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Reports of the results of research within the emerging field of biochemistry education are appearing at an ever-increasing rate. Capturing an image of the landscape of Biochemistry Education Research (BCER) is complicated, however, by the interdisciplinary nature of biochemistry courses that may be taught at different levels and in different departments, even at the same institution. To develop a model that provides a sense of what research has been done, so far, we have investigated the literature on biochemistry education research within the contexts of the traditional biochemistry lecture and laboratory environments as well as courses taught within the health sciences, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and molecular biology, as well as courses that combine biochemistry with other topics in chemistry, such as general chemistry and organic chemistry. We found that existing BCER has focused primarily on the lecture/classroom environment. Only about one-fourth of the BCER literature has been based on research in the laboratory setting. We also noted that the primary focus of research done so far has been on the structure/function properties of proteins. The goal of this review was a holistic understanding of the results of BCER that could be used by instructors to shape classroom practice as well as to provide BCER practitioners with an idea of the gaps in the existing literature that could be filled by future research. To transform the results of our analysis into a publishable form, we have used a format in which brief summaries of the topics of the BCER papers are presented.

Abstract Background Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) severely reduces quality of life of patients with stroke. This study aimed to assess the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on PSCI and the role of the mTOR/NLRP3-mediated autophagy-inflammatory pathway in this process. Methods The rat focal cerebral ischemia model was established using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Following successful induction of the model, EA was applied to the bilateral Fengchi, Fengfu, and Dazhui acupoints, and brain tissue samples were collected on day 15. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze test. Cerebral infarct volume was quantified by Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Hematoxylin–eosin and TUNEL staining were performed to evaluate pathological changes and apoptosis rates. Apoptosis-, inflammation-, and autophagy-related biomarkers were measured, and autophagosomes were visualized using transmission electron microscopy. Results MCAO rats exhibited slower weight gain, reduced mobility, increased infarct size, pathological damage, and apoptosis, confirming successful establishment of the MCAO rat model. Following EA treatment, MCAO rats displayed faster weight gain, improved mobility, and shorter escape latency. EA also reduced the area of cerebral infarction and alleviated pathological damage and apoptosis in MCAO rats. Furthermore, EA downregulated IL-1β, IL-18, NLRP3, and LC3 II/LC3 I expression and upregulated p62, mTOR, and Beclin-1 expression in MCAO rats. EA treatment also decreased the number of autophagosomes in these rats. Conclusions EA effectively mitigates post-stroke cognitive impairment by reducing apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy through the regulation of the mTOR/NLRP3-mediated autophagy-inflammatory pathway, offering valuable therapeutic insights for stroke rehabilitation.

Abstract To investigate the safety, efficacy and risk factors for complications of stenting with optional coiling versus coiling alone for acutely ruptured cerebral aneurysms (ARCAs) using different antiplatelet schemes, 2021 patients were prospectively enrolled into the stenting group (n = 967) and the coiling group (n = 1054). Four different antiplatelet regimens were used. The clinical and treatment data were analyzed and compared. In the stenting group, the common antiplatelet regimen was applied in 259 patients (26.8%), loading regimen in 210 (21.7%), intravenous tirofiban regimen in 240 (24.8%), and premedication free regimen in 258 (26.7%). The aneurysm occlusion degrees in the coiling vs. stenting group were not significantly (P > 0.05) different after treatment. Complications occurred in 168 (15.94%) and 171 (17.68%) patients in the coiling and the stenting group, respectively. Fifteen (1.55%) patients experienced stent-related ischemic complications. The only significant (P

Abstract The enhancement of soil aggregate size and stability is crucial for mitigating climate change and improving carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems. Biochar, derived from rice husks, has been suggested as an effective mean to increase soil carbon storage. However, isolating biochar’s specific effects on soil aggregate formation and carbon sink capacity can be complex due to the overlapping influences of fertilization and understory vegetation cultivation. Our study circumvented these variables by incorporating different amounts of biochar into plantation soil without any additional cultivation or fertilization, conducting a detailed two–year field experiment. The findings revealed that biochar significantly increased the organic carbon content and density in the uncultivated under–forest Ferralsols, thus enhancing its carbon sink function. Intriguingly, while biochar raised the proportion of small soil aggregates ( 0.25 mm), adversely affecting soil aggregate stability. These results suggest that biochar may compromise soil aggregate structure and stability in the absence of plant growth. The positive impact of biochar on soil carbon storage was found to depend more on its inherent inert carbon content than on soil type. Moreover, biochar alone was insufficient to increase the quantity of soil macroaggregates without the binding action of plant root exudates. Biochar’s key function appears to be in enhancing the soil aggregate–forming processes facilitated by plant roots and microorganisms. Therefore, for optimal carbon sequestration in forest soils, integrating biochar application with appropriate agricultural practices is advisable.

Abstract Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) have garnered attention as promising therapeutic modalities for spinal cord injury (SCI) due to their neuroregenerative, anti-apoptotic, and functional recovery-enhancing properties. The central role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in mediating the beneficial outcomes resulting from BMMSCs in SCI has been highlighted in recent studies, suggesting that targeted modulation of specific miRNAs holds potential for augmenting SCI recovery. Our previous investigation implicated miR-202-3p in the reparative processes of injured spinal cords, although the precise mechanistic underpinnings remain elusive. In vivo, BMMSCs were administered to SCI rats, while in vitro, miR-202-3p was transfected into PC-12 cells. Motor capabilities recovery was assessed via Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scores and footprinting tests; the evaluation of neuronal and spinal cord tissue repair was conducted using Nissl staining, TUNEL staining, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and immunofluorescence; and the impacts of miR-202-3p on cellular autophagy, neuronal apoptosis, and relevant pathways were evaluated using Western blotting, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Functionally, BMMSCs utilized miR-202-3p to improve motor recovery in SCI rats. Histopathologically, they contributed to the repair of damaged spinal cords and the regeneration of nerve axons. At the molecular level, BMMSCs stimulated autophagy and suppressed neuronal apoptosis by regulating the AMPK, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that BMMSCs coordinate miR-202-3p to inhibit mTOR activation via the AMPK, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways, thereby promoting TFEB dephosphorylation, modulating autophagy and neuronal apoptosis, and ultimately fostering functional recovery post-SCI.

Abstract Background Chronic pain poses a clinical challenge due to its associated costly disability and treatment needs. Determining how pain transitions from acute to chronic is crucial for effective management. Upregulation of the chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 12 (CXCL12) in nociceptive pathway is associated with chronic pain. Our previous study has reported that elevated plasma CXCL12 mediates intracerebral neuroinflammation and the comorbidity of cognitive impairment in neuropathic pain, but whether it is also involved in the pathogenesis of pathologic pain has not been investigated. Methods Intravenous or intrathecal injection (i.v. or i.t.) of recombinant mouse CXCL12, neutralizing antibody (anti-CXCL12) or AMD3100 [an antagonist of its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4)] was used to investigate the role of CXCL12 signaling pathway in pain chronicity. Two behavioral tests were used to examine pain changes. ELISA, immunofluorescence staining, Western blot, quantitative Real Time-PCR and Cytokine array were applied to detect the expressions of different molecules. Results We found that increased plasma CXCL12 was positively correlated with pain severity in both chronic pain patients and neuropathic pain model in mice with spared nerve injury (SNI). Neutralizing plasma CXCL12 mitigated SNI-induced hyperalgesia. A single i.v. injection of CXCL12 induced prolonged mechanical hyperalgesia and activation of the nociceptive pathway. Multiple intravenous CXCL12 caused persistent hypersensitivity, enhanced structural plasticity of nociceptors and up-regulation of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn (SDH). However, intrathecal blocking of CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway by CXCL12 antibody or CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 significantly alleviated CXCL12-induced pain hypersensitivity and pathological changes. Conclusions Our study provides strong evidence that a sustained increase in plasma CXCL12 contributes to neuropathic pain through a positive feedback loop that enhances nociceptor plasticity, and suggests that targeting CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in plasma or nociceptive pathways has potential value in regulating pain chronicity.

