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Pancreas segmentation has great significance in computer‐aided diagnosis of pancreatic diseases. The small size of the pancreas, high variability in shape, and blurred edges make the task of pancreas segmentation challenging. A new model called SEY‐Net is proposed to solve the above problems, which is a one‐stage model with multi‐inputs. SEY‐Net is composed of three main components. Firstly, the edge information extraction (EIE) module is designed to improve the segmentation accuracy of the pancreas boundary. Then, the SE_ResNet50 is selected as the encoder's backbone to fit the size of the pancreas. Finally, the dual cross‐attention is integrated into the skip connection to better focus on the variable shape of the pancreas. The experimental results shows that the proposed method has better performance and outperforms the other existing state‐of‐the‐art pancreas segmentation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a growing health problem affecting nearly 1 billion people worldwide. The landmark feature of OSA is chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), accounting for multiple organ damage, including heart disease. CIH profoundly alters both visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) and heart structure and function, but little is known regarding inter‐organ interaction in the context of CIH. We recently showed that visceral WAT senescence drives myocardial alterations in aged mice without CIH. Here, we aimed at investigating whether CIH induces a premature visceral WAT senescent phenotype, triggering subsequent cardiac remodeling. Methods: In a first experiment, 10‐week‐old C57bl6J male mice (n = 10/group) were exposed to 14 days of CIH (8 h daily, 5%–21% cyclic inspired oxygen fraction, 60 s per cycle). In a second series, mice were submitted to either epididymal WAT surgical lipectomy or sham surgery before CIH exposure. Finally, we used p53 deficient mice or Wild‐type (WT) littermates, also exposed to the same CIH protocol. Epididymal WAT was assessed for fibrosis, DNA damages, oxidative stress, markers of senescence (p16, p21, and p53), and inflammation by RT‐qPCR and histology, and myocardium was assessed for fibrosis and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Results: CIH‐induced epididymal WAT remodeling characterized by increased fibrosis, oxidative stress, DNA damage response, inflammation, and increased expression of senescent markers. CIH‐induced epididymal WAT remodeling was associated with subtle and early myocardial interstitial fibrosis. Both epididymal WAT surgical lipectomy and p53 deletion prevented CIH‐induced myocardial fibrosis. Conclusion: Short‐term exposure to CIH induces epididymal WAT senescent remodeling and cardiac interstitial fibrosis, the latter being prevented by lipectomy. This finding strongly suggests visceral WAT senescence as a new target to mitigate OSA‐related cardiac disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An anode‐support microtubular solid oxide fuel cell (MTSOFC) using an intermediate ring‐shaped electrode collector is simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics software to investigate current density distribution and mass transfer in both power generation and electrolysis modes. The cell is converted to power generation mode during continuous electrolysis, and the electrochemical performance of MTSOFC is tested to study the effect of electrolysis on the power generation performance. The power density output of the MTSOFC decreases from 250 to 150 mW cm−2 after only 40 h of continuous electrolysis. The microstructural changes in different regions during operation are observed through posttest analysis conducted on the fuel inlet, electrochemical reaction concentration region, and fuel outlet of the microtubular cell. The local agglomeration of nickel occurs in the concentrated region of the electrochemical reaction, while the coarsening of nickel oxidation mainly takes place at the fuel inlet and outlet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase segregation can bring low crystallinity and orientation, giving rise to poor carrier transport and high defect density, leading to poor device performance. In order to reduce oxidation and defect density and regulate film growth, lots of reductive additives such as SnF2 are explored as additives in tin perovskite film growth. Despite the oxidation is effectively reduced, it induces phase segregation. Herein, a reductive molecule NH5F2 with a bi‐fluoride anion is explored to address this challenge for tin perovskite solar cells. This bi‐fluoride anion reduces coordination energy with Sn2+ compared to SnF2, hence the byproduct of [F─H─F]− can be eliminated during the film annealing process, effectively preventing fluoride segregation. As a result, a highly oriented perovskite film with reduced oxidation is fabricated. The film shows reduced defect density and carrier recombination, leading to improved current density. Consequently, a tin‐based perovskite solar cell with an efficiency of 15.04% is fabricated, ranking as one of the highest efficiencies reported up to now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a complex disease with genetic and environmental factors at play. Through trio exome sequencing, a de novo SEC16A frameshift variant in a Chinese teenage CP patient is identified. Subsequent targeted next‐generation sequencing of the SEC16A gene in 1,061 Chinese CP patients and 1,196 controls reveals a higher allele frequency of rare nonsynonymous SEC16A variants in patients (4.90% vs 2.93%; odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–2.33). Similar enrichments are noted in a French cohort (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.67–4.50) and in a biobank meta‐analysis (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04–1.31). Notably, Chinese CP patients with SEC16A variants exhibit a median onset age 5 years earlier than those without (40.0 vs 45.0; p = 0.012). Functional studies using three CRISPR/Cas9‐edited HEK293T cell lines show that loss‐of‐function SEC16A variants disrupt coat protein complex II (COPII) formation, impede secretory protein vesicles trafficking, and induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress due to protein overload. Sec16a+/− mice, which demonstrate impaired zymogen secretion and exacerbated ER stress compared to Sec16a+/+, are further generated. In cerulein‐stimulated pancreatitis models, Sec16a+/− mice display heightened pancreatic inflammation and fibrosis compared to wild‐type mice. These findings implicate a novel pathogenic mechanism predisposing to CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background and Aims: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for pancreatic stones (P‐ESWL) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are the preferred therapeutic approaches for painful chronic pancreatitis (CP) with pancreatic stones. This study aimed to report the short‐ and long‐term outcomes following P‐ESWL and ERCP in a large cohort with CP. Methods: Patients with painful CP and pancreatic stones >5 mm in size, who underwent P‐ESWL and subsequent ERCP between March 2011 and June 2018, were included in this retrospective‐prospective mixed observational study. The total stone clearance rates were recorded. All patients were followed up until the end of March 2024, with the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, pain type, quality‐of‐life scores and other relevant information recorded. Results: A total of 2071 patients underwent P‐ESWL, and 93.1% of them subsequently underwent ERCP during the study period. Patients were followed up for an average of 11.8 years from the onset of CP and 6.7 years from the first P‐ESWL procedure. Complete stone clearance was achieved in 73.7% of the patients. At the end of the follow‐up period, 70.1% of the patients achieved complete pain remission. Significant pain type conversion and lower VAS scores were observed in the patients after treatment. Quality‐of‐life scores and body mass indices increased after P‐ESWL and ERCP. Conclusions: P‐ESWL and ERCP are effective and minimally invasive treatments for pancreatic stones in patients with painful CP. Most patients achieved complete pain relief, and pain‐type conversion was common after treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05916547). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intertrochanteric femur fracture is the most common hip fracture in elderly people, and the academic community has reached a consensus that early surgery is imperative. Proximal femoral nail anti‐rotation (PFNA) and InterTan are the preferred internal fixation devices for intertrochanteric femur fractures in elderly individuals due to their advantages, such as a short lever arm, minimal stress shielding, and resistance to rotation. However, PFNA is associated with complications such as nail back‐out and helical blade cut‐out due to stress concentration. As a new internal fixation device for intertrochanteric femur fractures, the proximal femoral biodegradable nail (PFBN) addresses the issue of nail back‐out and offers more stable fracture fixation, a shorter lever arm, and stress distribution compared to PFNA and InterTan. Clinical studies have shown that compared to PFNA, PFBNs lead to faster recovery of hip joint function, shorter non‐weight‐bearing time, and faster fracture healing. This article provides a literature review of the structural characteristics, biomechanical analysis, and clinical studies of PFBNs, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of internal fixation devices for the treatment of intertrochanteric femur fractures in elderly patients and to improve the quality of life of patients during the postoperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation age of the middle Yellow River and the existence of a northward‐flowing river have been fiercely debated. The age distribution of detrital zircon varied spatiotemporally and produced contradictory provenance interpretations. The Jinshaan Gorge, the main part of the middle Yellow River and key to studying fluvial evolution and clarifying disputes, developed its topography during the late Cenozoic. In this study, we systematically review the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the North China Craton, perform detrital zircon U–Pb dating in the Neogene−Quaternary sediments and investigate the topography along the Jinshaan Gorge, and the sedimentology and chronological framework of these sediments. We propose that the Gorge of the middle Yellow River could have developed since the Neogene, controlled by the tectono‐geomorphologic evolution of the North China Craton in a dominantly extensional environment. No evidence supports a northward‐flowing river during the Early Pleistocene or even earlier in the Jinshaan Gorge. We attribute the provenance variations of the Cenozoic sediments to detrital mixing of diverse geological units, local and distant, and especially highlight the systematic provenance shift between the Neogene and Quaternary sediments caused by bedrock downcutting and recycling aeolian sediments. The increased 1.5−0.33 Ga component of the lower Yellow River during the Early Pleistocene was likely caused by enhanced loess accumulation and should not be individually used as a proxy for the Yellow River formation. We emphasize the significance of a comprehensive study of river evolution. Plain Language Summary: Three‐quarters of the Yellow River channel is located on the North China Craton, but the formation and evolution of the Yellow River have been usually attributed to the upper reaches due to the growth of the Tibetan Plateau. Geological units, such as aeolian deposits have a significant impact on the fluvial sediments of the Yellow River, and only systematic work can help unraveling their provenance and potential recycling. We have found that the tectonic evolution of the North China Craton between the rigid Ordos Block and the Lvliang Shan controlled the initial entrenchment of the Jinshaan Gorge in the middle Yellow River since the late or maybe the early Miocene. We have also revealed the complex spatial provenance changes of the fluvial sediments along the Yellow River and the systematic provenance shift between the Neogene and Quaternary sediments. At the same time, we emphasize the significance of an integrated study combining tectono‐geomorphic features, sedimentology and quantitative analysis, such as provenance, for the reconstruction of the river geological evolution. Key Points: The middle Yellow River has developed under the extensional tectonic evolution of the North China Craton since the CenozoicSystematic provenance shift between the Neogene and Quaternary sediments was caused by bedrock downcutting and aeolian depositionDetrital signal from the Tibetan Plateau cannot be transported to and detected in the lower Yellow River [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) often suffer from poor stability, making them suitable precursors for metal oxides/porous carbon catalysts in the oxygen evolution reaction via pyrolysis. High‐temperature treatment, however, leads to significant loss of active sites. To address this, Fe‐MOFs, FeCo‐MOFs, and FeCo‐MOFs/graphene oxide (GO) composites using a one‐pot hydrothermal method are synthesized and annealed at a low temperature of 300 °C. Characterization reveals that FeCo‐MOFs/GO composites possess unique nanowire structures mixed with a small amount of nanoflakes. It is believed that introducing graphene oxide plays a critical role in forming this structure, because the defects in GO provide numerous nucleation sites for nanowire growth. With high specific surface area and good stability, these nanostructures show a low overpotential of 261.5 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 20.47 mV dec−1 in 1 mol L−1 KOH alkaline water electrolysis. Density functional theory calculations further indicate that the synergistic effect of Fe and Co atoms enhances the catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular one‐dimensional (1D) electron systems have attracted much attention due to their unique electronic state, physical and chemical properties derived from high‐aspect‐ratio structures. Among 1D materials, mixed‐valence halogen‐bridged transition‐metal chain complexes (MX‐chains) based on coordination assemblies are currently of particular interest because their electronic properties, such as mixed‐valence state and band gap, can be controlled by substituting components and varying configurations. In particular, chemistry has recently noted that dimensionally extending MX‐chains through organic rung ligands can introduce and modulate electronic coupling of metal atoms between chains, i. e., interchain interactions. In this review, for the first time, we highlight the recent progress on MX systems from the viewpoint of dimensionally extending from 1D chain to ladder and nanotube, mainly involving structural design and electronic properties. Overall, dimensional extension can not only tune the electronic properties of MX‐chain, but also build the unique platform for studying transport dynamics in confined space, such as proton conduction. Based on these features, we envision that the MX‐chain systems provide valuable insights into deep understanding of 1D electron systems, as well as the potential applications such as nanoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide perovskites have received an immense attention in the field of optoelectronics due to their outstanding photophysical properties. But so far, lead‐based halide perovskites still account for most of the research, which raises concerns due to lead toxicity. Herein, a new design strategy is proposed utilizing a super large, energetically higher singlet and triplet energy levels aromatic organic cation to incorporate into the perovskite structure, forming ultra‐stable high‐performance 2D/3D (quasi‐2D) perovskite. The judicious molecular design of connecting all the phenyl groups at their meta sites ensures the simultaneous achievement of a large molecular weight and high singlet and triplet energy levels. The resulting quasi‐2D perovskite thin films not only exhibits excellent emission properties but also, surprisingly, show long‐term waterproof‐level stability. The robustness of these perovskites is confirmed by their extraordinary emission stability upon direct water immersion and almost undetectable lead release in water. Proof‐of‐concept of a water‐resistant color conversion‐type perovskite near‐infrared (NIR) light‐emitting diode (LED) is demonstrated, showing high external quantum efficiency (EQE) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.5% and 13.3%, respectively. It is believed these results and strategy pave a new way for realizing environmentally friendly lead halide materials and devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, pathophysiological mechanisms of post‐acute sequelae of coronavirus disease‐19‐cardiovascular syndrome (PASC‐CVS) remain unknown. Methods and results: Patients with PASC‐CVS exhibited significantly higher circulating levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2 spike protein S1 than the non‐PASC‐CVS patients and healthy controls. Moreover, individuals with high plasma spike protein S1 concentrations exhibited elevated heart rates and normalized low frequency, suggesting cardiac β‐adrenergic receptor (β‐AR) hyperactivity. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) assay revealed that the spike protein bound to β1‐ and β2‐AR, but not to D1‐dopamine receptor. These interactions were blocked by β1‐ and β2‐AR blockers. Molecular docking and MST assay of β‐AR mutants revealed that the spike protein interacted with the extracellular loop 2 of both β‐ARs. In cardiomyocytes, spike protein dose‐dependently increased the cyclic adenosine monophosphate production with or without epinephrine, indicating its allosteric effects on β‐ARs. Conclusion: Severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2 spike proteins act as an allosteric β‐AR agonist, leading to cardiac β‐AR hyperactivity, thus contributing to PASC‐CVS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling relationship between electrical and thermal transports makes it rather challenging to enhance thermoelectric performance. Here, electrical and thermal transports are successfully decoupled to realize high performance in n‐type PbSe by utilizing a stepwise strategy. First, the PbSe lattice is plained with extra Pb to compensate for the intrinsic Pb vacancies, which can weaken defect scattering and improve carrier mobility to ≈1230 cm2 V−1 s−1. The room‐temperature power factor triples and reaches ≈32 µW cm−1 K−2, and ZT is significantly enhanced to ≈0.6 in Pb1.006Se. Subsequently, liquid‐like interstitial Cu ions are introduced to inhibit heat conduction without damaging electrical transport. While maintaining a high power factor of ≈25 µW cm−1 K−2, Cu ions strongly suppress phonon transport at high temperature, leading to an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ≈0.28 W m−1 K−1 in Pb1.006Cu0.006Se, only 30% of the Cu‐free PbSe. Eventually, a remarkable peak ZT of ≈1.8 at 773 K is achieved along with a high average ZT of ≈1.1 from 300 to 823 K in Pb1.006Cu0.006Se. An outstanding experimental conversion efficiency of ≈7.1% is obtained in the single‐leg device, demonstrating great potential for PbSe as low‐ to mid‐temperature thermoelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversarial training suffers from poor effectiveness due to the challenging optimisation of loss with hard labels. To address this issue, adversarial distillation has emerged as a potential solution, encouraging target models to mimic the output of the teachers. However, reliance on pre‐training teachers leads to additional training costs and raises concerns about the reliability of their knowledge. Furthermore, existing methods fail to consider the significant differences in unconfident samples between early and late stages, potentially resulting in robust overfitting. An adversarial defence method named Clean, Performance‐robust, and Performance‐sensitive Historical Information based Adversarial Self‐Distillation (CPr & PsHI‐ASD) is presented. Firstly, an adversarial self‐distillation replacement method based on clean, performance‐robust, and performance‐sensitive historical information is developed to eliminate pre‐training costs and enhance guidance reliability for the target model. Secondly, adversarial self‐distillation algorithms that leverage knowledge distilled from the previous iteration are introduced to facilitate the self‐distillation of adversarial knowledge and mitigate the problem of robust overfitting. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method on CIFAR‐10, CIFAR‐100, and Tiny‐ImageNet datasets. The results demonstrate that the CPr&PsHI‐ASD method is more effective than existing adversarial distillation methods in enhancing adversarial robustness and mitigating robust overfitting issues against various adversarial attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fungal skin diseases are common skin diseases with a heterogeneous distribution worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the spatiotemporal trends in the burden of fungal skin diseases at global, regional, and national levels from 1990 to 2021. Methods: Based on the data obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, we described the incident cases, prevalent cases, number of disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), and corresponding age‐standardised rates (ASRs) for fungal skin diseases in 1990 and 2021 by sex, age, socio‐demographic index (SDI), 21 GBD regions, and 204 countries and territories. We used Joinpoint regression analysis to assess the temporal trends in burden of fungal skin diseases during 1990 to 2021. Spearman's rank test was used to analyse the relationship between disease burden and potential factors. Results: From 1990 to 2021, the incident cases, prevalent cases, and DALYs for fungal skin diseases worldwide increased by 67.93%, 67.73%, and 66.77%, respectively. Globally, the age‐standardised incidence rate (ASIR), age‐standardised prevalence rate (ASPR), and age‐standardised DALYs rate (ASDR) for fungal skin diseases in 2021 were 21668.40 per 100,000 population (95% UI: 19601.19–23729.17), 7789.55 per 100,000 population (95% UI: 7059.28–8583.54), and 43.39 per 100,000 population (95% UI: 17.79–89.10), respectively. Between 1990 and 2021, the ASIR, ASPR, and ASDR for fungal skin diseases have modestly increased, with AAPC of 11.71% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.03%–12.39%), 19.24% (95% CI: 18.12%–20.36%), and 20.25% (95% CI: 19.33%–21.18%), respectively. Males experienced a higher burden of fungal skin diseases than females. The incident cases, prevalent cases, and DALYs for fungal skin diseases were highest at the age of 5–9, while the ASRs were highest among the elderly. At national level, the highest ASRs were observed in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Mali. Overall, SDI was negatively correlated with the ASRs, whereas Global Land‐Ocean Temperature Index (GLOTI) was remarkably positively correlated with the burden of fungal skin diseases. Conclusions: Between 1990 and 2021, the global burden of fungal skin diseases has increased, causing a high disease burden worldwide, particularly in underdeveloped regions and among vulnerable population such as children and the elderly. With global warming and aging of the population, the burden of fungal skin diseases may continue to increase in the future. Targeted and specific measures should be taken to address these disparities and the ongoing burden of fungal skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing asymmetric pervaporation membranes is a kind of promising method to enhance pervaporation membrane flux. Hydrophobic PVDF polymer can be used to prepare asymmetric pervaporation membranes, but its separation factor is relatively low. In this work, to improve the performance of PVDF membrane pervaporation, PDMS polymer was added to the PVDF membrane, and asymmetric PDMS/PVDF permeable membranes were prepared by the non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The effects of mass ratios of PDMS to PVDF on the membrane structures and the membrane properties