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• The effects of slope position on soil erodibility were quantified by multi-indicators. • Different trends were detected in nine erodibility indicators with slope position. • CSEI increased from upper to middle and then decreased quickly to lower position. • SOM and PC th were the dominant factors influencing the variation in CSEI. The position of the rolling hill slope has considerable effects on soil properties and crop growth via the spatial heterogeneity of erosion intensity, which in turn probably impacts soil erodibility. However, few studies have been carried out to quantify the potential effects of slope position on soil erodibility indicators on long gentle slope. This study aimed to quantify the spatial variations in soil erodibility indicators of soil cohesion (Coh), saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s), mean weigh diameter (MWD), mean number of drop impact (MND), soil penetration resistance (PR), soil structural stability index (SSI), soil erodibility of K factor, slaking rate (SR), organic matter content (SOC) and a comprehensive soil erodibility index (CSEI) on two typical rolling hill slopes in northeast China. Soil properties, root mass density (RMD) and litter mass density (LMD) were determined to explain the spatial change of soil erodibility indicators with slope position. The results showed that Coh, MWD, MND, PR and SOC declined from upper to middle, and then increased continuously until to lower position. The distinctly opposite changes were found in K s and SR with slope position. No distinct variation was observed in K factor and SSI with slope position. For both two slopes, CSEI increased from upper to middle, and then decreased quickly to lower position. Compared to middle position, the mean reduces of two tested hillslopes were 51.72%, 14.74%, 24.28% and 72.52% for upper to lower positions, respectively. The results of Path analysis showed that SOM was the main factors contributing to the variation of CSEI with slope position. This study confirmed that the middle position is the most susceptible area to erosion on long gentle rolling hillslope. The results are helpful to understand the spatial variation in soil erosion intensity and design soil conservation measures on long gentle slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface charges of catalysts have intricate influences on the thermodynamics and kinetics of electrochemical reactions. Herein, we develop a grand-canonical iteration method based on density functional theory calculations to explore the effect of surface charges on reaction kinetics beyond the traditional Butler–Volmer picture. Using the hydrogen evolution reaction on S vacancies of MoS2 as an example, we show how to track the change of surface charge in a reaction and to analyze its influence on the kinetics. Protons adsorb on S vacancies in a tough and charge-insensitive water splitting manner, which explains the observed large Tafel slope. Grand-canonical calculations report an unanticipated surface charge-induced change of the desorption pathway from the Heyrovsky route to a Volmer–Tafel route. During an electrochemical reaction, a net electron inflow into the catalyst may bring two effects, i.e., stabilization of the canonical energy and destabilization of the charge-dependent grand-canonical part. On the contrary, a net outflow of electrons from the catalyst can reverse the two effects. This surface charge effect has substantial impacts on the overpotential and the Tafel slope. We suggest that the surface charge effect is universal for all electrochemical reactions and significant for those involving interfacial proton transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monocular depth estimation is an important computer vision task widely explored in fields such as autonomous driving, robotics, and more. Recently, deep optics approaches that optimize diffractive optical elements (DOEs) with differentiable frameworks have improved depth estimation performance. However, they only consider on-axis point spread functions (PSFs) and are highly dependent on system calibration. We propose a precise end-to-end paradigm combining ray tracing and angular spectrum diffraction. With this approach, we jointly trained a DOE and a reconstruction network for depth estimation and image restoration. Compared with conventional deep optics approaches, we accurately simulate both on-axis and off-axis PSFs, eliminating the need for calibration. We have validated the high similarity between captured PSFs and simulated ones at 19.4 ∘ field-of-view (FOV). Our optimized phase mask and network achieve state-of-the-art performance among semantic-based monocular depth estimation and existing deep optics methods. During real-world experiments, our prototype camera shows depth distributions similar to the Intel D455 infrared structured light camera. • We propose a calibration-free deep optics model that jointly optimizes the DOE and the depth estimation network. • The precise simulation for on-axis and off-axis PSFs of hybrid optical systems is integrated in an end-to-end formulation. • Our framework achieves state-of-the-art performance in monocular depth estimation. • We build a DOE camera prototype with a FOV up to 20 degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of computational imaging, a large number of spectral imaging systems based on encoding–decoding have emerged, among which phase‐encoding spectral imaging systems have attracted widespread interest. Conventional phase‐encoding systems suffer from severe image degradation and limited light throughput. To address these challenges and achieve video‐rate spectral imaging with high spatial resolution and spectral accuracy, a novel optical system based on diffractive‐refractive hybrid optics is proposed. Here, a diffractive optical element is employed to perform imaging and dispersion functions, while a rear lens is used to shorten the system's back focal length and reduce the size of the point spread function. Meanwhile, convolutional neural network‐based spectral reconstruction algorithms are employed to reconstruct the spectral data cubes from diffraction blurred images. A compact, cost‐effective, and portable prototype has been constructed, demonstrating the capability to acquire and reconstruct 30 spectral data cubes per second, each with dimensions of 1080×1280×43${1080 \times 1280 \times 43}$ in the spectral range of 480–900 nm with a 10 nm spectral interval. The optical system has the potential to broaden the application scope of phase‐encoding spectral imaging systems in various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractZrO2 coated highly porous biomass carbon nanocomposites (ZrO2@KHPC) were synthesized by calcination. The ZrO2 was derived from an amino-functionalized metal-organic framework and the porous biomass carbon material was derived from waste sunflower products. A selective electrochemical sensor was fabricated by modifying glass carbon