Abstract Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a reliable biomarker for various diseases, making the development of new detection methods highly significant. Herein, we report a simple and accurate dual-signal optical detection strategy for measuring ALP activity across the entire clinical range in adults. Based on this, we designed a smartphone app to eliminate the limitations of large instruments, enabling real-time field detection. In this work, ALP catalyzes the conversion of the phosphate monoester of 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid (PAA) into ascorbic acid (AA), a compound with strong reducing properties. AA facilitates the in-situ reduction of Ag+ to form Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles, accompanied by significant changes in the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra and color. These changes allow for the qualitative and quantitative detection of ALP activity. In UV absorption spectroscopy and colorimetric detection, the signal shows good linearity with ALP activity concentrations, with detection ranges of 0 U/L to 200 U/L (R2=0.9961) and 25 U/L to 250 U/L (R2=0.9771), respectively. Subsequent selective analysis and serum sample analysis demonstrated the high selectivity and accuracy of the proposed method, highlighting its potential for field application.

Abstract The identification and quantification of soil heavy metal (HM) pollution sources and the identification of driving factors is a prerequisite of soil pollution control. In this paper, the Sabaochaqu Basin of the Tuotuo River, located in the Tibetan Plateau and the headwater of the Yangtze River, was selected as the study area. The soil pollution was evaluated using geochemical baseline, and the source apportionment of soil HMs was performed using absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR), edge analysis (UNMIX) and positive matrix decomposition (PMF). The driver of the source factor was identified with the geodetector method (GDM). The results of pollution evaluation showed that the HM pollution of soil in the study area was relatively light. By comparison, UNMIX model was considered to be the preferred model for soil HMs quantitative distribution in this study area, followed by PMF model. The UNMIX model results show that source 1 (U-S1) was dominated by As, with a contribution rate of 53.31%; source 2 (U-S2) was dominated by Cd and Zn, whose contribution rates are 50.35% and 46.60% respectively; source 3 (U-S3) was dominated by Pb, with a contribution rate of 45.58%; source 4 (U-S4) was dominated by Cr, Cu, Hg and Ni, with contribution rates of 60.58%, 60.07%, 51.58% and 56.45%, respectively. The GDM results showed that the main driving factors of U-S1 were distance from lake (explanatory power q = 0.328) and distance from wind channel (q = 0.168), which were defined as long-distance migration sources. The main driving factors of U-S2 were parent material type (q = 0.269) and distance from Tuotuo river (q = 0.213), which were defined as freeze-thaw sources. The main driving factors of U-S3 were distance from town (q = 0.255) and distance from county road (Yanya Line) (q = 0.221), which were defined as human activity sources. The main drivers of U-S4 were V (q = 0.346) and Sc (q = 0.323), which were defined as natural sources. The GDM results of the 3 models were generally consistent with the analytical results of similar types of sources, especially the results of PMF model and Unmix model can basically verify each other. The research results can provide important theoretical reference for the analysis of HM sources in the soil of high-cold and high-altitude regions.

Abstract Ultrasonic detection has emerged as a rapid method for acquiring rock mass sound velocity and converting it into an elastic modulus parameter, a pivotal technique for investigating the in-situ mechanical properties of rock masses. Despite its significance, accurately deducing rock mass strength from elastic modulus remains a formidable challenge and a pressing issue in the realm of protorock parameter research. This study introduces an innovative artificial intelligence-driven methodology for transforming elastic modulus and strength parameters specific to coal measures through rigorous data analysis and experimental validation. By integrating two illustrative engineering cases, we explore the complexities of water inrush and floor heave issues encountered in tunnels traversing fault zones. The novel strength parameter calculation approach is benchmarked against previous studies, highlighting its superior advantages in terms of effectiveness and applicability. In essence, this research offers a comprehensive framework and practical workflow for translating in-situ acoustic parameter-derived elastic modulus into rock mass strength, serving as a valuable resource for future endeavors in mine water control research.

Abstract Background The healthcare sector is rapidly evolving with the rise of digital technology and data-driven decision-making. However, traditional medical education has yet to fully integrate training on managing health-related information, resulting in a significant skills gap among medical and research professionals. This gap is pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where data privacy concerns and inadequate infrastructure hinder efforts to utilise and share health data. Aims To address this gap, we developed an online, modular course aimed at providing foundational skills on capturing, storing and sharing health data. Methods The course was developed using the ADDIE(Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) instructional design model. A needs assessment workshop involving 25 global health proffesionals identified key training gaps which informed the curriculum’s development. A multidisciplinary team from six institutions developed the modules. The course was piloted in a face-to-face setting with 37 participants and later adapted for online delivery via the Global Health Network platform. We evaluated the course using Level 1 of Kirkpatrick’s model for training evaluation. Results Six foundational modules were developed: Introduction to Data Management, Data Quality, Data Repositories, Ethics of Data Sharing, Data Governance, and Costing for Data Management. Between December 2020 and April 2024, 6,384 individuals from 90 countries completed the course. Of these, 32% were from Africa, 15% from Asia, 16% from South/Central America and the Caribbean, and 24% from Europe. Summative evaluations, based on voluntary post-module surveys, demonstrated high relevance to participants’ learning needs (96.6%) and strong intentions to apply the skills gained (88.3%). Key motivators for enrollment included the course’s free access, relevance to professional or academic needs, and trust in the organizations and authors behind the content. Conclusions The high enrolment and broad geographical reach demonstrates the potential of online training as a cost-effective tool to equip health practitioners and researchers with data literacy skills. Future evaluations will assess its impact on participants’ knowledge, behavior, and data-sharing and reuse practices.

Abstract Background For more than 80 years, cystoscopy has been the gold standard for identification of urothelial carcinoma (UCa). Because of many factors, such as pain of the patients during this procedure or the costs involved, non-invasive detection of UCa remains a challenge. Herein, we verify our previously identified urinary biomarkers C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 16 (CXCL16) and transforming growth-factor beta induced protein (TGFBI) on the protein level as well as the CpG sites ALOX5, TRPS1 and an intergenic region on Chromosome 16 on DNA methylation level in an independent cross-sectional study. Methods We collected N = 1119 urines from individuals coming to urological and gynecological check-ups, follow-up care or patients suspicious for UCa or already diagnosed for different urologic or gynecologic cancer entities. We performed methylation analysis of various CpG sites with DNA isolated from urine sediment and quantified the concentration of the protein markers CXCL16 and TGFBI in the corresponding urine supernatant using ELISA. We tested for patient-group differences with two-sided Wilcoxon rank sum tests and examined the performance with receiver operating characteristic curves. For verification, we analyzed the marker performance with previously set cutoff-values and marker combinations with established and experimental algorithms (with logical OR-conjunction, iterative threshold-based biomarker and score combining algorithm “PanelomiX”). Results Evaluation confirmed that our previously identified protein and DNA methylation biomarkers can distinguish UCa from frequent urological and gynecological cancers. CXCL16 and TGFBI discriminated UCa cases with a sensitivity of 31% and 56% and a specificity of 94% and 85%, respectively. Combining methylation markers resulted in UCa detection in men with a sensitivity of 54% and a specificity of 94%. Extending analysis by combining all methylation and protein markers (up to five markers in total) yielded a convincingly high specificity of 97% at a sensitivity of 72% for the identification of UCa patients within a heterogeneous collective of cancer-free individuals and patients suffering from urological or gynecological cancers. Conclusion Combining various biomarkers at protein and DNA level demonstrates a new option of non-invasive UCa diagnosis in urine, and thus might help to reduce the number of unnecessary cystoscopies, especially in patients without a history of UCa.

