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Abstract Background Human adenovirus type 7 (HAdV7) has become a major public health threat due to its widespread transmission, severe associated pneumonia, and a lack of effective anti-HAdV7 drugs. The aim of the current study is to design a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) demonstrating efficacy against HAdV-7 infections in vitro and in vivo. Methods The humanized neutralizing antibody, 3G5-hu, was derived from the murine mAb 3G5. Antibody activity was evaluated using a flow cytometry-based neutralization (FCN) assay to identify humanized mAbs retaining potent neutralizing activity. Additionally, a humanized hDSG2/hCD46 dual-receptor transgenic mouse model was developed to simulate HAdV-7 infection. Results Using recombinant HAdV-7 expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein and clinically isolated wild-type HAdV-7, the half-maximal effective concentration of 3G5-hu against HAdV-7 was determined to be

Abstract Contrary to common intuition, a group of people recalling information together remembers less than the same number of individuals recalling alone (i.e., the collaborative inhibition effect). To understand this effect in a free recall task, we build a computational model of collaborative recall in groups, extended from the Context Maintenance and Retrieval (CMR) model, which captures how individuals recall information alone. We propose that in collaborative recall, one not only uses their previous recall as an internal retrieval cue, but one also listens to someone else’s recall and uses it as an external retrieval cue. Attending to this cue updates the listener’s context to be more similar to the context of someone else’s recall. Over an existing dataset of individual and collaborative recall in small and large groups, we show that our model successfully captures the difference in memory performance between individual recall and collaborative recall across different group sizes from 2 to 16, as well as additional recall patterns such as recency effects and semantic clustering effects. Our model further shows that collaborating individuals reach similar areas in the context space, whereby their contexts converge more than the contexts of individuals recalling alone. This convergence constrains their ability to search memories effectively and is negatively associated with recall performance. We discuss the contributions of our modeling results in relation to previous accounts of the collaborative inhibition effect.

Abstract The segmentation accuracy of the lung images is affected by the occlusion of the front background objects. To address this problem, we propose a full-scale lung image segmentation algorithm based on hybrid skip connection and attention mechanism (HAFS). The algorithm uses yolov8 as the underlying network and enhancement of multi-layer feature fusion by incorporating dense and sparse skip connections into the network structure, and increased weighting of important features through attention gates. Finally the proposed algorithm was applied to the lung datasets Montgomery County chest X-ray and Shenzhen chest X-ray. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm improves the precision, recall, pixel accuracy, Dice, mIoU, mAP and GFLOPs metrics compared to the comparison algorithms, which proves the advancement and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

During the process of bilateral teleoperation, operators not only need to perform complex maintenance tasks but also have to constantly monitor the safety of the operation, leading to reduced operational efficiency. Therefore, in this paper, we introduce a shared autonomous scheme that intervenes in the operator's command input when necessary, autonomously ensuring the safe operation of the manipulator by employing a rolling horizon planning controller based on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC). This controller considers the motion boundaries and collision avoidance constraints of the manipulator, accompanied by the design of corresponding objective functions. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct tests on collision-free trajectory tracking and comprehensive performance with collision constraints, confirming the feasibility and excellent performance of the approach.

Abstract Background There has been a significant surge in animal studies of stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) therapy for the treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) but its efficacy remains unknown and a comprehensive and up-to-date meta-analysis is lacking. Before clinical translation, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the overall impact of stem cell-derived EVs on POF. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science were searched up to February 18, 2024. The risk of bias was evaluated according to Cochrane Handbook criteria, while quality of evidence was assessed using the SYRCLE system. The PRISMA guidance was followed. Trial sequential analysis was conducted to assess outcomes, and sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis were performed using Stata 14. Results Data from 25 studies involving 339 animals were extracted and analyzed. The analysis revealed significant findings: stem cell-derived EVs increase ovary weight (SMD = 3.88; 95% CI: 2.50 ~ 5.25; P

Abstract The quick and accurate measurement and evaluation of the deterioration degree and consolidation effectiveness on the surface of masonry relics is valuable for disease investigation and restoration work. However, there is still a lack of quantitative indices for evaluating the deterioration degree and consolidation effectiveness of masonry relics in situ. Based on the micro-drilling resistance method, new quantitative evaluation indices for the deterioration degree and consolidation of masonry materials were proposed. Five types of masonry samples with different deterioration degrees were prepared by artificially accelerated deterioration tests involving sandstone and clay brick as research objects. Three types of consolidants were used to consolidate the deteriorated samples. Drilling resistance tests were conducted for deteriorated and consolidated samples. The variations in deterioration depth and average drilling resistance for samples with different numbers of deterioration cycles were analysed, while the differences in consolidation depth and average drilling resistance for samples with different consolidant types and dosages were compared. Finally, the deterioration degree index ( $$K$$ K ) and consolidation effectiveness index ( $${R}_{c}$$ R c ), which are based on the average drilling resistance, are proposed. The results can be applied to quick on-site investigations of immovable masonry relics.

Abstract It has been proposed that, when processing a stream of events, humans divide their experiences in terms of inferred latent causes (LCs) to support context-dependent learning. However, when shared structure is present across contexts, it is still unclear how the “splitting” of LCs and learning of shared structure can be simultaneously achieved. Here, we present the Latent Cause Network (LCNet), a neural network model of LC inference. Through learning, it naturally stores structure that is shared across tasks in the network weights. Additionally, it represents context-specific structure using a context module, controlled by a Bayesian nonparametric inference algorithm, which assigns a unique context vector for each inferred LC. Across three simulations, we found that LCNet could (1) extract shared structure across LCs in a function learning task while avoiding catastrophic interference, (2) capture human data on curriculum effects in schema learning, and (3) infer the underlying event structure when processing naturalistic videos of daily events. Overall, these results demonstrate a computationally feasible approach to reconciling shared structure and context-specific structure in a model of LCs that is scalable from laboratory experiment settings to naturalistic settings.

AIM: To investigate diabetic retinopathy (DR) prevalence in Chinese renal-biopsied type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with kidney dysfunction, and to further evaluate its relationship with diabetic nephropathy (DN) incidence and the risk factors for DR development in this population. METHODS: A total of 84 renal-biopsied T2DM patients were included. Fundus and imaging examinations were employed for DR diagnosis. Demographic information and clinical measures along with renal histopathology were analyzed for comparisons between the DR and non-DR groups. Risk factors on DR development were analyzed with multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: DR prevalence was 50% in total. The incidences of DN, non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD) and mixed-type pathology were 47.6%, 19.0% and 33.3% in the DR group respectively, while 11.9%, 83.3% and 4.8% in the non-DR group. Systolic blood pressure, ratio of urinary albumin to creatine ratio, urinary albumin, 24-hours urinary protein, the incidence and severity of DN histopathology were found statistically increased in the DR group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed histopathological DN incidence significantly increased the risk of DR development [odds ratio (OR)=21.664, 95% confidential interval (CI) 5.588 to 83.991, P

