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Stanton Heydinger,1 Rafael Ufret-Vincenty,2,3 Zachary M Robertson,2,3 Yu-Guang He,2,3 Angeline L Wang2,3 1University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Parkland Hospital, Dallas, TX, USACorrespondence: Stanton Heydinger, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, USA, Tel +1 816-500-9088, Email Stanton.Heydinger@utsouthwestern.eduPurpose: To compare the outcomes of primary uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair using pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), scleral buckling (SB), or combined scleral buckling with vitrectomy (SB/PPV).Patients and Methods: Single-institution, retrospective, observational study of 179 patients with primary RRD managed at a large academic hospital system. We excluded patients with less than 6 months of follow-up, previous vitrectomy or buckle, giant retinal tears, aphakia, recurrent forms of RRD, or extensive proliferative vitreoretinopathy (Grade C or worse) documented on exam or requiring membrane peel. Outcome measures included primary anatomical success at 6 months, functional success defined as BCVA ≥ 20/200, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) using logMAR scoring. Subgroup analysis was performed in the following patient groups: phakic, pseudophakic, inferior detachments, and prior pneumatic retinopexy.Results: Primary anatomical success was achieved in 145 of 179 eyes (81.0%), with SB/PPV showing a significantly greater success rate (p = 0.046) when compared to SB and PPV. Functional success was achieved in 137 of the 145 anatomically successful eyes (94.5%), with values ranging between 92% and 97% amongst the interventions (p = 0.552). No difference was found in final BCVA (p = 0.367). Patients with inferior detachment had an odds ratio of 2.15 for primary anatomic failure. Prior pneumatic retinopexy did not significantly affect any of the primary outcomes.Conclusion: SB/PPV yielded a significantly better primary anatomical success rate when compared to SB and PPV. Functional success and final BCVA was similar amongst the interventions. Inferior detachments were associated with worse primary anatomic outcomes. Prior pneumatic retinopexy did not significantly affect surgical outcomes.Keywords: anatomical success, retina, scleral buckling, vitrectomy

Rui-Tao Wang, Yang Zhao, An-Lei Wang, Yu-Ting Wang, Zhong-Ping Yin, Kai Chen Department of Oncology, Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Kai ChenDepartment of Oncology, Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 22-2624-9182Email chenkai5103@sina.comBackground: Present study was condeucted to investigate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib for patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in a Chinese population and the prognostic implications of adverse reactions.Methods: This retrospective study a total of 96 consecutive patients with mCRC who had failed standard chemotherapy regimens from June 2017 to December 2020. Patients received regorafenib at an initial dosage of 160 mg or 120 mg. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), and secondary end points objective response rate (ORR), disease-control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), safety, and associations between prognosis and adverse-reaction status.Results: There were three patients with partial response, 49 with stable disease, and 44 with progressive disease. Consequently, the ORR and DCR of the 96 patients were 3.1% (95% CI 0.6%– 8.9%) and 54.2% (95% CI 43.7– 64.4%), respectively. Prognosis results showed that median PFS of the 96 patients was 2.5 (95% CI 1.98– 3.02) months and median OS 9.8 (95% CI 7.02– 12.59) months. Additionally, the most frequent adverse reactions during regorafenib treatment were hand–foot syndrome (HFS; 52.1%), hypertension (38.5%), and fatigue (33.3%). Interestingly, the relevance of prognosis to adverse-reaction status exhibited that median PFS of patients with HFS and patients without HFS was 3.3 months and 2.0 months, respectively (P=0.013). Similarly, median PFS of patients with hypertension and without hypertension was 3.6 months and 2.2 months, respectively (P=0.023).Conclusion: Potential clinical benefit of regorafenib monotherapy was observed for patients with mCRC who had failed standard chemotherapy regimens. Hypertension and HFS induced by regorafenib therapy could be used as valuable biomarkers to predict the prognosis of regorafenib.Keywords: colorectal cancer, regorafenib, efficacy, safety, biomarker

Zhenhao Shi,1 An-Li Wang,2 Catherine A Aronowitz,3 Joseph N Cappella,4 Daniel Romer,3 Daniel D Langleben1,3,51Center for Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; 2Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA; 3Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; 4Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; 5Department of Behavioral Health, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USAPurpose: Argument strength (AS) is a validated measure of persuasiveness that has been identified as one of the key variables determining the effectiveness of video ads. Smoking-cessation videos with high AS are more effective at reducing smoking behavior than videos with low AS. The neural processes that mediate the effects of AS on subsequent smoking have not been identified. In the present study, we tested whether the efficacy of high-AS smoking-cessation videos is determined by the level of integration of visual and auditory (ie, multisensory) processes. In addition, we tested differences in sensation seeking, which is repeatedly associated with smokers’ sensitivity to cessation interventions.Patients and methods: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we recorded the brain response of 66 smokers randomly assigned to view either 16 high-AS or 16 low-AS smoking-cessation videos. Multisensory processing was assessed by the functional connectivity between brain regions that encoded visual and auditory information in the videos. Smoking behavior was indexed by the urine level of cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, immediately before and approximately 30 days after the fMRI session.Results: We found a significant moderated mediation effect, such that the connectivity between visual and auditory cortices mediated the effect of AS on subsequent smoking, but only for smokers lower in sensation seeking. The prediction performance of the model was confirmed by leave-one-out cross-validation.Conclusion: Our study suggests that audiovisual integration underlies the greater efficacy of high- vs low-AS smoking-cessation videos for individuals lower in sensation seeking. High-sensation-seeking smokers may be responsive to other characteristics of smoking-cessation videos.Keywords: smoking, health communication, functional magnetic resonance imaging, brain connectivity, sensation seeking

Objective The arch vault rise-span ratio not only affects the building height, design rationality, and construction safety of covered PBA (pile-beam-arch) method urban rail transit stations. Therefore, it is necessary to study the impact of arch vault rise-span ratio on the stress of steel pipe pile stresss and land subsidence. Method A mechanical model of urban rail transit station arch vault structure is constructed to analyze the structural internal forces under different arch rise-span ratios. A 3D station-stratum numerical model of the station and surrounding soil is established using numerical simulation analysis software, and the rationality of the model is verified by comparing numerical simulation results of land subsidence and field monitoring data of land subsidence. The study also examines the mechanical properties of steel pipe piles and their impact on land subsidence during covered PBA method construction. Result & Conclusion When the arch rise-span ratio varies from 0.20 to 0.40, the maximum bending moment, maximum axial force, and maximum shear force of the arch vault structure show a decreasing trend. The maximum axial force of the steel pipe piles decreases initially and then increases; the middle pile axial forceit is the minimum with the arch vault rise-span ratio of 0.30. As the arch vault rise-span ratio increases, land subsidence first decreases and then increases. The optimal ratio for controlling land subsidence is 0.30, resulting in a 34% reduction compared to the arch vault rise-spana ratio of 0.20. The stages of pilot tunnel and arch closure construction cause the most significant land subsidence. An appropriate arch rise-span ratio increases the proportion of land subsidence induced during these two stages, thereby reducing the disturbance to the soil layers from the subsequent station main structure excavation.

