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Investigating high-performance and stable spintronics devices has been a research hotspot in recent years. In this paper, we employed first-principles methods and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to explore the structure, electronic, and magnetic properties of monolayer NbSe2, as well as its behavior under carrier concentration modulation. The research on the electronic structure reveals that by introducing an appropriate amount of holes, the material can undergo a transition from metal to a half-metal state, achieving 100% high spin polarization. Investigation of magnetic crystalline anisotropy shows that the magnetic crystal anisotropy energy of 1210 μeV in out-of-plane is beneficial to maintain ferromagnetic order at high temperatures. In addition, doping with suitable carriers can effectively enhance or strengthen the ferromagnetic coupling in NbSe2 so that the magnetization easy axis is shifted. This reveals the potential application prospects of NbSe2 in electronically controlled spintronic devices. Analysis of the Fermi surface shows that both holes and electron doping increase the Fermi velocity of the material. The effect of hole doping is particularly significant, indicating its potential application in Fermi velocity engineering. Under the theoretical framework of the extended two-dimensional Ising model, based on MC simulation, the Curie temperature (TC) of NbSe2 is predicted to be 162 K. The effects of carrier concentration and the magnetic field on the magnetic and thermal properties of monolayer NbSe2 are simulated. The results show that appropriately increasing the hole doping concentration and magnetic field is conducive to obtaining ferromagnetic half-metallic materials with TC higher than room temperature, which provides theoretical support for experimental preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Exosomes are extracellular vesicles, measuring 40–160 nm in diameter, that are released by many cell types and tissues, including adipose tissue. Exosomes are critical mediators of intercellular communication and their contents are complex and diverse. In recent years, accumulating evidence has proved that multiple adipose tissue‐derived exosomal noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of diverse metabolic diseases, such as obesity. In this narrative review, we focus on the adipose tissue‐derived exosomal ncRNAs, especially exosomal miRNAs, and their dysregulation in multiple types of metabolic diseases. A deeper understanding of the role of adipose tissue‐derived exosomal ncRNAs may help provide new diagnostic and treatment methods for metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). In this study we aimed to explore the causal association between physical activity or sedentary behavior and the risk of FD and IBS.Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed. Candidate genetic instruments for physical activity and sedentary behavior were retrieved from the latest published Genome‐Wide Association Study (GWAS), which included up to 703,901 participants. Summary‐level GWAS data for FD (8 875 cases and 320 387 controls) and IBS (9 323 cases and 301 931 controls) were obtained from the FinnGen study. The causal effects were mainly estimated by inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept test, leave‐one‐out analysis, and the funnel plot.No significant association of moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), leisure screen time (LST), sedentary behavior at work (SDW), and sedentary commuting (SDC) with the risk of FD was found. However, there was a suggestive correlation between MVPA and the decreased risk of FD (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.99, P = 0.047). Genetically predicted MVPA decreased the risk of IBS (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40–0.84, P = 0.004), while increased LST was positively associated with IBS risk (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15–1.53, P < 0.001). No causal effects of SDW or SDC on IBS risk were observed.MVPA and LST are causally linked to the development of IBS, which will facilitate primary prevention of IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Building on conservation of resources theory, our study investigates how inclusive human resource management (IHRM) promotes nurses' innovative behavior through job crafting and further examines the moderating role of shared leadership. Background. Nurses' involvement in innovation is essential to improve nursing care delivery and accommodate changing medical environments, especially in the face of crisis events like the COVID-19 outbreak. However, knowledge about the relationship between human resource management and nurses' innovative behavior remains scarce. Methods. We collected three-wave data from 338 on-duty registered nurses at four public hospitals in China from November 2022 to January 2023. We used SPSS 22 to conduct hierarchical regressions to test our hypotheses. Results. IHRM positively predicted innovative behavior of nurses with the mediating role of job crafting. In addition, we found that IHRM was more effective in promoting job crafting and subsequent innovative behavior when nurses perceived high levels of shared leadership. Conclusion. IHRM initiated by the organization and shared leadership style are two collaborative approaches to facilitating nurses' job crafting, thereby responding to the imperative need to foster nurses' innovative behavior. Implications for Nursing Management. The present study emphasizes the important roles of IHRM and shared leadership in promoting nurses' job crafting and subsequent innovative behavior, providing theoretical and practical implications for nursing management in the current dynamic and challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of stress on risk‐taking or risk‐averse behavior in decision‐making has been inconclusive in previous research, with few studies revealing the underlying neural mechanisms. This study employed event‐related potentials technique and combined a social cold pressor assessment test with a mental arithmetic task to induce stress responses, aiming to investigate the influence of exogenous stress on the risk decision‐making process. Stress induction results indicated that, in addition to raising heart rate and blood pressure, stress responses were accompanied by enhanced negative emotions, diminished positive emotions, and alterations in neural activity. The outcomes of risk decision‐making showed that stress did not significantly affect risk preference or time of choice but did reduce the feedback‐related negativity/reward positivity, with a particularly significant effect observed for large outcomes. Stress also altered the amplitude of the P3 component, with stress decreasing the P3 value for winning outcomes relative to losing outcomes. The study suggests that understanding how stress affects risk preference should consider the emotional valence induced by stress. Contrary to the reward sensitivity hypothesis, stress weakened reward sensitivity. Stress led to changes in the allocation of cognitive resources for outcome evaluation: compared to negative outcomes, stress reduced cognitive resources for positive outcomes, which might be related to the enhanced negative emotions induced by stress. The study highlights the importance of focusing on the subjective emotional experience induced by stress in future research on stress and risk decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) carry open reading frames (ORFs) that can be translated into micropeptides, although noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been previously assumed to constitute a class of RNA transcripts without coding capacity. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that ncRNA-derived micropeptides exhibit regulatory functions in the development of many tumours. Although some of these micropeptides inhibit tumour growth, others promote it. Understanding the role of ncRNA-encoded micropeptides in cancer poses new challenges for cancer research, but also offers promising prospects for cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize the types of ncRNAs that can encode micropeptides, highlighting recent technical developments that have made it easier to research micropeptides, such as ribosome analysis, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics methods, and CRISPR/Cas9. Furthermore, based on the distribution of micropeptides in different subcellular locations, we explain the biological functions of micropeptides in different human cancers and discuss their underestimated potential as diagnostic biomarkers and anticancer therapeutic targets in clinical applications, information that may contribute to the discovery and development of new micropeptide-based tools for early diagnosis and anticancer drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose disturbances are a common comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and have been extensively studied in the past. However, few studies have explored glucose disturbances in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and risk factors of glucose disturbances in FEDN MDD patients to understand the relationship between MDD and glucose disturbances in the acute early phase and provide important implications for therapeutic interventions. Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited a total of 1718 MDD patients. We collected their socio-demographic information, clinical data, and blood glucose indicators.17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and the positive symptom subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess their depression, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, respectively. The prevalence of glucose disturbances in FEDN MDD patients was 13.6%. Depression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms, body mass index (BMI) levels and suicide attempts rates were higher in the group with glucose disorders than in the group without glucose disorders among patients with first-episode drug-naive MDD. Correlation analysis showed that glucose disturbances were associated with HAMD score, HAMA score, BMI, psychotic symptoms and suicide attempts. Furthermore, binary logistic regression showed that HAMD score and suicide attempts were independently associated with glucose disturbances in MDD patients. Our findings suggest that the prevalence of comorbid glucose disturbances is very high in FEDN MDD patients. Moreover, more severe depressive symptoms and higher suicide attempts are correlated with glucose disturbances in MDD FEDN patients in the early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handmade Cloning (HMC) is a pivotal technique for cloning pig embryos. Despite its significance, the low efficiency of this method hampers its widespread application. Although numerous factors and signaling pathways influencing embryo development have been studied, the mechanisms underlying low developmental capacity and insufficient reprogramming of cloned embryos remain elusive. In the present study, we sought to elucidate key regulatory factors involved in the development of pig HMC embryos by comparing and analyzing the gene expression profiles of HMC embryos with those of naturally fertilized (NF) embryos at the 4-cell, 8-cell, and 16-cell stages. The results showed that ZFP42 expression is markedly higher in NF embryos than in cloned counterparts. Subsequent experiments involving the injection of ZFP42 messenger RNA (mRNA) into HMC embryos showed that ZFP42 could enhance the blastocyst formation rate, upregulate pluripotent genes and metabolic pathways. This highlights the potential of ZFP42 as a critical factor in improving the development of pig HMC embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the interval between bilateral cochlear implantation on the development of bilateral peripheral auditory pathways as revealed by the electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (EABR). Methods: Fifty-eight children with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. Among them, 33 children received sequential bilateral cochlear implants (CIs), and 25 children received simultaneous bilateral CIs. The bilateral EABRs evoked by electrical stimulation from the CI electrode were recorded on the day of second-side CI activation. Results: The latencies of wave III (eIII) and wave V (eV) were significantly shorter on the first CI side than on the second CI side in children with sequential bilateral CIs but were similar between the two sides in children with simultaneous bilateral CIs. Furthermore, the latencies were prolonged from apical to basal channels along the cochlea in the two groups. In children with sequential CIs, the inter-implant interval was negatively correlated with the eV latency on the first CI side and was positively correlated with bilateral differences in the eIII and eV latencies. Conclusions: Unilateral CI use promotes the maturation of ipsilateral auditory conduction function. However, a longer inter-implant interval results in more unbalanced development of bilateral auditory brainstem pathways. Bilateral cochlear implantation with no or a short interval is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of suicide is high among major depressive adolescents. Poor sleep quality has been documented as a significant risk factor for suicide, influencing perceived social support. Enhanced social support acts as a buffer against suicidal ideation and positively impacts resilience, reducing the prevalence of suicidal ideation. This reciprocal relationship between sleep quality, social support and resilience forms the basis for understanding the mechanisms contributing to suicidal ideation in major depressive adolescents. Methods: A total of 585 major depressive adolescents aged 11 to 24 years was conducted to explore these associations. Assessments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Pearson correlation and Model 6 in the SPSS program were employed for chain mediating tests. Results: Better sleep quality positively predicted decreased suicide ideation (β = 0.207, p < 0.01) and predicted lower perceived social support (β = −0.226, p < 0.01) and resilience (β = −0.355, p < 0.01). Perceived social support positively predicted increased resilience (β = 0.422, p < 0.01) and negatively predicted suicide ideation (β = −0.288, p < 0.01). Resilience negatively predicted suicide ideation (β = −0.187, p < 0.01). Sleep quality indirectly predicted suicide ideation through perceived social support and resilience, with a mediation value of 0.0678 (95% CI [0.0359, 0.1060]), constituting 10.65% of the total effect. Conclusions: This study establishes that sleep quality indirectly predicts suicide ideation in major depressive adolescents, mediated independently by perceived social support and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exploring the neural basis related to different mood states is a critical issue for understanding the pathophysiology underlying mood switching in bipolar disorder (BD), but research has been scarce and inconsistent. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 162 patients with BD: 33 (hypo)manic, 64 euthymic, and 65 depressive, and 80 healthy controls (HCs). The differences of large-scale brain network functional connectivity (FC) between the four groups were compared and correlated with clinical characteristics. To validate the generalizability of our findings, we recruited a small longitudinal independent sample of BD patients (n = 11). In addition, we examined topological nodal properties across four groups as exploratory analysis. Results: A specific strengthened pattern of network FC, predominantly involving the default mode network (DMN), was observed in (hypo)manic patients when compared with HCs and bipolar patients in other mood states. Longitudinal observation revealed an increase in several network FCs in patients during (hypo)manic episode. Both samples evidenced an increase in the FC between the DMN and ventral attention network, and between the DMN and limbic network (LN) related to (hypo)mania. The altered network connections were correlated with mania severity and positive affect. Bipolar depressive patients exhibited decreased FC within the LN compared with HCs. The exploratory analysis also revealed an increase in degree in (hypo)manic patients. Conclusions: Our findings identify a distributed pattern of large-scale network disturbances in the unique context of (hypo)mania and thus provide new evidence for our understanding of the neural mechanism of BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shadow banks, such as investment funds, hedge funds, and mortgage finance companies, have grown rapidly in recent years. We analyze the link between monetary policy and the growth of shadow banks and, by extension, financial stability in Canada. Using monthly financial market data from 1991 to 2015, we first find that contractionary monetary policy does not cause the expected reduction in shadow bank business loans and mortgage loans as it does in chartered bank credit. This suggests that as shadow banks have grown in importance, the effectiveness of monetary policy in reducing inflation has been impaired. We find evidence to support that hypothesis using a two-stage time-varying coefficient Bayesian vector autoregression approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacground: Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) has a high incidence of postoperative systemic inflammation response syndrome (SIRS), and perioperative endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) disruption can be one of the predisposing factors. We hypothesized that EGL shedding happened earlier in OPCABG which can influence on postoperative SIRS, and sevoflurane might preserve EGL better than propofol. Methods: We randomly allocated 50 patients undergoing OPCABG to receive either sevoflurane-sufentanil or propofol-sufentanil anesthesia. Plasma syndecan-1, heparan sulfate (HS), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), IL-6, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured. Blood samples were collected at 6 timepoints: induction (T1), before grafting (T2), after grafting(T3), surgery done (T4), postoperative day1 (POD1,T5) and POD2 (T6). SIRS criteria and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were examined. Results: There were neither differences of syndecan-1, HS, IL-6 nor of SIRS criteria or SOFA score between the sevoflurane and propofol groups. All patients were pooled as a single group for further statistical analyses, plasma syndecan-1 (P < 0.001) and