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Zhi-Hao Zhao, Chao Jiang, Qing-Yuan Wu, Guo-Yue Lv, Meng Wang Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, General Surgery Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Meng Wang, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, General Surgery Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13578767515, Email wmdoctor@jlu.edu.cnPurpose: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a severe complication of spontaneous ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (SRHCC) that requires accurate prediction for effective treatment strategies. We aimed to develop a predictive nomogram to estimate the risk of ALF in patients with SRHCC undergoing treatment.Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of historical data from 284 patients diagnosed with SRHCC at the First Hospital of Jilin University over the past decade. Variables were selected through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and a predictive nomogram was constructed. We evaluated its predictive accuracy against the Child-Pugh Score, R.MELD, and ALBI by assessing discrimination, calibration, and net clinical benefit.Results: Among the 284 patients, 65 developed ALF. The risk factors identified for model development included largest tumor size (LTS), platelet counts, prolonged prothrombin time, and elevated serum α-fetoprotein levels. The nomogram exhibited high accuracy in predicting ALF risk with a C-index of 0.91 (0.87– 0.95). The Delong test showed a significant difference between the nomogram and the other three models (p< 0.05). The calibration curve for the nomogram fit well, and the decision curve analysis revealed superior net benefit. The optimal cut-off point for the nomogram was determined to be 40, yielding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 83.10%, 87.20%, 65.90% and 94.60%, respectively.Conclusion: The nomogram we developed provides an optimized tool for predicting ALF in SRHCC patients. Its application can help determine individual patient’s risk of ALF, enabling more rational and personalized treatment strategies.Keywords: predict, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, hepatectomy, prognosis, α-fetoprotein

Shao-Jie Wu,1,2,&ast; Dan-Dan Ruan,1,&ast; Qiu-Yan Wu,1,&ast; Yi Tang,1,2 Jian-Hui Zhang,1 Sen-Lin Cai,1,2 Yan-Feng Zhou,1,2 Jie-Wei Luo,1,3 Zhu-Ting Fang1,2 1Fujian Provincial Hospital, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Interventional Radiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian provincial hospital, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jie-Wei Luo; Zhu-Ting Fang, Email docluo0421@aliyun.com; 470389481@qq.comBackground: Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) has good efficacy in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC), with a relatively high objective response rate (ORR) compared to conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and medium-term clinical efficacy of DEB-TACE combined with lenvatinib (LEN) plus PD-1 inhibitors as a triple therapy for the treatment of uHCC.Methods: Data of patients with uHCC who received triple therapy of DEB-TACE combined with LEN plus PD-1 inhibitors from January 2019 to June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The study endpoints were ORR, progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment-related adverse events based on the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST).Results: Thirty-five patients were included in this study, with a median follow-up period of 15 months. The median cycle of DEB-TACE was 1, while that of all forms of TACE procedures per patient was 2. The median administration time of LEN was 7 months, and the median number of PD-1 inhibitor treatment was 4 cycles. The ORR based on mRECIST was 82.9%, disease control rate was 91.4%, and the median time to response was 7 weeks. Among these, the ORR of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A reached 100%, while that of BCLC stages B and C reached 84.6% and 78.9%, respectively. The median PFS was 9 months; the mOS was not reached. Fourteen patients (40%) successfully underwent downstaging conversion and surgical resection, 32 patients (91.4%) experienced treatment-related adverse events, and no grade 5-related adverse reactions occurred.Conclusion: DEB-TACE combined with LEN and PD-1 inhibitors has a high ORR and surgical conversion rate in the treatment of uHCC tumors, and the toxicity and side effects were tolerable.Keywords: unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, transarterial chemoembolization, drug-eluting bead, lenvatinib, PD-1 inhibitor, combined therapy

Chun-hui Huang,1,2,&ast; Peng-yi Hu,2,3,&ast; Qiu-yan Wu,2,3 Ming-yan Xia,2,3 Wen-liu Zhang,3 Zhi-qiang Lei,3 Dong-xun Li,3 Guo-song Zhang,2,3 Jian-fang Feng1,2 1School of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, 530200, People’s Republic of China; 2National Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Solid Preparation Manufacturing Technology, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 3Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Guo-song Zhang, National Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Solid Preparation Manufacturing Technology, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Email zhgs81411@aliyun.com Jian-fang Feng, School of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, 530200, People’s Republic of China, Email fengjianfang@vip.163.comBackground: Ibuprofen (IBU), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, shows poor gastrointestinal absorption due to its low solubility, which limits its clinical application.Objective: In the present study, we aimed to develop thermosensitive gel-mediated ibuprofen-solid lipid nanoparticles (IBU-SLN-ISG) to improve the dissolution and bioavailability of IBU after rectal delivery.Methods: IBU-loaded SLNs (IBU-SLNs) were developed and optimized applying Box-Behnken design. The optimized IBU-SLNs were characterized by physicochemical parameters and morphology. Then, the optimized IBU-SLNs was incorporated into the gel and characterized for gel properties and rheology and investigated its release in vitro, pharmacokinetics in vivo, rectal irritation and rectal retention time.Results: The optimized SLNs had an EE of 90.74 ± 1.40%, DL of 11.36 ± 1.20%, MPS of 166.77 ± 2.26 nm, PDI of 0.27 ± 0.08, and ZP of − 21.00 ± 0.59 mV. The FTIR spectra confirmed successful encapsulation of the drug inside the nanoparticle as only peaks responsible for the lipid could be identified. This corroborated well with XRD spectra, which showed a completely amorphous state of the IBU-SLNs as compared to the crystalline nature of the pure drug. The gelation temperature of the prepared IBU-SLN-ISG was 33.30 ± 0.78°C, the gelation time was 14.67 ± 2.52 s, the gel strength was 54.00 ± 1.41 s, and the mucoadhesion was (11.54± 0.37) × 102dyne/cm2. The in vitro results of IBU-SLNs and IBU-SLN-ISG showed a biphasic release pattern with initial burst release followed by sustained release. More importantly, IBU-SLN-ISG produced much better absorption of IBU and improved bioavailability in rats. In addition, IBU-SLN-ISG caused no irritation or damage to rectal tissues, and could be retained in the rectum for a long time.Conclusion: Thermosensitive in situ gel loaded with IBU-solid lipid nanoparticles might be further developed as a more convenient and effective rectal dosage form.Keywords: thermosensitive gel, ibuprofen, solid lipid nanoparticle, rectal delivery, bioavailability