Abstract Purpose The relationship between exposure doses of 2.5-micrometer Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Inhalable particles (PM10), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Ozone (O3) in the first trimester and spontaneous abortion of pregnant women was evaluated by global average method and nearest monitoring station method, respectively. Method Retrospective analysis of the clinical data of pregnant women with spontaneous abortion and full-term pregnant women in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of two third-class hospitals in a valley city in Northwest China. According to the age factor, the eligible pregnant women were matched at a ratio of 1 : 4. The global average method and the nearest monitoring station method were used to evaluate the exposure of pollutants. The rank-sum test and conditional logistic regression were used to analyze the correlation between air pollutants and spontaneous abortion. Results Although the global average method and the nearest monitoring station method are slightly different in the assessment of exposure dose, they do not affect the correlation evaluation with spontaneous abortion. The exposure of pregnant women to PM2.5(OR1 = 1.156, OR2 = 1.036), SO2 (OR1 = 1.432, OR2 = 1.429) and NO2 (OR1 = 1.121, OR2 = 1.159) in the first trimester is related to the occurrence of spontaneous abortion.(OR1: the global average method, OR2: the nearest monitoring station method) Conclusion The exposure of PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 in the first trimester in valley cities is associated with the occurrence of spontaneous abortion in pregnant women.

Abstract Succinate receptor GPR91 is one of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that interacts with various proteins to regulate diverse cellular functions such as cell morphology, apoptosis, and differentiation. In this study, we investigated whether the GPR91-mediated signaling pathway regulates mineralization in Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis)-treated osteoblasts and to determine its potential role in osteoclast differentiation. Primary mouse osteoblasts from wild-type (WT) and GPR91 knockout (GPR91-/-) mice infected with P. gingivalis were used for in vitro experiments. The results showed that inhibition by 4C, a specific inhibitor, and GPR91 knockout promoted mineralization in P. gingivalis-infected osteoblasts. Surprisingly, GPR91 knockdown decreased the migration ability of osteoblasts. Moreover, compared with P. gingivalis-infected WT osteoblasts, GPR91-/- osteoblasts exhibited decreased RANKL production, and conditioned media (CM) from bacteria-infected GPR91-/- osteoblasts suppressed the formation of osteoclast precursors. Moreover, P. gingivalis mediated the role of GPR91 in osteoblast mineralization by activating the NF-κB pathway. These findings suggest that GPR91 activation reduces mineralization of P. gingivalis-infected osteoblasts and promotes osteoclastogenesis in macrophages. Therefore, targeting GPR91 may mitigate the loss of alveolar bone during bacterial infection.

Abstract Coronary artery disease (CAD) is characterized by narrowing and subsequent blockade of coronary arteries, and imposes a significant health and economic burden. Stent and scaffold devices are introduced in advanced CAD to improve vascular stability and restore blood flow. Although in vitro flow systems like the Chandler loop have been developed to enhance the understanding of interactions between device materials, their coatings, and vascular cells, imaging-based in vitro analysis of device performance is limited. In this study, we established a novel stent flow chamber system designed to assess the thrombogenicity of bioresorbable magnesium scaffold (RMS) and stent materials in vitro. Additionally, we compared the thrombogenicity – an important clinical parameter in stent performance – of the Magmaris-316 L stainless steel stent with its predecessors, Magmaris RMS and a prototype of the third-generation RMS (DREAMS 3G). Analysis of platelet adhesion and coverage of the different devices under flow conditions demonstrated that the Magmaris RMS exhibits reduced thrombogenicity compared to the Magmaris-316 L stainless steel stent. Moreover, thrombogenicity of the DREAMS 3G prototype, composed of BIOmag material, is further decreased compared to its predecessors. The observed reduction in thrombogenicity of the DREAMS 3G prototype in vitro suggests additional improvements in clinical safety and efficacy, highlighting its promise for treating CAD. Future research on this prototype may thus open avenues for analyzing other blood components and patient-derived endothelial cells. In line with the 3R principles, this approach may also help reduce the need for animal testing.

Abstract Detecting defects on photovoltaic panels using electroluminescence images can significantly enhance the production quality of these panels. Nonetheless, in the process of defect detection, there often arise instances of missed detections and false alarms due to the close resemblance between embedded defect features and the intricate background information. To tackle this challenge, we propose an Adaptive Complementary Fusion (ACF) module designed to intelligently integrate spatial and channel information. This module is seamlessly integrated into YOLOv5 for detecting defects on photovoltaic panels, aiming primarily to enhance model detection performance, achieve model lightweighting, and accelerate detection speed. In order to validate the efficacy of the proposed module, we conducted experiments using a dataset comprising 4500 electroluminescence images of photovoltaic panels. Compared to the cutting-edge detection capability of YOLOv8, our YOLO-ACF method exhibits enhancements of 5.2, 0.8, and 2.3 percentage points in R, mAP50, and mAP50-95, respectively. In contrast to the lightest and fastest YOLOv5, YOLO-ACF achieves reductions of 12.9%, 12.4%, and 4.2% in parameters, weight, and time, respectively, while simultaneously boosting FPS by 5%. Through qualitative and quantitative comparisons with various alternative methods, we demonstrate that our YOLO-ACF strikes a good balance between detection performance, model complexity, and detection speed for defect detection on photovoltaic panels. Moreover, it demonstrates remarkable versatility across a spectrum of defect types.

Wastewater testing can inform public health action as a component of polio outbreak response. During 2022–2023, a total of 7 US jurisdictions (5 states and 2 cities) participated in prospective or retrospective testing of wastewater for poliovirus after a paralytic polio case was identified in New York state. Two distinct vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 viruses were detected in wastewater from New York state and New York City during 2022, representing 2 separate importation events. Of those viruses, 1 resulted in persistent community transmission in multiple New York counties and 1 paralytic case. No poliovirus was detected in the other participating jurisdictions (Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan, and Illinois and Chicago, IL). The value of routine wastewater surveillance for poliovirus apart from an outbreak is unclear. However, these results highlight the ongoing risk for poliovirus importations into the United States and the need to identify undervaccinated communities and increase vaccination coverage to prevent paralytic polio.

Abstract Variable thickness plates are relatively common structure in large-scale transportation equipment such as aerospace and ships. Due to their high running speed and large structural dimensions, such structures are usually induced high-frequency severe vibrations, which likely lead to structural damage. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately predict the high-frequency dynamic response characteristics during the structural design phase. The energy finite element method (EFEM) is a powerful tool for predicting high-frequency dynamic response. But, in recent EFEM for variable thickness plates, an approximate method (AEFEM) using a large number of constant thickness plate elements to approximate variable thickness plates is used. Due to that AEFEM is based on the constitutive equation for constant thickness plate, it will be imprecise and time-consuming. Aiming at power-law variable thickness plates, the constitutive equation based on energy density is derived and the finite element discrete scheme of the constitutive equation was studied. In this way, the precise new EFEM (NEFEM) for variable thickness plates was established. In addition, the dynamic response of a variable thickness plate was predicted by NEFEM presented and finite element method (FEM) respectively. The results are consistent. It is shown that the constitutive model presented is reliable and time-saving. Comparison of the results from AEFEM, the NEFEM can get more accurate results with fewer elements. The NEFEM based on the constitutive model presented can be used to predict precisely the high-frequency dynamic response for power-law variable thickness plates.

