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Abstract Conventional welding methods encounter significant challenges, including poor weldability, low joint strength, and the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds, primarily due to the substantial disparities in the physical and chemical properties of aluminum and iron. To mitigate these issues, the vaporizing foil actuator welding (VFAW) process has emerged as a highly promising solid-phase welding technology, particularly suitable for joining dissimilar metals with pronounced differences in properties, such as aluminum alloys and stainless steels. The present study provides an innovative quantitative analysis of the interfacial impact energy conversion mechanisms within the VFAW process. The analysis reveals that the energy responsible for accelerating the flyer workpiece comprises burst vaporization energy ( $$E_d$$ E d ) and continuous vaporization energy ( $$E_p$$ E p ), with $$E_d$$ E d identified as the primary energy source, contributing approximately 65–80% of the total energy required for acceleration. Further examination elucidates the mechanisms underlying heat generation and transfer during the interface collision. The investigation identifies the formation of an overheating zone at the interface, attributed to the combined effects of plastic deformation energy and adiabatic shear energy within the flyer workpiece. Consequently, the interface temperature can rise significantly, reaching up to 1394 K, with impact velocities as high as 925 m/s. The analyses contribute to establishing a theoretical foundation for understanding the interface bonding mechanisms characteristic of the vaporizing foil actuator welding method.

Abstract As unmanned vehicle technology advances rapidly, obstacle recognition and target detection are crucial links, which directly affect the driving safety and efficiency of unmanned vehicles. In response to the inaccurate localization of small targets such as pedestrians in current object detection tasks and the problem of losing local features in the PointPillars, this paper proposes a three-dimensional object detection method based on improved PointPillars. Firstly, addressing the issue of lost spatial and local information in the PointPillars, the feature encoding part of the PointPillars is improved, and a new pillar feature enhancement extraction module, CSM-Module, is proposed. Channel encoding and spatial encoding are introduced in the new pillar feature enhancement extraction module, fully considering the spatial information and local detailed geometric information of each pillar, thereby enhancing the feature representation capability of each pillar. Secondly, based on the fusion of CSPDarknet and SENet, a new backbone network CSE-Net is designed in this paper, enabling the extraction of rich contextual semantic information and multi-scale global features, thereby enhancing the feature extraction capability. Our method achieves higher detection accuracy when validated on the KITTI dataset. Compared to the original network, the improved algorithm’s average detection accuracy is increased by 3.42%, it shows that the method is reasonable and valuable.

Ophiocordyceps encompasses over 300 species, demonstrating a wide range of morphological features, hosts and habitats within its species diversity. In this study, two novel species in Ophiocordyceps were revealed parasitising Hepialidae larva buried in soil. Ophiocordyceps albastroma was morphologically characterised by white stromata, solitary and cylindrical conidiogenous cells and smooth ovoid or ellipsoidal conidia. Ophiocordyceps nigristroma was characterised by woody and dark brown stromata, monophialidic, swollen base and lageniform conidiogenous cells and smooth fusiform or oval conidia. The two new species formed a separate clade, respectively, based on the phylogenetic analyses of a combined dataset including nrSSU, nrLSU, rpb1, rpb2, and tef-1α, as well as a dataset of mitochondrial 14 protein coding genes (PCGs). They were all closely grouped with O. sinensis. The mitochondrial genomes of them were first reported. Their mitogenomes were all typical of circular molecules, with positive AT and GC skew, similar GC content, similar genetic composition, similar codon usage and conservative gene positions. However, the length of the mitogenomes varied. Changes in the length of the genes were the leading cause of changes in the length of mitochondrial genome of Ophiocordyceps. The discovery and identification of new Ophiocordyceps species and analysis their mitochondrial genomes may serve as foundations for phylogeny and diversity research within the genus Ophiocordyceps.

Abstract Background F-627 (efbemalenograstim alfa) is a novel long acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) that contains two human G-CSF fused to a human immunoglobulin G2 (hIgG2) -Fc fragment with a peptide linker. This studyevaluated the efficacy and safety of F-627, also known as efbemalenograstim alfa (Ryzneuta®) in reducing neutropenia compared with filgrastim (GRAN®). Methods This was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled non-inferiority study. Two hundred thirty nine (239) patients were enrolled in thirteen centers and received the chemotherapy with epirubicin (100 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) on day 1 of each cycle for a maximum of four cycles. Patients were randomized to receive either a single 20 mg subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of F-627 on day 3 of each cycle or daily s.c. injection of filgrastim 5 µg/kg/d starting from day 3 of each cycle. The primary endpoint was the duration of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in cycle 1. The safety profile was also evaluated. Results The mean (SD) duration of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in cycle 1 was 0.68 (1.10) and 0.71 (0.95) days for the F-627 and the filgrastim groups, respectively. The Hodges-Lehmann estimate of the between-group median difference (F-627 vs filgrastim) in the duration of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in cycle 1 was 0 day and the upper limit of the one-sided 97.5% CI was 0 day, which was within the prespecified non-inferiority margin of 1-day. Results for all efficacy endpoints in cycles 2 − 4 were consistent with the results in cycle 1, however a trend towards a lower incidence and a shorter duration of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and grade 4 neutropenia was observed in the F-627 group compared with the filgrastim group. The ANC nadir in the F-627 group was significantly higher than that in the filgrastim group in each cycle. A single fixed dose of F-627 was well tolerated and as safe as standard daily filgrastim. Conclusions A single fixed dose of 20 mg of F-627 in each cycle was as safe and effective as a daily dose of filgrastim 5 µg/kg/d in reducing neutropenia and its complications in patients who received four cycles of EC. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04174599, on 22/11/2019.

Fritillaria is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, with a complex source and a wide variety of medicinal materials. Different varieties have similar external characteristics, making it difficult to distinguish using traditional methods. To achieve rapid and objective identification of Fritillaria species, this study proposed a method for rapid identification based on electronic tongue and electronic eye combined with a deep learning model. Electronic tongue and electronic eye were utilized to collect gustatory fingerprint and visual image information from different categories of Fritillaria, respectively. An enhanced Transformer encoder based on causal attention mechanism was employed to extract time-series features from the ET signals and augment the ability to extract local features. Meanwhile, an improved ShuffleNetV2 network based on coordinate attention mechanism was used to extract morphological features of EE image and suppress background noise. Subsequently, a feature weighted fusion module was presented to adaptively integrate the feature information extracted from both the electronic tongue and electronic eye, and achieve classification and recognition of the fused features. The experimental results indicated that the proposed information fusion method had better classification performance compared to separate usage of electronic tongue and electronic eye, with a testing accuracy of 98.4%. This study provides a novel approach for rapidly identifying Fritillaria varieties, which offers research insights into the classification and traceability analysis of other Chinese medicinal materials.