IL-6 (P < 0.001) increased significantly as a function of time; syndecan-1 increasing correlated significantly with the duration of coronary graft anastomosis (r = 0.329, P = 0.026). Syndecan-1(T3) correlated significantly with ANP(T3) (r = 0.0.354, P = 0.016) and IL-6 (T5) (r = 0.570, P < 0.001). The maximum value of IL-6 correlated significantly with SIRS (r = 0.378, P = 0.010), the maximum value of SOFA score (r = 0.399, P = 0.006) and ICU days (r = 0.306, P = 0.039). The maximum value of SOFA score correlated significantly with the occurrence of SIRS (r = 0.568, P < 0.001) and ICU days (r = 0.338, P = 0.022). Conclusions: OPCABG intraoperative early EGL shedding caused of grafts anastomosis greatly affected postoperative SIRS and SOFA score, sevoflurane did not clinically preserve EGL better. Trial registration: ChiCTR-IOR-17012535. Registered on 01/09/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Na‐dendrites and the dissolution of organic cathodes are two major challenges that hinder the development of sodium‐organic batteries (SOBs). Herein, a multifunctional Janus separator (h‐BN@PP@C) by using an interfacial engineering strategy, is proposed to tackle the issues of SOBs. The carbon layer facing the organic cathode serves as a barrier to capture dissolved organic materials and enhance their utilization. Meanwhile, the h‐BN layer facing the Na anode possesses high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength, which mitigates the occurrence of localized‐temperature "hot spots" and promotes the formation of a NaF‐enriched SEI, thereby suppressing dendrite growth. Consequently, the Janus separator enables a stable Na plating/stripping cycling for 1000 h at 3 mA cm−2. Equipped with the Janus separator, organic cathodes including dibenzo[b,i]thianthrene‐5,7,12,14‐tetraone (DTT), pentacene‐5,7,12,14‐tetrone and Calix[4]quinone cathodes demonstrate high capacity and remarkable cycling performance. In particular, the DTT exhibits a bipolar co‐reaction storage mechanism and achieves an ultrahigh capacity (≈342.6 mAh g−1), long‐term cycling stability (capacity decay rate of 0.15% per cycle over 550 cycles at 500 mA g−1) and fast kinetics (1000 mA g−1≈2.8 C). This study offers a straightforward, effective, and promising solution to address the challenges in SOBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a self-renewal mechanism that maintains homeostasis and can promote tissue regeneration by regulating inflammation, reducing oxidative stress and promoting cell differentiation. The interaction between biomaterials and tissue cells significantly affects biomaterial-tissue integration and tissue regeneration. In recent years, it has been found that biomaterials can affect various processes related to tissue regeneration by regulating autophagy. The utilization of biomaterials in a controlled environment has become a prominent approach for enhancing the tissue regeneration capabilities. This involves the regulation of autophagy in diverse cell types implicated in tissue regeneration, encompassing the modulation of inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix formation. In addition, biomaterials possess the potential to serve as carriers for drug delivery, enabling the regulation of autophagy by either activating or inhibiting its processes. This review summarizes the relationship between autophagy and tissue regeneration and discusses the role of biomaterial-based autophagy in tissue regeneration. In addition, recent advanced technologies used to design autophagy-modulating biomaterials are summarized, and rational design of biomaterials for providing controlled autophagy regulation via modification of the chemistry and surface of biomaterials and incorporation of cells and molecules is discussed. A better understanding of biomaterial-based autophagy and tissue regeneration, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms, may lead to new possibilities for promoting tissue regeneration. CNV4r3KmCJoH5sXtXL-Ceo Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an adaptive slicing method for optimizing STL model manufacturing details, addressing the issue of traditional slicing methods being unable to accurately identify model details in 3D printing. The method utilizes the angle difference between the normal vectors of intersecting triangular facets of neighboring slice planes and the print direction and it sets an angle variation threshold to determine the presence of vertical sharp corners in the current slice. Additionally, the method employs the combined triangle method to calculate the contour curve area of the current slice plane, using an area variation threshold to determine the presence of parallel sharp corners. For slices without model details, the slice thickness is determined using an adaptive slicing method based on triangular plane normal vectors. For slices with model details, the final slice thickness is chosen as the minimum value obtained from the two discriminatory bases mentioned above. Based on MATLAB simulation experiment results demonstrate that the adaptive slicing method of this paper improves the model manufacturing accuracy by 19.3% and the estimated printing time only increases by 4 min, which compared to the adaptive slicing method based on triangular facet normal vectors. The adaptive slicing method of this paper ensures both manufacturing efficiency and accuracy, which effectively preserves the model manufacturing details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Ni-doped LiMn 2 O 4 spinel oxides were studied as the cathode materials of low temperature proton ceramic fuel cell. Increasing the content of doping Ni to 0.5, the calculated active energy of the polarization process of the cell decreased from 0.62 to 0.49 eV. The cell performance increased with the Ni doping of LiMn 2 O 4 cathode, and the optimal power density reached to 547 mW cm−2 at 550 °C with a low polar resistance of 0.42 Ω cm2 for LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4. Ni partially replacing Mn at the B site could increase the content of Mn4+, resulting in the increase of oxygen vacancy content to maintain the charge balance, which is beneficial to the oxygen reduction reaction. These results demonstrate that spinel oxide could be a promising cathode material with highly oxygen reduction activity for advanced low temperature solid ceramic fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface engineering is one of the key issues in fabricating efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we introduced self-assembled molecules of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetic acid (PAA) and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylpropionic acid (PPA) as a multifunctional linker to modify the buried interface between SnO2 and the Cs/FA perovskite. These modifiers can simultaneously bond to the SnO2 surface and chemically interact with perovskite to passivate the surface defects. Moreover, the PAA/PPA can facilitate the crystal growth of perovskite to form high-quality films. Accordingly, the defect density and trap-assisted charge recombination at the interface and within the perovskite are markedly reduced. Additionally, the large dipole moments of modifiers induce the modulation of energy level of SnO2, resulting in the favorable band alignment and thus the enhanced electron extraction and transport. As a result, PPA is certified to be more effective in interfacial regulation, and the Cs/FA-based PSC produces a significantly increased PCE of 22.2% with inhibited hysteresis, higher than the control (20.0%) and PAA-modified (21.5%) ones. Meanwhile, the unencapsulated devices with PAA/PPA modification presented much better ambient and thermal stability than the control device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease that is common and relapses easily. While the importance of keratinocyte proliferation in psoriasis development is well‐documented, the specific functional subpopulations of epidermal keratinocytes associated with this disease remain enigmatic. Materials and Methods: Therefore, in our analysis of single‐cell transcriptome data from both normal and psoriatic skin tissues, we observed significant increases in certain keratinocytes in the stratum corneum (KC) and stratum granulosum (KG) within psoriatic skin. Furthermore, we identified upregulated expression of specific secreted factors known to promote inflammatory responses. Additionally, we conducted a KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on these identified subsets. Results: In the stratum corneum, the expression of FTL was upregulated in HIST1H1C+KC. S100P+KC displayed a significant increase in the expression of both S100P and S100A10, whereas PRR9+KC showed upregulated expression of DEFB4B, S100A8, and S100A12. SLURP1+KC was characterized by elevated expression levels of IL‐36G, SLURP1, and S100A12. Meanwhile, in the stratum granulosum, KRT1+KG highly expressed SLURP1, S100A7, S100A8, and S100A9, while DEFB4B expression was upregulated in PI3+KG. Our findings indicated that subsets within the stratum corneum primarily participate in pathways related to MAPK, NOD‐like receptors, HIF‐1, cell senescence, and other crucial processes. In contrast, subsets in the stratum granulosum were predominantly associated with pathways involving MAPK, NOD‐like receptors, HIF‐1, Hippo, mTOR, and