Hybridomas were produced by fusing the NS1 mouse myeloma line, which does not produce mouse heavy chain Ig, with human peripheral B lymphocytes from a normal individual. Two vigorously growing colonies from this fusion were found to secrete human Ig heavy chains and were recloned. Two secondary clones, which secreted human chains, were again recloned. Among the tertiary clones, two were identified which produced intracellular human Ig chains, but did not secrete immunoglobulin. These tertiary clones were recloned, generating 6 quaternary clones which failed to produce human Ig heavy chains, and 15 quaternary clones which produced intracellular Ig chains. Hybrid clones from each successive subcloning were examined for their human chromosomal content and only those clones which were found to be individually chromosomally distinct, a total of 56 clones in all, were used to analyze the segregation of human chromosomes and human Ig heavy chain synthesis. Results of this study indicate concordant segregation of human Ig heavy chain synthesis and chromosome 14. These studies therefore confirm the previous assignment by C. M. Croce et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1979. 76: 3416) of the genes for human Ig heavy chains to chromosome 14.

The Meany Center for Performance Arts is exploring the optimal seating zone arrangement and pricing strategy for its main theater with approximately 1200 seats divided into four zones. Given the historical patron demand, the goal is to maximize net profits by adjusting ticket prices based on zone quality, customers’ sensitivity to pricing, popularity and the type of performance. We first estimate the demand function through linear regression in double log form following the paper “Revenue and attendance simultaneous optimization in performing arts organization” (Baldin, Bille, Ellero, and Favaretto 2018). Using this demand function, we then solve a nonlinear maximization problem through PYTHON’s Gurobi packages to get the optimal value of ticket price for maximal profits. Overall, this project will enhance profit for Meany Hall, provide pricing insights for future performances, and demonstrate the application of economic theories and discrete math modeling to benefit the community.

High-efficiency and high-speed photodetectors with broadband responses are playing pivotal roles for wavelength-division multiplexing optical communications. Germanium photodetectors on silicon platforms exhibit potential cost advantage due to the compatibility for monolithic integration with silicon-based electronic circuits for signal amplification and processing. In this article, we report a normal incidence, germanium photodetector enabled by guided-mode resonances in photonic crystal, which successfully resolved the compromise between quantum efficiency, wavelength coverage and bandwidth requirement, a drawback usually faced by conventional photodetectors operating at normal incidence. The resonant photonic crystal structure is designed to support multiple resonances in the target wavelength range. With an intrinsic absorption layer thickness of 350 nm, the device achieved a high external quantum efficiency of 50% at 1550 nm, along with an enhancement around 300% for the entire C-band. Using a mesa diameter of 14 μm, the fabricated device exhibited a 3-dB bandwidth of 33 GHz and obtained clear eye diagrams at bit rate up to 56 Gbps. This work provides a promising method to design high-efficiency, high-speed, normal incidence germanium photodetectors for optical interconnect systems.

Objective To review the types, content and accuracy of print media reports on male circumcision for preventing HIV infection among men in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We conducted a trilingual search (English, French, Portuguese) of LexisNexis(R) with the phrase 'male circumcision' for the period from 28 March 2007 to 30 June 2008. The articles identified were screened for the central theme of male circumcision for preventing HIV infection in men in sub-Saharan Africa and for publication types targeting lay audiences -- newspapers, magazines, newswires or newsletters. We judged the accuracy of the reports and determined the context, public perceptions, misconceptions and areas of missing information in the print media. We also explored whether the media could be better used to maximize the impact of male circumcision. Findings We identified 412 articles, of which 219 were unique and 193 were repeats. 'Peaks and valleys' occurred in the volume of articles over time. Most articles (56.0%) presented male circumcision for the prevention of HIV infection in a positive light. Those that portrayed it negatively had an overall repeat rate 2.9 times higher than positive articles. Public health messages formulated by international health agencies were few but generally accurate. Conclusion The accuracy of the reports was good, although the articles were few and frequently omitted important messages. This suggests that public health authorities must help the media understand important issues. A communication strategy to sequence important themes as male circumcision programmes are scaled up would allow strategic coverage of accurate messages over time. Copyright © 2009 World Health Organization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the relevant data from 2008 to 2017 to construct a multiple linear regression equation, and uses the generalized moment estimation model to explore the impact of financial development on industrial structure adjustment from the perspective of financial scale and efficiency. The results show that financial efficiency can promote the rationalization and upgrading of industrial structure, but the impact of financial scale on industrial structure is two-sided. Increasing financial scale can increase the amount of industrial financing and accelerate the process of industrial structure upgrading. However, blindly increasing the supply of loans will lead to the birth of bad investment, thus failing to promote the rationalization of industrial structure. Based on this, this paper puts forward some policy suggestions, such as promoting the diversified development of the financial industry, improving the imbalance of financial development in various provinces, promoting the reasonable investment structure and the development of high-tech industry, and giving full play to the role of the government.

Abstract Background Obesity has a strong genetic influence, with some variants showing stronger associations among women than men. Women are also more likely to distribute weight in the abdomen following menopause. We investigated whether genetic loci link with obesity-related phenotypes differently by menopausal status. Methods We performed univariate and bivariate linkage analysis for the phenotypes of body mass index (BMI), waist (W) and hip (H) circumferences (WC, HC), and WH ratio (WHR) separately among 172 pre-menopausal and 405 post-menopausal women from 90 multigenerational families using a genome scan with 403 microsatellite markers. Bivariate analysis used pair-wise combinations of obesity phenotypes to detect linkage at loci with pleiotropic effects for genetically correlated traits. BMI was adjusted in models of WC, HC and WHR. Results Pre-menopausal women, compared to post-menopausal women, had higher heritability for BMI (h2 = 94% versus h2 = 39%, respectively) and for HC (h2 = 99% versus h2 = 43%, respectively), and lower heritability for WC (h2 = 29% versus h2 = 61%, respectively) and for WHR (h2 = 39% versus h2 = 57%, respectively). Among pre-menopausal women, the strongest evidence for linkage was for the combination of BMI and HC traits at 3p26 (bivariate LOD = 3.65) and at 13q13-q14 (bivariate LOD = 3.59). Among post-menopausal women, the highest level of evidence for genetic linkage was for HC at 4p15.3 (univariate LOD = 2.70) and 14q13 (univariate LOD = 2.51). WC was not clearly linked to any locus. Conclusions These results support a genetic basis for fat deposition that differs by menopausal status, and suggest that the same loci encode genes that influence general obesity (BMI) and HC, specifically, among pre-menopausal women. However, lower heritability among pre-menopausal women for WC and WHR suggests that pre-menopausal waist girth may be influenced to a greater extent by controllable environmental factors than post-menopausal waist girth. Possibly, targeted interventions for weight control among pre-menopausal women may prevent or attenuate post-menopausal abdominal weight deposition.

Abstract Background Gap junction proteins, connexins, are expressed in most endocrine and exocrine glands in the body and are at least in some glands crucial for the hormonal secretion. To what extent connexins are expressed in neurons releasing hormones or neuropeptides from or within the central nervous system is, however, unknown. Previous studies provide indirect evidence for gap junction coupling between subsets of neuropeptide-containing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Here we employ double labeling and retrograde tracing methods to investigate to what extent neuroendocrine and neuropeptide-containing neurons of the hypothalamus and brainstem express the neuronal gap junction protein connexin 36. Results Western blot analysis showed that connexin 36 is expressed in the PVN. In bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mice, which specifically express the reporter gene Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) under the control of the connexin 36 gene promoter, EGFP expression was detected in magnocellular (neuroendocrine) and in parvocellular neurons of the PVN. Although no EGFP/connexin36 expression was seen in neurons containing oxytocin or vasopressin, EGFP/connexin36 was found in subsets of PVN neurons containing corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and in somatostatin neurons located along the third ventricle. Moreover, CRH neurons in brainstem areas, including the lateral parabrachial nucleus, also expressed EGFP/connexin 36. Conclusion Our data indicate that connexin 36 is expressed in subsets of neuroendocrine and CRH neurons in specific nuclei of the hypothalamus and brainstem.