Abstract Burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress negatively impact the well-being and retention of healthcare professionals. The interplay of these symptoms is understudied. Utilizing network analysis, this study examined the interrelationships among these symptom clusters in clinical therapists in China. An anonymous survey was conducted among clinical therapists from 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in China. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey (MBI-HSS), while symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed via the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Analyses were performed to identify central symptoms and bridge symptoms of this network. A total of 419 participants were included in this survey. The prevalence rate for burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress was 19.8%, 22.2%, 17.9%, and 8.6%, respectively. Network analysis indicated that stress symptoms had the highest expected influence values, closely followed by emotional exhaustion from MBI-HSS. Notably, emotional exhaustion emerged as the strongest bridge of expected influence. The stability of the expected influence and bridge expected influence was robust, with coefficients at 0.75. The study’s findings underscore the importance of recognizing the central symptoms and bridge symptoms, which could lead to more effective early detection and intervention for burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress among clinical therapists.

Abstract In MRT carriages, more passengers are watching videos on their smartphones during daily commutes, yet the impact of these viewing conditions on visual strain remains unexplored. This study examined eyestrain in 24 male and 24 female participants while watching videos on smartphones in two postures (sitting and standing) and over two durations (15 min and 30 min) in Taipei MRT carriages. We measured critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) reduction, visual fatigue scale (VFS) scores, and viewing distance (VD) for each trial. Results revealed significant effects of sex, posture, and viewing duration on visual strain, with notable two-way interactions (sex × posture and posture × time) influencing most outcomes. Women showed greater CFF reduction while sitting compared to standing (3.47 Hz vs. 1.90 Hz, p

Abstract Obesity has become a global public health problem, and its relationship with gastrointestinal diseases has become a major concern. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a novel index to assess the distribution and content of visceral fat, and this study aimed to investigate the association between VAI and bowel habits (chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset was used for the cross-sectional survey. Bowel habits and IBD were defined by self-report. Multiple logistic regression models were used to test the linear association of VAI with bowel habits and IBD. Fitted smoothed curves and threshold effects analyses were used to characterize nonlinear relationships. This cross-sectional study included 10,391 adults (≥ 20 years). After adjusting for covariates, there was a significant negative association between VAI and chronic constipation (OR [95% CI]: 0.97 [0.95, 1.00]) but no significant association with IBD (OR [95% CI]: 0.97 [0.87, 1.07]). Additionally, there was a nonlinear association between VAI and chronic diarrhea with a breakpoint of 3.08, with a positive correlation between the two on the left side of the breakpoint and no statistical significance on the right side. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests showed that maintaining sleep health was associated with a low risk of chronic constipation. Elevated VAI levels were negatively associated with chronic constipation, and elevated levels were positively associated with chronic diarrhea at VAI

Abstract As the development of underground space progresses, newly constructed waterways inevitably intersect with existing tunnels, posing significant challenges to the safety of underlying tunnels and making deformation control a critical issue in engineering design and construction. This study investigates the impact of waterway foundation pit excavation on the deformation of underlying tunnels. The research considers not only the vertical unloading at the bottom of the pit but also the horizontal unloading from the four side walls, which induces additional vertical stress fields in the underlying soil. These additional stresses are applied to the tunnel structure, modeled as a Pasternak elastic foundation beam, and the vertical tunnel deformation due to excavation unloading is calculated using the finite difference method. To validate the analytical results, a three-dimensional numerical model is employed. Furthermore, the study analyzes deformation trends under varying excavation sizes and the relative positions of the foundation pit and tunnel. The findings demonstrate that the proposed method provides a highly accurate, cost-effective, and efficient solution for predicting tunnel deformation during the excavation of small foundation pits. This research offers valuable insights for the design and assessment of underground structures in urban environments.

Abstract Background Adverse pregnancy outcomes have reached epidemic proportions in recent years with serious health ramifications, especially for diverse cancers risk. Therefore, we carried out an umbrella review to systematically evaluate the validity and strength of the data and the extent of potential biases of the established association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and cancers risk in both mother and offspring. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception until 18 January 2024. Meta-analyses of observational studies investigating the relationship between adverse pregnancy outcomes and multiple cancers risk in both mother and offspring were included. Evidence certainty was assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. The protocol for this umbrella review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023470544). Results The search identified 129 meta-analyses of observational studies and 42 types of cancer. Moderate certainty of evidence, exhibiting statistical significance, has been observed linking per kilogram increase in birth weight to a heightened risk of breast cancer (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02–1.12), prostate cancer (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.00–1.05), leukemia (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.13–1.23), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in offspring (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.12–1.23); rubella infection during pregnancy to an increased risk of leukemia in offspring (OR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.16–6.71); and a linear dose–response association between an increase in the proportion of optimal birth weight and an elevated risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in offspring (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.09–1.24), respectively. Conclusions Although some adverse pregnancy outcomes have clinically promising associations with risk of several cancers in both mother and offspring, it is essential to conduct additional research to solidify the evidence, evaluate causality, and ascertain clinical utility.

Abstract Background Few studies quantified the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on medical teaching and scientific research activities in China. This is the first national study to investigate such topics from the viewpoint of physicians practicing obstetrics and gynecology in China. Methods This is a national questionnaire survey with online interviews for respondents. This two-stage, stratified, cluster sampling method was applied based on city categories (categories 1 to 3 correspond to 30,000 beds, respectively), hospital levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary), and hospital types (general and specialized) in China among physicians practicing obstetrics and gynecology. Physicians documented notable alterations in both overall and specialized teaching and research engagements. Comparative analyses were conducted across diverse municipal and hospital attributes. Results Data were collected from a representative sample of 11,806 physicians from 779 hospitals across 157 cities and 31 provinces. Notably, except for online seminars, a minimum reduction of 20% in both overall and specialized teaching and research activities was observed among physicians. Up to 61.7% (95% confidence interval 59.3–64.0) of physicians reported either a complete termination or a > 50% decline in resident training. Compared with category 1 cities and primary hospitals, category 3 cities and tertiary hospitals experienced greater reductions in items of resident or graduate education, visiting scholar, clinical trials, and laboratory studies (adjusted p values

Abstract The establishment of soil geochemical baseline and heavy metal pollution assessment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of great significance for guiding environmental management in the high-cold and high-altitude regions. A total of 126 topsoil samples (0–20 cm) were collected and the contents of Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, As and Hg were determined in the Sabaochaqu basin of the Tuotuo River, the source of the Yangtze River, in the Tibetan Plateau. The baseline values of 8 heavy metals were determined by mathematical statistics, iterative 2times standard deviation method, cumulative frequency and reference element standardization, and the soil heavy metal pollution in the study area was assessed by enrichment factor method and pollution index method. The results showed that the average contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were 31.84, 0.29, 66.07, 17.35, 0.021, 27.86, 49.35 and 88.56 mg/kg, respectively. Baseline values were 22.24, 0.217, 64.16, 15.69, 0.0191, 26.46, 34.91, and 68.62 mg/kg, respectively. There is a great difference between the baseline value of soil heavy metals in study area and the Xizang soil background value, especially the baseline value of Cd was 2.68 times of its background value. The results of the pollution evaluation based on the baseline values showed that the 8 heavy metals were slightly enriched, and the overall pollution status was light pollution, and measures should be taken to control and manage them. The research results can provide a reference value for the evaluation of soil heavy metal pollution in the source region of the Yangtze River, and also provide a theoretical basis for the construction of soil heavy metal baseline values in similar high-cold and high-altitude regions.

