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Aims: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is widely used to treat a variety of disorders because it is noninvasive, safe, and well tolerated by awake patients. However, long‐term and repetitive taVNS is difficult to achieve in awake mice. Therefore, developing a new taVNS method that fully mimics the method used in clinical settings and is well‐tolerated by awake mice is greatly important for generalizing research findings related to the effects of taVNS. The study aimed to develop a new taVNS device for use in awake mice and to test its reliability and effectiveness. Methods: We demonstrated the reliability of this taVNS device through retrograde neurotropic pseudorabies virus (PRV) tracing and evaluated its effectiveness through morphological analysis. After 3 weeks of taVNS application, the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were used to evaluate anxiety‐like behaviors, and the Y‐maze test and novel object recognition test (NORT) were used to evaluate recognition memory behaviors, respectively. Results: We found that repetitive taVNS was well tolerated by awake mice, had no effect on anxiety‐like behaviors, and significantly improved memory. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that this new taVNS device for repetitive stimulation of awake mice is safe, tolerable, and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the formation control problem for unmanned surface vehicles under input overload and external disturbance, a leader-follower formation control law based on input saturation and the adaptive super-twisting algorithm was designed in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of underactuated unmanned surface vehicle formation based on the leader-follower method is established, and the virtual expected velocity is designed by the back-stepping method to improve the control accuracy of formation. Secondly, the parametric uncertainties and unknown external disturbances in the USV’s dynamical model are compensated by the proposed adaptive super-twisting control laws. In addition, the input saturation function is added to the controller to avoid machine necrosis caused by input overload. Finally, Simulation results show that the controller can roughly keep the trajectory of the USV consistent with the expected trajectory and ensure that the input values are within the safe range, which proves the effectiveness of the method in this paper.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to explore the spatial distribution of brain metastases (BMs) from small cell lung cancer (SCLC) a homogenous sample, and to identify the metastatic risk levels in brain regions. Methods T1-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from SCLC patients were retrospectively reviewed from three medical institutions in China. All images were registered to the standard brain template provided by the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) 152 database, followed by transformation of the location of all BMs to the space of standard brain. The MNI structural atlas and Anatomical Automatic Labeling (AAL) atlas were then used to identify the anatomical brain regions, and the observed and expected rates of BMs were compared using 2-tailed proportional hypothesis testing. The locations and sizes of brain lesions were analyzed after image standardization. Results A total of 215 eligible patients with 1033 lesions were screened by MRI, including 157 (73%) males and 58 (27%) females. The incidence of crucial structures were as follows: hippocampus 0.68%, parahippocampal 0.97%, brainstem 2.05%, cauate 0.68%, putamen 0.68%, pallidum 0.2%, thalamus 1.36%. No BMs were found in the amygdala, pituitary gland, or pineal gland. The cumulative frequency of the important structures was 6.62%. Based on the results of MNI structural atlas, the cerebellum, deep white matter and brainstem was identified as a higher risk region than expected for BMs (P = 9.80 ×10−15, 9.04 ×10−6), whereas temporal lobe were low-risk regions (P = 1.65 ×10−4). More detailed AAL atlas revealed that the low-risk regions for BMs was inferior frontal gyrus (P = 6.971 ×10−4), while the high-risk regions for BMs was cerebellar hemispheres (P = 1.177 ×10−9). Conclusion Many crucial structures including the hippocampus, parahippocampus, pituitary gland and thalamus etc. have low frequency of brain metastases in a population of SCLC patients. This study provides the help to investigate the clinical feasibility of HA-WBRT and non-uniform dose of PCI in a population of SCLC patients.

