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One-dimensional (1D) Zn-based heterostructures have attracted considerable interest in the field of photodetection because of their tunable properties, flexibility, and unique optoelectronic properties. However, designing 1D multi-component Zn-based heterostructures for advanced photodetectors is still a great challenge. Herein, comb-like 1D-1D ZnO-ZnSe heterostructures with ZnO and ZnSe nanowires (NWs) comprising the shaft and teeth of a comb are reported. The length of the ZnO NWs can be modulated in the range of 300-1200 nm. Microstructural characterizations confirm that the 1D heterostructure clearly shows the spatial distribution of individual components. The well-designed structure displays an extended broadband photoresponse and higher photosensitivity than pure ZnSe NWs. Furthermore, ZnSe NWs with an appropriate length of ZnO branches show increased photoresponses of 3835% and 798% compared to those of pure ZnSe NWs under green and red-light irradiation, respectively. In addition, the integrated flexible photodetector presents excellent folding endurance after 1000 bending tests. This well-designed structure has significant potential for other 1D-based semiconductors in optoelectronic applications.

Low-dimensional materials, such as MoS 2 , hold promise for use in a host of emerging applications, including flexible, wearable sensors due to their unique electrical, thermal, optical, mechanical, and tribological properties. The implementation of such devices requires an understanding of adhesive phenomena at the interfaces between these materials. Here, we describe combined nanoscale in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments and simulations measuring the work of adhesion ( W adh ) between self-mated contacts of ultrathin nominally amorphous and nanocrystalline MoS 2 films deposited on Si scanning probe tips. A customized TEM/AFM nanoindenter permitted high-resolution imaging and force measurements in situ . The W adh values for nanocrystalline and nominally amorphous MoS 2 were 604 ± 323 mJ/m 2 and 932 ± 647 mJ/m 2 , respectively, significantly higher than previously reported values for mechanically exfoliated MoS 2 single crystals. Closely matched molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that these high values can be explained by bonding between the opposing surfaces at defects such as grain boundaries. Simulations show that as grain size decreases, the number of bonds formed, the W adh and its variability all increase, further supporting that interfacial covalent bond formation causes high adhesion. In some cases, sliding between delaminated MoS 2 flakes during separation is observed, which further increases the W adh and the range of adhesive interaction. These results indicate that for low adhesion, the MoS 2 grains should be large relative to the contact area to limit the opportunity for bonding, whereas small grains may be beneficial, where high adhesion is needed to prevent device delamination in flexible systems.

Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Designing nanocomposite hydrogels with oriented nanosheets has emerged as a promising toolkit to achieve preferential performances that go beyond their disordered counterparts. Although current fabrication strategies via electric/magnetic force fields have made remarkable achievements, they necessitate special properties of nanosheets and suffer from an inferior orientation degree of nanosheets. Herein, a facile and universal approach is discovered to elaborate MXene-based nanocomposite hydrogels with highly oriented, heterogeneous architecture by virtue of supergravity to replace conventional force fields. The key to such architecture is to leverage bidirectional, force-tunable attributes of supergravity containing coupled orthogonal shear and centrifugal force field for steering high-efficient movement, pre-orientation, and stacking of MXene nanosheets in the bottom. Such a synergetic effect allows for yielding heterogeneous nanocomposite hydrogels with a high-orientation MXene-rich layer (orientation degree, f = 0.83) and a polymer-rich layer. The authors demonstrate that MXene-based nanocomposite hydrogels leverage their high-orientation, heterogeneous architecture to deliver an extraordinary electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of 55.2 dB at 12.4 GHz yet using a super-low MXene of 0.3 wt%, surpassing most hydrogels-based electromagnetic shielding materials. This versatile supergravity-steered strategy can be further extended to arbitrary nanosheets including MoS 2 , GO, and C 3 N 4 , offering a paradigm in the development of oriented nanocomposites., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Laboratory management automation is essential for achieving interoperability in the domain of experimental research and accelerating scientific discovery. The integration of resources and the sharing of knowledge across organisations enable scientific discoveries to be accelerated by increasing the productivity of laboratories, optimising funding efficiency, and addressing emerging global challenges. This paper presents a novel framework for digitalising and automating the administration of research laboratories through The World Avatar, an all-encompassing dynamic knowledge graph. This Digital Laboratory Framework serves as a flexible tool, enabling users to efficiently leverage data from diverse systems and formats without being confined to a specific software or protocol. Establishing dedicated ontologies and agents and combining them with technologies such as QR codes, RFID tags, and mobile apps, enabled us to develop modular applications that tackle some key challenges related to lab management. Here, we showcase an automated tracking and intervention system for explosive chemicals as well as an easy-to-use mobile application for asset management and information retrieval. Implementing these, we have achieved semantic linking of BIM and BMS data with laboratory inventory and chemical knowledge. Our approach can capture the crucial data points and reduce inventory processing time. All data provenance is recorded following the FAIR principles, ensuring its accessibility and interoperability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since late 2019, the global community has been gripped by the uncertainty surrounding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In November 2021, the emergence of the Omicron variant in South Africa added a new dimension. This study aims to assess the disease's severity and determine the extent to which vaccinations contribute to reducing mortality rates., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiological implications of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 were performed, incorporating an analysis of articles from November 2021that address mortality rates., Results: The analysis incorporated data from 3,214,869 patients infected with omicron, as presented in 270 articles. A total of 6,782 deaths from the virus were recorded (0.21%). In the analysed articles, the pooled mortality rate was 0.003 and the pooled in-house mortality rate was 0.036. Vaccination is an effective step in preventing death (odds ratio: 0.391, p < 0.01)., Conclusion: The mortality rates for the omicron variant are lower than for the preceding delta variant. mRNA vaccination affords secure and effective protection against severe disease and death from omicron.

In this work, we quantitatively compare computer simulations and existing cell tracking data of P. aeruginosa surface motility in order to analyse the underlying motility mechanism. We present a three dimensional twitching motility model, that simulates the extension, retraction and surface association of individual Type IV Pili (TFP), and is informed by recent experimental observations of TFP. Sensitivity analysis is implemented to minimise the number of model parameters, and quantitative estimates for the remaining parameters are inferred from tracking data by approximate Bayesian computation. We argue that the motility mechanism is highly sensitive to experimental conditions. We predict a TFP retraction speed for the tracking data we study that is in a good agreement with experimental results obtained under very similar conditions. Furthermore, we examine whether estimates for biologically important parameters, whose direct experimental determination is challenging, can be inferred directly from tracking data. One example is the width of the distribution of TFP on the bacteria body. We predict that the TFP are broadly distributed over the bacteria pole in both walking and crawling motility types. Moreover, we identified specific configurations of TFP that lead to transitions between walking and crawling states., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Barton et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have promising potential in clinical application, whereas their limited amount and sources hinder their bioavailability. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have become prominent options in regenerative medicine as both possess the ability to differentiate into MSCs., Methods: Recently, our research team has successfully developed human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-homozygous iPSC cell lines with high immune compatibility, covering 13.5% of the Taiwanese population. As we deepen our understanding of the differences between these ESCs and HLA-homozygous iPSCs, our study focused on morphological observations and flow cytometry analysis of specific surface marker proteins during the differentiation of ESCs and iPSCs into MSCs., Results: The results showed no significant differences between the two pluripotent stem cells, and both of them demonstrated the equivalent ability to further differentiate into adipose, cartilage, and bone cells., Conclusion: Our research revealed that these iPSCs with high immune compatibility exhibit the same differentiation potential as ESCs, enhancing the future applicability of highly immune-compatible iPSCs., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: Dr. Shih-Hwa Chiou, an editorial board member at Journal of the Chinese Medical Association , had no role in the peer review process of or decision to publish this article. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2024, the Chinese Medical Association.)

