provides valuable insights into the identification of differential metabolites for disease diagnosis and phenotyping. However, TB diagnosis and phenotyping remain great challenges due to the lack of a satisfactory metabolic approach. Here, a metabolomics‐based diagnostic method for rapid TB detection is reported. Serum metabolic fingerprints are examined via an automated nanoparticle‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry platform outstanding by its rapid detection speed (measured in seconds), minimal sample consumption (in nanoliters), and cost‐effectiveness (approximately $3). A panel of 14 m z−1 features is identified as biomarkers for TB diagnosis and a panel of 4 m z−1 features for TB phenotyping. Based on the acquired biomarkers, TB metabolic models are constructed through advanced machine learning algorithms. The robust metabolic model yields a 97.8% (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.964‐0.986) area under the curve (AUC) in TB diagnosis and an 85.7% (95% CI, 0.806‐0.891) AUC in phenotyping. In this study, serum metabolic biomarker panels are revealed and develop an accurate metabolic tool with desirable diagnostic performance for TB diagnosis and phenotyping, which may expedite the effective implementation of the end‐TB strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When applied to thermoacoustic imaging (TAI), the delay‐and‐sum (DAS) algorithm produces strong sidelobes due to its disadvantages of uniform aperture weighting. As a result, the quality of TAI images recovered by DAS is often severely degraded by strong non‐coherent clutter, which restricts the development and application of TAI. Purpose: To address this issue, we propose an adaptive complementary neighboring sub‐aperture (NSA) beamforming algorithm for TAI. Methods: In NSA, we introduce a coordinate system transformation when calculating the normalized cross‐correlation (NCC) matrix. This approach enables the computation of the NCC coefficient within the specified kernel without complex coordinate calculations. We first conducted the numerical simulation experiment to validate NSA using a tree branch phantom. In addition, we also conducted phantom (five sauce tubes), ex vivo (ablation needle in ex vivo porcine liver), and in vivo (human arm) TAI experiments using our TAI system with a center frequency of 3 GHz. Results: In the numerical simulation experiment, the structural similarity index (SSIM) value for NSA is increased from 0.37828 for DAS to 0.75492. In the point target phantom TAI experiment, the generalized contrast‐to‐noise ratio (gCNR) value for NSA is increased from 0.936 for DAS to 0.962. The experimental results show that NSA can recover clearer thermoacoustic images compared to DAS. In the ex vivo TAI experiment, the full width at half maxima (FWHM) of an ablation needle (diameter = 1.5 mm) for coherence factor (CF) weighted DAS and NSA are 0.9 and 1.3 mm, respectively. Furthermore, in the in vivo TAI experiment, CF reduces the signals within the arm compared to NSA. Therefore, compared with CF, NSA can maintain the integrity of target information in TAI while effectively suppressing non‐coherent background clutter. Conclusions: NSA can effectively reduce non‐coherent background noise while ensuring the completeness of the target information. So, NSA offers the potential to provide high‐quality thermoacoustic images and further advance their clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct air capture (DAC) is a sustainable technology to alleviate the greenhouse effect and a reliable pathway to acquire inexhaustible CO2 for the production of costly chemicals and energy products. Current DAC technologies with amine‐related sorbents rely on chemisorption, while they consume intensive energy for CO2 release and sorbent regeneration by heating. Developing new DAC processes with weak, reversible adsorption can substantially reduce the regeneration energies. Herein, the design of CO2 breathing paper (CBP) is demonstrated toward spontaneous CO2 extraction from ambient air and solar‐driven regeneration. The CBP is fabricated by coupling 2‐ethyl‐4‐methylimidazole to carbon nanotube paper on the basis of density functional theory calculations. At ambient conditions, CBP spontaneously captures atmospheric CO2 with a capacity of 0.14–1.75 mmol g–1 at 0–35 °C through non‐covalent electrostatic interaction. Upon exposure to sunlight, all adsorbed CO2 can be released and converted to concentrated gas for storage. Attractively, the efficiency of solar‐driven CO2 release is much higher than the traditional temperature‐swing method owing to the IR sensitivity of CO2. Besides the reversibility, the mild conditions also ensure the durability of CBP. These findings suggest that the CBP is a promising candidate for cost‐effective DAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The physical function of elderly individuals reflects whether they have had a history of regular physical activity over the long term. Such indicators have been found to have a certain connection with cognitive function these years. However, there is limited research that associates it with mechanisms such as cerebral Aβ deposition. We aim to investigate this relationship and unveil the underlying mechanisms. Method: Physical function and cognition data of 4189 participants were obtained from the Chinese preclinical Alzheimer's disease study. Participants were divided into six groups according to disease severity. Among them, 1048 participants underwent the positron emission tomography‐computed tomography (PET‐CT) and plasma biomarker test. Grip strength and gait were combined into a score indicating physical function. Multiple linear regression models and logistic regression models were mainly used to conduct the analysis. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between physical function and cognitive function (R = 0.48, p < 0.001), independent of sex, age, apolipoprotein E‐ε4 genotype, and disease stages (p < 0.001). Physical function was effective in distinguishing individuals with cognitive impairment from those without (AUC = 0.835). Physical function was negatively associated with brain Aβ deposition (p = 0.008) and brain Aβ had an intermediary effect (p < 0.01) on the association between physical function and cognition in women. This association was mainly evident in the lateral parietal, lateral temporal, posterior cingulate, frontal, occipital, and precuneus regions. Physical function was negatively associated with plasma neurofilament light‐chain (Nfl) level (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Physical function is strongly associated with cognitive function in the Chinese elderly, and brain Aβ deposition partly mediates the linkage in women. Plasma Nfl can be used as a potential target for exercise intervention in cognitive function. Improving physical function will contribute to the alleviation of cognition decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the contribution of myeloid differentiation primary‐response gene 88 (MyD88) on the differentiation of T helper type 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells and the emerging subgingival microbiota dysbiosis in Porphyromonas gingivalis‐induced experimental periodontitis. Methods: Alveolar bone loss, infiltrated inflammatory cells, immunostained cells for tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), the receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kB ligand (RANKL), and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were quantified by microcomputerized tomography and histological staining between age‐ and sex‐matched homozygous littermates (wild‐type [WT, Myd88+/+] and Myd88−/− on C57BL/6 background). The frequencies of Th17 and Treg cells in cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) and spleen were determined by flow cytometry. Cytokine expression in gingival tissues, CLNs, and spleens were studied by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Analysis of the composition of the subgingival microbiome and functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa (FAPROTAX) analysis were performed. Results: P. gingivalis‐infected Myd88−/− mice showed alleviated bone loss, TRAP+ osteoclasts, and RANKL/OPG ratio compared to WT mice. A significantly higher percentage of Foxp3+CD4+ T cells in infected Myd88−/− CLNs and a higher frequency of RORγt+CD4+ T cells in infected WT mice was noted. Increased IL‐10 and IL‐17a expressions in gingival tissue at D14–D28 then declined in WT mice, whereas an opposite pattern was observed in Myd88−/− mice. The Myd88−/− mice exhibited characteristic increases in gram‐positive species and species having probiotic properties, while gram‐negative, anaerobic species were noted in WT mice. FAPROTAX analysis revealed increased aerobic chemoheterotrophy in Myd88−/− mice, whereas anaerobic chemoheterotrophy was noted in WT mice after P. gingivalis infection. Conclusions: MyD88 plays an important role in inflammation‐induced bone loss by modulating the dynamic equilibrium between Th17/Treg cells and dysbiosis in P. gingivalis‐induced experimental periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research of electrocatalysts based on biomass derived porous carbon materials become one of promising strategies to boost the development of carbon cycle and energy storage technologies. As substitutes for precious metals in electrocatalysis, many biomass derived porous carbon materials exhibit excellent chemical stability, interface chemical inertness, strong structural mechanical strength and high conductivity. However, significant efforts are still needed to develop environmentally friendly, scalable and low‐cost synthetic methods to provide biomass‐derived carbonaceous materials with electrocatalytic performance that is comparable to, or even surpasses, that of existing precious metal catalysts. In this mini‐review, the main synthesis methods, electrocatalytic performances and working principle of biomass derived porous carbon materials have been summarized and discussed. The perspectives of doping strategy for these electrocatalyst candidates have been emphasized in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat released from soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition (referred to as microbial heat hereafter) could alter the soil's thermal and hydrological conditions, subsequently modulate SOC decomposition and its feedback with climate. While understanding this feedback is crucial for shaping policy to achieve specific climate goal, it has not been comprehensively assessed. This study employs the ORCHIDEE‐MICT model to investigate the effects of microbial heat, referred to as heating effect, focusing on their impacts on SOC accumulation, soil temperature and net primary productivity (NPP), as well as implication on land‐climate feedback under two CO2 emissions scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). The findings reveal that the microbial heat decreases soil carbon stock, predominantly in upper layers, and elevates soil temperatures, especially in deeper layers. This results in a marginal reduction in global SOC stocks due to accelerated SOC decomposition. Altered seasonal cycles of SOC decomposition and soil temperature are simulated, with the most significant temperature increase per unit of microbial heat (0.31 K J−1) occurring at around 273.15 K (median value of all grid cells where air temperature is around 273.15 K). The heating effect leads to the earlier loss of permafrost area under RCP8.5 and hinders its restoration under RCP2.6 after peak warming. Although elevated soil temperature under climate warming aligns with expectation, the anticipated accelerated SOC decomposition and large amplifying feedback on climate warming were not observed, mainly because of reduced modeled initial SOC stock and limited NPP with heating effect. These underscores the multifaceted impacts of microbial heat. Comprehensive understanding of these effects would be vital for devising effective climate change mitigation strategies in a warming world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic photochromic luminescent materials hold immense promise as potential candidates for optical information storage applications. Unfortunately, static and single reading mode of photochromic luminescent materials in bright and dark environments pose a security threat to the stored information. Here, a novel material La2MgSnO6:Er3+,Fe3+ is developed, possessing both reversible photochromic and adjustable upconversion/downconversion photoluminescent (PL) properties. Upon exposure to 275 nm ultraviolet (UV) light, the sample changes in color from white to brown. And this transformation rapidly reverses when exposed to 365 nm UV light, resulting in a corresponding alteration in luminescence intensity. Notably, when combined with photochromic, the 980 nm excited upconversion PL maintains stable luminescence, while the 365 nm excited downconversion PL exhibits significant intensity changes. Inspired by this unique feature, a dark‐field selective dual‐mode reading is proposed that depends on the excitation wavelength, including static decrypt in long‐time cases and dynamic reading in time‐limited situations. These findings have the potential to revolutionize high‐security data storage applications and drive advancements in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the added value of extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and arterial enhancement fraction (AEF) derived from enhanced CT to conventional image and clinical features for differentiating between pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and atypical parotid adenocarcinoma (PCA) pre‐operation. Methods: From January 2010 to October 2023, a total of 187 cases of parotid tumors were recruited, and divided into training cohort (102 PAs and 51 PCAs) and testing cohort (24 PAs and 10 atypical PCAs). Clinical and CT image features of tumor were assessed. Both enhanced CT‐derived ECV and AEF were calculated. Univariate analysis identified variables with statistically significant differences between the two subgroups in the training cohort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with the forward variable selection method was used to build four models (clinical model, clinical model+ECV, clinical model+AEF, and combined model). Diagnostic performances were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Delong's test compared model differences, and calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) assessed calibration and clinical application. Results: Age and boundary were chosen to build clinical model, and to construct its ROC curve. Amalgamating the clinical model, ECV, and AEF to establish a combined model demonstrated superior diagnostic effectiveness compared to the clinical model in both the training and test cohorts (AUC = 0.888, 0.867). There was a significant statistical difference between the combined model and the clinical model in the training cohort (p = 0.0145). Conclusions: ECV and AEF are helpful in differentiating PA and atypical PCA, and integrating clinical and CT image features can further improve the diagnostic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the tail dependency between bank stocks in China and 35 common risk factors. We measure univariate and multivariate conditional tail risk probabilities. The evidence indicates that tail events from risk factors in the banking, security trading, real estate, and energy industries have the largest effects on the realization of extreme returns from Chinese bank stocks. The univariate conditional tail risk is considerably higher than the unconditional tail risk. The impact of multiple tail events from several risk factors occurring simultaneously is much stronger than tail events from one single risk factor. In general, there is a stronger cross‐market tail linkage between emerging market risk factors and bank stocks in China when compared with developed market risk factors. However, the cross‐market tail linkage between developed market risk factors and bank stocks in China rose sharply during the 2008 financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast control of both electric and spin currents triggered by femtosecond laser pulse has attracted much attention due to future applications for broadband THz emitter as well as high‐speed spintronic devices. Optically generated spin current is converted to charge current via multiple spin‐charge conversion mechanisms, generating THz wave emission in magnetic multilayers. However, to date, quantitative and comparative investigation of THz emission originating from spin‐charge conversion mechanisms has not yet been fully explored. Here, direct and straightforward nondestructive probing to measure THz emission is provided at original Co/Pt and Co/Ta interfaces embedded in Pt/Co/Ta multilayers with polarization analysis of both optical pump and THz emission. These results allow a fundamental understanding of various spin‐charge conversion phenomena, which is a key basis for future spintronic THz source development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1 (ERF1) plays an important role in integrating hormone crosstalk and stress responses. Previous studies have shown that ERF1 is unstable in the dark and its degradation is mediated by UBIQUITIN‐CONJUGATING ENZYME 18. However, whether there are other enzymes regulating ERF1's stability remains unclear. Here, we use various in vitro and in vivo biochemical, genetic and stress‐tolerance tests to demonstrate that both CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) and SUMO‐CONJUGATING ENZYME 1 (SCE1) regulate the stability of ERF1. We also performed transcriptomic analyses to understand their common regulatory pathways. We show that COP1 mediates ERF1 ubiquitination in the dark while SCE1 mediates ERF1 sumoylation in the light. ERF1 stability is positively regulated by SCE1 and negatively regulated by COP1. Upon abiotic stress, SCE1 plays a positive role in stress defence by regulating the expression of ERF1's downstream stress‐responsive genes, whereas COP1 plays a negative role in stress response. Moreover, ERF1 also promotes photomorphogenesis and the expression of light‐responsive genes. Our study reveals the molecular mechanism of how COP1 and SCE1 counteract to regulate ERF1's stability and light‐stress signalling crosstalk. Summary statement: ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1 (ERF1) plays an important role in biotic and abiotic stress response. This study shows that both COP1 and SCE1 interact with ERF1 and regulate its stability by ubiquitination and sumoylation, respectively. COP1‐ERF1‐SCE1 module mediates the crosstalk between light and stress signallings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common inherited metabolic disease in humans. Clinical screening of newborn heel blood samples for PKU is costly and time‐consuming because it requires multiple procedures, like isotope labeling and derivatization, and PKU subtype identification requires an additional urine sample. Delayed diagnosis of PKU, or subtype identification can result in mental disability. Here, plasmonic silver nanoshells are used for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MS) detection of PKU with label‐free assay by recognizing metabolic profile in dried blood spot (DBS) samples. A total of 1100 subjects are recruited and each DBS sample can be processed in seconds. This platform achieves PKU screening with a sensitivity of 0.985 and specificity of 0.995, which is comparable to existing clinical liquid chromatography MS (LC‐MS) methods. This method can process 360 samples per hour, compared with the LC‐MS method which processes only 30 samples per hour. Moreover, this assay enables precise identification of PKU subtypes without the need for a urine sample. It is demonstrated that this platform enables high‐performance and fast, low‐cost PKU screening and subtype identification. This approach might be suitable for the detection of other clinically relevant biomarkers in blood or other clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cornerstone of a strong profession is the research that supports its knowledge base and practice. However, little is known about the range of international occupational therapy research. Objective: To explore the range and diversity of the international occupational therapy research from published peer reviewed literature in English during the year 2018. Methodology: Limited to 2018, a review was conducted of sources from i) health‐related search engines using search terms associated with occupational therapy practice, and ii) content pages of occupational therapy publications. Articles were excluded if they i) had