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The high demand on direct current (DC) power source generated through triboelectric effect drives the research on semiconductor-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which have lower internal resistance. With high flexibility, organic semiconductor-based DC TENGs are more intriguing. In this work, we use organic semiconductor Poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) as a friction layer to make organic semiconductor-based TENGs. By experimentally analyzing the work functions of PEDOT: PSS, Al alloy, Si, ITO, Cu, and graphene, the DC devices with PEDOT: PSS/Al alloy triboelectric layers exhibit impressive performance. Our PEDOT: PSS/Al alloy DC TENGs achieves open-circuit voltage about 1 V, and short-circuit current up to 309 μA. The internal resistance of the DC TENG is tested to be about 2×104 Ω, and the power density reaches 11.67 mW/m2. Effects of the load pressure, sliding speed, and size of the devices are systematically studied in this work. The charging probability of our DC TENGs as power sources and human body motion detecting capability as force sensors are all experimentally tested, indicating further potential applications of our PEDOT: PSS/Al alloy DC TENGs as flexible energy sources and motion detector. The high demand on direct current (DC) power source generated through triboelectric effect drives the research on semiconductor-based triboelectric generators (TENGs), which has lower internal resistance. With high flexibility, organic semiconductor-based DC TENGs are more intriguing. In this work, we used organic semiconductor Poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) as a friction layer to make organic semiconductor-based TENGs. By experimentally analyzing the work functions of PEDOT: PSS, Al alloy, Si, ITO, Cu, and graphene, the DC devices with PEDOT: PSS/Al alloy triboelectric layers exhibit impressive performance. Our PEDOT: PSS/Al alloy DC TENG achieved an open-circuit voltage of about 1 V, and short-circuit current up to 309 μA. The current is about one order of magnitude higher than previously reported PEDOT: PSS-based DC TENGs. The internal resistance of the DC TENG is tested to be about 2×104 Ω, and the power density reaches 11.67 mW/m2. The effects of the load pressure, sliding speed, and size of the device was systematically studied in this work. The charging probability of our DC TENGs as power sources and human body motion sensors are all experimentally tested, indicating the further potential applications of our PEDOT: PSS/Al alloy DC TENGs as flexible energy sources and motion detecting sensors. [Display omitted] • Investigated the output of DC TENG composed of PEDOT: PSS and Al alloy, Si, ITO, Cu, graphene separately. • A DC TENG with high open circuit voltage (1 V) and short circuit current (309 μA) was prepared. • The influence of material work function on DC TENG output is studied by KPFM. • The effects of load pressure, sliding speed and device size on the performance of the DC TENG are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidences have proven the important roles of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and cancer biology. However, the function of lncRNA DLEU2 in the progression of esophageal cancer (EC) has not been elaborated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of lncRNA DLEU2 on the progression of EC and the underlying mechanism. In this study, lncRNA DLEU2 was silenced by siRNA interference in EC cell lines Eca-109 and KYSE-150, and its expression was up-regulated in TE-1 cells by transfection with pcDNA3.1-DLEU2, and its biological functions were examined. Then, bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to identify the binding miRNA of lncRNA DLEU2 and the target gene of miRNA. In addition, loss-of-function assays were performed to detect the biological functions of the target gene. At last, the rescue assays were used to investigate the relationship among lncRNA DLEU2, miRNA and target gene. With the help of GEPIA analysis, we observed that lncRNA DLEU2 was up-regulated in EC tissues and associated with poor prognosis. Loss-of-function assay showed that silencing lncRNA DLEU2 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of EC cells, and induced apoptosis by regulating the Bcl-2/Bax axis and Caspase cascade. Overexpression of lncRNA DLEU2 increased the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of TE-1 cells, as well as decreased cell apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay verified that miR-30e-5p could directly bind with lncRNA DLEU2, and E2F7 was a direct target for miR-30e-5p in EC cells. Moreover, our data revealed that silencing E2F7 decreased the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of EC cells, and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the rescue assays demonstrated that the effects of lncRNA DLEU2 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of EC cells were reversed by miR-30e-5p inhibitor or up-regulation of E2F7. Our findings revealed the pro-oncogenic role of lncRNA DLEU2 and E2F7 in the progression of EC, suggesting that lncRNA DLEU2 exerts ceRNA functions in EC through regulating miR-30e-5p/E2F7 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In this study, the application of a 3D model for the sodium pool of the sodium-cooled fast reactor was realized. • The basic equations and numerical solution methods of the model were given in detail. • The model has been verified by MONJU reactor and applied in simulate CEFR. In this study, the application of a 3D model for the sodium pool of the sodium-cooled fast reactor was realized. The basic equations and numerical solution methods of the model were given in detail. The model was verified by calculating the 3D temperature field of the region above the MONJU reactor core after the reactor was shut down and the pump stopped. Subsequently, the 3D sodium pool model was used to simulate and analyse the Chinese Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR). The 3D temperature fields of the inner hot pool under the accidents of the control rod uncontrolled withdrawal and one primary pump shaft seizure at a 102.5% rated power were simulated to analyse the axial position where the thermal fatigue of the casing material was most likely to occur. The results showed that in the height range of 0.3–0.5 m of the enclosure, the thermal stratification phenomenon was the greatest, and the material was most prone to thermal fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CFAP65 (cilia and flagella associated protein 65) is a fundamental protein in the development and formation of ciliated flagella, but few studies have focused on its role in cancer. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of CFAP65 in colon cancer. Methods: The functionally enriched genes related to CFAP65 were analyzed through the Gene Ontology (GO) database. Subsequently, CFAP65 expression levels in colon cancer were evaluated by reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunoblotting in 20 pairs of frozen samples, including tumors and their matched paratumor tissue. Furthermore, protein expression of CFAP65 in 189 colon cancer patients were assessed via immunohistochemical staining. The correlations between CFAP65 expression and clinical features as well as long-term survival were statistically analyzed. Results: CFAP65-related genes are significantly enriched on cellular processes of cell motility, ion channels, and GTPase-associated signaling. The expression of CFAP65 was significantly higher in colon cancer tissue compared to paratumor tissue. The proportion of high expression and low expression of CFAP65 in the clinical samples of colon cancer were 61.9% and 38.1%, respectively, and its expression level was not associated with the clinical parameters including gender, age, tumor location, histological differentiation, tumor stage, vascular invasion and mismatch repair deficiency. The five-year disease-free survival rate of the patients with CFAP65 low expression tumors was significantly lower than that those with high expression tumors (56.9% vs. 72.6%, P = 0.03), but the overall survival rate has no significant difference (69% vs. 78.6%, P = 0.171). The cox hazard regression analysis model showed that CFAP65 expression, tumor stage and tumor location were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: In conclusion, we demonstrate CFAP65 is a potential predictive marker for tumor progression in colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bacillus cereus LS2 on the growth performance, innate immunity, intestinal microbiota, and disease resistance of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. After feeding with LS2 for 30 days, results showed that dietary with LS2 had a significant improvement in the growth rate and immune parameters (including total coelomocytes counts, phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and immune-related enzymes) of juvenile sea cucumbers. Subsequently, transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR verification were performed to analyze the potential mechanism of LS2 diet and thus improve the immune response of A. japonicus. GO and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that LS2 can primarily activate the "Lectins" and "complement and coagulation cascades" pathways to modulate the innate immunity of the sea cucumbers. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze the intestinal microbial composition of sea cucumbers after dietary with LS2. Results showed that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the most prevalent phyla in A. japonicus intestinal microbiota. The abundance of Actinobacteria (46.20%) and Bacteroidetes (12.80%) were significantly higher in the LS2 group, whereas the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (49.98%) and Firmicutes (14.97%) were higher in the control group. The LDA scores of Nocardiaceae and Rhodococcus were also the highest taxa after the dietary administration of LS2, indicating that Actinobacteria phylum played a pivotal role in the intestinal microbial function of A. japonicus. Overall, these results suggested that feeding with Bacillus LS2 may be beneficial for A. japonicus farming. • Dietary B. cereus LS2 improved growth and innate immunity parameters of sea cucumber. • The differentially expressed genes in LS2 group was enriched in Lectins pathway. • The gut microbiota community of sea cucumbers were different between control and LS2. • Dietary LS2 increased survival rate of sea cucumbers after V. splendidus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a seafood-borne Gram-negative bacteria causing diarrheal diseases in humans world wide. ToxR is a membrane-associated transcriptional factor which plays an important role in acid stress tolerance and regulates the expression of virulence genes including type III secretion system 1 (T3SS1) and type VI secretion system 1 (T6SS1) in V. parahaemolyticus. However, possible mechanisms of ToxR mediating virulence gene expression have not been fully understood. In this study, we demonstrated that ToxR is essential for V. parahaemolyticus to tolerate acid stress by constructing a ToxR deletion mutant (Δ toxR) and its complemented strain (toxR +). Quantitative PCR showed that the expression of toxR was up regulated under acid stress condition. RNA-seq analysis showed that ompU encoding one of outer membrane proteins was dramatically down regulated in Δ toxR. Furthermore, the mutation of ompU also led to a significant reduction in tolerating acid stress indicating that ToxR mediated acid stress through regulating ompU expression. RNA-seq results further confirmed that acid stress condition could alter multiple signaling pathways either depending on ToxR (e.g., quorum sensing, fatty acid metabolism) or independent of ToxR (e.g., biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, microbial metabolism in diverse environment, biosynthesis of antibiotics, biosynthesis of amino acids and carbon metabolism pathways). We also for the first time demonstrated that ToxR positively regulated the expression of T6SS2 gene and the interbacteria killing activity. Our study provides comprehensive understanding of signaling pathways which are regulated by both acid stress and ToxR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model of CH 3 NH 3 SnI 3 (MASnI 3)-based inverted perovskite solar cell (PSC) with double hole transport layers (HTLs) and an electron transport layer (ETL) was established, and the device was studied using solar capacitance simulator (SCAPS). Compared with a single HTL, the double HTLs of CuI/MoO 3 can improve device performance significantly. Among six ETLs, WS 2 has been found to be the best ETL. Then, the effects of absorber layer thickness, CuI/MoO 3 thickness, the defect density and doping density of the absorption layer, and metal electrode work function on device performance have been investigated in detail. According to the simulation results, the optimum thickness of MASnI 3 is 500 nm, and the both CuI and MoO 3 layers should be as thick as 20 nm. To achieve the ideal efficiency, the defect density of the absorption layer should be as low as 1 × 1014 cm−3, and its doping density should be 1 × 1016 cm−3. Moreover, the metal work function should be less than 4.42 eV to avoid the formation of a Schottky barrier at the WS 2 /metal interface. After optimization, the device can reach the highest efficiency of 28.13%. Our simulation results will help advance the manufacturing of high-performance Pb-free perovskite solar cells in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic stall occurs when an airfoil is in unsteady motion and the angle of attack is far beyond the static-stall angle. In dynamic stall, lift and pitching moment will fluctuate in a wide range, and the performance of airfoil will get worse. By using the variable droop leading-edge (VDLE), local angle of attack near the leading-edge dynamically decreases when the overall angle of attack gets too large, then the adverse pressure gradient can be reduced. As a result, the formation of leading-edge vortex will be restricted, as well as the flow separation and dynamic stall. In this paper, two VDLE modes are proposed and a series of investigations are performed on the effect of different modes and parameters on dynamic stall control of NACA 0012 airfoil in pitching oscillation. The unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and γ – R e θ turbulence model are employed as the governing equations, and the shape modification is realized by the DCP-RBF mesh deformation method. The results suggest that the VDLE modes proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the dynamic stall and significantly improve the aerodynamic characteristics of NACA 0012 airfoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of battery separator membranes, polyethylene microporous membranes hold significant promise due to their high density, robust mechanical properties, and eco-friendliness. Thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) stands out as a crucial technique for fabricating polyolefin microporous membranes. Existing research has predominantly focused on leveraging TIPS technology to enhance the electrochemical performance of such membranes, overlooking a comprehensive grasp of the film formation process within TIPS. This study delves into the detailed TIPS film formation process of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/dioctyl phthalate (DOP) film-forming system. Based on experimental findings, there existed a discernible relationship among the blade coating thickness (δs), HDPE mass fraction (ωH), and final film thickness (δf). When δs is determined, δf exhibits an initial increase followed by a subsequent decrease as ωH increases. Infrared thermal imaging (ITI) technology was employed to in-situ track the location of phase interface in the HDPE/DOP system, revealing that heightened film scraping thickness and increased HDPE content jointly led to a gradual deceleration in the system’s cooling rate. The utilization of a four-parameter model (FPM) to fit the cooling curves of the HDPE/DOP melt blend under 20 °C quenching in air conditions displayed an exceptional degree of conformity (with all regression coefficients exceeding 0.99). Parameter D in FPM was influenced not only by the polymer property but also by ωH and δf, and our findings revealed that with ωH set at 30% and δs at 200 μm, parameter D approached a value of 4. The present work advances the current comprehension of the formation process of HDPE TIPS films and furnishes pivotal insights for optimizing the thermodynamics and process variables essential for solidification of HDPE TIPS films in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on exploring the genetic basis of vocal learning in mammals, emphasizing the evolutionary convergence in both protein-coding regions and regulatory elements associated with this behavior. Topics discussed include the identification of genes enriched for autism-related functions, the characterization of regulatory elements in the motor cortex linked to vocalization, and the implications of shared genetic networks for vocal and social behavior across mammalian species.