Abstract Background The American Heart Association recently introduced a novel cardiovascular health (CVH) metric, Life's Essential 8 (LE8), for health promotion. However, the relationship between LE8 and cancer mortality risk remains uncertain. Methods We investigated 17,076 participants from US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (US NHANES) and 272,727 participants from UK Biobank, all free of cancer at baseline. The CVH score, based on LE8 metrics, incorporates four health behaviors (diet, physical activity, smoking, and sleep) and four health factors (body mass index, lipid, blood glucose, and blood pressure). Self-reported questionnaires assessed health behaviors. Primary outcomes were mortality rates for total cancer and its subtypes. The association between CVH score (continuous and categorical variable) and outcomes was examined using Cox model with adjustments. Cancer subtypes-related polygenic risk score (PRS) was constructed to evaluate its interactions with CVH on cancer death risk. Results Over 141,526 person-years in US NHANES, 424 cancer-related deaths occurred, and in UK Biobank, 8,872 cancer deaths were documented during 3,690,893 person-years. High CVH was associated with reduced overall cancer mortality compared to low CVH (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.91 in US NHANES; 0.51, 0.46–0.57 in UK Biobank). Each one-standard deviation increase in CVH score was linked to a 19% decrease in cancer mortality (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73–0.91) in US NHANES and a 19% decrease (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.79–0.83) in UK Biobank. Adhering to ideal CVH was linearly associated with decreased risks of death from lung, bladder, liver, kidney, esophageal, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric cancers in UK Biobank. Furthermore, integrating genetic data revealed individuals with low PRS and high CVH exhibited the lowest mortality from eight cancers (HRs ranged from 0.36 to 0.57) compared to those with high PRS and low CVH. No significant modification of the association between CVH and mortality risk for eight cancers by genetic predisposition was observed. Subgroup analyses showed a more pronounced protective association for overall cancer mortality among younger participants and those with lower socio-economic status. Conclusions Maintaining optimal CVH is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of overall cancer mortality. Adherence to ideal CVH correlates linearly with decreased mortality risk across multiple cancer subtypes. Individuals with both ideal CVH and high genetic predisposition demonstrated significant health benefits. These findings support adopting ideal CVH as an intervention strategy to mitigate cancer mortality risk and promote healthy aging.

Abstract Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) is a genetic epilepsy syndrome characterized by a marked hereditary tendency inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Patients with GEFS+ may develop typical febrile seizures (FS), while generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCSs) with fever commonly occur between 3 months and 6 years of age, which is generally followed by febrile seizure plus (FS+), with or without absence seizures, focal seizures, or GTCSs. GEFS+ exhibits significant genetic heterogeneity, with polymerase chain reaction, exon sequencing, and single nucleotide polymorphism analyses all showing that the occurrence of GEFS+ is mainly related to mutations in the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor gamma 2 subunit (GABRG2) gene. The most common mutations in GABRG2 are separated in large autosomal dominant families, but their pathogenesis remains unclear. The predominant types of GABRG2 mutations include missense (c.983A → T, c.245G → A, p.Met199Val), nonsense (R136*, Q390*, W429*), frameshift (c.1329delC, p.Val462fs*33, p.Pro59fs*12), point (P83S), and splice site (IVS6+2T → G) mutations. All of these mutations types can reduce the function of ion channels on the cell membrane; however, the degree and mechanism underlying these dysfunctions are different and could be linked to the main mechanism of epilepsy. The γ2 subunit plays a special role in receptor trafficking and is closely related to its structural specificity. This review focused on investigating the relationship between GEFS+ and GABRG2 mutation types in recent years, discussing novel aspects deemed to be great significance for clinically accurate diagnosis, anti-epileptic treatment strategies, and new drug development.

Abstract Ultrasonic processing of solidifying metals in additive manufacturing can provide grain refinement and advantageous mechanical properties. However, the specific physical mechanisms of microstructural refinement relevant to laser-based additive manufacturing have not been directly observed because of sub-millimeter length scales and rapid solidification rates associated with melt pools. Here, high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging is used to observe the effect of ultrasonic vibration directly on melt pool dynamics and solidification of Al6061 alloy. The high temporal and spatial resolution enabled direct observation of cavitation effects driven by a 20.2 kHz ultrasonic source. We utilized multiphysics simulations to validate the postulated connection between ultrasonic treatment and solidification. The X-ray results show a decrease in melt pool and keyhole depth fluctuations during melting and promotion of pore migration toward the melt pool surface with applied sonication. Additionally, the simulation results reveal increased localized melt pool flow velocity, cooling rates, and thermal gradients with applied sonication. This work shows how ultrasonic treatment can impact melt pools and its potential for improving part quality.

Phase transition at the initial solidification stage notably affects subsequent phase structure of peritectic alloys, however, detailed dynamics between entangled three-phase region remains ambiguous in the far-from-equilibrium condition during laser additive manufacturing. Here, in-situ peritectic phase transition during single-layer laser printing of an exemplary 304L stainless steel is directly investigated and quantified at high temporospatial resolution by high-speed synchrotron X-ray diffraction and imaging. These quantitative observations clarify the mechanism of coupled peritectic growth and local remelting at three-phase region. The results revealed provide in-depth understanding of phase transformation dynamics and delicate design of phase structure for metal additive manufacturing.

Abstract Objective To establish a machine learning model based on radiomics and clinical features derived from non-contrast CT to predict futile recanalization (FR) in patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke (AIS) undergoing endovascular treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 174 patients who underwent endovascular treatment for acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke between January 2020 and December 2023. FR was defined as successful recanalization but poor prognosis at 90 days (modified Rankin Scale, mRS 4–6). Radiomic features were extracted from non-contrast CT and selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method. Logistic regression (LR) model was used to build models based on radiomic and clinical features. A radiomics-clinical nomogram model was developed, and the predictive performance of the models was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results A total of 174 patients were included. 2016 radiomic features were extracted from non-contrast CT, and 9 features were selected to build the radiomics model. Univariate and stepwise multivariate analyses identified admission NIHSS score, hemorrhagic transformation, NLR, and admission blood glucose as independent factors for building the clinical model. The AUC of the radiomics-clinical nomogram model in the training and testing cohorts were 0.860 (95%CI 0.801–0.919) and 0.775 (95%CI 0.605–0.945), respectively. Conclusion The radiomics-clinical nomogram model based on non-contrast CT demonstrated satisfactory performance in predicting futile recanalization in patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke.

Abstract Background Artificial sweeteners are widely popular worldwide as substitutes for sugar or caloric sweeteners, but there are still several important unknowns and controversies regarding their associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to extensively assess the association and subgroup variability between artificial sweeteners and CVD and CVD mortality in the UK Biobank cohort, and further investigate the modification effects of genetic susceptibility and the mediation role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This study included 133,285 participants in the UK Biobank who were free of CVD and diabetes at recruitment. Artificial sweetener intake was obtained from repeated 24-hour diet recalls. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HRs. Genetic predisposition was estimated using the polygenic risk score (PRS). Furthermore, time-dependent mediation was performed. Results In our study, artificial sweetener intake (each teaspoon increase) was significantly associated with an increased risk of incident overall CVD (HR1.012, 95%CI: 1.008,1.017), coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR: 1.018, 95%CI: 1.001,1.035), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (HR: 1.035, 95%CI: 1.010,1.061), and marginally significantly associated with heart failure (HF) risk (HR: 1.018, 95%CI: 0.999,1.038). In stratified analyses, non-whites were at greater risk of incident overall CVD from artificial sweetener. People with no obesity (BMI

Abstract T-cell receptor (TCR) detection can examine the extent of T-cell immune responses. Therefore, the article analyzed characteristic data of glioma obtained by DNA-based TCR high-throughput sequencing, to predict the disease with fewer biomarkers and higher accuracy. We downloaded data online and obtained six TCR-related diversity indices to establish a multidimensional classification system. By comparing actual presence of the 602 correlated sequences, we obtained two-dimensional and multidimensional datasets. Multiple classification methods were utilized for both datasets with the classification accuracy of multidimensional data slightly less to two-dimensional datasets. This study reduced the TCR β sequences through feature selection methods like RFECV (Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation). Consequently, using only the presence of these three sequences, the classification AUC value of 96.67% can be achieved. The combination of the three correlated TCR clones obtained at a source data threshold of 0.1 is: CASSLGGNTEAFF_TRBV12_TRBJ1-1, CASSYSDTGELFF_TRBV6_TRBJ2-2, and CASSLTGNTEAFF_TRBV12_TRBJ1-1. At 0.001, the combination is: CASSLGETQYF_TRBV12_TRBJ2-5, CASSLGGNQPQHF_TRBV12_TRBJ1-5, and CASSLSGNTIYF_TRBV12_TRBJ1-3. This method can serve as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic tool, facilitating diagnosis and treatment of glioma and other cancers.

