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Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index as a reliable surrogate of insulin resistance (IR) has been shown to be related to adverse clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, ischemic stroke and so on. However, the relationship between TyG index and all-cause mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between TyG index and all-cause mortality to evaluate the impact of IR on the prognosis of this population. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study that included 3026 patients who had an initial triglyceride and glucose data on the first day of ICU admission, and all data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. These patients were grouped into quartiles (Q1–Q4) according to TyG index. The Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to compare all-cause mortality among the above four groups. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to examine the association between TyG index and all-cause mortality. Results: During 10.46 years of follow-up, 1148 (37.9%) patients died, of which 350 (11.6%) occurred during the hospital stay and 258 (8.5%) occurred during the ICU stay. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with higher TyG index (log-rank P = 0.021). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that the TyG index was an independent risk predictor of ICU death (HR: 1.72, 95% CI 1.18–2.52, P = 0.005) and hospital death (HR: 2.19, 95% CI 1.59–3.03, P < 0.001), and each 1-unit increased in the TyG index, a 1.19-fold increase in the risk of death during the hospital stay. Conclusions: TyG index is strongly related to the all-cause mortality increasing in critically ill patients. This finding indicates that the TyG index might be useful in identifying people at high risk of ICU death and hospital death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaldehyde is a human carcinogen and widely existed in alcoholic beverages and polluted air. In this study, a simple, fast, convenient and sensitive acetaldehyde biosensor was developed based on an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (AldDH) bacteria surface display system. The whole-cell catalyst facilitated the dehydrogenation of acetaldehyde, while coenzyme NAD+ was reduced and the resultant NADH can be detected spectrometrically at 340 nm. The correct location of AldDH on the bacteria surface was confirmed by the subcellular fraction and immunofluorescence analysis. By comparing the fusion protein expression level and whole-cell activity, the proper display system for anchoring AldDH on the cell surface was obtained. The results of kinetics analysis towards both surface-displayed AldDH and intracellular expressed AldDH demonstrated that the mass-transport resistance was dramatically alleviated by cell-surface display strategy. Under optimal conditions, AldDH-surface display strain with the highest whole-cell activity (3.41 ± 0.3 mU/OD 600) was applied to spectrophotometry acetaldehyde detection system. An excellent linear relationship between the increases of absorbance at 340 nm and acetaldehyde concentration over the range from 1 μM to 300 μM was reached. The proposed approach offered adequate sensitivity for the detection of acetaldehyde at 0.33 μM. Most importantly, the developed biosensor showed the narrowest substrate specificity towards acetaldehyde, which has been employed for quick determination of acetaldehyde in real samples with good accuracy. The total detection time was within 20 min. The method reported here provided a simple, rapid, and low-cost strategy for the sensitive and selective measurement of acetaldehyde. Therefore, genetically engineered cells may find broad application in biosensors and biocatalysts. • Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (AldDH) was displayed on the surface of bacteria. • Acetaldehyde detection system was developed using the AldDH-displayed bacteria. • The detection limit of this system was lower than that of reported biosensors. • AldDH-displayed system exhibited the superior sensitivity towards acetaldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The adipose-derived stem cells-exosomes (ADSCs-EXO)-ICA inhibits macrophage polarization toward M1, thereby suppressing inflammation. • ADSCs-EXO-ICA can exert synergistic anti-inflammatory effects, and its efficacy is better than that of single drug. • The drug loading rate of ADSCs-EXO-ICA is as high as 92.7 ± 0.01 %. • The anti-inflammatory effect of ADSCs-EXO-ICA may be related to the inhibition of TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Abnormal macrophage polarization is one of the common pathological bases of various inflammatory diseases. The current research focus involves targeting macrophages to remodel their phenotype as a treatment approach for inflammatory diseases. Notably, exosomes can be delivered to specific types of cells or tissues or inflammatory area to realize targeted drug delivery. Although icariin (ICA) exhibits regulatory potential in macrophage polarization, the practical application of ICA is impeded by its water insolubility, poor permeability, and low bioavailability. Exploiting the inherent advantages of exosomes as natural drug carriers, we introduce a novel drug delivery system—adipose-derived stem cells-exosomes (ADSCs-EXO)-ICA. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed a loading rate of 92.7 ± 0.01 % for ADSCs-EXO-ICA, indicating the successful incorporation of ICA. As demonstrated by cell counting kit-8 assays, ADSCs-EXO exerted a significantly higher promotion effect on macrophage proliferation. The subsequent experimental results revealed the superior anti-inflammatory effect of ADSCs-EXO-ICA compared to individual treatments with EXO or ICA in the lipopolysaccharide + interferon-gamma-induced M1 inflammation model. Additionally, results from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analyses revealed that ADSCs-EXO-ICA effectively inhibited macrophage polarization toward the M1-type and concurrently promoted polarization toward the M2-type. The underlying mechanism involved the modulation of macrophage polarization through inhibition of the Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear transcription factor-kappa B signaling pathway, thereby mitigating inflammation. These findings underscore the potential therapeutic value of ADSCs-EXO-ICA as a novel intervention for inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Brönsted acid/base interaction was explored by in-situ IR spectroscopy. • Brönsted acid/base sites on TiO 2 is responsible for the high formation of free ·OH. • Lack of Brönsted acid/base sites makes BiOCl unfavorable to produce ·OH. • Grafting phosphate ions onto the BiOCl enhances the formation of free ·OH. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) have been considered as one of the most important active species for many photocatalytic processes. However, the formation mechanism of free ·OH radicals is not well understood. Herein, we present our experimental evidence that the surface Brönsted acid/base sites play a vital role in the photocatalytic formation of these free ·OH radicals. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra show that the surface hydroxyl groups (Brönsted acid/base sites) on TiO 2 is responsible for the high formation of free ·OH radicals. Due to the lack of exposure of Brönsted acid/base sites, BiOCl is unfavorable for the formation of free ·OH radicals. Inspired by these findings, we further constructed Brönsted acid/base sites by grafting phosphate ions onto the BiOCl surface, which greatly enhanced the formation of free ·OH radicals. This work highlights the importance of surface Brönsted acid/base sites for the design of photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperbranched polyethylenimine modified with a silane coupling agent (Si-HPEI) as a shale inhibitor was synthesized by the Michael addition reaction of hyperbranched polyethylenimine (HPEI) and methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane. The structure of Si-HPEI was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The inhibitory properties of Si-HPEI in comparison with currently available inhibitors were evaluated using linear swelling tests, cuttings dispersion tests, and bentonite inhibition tests. The inhibitory mechanism was investigated via X-ray diffraction measurements, adsorption measurements, and atomic force microscopy observations. The results indicated that Si-HPEI effectively inhibited the hydration and expansion of shale and exhibited excellent temperature resistance in comparison with HPEI and traditional shale inhibitors. The shale cuttings recovery in the case of Si-HPEI remained above 68% up to a hot rolling aging temperature of 140 °C, which demonstrated an excellent ability to inhibit hydration and dispersion that was significantly less affected by the hot rolling aging temperature than in the cases of other inhibitors. In addition, Si-HPEI inhibited the formation of a bentonite slurry more effectively at high temperatures. A mechanistic analysis showed that the siloxane groups present in the molecular chains of Si-HPEI caused strong and stable chemical adsorption of Si-HPEI on water-sensitive clay minerals, which thus hindered the penetration of water molecules and ultimately inhibited the hydration expansion and dispersion of water-sensitive clay minerals. In field application, Si-HPEI was successfully applied on Su 4-4HF well. • The Si-HPEI can inhibit the hydration expansion and dispersion of the water-sensitive clay at high temperature effectively. • The Si-HPEI exhibits better adsorption capacity. • The Si-HPEI can encapsulate water-sensitive clay firmly and prevent the invasion of water. • The mechanism of Si-HPEI was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • InGaN film with high-In-content of 51.9% has been obtained by MBE MME-growth. • MME-growth technique can improve crystal quality of high-In content InGaN. • The effect of MME time ratio on the properties of InGaN material was investigated. • MME technique can effectively release the strain of In-rich InGaN materials. Abstract We investigated the growth and characterization of InGaN films with high In content up to 51.9% obtained by MBE MME-growth. Comparing the structural and optical properties of InGaN films grown using common growth method and MME technique, we could acquire the good quality of InGaN sample by MME-growth method with lower dislocation density, better composition uniformity and smoother surface. These experimental results suggest that MME has an enormous potential to promote the quality of high In-content InGaN materials and the development of InGaN-based devices. Besides, further study shows the process of MME growth, the parameters of material growth have opposite effects on the background carrier concentration and carrier mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Comprehensive review of resin-based solid amine as promising CO 2 -capture material. • Excellent pore structure and high adsorption efficiency of resin-based adsorbents. • Focus on characteristic, application and deactivation mechanism. • The future prospects and challenges have been proposed for the future development. The accumulation of CO 2 has been considered to be one of the main contributors to global warming and climate change, making carbon emission reduction and carbon capture technologies key research focuses. Out of the various technologies to lower atmospheric CO 2 levels, using solid amine adsorbents for CO 2 capture is seen as one of the most promising options. Porous resin materials are gradually being investigated as porous solid supports for amine functionalization due to their high specific surface area and high adsorption properties. In this review, we focus on the application of resin-based solid amines in carbon capture, offer a detailed overview of the synthesis methods for resin-based solid amines, and discuss how different supports and organic amines impact the performance of these adsorbent materials. We explore factors affecting the stability of these materials, including deactivation caused by heat, moisture, oxidation, CO 2 , and impurity gases, to identify the causes and mechanisms of deactivation, and providing the thorough summary of how resin-based solid amines perform in CO 2 adsorption under various environmental conditions. Our review addresses a gap of resin supports in the current literature on solid amine adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nanowire films have been detached successfully by the acid solution. • Nanowires remain stable after the electrochemical etching. • Etching and incident light angle are the key reasons for peak shifts. In this work, the acid solution has been demonstrated in detaching transparent (In,Ga)N nanowire films. The lift-off (In,Ga)N nanowire film remains stable after the electrochemical etching. Without obvious damages, the