Background: We aimed to assess the prognostic importance of perinephric fat features in images of patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) undergoing surgery., Methods: We enrolled RCC patients who underwent surgical treatment between 2011 and 2019. Two characteristics, including perinephric fat thickness and perinephric fat stranding, were evaluated using preoperative computed tomography or magnetic resonance images. The association between perinephric fat characteristics and disease progression was examined by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression model., Results: In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for tumor stage, intratumoral necrosis, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, we found that patients in the thin perinephric fat group (<1 cm) had a poorer progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the thick perinephric fat group (≥1 cm) (HR 2.8; 95% CI 1.175-6.674, p = 0.02). Additionally, the fat stranding group had a poorer PFS than the non-stranding group (HR 3.852; 95% CI 1.082-13.704, p = 0.037). The non-stranding with thick perinephric fat group exhibits the highest cumulative PFS while the stranding with thin perinephric fat group has the lowest cumulative PFS. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, combing these two perinephric fat characteristics with tumor stage can achieve a better discriminatory power than tumor stage alone., Conclusions: Our study indicates that the evaluation of image-based perinephric fat features is a simple, straightforward, reproducible tool for predicting RCC prognosis and may assist in preoperative risk stratification., (Copyright © 2024 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Society of Coloproctology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

High-performance flexible temperature sensors are crucial in various technological applications, such as monitoring environmental conditions and human healthcare. The ideal characteristics of these sensors for stable temperature monitoring include scalability, mechanical flexibility, and high sensitivity. Moreover, simplicity and low power consumption will be essential for temperature sensor arrays in future integrated systems. This study introduces a solution-based approach for creating a V 2 O 5 nanowire network temperature sensor on a flexible film. Through optimization of the fabrication conditions, the sensor exhibits remarkable performance, sustaining long-term stability (>110 h) with minimal hysteresis and excellent sensitivity (∼-1.5%/°C). In addition, this study employs machine learning techniques for data interpolation among sensors, thereby enhancing the spatial resolution of temperature measurements and adding tactile mapping without increasing the sensor count. Introducing this methodology results in an improved understanding of temperature variations, advancing the capabilities of flexible-sensor arrays for various applications.

Objective: To comparatively analyze the clinical efficacy and safety of unilateral radioactive stent (RS) insertion versus bilateral normal stent (NS) insertion in patients with inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC)., Patients and Methods: Patients with inoperable HC were treated in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2020. The treatment approach included the insertion of either unilateral RS or bilateral NS, evaluating the efficacy and safety of therapy in 2 distinct groups., Results: A total of 58 individuals experienced the insertion of a unilateral RS, whereas 57 patients underwent the insertion of bilateral NS. No statistically significant difference between the unilateral RS and bilateral NS groups was seen in the technical success rates (98.3% vs 94.7%, P = 0.598) and clinical success rates (98.2% vs 100%, P = 0.514). While there is no statistically significant difference in the rates of stent restenosis (19.3% vs 9.3%, P = 0.132) between the two groups, the unilateral RS group demonstrated substantially longer stent patency (202 vs 119 d, P = 0.016) and overall survival (229 vs 122 d, P = 0.004) compared with the bilateral NS group. Moreover, 8 patients (14.0%) in the unilateral RS group and 14 patients (25.9%) in the bilateral NS group had postoperative complications with no significant difference ( P = 0.116)., Conclusion: When inserting stents for inoperable HC, both unilateral RS and bilateral NS insertion procedures have demonstrated favorable therapeutic efficacy. Nevertheless, inserting a unilateral RS provided a longer duration of stent patency and overall survival than implantation of bilateral NS., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Due to their organized structures, remarkable stiffness, and nice biocompatibility and biodegradability, amyloid fibrils serve as building blocks for versatile sustainable materials. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are commonly used as the nano-catalysts for various electrochemical reactions. Given their large specific surface area and high surface energy, AgNPs exhibit high aggregation propensity, which hampers their electrocatalytic performance. Food protein wastes have been identified to be associated with climate change and environmental impacts, and a surplus of whey proteins in dairy industries causes high biological and chemical demands, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study is aimed at constructing sustainable electrode surface modifiers using AgNP-deposited whey protein amyloid fibrils (AgNP/WPI-AFs). AgNP/WPI-AFs were synthesized and characterized via spectroscopic techniques, electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Next, the electrocatalytic performance of AgNP/WPI-AF modified electrode was assessed via para-nitrophenol (p-NP) reduction combined with various electrochemical analyses. Moreover, the reaction mechanism of p-NP electrocatalysis on the surface of AgNP/WPI-AF modified electrode was investigated. The detection range, limit of detection, sensitivity, and selectivity of the AgNP/WPI-AF modified electrode were evaluated accordingly. This work not only demonstrates an alternative for whey valorization but also highlights the feasibility of using amyloid-based hybrid materials as the electrode surface modifier for electrochemical sensing purposes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Age-related cognitive decline is primarily attributed to the progressive weakening of synaptic function and loss of synapses, while age-related gut microbial dysbiosis is known to impair synaptic plasticity and cognitive behavior by metabolic alterations. To improve the health of the elderly, the protective mechanisms of Oudemansiella raphanipes polysaccharide (ORP-1) against age-related cognitive decline are investigated. The results demonstrate that ORP-1 and its gut microbiota-derived metabolites SCFAs restore a healthy gut microbial population to handle age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis mainly by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria Dubosiella, Clostridiales, and Prevotellaceae and reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria Desulfovibrio, strengthen intestinal barrier integrity by abolishing age-related alterations of tight junction (TJ) and mucin 2 (MUC2) proteins expression, diminish age-dependent increase in circulating inflammatory factors, ameliorate cognitive decline by reversing memory- and synaptic plasticity-related proteins levels, and restrain hyperactivation of microglia-mediated synapse engulfment and neuroinflammation. These findings expand the understanding of prebiotic-microbiota-host interactions., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Amyand's hernia (AH) is an appendix (with or without acute inflammation) trapped within an inguinal hernia. Most AH with acute appendicitis had a preexisting appendix within the hernia sac. We herein report a variant of AH that has never been described before. An inflamed appendix that was managed conservatively was found to have migrated and trapped in the sac of a previously unrecognized right inguinal hernia 6 weeks after the index admission, resulting in a secondary Amyand's hernia., Case Presentation: A 25-year-old healthy Taiwanese woman had persistent right lower abdominal pain for 1 week and was diagnosed with perforated appendicitis with a localized abscess by abdominal computed tomography (CT). No inguinal hernia was noted at that time. Although the inflamed appendix along with the abscess was deeply surrounded by bowel loops so that percutaneous drainage was not feasible, it was treated successfully with antibiotics. However, she was rehospitalized 6 weeks later for having a painful right inguinal bulging mass for a week. Abdominal CT revealed an inflamed appendix with abscess formation in an indirect inguinal hernia raising the question of a Amyand's hernia with a perforated appendicitis. Via a typical inguinal herniorrhaphy incision, surgical exploration confirmed the diagnosis, and it was managed by opening the hernial sac to drain the abscess and reducing the appendix into the peritoneal cavity, followed by conventional tissue-based herniorrhaphy and a laparoscopic appendectomy. She was then discharged uneventfully and remained well for 11 months., Conclusions: Unlike the traditional definition of Amyand's hernia, where the appendix is initially in the hernia sac, the current case demonstrated that Amyand's hernia could be a type of delayed presentation following initial medical treatment of acute appendicitis. However, it can still be managed successfully by a conventional tissue-based herniorrhaphy followed by laparoscopic appendectomy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The clinical presentations of dry eye disease (DED) and depression (DEP) often comanifest. However, the robustness and the mechanisms underlying this association were undetermined., Objectives: To this end, we set up a three-segment study that employed multimodality results (meta-analysis, genome-wide association study [GWAS] and Mendelian randomization [MR]) to elucidate the association, common pathways and causality between DED and DEP., Methods: A meta-analysis comprising 26 case-control studies was first conducted to confirm the DED-DEP association. Next, we performed a linkage disequilibrium (LD)-adjusted GWAS and targeted phenotype association study (PheWAS) in East Asian TW Biobank (TWB) and European UK Biobank (UKB) populations. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were further screened for molecular interactions and common pathways at the functional gene level. To further elucidate the activated pathways in DED and DEP, a systemic transcriptome review was conducted on RNA sequencing samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Finally, 48 MR experiments were implemented to examine the bidirectional causation between DED and DEP., Results: Our meta-analysis showed that DED patients are associated with an increased DEP prevalence (OR = 1.83), while DEP patients have a concurrent higher risk of DED (OR = 2.34). Notably, cross-disease GWAS analysis revealed that similar genetic architecture (r G  = 0.19) and pleiotropic functional genes contributed to phenotypes in both diseases. Through protein-protein interaction and ontology convergence, we summarized the pleiotropic functional genes under the ontology of immune activation, which was further validated by a transcriptome systemic review. Importantly, the inverse variance-weighted (IVW)-MR experiments in both TWB and UKB populations (p value <0.001) supported the bidirectional exposure-outcome causation for DED-to-DEP and DEP-to-DED. Despite stringent LD-corrected instrumental variable re-selection, the bidirectional causation between DED and DEP remained., Conclusion: With the multi-modal evidence combined, we consolidated the association and causation between DED and DEP., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is mainly the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) associated with high apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which is accepted to be caused by the mutations in the subunits of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The treatment is still infant while efforts of correcting genes or using antioxidants do not bring good and consistent results. Unaffected carrier carries LHON mutation but shows normal phenotype, suggesting that the disease's pathogenesis is complex, in which secondary factors exist and cooperate with the primary complex I dysfunction., Methods: Using LHON patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as the in vitro disease model, we previously demonstrated that circRNA&#95;0087207 had the most significantly higher expression level in the LHON patient-iPSC-derived RGCs compared with the unaffected carrier-iPSC-derived RGCs. To elaborate the underlying pathologies regulated by circRNA&#95;008720 mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis was conducted and elucidated that circRNA&#95;0087207 could act as a sponge of miR-548c-3p and modulate PLSCR1/TGFB2 levels in ND4 mutation-carrying LHON patient-iPSC-derived RGCs., Results: Using LHON iPSC-derived RGCs as the disease-based platform, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis on targeted mRNA of miR-548c-3p showed the connection with apoptosis, suggesting downregulation of miR548c-3p contributes to the apoptosis of LHON patient RGCs., Conclusion: We showed that the downregulation of miR548c-3p plays a critical role in modulating cellular dysfunction and the apoptotic program of RGCs in LHON., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2024, the Chinese Medical Association.)