electrodes (GCE) using ZrO2@KHPC to determine rutin. KHPC with a porous structure exhibited strong adsorption, high specific surface area, and superior electrical conductivity, whereas ZrO2 nanoparticles with an octahedral crystal structure and high electrocatalytic activity promote the specific recognition of rutin. The ZrO2@KHPC/GCE sensor demonstrated exceptional performance with a low detection limit of 0.008 µM and a sensitivity of 28.45 µA·µΜ−1·cm−2 from 0.01 to 40 µM. This excellent performance is attributed to the synergistic combination of ZrO2 and KHPC. In addition, the electrochemical sensor demonstrated suitable stability, good selectivity, high reproducibility, and satisfactory recovery for practical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronaviruses employ various strategies for survival, among which the activation of endogenous or exogenous apoptosis stands out, with viral proteins playing a pivotal role. Notably, highly pathogenic coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV exhibit a greater array of non-structural proteins compared to low-pathogenic strains, facilitating their ability to induce apoptosis via multiple pathways. Moreover, these viral proteins are adept at dampening host immune responses, thereby bolstering viral replication and persistence. This review delves into the intricate interplay between highly pathogenic coronaviruses and apoptosis, systematically elucidating the molecular mechanisms underpinning apoptosis induction by viral proteins. Furthermore, it explores the potential therapeutic avenues stemming from apoptosis inhibition as antiviral agents and the utilization of apoptosis-inducing viral proteins as therapeutic modalities. These insights not only shed light on viral pathogenesis but also offer novel perspectives for cancer therapy. Highlights: • Apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the highly pathogenic coronavirus • The structural and non-structural proteins of highly pathogenic coronaviruses exert significant influence over apoptosis regulation • Apoptosis inhibitors exhibits promising antiviral effects, thereby presenting a potential avenue for the development of novel therapeutics targeting COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw incorporation has been considered as an effective environmental management application to improve soil erosion resistance (SER) and organic carbon sequestration. SER is useful to evaluate soil erosion subjected to concentrated flow. Nevertheless, few studies have been performed to examine how SER varied with the amount of straw incorporation on sloping croplands in high latitude and cool regions. In the current study, the fixed bed scouring tests were conducted in a large hydraulic flume using undisturbed soil samples taken from Hebei small watershed in the black soil region of Northeast China. The response of SER to different straw incorporation amounts (0, 1.125, 2.25, 4.5, 6.75, 9.0 and 13.5 t ha−1) was quantified after three months of straw decomposition. The major influencing factors and the corresponding mechanisms were determined. The findings demonstrated that rill erodibility firstly decreased exponentially with straw incorporation amount (R2 = 0.93), while it slightly increased when straw incorporation amount was more than 9.0 t ha−1. Critical shear stress firstly increased logarithmically (R2 = 0.90) and then slightly decreased when the amount exceeded 9.0 t ha−1. Compared to the treatment of 0 t ha−1, rill erodibility reduced by 17.0%–92.8% and critical shear stress increased by 59.6%–127.2% across different treatments of straw incorporation. Rill erodibility had significant and negative correlations with soil organic matter content, aggregate stability, cohesion, root mass density, straw mass density and straw decomposition amount. The key mechanisms for promoting SER were derived by the direct and indirect effects of straw incorporation and its decomposition on soil physicochemical properties and crop roots. The amount of 9.0 t ha−1 was recommended as the optimum amount of straw incorporation in croplands in Northeast China. These findings are useful to understand how soil erosion resistance responds to the amount of straw incorporation and make rational environmental management policy for semi-humid and cool regions. [Display omitted] • Soil erosion resistance could be enhanced by straw incorporation. • Straw incorporation amount of 9.0 t ha−1 was recommended in the study area. • Excessive straw incorporation could decrease soil erosion resistance. • K r was directly and indirectly affected by straw incorporation and its decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil surface roughness decreased significantly with land degradation degree. • Soil surface roughness was increased by incorporated straw residual, particularly in moderate and strong degraded croplands. • Changes in soil surface roughness were controlled by a combination of soil and vegetation properties and incorporated straw. • Sediment connectivity decreased while relative elevation attribute increased with soil surface roughness. Changes in soil surface roughness (SSR) are not only closely associated with the characteristics of the underlying surface but also play a vital role in hydrological and soil erosion processes. SSR of degraded croplands is likely affected by the residual of incorporated straw, however, few studies have been focused on this topic. This study was conducted to investigate the changes in SSR of sloping croplands with different land degradation degrees under straw incorporated and without straw incorporated treatments, and determine the dominant factors attributing to these changes in the black soil region of Northeast China. SSR was determined by a photogrammetry technique and the dominant influencing factors were identified by redundancy analysis. The results showed that SSR were decaying by land degradation. Compared to non-degraded croplands, SSR of light, moderate and heavy degraded croplands decreased by 10.4 %, 11.3 %, 23.3 % and 13.8 %, 16.7 %, 31.9 % for straw incorporated and without straw incorporated treatments, respectively. The improvement of SSR was mediated by residual of incorporated straw. Compared to the treatment of without straw incorporation, SSR of straw incorporated treatment increased by 29.4 %, 30.5 %, 32.7 %, and 33.3 % for non, light, moderate and heavy degraded croplands, respectively. Change in SSR was modulated by soil properties, crop characteristics, and residual of incorporated straw. Change of SSR was dominantly controlled by water-stable aggregate (WSA), penetration resistance (PR), soil organic matter (SOM), structure stability index (SSI), mean weight diameter (MWD), root mass density (RMD), litter mass density (LMD) and amount of incorporated straw residual. The increase in SSR was linear with SSI, SOM, RMD and LMD, and logarithmic with MWD and WSA. The measured SSR could be well estimated by WSA, SOM, PR and RMD (R2 = 0.82). SSR could affect hydrological