etching time of acid solution is possible to be longer than that of alkaline solution, which is beneficial to maintain the stability of etching. In addition, the photoluminescence (PL) peak shifts exist between the samples before and after etching. By the numerical simulations and optical experiments, it is proposed that both etching process and incident angle of the lighting source mainly contribute to the shift. When the nanowires are immersed in an acid solution, the top and edge of nanowires with low components of indium (In) are partially dissolved, leading to the increase of the overall In component. Meanwhile, different incident angles lead to the heterogeneous absorption of light by different In components within (In,Ga)N section, which should be another reason for the shift of peak position. This study is beneficial for promoting the lift-off method in the applications of transparent nanowire films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) has strong antioxidant properties. In order to improve the low maturation rate and poor vitrification freezing effect of sheep oocytes caused by oxidative stress. In this study, oocytes from 200 2-3-year-old Kazakh sheep were collected, and different concentrations of CGA were added to the maturation medium and vitrification freezing solution to study the effects of CGA on the maturation rate, cleavage rate, blastocyst rate, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the expression levels of oxidation and apoptosis-related genes in sheep oocytes. The results showed that adding 40 μmol/L CGA to the oocyte in vitro maturation solution significantly increased the maturation rate of oocytes, adding 50 μmol/L CGA to the vitrification cryopreservative solution significantly increased the cleavage and blastocyst rates of mature oocytes activated by parthenogenetic activation after freezing. During in vitro maturation and vitrification freezing in sheep oocytes, CGA significantly reduced the level of ROS and the expression of apoptosis-related genes (Caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2), and significantly increased the level of glutathione (GSH), mitochondrial membrane potential, and the expression of antioxidant and anti-apoptosis-related genes (SOD-2 and GPX-3). In addition, CGA significantly increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene (AKT) and anti-stress gene (FOXO) during vitrification freezing of sheep oocytes. In conclusion, 40 μmol/L CGA improves the maturation rate of sheep oocytes, and 50 μmol/L CGA improves the quality of parthenogenetic activation embryos after vitrification freezing of mature oocytes in sheep. These results provide a basis for the production of sheep in vitro embryos and the establishment of a germplasm resource bank.

The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) causes severe immunosuppression and high mortality in view of its frequent co-infection with other pathogens, resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry. Current vaccines provide suboptimal immune protection against H9N2 AIV owing to antigenic variations, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective antiviral drugs for the prevention and treatment of this virus. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of Hypericum japonicum extract on H9N2 AIV. Our findings revealed that the extract obtained through resin column separation using 60% ethanol (S06-60%) inhibited H9N2 AIV replication in Madin-Daby canine kidney cells in a dose-dependent manner. The maximum safe concentration of the water-soluble S06-60% extract was determined to be 0.05 mg/mL. Time-course experiments indicated that S06-60% primarily exerted its antiviral effects during the viral pretreatment and adsorption stages. Furthermore, in vivo experiments conducted on specific pathogen-free chickens confirmed the effectiveness of S06-60% in inhibiting H9N2 AIV infection and mitigating associated damage to tracheal and lung tissues. Overall, our study highlights the therapeutic potential of Hypericum japonicum extract S06-60% as a viable antiviral candidate against H9N2 AIV, offering promising implications for its application in poultry health management to reduce the economic impact on the poultry industry., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The animal experiments were approved by the Experimental Animal Welfare Ethics Committee of South China Agricultural University (SYXK-2022–0136), and performed following relevant guidelines and regulations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: Author YC is a member of the Editorial Board for Advanced Biotechnology, and the author is not involved in the journal’s review of and decisions related to this manuscript., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Self-driven photodetectors (PDs) hold significant potential for the development of new information devices, which boast the advantages of ultralow power consumption and straightforward fabrication. In this study, we have proposed and demonstrated a self-driven ultraviolet PD utilizing gallium nitride/metal-organic framework (GaN/MOF) heterojunction nanowires successfully. By introducing Gd-ETTC MOFs on the surface of GaN nanowires, the photocurrent and responsivity of the device can be improved by approximately 75% under 310 nm illumination. Furthermore, they can also be effectively enhanced under visible light illumination. Owing to the appropriate energy level alignment, Gd-ETTC MOFs can serve as both a light harvester and a hole conductor, facilitating the efficient absorption, separation, and transmission of photogenerated carriers. It has been observed that due to reduced interface resistance, MOFs can enhance the charge transport through the acceleration of charge transfer. Furthermore, the PD equipped with MOFs is capable of continuous operation for 30,000 s, a feat attributable to the exceptional stability of both GaN nanowires and Gd-ETTC MOFs. By implementation of the humanoid robot systems, the control commands from the self-driven PD can drive the humanoid robot to execute different actions. The PD-equipped autonomous feedback system of a humanoid robot enables a seamless integration of light perception with intelligent robotic actions. Therefore, the design and demonstration of GaN/MOF nanowires hold significant reference value for further enhancing the performance of PDs and broadening their applications in ultralow-power artificial intelligence systems, humanoid intelligent robots, etc.