were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, water contact angle and mechanical strength. The results showed that the ratios of the PDMS: PVDF affect its phase‐separation behavior. As the addition of PDMS increased, the finger‐like pores on the membrane section gradually became longer, the upper surface changed from less porous to porous structure, and the lower surface structure changed from interconnected flocculent structure to porous, and the best structure of the blend membrane was achieved when the PDMS: PVDF mass ratio was 1 : 5. Therefore, the membrane had the best separation performance in separating 15 wt. % ethanol aqueous solution with a permeate total flux of 273.65 g/(m2 h) and a separation factor of 9.09 when the mass ratio of PDMS: PVDF was 1 : 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In deep‐ocean natural gas hydrate exploitation operation, the fatigue failure mechanism has attracted more and more attention from scholars, but it has not been effectively disclosed. Therefore, in this work, a multifield coupling and multiple‐nonlinear vibration model of lifting pipe is established, which can accurately determine the alternating stress of deep‐ocean lifting pipe. Second, according to Forman theory, the calculation method of crack propagation length and depth on the surface of a deep‐water riser is established, which is verified by the comparison between the experimental and theoretical model calculation results. The results demonstrate that, first, the effect of residual stress in the welded joint of deep‐ocean lifting pipe should be considered in the later parameter influence analysis. Second, the fatigue growth life of deep‐water pipe with small outflow velocity is mainly determined by tensile stress, and that is determined by both tensile stress and bending stress with large outflow velocity. Third, more attention should be paid to the vibration of the lower pipe on‐site to reduce its vibration frequency and vibration stress amplitude, which can effectively reduce the surface crack propagation state of the deep‐ocean pipe and improve the service life of the pipe. Fourth, properly adjusting the tension coefficient of the tensioner during field operation can effectively improve the safety of the pipe, and the optimal tension coefficient is related to the configuration of the deep‐ocean pipe system, which can be analyzed and determined by the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Few studies have been conducted on gene–environment interactions in the Chinese population with Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the T helper 17 (Th17) cell and CD susceptibility/performance in Chinese individuals. Methods: We conducted a case–control and case‐only study at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Four SNPs related to the Th17 cell pathway genes were prioritized, including rs2284553 (interferon gamma receptor 2), rs7517847 (interleukin 23 receptor), rs7773324 (interferon regulatory factor 4), and rs4263839 (tumor necrosis factor superfamily 15). SNP frequency was calculated, and gene–environment interaction was assessed by multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis. Results: Altogether 159 CD patients and 316 healthy controls were included. All analyzed SNPs were found in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). The frequency of rs2284553‐A allele and rs4263839‐A allele were lower in CD patients compared with controls (P < 0.05). While the rs4263839‐A allele was more prevalent in ileocolonic CD patients than in those with isolated small intestinal or colonic disease (P = 0.035). Gene–environment interactions revealed associations between rs2284553 and breastfeeding, sunshine exposure, and fridge‐stored food, affecting age at diagnosis, intestinal involvement, and intestinal stricture. Interaction of rs4263839 and breastfeeding influenced small intestinal lesions and intestinal stricture in CD. Conclusions: This study provided information on the genetic background in Chinese CD patients. Incorporating these SNPs into predictive models may improve risk assessment and outcome prediction. Gene–environment interaction contributes to the understanding of CD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish a new method for detecting crystal violet (CV), a harmful dye, herein, a genre of novel biomass carbon dots (CDs) was synthesized via a microwave method and employed as a fluorescent probe, in which water spinach and polyethylene glycol (PEG) performed as raw materials. Based on the inner filter effect (IFE) between the luminescent CDs and CV, the blue emission of this probe at 430 nm could be quenched by CV. Hence, a new strategy was proposed to selectively determine CV in aquaculture ambient. Moreover, under the optimal experiment conditions, this method showed a good linearity between the concentration of CV (c) and fluorescence quenching rate (ΔF/F0) in the concentration range of 4–200 μmol/L with the corresponding correlation coefficient (r) and the detection limit of 0.997 and 710 nmol/L, respectively. With advantages of environmental protectivity, sensitivity, affordability, and user‐friendliness, the facilely fabricated CDs could be successfully applied in detecting CV in aquaculture samples, providing a technical foundation for monitoring the pollution of CV and ensuring the quality and safety of aquatic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ladder systems situated in the dimensional crossover region have attracted much attention because their electronic states and physical properties depend strongly on the electronic correlations among the constituent legs. Generally, two‐/three‐legged transition metal‐oxide ladder compounds are studied as representative ladder systems, but two‐/three‐dimensional (2D/3D) extensions based on such ladder systems with a few numbers of legs are difficult because of the extreme synthesis conditions. Here, for the first time, we report the successful creation of a 3D extended two‐legged ladder compound, [Pt(en)(dpye)I]2(NO3)4 ⋅ 2H2O (en=ethylenediamine; dpye=1,2‐Di(4‐pyridyl)ethane), which is obtained by simple oxidative polymerization of a small Pt macrocyclic complex using elemental I2. The unique 3D extended lattice consists of 1D mixed‐valence halogen‐bridged metal chains (⋅⋅⋅Pt−I−Pt−I⋅⋅⋅) and helically arranged macrocyclic units as the constituent legs and rungs, as confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Diffuse X‐ray scattering analyses and optical measurements revealed that the out‐of‐phase mixed‐valence Pt2+/Pt4+ arrangement arises from the weak interchain correlation among adjacent legs. In addition, this compound shows an increase in proton conductivity by a factor of up to 1000, depending on humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of recycled aggregates (RA) in producing novel concrete can contribute to the resilience of the building sector. However, it is important to thoroughly evaluate the mechanical properties of this variety of aggregate before incorporating it into various applications. This study used Gaussian process regression (GPR) and Decision Tree (RT) to estimate the ERAC because the current equations for the modulus of elasticity of concrete may not apply to recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) concrete. On the other hand, the Dwarf mongoose optimizer (DMO) and Phasor particle swarm optimizer (PPSO) were combined with related models. They formed hybrid models to improve the accuracy of developed models. In this study, the hybrid models were evaluated and compared in three phases, which 70% of the samples for training, 15% for validation, and the remaining 15% for testing phase. In addition, several statistical evaluation metrics were employed to assess the precision and effectiveness of the established models. The performance of the models was compared with error metrics and coefficient correlation to obtain a suitable model. The results generally indicate that the PPSO algorithm showed a more acceptable performance than other algorithms coupled with models. In general, GPR‐PPSO can obtain R2=0.995 and RMSE=0.423 with 0.62% and 