Abstract The main cause of corneal blindness worldwide is keratitis, especially the infectious form caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and Acanthamoeba. The key to effective management of infectious keratitis hinges on prompt and precise diagnosis. Nevertheless, the current gold standard, such as cultures of corneal scrapings, remains time-consuming and frequently yields false-negative results. Here, using 23,055 slit-lamp images collected from 12 clinical centers nationwide, this study constructed a clinically feasible deep learning system, DeepIK, that could emulate the diagnostic process of a human expert to identify and differentiate bacterial, fungal, viral, amebic, and noninfectious keratitis. DeepIK exhibited remarkable performance in internal, external, and prospective datasets (all areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves > 0.96) and outperformed three other state-of-the-art algorithms (DenseNet121, InceptionResNetV2, and Swin-Transformer). Our study indicates that DeepIK possesses the capability to assist ophthalmologists in accurately and swiftly identifying various infectious keratitis types from slit-lamp images, thereby facilitating timely and targeted treatment.

Abstract Total‐body positron emission tomography (TB‐PET) has significantly advanced from initial conception to global commercial availability. The high sensitivity of TB‐PET has led to superior lesion detection, thereby expanding the range of clinical applications. TB‐PET technology offers several advantages: (a) It enables the detection of small lesions, facilitating precise cancer staging and targeted cancer formulation. (b) The technology shortens the acquisition time while maintaining the quality of diagnostic images. (c) TB‐PET allows for a reduction in the amount of administered radiotracer, which minimizes image noise, reduces the effective radiation dose to patients, and enhances staff safety. (d) The scanner supports the development of new tracers and the dynamic imaging of these tracers throughout the entire body. (e) TB‐PET accommodates delayed scanning, which has been shown to improve the detection of small and previously undetected malignant lesions by enhancing the clearance in areas of significant background activity. (f) Owing to its high‐quality images, TB‐PET is suitable for parametric imaging, which offers several advantages over conventional standardized uptake value imaging. However, TB‐PET still faces several challenges. There is a lack of consensus on the optimal dose and scan duration for clinical diagnosis using TB‐PET. Additionally, unified standards for parametric imaging via TB‐PET are yet to be established, and the full clinical significance of this technology remains under‐explored. The accompanying review (Part 1) covers TB‐PET data manipulation and analysis.

Abstract Bile acids (BAs) play important pathophysiological roles in both humans and mammalian animals. Laboratory rats and mice are widely used animal models for assessing pharmacological effects and their underlying molecular mechanisms. However, substantial physiological differences exist in BA composition between humans and murine rodents. Here, we comprehensively compare BA profiles, including primary and secondary BAs, along with their amino acid conjugates, and sulfated metabolites in serum, urine, and feces between humans and two murine rodents. We further analyze the capabilities in gut microbial transform BAs among three species and compare sex-dependent variations within each species. As a result, BAs undergo amidation predominately with glycine in humans and taurine in mice but are primarily unamidated in rats. BA sulfation is a unique characteristic in humans, whereas rats and mice primarily perform multiple hydroxylations during BA synthesis and metabolism. For gut microbial transformed BA capabilities, humans are comparable to those of rats, stronger than those of mice in deconjugation and 7α-dehydroxylation, while humans are weak than those of rats or mice in oxidation and epimerization. Such differences enhance our understanding of the divergent experimental outcomes observed in humans and murine rodents, necessitating caution when translating findings from these rodent species to humans.

Abstract Background As the global trend of population aging intensifies, the health and well-being of the older population has gradually become a focus of attention for the global community. This study assessed the status of thriving in life among Chinese urban older adults and identified its relationship with attitude toward own aging and quality of life (QoL). It also tested whether attitude toward own aging moderates the association between thriving in life and Qol or between thriving in life and suicidal ideation. Methods Primary data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among urban older adults from three provinces in China. They were invited to complete an anonymous survey using face-to-face interviews from December 2019 to January 2020. Data from 764 older adults were analyzed. Results Approximately 44.39% of participants reported positive responses toward the four domains of thriving in life. Thriving in life and attitude toward own aging had a significant association with QoL. Thriving in life was a protective factor for suicidal ideation for older adults. Moreover, attitude toward own aging moderated the association between thriving in life and QoL and that between thriving in life and suicidal ideation. Conclusions Chinese urban older adults were reportedly thriving in life, which contributed to increased QoL and reduced suicidal ideation. Notably, the study revealed that more positive attitudes towards own aging were associated with higher levels of thriving in life, better QoL, and reduced suicidal ideation. Targeted interventions for older adults should be devised to promote thriving in life and prevent negative attitudes of older people towards their own aging, further raising QoL and reducing suicidal ideation.

Abstract Background Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious complication of diabetes, leads to structural and functional abnormalities of the heart and ultimately evolves to heart failure. IL-37 exerts a substantial influence on the regulation of inflammation and metabolism. Whether IL-37 is involved in DCM is unknown. Methods The plasma samples were collected from healthy controls, diabetic patients and DCM patients, and the level of IL-37 and its relationship with heart function were observed. The changes in cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and mitochondrial injury in DCM mice with or without IL-37 intervention were investigated in vivo. By an in vitro co-culture approach involving HG challenge of cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts, the interaction carried out by cardiomyocytes on fibroblast profibrotic activation was studied. Finally, the possible interactive mediator between cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts was explored, and the intervention role of IL-37 and its relevant molecular mechanisms. Results We showed that the level of plasma IL-37 in DCM patients was upregulated compared to that in healthy controls and diabetic patients. Both recombinant IL-37 administration or inducing IL-37 expression alleviated cardiac dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis in DCM mice. Mechanically, hyperglycemia impaired mitochondria through SIRT1/AMPK/PGC1α signaling, resulting in significant cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the release of extracellular vesicles containing mtDNA. Fibroblasts then engulfed these mtDNA-enriched vesicles, thereby activating TLR9 signaling and the cGAS-STING pathway to initiate pro-fibrotic process and adverse remodeling. However, the presence of IL-37 ameliorated mitochondrial injury by preserving the activity of SIRT1-AMPK-PGC1α axis, resulting in a reduction in release of mtDNA-enriched vesicle and ultimately attenuating the progression of DCM. Conclusions Collectively, our study demonstrates a protective role of IL-37 in DCM, offering a promising therapeutic agent for this disease. Graphical abstract Hyperglycemia aggravates mitochondrial injury through SIRT1/AMPK/PGC1α signaling, resulting in significant cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the release of extracellular vesicles containing mtDNA in DCM mice. Fibroblasts then engulf these mtDNA-enriched vesicles, activating TLR9 signaling and the cGAS-STING pathway to initiate profibrotic process and adverse remodeling. However, both exogenous and endogenous IL-37 ameliorate mitochondrial injury by preserving the activity of SIRT1-AMPK-PGC1α axis, and reducing the release of mtDNA-enriched vesicles, which attenuates the progression of DCM

Irreducible anteromedial radial head dislocation (IARHD) caused by transposed biceps tendon is rare. Delayed diagnosis and surgical failure often occur. A 46-year-old fisherman presented with 10 days history of painful swelling and restricted movement of his right elbow due to strangulation injury by a fishing boat cable. On examination, the images of the right elbow reveals in a ''semi-extended and pronated'' elastic fixation position. Radiography and 3-dimensional reconstruction CT reveals an isolated anteromedial radial head dislocation with extreme protonation of the radius and the bicipital tuberosity towards the posterior aspect of the elbow joint, and MRI shows biceps tendon wrapping around the radial neck, similar to umbilical cord wrapping seen in newborns. The Henry approach was applied for the first time to reduce the biceps tendon. The patient achieved a good functional recovery at 26 months, which represents the first reported case of IARHD without fracture caused by biceps tendon in an adult. In treatment of IARHD, attention should be paid to the phenomenon of biceps tendon transposition. Careful clinical examination, comprehensive imaging modalities, and appropriate surgical approach are the keys to successful management.