Impaired cerebral microcirculation after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has been shown to be related to delayed ischemic neurological deficits (DIND). We previously demonstrated the involvement of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in the pathogenesis of SAH related neuronal death. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of a recombinant soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE) on microcirculation impairment following SAH. Intrathecal injection of autologous blood in rats, mixed primary astrocyte and microglia cultures exposed to hemolysates and endothelial cells ​(ECs) from human brain microvascular exposed to glia-conditioned medium or SAH patient's CSF were used as experimental SAH models in vivo and in vitro. The results indicated that intrathecal administration of recombinant sRAGE significantly ameliorated the vasoconstriction of cortical arterioles and associated perfusion impairment, brain edema, reduced cell death, endothelial dysfunction, and improved motor performance at 24 and 48 ​h after SAH induction in rats. The in vitro results further showed that recombinant sRAGE significantly reduced astrocyte swelling and microglia activation, in parallel with decreased mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in vitro. Moreover, the in vitro model of SAH-induced p-eNOS and eNOS suppression, along with stress fiber formation in brain microvascular ECs, was effectively reversed by sRAGE treatment and led to a decrease in cleaved-caspase 3 expression. In summary, recombinant sRAGE effectively lessened microcirculation impairment and vascular injury after SAH via the mechanism of anti-inflammation, which may provide a potential therapeutic strategy for SAH., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Kuo-Chuan Wang reports financial support was provided by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) is a key sperm-borne oocyte-activating factor that triggers Ca 2+ oscillations and the subsequent block to polyspermy following gamete fusion. Mutations in PLCZ1 , the gene encoding PLCζ, cause male infertility and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertilization failure; and PLCζ expression and localization patterns are significantly correlated with ICSI fertilization rate (FR). However, in conventional in vitro fertilization (cIVF), whether and how sperm PLCζ affects fertilization remain unclear. Herein, we identified one previously reported and two novel PLCZ1 mutations associated with polyspermy in vitro that are characterized by excessive sperm-zona binding and a delay in pronuclei (PN) formation. Immunofluorescence staining and oocyte activation testing revealed that virtually all spermatozoa from patients lacked functional PLCζ and were thus unable to evoke Ca 2+ oscillations. ICSI with an artificial oocyte activation treatment successfully rescued the polyspermic phenotype and resulted in a live birth. Furthermore, we analyzed PLCζ in an additional 58 males after cIVF treatment in the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (Changsha, China) between February 2019 and January 2022. We found that the proportion of spermatozoa that expressed PLCζ was positively correlated with both 2PN rate and total FR. The optimal cutoff value below which males were likely to experience low FR (total FR ≤30%) after cIVF was 56.7% for the proportion of spermatozoa expressing PLCζ. Our study expands the mutation and the phenotypic spectrum of PLCZ1 and further suggests that PLCζ constitutes a promising biomarker for identifying low FRs cases in cIVF due to sperm-related oocyte activation deficiency and that sperm PLCζ analysis may benefit the wider male population and not only men with ICSI failure., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © The Author(s)(2023).)

The geographic expansion of Homo sapiens populations into southeastern Europe occurred by ∼47,000 years ago (∼47 ka), marked by Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP) technology. H. sapiens was present in western Siberia by ∼45 ka, and IUP industries indicate early entries by ∼50 ka in the Russian Altai and 46-45 ka in northern Mongolia. H. sapiens was in northeastern Asia by ∼40 ka, with a single IUP site in China dating to 43-41 ka. Here we describe an IUP assemblage from Shiyu in northern China, dating to ∼45 ka. Shiyu contains a stone tool assemblage produced by Levallois and Volumetric Blade Reduction methods, the long-distance transfer of obsidian from sources in China and the Russian Far East (800-1,000 km away), increased hunting skills denoted by the selective culling of adult equids and the recovery of tanged and hafted projectile points with evidence of impact fractures, and the presence of a worked bone tool and a shaped graphite disc. Shiyu exhibits a set of advanced cultural behaviours, and together with the recovery of a now-lost human cranial bone, the record supports an expansion of H. sapiens into eastern Asia by about 45 ka., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