Zhi-Jun Qin,1 Qian-Yun Wu,1 Yang Deng,1 Xia Li,2 Xuan-Di Wei,2 Cheng-Jie Tang,3 Jun-Feng Jia3 1Department of Intensive Care Unit, Sichuan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of General Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Geriatric Orthopedics, Sichuan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhi-Jun QinDepartment of Intensive Care Unit, Sichuan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital, No. 132, West First Section, First Ring Road, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 610041, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 − 18728179291Email qin18716111836@126.comBackground: Prognostic evaluation of elderly patients with hip fracture is an issue that has been highly concerned by clinicians. Only a few studies have focused on organ dysfunction after hip fracture in the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the association between high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) at admission and organ dysfunction during hospitalization in elderly patients with hip fracture.Methods: We enrolled 168 patients with hip fracture who were aged 80 years and older at Geriatric Orthopaedic Center of Sichuan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital between January 2020 and August 2020. Baseline characteristics, perioperative information, and short-term clinical outcomes were analyzed.Results: Of the 208 patients admitted during the study period, 168 met the inclusion criteria; of these, 91 (54.2%) had higher hs-TnT than the 99th percentile in the normal population. After adjustment for confounders, elevated hs-TnT was independently associated with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in the elderly (MODSE) (adjusted OR, 5.76; 95% CI, 1.74– 19.10; P = 0.004), heart dysfunction (adjusted OR, 7.48; 95% CI, 2.17– 25.82; P = 0.001), MODS severity score > 3 (adjusted OR, 5.22; 95% CI, 1.32– 20.60; P = 0.018), and length of hospital stay > 14 days (adjusted OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.05– 5.36; P = 0.037).Conclusion: Increased hs-TnT on admission is an independent risk factor for MODSE after hip fracture in patients aged 80 years and older. Effective measures should be applied to avoid progression of MODSE from pre-failure stage to failure stage.Keywords: high-sensitivity troponin T, hip fracture, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in the elderly, short-term outcomes

Xiao-Mei Li,1,2,* Mao-Ting Li,2,3,* Ni Jiang,1 Ya-Chen Si,3 Meng-Mei Zhu,2 Qiao-Yuan Wu,1 Dong-Chen Shi,4 Hui Shi,4 Qing Luo,1 Bing Yu2 1Cancer Research Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, 563003, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cell and Medicine, Navy Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, People’s Republic of China; 3Student Brigade, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, 200433, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Bing Yu; Qing Luo Email smmucellyu@163.com; zlsysluoqing@163.comPurpose: Sinomenine has been known to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells. However, its targets have not been found yet. This study aimed to search for molecular targets of sinomenine for treating breast cancer via network pharmacology.Methods: Potential targets of sinomenine or breast cancer were separately screened from indicated databases. The common targets of both sinomenine and breast cancer were considered as the targets of sinomenine for treating breast cancer. A sinomenine-target-pathway network was constructed based on the obtained results from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The putative targets of sinomenine were further determined by using protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis and molecular docking. Finally, the putative targets were verified in vitro and in vivo.Results: Twenty predicted targets were identified through network pharmacological analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment indicated that these predicted targets enriched in the process of MAP kinase activity, VEGF signaling pathway, Relaxin signaling pathway, Growth hormone synthesis, secretion and action. MAPK1, NOS3, NR3C1, NOS1 and NOS2 were further identified as the putative targets by using PPI and molecular docking analysis. Expression of MAPK1, NR3C1, NOS1, NOS2 and NOS3 genes were significantly regulated by sinomenine in both MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, the expression of NR3C1 in human breast cancer specimens was lower than that in para-tumor normal tissues. Meanwhile, the expression of NR3C1 in xenograft tumors was up-regulated after sinomenine treatment.Conclusion: MAPK1, NR3C1, NOS1, NOS2 and NOS3 were identified as the putative targets of sinomenine for treating breast cancer. NR3C1 was preliminarily confirmed as a target of sinomenine in two breast cancer cell lines, xenograft tumor models and human breast cancer specimens. These data indicated that the network pharmacology-based prediction of sinomenine targets for treating breast cancer could be reliable.Keywords: sinomenine, breast cancer, network pharmacology, targets screen, NR3C1

The purpose of this study was to analyze β-catenin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to investigate the association between their expression and clinicopathologic characteristics of NSCLC patients. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine β-catenin and MMP-2 protein expression in 39 resected NSCLC samples and 8 adjacent normal lung tissues. Statistical analysis with SPSS13.0 software was performed to investigate the association between β-catenin and MMP-2 expression and clinicopathologic features of the patients. Expression of cytosolic β-catenin in NSCLC tissue was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P < 0.001). In addition, cytosolic protein expression of β-catenin in lung squamous cell carcinoma was significantly elevated compared to that in lung adenocarcinoma (P = 0.02). However, cell membrane protein expression of β-catenin in squamous cell carcinoma was lower than that in adenocarcinoma (P = 0.041). Cytosolic MMP-2 protein expression in NSCLC samples was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P = 0.002). MMP-2 expression in N (1-2) NSCLC patients was significantly increased relative to N (0) patients (P = 0.019). However, statistical analysis showed no correlation between β-catenin and MMP-2 expression in NSCLC samples. Collectively, our results show that cytosolic protein expression of β-catenin in NSCLC samples is increased relative to normal lung tissues. Also, expression of β-catenin is significantly elevated in squamous cell carcinoma compared to that in lung adenocarcinoma subtypes. Additionally, MMP-2 expression in N (1-2) NSCLC tissues is higher than that in N (0) lung tissue. There is no correlation between β-catenin and MMP-2 expression in NSCLC, and our study suggests that evaluation of β-catenin and MMP-2 expression may have potential in diagnosis and progression in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemistry of molten salts has attracted great research interest owing to their wide applications in diverse fields. In the pyrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel or molten salt nuclear reactors, lanthanide elements as the principal fission products bring about changes in the composition and properties of molten salts. Herein, we report a comprehensive study on the coordination chemistry of the representative trivalent lanthanide ions (La 3+ /Nd 3+ ) in LiCl-KCl-CsCl using a multiscale strategy combining Raman spectroscopy, deep learning, and large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The neural network potential (NNP)-based MD and Raman spectroscopy studies revealed that La 3+ /Nd 3+ ions prefer to form persistent octahedron complexes with the six-coordinated species as the dominant species at high temperatures. Compared to LaCl 6 3- , NdCl 6 3- shows higher stability with obviously longer lifetimes in LiCl-KCl-CsCl, as confirmed by the observed stronger interaction of Nd 3+ -Cl - pairs. The total and partial structure factors further indicated the formation of a more stable network structure in LiCl-KCl-CsCl containing NdCl 3 . Besides, the temperature exerts a larger influence on the local structures of the La 3+ species compared to the Nd 3+ analogues. According to the potential mean force calculations, the bond dissociation energies follow the order Ln-Cl > Li-Cl > K-Cl > Cs-Cl in LiCl-KCl-CsCl-LnCl 3 . The NNP-based large-scale MD simulations have been verified to be an efficient and powerful way in molten salt chemistry research.