IL‐17. Conclusion: These findings not only uncover the keratinocyte subsets linked to psoriasis but also unveil the molecular mechanisms and related signaling pathways that drive psoriasis development. This knowledge opens new horizons for the development of innovative clinical treatment strategies for psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the well-documented health benefits of the probiotic Saccharomyces, its application in oral health has not been comprehensively assessed. Dental caries is a transmissible disease initiated by acid production of cariogenic bacteria and yeast, such as Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, on tooth enamel and followed by subsequent enamel demineralization. Here, we investigated the effect of two Saccharomyces strains (Saccharomyces boulardii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on S. mutans–C. albicans cross-kingdom interactions using a cariogenic planktonic model. Viable cells, pH changes, and gene expression were measured. S. cerevisiae and S. boulardii inhibited the growth of C. albicans in dual- and multi-species conditions at 4, 6, and 20 h. Saccharomyces also inhibited C. albicans hyphal formation. Furthermore, Saccharomyces reduced the acidity of the culture medium, which usually plummeted below pH 5 when S. mutans and C. albicans were present in the model. The presence of Saccharomyces maintained the culture medium above 6 even after overnight incubation, demonstrating a protective potential against dental enamel demineralization. S. boulardii significantly down-regulated S. mutans atpD and eno gene expression. Overall, our results shed light on a new promising candidate, Saccharomyces, for dental caries prevention due to its potential to create a less cariogenic environment marked by a neutral pH and reduced growth of C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the previous study, the properties, separation efficiencies, and anti-fouling performances of TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membrane made via non-solvent-induced phase separation were investigated. SEM, contact angle measurement, ATR-FTIR, and other methods were used to characterize the membranes, and then the pure water flux (PWF) and dye rejection were measured. The TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by stepwise solution blending method. Compared to the pristine PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membrane, the anti-fouling and pure water flux performances were enhanced as the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles. The pure water flux of TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded membranes was significantly increased and could even reach 3368.2 LMH at 5 bar much greater than that of the pristine PEEKWC/PEI ultrafiltration membrane (1423.8 LMH), remaining a retention rate for BBR higher than 98.5%. And the TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membranes exhibited a certain degree of increase of FRR (higher than 80%) after UV illumination. After a series of characterisation, the dye wastewater treatment property of membranes was assessed through filtration of Coomassie brilliant blue and Congo red solutions and researches were conducted on the anti-fouling capabilities of membranes. The TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membranes exhibited self-cleaning efficiency with lower irreversible fouling ratio. The pure water flux recovery ratio following dye fouling was higher after being exposed to UV irradiation, which could be attributed to the TiO 2 nanoparticles' photocatalytic destruction of organic pollutants. [Display omitted] • A simple and effective improving method by incorporating TiO 2 nanoparticles. • Enhanced self-cleaning performances by the the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles. • The pure water flux of embedded membranes could reach 3368.2 L·m−2·h−1 at 5 bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apparent friction coefficient, namely Heim’s ratio, is a prevalent dimensionless parameter to represent landslides’ mobility. Many empirical and theoretical models have been developed on the Heim’s ratio and landslides’ volume. However, studies on the ratio and their slope angles are lacking. Here, we performed a series of laboratory landslides at different slope angles to explore their mobility and motion characteristics. Our results show that the runout of the laboratory landslides decreases linearly with an increase in slope angles. A theoretical relationship between the apparent friction coefficient and slope angle is proposed, based on a hypothesis that the ratio of energy dissipation occurring when an object collides with a plane is power law to its impact angle. The relationship shows well approximation to our experimental data, and data from Crosta (IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 26:012004, 2015) and natural landslides. We also obtain that the coefficients of apparent friction and effective friction are almost identical at low slope angles. The dimensionless length and area of the laboratory landslides increase first and then decrease during their whole motion. The maximum area of them during their motion decreases with an increase in slope angles. The study will support studies on the morphological variation during the whole motion and mobility of landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Ni-doped LiMn 2 O 4 spinel oxides were studied as the cathode materials of low temperature proton ceramic fuel cell. Increasing the content of doping Ni to 0.5, the calculated active energy of the polarization process of the cell decreased from 0.62 to 0.49 eV. The cell performance increased with the Ni doping of LiMn 2 O 4 cathode, and the optimal power density reached to 547 mW cm−2 at 550 °C with a low polar resistance of 0.42 Ω cm2 for LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4. Ni partially replacing Mn at the B site could increase the content of Mn4+, resulting in the increase of oxygen vacancy content to maintain the charge balance, which is beneficial to the oxygen reduction reaction. These results demonstrate that spinel oxide could be a promising cathode material with highly oxygen reduction activity for advanced low temperature solid ceramic fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate whether insula network connectivity modulates the relationship between apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotype, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (Aβ, Tau, and pTau) and cognition across Alzheimer's disease (AD) spectrum. Methods: Forty‐six cognitive normal (CN), 35 subjective memory complaint (SMC), 41 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 32 AD subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were obtained. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the main effects and interaction of the APOE genotype and disease status on the insula functional connectivity (IFC) network. Mediation and moderation analysis were performed to investigate whether IFC strengths regulate the association between APOE genotype, CSF biomarkers and cognition. Additionally, the support vector machine (SVM) model integrating APOE genotype, CSF biomarkers, and neuroimaging biomarkers (insula volumes and altered regional IFCs) was used to classify the AD spectrum. Results: The interactive effect of the APOE genotype and disease on the insula network was found in the left medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed.L), right anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC.R), and bilateral thalamus (THA.B). The functional connectivities (FCs) in the left insula (LIns) connecting with the left posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG.L), SFGmed.L, and right lingual gyrus (LING.R) were correlated with cognition. LIns‐SFGmed.L and LIns‐pMTG.L FCs could moderate the effects of Tau on cognition. Furthermore, LIns‐SFGmed.L FC may suppress the association between APOE genotype and cognition. More importantly, the integrated biomarkers from the SVM model yielded strong powers for classifying the AD spectrum. Conclusions: Insula functional connectivity regulated the association between APOE genotype, CSF Tau and cognition and provided stage‐dependent biomarkers for early differentiation of the AD spectrum. The present study used a cross‐sectional design. Follow‐up studies are needed to validate the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Financial toxicity, defined as the financial distress experienced by patients related to their cancer care, can adversely impact clinical outcomes. Little is known about financial toxicity and associated factors among patients with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study of 669 patients shows that financial toxicity was prevalent in patients with breast cancer, particularly those with metastatic disease, during COVID-19. Lower income and elevated depression symptom severity were the primary factors associated with greater financial toxicity and socioeconomic stress from COVID-19. Patient financial burden is substantial and must be considered when managing breast cancer. This study reported the prevalence of financial distress (financial toxicity (FT)) and COVID-19-related economic stress in patients with breast cancer (BC). Patients with BC were recruited from the Ciitizen