It is particularly essential to analyze the complex crosslinked networks within polyamide membranes and their correlation with separation efficiency for the insightful tailoring of desalination membranes. However, using the degree of network crosslinking as a descriptor yields abnormal analytical outcomes and limited correlation with desalination performance due to imperfections in segmentation and calculation methods. Herein, we introduce a more rational parameter, denoted as harmonic amide bond density (HABD), to unravel the relationship between the crosslinked networks of polyamide membranes and their desalination performance. HABD quantifies the number of distinct amide bonds per unit mass of polyamide, based on a comprehensive segmentation of polyamide structure and consistent computational protocols derived from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. Compared to its counterpart, HABD overcomes the limitations and offers a more accurate depiction of the crosslinked networks. Empirical data validate that HABD exhibits the expected correlation with the salt rejection and water permeance of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration polyamide membranes. Notably, HABD is applicable for analyzing complex crosslinked polyamide networks formed by highly functional monomers. By offering a powerful toolbox for systematic analysis of crosslinked polyamide networks, HABD facilitates the development of permselective membranes with enhanced performance in desalination applications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Accurate assessment of wound areas is crucial in making therapeutic decisions, as the prognosis and changes in the size of the wound over time play a significant role. An ideal assessment method should possess qualities such as speed, affordability, accuracy, user-friendliness for both patients and healthcare professionals, and suitability for daily clinical practice. This study aims to introduce a handheld 3-dimensional (3D) scanner and evaluate its accuracy in measuring wound areas. Engineers from the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan developed a handheld 3D scanner with the intention of extending its application to the medical field. A project was conducted to validate the accuracy of this 3D scanner. We utilized a smartphone (Asus ZenFone 2 with a 13-million-pixel rear camera), a digital single-lens reflex digital camera (Nikon, D5000, Tokyo, Japan), and the 3D scanner to repeatedly measure square papers of known size that were affixed to the curved surface of life-size facial mask or medical teaching breast models. The "Image J" software was employed for 2-dimensional image measurements, while the "3D Edit" software was used to assess the "area of interest" on 3D objects. By using square papers with predetermined dimensions, the measurement-associated error rate (ER) could be calculated for each image. Three repeated measurements were performed using the "Image J" software for each square paper. The ERs of the 3D scan images were all below 3%, with an average ER of 1.64% in this study. The close-up mode of the smartphone exhibited the highest ER. It was observed that as the area increased, the ER also increased in the digital single-lens reflex camera group. The extension distortion effect caused by the wide-angle lens on the smartphone may increase the ER. However, the definition of a healthy skin edge may vary, and different algorithms for calculating the measurement area are employed in various 3D measurement software. Therefore, further validation of their accuracy for medical purposes is necessary. Effective communication with software engineers and discussions on meeting clinical requirements are crucial steps in enhancing the functionality of the 3D scanner., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Purpose: To investigate the effect of azilsartan on myocardial remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Methods: A total of 200 AMI patients under percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were selected from the Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Jan 2021 to Dec 2021. The subjects were randomly divided to take either azilsartan or benazepril. Serum C1q tumor necrosis factor-associated protein 1 (CTRP1) levels were detected in all subjects after admission, and the indices of left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured by using echocardiography. At the follow-up of 6 months and 1 year after PCI, the differences in CTRP1 and echocardiogram indices between the two groups were compared, and the influencing factors of myocardial remodeling after acute myocardial infarction were analyzed., Results: The levels of LVEDV and CTRP1 in all subjects at 6 months and 1 year after PCI were lower than those before discharge, and the LVEDV in the azilsartan group at 6 months and 1 year after PCI was lower than that in the benazepril group. An improvement in myocardial remodeling was obviously observed within 6 months after PCI, but the effect declined over time., Conclusions: Azilsartan can improve myocardial remodeling after acute myocardial infarction. CTRP1 may become an effective target for the prevention and treatment of myocardial remodeling after acute myocardial infarction., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Wound monitoring is crucial for effective healing, as nonhealing wounds can lead to tissue ulceration and necrosis. Evaluating wound recovery involves observing changes in angiogenesis. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is vital for wound assessment due to its rapid imaging, high resolution, wide coverage, and noncontact properties. When using LSCI equipment, regions of interest (ROIs) must be delineated in lesion areas in images for quantitative analysis. However, patients with serious wounds cannot maintain constant postures because the affected areas are often associated with discomfort and pain. This leads to deviations between the drawn ROI and actual wound position when using LSCI for wound assessment, affecting the reliability of relevant assessments. To address these issues, we used the channel and spatial reliability tracker object tracking algorithm to develop an automatic ROI tracking function for LSCI systems. This algorithm is used to track and correct artificial movements in blood flow images, address the ROI position offset caused by the movement of the affected body part, increase the blood flow analysis accuracy, and improve the clinical applicability of LSCI systems. ROI tracking experiments were performed by simulating wounds, and the results showed that the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.134 to 0.976. Furthermore, the object within the ROI affected tracking performance. Clinical assessments across wound types showed ICCs ranging from 0.798 to 0.917 for acute wounds and 0.628-0.849 for chronic wounds. We also discuss factors affecting tracking performance and propose strategies to enhance implementation effectiveness., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts to disclose., (© 2024 Author(s).)

Background: Bladder cancer is a common urinary tract malignancy. Minimally invasive radical cystectomy has shown oncological outcomes comparable to the conventional open surgery and with advantages over the open procedure. However, outcomes of the two main minimally invasive procedures, robot-assisted and pure laparoscopic, have yet to be compared. This study aimed to compare in-hospital outcomes between these two techniques performed for patients with bladder cancer. Methods: This population-based, retrospective study included hospitalized patients aged ≥ 50 years with a primary diagnosis of bladder cancer who underwent robot-assisted or pure laparoscopic radical cystectomy. All patient data were extracted from the US National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database 2008-2018 and were analyzed retrospectively. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, prolonged length of stay (LOS), and postoperative complications. Results: The data of 3284 inpatients (representing 16,288 US inpatients) were analyzed. After adjusting for confounders, multivariable analysis revealed that patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy had a significantly lower risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR [aOR], 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28-0.90) and prolonged LOS (aOR, 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49-0.80) than those undergoing pure laparoscopic cystectomy. Patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy had a lower risk of postoperative complications (aOR, 0.69, 95% CI: 0.54-0.88), including bleeding (aOR, 0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-0.99), pneumonia (aOR, 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.86), infection (aOR, 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36-0.85), wound complications (aOR, 0.33, 95% CI: 0.20-0.54), and sepsis (aOR, 0.49, 95% CI: 0.34-0.69) compared to those receiving pure laparoscopic radical cystectomy. Conclusions: Patients with bladder cancer, robot-assisted radical cystectomy is associated with a reduced risk of unfavorable short-term outcomes, including in-hospital mortality, prolonged LOS, and postoperative complications compared to pure laparoscopic radical cystectomy.