Abstract The systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) has been identified as an independent prognostic factor for multiple diseases. However, the impact of SII on outcome of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is scant. A retrospective study enrolled patients with ACLF treated with artificial liver support system. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) (knots at the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles) and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to investigate the relationship between SII and 90-day transplant-free survival and overall survival in patients with ACLF. A total of 258 patients with ACLF were included. The 90-day transplant-free survival rate and overall survival rate were 58.5% and 66.3%. The SII was 465.5 (277.3–804.4). Adjusted RCS models showed linear exposure–response relationship between SII and 90-day transplant-free survival (P for overall

Abstract Establishing predictive models for the pathological response and lymph node metastasis in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) based on MRI radiomic features derived from the tumor and mesorectal compartment (MC). This study included 209 patients with LARC who underwent rectal MRI both before and after nCRT. The patients were divided into a training set (n = 146) and a test set (n = 63). Regions of interest (ROIs) for the tumor and MC were delineated on both pre- and post-nCRT MRI images. Radiomic features were extracted, and delta radiomic features were computed. The predictive endpoints were pathological complete response (pCR), pathological good response (pGR), and lymph node metastasis (LNM). Feature selection for various models involved sequentially removing features with a correlation coefficient > 0.9, and features with P-values ≥ 0.05 in univariate analysis, followed by LASSO regression on the remaining features. Logistic regression models were developed, and their performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Among the 209 LARC patients, the number of patients achieving pCR, pGR, and LNM were 44, 118, and 40, respectively. The optimal model for predicting each endpoint is the combined model that incorporates pre- and delta-radiomics features for both the tumor and MC. These models exhibited superior performance with AUC values of 0.874 (for pCR), 0.801 (for pGR), and 0.826 (for LNM), outperforming the MRI tumor regression grade (mrTRG) which yielded AUC values of 0.800, 0.715, and 0.603, respectively. The results demonstrate the potential utility of the tumor and MC radiomics features, in predicting treatment efficacy among LARC patients undergoing nCRT.

Abstract The small genera Allaeanthus and Malaisia within the Moraceae have important edible, medicinal, and economic value. However, complete plastome blueprints and a well-resolved evolutionary history of these two genera are still lack, thereby limiting their conservation and application. The recent discovery of a new distribution of Allaeanthus kurzii in Hainan, China, marked by the collection of two unique samples, alongside three samples of Malaisia scandens, has opened new avenues for research. This study aimed to compare the Allaeanthus and Malaisia plastomes of Hainan Province samples with those of samples from other regions, focusing on plastome structure, codon usage bias, natural selection, and the evolutionary history of A. kurzii and M. scandens. The results showed that both species had a quadripartite plastome structure, with sizes ranging from 162,134 to 162,170 bp for A. kurzii and 161,235 to 162,134 bp for M. scandens. Both species displayed loss of the infA gene and reduction of the rpl22 gene. Two highly variable regions (petD-trnD-GUC and rpl20-clpP) and three highly variable genes (rpl20, petB, and rpl16) were identified in A. kurzii, while two highly variable regions (ycf2-ndhB and ccsA-ndhE) and three highly variable genes (psbT, rpl36, and ycf2) were found in M. scandens. The protein-coding sequences (CDSs) of the Allaeanthus and Malaisia plastomes exhibited similar patterns of adaptive indices and codon usage frequencies. The genes associated with photosynthesis underwent strong purifying selection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Allaeanthus, Broussonetia, and Malaisia constituted a monophyletic group, with Malaisia being more closely related to Broussonetia. Broussonetia diversified approximately 19.78 million years ago, Malaisia approximately 4.74 million years ago, and Allaeanthus approximately 16.18 million years ago. These new plastome-based discoveries will guide conservation planners and medicinal plant breeders and genetic resource development for these species in the region.

Abstract Background Accelerated biological aging has been verified to be a critical risk factor for a number of age-related diseases, but its role in dementia remained unclear. Whether it modified the effects of genetic factors was also unknown. This study evaluated the associations between accelerated biological aging and dementia and the moderating role of accelerated biological aging in the genetic susceptibility to the disease. Methods We included 200,731 participants in the UK biobank. Nine clinical blood biomarkers and chronological age were used to calculate Phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel), which is a novel indicator for accelerated biological aging. The associations of PhenoAgeAccel with dementia, both young-onset and late-onset dementia, were assessed by Cox proportional hazard models. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles and polygenic risk scores (PRS) were used to evaluate the genetic risk of dementia. The interactions between genetic susceptibility and biological aging were tested on both multiplicative and additive scales. Results These findings showed individuals who were in the highest quartile of PhenoAgeAccel had a higher risk with incidence of dementia compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of PhenoAgeAccel (HR: 1.145 (95% CI: 1.050, 1.249)). Individuals with biologically older had a higher risk of dementia than individuals with biologically younger (HR: 1.069 (95% CI: 1.004, 1.138)). Furthermore, compared to individuals with biologically younger and low APOE ε4-related genetic risk, individuals with biologically younger and high APOE ε4-related genetic risk (HR:3.048 (95% CI: 2.811, 3.305)) had a higher risk of dementia than individuals with biologically older and high APOE ε4-related genetic risk (HR: 2.765 (95% CI: 2.523, 3.029)). Meanwhile, referring to low dementia PRS and biologically younger, the risk of dementia increased by 72.7% (HR: 1.727 (95% CI: 1.538, 1.939) in the biologically younger and high PRS group and 58.7% (HR: 1.587 (95% CI: 1.404, 1.793) in the biologically older and high PRS group, respectively. The negative interactions between PhenoAgeAccel with APOE ε4 and PRS were also tested on the additive scale. Conclusions Accelerated biological aging could bring the extra risk of dementia but attenuate the effects of genetic risk on dementia. These findings provide insights for precise prevention and intervention of dementia.

Abstract Background There is currently a lack of comprehensive evidence regarding the correlation between Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) and the survival of patients with ovarian cancer (OC). This prospective cohort study first assessed the association of AMED, not only pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis but also the change from pre-diagnosis to post-diagnosis with OC survival. Methods A total of 560 OC patients were included in the study, and their dietary intake was assessed using a reliable 111-item food frequency questionnaire. The overall survival (OS) of the patients was monitored through active follow-up and review of medical records until February 16th, 2023. Cox proportional hazard regression models were utilized to compute the hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Out of the total 560 patients with OC, 211 (37.68%) succumbed during a median follow-up period of 44.40 months (interquartile range: 26.97–61.37). Comparative analysis indicated a significant association between the highest tertiles of pre-diagnosis (HR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.38–0.90; P trend

Abstract This study aims to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting overall survival (OS) in Asian patients with Esophageal Cancer (EC). Data from Asian EC patients were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in a 7:3 ratio. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used for initial variable selection, followed by multivariate Cox regression analysis to identify independent prognostic factors. A nomogram was subsequently constructed based on these factors. The predictive performance of the nomogram was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves, while the clinical utility of the nomogram was assessed through decision curve analysis (DCA). The LASSO regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis identified age, sex, marital status, tumor size, M stage, surgery, and chemotherapy as independent prognostic factors. The ROC curve results demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) values for predicting 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS in the training cohort were 0.770, 0.756, and 0.783, respectively. In the validation cohort, the AUC values were 0.814, 0.763, and 0.771, respectively. Calibration curves indicated a high concordance between predicted and actual OS. The DCA demonstrated that the nomogram has significant clinical applicability. This nomogram provides reliable predictions and valuable guidance for personalized survival estimates and high-risk patient identification.