Species of the family Polycephalomycetaceae grow on insects or entomopathogenic fungi and are distributed from tropical to subtropical regions. This study proposed four new species of hyperparasitic fungi from China based on six molecular markers (ITS, SSU, LSU, TEF-1α, RPB1 and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics. The four new species, i.e. Pleurocordyceps litangensis, Polycephalomyces jinghongensis, Po. multiperitheciatae and Po. myrmecophilus, were described and illustrated. Pl. litangensis, exhibiting a hyperparasitic lifestyle on Ophiocordyceps sinensis, differed from Pleurocordyceps other species in producing subulate β-phialides and ovoid or elliptic α-conidia. Po. jinghongensis was distinct from Polycephalomyces other species, being parasitic on Ophiocordyceps sp., as producing oval or long oval-shaped α-conidia and columns of β-conidia. Po. multiperitheciatae differed from Polycephalomyces other species as having synnemata with fertile head, linear β-conidia and parasitic on Ophiocordyceps multiperitheciata. Po. myrmecophilus was distinct from Polycephalomyces other species, being parasitic on the fungus Ophiocordyceps acroasca, as producing round or ovoid α-conidia and elliptical β-conidia without synnemata from the colonies. These four species were clearly distinguished from other species in the family Polycephalomycetaceae by phylogenetic and morphological characteristics. The morphological features were discussed and compared to relevant species in the present paper.

The rapid dissolution time of solid alkali activator sodium silicate significantly affects the storage performance of alkali-activated slag concrete canvas. In this study, the solid alkali of Na2SiO3 was encapsulated in microcapsules for sustained-releasing activation of alkali-activated slag cementitious material (AASCM) to improve hydration properties. Na2SiO3@EC microcapsules with core-to-shell ratios of 1:1, 3:1, and 5:1 were first prepared with the particle size, morphology and dissolution process studied. Then the microcapsules were added to AASCM to investigate their effects on the setting time, compressive strength, and microstructures. Results showed that microcapsules demonstrated specific storage properties, with a positive correlation between the core-to-shell ratio and loading amount. The presence of ethylcellulose (EC) shell layer retarded the release of alkali activator, i.e., the contact of Na2SiO3 to slag, prolonging AASCM's setting time by 20–30 min when microcapsules core-to-shell ratio was 3:1. The sustained-releasing activation also altered hydration product morphology that transformed sheet-like C–S–H gel into the spherical gel, and successfully slowed down 1 d and 3 d compressive strength development without sacrificing 7 d strength. The research findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing Na2SiO3@EC microcapsules for the storage of alkaline activators, thereby effectively prolonging the setting and hardening time of alkali-activated cementitious materials.

Abstract Background Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) promote tumor growth, metastasis, and lead to immunotherapy resistance. Studies revealed that miRNAs are also expressed in MDSCs and promote the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs. Currently, few studies have been reported on inducible cellular microvesicle delivery of nucleic acid drugs targeting miRNA in MDSCs for the treatment of malignant tumors. Results and conclusion In this study, we designed an artificial DNA named G-quadruplex-enhanced circular single-stranded DNA-9 (G4-CSSD9), that specifically adsorbs the miR-9 sequence. Its advanced DNA folding structure, rich in tandem repeat guanine (G-quadruplex), also provides good stability. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were prepared into nanostructured vesicles by membrane extrusion. The MSC microvesicles-encapsulated G4-CSSD9 (MVs@G4-CSSD9) was delivered into MDSCs, which affected the downstream transcription and translation process, and reduced the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs, so as to achieve the purpose of treating melanoma. In particular, it provides an idea for the malignant tumor treatment. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Objectives 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT has been widely used for the differential diagnosis of cancer. Semi-quantitative standardized uptake value (SUV) is known to be affected by multiple factors and may make it difficult to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. It is crucial to find reliable quantitative metabolic parameters to further support the diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the value of the quantitative metabolic parameters derived from dynamic FDG PET/CT in the differential diagnosis of lung cancer and predicting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status. Methods We included 147 patients with lung lesions to perform FDG PET/CT dynamic plus static imaging with informed consent. Based on the results of the postoperative pathology, the patients were divided into benign/malignant groups, adenocarcinoma (AC)/squamous carcinoma (SCC) groups, and EGFR-positive (EGFR+)/EGFR-negative (EGFR-) groups. Quantitative parameters including K1, k2, k3, and Ki of each lesion were obtained by applying the irreversible two-tissue compartmental modeling using an in-house Matlab software. The SUV analysis was performed based on conventional static scan data. Differences in each metabolic parameter among the group were analyzed. Wilcoxon rank-sum test, independent-samples T-test, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed to compare the diagnostic effects among the differentiated groups. P 0.05, respectively). For ROC analysis, the Ki had a cut-off value of 0.0350 ml/g/min when predicting EGFR status, with a sensitivity of 0.710, a specificity of 0.588, and an AUC of 0.674 [0.523–0.802]. Conclusion Although both techniques were specific, Ki had a greater specificity than SUVmax when the cut-off value was set at 0.0250 ml/g/min for the differential diagnosis of lung cancer. At a cut-off value of 0.0350 ml/g/min, there was a 0.710 sensitivity for EGFR status prediction. If EGFR testing is not available for a patient, dynamic imaging could be a valuable non-invasive screening method.

Abstract Comprehending the complex interplay among urban mobility, human behavior, and the COVID-19 pandemic could deliver vital perspectives to steer forthcoming public health endeavors. In late 2022, China lifted its "Zero-COVID" policy and rapidly abandoned nearly all interventions. It provides a unique opportunity to observe spontaneous mobility changes without government restriction throughout such a pandemic with high infection. Based on 148 million travel data from the public bus, subway, and taxi systems in Shenzhen, China, our analysis reveals discernible spatial discrepancies within mobility patterns. This phenomenon can be ascribed to the heterogeneous responses of mobility behavior tailored to specific purposes and travel modes in reaction to the pandemic. Considering both the physiological effects of virus infection and subjective willingness to travel, a dynamic model is proposed and capable of fitting fine-grained urban mobility. The analysis and model can interpret mobility data and underlying population behavior to inform policymakers when evaluating public health strategies against future large-scale infectious diseases.

Abstract The metabolic implications in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a metabolomics study on a moderately aging Chinese Han cohort (n = 1397; mean age 66 years). Conjugated bile acids, branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and glutamate-related features exhibited strong correlations with cognitive impairment, clinical stage, and brain amyloid-β deposition (n = 421). These features demonstrated synergistic performances across clinical stages and subpopulations and enhanced the differentiation of AD stages beyond demographics and Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE-ε4). We validated their performances in eight data sets (total n = 7685) obtained from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP). Importantly, identified features are linked to blood ammonia homeostasis. We further confirmed the elevated ammonia level through AD development (n = 1060). Our findings highlight AD as a metabolic disease and emphasize the metabolite-mediated ammonia disturbance in AD and its potential as a signature and therapeutic target for AD.

