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AIM: To investigate the alterations in corneal aberration and relative refractive power following the reduction of back optic zone diameters(BOZD)of orthokeratology lenses.METHODS: Myopic children aged 8-12 years, deemed suitable and willing to wear orthokeratology lenses, were randomly allocated to wear lenses with a 6.0 mm BOZD or a 5.0 mm BOZD. Data collection included changes in higher-order aberrations, relative refractive power and the treatment zone diameter of the two groups after wearing lenses for 1 d, 1 wk, 1, and 3 mo. The correlation of increase in corneal higher-order aberrations with refractive power was analyzed.RESULTS: The increases in total higher-order aberrations, spherical aberrations and coma aberrations varied over time following lens wear(all P0.05). A significant difference was observed in the increment of spherical aberrations in the 5 mm range between the two groups of patients, which varied over time(Ftime=40.179, Ptime

This study presents the taxonomy and phylogeny of the family Incrustoporiaceae, based on comprehensive phylogenetic analyses utilising multi-gene data, including the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), for the accepted genera within Incrustoporiaceae. Additionally, a separate phylogenetic analysis focusing on the Skeletocutis nivea complex was performed using ITS sequences. A total of 20 new species within the genus Skeletocutis are described, namely Skeletocutis crystallina, S. cunninghamiae, S. cylindrica, S. ellipsoidea, S. flavipora, S. latemarginata, S. liangdongii, S. monocotyledona, S. montanus, S. neoalbomarginata, S. oceanica, S. ochraceocarpa, S. quercicola, S. sinica, S. sinoalbomarginata, S. sinochrysella, S. subamorpha, S. subdiluta, S. subkrawtzewii, and S. sublilacina. Detailed illustrated descriptions, voucher specimens, hosts, distribution, diagnoses, and remarks are provided for these 20 new species. Additionally, two new combinations are proposed: S. minutula and Tyromyces subodorus. Notably, our discoveries of S. oceanica and S. subdiluta in Australia underscore the significance of expanding research on Skeletocutis diversity in the Southern Hemisphere, where reports are scarce. Phylogenetic analyses also clarified the taxonomic positions of Skeletocutis and Tyromyces within the Incrustoporiaceae family, showing that Tyromyces is nested within the polyphyletic Skeletocutis clade. The morphological distinctions between Skeletocutis and Tyromyces, as well as between Skeletocutis and Sidera, are also discussed.

Abstract Implementing on-chip non-volatile optical memories has long been an actively pursued goal, promising significant enhancements in the capability and energy efficiency of photonic integrated circuits. Here, we demonstrate an non-volatile optical memory exclusively using the most common semiconductor material, silicon. By manipulating the photon avalanche effect, we introduce a trapping effect at the silicon-silicon oxide interface, which in turn demonstrates a non-volatile reprogrammable optical memory cell with a record-high 4-bit encoding, robust retention and endurance. This silicon avalanche-induced trapping memory provides a distinctively cost-efficient and high-reliability route to realize optical data storage in standard silicon foundry processes. We demonstrate its applications in trimming in optical interconnects and in-memory computing. Our in-memory computing test case reduces energy consumption by approximately 83% compared to conventional optical approaches.

