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AbstractBackground and purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common serious complication in sepsis patients with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for sepsis associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). Methods: In our study, we retrospectively constructed a development cohort comprising 733 septic patients admitted to eight Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Shanghai from January 2021 to October 2022. Additionally, we established an external validation cohort consisting of 336 septic patients admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Risk predictors were selected by LASSO regression, and a corresponding nomogram was constructed. We evaluated the model’s discrimination, precision and clinical benefit through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curves (CIC) in both internal and external validation. Results: AKI incidence was 53.2% in the development cohort and 48.2% in the external validation cohort. The model included five independent indicators: chronic kidney disease stages 1 to 3, blood urea nitrogen, procalcitonin, D-dimer and creatine kinase isoenzyme. The AUC of the model in the development and validation cohorts was 0.914 (95% CI, 0.894–0.934) and 0.923 (95% CI, 0.895–0.952), respectively. The calibration plot, DCA, and CIC demonstrated the model’s favorable clinical applicability. Conclusion: We developed and validated a robust nomogram model, which might identify patients at risk of SA-AKI and promising for clinical applications.

Differently colored foxtail millet (Setaria italica) cultivars were compared regarding their amylose, B-complex vitamin, vitamin E, and phenolic compositions, as well as the bioaccessibility of their phenolics in simulated in vitro digestion. Dark-colored foxtail millets contained more thiamine, pyridoxine, and tocopherols, but less riboflavin, than light-colored ones. Phenolics were more abundant in dark-colored cultivars. Insoluble bound fractions accounted for 75%-83% of the total phenolics, with ferulic acid detected as the most plentiful compound. The major bioaccessible phenolic was free ferulic acid, with 100%-120% bioaccessibility, depending on cultivar, followed by p-coumaric acid and isoferulic acid (50%-80%). These relatively high bioaccessibilities were likely due to the release of soluble conjugated or insoluble bound phenolics during digestion. However, the contents of other free phenolics were largely decreased following in vitro digestion, resulting in low bioaccessibility, which also means that the release from the conjugated and bound fractions was poor., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Scutellariae Radix, SR) and Coptis chinensis Franch (Coptidis Rhizoma, CR) is a classic herbal pair used in many Traditional Chinese Medicine formulations in the treatment of hyperlipidemia (HLP). As effective ingredients of the drug pair, the effects and mechanisms of berberine and baicalin in the treatment of HLP in the form of components compatibility are still unclear., Aim of the Study: To explore the mechanism of the components compatibility of SR and CR in the treatment of HLP., Materials and Methods: The HLP model was established by a high-fat diet. Serum biochemical indexes were detected. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were detected. RT-PCR and Western Blot were used to analyze the effect of RA on the expression of the Cyp4a family during the treatment of HLP., Results: Berberine-baicalin (RA) has a good effect in the treatment of HLP. RA can significantly reduce the body weight and liver weight of HLP, reduce the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C). Through transcriptomic analysis, RA significantly reversed the gene expression of Cyp4a10, Cyp4a12 b, Cyp4a31, and Cyp4a32 in cytochrome P450 family 4 subfamily a (Cyp4a) which related to fatty acid degradation in the liver of HLP mice. The results of fatty acid detection showed that RA could significantly regulate heptanoic acid, EPA, adrenic acid, DH-γ-linolenic acid, and DPA in the cecum of HLP mice. The Cyp4a family genes regulated by RA are closely related to a variety of fatty acids regulated by RA. RT-PCR confirmed that RA could regulate Cyp4a mRNA expression in HLP mice. WB also showed that RA can regulate the protein expression level of Cyp4a., Conclusion: The components compatibility of SR and CR can effectively improve the blood lipid level of HLP mice, its mechanism may be related to regulating Cyp4a gene expression and affecting fatty acid degradation, regulating the level of fatty acid metabolism in the body., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system; they participate in crucial biological processes, maintain brain structure, and regulate nervous system function. Exosomes are cell-derived extracellular vesicles containing various bioactive molecules including proteins, peptides, nucleotides, and lipids secreted from their cellular sources. Increasing evidence shows that exosomes participate in a communication network in the nervous system, in which astrocyte-derived exosomes play important roles. In this review, we have summarized the effects of exosomes targeting astrocytes and the astrocyte-derived exosomes targeting other cell types in the central nervous system. We also discuss the potential research directions of the exosome-based communication network in the nervous system. The exosome-based intercellular communication focused on astrocytes is of great significance to the biological and/or pathological processes in different conditions in the brain. New strategies may be developed for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders by focusing on astrocytes as the central cells and utilizing exosomes as communication mediators., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Neural Regeneration Research.)