Abstract Background Given the large number of genes purported to be prognostic for breast cancer, it would be optimal if the genes identified are not confounded by the continuously changing systemic therapies. The aim of this study was to discover and validate a breast cancer prognostic expression signature for distant metastasis in untreated, early stage, lymph node-negative (N-) estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) patients with extensive follow-up times. Methods 197 genes previously associated with metastasis and ER status were profiled from 142 untreated breast cancer subjects. A "metastasis score" (MS) representing fourteen differentially expressed genes was developed and evaluated for its association with distant-metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Categorical risk classification was established from the continuous MS and further evaluated on an independent set of 279 untreated subjects. A third set of 45 subjects was tested to determine the prognostic performance of the MS in tamoxifen-treated women. Results A 14-gene signature was found to be significantly associated (p < 0.05) with distant metastasis in a training set and subsequently in an independent validation set. In the validation set, the hazard ratios (HR) of the high risk compared to low risk groups were 4.02 (95% CI 1.91–8.44) for the endpoint of DMFS and 1.97 (95% CI 1.28 to 3.04) for overall survival after adjustment for age, tumor size and grade. The low and high MS risk groups had 10-year estimates (95% CI) of 96% (90–99%) and 72% (64–78%) respectively, for DMFS and 91% (84–95%) and 68% (61–75%), respectively for overall survival. Performance characteristics of the signature in the two sets were similar. Ki-67 labeling index (LI) was predictive for recurrent disease in the training set, but lost significance after adjustment for the expression signature. In a study of tamoxifen-treated patients, the HR for DMFS in high compared to low risk groups was 3.61 (95% CI 0.86–15.14). Conclusion The 14-gene signature is significantly associated with risk of distant metastasis. The signature has a predominance of proliferation genes which have prognostic significance above that of Ki-67 LI and may aid in prioritizing future mechanistic studies and therapeutic interventions.

Background: Bronchodilator response (BDR) is a measure of improvement in airway smooth muscle tone, inhibition of liquid accumulation and mucus section into the lumen in response to short-acting beta-2 agonists that varies among asthmatic patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well-known post-translational regulators. Identifying miRNAs associated with BDR could lead to a better understanding of the underlying complex pathophysiology., Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify circulating miRNAs associated with bronchodilator response in asthma and decipher possible mechanism of bronchodilator response variation., Methods: We used available small RNA sequencing on blood serum from 1,134 asthmatic children aged 6 to 14 years who participated in the Genetics of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (GACRS). We filtered the participants into the highest and lowest bronchodilator response (BDR) quartiles and used DeSeq2 to identify miRNAs with differential expression (DE) in high (N = 277) vs. low (N = 278) BDR group. Replication was carried out in the Leukotriene modifier Or Corticosteroids or Corticosteroid-Salmeterol trial (LOCCS), an adult asthma cohort. The putative target genes of DE miRNAs were identified, and pathway enrichment analysis was performed., Results: We identified 10 down-regulated miRNAs having odds ratios (OR) between 0.37 and 0.76 for a doubling of miRNA counts and one up-regulated miRNA (OR = 2.26) between high and low BDR group. These were assessed for replication in the LOCCS cohort, where two miRNAs (miR-200b-3p and miR-1246) were associated. Further, functional annotation of 11 DE miRNAs were performed as well as of two replicated miRs. Target genes of these miRs were enriched in regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis by SREBPs, ESR-mediated signaling, G1/S transition, RHO GTPase cycle, and signaling by TGFB family pathways., Conclusion: MiRNAs miR-1246 and miR-200b-3p are associated with both childhood and adult asthma BDR. Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that miRNAs play a significant role in the difference of asthma treatment response among patients as it points to genomic regulatory machinery underlying difference in bronchodilator response among patients., Trial Registration: LOCCS cohort [ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00156819, Registration date 20050912], GACRS cohort [ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00021840]., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To evaluate whether co-treatment of repeated GnRHa triggers with GnRH antagonist protocols can improve the clinical outcomes in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) procedures., Methods: In this retrospective study, 712 Chinese Han women aged 20-42 undergoing autologous IVF/ICSI-ET with a flexible GnRH antagonist protocol were analyzed. The 735 cycles were split into the single (n = 238) and the repeated (n = 497) GnRHa groups. In the single GnRHa group, 0.2 mg of triptorelin was given for oocyte maturation, whereas in the repeated GnRHa group, two doses of 0.2 mg were administered 12 h apart. PSM design was used for a fair comparison. The main study outcomes included the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR), good-quality embryo rate, and fertilization rate. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify all potential factors affecting clinical outcomes., Results: Post-PSM, analysis of 159 cycles per group showed the repeated GnRHa group outperforming the single GnRHa group in IVF fertilization rates (71.5% vs. 67.7%, P < 0.05) and good-quality embryo rate (47.1% vs. 43.7%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the repeated GnRHa group achieved higher CPR (72.6% vs. 53.4%, P < 0.05) and LBR (59.7% vs. 43.8%, P < 0.05) in FET cycles. Multivariate logistic regression indicated a significant negative correlation between the use of a single GnRHa trigger and both clinical pregnancy (OR = 0.382, P < 0.05) and live birth (OR = 0.518, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Our study reported that individuals who received a repeated GnRHa trigger exhibited higher CPR and LBR during FET cycles compared to those who received a single dose GnRHa trigger., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, we investigated the photocatalytic decarboxylation of trimethylamine carboxyborane under mild conditions, successfully generating boryl radicals for subsequent borylation reactions with imines and various alkenes. This method exhibited broad substrate compatibility, including the functionalization of biologically relevant molecules. Our findings expand the utility of trimethylamine carboxyborane beyond its role as a carbon-monoxide- and drug-releasing agent, highlighting its potential in radical chemistry through decarboxylation. This work establishes a robust foundation for further exploration of the synthetic application of trimethylamine carboxyborane.

Here, we present a metal-free photosensitized three-component reaction for the carboimination of alkenes based on oxime carbonates. Homolysis of oxime carbonates via light-mediated energy transfer enables the simultaneous generation of iminyl radicals and alkoxycarbonyloxyl radicals. The alkoxycarbonyloxyl and alkoxy radicals can act as an effective hydrogen atom transfer reagent, abstracting hydrogen atoms from alkanes and aldehydes, silanes, and phosphine oxide. This strategy exhibits broad functional group tolerance under mild reaction conditions, further broadening the diversity of alkene carboimination.