Nigroporus vinosus (Berk.) Murrill, first described from North America, was considered to be a common species in China. The existence of a species complex is confirmed through a phylogenetic analysis of samples examined. Based on morphological examination and molecular evidence, four new species are described as Nigroporus australianus, N. austroasianus, N. subvinosus and N. yunnanensis. They are characterized by pileate, effused-reflexed to resupinate, purplish, vinaceous to brown basidiomata when fresh, mostly becoming brown when dry. Nigroporus australianus is characterized by narrower basidiospores measuring 3.4–4.1 × 1.3–1.5 µm, thicker contextual hyphae measuring 3.2–6.4 µm in diam and a geographical distribution in Australia. Nigroporus austroasianus is characterized by smaller pores measuring 10–13 per mm, generative hyphae dominant in the tube trama, small basidiospores measuring 3–4.1 × 1.5–2 μm and a distribution in Malaysia and tropical to subtropical regions of China. Nigroporus subvinosus is characterized by skeletal hyphae with thin to slightly thick walls, barrel- to pear-shaped basidia, and long cystidioles measuring 10–18 µm and is common in Asia. Nigroporus yunnanensis is characterized by thinner pilei measuring 2.5 mm thick at the base, bigger basidiospores measuring 4–4.5 × 1.9–2.2 μm and is found only in Yunnan. The 2-gene (ITS+nLSU) analysis of the Steccherinaceae indicated that the four new species nested in the Nigroporus clade. The 3-gene (ITS+nLSU+TEF1) analysis of the genus Nigroporus showed that N. australianus formed a monophyletic lineage, N. subvinosus was sister to N. austroasianus and N. yunnanensis, and N. austroasianus was sister to N. yunnanensis. Furthermore, N. vinosus sensu stricto is also distributed in Asia.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and clinical value of using a deep learning reconstruction algorithm (DLIR) to display small blood vessels in upper abdominal computed tomography (CT) with an enhanced energy spectrum. Methods: Using three reconstruction algorithms, a retrospective analysis was performed on 28 patients with upper abdominal discomfort who underwent enhanced CT spectrum examination at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from February 2021 to June 2022. The three reconstruction algorithms were adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR-V), DLIR-M, and DLIR-H. Simultaneously, 40 keV and 70 keV single-energy images were extracted using energy spectrum post-processing software, and four groups of images were generated, which were labeled as 40 keV-AV, 40 keV-DL-M, 40 keV-DL-H, and 70 keV-AV, respectively. The CT and standard deviation (SD) values of common hepatic, left gastric, splenic, and superior mesenteric arteries were measured, and the CT and SD values of the vertical spinal muscle at the same level were measured. In addition, the signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratios of each branch vessel were calculated. Two radiologists provided subjective scores on image noise, image artifacts, target blood vessel contrast, image “waxiness.” and overall image quality. Differences in SNR, CNR, and background noise among the four groups of images were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t-tests. The kappa test was used to compare differences in the consistency of the subjective evaluations. Results: In both objective and subjective evaluations, the SNR, CNR, overall image quality score, and noise of the DL-H images were superior to those of the DL-M images, where the latter in turn were superior to those of the AV images. The SNR, CNR, and image quality score increased and the noise decreased with an increase in DL intensity. In the subjective scores of the four groups of images, the DL-H score was higher than the DL-M score, and the DL-M score was higher than the AV score. Conclusion: The DLIR can improve the display of small- and medium-sized vessels in upper abdomen energy spectrum enhanced CT 40 keV single-energy images. With an increase in intensity, the image quality is improved and noise is reduced. Compared with AV, the DLIR significantly improves the display capabilities of upper abdominal energy spectrum-enhanced CT in the examination of small blood vessels.

Abstract Climate warming has become a hot issue of common concern all over the world, and wind energy has become an important clean energy source. Wind farms, usually built in wild lands like grassland, may cause damage to the initial ecosystem and biodiversity. However, the impact of wind farms on the functional diversity of plant communities remains a subject with unclear outcomes. In this study, we chose 108 sample plots and identified 10 plant functional traits through a field vegetation survey. We used general linear regression analysis to assess how wind farm influenced vegetation community diversity, focusing on ten distinct plant functional traits. The study revealed that wind farm had significant impacts on grassland plant communities, diminishing diversity and functional traits, which leads to species composition convergence. Additionally, wind farm increased certain functional traits, like height and leaf area, while decreasing phosphorus content. Furthermore, the productivity of these plant communities was reduced by wind farm presence. This study highlights the negative consequences of wind farms in Inner Mongolia on plant diversity, aiming to offer scientific recommendations for the optimal arrangement of wind farms to safeguard biodiversity.