Background: Minimally invasive surgery is the optimal treatment for insulinoma. The present study aimed to compare short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic surgery for sporadic benign insulinoma., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic surgery for insulinoma at our center between September 2007 and December 2019 was conducted. The demographic, perioperative and postoperative follow-up results were compared between the laparoscopic and robotic groups., Results: A total of 85 patients were enrolled, including 36 with laparoscopic approach and 49 with robotic approach. Enucleation was the preferred surgical procedure. Fifty-nine patients (69.4%) underwent enucleation; among them, 26 and 33 patients underwent laparoscopic and robotic surgery, respectively. Robotic enucleation had a lower conversion rate to laparotomy (0 vs. 19.2%, P = 0.013), shorter operative time (102.0 vs. 145.5 min, P = 0.008) and shorter postoperative hospital stay (6.0 vs. 8.5 d, P = 0.002) than laparoscopic enucleation. There were no differences between the groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss, the rates of postoperative pancreatic fistula and complications. After a median follow-up of 65 months, two patients in the laparoscopic group developed a functional recurrence and none of the patients in the robotic group had a recurrence., Conclusions: Robotic enucleation can reduce the conversion rate to laparotomy and shorten operative time, which might lead to a reduction in postoperative hospital stay., (Copyright © 2023 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly sensitive for lesion detection. Sequences obtained with different settings can capture specific characteristics of lesions. Such multi-parametric MRI information has been shown to aid radiologist performance in lesion classification, as well as improving the performance of artificial intelligence models in various tasks. However, obtaining multi-parametric MRI makes the examination costly from both financial and time perspectives, and there may also be safety concerns for special populations, thus making acquisition of the full spectrum of MRI sequences less durable. In this study, a sophisticated I ntegrated MRI M ulti- P arametric increment fusi O n generato R wi T h A tte NT ion Network (IMPORTANT-Net) is developed to generate absent sequences/parameters. First, the parameter reconstruction module is used to encode and restore the existing MRI parameters to obtain the corresponding latent representation information at any scale level. Then the multi-parametric fusion with attention module enables the interaction of the encoded information from different parameters through a set of algorithmic strategies, and applies different weights to the information through the attention mechanism after information fusion to obtain refined representation information. Finally, a increment fusion scheme embedded in a V -shape generation module is used to combine the hierarchical representations to generate specified absent MRI parameter. Results showed that our IMPORTANT-Net is capable of synthesizing absent MRI, outperforms comparable state-of-the-art networks and more importantly benefit downstream tasks. The codes are available at https://github.com/Netherlands-Cancer-Institute/MRI_IMPORTANT_NET • Multi-parameter fusion module realizes the interaction between different parameters. • The attention module optimizes the contribution of the fused parameters. • Hierarchical increment leads to both global and local analysis and fusion. • Synthesized images can improve the performance of AI models in downstream tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) in glass materials, specifically CsPbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I), are being considered as the next-generation fluorescent materials due to their impressive luminous performance and stability. However, the crystallization process of quantum dots within the glass presents uncontrollable challenge, leading to uneven crystallinity and subsequent reductions in light efficiency, thereby affecting practical applications. In glass ceramics doped with rare-earth oxides, the introduction of rare-earth ions as nucleating agents can promote the self-precipitation of nanocrystalline crystals within the glass. Building upon this principle, we have doped rare-earth ions into borosilicate glass for the first time to induce the self-crystallization of CsPbBr 3 QDs. This approach effectively enhances the equilibrium distribution of quantum dots within the glass, resulting in a significant improvement in luminosity. Furthermore, the luminescence spectrum range of quantum dot-shaped luminescent glass materials