32% difference than RT‐PPSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial damage is associated with the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), indicating that mitochondrial‐targeted treatments could hold promise as disease‐modifying approaches for PD. Notably, natural compounds have demonstrated the ability to modulate mitochondrial‐related processes. In this review article, we discussed the possible neuroprotective mechanisms of natural compounds against PD in modulating mitophagy and mitochondrial function. A comprehensive literature search on natural compounds related to the treatment of PD by regulating mitophagy and mitochondrial function was conducted from PubMed, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases from their inception until April 2023. We summarize recent advancements in mitophagy's molecular mechanisms, including upstream and downstream processes, and its relationship with PD‐related genes or proteins. Importantly, we highlight how natural compounds can therapeutically regulate various mitochondrial processes through multiple targets and pathways to alleviate oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, Lewy's body aggregation and apoptosis, which are key contributors to PD pathogenesis. Unlike the single‐target strategy of modern medicine, natural compounds provide neuroprotection against PD by modulating various mitochondrial‐related processes, including ameliorating mitophagy by targeting the PINK1/parkin pathway, the NIX/BNIP3 pathway, and autophagosome formation (i.e., LC3 and p62). Given the prevalence of mitochondrial damage in various neurodegenerative diseases, exploring the exact mechanism of natural compounds on mitophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction could shed light on the development of highly effective disease‐modifying or adjuvant therapies targeting PD and other neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A structurally precise hydride‐containing Pt‐doped Cu‐rich nanocluster [PtH2Cu14{S2P(OiPr)2}6(CCPh)6] (1) has been synthesized. It consists of a bicapped icosahedral Cu14 cage that encapsulates a linear PtH2 unit. Upon the addition of two equivalents of CF3COOH to 1, two hydrido clusters are isolated. These clusters are [PtHCu11{S2P(OiPr)2}6(CCPh)4] (2), which is a vertex‐missing Cu11 cuboctahedron encaging a PtH moiety, and [PtH2Cu11{S2P(OiPr)2}6(CCPh)3] (3), a distorted 3,3,4,4,4‐pentacapped trigonal prismatic Cu11 cage enclosing a PtH2 unit. The electronic structure of 2, analyzed by Density Functional Theory, is a 2e superatom. The electrocatalytic activities of 1–3 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) were compared. Notably, Cluster 2 exhibited an exceptionally excellent HER activity within metal nanoclusters, with an onset potential of −0.03 V (at 10 mA cm−2), a Tafel slope of 39 mV dec−1, and consistent HER activity throughout 3000 cycles in 0.5 M H2SO4. Our study suggests that the accessible central Pt site plays a crucial role in the remarkable HER activity and may provide valuable insights for establishing correlations between catalyst structure and HER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is known to exert a cardioprotective effect, while its mechanism in atrial fibrillation (AF) remains poorly defined. Accordingly, isoprenaline (ISO) was applied to establish the rat AF model, and then GA (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day) was administrated to these rats for a total of 21 days. The fibrosis and pathological conditions of rat atrial tissues were observed. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was adopted to calculate the levels of proto‐oncogene serine/threonine‐protein kinase Pim1 (PIM1) and Interleukin (IL)‐4/6/13/17. For in‐vitro experiments, isolated cardiac fibroblasts received the transfection with PIM1‐specific overexpression plasmid or siPIM1 and the treatment with ISO. Subsequently, cell viability was gauged by cell counting kit‐8 assay. The protein levels of alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), collagen I and III, transforming growth factor‐beta1 (TGF‐β1) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 7 (Smad7) were measured by western blot. GA led to the shortened duration of AF and alleviated myocardial fibrosis and atrial tissue lesions in ISO‐treated AF rats in vivo. Meanwhile, GA inhibited the expressions of PIM1 and IL‐4/6/13/17 in the atrial tissue of AF model rats. In the meantime, enhanced cell viability, inhibited expressions of PIM1, IL‐4/6/13/17, α‐SMA, collagen‐I, collagen‐III and TGF‐β1, and promoted Smad7 expression were observable in ISO‐treated cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. Oppositely, the effects of GA were reversed following PIM1 overexpression, while knockdown of PIM1 enhanced the effects of GA on cardiac fibroblasts. Collectively speaking, GA alleviates AF through suppressing the expression of PIM1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talaromyces marneffei (TM) immune evasion is an important factor leading to the high mortality rate of Penicilliosis marneffei. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) plays important roles in host immune response to various pathogen infections, yet its role in TM and HIV/TM coinfection remains largely unexplored. Here we reported genome‐wide transcriptional m6A profiles of TM mono‐infection and HIV/TM coinfection. Our finding revealed dynamic alterations in global m6A levels and upregulation of the m6A reader YTH N6‐methyladenosine RNA binding protein C2 (YTHDC2) in TM‐infected macrophages. Knockdown of YTHDC2 in TM‐infected cells showed an elevated expression of TLR2 through m6A‐dependence, along with upregulation of TNF‐α and IL1‐β. Overall, we characterized the m6A profiles of the host and fungus before and after TM infection, and demonstrated that YTHDC2 mediates the key m6A site of TLR2 to exert its function. These findings provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches for TM diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral carbon dots (CCDs) can be widely used in various fields such as chiral recognition, chiral catalysis and biomedicine because of their unique optical properties, low toxicity and good biocompatibility. In addition, CCDs with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) can be synthesized, thus broadening the prospects of CCDs applications. Since the research on CCDs is still in its infancy, this paper reviews the chiral origin, formation mechanism, chiral evolution, synthesis and emerging applications of CCDs, with a special focus on CCDs with CPL activity. It is hoped that it will provide some reference to solve the current problems faced by CCDs. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of the current research on CCDs are described, and their future development trends have also been prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible energy‐generating electronics have attracted great interest. Generally, such devices can be classified into three categories: energy storage, energy harvesting, and wireless charging. In this work, a flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) for energy harvesting is fabricated. Bi2Te3 ingots are used as thermoelectric legs. To introduce flexibility, liquid metals and elastomers are utilized as the interconnects and encapsulation, respectively. The as‐fabricated device exhibits an output density of 34.5 µW cm−2 over a temperature difference of 25 °C. The device exhibits promising robustness under mechanical stretching, as the fracture limits reach 100%. The device is tested on the human body, and it delivers an instantaneous output of 75.2 mV. Therefore, the as‐fabricated TEG is suitable for human wearable electronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove a factorization theorem for Fuchsian groups similar to those proved by Agol and Liu for 3‐manifold groups. As an application, we build Makanin–Razborov diagrams, which parameterize the collection of all discrete representations from an arbitrary but fixed finitely generated group G$G$ to PSL(2,R)${\rm PSL}(2, \mathbb {R})$. We define a new