Abstract To examine the dose–response relationship between specific types of exercise for improving walking velocity in Parkinson’s disease (PD). This systematic review and network meta-analysis included searches of PubMed, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception until February 18th, 2024. Data analysis was performed using R software with the MBNMA and RJAGS packages. Outcome indicators were measured as mean standard deviation (SMD) along with 95% confidence intervals (95% CrI). The network’s risk of bias was independently evaluated by two reviewers employing the ROB2 tool. Our review encompassed 54 studies with 2,828 PD patients, examining the dose–response effects of different exercises on walking velocity. Aerobic Exercise (AE) demonstrated the greatest improvement at an optimal dose of 1,400 METs-min/week (SMD:1.215, 95% Crl: 0.113 to 2.306). Both Multicomponent Exercise (Mul) (SMD: 1.202, 95% Crl: 0.193 to 2.231) and Sensory Exercise (SE) (SMD: 0.649, 95% Crl: 0.139 to 1.183) showed optimal outcomes at a dose of 1,000 METs-min/week. Resistance Training (RT) was most effective at 750 METs-min/week (SMD:0.778, 95% Crl: 0.062 to 1.549), while Mind–Body Exercise (MBE) yielded significant improvements at a lower optimal dose of 500 METs-min/week (SMD: 0.580, 95% Crl: 0.218 to 1.137), offering valuable insights for exercise prescription in PD management. Various types of exercise showed specific optimal benefits at corresponding doses, among which AE was the most effective in improving the walking speed of PD patients at 1,400 Mets*min/week. Trial registration: PROSPERO (CRD42024506919).

Abstract Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is a therapeutic vulnerability in glycolysis-deficient cancers. Here we show that inhibiting OXPHOS similarly suppresses the proliferation and tumorigenicity of glycolytically competent colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro and in patient-derived CRC xenografts. While the increased glycolytic activity rapidly replenished the ATP pool, it did not restore the reduced production of aspartate upon OXPHOS inhibition. This shortage in aspartate, in turn, caused nucleotide deficiencies, leading to S phase cell cycle arrest, replication fork stalling, and enrichment of the p53 pathway, manifestations of replication stress. The addition of purine nucleobases adenine and guanine along with the pyrimidine nucleoside uridine restored replication fork progression and cell proliferation, whereas the supplementation of exogenous aspartate recovered the nucleotide pool, demonstrating a causal role of the aspartate shortage in OXPHOS inhibition-induced nucleotide deficiencies and consequently replication stress and reductions in proliferation. Moreover, we demonstrate that glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1 (GOT1) is critical for maintaining the minimum aspartate pool when OXPHOS is inhibited, as knockdown of GOT1 further reduced aspartate levels and rendered CRC cells more sensitive to OXPHOS inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. These results propose GOT1 targeting as a potential avenue to sensitize cancer cells to OXPHOS inhibitors, thus lowering the necessary doses to efficiently inhibit cancer growth while alleviating their adverse effects.

Abstract Introduction This study aimed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of serplulimab, a novel programmed death-1 inhibitor, with or without bevacizumab biosimilar HLX04 as first-line treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods This open-label, multicenter phase 2 study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03973112) was conducted in China and consisted of four treatment groups: group A (serplulimab 3 mg/kg plus HLX04 5 mg/kg, subsequent-line), group B (serplulimab 3 mg/kg plus HLX04 10 mg/kg, subsequent-line), group C (serplulimab 3 mg/kg, subsequent-line) and group D (serplulimab 3 mg/kg plus HLX04 10 mg/kg, first-line). Group D was the only group in which participants received the study treatment in the first-line setting. The primary endpoint was safety. Results Following previous report on groups A and B, results of group D are herein presented. As of February 7, 2023, 61 patients were enrolled and were followed up for a median of 25.5 months. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 29 (47.5%) patients. One patient died from adverse events that were considered related to study treatment. Among the patients with at least one post-baseline tumor assessment (n = 58), the objective response rate was 29.3% (95% CI: 18.1–42.7) as assessed by an independent radiological review committee (IRRC) per RECIST v1.1. IRRC-assessed median progression-free survival was 7.3 months (95% CI: 2.8–11.0), and median overall survival was 20.4 months (95% CI: 15.0–NE), respectively. Conclusion Serplulimab combination therapy with HLX04 showed a manageable safety profile as well as preliminary efficacy in patients with advanced HCC in the first-line setting.