The modern power system has evolved into a cyber-physical system with deep coupling of physical and information domains, which brings new security risks. Aiming at the problem that the “information-physical” cross-domain attacks with key nodes as springboards seriously threaten the safe and stable operation of power grids, a risk propagation model considering key nodes of power communication coupling networks is proposed to study the risk propagation characteristics of malicious attacks on key nodes and the impact on the system. First, combined with the complex network theory, a topological model of the power communication coupling network is established, and the key nodes of the coupling network are screened out by Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method under the comprehensive evaluation index based on topological characteristics and physical characteristics. Second, a risk propagation model is established for malicious attacks on key nodes to study its propagation characteristics and analyze the state changes of each node in the coupled network. Then, two loss-causing factors: the minimum load loss ratio and transmission delay factor are constructed to quantify the impact of risk propagation on the coupled network. Finally, simulation analysis based on the IEEE 39-node system shows that the probability of node being breached (α) and the security tolerance of the system (β) are the key factors affecting the risk propagation characteristics of the coupled network, as well as the criticality of the node is positively correlated with the damage-causing factor. The proposed methodological model can provide an effective exploration of the diffusion of security risks in control systems on a macro level.

Background Pulpotomy is a widely recommended treatment for deep caries and reversible pulpitis in primary teeth. However, there is a significant lack of large-scale clinical studies evaluating the long-term efficacy of pulpotomy in primary molars, especially in studies with follow-up periods extending beyond a two years. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and iRoot BP Plus for pulpotomy in primary molars performed under general anesthesia and to investigate factors influencing the success rate. Methods In this retrospective study, a total of 942 primary molars from 422 children who met the inclusion criteria underwent pulpotomy. Propensity score matching method (PSM) was used to match the MTA and iRoot BP Plus groups in a 1:1 ratio based on covariates. Efficacy was assessed using the Zurn & Seale criteria. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards model were performed to analyze the outcomes. Results PSM resulted in 266 pairs of matched teeth from 532 teeth of 291 children (mean age: 4.64 ± 1.07 years, ranging from 2 to 8 years). Long-term clinical and radiographic evaluations revealed higher success rates for iRoot BP Plus (24-month: 99.54%/97.25%; 36-month: 97.22%/95.83%) compared to MTA (24-month: 94.76%/95.29%; 36-month: 92.50%/91.25%). Survival analysis indicated a statistically significant difference between two groups (P = 0.0042). Age, gender, tooth position, and decayed tooth surface showed no significant impact on pulpotomy success, whereas the choice of pulp capping materials significantly influenced the outcome (HR [95% CI]=0.3745[0.1857-0.7552], P = 0.006). Conclusion Clinical and radiographic evaluations support the use of iRoot BP Plus for pulpotomy in primary molars.

BackgroundDiastolic dysfunction emerges early in patients with cardiac insufficiency and is prevalent, underscoring the importance of its early identification and intervention in the prevention of heart failure. The study leverages the convenience and accuracy of measuring peripheral arterial sclerosis to facilitate the early detection of diastolic dysfunction, which is instrumental in mitigating and delaying the onset and progression of heart failure, holding significant clinical relevance.MethodsThis research enrolled 556 patients suspected of experiencing Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and stratified them into Groups A, B, C, and D according to the severity of coronary artery stenosis. The diastolic function of the left ventricle was indicated by the relaxation time constant, denoted as T value, which measures the temporal span from the peak rate of left ventricular pressure rise (dp/dt) to the end-diastolic pressure.ResultsThe T value of the left ventricle demonstrated a significant correlation with the Gensini Score and the T values across various peripheral arteries (P

AimsTo investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in Hubei, China.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed inpatients with MPP from 20 hospitals in Hubei, China from January 2021 to December 2022. The co-detected pathogens of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) were investigated using targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS), and 23S rRNA gene mutations were analyzed to assess the macrolide resistance.ResultsM. pneumoniae infected 20.7% of patients with CAP, with cough (96.59%) and fever (80.28%) being the most prevalent symptoms. The infection rates in children younger than 1, 1–2, 3–6, 7–12, and older than 12 years were 6.17%, 19.98%, 26.97%, 43.93%, and 2.95%, respectively. Among 1,349 patients undergoing tNGS, the overall co-detection rate was 59.45%, with Streptococcus pneumoniae (29.30%), Haemophilus influenzae (23.57%), and Human rhinovirus (17.21%) being the most commonly co-detected pathogens. In 635 patients undergoing the 23S rRNA gene mutation test, 86.30% exhibited positive mutations (A2063G, 98.00%; A2064G, 1.50%; A2067G, 0.50%). Despite a significant age difference (P = 0.037) between macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae and macrolide-sensitive M. pneumoniae groups, there were no significant differences in symptoms, lab data, or disease severity.ConclusionsIn Hubei Province, the prevalence of exhibited consistent changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. MPP was prevalent year-round, particularly in summer and autumn, with school-age children being more susceptible. Co-detections of viruses and bacteria were frequent in MPP cases, and macrolide resistance exceeded 85%. Ongoing surveillance of M. pneumoniae in children is crucial for understanding the healthcare impact of MPP.

Abstract Central and systemic inflammation play pivotal roles in epileptogenesis and proepileptogenesis in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The interplay between peripheral CD4+ T cells and central microglia orchestrates the “systemic‐central” immune response in TLE. However, the precise molecular mechanisms linking central and systemic inflammation in TLE remain unknown. This preliminary findings revealed an imbalance in Th1/Th2 subsets in the periphery，accompanied by related cytokines release in TLE patients. they proposed that this peripheral Th1/Th2 imbalance may influence central inflammation by mediating microglial state dynamics within epileptic foci and distant brain regions. In Li‐pilocarpine‐induced TLE rats, a peripheral Th1/Th2 imbalance and observed corresponding central and systemic responses is confirmed. Notably, CD4+ T cells infiltrated through the compromised blood‐brain barrierand are spatially close to microglia around epileptic foci. Intravenous depletion and reinfusion of CD4+ T cells modulated microglia state dynamics and altered neuroinflammatory cytokines secretion. Moreover, mRNA sequencing of the human hippocampus identified Notch1 as a key regulator of Th1/Th2 differentiation, CD4+ T cell recruitment to brain infiltration sites, and the regulation of microglial responses, seizure frequency, and cognition. This study underscores the significance of Th1/Th2 imbalance in modulating the “systemic‐central” response in TLE, highlighting Notch1 as a potential therapeutic target.