Abstract Seabird colonies with long-term monitoring records, i.e., > 50 years, are rare. The population data for northern gannets (Morus bassanus) in Cape St. Mary’s (CSM) Ecological Reserve (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) is robust, extending back to 1883 when the colony was presumed established. We inferred the colony’s historical population shifts by measuring ornithogenic proxies in a dated sediment record collected from a nearby pond. Our record extended to the early eighteenth century, but the proxy data only began to show significant signs of seabird presence between ca. 1832 and 1910, aligning with the period gannets were first observed at CSM. Through the twentieth century, we observed significant increases in δ15N, P, Zn, Cd, and chlorophyll a, coeval with a shift in the dominant diatom species, indicating rapid colony growth. The proxies were overall highest in ca. 2005, corresponding to the reported historical maximum of the gannet colony in 2009. Our results validate that paleo-reconstructions using ornithogenic proxies can accurately reflect population trends and provide a stronger understanding of the colony’s establishment and growth. This study highlights the value of applying paleolimnological methods in seabird population studies to frame the history of a colony’s dynamics and inform conservation efforts.

Abstract Automated defect detection in electroluminescence (EL) images of photovoltaic (PV) modules on production lines remains a significant challenge, crucial for replacing labor-intensive and costly manual inspections and enhancing production capacity. This paper presents a novel PV defect detection algorithm that leverages the YOLO architecture, integrating an attention mechanism and the Transformer module. We introduce a polarized self-attention mechanism in the feature extraction stage, enabling separate extraction of spatial and semantic features of PV modules, combined with the original input features, to enhance the network’s feature representation capabilities. Subsequently, we integrate the proposed CNN Combined Transformer (CCT) module into the model. The CCT module employs the transformer to extract contextual semantic information more effectively, improving detection accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a 77.9% mAP50 on the PVEL-AD dataset while preserving real-time detection capabilities. This method enhances the mAP50 by 17.2% compared to the baseline, and the mAP50:95 metric exhibits an 8.4% increase over the baseline.

Abstract Background Limited data exists regarding gender-specific microbial alterations during gender-affirming hormonal therapy (GAHT) in transgender individuals. This study aimed to investigate the nuanced impact of sex steroids on gut microbiota taxonomy and function, addressing this gap. We prospectively analyzed gut metagenome changes associated with 12 weeks of GAHT in trans women and trans men, examining both taxonomic and functional shifts. Methods Thirty-six transgender individuals (17 trans women, 19 trans men) provided pre- and post-GAHT stool samples. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to assess the changes in gut microbiota structure and potential function following GAHT. Results While alpha and beta diversity remained unchanged during transition, specific species, including Parabacteroides goldsteinii and Escherichia coli, exhibited significant abundance shifts aligned with affirmed gender. Overall functional metagenome analysis showed a statistically significant effect of gender and transition (R 2 = 4.1%, P = 0.0115), emphasizing transitions aligned with affirmed gender, particularly in fatty acid-related metabolism. Conclusions This study provides compelling evidence of distinct taxonomic and functional profiles in the gut microbiota between trans men and women. GAHT induces androgenization in trans men and feminization in trans women, potentially impacting physiological and health-related outcomes. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02185274.

Abstract While previous observational studies have suggested a link between leukocyte counts and vascular dementia (VD), the causal relationship between leukocyte counts and various subtypes of VD remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between five types of leukocyte counts and VD, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment strategies. In this study, leukocyte counts were used as the exposure variable, with genome-wide association study (GWAS) data sourced from both the UK Biobank and the Blood Cell Consortium. Additionally, GWAS data for five subtypes of vascular dementia were obtained from the FinnGen database. We conducted rigorous statistical analysis and visualization using Mendelian randomization (MR) to elucidate the potential causal relationship between leukocyte counts and vascular dementia. This study, utilizing MR analysis with data from the UK Biobank and Blood Cell Consortium, identified significant causal associations between increased lymphocyte counts and VD. Specifically, lymphocyte counts were found to be causally related to multiple and mixed VD subtypes. Sensitivity analyses, including MR-Egger regression and MR-PRESSO tests, confirmed the robustness of these findings, with no evidence of reverse causality or significant horizontal pleiotropy detected. The results underscore a potential inflammatory or immunological mechanism in the pathogenesis of VD, highlighting lymphocytes as a key component in their etiology. This investigation establishes a robust association between elevated lymphocyte and leukocyte counts and an increased risk of VD, emphasizing the roles of inflammation, immune activation, and hematological factors in disease pathogenesis.

Abstract The Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway serves as a paradigm for signal transduction from the extracellular environment to the nucleus. It plays a pivotal role in physiological functions, such as hematopoiesis, immune balance, tissue homeostasis, and surveillance against tumors. Dysregulation of this pathway may lead to various disease conditions such as immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, hematologic disorders, and cancer. Due to its critical role in maintaining human health and involvement in disease, extensive studies have been conducted on this pathway, ranging from basic research to medical applications. Advances in the structural biology of this pathway have enabled us to gain insights into how the signaling cascade operates at the molecular level, laying the groundwork for therapeutic development targeting this pathway. Various strategies have been developed to restore its normal function, with promising therapeutic potential. Enhanced comprehension of these molecular mechanisms, combined with advances in protein engineering methodologies, has allowed us to engineer cytokines with tailored properties for targeted therapeutic applications, thereby enhancing their efficiency and safety. In this review, we outline the structural basis that governs key nodes in this pathway, offering a comprehensive overview of the signal transduction process. Furthermore, we explore recent advances in cytokine engineering for therapeutic development in this pathway.

Abstract Ardisia crispa(Myrsinaceae) is an ethnomedicine with horticultural and important medicinal values. Its morphology is complex, and its identification is difficult. We analyse the chloroplast genome characteristics and phylogenetic position of A. crispa to provide basic research data for the identification of A. crispa species and resource conservation. This study assemble and annotate the chloroplast genome of A. crispa and to compare it with the chloroplast genome within Ardisia. The A. crispa chloroplast genome is 156,785 bp in length, with a typical quadripartite structure containing 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes; a total of 59 SSRs sites were identified, and the codon preference of this chloroplast genome is greater in A/U than in G/C, and leucine is the amino acid with the highest frequency of use. The chloroplast genomes of the nine Ardisia species are conserved in gene content and number, with more stable boundaries and less variation. In the phylogenetic tree, A. crispa is clustered on a branch with A. crispa var dielsii, and is closely related to A. mamillata and A. pedalis. In this study, we constructed and analyzed the chloroplast genome structure of A. crispa, and conducted phylogenetic analysis using the whole chloroplast genome sequence data of Ardisia plants, which is of great significance in understanding the genetic basis of A. crispa and adaptive evolution in Ardisia plants, and this will lay the foundation for the future research on A. crispa resource conservation and species identification.