Abstract This study explores the effect of risk factors on the progression of idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) to α-synucleinopathies in a Chinese cohort. Patients with iRBD were enrolled and assessed for environmental factors and lifestyle using standardized structured questionnaires at baseline. All patients were prospectively followed for phenoconversion monitoring. The cumulative incidence was estimated using survival analysis. Of 155 iRBD enrolled in the cohort, follow-up information was available in 141 patients. The phenoconversion rate was 16.3% after 3 years, 27.6% after 5 years, and 57.2% after 10 years. Eighteen participants converted within 3 years, 27 converted within 5 years, and 36 converted within 10 years. IRBD with positive family history of parkinsonism had an increased risk of being converted to α-synucleinopathies, while tea drinking was associated with a decreased phenoconversion risk. Our findings shed light on a potential application of tea drinking in modifying iRBD progression.

Abstract Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive endocrine disease characterized by reproductive dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression characteristics of coding and non-coding RNAs in granulosa cells of PCOS, and to provide data support for understanding the pathogenesis of PCOS. Methods Three patients with PCOS (according to the 2003 Rotterdam diagnostic criteria) and three normal controls were selected. We used the standard long protocol to collect granulosa cells from two groups, who underwent assisted reproduction at the Reproductive Medicine Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, China. We performed whole-transcriptome sequencing using RNA-Seq technology to construct transcriptome patterns of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). These patterns were then subjected to in-depth analysis using bioinformatics tools. Results We identified a total of 2111 mRNAs and 4328 non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the PCOS group as compared with the control group. Among the ncRNAs, there were 2047 lncRNAs, 892 circRNAs, and 1389 miRNAs. Based on the condition |log2(fold_change) |≥ 1 and a P-value of ≤ 0.05, we obtained 705 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 204 differentially expressed lncRNAs, 111 differentially expressed circRNAs, and 88 differentially expressed miRNAs. The target genes were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Wnt, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and the cell cycle. There were three types of circRNAs, among which the number of exon-type circRNAs accounted for more than 90%. Using co-expression network analysis, we identified several important candidate gene mRNAs (VLDLR, PPP2R2B, and MYOCD), lncRNAs (FBXO30, SNHG14, and PVT1), and miRNAs (miRNA-150); these mRNAs and ncRNAs could play a regulatory role in PCOS granulosa cells. Conclusion In this study, we discovered significant alterations in mRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs in PCOS granulosa cells, indicating dysregulation in vital pathways. Notably, genes like VLDLR, PPP2R2B, and MYOCD, along with lncRNAs FBXO30, SNHG14, and PVT1, may contribute to PCOS pathology, shedding light on potential therapeutic targets.

The osteoporotic bone defect caused by excessive activity of osteoclasts has posed a challenge for public healthcare. However, most existing bioinert bone cement fails to effectively regulate the pathological bone microenvironment and reconstruct bone homeostasis in the presence of osteoclast overactivity and osteoblast suppression. Herein, inspired by natural bone tissue, an in-situ modulation system for osteoporotic bone regeneration is developed by fabricating an injectable double-crosslinked PEGylated poly(glycerol sebacate) (PEGS)/calcium phosphate cement (CPC) loaded with sodium alendronate (ALN) (PEGS/CPC@ALN) adhesive bone cement. By incorporating ALN, the organic-inorganic interconnection within PEGS/CPC@ALN results in a 100 % increase in compression modulus and energy dissipation efficiency. Additionally, PEGS/CPC@ALN effectively adheres to the bone by bonding with amine and calcium ions present on the bone surface. Moreover, this in-situ regulation system comprehensively mitigates excessive bone resorption through the buffering effect of CPC to improve the acidic microenvironment of osteoporotic bone and the release of ALN to inhibit hyperactive osteoclasts, and facilitates stem cell proliferation and differentiation into osteoblasts through calcium ion release. Overall, the PEGS/CPC@ALN effectively regulates the pathological microenvironment of osteoporosis while promoting bone regeneration through synergistic effects of drugs and materials, thereby improving bone homeostasis and enabling minimally invasive treatment for osteoporotic defects.