platform, Breastcancer.org, and patient advocacy groups between 30 March and 6 July 2021. FT was assessed with the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) instrument. COVID-19-related economic stress was assessed with the COVID-19 Stress Scale. Among the 669 patients, the mean age was 51.6 years; 9.4% reported a COVID-19 diagnosis. The prevalence rates of mild and moderate/severe FT were 36.8% and 22.4%, respectively. FT was more prevalent in patients with metastatic versus early BC (p < 0.001). The factors associated with FT included income ≤ USD 49,999 (adjusted odds ratio (adj OR) 6.271, p < 0.0001) and USD 50,000–USD 149,999 (adj OR 2.722, p < 0.0001); aged <50 years (adj OR 3.061, p = 0.0012) and 50–64 years (adj OR 3.444, p = 0.0002); living alone (adj OR 1.603, p = 0.0476); and greater depression severity (adj OR 1.155, p < 0.0001). Black patients (adj OR 2.165, p = 0.0133), patients with income ≤ USD 49,999 (adj OR 1.921, p = 0.0432), or greater depression severity (adj OR 1.090, p < 0.0001) were more likely to experience COVID-19-related economic stress. FT was common in patients with BC, particularly metastatic disease, during COVID-19. Multiple factors, especially lower income and greater depression severity were associated with financial difficulties during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotransformation of ursonic acid (1) by two fungal strains Aspergillus ochraceus CGMCC 3.5324 and Aspergillus oryzae CGMCC 3.407 yielded thirteen new compounds (4, 5, 7–10, and 13–19), along with five recognized ones. The structural details of new compounds were determined through spectroscopic examination (NMR, IR, and HR-MS) and X-ray crystallography. Various modifications, including hydroxylation, epoxidation, lactonization, oxygen introduction, and transmethylation, were identified on the ursane core. Additionally, the anti-neuroinflammatory efficacy of these derivatives was assessed on BV-2 cells affected by lipopolysaccharides. It was observed that certain methoxylated and epoxylated derivatives (10, 16, and 19) showcased enhanced suppressive capabilities, boasting IC50 values of 8.2, 6.9, and 5.3 μM. Such ursonic acid derivatives might emerge as potential primary molecules in addressing neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid emergence of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data presents remarkable opportunities for broad investigations through integration analyses. However, most integration models are black boxes that lack interpretability or are hard to train. Results: To address the above issues, we propose scInterpreter, a deep learning-based interpretable model. scInterpreter substantially outperforms other state-of-the-art (SOTA) models in multiple benchmark datasets. In addition, scInterpreter is extensible and can integrate and annotate atlas scRNA-seq data. We evaluated the robustness of scInterpreter in a variety of situations. Through comparison experiments, we found that with a knowledge prior, the training process can be significantly accelerated. Finally, we conducted interpretability analysis for each dimension (pathway) of cell representation in the embedding space. Conclusions: The results showed that the cell representations obtained by scInterpreter are full of biological significance. Through weight sorting, we found several new genes related to pathways in PBMC dataset. In general, scInterpreter is an effective and interpretable integration tool. It is expected that scInterpreter will bring great convenience to the study of single-cell transcriptomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation aimed to isolate and identify predatory fungal strains and evaluate their efficacy in mitigating the effects of plant-parasitic nematodes. We successfully isolated three distinct nematophagous fungal strains from soil samples, identified as Arthrobotrys megalosporus, A. oligospora, and A. sinensis, using conventional and molecular identification methodologies. In vitro trials illustrated the high capture efficiency of these fungi against plant-parasitic nematodes. Over an exposure period of 48 h to Aphelenchoides besseyi, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and Ditylenchus destructor, A. megalosporus (GUCC220044) displayed predation rates of 99.7%, 83.0%, and 21.1%, respectively. A. oligospora (GUCC220045) demonstrated predation rates of 97.3%, 97.3%, and 54.6%, and A. sinensis (GUCC220046) showed rates of 85.1%, 68.3%, and 19.0% against the same cohort of nematodes. The experimental outcomes substantiate that all three identified fungal strains demonstrate predatory activity against the tested nematodes, albeit with varying efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egg production is the most important economic trait in laying hens. To identify molecular markers and candidate genes associated with egg production traits, such as age at first egg (AFE), weight at first egg (WFE), egg weight (EW), egg number (EN), and maximum consecutive egg laying days (MCD), a genome-wide analysis by whole genome sequencing was performed in Shuanglian chickens. Through whole genome sequencing and quality control, a total of 11,006,178 SNPs were obtained for further analysis. Heritability estimates ranged from moderate to high for EW (0.897) and MCD (0.632), and from low to moderate (0.193~0.379) for AFE, WFE, and EN. The GWAS results showed 11 genome-wide significant SNPs and 23 suggestive significant SNPs were identified to be associated with EN, MCD, WFE, and EW. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed twenty-seven SNPs associated with EN were located in a 0.57 Mb region on GGA10, and clustered into five blocks. Through functional annotation, three candidate genes NEO1, ADPGK, and CYP11A1, were identified to be associated with EN, while the S1PR4, LDB2, and GRM8 genes was linked to MCD, WFE, and EW, respectively. These findings may help us to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying egg production traits in chickens and contribute to genetic improvement of these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential futurism is an important subgenre of futuristic science fiction in China, with the greatest number of works and the richest content. Several important works in this genre have gained widespread influence. Experiential futuristic works focus on conveying the experience of the future through words, and often use considerable appeal to call on people to pay attention to and to think about the future. Such works can be divided into two types: those attempting to convey the experience of a stand-alone technology and those attempting to convey a panoramic experience. The methods for creating experiential futuristic fiction include wonder creation, perception reinforcement, immersion creation, emotion activation and cognitive enhancement. Experiential futuristic works play a pioneering role in today's era of virtual reality and the metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of dry and hot (DH) days in South China in summer has a negative impact on social development and human health. This study explored the variation characteristics of DH days and the possible reasons for this knotty problem. The findings revealed a notable increase in the number of DH days across most stations, indicating a significant upward trend. Additionally, DH events were observed to occur frequently. The number of DH days increased during 1970–1990, decreased from 1991 to 1997, and stayed stable after 1997. The key climate factors affecting the interannual variability of the number of DH days were the Indian Ocean Basin warming (IOBW) in spring and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM). Compared with the negative phase of IOBW, in the positive phase of IOBW, 500 hPa and 850 hPa geopotential height enhanced, the West Pacific subtropical high strengthened and extended abnormally to the west, more solar radiation reached the surface, surface outgoing longwave radiation increased, and there was an anomalous anticyclone in eastern South China. The atmospheric circulation characteristics of the positive and negative phases of ESAM were opposite to those of IOBW, and the abnormal circulation of the positive (negative) phases of ESAM was unfavorable (favorable) for the increase in the number of DH days. A long-term prediction model for the number of summer DH days was established using multiple linear regression, incorporating the key climate factors. The correlation coefficient between the observed and predicted number of DH days was 0.65, and the root-mean-square error was 2.8. In addition, independent forecasts for 2019 showed a deviation of just 1 day. The results of the independent recovery test confirmed the stability of the model, providing evidence that climatic factors did have an impact on DH days in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthine can be converted into uric acid, and a high concentration of xanthine in the human body can cause many diseases. Therefore, it is important to develop a sensitive, simple, and reliable approach for measuring xanthine in biological liquids. Hence, a ratiometric surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing strategy with one signal probe was exploited for reliable, sensitive, and quantitative monitoring of serum xanthine. 