and erosion processes of croplands by reducing sediment connectivity and increasing land surface storage of runoff. The results of this study are helpful in understanding the spatial heterogeneity of SSR at the hillslope scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The senescence of aortic valve interstitial cells (VICs) plays a critical role in the progression of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). However, the precise mechanisms underlying the senescence of VICs remain unclear, demanding the identification of a novel target to mitigate this process. Previous studies have highlighted the anti‐aging potential of morusin. Thus, this study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of morusin in CAVD. Cellular experiments reveal that morusin effectively suppresses cellular senescence and cause a shift toward osteogenic differentiation of VICs in vitro. Mechanistically, morusin activate the Nrf2‐mediated antiaging signaling pathway by downregulating CCND1 expression and aiding Keap1 degradation through Trim 25. This activation lead to the upregulated expression of antioxidant genes, thus reducing reactive oxygen species production and thereby preventing VIC osteogenic differentiation. In vivo experiments in ApoE−/− mice on a high‐fat Western diet demonstrate the positive effect of morusin in mitigating aortic valve calcification. These findings emphasize the antiaging properties of morusin and its potential as a therapeutic agent for CAVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Tin dioxide (SnO 2) is a promising alternative material to graphite anode, but the large volume change induced electrode pulverization issue has limited its application in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In contrast, titanium dioxide (TiO 2) anode shows high structure stability upon lithium insertion/extraction, but with low specific capacity. To overcome their inherent disadvantages, combination of SnO 2 with TiO 2 and highly conductive carbon material is an effective way. Herein, we report a facile fabrication method of carbon-coated SnO 2 /TiO 2 nanowires (SnO 2 /TiO 2 @C) using tin titanate nanowires as precursor, which are prepared by reacting SnCl 2 ·2H 2 O with layered sodium titanate (Na 2 Ti 3 O 7) nanowires in the aqueous solution though the ion exchange between Sn2+ and Na+. After annealing under argon atmosphere, the hydrothermally carbon-coated tin-titanate nanowires decompose, forming a unique hybrid structure, where ultrafine SnO 2 nanoparticles are uniformly embedded within the TiO 2 substrate with carbon coating. Consequently, the SnO 2 /TiO 2 @C nanowires demonstrate excellent lithium storage capacity with high pseudocapacitance contribution, excellent reversible capacity, and long-term cycling stability (673.7/510.5 mAh/g at 0.5/1.0 A/g after 250/800 cycles), owing to the unique hybrid structure, as the well-dispersion of ultra-small SnO 2 within TiO 2 nanowire substrate with simultaneous carbon coating efficiently suppresses the volume changes of SnO 2 , provides abundant reactive sites for lithium storage, and enhances the electrical conductivity with shortened ion transport distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuously high housing prices in large and medium-sized cities in China indicate that the urban housing provision system (HPS) has some drawbacks. One reason is that the housing rental market has long been ignored by authorities. In this paper, we divided the development process of HPSs into five stages from the view of housing purchases and rentals. Then, we analyzed the possible housing demand change of citizens based on changed migration distribution, demographic trends, and housing affordability. Subsequently, we established a distance coordination model to determine the coordination level between the housing purchase market and the housing rental market and found that the western region in China has the highest degree of coordinated development, followed by the eastern region, and the central region has the lowest. Finally, we proposed six preliminary strategies to optimize the HPS in the new era, and they can be summarized as (i) realizing virtuous interactions between the policies of the central government and the local government on two housing markets, (ii) reducing the development gap between the housing purchase market and the housing rental market, and (iii) establishing a Housing with Joint Property Rights system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An increasing number of clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine are being conducted in the treatment of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in China. However, the heterogeneity of outcomes and outcome measurement instruments has produced little evidence for traditional Chinese medicine in treating NVAF because many trials cannot be included in a meta-analysis. The majority of the trials did not report endpoint outcomes, side effects or other important outcomes for patients, which makes it difficult to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, it is important to develop a core outcome set (COS). Although there are two related COSs for clinical trials of atrial fibrillation, the methodology is limited, and the perspectives of Chinese experts and patients are unclear. Therefore, we will develop a COS and recommend outcome measurement instruments after finishing the COS, which can be used for clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine in NVAF.Methods/design: The method of the study will include eight stages led by a national multidisciplinary Steering Committee: (1) A systematic review will be developed to identify currently reported outcomes and traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in clinical trials of NVAF, (2) Semi-structured interviews of patients will be conducted to fill gaps in potential outcomes, (3) Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome names will be identified from medical records, (4) A dataset of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome names will be developed, (5) The investigation of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes will be conducted from cross-sectional study, (6) Two rounds of Delphi surveys will be carried out, (7) A consensus meeting will be conducted to develop a COS, and (8) Recommendations of outcome measurement instruments (OMIs), which should be used in the COS, will be developed.Discussion: The COS will improve the consistency of outcome reporting and reduce the reporting bias in NVAF clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the value of traditional Chinese medicine clinical trials.Trial Registration: This study is not a clinical trial, so it is registered in Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative (COMET). Registration number: 941 . Registered on 22 December 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify and characterize the constellation, or clusters, of self-management behaviors