Abstract Background The combination of anti‐PD‐1 antibody serplulimab and chemotherapy is considered standard first‐line therapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but few later‐line treatments are available. Here we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of the recombinant, humanized anti‐EGFR antibody HLX07 when used alone or together with serplulimab and chemotherapy against advanced ESCC. Methods This open‐label, non‐randomized, two‐cohort, phase 2 trial involved patients 18‐75 years old with histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic ESCC, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0‐1. Patients who had failed first‐line immuno‐chemotherapy or at least two lines of other systemic therapy received HLX07 monotherapy intravenously at a dose of 1,000 mg once every 2 weeks (Q2W). Patients with no prior systemic therapy received HLX07 (1,000 mg, day 1) and serplulimab (200 mg, day 1) intravenously Q2W for up to 2 years, concurrently with cisplatin (50 mg/m2, day 1) for up to 8 cycles and 5‐fluorouracil (1,200 mg/m2, days 1‐2) for up to 12 cycles intravenously Q2W. The primary endpoints were progression‐free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR). Results Overall, 50 patients were enrolled. In the HLX07 monotherapy group, ORR was 15.0% (3/20), and the median PFS was 1.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 3.7). The median duration of response was not reached, and the rate of patients showing an objective response lasting at least 6 months was 66.7% (95% CI, 5.4 to 94.5). Two (10.0%, 2/20) patients experienced grade 3‐4 treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs), including hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, and fatigue. No patient experienced grade 5 TRAEs. In the HLX07 combination group, the ORR was 60.0% (18/30), and the median PFS was 7.8 months (95% CI, 3.3 to 9.1). Fourteen (46.7%, 14/30) patients experienced grade 3‐4 TRAEs, and one (3.3%, 1/30) patient died due to serplulimab‐related pneumonitis. Conclusions HLX07 monotherapy and its combination with serplulimab and chemotherapy showed manageable toxicity and promising antitumor activity in patients with recurrent or metastatic ESCC. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to further establish the safety and efficacy of HLX07 against ESCC. Trial registration This trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05221658).

Abstract Cell plasticity refers to the deviation of cells from normal terminal differentiation states when faced with environmental and genetic toxic stresses, resulting in the phenomenon of transforming into other cell or tissue phenotypes. Unlocking phenotype plasticity has been defined as a hallmark of malignant tumors. The stomach is one of the organs in the body with the highest degree of self-renewal and exhibits significant cell plasticity. In this paper, based on the review of the characteristics of normal differentiation of gastric epithelial cells and their markers, the four main phenotypes of gastric epithelial cell remodeling and their relationship with gastric cancer (GC) are drawn. Furthermore, we summarize the regulatory factors and mechanisms that affect gastric epithelial cell plasticity and outline the current status of research and future prospection for the treatment targeting gastric epithelial cell plasticity. This study has important theoretical reference value for the in-depth exploration of epithelial cell plasticity and the tumor heterogeneity caused by it, as well as for the precise treatment of GC.

Abstract Reward cues have long been considered to enhance creative performance; however, little is known about whether rewards can affect creative problem solving by manipulating states of flexibility and persistence. This study sought to elucidate the differential impacts of real versus hypothetical rewards on the creative process utilizing the Chinese compound remote association task. Behavioral analysis revealed a significantly enhanced solution rate and response times in scenarios involving real rewards, in contrast to those observed with hypothetical rewards. Electrophysiological findings indicated that hypothetical rewards led to more positive P200-600 amplitudes, in stark contrast to the amplitudes observed in the context of real rewards. These findings indicate a positive impact of real rewards on creative remote associations and contribute new insights into the relationship between rewards and creative problem solving, highlighting the crucial role of persistence/flexibility in the formation of creativity.

To efficiently train the billions of parameters in a giant model, sharing the parameter-fragments within the Federated Learning (FL) framework has become a popular pattern, where each client only trains and shares a fraction of parameters, extending the training of giant models to the broader resources-constrained scenarios. Compared with the previous works where the models are fully exchanged, the fragment-sharing pattern poses some new challenges for the backdoor attacks. In this paper, we investigate the backdoor attack on giant models when they are trained in an FL system. With the help of fine-tuning technique, a backdoor attack method is presented, by which the malicious clients can hide the backdoor in a designated fragment that is going to be shared with the benign clients. Apart from the individual backdoor attack method mentioned above, we additionally show a cooperative backdoor attack method, in which the fragment of a malicious client to be shared only contains a part of the backdoor while the backdoor is injected when the benign client receives all the fragments from the malicious clients. Obviously, the later one is more stealthy and harder to be detected. Extensive experiments have been conducted on the datasets of CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 with the ResNet-34 as the testing model. The numerical results show that our backdoor attack methods can achieve an attack success rate close to 100% in about 20 rounds of iterations.