• The expression levels of H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and nulear HIF-1α were distinctly higher in HCC tissues than in peritumoral tissues. • High H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and HIF-1α expression predicted worse prognosis respectively. • There is a positive correlation between the nuclear expression of HIF-1α and the global level of H3K9me2 in HCC, which may contribute to the malignance and poor prognosis of HCC. • The combination of H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and HIF-1α, rather than one single histone modification or molecular maker, is a better prognostic maker for HCC patients. Although it is becoming increasingly apparent that histone methyltransferases and histone demethylases play crucial roles in the cellular response to hypoxia, the impact of hypoxic environments on global patterns of histone methylation is not well demonstrated. In this study, we try to detect the global levels of histone lysine methylation in HCC cases and analyze the correlation between these modifications and the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the global levels of histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and the nuclear expression of HIF-1α in tissue arrays from 111 paraffin-embedded HCC samples. Our analyses revealed that the global levels of H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and the nuclear expression of HIF-1α were distinctly higher in HCC tissues than in peritumoral tissues. Both H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 were positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation and the patients' prognosis. Analysis based on the Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated a positive correlation between H3K9me2 and the nuclear expression of HIF-1α, and meanwhile, a significant correlation between the expression of H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 was also found. In addition, the combination of H3K9me2, H3K9me3 and HIF-1α, rather than one single histone modification or molecular maker, is a better prognostic maker for HCC patients. These findings provide new insights on the complex networks underlying cellular and genomic regulation in response to hypoxia and may provide novel targets for future therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A space power with high power density, light weight, low cost and high reliability is of crucial importance to future exploration of deep space. Space reactor is an excellent candidate because of its unique characteristics of high specific power, low cost, strong environment adaptability and so on. Among all types of space reactors, heat pipe cooled space reactor, which adopts the passive heat pipe (HP) as core cooling component, is considered as one of the most promising choices and is widely studied all over the world. This paper develops a transient analysis code (TAPIRS) for heat pipe cooled space reactor power system (HPS) based on point reactor kinetics model, lumped parameter core heat transfer model, combined HP model (self-diffusion model, flat-front startup model and network model), energy conversion model of Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Conversion units (AMTEC), and HP radiator model. Three typical accidents, i.e., control drum failure, AMTEC failure and partial loss of the heat transfer area of radiator are then analyzed using TAPIRS. By comparing the simulation results of the models and steady state with those in the references, the rationality of the models and the solution method is validated. The results show the following. (1) After the failure of one set of control drums, the reactor power finally reaches a stable value after two local peaks under the temperature feedback. The fuel temperature rises rapidly, however it is still under safe limit. (2) The fuel temperature is below a safe limit under the AMTEC failure and partial loss of the heat transfer area of radiator. This demonstrates the rationality of the system design and the potential applicability of the TAPIRS code for the future engineering application of heat pipe cooled space reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic deformation of a spinning projectile with a large slenderness ratio influences its flight stability and maneuverability. Unsteady time-accurate simulation based on a dual-time stepping method and the dynamic mesh method were used to solve the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations and obtain the aerodynamic characteristics of a spinning projectile given continuously elastic deformation. Archival wind tunnel experimental data were used, and grid resolution and time independence studies were carried out for numerical validation at angles of attack ranging from 2.09° to 10.4°. The aerodynamic coefficients induced by spin and elastic deformation were compared to the effect of movement frequency, deformation component, Mach number and angle of attack using Fourier transform. Numerical simulations indicate that the time-averaged values and the fluctuation amplitudes of the aerodynamic coefficients increase with movement frequency; two aerodynamic components are induced by elastic deformation, one opposite and one perpendicular to the direction of deformation; nose and body deformation have different effects on the aerodynamic characteristics; and the effective angle of attack induced by elastic deformation and rolling movement decreases as the Mach number increases, thus weakening the influence of movement on the aerodynamic forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future exploration of deep space requires space power with high power density, light weight, low cost and high reliability. Space reactor is an excellent candidate with its unique characteristics of high specific power, low cost, strong environment adaptability and so on. Among all types of space reactors, heat pipe cooled space reactor, which adopts the passive heat pipe as core cooling component, is considered as one of the most promising choice and is widely studied all over the world. Startup characteristics of this type space reactor are an active topic. Previous studies mainly focused on the startup from high temperature rather than environmental temperature. In order to simulate the transient startup process from frozen state, a transient analysis code (TAPIRS) for heat pipe cooled space reactor power system (HPS) has been developed and applied to investigate the system transient performance during a startup from zero cold power to full power. The code integrates separately validated point reactor kinetics model, lumped parameter core heat transfer model, combined heat pipe (HP) model (self-diffusion model, flat-front startup model and network model), energy conversion model of alkali metal thermal-to-electric conversion units (AMTEC), and HP radiator model. By comparing the simulation results of the models and steady state with those in the references, the rationality of the models and the solution method is validated. It is found that by adjusting the control drum's rotational speed, the reactor can startup from subcritical state to full power state while the heat pipe and AMTEC from solid state to normal operational state. HPS can startup entirely depending on the nuclear power, and the maximum temperature of the heat pipe does not exceed 1250 K in the whole startup process. The maximum errors of the parameters between the simulation results of this paper and those in the literature at the full power condition are less than 5%. Under