Here, we present a protocol for isolating functionally intact glutamatergic synaptic vesicles from whole-mouse brain tissue and using them in a single-vesicle assay to examine their association and fusion with plasma membrane mimic vesicles. This is a Protocol Extension, building on our previous protocol, which used a purely synthetic system comprised of reconstituted proteins in liposomes. We also describe the generation of a peptide based on the vesicular glutamate transporter, which is essential in the isolation process of glutamatergic synaptic vesicles. This method uses easily accessible reagents to generate fusion-competent glutamatergic synaptic vesicles through immunoisolation. The generation of the vGlut peptide can be accomplished in 6 d, while the isolation of the synaptic vesicles by using the peptide can be accomplished in 2 d, with an additional day to fluorescently label the synaptic vesicles for use in a single-vesicle hybrid fusion assay. The single-vesicle fusion assay can be accomplished in 1 d and can unambiguously delineate synaptic vesicle association, dissociation, Ca 2+ -independent and Ca 2+ -dependent fusion modalities. This assay grants control of the synaptic vesicle environment while retaining the complexity of the synaptic vesicles themselves. This protocol can be adapted to studies of other types of synaptic vesicles or, more generally, different secretory or transport vesicles. The workflow described here requires expertise in biochemistry techniques, in particular, protein purification and fluorescence imaging. We assume that the laboratory has protein-purification equipment, including chromatography systems., (© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Fine motor impairment is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), which reduces patients' quality of life. There are few suitable targeted treatments. We conducted a clinical trial to determine whether Baduanjin Qigong exercise would increase fine motor skills in PD patients., Methods: Sixty PD patients (Hoehn-Yahr stage 1-4) with hand fine motor impairment were randomly assigned to the Baduanjin group and the physical activity group. Baduanjin group practiced Baduanjin exercise five times weekly for 40 min (warm-up 5 min, Baduanjin 30 min, cool-down 5 min). The usual physical activity groups maintained their habit of usual physical activities. The participants underwent assessments in the "ON" medication state at baseline and 4-week follow-up time points. The Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) was used as the primary outcome to assess manual dexterity. The secondary outcomes included the Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III (MDS-UPDRS III), and the Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-39)., Results: The results of PPT revealed the Baduanjin group showed statistically significant improvement in the "non-dominant hand" and "assembly" scores compared to the usual physical activity group (P < 0.05), but with no significant difference in "dominant hand" and "both hands" (P > 0.05). Additionally, the Baduanjin group showed better performance in the PDQ-39 (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Our study concludes that a 4-week Baduanjin exercise is effective in improving fine motor function and quality of life in patients with mild and moderate PD. The results suggest a promising intervention to be implemented in community or home settings for managing fine motor impairment in PD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

In vivo molecular imaging tools hold immense potential to drive transformative breakthroughs by enabling researchers to visualize cellular and molecular interactions in real-time and/or at high resolution. These advancements will facilitate a deeper understanding of fundamental biological processes and their dysregulation in disease states. Here, we develop and characterize a self-assembling protein nanomicelle called collagen type I binding - thermoresponsive assembled protein (Col1-TRAP) that binds tightly to type I collagen in vitro with nanomolar affinity. For ex vivo visualization, Col1-TRAP is labeled with a near-infrared fluorescent dye (NIR-Col1-TRAP). Both Col1-TRAP and NIR-Col1-TRAP display approximately a 3.8-fold greater binding to type I collagen compared to TRAP when measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). We present a proof-of-concept study using NIR-Col1-TRAP to detect fibrotic type I collagen deposition ex vivo in the livers of mice with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We show that NIR-Col1-TRAP demonstrates significantly decreased plasma recirculation time as well as increased liver accumulation in the NASH mice compared to mice without disease over 4 hours. As a result, NIR-Col1-TRAP shows potential as an imaging probe for NASH with in vivo targeting performance after injection in mice. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Direct molecular imaging of fibrosis in NASH patients enables the diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression with greater specificity and resolution than do elastography-based methods or blood tests. In addition, protein-based imaging probes are more advantageous than alternatives due to their biodegradability and scalable biosynthesis. With the aid of computational modeling, we have designed a self-assembled protein micelle that binds to fibrillar and monomeric collagen in vitro. After the protein was labeled with near-infrared fluorescent dye, we injected the compound into mice fed on a NASH diet. NIR-Col1-TRAP clears from the serum faster in these mice compared to control mice, and accumulates significantly more in fibrotic livers.This work advances the development of targeted protein probes for in vivo fibrosis imaging., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jin Kim Montclare reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Edward Fisher reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Ann Marie Schmidt reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Youssef Wadghiri reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Andrew Wang reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Jin Kim Montclare reports financial support was provided by National Science Foundation. Jin Kim Montclare has patent A novel collagen-binding protein micelle for the non-invasive imaging of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) pending to Jin Kim Montclare, Andrew Wang. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Graphic warning labels (GWLs) are widely employed to communicate smoking-related health risks; however, their implementation in the US has been held back by concerns about their efficacy. Most GWLs elicit a high level of emotional reaction (ER). The extent to which ER contributes to GWLs efficacy in improving smoking outcomes is a subject of debate. Our recent study showed poorer efficacy of the high-ER GWLs versus the low-ER ones during a month-long naturalistic exposure. Whether GWL effects persist after discontinuing the exposure remains unclear., Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis to investigate the delayed effects of GWLs on smoking severity in adult smokers. The number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) was measured immediately as well as 4 weeks after the end of a month-long exposure to high-ER versus low-ER GWLs. Participants indicated their subjective feeling of being relieved from having to see the GWLs., Results: We found a significant reduction in CPD from the immediate to the 4-week post-exposure timepoint. There was no difference in CPD reduction between the high-ER and low-ER groups.Subjective sense of relief from GWL exposure was associated with greater CPD reduction in the high-ER group, but not the low-ER group., Conclusions: Our study suggests lasting impact of GWLs on smoking behavior. The findings may be particularly important to high-arousal GWLs, which appear less effective in reducing smoking during active exposure., Implications: Whether GWLs that evoke higher ER are more effective remains inconclusive. We recently showed that high-ER GWLs are less effective than low-ER ones in reducing smoking during continuous exposure. Here, we found evidence of delayed GWL effects such that smoking decreased from immediately to four weeks after the end of GWL exposure. Feeling of relief from GWL exposure was associated greater smoking reduction in the high-ER group. We suggest that continuously exposing smokers to high-ER GWLs that have been well remembered may be unnecessary and counterproductive.

Gallium (Ga) with a low melting point can serve as a unique metallic solvent in the synthesis of intermetallic compounds (IMCs). The negative formation enthalpy of transition metal-Ga IMCs endows them with high catalytic stability. Meanwhile, their tunable crystal structures offer the possibility to tailor the configurations of active sites to meet the requirements for specific catalytic applications. Herein, we present a general method for preparing a range of transition metal-Ga IMCs, including Co-Ga, Ni-Ga, Pt-Ga, Pd-Ga, and Rh-Ga IMCs. The structurally ordered CoGa IMCs with body-centered cubic (bcc) structure are uniformly dispersed on the nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide substrate (O-CoGa/NG) and deliver outstanding nitrate reduction reaction (NO 3 RR) performance, making them excellent catalysts to construct highly efficient rechargeable Zn-NO 3 - battery. Operando studies and theoretical simulations demonstrate that the electron-rich environments around the Co atoms enhance the adsorption strength of *NO 3 intermediate and simultaneously suppress the formation of hydrogen, thus improving the NO 3 RR activity and selectivity., (© 2024 The Author(s). Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The blood-retina barrier (BRB), which is disrupted in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and uveitis, is an important anatomical characteristic of the retina, regulating nutrient, waste, water, protein, and immune cell flux. The BRB is composed of endothelial cell tight junctions, pericytes, astrocyte end feet, a collagen basement membrane, and perivascular macrophages. Despite the importance of the BRB, retinal perivascular macrophage function remains unknown. We found that retinal perivascular macrophages resided on postcapillary venules in the superficial vascular plexus and expressed MHC class II. Using single-cell RNA-Seq, we found that perivascular macrophages expressed a prochemotactic transcriptome and identified platelet factor 4 (Pf4, also known as CXCL4) as a perivascular macrophage marker. We used Pf4Cre mice to specifically deplete perivascular macrophages. To model retinal inflammation, we performed intraocular CCL2 injections. Ly6C+ monocytes crossed the BRB proximal to perivascular macrophages. Depletion of perivascular macrophages severely hampered Ly6C+ monocyte infiltration. These data suggest that retinal perivascular macrophages orchestrate immune cell migration across the BRB, with implications for inflammatory ocular diseases including DR and uveitis.