in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and comorbid hypertension.Methods: Cluster analysis (n = 204) was performed with standardized scores for medication adherence to COPD and hypertension medications, inhaler technique, and diet as well as self-reported information on physical activity, appointment keeping, smoking status, and yearly influenza vaccination for a total of eight variables. Classification and regression tree analysis (CART) was performed to further characterize the resulting clusters.Results: Patients were divided into three clusters based on eight self-management behaviors, which included 95 patients in cluster 1, 42 in cluster 2, and 67 in cluster 3. All behaviors except for inhaler technique differed significantly among the three clusters (P's<0.005). CART indicated physical activity was the first differentiating variable.Conclusions: Patients with COPD and hypertensioncan be separated into those with adequate and inadequate adherence. The group with inadequate adherence can further be divided into those with poor adherence to medical behaviors compared to those with poor adherence to lifestyle behaviors.Practice Implications: Once validated in other populations, the identification of patient clusters using patient self-management behaviors could be used to inform interventions for patients with multimorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To describe the clinicopathological features of primary retroperitoneal solitary fibrous tumor (RSFT) and define the prognostic factors. Methods: The comprehensive data of 35 primary RSFT patients who got curative surgery at a tertiary cancer center from April 2004 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Male patients outnumbered female patients (19 vs. 16), with the age ranging from 19 to 73 years (median, 51 years). 7 (20%) patients had tumors located in special parts, including three in kidney, one in renal pelvis, one in bladder, one in prostate, and one in mesentery. Tumor sizes ranged from 2.5 to 25 cm (median, 9 cm). Microscopic negative margin was reached in 33 (94.3%) cases. 13 (37.1%) were classified as atypical/malignant, while 22 (62.9%) were benign. Concomitant organ excision was performed on 11 (31.4%) patients, with kidney (n = 5) being the most frequent organ. Multifocality was only found in 4 (11.4%) cases. The majority of the patients (31, 88.6%) did not get adjuvant treatment. The median follow-up time was 46 months (range 4–153 months). The 5-year DSS rate and DFS rate were 100% and 63.6%, respectively. In univariate analysis, tumor size ≥ 10 cm (P = 0.002) and atypical/malignant pathology (P = 0.024) were associated with decreased DFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size was the only independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR 6.03, 95% CI 1.18–30.77, P = 0.031). Conclusion: RSFT is uncommon, slow-growing, and recrudescent tumors. Large tumor size and malignant pathology are associated with decreased DFS. Tumor size ≥ 10 cm independently predicts shortened DFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The given text provides information on the China Southwest Birth Cohort (CSBC) research project, which focuses on the relationship between various factors and a child's risk of birth defects and diseases. The cohort includes the Yi population and people in Chongqing and Chengdu as representative samples. The cohort consists of 20,730 pregnant women enrolled from May 2018 to December 2020, with follow-ups conducted during pregnancy and every 6 months until the child is 3 years old. The CSBC aims to validate and explore maternal and infant-related health issues, assess risk factors, and propose intervention strategies. The text also includes a table comparing the characteristics of families who were lost to follow-up after birth with those who were followed up, providing valuable insights for researchers. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 , as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), possesses excellent structural stability during lithiation/delithiation cycling and higher theoretical capacity. However, Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 faces some challenges, such as insufficient ion diffusion coefficient and poor electronic conductivity. To overcome these problems, this study investigates the effect of applying nanostructure engineering on Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 and the lithium storage behaviors. We successfully synthesized hollow Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 nanospheres (h-TNO NSs) via solvothermal method using phenolic resin nanospheres as the template. The effects of using a template or not and the annealing atmospheres on the microstructures of the as-prepared Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 are investigated. Different nanostructures (porous Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 nanoaggregates (p-TNO NAs) without a template and core-shelled Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 @C nanospheres (cs-TNO@C NSs)) were formed through annealing in Ar. When examined as anodes for LIBs, the h-TNO NSs electrode with hollow spherical structure displayed a better lithium storage performance. Compared to its counterparts, p-TNO NAs and cs-TNO@C NSs, h-TNO NSs electrode exhibited a higher reversible capacity of 282.5 mAh g−1 at 1C, capacity retention of 79.5% (i.e. , 224.6 mAh g−1) after 200 cycles, and a higher rate capacity of 173.1 mAh g−1 at 10C after 600 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance of h-TNO NSs is attributed to the novel structure. The hollow nanospheres with cavities and thin shells not only exposed more active sites and improved ion diffusion, but also buffered the volume variation upon cycling and facilitated electrolyte penetration. This consequently enhanced the lithium storage performance of the electrode and its high pseudocapacitive contribution (90% at 1.0 mV s−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has decreased virulence and pathogenicity, yet the number of Omicron infections worldwide is unprecedentedly high, with rather high mortality and severe disease rate. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are particularly vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and have unique clinical outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 2140 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection from March 29, 2022, to May 17, 2022. Demographic characteristics, ancillary examination results, and clinical treatments were described. Occurrence of critical COVID-19 or death and time of positive-to-negative conversion was defined as primary outcomes. The presence of COVID-19 pneumonia and the usage of respiratory or circulatory support was defined as secondary outcomes. Univariate or multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for primary outcomes. Results: 15.74% of CKD patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant ended up with critical COVID-19 or death. Pre-existing CKD was a risk factor for critical COVID-19 or death and prolonged time of positive-to-negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2. Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir facilitated viral clearance among COVID-19 patients with non-severe CKD. Conclusion: We found patients with CKD and COVID-19 due to Omicron experienced worse clinical outcomes and prolonged time of positive-to-negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 compared to patients without CKD, which helps rationalize limited medical resources and offers guidance for appropriate clinical treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is much higher during HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection (EP-CBI) than during HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection (EN-CBI), although the necroinflammation in liver is minimal and the adaptive immune response is similar in both phases. We previously reported that mRNA levels of EVA1A were higher in EN-CBI patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether EVA1A inhibits HBV gene expression and examine the underlying mechanisms. The available cell models for HBV replication and model HBV mice were used to investigate how EVA1A regulates HBV replication and the antiviral activity based on gene therapy. The signaling pathway was determined through RNA sequencing analysis. The results demonstrated that EVA1A can inhibit HBV gene expression in vitro and in vivo. In particular, EVA1A overexpression resulted in accelerated HBV RNA degradation and activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, two processes that directly and indirectly inhibiting HBV gene expression. EVA1A is a promising candidate for treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In conclusion, EVA1A is a new host restriction factor that regulates the HBV life cycle via a nonimmune process. • EVA1A can inhibit HBV replication in vitro and in vivo. • This depended on activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway and acceleration of HBV RNA degradation. • EVA1A-based gene therapy significantly reduced HBV antigen expression and replication in model CHB mice. • EVA1A is a novel host factor that can suppress HBV replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the morphological characteristics together with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hydrodynamics on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging that improve the prediction of foramen magnum decompression (FMD) treatment outcome for Chiari malformations type I (CM-I) patients compared with the CSF hydrodynamics-based model. This retrospective study included CM-I patients who underwent FMD, phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance, and static MR between January 2018 and March 2022. The relationships of the preoperative CSF hydrodynamic quantifications derived from phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance and morphological measurements from static magnetic resonance imaging, clinical indicators with different outcomes, were analyzed with logistic regression analysis. The outcomes were determined using the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale. The predictive performance was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic, calibration, decision curves and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, net reclassification index, and integrated discrimination improvement and was compared with CSF hydrodynamics-based model. A total of 27 patients were included. 17 (63%) had improved outcomes and 10 (37%) had poor outcomes. The peak diastolic velocity of the aqueduct midportion (odd ratio, 5.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 24.70; P = 0.039) and the fourth ventricle outlet diameter (odd ratio, 7.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.07, 48.16; P = 0.043) were predictors of different prognoses. The predictive performance improved significantly than the CSF hydrodynamics-based model. Combined CSF hydrodynamic and static morphologic MR measurements can better predict the response to FMD. A higher peak diastolic velocity of the aqueduct midportion and broader fourth ventricle outlet were associated with satisfying outcomes after decompression in CM-I patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volatile components in Houttuynia cordata Thunb. have a distinctive odor, which is the source of their unique flavor as food. Although volatile compounds are widely present in Houttuynia cordata Thunb., little is known about their accumulation in vertical distribution in different organs. In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and chemometrics were used to determine volatile substance's types and relative contents, especially 2-undecanone in different parts of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. The results showed that 933 species and 16 classes of volatile compounds were identified in the leaves, aerial stems, subterranean stems, and roots. Among them, the accumulation of 2-undecanone, d -limonene, and α-pinene were significantly higher in subterranean stems than in other organs. The related KEGG pathway-limonene and pinene degradation, was identified. The study's results can provide a reference for the industrial extraction and utilization of volatile compounds from different parts of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. • The first analyze to volatile compounds in four different organs of H. cordata. • 933 species volatile compounds were identified. • 2-undecanone was significantly accumulated in subterranean stems. • The KEGG pathway cluster analysis provided reference for regulation mechanism. • Reveal the reasons why people in different regions like to eat different parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aconitum L. poisoning is a major type of poisoning caused by herbal medicines in many countries. However, despite its toxicity, Aconitum L. is still used because of its therapeutic value. Fuzi, the lateral root of Aconitum L., is one of the most important pharmacological parts. It is necessary for rational medication to figure out the types and contents of toxic Aconitum alkaloids (AAs) in Fuzi and its processed products. The present study aims to investigate the spatial distribution of toxic AAs in Fuzi and the quantification of AAs in various processing products through mass spectrometry methods. In this study, desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) was used to directly image the sections of raw Fuzi. The results showed a high content of diester alkaloids (DAs) and a relatively uniform distribution in the sections, while the content of monoester alkaloids (MAs) was low and uneven in the sections, distributed in the cortex, epidermis, vascular column, and other parts of the tissues. The content of non-ester alkaloids (NAs) was relatively minimum, and most of the NAs were distributed in the vascular column and the tightly connected