the accident of control drum failure with largest reactivity insertion, the fuel temperature can be controlled within the safety limits. These show that the reactor system has characteristics of no single-point failures, the self-stabilization capability under accident conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a novel CL-RRW algorithm in multi-antenna system that transforms the carrier of the traditional RRW algorithms from image to channel coding and can be used universally without specific protocols. • We discuss the embedding capacity and the parameters of the proposed algorithm in a multi-antenna scenario. • Through the proposed embedding algorithm, we make the impact of secret information embedding on the carrier approximate to natural noise, and make full use of the error correction ability of the coding scheme. • The proposed method can achieve good security performance and outperforms some state-of-the-art methods. Although existing robust reversible watermarking (RRW) schemes are robust to image processing attacks, they do not consider the effect of noise on the encoded digital images when they are transmitted in the wireless channel. In this paper, we propose a coding layer robust reversible watermarking (CL-RRW) algorithm for digital images in multi-antenna system. Through the specially designed preprocessing steps for the encoded carrier image and the embedding method of secret information, the scheme makes full use of the error correction capability of channel coding, and makes the impact of the embedding of secret information on the carrier approximate to natural noise. We analyse the proposed scheme based on multi-antenna systems and Rayleigh fading channels, which can simulate more realistic wireless communication scenarios. The analysis shows that in this scenario, the embedding capacity (EC) can reach the upper bound more quickly as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) increases. Within the deduced EC, the difference in peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) between the original and stego images does not exceed 10 %. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is entirely resistant to image processing attacks, while enabling the receiver to obtain high-quality carrier images and low bit error rate (BER) secret information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4-dioxane is a potential carcinogen in water and is difficult to deal with due to its robust cycloether bond and complete miscibility with water. To remove 1,4-dioxane in an economically viable and environmentally friendly way, a series of carbon aerogels were synthesized as adsorbents for 1,4-dioxane. The experiment results showed that adsorption performances were closely related to the preparation conditions of carbon aerogels, such as the molar ratio, heating rate, pyrolysis temperature and residence time, which were carefully controlled. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed the presence of a three-dimensional porous network structure in carbon aerogels. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis results demonstrated an increase in specific surface area (673.89 m 2 /g) and total pore volume after carbonization, with an increase in mesoporous porosity and a decrease in microporosity. When considering each variable individually, the highest specific surface area of prepared carbon aerogels was achieved at a pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, a holding time of 1 h, and a heating rate of 2 °C/min. Under optimal experimental conditions, the adsorption removal of 1,4-dioxane by carbon aerogels exceeded 95%, following quasi-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isothermal adsorption isotherms, indicating that monolayer adsorption on the surface of carbon aerogels occurred. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 67.28 mg/g at a temperature of 318 K, which was attributed to the presence of a large proportion of mesopores and abundant micropores simultaneously in carbon aerogels. Furthermore, with the interference of chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE), the removal efficiency of 1,4-dioxane had no obvious inhibition effect. Regeneration experiments showed that after five continuous cycles, the carbon aerogels still kept a comparable adsorption capacity, which illustrates its potential application in 1,4-dioxane-polluted water purification.

Aims: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a prognostic model based on clinical laboratory biomarkers for the early identification of high-risk patients who require intensive care unit (ICU) admission among those hospitalized with the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and complicated with myocardial injury (MI)., Methods: This single-center study enrolled 263 hospitalized patients with confirmed Omicron variant infection and concurrent MI. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts. Relevant variables were collected upon admission, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select candidate variables for constructing a Cox regression prognostic model. The model's performance was evaluated in both training and validating cohorts based on discrimination, calibration, and net benefit., Results: Of the 263 eligible patients, 210 were non-ICU patients and 53 were ICU patients. The prognostic model was built using four selected predictors: white blood cell (WBC) count, procalcitonin (PCT) level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level. The model showed good discriminative ability in both the training cohort (concordance index: 0.802, 95% CI: 0.716-0.888) and the validation cohort (concordance index: 0.799, 95% CI: 0.681-0.917). For calibration, the predicted probabilities and observed proportions were highly consistent, indicating the model's reliability in predicting outcomes. In the 21-day decision curve analysis, the model had a positive net benefit for threshold probability ranges of 0.2 to 0.8 in the training cohort and nearly 0.2 to 1 in the validation cohort., Conclusion: In this study, we developed a clinically practical model with high discrimination, calibration, and net benefit. It may help to early identify severe and critical cases among Omicron variant-infected hospitalized patients with MI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yu, Li, Xia, Lu, Zong, Suo, Man and Xiong.)

Information in proteins flows from sequence to structure to function, with each step causally driven by the preceding one. Protein design is founded on inverting this process: specify a desired function, design a structure executing this function, and find a sequence that folds into this structure. This 'central dogma' underlies nearly all de novo protein-design efforts. Our ability to accomplish these tasks depends on our understanding of protein folding and function and our ability to capture this understanding in computational methods. In recent years, deep learning-derived approaches for efficient and accurate structure modeling and enrichment of successful designs have enabled progression beyond the design of protein structures and towards the design of functional proteins. We examine these advances in the broader context of classical de novo protein design and consider implications for future challenges to come, including fundamental capabilities such as sequence and structure co-design and conformational control considering flexibility, and functional objectives such as antibody and enzyme design., (© 2024. Springer Nature America, Inc.)