To enhance the reversible electrolytic conversion of oxygen in zinc-air batteries, a molten-salt-assisted method was demonstrated to synthesize highly porous carbon foams with in situ anchoring of metal sites. These electrocatalysts improved the electrolysis for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, thus leading to the fabrication of advanced zinc-air batteries.

To evaluate the effect of high voltage pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment (10-20 kV/cm, 5-15 min) on the structural characteristics and sensitization of crude extracts of arginine kinase from Fenneropenaeus chinensis. By simulated in vitro gastric juice digestion (SGF), intestinal juice digestion (SIF) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), AK sensitization was reduced by 42.5% when treated for 10 min at an electric field intensity of 15 kV/cm. After PEF treatment, the α-helix content decreased, and the α-helix content gradually changed to β-sheet and β-turn. Compared to the untreated group, the surface hydrophobicity increased and the sulfhydryl content decreased. SEM and AFM analyses showed that the treated sample surface formed a dense porous structure and increased roughness. The protein content, dielectric properties, and amino acid content of sample also changed significantly with the changes in the treatment conditions. Non-thermal PEF has potential applications in the development of hypoallergenic foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: To describe a case of choroidal detachment (CD) secondary to cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST)., Methods: Case report., Results: A 73-year-old male with a history of primary open angle glaucoma and pseudophakia presented with retrobulbar pain, blurred vision, and diplopia of the right eye. Exam revealed severe non-hemorrhagic bullous chemosis, tortuous retinal vessels, and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in the right eye. Although computed tomography venography findings initially raised suspicion of a carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF), the diagnostic angiogram showed no such evidence, instead raising concern for cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST). Dilated fundus exam and MRI were notable for multiple serous choroidal detachments in the right eye, which resolved with systemic management of CST and topical steroids., Conclusion: The possibility of choroidal detachment during the clinical course of a CST should be recognized. CST may be related to impaired venous drainage that forces transudate into perivascular spaces and results in choroidal effusion.

Objective: To evaluate clinical characteristics impacting surgical outcomes of patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)., Design: Retrospective consecutive observational case series of patients at a large county hospital in Dallas, Texas, from 2014 to 2019., Subjects: Seven hundred thirty-two patients (933 eyes) undergoing PPV for PDR complications., Methods: Collected data included demographics, surgical indication, adjuvant therapies, intraoperative course, complications, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Patients with < 6 months of follow-up were excluded. Best corrected visual acuity was converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution for analysis. Statistics performed included t test, analysis of variance, and multivariate analyses., Main Outcome Measures: Postoperative BCVA, primary anatomic success rate, and postoperative complications., Results: Three hundred ninety-three patients were male (509 eyes; 54.5%) with an average age of 52 years. Postoperative BCVA at 6 months was significantly different among surgical indications: 0.79 versus 0.77 versus 1.20 (P < 0.0001) for vitreous hemorrhage (VH), vitreomacular interface abnormalities, and tractional retinal detachment (TRD), respectively. Adjuvant preoperative therapy with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) versus no PRP (0.95 vs. 1.25; P < 0.001) and insulin versus no insulin (0.99 vs. 1.17; P < 0.01) were associated with improved vision. Iatrogenic breaks were associated with decreased postoperative vision (1.40 vs. 0.88; P < 0.001). The primary anatomic success rate for TRD was 85% (495 eyes). Combined TRD/RRD (tractional and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment) was associated with a lower success rate compared with macula-on/macula-off TRD, with odds ratios of 0.36, 0.46, and 0.53, respectively. Patients experiencing recurrent detachment postsurgery had worse preoperative visual acuity (VA) (1.93 vs. 1.63; P < 0.01) and were younger (47.6 vs. 50.0; P = 0.02). Postoperative complications occurred in 699 eyes (75%), with VH (498 eyes, 53%), cataract (465, 50%), and elevated intraocular pressure (149, 16%) being the most common. Two hundred thirty-six eyes (25%) required a second PPV operation. Endophthalmitis (1 eye; <1%) and choroidal detachment (5 eyes; <1%) were rare., Conclusions: In this retrospective series analyzing surgical outcomes among patients with complications from PDR, vitrectomy led to improved vision on average, with a meaningful proportion of patients receiving additional surgical intervention. Surgical indication, presenting VA, age, and adjuvant therapies appeared to impact outcomes., Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The photoelectric effect is not truly instantaneous but exhibits attosecond delays that can reveal complex molecular dynamics 1-7 . Sub-femtosecond-duration light pulses provide the requisite tools to resolve the dynamics of photoionization 8-12 . Accordingly, the past decade has produced a large volume of work on photoionization delays following single-photon absorption of an extreme ultraviolet photon. However, the measurement of time-resolved core-level photoionization remained out of reach. The required X-ray photon energies needed for core-level photoionization were not available with attosecond tabletop sources. Here we report measurements of the X-ray photoemission delay of core-level electrons, with unexpectedly large delays, ranging up to 700 as in NO near the oxygen K-shell threshold. These measurements exploit attosecond soft X-ray pulses from a free-electron laser to scan across the entire region near the K-shell threshold. Furthermore, we find that the delay spectrum is richly modulated, suggesting several contributions, including transient trapping of the photoelectron owing to shape resonances, collisions with the Auger-Meitner electron that is emitted in the rapid non-radiative relaxation of the molecule and multi-electron scattering effects. The results demonstrate how X-ray attosecond experiments, supported by comprehensive theoretical modelling, can unravel the complex correlated dynamics of core-level photoionization., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Heterophase nanomaterials have sparked significant research interest in catalysis due to their distinctive properties arising from synergistic effects of different components and the formed phase boundary. However, challenges persist in the controlled synthesis of heterophase intermetallic compounds (IMCs), primarily due to the lattice mismatch of distinct crystal phases and the difficulty in achieving precise control of the phase transitions. Herein, orthorhombic/cubic Ru 2 Ge 3 /RuGe IMCs with engineered boundary architecture are synthesized and anchored on the reduced graphene oxide. The Ru 2 Ge 3 /RuGe IMCs exhibit excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance with a high current density of 1000 mA cm -2 at a low overpotential of 135 mV. The presence of phase boundaries enhances charge transfer and improves the kinetics of water dissociation while optimizing the processes of hydrogen adsorption/desorption, thus boosting the HER performance. Moreover, an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer is constructed using Ru 2 Ge 3 /RuGe as the cathode electrocatalyst, which achieves a current density of 1000 mA cm -2 at a low voltage of 1.73 V, and the activity remains virtually undiminished over 500 h.