class of groups called PSL(2,R)${\rm PSL}(2, \mathbb {R})$‐discrete limit groups and then use the factorization theorem to obtain useful information about this class of groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is one of the common postoperative complications after gastric cancer surgery. Previous studies have explored the risk factors (such as age, diabetes, anaemia and ASA score) for SSI in patients with gastric cancer. However, there are large differences in the research results, and the correlation coefficients of different research results are quite different. We aim to investigate the risk factors of surgical site infection in patients with gastric cancer. We queried four English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library) and four Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biological Medicine Database, Wanfang Database and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP Database)) to identify published literature related to risk factors for surgical site infection in patients with gastric cancer. Rev Man 5.4 and Stata 15.0 were used in this meta‐analysis. A total of 15 articles (n = 6206) were included in this analysis. The following risk factors were found to be significantly associated with surgical site infection in gastric cancer: male (OR = 1.28, 95% CI [1.06, 1.55]), age >60 (OR = 2.75, 95% CI [1.65, 4.57]), smoking (OR = 1.99, 95% CI [1.46, 2.73]), diabetes (OR = 2.03, 95% CI [1.59, 2.61]), anaemia (OR = 4.72, 95% CI [1.66, 13.40]), preoperative obstruction (OR = 3.07, 95% CI [1.80, 5.23]), TNM ≥ III (OR = 2.05, 95% CI [1.56, 2.70]), hypoproteinemia (OR = 3.05, 95% CI [2.08, 4.49]), operation time ≥3 h (OR = 8.33, 95% CI [3.81, 18.20]), laparotomy (OR = 2.18, 95% CI [1.61, 2.94]) and blood transfusion (OR = 1.44, 95% CI [1.01, 2.06]). This meta‐analysis showed that male, age >60, smoking, diabetes, anaemia, preoperative obstruction, TNM ≥ III, hypoproteinemia, operation time ≥3 h, open surgery and blood transfusion were the risk factors for SSI in patients with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Gecko, the "sky dragon" named by Traditional Chinese Medicine, undergoes rapid coagulation and scarless regeneration following tail amputation in the natural ecology, providing a perfect opportunity to develop the efficient and safe drug for blood clotting. Here, gecko thrombin (gthrombin) was recombinantly prepared and comparatively studied on its procoagulant activity. Methods: The 3D structure of gthrombin was constructed using the homology modeling method of I‐TASSER. The active gthrombin was prepared by the expression of gecko prethrombin‐2 in 293 T cells, followed by purification with Ni2+‐chelating column chromatography prior to activation by snake venom‐derived Ecarin. The enzymatic activities of gthrombin were assayed by hydrolysis of synthetic substrate S‐2238 and the fibrinogen clotting. The vulnerable nerve cells were used to evaluate the toxicity of gthrombin at molecular and cellular levels. Results: The active recombinant gthrombin showed super‐high catalytic and fibrinogenolytic efficiency than those of human under different temperatures and pH conditions. In addition, gthrombin made nontoxic effects on the central nerve cells including neurons, contrary to those of mammalian counterparts, which contribute to neuronal damage, astrogliosis, and demyelination. Conclusions: A super‐high activity but safe procoagulant candidate drug was identified from reptiles, which provided a promising perspective for clinical application in rapid blood clotting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bimetallic, decanuclear Ni3Ga7‐cluster of the formula [Ni3(GaTMP)3(μ2‐GaTMP)3(μ3‐GaTMP)] (1, TMP=2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl) reacts reversibly with dihydrogen under the formation of a series of (poly‐)hydride clusters 2. Low‐temperature 2D NMR experiments at −80 °C show that 2 consist of a mixture of a di‐ (2Di), tetra‐ (2Tetra) and hexahydride species (2Hexa). The structures of 2Di and 2Tetra are assessed by a combination of 2D NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The cooperation of both metals is essential for the high hydrogen uptake of the cluster. Polyhydrides 2 are catalytically active in the semihydrogenation of 4‐octyne to 4‐octene with good selectivity. The example is the first of its kind and conceptually relates properties of molecular, atom‐precise transition metal/main group metal clusters to the respective solid‐state phase in catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der bimetallische, dekanukleare Ni3Ga7‐Cluster [Ni3(GaTMP)3(μ2‐GaTMP)3(μ3‐GaTMP)] (1, TMP=2,2,6,6‐ Tetramethylpiperidinyl) reagiert reversibel mit Wasserstoff unter Bildung einer Reihe von (Poly‐)Hydridclustern 2. Tieftemperatur‐2D NMR‐Experimente bei −80 °C zeigen, dass 2 aus einem Gemisch von Di‐ (2Di), Tetra‐ (2Tetra) und Hexahydrid‐Spezies (2Hexa) besteht. Die Strukturen von 2Di und 2Tetra werden durch eine Kombination aus 2D NMR‐Spektroskopie und DFT‐Berechnungen untersucht. Das Zusammenspiel beider Metalle ist für die hohe Wasserstoffinkorperierung des Clusters entscheidend. Die Polyhydride 2 sind bei der Semihydrierung von 4‐Octin zu 4‐Octen bei guter Selektivität katalytisch aktiv. Bei 2 handelt es sich um die erste Spezies ihrer Art, die die Eigenschaften von molekularen, atomgenauen Übergangsmetall‐/Hauptgruppenmetallclustern konzeptionell mit der entsprechenden Festkörperphase in der Katalyse verbindet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gun propellant is an inaccessible energy and fuel for projectile to achieve destructive capability in a weapon system. Nitrocellulose/nitroglycerine/triethylene glycol dinitrate(NC/NG/TEGDN) based gun propellant with higher energy level than single‐based gun propellant can meet the demands of modern warfare. Currently, deterring strategy is commonly used to improve the combustion progressivity of NC/NG/TEGDN based gun propellant, together with aggravating the harmful emission phenomena such as muzzle smoke and flame. Therefore, it is essential to design and fabricate NC/NG/TEGDN based gun propellant with both good combustion progressivity and low characteristic signal. In this work, a gradiently denitrated NC/NG/TEGDN based gun propellant was successfully prepared by denitration strategy, whose structure was confirmed by FT‐IR, Raman and SEM. Here, closed bomb vessel test and interior ballistic test were conducted. The results showed that the gradiently denitrated NC/NG/TEGDN based gun propellant exhibited better combustion progressivity and interior ballistic performance than raw gun propellant, and these properties can be controlled by modulating the degree of denitration. Meanwhile, the change laws of the muzzle smoke and flame of the gradiently denitrated NC/NG/TEGDN based gun propellant were investigated by the smoke box method and high‐speed photography. Furthermore, a lower characteristic signal for the gradiently denitrated NC/NG/TEGDN based gun propellant was found compared to the deterred gun propellant by theoretical calculations. This work provides a new idea for preparing and applying a gun propellant with excellent comprehensive performance, including high energy, good combustion progressivity and low characteristic signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the long-term outcomes of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for pancreatic duct stones in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The study highlights the efficacy of these treatments, noting that factors like history of pancreatic surgery and presence of pancreatic pseudocysts may influence treatment outcomes. The authors emphasize the importance of excluding patients with misdiagnosed pancreatic cancer to ensure the study's integrity and purity. Overall, the study provides robust evidence for the treatment efficacy of ESWL and ERCP for patients with chronic pancreatitis. [Extracted from the article]