Abstract Objectives Older people are more likely to have digital exclusion, which is associated with poor health. This study investigated the relationship between digital exclusion and cognitive impairment in older adults from 23 countries across five longitudinal surveys. Design and measurements Digital exclusion is defined as self-reported non-use of the Internet. We assessed cognitive impairment on three dimensions: orientation, memory, and executive function. We used generalized estimation equations fitting binary logistic regression with exchangeable correlations to study the relationship between digital exclusion and cognitive impairment, and apply the minimum sufficiently adjusted set of causally directed acyclic graphs as the adjusted variable. Setting and participants We pooled a nationally representative sample of older adults from five longitudinal studies, including the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal study (CHARLS), the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in European (SHARE). Results We included 62,413 participants from five longitudinal studies. Digital exclusion varied by country, ranging from 21.69% (SHARE) in Denmark to 97.15% (CHARLS) in China. In the original model, digital exclusion was significantly associated with cognitive impairment in all five studies. In the adjusted model, these associations remained statistically significant: CHARLS (Odds ratio [OR] = 2.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.84–4.28, ELSA (1.92 [1.70–2.18]), HRS(2.48[2.28–2.71), MHAS (1.92 [1.74–2.12]), and SHARE (2.60 [2.34–2.88]). Conclusion Our research shows that a significant proportion of older people suffer from digital exclusion, especially in China. Digital exclusion was positively correlated with cognitive impairment. These findings suggest that digital inclusion could be an important strategy to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in older adults.

The ultra-precision Ti–6Al–4V alloy parts are growing used in medical and aerospace industries, and which always work in the extreme working conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, and variable load. Thus, the requirements for machining accuracy and surface quality of parts are getting higher and higher. The ultrasonic elliptical vibration assisted cutting (UEVC) technology has been proved to be an effective method for the ultra-precision machining of Ti–6Al–4V alloy. However, in the UEVC process, the evolution mechanism of microstructure and microhardness, which directly affect the service performance and life, is unrevealed. In this paper, the comprehensive investigations of microstructural plastic deformation, grain refinement, phase transformation and microhardness of machined surface layer under conventional cutting (CC) and UEVC processes are carried out. The experimental results indicated that, due to the effects of UEVC technology, the plastic deformation area show obvious compression deformation, the depth of plastic deformation is less than 10 μm, there is no obvious phase transformation on the machined surface layer material, and the hardening rate of machined surface is more than 20%. These findings show the UEVC technology has a unique influence on the microstructure and microhardness of Ti–6Al–4V alloy, which have important implications for the cutting parameter design of ultra-precision Ti–6Al–4V alloy parts.

The aim of the current research is to highlight the time-dependent properties of laminar convective thermal transmission inside a semi-infinite pipe, with an emphasis on flow frequencies that impact inter-fluid momentum and energy. The implicit finite difference approach is used to solve two-dimensional mathematical model composed of nonlinear partial differential equations. The research includes forecasting thermal performance of time-dependent flow in a pipe over several parameter ranges relevant to the flow model. The obtained forecasts were emphasized graphically. The numerical solutions were separated into steady and unsteady components, with the steady component yielding findings that were then used to determine the time dependent surface shearness and energy shearness in the time dependent phase. The stable component of the investigation revealed that raising the buoyancy force parameter and the impact of viscous dissipation significantly improved the flow velocity pattern and heat distributions throughout the flow domain. While the amplitude of time dependent surface shearness varied somewhat across various buoyancy force parameter values, the amplitude of time dependent heat transmission rates varied significantly. This study sheds light on the interaction of several characteristics, such as buoyancy force effects and internal energy loss, on time-dependent thermal energy flow inside a semi-infinite pipe subjected to laminar convective flow. It is worth noting that the amplitude of the time dependent rate of heat transmission shows more noticeable variations with different values of the buoyancy force parameter, in contrast to the minute change in the amplitude of the time dependent surface sheerness.

Summary: Background: The phase 2 PERMEATE study has shown the antitumor activity and safety of pyrotinib plus capecitabine in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases. In this report, survival results were updated with extended follow-up. Methods: Between January 29, 2019 and July 10, 2020, adult patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who had radiotherapy-naïve brain metastases (cohort A, n = 59) or progressive disease after radiotherapy (cohort B, n = 19) were enrolled and received pyrotinib (400 mg once daily) and capecitabine (1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1–14 of each 21-day cycle) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Secondary endpoints progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were updated, and post-hoc central nervous system (CNS)-PFS was analyzed. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03691051). Findings: As of February 2, 2023, the median follow-up duration was 30.9 months (interquartile range, 16.1–39.8). Median PFS was 10.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.6–14.6) in cohort A and 5.7 months (95% CI, 3.4–11.5) in cohort B. Median OS was 35.9 months (95% CI, 24.4-not reached) in cohort A and 30.6 months (95% CI, 12.6–33.3) in cohort B. Median CNS-PFS was 13.6 months (95% CI, 9.0–15.8) in cohort A and 5.7 months (95% CI, 3.4–11.5) in cohort B. Median OS was 34.1 months (95% CI, 21.7-not reached) for 14 patients with intracranial progression only in cohort A who restarted pyrotinib plus capecitabine after local radiotherapy. Interpretation: These data support further validation in a randomized controlled trial for the assessment of pyrotinib in combination with capecitabine as systemic therapy for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases. Funding: National Cancer Center Climbing Foundation Key Project of China, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals.

Extracellular protein coronas (exPCs), which have been identified in various biofluids, are recognized for their pivotal role in mediating the interaction between nanoparticles and the cytomembrane. However, it is still unclear whether various exPCs can induce different levels of intracellular proteostasis, which is of utmost importance in preserving cellular function, and eliciting distinct intracellular biological behaviors. To investigate this, two types of exPC-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are prepared and used to investigate the influence of exPCs on extracellular and intracellular biological outcomes. The results demonstrate that the formation of exPCs promotes the colloidal stability of IONPs, and the discrepancies in the components of the two exPCs, including opsonin, dysopsonin, and lipoprotein, are responsible for the disparities in cellular uptake and endocytic pathways. Moreover, the differential evolution of the two exPCs during cellular internalization leads to distinct autophagy and glycolysis activities, which can be attributed to the altered depletion of angiopoietin 1 during the formation of intracellular protein coronas, which ultimately impacts the PI3K/AKT-mTOR signaling. These findings offer valuable insights into the dynamic characteristics of exPCs during cellular internalization, and their consequential implications for cellular internalization and intracellular metabolism activity, which may facilitate the comprehension of PCs on biological effects of NPs and expedite the design and application of biomedical nanoparticles.

Among women, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of a malignant tumour. Among the subtypes of breast cancer, hormone receptor (HR) positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) negative kinds make up the biggest proportion. The advent of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, which are dependent on cell cycle proteins, has greatly enhanced the prognosis of patients with advanced HR+/HER2− breast cancer. This is a specific treatment that stops the growth of cancer cells by preventing them from dividing. Nevertheless, the drug resistance of the disease unavoidably impacts the effectiveness of treatment and the prognosis of patients. This report provides a thorough analysis of the current research advancements about the resistance mechanism of CDK4/6 inhibitors in HR+/HER2− breast cancer. It presents an in-depth discussion from numerous viewpoints, such as aberrant cell cycle regulation and changes in signalling pathways. In response to the drug resistance problem, subsequent treatment strategies are also being explored, including switching to other CDK4/6 inhibitor drugs, a combination of novel endocrine therapeutic agents, an optimal combination of targeted therapies and switching to chemotherapy. An in-depth study of the resistance mechanism can assist in identifying creative tactics that can overcome or postpone drug resistance, alleviate the problem of restricted treatment strategies following drug resistance and enhance the prognosis of patients.

Abstract The mechanism and function of the expression of Schwann characteristics by nevus cells in the mature zone of the dermis are unknown. Early growth response 3 (EGR3) induces Schwann cell‐like differentiation of melanoma cells by simulating the process of nevus maturation, which leads to a strong phenotypic transformation of the cells, including the formation of long protrusions and a decrease in cell motility, proliferation, and melanin production. Meanwhile, EGR3 regulates the levels of myelin protein zero (MPZ) and collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1) through SRY‐box transcription factor 10 (SOX10)‐dependent and independent mechanisms, by binding to non‐strictly conserved motifs, respectively. Schwann cell‐like differentiation demonstrates significant benefits in both in vivo and clinical studies. Finally, a CD86‐P2A‐EGR3 recombinant mRNA vaccine is developed which leads to tumor control through forced cell differentiation and enhanced immune infiltration. Together, these data support further development of the recombinant mRNA as a treatment for cancer.