Background: Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) has become the dominant keratoplasty procedure. However, the impact of high intraocular pressure (IOP) on the DMEK prognosis in patients without preexisting glaucoma remains unknown., Methods: Non-glaucoma patients who underwent DMEK in Peking University Third Hospital between July 2017 and March 2023 with a follow-up duration longer than six months were included in this cohort study. Eyes were divided into three groups: Group A) normal IOP; Group B) early IOP elevation (IOP ≥ 30 mmHg or increase of more than 10 mmHg from baseline within 3 days); Group C) intermediate-term IOP elevation (IOP > 21 mmHg or increase of more than 10 mmHg from baseline after 14 days postoperatively). The postoperative IOP, endothelial cell density (ECD), central corneal thickness (CCT), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and rate of graft failure were analysed., Results: Forty-seven eyes from forty-seven patients were included. Thirty-seven eyes were bullous keratopathy, and ten were Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Twenty-five eyes were classified as Group A, six as Group B and sixteen as Group C. The mean peak IOP was 49.00 ± 4.99 mmHg in Group B eyes and 31.89 ± 11.75 mmHg in Group C eyes. The postoperative BCVA significantly differed from that before surgery (P < 0.001). The ECD at 3 months after surgery in eyes with intermediate-term IOP elevation was lower (P = 0.032). Four eyes with intermediate-term IOP elevation developed graft failure (P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Intermediate-term IOP elevation after DMEK may reduce the graft ECD and lead to graft failure within six months after surgery. However, early IOP elevation had no effect on the prognosis. Careful IOP monitoring and intermediate-term IOP management should be conducted for graft protection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: This study aimed to explore the change trend and group heterogeneity of psychosocial adjustment level and to determine its influencing factors among young and middle-aged patients with first-episode acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Methods and Results: The Psychosocial Adjustment Scale of Illness was used to assess the psychosocial adjustment level of the patients at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge, respectively. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation analysis, generalized estimating equations, and growth mixed models. A total of 233 patients were included, and their psychosocial adjustment scores at the three time points were 57.18 ± 15.50, 36.17 ± 15.02, and 24.22 ± 12.98, respectively. The trajectories of changes in patients' psychosocial adjustment levels were divided into three latent categories: moderate adjustment improvement group (72.5%), low adjustment improvement group (16.3%), and persistent maladjustment group (11.2%). Among them, predictors of the persistent maladjustment group included no spouse, low monthly family income per capita, normal body mass index, never smoking, never exercising, combined with hyperlipidaemia, low social support, submission coping, and high perceived stress., Conclusion: The psychosocial adjustment level of young and middle-aged patients with first-episode AMI showed an upward trend within 6 months after discharge, and there was group heterogeneity in the change trajectory of psychosocial adjustment level. It is suggested that a multicentre, large-sample longitudinal study should be carried out in the future, and the time of follow-up investigation should be extended to further clarify the change trajectory and influencing factors of psychosocial adjustment of patients with different subtypes, to provide the theoretical basis for formulating targeted intervention programmes., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Attention is one of the basic cognitive functions sensitive to high altitude, and most studies have focussed on exposure times of approximately 3 years; however, it is unclear how attention changes in migrants who have lived and worked at high altitude for nearly 20 years. We explored the dynamics of attentional networks and neurophysiological mechanisms in migrants over 3-20 years using the Attentional Network Test combined with Electrocardiograph and Electroencephalography and found a consistent quadratic correlation between exposure and executive control efficiency, P3 amplitude and heart rate variability (HRV), with a decrease followed by an increase/relative stability, with approximately 10 years being the breakpoint. However, neither linear nor quadratic trajectories were observed for the alerting and orienting network. Mediation analysis revealed that the P3 amplitude mediated the decrease and increase in executive control efficiency with exposure time depends on the breakpoint. Correlations between HRV and executive control efficiency and P3 amplitude suggest that U-shaped changes in executive control in migrants may be related to body homeostasis maintained by the autonomic nervous system, and that P3 amplitude may serve as a neurophysiological marker of migrants' adaptation/recovery from high-altitude exposure., (© 2024 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination is a promising approach for simultaneous pollutant purification and valorization. However, the lack of electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and selectivity limits its application. Here, we propose a palladium-palladium oxide (Pd-PdO) heterostructure for efficient electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination of recalcitrant chlorophenols and selective formation of phenol with superior Pd-mass activity (1.35 min -1 mg Pd -1 ), which is 4.4 times of commercial Pd/C and about 10-100 times of reported Pd-based catalysts. The Pd-PdO heterostructure is stable in real water matrices and achieves selective phenol recovery (>99%) from the chlorophenol mixture and efficient detoxification along chlorophenol removal. Experimental results and computational modeling reveal that the adsorption/desorption behaviors of zerovalent Pd and PdO sites in the Pd-PdO heterostructure are optimized and a synergy is realized to promote atomic hydrogen (H*) generation, transfer, and utilization: H* is efficiently generated at zerovalent Pd sites, transferred to PdO sites, and eventually consumed in the dechlorination reaction at PdO sites. This work provides a promising strategy to realize the synergy of Pd with different valence states in the metal-metal oxide heterostructure for simultaneous decontamination, detoxification, and resource recovery from halogenated organic pollutants.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common monogenic autosomal dominant disorder, primarily mainly caused by pathogenic mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. Through phenotypic-genetic linkage analysis, two LDLR pathogenic mutations were identified in FH families: c.G1027A (p.Gly343Ser) and c.G1879A (p.Ala627Thr)., Materials and Methods: Whole exome sequencing was conducted on the proband with familial hypercholesterolemia to identify the target gene and screen for potential pathogenic mutations. The suspicious responsible mutation sites in 14 family members were analyzed using Sanger sequencing to assess genotype-phenotype correlations. Mutant and wild type plasmids were constructed and transfected into HEK293T cells to evaluate LDLR mRNA and protein expression. In parallel, bioinformatics tools were employed to predict structural and functional changes in the mutant LDLR., Results: Immunofluorescence analysis revealed no significant difference in the intracellular localization of the p.Gly343Ser mutation, whereas protein expression of the p.Ala627Thr mutation was decreased and predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. Western blotting has showed that protein expression levels of the mutant variants were markedly declined in both cell lysates and supernatants. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay has demonstrated that LDLR protein levels in the supernatant of cell culture medium was not significant different from those of the wild-type group. However, LDLR protein levels in the cell lysate of both the Gly343Ser and Ala627Thr variants groups were significantly lower than those in the wild-type group. Bioinformatic predictions further suggested that these mutations may affect post-translational modifications of the protein, providing additional insight into the mechanisms underlying the observed reduction in protein expression., Conclusions: In this study, we identified two heterozygous pathogenic variants in the LDLR gene, c.G1027A (p.Gly343Ser) and c.G1879A (p.Ala627Thr), in a family with familial hypercholesterolemia. We also conducted preliminary investigations into the mechanisms by which these mutations contribute to disease pathology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Hu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The KrCl-excimer lamp, emitting far-UVC light at 222 nm (UV222), offers a promising alternative to conventional UVC light at 254 nm (UV254) for the photolysis of organic pollutants and the activation of radical sensitizers. This study was aimed to investigate the efficiencies of UV222 in the treatment of halogenated aromatics, focusing on its performance in degradation, dechlorination and detoxification. Chlorophenols, representative recalcitrant and toxic halogenated aromatics, were used as target pollutants. The pathways of direct photolysis, photooxidation and photoreduction under UV222 illumination were compared. UV222 outperformed UV254 in photolyzing chlorophenols (1.4-34.1 times faster), especially protonated chlorophenols, due to substantially higher UV absorption (17.1-108.0 times) and quantum yields (2.1-3.4 times). The quantum yields of chlorophenols were influenced by the inducive electron-withdrawing effect of Cl-substitutes. Moreover, UV222 improved the dechlorination of chlorophenols to 95 % compared to 60 % by UV254. The introduction of radical sensitizer (e.g., H 2 O 2 , nitrate, and sulfite) reduced 4-chlorophenol photolysis by competing for UV222 absorption, though the sensitizers partially increased radical oxidation via generating • OH or e aq - . UV222 photolysis of 4-chlorophenol increased the toxicity by 88.6 times through forming toxic intermediates (e.g., hydroquinone and resorcinol). Notably, • OH and e aq - (i.e., UV222/H 2 O 2 and UV222/sulfite) increased the dechlorination and • OH (i.e., UV222/H 2 O 2 ) detoxified the mixture solution. Moreover, UV222 photolysis remained effective for 4-chlorophenol removal in real paper-mill wastewater, indicating the potential application of KrCl* lamp UV222., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lead is one of the most important occupational hazards in China, and occupational exposure is the leading cause of lead poisoning. Lead can be absorbed by the body through air, food, drinking water and skin, and accumulate in multiple organs in the body, posing health risks to humans, especially to lead workers. Many previous studies have shown that lead can affect the function of glial cells such as microglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, resulting in irreversible neurological damage. This article provides an overview of the neurotoxic mechanism induced by lead through glial cells, elucidates that lead can induce neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and reviews the relationship between lead and glial cells, in order to provide reference for further research on the neurotoxic mechanism of lead on glial cells.