Traditional village tourism significantly shapes the dynamic interaction between human-land relations and contributes to the evolution of three key land uses: ecological, production, and living. It is worthwhile to study the relationship between tourism and land use evolution, both theoretically and practically. Chengyang Eight Villages Scenic Area (CYEVSA) in China offers an extraordinary cultural heritage experience, which is an ideal venue for such investigations. We examined quantitative information regarding the tourism industry and the evolution of ecological, production, and living land uses based on satellite remote sensing data obtained from CYEVSA in 2006, 2015, and 2021. This analysis focused on two primary aspects: land type area and dynamics. Using both the global Moran index and the local Moran index, we investigated the evolutionary characteristics of these three land uses. Our analysis revealed a consistent growth trend in the tourism industry, as well as the proportion of production and living land usage. Notably, tourism has a slight negative impact on ecological land use. Additionally, the tourism industry triggers discernible land use conversions within the production and living land use categories. Production and living activities encroached observably on ecological land. Furthermore, while the tourism industry mitigated the clustering of these land use types and drove land use conversion, it also exhibited spatial heterogeneity. The tourism industry needs to explore and enhance its resources within CYEVSA, diversify its formats, and broaden its reach gradually to encompass all eight villages. Through strategic CYEVSA planning, it is crucial to designate necessary development uses for tourism, proactively plan and target land reserve development for the tourism industry and leverage the positive impact of tourism in facilitating the conversion of these three land uses. Our research advances land use optimization for traditional village tourism, including an exploration of how tourism development interacts with land uses.

Abstract The corticospinal tract (CST) is the principal neural pathway responsible for conducting voluntary movement in the vertebrate nervous system. Netrin-1 is a well-known guidance molecule for midline crossing of commissural axons during embryonic development. Families with inherited Netrin-1 mutations display congenital mirror movements (CMM), which are associated with malformations of pyramidal decussation in most cases. Here, we investigated the role of Netrin-1 in CST formation by generating conditional knockout (CKO) mice using a Gfap-driven Cre line. A large proportion of CST axons spread laterally in the ventral medulla oblongata, failed to decussate and descended in the ipsilateral spinal white matter of Ntn1Gfap CKO mice. Netrin-1 mRNA was expressed in the ventral ventricular zone (VZ) and midline, while Netrin-1 protein was transported by radial glial cells to the ventral medulla, through which CST axons pass. The level of transported Netrin-1 protein was significantly reduced in Ntn1Gfap CKO mice. In addition, Ntn1Gfap CKO mice displayed increased symmetric movements. Our findings indicate that VZ-derived Netrin-1 deletion leads to an abnormal trajectory of the CST in the spinal cord due to the failure of CST midline crossing and provides novel evidence supporting the idea that the Netrin-1 signalling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of CMM.

The algal–bacterial shortcut nitrogen removal (ABSNR) process can be used to treat high ammonia strength wastewaters without external aeration. However, prior algal–bacterial SNR studies have been conducted under fixed light/dark periods that were not representative of natural light conditions. In this study, laboratory-scale photo-sequencing batch reactors (PSBRs) were used to treat anaerobic digester sidestream under varying light intensities that mimicked summer and winter conditions in Tampa, FL, USA. A dynamic mathematical model was developed for the ABSNR process, which was calibrated and validated using data sets from the laboratory PSBRs. The model elucidated the dynamics of algal and bacterial biomass growth under natural illumination conditions as well as transformation processes for nitrogen species, oxygen, organic and inorganic carbon. A full-scale PSBR with a 1.2 m depth, a 6-day hydraulic retention time (HRT) and a 10-day solids retention time (SRT) was simulated for treatment of anaerobic digester sidestream. The full-scale PSBR could achieve >90% ammonia removal, significantly reducing the nitrogen load to the mainstream wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The dynamic simulation showed that ABSNR process can help wastewater treatment facilities meet stringent nitrogen removal standards with low energy inputs. HIGHLIGHTS Sidestream wastewater treatment by algal–bacterial shortcut nitrogen removal.; Varying illumination simulated summer/winter outdoor conditions.; Model developed for dynamic PSBR simulation under varying illumination.; Long-term simulation employed for TN removal in a full-scale WWTP.;

Abstract Study objectives To assess whether preoperative dexmedetomidine (DEX) nasal drips combined with conventional treatment could mitigate the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD). Design A prospective randomised controlled study. Setting The cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU) and patient hospitalisation ward at a university hospital. Participants A total of 100 patients (aged ≥60 years) undergoing cardiac surgery at a university hospital between 7 January 2022, and 30 November 2022 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the study. Interventions Patients with sleep disorders (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ≥8) were divided into two groups: Group A (the placebo group, n=50), receiving a short-term preoperative placebo combined with conventional treatment and Group B (the DEX group, n=50), receiving short-term preoperative DEX combined with conventional treatment. Measurements and results The Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) was used for POD assessment in the CSICU, while the CAM was employed to assess delirium in the patient ward. Group B demonstrated a reduced incidence of POD compared to Group A (12% vs. 30%, odds ratio: 0.318, 95% confidence interval: 0.112–0.905, p=0.027). Conclusion The combined treatment involving DEX demonstrated a decreased incidence of POD in elderly individuals with sleep disorders undergoing cardiac surgery compared to the placebo combination treatment. Trial registration URL: www.chictr.org.cn with registration number ChiCTR 2100043968, registered on 06/03/2021.

Imagine if more and more households in your community started separating waste, would this trend inspire you to do the same? Previous research on social norms has been predominantly static, focusing on individual behavior and neglecting the potential of leveraging group dynamics. To address this gap, we conducted two field studies using group feedback to activate dynamic norms. Using an A-B-A time-series design in two communities, we collected 21,555 observations of waste disposal behavior. During the intervention period, we publicly displayed the weekly changing participation rates of household kitchen waste separation within the community, a strategy referred to as dynamic normative feedback. Both communities experienced a significant increase in participation in waste separation. Furthermore, the feedback effect persisted for up to three months after the intervention was removed. Our findings demonstrate that group dynamic normative feedback could be an effective strategy for promoting long-term separation behavior and have implications for waste management.

Immunotherapy has transformed the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but effectiveness varies among patients. This study aimed to identify biomarkers and HCC subtypes responsive to immunotherapy. Patients were classified into Immunity-High (Immunity-H) and Immunity-Low (Immunity-L) subtypes using ssGSEA scores. Prognostic genes were identified through Cox regression, and immune cell infiltration was quantified with TIMER 2.0. Brother of CDO (BOC) expression, analyzed via immunohistochemistry, correlated with immunotherapy responses. Flow cytometry assessed immune cell infiltration relative to BOC levels, while CCK-8 and transwell assays evaluated BOC overexpression’s effects on cell proliferation and invasiveness. Clinically, immunity-H patients had better survival outcomes. Three hub genes—BOC, V-Set and Transmembrane Domain Containing 1 (VSTM1), and PRDM12—were identified as significantly associated with prognosis. Among these, BOC and VSTM1 demonstrated positive correlations with immune cell infiltration. Elevated expression of BOC was found to be predictive of favorable responses to immunotherapy and was associated with enhanced infiltration of T cells, dendritic cells, and B cells in the tumor microenvironment. Conversely, BOC overexpression in liver cancer cell lines led to decreased cell proliferation and invasiveness. This study underscores the prognostic significance of HCC subtypes defined by immunogenomic profiles and identifies BOC as a potential biomarker for immunotherapy selection and outcome prediction.