Background & Aims: The present study utilized extracted computed tomography radiomics features to classify the gross tumor volume and normal liver tissue in hepatocellular carcinoma by mainstream machine learning methods, aiming to establish an automatic classification model., Methods: We recruited 104 pathologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma patients for this study. GTV and normal liver tissue samples were manually segmented into regions of interest and randomly divided into five-fold cross-validation groups. Dimensionality reduction using LASSO regression. Radiomics models were constructed via logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), random forest, Xgboost, and Adaboost algorithms. The diagnostic efficacy, discrimination, and calibration of algorithms were verified using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analyses and calibration plot comparison., Results: Seven screened radiomics features excelled at distinguishing the gross tumor area. The Xgboost machine learning algorithm had the best discrimination and comprehensive diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.9975 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9973-0.9978] and mean MCC of 0.9369. SVM had the second best discrimination and diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.9846 (95% CI: 0.9835- 0.9857), mean Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC)of 0.9105, and a better calibration. All other algorithms showed an excellent ability to distinguish between gross tumor area and normal liver tissue (mean AUC 0.9825, 0.9861,0.9727,0.9644 for Adaboost, random forest, logistic regression, naivem Bayes algorithm respectively)., Conclusion: CT radiomics based on machine learning algorithms can accurately classify GTV and normal liver tissue, while the Xgboost and SVM algorithms served as the best complementary algorithms., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Interactions between plants and soil microbes are important to plant hybrid breeding under global change. However, the relationship between host plants and rhizosphere soil microorganisms has not been fully elucidated. Understanding the rhizosphere microbial structure of parents and progenies would provide a deeper insight into how genetic effects modulate the relationship between plants and soil. In this study, two family groups of poplar trees (A: parents and their two progenies; B: parents and their one progeny) with different genetic backgrounds (including seven genotypes) were selected from a common garden, and their rhizobacterial communities were analyzed to explore parent-progeny relationships. Our results showed significant differences in phylogenetic diversity, the number of 16S genes and the structure of rhizosphere bacterial communities (Adonis: R 2  = 0.166, P < 0.01) between different family groups. Rhizosphere bacterial community structure was significantly dominated by genetic effects. Compared with abundant taxa, genetic effects were more powerful drivers of rare taxa. In addition, bacterial communities of hybrid progenies were all significantly more similar to their parents compared to the other group of parents, especially among rare taxa. The two poplar family groups exhibited differences between their rhizosphere bacterial co-occurrence networks. Group B had a relatively complex network with 2380 edges and 468 nodes, while group A had 1829 edges and 304 nodes. Soil organic carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) also influenced the rhizosphere bacterial community assembly. This was especially true for soil C/N, which explained 23 % of the β-nearest taxon index (βNTI) variation in rare taxa. Our results reveal the relationship of rhizosphere microorganisms between parents and progenies. This can help facilitate an understanding of the combination of plant breeding with microbes resource utilization and provide a theoretical basis for scientific advancement to support the development of forestry industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The hadal sediment, found at an ocean depth of more than 6000 m, is geographically isolated and under extremely high hydrostatic pressure, resulting in a unique ecosystem. Thaumarchaeota are ubiquitous marine microorganisms predominantly present in hadal environments. While there have been several studies on Thaumarchaeota there, most of them have primarily focused on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). However, systematic metagenomic research specifically targeting heterotrophic non-AOA Thaumarchaeota is lacking., Results: In this study, we explored the metagenomes of Challenger Deep hadal sediment, focusing on the Thaumarchaeota. Functional analysis of sequence reads revealed the potential contribution of Thaumarchaeota to recalcitrant dissolved organic matter degradation. Metagenome assembly binned one new group of hadal sediment-specific and ubiquitously distributed non-AOA Thaumarchaeota, named Group-3.unk. Pathway reconstruction of this new type of Thaumarchaeota also supports heterotrophic characteristics of Group-3.unk, along with ABC transporters for the uptake of amino acids and carbohydrates and catabolic utilization of these substrates. This new clade of Thaumarchaeota also contains aerobic oxidation of carbon monoxide-related genes. Complete glyoxylate cycle is a distinctive feature of this clade in supplying intermediates of anabolic pathways. The pan-genomic and metabolic analyses of metagenome-assembled genomes belonging to Group-3.unk Thaumarchaeota have highlighted distinctions, including the dihydroxy phthalate decarboxylase gene associated with the degradation of aromatic compounds and the absence of genes related to the synthesis of some types of vitamins compared to AOA. Notably, Group-3.unk shares a common feature with deep ocean AOA, characterized by their high hydrostatic pressure resistance, potentially associated with the presence of V-type ATP and di-myo-inositol phosphate syntheses-related genes. The enrichment of organic matter in hadal sediments might be attributed to the high recruitment of sequence reads of the Group-3.unk clade of heterotrophic Thaumarchaeota in the trench sediment. Evolutionary and genetic dynamic analyses suggest that Group-3 non-AOA consists of mesophilic Thaumarchaeota organisms. These results indicate a potential role in the transition from non-AOA to AOA Thaumarchaeota and from thermophilic to mesophilic Thaumarchaeota, shedding light on recent evolutionary pathways., Conclusions: One novel clade of heterotrophic non-AOA Thaumarchaeota was identified through metagenome analysis of sediments from Challenger Deep. Our study provides insight into the ecology and genomic characteristics of the new sub-group of heterotrophic non-AOA Thaumarchaeota, thereby extending the knowledge of the evolution of Thaumarchaeota. Video Abstract., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Focused assessment with sonography for trauma helps detect abdominal free fluid. Prehospital ultrasound scanning is also important because the early diagnosis of hemoperitoneum may reduce the time to definitive treatment in the hospital. This study investigated whether prehospital ultrasound scanning can help detect abdominal free fluid., Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, relevant databases were searched for studies investigating prehospital ultrasound examinations for abdominal free fluid in trauma patients. The prehospital ultrasound results were compared with computed tomography, surgery, or hospital ultrasound examination data. The pooled sensitivity and specificity values were analyzed using forest plots. The overall predictive power was calculated by the summary receiver operating characteristic curve. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies tool. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was performed to assess the certainty of evidence., Result: This meta-analysis comprised six studies that included 1356 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity values were 0.596 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.345-0.822) and 0.970 (95% CI = 0.953-0.983), respectively. The pooled area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.998. The quality assessment tool showed favorable results. In the GRADE analysis, the quality of evidence was very low for sensitivity and high for specificity when prehospital ultrasound was used for hemoperitoneum diagnosis., Conclusion: The specificity of abdominal free fluid detection using prehospital ultrasound examinations in trauma patients was very high., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether variations in cranial angles and treatment accuracy during CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery necessitate adjustment of the margins of the planning target volume. Patients and Methods: Data from 66 patients receiving CyberKnife treatment for brain tumors were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were immobilized using a thermoplastic mask and headrest. The cranial angle was measured on planning CT and patients were divided into 2 groups: ≤10° (Group A) and >10° (Group B). Intrafractional motion was recorded using the CyberKnife tracking system over 50 min. Translational and rotational errors were compared between groups, and planning target volume margins were calculated. Results: In Group A, significant translational error differences were found along with the X-axis over time ( P  < .02). In Group B, significant differences occurred along with the Z-axis ( P  < .03). No significant rotational or 3-dimensional vector differences were found in either group. Group A had significantly lower Y-axis ( P  < .045) and roll axis ( P  < .005) errors compared to Group B. Estimated planning target volume margins in Group A were 0.56 mm (X), 0.46 mm (Y), and 0.47 mm (Z). In Group B, margins were 0.62 mm (X), 0.48 mm (Y), and 0.46 mm (Z). Margins covering 95% of intrafraction motion were 0.49 to 0.50 mm (X, Y, Z) and 0.69 mm (3-dimensional vector) for Group A, and 0.48 to 0.60 mm and 0.79 mm for Group B. With a 1-mm margin, complete coverage was achieved in Group A while 2.1% of vectors in Group B exceeded 1 mm. Conclusion: Adjusting cranial angle to ≤10° during thermoplastic mask molding provided better or similar intrafractional stability compared to >10°., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: In a previous study, more attention has been given to the psychological state of doctors than to that of nurses although the workload, working hours, and patient contact time are generally higher for nurses than doctors. The current status of nurses' perceived stress, work engagement, and perceived professional benefit during the routine management of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and how their perceived stress affects the other two variables are topics that merit research attention., Objective: In this study, the status of nurses' perceived stress, work engagement, and perceived professional benefit during the routine management of the COVID-19 pandemic was investigated to explore whether their perceived stress level has any effect on the other two variables., Methods: The convenience sampling method was adopted, and 669 nurses from the First People's Hospital of Jingzhou were selected to participate in this study. Questionnaires on perceived stress, work engagement, and perceived professional benefit were used in the survey, and the data were processed using the SPSS 20.0 program for the descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, analysis of variance., Results: The total score of the nurses' perceived stress was 18.58±4.37 points. The total scores of their work engagement (43.32±14.01) and perceived professional benefit (140.23±17.75)., Conclusion: The nurses' total perceived stress score was at an upper-middle level, and their total work engagement and perceived professional benefit scores were relatively high. Overall, perceived stress has a negative effect on nurses' work engagement and perceived professional benefit. That is, the higher the pressure perception of nurses, the lower the degree of work engagement and perceived professional benefit.