Electrocatalytic nitrate (NO 3 - ) reduction reaction (NO 3 RR) holds great potential for the conversion of NO 3 - contaminants into valuable NH 3 in a sustainable method. Unfortunately, the nonequilibrium adsorption of intermediates and sluggish multielectron transfer have detrimental impacts on the electrocatalytic performance of the NO 3 RR, posing obstacles to its practical application. Herein, we initially screen the adsorption energies of three key intermediates, i.e., *NO 3 , *NO, and *H 2 O, along with the d-band centers on 21 types of transition metal (IIIV and IB)-Sb/Bi-based intermetallic compounds (IMCs) as electrocatalysts. The results reveal that hexagonal CoSb IMCs possess the optimal adsorption equilibrium for key intermediates and exhibit outstanding electrocatalytic NO 3 RR performance with a Faradaic efficiency of 96.3%, a NH 3 selectivity of 89.1%, and excellent stability, surpassing the majority of recently reported NO 3 RR electrocatalysts. Moreover, the integration of CoSb IMCs/C into a novel Zn-NO 3 - battery results in a high power density of 11.88 mW cm -2 .

Background: Previous studies have suggested that adequate myocardial reperfusion after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can improve the inhomogeneity of myocardial repolarization. However, it remains unclear whether no-reflow (NR) following emergency PCI involves disadvantages related to ventricular repolarization indices. The present study aimed to determine the effect of NR on QT dispersion (QTd) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and to evaluate the prognostic value of the relative reduction of QTd on ventricular arrhythmia events (VAEs)., Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted. According to the inclusion criteria, 275 patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI treatment at the First People's Hospital of Anqing affiliated to Anhui Medical University from January 2020 to May 2023 were enrolled. According to whether NR occurred during PCI, these patients were divided into two groups: an NR group and a non-NR group. Subsequently, the QT intervals were measured before and at 12 hours after PCI. Afterward, the QTd, corrected QTd (QTcd), and the relative reduction of QTd and QTcd 12 hours pre- and postprocedure (ΔQTd-R and ΔQTcd-R, respectively) were calculated. Finally, multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the risk of VAE occurrence., Results: In the non-NR group, there was a significant decrease from baseline in postprocedure QTd (48±17 vs. 73±22 ms; P=0.009) and QTcd (54±19 vs. 80±23 ms; P=0.01); in contrast, the NR group showed no significant difference in QTd (64±20 vs. 75±23 ms; P=0.58) or QTd (70±22 vs. 82±26 ms; P=0.45). Furthermore, the ΔQTd-R and ΔQTcd-R were both lower in the NR group than in the non-NR group (P<0.05); however, the rate of VAEs was higher in the NR group than in the non-NR group (15.2% vs. 6.2%; P=0.02). The multivariable logistic regression analysis results revealed that each increase of 12% in ΔQTcd-R was an independent predictor of VAEs (odds ratio: 0.547; 95% confidence interval: 0.228-0.976)., Conclusions: The NR phenomenon following primary PCI in patients with STEMI leads to the defective recovery of QTd and QTcd. Furthermore, ΔQTcd-R can be viewed as an effective indicator for evaluating the myocardial repolarization inhomogeneity, and short-term clinical outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://cdt.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/cdt-23-398/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To understand the loss to follow-up of children born to pregnant women with HIV infection (HIV-exposed children) and analyze its influencing factors in China in 2019. Methods: The data were collected from the follow-up records of pregnant women with HIV infection and their children reported by the national "Management Information System for the Prevention of HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis B Mother-to-Child Transmission" in 2019. HIV-exposed children were defined as those who were not followed up after birth or who were not followed up at 18 months of age and who were not followed up at 21 months of age. The univariate and multivariate influencing factors of loss to follow-up of children born to HIV-infected pregnant women were analyzed by χ 2 test and logistic regression model. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The number of HIV-infected pregnant women was 5 039, the number of live-born children was 5 035, the number of loss to follow-up children within 18 months of age was 283, and the loss to follow-up rate children was 5.62%(283/5 035). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the rate of loss to follow-up of exposed children born to pregnant women who worked as farmers (animal husbandry and fishery) (a OR =0.34, 95% CI : 0.22-0.53), unmarried (a OR =0.47, 95% CI : 0.24-0.93), first marriage (a OR =0.38, 95% CI : 0.22-0.67), remarriage (a OR =0.36, 95% CI : 0.20-0.67) and cohabiting (a OR =0.47, 95% CI : 0.23-0.97), and knew they had HIV infection before this pregnancy (a OR =0.53, 95% CI : 0.40-0.70) was lower. Han nationality (a OR =1.52, 95% CI : 1.09-2.13), primary school (a OR =2.06, 95% CI : 1.10-3.89) and junior middle school (a OR =1.81, 95% CI : 1.03-3.17) educational level, non-use of antiviral drugs (a OR =6.21, 95% CI : 4.32-8.93) and delivery in township (street) level midwifery institutions (a OR =5.72, 95% CI : 1.61-20.27) had higher rates of loss to follow-up among infants born to HIV-infected pregnant women. Conclusions: HIV-exposed children still have a specific rate of loss to follow-up in China in 2019. In order to further reduce the rate of loss to follow-up, it is of great significance to improve the detection rate of HIV before pregnancy and the rate of antiviral drugs used in pregnant women with HIV infection, which is of great significance for the effective implementation of comprehensive intervention measures of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Synaptic vesicle docking and priming are dynamic processes. At the molecular level, SNAREs (soluble NSF attachment protein receptors), synaptotagmins, and other factors are critical for Ca 2+ -triggered vesicle exocytosis, while disassembly factors, including NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor) and α-SNAP (soluble NSF attachment protein), disassemble and recycle SNAREs and antagonize fusion under some conditions. Here, we introduce a hybrid fusion assay that uses synaptic vesicles isolated from mouse brains and synthetic plasma membrane mimics. We included Munc18, Munc13, complexin, NSF, α-SNAP, and an ATP-regeneration system and maintained them continuously-as in the neuron-to investigate how these opposing processes yield fusogenic synaptic vesicles. In this setting, synaptic vesicle association is reversible, and the ATP-regeneration system produces the most synchronous Ca 2+ -triggered fusion, suggesting that disassembly factors perform quality control at the early stages of synaptic vesicle association to establish a highly fusogenic state. We uncovered a functional role for Munc13 ancillary to the MUN domain that alleviates an α-SNAP-dependent inhibition of Ca 2+ -triggered fusion., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze hepatitis B serologic tests and the current prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among pregnant and postpartum women in China from 2021 to 2023. Methods: Data on managing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis were retrieved from the National Information System. A positive serum HBsAg test was used to define HBV infection. The χ (2) test was used to compare the coverage rate of the hepatitis B serologic test across different years, in early-stage pregnancy, and the current HBV infection in pregnant and postpartum women. A two-sided P value of <0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference. Results: The coverage rate for hepatitis B serological detection in pregnant (including intrapartum) and postpartum women and early-stage pregnancy rose from 99.68% (10 463 059/10 496 883) and 82.96% (8 707 765/10 496 883) to 99.94% (8 678 777/8 684 387, P  < 0.001) and 88.87% (7 717 857/8 684 387, P  < 0.001) in China between 2021 and 2023. The current prevalence rate of HBV infection decreased from 4.98% (521 479/10 463 059) in 2021 to 4.56% (396 148/8 678 777) in 2023 among pregnant and postpartum women ( P  < 0.001). The current prevalence rate of HBV infection ranged from 1.53% to 10.39% among pregnant and postpartum women in various provinces of China in 2023. Conclusion: The coverage rate for hepatitis B serologic tests in China increased significantly between 2021 and 2023 in pregnant and postpartum women. Therefore, the current prevalence rate of HBV infection has decreased significantly in pregnant and postpartum women, but a regional difference still exists.