LINKED CONTENT: This article is linked to Yiu et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18224 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18253 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cryptococcosis and talaromycosis are known as 'neglected epidemics' due to their high case fatality rates and low concern. Clinically, the skin lesions of the two fungal diseases are similar and easily misdiagnosed. Therefore, this study aims to develop an algorithm to identify cryptococcosis/talaromycosis skin lesions. Methods: Skin images of tararomiasis and cryptococcosis were collected from published articles and augmented using the Python Imaging Library (PIL). Then, five deep artificial intelligence models, VGG19, MobileNet, InceptionV3, Incept ResNetV2 and DenseNet201, were developed based on the collected datasets using transfer learning technology. Finally, the performance of the models was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, accuracy, AUC and ROC curve. Results: In total, 159 articles (79 for cryptococcosis and 80 for talaromycosis), including 101 cryptococcosis skin lesion images and 133 talaromycosis skin lesion images, were collected for further mode construction. Five methods showed good performance for prediction but did not yield satisfactory results for all cases. Among them, DenseNet201 performed best in the validation set, followed by InceptionV3. However, InceptionV3 showed the highest sensitivity, accuracy, F1 score and AUC values in the training set, followed by DenseNet201. The specificity of DenseNet201 in the training set is better than that of InceptionV3. Conclusions: DenseNet201 and InceptionV3 are equivalent to the optimal model in these conditions and can be used in clinical settings as decision support tools for the identification and classification of skin lesions of cryptococcus/talaromycosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domesticated honeybees and wild bees are some of the most important beneficial insects for human and environmental health, but infectious diseases pose a serious risk to these pollinators, particularly following the emergence of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor as a viral vector. The acquisition of this novel viral vector from the Asian honeybee Apis ceranae has fundamentally changed viral epidemiology in its new host, the western honeybee A. mellifera. While the recently discovered Lake Sinai Viruses (LSV) have been associated with weak honeybee colonies, they have not been associated with vector‐borne transmission. By combining a large‐scale multi‐year survey of LSV in Chinese A. mellifera and A. cerana honeybee colonies with globally available LSV‐sequence data, we investigate the global epidemiology of this virus. We find that globally distributed LSV is a highly diverse multi‐strain virus, which is predominantly associated with the western honeybee A. mellifera. In contrast to the vector‐borne deformed wing virus, LSV is not an emerging disease. Instead, demographic reconstruction and strong global and local population structure indicates that it is a highly variable multi‐strain virus in a stable association with its main host, the western honeybee. Prevalence patterns in China suggest a potential role for migratory beekeeping in the spread of this pathogen, demonstrating the potential for disease transmission with the man‐made transport of beneficial insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this experiment was to determine the energy values and nutrient utilisation of five corns at starer (14–16 days) and grower (28–30 days) phases. The 1–5 corn samples were obtained from Jinzhou, Liaoning; Gongzhuling, Jilin; Qingdao, Shandong; Songyuan, Jilin and Xinxiang, Henan, China. Each phase of the trial consisted of six treatments with six replicates each. The number of birds per replicate was 4 (Days 14–16) and 2 (Days 28–30). Diets included a corn–soybean meal basal diet and five test diets contained 30% of each corn sample, which replaced 30% of the energy‐yielding components of the basal diet (as‐fed basis). The trial consisted of six cycles, each cycle was 7 days, including 4 days for adaptation to feed. On Day 4, the birds were transferred to the respiration chambers. In the following 3 days, total excreta were collected and daily heat production was measured. The apparent total tract retention of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, and starch improved with age, showing the same trend as energy values. The nitrogen‐corrected metabolisable energy (AMEn) values for corn samples at the starter phase were in the range of 16.25–17.41 MJ/kg DM and at the grower phase were in the range of 17.23–17.60 MJ/kg DM. On the other hand, the net energy (NE) values of the five corn samples ranged from 9.93 to 11.67 MJ/kg DM during the starter period and from 11.19 to 12.27 MJ/kg DM during the grower period. The AMEn and NE values of the five corn samples were close to the literature values for corn. Results from our research indicated the nutrient digestibility and energy values of corn samples increase with the age of the broiler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first hydride‐containing 2‐electron palladium/copper alloys, [PdHCu11{S2P(OiPr)2}6(C≡CPh)4] (PdHCu11) and [PdHCu12{S2P(OiPr)2}5{S2PO(OiPr)} (C≡CPh)4] (PdHCu12), are synthesized from the reaction of [PdH2Cu14{S2P(OiPr)2}6(C≡CPh)6] (PdH2Cu14) with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). X‐ray diffraction reveals that the PdHCu11 and PdHCu12 kernels consist of a central PdH unit encapsulated within a vertex‐missing Cu11 cuboctahedron and complete Cu12 cuboctahedron, respectively. DFT calculations indicate that both PdHCu11 and PdHCu12 can be considered as axially‐distorted 2‐electron superatoms. PdHCu11 shows excellent HER activity, unprecedented within metal nanoclusters, with an onset potential of −0.05 V (at 10 mA cm−2), a Tafel slope of 40 mV dec−1, and consistent HER activity during 1000 cycles in 0.5 M H2SO4. Our study suggests that the accessible central Pd site is the key to HER activity and may provide guidelines for correlating catalyst structures and HER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effects of robot‐assisted rehabilitation training on knee function and the daily activity ability of older adults following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Eighty‐eight patients who underwent TKA were randomly assigned to a robot‐assisted rehabilitation or traditional therapy group. The patients in the control group were treated with traditional manual rehabilitation therapy, while the patients in the experimental group were subjected to the robot‐assisted rehabilitation program. Range of motion of the knee joint, Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Rating Score, and the modified Barthel Index were assessed on the first or second day after TKA (preintervention) and the discharge day (postintervention). Additionally, the length of hospital stay and related hospitalization expenses of the two groups were collected on the discharge day. Improvements in the active range of motion (p < 0.001), passive range of motion (p = 0.001), Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Rating Score (p < 0.001), and modified Barthel Index score (p = 0.004) were significantly better in the robot‐assisted rehabilitation group than in the traditional therapy group. Interestingly, the length of hospital stay in the experimental group (9 days) was shorter than that in the control group (13 days), and the total cost of hospitalization was lower (p = 0.002). The robot‐assisted rehabilitation training program is an effective intervention that significantly improves the daily activity ability and knee function of older adults following TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA), harboring poor prognosis, is divided into human papilloma virus (HPV)‐associated adenocarcinoma (HPVA) and non‐HPVA (NHPVA), each consisting of a heterogeneous immune microenvironment. We aim to examine the effect of CKLF‐like MARVEL transmembrane domain 6 (CMTM6), a key regulator of PD‐L1, on ECA. Immunohistochemistry and RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq) were used to detect CMTM6, Programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1), and immune cells biomarkers