Inter-metalloid clusters in Zintl chemistry have been extensively studied due to their unique electronic structures and potential applications. In this work, we explored a series of actinide endohedral inter-metalloid clusters of the group 15 elements [An@Bi 12 ] 4- (An = Th-U) and [An@Sb 12 ] 4- using density functional theory (DFT). [Th@Bi 12 ] 4- and [U@Bi 12 ] 4- exhibit C s symmetry, while [Pa@Bi 12 ] 4- and [An@Sb 12 ] 4- (An = Th-U) have C 1 structures. Bonding analyses such as bond order, molecular orbitals (MO) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) show covalent An-Bi/An-Sb bonding in the clusters. All these clusters are highly stable according to the studied formation reactions and may be accessible experimentally. Compared with [An@Bi 12 ] 4- , [An@Sb 12 ] 4- possesses stronger bonding interactions, mainly arising from the higher electrostatic interaction energy. For clusters with the same group 15 elements, the bonding interactions increase gradually from Th to U, which is mainly determined by the covalent interactions of An-Bi/An-Sb bonding. This work is expected to provide potential avenues for the construction of robust inter-metalloid clusters of the group 15 elements.

Volatile fatty acid derivatives (VFADs) play a significant role in contributing to flowery-fruity flavor black tea. Innovative black tea is typically crafted from aroma-intensive tea cultivars, such as Jinmudan, using defined production methodologies. In this study, the during-processing tea leaves of innovative black tea were applied as materials, and we selected a total of 45 VFADs, comprising 11 derived aldehydes, nine derived alcohols, and 25 derived esters. Furthermore, the dynamic variations of these VFADs were uncovered. Transcriptome analysis was performed to identify genes involved in the LOX (lipoxygenase) pathway, resulting in the identification of 17 CsLOX genes, one hydrogen peroxide lyase ( CsHPL ) gene, 11 alcohol dehydrogenases ( CsADH ) genes, 11 genes as acyl CoA oxidase ( CsACOX ) genes, and three allene oxide synthase ( CsAOS ) genes. Additionally, the expression levels of these genes were measured, indicating that the processing treatments of innovative black tea, particularly turn-over and fermentation, had a stimulation effect on most genes. Finally, qRT-PCR verification and correlation analysis were conducted to explain the relationship between VFADs and candidate genes. This study aims to provide a reference for illuminating the formation mechanisms of aroma compounds in innovative black tea, thereby inspiring the optimization of innovative processing techniques and enhancing the overall quality of black tea.