no occupational therapy author, ii) were not peer reviewed, iii) not in English, and iv) did not include primary data collection (e.g., opinion pieces, position statements, study protocols). Of articles selected for analysis, data were extracted and synthesized according to the study's origin country, publishing research journal, the characteristics of the represented research, and its alignment with World Federation of Occupational Therapists research priorities. Results: A total of 4,169 articles were retrieved from the search (i.e., 3,459 from health‐related search engines and 710 through a manual search of occupational therapy journals). After exclusions, 2,345 articles were included for analysis. Conclusion: The review identified English published research was predominantly conducted in economically privileged countries. In addition, it revealed several research priorities that need further development such as evaluating the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting evidence has highlighted the multifunctional characteristics of glutamine metabolism (GM) in cancer initiation, progression and therapeutic regimens. However, the overall role of GM in the tumour microenvironment (TME), clinical stratification and therapeutic efficacy in patients with ovarian cancer (OC) has not been fully elucidated. Here, three distinct GM clusters were identified and exhibited different prognostic values, biological functions and immune infiltration in TME. Subsequently, glutamine metabolism prognostic index (GMPI) was constructed as a new scoring model to quantify the GM subtypes and was verified as an independent predictor of OC. Patients with low‐GMPI exhibited favourable survival outcomes, lower enrichment of several oncogenic pathways, less immunosuppressive cell infiltration and better immunotherapy responses. Single‐cell sequencing analysis revealed a unique evolutionary trajectory of OC cells from high‐GMPI to low‐GMPI, and OC cells with different GMPI might communicate with distinct cell populations through ligand‐receptor interactions. Critically, the therapeutic efficacy of several drug candidates was validated based on patient‐derived organoids (PDOs). The proposed GMPI could serve as a reliable signature for predicting patient prognosis and contribute to optimising therapeutic strategies for OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current utilization of neurokinin‐1 receptor antagonists (NK1RAs) and the impact of updated guidelines on prescription patterns of antiemetic drugs among Chinese patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) remain undetermined. This study aims to analyze the present situation of Chinese cancer patients using antiemetic drugs and assess the appropriateness of antiemetic regimens. Methods: Prescription data were collected between January 2015 and December 2020 from cancer patients receiving cisplatin‐based chemotherapy at 76 hospitals in six major cities in China. Trends in the use of antiemetic drugs, prescribing patterns and adherence to antiemetic guidelines were assessed. Results: Among the 108,611 patients included in this study, 6 classes and 17 antiemetic drugs were identified as monotherapy or combination therapy in 93,872 patients (86.4%), whereas 14,739 patients (13.6%) were administered no antiemetic treatment. 5‐hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonists (5‐HT3RAs) and glucocorticoids were the two most frequently used classes of antiemetics, followed by metoclopramide. NK1RAs were underused across the six cities, only 9332 (8.6%) and 1655 (1.5%) cisplatin‐based treatments were prescribed aprepitant and fosaprepitant, respectively. Prescriptions of olanzapine and lorazepam were very low throughout the study period. In prescribing patterns of antiemetic drugs, dual combination regimens were the most common (40.0%), followed by triple combination therapy and monotherapy (25.8% and 15.1%, respectively). Overall, the adherence to antiemetic guidelines for patients undergoing cisplatin‐based regimens was only 8.1% due to inadequate prescription of antiemetic drugs. Finally, our study also revealed that 5‐HT3RAs and glucocorticoids were overprescribed in 8.8% and 1.6% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: The current study reveals suboptimal utilization of recommended antiemetic drugs for managing cisplatin‐based HEC‐induced nausea and vomiting in China. Improving the management of CINV is crucial, and these findings provide valuable insights into optimizing antiemetic drug practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐cell analysis enables the measurement of biomolecules at the level of individual cells, facilitating in‐depth investigations into cellular heterogeneity and precise interpretation of the related biological mechanisms. Among these biomolecules, cellular metabolites exhibit remarkable sensitivity to environmental and biochemical changes, unveiling a hidden world underlying cellular heterogeneity and allowing for the determination of cell physiological states. However, the metabolic analysis of single cells is challenging due to the extremely low concentrations, substantial content variations, and rapid turnover rates of cellular metabolites. Mass spectrometry (MS), characterized by its high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and excellent selectivity, is employed in single‐cell metabolic analysis. This review focuses on recent advances and applications of MS‐based single‐cell metabolic analysis, encompassing three key steps of single‐cell isolation, detection, and application. It is anticipated that MS will bring profound implications in biomedical practices, serving as advanced tools to depict the single‐cell metabolic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological habitats of Chinese quince (Chaenomeles speciosa Nakai) fruits affect their phenotype. Currently, limited or no rapid method exists for classifying Chinese quince fruit from different ecosystems. This study developed a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) classification model to effectively and nondestructively classify 663 Chinese quince fruit samples from six environments in 2020. PLS-DA models and other variable selection approaches were used in this study. The near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRs) absorption spectra of raw Chinese quince fruit samples from six habitats showed a similar shape. The spectra of each environment showed little variance. The raw fruit spectra varied significantly among habitat categories after the first derivative preprocessing phase. The uninformative variable elimination (UVE) variable selection approach had greater calibration and validation set specificity of 0.93 and 0.98. This study found the best classification specificity using the UVE variable selection approach compared to other methods including the PLS-DA model without variable selection. The UVE approach