The planthopper Nilaparvata muiri is a sister species to N. lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a notorious insect pest in Asian rice fields. N. muiri and N. lugens have a different host preference despite the similarities in many biological features. To better understand the adaptive evolution of planthoppers, comprehensive genomic information on N. muiri and N. lugens are urgently needed. In this study, we used ultra-low input PacBio HiFi libraries and Hi-C sequencing technologies to assemble a reference genome of a single N. muiri at the chromosomal level. The genome size was determined to be 531.62 Mb with a contig N50 size of 2.47 Mb and scaffold N50 size of 38.37 Mb. Totally, 96.61% assembled sequences were anchored to the 15 pseudo-chromosomes. BUSCO analysis yielded an Insecta completeness score of 98.6%. A total of 22,057 protein-coding genes were annotated, and 168.16 Mb repetitive sequences occupying 31.63% of genome were pinpointed. The assembled genome is valuable for evolutionary and genetic studies of planthoppers, and may provide sights to pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges of replicating the complex mechanical and structural diversity of natural tissues in vitro by leveraging multi‐material digital light processing (DLP) bioprinting are addressed. This technique utilizes PEGDA‐AAm bio‐ink to develop multi‐component, cell‐laden hydrogel constructs with varying moduli. These constructs not only possess heterogeneous mechanical properties but also feature complex architectures and precisely engineered surface microstructures. The hydrogel microfluidic chips are successfully fabricated with perfusable microchannels, embedding various cell types within the matrix. This approach enables the bioprinting of intricate cell‐laden structures with unique surface topologies, such as spiral grooves and triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS), which effectively influence cell alignment, spreading, and migration. By integrating various cell‐laden PA hydrogels, the diverse mechanical moduli of biological tissues, including bone, liver lobules, and vascular networks are replicated. This technique ensures high‐fidelity differentiation between cell types and regions. These findings provide valuable insights into the impact of substrate modulus and structure on cell behavior, underscoring the potential of multi‐component, multi‐modulus hydrogel constructs in creating sophisticated structures with custom‐tailored mechanical properties. This study significantly advances the field by demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of multi‐material DLP bioprinting in developing complex, functionally relevant tissue models for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the microbiological characteristics of clinically isolated Staphylococcus aureus with different hemolytic phenotypes in China. Materials and Methods: Using the three-point inoculation method, the hemolytic phenotypes of 1295 clinically isolated S. aureus strains were detected and categorized. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of all strains was performed using a VITEK 2 Compact System. After sample size matching, plasma coagulase activity, catalase activity, mRNA expression of hemolysin genes (hla, hlb, hlc, and hld), biofilm formation, growth kinetics, inflammatory response of macrophages and cytotoxicity of S. aureus with different hemolytic phenotypes using the rabbit plasma kit, the catalase test on slides, qRT-PCR, crystal violet staining, the microcultivation assay, the ELISA kits, and the CCK-8 assay, respectively. Results: Seven categories of hemolytic phenotypes were identified. Accordingly, strains were categorized into seven different groups, including S. aureus with complete hemolytic phenotype (SCHP), S. aureus with weak hemolytic phenotype (SWHP), S. aureus with incomplete hemolytic phenotype 1 (SIHP-1), SIHP-2, SIHP-3, SIHP-4 and SIHP-5, the last three of which were reported for the first time. Except for the hemolytic phenotype, all seven groups differed in clinical isolation rates, antibiotic resistance profile, plasma coagulase activity, mRNA expression of hemolysin genes, biofilm formation, growth kinetics, inflammatory response of macrophages, and cytotoxicity. Conclusion: S. aureus with different hemolytic phenotypes have distinctive microbiological characteristics. Clinical microbiologists need to be vigilant about the hemolytic phenotypes when culturing S. aureus strains, and actively enhance communication with clinicians to optimize the treatment of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep sowing is an efficient strategy for maize to ensure the seedling emergence rate under adverse conditions such as drought or low temperatures. However, the genetic basis of deep-sowing tolerance-related traits in maize remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study on traits related to deep-sowing tolerance, including mesocotyl length (ML), coleoptile length (CL), plumule length (PL), shoot length (SL), and primary root length (PRL), using 255 maize inbred lines grown in three different environments. We identified 23, 6, 4, and 4 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with ML, CL, PL, and SL, respectively. By analyzing candidate genes within these QTLs, we found a γ-tubulin-containing complex protein, ZmGCP2, which was significantly associated with ML, PL, and SL. Loss of function of ZmGCP2 resulted in decreased PL, possibly by affecting the cell elongation, thus affecting SL. Additionally, we identified superior haplotypes and allelic variations of ZmGCP2 with a longer PL and SL, which may be useful for breeding varieties with deep-sowing tolerance to improve maize cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]