Background: Primary liver cancer is a prevalent and deadly cancer type. Despite treatment advances, prognosis remains poor, with high recurrence rates. Early detection is crucial but challenging due to the disease's insidious nature. Myosin proteins play significant roles in cancer development, influencing cell migration, invasion, and tumor suppression. MYL6B , a myosin light chain, is involved in various cellular processes and has been associated with poor prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma and potential as a biomarker in breast cancer., Aim: To investigate the expression of MYL6B in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and its impact on prognosis and potential mechanisms of action using bioinformatics methods., Methods: The expression of MYL6B in pan-cancer and normal tissues was analyzed using the gene expression profiling interactive analysis 2 and tumor immune estimation resource databases. The expression level of MYL6B in LIHC tissues and its relationship with prognosis were analyzed, immunohistochemical analysis of MYL6B and its effect on immune cell infiltration, and the protein network were further studied., Results: MYL6B was highly expressed in diffuse large b-cell lymphoma, LIHC, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, skin cutaneous melanoma, thymoma, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma, uterine carcinosarcoma, and lowly expressed in kidney chromophobe, acute myeloid leukemia, testicular germ cell tumors. The expression level of MYL6B was significantly different between cancer and normal tissues. It had a significant impact on both overall survival and disease-free survival. MYL6B is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and its expression level increases with cancer progression. High MYL6B expression is associated with poor prognosis in terms of overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The immunohistochemical level of MYL6B is high in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, and MYL6B has a high level of immune infiltration inflammation. In protein network analysis, MYL6B is correlated with MYL2 , MYL6 , MYL9 , MYLK4 , MYLK2 , MYL12A , MYL12B , MYH11 , MYH9 and MYH10 ., Conclusion: The expression level of MYL6B in LIHC was significantly higher than in normal liver tissues, and it was correlated with the degree of differentiation survival rate, and immune infiltration. MYL6B is a potential target for LIHC treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The KrCl* excimer lamp (UV222) is a promising alternative of low-pressure mercury lamp (UV254) for UV-based advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs), because it is mercury-free and has high photon energy. But there lacks a comprehensive assessment of UV222-AOPs based on different radicals. Herein, the properties (e.g., oxidant decay and innate radical quantum yield), and micropollutant degradation, were comprehensively studied for representative oxidants (i.e., hydrogen peroxide, persulfate (PDS), monochloramine, and free active chlorine (FAC)) under UV222 irradiation. UV222 outperformed UV254 for the activation of oxidants with 2.6-14.4 times fluence-based kinetic constant (k F ). The main reason of enhanced activation varied with oxidants: higher UV absorbance for H 2 O 2 , higher innate quantum yield for monochloramine and FAC, and both reasons for PDS. Overall, PDS was the optimum oxidant under UV222 for the degradation of 8 representative micropollutants because of effective promotion of radical formation, as confirmed by radical competitive kinetics and modeling simulations. In real water, UV222/PDS still show advantages than UV254/PDS in terms of micropollutant elimination efficacy (3.2-5.3 times) and energy consumption (33.9 %-57.6 % lower) though it was more inhibited by water constituents via competing for UV222 photons. This study fills gaps in photochemistry knowledge and will facilitate engineering practice of UV222-AOPs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Reusing reclaimed water requires stringent disinfection but inevitably generates disinfection by-products (DBPs). H 2 O 2 /O 3 treatment is an efficient and environmentally benign disinfection method. For the first time, our bioassay results elucidate that low H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratio (molar) treated water increased unignorable toxicity effect compared to that of the high H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratio. To clarify this finding, individual organic brominated DBPs (Br-DBPs), bromate, and adsorbable organic bromine (AOBr) were considered due to their potential risk. Organic Br-DBPs were mainly generated from ozone-induced pathways. Individual organic Br-DBPs were not the primary concern in this scenario because they are typically only produced in observable quantities at bromide concentrations exceeding 500 μg/L, and even then, they often remain below detection limits when treated with H 2 O 2 /O 3 . On the contrary, both bromate and AOBr were detectable at low H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratios. Furthermore, bromate is produced from HOBr and bromine radicals induced by HO•. Moreover, bromate formation was promoted because of increased HO• formation, particularly at H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratios <0.24. To prevent HO•-induced pathways from being dominant, higher H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratios (>0.48) were required. Toxicity assays revealed that AOBr-included organic extracts of ozonated reclaimed water induced more toxic effects. The toxicity induced by the organic fraction resulted from its decreased oxidation level, which was, in turn, driven by the increased formation of bromate. Enhanced toxicity effects were observed when cells were exposed to a bromate and organic extract mixture. It indicates that both the AOBr and bromate present in low-H 2 O 2 -O 3 -treated reclaimed water pose potential risks, and their coexistence further elevates these risks. Increasing the H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratio markedly decreased the generation of intracellular oxidative substances and oxidative damage. In conclusion, when treated with H 2 O 2 /O 3 , shifting from HO•-induced pathways to ozone-induced pathways by a relatively high H 2 O 2 /O 3 ratio decreased the amounts of DBPs produced and controlled the toxic effects to ensure the safety of ozonated reclaimed water., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The post-processing technology of CTA offers significant advantages in evaluating left atrial enlargement (LAE) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PAF). This study aims to identify parameters for rapidly and accurately diagnosing LAE in patients with PAF using CT cross-sections., Methods: Left atrial pulmonary venous (PV) CT was performed to 300 PAF patients with dual-source CT, and left atrial volume (LAV), left atrial anteroposterior diameter (LAD1), left atrial transverse diameter (LAD2), and left atrial area (LAA) were measured in the ventricular end systolic (ES) and middle diastolic (MD). LA index (LAI) = LA parameter/body surface area (BSA). Left atrial volume index (LAVI ES ) > 77.7 ml/m 2 was used as the reference standard for the LAE diagnosis., Results: 227 patients were enrolled in the group, 101 (44.5%) of whom had LAE. LAV ES and LAV MD (r = 0.983), LAVI ES and LAVI MD (r = 0.984), LAA ES and LAVI ES (r = 0.817), LAA MD and LAVI ES (r = 0.814) had strong positive correlations. The area under curve (AUC) showed that all measured parameters were suitable for diagnosing LAE, and the diagnostic efficacy was compared as follows: LAA/LAAI> LAD> the relative value index of LAD, LAD2> LAD1. LAA and LAAI demonstrated comparable diagnostic efficacy, with LAA being more readily available than LAAI., Conclusions: The axial LAA measured by CTA can be served as a parameter for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of LAE in patients with PAF., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Vascular restenosis following angioplasty continues to pose a significant challenge. The heterocyclic trioxirane compound [1, 3, 5-tris((oxiran-2-yl)methyl)-1, 3, 5-triazinane-2, 4, 6-trione (TGIC)], known for its anticancer activity, was utilized as the parent ring to conjugate with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, resulting in the creation of the spliced conjugated compound BY1. We found that BY1 induced ferroptosis in VSMCs as well as in neointima hyperplasia. Furthermore, ferroptosis inducers amplified BY1-induced cell death, while inhibitors mitigated it, indicating the contribution of ferroptosis to BY1-induced cell death. Additionally, we established that ferritin heavy chain1 (FTH1) played a pivotal role in BY1-induced ferroptosis, as evidenced by the fact that FTH1 overexpression abrogated BY1-induced ferroptosis, while FTH1 knockdown exacerbated it. Further study found that BY1 induced ferroptosis by enhancing the NCOA4-FTH1 interaction and increasing the amount of intracellular ferrous. We compared the effectiveness of various administration routes for BY1, including BY1-coated balloons, hydrogel-based BY1 delivery, and nanoparticles targeting OPN loaded with BY1 (TOP@MPDA@BY1) for targeting proliferated VSMCs, for prevention and treatment of the restenosis. Our results indicated that TOP@MPDA@BY1 was the most effective among the three administration routes, positioning BY1 as a highly promising candidate for the development of drug-eluting stents or treatments for restenosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Bowel perforation is a major, yet unstudied complication of ultrasound-guided hydrostatic enema reduction (UGHR). In this study, we aimed to explore the risk factors and determine the clinical characteristics of bowel perforation during UGHR for paediatric intussusception (P-UGHR)., Methods: We retrospectively analysed the medical records of patients who underwent UGHR for intussusception at our institution between January 2011 and December 2021. The patients were divided into the P-UGHR and no P-UGHR groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyse the risk factors for P-UGHR, and the clinical characteristics of patients with P-UGHR were determined., Results: The final analysis included 4961 intussusception episodes. We identified 15 patients [eight male (53.3%); median age, 8.73 months; age range, 3-17 months] with P-UGHR. All P-UGHR cases involved colonic perforations without necrosis distal to the intussusception mass. The perforations were located in the ascending [40% (6/15)], transverse [46.7% (7/15)] or descending colon [13.3% (2/15)]. Age ≤10.5 months [odds ratio (OR), 3.636; 90% confidence interval (CI), 1.274-10.38; P  = 0.043], bloody stools (OR, 4.189; 90% CI, 1.352-12.978; P  = 0.037) and symptom duration >17.5 h (OR, 0.188; 90% CI, 0.053-0.666; P  = 0.03) were independent risk factors for P-UGHR., Conclusion: Age ≤10.5 months, bloody stools and symptom duration >17.5 h were independent risk factors for P-UGHR. Caution should be exercised during UGHR in patients aged ≤10.5 months, with bloody stools or symptom duration >17.5 h.

One of the main characteristics of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is abnormal renal tubular fatty acid metabolism, especially defective fatty acid oxidation (FAO), accelerating tubular injury and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (TST), a mitochondrial enzyme essential for sulfur transfer, is reduced in metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. However, the potential role of TST in regulating fatty acid metabolic abnormalities in DKD remains unclear. Here, our data revealed decreased TST expression in the renal cortex of DKD patients. TST deficiency exacerbated tubular impairment in both diabetic and renal fibrosis mouse models, while sodium thiosulfate treatment or TST overexpression mitigated renal tubular injury with high-glucose exposure. TST downregulation mediated the decrease in S-sulfhydration of very long-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, resulting in mitochondrial FAO dysfunction. This sequence of events exacerbates the progression of tubulointerstitial injury in DKD. Together, our findings demonstrate TST as a regulator of renal tubular injury in DKD., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to ADMC Associazione Differenziamento e Morte Cellulare.)