cortex of the tissue. To further investigate the difference between raw and processed Fuzi, 60 known compounds were identified using UHPLC-QTOF-MS. The total contents of alkaloids in 7 processed Fuzi were lower than that in Shengfupian (SFP). Paofupian (PFP), Paotianxiong (PTX), Paofupian (PFP*), Danfupian (DFP), and Shufupian (SFP*) were the least similar. Zhengfupian (ZFP) and Chaofupian (CFP) had significantly reduced toxicity and increased efficacy compared with other processed products because the contents of active alkaloids in other processed products were also reduced. Understanding the distribution of metabolites and the composition changes after processing can guide users and herbal manufacturers to carefully choose the relatively safe and better therapeutic species of Fuzi. The information gathered from this study can contribute towards the improved and effective management of therapeutically important, nonetheless toxic, drugs such as Aconitum L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a joint diffractive imaging and clear imaging system that can provide hyperspectral images with high spatial resolution and spectral precision by fusing and reconstructing the images captured by the two imaging branches. • We propose a feature extraction block (FEB) and a double residual block (DRB) based on the two-branch network framework, which effectively improve the network's capability to reconstruct hyperspectral images. • Extensive experiments show that our method outperforms other state-of-the-art approaches in terms of PSNR, SSIM, and SAM metrics. To overcome the problems of imaging speed and bulky volume of the traditional hyperspectral imaging systems, the recently proposed compact, snapshot hyperspectral imaging system with diffracted rotation has attracted a lot of interest. Due to the severe degradation of the diffracted rotation blurred image, the restored hyperspectral image (HSI) suffers from a lack of spatial detail information and spectral accuracy. To improve the quality of the reconstructed HSI, we present a joint imaging system of diffractive imaging and clear imaging as well as a convolutional neural network (CNN) based method with two input branches for HSI reconstruction. In the reconstruction network, we develop a feature extraction block (FEB) to extract the features of the two input images, respectively. Subsequently, a double residual block (DRB) is designed to fuse and reconstruct the extracted features. Experimental results show that HSI with high spatial resolution and spectral accuracy can be reconstructed. Our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of quantitative metrics and visual quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gasdermin (GSDM) B is a member of the GSDM family, which is a protein that may be involved in the cell pyroptosis process and is associated with inflammatory diseases. Objective: To explore the correlation between GSDMB and psoriasis vulgaris. Methods: Skin lesions from 33 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 69 normal controls were collected. ELISA and Western blot were adopted to detect proteins. The HaCaT cell line was transfected with 3 sets of interfering sequence siRNA, and the mRNA and protein levels before and after the transfection were measured by qPCR and Western blot respectively, so as to establish a cell model with low GSDMB gene expression; the MTT method was used to detect cells viability, flow cytometry to detect cell apoptosis. Results: The level of GSDMB protein in the skin lesions of patients with psoriasis vulgaris was lower than that in normal skin tissues (P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of the target gene in the siRNA-GSDMB-3 group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The proliferation of HaCaT cells was decreased by MTT method and flow cytometry, and the apoptosis rate was increased (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The expression level of GSDMB in psoriasis vulgaris lesion tissue is lower than that of normal skin tissue. The down-regulation of GSDMB expression can inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis. GSDMB may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis by affecting the differentiation of keratinocytes and the function of T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have investigated concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in rice in China, but have come to divergent conclusions. Therefore we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the available evidence on levels of Pb and Cd in rice in different regions of China in order to assess the potential risk to human health. The meta-analysis included 24 studies of Pb levels and 29 studies of Cd levels, published in 2011–2021. The pooled Pb concentration in rice was 0.10 mg per kg dry weight (95% CI 0.08−0.11), while the pooled Cd concentration was 0.16 mg per kg dry weight (95% CI 0.14−0.18). These levels are within the limits specified by national food safety standards. However, the total target hazard quotient for both metals exceeded 1.0 for adults and children, suggesting that rice consumption poses a health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This systematic review aimed to study the hippocampal and frontal changes of heart failure (HF) patients and HF animal models with cognitive impairment or depression. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted independently by reviewers using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. Results and conclusions: 30 studies were included, involving 17 pieces of clinical research on HF patients and 13 studies of HF animal models. In HF patients, the hippocampal injuries were shown in the reduction of volume, CBF, glucose metabolism, and gray matter, which were mainly observed in the right hippocampus. The frontal damages were only in reduced gray matter and have no difference between the right and left sides. The included HF animal model studies were generalized and demonstrated the changes in inflammation and apoptosis, synaptic reduction, and neurotransmitter disorders in the hippocampus and frontal lobes. The results of HF animal model studies complemented the clinical observations by providing potential mechanistic explanations of the changes in the hippocampus and frontal lobes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Our study intended to explore how low-dose anti-angiogenic drugs affected anti-tumor immunity of tumor-infiltrating exhausted CD8+T cells and achieved better clinical response when combined with immunotherapy. We set out to find potential targets or predictive biomarker on CD8+T cells for immunotherapy. Methods: We tested different doses of anti-VEGFR2 antibody combined with anti-PD1 antibody to treat LUAD in vivo and analyzed tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells by flow cytometry. CD8+T cells overexpressing LAYN were co-cultured with LA795 cell lines to identify the function of LAYN in CD8+T cells. We also analyzed