Objectives To gain a deeper understanding of the real experiences and needs of the patients of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) with fertility concerns.Design A qualitative study.Methods Phenomenological research and Semi-structured method were conducted with the patients of PJS (N = 16), and the interview data were analyzed using inductive content analysis strategies.Results 16 patients were interviewed, including 13 women and 3 men partners. We identified 5 themes, including: (i) Heritability of disease, (ii) Potential risks of reproduction; (iii) The difficulties in raising children; (iv) family and social support. (V) Need support from multiple sources.Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate that patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) who are of childbearing age experience various reproductive concerns and other manifestations. Therefore, it is essential to offer individualized psychological interventions for PJS patients at different psychological stages, with the support of healthcare professionals, family, and social networks.

To investigate the potential clinical value of urinary exosomal (uE) miR-451a as a biomarker for IgAN, urinary exosomes were isolated from 40 patients with IgAN, 30 patients with primary renal diseases without IgA as disease controls (non-IgAN group) and 21 healthy controls (HCs). The expression of miR-451a within exosomes was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). uE miR-451a was significantly upregulated in patients with IgAN compared to non-IgAN and HCs. The uE miR-451a level was positively correlated with the change in eGFR and negatively correlated with serum creatinine, urinary macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). A dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that MIF was a direct target of miR-451a. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the expression of uE miR-451a showed potential diagnostic value for IgAN. Additionally, the uE miR-451a level could distinguish patients with IgAN with mild tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis from those with severe tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis. After a mean follow-up of 14.2 months, the levels of eGFR loss (ml/min/1.73 m2/year) were negatively correlated with baseline miR-451a. The levels of baseline miR-451a in the complete remission group were significantly higher than those in the non-complete remission group. uE miR-451a expression was significantly elevated in patients with IgA nephropathy and may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of IgAN and evaluation of tubulointerstitial damage, while the baseline levels of uE miR-451a may be predictors of therapeutic efficacy and disease progression.

IntroductionReactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is a common disease defense mechanism in plants. However, it is unclear whether Citrus host activates defense response against Diaporthe citri causing citrus melanose disease by producing ROS, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown.MethodsDAB staining and RNA-Seq technology were used to compare the active oxygen burst and differential gene expression, respectively, in uninfected and infected Citrus sinensis leaves at different time points during D. citri infection in vivo. The functions of CsRBOH (a significant DEG) were confirmed in N. benthamiana through the Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system.ResultsDAB staining indicated that C. sinensis initiated defense against D. citri infection within 24 h by generating ROS. Illumina sequencing revealed 25,557 expressed genes of C. sinensis. The most upregulated DEGs (n = 1,570) were identified 72 h after fungal inoculation (sample denoted as CD72). In the CD72 vs. Cs (samples at 0 h after fungal inoculation) comparison, the KEGG pathway category with the highest number of genes (n = 62) and most significant enrichment was Protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, followed by Glutathione metabolism and MAPK signaling pathway-plant. GO analysis revealed that the DEGs of CD72 vs. Cs related to active oxygen burst and chitin recognition were significantly grouped into the regulation of biological processes and molecular functions, with GO terms including response to ROS, response to fungus, and oxidoreductase activity. Remarkably, CsRBOH was significantly enriched in the GO and KEGG analyses, and its expression pattern in qRT-PCR and DAB staining results were consistent. Among the 63 ROS-related DEGs, HSP genes and genes associated with the peroxidase family were highly significant as revealed by protein–protein interaction networks. Furthermore, ROS accumulation, cell death, and upregulation of defense-related genes were observed in N. benthamiana leaves with CsRBOH expressed through the Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system.ConclusionOur findings suggested that C. sinensis activates CsRBOH and ROS-related genes, leading to ROS accumulation to resist the invasion by D. citri. This study laid the foundation for future research on molecular mechanisms and breeding of C. sinensis cultivars resistant to citrus melanose.

Currently, surgery remains the primary treatment for craniocerebral tumors. Before doctors perform surgeries, they need to determine the surgical plan according to the shape, location, and size of the tumor; however, various conditions of different patients make the tumor segmentation task challenging. To improve the accuracy of determining tumor shape and realizing edge segmentation, a U-shaped network combining a residual pyramid module and a dual feature attention module is proposed. The residual pyramid module can enlarge the receptive field, extract multiscale features, and fuse original information, which solves the problem caused by the feature pyramid pooling where the local information is not related to the remote information. In addition, the dual feature attention module is proposed to replace the skip connection in the original U-Net network, enrich the features, and improve the attention of the model to space and channel features with large amounts of information to be used for more accurate brain tumor segmentation. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, experiments were conducted on the public datasets Kaggle_3M and BraTS2021. Because the model proposed in this study is applicable to two-dimensional image segmentation, it is necessary to obtain the crosscutting images of fair class in the BraTS2021 dataset in advance. Results show that the model accuracy, Jaccard similarity coefficient, Dice similarity coefficient, and false negative rate (FNR) on the Kaggle_3M dataset are 0.9395, 0.8812, 0.8958, and 0.007, respectively. The model accuracy, Jaccard similarity coefficient, Dice similarity coefficient, and FNR on the BraTS2021 dataset were 0.9375, 0.9072, 0.8981, and 0.0087, respectively. Compared with existing algorithms, all the indicators of the proposed algorithm have been improved, but the proposed model still has certain limitations and has not been applied to actual clinical trials. For specific datasets, the generalization ability of the model needs to be further improved. In the future work, the model will be further improved to address the aforementioned limitations.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a serious cardiovascular illness, for which an elevated uric acid (UA) level presents as a considerable risk factor. This can be treated with UA-lowering drugs such as allopurinol and benzbromarone, which can reduce UA levels by the inhibition of UA production or by promoting its excretion. Such drugs can also be beneficial to CHD in other ways, such as reducing the degree of coronary arteriosclerosis, improving myocardial blood supply and alleviating ventricular remodeling. Different UA-lowering drugs are used in different ways: allopurinol is preferred as a single agent in clinical application, but in absence of the desired response, a combination of drugs such as benzbromarone with ACE inhibitors may be used. Patients must be monitored regularly to adjust the medication regimen. Appropriate use of UA-lowering drugs has great significance for the prevention and treatment of CHD. However, the specific mechanisms of the drugs and individualized drug use need further research. This review article expounds the mechanisms of UA-lowering drugs on CHD and their clinical application strategy, thereby providing a reference for further optimization of treatment.

Abstract Hydrogen (H2) has been regarded as a promising alternative to fossil‐fuel energy. Green H2 produced via water electrolysis (WE) powered by renewable energy could achieve a zero‐carbon footprint. Considerable attention has been focused on developing highly active catalysts to facilitate the reaction kinetics and improve the energy efficiency of WE. However, the stability of the electrocatalysts hampers the commercial viability of WE. Few studies have elucidated the origin of catalyst degradation. In this review, we first discuss the WE mechanism, including anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Then, we provide strategies used to enhance the stability of electrocatalysts. After that, the deactivation mechanisms of the typical commercialized HER and OER catalysts, including Pt, Ni, RuO2, and IrO2, are summarized. Finally, the influence of fluctuating energy on catalyst degradation is highlighted and in situ characterization methodologies for understanding the dynamic deactivation processes are described.