can be finely tuned through rare-earth ion doping. This finding holds both theoretical and practical significance for their application in the field of lighting. • Doped rare earth ions can alter the glass network and promote the self-crystallization of CsPbBr 3 quantum dots. • Eliminating the heat treatment process renders it more environmentally friendly. • The self-crystallizing CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals glass is more conducive to practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium , seriously contaminates grapes and its products. Inhibiting the growth of OTA-producing fungi is the best approach to reduce OTA contamination in grapes. This study was to reveal the inhibition mechanism of Lactobacillus brevis 8–2B on Aspergillus westerdijkiae. Research has found that L. brevis 8–2B could inhibit the germination, growth, and OTA synthesis of A. westerdijkiae. The antifungal activity of L. brevis 8–2B is attributed to the synergistic effect of acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, longifolene, methyl salicylate, 3-phenyl-2-propenal, nystatin, and itraconazole. The inhibitory effect of L. brevis 8–2B on A. westerdijkiae was the synergistic effect of these active substances. Ultrastructure observation and flow cytometry results showed that the mycelia structure, cell membrane and cell wall of A. westerdijkiae were disrupted, the cells showed apoptosis, and the ergosterol content in the cells was reduced. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression levels of ribosomal biosynthesis genes and cell wall chitin synthesis genes in inhibited A. westerdijkiae were up-regulated, while the expression of chitin degrading enzyme genes was down-regulated to enhance its primary growth and development. In addition, L. brevis 8–2B also inhibits the expression of amino acid synthesis and glycolysis genes in A. westerdijkiae , reducing the generation of secondary metabolite precursors such as NRPS and PKS, thereby inhibiting OTA biosynthesis. On grapes, L. brevis 8–2B could inhibit the infection of A. westerdijkiae, and prolong its shelf life. This study provides new insights for the research and development of novel agent to control OTA contamination. • 8–2B could inhibit the growth and OTA production of A. westerdijkiae. • The inhibitory effect was a synergism of acids, nystatin and 2-hexyl-1-decanol. • 8–2B could destroy the cell wall and membrane structure of A. westerdijkiae. • 8–2B inhibited growth and OTA synthesis genes expression of A. westerdijkiae. • 8–2B could inhibit grape decay and prolong the shelf life of grapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yersinia ruckeri , as a facultative intracellular pathogen, can cause two different infection phenotypes of fish. An important phenotype is diffuse acute inflammation (DAI), which is mainly characterized by systemic hemorrhage and multiple tissues damage. Another phenotype is enteric redmouth symptom (EM) with predominantly digestive system damage, while slight damage to other tissues and organs. At present, the causes and mechanisms of heterogeneity of Y. ruckeri infection are not clear. According to our previous research and related bioinformatics analysis, it is suggested that the heterogeneity of infection of Y. ruckeri may be related to the activation of intracellular pattern recognition receptor (NLRP3). Furthermore, combined with the transmission electron microscope observation and ultrastructural pathological analysis of DAI and EM phenotypes, it is hypothesized that Y. ruckeri infection may mediate the occurrence of DAI by inducing mitochondrial damage and activation of NLRP3. In this study, we established DAI and EM phenotypes of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) through the artificial infection experiment. Subsequently, we observed the pathological changes and characteristics of different tissues in DAI and EM phenotypes, such as liver, spleen, kidney, intestine and gill. In addition, the mitochondrial damage of head kidney mediated by Y. ruckeri infection was confirmed by transmission electron microscope observation. Furthermore, by detecting the expression of proinflammatory factors and related pattern recognition receptors in various tissues, we preliminarily clarified the molecular characteristics of immune response in DAI and EM phenotype fish. Moreover, the head kidney macrophages isolated from DAI and EM were observed through transmission electron microscope, and the expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β were detected. Finally, the correlation between mitochondrial damage induced by Y. ruckeri infection and NLRP3 signal transduction was preliminary revealed. Taken