Background and Objective: Endothelial cell activation, characterized by increased levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Therefore, inhibition of VCAM-1-mediated inflammatory response is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of AS. The tripartite motif (TRIM) protein-TRIM65 is involved in the regulation of cancer development, antivirals and inflammation. We aimed to study the functions of TRIM65 in regulating endothelial inflammation by interacting with VCAM-1 in atherogenesis., Methods and Results: In vitro , we report that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) significantly upregulate the expression of TRIM65 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of TRIM65 reduces oxLDL-triggered VCAM-1 protein expression, decreases monocyte adhesion to HUVECs and inhibits the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α as well as endothelial oxLDL transcytosis. In contrast, siRNA-mediated knockdown of TRIM65 promotes the expression of VCAM-1, resulting in increased adhesion of monocytes and the release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α and enhances endothelial oxLDL transcytosis. In vivo , we measured the high expression of TRIM65 in ApoE -/- mouse aortic plaques compared to C57BL/6J mouse aortic plaques. Then, we examined whether the blood levels of VCAM-1 were higher in TRIM65 knockout ApoE -/- mice than in control mice induced by a Western diet. Furthermore, Western blot results showed that the protein expression of VCAM-1 was markedly enhanced in TRIM65 knockout ApoE -/- mouse aortic tissues compared to that of the controls. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the expression of VCAM-1 was significantly increased in atherosclerotic plaques of TRIM65 -/- /ApoE -/- aortic vessels compared to ApoE -/- controls. Mechanistically, TRIM65 specifically interacts with VCAM-1 and targets it for K48-linked ubiquitination., Conclusion: Our studies indicate that TRIM65 attenuates the endothelial inflammatory response by targeting VCAM-1 for ubiquitination and provides a potential therapeutic target for the inhibition of endothelial inflammation in AS., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: The concept of early administration of P2Y12 inhibitor in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely accepted, but whether prehospital administration results in greater coronary reperfusion remains unclear. Our study aims to analyze the benefit and safety of prehospital P2Y12 inhibitor compared to in-hospital P2Y12 inhibitor administration., Method: Three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) were searched from database inception to June 2023. We included all types of studies except for conference publications, abstract presentations, reviews, and case reports. The primary outcomes were pre-PCI TIMI flow grade 2-3 (TIMI = Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) and major bleeding. The secondary outcomes included post-PCI TIMI flow grade 2-3, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), and short-term (30-day) mortality., Result: Eight individual studies with a total of 10823 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Compared with in-hospital P2Y12 inhibitor, prehospital P2Y12 inhibitor were associated with significantly higher rates of pre-PCI TIMI flow grade 2-3 (OR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09-1.61, p  = 0.005) and post-PCI TIMI flow grade 2-3 (OR 1.43, 95% CI: 1.04-1.97, p  = 0.03), and a significantly lower risk of recurrent MI (OR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49-0.96, p  = 0.03). There were no significant difference in the risk of major bleeding (OR 1.00, 95% CI: 0.75-1.32, p  = 0.98), MACE (OR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.70-1.25, p  = 0.65), or short-term mortality (OR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.50-1.51, p  = 0.61)., Conclusion: Prehospital P2Y12 inhibitor compared to in-hospital P2Y12 inhibitor is associated with a significantly higher rate of pre-PCI and post-PCI TIMI flow grade 2-3, a reduced risk of recurrent MI, and no increase in major bleeding in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI.

Rationale: Pressure ulcers are a common health issue, particularly among elderly and bedridden patients who are vulnerable to pressure injuries in the sacral region. Currently, free flap and local flap surgeries are the gold standard procedures for the reconstruction of such injuries. However, the recurrence rate of flap surgery appears to be high. In this context, we presented a case involving a sacral pressure ulcer reconstructed with dermal grafting., Patient Concerns: A 59-year-old male with a medical history of hepatitis C, brain hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, and multiple fractures presented with a sacral ulcer. Owing to the patient's history of recurrent pressure injuries and the challenges associated with postoperative wound care, the patient and his family were hesitant to proceed with flap surgery., Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with a stage IV pressure ulcer measuring 4 cm × 4 cm in size in the sacral region, according to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel staging system., Interventions: Before surgery, the patient received standard wound care with dressing for 4 months, along with short-term oral antibiotics due to a positive wound culture for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. During the surgery, a dermal graft with a size of 35 cm2 and a thickness of 0.014 inches was harvested from the patient's left thigh. The graft was then secured to the wound bed., Outcomes: Although the dermal graft failed with sloughing after 1 week, the wound bed showed improvement with granulation. After 1.5 months, the wound area had decreased to half of its original size, and the wound eventually healed after 3.5 months., Lessons: Dermal grafts have a niche in reconstructing pressure injury wounds in the sacral region, because of the relative ease of wound care and additional benefits even in cases where the graft fails., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Temperature anomalies and changes in the diurnal temperature range (DTR) are expected to pose physiological challenges to biota; hence, both spatial and temporal variations in DTR provide important insights into temperature-induced stress in humans, animals, and vegetation. Furthermore, vegetation could dampen temperature variability. Here, we use the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing data of Land Surface Temperature (LST) to evaluate the global variation in DTR and its rate of change in spatial and temporal scales for the two decades spanning from 2001 to 2020. We show that North America, Africa, and Antarctica, as well as the global mean, experienced statistically significant DTR rates of change over the last 20 years in either summer, winter, or the annual mean. The rates were all negative, indicating the day-night temperature differences are decreasing in those regions because night temperatures are increasing at a faster rate than day temperatures. MODIS data of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) revealed a strongly negative correlation with DTR, with a spatial correlation coefficient of -0.61. This correlation demonstrates a prominent dampening effect of vegetation on diurnal temperature oscillations. For future DTR projections, we used 19 models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) to predict global DTR trends from 2021 to 2050 with low and high CO 2 concentration scenarios. The high CO 2 emission scenario projects significant decreases in DTR in circumpolar regions, central Africa, and India compared to the low CO 2 scenario. This difference in the two scenarios underscores the substantial influence of increased global temperatures and elevated CO 2 concentration on DTR and, consequently, on the ecosystems in certain regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Directional sweat-wicking by Janus fabrics has gained substantial attention in promoting personal wet-thermal management for optimal human comfort. During intense physical exercise, excessive sweating can cause the flooding of fabrics and weaken their wicking capabilities once the inner capillary channels are saturated. To address this issue, we develop a photothermal Janus fabric through a facile polydopamine (PDA) deposition followed by single-sided spray-coating of hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Such innovative fabrics enable directional sweat-wicking through a Janus structure and persistent removal of excessive sweat by solar-powered evaporation. Under sunlight, our photothermal Janus fabrics exhibit an enhanced evaporation rate, approximately twice compared with that of conventional Janus fabrics (∼1.143 ± 0.027 kg m -2 h -1 ), making them suitable for high sweating rates during vigorous exercise. Furthermore, these fabrics help to maintain the skin temperature within the normal range, preventing hypothermia caused by profuse sweating. In addition, our photothermal Janus fabrics exhibit excellent washing durability even after multiple washing cycles, ensuring prolonged performance and safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The effectiveness of open cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OCPR) remains controversial for trauma patients. In this current study, the role of OCPR in managing chest trauma patients is evaluated using nationwide real-world data., Methods: From 2014 to 2015, the National Trauma Data Bank was retrospectively queried for chest trauma patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest status. The emergency department (ED) and overall survival of patients without signs of life were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression (MLR) analysis was performed to evaluate independent factors of mortality for the target group. Furthermore, a subset group of patients who survived after the ED were studied, focusing on the duration of survival after leaving the ED., Results: A total of 911 patients were enrolled in this study (OCPR vs. non-OCPR: 161 patients vs. 750 patients). The average overall mortality rate was 98.6% (N = 898). Among penetrating chest trauma patients, non-survivors in the ED had significantly higher proportions of gunshot injuries (83.9% vs. 69.7%, p = 0.001) and lower proportions of OCPR (20.7% vs. 44.4%, p < 0.001). MLR analysis showed that gunshot injuries and non-OCPR were significantly related to ED mortality in penetrating trauma patients without signs of life (odds ratio = 2.039, p = 0.006 and odds ratio = 2.900, p < 0.001, respectively). However, the overall survival rate of patients after ED survival (n = 99) was 9.9%, and only 21.2% (n = 21) of them survived more than 1 day after leaving the ED., Conclusion: OCPR could be considered in situations where appropriate indications exist. The survival benefit was observed in critically ill patients with penetrating chest trauma who show no signs of life. By enhancing ED survival, OCPR may also contribute to overall survival improvement., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Société Internationale de Chirurgie.)