The Drilling Resistance Measurement System (DRMS) test is a minimally destructive technique suitable for the field assessment of the mechanical properties (such as uniaxial compressive strength) of masonry relic surfaces within a certain depth range, but the test results of drilling resistance are prone to be affected by user-control variables. Currently, there is no unified test specification or standard for the manual of user-control variables. To ensure that the drilling resistance test results are comparable under different user-control variables, in this study, sandstone and clay brick were used as the research objects to investigate and analyse the effects of different user-control variables on the drilling resistance test results. The results show that the drilling resistance had a linear positive correlation with the penetration rate, drill bit diameter, and drill bit wear but a linear negative correlation with the revolution speed; the drilling resistance of sandstone had a linear negative correlation with the water content, while the opposite was observed for clay bricks. The drilling resistance mean values at different drilling depth ranges were compared, and a method for calculating the drilling resistance mean value was proposed. Moreover, the uniaxial compressive strengths of the sandstone and clay brick were evaluated by drilling resistance. Wider spreading of the DRMS can be achieved by recording user-control variables in detail if the correlation expressed in this paper is further tested.

In a jujube orchard, cropping withgrass may influence bacterial diversity and ecological networks due to changes of physicochemical properties in soil, which has a serious effect on the stability of soil ecosystems. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of different cultivation methods (CK: cleaning tillage; NG: cropping with native grass; VV: cropping with Vicia villosa) on the soil’s bacterial structure and its co-occurrence network in a jujube orchard. The results showed that the highest moisture content, total nitrogen, and organic matter in the rhizosphere soil of a jujube orchard was found in the VV group. The soil’s moisture content, total nitrogen, and organic matter in the VV group were 2.66%, 0.87 g kg−1, and 5.55 mg kg−1 higher than that found in the CK group. Compared to the CK group, the number of unique species in the rhizosphere soil in the NG and the VV groups increased by 7.33% and 21.44%. The PICRUSt and FAPROTAX analysis showed that sown grass had a greater influence on the ecological function of the soil’s bacteria. Cropping with Vicia villosa and native grass significantly increased aerobic chemoheterotrophy, nitrogen respiration, nitrate reduction related to biochemical cycles, and the relative abundance of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and the biodegradation of xenobiotics. The bacterial network complexity in the NG group was higher than that in the CK and VV groups and was greatest in the hub nodes (OTU42, Bacteroidota; OTU541, Nitrospiraceae). In this study, the ecological benefit seen in the soil’s microbial function provides support to the theory that cropping with grass (Vicia villosa) increases the sustainable development of a jujube orchard.

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive–endocrine disorder with wide-ranging metabolic implications, including obesity. RNA editing, a post-transcriptional modification, can fine-tune protein function and introduce heterogeneity. However, the role of RNA editing and its impact on adipose tissue function in PCOS remain poorly understood.MethodsThis study aimed to comprehensively analyze RNA-editing events in abdominal and subcutaneous adipose tissue of PCOS patients and healthy controls using high-throughput whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and RNA sequencing.ResultsOur results revealed that PCOS patients exhibited more RNA-editing sites, with adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing being prevalent. The expression of ADAR genes, responsible for A-to-I editing, was also higher in PCOS. Aberrant RNA-editing sites in PCOS adipose tissue was enriched in immune responses, and interleukin-12 biosynthetic process. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, Notch signaling, terminal uridylyl transferase 4 (TUT4), hook microtubule tethering protein 3 (HOOK3), and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) were identified to be of significant differences. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PCOS adipose tissue were enriched in immune responses compared with controls, and the DEGs between subcutaneous and abdominal adipose tissue were also enriched in immune responses suggesting the important role of subcutaneous adipose tissue. Furthermore, we identified the correlations between RNA editing levels and RNA expression levels of specific genes, such as ataxia–telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) in inflammation pathways and ATM, TUT4, and YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA-binding protein C2 (YTHDC2) in oocyte development pathway.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that RNA-editing dysregulation in PCOS adipose tissue may contribute to inflammatory dysregulations. Understanding the interplay between RNA editing and adipose tissue function may unveil potential therapeutic targets for PCOS management. However, further research and validation are required to fully elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations.

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is both a common endocrine syndrome and a metabolic disorder that results in harm to the reproductive system and whole-body metabolism. This study aimed to investigate differences in the serum metabolic profiles of patients with PCOS compared with healthy controls, in addition to investigating the effects of compound oral contraceptive (COC) treatment in patients with PCOS.Materials and methods50 patients with PCOS and 50 sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Patients with PCOS received three cycles of self-administered COC treatment. Clinical characteristics were recorded, and the laboratory biochemical data were detected. We utilized ultra-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry to study the serum metabolic changes between patients with PCOS, patients with PCOS following COC treatment, and healthy controls.ResultPatients with PCOS who received COC treatment showed significant improvements in serum sex hormone levels, a reduction in luteinising hormone levels, and a significant reduction in the levels of biologically active free testosterone in the blood. Differential metabolite correlation analysis revealed differences between PCOS and healthy control groups in N-tetradecanamide, hexadecanamide, 10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid, and 13-HOTrE(r); after 3 months of COC treatment, there were significant differences in benzoic acid, organic acid, and phenolamides. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to analyse blood serum in each group, the characteristic changes in PCOS were metabolic disorders of amino acids, carbohydrates, and purines, with significant changes in the levels of total cholesterol, uric acid, phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and glutamate.ConclusionFollowing COC treatment, improvements in sex hormone levels, endocrine factor levels, and metabolic levels were better than in the group of PCOS patients receiving no COC treatment, indicating that COC treatment for PCOS could effectively regulate the levels of sex hormones, endocrine factors, and serum metabolic profiles.

Osteosarcoma, as the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor, has consistently shown suboptimal clinical treatment outcomes. In this manuscript, we proposed an efficacious and novel phototherapy strategy for osteosarcoma based on a photoresponsive near-infrared (NIR) material, CaCO3-ICG-DDP-PEG-PT (CIDP-PT), which contained calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and Cisplatin (DDP) via the gas dispersion method, and indocyanine green (ICG) was encapsulated through a nanoprecipitation reaction by employing DSPE-PEG2000-COOH to enhance the stability and hydrophilicity. The targeting oligopeptide (PT) for osteosarcoma cells was inserted into the outer membrane of nanoparticles, thereby further enhancing the tumor-targeting capability through receptor-mediated binding. The prepared CIDP-PT nanoparticles exhibited high targeting efficiency and multifunctionality. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that CIDP-PT significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy for osteosarcoma via the NIR-II photoresponsive and tumor-targeting approach. It achieves efficient tumor cell eradication through multiple modalities while maintaining an exceptional level of biocompatibility. Hence, the CIDP-PT nanocarriers possess considerable practical value for future clinical applications in adjunct osteosarcoma phototherapy.