improved Yunnan habitat categorization specificity from 86% to 88% when integrated with PLS-DA. Additionally, the validation set for quinces originating from Anhui, Chongqing, Hubei, Shandong, and Zhejiang achieved an ideal classification score of 100%. The findings of the study indicated that PLS-DA can serve as an alternative approach for classifying the habitats of Chinese quince fruits. When used in conjunction with other methods, this technique can assist researchers, scientists, and industry professionals in identifying the main factors responsible for significant variations in the habitats, composition, and quality of Chinese quince fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the influence and possible mechanisms of pharmacokinetics‐related gene polymorphisms, especially CYP2C19 polymorphisms, and non‐genetic factors combined with the inflammatory status on the voriconazole (VRC) metabolism of the Chinese population. Methods: Clinical studies were performed by collecting more than one VRC trough concentration and C‐reactive protein (CRP) level. A total of 265 blood samples were collected from 120 patients. Results: Results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that CYP2C19 genotypes and albumin (Alb) level remained predictors of Cminss/D in patients with no to mild inflammation (R2 = 0.12, P <.001). In addition, in patients with moderate to severe inflammation, it resulted in a significant model containing factors of CRP and total bilirubin (T‐Bil) levels (R2 = 0.19, P <.001). In non‐clinical studies, 32 rats were divided into control and inflammatory groups, and it was found that the mean residence time (MRT(0–t)) of VRC in the inflammatory group was significantly longer than that in the control group (P <.001), which may be due to down‐regulation of mRNA and protein expression of CYP2C19 (CYP2C6 in rats) through interleukin (IL)‐6/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 pathway. Conclusions: Therefore, the effect of CYP2C19 polymorphisms on VRC metabolism may be masked by inflammatory status, which should be of more concern than CYP2C19 polymorphisms in patients with moderate to severe inflammation. Additionally, the impact of Alb and T‐Bil on VRC metabolism should not be disregarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents an emerging noninvasive treatment technique for cancers and various nonmalignant diseases, including infections. During the process of PDT, the physical and chemical properties of photosensitizers (PSs) critically determine the effectiveness of PDT. Traditional PSs have made great progress in clinical applications. One of the challenges is that traditional PSs suffer from aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) due to their discotic structures. Recently, aggregation‐induced emission PSs (AIE‐PSs) with a twisted propeller‐shaped conformation have been widely concerned because of high reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency, strong fluorescence efficiency, and resistance to photobleaching. However, AIE‐PSs also have some disadvantages, such as short absorption wavelengths and insufficient molar absorption coefficient. When the advantages and disadvantages of AIE‐PSs and ACQ‐PSs are complementary, combining ACQ‐PSs and AIE‐PSs is a "win‐to‐win" strategy. As far as we know, the conversion of traditional representative ACQ‐PSs to AIE‐PSs for phototheranostics has not been reviewed. In the review, we summarize the recent progress on the ACQ‐to‐AIE transformation of PSs and the strategies to achieve desirable theranostic applications. The review would be helpful to design more efficient ACQ‐AIE‐PSs in the future and to accelerate the development and clinical application of PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic fingerprints in serum characterize diverse diseases for diagnostics and biomarker discovery. The identification of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by serum metabolic fingerprints (SMFs) will facilitate precision medicine in SLE in an early and designed manner. Here, a discovery cohort of 731 individuals including 357 SLE patients and 374 healthy controls (HCs), and a validation cohort of 184 individuals (SLE/HC, 91/93) are constructed. Each SMF is directly recorded by nano‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI MS) within 1 minute using 1 µL of native serum, which contains 908 mass to charge features. Sparse learning of SMFs achieves the SLE identification with sensitivity/specificity and area‐under‐the‐curve (AUC) up to 86.0%/92.0% and 0.950 for the discovery cohort. For the independent validation cohort, it exhibits no performance loss by affording the sensitivity/specificity and AUC of 89.0%/100.0% and 0.992. Notably, a metabolic biomarker panel is screened out from the SMFs, demonstrating the unique metabolic pattern of SLE patients different from both HCs and rheumatoid arthritis patients. In conclusion, SMFs characterize SLE by revealing its unique metabolic pattern. Different regulation of small molecule metabolites contributes to the precise diagnosis of autoimmune disease and further exploration of the pathogenic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The generation of transcranial ultrasound is usually based on the piezoelectric effect, so it is necessary to attach transducers around the skull. However, the skull will cause serious attenuation and scattering of ultrasound, which makes it particularly difficult for transcranial ultrasound imaging and modulation. Purpose: In transcranial ultrasound imaging, there is significant attenuation and scattering of ultrasound waves by the skull bone. To mitigate this influence and enable precise imaging and high‐efficient transcranial ultrasound for specific patients (such as stroke patients who already require craniotomy as part of their surgical care), this paper proposes to use EMAT to excite metal plates placed inside the skull based on the excellent penetration characteristics of EM waves into the skull, generating ultrasound signals, which can completely avoid the influence of skull on ultrasound transmission. Methods: Based on an efficient wireless transcranial ultrasound experimental platform, we first verified that the skull would not affect the propagation of electromagnetic waves generated by EMAT. In addition, the distribution of the transcranial sound field generated by EMAT was measured. Results: EMAT can generate 1.0 MHz ultrasound by wireless excitation of a 0.1 mm thick copper plate through an adult skull with a thickness of ∼1 cm, and the frequency and amplitude of the generated ultrasound are not affected by the skull. The results indicated that the electromagnetic waves successfully penetrated the skull, with a recorded strength of approximately 2 mV. We also found that the ultrasound signals generated by the EMAT probe through the skull remained unaffected, measuring around 2 mV. In addition, the measurement of the transcranial sound field distribution (80*50 mm2) generated by EMAT shows that compared with the traditional extracranial ultrasound generation method, the sound field distribution generated by the wireless excitation of the intracranial copper plate based on EAMT is no longer affected by the uneven and irregular skull. Conclusion: Our experiments involved validating the penetration capabilities of electromagnetic waves utilizing the EMAT probe through a 7 (5+2) mm thick organic glass plate and a real human skull ranging from 8 to 15 mm in thickness. The efficient and wireless transcranial ultrasound excitation proposed in this paper may be possible for transcranial ultrasound imaging and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, aquaculture is a relatively mature industry; however, disease problems are continuously threatening the industry and hindering its development to a certain extent. Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the zoonotic bacteria widely present in different hosts and has caused some degree of harm to the aquaculture industry, posing a potential threat to the water environment and indirectly also affecting human food safety issues. In this study, K. pneumoniae was isolated from the aquaculture environment, named as ELD, and subjected to pathogenic and immunological related studies. The results of the study showed that the strain carries at least four virulence‐related genes, magA, wabG, ureA and uge, and has developed resistance to at least seven antibacterial drugs, such as amoxicillin, doxycycline, rifampicin, and so on. Moreover, the strain is highly pathogenic and is capable of causing systemic clinical foci in Procypris merus. In addition, after infection with K. pneumoniae, the expression of IL‐1β, IL‐8, HSP70 and C2 was upregulated in P. merus as a whole, whereas the expression of TNF‐α did not change significantly in any of the tissues, which might be a kind of immune response of P. merus against K. pneumoniae infection. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the in‐depth exploration of the pathogenic mechanism of K. pneumoniae in fish and the immune response that occurs after the disease is contracted in fish, as well as theoretical support for the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies against K. pneumoniae‐infected aquatic animals in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Averaged over 4000 m in elevation, Tibetan Plateau (TP) functions as an important ecological security barrier in China. Alpine ecosystems present a trend of overall improvement under the influence of climate change and human activities, yet there are localized deteriorations. To improve the ecological function of the TP, large‐scale ecological restoration projects (ERPs) have been carried out over the past 30 years, which could be classified into three stages, that is, Exploration (1989–2003), Rapid Growth (2004–2014), and Comprehensive Development Stage (2015−present). With a total area of 850,000 km2, the ERPs include forest protection and construction, grassland protection and construction, water and soil erosion control, and desertification land management. The positive effect at the local scale has been widely verified, but the responses of productivity and species diversity were inconsistent. The positive effect at the regional scale gradually emerges, yet the spatial heterogeneity is significant, and the quantification of driving forces is an important prerequisite. There is a significant increase of rare wild animals in natural reserves, though it failed to curb the loss of animal and plant diversity in artificially planted areas. The long‐term effects of various ERPs on biodiversity should be taken into account so as to optimize the ecological measures and build a sustainable management model after project restoration. By summarizing the above achievements and problems of ERPs, we proposed a stepwise ecological restoration and adaptive management scheme by different restoration goals and reference modes, that is, "Environmental treatment—Ecological restoration projects—Adaptive management." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underwater mobile monitoring platform that utilizes marine animals as carriers provides a new solution to address the issues of short endurance, high costs, and bulky size associated with traditional underwater mobile monitoring platforms. Based on most marine animals that have the behavioral habit of long‐duration swimming, a micro hydrokinetic energy harvesting system is proposed. This system applies a miniature vertical‐axis water turbine as its energy conversion component. The hydrokinetic energy is derived from the relative movement between marine animals and the surrounding seawater. A conceptual design of a novel underwater mobile monitoring platform is presented. A finite element model of the external‐rotor permanent magnet synchronous generator is established to comprehensively evaluate the performance of the generator. Numerical simulation is utilized to conduct a comparative analysis of different diversion channel designs. Preliminary water tank experiments show that the designed micro energy harvester can effectively capture the hydrokinetic energy generated by water flow movement. The startup flow rate of the harvester is around 0.16 m s−1. The output power increases with the increase in water flow velocity, reaching a maximum value of ≈57 mW within the range of water flow rate of about 0.2–0.5 m s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant communities in nature are often challenged by multiple global change factors (GCFs) and also ubiquitously encountered with soil nutrient heterogeneity. So far, however, we know little about the interactive effect of multiple GCFs and soil nutrient heterogeneity on plant communities. We conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment in which a plant community was either grown in heterogeneous soils consisting of high‐ and low‐nutrient patches, or in homogeneous soils where the same amount of nutrients was evenly distributed. These plant communities were exposed to none (control), single, or a combination of two or four GCFs (i.e. drought, nitrogen deposition, microplastic and cadmium). Biomass of the plant community exposed to drought and nitrogen deposition were greater in heterogeneous than in homogeneous soils, but evenness of the plant community exposed to microplastics was lower. Increasing the number of GCFs increased community biomass more in heterogeneous than in homogeneous soils, but it generally reduced community evenness, independent of soil nutrient heterogeneity. These contrasting responses were related to changing competitive hierarchies and root foraging responses under different treatments. Our results suggest that soil nutrient heterogeneity can alter community productivity and diversity via changing competitive interactions of the component species, depending on both the identity and the number of GCFs acting on the community. These results have important implications for the maintenance of ecosystem functions and services under rapid and complex ongoing global changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of all‐cause, specific mortality among patients with fibromyalgia, which is a controversial topic. Methods: We conducted a thorough search for cohort studies across the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases, from their inception to 1 March 2023, using medical subject headings and relevant keywords. All data were meticulously analyzed using Stata statistical software version 16.0. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023402337). Results: After analyzing seven cohort studies involving 152 933 individuals published between 2001 and 2020, we found no clear evidence linking fibromyalgia or widespread pain to all‐cause mortality risk (odds ratio [OR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81–1.53; I2 = 82.6%, p =.505). However, our subgroup analysis revealed that the risk of suicide was significantly higher in fibromyalgia patients compared with non‐fibromyalgia patients (OR 5.39, 95% CI 2.16–13.43; I2 = 69.9%, p <.05). Conclusions: Our research did not discover any proof indicating a link between fibromyalgia or widespread pain and all‐cause mortality. However, it is worth noting that there may be a potential correlation between individuals with fibromyalgia or widespread pain and a higher likelihood of suicide. As we had a limited number of participants in our study, further research is necessary to thoroughly investigate the relationship between these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise energy management in distribution power system requires high‐precision time synchronization among large‐scale deployed devices. Multiple clock sources‐based time synchronization possesses advantages of reliability, high precision, and robustness, but still faces several challenges such as coupling between time synchronization error and delay, as well as different timescales between clock source and clock weight optimization. In this paper, a multi‐clock source time synchronization model is constructed and a problem is formulated to minimize the synchronization error and delay through jointly optimizing large‐timescale clock source selection and small‐timescale weight selection. A reinforcement learning‐based multi‐timescale multi‐clock source time synchronization algorithm named RL‐M2 is proposed to solve the formulated problem from a learning perspective. Besides, a lossless switching method is proposed to address the switching problem for multiple clock sources. Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of RL‐M2 and the lossless switching method in time synchronization delay and error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence and risk factors for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and its correlation with objective cognition decline (OCD) among community‐dwelling older adults is inconsistent. METHODS: Older adults underwent neuropsychological and clinical evaluations to reach a consensus on diagnoses. RESULTS: This study included 7486 adults without mild cognitive impairment and dementia (mean age: 71.35 years [standard deviation = 5.40]). The sex‐, age‐, and residence‐adjusted SCD prevalence was 58.33% overall (95% confidence interval: 58.29% to 58.37%), with higher rates of 61.25% and 59.87% in rural and female subgroups, respectively. SCD global and OCD language, SCD memory and OCD global, SCD and OCD memory, and SCD and OCD language were negatively correlated in fully adjusted models. Seven health and lifestyle factors were associated with an increased risk for SCD. DISCUSSION: SCD affected 58.33% of older adults and may indicate concurrent OCD, which should prompt the initiation of preventative intervention for dementia. Highlights: SCD affects 58.33% of older adults in China.SCD may indicate concurrent objective cognitive decline.Difficulty finding words and memory impairments may indicate a risk for AD.The presence of SCD may prompt preventative treatment initiation of MCI or dementia.Social network factors may be initial targets for the early prevention of SCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Portulaca oleracea has served as food and folk medicine in many parts of the world for thousands of years. Portulaca oleracea extract (POE) was prepared from fresh plants. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial diarrhea effect and explore the possible mechanism. RESULTS: POE was effective in reducing diarrhea rate, improving intestinal tissue, and reducing cytokines concentrations of interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐10, IL‐12 p40 and TNF‐α in blood. Besides, the result of histological observation showed that the mucus layer thickness and crypt length in the POE‐treated group was higher than that in the model group. The POE could significantly upregulate the protein expression of MUC2, occludin and ZO‐1. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that Parabacteroides, Clostridium and Muribaculaceae may be the key functional microflora of POE. The non‐targeted metabolomics also suggested that the antibacterial diarrheal effects of P. oleracea may be attributed to the regulation of amino acid metabolism and composition of the gut microbiota. CONCLUSION: Portulaca oleracea has definite clinical efficacy against bacterial diarrhea and anti‐inflammatory effects. Its regulation of gut microbiota and fecal metabolism may account for its antibacterial diarrhea and anti‐inflammatory effects. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Gut dysbiosis appears rapidly after acute stroke and may affect the prognosis, whereas changes in gut microbiota with gradual recovery from stroke are unknown and rarely studied. The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of gut microbiota changes over time after stroke. Methods: Stroke patients and healthy subjects were selected to compare the clinical data and gut microbiota of the patient group in two phases with that of healthy subjects and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to search the differences of gut microbiota in subjects. Results: Compared with the healthy subjects, the subacute patients mainly decreased the abundance of some gut microbial communities, while the decreased communities reduced and more communities increased the abundance in the convalescent patients. The abundance of Lactobacillaceae increased in both phases in patient group, while Butyricimona, Peptostreptococaceae and Romboutsia decreased in both phases. Correlation analysis found that the MMSE scores of patients in the two phases had the greatest correlation with the gut microbiota. Conclusion: Gut dysbiosis still existed in patients in the subacute phase and convalescent phase, and gradually improved with the recovery