Background: The identification of efficient predictors for short-term mortality among patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in coronary care units (CCU) remains a challenge. This study seeks to investigate the potential of machine learning (ML) to improve risk prediction and develop a predictive model specifically tailored for 30-day mortality in critical MI patients., Method: This study focused on MI patients extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV database. The patient cohort was randomly stratified into derivation ( n  = 1,389, 70%) and validation ( n  = 595, 30%) groups. Independent risk factors were identified through eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and random decision forest (RDF) methodologies. Subsequently, multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to construct predictive models. The discrimination, calibration and clinical utility were assessed utilizing metrics such as receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot and decision curve analysis (DCA)., Result: A total of 1,984 patients were identified (mean [SD] age, 69.4 [13.0] years; 659 [33.2%] female). The predictive performance of the XGBoost and RDF-based models demonstrated similar efficacy. Subsequently, a 30-day mortality prediction algorithm was developed using the same selected variables, and a regression model was visually represented through a nomogram. In the validation group, the nomogram (Area Under the Curve [AUC]: 0.835, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: [0.774-0.897]) exhibited superior discriminative capability for 30-day mortality compared to the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score [AUC: 0.735, 95% CI: (0.662-0.809)]. The nomogram (Accuracy: 0.914) and the SOFA score (Accuracy: 0.913) demonstrated satisfactory calibration. DCA indicated that the nomogram outperformed the SOFA score, providing a net benefit in predicting mortality., Conclusion: The ML-based predictive model demonstrated significant efficacy in forecasting 30-day mortality among MI patients admitted to the CCU. The prognostic factors identified were age, blood urea nitrogen, heart rate, pulse oximetry-derived oxygen saturation, bicarbonate, and metoprolol use. This model serves as a valuable decision-making tool for clinicians., 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., (© 2024 Lin, Pan, Yang, Yang, Wang, Zou, Wang, Xiu, Yu, Lu, Zhao and Lu.)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by synovitis and cartilage destruction. The active compound, icariin (ICA), derived from the herb Epimedium, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, its clinical utility is limited by its water insolubility, poor permeability, and low bioavailability. To address these challenges, we developed a multifunctional drug delivery system-adipose-derived stem cells-exosomes (ADSCs-EXO)-ICA to target active macrophages in synovial tissue and modulate macrophage polarization from M1 to M2. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed a 92.4 ± 0.008% loading efficiency for ADSCs-EXO-ICA. In vitro studies utilizing cellular immunofluorescence (IF) and flow cytometry demonstrated significant inhibition of M1 macrophage proliferation by ADSCs-EXO-ICA. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cellular transcriptomics, and real-time quantitative PCR indicated that ADSCs-EXO-ICA promotes an M1-to-M2 phenotypic transition by reducing glycolysis through the inhibition of the ERK/HIF-1α/GLUT1 pathway. In vivo, ADSCs-EXO-ICA effectively accumulated in the joints. Pharmacodynamic assessments revealed that ADSCs-EXO-ICA decreased cytokine levels and mitigated arthritis symptoms in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Histological analysis and micro computed tomography confirmed that ADSCs-EXO-ICA markedly ameliorated synovitis and preserved cartilage. Further in vivo studies indicated that ADSCs-EXO-ICA suppresses arthritis by promoting an M1-to-M2 switch and suppressing glycolysis. Western blotting supported the therapeutic efficacy of ADSCs-EXO-ICA in RA, confirming its role in modulating macrophage function through energy metabolism regulation. Thus, this study not only introduces a drug delivery system that significantly enhances the anti-RA efficacy of ADSCs-EXO-ICA but also elucidates its mechanism of action in macrophage function inhibition., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a novel porcine enteric coronavirus that causes acute watery diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration in newborn piglets. The type III interferon (IFN-λ) response serves as the primary defense against viruses that replicate in intestinal epithelial cells. However, there is currently no information available on how SADS-CoV modulates the production of IFN-λ. In this study, we utilized IPI-FX cells (a cell line of porcine ileum epithelium) as an in vitro model to investigate the potential immune evasion strategies employed by SADS-CoV against the IFN-λ response. Our results showed that SADS-CoV infection suppressed the production of IFN-λ1 induced by poly(I:C). Through screening SADS-CoV-encoded proteins, nsp1, nsp5, nsp10, nsp12, nsp16, E, S1, and S2 were identified as antagonists of IFN-λ1 production. Specifically, SADS-CoV nsp1 impeded the activation of the IFN-λ1 promoter mediated by MAVS, TBK1, IKKε, and IRF1. Both SADS-CoV and nsp1 obstructed poly(I:C)-induced nuclear translocation of IRF1. Moreover, SADS-CoV nsp1 degraded IRF1 via the ubiquitin-mediated proteasome pathway without interacting with it. Overall, our study provides the first evidence that SADS-CoV inhibits the type III IFN response, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms employed by SADS-CoV to evade the host immune