With the increased awareness of early tumor detection, the importance of detecting and diagnosing esophageal cancer in its early stages has been underscored. Studies have consistently demonstrated the crucial role of methylation levels in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in identifying and diagnosing early-stage cancer. cfDNA methylation pertains to the methylation state within the genomic scope of cfDNA and is strongly associated with cancer development and progression. Several research teams have delved into the potential application of cfDNA methylation in identifying early-stage esophageal cancer and have achieved promising outcomes. Recent research supports the high sensitivity and specificity of cfDNA methylation in early esophageal cancer diagnosis, providing a more accurate and efficient approach for early detection and improved clinical management. Accordingly, this review aims to present an overview of methylation-based cfDNA research with a focus on the latest developments in the early detection of esophageal cancer. Additionally, this review summarizes advanced analytical technologies for cfDNA methylation that have significantly benefited from recent advancements in separation and detection techniques, such as methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq). Recent findings suggest that biomarkers based on cfDNA methylation may soon find successful applications in the early detection of esophageal cancer. However, large-scale prospective clinical trials are required to identify the potential of these biomarkers., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Wang et al.)

Background: To analyze the prognosis and diagnostic value of relevant hematological indexes on the survival status of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical surgery., Methods: This study included 206 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent surgical R0 resection. The data, including the basic information, preoperative blood routine, albumin, fibrinogen, surgery-related information, postoperative pathology, and overall survival, of the patients were compared., Results: The survival and death groups showed a significant difference in overall survival (OS), the degree of differentiation, depth of infiltration, pathological stage, vascular infiltration, nerve infiltration, fibrinogen, white blood cell, neutrophils, platelet, and platelet hematocrit (P<0.05). Tumor located in the middle thorax, larger lesion length, deeper invasion, later pathological stage, vascular infiltration, nerve infiltration, lymph node metastasis, cardiovascular disease, and higher smoking grade were risk factors for poor prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (P<0.05). Cardiovascular disease, lower differentiation, tumor located in the middle thorax, and nerve infiltration were independent risk factors for the reduction of survival time of patients with ESCC (P<0.05)., Conclusions: History of cardiovascular disease, tumor located in the middle chest, poorly differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, visible nerve cancer invasion, hematocrit (HCT), mean erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and hemoglobin (HB) are independent risk factors for the long-term survival of patients with ESCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Rui, Li, Da, Yue, Jing, Ruirui, Youbin, Lu and Li.)

Background: The main metastatic route for lung cancer is lymph node metastasis, and studies have shown that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a high risk of lymph node infiltration., Objective: This study aimed to compare the performance of handcrafted radiomics (HR) features and deep transfer learning (DTL) features in Computed Tomography (CT) of intratumoral and peritumoral regions in predicting the metastatic status of NSCLC lymph nodes in different machine learning classifier models., Methods: We retrospectively collected data of 199 patients with pathologically confirmed NSCLC. All patients were divided into training (n = 159) and validation (n = 40) cohorts, respectively. The best HR and DTL features in the intratumoral and peritumoral regions were extracted and selected, respectively. Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (Light GBM), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and Logistic Regression (LR) models were constructed, and the performance of the models was evaluated., Results: Among the five models in the training and validation cohorts, the LR classifier model performed best in terms of HR and DTL features. The AUCs of the training cohort were 0.841 (95% CI: 0.776-0.907) and 0.955 (95% CI: 0.926-0.983), and the AUCs of the validation cohort were 0.812 (95% CI: 0.677-0.948) and 0.893 (95% CI: 0.795-0.991), respectively. The DTL signature was superior to the handcrafted radiomics signature., Conclusions: Compared with the radiomics signature, the DTL signature constructed based on intratumoral and peritumoral areas in CT can better predict NSCLC lymph node metastasis.

To investigate the ability of Vibrio sp. V33 supplementation on the growth performance, innate immunity, intestinal microbiota, and disease resistance of the juvenile sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, a feeding experiment was conducted. Our results revealed that dietary Vibrio sp. V33 could significantly enhanced sea cucumber growth rate, and the immune parameters including total coelomocytes counts (TCC), phagocytosis, respiratory burst, immune-related enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and nitric oxide synthetase) were all markedly improved in coelomocytes of sea cucumbers fed with V33 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the composition of the bacterial community in the intestinal contents of the sea cucumber was surveyed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Beta diversity analysis indicated that the bacterial compositions of sea cucumbers were significantly different between V33 and Control groups. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the most prevalent phyla in sea cucumber gut microbiota. The abundance of Firmicutes (20.58%), Bacteroidetes (9.77%), and Verrucomicrobia (3.04%) were significantly higher in V33 group when compared with Control. Moreover, genus Mycobacterium was markedly decreased to 0.5% after V33 feeding, while the abundance of genus Rhodococcus was significantly increased by 6.9-fold (P < 0.01) under the same condition, indicating V33 diet might promotes the colonization of beneficial bacteria in the gut of sea cucumber. After Vibrio splendidus challenge, the survival rate of juvenile sea cucumbers fed with V33 diet was significantly higher than that fed with Control diet. All our current results suggested that the Vibrio sp. V33 could used as a probiotic for healthier production of sea cucumbers in aquaculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram model in combination with thromboelastography (TEG) to predict the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after lung cancer surgery. Methods: The data of 502 patients who underwent surgical treatment for lung cancer from December 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were then randomized into training and validation groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out in the training group and independent risk factors were included in the nomogram to construct risk prediction models. The predictive capability of the model was assessed by the consistency index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), the calibration plot and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The nomogram risk prediction model comprised of the following five independent risk factors: age, operation time, forced expiratory volume in one second and postoperative TEG parameters k value(K) and reaction time(R). The nomogram model demonstrated better predictive power than the modified Caprini model, with the C-index being greater. The calibration curve verified the consistency of nomogram between the two groups. Furthermore, DCA demonstrated the clinical value and potential for practical application of the nomogram. Conclusion: This study is the first to combine TEG and clinical risk factors to construct a nomogram to predict the occurrence of VTE in patients after lung cancer surgery. This model provides a simple and user-friendly method to assess the probability of VTE in postoperative lung cancer patients, enabling clinicians to develop individualized preventive anticoagulation strategies to reduce the incidence of such complications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Qin, Cai, Liu, Lu, Tang, Shang, Cui and Wang.)

The photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 with H 2 O into valuable chemicals is a sustainable carbon-neutral technology for renewable energy; however, the photocatalytic activity and product selectivity remain challenging. Herein, an S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst with superior CO 2 photoreduction performance─porous C 3 N 4 (CN) nanosheets anchored with zinc(II) tetra(4-cyanophenyl)porphyrin (ZnTP) nanoassemblies (denoted as ZnTP/CN)─was designed and prepared via a simple self-assembly process. The constructed ZnTP/CN heterojunction had rich accessible active sites, improved CO 2 absorption capacity, and high charge carrier separation efficiency caused by the S-scheme heterojunction. As a result, the obtained ZnTP/CN catalyst exhibited considerable activity for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction, yielding CO with a generation rate of 19.4 μmol g -1 ·h -1 and a high selectivity of 95.8%, which is much higher than that of pristine CN nanosheets (4.53 μmol g -1 ·h -1 , 57.4%). In addition, theoretical calculations and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectra demonstrated that the Zn sites in the porphyrin unit favor CO 2 activation and *COOH formation as well as CO desorption, thereby affording a high CO selectivity. This work provides insight into the design and fabrication of efficient S-scheme heterostructure photocatalysts for solar energy storage.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted extensive attention in recent years because of its high volumetric energy density, the abundance of zinc resources, and safety. However, ZIBs still suffer from poor reversibility and sluggish kinetics derived from the unstable cathodic structure and the strong electrostatic interactions between bivalent Zn 2+ and cathodes. Herein, magnesium doping into layered manganese dioxide (Mg-MnO 2 ) via a simple hydrothermal method as cathode materials for ZIBs is proposed. The interconnected nanoflakes of Mg-MnO 2 possess a larger specific surface area compared to pristine δ-MnO 2 , providing more electroactive sites and boosting the capacity of batteries. The ion diffusion coefficients of Mg-MnO 2 can be enhanced due to the improved electrical conductivity by doped cations and oxygen vacancies in MnO 2 lattices. The assembled Zn//Mg-MnO 2 battery delivers a high specific capacity of 370 mAh g -1 at a current density of 0.6 A g -1 . Furthermore, the reaction mechanism confirms that Zn 2+ insertion occurred after a few cycles of activation reactions. Most important, the reversible redox reaction between Zn 2+ and MnOOH is found after several charge-discharge processes, promoting capacity and stability. It believes that this systematic research enlightens the design of high-performance of ZIBs and facilitates the practical application of Zn//MnO 2 batteries., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Accumulating evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the development and progression of cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the mechanisms of lncRNAs in ESCC are still incompletely understood and therapeutic attempts for in vivo targeting cancer-associated lncRNA remain a challenge. By RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified that LLNLR-299G3.1 was a novel ESCC-associated lncRNA. LLNLR-299G3.1 was up-regulated in ESCC tissues and cells and promoted ESCC cell proliferation and invasion. Silencing of LLNLR-299G3.1 with ASO (antisense oligonucleotide) resulted in opposite effects. Mechanistically, LLNLR-299G3.1 bound to cancer-associated RNA binding proteins and regulated the expression of cancer-related genes, including OSM, TNFRSF4, HRH3, and SSTR3. ChIRP-seq (chromatin isolation by RNA purification and sequencing) revealed that these genes contained enriched chromatin binding sites for LLNLR-299G3.1 . Rescue experiments confirmed that the effects of LLNLR-299G3.1 on ESCC cell proliferation were dependent on interaction with HRH3 and TNFRSF4. Therapeutically, intravenous delivery of placental chondroitin sulfate A binding peptide-coated nanoparticles containing antisense oligonucleotide (pICSA-BP-ANPs) strongly inhibited ESCC tumor growth and significantly improved animal survival in vivo . Overall, our results suggest that LLNLR-299G3.1 promotes ESCC malignancy through regulating gene-chromatin interactions and targeting ESCC by pICSA-BP-ANPs may be an effective strategy for the treatment of lncRNA-associated ESCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to report regarding the present study., (© 2023 Tian et al.)