Abstract Urinary incontinence is a common complication in stroke survivors for whom new interventions are needed. This study investigated the therapeutic effect of low-frequency (LF) repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the contralesional primary motor cortex (M1) in patients with poststroke urinary incontinence (PSI). A total of 100 patients were randomly assigned to the rTMS group or sham-rTMS group on basis of the intervention they received. Both groups underwent five treatment sessions per week for 4 weeks. Data from the urodynamic examination were used as the primary outcome. The secondary outcome measures were questionnaires and pelvic floor surface electromyography. After 4 weeks of intervention, the maximum cystometric capacity (MCC), maximum detrusor pressure (Pdet.max), residual urine output, overactive bladder score (OABSS) (including frequency, urgency, and urgency urinary incontinence), and the ICIQ-UI SF improved significantly in the rTMS group compared with those in the sham-rTMS group (P 0.05). Our data confirmed that 4 weeks of LF-rTMS stimulation on the contralateral M1 positively affects poststroke urinary incontinence in several aspects, such as frequency, urgency urinary incontinence, MCC, end-filling Pdet, OABSS, and ICIQ-UI SF scores.

Abstract While brain size in primates and their relatives within Euarchontoglires is well-studied, less research has examined brain shape, or the allometric trajectories that underlie the relationship between size and shape. Defining these patterns is key to understanding evolutionary trends. 3D geometric morphometric analyses of endocranial shape were performed on 140 species of extant euarchontoglirans using digital cranial endocasts. Principal component analyses on Procrustes shape variables show a clear phylogenetic pattern in endocranial shape, supported by an ANOVA which identified significant differences in shape among several groups (e.g., Platyrrhini, Strepsirrhini, Scandentia, Rodentia, and Lagomorpha). ANOVAs of shape and size also indicate that allometry has a small but significant impact on endocranial shape across Euarchontoglires, with homogeneity of slopes tests finding significant differences in the scaling relationship between shape and size among these same groups. While most of these clades possess a distinct endocranial morphotype, the highly derived platyrrhines display the strongest relationship between size and shape. Rodents show the most diversity in endocranial shape, potentially attributed to their comparatively weak relationship between shape and size. These results suggest fundamental differences in how shape and size covary among Euarchontoglires, which may have facilitated the adaptive radiations that characterize members of this group.

Abstract To solve the supporting problem of high-stress red shale roadway in Kaiyang phosphate mining area, the mechanical properties and microstructure of red shale are studied. The results show that the compressive strength of the red shale is related to the bedding angle, and the strength of the 0° samples is the highest, and the strength of the 60° and 30° samples decreases gradually. With comprehensive consideration, the composite supporting method of cantilever piles and grid arch is adopted. Combining the numerical simulation and theoretical calculation, the parameters of cantilever pile with interval distance of 5 m and rock-socketed depth of 500 m are more reasonable. The monitoring results show that the roof subsidence was controlled within 250 mm, and the floor heave was within 100 mm, which could effectively control the severe deformation of the roadway and also is of great significance to the safe mining of phosphate resources.

Abstract Heart failure (HF) is a significant global public health concern with a high readmission rate, posing a serious threat to the health of the elderly population. While several studies have used machine learning (ML) to develop all-cause readmission risk prediction models for elderly patients with HF, few have integrated ML-selected features with those chosen by human experts to assess HF patients readmission. A retrospective analysis of 8396 elderly HF patients hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021 was conducted. Variables selected by XGBoost, LASSO regression, and random forest constituted the machine group, while the human expert group comprised variables chosen by two experienced cardiovascular professors. The variables selected by both groups were combined to form a human–machine collaboration group. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was used to elucidate the importance of each predictive feature, explain the impact of individual features on the model, and provide visual representation. A total of 73 features were included for model development. The human–machine collaboration model, utilizing CatBoost, achieved an AUC of 0.83617, an F1-score of 0.73521, and a Brier score of 0.16536 on the validation set. This model demonstrated superior predictive performance compared to those created solely by human experts or machine. The SHAP plot was then used to visually display the feature analysis of the human–machine collaboration model, revealing HGB, NT-proBNP, smoking history, NYHA classification, and LVEF as the 5 most important features. This study indicate that the human–machine collaboration model outperforms those relying solely on human expert selection or machine algorithm at predicting all-cause readmission in elderly HF patients. The application of the SHAP method enhanced the interpretability of the model outcomes, aiding clinicians in accurately pinpointing risk factors associated with HF readmission. This advancement enables the formulation of tailored treatment strategies, offering a more personalized approach to patient care.

Abstract Adlay millet seeds are well known for excellent health benefits. However, using fungal fermentation to improve their nutritional and functional constituents and the underlying mechanisms has not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, we used Rhizopus oryzae as starter and applied metabolomics combining with quantitative verification to understand the changes of the nutritional and functional profiles of adlay millet seeds. Results showed that a total of 718 metabolites from 18 compound classes were identified. The fermentation with R. oryzae varied 203 differential metabolites, of which 184 became more abundant and 19 got less abundant, and many components such as amino acids, nucleotides, vitamins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenols significantly increased after the fermentation process. Interestingly, we found that R. oryzae synthesized high levels of two important beneficial compounds, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and β-Nicotinamide mononucleotide (β-NMN), with their contents increased from 0.56 to 370.26 μg/g and 0.55 to 8.32 μg/g, respectively. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of enriched metabolites revealed the amino acid metabolic pathways were important for conversion of the primary and secondary metabolites. Specifically, aspartate can up-regulate the biosynthesis of SAMe and β-NMN. These findings improved our understanding into the effects of R. oryzae fermentation on enhancing the nutritional and functional values of cereal foods.

Abstract AUC (area under the ROC curve) is an essential metric that has been extensively researched in the field of machine learning. Traditional AUC optimization methods need a large-scale clean dataset, while real-world datasets usually contain massive noisy samples. To reduce the impact of noisy samples, many robust AUC optimization methods have been proposed. However, these methods only use noisy data and ignore the effect of clean data. To make full use of clean data and noisy data, in this paper, we propose a new framework for AUC optimization which uses clean samples to guide the processing of the noisy dataset based on the technology of self-paced learning (SPL). Innovatively, we introduce the consistency regularization term to reduce the negative impact of the data enhancement technology on SPL. Traditional SPL methods usually suffer from the high complexity of alternately solving the two critical sub-problems with respect to sample weights and model parameters. To speed up the training process, we propose a new efficient algorithm to solve our problem, which alternately updates sample weights and model parameters with the stochastic gradient method. Theoretically, we prove that our new optimization method can converge to a stationary point. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that our robust AUC optimization (RAUCO) algorithm holds better robustness than existing algorithms.