Hybrid nanofluids are crucial for enhancing thermal management, efficiency, and longevity in industrial applications such as heat exchangers, automotive cooling, and advanced manufacturing. The current study primarily investigates the impact of viscous and Joule dissipation on copper-alumina hybrid nanofluid flow over a stretching surface, with a particular focus on magnetic field effects resulting in a strong Lorentz force along the vertical direction. The governing equations are non-dimensionalized using similarity transformations, resulting in coupled, highly nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The coupled system of ODEs is solved numerically using the Shooting technique and a fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme in MATLAB. The results are plotted graphically. The outcomes mainly indicate that at the surface, momentum intensifies with increased stretching but declines significantly under a stronger magnetic field, while reduced permeability slows down flow momentum, resulting in higher temperature elevations. The outcomes revealed that copper-alumina hybrid nanofluids with lower permeability could improve the performance of miniature industrial devices.

BackgroundThe relationship between dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal microbiota and gastric cancer (GC) has been extensively studied. However, microbiota alterations in GC patients vary widely across studies, and reproducible diagnostic biomarkers for early GC are still lacking in multiple populations. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the gastrointestinal microbial communities involved in gastric carcinogenesis through a meta-analysis of multiple published and open datasets.MethodsWe analyzed 16S rRNA sequencing data from 1,642 gastric biopsy samples and 394 stool samples across 11 independent studies. VSEARCH, QIIME and R packages such as vegan, phyloseq, cooccur, and random forest were used for data processing and analysis. PICRUSt software was employed to predict functions.ResultsThe α-diversity results indicated significant differences in the intratumoral microbiota of cancer patients compared to non-cancer patients, while no significant differences were observed in the fecal microbiota. Network analysis showed that the positive correlation with GC-enriched bacteria increased, and the positive correlation with GC-depleted bacteria decreased compared to healthy individuals. Functional analyses indicated that pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism were significantly enriched in GC, while biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids was diminished. Additionally, we investigated non-Helicobacter pylori (HP) commensals, which are crucial in both HP-negative and HP-positive GC. Random forest models, constructed using specific taxa associated with GC identified from the LEfSe analysis, revealed that the combination of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus included alone could effectively discriminate between GC patients and healthy individuals in fecal samples (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.7949). This finding was also validated in an independent cohort (AUC = 0.7712).ConclusionsThis study examined the intratumoral and fecal microbiota of GC patients from a dual microecological perspective and identified Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Roseburia, Faecalibacterium and Phascolarctobacterium as intratumoral and intestinal-specific co-differential bacteria. Furthermore, it confirmed the validity of the combination of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus as GC-specific microbial markers across multiple populations, which may aid in the early non-invasive diagnosis of GC.

Hydro-meteorological monitoring through satellites in arid and semi-arid regions is constrained by the coarse spatial resolution of precipitation data, which impedes detailed analyses. The objective of this study is to evaluate various machine learning techniques for developing a downscaling framework that generates high spatio-temporal resolution precipitation products. Focusing on the Hai River Basin, we evaluated three machine learning approaches—Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), and Back Propagation (BP) neural networks. These methods integrate environmental variables including land surface temperature (LST), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV), and albedo, to downscale the 0.1° spatial resolution Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) product to a 1 km resolution. We further refined the results with residual correction and calibration using terrestrial rain gauge data. Subsequently, utilizing the 1 km annual precipitation, we employed the moving average window method to derive monthly and daily precipitation. The results demonstrated that the XGBoost method, calibrated with Geographical Difference Analysis (GDA) and Kriging spatial interpolation, proved to be the most accurate, achieving a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 58.40 mm for the annual product, representing a 14 % improvement over the original data. The monthly and daily products achieved MAE values of 11.61 mm and 1.79 mm, respectively, thus enhancing spatial resolution while maintaining accuracy comparable to the original product. In the Hai River Basin, key factors including longitude, latitude, DEM, LST_night, and PWV demonstrated greater importance and stability than other factors, thereby enhancing the model's precipitation prediction capabilities. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the annual, monthly, and daily high-temporal and high-spatial resolution downscaling processes of precipitation, serving as an important reference for hydrology and related fields.

Because of their numerous benefits such as high charge cycle count, low self-discharge rate, low maintenance requirements, and tiny footprint, Li-batteries have been extensively employed in recent times. However, mostly Li-batteries have a limited lifespan of up to three years after production, may catch fire if the separator is damaged, and cannot be recharged when they are fully depleted. Due to the significant heat generation that li-batteries produce while they are operating, the temperature difference inside the battery module rises. This reduces the operating safety of battery and limits its life. Therefore, maintaining safe battery temperatures requires efficient thermal management using both active and passive. Thermal optimization may be achieved battery thermal management system (BTMS) that employs phase change materials (PCMs). However, PCM's shortcomings in secondary heat dissipation and restricted thermal conductivity still require development in the design, structure, and materials used in BTMS. We summarize new methods to control temperature of batteries using Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials (NEPCMs), air cooling, metallic fin intensification, and enhanced composite materials using nanoparticles which work well to boost their performance. To the scientific community, the idea of nano-enhancing PCMs is new and very appealing. Hybrid and ternary battery modules are already receiving attention for the li-battery life span enhancement ultimately facilitating their broader adoption across various applications, from portable electronics to electric vehicles and beyond.

New energy vehicles (NEVs) are considered a crucial means of reducing travel costs, enhancing consumer experiences, and innovating services. This paper aims to categorize the functional experiences of NEVs into two types: intelligent experience and eco-friendly experience, using a dual-path model. By analyzing 118,648 text data from automotive information and service platforms, the relevant factors influencing consumer satisfaction are explored. The research findings reveal that intelligent experience has a significantly positive impact on consumer satisfaction, whereas eco-friendly experience has a significantly negative impact on consumer satisfaction. This suggests that new energy vehicle companies need technological innovation in infrastructure and range to enhance consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, the research confirms that, when facing the intelligent experience of new energy vehicles, consumers’ “rational” thinking plays a dominant role, and efficacy is an intermediate variable to enhance consumer satisfaction. On the other hand, when facing the eco-friendly experience of new energy vehicles, consumers’ “emotional” thinking predominates, and identity is an intermediate variable to enhance consumer satisfaction. Additionally, the moderating effect of perceived usability is examined. When faced with the intelligent experience of NEVs, consumers with high perceived usability are more likely to generate a sense of efficiency. In the case of the eco-friendly experience of NEVs, consumers with low perceived usability are more likely to experience a sense of identity.

Mercury (Hg) contamination in paddy soils has attracted increasing attention due to the health risks of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) through rice ingestion. To safely utilize Hg-contaminated soil and effectively reduce total Hg (THg) and MeHg accumulation in rice grains and its exposure risks, two types of thiol-functionalized montmorillonites developed by covalent grafting (CG-Mt) and mechanochemical grafting (MG-Mt) were as amendments for remediation of Hg-contaminated paddy soil. Pot environment results suggested that CG-Mt and MG-Mt application to soil (0.1%–1%, m/m) significantly reduced the accumulation of total THg and MeHg in rice grains by 40.3%–61.9% and 43.9%–62.3%, with the acceptable daily intake and target hazard quotient value of MeHg reduction by 39.5%-65.1% and 40.7%-64.4%. Application of CG-Mt and MG-Mt decreased soil available Hg and MeHg by 14.6%–95.4% and 19.4%–71.1%, respectively, which are directly responsible for the inhibition of THg and MeHg accumulation in rice. Structural equation model revealed that the changes in Hg methylation and demethylation related functional genes hgcAB, merB and merA indirectly determined THg and MeHg level in rice. In view of the stabilized soil pH, enhanced enzyme activities and less disturbance in bacterial community, MG-Mt is a promising soil amendment for mitigating THg and MeHg exposure risks of rice produced from Hg-contaminated paddy soils.