together, our results showed that the inflammatory DAI phenotype of fish mediated by Y. ruckeri infection is closely related to mitochondrial damage and NLRP3 activation, which will provide theoretical basis for further study on the pathogenic mechanism of Y. ruckeri infection and clinical diagnosis of the disease, and also provide some insights into the role of NLRP3 in the natural immunity of aquatic animals. [Display omitted] • Yersinia ruckeri infection is capable of inducing varying degrees of inflammation. • Yersinia ruckeri infection mediated serious damage to mitochondria in DAI phenotype. • Yersinia ruckeri infection mediated severe activation of NLRP3 in DAI phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-wavelength infrared region light source (SWIR, λ = 1000–2000 nm) is useful for optical imaging of biological tissues for lack of auto-fluorescence, low intrinsic absorption, and low scattering. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and mechanistic studies of a Ni2+-doped, lanthanum gallium germanate-based phosphor, La 3 Ga 5 GeO 14 :Ni2+, that emits SWIR with an ultra-broad bandwidth emission of 1000–2000 nm, a full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of 340 nm, which covers near infrared-II and III regions. The analysis of crystal structure suggests that Ga3+ ions in [GaO 6 ] octahedron lattices are replaced by Ni2+ ions, possibly due to the similar radius shared by both ions. The observed ultra-broadband SWIR luminescence with large Stokes shift is most likely originated from the influence of a strong crystal field on the extent of the cleavage of energy levels of Ni2+ ions, which is supported by the charge density data of [GaO 6 ] octahedra in La 3 Ga 5 GeO 14 derived from state density functional calculation. A SWIR pc-LED was constructed by packaging the La 3 Ga 5 GeO 14 :Ni2+ phosphor with a near-ultraviolet LED chip, and its potential application in optical imaging of human bodies was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active and passive oxidation of Al in Al–Al 2 O 3 composites was investigated in air at high temperatures. As fresh air impinged on the surface of the Al–Al 2 O 3 composite sample, a thin Al 2 O 3 layer was preferentially formed via passive oxidation of Al, which consumed most of the oxygen and lowered the local P o 2 inside the sample. At low P o 2 , active oxidation of Al occurred and predominated in the interior transition layer, which further lowered the local P o 2 to extremely low values within the non-oxide stability field. The local equilibrium P Al x O y generated by the active oxidation of Al reached a micro-positive pressure state and served as a gas barrier, hindering the inward diffusion of O 2. The P o 2 inside the composite was lowered by Al in the outer layers via a self-gettering process. Subsequently, Al 4 O 4 C and Al 2 OC-AlN solid solution were formed by both the direct reaction of Al(l) and the indirect reaction of Al x O y (g). After sintering in air, the Al–Al 2 O 3 composite exhibited a functional gradient structure with a thin oxide layer and an interior non-oxide-reinforced corundum. A reaction mechanism model was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel double perovskite oxides NCBCC are studied as oxygen electrodes for RSOCs. • Introduction of Ca significantly reduces the TEC and increases the conductivity. • Co-doping with Ca2+ leads to good stability at high oxygen partial pressure. • NCBC exhibits excellent reversibility and catalysis in opposite operating mode. The oxygen electrode of the solid oxide cells (SOCs) operates under an oxidizing atmosphere. Lattice shrinkage in a high oxygen partial pressure environment results in cation misalignment, leading to a decline in performance. Addressing the drawbacks associated with A-site cation mismatch in LnBaCo 2 O 5+ δ double perovskite oxides for reversible solid oxide cells (RSOCs) oxygen electrodes, a novel calcium ion co-doping strategy is proposed. This approach effectively mitigates A-site cation segregation and enhances stability. The glycine-nitrate method was employed to synthesize Nd 0.8 Ca 0.2 Ba 1− x Ca x Co 2 O 5+ δ (x = 0–0.2) layered double perovskites oxides co-doped with calcium ions, denoted as NCBCC. NCBCC exhibits excellent compatibility with commonly used electrolytes. The doping of calcium co-doped in NdBaCo 2 O 5+ δ decreases the thermal expansion coefficient and improves the electron transfer characteristics. The sample with x = 0.1 exhibited an area-specific resistance (ASR) of 0.024 Ω cm2 when operated at a temperature of 800 °C in air. In the solid oxide fuel cell mode, employing x = 0.1 as an oxygen electrode, the maximum power density achieved was 766 mW