Abstract The relationship between blood urea nitrogen to albumin ratio (BAR) and the prognosis of patients with tuberculosis (TB) complicated by sepsis remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between BAR and overall patient prognosis. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with TB complicated by sepsis who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu between January 2019 and February 2023. The relationship between BAR values and prognosis in these patients was investigated using multivariate Cox regression, stratified analysis with interaction, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and threshold effect analysis. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. Our study included 537 TB patients complicated by sepsis admitted in the ICU, with a median age of 63.0 (48.0, 72.0) years; 76.7% of whom were men. The multivariate-restricted cubic spline analysis showed a non-linear association between BAR and patient prognosis. In the threshold analysis, we found that TB patients complicated by sepsis and a BAR

Abstract Osteosarcoma is an aggressive form of bone cancer and affects the health in children and adolescents. Although conventional treatment improves the osteosarcoma survival, some patients have metastasis and drug resistance, leading to a worse prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the molecular mechanism of osteosarcoma occurrence and progression, which could discover the novel treatment for osteosarcoma. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to regulate osteosarcoma occurrence and malignant progression. LncRNA HOXA-AS3 facilitates the tumorigenesis and progression in a variety of human cancers. However, the underlying mechanism of lncRNA HOXA-AS3-induced oncogenesis is poorly determined in osteosarcoma. To address this point, we utilized several cellular biological strategies and molecular approaches to explore the biological functions and mechanisms of lncRNA HOXA-AS3 in osteosarcoma cells. We found that lncRNA HOXA-AS3 facilitates cell proliferation and invasion via targeting miR-218-5p/FOXP1 axis in osteosarcoma. In conclusion, lncRNA HOXA-AS3 could be a promising target for osteosarcoma treatment.

Abstract Co-combustion is a technology that enables the simultaneous and efficient utilization of biomass and coal gangue (CG). Nevertheless, the factors that affect the combustibility of co-pyrolytic char, which represents the rate-determining step of the entire co-combustion process, remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of the physicochemical properties of co-pyrolytic char, including pore structure, carbon structure, and alkali metals, on the combustion characteristics. The TGA analysis indicates that the ignition and burnout temperatures of the co-pyrolytic char increase as the CG mixing ratio increases, resulting in a prolonged combustion. This is due to the fact that the carbon structure of the co-pyrolytic char becomes increasingly aromatic, accompanied by a reduction in aliphatic hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing groups as the CG mixing ratio increases. Furthermore, the high ash content of the CG is another significant factor contributing to the observed reduction in combustibility. The reaction between mullite, quartz in CG, and alkali metals in biomass results in the formation of aluminosilicate, which reduces the catalytic ability of alkali metals. Furthermore, the char combustion kinetics are analyzed by the KAS method, and the results indicate that the introduction of CG increases the activation energy of the entire char combustion process. The activation energy of the 80RS20CG is within the range of 102.22–164.99 kJ/mol, while the RS char is within the range of 89.87–144.67 kJ/mol.

Abstract Introduction Emergency care of critically ill patients in the trauma room is an integral part of interdisciplinary work in hospitals. Live threatening injuries require swift diagnosis, prioritization, and treatment; thus, different medical specialties need to work together closely for optimal patient care. Training is essential to facilitate smooth performance. This study presents a training tool for familiarization with trauma room algorithms in immersive virtual reality (VR), and a first qualitative assessment. Materials and methods An interdisciplinary team conceptualized two scenarios and filmed these in the trauma room of the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany in 3D-360°. This video content was used to create an immersive VR experience. Participants of the Department of Anesthesiology were included in the study, questionnaires were obtained and eye movement was recorded. Results 31 volunteers participated in the study, of which 10 (32,2%) had completed specialist training in anesthesiology. Participants reported a high rate of immersion (immersion(mean) = 6 out of 7) and low Visually Induced Motion Sickness (VIMS(mean) = 1,74 out of 20). Participants agreed that VR is a useful tool for medical education (mean = 1,26; 1 very useful, 7 not useful at all). Residents felt significantly more secure in the matter after training (p

Introduction Recently, diet has received considerable attention as an important factor in inflammatory arthritis. The objective of this study was to evaluate disease activity and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis (including psoriatic arthritis) depending on their dietary preferences. Material and methods We retrospectively evaluated data of 774 patients collected by the Mida Rheuma App from January 2022 to December 2022. We assessed demographic parameters, major dietary patterns, and food groups (dairy products, fruits, vegetables, processed meat, meat, oily fish, white fish, and sugar) by each patient’s consumption intensity. Disease activity was measured by Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3), Patient’s Global Assessment of Disease Activity (PtGADA), and Patient’s Global Assessment of Pain Intensity (PPAIN). Fatigue was assessed by the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI). Depending on the food group, patients were divided into a high-consumption group (HCG; consuming the product 0–2 times per day/per week) and a lowconsumption group (LCG; consuming the product 3 and more times per day/per week). Patients on a specific diet which they followed before inclusion in the analysis were compared with the “eat all group” (EAG). Results The Mediterranean diet group had significantly lower (p < 0.05) RAPID3, PtGADA, and PPAIN (by 9.22%, 8.98%, and 14.3%, respectively), compared with the EAG. In the processed meat HCG, RAPID3, PtGADA, PPAIN, and BFI were significantly higher (14.5%, 18.3%, 16.1%, and 11.8%, p < 0.05) vs. the LCG. The PtGADA, PPAIN, and RAPID3 were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the oily fish HCG vs. the LCG (18.9%, 18.1%, and 10.6%). Conclusions Our study results suggest that Mediterranean diet and oily fish have a potentially positive impact on patient-reported disease activity and fatigue in patients with inflammatory arthritis. In contrast, processed meat consumption has a negative effect.

Abstract This study aimed to assess the current status and changing trends of the disease burden of stroke and its subtypes due to low dietary fiber intake in China from 1990 to 2019. In cases of stroke and its subtypes attributable to low dietary fiber, deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR), age-standardized DALYs rates (ASDR), and percentage change were used to assess disease burden. Data were obtained from the 2019 global burden of disease study. Trends were assessed using Joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort analysis. Between 1990 and 2019, there was a declining trend in stroke and its subtypes, ASDR and ASMR, as well as the corresponding number of deaths and DALYs, due to low dietary fiber intake in China. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SH) showed the greatest decrease, followed by intracerebral hemorrhage (IH) and ischemic stroke (IS). Local drift curves showed a U-shaped distribution of stroke, IS, and IH DALYs across the whole group and sex-based groups. For mortality, the overall and male trends were similar to those for DALYs, whereas female stroke, IH, and IS showed an upward trend. The DALYs for stroke and IH showed a clear bimodal distribution, IS showed an increasing risk with age. For mortality, the SH subtype showed a decreasing trend, whereas other subtypes showed an increasing risk with age. Both the period and cohort rates of stroke DALYs and motality due to low dietary fiber have declined. Males had a higher risk of DALYs and mortality associated with low fiber levels. The burden of stroke and its subtypes associated with a low-fiber diet in China has been declining over the past 30 years, with different patterns of change for different stroke subtypes and a higher burden for males, highlighting the differential impact of fiber intake on stroke and its subtypes.

Abstract Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a complex chronic pain disorder with an elusive etiology and nonspecific symptoms. Although numerous animal models with phenotypes similar to human disease have been established, no available regimen can consistently alleviate clinical symptoms. This dilemma led us to question whether current animal models adequately represent IC/BPS. We compared four commonly used IC/BPS rat models to determine their diverse histopathological and molecular patterns. Female rats were given single treatments with hydrochloric acid (HCL), acetic acid (AA), protamine sulfate plus lipopolysaccharide (PS + LPS), or cyclophosphamide (CYP) to induce IC/BPS. Bladder sections were stained for histopathologic evaluation, and mRNA expression profiles were examined using next-generation sequencing and gene set analyses. Mast cell counts were significantly higher in the HCL and AA groups than in the PS + LPS, CYP, and control groups, but only the AA group showed significant collagen accumulation. The models differed substantially in terms of their gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. Our observations suggest that none of these rat models fully reflects the complexity of IC/BPS. We recommend that future studies apply and compare multiple models simultaneously to fully replicate the complicated features of IC/BPS.