response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Emotions, long deemed a distinctly human characteristic, guide a repertoire of behaviors, e.g., promoting risk-aversion under negative emotional states or generosity under positive ones. The question of whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) can possess emotions remains elusive, chiefly due to the absence of an operationalized consensus on what constitutes 'emotion' within AI. Adopting a pragmatic approach, this study investigated the response patterns of AI chatbots-specifically, large language models (LLMs)-to various emotional primes. We engaged AI chatbots as one would human participants, presenting scenarios designed to elicit positive, negative, or neutral emotional states. Multiple accounts of OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus were then tasked with responding to inquiries concerning investment decisions and prosocial behaviors. Our analysis revealed that ChatGPT-4 bots, when primed with positive, negative, or neutral emotions, exhibited distinct response patterns in both risk-taking and prosocial decisions, a phenomenon less evident in the ChatGPT-3.5 iterations. This observation suggests an enhanced capacity for modulating responses based on emotional cues in more advanced LLMs. While these findings do not suggest the presence of emotions in AI, they underline the feasibility of swaying AI responses by leveraging emotional indicators., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although flexible monolithic bifunctional devices are significant for next-generation optoelectronic devices, it is quite challenging to realize them. In this work, a flexible monolithic device with both functions of emission and self-driven detection has been proposed and demonstrated successfully. By a quick electrochemical etching method, the device is created using a lift-off (In,Ga)N film detaching from the epitaxial silicon substrate. The Si removal is beneficial for releasing stress and reducing the internal polarization effects under bending conditions, keeping the electroluminescence peak wavelength quite stable. With good flexibility, the monolithic bifunctional device can maintain both stable detection and emission performance under bending conditions. Furthermore, two functions of detection and lighting of the flexible monolithic device can not only be realized separately but also simultaneously. This means that the flexible monolithic device can detect and emit light at the same time. With the advantages of miniaturization and multifunctionality, this work paves an effective way to develop new monolithic multifunctional devices for both self-driven detection and wearable intelligent display., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background and Aims: Sarcopenia is a disease characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and function that is closely associated with cardiovascular disease. The serum creatinine/cystatin C (Cr/CysC) ratio has been shown to be a simplified indicator for identifying low muscle mass (LMM) or sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Cr/CysC ratio helps to predict prognostic information in hypertensive patients., Methods and Results: This cohort study included 2509 patients with hypertension from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 1999-2002. To evaluate the association between Cr/CysC ratio and mortality, we used Kaplan Meier estimates to calculate cumulative survival probabilities for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, Cox regression analyses, and hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Over a median follow-up of 11.76 years, lower Cr/CysC ratio was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (per 0.1 increase, HR:0.81, 95% CI: 0.77-0.85, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (per 0.1 increase, HR:0.80, 95% CI: 0.72-0.89, P < 0.001). Compared with patients with normal muscle mass, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular mortality HR for patients with LMM diagnosed by Cr/CysC ratio were 1.57 (95% CI: 1.36-1.82, P < 0.001) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.12-2.42, P = 0.012), respectively., Conclusion: We found that low muscle mass shown by lower Cr/CysC ratio was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in hypertensive patients. We recommend routine screening of Cr/CysC ratio in hypertensive patients and early intervention for low muscle mass or sarcopenia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Due to the low-power consumption, self-driven ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors have great potentials in a broad range of applications, such as optical communication, ozone monitoring, bio-medicine, and flame detection. In this Letter, it is pretty novel to enhance the photocurrent and responsivity of self-driven UV photodetectors by (Al,Ga)N nanowire/graphene/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) heterojunction successfully. Compared to those of the photodetector with only nanowire/graphene heterojunction, it is found that both the photocurrent and responsivity of the photodetector with nanowire/graphene/PVDF heterojunction can be enhanced more than 100%. It is proposed that PVDF could maintain the internal gain by increasing the number of carrier cycles. Furthermore, this photodetector can also have a high detectivity of 5.3×10 11 Jones and fast response speed under 310 nm illumination. After preserving for one month without any special protection, both photocurrent and responsivity of the photodetector with nanowire/graphene/PVDF heterojunction are demonstrated to be quite stable. Therefore, this work paves an effective way to improve the performance of photodetectors for their applications in the fields of next-generation optoelectronic devices.