Background: Most patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection have no clinical symptoms, numerous studies reported the gastric microbiome in H. pylori-infected patients, but asymptomatic patients have not been distinguished. How the microbiome and function changes in asymptomatic patients with H. pylori infection remains poorly understood., Methods: A total of 29 patients were divided into H. pylori-infected asymptomatic group (10 patients), H. pylori-infected symptomatic group (11 patients) and H. pylori-uninfected group (8 patients). Gastric mucosa specimens were taken for histopathological examination, special staining, and 16 S rDNA sequencing. High-throughput results were evaluated by community composition analysis, indicator species analysis, alpha diversity analysis, beta diversity analysis, and function prediction., Results: The gastric microbiota composition at phylum and genus level of H. pylori-infected asymptomatic patients were similar with H. pylori-infected symptomatic group, but different from H. pylori-uninfected patients. The diversity and richness of gastric microbial community declined significantly in H. pylori-infected asymptomatic group comparing with H. pylori-uninfected group. Sphingomonas may be an indicator between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with H. pylori infection, the AUC value of Sphingomonas is 0.79. Interactions between species increased and altered notably after H. pylori infection. More genera were affected by Helicobacter in H. pylori-infected asymptomatic patients. The function condition changed significantly in asymptomatic patients with H. pylori infection, there was no difference comparing with symptomatic ones. Amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism strengthened but carbohydrate metabolism remained constant after H. pylori infection. The metabolism of fatty acid and bile acid was disturbed after infection with H. pylori., Conclusion: The gastric microbiota composition and function mode changed significantly after H. pylori infection regardless of the presence of clinical symptoms, there was no difference between H. pylori-infected asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. The difference in gastric microbiota composition and interactions between species might be responsible for presence of digestive symptoms., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The aim of this study is to acquire pulmonary CT (Computed tomography) angiographic data for the purpose of creating a three-dimensional reconstruction. Additionally, we aim to analyze the features and deviations of the branches in both pulmonary lobes. This information is intended to serve as a more comprehensive and detailed reference for medical professionals when conducting preoperative evaluations and devising surgical plans. Method: Between August 2019 and December 2021, 420 patients were selected from the thoracic surgery department at the First Hospital of Jilin University, and underwent pulmonary 64 channel contrast enhanced CT examinations (Philips ICT 256). The images were acquired at a 1.5 mm slice thickness, and the DCM files that complied with DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standards were analysed for 3D (three dimensional) reconstruction using Mimics 22.0 software. The reconstructed pulmonary artery models were assessed by attending chest surgeons and radiologists with over 10 years of clinical experience. The two-dimensional image planes, as well as the coronary and sagittal planes, were utilized to evaluate the arteries. The study analyzed the characteristics and variations of the branches and courses of pulmonary arteries in each lobe of the lungs, with the exception of the subsegmental arterial system. Two chest surgeons and two radiologists with professional titles-all of whom had over a decade of clinical experience-jointly evaluated the 3D models of the pulmonary artery and similarly assessed the characteristics and variations of the branches and courses in each lobe of the lungs. Results: Significant variations were observed in the left superior pulmonary artery across the 420 subjects studied. In the left upper lobe, the blood supply of 4 arteries accounted for 50.5% ( n = 212), while the blood supply of 2 arteries in the left lower lobe was the most common, accounting for 79.5% ( n = 334). The greatest variation in the right pulmonary artery was observed in the branch supply of the right upper lobe mediastinal artery. In the majority of cases (77.9%), there were two arteries present, which was the most common configuration observed accounting for 64% ( n = 269). In the right inferior lobe of the lung, there were typically 2-4 arteries, with 2 arteries being the most common configuration (observed in 79% of cases, n = 332). Conclusion: The three-dimensional reconstruction of pulmonary artery CT angiography enables clear observation of the branches and distribution of the pulmonary artery while also highlighting any variations. This technique holds significant clinical value for preoperative assessments regarding lesions and blood vessels., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ma, Lu, Qin, Cai, Tang, Yang, Cui and Wang.)

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant has prevailed globally since November 2021. The extremely high transmissibility and occult manifestations were notable, but the severity and mortality associated with the Omicron variant and subvariants cannot be ignored, especially for immunocompromised populations. However, no prognostic model for specially predicting the severity of the Omicron variant infection is available yet. In this study, we aim to develop and validate a prognostic model based on immune variables to early recognize potentially severe cases of Omicron variant-infected patients., Methods: This was a single-center prognostic study involving patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection. Eligible patients were randomly divided into the training and validation cohorts. Variables were collected immediately after admission. Candidate variables were selected by three variable-selecting methods and were used to construct Cox regression as the prognostic model. Discrimination, calibration, and net benefit of the model were evaluated in both training and validation cohorts., Results: Six hundred eighty-nine of the involved 2,645 patients were eligible, consisting of 630 non-ICU cases and 59 ICU cases. Six predictors were finally selected to establish the prognostic model: age, neutrophils, lymphocytes, procalcitonin, IL-2, and IL-10. For discrimination, concordance indexes in the training and validation cohorts were 0.822 (95% CI: 0.748-0.896) and 0.853 (95% CI: 0.769-0.942). For calibration, predicted probabilities and observed proportions displayed high agreements. In the 21-day decision curve analysis, the threshold probability ranges with positive net benefit were 0~1 and nearly 0~0.75 in the training and validation cohorts, correspondingly., Conclusions: This model had satisfactory high discrimination, calibration, and net benefit. It can be used to early recognize potentially severe cases of Omicron variant-infected patients so that they can be treated timely and rationally to reduce the severity and mortality of Omicron variant infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lu, Man, Yu, Xia, Lu, Jiang and Xiong.)