A highly efficient enantioselective enamine-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition has been developed to directly convert unfunctionalized cyclic α-hydroxyamides into chiral cyclic α-hydroxyamides by reacting with vinyl sulfones, which could be used as versatile azacyclic synthons in the following sequences: (1) as the precursors of cyclic N -acyliminium ions to prepare natural productlike chiral azapolycyclic compounds under acidic conditions and (2) to construct chiral cyclic imides bearing unilateral substituents via oxidation reaction-induced formal desymmetrization.

Rationale: Reconstructive surgery is widely considered the primary treatment for soft tissue defects around the knee owing to its high flexibility. However, in our recent case study, we explored an alternative approach using decellularized collagen dressings, which proved highly effective in healing a soft tissue defect involving bone exposure following surgical correction of a traumatic patellar dislocation., Patient Concerns: A 65-year-old male with a traumatic patellar dislocation in the lower extremity failed to approximate the wound after surgical correction. The patient refused additional surgical reconstruction because of the potential risks of multiple operative complications., Diagnoses: Traumatic patellar dislocation complicated by exposed bone following surgical treatment was made., Interventions: The procedure was performed using ABCcolla® Collagen Matrix (ACRO Biomedical, Taiwan), an acellular dermal matrix made from a decellularized native porcine collagen scaffold dressing. Collagen dressings were applied to the soft tissue defect, and biointegration was observed in the wound area of bone exposure., Outcomes: Through the application of ABCcolla® Collagen Matrix (ACRO Biomedical, Taiwan) and diligent wound care for a total of 105 days, the patient healed successfully and achieved partial functional recovery after undergoing rehabilitation. During recent outpatient clinic visits, the patient is now able to ambulate independently with the aid of crutches., Lessons: Collagen dressings circumvent the potential risks and complications associated with multiple surgical procedures. We believe that the utilization of collagen dressings, combined with careful wound management, could serve as a promising alternative treatment option for patients with soft tissue defects around the knee in the future., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Gelatin is a biocompatible biomaterial composed of a variety of amino acids that provides a possibility to regulate the interaction between cationic amino acids and neural cells. Based on our first finding that the neuron viability was improved as the lysine on the gelatin was converted into a guanidine structure, a three-dimensional (3D) gelatin hydrogel composed of gelatin and poly(allylguanidine) (PAG) was prepared to investigate neural cell behaviors. As expected, improved neuron viability, neurite outgrowth, synaptogenesis, and inhibited glial cell growth were simultaneously observed in the gelatin cross-linked with the PAG hydrogel (G-PAG) but not in the gelatin hydrogel cross-linked with poly-d-lysine (PDL) or polyethylenimine (PEI). In addition, in vivo tests also illustrated that G-PAG could provide an environment for neural culture, with improving neuron viability and neurite outgrowth. Several hydrogel characteristics-including the swelling ratio, mechanical strength, and electric property-that theoretically can influence neural cell response showed no significant difference among them. Therefore, the guanidine structure of PAG was proposed to determine the behaviors of neural cells within the gelatin-polycation hydrogels, and we proposed that the neural cell behavior is regulated by a specific gelatin-neuron relationship. The information found in this study provides a concept to design and modify gelatin-based hydrogels for neural tissue engineering applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Global warming and pollution could lead to the destruction of marine habitats and loss of species. The anomalous behavior of underwater creatures can be used as a biometer for assessing the health status of our ocean. Advances in behavior recognition have been driven by the active application of deep learning methods, yet many of them render superior accuracy at the cost of high computational complexity and slow inference. This paper presents a real-time anomalous behavior recognition approach that incorporates a lightweight deep learning model (Lite3D), object detection, and multitarget tracking. Lite3D is characterized in threefold: (1) image frames contain only regions of interest (ROI) generated by an object detector; (2) no fully connected layers are needed, the prediction head itself is a flatten layer of 1 × [Formula: see text] @ 1× 1, [Formula: see text]= number of categories; (3) all the convolution kernels are 3D, except the first layer degenerated to 2D. Through the tracking, a sequence of ROI-only frames is subjected to 3D convolutions for stacked feature extraction. Compared to other 3D models, Lite3D is 50 times smaller in size and 57 times lighter in terms of trainable parameters and can achieve 99% of F1-score. Lite3D is ideal for mounting on ROV or AUV to perform real-time edge computing., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold promise for cell-based therapy, yet the sourcing, quality, and invasive methods of MSCs impede their mass production and quality control. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSCs (iMSCs) can be infinitely expanded, providing advantages over conventional MSCs in terms of meeting unmet clinical demands., Methods: The potential of MSC therapy for Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) remains uncertain. In this study, we used HLA-homozygous induced pluripotent stem cells to generate iMSCs using a defined protocol, and we examined their therapeutic potential in rotenone-induced LHON-like models in vitro and in vivo., Results: The iMSCs did not cause any tumorigenic incidence or inflammation-related lesions after intravitreal transplantation, and they remained viable for at least nine days in the mouse recipient's eyes. In addition, iMSCs exhibited significant efficacy in safeguarding retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from rotenone-induced cytotoxicity in vitro, and they ameliorated CGL+IPL layer thinning and RGC loss in vivo. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and an electroretinogram demonstrated that iMSCs not only prevented RGC loss and impairments to the retinal architecture, but they also improved retinal electrophysiology performance., Conclusion: The generation of iMSCs via the HLA homozygosity of iPSCs offers a compelling avenue for overcoming the current limitations of MSC-based therapies. The results underscore the potential of iMSCs when addressing retinal disorders, and they highlight their clinical significance, offering renewed hope for individuals affected by LHON and other inherited retinal conditions.