PurposeThe objective of this study was to create and validate a machine learning (ML)-based model for predicting the likelihood of lung infections following chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 502 lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Data on age, Body Mass Index (BMI), underlying disease, chemotherapy cycle, number of hospitalizations, and various blood test results were collected from medical records. We used the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) to handle unbalanced data. Feature screening was performed using the Boruta algorithm and The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). Subsequently, six ML algorithms, namely Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) were employed to train and develop an ML model using a 10-fold cross-validation methodology. The model’s performance was evaluated through various metrics, including the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, calibration curve, decision curves, clinical impact curve, and confusion matrix. In addition, model interpretation was performed by the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analysis to clarify the importance of each feature of the model and its decision basis. Finally, we constructed nomograms to make the predictive model results more readable.ResultsThe integration of Boruta and LASSO methodologies identified Gender, Smoke, Drink, Chemotherapy cycles, pleural effusion (PE), Neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio (NLR), Neutrophil-monocyte count ratio (NMR), Lymphocytes (LYM) and Neutrophil (NEUT) as significant predictors. The LR model demonstrated superior performance compared to alternative ML algorithms, achieving an accuracy of 81.80%, a sensitivity of 81.1%, a specificity of 82.5%, an F1 score of 81.6%, and an AUC of 0.888(95%CI(0.863-0.911)). Furthermore, the SHAP method identified Chemotherapy cycles and Smoke as the primary decision factors influencing the ML model’s predictions. Finally, this study successfully constructed interactive nomograms and dynamic nomograms.ConclusionThe ML algorithm, combining demographic and clinical factors, accurately predicted post-chemotherapy lung infections in cancer patients. The LR model performed well, potentially improving early detection and treatment in clinical practice.

Thermal enhancement of engine oil plays an important role in a variety of industrial applications including heat exchangers, automotive cooling systems, renewable energy systems, biomedical devices, and advanced manufacturing processes. Considering the high demand in industry, present investigation explores thermal optimization of engine oil contained in a porous inclined cavity involving dispersion of hybrid nanoparticles along with inclusion of micropolar fluid flow phenomena. Numerical analysis is performed on the micropolar nanofluid containing iron oxide and molybdenum disulfide while considering the effect of thermal radiation, buoyancy force, viscous dissipation, magnetic field’s strength, porosity, and vortex viscosity. Numerical solutions of the dimensionless governing equations are provided through utilization of FVM. The coupling of velocity and pressure terms was achieved through implementation of SIMPLE algorithm. The results are illustrated through streamlines, contours, velocity, temperature profiles and heat flux. The outcomes revealed that an augment in Hartmann number and thermal radiation parameter results in higher heat flux rate. The incrementation in Hartmann number disrupted the flow resulting a reduction in the size of major vortices and similar trend is noted in case of temperature profile for the said parameters. The outcomes complement the continuing efforts to improve the thermal management of various applications and offer insightful information for optimizing engine oil compositions.

Cyanobacteria are the only prokaryotes capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis on Earth. Besides their traditional roles serving as primary producers, cyanobacteria also synthesize abundant secondary metabolites including carotenoids, alkaloids, peptides, which have been reported to possess medicinal potentials. More importantly, the advancement of synthetic biology technology has further expanded their potential biomedical applications especially using living/engineered cyanobacteria, providing promising and attractive strategies for future disease treatments. To improve the understanding and to facilitate future applications, this review aims to discuss the current status and future prospects of cyanobacterial-based biomedical engineering. Firstly, specific properties of cyanobacteria related with biomedical applications like their natural products of bioactive compounds and heavy metal adsorption were concluded. Subsequently, based on these properties of cyanobacteria, we discussed the progress of their applications in various disease models like hypoxia microenvironment alleviation, wound healing, drug delivery, and so on. Finally, the future prospects including further exploration of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites, the integration of bioactive compounds synthesized by cyanobacteria in situ with medical diagnosis and treatment, and the optimization of in vivo application were critically presented. The review will promote the studies related with cyanobacteria-based biomedical engineering and its practical application in clinical trials in the future.

Abstract Background A complex interaction and mutual influence exists among landscapes, cultures, and landraces, with rice culture being a typical embodiment of this relationship. The conservation of landraces operates alongside preserving traditional practices. The Xishuangbanna region stands out as a hub for the genetic diversity of landraces, boasting rich genetic resources. Despite the diverse rice resources in this region, a comprehensive and systematic study has not been undertaken. Methods From October to November 2023, we collected rice landraces under the on-farm conservation in 18 townships including Menghai, Mengla and Jinghong in Xishuangbanna. Employing semi-structured interviews and various methods, we investigated factors influencing the preservation and loss of rice landraces in the region. Statistical analysis was applied to the agronomic traits of collected local rice, encompassing indica or japonica, glutinous or non-glutinous, grain shape, and hull color as second category traits. The second category included quantitative traits like thousand grain weight and grain length. Rice diversity among different regions, traits, and ethnic groups was assessed using the Shannon–Wiener index. Additionally, clustering analysis via the UPGMA method depicted the distribution characteristics of the resources. Results A total of 70 rice landraces were collected in the Xishuangbanna region, each exhibiting distinct characteristics. Differences were observed across regions, trait, naming, and ethnic groups. Diversity analysis revealed that Mengla had the highest diversity, followed by Menghai, while Jinghong exhibited the lowest diversity. The second category of traits displayed broader diversity than the first, with the Dai people’s glutinous rice showcasing greater diversity than other ethnic groups. Cluster analysis categorized the 70 samples into seven groups at a genetic distance of 1.15. Ethnobotanical interviews emphasized the rapid loss of rice landraces resources in Xishuangbanna, with indigenous ethnic cultures playing a vital role in the conservation of rice landraces. Dai traditions, in particular, played a crucial role in protecting glutinous rice resources, showcasing a mutual dependence between Dai culture and glutinous rice. Conclusions The rich natural environment and diverse ethnic cultures in Xishuangbanna have given rise to various rice landraces. The Dai, primary cultivators of glutinous rice with higher diversity, intertwine their traditional ethnic culture with the conservation of glutinous rice resources. At the same time, the preserving glutinous rice resources promotes the inheritance of Dai ethnic culture. However, rice landraces are facing the risk of loss. Hence, collecting and documenting rice landraces is crucial. Encourage local communities to sustain and expand their cultivation, promoting on-farm conservation. These measures contribute valuable germplasm and genes for rice breeding and serve as a means of cultural preservation.

Abstract Total‐body positron emission tomography (TB‐PET) has ultra‐high sensitivity and the unique ability to conduct dynamic imaging of the entire body. Both the hardware configuration and the data acquired from a TB‐PET scanner differ from those of the conventional short axial field‐of‐view scanners. Therefore, various aspects concerning data processing need careful consideration when implementing TB‐PET in clinical settings. Additionally, advances in data analysis are needed to fully uncover the potential of these systems. Although some progress has been achieved, further research and innovation in scan data management are necessary. In this report, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current progress, challenges, and possible future directions for TB‐PET data processing and analysis. For a review of clinical applications, please find the other review accompanying this paper.