of stroke. Gut microbiota may affect the prognosis of stroke by affecting BMI and/or related indicators, and there is a strong correlation between gut microbiota and cognitive function after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual interpretation is considered the gold standard for amyloid scans in clinical practice. However, dichotomous classification of amyloid deposition by visual reading always results in bias due to rater experience. Therefore, there is a need for a more lenient and flexible amyloid‐equivocal classification in clinical practice. A total of 461 participants were included in this study. Amyloid and glucose positron‐emission tomography was performed, and neuropsychological tests were evaluated. A disease‐specific deep‐learning method was used to identify amyloid equivocality. Amyloid deposition, glucose metabolism, and cognitive performance were analyzed and compared among amyloid‐positive, amyloid‐negative, and amyloid‐equivocal groups. Clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease individuals and subjects with normal cognition were used to create amyloid biomarker cut points to support the definition of equivocal amyloid deposition. A total of 139 amyloid‐equivocal individuals were identified by deep learning methods. They displayed intermediate amyloid deposition between that of amyloid‐positive (standardized uptake value ratio [SUVr]: 1.25 ± 0.10 vs. 1.47 ± 0.20, p < 0.001) and amyloid‐negative (SUVr: 1.25 ± 0.10 vs. 1.18 ± 0.07, p < 0.001) individuals. No difference in glucose metabolism or cognitive performance was observed between amyloid negativity and equivocality. Furthermore, the SUVr for the whole cortex, the precuneus, and the frontal lobe served as auxiliary criteria supporting the diagnosis of equivocal amyloid deposition. We also established a guide to assist in the interpretation of amyloid equivocality by visual reading with auxiliary criteria including two cut points and deep learning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently, chemotherapy plus immunotherapy has achieved remarkable efficacy in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). However, some patients, especially frail people, cannot tolerate full‐dose chemotherapy in the real world. To reduce toxicity, appropriate dose reduction in chemotherapy is necessary. Therefore, this study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of reduced‐dose chemotherapy plus immunotherapy in LUSC patients in the real world. Methods: A real‐world observational study was conducted concerning patients who received chemotherapy plus immunotherapy in our situation. The primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), and the secondary endpoints were progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. Results: Between December 2018 and January 2022, 110 patients were enrolled, of whom 54 patients were chemotherapy reduced‐dose group and 56 patients were chemotherapy standard‐dose group. The ORR in the reduced‐dose group is similar to standard‐dose group (85.19% vs. 71.43%, p = 0.082). Similar DCR were observed (100% vs. 94.64%, p = 0.086). Median PFS was 12 months in the reduced‐dose group and standard‐dose group, respectively. Median OS was 15 months and 16 months in the reduced‐dose group and standard‐dose group, respectively. We reported a lower incidence of grade 3–4 toxicity in the reduced‐dose group compared with standard‐dose group (27.78% vs. 42.86%, p = 0.100). The major toxic reactions were better alleviated in the reduced‐dose group than in the standard‐dose group, especially in the thrombocytopenia (p = 0.044), peripheral nerve damage (p = 0.001), gastrointestinal reactions (p < 0.0001), and fatigue (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The modified regimen with attenuated doses of chemotherapy in combination with immunotherapy was effective and well tolerated in patients with LUSC. The efficacy of this modified regimen is similar to that of the full‐dose regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown that increasing species diversity generally increases ecosystem functioning, but few have evaluated the role of species diversity in soil pollutant removal, especially for organic pollutants. We test the hypothesis that increasing plant diversity can enhance soil pollutant removal. To test the hypothesis, we conducted two experiments: one for removal of cadmium and the other for removal of cypermethrin from the soil. In both experiments, plants were grown in monocultures, four‐ and eight‐species mixtures in soils contaminated with the pollutants. Contaminated soils without plants were also included as controls. Our results showed that the efficiency of cadmium removal from the soil decreased with increasing plant species richness. The negative effect of diversity on cadmium removal was largely attributed to species underyielding in plant mixtures. In contrast, the efficiency of cypermethrin removal from soils increased with increasing plant species richness. The positive effect of diversity on cypermethrin removal was likely due to the presence of Taraxacum mongolicum which had the lowest biomass but the highest removal efficiency. Our results suggest that species diversity may regulate pollutant remediation, and this is pollutant‐dependent. Moreover, the performance of individual species can strongly influence the direction and magnitude of the diversity effect on soil pollutant removal. These species should be treated with cautious in the remediation of contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environments experienced by parental plants may potentially influence the performance of their offspring. These effects may also vary depending on the current environment experienced by the offspring. However, whether these transgenerational effects, especially those induced by biotic factors such as competition, can persist for multiple generations has not been tested. Here, we examined intraspecific competition‐induced transgenerational effects across multiple generations using a floating clonal plant Spirodela polyrhiza, by growing three successive generations each under either low or high density. The second‐generation offspring performed better when the first‐generation plants were grown under low than under high density, independently of the density experienced by the second generation. The third‐generation offspring performed better under low than under high density, and the difference was more pronounced when the second‐generation plants were grown under low density. Moreover, the density of the first and second generation interacted to influence the morphology of the third‐generation offspring. These results indicate that competition‐induced transgenerational effects in S. polyrhiza can vary depending on the competition environment of its offspring and that these effects can persist across multiple generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]