clinical samples from advanced LUAD patients treated with anti-angiogenesis therapy combined with immunotherapy. Results: Low-dose anti-VEGFR2 antibody combined with anti-PD1 antibody treatment delayed tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. The number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells was reduced and the expression of LAYN was down-regulated in tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells in the low-dose anti-VEGFR2 combination group. It was found that LAYN inhibited the killing function of CD8+T cells. In patients with advanced LUAD who received anti-angiogenesis therapy combined with immunotherapy, the LAYN+CD8+T cell subpopulation in good responders was significantly higher than that in poor responders. Furthermore, we demonstrated the expression of LAYN was regulated by upstream transcription factor NR4A1. Conclusion: Low-dose anti-VEGFR2 antibody combined with anti-PD1 antibody therapy promoted anti-tumor immunity and the downregulation of LAYN in tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells played an important role in this process. These findings had implications for improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy and further optimized clinical treatment guidelines in advanced LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

14Cr–3W ferritic steel powders were mechanically milled with microscale yttrium nitride (YN) particles to fabricate particle dispersion-strengthened ferritic steels. After hot consolidation and annealing, the steel matrix was homogeneously dispersed with nano-scale YN particles. The steel containing 0.3 wt.% YN particles exhibited a yield strength of 1445 MPa at room temperature. Its total elongation was 10.3%, and the fracture surface exhibited mixed ductile and quasi-cleavage fracture morphologies. The steel with a much higher content of YN particles (3 wt.%) in its matrix was much stronger (1652 MPa) at room temperature at the cost of ductility. In particular, it exhibited a high yield strength (1350 MPa) with applicable ductility (total elongation > 10%) at 500 °C. This study has developed a new kind of reinforcement particle to fabricate high-performance ferritic steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial biofilms are highly resistant to antibiotics and pose a great threat to human and animal health. The control and removal of bacterial biofilms have become an important topic in the field of bacterial infectious diseases. Nanocarriers show great anti‐biofilm potential because of their small particle size and strong permeability. In this review, the advantages of nanocarriers for combating biofilms are analysed. Nanocarriers can act on all stages of bacterial biofilm formation and diffusion. They can improve the scavenging effect of biofilm by targeting biofilm, destroying extracellular polymeric substances and enhancing the biofilm permeability of antimicrobial substances. Nanocarriers can also improve the antibacterial ability of antimicrobial drugs against bacteria in biofilm by protecting the loaded drugs and controlling the release of antimicrobial substances. Additionally, we emphasize the challenges faced in using nanocarrier formulations and translating them from a preclinical level to a clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most spatial models include a spatial weights matrix (W) derived from the first law of geography to adjust the spatial dependence to fulfill the independence assumption. In various fields such as epidemiological and environmental studies, the spatial dependence often shows clustering (or geographic discontinuity) due to natural or social factors. In such cases, adjustment using the first‐law‐of‐geography‐based W might be inappropriate and leads to inaccuracy estimations and loss of statistical power. In this work, we propose a series of data‐driven Ws (DDWs) built following the spatial pattern identified by the scan statistic, which can be easily carried out using existing tools such as SaTScan software. The DDWs take both the clustering (or discontinuous) and the intuitive first‐law‐of‐geographic‐based spatial dependence into consideration. Aiming at two common purposes in epidemiology studies (ie, estimating the effect value of explanatory variable X and estimating the risk of each spatial unit in disease mapping), the common spatial autoregressive models and the Leroux‐prior‐based conditional autoregressive (CAR) models were selected to evaluate performance of DDWs, respectively. Both simulation and case studies show that our DDWs achieve considerably better performance than the classic W in datasets with clustering (or discontinuous) spatial dependence. Furthermore, the latest published density‐based spatial clustering models, aiming at dealing with such clustering (or discontinuity) spatial dependence in disease mapping, were also compared as references. The DDWs, incorporated into the CAR models, still show considerable advantage, especially in the datasets for common diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and facile visual method for the detection of melamine (MA) in whole milk based on aptamer-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was described in this paper. This strategy combined aptamer as a MA recognition element with AuNPs as the color indicator, providing a rapid and on-site detection of MA by naked eyes or UV-Vis spectrometer. The whole analytical process could finish in 30 min without any assistance of any instrument. Under the optimized condition, the proposed method could be used to detect MA in whole milk with a detection limit of 1.5 mg/L in naked eyes and 0.5 mg/L with UV-Vis spectrometer. The simple rapid technique provided a promising tool for on-site screening of MA adulterant in milk as well as in-house diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gallium (Ga) base liquid metal (LM) with high thermal conductivity and deformability is applied widely in thermal management in electrical systems. However, Ga readily reacts with Cu to form intermetallic compounds (IMCs), which can cause failure in electronic devices. Herein, the thermal interface material (TIM) with Ga and diamond is prepared to analyze the reaction behavior of TIM and Cu/Ni-plated Cu under an aging test at 125 °C. The results show that Ga reacts with Cu substrate and forms CuGa 2 bulk. Moreover, Ni coating can inhibit the corrosion of Ga and Cu. However, the as-volcano IMC structures were generated, also. The thermal resistance increased from 2.24 mm2·K·W−1 to 14.47 mm2·K·W−1 from initial time to 200 h. The interfacial corrosion behavior between TIM and Cu substrate is studied by first-principles molecular dynamics simulation. The diffusion coefficient in the z direction of Cu is 0.04 × 10−5 cm2/s. In a word, the work could provide the guidelines for the further design of high-performance corrosion resistance in the region where Ga was used for thermal management on electronic products. • The interfacial reaction between Ga-based TIM