Transition metal nitride (TMN)-based nanostructures have emerged as promising materials for diverse applications in electronics, photonics, energy storage, and catalysis due to their highly desirable physicochemical properties. However, synthesizing TMN-based nanostructures with designed compositions and morphologies poses challenges, especially in the solution phase. The cation exchange reaction (CER) stands out as a versatile postsynthetic strategy for preparing nanostructures that are otherwise inaccessible through direct synthesis. Nevertheless, exploration of the CER in TMNs lags behind that in metal chalcogenides and metal phosphides. Here, we demonstrate cation exchange in colloidal metal nitride nanocrystals, employing Cu 3 N nanocrystals as starting materials to synthesize Ni 4 N and CoN nanocrystals. By controlling the reaction conditions, Cu 3 N@Ni 4 N and Cu 3 N@CoN core@shell heterostructures with tunable compositions can also be obtained. The Ni 4 N and CoN nanocrystals are evaluated as catalysts for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Remarkably, CoN nanocrystals demonstrate superior OER performance with a low overpotential of 286 mV at 10 mA·cm -2 , a small Tafel slope of 89 mV·dec -1 , and long-term stability. Our CER approach in colloidal TMNs offers a new strategy for preparing other metal nitride nanocrystals and their heterostructures, paving the way for prospective applications.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical utility of two dimensional (2D) ultrasound combined with spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) in diagnosing interrupted aortic arch (IAA) in fetal life., Methods: A total of 53 cases of fetal IAA were diagnosed using 2D ultrasound combined with STIC, and 53 normal fetuses of the same gestational week were selected. These cases were retrospectively analyzed to assess the utility of employing 2D ultrasound combined with STIC in the diagnosis of IAA., Results: 2D ultrasound combined with STIC detected 22 cases of type A IAA, 24 cases of type B IAA, and seven cases of type C IAA. Furthermore, combining 2D ultrasound with STIC enabled dynamic visualization of the IAA, aiding in prenatal diagnosis. The diagnostic coincidence rate of IAA was found to be higher in the HD-flow combined with STIC than that in the 2D combined with HD-flow., Conclusion: HD-flow combined with STIC can assist in diagnosing fetal IAA, and this technique has important clinical value., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Doxorubicin has been used extensively as a potent anticancer agent, but its clinical use is limited by its cardiotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we tested whether NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) mediates cardiac sympathetic nerve terminal abnormalities and myocyte autophagy, resulting in cardiac atrophy and dysfunction in doxorubicin-induced heart failure. Nox2 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of doxorubicin (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. WT doxorubicin mice exhibited the decreases in survival rate, left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and LV fractional shortening and the increase in the lung wet-to-dry weight ratio 1 week after the injections. These alterations were attenuated in Nox2 KO doxorubicin mice. In WT doxorubicin mice, myocardial oxidative stress was increased, myocardial noradrenergic nerve fibers were reduced, myocardial expression of PGP9.5, GAP43, tyrosine hydroxylase and norepinephrine transporter was decreased, and these changes were prevented in Nox2 KO doxorubicin mice. Myocyte autophagy was increased and myocyte size was decreased in WT doxorubicin mice, but not in Nox2 KO doxorubicin mice. Nox2 mediates cardiac sympathetic nerve terminal abnormalities and myocyte autophagy-both of which contribute to cardiac atrophy and failure after doxorubicin treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Vitamin D may help to alleviate asthma exacerbation because of its anti-inflammation effect, but the evidence is inconsistent in childhood asthma. MiRNAs are important mediators in asthma pathogenesis and also excellent non-invasive biomarkers. We hypothesized that circulating miRNAs are associated with asthma exacerbation and modified by vitamin D levels., Methods: We sequenced baseline serum miRNAs from 461 participants in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP). Logistic regression was used to associate miRNA expression with asthma exacerbation through interaction analysis first and then stratified by vitamin D insufficient and sufficient groups. Microarray from lymphoblastoid B-cells (LCLs) treated by vitamin D or sham of 43 subjects in CAMP were used for validation in vitro. The function of miRNAs was associated with gene modules by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA)., Results: We identified eleven miRNAs associated with asthma exacerbation with vitamin D effect modification. Of which, five were significant in vitamin D insufficient group and nine were significant in vitamin D sufficient group. Six miRNAs, including hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-miR-192-5p, hsa-miR-151a-5p, hsa-miR-24-3p, hsa-miR-22-3p and hsa-miR-451a were significantly associated with gene modules of immune-related functions, implying miRNAs may mediate vitamin D effect on asthma exacerbation through immune pathways. In addition, hsa-miR-143-3p and hsa-miR-451a are potential predictors of childhood asthma exacerbation at different vitamin D levels., Conclusions: miRNAs are potential mediators of asthma exacerbation and their effects are directly impacted by vitamin D levels., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The current standard of drawing two vs three blood culture sets lacks adequate guidance. Because people who inject drugs are at higher risk for bacteraemia and life-threatening infection, consideration of a third blood culture becomes more important., Aim: To investigate the risks and benefits of obtaining two versus three blood culture sets., Methods: Retrospective cohort study of adults who inject drugs at a multicentre catch-net hospital system from 2017-2022., Findings: 998 people who inject drugs and 2278 blood culture sets were analysed. There were 1618 episodes with two blood culture sets and 660 episodes with three. A potential benefit of adding a third blood culture was seen in 30 (4.5%) episodes. However, only 13 (2.0%) episodes showed pathogen-identifying benefit, as 17 (2.6%) involved known inadequately treated infections or the same pathogen in another culture. The number of blood culture sets needed to achieve diagnostic benefit was 51. There were more contaminants for three blood culture sets (65, 9.8%) than for two (114, 7.0%) ( p  < 0.00001). By adding a third blood culture, the risk of a contaminant increased by 39.7%; the number of blood culture sets needed to find a contaminant was 36. Of 122 episodes with only contaminants and available for analysis, 111 (91.0%) experienced at least one complication. 33 (27.0%) patients experienced either prolonged admission, readmission, or unnecessary antibiotic administration., Conclusions: The benefits of possibly isolating a pathogen from a third blood culture set do not universally outweigh the risks for contaminant growth for people who inject drugs. A third blood culture should be considered in specific clinical scenarios (i.e. inadequately treated endocarditis and osteomyelitis).