3-Mercaptophenylboronic acid (3-MPBA) was used as a typical reference with a Raman peak at 996 cm−1. First, 3-MPBA was bound to gold nanoflowers@silica (GNFs@Si) through Au–S bonds. Xanthine oxidase (XOD) catalyzed the oxidation of xanthine into H2O2 on GNFs@Si. Afterward, the obtained H2O2 further reduced 3-MPBA to 3-hydroxythiophenol (3-HTP) accompanied by the emergence of a new Raman peak at 883 cm−1. Meanwhile, the Raman intensity at 996 cm−1 remained constant. Therefore, the ratio of I883/I996 increased with the increasing of xanthine concentration, thus realizing quantitative detection of xanthine. As a result, a ratiometric SERS sensor for the detection of xanthine was proposed with a detection limit of 5.7 nM for xanthine. The novel ratiometric SERS sensor provides a new direction for analyzing other biomolecules with high sensitivity and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The rising prevalence of knee osteoarthritis is placing a considerable strain on the global healthcare system. To address this issue, telemedicine-supported multicomponent exercise therapy has emerged as a promising approach. This therapy combines exercise, patient education, and health coaching to empower knee osteoarthritis patients to manage their condition from the comfort of their homes. Nevertheless, there are some existing limitations in the current research on this approach, including challenges related to patient compliance and the absence of objective evaluation methods. Methods and analysis: Patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, who have not undergone knee surgery in the past year, will be recruited for a randomized controlled trial. The trial will include an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group will receive an mHealth app-based multicomponent exercise therapy, consisting of exercise therapy, patient education, and health coaching. Meanwhile, the control group will receive usual care, involving drug therapy and patient education. The primary outcome of the trial will be the measurement of pain intensity, assessed using a visual analog scale at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of the post-intervention. To analyze the data, a two-factor, four-level repeated measures ANOVA will be used if the assumptions of homogeneity of variance and sphericity are met. If not, a mixed effects model will be employed. Discussion: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of multicomponent exercise therapy aimed at enhancing pain self-management for knee osteoarthritis patients in the comfort of their own homes. The intervention incorporate wearable devices equipped with advanced deep learning systems to monitor patients' adherence to the prescribed at-home exercise regimen, as well as to track changes in outcomes before and after the exercise sessions. The findings from this trial have the potential to enhance both the accessibility and quality of care provided to knee osteoarthritis patients, offering valuable insights for future improvements in their treatment and management. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR2300073688. Registered on 19 July 2023, https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=199707. World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=ChiCTR2300073688. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Intestinal Behçet's disease (BD) predominantly affects the ileocecal region and is currently diagnosed based on endoscopic features and clinical manifestations. It is difficult to distinguish between intestinal BD and Crohn's disease (CD) due to similar patient populations, gastrointestinal involvement, extraintestinal manifestations, and long‐term recurrent course. In this study we aimed to compare the clinicopathological and immunophenotypic features of intestinal BD to CD. Methods: The medical and pathological records of 29 cases of intestinal BD and 120 cases of CD diagnosed at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD20, FOXP3, myeloperoxidase, and quantitative analysis of the infiltrating inflammatory cells was conducted. Results: Intestinal BD with ileocecal ulcer had a higher incidence of abdominal pain and a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate than CD, while chronic diarrhea was more common in CD. Excessive neutrophils in the mucosal lamina propria, neutrophilic exudate on the ulcer surface, and prominent lymphocytic infiltration in ulcer tissues were statistically more frequent in intestinal BD than in CD. The numbers of FOXP3+T cells, CD3+T cells, and CD20+B cells in biopsy tissue from intestinal BD were significantly higher than CD, but the ratio of FOXP3+T cells to CD3+T cells was not statistically different. Conclusion: Besides the typical clinical and endoscopic findings, diagnostic biopsies from the ileocecal region in intestinal BD show some histological and immunophenotypic features that are different from CD, which may be useful in distinguishing these two entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are no universally accepted indications to initiate renal replacement therapy (RRT) among patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the risk of RRT among AKI patients in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we extracted AKI patients from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. Patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (70%) and a validation cohort (30%). Multivariable logistic regression based on Akaike information criterion was used to establish the nomogram. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were evaluated by Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and Hosmer–Lemeshow (HL) test. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate clinical application. Results: A total of 7413 critically ill patients with AKI were finally enrolled. 514 (6.9%) patients received RRT after ICU admission. 5194 (70%) patients were in the training cohort and 2219 (30%) patients were in the validation cohort. Nine variables, namely, age, hemoglobin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and lactate at AKI detection, comorbidity of congestive heart failure, AKI stage, and vasopressor use were included in the nomogram. The predictive model demonstrated satisfying discrimination and calibration with C-index of 0.938 (95% CI, 0.927–0.949; HL test, P = 0.430) in training set and 0.935 (95% CI, 0.919–0.951; HL test, P = 0.392) in validation set. DCA showed a positive net benefit of our nomogram. Conclusion: The nomogram developed in this study was highly accurate for RRT prediction with potential application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graph is 1-planar if it can be drawn in the sphere or plane so that any edge has at most one crossing point with another edge. It is known that a 1-planar graph G with at least three vertices contains at most 4 | V (G) | − 8 edges, so G is optimal if G has exactly 4 | V (G) | − 8 edges. Fujisawa et al. (2018) first considered matching extension of optimal 1-planar graphs, obtained that each optimal 1-planar graph of even order is 1-extendable and characterized 2-extendable optimal 1-planar graphs and 3-matchings extendable to perfect matchings as well. In this short paper, we prove that no optimal 1-planar graph is 3-extendable. Further we mainly obtain that no 1-planar graph is 5-extendable by the discharge method and also construct a 4-extendable 1-planar graph. Finally we get that no 1-planar graph is 7-factor-critical and no optimal 1-planar graph is 6-factor-critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verruca vulgaris is always stubborn to treat. We applied a new combined therapy of local recombinant human interferon alpha 1b (rhIFNα1b) injection plus acupuncture on verruca vulgaris recently to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combined therapy. The retrospective study was conducted in The First Hospital of China Medical University from 2018 to 2020. Patients with verruca vulgaris were included. Combined therapy with local rhIFNα1b injection plus acupuncture was set as treatment group, rhIFNα1b injection and carbon dioxide (CO2) laser were set as control groups. A total of 2415 patients were included in the study. The cure rates were 81.85%, 85.93%, and 100% in combined group, rhIFNα1b group, and CO2 laser group, separately. All lesions cured in combined group were located on hands or feet, while majority of lesions cured in other groups were located on other sites. For patients with medium/big single lesion or 6–9 lesions, less treatment times were needed in combined group than rhIFNα1b group. For patients with small single, two to five or more than ten lesions, the treatment times of combined group and rhIFNα1b group were comparable. All patients complained of pain in varying degrees when local injection or laser irradiation. Compared with CO2 laser group, more fever, less swelling or scar was reported in combined group. In conclusion, combined therapy of local rhIFNα1b plus acupuncture was beneficial for verruca vulgaris with limited adverse effects. The therapy was more acceptable by younger female patients with verruca vulgaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-year (2020-2021) field experiment was conducted at the National Agricultural Environmental Station for Agricultural Environment in Fuxin. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design, consisting of five sowing dates with three furrow depths each year. Seeds were sown on April 11 (T1), April 18 (T2), April 25 (T3), May 2 (T4) and May 9 (T5), respectively, in 2020, and were sown on April 18 (T2), April 25 (T3), May 2 (T4), May 9 (T5) and May 16 (T6), respectively, in 2021. The furrow depths including 5cm (D0, convention planting as the control), 10cm (D1) and 20cm (D2), respectively. By measuring above-ground dry matter, grain yield and yield components, soil water content on the sowing and harvesting day, and soil water storage and maize water use efficiency were calculated, so as to explore the rule of dry matter accumulation and allocation of spring maize, and the changes in resource utilization efficiency under the influence of sowing dates and furrow depths. Both contribute to optimize the cultivation technology of spring maize by selecting suitable sowing date and furrow depth in semi-arid region. The results showed that the sowing dates from April 18 to May 2 were beneficial to the accumulation of above-ground dry matter. Compared with the average of other sowing dates, the maturity period was increased by 8.0%, and promoted the allocation of dry matter to ear weight, with an average yield 9.9% higher than other sowing dates. The water use efficiency was significantly improved. The production efficiency of solar radiation, growing degree days, and rainfall increased first and then decreased with the delay of sowing date. The above-ground dry matter and panicle ear weight were D2>D1>D0 in different furrow depth treatments at the maturity stage. The grain yield of D2 and D1 treatments was significantly higher than that of D0 (11.1% on average), and there was a significant difference in water use efficiency in 2020. Considering yield, resource utilization efficiency and variation coefficient of yield, authors concluded that suitable sowing dates(April 25-May 2) and 20cm furrow depth were the most beneficial to high yield and resource utilization efficiency of maize in semi-arid area of western Liaoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The actual positive rate of interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) in patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections remains unclear. This review and meta-analysis present the prevalence of positive IGRAs (T-SPOT.TB and QuantiFERON [QFT] tests) among patients infected with NTM isolates (with or without ESAT-6/CFP-10). Methods: Several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched (until June 18th, 2022). Studies that had the following data were included: (1) results of T-SPOT.TB, QuantiFERON (QFT) test, or both, (2) NTM species, and (3) NTM diseases, or NTM colonization. The metaprop command that incorporates a Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation is used for pooling proportions. Results: A total of 11 articles (n = 929) were deemed eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis identified that the overall pooled positive and indeterminate rates of IGRA results in patients with NTM infections was 16% and 5%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the positive rate of IGRAs in patients infected with NTM (without ESAT-6/CFP-10) was 7% (95% CI, 1%-18%), and 44% (95%CI, 22%-68%) in patients infected with NTM (with ESAT-6/CFP-10). In addition, the indeterminate rate of QFT (7%, 95% CI: 4%-12%) was higher than that of T-SPOT.TB (0%; 95% CI, 0%-2%) among the overall population with NTM infections. Conclusions: The IGRAs have a moderate positive rate for the diagnosis of NTM (expressing ESAT-6/CFP-10) infections, and a significant indeterminate rate is observed among the overall population infected with NTM. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution because of the high heterogeneity among studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GATA proteins are a class of zinc-finger DNA-binding proteins that participate in diverse regulatory processes in plants, including the development processes and responses to environmental stresses. However, a comprehensive analysis of the GATA gene family has not been performed in a wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) or other Solanaceae species. There are 156 GATA genes identified in five Solanaceae species (Lycium barbarum L., Solanum lycopersicum L., Capsicum annuum L., Solanum tuberosum L., and Solanum melongena L.) in this study. Based on their phylogeny, they can be categorized into four subfamilies (I-IV). Noticeably, synteny analysis revealed that dispersed- and whole-genome duplication contributed to the expansion of the GATA gene family. Purifying selection was a major force driving the evolution of GATA genes. Moreover, the predicted cis-elements revealed the potential roles of wolfberry GATA genes in phytohormone, development, and stress responses. Furthermore, the RNA-seq analysis identified 31 LbaGATA genes with different transcript profiling under salt stress. Nine candidate genes were then selected for further verification using quantitative real-time PCR. The results revealed that four candidate LbaGATA genes (LbaGATA8, LbaGATA19, LbaGATA20, and LbaGATA24) are potentially involved in salt-stress responses. In conclusion, this study contributes significantly to our understanding of the evolution and function of GATA genes among the Solanaceae species, including wolfberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preserved eggs are traditional alkali‐pickled food in China and have been enjoyed by consumers and extensively studied by researchers for their nutritional tastes and their anti‐tumor, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, lipid‐lowering, and blood pressure‐lowering properties. To study the anti‐tumor effects of preserved eggs, this project observed the health on rats, and anti‐tumor effects and separated anti‐tumor active components on HT‐29 cells. SD rats fed for 80 days showed that preserved eggs had no significant effect on weight, food intake, blood pH, liver tissues, or organ indices. Preserved eggs significantly increased blood levels of oxidative stress markers SOD and CAT, decreased MDA levels by 0.46, 0.23, and 0.25 times. Moreover, they also increased the level of IL‐2 from 1233 to 1340 pg/mL. Two water‐soluble bioactive peptide fractions, B1 and B2, with molecular weights ≥10 kDa were further obtained from preserved eggs by ultrafiltration and Superdex Peptide 10/300 GL. The potential mechanism of B1 and B2 is to activate the internal mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and induce apoptosis by up‐regulating the expression of the pro‐apoptotic factors cytochrome C, caspase‐3, and caspase‐9 mRNA in HT‐29 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) test positive for aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-IgG). Those who are negative are termed double-negative (DN) NMOSD and may constitute a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. DN NMOSD is a syndrome rather than a single disease, ranging from a (postinfectious) monophasic illness to a more chronic syndrome that can be indistinguishable from AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD or develop into other mimics such as multiple sclerosis. Thus, underlying disease mechanisms are likely to be heterogeneous. This topical review aims to (1) reappraise antibody-negative NMOSD definition as it has changed over time with the development of the AQP4 and MOG-IgG assays; (2) outline clinical characteristics and the pathophysiological nature of this rare entity by contrasting its differences and similarities with antibody-positive NMOSD; (3) summarize laboratory characteristics and magnetic resonance imaging findings of DN NMOSD; and (4) discuss the current treatment for DN NMOSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal ocular neovascularization, a major pathology of eye diseases, leads to severe visual loss. The role of lens epithelial cell (LEC)‐derived exosomes (Lec‐exo) is largely unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether Lec‐exo can inhibit abnormal ocular neovascularization and explore the possible mechanisms. In our study, we proved the first evidence that exosomes derived from LECs attenuated angiogenesis in both oxygen‐induced retinopathy and laser‐induced choroidal neovascularization mice models. Further in vitro experiments proved that Lec‐exo inhibited proliferation, migration, and tube formation capability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in high glucose condition. Further high‐throughput miRNAs sequencing analysis detected that miR‐146a‐5p was enriched in Lec‐exo. Mechanistically, exosomal miR‐146a‐5p was delivered to endothelial cells and bound to the NRAS coding sequence, which subsequently inactivated AKT/ERK signaling pathway. We successfully elucidated the function of Lec‐exo in inhibiting abnormal ocular neovascularization, which may offer a promising strategy for treatment of abnormal ocular neovascularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of new triphenylmethane (TPM)-based polyimides (PIs) containing bulky tert-butyldimethylsiloxy (TBS) side-groups (PI-TPMOSis) has been prepared by a post-polymerization modification via a simple silyl ether reaction of TPM-based PIs containing hydroxyl (OH) groups (PI-TPMOHs). The attachment of TBS side-groups in PI-TPMOSis can be achieved up to 100%, as confirmed by