and Cu/Ni-plated Cu substrates during aging was investigated. • The relationship between interfacial thermal resistance and aging time was analyzed in this work. • First-principles molecular dynamics simulations investigated the interfacial reactions between TIM and Cu substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical, sensitive, and real-time detection of heavy metal ions is an essential and difficult problem. This study presents the design of a unique magnetic electrochemical detection system that can achieve real-time field detection. To enhance the electrochemical performance of the sensor, Fe 2 O 3 @C-800, Co/CoO@/C-600, and CoFe 2 O 4 @C-600 magnetic composites were synthesized using three MOFs precursors by the solvothermal method. And the morphology structure and electrochemical properties of as-prepared magnetic composites were researched by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), specific surface area and porosity analyzer (BET) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The results shown that these composites improve conductivity and stability while preserving the MOFs basic frame structure. Compared with the monometallic MOFs-derived composites, the synergistic effect of the bimetallic composite CoFe 2 O 4 @C-600 can significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of the sensor. The linear range for the detection of lead ions was 0.001–60 μM, and the detection limit was 0.0043 μM with a sensitivity of 22.22 μA μM·cm−2 by differential pulse voltammetry. The sensor has good selectivity, stability, reproducibility and can be used for actual sample testing. • A portable electrochemical detection device was designed for real-time detection of heavy metals. • Derivation of metal oxide magnetic composites using three MOFs and compared for the detection of Pb2+. • Utilization of CoFe 2 O 4 @C-600/GCE to enhance the sensor's capabilities. • Bimetal oxides derived from bimetallic MOFs have a lower detection limit (0.0043 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bismuth within metal–organic framework (Bi@ZIF-8) is used to modify zinc anode. • Bi@ZIF-8 layer facilitates uniform deposition and anti-corrosion in zinc anode. • The modified zinc anode demonstrates reduced polarization in a symmetric cell. • A 2 Ah Zn-Ni pouch cell of 130 Wh kg−1 is achieved by Bi@ZIF-8 modified zinc. Zn-based aqueous batteries (ZnABs) are attractive in large-scale energy storage. However, the issues of hydrogen evolution and dendrite formation in zinc anode are the key challenges for this technology. Here, we demonstrate the metal bismuth encapsulated within a metal–organic framework (Bi@ZIF-8) as an artificial interface to protect the Zn anode. Revealed by electrochemical measurements and the in-situ optical images, the Bi@ZIF-8 interface makes for uniform deposition and simultaneously contributes to anti-corrosion in Zn anode. Hence, the symmetric Bi@ZIF-8 coated Zn foil (Bi@ZIF-8|Zn) cell exhibits the lowest polarization compared to ZIF-8|Zn and bare Zn, and achieves 420 h of operation at 7.5 mA cm−2. As a proof of concept, the elaborate alkaline Zn-Ni full cell based on Bi@ZIF-8|Zn anode shows excellent kinetic performance, a high coulombic efficiency of 98 %, and a long lifespan of 2500 cycles. Moreover, this Bi@ZIF-8 was used as a practical Zn electrode interface modifier, which endows a 2 Ah pouch cell with a high energy density of 130 Wh kg−1 and 420 Wh L–1. This research provides a novel thought for realizing long-life ZnABs via the artificial interface protection of the Zn anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single image super-resolution (SISR) aims to reconstruct high-resolution (HR) images from given low-resolution (LR) images. It is an ill-posed problem because one LR image corresponds to multiple HR images. Recently, learning-based SISR methods have greatly outperformed traditional methods. However, PSNR-oriented, GAN-driven and flow-based methods suffer from over-smoothing, mode collapse and large model footprint issues, respectively. To solve these problems, we propose a novel SISR diffusion probabilistic model (SRDiff), which is the first diffusion-based model for SISR. SRDiff is optimized with a variant of the variational bound on the data likelihood. Through a Markov chain, it can provide diverse and realistic super-resolution (SR) predictions by gradually transforming Gaussian noise into a super-resolution image conditioned on an LR input. In addition, we introduce residual prediction to the whole framework to speed up model convergence. Our extensive experiments on facial and general benchmarks (CelebA and DIV2K datasets) show that (1) SRDiff can generate diverse SR results with rich details and achieve competitive performance against other state-of-the-art methods, when given only one LR input; (2) SRDiff is easy to train with a small footprint(The word "footprint" in this paper represents "model size" (number of model parameters).); (3) SRDiff can perform flexible image manipulation operations, including latent space interpolation and content fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Integrative medicine is commonly used in China. Researchers prefer to report efficacy outcomes rather than safety outcomes in clinical trials; thus, evidence regarding safety in integrative medicine is unclear. Developing a core outcome set (COS) for safety outcomes is necessary. In this study, a representative example of the methodology for developing COS to assess safety outcomes of cardiovascular diseases in clinical trials investigating integrated medicine will be developed.Methods and Analysis: Safety information will be extracted from package inserts and through systematic reviews of treatments for cardiovascular diseases (including angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, and hypertension) to develop an extensive list of safety outcomes, which will then be categorized according to whether subjective or objective outcomes. Questionnaires for clinician-reported safety outcomes and patient-reported safety outcomes will be developed. Two rounds of the Delphi survey will then be conducted for different stakeholders (traditional Chinese medicine clinicians and researchers in cardiovascular diseases, Western medicine clinicians and researchers in cardiovascular diseases, integrated medicine clinicians and researchers of cardiovascular diseases, pharmacologists, methodologists of evidence-based medicine, and patients). After round 2 of the Delphi analysis, a face-to-face consensus meeting will be held to determine the final COS for assessing safety outcomes in cardiovascular diseases.Discussion: A COS for safety outcomes in cardiovascular diseases may improve the consistency of reporting results and will help identify potential bias of selective reporting in the future.Trial Registration: This study was registered in the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials database as study 1564 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]