The turnover rate of melanogenesis in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and its molecular signaling remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of cholinergic signaling in the process of melanogenesis of cultured RPE cells. Here, a human retinal pigment epithelia cell line, ARPE-19 cell, was used to study the process of melanogenesis. The mRNA and protein expressions of cholinergic molecules, e.g., acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and melanogenic molecules i.e., tyrosinase (TYR), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), and melanin pigment were measured during melanogenesis of cultured ARPE-19 cells. Forskolin (a cAMP inducing agent), acetylcholine (ACh) and bethanechol (Bch; a muscarinic AChR agonist) were used to induce melanogenesis in the cultures. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) antagonists were employed to identify the receptor subtype. During melanogenesis of ARPE-19 cells, the mRNA and protein expressions of cholinergic molecules, e.g., AChE and BChE, were increased along with melanogenic molecules, i.e., TYR, MITF and melanin pigment. Forskolin, ACh, and Bch induced an upregulation of melanogenesis in cultured ARPE-19 cultures: the induction was parallel to an increase of AChE expression. The Bch-induced enzymatic activities and mRNA levels of AChE and TYR were fully blocked by the treatments of gallamine (a M2 specific antagonist), tropicamide (a M4 specific antagonist) and atropine (non-specific antagonist for mAChRs). Cholinergic signaling via M2/M4 mAChRs regulates melanogenesis in cultured ARPE-19 cells through a cAMP-dependent pathway. This study provides insights into the regulation of RPE cell melanogenesis via a non-neuronal function of cholinergic system., 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 Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Vacuum-UV (185 nm, VUV) is widely applied to polish reverse osmosis permeate (ROP), such as the production of electronics-grade ultrapure water. In this study, the VUV oxidation of acetaldehyde, a common carbonyl in ROP, was found to be influenced by anions even at low concentrations. Interestingly, the influencing extent and mechanism varied depending on the anions. Bicarbonate minimally affected the VUV-photon absorption and • OH consumption, but at 5000 μg-C·L -1 , it decreased the degradation of acetaldehyde by 58.7% possibly by scavenging organic radicals or other radical chain reactions. Nitrate strongly competed for VUV-photon absorption and • OH scavenging through the formation of nitrite, and at 500 μg-N·L -1 , it decreased the removal rate of acetaldehyde degradation by 71.2% and the mineralization rate of dissolved organic carbon by 53.4%. Chloride competed for VUV-photon absorption and also generated reactive chlorine species, which did not affect acetaldehyde degradation but influenced the formation of organic byproducts. The radical chain reactions or activation of anions under VUV irradiation could compensate for the decrease in oxidation performance and need further investigation. In real ROPs, the VUV oxidation of acetaldehyde remained efficient, but mineralization was hindered due to nitrate and chloride anions. This study deepens the understanding of the photochemistry and feasibility of VUV in water with low concentrations of anions.

NMDA receptor-dependent long-term depression (LTD) in the hippocampus is a well-known form of synaptic plasticity that has been linked to different cognitive functions. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, this form of LTD cannot be induced by low-frequency stimulation (LFS) in adult mice. In this study, we found that LFS-induced LTD was not easily induced in adult animals and was age dependent. Interestingly, the level of the 5-HT 1A receptor was correspondingly increased and exhibited an inverse correlation with the magnitude of LFS-LTD during development. Knockout or pharmacological inhibition of the 5-HT 1A receptor reversed impaired LFS-LTD in adult mice (P60), while activation or inhibition of this receptor disturbed or enhanced LFS-LTD in adolescent mice (P21), respectively. Furthermore, the astrocytic 5-HT 1A receptor in the hippocampus predominantly mediated age-dependent LFS-LTD through enhancing GABAergic neurotransmission. Finally, fear memory extinction differed among the above conditions. These observations enrich our knowledge of LTD at the cellular level and suggest a therapeutic approach for LTD-related psychiatric disorders., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Crocetin as one of the main components of saffron possesses a lot of pharmacological effects, especially the beneficial effects in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. However, the pharmacokinetics of crocetin in the pathological state of hyperlipidemia has not been reported. In present study, the pharmacokinetics of crocetin in hyperlipidemia rats after oral administration of crocetin was investigated and the possible mechanisms for the pharmacokinetics were explored. High-fat diet was used to induce hyperlipidemia in rats. The pharmacokinetics of crocetin was investigated in hyperlipidemia and normal rats after oral and intravenous administration of crocetin, and the possible mechanisms of the pharmacokinetic changes were investigated in terms of metabolism and absorption using in vitro incubation with liver microsomes and the everted gut sac method, respectively. Results indicated that the AUCs of crocetin in hyperlipidemia rats after oral administration of crocetin were remarkably decreased when compared with those in normal rats. Moreover, crocetin was also metabolized more rapidly in the liver microsomes of hyperlipidemia rats and intestinal absorption of crocetin was significantly reduced in hyperlipidemia rats. It suggested that the remarkably decreased AUCs of crocetin in hyperlipidemia rats might partly result from the result of faster metabolic elimination and reduced absorption of crocetin in the hyperlipidemia pathological state. And the present investigations conducted on rats demonstrate that further investigations into the kinetics of crocetin in humans with hyperlipidemia are necessary in order to ensure an adequate dosage in this indication., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Pemphigus is a group of potentially life-threatening autoimmune bullous diseases induced by pathogenic autoantibodies binding to the surface of epidermal cells. The role of the gut microbiota (GM) has been described in various autoimmune diseases. However, the impact of the GM on pemphigus is less understood. This study aimed to investigate whether there was alterations in the composition and function of the GM in pemphigus patients compared to healthy controls (HCs)., Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 20 patients with active pemphigus (AP), 11 patients with remission pemphigus (PR), and 47 HCs. To sequence the fecal samples, 16S rRNA was applied, and bioinformatic analyses were performed., Results: We found differences in the abundance of certain bacterial taxa among the three groups. At the family level, the abundance of Prevotellaceae and Coriobacteriaceae positively correlated with pathogenic autoantibodies. At the genus level, the abundance of Klebsiella , Akkermansia , Bifidobacterium , Collinsella , Gemmiger , and Prevotella positively correlated with pathogenic autoantibodies. Meanwhile, the abundance of Veillonella and Clostridium&#95;XlVa negatively correlated with pathogenic autoantibodies. A BugBase analysis revealed that the sum of potentially pathogenic bacteria was elevated in the AP group in comparison to the PR group. Additionally, the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria in the PR group was statistically significantly lower in comparison to the HC group., Conclusion: The differences in GM composition among the three groups, and the correlation between certain bacterial taxa and pathogenic autoantibodies of pemphigus, support a linkage between the GM and pemphigus.