the 1H-NMR and IR spectra. Due to the presence of the TPM structure, PI-TPMOSi films still display the excellent thermal stability with high glass transition temperature (Tg) of 314–351 °C and high degradation temperature (Td5%) of 480–501 °C. It is quite remarkable that the introduction of TBS side-groups into PI-TPMOSi chains results in more superior optical, dielectric and solubility properties in comparison with the precursor PI-TPMOH films, probably due to the reductions of the packing density and charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) formation. The optical transmittance at 400 nm (T400) of PI-TPMOSi films is significantly increased from 45.3%–68.8% to 75.4%–81.6% of the precursor PI-TPMOH films. The dielectric constant (Dk) and dissipation factor (Df) at 1 MHz of PI-TPMOSi films are reduced from 4.11–4.40 and 0.00159–0.00235 to 2.61–2.92 and 0.00125–0.00171 of the precursor PI-TPMOH films, respectively. Combining the molecular design and simple preparation method, this study provides an effective approach for enhancement of various properties of PI films for microelectronic and photoelectric engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Materials and Methods Results Conclusions The objective of the study was to assess the prognostic value of muscle invasion (MI), a key histopathological feature of tumor aggressiveness, and construct a superior prognostic prediction model combining the current TNM staging system.MI was analyzed in the whole‐slide images from a total of 301 patients with primary buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma (BMSCC). Survival times of patients with/without MI were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. MI was further combined with the TNM staging system to explore its predictive value for prognosis. Moreover, 204 cases of head and neck carcinoma from the TCGA database were included.MI positive rate reached to 76% (229/301) in patients with BMSCC. MI was associated with poor overall survival (p = 0.012) and disease‐free survival (p = 0.022). The novel system (TNM staging combined with MI) revealed strong predictive performance, with the largest area under the curve (OS: p < 0.001, DFS: p < 0.004). MI and the established classification system were also had good predictive ability in the TCGA cohort.MI is an independent predictor of poor prognosis of BMSCC. The inclusion of MI in prediction system can augment the risk stratification of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and may assist in the clinical decision‐making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the phase field method has been used to study the effect of second phase particles with different shapes and different orientations on the grain growth of AZ31 magnesium alloy, after annealing at 350 °C for 100 min. The results show that the shape of the second phase particles would have an effect on the grain growth; the refinement effect of elliptical particles and rod-shaped particles was similar, and better than the spherical particles; the spatial arrangement direction of the second phase particles had no significant effect on the grain growth. On the other hand, when the microstructure of AZ31 magnesium alloy contained second phase particles with different shapes, the effect of mixing different shapes of second phase particles on the grain refinement was enhanced gradually with the decrease im the volume fraction of spherical particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication systems are commonly considered as one of the key enabling technologies for 6G. The hybrid free space optical (FSO)/radio frequency (RF) system has the advantages of both FSO and RF links to improve communication system performance, and the relay-assisted system adopts multi-hop transmission and cooperative diversity methods to extend communication coverage. Thus, a joint consideration of UAV-assistedUAV assisted relay in hybrid FSO/RF transmission is meaningful. In this paper, we aim to analyze the performance of UAV-assisted multi-hop parallel hybrid FSO/RF communication systems with and without pointing errors (PE) in terms of Bit Error Rate (BER) and outage probability. In our considered system, the FSO sub-link adopts the Exponential Weibull turbulence model and the RF sub-link suffers the Nakagami fading model. With these, new mathematical formulas of both BER and outage probability are derived under the UAV-assisted hybrid FSO/RF with different modulation methods. Through numerical evaluationnumerical simulations, the performances of UAV-assisted hybrid FSO/RF systems are analyzed under different weather conditions, modulation methods, optical receiver aperture, RF fading parameters, pointing errors, and relay structures. The results demonstrate that (1) compared to hybrid FSO/RF direct links, UAV-assisted hybrid FSO/RF systems can further improve system performance; (2) the performance of UAV-assisted hybrid FSO/RF systems varies with different relay structures; (3) large receiver aperture and RF fading parameters can further improve the communication performance of hybrid FSO/RF direct links and UAV-assisted hybrid FSO/RF systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)‐secreted crystal (Cry) toxins form oligomeric pores in host cell membranes and are a common element in generating insect‐resistant transgenic crops. Although Cry toxin function has been well documented, cellular defences against pore‐formation have not been as well developed. Elucidation of the processes underlying this defence, however, could contribute to the development of enhanced Bt crops. Here, we demonstrate that Cry1Ca‐mediated downregulation of microRNA‐7322‐5p (miR‐7322‐5p), which binds to the 3′ untranslated region of p38, negatively regulates the susceptibility of Chilo suppressalis to Cry1Ca. Moreover, Cry1Ca exposure enhanced phosphorylation of Hsp19, and hsp19 downregulation increased susceptibility to Cry1Ca. Further, Hsp19 phosphorylation occurs downstream of p38, and pull‐down assays confirmed the interactions between Hsp19 and Cry1Ca, suggesting that activation of Hsp19 by the miR‐7322‐5p/p38/Hsp19 pathway promotes Cry1Ca sequestration. To assess the efficacy of targeting this pathway in planta, double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting C. suppressalis p38 (dsp38) was introduced into a previously generated cry1Ca‐expressing rice line (1CH1‐2) to yield a single‐copy cry1Ca/dsp38 rice line (p38‐rice). Feeding on this rice line triggered a significant reduction in C. suppressalis p38 expression and the line was more resistant to C. suppressalis than 1CH1‐2 in both short term (7‐day) and continuous feeding bioassays as well as field trials. These findings provide new insights into invertebrate epithelium cellular defences and demonstrate a potential new pyramiding strategy for Bt crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to explore the contribution of genotype-guided selection of P2Y12 inhibitors on prognosis in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Totally, 2063 patients were included. They were divided into empiric treatment group (n = 1025) and individualized treatment group (n = 1038) depending on whether taken CYP2C19 genetic testing. The incidences of clinical endpoint events were compared in two groups at 1-year follow-up. The effective endpoint events were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including all-cause mortality, in-stent restenosis, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke and severe recurrent ischemia. Meanwhile, the safe endpoint was bleeding events defined by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria. Results: Finally, 66.83% patients were diagnosed with ACS and 33.17% patients were diagnosed with CCS in empiric group. 68.11% patients were diagnosed with ACS and 31.89% patients were diagnosed with CCS in individualized group. At 1-year follow-up, individualized group showed lower MACEs rate than empiric group (19.61% vs. 10.69%, HR: 1.915; 95% CI: 1.534 to 2.392; P < 0.0001, log-rank test; adjusted HR: 1.983; 95% CI: 1.573 to 2.501; P = 0.000, cox proportional hazards regression models), while bleeding events were significantly less common in empiric group than in individualized group (7.32% vs. 10.40%, HR: 0.693; 95% CI: 0.519 to 0.926; P = 0.0132, log-rank test; adjusted HR: 0.695; 95% CI: 0.518 to 0.933; P = 0.016, cox proportional hazards regression models). It was mainly manifested in BARC class 1 bleeding, which did not warrant the interruption of antiplatelet therapy (ITA). Further, subgroup analyses illustrated that no significant difference existed in cumulative MACEs-free survival rate between all treatment arms of individualized group (P = 0.6579 by log-rank test), and CYP2C19 intermediate metabolizer (IM) genetype appeared to be significantly associated with bleeding events for patients treated with ticagrelor (clopidogrel vs. ticagrelor: 6.80% vs. 14.88%; adjusted HR:0.440; 95% CI: 0.246 to 0.787; adjusted P = 0.006). Conclusions: Genotype-guided selection of P2Y12 inhibitor made a very positive contribution on the prognosis in Chinese ACS/CCS patients undergoing PCI. Instead of intensifying antiplatelet strategies, conventional-dose clopidogrel could be recommended as P2Y12 inhibitor after weighing MACEs and bleeding events in CYP2C19 IM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]