Facial emotions are the most intuitive way to react to changes in inner emotions. We propose a facial emotion recognition method that combines auxiliary classifiers (Acs) and multi-scale CBAM (MCBAM) by improving the Xception network model. And we design a lightweight network model AMDCNN. We introduce Acs in the middle layers of the model. The features extracted from the middle layer portion of the model are utilized to aid in emotion recognition. Finally, the recognition results of the Acs and the main classifier are adaptively weighted and fused to obtain better emotion recognition results. This enables better utilization of the feature information extracted from the intermediate layers and further reduces the feature loss caused by the downsampling process of the convolutional layer. The CBAM does not increase the number of parameters and computation too much, and it enables the model to better focus on the important areas of the face. We apply it to the proposed lightweight model and improve it further. The width is increased by introducing a multi-branch convolutional structure and utilizing convolutional layers with different kernel sizes. This allows for more adequate spatial and channel features during feature extraction, allowing the model to more accurately focus on important facial regions. Our proposed model was experimentally validated on datasets of FER2013, FERPlus, RAF-DB and CK+, with accuracies of 69.82%, 85.40%, 86.77% and 99.49%, respectively. The number of parameters of the proposed model is only 1.6M. Our model is a good competitive advantage compared with other lightweight models.

Meteorological identification and observation are crucial in production activities closely related to meteorology, such as agricultural production. Currently, some machine learning methods applied in meteorological identification exhibit low richness of semantic features and weak transferability in pre-trained models, leading to insufficient feature extraction capabilities. Additionally, these models often have relatively simple classification layers, and they tend to train as a holistic model. To address the aforementioned shortcomings, this paper proposes a mechanism of fused training, constructing a meteorological identification model based on the enhanced fusion of EVA02 and Linear Support Vector Classification (LinearSVC). The model fine-tunes the pre-trained EVA02 backbone network, fully stimulating the qualitative transformation of transfer learning’s high-level semantic abstractions and meteorological data representations. This enhances feature extraction capabilities. Additionally, the model integrates the Nystroem method with the LinearSVC algorithm for classification, further improving classification accuracy and the robustness of the model on small datasets. Through simulation experiments, the model achieves F1-scores on the public datasets MWD and WEAPD that surpass the current state-of-the-art methods by 0.75% and 9.89%, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Abstract A precise characterization of moisture source and transport dynamics over the inland margins of monsoonal China is crucial for understanding the climatic significance of precipitation oxygen isotope (δ18Op) variability preserved in the regional proxy archives. Here, we use a general circulation model with an embedded water-tagging module to quantify the role of moisture dynamics on the seasonal to decadal variations of δ18Op in northern China. Our data indicate that during the non-monsoon season, the δ18Op variability is dominated by the temperature effect. Conversely, in the summer monsoon season, the moisture contributions from the low-latitude land areas (LLA), the Pacific Ocean (PO), and the North Indian Ocean (NIO) override the temperature effect and influence the summer δ18Op. Intensified upstream convection along the NIO moisture transport pathway results in a more negative summer δ18Op compared to moisture transported from the PO and LLA regions. Our analysis shows a decadal shift in summer δ18Op around the mid-1980s, marking changes in the relative contribution of oceanic moisture from PO and NIO in response to changes in the atmospheric circulation patterns influenced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. We suggest that such decadal-scale δ18Op variability can be recorded in the natural archives from the region, which can provide valuable insights into understanding past climate variability.

Abstract Globally, solar projects are being rapidly built or planned, particularly in high solar potential regions with high energy demand. However, their energy generation potential is highly related to the weather condition. Here we use state-of-the-art Earth system model simulations to investigate how large photovoltaic solar farms in the Sahara Desert could impact the global cloud cover and solar generation potential through disturbed atmospheric teleconnections. The results indicate negative impacts on solar potential in North Africa (locally), Middle East, Southern Europe, India, Eastern China, Japan, Eastern Australia, and Southwestern US, and positive impacts in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Central & Eastern US, Scandinavia and South Africa, reaching a magnitude of ±5% in remote regions seasonally. Diagnostics suggest that large-scale atmospheric circulation changes are responsible for the global impacts. International cooperation is essential to mitigate the potential risks of future large-scale solar projects in drylands, which could impact energy production.

Previous research has suggested that there are two modular processes of perspective selection and calculation in level 1 perspective taking. Evidence further showed that verbal working memory is associated with both processes in adults. However, research has not tested whether verbal working memory may be associated with working memory in children. Moreover, since perspective taking is associated with spatial working memory, it is necessary to investigate whether spatial working memory links to both processes. By recruiting 9-year-old children and college students in the single-task paradigm and the dual-task paradigm, we conducted two experiments to answer these questions. Results in experiment 1 suggested that verbal working memory correlated with adults’ perspective calculation, but with both processes in children’s perspective taking. Results in experiment 2 showed that spatial working memory is associated with adults’ perspective calculation and children’s perspective selection. These findings suggest that different components of working memory play distinct roles in the processing of perspective taking, which is moderated by age.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, presents significant treatment challenges due to its late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Despite advances, the five-year survival rates remain dismally low, with only a fraction of patients eligible for potentially curative surgical interventions. This review aims to comprehensively examine the current landscape of targeted therapies in PDAC, focusing on recent developments in precision medicine approaches. We explore various molecular targets, including KRAS mutations, DNA damage repair deficiencies, mismatch repair pathway alterations, and rare genetic fusions. The review discusses emerging therapies, such as PARP inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and novel targeted agents, like RET and NTRK inhibitors. We analyze the results of key clinical trials and highlight the potential of these targeted approaches in specific patient subgroups. Recent developments in PDAC research have emphasized precision oncology, facilitated by next-generation sequencing and the identification of genetic and epigenetic alterations. This approach tailors treatments to individual genetic profiles, improving outcomes and reducing side effects. Significant strides have been made in classifying PDAC into various subtypes, enhancing therapeutic precision. The identification of specific mutations in genes like KRAS, along with advancements in targeted therapies, including small molecule inhibitors, offers new hope. Furthermore, emerging therapies targeting DNA repair pathways and immunotherapeutic strategies also show promising results. As research evolves, integrating these targeted therapies with conventional treatments might improve survival rates and quality of life for PDAC patients, underscoring the shift towards a more personalized treatment paradigm.

As renovating existing residential buildings shifts towards more detailed methodologies, conducting comprehensive diagnostic assessments before renovation is crucial for achieving successful outcomes. This research introduces an innovative large-scale diagnostic assessment method for existing residential buildings, addressing the inefficiencies, redundancies, and subjective biases present in traditional diagnostic processes through intelligent assistance modeling. The proposed method focuses on five key elements: construction year, exterior walls, windows, balconies, and shading devices, categorizing assessment levels into four grades (A, B, C, D) based on varying renovation intensities. Evaluation criteria are established for service life, thermal performance, degradation, and aesthetic quality. An intelligent assistance model, constructed using training datasets, enables rapid large-scale assessments, significantly reducing the evaluation time while maintaining an accuracy rate of over 95%. Empirical testing on residential buildings in Shenzhen confirmed the model’s effectiveness, demonstrating its superior accuracy and efficiency compared to traditional methods. A weighted analysis revealed that the impact of each factor on the building’s condition was as follows: exterior wall thickness (0.38), exterior finish deterioration (0.35), window deterioration (0.29), balcony deterioration (0.28), and construction year (0.23). Additionally, an interactive software application integrating the intelligent assessment model was developed. This study employed an interdisciplinary approach, combining machine learning and big data, offering a new perspective on building assessment and providing significant reference value for future residential renovation and urban planning.