Background: Acute kidney disease (AKD) following coronary angiography (CAG) indicates a higher risk of chronic kidney disease and follow-up cardiovascular comorbidities. However, the predictive risk factor of AKD is not clear. We sought to verify whether preoperative N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level was associated with AKD in patients undergoing CAG., Method: We analyzed 7602 patients underwent CAG in this multi-center registry cohort study. Cardiorenal ImprovemeNt II (CIN-II) in five Chinese tertiary hospitals from 2007 to 2020. The primary outcome was AKD, defined as a ≥ 50% increase of serum creatinine within 7-90 days. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess the association between NT-proBNP and AKD., Result: 1009 patients (13.27%) eventually developed AKD, who were more likely to be female, older, and with comorbidities of chronic heart failure and anemia. After adjusting to the potential confounders, the NT-proBNP level remained an independent predictor of AKD (lnNT-proBNP OR: 1.20, 95% CI 1.13-1.28, p < 0.005). Restricted cubic spline analysis demonstrated a linear relationship between elevated NT-proBNP and AKD (p for trend < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, elevated NT-proBNP level in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention (p for interaction < 0.001) or without previous congestive heart failure (p for interaction = 0.0346) has a more significant value of AKD prediction., Conclusion: Pre-operative NT-proBNP level was independently associated with the risk of AKD in patients following CAG. Perioperative strategies are warranted to prevent AKD in patients with elevated NT-proBNP levels., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Epoxides are significant intermediates for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and epoxy resins. In this study, we develop a Br - /BrO - mediated photoelectrochemical epoxidation system on α-Fe 2 O 3 . High selectivity (up to >99%) and faradaic efficiency (up to 82 ± 4%) for the epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes are achieved, with water as oxygen source, which are far beyond the most reported electrochemical and photoelectrochemical epoxidation performances. Further, we can verify that the epoxidation reaction is mediated by Br - /BrO - route, in which Br - is oxidized non-radically to BrO - by an oxygen atom transfer pathway on α-Fe 2 O 3 , and the formed BrO - in turn transfers its oxygen atom to the alkenes. The non-radical mediated characteristic and the favorable thermodynamics of the oxygen atom transfer process make the epoxidation reactions very efficient. We believe that this photoelectrochemical Br - /BrO - -mediated epoxidation provides a promising strategy for value-added production of epoxides and hydrogen., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aims to investigate the composition and function of the gut microbiome in long-term depression using an 8-week chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model., Materials and Methods: Animals were sacrificed after either 4 weeks or 8 weeks under CUMS to mimic long-term depression in humans. The gut microbiome was analyzed to identify potential depression-related gut microbes, and the fecal metabolome was analyzed to detect their functional metabolites. The correlations between altered gut microbes and metabolites in the long-term depression rats were explored. The crucial metabolic pathways related to long-term depression were uncovered through enrichment analysis based on these gut microbes and metabolites., Results: The microbial composition of long-term depression (8-week CUMS) showed decreased species richness indices and different profiles compared with the control group and the 4-week CUMS group, characterized by disturbance of Alistipes indistinctus, Bacteroides ovatus, and Alistipes senegalensis at the species level. Additionally, long-term depression was associated with disturbances in fecal metabolomics. D-pinitol was the only increased metabolite in the 8-week CUMS group among the top 10 differential metabolites, while the top 3 decreased metabolites in the long-term depression rats included indoxyl sulfate, trimethylaminen-oxide, and 3 alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy-12-oxocholanoic acid. The disordered fecal metabolomics in the long-term depression rats mainly involved the biosynthesis of pantothenate, CoA, valine, leucine and isoleucine., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the gut microbiome may participate in the long-term development of depression, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of gut metabolism., 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 Li, Li, Cheng, Liu, Zhao, Liu, Chen, Sun, Zhai, Wu, Yan, Sun and Zhang.)