Abstract The influence of the mitochondrial control system on ischemic heart disease has become a major focus of current research. Mitophagy, as a very crucial part of the mitochondrial control system, plays a special role in ischemic heart disease, unlike mitochondrial dynamics. The published reviews have not explored in detail the unique function of mitophagy in ischemic heart disease, therefore, the aim of this paper is to summarize how mitophagy regulates the progression of ischemic heart disease. We conclude that mitophagy affects ischemic heart disease by promoting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis, the progression of oxidative stress, the development of inflammation, and cardiomyocyte death, and that the specific mechanisms of mitophagy are worthy of further investigation.

Abstract Background In China, In China, depression among the oldest-old (aged 80 + years) is a major public health issue. As the gap in development between urban and rural China widens, the aim of this study was to demonstrated whether there are disparities in the incidence of depressive symptoms between the urban and rural oldest-old (aged 80+) in China and to quantify the contribution of relevant influencing factors. Methods The study evaluated data on 5,116 oldest adults (female, 55.88%; male, 44.12%) from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. A chi-square test analyzed the distribution characteristics of related indicators among the oldest-old adults in the two areas. Multiple linear regression was applied to exploring the influencing factors of depressive symptoms in the oldest-old (aged 80+) adults in different regions. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method quantified the four categories of influencing factors (demographic characteristics, sociological characteristics, personal lifestyle, personal lifestyle) of the differences in depressive symptoms and estimated their contributions among urban and rural oldest-old (aged 80+) adults. Results 14.60% of oldest-old (aged 80+) adults reported having depressed symptoms, with rural oldest-old (aged 80+) adults reporting more of these symptoms (15.70%) than urban oldest-old (aged 80+) adults (12.25%). In urban areas, age (90-99: β = -0.583, 95%CI = -1.008 to -0.158), annual income (rich: β = -0.699, 95%CI = -1.368 to -0.029), smoking (yes: β = -0.752, 95%CI = -1.376 to -0.127), exercise (yes: β = -1.447, 95%CI = -1.828 to -1.065), self-rated health status (good: β = -2.994, 95% CI = -3.362 to -2.625) were protective factors against depressive symptoms, and married status (other: β = 1.222, 95%CI = 0.564 to 1.880) were risk factors. In rural areas, education level (1-6: β = -0.374, 95%CI = -0.686 to -0.062), annual income (poor: β = -0.374, 95%CI = -0.721 to -0.026; rich: β = -0.781, 95%CI = -1.115 to -0.447), exercise (yes: β = -0.844, 95%CI = -1.143 to -0.545) and SRH status (good: β = -3.023, 95%CI = -3.274 to -2.772) were protective factors, whereas body mass index (BMI) (

Four new wood-inhabiting fungi viz. Phanerochaete castanea, P. citrinoalba, P. citrinorhizomorpha, and P. wuyiensis spp. nov. – are proposed based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Phanerochaete castanea is characterized by soft coriaceous basidiomata detachable from the substrate, becoming reddish brown in KOH, subulate cystidia with an obtuse apex. Phanerochaete citrinoalba is characterized by the coriaceous basidiomata with smooth, cracking hymenial surface, sterile margins with yellowish to whitish rhizomorphs, a monomitic hyphal system, generative hyphae mostly with simple septa and occasionally with clamp connections at basal hyphae. Phanerochaete citrinorhizomorpha is characterized by soft coriaceous basidiomata with a salmon to peach hymenial surface, a sterile margin with yellowish rhizomorphs, simple septate generative hyphae, and clavate to subfusiform or subulate cystidia with an obtuse apex. Phanerochaete wuyiensis is characterized by membranaceous basidiomata with smooth or locally tuberculate hymenial surface and the whitish rhizomorphs, generative hyphae with both simple septa and clamp connections at basal hyphae, cystidia projecting above hymenium. DNA sequences of the ITS and LSU markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the concatenated ITS+nLSU dataset highlighted the placement of the four new species in the genus Phanerochaete (Phanerochaetaceae, Polyporales). Phylogenetically related and morphologically similar species to these four new species are discussed. Furthermore, an identification key to accepted species of Phanerochaete in China is given.