Addressing the critical need for accurate fall event detection due to their potentially severe impacts, this paper introduces the Spatial Channel and Pooling Enhanced You Only Look Once version 5 small (SCPE-YOLOv5s) model. Fall events pose a challenge for detection due to their varying scales and subtle pose features. To address this problem, SCPE-YOLOv5s introduces spatial attention to the Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) network, which significantly enhances the model's ability to extract features from spatial pose distribution. Moreover, the model integrates average pooling layers into the Spatial Pyramid Pooling (SPP) network to support the multi-scale extraction of fall poses. Meanwhile, by incorporating the ECA network into SPP, the model effectively combines global and local features to further enhance the feature extraction. This paper validates the SCPE-YOLOv5s on a public dataset, demonstrating that it achieves a mean Average Precision of 88.29 %, outperforming the You Only Look Once version 5 small by 4.87 %. Additionally, the model achieves 57.4 frames per second. Therefore, SCPE-YOLOv5s provides a novel solution for fall event detection.

Post-transcriptional regulation by small RNAs and post-translational modifications (PTM) such as lysine acetylation play fundamental roles in physiological circuits, offering rapid responses to environmental signals with low energy consumption. Yet, the interplay between these regulatory systems remains underexplored. Here, we unveil the cross-talk between sRNAs and lysine acetylation in Streptococcus mutans, a primary cariogenic pathogen known for its potent acidogenic virulence. Through systematic overexpression of sRNAs in S. mutans, we identified sRNA SmsR1 as a critical player in modulating acidogenicity, a key cariogenic virulence feature in S. mutans. Furthermore, combined with the analysis of predicted target mRNA and transcriptome results, potential target genes were identified and experimentally verified. A direct interaction between SmsR1 and 5'-UTR region of pdhC gene was determined by in vitro binding assays. Importantly, we found that overexpression of SmsR1 reduced the expression of pdhC mRNA and increased the intracellular concentration of acetyl-CoA, resulting in global changes in protein acetylation levels. This was verified by acetyl-proteomics in S. mutans, along with an increase in acetylation level and decreased activity of LDH. Our study unravels a novel regulatory paradigm where sRNA bridges post-transcriptional regulation with post-translational modification, underscoring bacterial adeptness in fine-tuning responses to environmental stress.

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictors of clinical pregnancy and live birth rate in patients with recurrent embryo implantation failure (RIF) treated with in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) technique.MethodThis retrospective cohort study was conducted in Jinjiang District Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. Patients were recruited who were enrolled at this hospital between November 1, 2019 and August 31, 2022, and who met the following criteria: a frozen embryo transfer (FET) at day 5 or 6 blastocyst stage was performed and the number of transfer cycles was not less than two. We collected information on age, height, weight, number of embryo transfer cycles, and information related to clinical outcomes. We used the group of patients who underwent ERA testing as the study group and those who underwent FET only as the control group, and matched baseline characteristics between the two groups by propensity score to make them comparable. We compared the differences in clinical outcomes between the two groups and further explored predictors of pregnancy and live birth using survival analysis and COX regression modeling.ResultsThe success rate of clinical pregnancy in RIF patients was 50.74% and the live birth rate was 33.09%. Patients in the FET group were less likely to achieve clinical pregnancy compared to the ERA group (HR = 0.788, 95%CI 0.593–0.978, p 3 previous implantation failures had a lower probability of achieving a clinical pregnancy (HR = 0.058, 95%CI 0.026–0.128, p 3 previous implantation failures, using single embryo transfer and not transferring quality embryos are predictors for clinical pregnancy in patients with RIF. Having>3 previous implantation failures and using single embryo transfer were predictors for live birth in patients with RIF.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the effects of perioperative dexmedetomidine (DEX) infusion rates on the postoperative short-term cognitive function. Methods A total of 88 patients aged ≥ 60 years who underwent cardiac surgery from January 2022 to November 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) were included. Based on a single-center pilot analysis, patients were divided into two groups according to the rate of intraoperative DEX infusion, which started after tracheal intubation and continued until 1 h before extubation in the cardiac surgery intensive care unit. In Group L (n = 44), the infusion rate was 0.1–0.5 µg/kg/h (low-dose group), whereas in Group H (n = 44), the infusion rate was 0.5–0.9 µg/kg/h (high-dose group). Clinical outcomes were then compared between the groups. The Mini–Mental State Evaluation (abbreviated as MMSE1, MMSE2, MMSE3, and MMSE4) scale was used for the assessment of cognitive function, which was conducted on postoperative Days 2 (T1), 7 (T2), 14 (T3), and 28 (T4), with the score from postoperative Day 2 (MMSE1) considered as the primary observation. Results Patients in Group L had higher MMSE1 scores compared to those in Group H (26.0 [24.0, 27.0] vs. 24.5 [22.0, 26.0], p = 0.046), and there was no significant difference in the scores between the groups at all subsequent time points. Group H exhibited a higher incidence of hypotension and bradycardia compared to Group L (p = 0.044 and p = 0.047, respectively). Conclusions Compared to a high dose (0.5–0.9 µg/kg/h) of DEX infusion, a low-dose (0.1–0.5 µg/kg/h) infusion started after induction of anesthesia and continued until 1 h before extubation improved postoperative cognitive function scores on postoperative Day 2 in patients aged 60 years and older. Trial registration URL: www.chictr.org.cn with registration number ChiCTR2100055093, registered on 31/12/2021.