Due to the requirements of oceanography exploration and detection, self-powered photodetectors (PDs) with low-power consumption are essential for the next-generation optoelectronic applications. In this work, we successfully demonstrate a self-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC) PD in seawater based on the (In,Ga)N/GaN core-shell heterojunction nanowires. Compared to those of the PD in pure water, it is found that the upward and downward overshooting features of current can be the key reason contributing to the much faster response speed of the PD in seawater. Thanks to the enhanced response speed, the rise time of PD can be reduced more than 80%, and the fall time remains only 30% by applying in seawater instead of pure water. The key factors of generating these overshooting features should be the instantaneous temperature gradient, carrier accumulation and elimination on the semiconductor/electrolyte interfaces at the moments of light on and off. By the analysis of experimental results, the Na + and Cl - ions are proposed to be the main factors affecting the PD behavior in seawater, which can enhance the conductivity and accelerate the oxidation-reduction reaction significantly. This work paves an effective way to develop the new self-powered PDs for the wide applications in under-seawater detection and communication.

Background: Spasmolytic polypeptide expression metaplasia (SPEM) occurs in the corpus of the stomach and is closely related to inflammations caused by H. pylori infection. Recently, SPEM was suggested as one of the dubious precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (GC). Thus, further research on SPEM cell transdifferentiation and its underlying mechanisms could facilitate the development of new molecular targets improving the therapeutics of GC. Using bibliometrics, we analyzed publications, summarized the research hotspots and provided references for scientific researchers engaged in related research fields., Methods: We searched the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for publications related to SPEM-GC from 2002 to 2022. The VOSviewer, SCImago, CiteSpace and R software were used to visualize and analyze the data. Gene targets identified in the keyword list were analyzed for functional enrichment using the KEGG and GO databases., Results: Of the 292 articles identified in the initial search, we observed a stable trend in SPEM-GC research but rapid growth in the number of citations. The United States was the leader in terms of quality publications and international cooperation among them. The total number of articles published by Chinese scholars was second to the United States. Additionally, despite its low centrality and average citation frequency, China has become one of the world's most dynamic countries in academics. In terms of productivity, Vanderbilt University was identified as the most productive institution. Further, we also observed that Gastroenterology was the highest co-cited journal, and Goldenring Jr. was the most prolific author with the largest centrality., Conclusion: SPEM could serve as an initial step in diagnosing gastric precancerous lesions. Current hotspots and frontiers of research include SPEM cell lineage differentiation, interaction with H. pylori , disturbances of the mucosal microenvironment, biomarkers, clinical diagnosis and outcomes of SPEM, as well as the development of proliferative SPEM animal models. However, further research and collaboration are still required. The findings presented in this study can be used as reference for the research status of SPEM-GC and determine new directions for future studies., 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 Liu, Wang, Zhao, Zhang, Liu, Wang, Wang and Tang.)

Background: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is highly associated with adverse clinical outcomes in many diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between RDW and gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)., Methods: This was a retrospective observational study that included 4473 patients who received CABG, and all the data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. Data collected included patient demographics, associated comorbid illnesses, laboratory parameters, and medications. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the best cutoff value of RDW for the diagnosis of GIB. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between RDW and GIB., Results: The incidence of GIB in patients receiving CABG was 1.1%. Quartile analyses showed a significant increase in GIB incidence at the fourth RDW quartile (> 14.3%; P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis revealed that an RDW level > 14.1% measured on admission had 59.6% sensitivity and 69.4% specificity in predicting GIB after CABG. After adjustment for confounders, high RDW was still associated with an increased risk of GIB in patients with CABG (odds ratio = 2.83, 95% confidence interval 1.46-5.51, P = 0.002)., Conclusions: Our study indicates that the elevated RDW level is associated with an increased risk of GIB after CABG, and it can be an independent predictor of GIB. The introduction of RDW to study GIB enriches the diagnosis method of GIB and ensures the rapid and accurate diagnosis of GIB., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Conventional photocatalysts generate numerous active species-primarily hydroxyl radicals (•OH)-under solar light excitation to exert photocatalytic activity for especially antibacterial effects. However, the light dependence limits their competitiveness against other antimicrobial materials since they do not work at night. Herein, a P-g-C 3 N 4 /Sr 2 MgSi 2 O 7 :Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ (P-g-C 3 N 4 /SMSO) composite day-night photocatalyst is synthesized, using a model methyl orange (MO) substrate, and the impacts of trace P doping and the SMSO composite on the activity of the photocatalyst in MO degradation is investigated; Its antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on ceramic surfaces is further examined. The morphology, structure, and composition of the photocatalyst are characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, and UV-vis DRS. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism is elucidated through active species capture experiments and ESR testing. P doping and the SMSO heterojunction structure reduce the width of the forbidden band of g-C 3 N 4 and broaden its visible-light-response range. Moreover, SMSO acts as a light source to realize long-lasting photocatalytic performance of the composite, even in the dark. The photocatalytic process produces •O 2 - , 1 O 2 , and h + active species, with •O 2 - and 1 O 2 playing the dominant role-instead of •OH as previously thought., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 to produce fuel is considered a promising approach to reduce CO 2 emissions and tackle energy crisis. GaN-based materials have been studied for CO 2 reduction because of their excellent optical properties and band structure. However, low photocatalytic activity and severe photocorrosion of GaN-based photoelectrode greatly limit their applications. In this work, photocatalytic activity was improved by adopting InGaN quantum dots (QDs) combined with C 3 N 4 nano-sheets as photoanode, and thus the efficiency of CO 2 reduction and the selectivity of hydrogen production were increased significantly. In addition, the photoelectron-chemical corrosion of photoelectrodes has been apparently controlled. InGaN QDs/C 3 N 4 has the highest CO and H 2 productions rates of 14.69 μ mol mol -1 h -1 and 140 μ mol mol -1 h -1 which were 2.2 times and 14.5 times than that of InGaN film photoelectrode, respectively. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity is attributed to C 3 N 4 modification and a large electric dipole forming on the surface of InGaN QDs, which facilitate the separation and transfer of photo-generated carriers and thus promote CO 2 reduction reaction. This work provides a promising strategy for the development of GaN-based photoanodes with superior stability and efficiency., (© 2021 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The chemical reactions involving excited-state radical pairs (RPs) of parallel/anti-parallel spin configurations are sensitive to magnetic field, leading to the possibilities of magnetically controlled synthesis of chemical compounds. Here we show that the reaction of anthraquinone (AQ) in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar solution under UV excitation is significantly influenced by applying external field. The steady state and time-resolved spectroscopies reveal that the reaction intermediate (pairs of AQH-SDS radicals) can undergo two distinct pathways depending on whether it is spin singlet or triplet, and the field is beneficial to the conversion between spin configurations of RPs. The applied field not only affects the reaction rate constant but also changes the final products. Besides, the aggregation of AQ molecules would change the population of singlets and triplets and thus enhance magnetic field effect. This work represents a promising way of controlling chemical reaction and improving reaction selectivity via magnetic field methods., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2021 The Authors.)

A new and general Sc(OTf) 3 -catalyzed C-C bond-forming reaction of 3-(2-methoxyethoxy)-endoperoxy ketals with silyl ketene acetals, silyl enol ethers, allyltrimethylsilane, and trimethylsilyl cyanide has been developed via the reactive peroxycarbenium ions, affording a wide range of complicated 3,3,6,6-tetrasubstituted 1,2-dioxenes bearing adjacent quaternary carbons and 3-acetyl/allyl/cyano functional groups in good yields at room temperature. Notably, the resultant 1,2-dioxenes are structurally stable, which can be facially transformed into another important 1,2-dioxane endoperoxide under conventional hydrogenation conditions without deconstructing the weak O-O bond.

Microbial cell surface display technology can redesign cell surfaces with functional proteins and peptides to endow cells some unique features. Foreign peptides or proteins are transported out of cells and immobilized on cell surface by fusing with anchoring proteins, which is an effective solution to avoid substance transfer limitation, enzyme purification, and enzyme instability. As the most frequently used prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein surface display system, bacterial and yeast surface display systems have been widely applied in vaccine, biocatalysis, biosensor, bioadsorption, and polypeptide library screening. In this review of bacterial and yeast surface display systems, different cell surface display mechanisms and their applications in biocatalysis as well as biosensors are described with their strengths and shortcomings. In addition to single enzyme display systems, multi-enzyme co-display systems are presented here. Finally, future developments based on our and other previous reports are discussed.

Background: The recruitment to the skin of drug-responsive T cells is responsible for the inflammatory profiles of non-immediate drug hypersensitivity reactions (niDHRs). Maculopapular exanthema (MPE) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have quite distinct T cell infiltrating patterns., Objective: To investigate serum levels of CXCL9, CXCL10 and IFN-γ in patients with niDHRs, including MPE and SJS/TEN, to evaluate correlations between the cytokines, and to determine whether the inflammatory factors correlate with clinical severity in patients with SJS/TEN., Method: Twenty-four patients with SJS/TEN, 24 patients with MPE, and 24 healthy donors with good tolerance to the drugs involved in the drug reactions were recruited into the study. The modified severity-of-illness score for TEN (SCORTEN) and detachment of body surface area (dBSA) were used to assess the clinical severity of SJS/TEN. Serum levels of CXCL9, CXCL10 and IFN-? were determined by ELISA., Results: The niDHRs group, SJS/TEN and MPE subgroups all exhibited significantly higher levels of CXCL9, CXCL10 and IFN-γ compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Serum IFN-γ levels were positively correlated with CXCL9 levels and CXCL10 levels in patients with niDHRs (rs = 0.576, rs = 0.449, P < 0.05). None of the levels of CXCL9, CXCL10 and IFN-γ had any correlation with modified SCOTEN index or dBSA in SJS/TEN group., Conclusions: The results suggest Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 may play roles in the pathogenesis of niDHRs.