Numerous emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariants have shown significant immune evasion capacity and caused a large number of infections, as well as vaccine-breakthrough infections, especially in elderly populations. Recently emerged Omicron XBB was derived from the BA.2 lineage, but bears a distinct mutant profile in its spike (S) protein. In this study, we found that Omicron XBB S protein drove more efficient membrane-fusion kinetics on human lung-derived cells (Calu-3). Considering the high susceptibility of the elderly to the current Omicron pandemic, we performed a comprehensive neutralization assessment of elderly convalescent or vaccine sera against XBB infection. We found that the sera from elderly convalescent patients who experienced with BA.2 infection or breakthrough infection potently inhibited BA.2 infection, but showed significantly reduced efficacy against XBB. Moreover, recently emerged XBB.1.5 subvariant also showed more significant resistance to the convalescent sera of BA.2- or BA.5-infected elderly. On the other hand, we found that the pan-CoV fusion inhibitors EK1 and EK1C4 can potently block either XBB-S- or XBB.1.5-S-mediated fusion process and viral entry. Moreover, EK1 fusion inhibitor showed potent synergism when combined with convalescent sera of BA.2- or BA.5-infected patients against XBB and XBB.1.5 infection, further indicating that EK1-based pan-CoV fusion inhibitors are promising candidates for development as clinical antiviral agents to combat the Omicron XBB subvariants., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Medical Virology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: For Crohn's disease (CD), the alternation of the active phase and inactive phase may be related to humoral immunity and cellular immunity. This study aims to understand the characteristics of immune cells in patients with active CD (CDa) and inactive CD (CDin)., Methods: Mass cytometry (CyTOF) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data about CDa, CDin, and healthy control (HC) were included. CyTOF analysis was performed to capture gated subsets, including T cells, T regulatory (Treg) cells, B cells, innate immune cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Differential analysis was used to identify different immune cell subsets among CDa, CDin, and HC. ScRNA-seq analysis was used to verify the results of CyTOF. CD-related signaling pathways were obtained using KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. CellChat analysis was used to infer the cell communication network among immune cell subsets., Results: Compared to patients with CDin, patients with CDa had higher abundances of CD16 + CD38 + CD4 + CXCR3 + CCR6 + naive T cells, HLA-DR + CD38 + IFNγ + TNF + effector memory (EM) T cells, HLA-DR + IFNγ + naive B cells, and CD14 ++ CD11C + IFNγ + IL1B + monocytes. KEGG analysis showed the similarity of pathway enrichment for the earlier four subsets, such as thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and metabolic pathways. The patients with CDin were characterized by an increased number of CD16 + CD56 dim CD44 + HLA-DR + IL22 + NK cells. Compared to HC, patients with CDa demonstrated a low abundance of HLA-DR + CCR6 + NK cells and a high abundance of FOXP3 + CD44 + EM Tregs. CellChat analysis revealed the interaction network of cell subsets amplifying in CDa compared with CDin., Conclusion: Some immune subsets cells were identified for CDa and CDin. These cells may be related to the occurrence and development of CD and may provide assistance in disease diagnosis and treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lin, Liu, Huang, Li, Lu, Luo, Zhong, Xu, Liu, Li, Li, Xu, Cai, Li and Chen.)

Since its first confirmation in London on 12 May 2022, many monkeypox cases have been reported worldwide. Noticeably, the epidemiology, pathology, and clinical features of the current emergence have been compared to those of smallpox, a severe contagious disease historically epidemic worldwide for nearly 3,000 years. However, some characteristics of the present outbreak differed from those of previous monkeypox outbreaks. Herein, we ask if this emergence of monkeypox could cause another global pandemic similar to smallpox or influenza or if it is only the re-emergence of a new strain. To address these questions, we reviewed its virology, transmission, clinical characteristics, experimental diagnosis, and prevention and intervention, giving our commentary along the way., (© 2022 Chinese Medical Association (CMA) Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The rapid mutations on hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza A virus (IAV) can lead to significant antigenic variance and consequent immune mismatch of vaccine strains. Thus, rapid antigenicity evaluation is highly desired. The subtype-specific antigenicity models have been widely used for common subtypes such as H1 and H3. However, the continuous emerging of new IAV subtypes requires the construction of universal antigenic prediction model which could be applied on multiple IAV subtypes, including the emerging or re-emerging ones. In this study, we presented Univ-Flu, series structure-based universal models for HA antigenicity prediction. Initially, the universal antigenic regions were derived on multiple subtypes. Then, a radial shell structure combined with amino acid indexes were introduced to generate the new three-dimensional structure based descriptors, which could characterize the comprehensive physical-chemical property changes between two HA variants within or across different subtypes. Further, by combining with Random Forest classifier and different training datasets, Univ-Flu could achieve high prediction performances on intra-subtype (average AUC of 0.939), inter-subtype (average AUC of 0.771), and universal-subtype (AUC of 0.978) prediction, through independent test. Results illustrated that the designed descriptor could provide accurate universal antigenic description. Finally, the application on high-throughput antigenic coverage prediction for circulating strains showed that the Univ-Flu could screen out virus strains with high cross-protective spectrum, which could provide in-silico reference for vaccine recommendation., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background and Purpose: Background - Up to now, the risk factors related to intracranial infections after transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy remain controversial. Purpose - To analyze the risk factors related to intracranial infections after transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy under an endoscope, and to provide evidence for preventing and controlling the occurrence and development of infections., Methods: A total of 370 patients receiving endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy in our hospital from January 2014 to October 2017 were selected. The risk factors related to postoperative intracranial infections were analyzed. The hospitalization lengths and expenditures of patients with and without intracranial infections were compared., Results: Of the 370 patients, 18 underwent postoperative intracranial infections, with the infection rate of 4.86%. Intraoperative blood loss >120 mL, cerebrospinal leakage, diabetes, preoperative use of hormones, macroadenoma as well as surgical time >4 h all significantly increased the infection rate (P<0.05). Preoperative use of antibacterial agents prevented intracranial infection. Compared with patients without intracranial infections, the infected ones had significantly prolonged hospitalization length and increased expenditure (P<0.05). Discussion - It is of great clinical significance to analyze the risk factors related to intracranial infection after endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy, aiming to prevent and to control the onset and progression of infection., Conclusion: Intracranial infections after endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy were affected by many risk factors, also influencing the prognosis of patients and the economic burden.

An efficient domino annulation between sulfur ylides and salicyl N-tert -butylsulfinyl imines was developed. The reaction proceeds with a diastereodivergent process, the configuration of the sulfinyl group determining the stereochemical course of the reaction. The method allows the synthesis of a highly substituted trans -2,3-dihydrobenzofuran skeleton with high yield and good chemo- and diastereoselectivity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Composite colloidal structures with multi-functional properties have wide applications in targeted delivery of therapeutics and imaging contrast molecules and high-throughput molecular bio-sensing. We have constructed a multifunctional composite magnetic nanobowl using the bottom-up approach on an asymmetric silica/polystyrene Janus template consisting of a silica shell around a partially exposed polystyrene core. The nanobowl consists of a silica bowl and a gold exterior shell with iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles sandwiched between the silica and gold shells. The nanobowls were characterized by electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetometry, vis-NIR and FTIR spectroscopy. Magnetically vectored transport of these nanobowls was ascertained by time-lapsed imaging of their flow in fluid through a porous hydrogel under a defined magnetic field. These magnetically-responsive nanobowls show distinct surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging capability. The PEGylated magnetically-responsive nanobowls show size-dependent cellular uptake in vitro.