levels in tumors. RT‐qPCR and Western Blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein level changed in cells. The expression of CMTM6 in ECA is upregulated compared to cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues. More infiltrating T cells were observed in CMTM6high ECA tissues, especially in CMTM6high HPVA. Higher expression of CMTM6 is associated with a higher rate of infiltrating CD8+ T cells in HPVA, but not in NHPVA. ECA patients were divided into three groups according to the co‐expression status of CMTM6 and PD‐L1(CPS). Patients with CMTM6high/PD‐L1(CPS+) had the longest OS and DFS, especially in NHPVA patients. Moreover, knock down of CMTM6 promotes ECA cell proliferation via the p53 pathway. CMTM6 recruits T cells, suppresses ECA cell proliferation via the p53 pathway and can be used as a novel prognostic indicator for ECA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital left ventricular diverticulum (CL.koVD) refers to a localized cystic protrusion of the ventricular wall that interacts with the heart cavities through a narrow channel and is a rare heart malformation. In recent years, many cases of this disease involving infants and children have been reported, while few cases involving adults have been described. The case of an adult with CLVD who underwent successful surgery was retrospectively evaluated. The echocardiography examination indicated that the apical myocardium of the left ventricle was thin and bulging outward and that the contractile movement was significantly reduced. During the surgery, it was observed that the left ventricle was enlarged, and a left ventricular diverticulum structure was observed on the left side of the apex. A bovine pericardial patch of the corresponding size was used to continuously suture and repair the internal orifice of the diverticulum. The postoperative pathology revealed that the resected sample was composed of full myocardial tissue. This report focused on the imaging characteristics of left ventricular diverticula to improve the understanding of CLVD. With its simple, economical, and noninvasive characteristics, echocardiography presents the best option for diagnosing a ventricular diverticulum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer screening may provide a "teachable moment" for the smoking cessation and relapse prevention. However, the impact of lung cancer screening on smoking initiation in non‐smokers has not been reported. Methods: A baseline smoking behavior survey was conducted in 2000 participants who were screened by low‐dose computed tomography (LDCT) from 2014 to 2018. All participants were re‐surveyed on their smoking behavior in 2019. Of these, 312 participants were excluded, leaving 1688 participants in the final analysis. The smoking initiation rate in baseline non‐smokers, the relapse rate in baseline former smokers, and the abstinence rate in baseline current smokers were calculated, respectively. The associations between screening results, demographic characteristics, and smoking behavior change were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: From 2014 to 2019, smoking prevalence significantly decreased from 52.6% to 49.1%. The prevalence of smoking initiation, relapse, and abstinence in baseline non‐smokers, former, and current smokers was 16.8%, 22.9%, and 23.7%, respectively. The risk of smoking initiation in baseline non‐smokers was significantly higher in those with negative screening result (adjusted OR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.27–6.94). Compared to smokers who only received baseline screening, the chance of smoking abstinence in baseline current smokers was reduced by over 80% in those who attended 5 rounds of screening (adjusted OR = 0.15, 95% CI:0.08–0.27). No significant associations were found between smoking relapse and prior screening frequency, with at least one positive screening result. Age, gender, occupational exposure, income, and smoking pack years were also associated with smoking behavior changes. Conclusions: The overall decreased smoking prevalence indicated an overwhelming effect of "teachable moment" on "license to smoke." A tailored smoking cessation strategy should be integrated into lung cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p‐Cymene ruthenium(II) complex is one of the most widely used catalysts in C−H activation. However, enantioselective C−H activation promoted by arene ruthenium(II) complexes has not been realized until recently. The revealed strategies include intramolecular nitrene C−H insertion, the use of chiral transient directing groups, chiral carboxylic acid, relay catalysis, and chiral arene ligands. In this minireview, these advances are summarized and discussed in the hope of spurring further developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Gut bacteria facilitate nutrient metabolism and generate small molecules that form part of the broader "metabolome". It is unclear whether these metabolites are disturbed in chronic pancreatitis (CP). This study aimed to evaluate the gut microbial–host cometabolites and their relationship in patients with CP. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 40 patients with CP and 38 healthy family members. Each sample was examined with 16S rRNA gene profiling and gas chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry to estimate the relative abundances of specific bacterial taxa between the two groups and to profile any changes in the metabolome, respectively. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the differences in metabolites and gut microbiota between the two groups. Results: The abundance of Actinobacteria was lower at the phylum level, and that of Bifidobacterium was lower at the genus level in the CP group. Eighteen metabolites had significantly different abundances and the concentrations of 13 metabolites were significantly different between the two groups. Oxoadipic acid and citric acid levels were positively correlated with Bifidobacterium abundance (r = 0.306 and 0.330, respectively, both P < 0.05), while the 3‐methylindole concentration was negatively correlated with Bifidobacterium abundance (r = −0.252, P = 0.026) in CP. Conclusions: Gut microbiome and host microbiome metabolic products might be altered in patients with CP. Evaluating gastrointestinal metabolite levels may further enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis and/or progression of CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MYH9 encodes the heavy chain of nonmuscle myosin IIA, a ubiquitously expressed cytoplasmic myosin that regulates the actin cytoskeleton, cell migration, cell polarization, and signal transduction in cancer cells. Here, we investigated the role of MYH9 in cancer stem cells (CSCs) associated with esophageal cancer (EC). The subcellular localization of MYH9 was investigated in SKGT‐4 cells through immunofluorescent analysis. MYH9+ and MYH9− spheroid cells were derived from SKGT‐4 cells by flow cytometry and compared for self‐renewal capacity, tumorigenicity, CD133 positivity, cisplatin resistance, and phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) activity. MYH9 messenger RNA expression was assessed in 30 EC patients by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Kaplan–Meier curves were plotted to explore the influence of MYH9 on EC survival. MYH9 localized to the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus of SKGT‐4 cells. Spheroid cells displayed higher MYH9 expression and positivity compared to parental SKGT‐4 cells. MYH9+ cells showed strong CSC characteristics, including in vivo tumorigenicity, migration, invasion, cisplatin resistance, and CD133+ positivity. MYH9 activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis in CSCs and was upregulated in EC patients with poor survival. Collectively, these data show that MYH9 significantly promotes tumorigenesis by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in EC. MYH9 expression remarkably correlates with poor prognosis and represents a novel biomarker and drug target for the diagnosis and treatment of EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]