Background: Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), comprising the largest noncoding RNA group, regulate transcriptional processes. Whether piRNAs are associated with type 2 (T2)-high asthma is unknown., Objective: We sought to investigate the association between piRNAs and T2-high asthma in childhood asthma., Methods: We sequenced plasma samples from 462 subjects in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) as the discovery cohort and 1165 subjects in the Genetics of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (GACRS) as a replication cohort. Sequencing reads were filtered first, and piRNA reads were annotated and normalized. Linear regression was used for the association analysis of piRNAs and peripheral blood eosinophil count, total serum IgE level, and long-term asthma exacerbation in children with asthma. Mediation analysis was performed to investigate the effect direction. We then ascertained if the circulating piRNAs were present in asthmatic airway epithelial cells in a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO; www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo) public data set., Results: Fifteen piRNAs were significantly associated with eosinophil count in CAMP (P ≤ .05), and 3 were successfully replicated in GACRS. Eleven piRNAs were associated with total IgE in CAMP, and one of these was replicated in GACRS. All 22 significant piRNAs were identified in epithelial cells in vitro, and 6 of these were differentially expressed between subjects with asthma and healthy controls. Fourteen piRNAs were associated with long-term asthma exacerbation, and effect of piRNAs on long-term asthma exacerbation are mediated through eosinophil count and serum IgE level., Conclusion: piRNAs are associated with peripheral blood eosinophils and total serum IgE in childhood asthma and may play important roles in T2-high asthma., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the first-line therapy for patients with persistent asthma, many patients continue to have exacerbations. We developed machine learning models to predict the ICS response in patients with asthma., Methods: The subjects included asthma patients of European ancestry ( n = 1371; 448 children; 916 adults). A genome-wide association study was performed to identify the SNPs associated with ICS response. Using the SNPs identified, two machine learning models were developed to predict ICS response: (1) least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and (2) random forest., Results: The LASSO regression model achieved an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.67-0.76; sensitivity: 0.57; specificity: 0.75) in an independent test cohort, and the random forest model achieved an AUC of 0.74 (95% CI 0.70-0.78; sensitivity: 0.70; specificity: 0.68). The genes contributing to the prediction of ICS response included those associated with ICS responses in asthma ( TPSAB1, FBXL16 ), asthma symptoms and severity ( ABCA7, CNN2, PTRN3, and BSG/CD147 ), airway remodeling ( ELANE, FSTL3 ), mucin production ( GAL3ST ), leukotriene synthesis ( GPX4 ), allergic asthma ( ZFPM1, SBNO2 ), and others., Conclusions: An accurate risk prediction of ICS response can be obtained using machine learning methods, with the potential to inform personalized treatment decisions. Further studies are needed to examine if the integration of richer phenotype data could improve risk prediction.

Tartary buckwheat green leaves are considered to be among the most important by-products in the buckwheat industry. Although Tartary buckwheat green leaves are abundant in pectic polysaccharides, their potential applications in the food industry are quite scarce. Therefore, to promote their potential applications as functional or fortified food ingredients, both deep-eutectic-solvent-assisted extraction (DESE) and high-pressure-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction (HPDEE) were used to efficiently and selectively extract pectic polysaccharides from Tartary buckwheat green leaves (TBP). The results revealed that both the DESE and HPDEE techniques not only improved the extraction efficiency of TBP but also regulated its structural properties and beneficial effects. The primary chemical structures of TBP extracted using different methods were stable overall, mainly consisting of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) pectic regions. However, both the DESE and HPDEE methods could selectively extract RG-I-enriched TBP, and the proportion of the RG-I pectic region in TBP obviously improved. Additionally, both the DESE and HPDEE methods could improve the antioxidant and anti-glycosylation effects of TBP by increasing its proportion of free uronic acids and content of bound polyphenolics and reducing its molecular weight. Moreover, both the DESE and HPDEE methods could partially intensify the immunostimulatory effect of TBP by increasing its proportion of the RG-I pectic region. These findings suggest that DES-based extraction techniques, especially the HPDEE method, can be promising techniques for the efficient and selective extraction of RG-I-enriched TBP.

The immune system encodes information about the severity of a pathogenic threat in the quantity and type of memory cells it forms. This encoding emerges from lymphocyte decisions to maintain or lose self-renewal and memory potential during a challenge. By tracking CD8 + T cells at the single-cell and clonal lineage level using time-resolved transcriptomics, quantitative live imaging, and an acute infection model, we find that T cells will maintain or lose memory potential early after antigen recognition. However, following pathogen clearance, T cells may regain memory potential if initially lost. Mechanistically, this flexibility is implemented by a stochastic cis-epigenetic switch that tunably and reversibly silences the memory regulator, TCF1, in response to stimulation. Mathematical modeling shows how this flexibility allows memory T cell numbers to scale robustly with pathogen virulence and immune response magnitudes. We propose that flexibility and stochasticity in cellular decisions ensure optimal immune responses against diverse threats., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We investigated the effects of ohmic heating (OH) on the structural properties and allergenicity of parvalbumin (PV). Compared to other heating methods (water bath heating (WH), OH combined with WH, and OH combined with air thermostatic heating (AH)), pure OH heating expended the least time and total energy. PV sensitization was reduced by approximately 65% by pure OH heating. SDS-PAGE, tricine-SDS-PAGE, and western blotting analyses revealed a molecular weight of sensitized β-PV of about 12 kDa. Band intensity decreased with increasing OH time, and significant changes were observed in amino acid content, secondary structure, microstructure, and dielectric properties. Reducing PV, allergenicity through protein unfolding and secondary structural changes, thereby possibly reducing the allergenicity of eel, provides a theoretical basis for developing hypoallergenic products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Progranulin is an evolutionarily conserved protein that has been implicated in human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Human progranulin is comprised of multiple cysteine-rich, biologically active granulin peptides. Granulin peptides accumulate with age and stress, however their functional contributions relative to full-length progranulin remain unclear. To address this, we generated C. elegans strains that produced quantifiable levels of both full-length progranulin/PGRN-1 protein and cleaved granulin peptide. Using these strains, we demonstrated that even in the presence of intact PGRN-1, granulin peptides suppressed the activity of the lysosomal aspartyl protease activity, ASP-3/CTSD. Granulin peptides were also dominant over PGRN-1 in compromising animal fitness as measured by progress through development and stress response. Finally, the degradation of human TDP-43 was impaired when the granulin to PGRN-1 ratio was increased, representing a disease-relevant downstream impact of impaired lysosomal function. In summary, these studies suggest that not only absolute progranulin levels, but also the balance between full-length progranulin and its cleavage products, is important in regulating lysosomal biology. Given its relevance in human disease, this suggests that the processing of progranulin into granulins should be considered as part of disease pathobiology and may represent a site of therapeutic intervention., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Exploring the effects of artificial Haloxylon ammodendron forest planting on the structure and function of a desert soil bacterial community provides data reference for soil micro-ecological restoration and land quality improvement in desert oasis transition zones. Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and PICRUSt2 functional prediction analysis were used to identify and analyze the structure and function of soil bacterial communities, and the Mantel correlation test and RDA analysis were used to explain the physicochemical factors affecting the structure and function of soil bacterial communities. The results showed that:① the soil bacterial OTU number, Chao1 index, and Shannon index were significantly higher in the H. ammodendron forest than in the mobile dune soil, and the PCoA analysis and Adonis test showed significant differences in the soil bacterial community structure between H. ammodendron and mobile dune soil ( P =0.001). ② A total of 34 phyla, 89 classes, 174 orders, 262 families, and 432 genera of bacteria were detected in all samples, and the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Chloroflexi accounted for 76.05% of the relative abundance of soil bacteria, which belonged to the dominant soil bacteria, among which the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in H. ammodendron forest soil was extremely significantly higher than that in mobile dune soil ( P &lt; 0.01). ③PICRUSt2 function prediction revealed that the soil bacterial community of H. ammodendron forest included six categories of primary functions and 28 categories of secondary functions, among which the metabolism of carbohydrates, metabolism of amino acids, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins were all greater than 10% in relative abundance and were the main metabolic functions of H. ammodendron forest soil bacteria. ④ The planting of H. ammodendron forest significantly improved the nutrient content of soil organic matter and other nutrients. Soil pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, and fast-acting phosphorus were the main physicochemical factors affecting the bacterial community, with soil organic matter significantly affecting the soil bacterial community structure ( P &lt; 0.05) and metabolic function ( P &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, the artificial H. ammodendron forest helped to increase desert soil microbial diversity, increase the relative abundance of soil bacterial metabolic function genes, and improve the desert soil microenvironment.