Marine bivalves inhabiting intertidal and estuarine areas are frequently exposed to salinity stress due to persistent rainfall and drought. Through prolonged adaptive evolution, numerous bivalves have developed eurysalinity, which are capable of tolerating a wide range of salinity fluctuations through the sophisticated regulation of physiological metabolism. Current research has predominantly focused on investigating the physiological responses of bivalves to salinity stress, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the adaptive evolutionary characteristics in euryhaline bivalves. Here, comparative genomics analyses were performed in two groups of bivalve species, including 7 euryhaline species and 5 stenohaline species. We identified 24 significantly expanded gene families and 659 positively selected genes in euryhaline bivalves. A significant co-expansion of solute carrier family 23 (SLC23) facilitates the transmembrane transport of ascorbic acids in euryhaline bivalves. Positive selection of antioxidant genes, such as GST and TXNRD, augments the capacity of active oxygen species (ROS) scavenging under salinity stress. Additionally, we found that the positively selected genes were significantly enriched in KEGG pathways associated with carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids metabolism (ALDH, ADH, and GLS), as well as GO terms related to transmembrane transport and inorganic anion transport (SLC22, CLCND, and VDCC). Positive selection of MCT might contribute to prevent excessive accumulation of intracellular lactic acids during anaerobic metabolism. Positive selection of PLA2 potentially promote the removal of damaged membranes lipids under salinity stress. Our findings suggest that adaptive evolution has occurred in osmoregulation, ROS scavenging, energy metabolism, and membrane lipids adjustments in euryhaline bivalves. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the remarkable salinity adaption of euryhaline bivalves., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Studies have revealed that both extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can accelerate wound healing. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of ESWT and HBOT in enhancing diabetic wound healing. A dorsal skin defect in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes rodent model was used. Postoperative wound healing was assessed once every 3 days. Histologic examination was performed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Proliferation marker protein Ki-67 (Ki-67), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were evaluated with immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The wound area was significantly reduced in the ESWT and HBOT groups compared to that in the diabetic controls. However, the wound healing time was significantly increased in the HBOT group compared to the ESWT group. Histological findings showed a statistical increase in neovascularization and suppression of the inflammatory response by both HBOT and ESWT compared to the controls. IHC staining revealed a significant increase in Ki-67, VEGF, and eNOS but suppressed 8-OHdG expression in the ESWT group compared to the HBOT group. ESWT facilitated diabetic wound healing more effectively than HBOT by suppressing the inflammatory response and enhancing cellular proliferation and neovascularization and tissue regeneration., (© 2023 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Evidence that circular RNAs (circRNA) serve as protein template is accumulating. However, how the cap-independent translation is controlled remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we show that the presence of intron and thus splicing promote cap-independent translation. By acquiring the exon junction complex (EJC) after splicing, the interaction between circRNA and ribosomes was promoted, thereby facilitating translation. Prevention of splicing by treatment with spliceosome inhibitor or mutating splicing signal hindered cap-independent translation of circRNA. Moreover, EJC-tethering using Cas13 technology reconstituted EJC-dependent circRNA translation. Finally, the level of a coding circRNA from succinate dehydrogenase assembly factor 2 (circSDHAF2) was found to be elevated in the tumorous tissues from patients with colorectal cancer, and shown to be critical in tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer in both cell and murine models. These findings reveal that EJC-dependent control of circSDHAF2 translation is involved in the regulation of oncogenic pathways., Implications: EJC-mediated cap-independent translation of circRNA is implicated in the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer., (©2023 American Association for Cancer Research.)

In order to accurately monitor graft immunology, we have developed a method for performing intestine and abdominal wall transplantation heterotopically in miniature swine. The procedure consisted of simultaneous segmental terminal ileum and full-thickness abdominal wall transplantation in Lanyu miniature swine, with the intestinal and the abdominal wall grafts being placed on the recipient's bilateral rear flank. Five transplantations were technically successful. One animal died on the first post-transplant day due to anesthesia-related issues, three abdominal wall and four intestinal grafts survived, while one abdominal wall graft failed due to vascular thrombosis. Acute cellular rejection (ACR) of the intestinal graft could occur preceding, simultaneously with or following ACR of the abdominal wall graft. Our experimental model demonstrates the technical feasibility of heterotopic intestine and abdominal wall transplantation in miniature swine without grafting in gastrointestinal continuity. This model could be suitable for further studies of graft immunology., (© 2023 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Background and Objective: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity problem (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopment problem in children and adolescents that can lead to long-term challenges in life outcomes if left untreated. Also, ADHD is frequently associated with Conduct Disorder (CD), and multiple research have found similarities in clinical signs and behavioral symptoms between both diseases, making differentiation between ADHD, ADHD comorbid with CD (ADHD+CD), and CD a subjective diagnosis. Therefore, the goal of this pilot study is to create the first explainable deep learning (DL) model for objective ECG-based ADHD/CD diagnosis as having an objective biomarker may improve diagnostic accuracy., Methods: The dataset used in this study consist of ECG data collected from 45 ADHD, 62 ADHD+CD, and 16 CD patients at the Child Guidance Clinic in Singapore. The ECG data were segmented into 2 s epochs and directly used to train our 1-dimensional (1D) convolutional neural network (CNN) model., Results: The proposed model yielded 96.04% classification accuracy, 96.26% precision, 95.99% sensitivity, and 96.11% F1-score. The Gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) function was also used to highlight the important ECG characteristics at specific time points that most impact the classification score., Conclusion: In addition to achieving model performance results with our suggested DL method, Grad-CAM's implementation also offers vital temporal data that clinicians and other mental healthcare professionals can use to make wise medical judgments. We hope that by conducting this pilot study, we will be able to encourage larger-scale research with a larger biosignal dataset. Hence allowing biosignal-based computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) tools to be implemented in healthcare and ambulatory settings, as ECG can be easily obtained via wearable devices such as smartwatches., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recent study had deepened our knowledge of the mitochondrial dynamics to classify mitochondrial fission into two types. To further clarify the relationship between the two distinct fission machinery and the four major adaptors of Drp1, we propose a model of mechanism elucidating the multiple functions of phospho-Drp1 with its adaptors during cell cycle and providing in-depth insights into the molecular basis and evolutionary implications in depth. The model highlights not only the clustering characteristics of different phospho-Drp1 with respective subsets of mitochondrial pro-fission adaptors but also the correlation, crosstalk and shifting between different clustering of phosphorylated Drp1-adaptors during different key fission situations. Particularly, phospho-Drp1 (Ser616) couples with Mff/MiD51 to exert mitochondrial division and phospho-Drp1 (Ser637) couples with MiD49/Fis1 to execute mitophagy in M-phase. We then apply the model to address the relationship of mitochondrial dynamics to Parkinson's disease (PD) and carcinogenesis. Our proposed model is indeed compatible with current research results and pathological observations, providing promising directions for future treatment design.

Marine bivalves in intertidal zones and land-based seawater ponds are constantly subjected to a wide range of salinity fluctuations due to heavy rainfall, intense drought, and human activities. As osmoconformers, bivalves rely primarily on rapid release or accumulation of free amino acids (FAAs) for osmoregulation. Euryhaline bivalves are capable of withstanding hyposaline and hypersaline environments through regulation of physiology, metabolism, and gene expression. However, current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying osmoregulation and salinity adaptation in euryhaline bivalves remains largely limited. In this study, RNA-seq, WGCNA and flow cytometric analysis were performed to investigate the physiological responses of hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) to acute short-term hyposalinity (AL) and hypersalinity (AH), and chronic long-term hyposalinity (CL) and hypersalinity (CH) stress. We found that amino acids biosynthesis was significantly inhibited and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis was augmented to decrease intracellular osmolarity during hyposaline exposure. Under CH, numerous autophagy-related genes (ATGs) were highly expressed, and the autophagy activity of gill cells were significantly up-regulated. A significant decrease in total FAAs content was observed in gills after NH 4 Cl treatment, indicating that autophagy was crucial for osmoregulation in hard clams during prolonged exposure to hypersaline environments. To prevent premature or unnecessary apoptosis, the expression of cathepsin L was inhibited under AL and AH, and inhibitors of apoptosis was augmented under CL and CH. Additionally, neuroendocrine regulation was involved in salinity adaption in hard clams. This study provides novel insights into the physiological responses of euryhaline marine bivalves to hyposaline and hypersaline environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)