Wasp venom injections from wasp stings can damage several organs, most commonly the kidneys. Despite literature evidence, wasp sting-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is rare and involves complex pathophysiological processes. While acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is the most prevalent histological result of wasp sting-induced AKI, uncommon combinations of chronic renal lesions have been described, alerting us to the patient's underlying illness. We report a 55-year-old hypertensive patient with unknown renal function who got AKI following multiple wasp stings. His renal function had not improved after continuous hemodialysis and plasma exchange; therefore, a kidney biopsy was performed. The pathology revealed that in addition to ATN, his kidney's distinguishing feature was a mix of chronic interstitial renal disease and chronic glomerulosclerosis. We think that his current renal pathological results were caused by hypertension in addition to wasp venom., 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 Authors.)

Due to the limited maximum output power of the pulsers based on avalanche transistors, high-power ultrawideband (UWB) radiation systems usually synthesize plenty of modules simultaneously to achieve a high peak effective potential (rEp). However, this would lead to an increased aperture size as well as a narrower beam, which would limit their applications in intentional electromagnetic interference fields. In this paper, a high-power UWB radiation system with beam broadening capacity is developed. To achieve beam broadening in the time domain, a power-law time delay distribution method is proposed and studied by simulation, and then the relative excitation time delays of the modules are optimized to achieve higher rEp and avoid beam splitting in the beam broadening mode. In order to avoid false triggering of the pulser elements when implementing the beam broadening, the mutual coupling effect in the system is analyzed and suppressed by employing onboard high-pass filters, since the mutual coupling effect is much more severe in the low-frequency range. Finally, a radiation system with 36 modules is developed. Measuring results indicate that in the high-rEp mode, the developed system could achieve a maximum effective potential rEp of 313.6 kV and a maximum pulse-repetition-rate of 20 kHz. In the beam broadening mode, its half-peak-power beam width in the H-plane is broadened from the original value of 3.9° to 7.9°, with a maximum rEp of 272.9 kV. The polarization direction of the system could be flexibly adjusted by a built-in motor., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Background: Rotor syndrome (RS, OMIM#237450) is an extremely rare autosomal digenic recessive disorder characterized by mild non-hemolytic hereditary conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, caused by biallelic variation of SLCO1B1 and SLCO1B3 genes that resulted in OATP1B1/B3 dysfunction in the sinusoidal membrane leading to impaired bilirubin reuptake ability of hepatocytes., Methods: One RS pedigree was recruited and clinical features were documented. Whole genome second-generation sequencing was used to screen candidate genes and mutations, Sanger sequencing confirmed predicted mutations., Results: This study detected a homozygous nonsense variant c.1738C > T (p.R580*) in the coding region of the SLCO1B1 (NM006446) gene in a family with RS and hepatitis B virus infection by Variants analysis and Sanger sequencing, and confirmed by Copy Number Variation (CNV) analysis and Long Range PCR that there was a homozygous insertion of intron 5 of the SLCO1B3 gene into intron 5 of long-interspersed element 1 (LINE1). A few cases of such haplotypes have been reported in East Asian populations. A hepatitis B virus infection with fatty liver disease was indicated by pathology, which revealed mild-moderate lobular inflammation, moderate lobular inflammation, moderate hepatocellular steatosis, and fibrosis stage 1-2 (NAS score: 4 points/S1-2) alterations. Heterozygotes carrying p.R580* and LINE1 insertions were also detected in family members (I1, I2, III2, III3), but they did not develop conjugated hyperbilirubinemia., Conclusion: The mutations may be the molecular genetic foundation for the presence of SLCO1B1 c.1738C > T(p.R580*) and SLCO1B3 (LINE1) in this RS pedigree., 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 Authors.)

This study aims to analyze the current situation of outcome indicators in randomized controlled trial(RCT) of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment for Alzheimer's disease(AD), so as to provide a reference for establishing a core indicator set in this field. The researchers systematically searched CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sino Med, EMbase, PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library. Independent screening of literature and extraction of information was conducted according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, the Ro B 2. 0 tool was used for bias risk assessment. A total of 78 RCTs were included, involving 6 379 patients,with 122 kinds of outcome indicators. According to functional attributes, the outcome indicators could be categorized into seven groups:TCM diseases(3 kinds, 13 times), symptoms and signs(26 kinds, 196 times), physical and chemical tests(68 kinds, 149 times),qua-lity of life(1 kind, 2 times), long-term prognosis(2 kinds, 2 times), economic evaluation(0 kind), safety events(21 kinds,194 times), and other indicators(1 kind, 1 time). The results show that the literature evaluation of RCTs of TCM treatment for AD is generally risky, and there are some problems in the selection of outcome indicators, such as lack of TCM characteristics, insignificant distinction between primary and secondary outcome indicators, lack of long-term prognosis and economic evaluation indicators, and non-standard safety event reports. It is suggested that future researchers should establish a core indicator set for AD that highlights the characteristics of TCM and then work to improve the quality of clinical trials.

Excellent "CHON" compatible ligands based on a heterocyclic skeleton for the separation of trivalent actinides [An(III)] from lanthanides [Ln(III)] have been widely explored, the aim being spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The combination mode of a soft/hard (N/O) donor upon the coordination chemistry of An(III) and Ln(III) should play a vital role with respect to the performance of ligands. As such, in this work, two typical experimentally available phenanthroline-derived tetradentate ligands, CyMe 4 -BTPhen ( L 1 ) and Et-Tol-DAPhen ( L 4 ), and two theoretically designed asymmetric tetradentate heterocyclic ligands, L 2 and L 3 , with various N/O donors were investigated using scalar relativistic density functional theory. We have evaluated the electronic structures of L 1 - L 4 and their coordination modes, bonding properties, and extraction reactions with Am(III) and Eu(III). We found that the Am/Eu-N interactions play a more important role in the orbital interactions between the ligand and Am(III)/Eu(III) ions. Compared with those of L 1 , the coordinated O atoms of L 2 and L 4 weaken the metal-N bonds. The Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity follows the order L 1 > L 2 > L 4 based on the change in Gibbs free energy, reflecting the fact that the Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity of the ligand is affected by the number of coordinated N atoms. In addition, L 3 displays the strongest binding ability for Am(III)/Eu(III) ions and the smallest Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity among the four ligands, due to its structural preorganization. This work clarifies the influence of the number of coordinated N and O atoms of ligands on Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity, which provides valuable fundamental information for the design of efficient ligands with N and O donors for An(III)/Ln(III) separation.

The control of viruses in water is critical to preventing the spread of infectious viral diseases. Many oxidants can inactivate viruses, and this study aims to systematically compare the disinfection effects of ozone (O 3 ), peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) on MS2 coliphage. The effects of oxidant dose and contact time on disinfection were explored, as were the disinfection effects of three oxidizing agents in secondary effluent. The 4-log inactivation of MS2 coliphage required 0.05 mM O 3 , 0.5 mM PMS, or 25 mM H 2 O 2 with a contact time of 30 min. All three oxidants achieved at least 4-log disinfection within 30 min, and O 3 required only 0.5 min. In secondary effluent, all three oxidants also achieved 4-log inactivation of MS2 coliphage. Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) results indicate that all three oxidants removed dissolved organic matter synchronously and O 3 oxidized dissolved organic matter more thoroughly while maintaining disinfection efficacy. Considering the criteria of oxidant dose, contact time, and disinfection efficacy in secondary effluent, O 3 is the best choice for MS2 coliphage disinfection among the three oxidants.