cm−2 at 800 °C. In the solid oxide electrolysis cell mode, operating with CO 2 and steam at an electrolysis voltage of 1.5 V and a temperature of 800 °C, the corresponding current densities were −1.51 and −1.85 A cm−2, respectively. The incorporation of calcium ions into layered perovskite oxides offers a promising strategy to enhance the performance of oxygen electrodes in RSOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in western Liaoning, China contains the exceptionally well-preserved Jehol Biota, and includes the famous assemblages known as "Dinosaur Pompeii". In this study, we focus on the fossil-rich Zhuanchengzi Bed near Yingwoshan, and describe laminated lacustrine successions that show prominent rhythmites to understand subdecadal palaeoclimate variability. We highlight the cyclicity preserved at a millimetre-scale based on analysis of the rhythmic alterations between the light- and dark-coloured carbonate-siliciclastic layers. Coupling petrographic with phase-specific geochemical analyses, we infer these laminated successions represent varves. The light-coloured layers of the couplets, containing dolomite-dominated carbonates, developed during warm seasons as a result of chemical precipitation enhanced by photosynthetic activities and rhythmic changes in the ambient water properties. The dark-coloured layers are mostly composed of siliciclastic and clay minerals representing terrestrial input during cold seasons. Varve thickness variations likely record seasonal climate changes regulated by ancient Asian Monsoons and decade-level cyclicities, such as ENSO-like and solar cycles. Overall, the varve records in the Yixian Formation offer a novel perspective on the palaeoseasonality of the Jehol Biota and provide insights into the dominant climate mode over interannual time scales of the Early Cretaceous greenhouse world. • Dolostones from Yixian Formation in Jehol Biota show clear annual laminations. • The light- and dark-coloured layers precipitated in wet and dry seasons of a year. • Seasonal variations of precipitation and temperature existed in the Early Cretaceous. • Early Cretaceous solar cycles and ENSO-like signals are preserved in varves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread adoption of deep learning is facilitated in part by the availability of large-scale data for training desirable models. However, these data may involve sensitive personal information, which raises privacy concerns for data providers. Differential privacy has been thought of as a key technique in the privacy preservation field, which has drawn much attention owing to its capability of providing rigorous and provable privacy guarantees for training data. Training deep learning models in a differentially private manner is a topic that is gaining traction as this alleviates the reconstruction and inference of sensitive information effectively. Taking this cue, in this paper, we present here a comprehensive and systematic study on differentially private deep learning from the facets of privacy attack and privacy preservation. We explore a new taxonomy to analyze the privacy attacks faced in deep learning and then survey the type of privacy preservation based on differential privacy to tackle such privacy attacks in deep learning. Finally, we propose the first probe into the real-world application of differentially private deep learning, and then conclude with several potential future research avenues. This survey provides promising directions for protecting sensitive information in training data via differential privacy during deep learning model training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the simulated gastrointestinal digestion process on walnut protein and the potential anti-inflammatory properties of its metabolites was studied. Structural changes induced by digestion, notably in α-Helix, β-Turn, and Random Coil configurations, were unveiled. Proteins over 10,000 Da significantly decreased by 35.6 %. Antioxidant activity in these metabolites paralleled increased amino acid content. Molecular docking identified three walnut polypeptides-IPAGTPVYLINR, FQGQLPR, and VVYVLR-with potent anti-inflammatory properties. RMSD and RMSF analysis demonstrated the stable and flexible interaction of these polypeptides with their target proteins. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in normal human colon mucosal epithelial NCM460 cells, these peptides decreased 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, while mitigating cell apoptosis and inflammation. Our study offers valuable insights into walnut protein physiology, shedding light on its potential health benefits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)