Abstract Background The development and maintenance of normal bone tissue is maintained by balanced communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The invasion of cancer cells disrupts this balance, leading to osteolysis. As the only bone resorbing cells in vivo, osteoclasts play important roles in cancer-induced osteolysis. However, the role of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) in osteoclast resorption remains unclear. Methods In our study, we used a receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) promoter‐driven Cre‐LoxP system to conditionally delete the PDK1 gene in osteoclasts in mice. We observed the effect of osteoclast‐specific knockout of PDK1 on prostate cancer-induced osteolysis. Bone marrow-derived macrophage cells (BMMs) were extracted and induced to differentiate osteoclasts in vitro to explore the role of PDK1 in osteoclasts. Results In this study, we found that PDK1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice exhibited smaller body sizes when compared to the wild-type (WT) mice. Moreover, deletion of PDK1 in osteoclasts ameliorated osteolysis and rPDK1educed bone resorption markers in the murine model of prostate cancer-induced osteolysis. In vivo, we discovered that osteoclast‐specific knockout of suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, bone resorption function, and osteoclast-specific gene expression (Ctsk, TRAP, MMP-9, NFATc1). Western blot analyses of RANKL-induced signaling pathways showed that conditional knockout of PDK1 in osteoclasts inhibited the early nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, which consequently suppressed the downstream induction of NFATc1. Conclusion These findings demonstrated that PDK1 performs an important role in osteoclastogenesis and prostate cancer-induced osteolysis by modulating the PDK1/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Abstract Background Thin endometrium is considered suboptimal for embryo implantation, leading to compromised pregnancy rates without effective therapies. While some studies have reported promoted endometrial growth after a period of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in patients with intrauterine adhesion, there have been no reports in patients with resistant thin endometrium. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of HBOT on endometrium growth and pregnancy outcomes in patients with resistant thin endometrium during frozen embryo transfer (FET) treatments. Methods This prospective pre-post cohort study was conducted at a university-affiliated assisted reproductive medical center between October 2021 and December 2022. Patients who had experienced at least one canceled transfer cycle due to a thin endometrium(

Radial growth of trees, as reflected by tree ring width, serves as a vital proxy for past climate conditions, offering insights into climate dynamics over centennial and millennial time scales. Traditionally, in the high altitudes and latitudes of the central Scandinavian Mountains, summer temperatures, particularly in July, have significantly influenced the radial growth of Scots pine. This research aims to reassess the climatic determinants of Scots pine radial growth in Jämtland, central Scandinavian Mountains, by incorporating a refined analysis that considers temperature, precipitation, and snow depth, and their correlations with tree growth over time. Using a dynamic moving window heatmap correlation analysis, this study revisits a Scots pine chronology to explore the evolving climatic influences on radial growth. This approach allows for the identification of temporal shifts in growth-limiting factors. We observe a notable transition in the 1970s, marking a shift where water availability, rather than temperature, emerges as a critical limiting factor for radial growth at both the beginning and the end of the growing season. This shift is reflective of the broader global trend of decreasing tree growth response to increasing temperatures in the latter half of the 20th century, underscoring the significant impact of ongoing climate change on forest ecosystems. The results highlight the necessity for adaptive forest management strategies that consider the changing dynamics of climatic influences on tree growth. Furthermore, our study contributes to the broader understanding of forest growth patterns in the face of climate change, with substantial implications for ecological research and forest management.

In the field of image watermarking technology, it is very important to balance imperceptibility, robustness and embedding capacity. In order to solve this key problem, this paper proposes a new color image adaptive watermarking scheme based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT), discrete cosine transform (DCT) and singular value decomposition (SVD). In order to improve the security of the watermark, we use Lorenz hyperchaotic mapping to encrypt the watermark image. We adaptively determine the embedding factor by calculating the Bhattacharyya distance between the cover image and the watermark image, and combine the Alpha blending technique to embed the watermark image into the Y component of the YCbCr color space to enhance the imperceptibility of the algorithm. The experimental results show that the average PSNR of our scheme is 45.9382 dB, and the SSIM is 0.9986. Through a large number of experimental results and comparative analysis, it shows that the scheme has good imperceptibility and robustness, indicating that we have achieved a good balance between imperceptibility, robustness and embedding capacity.

Abstract Qunf Cave oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) record from southern Oman is one of the most significant of few Holocene Indian summer monsoon cave records. However, the interpretation of the Qunf δ18Oc remains in dispute. Here we provide a multi-proxy record from Qunf Cave and climate model simulations to reconstruct the Holocene local and regional hydroclimate changes. The results indicate that besides the Indian summer monsoon, the North African summer monsoon also contributes water vapor to southern Oman during the early to middle Holocene. In principle, Qunf δ18Oc values reflect integrated oxygen-isotope fractionations over a broad moisture transport swath from moisture sources to the cave site, rather than local precipitation amount alone, and thus the Qunf δ18Oc record characterizes primary changes in the Afro-Asian monsoon regime across the Holocene. In contrast, local climate proxies appear to suggest an overall slightly increased or unchanged wetness over the Holocene at the cave site.

Abstract Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics supplementation on glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on the data from the randomised clinical trials (RCTs). Methods PubMed, Web of Sciences, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from the inception to October 2022, and RCTs about probiotics and T2DM were collected. The standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the effects of probiotics supplementation on glycaemic control related parameters, e.g. fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results Thirty RCTs including 1,827 T2MD patients were identified. Compared with the placebo group, the probiotics supplementation group had a significant decrease in the parameters of glycaemic control, including FBG (SMD = − 0.331, 95% CI − 0.424 to − 0.238, P effect

Abstract Research question To explore whether prolonged hCG-ovum pickup interval improves assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Design CENTRAL, CNKI, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and Web of Science up to May 13 2023 were searched for studies reporting associations between hCG-ovum pickup intervals and assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Intervention types included short (≤ 36 h) and long (> 36 h) hCG-ovum pickup intervals in assisted reproductive technology cycles. All outcomes were based upon only fresh embryo transfers. Primary outcome is defined as the clinical pregnancy rate. Data were pooled using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 statistics. Results Twelve studies were included in the meta-analysis, including five retrospective cohort studies, one prospective cohort study, and six randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials. The short and long interval groups had similar oocyte maturation rates, fertilization rate and high-quality embryo rate (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.45–1.06; I 2 = 91.1%, OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.77–1.0; I 2 = 44.4% and OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.95–1.17; I 2 = 8.6%, respectively). The clinical pregnancy rates in the long retrieval group were significantly higher than in the short retrieval group (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45–0.95; I 2 = 35.4%). The groups had similar miscarriage and live birth rates (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 0.66–5.60; I 2 = 0.0% and OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.24–1.04; I 2 = 0.0%, respectively). Conclusions The clinical pregnancy rates can be increased by prolonging the hCG-ovum pickup interval, which would help us develop more reasonable time schedules for fertility centers and patients. Meta-analysis registration PROSPERO CRD42022310006 (28 Apr 2022).

Rhabdomyolysis (RM) induced by electric blankets is exceedingly rare, with only three cases identified in our literature review. Both RM and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) present with similar clinical manifestations of myalgia and muscle weakness, posing a potential challenge for accurate diagnosis in clinical settings. This report presents the case of a 22-year-old man who developed RM subsequent to the use of an electric blanket. Despite undergoing plasma exchange and renal replacement therapy, the patient continued to exhibit poor muscle strength in both lower limbs. Subsequent comprehensive evaluation revealed the presence of concurrent GBS. Following a 5-day course of intravenous gamma globulin treatment, the patient experienced rapid recovery of muscle strength and was discharged. Additionally, we reviewed seven cases from the literature of coexistent RM and GBS. This indicated that investigation of the timing of onset of muscle strength decline in RM patients could help to identify potential concurrent neurological or muscular disorders. In cases in which concurrent GBS and RM cannot be definitively ascertained during early hospitalization, prioritizing plasma exchange treatment may lead to improved patient outcomes.