Low-pressure mercury lamps emitting at 254 nm (UV254) are used widely for disinfection. However, subsequent exposure to visible light results in photoreactivation of treated bacteria. This study employed a krypton chloride excimer lamp emitting at 222 nm (UV222) to inactivate E. coli. UV222 and UV254 treatment had similar E. coli-inactivation kinetics. Upon subsequent irradiation with visible light, E. coli inactivated by UV254 was reactivated from 2.71-log to 4.75-log, whereas E. coli inactivated by UV222 showed negligible photoreactivation. UV222 treatment irreversibly broke DNA strands in the bacterium, whereas UV254 treatment primarily formed nucleobase dimers. Additionally, UV222 treatment caused cell membrane damage, resulting in wizened, pitted cells and permeability changes. The damage to the cell membrane was mainly due to the photolysis of proteins and lipids by UV222. Furthermore, the photolysis of proteins by UV222 destroyed enzymes, which blocked photoreactivation and dark repair. The multiple damages can be further evidenced by 4.0-61.1 times higher quantum yield in the photolysis of nucleobases and amino acids for UV222 than UV254. This study demonstrates that UV222 treatment damages multiple sites in bacteria, leading to their inactivation. Employing UV222 treatment as an alternative to UV254 could be viable for inhibiting microorganism photoreactivation in water and wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO, E.C. 1.3.3.4) plays a pivotal role in chlorophyll biosynthesis in plants, making it a prime target for herbicide development. In this study, we conducted an investigation aimed at discovering PPO-inhibiting herbicides. Through this endeavor, we successfully identified a series of novel compounds based on the pyridazinone scaffold. Following structural optimization and biological assessment, compound 10ae , known as ethyl 3-((6-fluoro-5-(6-oxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyridazin-1(6 H )-yl)benzo[ d ]thiazol-2-yl)thio)propanoate, emerged as a standout performer. It exhibited robust activity against Nicotiana tabacum PPO ( Nt PPO) with an inhibition constant ( K i ) value of 0.0338 μM. Concurrently, we employed molecular simulations to obtain further insight into the binding mechanism with Nt PPO. Additionally, another compound, namely, ethyl 2-((6-fluoro-5-(5-methyl-6-oxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyridazin-1(6 H )-yl)benzo[ d ]thiazol-2-yl)thio)propanoate ( 10bh ), demonstrated broad-spectrum and highly effective herbicidal properties against all six tested weeds ( Leaf mustard , Chickweed , Chenopodium serotinum , Alopecurus aequalis , Poa annua , and Polypogon fugax ) at the dosage of 150 g a.i./ha through postemergence application in a greenhouse. This work identified a novel lead compound ( 10bh ) that showed good activity in vitro and excellent herbicidal activity in vivo and had promising prospects as a new PPO-inhibiting herbicide lead.

Sorption-based atmospheric water-harvesting (AWH) could help to solve global freshwater scarcity. The search for adsorbents with high water-uptake capacity at low relative humidity, rapid adsorption-desorption kinetics and high thermal conductivity is a critical challenge in AWH. Herein, we report a MAF-4 (aka ZIF-8)-derived nanoporous carbon (NPC MAF-4 -800) with multiple N-doped sites, considerable micropore characteristics and inherent photothermal properties, for efficient water production in a relatively arid climate. NPC MAF-4 -800 exhibited optimal water-sorption performance of 306 mg g -1 at 40% relative humidity (RH). An excellent sunlight-absorption rate was realized (97%) attributed to its high degree of graphitization. A proof-of-concept device was designed and investigated for the practical harvesting of water from the atmosphere using natural sunlight. NPC MAF-4 -800 achieved an unprecedentedly high water production rate of 380 mg g -1 h -1 at 40% RH, and could produce 1.77 L kg -1 freshwater during daylight hours in an outdoor low-humidity climate of ∼25 °C and 40% RH. These findings may shed light on the potential of MOF-derived porous carbons in the AWH field, and inspire the future development of solar-driven water-generation systems., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Carbon nitride has been extensively used as a visible-light photocatalyst, but it has the disadvantages of a low specific surface area, rapid electron-hole recombination, and relatively low light absorbance. In this study, single-atom Ag was successfully anchored on ultrathin carbon nitride (UTCN) via thermal polymerization, the catalyst obtained is called AgUTCN. The Ag hardly changed the carbon nitride's layered and porous physical structure. AgUTCN exhibited efficient visible-light photocatalytic performances in the degradation of various recalcitrant pollutants, eliminations of 85% were achieved by visible-light irradiation for 1 hr. Doping with Ag improved the photocatalytic performance of UTCN by narrowing the forbidden band gap from 2.49 to 2.36 eV and suppressing electron-hole pair recombination. In addition, Ag doping facilitated O 2 adsorption on UTCN by decreasing the adsorption energy from -0.2 to -2.22 eV and favored the formation of O 2 ·- . Electron spin resonance and radical-quenching experiments showed that O 2 ·- was the major reactive species in the degradation of Acetaminophen (paracetamol, APAP)., 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 B.V.)

Separation of lanthanide (Ln) and minor actinide (MA) elements and mutual separation between minor actinide elements ( e.g. Am(III) and Cm(III)) represent a crucial undertaking. However, separating these elements poses a significant challenge owing to their highly similar physicochemical properties. Asymmetric N-heterocyclic ligands such as N -ethyl-6-(1 H -pyrazol-3-yl)- N -( p -tolyl)picolinamide (Et- p -Tol-A-PzPy) and N -ethyl- N -( p -tolyl)-1,10-phenanthroline-2-carboxamide (ETPhenAm) have recently received considerable attention in the separation of MAs over Ln from acid solutions. By changing the central skeleton structures of these ligands and introducing substituents with different properties on the side chains, their complexation behavior with Am(III), Cm(III), and Eu(III) may be affected. In this work, we explore four different asymmetric N-containing heterocyclic ligands, namely Et- p -Tol-A-PzPy (L 1 ), N -ethyl-6'-(1 H -pyrazol-3-yl)- N -( p -tolyl)-[2,2'-bipyridine]-6-carboxamide (L 2 ), N -ethyl-9-(1 H -pyrazol-3-yl)- N -( p -tolyl)-1,10-phenanthroline-2-carboxamide (L 3 ), and ETPhenAm (L 4 ) using density functional theory (DFT). The calculated results demonstrate the potential of ligands L 1 -L 4 for the extraction and separation of Am(III), Cm(III), and Eu(III). Ligand analysis shows that ligand L 3 binds more easily to the central metal atom, in line with the stronger extraction capacity of L 3 . In spite of the higher covalence between the side chain and the central metal atom for complexes with L 1 -L 3 , the main chain seems to control the stability of the extraction complexes. The preorganized 1,10-phenanthroline backbone also further enhances the extraction performance of L 3 and L 4 . The difference in coordination ability between the side chain donors of these ligands and metal ions may affect their separation efficiency. This work presents theoretical insights into synthesizing novel ligands for separating trivalent actinides by adjusting N-heterocyclic ligands.