Abstract Surface defects on steel, arising from factors like steel composition and manufacturing techniques, pose significant challenges to industrial production. Efficient and precise detection of these defects is crucial for enhancing production efficiency and product quality. In accordance with these requisites, this paper elects to undertake the detection task predicated on the you only look once (YOLO) algorithm. In this study, we propose a novel approach for surface flaw identification based on the YOLOv5 algorithm, called YOLOv5-KBS. This method integrates attention mechanism and weighted Bidirectional Feature Pyramid Network (BiFPN) into YOLOv5 architecture. Our method addresses issues of background interference and defect size variability in images. Experimental results show that the YOLOv5-KBS model achieves a notable 4.2% increase in mean Average Precision (mAP) and reaches a detection speed of 70 Frames Per Second (FPS), outperforming the baseline model. These findings underscore the effectiveness and potential applications of our proposed method in industrial settings.

Abstract Flexible pressure sensors can convert mechanical stimuli to electrical signals to interact with the surroundings, mimicking the functionality of the human skins. Piezocapacitive pressure sensors, a class of most widely used devices for artificial skins, however, often suffer from slow response-relaxation speed (tens of milliseconds) and thus fail to detect dynamic stimuli or high-frequency vibrations. Here, we show that the contact-separation behavior of the electrode-dielectric interface is an energy dissipation process that substantially determines the response-relaxation time of the sensors. We thus reduce the response and relaxation time to ~0.04 ms using a bonded microstructured interface that effectively diminishes interfacial friction and energy dissipation. The high response-relaxation speed allows the sensor to detect vibrations over 10 kHz, which enables not only dynamic force detection, but also acoustic applications. This sensor also shows negligible hysteresis to precisely track dynamic stimuli. Our work opens a path that can substantially promote the response-relaxation speed of piezocapacitive pressure sensors into submillisecond range and extend their applications in acoustic range.

Abstract Endophytic bacteria are one of the symbiotic microbial groups closely related to host algae. However, less research on the endophytic bacteria of marine algae. In this study, the endophytic bacterial community of Sargassum thunbergii was investigated using the culture method and high-throughput sequencing. Thirty-nine endophytic bacterial strains, belonging to two phyla, five genera and sixteen species, were isolated, and Firmicutes, Bacillus and Metabacillus indicus were the dominant taxa at the phylum, genus and species level, respectively. High-throughput sequencing revealed 39 phyla and 574 genera of endophytic bacteria, and the dominant phylum was Proteobacteria, while the dominant genus was Ralstonia. The results also indicated that the endophytic bacteria of S. thunbergii included various groups with nitrogen fixation, salt tolerance, pollutant degradation, and antibacterial properties but also contained some pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, the endophytic bacterial community shared a large number of groups with the epiphytic bacteria and bacteria in the surrounding seawater, but the three groups of samples could be clustered separately. In conclusion, there are a variety of functional endophytic bacteria living in S. thunbergii, and the internal condition of algae is a selective factor for the formation of endophytic bacterial communities. This study enriched the database of endophytic bacteria in marine macroalgae, paving the way for further understanding of the interrelationships between endophytic bacteria, macroalgae, and the environment.

Abstract Introduction Frailty has become a worldwide health burden that has a large influence on public health and clinical practice. The incidence of frailty is anticipated to increase as the ageing population increases. Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is associated with short-term and long-term mortality. However, the incidence of MINS in frail geriatric patients is unknown. Methods and analysis This prospective, multicentre, real-world observational cohort study will be conducted at 18 designated centres in China from January 2023 to December 2024, with an anticipated sample size of 856 patients aged 65 years and older who are scheduled to undergo noncardiac surgery. The primary outcome will be the incidence of MINS. MINS is defined as a fourth-generation plasma cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentration ≥ 0.03 ng/mL exhibited at least once within 30 days after surgery, with or without symptoms of myocardial ischaemia. All data will be collected via electronic data acquisition. Discussion This study will explore the incidence of MINS in frail patients. The characteristics, predictive factors and 30-day outcomes of MINS in frail patients will be further investigated to lay the foundation for identifying clinical interventions. Clinical trial registration https://beta.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05635877 , NCT05635877.

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of early 30-minute dynamic 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning protocol for patients with lung lesions in comparison to the standard 65-minute dynamic FDG-PET scanning as a reference. Methods Dynamic 18F-FDG PET images of 146 patients with 181 lung lesions (including 146 lesions confirmed by histology) were analyzed in this prospective study. Dynamic images were reconstructed into 28 frames with a specific temporal division protocol for the scan data acquired 65 min post-injection. Ki images and quantitative parameters Ki based on two different acquisition durations [the first 30 min (Ki-30 min) and 65 min (Ki-65 min)] were obtained by applying the irreversible two-tissue compartment model using in-house Matlab software. The two acquisition durations were compared for Ki image quality (including visual score analysis and number of lesions detected) and Ki value (including accuracy of Ki, the value of differential diagnosis of lung lesions and prediction of PD-L1 status) by Wilcoxon’s rank sum test, Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the DeLong test. The significant testing level (alpha) was set to 0.05. Results The quality of the Ki-30 min images was not significantly different from the Ki-65 min images based on visual score analysis (P > 0.05). In terms of Ki value, among 181 lesions, Ki-65 min was statistically higher than Ki-30 min (0.027 ± 0.017 ml/g/min vs. 0.026 ± 0.018 ml/g/min, P 0.05), while the diagnostic accuracies of Ki-65 min and Ki-30 min were both significantly higher than that of SUVmax (P 0.05), according to the results of ROC analysis and Delong test. Conclusions This study indicates that an early 30-minute dynamic FDG-PET acquisition appears to be sufficient to provide quantitative images with good-quality and accurate Ki values for the assessment of lung lesions and prediction of PD-L1 expression. Protocols with a shortened early 30-minute acquisition time may be considered for patients who have difficulty with prolonged acquisitions to improve the efficiency of clinical acquisitions.

Abstract Background The prognostic significance of the CRAFITY score (CRP and AFP in ImmunoTherapY) has been demonstrated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving immunotherapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility and the predictive value of CRAFITY score in HCC after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immunotherapy. Materials and methods Data from patients with advanced HCC treated with TACE plus TKIs and PD-1 inhibitor from January 2019 to June 2022 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Patients with AFP ≥ 100 ng/mL and those with CRP ≥ 1 mg/dL were assigned a CRAFITY score of 1 point. Patients were divided into three groups according to their CRAFITY score (CRAFITY-low, 0 points; CRAFITY-intermediate, 1 point; and CRAFITY-high, 2 points). The differences in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AEs) were compared among the three groups. Tumor response was evaluated at 3, 6 and 12 months after the first combination treatment. Risk factors for OS and PFS were assessed. Results A total of 70 patients were included. The patients were assigned CRAFITY scores of 0 points (CRAFITY-low, n = 25 [35.71%]), 1 point (CRAFITY-intermediate, n = 29 [41.42%]), and 2 points (CRAFITY-high, n = 16 [22.81%]). Multivariate analysis showed that lower CRAFITY score was an independent factor for the improved OS (P =.045) and PFS (P

Abstract Backgrounds Persistent trigeminal artery (PTA) is a rare anastomosis between internal carotid artery (ICA) and basilar artery. In rare conditions, the PTA could be combined with others cerebrovascular anomalies, moyamoya disease (MMD) is one of them. Case presentation Here, we reported one rare case of MMD associated with PTA, the patient admitted to our department for severe dizziness and headache, imaging examination suggested MMD combined with right PTA, which arising from the ipsilateral cavernous portion of ICA. The patient received phased bilaterral revascularization with no any complication. In the subsequent follow-up, the patient’s symptoms and intracranial vascular condition gradually improved. Moreover, we conducted a literature review of coexistence of PTA and MMD, the results of a web of science regarding such condition, and a deep discussion providing brief insight into the status of co-occurrence of PTA and MMD, including its manifestation, treatment and outcome. Conclusions The coexistence of PTA and MMD was rarely reported, the pathogenesis of such condition remains unknown. We found that the features of the coexistence of PTA and MMD were diverse, revascularization might be a feasible for such patient.