In this study, RAW 264.7 cells and immunosuppressive models were used to investigate the immunostimulatory activity of tilapia-head chondroitin sulfate (CS) through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results showed that tilapia-head chondroitin sulfate (CS) could induce the produce of NO, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α in RAW 264.7 cells. Cyclophosphamide (CTX) induced thymic atrophy in mice (thymic index 0.11%±0.01%), while thymic index was significantly up-regulated by low-dose CS (thymic index (0.17%±0.03%) and high-dose CS (thymic index (0.18%±0.02%) interventions (P

Records suggest Bacillus anthracis was used in biowarfare during World War II, but evidence remains limited. We isolated B. anthracis from soil at the remains of a World War II–era laboratory in China. Phenotypic and genomic analyses confirmed the finding, highlighting the value of microbial forensics in biothreat investigation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the trends in diabetes mortality rate and the characteristics of decreased population in Fengxian District, Shanghai from 2012 to 2021.MethodsData from the death registration records of the residents in Fengxian District between 2012 and 2021, sourced from the Shanghai Death Surveillance System, were analyzed. Indicators such as the crude mortality rate due to diabetes, the standardized mortality rate, years of life lost (YLL), and the probability of premature death were estimated. Annual percentage change (APC) was used to analyze the temporal trends of mortality and the probability of premature death due to diabetes. Rate decomposition analysis was used to assess the contributions of demographic and non-demographic factors to diabetes mortality.ResultsFrom 2012 to 2021, there were 1 471 deaths due to diabetes in Fengxian District, with a crude mortality rate of 27.51/100 000 and a standardized mortality rate of 17.58/100 000. The crude mortality rate showed an overall increasing trend (APC=4.58%, Z=3.49, P

With China's economic growth, energy-economy-environment (3E) issues in rural areas have become more prominent. As key areas for energy consumption and environmental protection, analyzing the influencing factors of the 3E system in rural areas is crucial. We constructed and analyzed the rural 3E model using clustering and examined the relationship between scientific and technological talent, the economic level of rural residents, and 3E development through principal component regression. The findings showed: (1) Overall improvement in 3E development, with coastal and non-coastal areas showing significant differences; (2) room for energy improvement, rapid economic growth, and more balanced environmental development in some regions; (3) scientific and technological talent and economic level significantly impacted 3E development; and (4) in coastal areas, talent development had a greater impact, while in non-coastal areas, both talent and economic development had comparable effects. Moreover, 1-unit increase in talent development in coastal areas boosted 3E development by 0.12 units, while in non-coastal areas, talent and economic level increased 3E development by 0.04 and 0.06 units, respectively.

The damping properties of Mg–Sn–Y alloys with varied Sn/Y atomic ratios and heat-treatment processes have been studied. In the as-cast state, the alloy with a Sn/Y ratio of 3:1 exhibits the highest damping property in the low strain region due to the low Y solid solution and small lattice distortion. After heat treatment with 480 °C and 24 h, the lattice distortion of the alloy with a Sn/Y atomic ratio of 1:1 is significantly reduced compared to the cast alloy, resulting in an ultra-high damping property in the low strain region (ε = 10−4, Q−1 = 0.023). This change in damping property is attributed to the presence of metastable clusters, which consume energy through atomic rearrangement, separation, and redissolution, thereby enhancing the damping property. However, excessively long heat treatment times or high temperatures are detrimental to the formation of these metastable clusters, leading to a decreased damping property.

Abstract Background Sepsis is a severe condition characterized by multiple organ dysfunction resulting from an imbalanced host immune response to infections. miRNAs play a crucial role in regulating various biological processes. However, the precise role of miR-31 in the immunopathology of sepsis remains poorly understood. Methods The concentration of hsa-miR-31-5p in patients with sepsis (both survivors and non-survivors) and healthy individuals was assayed. Using an experimental sepsis model of caecal ligation and puncture (CLP), the impact of mmu-miR-31-5p on survival, organ injury, and inflammation was evaluated. Additionally, the effect of mmu-miR-31-5p on macrophage polarization through Chi3l1 was investigated. Lastly, the therapeutic effects of miPEP31 on experimental sepsis were examined. Results The results of miRNA sequencing (miRNA-seq) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) analyses identified hsa-miR-31-5p as a potential biomarker for patients with sepsis, with non-survivors showing higher levels of hsa-miR-31-5p in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared to survivors. Functional studies conducted on peritoneal elucidated macrophages (PEMs) demonstrated that mmu-miR-31-5p inhibits M2 polarization in macrophages by downregulating Chi3l1. The utilization of miPEP31 as a therapeutic intervention had a substantial impact on reducing mortality rates, mitigating organ damage, inducing macrophage polarization towards the M2 phenotype, and suppressing the inflammatory response in murine models of severe sepsis. Conclusions The suppression of miR-31 in sepsis plays a protective role in the host defense response by upregulating Chi3l1, highlighting the potential therapeutic efficacy of miPEP31 in sepsis treatment. Graphical abstract

Abstract Background Renal fibrosis is a key process in the progression from acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD), while the intricate mechanisms of renal fibrosis remain obscure. While the signal-transducing adaptor protein 2 (STAP2) was well-studied for its notable function in inflammation and immune-related disorders, its specific implication in renal fibrosis remains unclear. This study assessed the mechanism by which STAP2 could promote the progression of renal fibrosis. Methods The expression level of STAP2 in fibrotic human samples, murine fibrosis models, and cellular fibrosis models was measured, respectively. Subsequently, immunoprecipitation (IP), mass spectrometry, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were employed to identify HSP27 as an interacting protein and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. STAP2 was thereafter knocked down or overexpressed in both in vivo and in vitro models to assess the expression levels of pathway-related and fibrosis-related proteins. Finally, the important role of STAP2 in the fibrosis process in animal models induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and cisplatin was validated. Results Functionally, in vivo assays demonstrated that the genetic knockout of STAP2 could remarkably mitigate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), diminish inflammatory cell infiltration, and reduce collagen deposition in mice with renal fibrosis. Conversely, in vitro assays employing STAP2-overexpressing cell models exacerbated the expression levels of fibrosis markers. The outcomes uncovered a potential mechanism by which STAP2 could modulate renal fibrosis through its impact on the expression level of phosphorylated HSP27, as well as modulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions This comprehensive investigation delineated the noticeable function of STAP2 in the advancement of renal fibrosis, and the outcomes might contribute to the development of targeted therapies concentrated on STAP2 to mitigate renal fibrosis.

With the current increasing global demand for low-carbon and environmentally friendly products, promoting the sustainability of closed-loop supply chains has become one of the key measures. However, consumers often do not regard remanufactured products as equivalent to new products. Therefore, this paper proposes a dynamic closed-loop supply chain that incorporates consumers' purchasing preferences to model a long-term game with product differentiation. Moreover, to enhance consumer acceptance of remanufactured products and reduce manufacturers' costs, low-carbon technologies and cost-sharing mechanisms are introduced. In this way, we construct a differential game in which the manufacturer sells new and remanufactured products through a retailer and makes decisions about the level of low-carbon technology in the remanufacturing process. Based on the theory of differential games, this paper analyzes three different power structures: the manufacturer-dominated Stackelberg game, the Nash game, and the retailer-dominated Stackelberg game. The optimal low-carbon technology level and pricing strategy are obtained by applying Pontryagin's maximum principle. The study shows that the retailer-led Stackelberg game helps retailers maximize profits, while the Nash game enables the entire closed-loop supply chain system to achieve the highest overall profits. This paper innovatively integrates low-carbon technologies into the dynamic game model of the remanufacturing process and reveals how the game behavior of supply chain participants affects the application of low-carbon technologies and the overall profit of the supply chain by comparing the cost-sharing mechanisms under different power structures. The results provide important theoretical support and practical references for closed-loop supply chain management with product differentiation.

A comprehensive understanding of the diffusion coefficients and atomic mobilities in the Ti–Cr–Mo system is crucial for establishing an atomic mobility database for titanium-based high-strength titanium alloys. In the present work, nine sets of solid/solid diffusion couples were prepared and measured in bcc Ti–Cr–Mo alloys, with the temperatures ranging from 1373 to 1473 K. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Electro Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA) techniques were used to respectively test its microstructure and composition distance. The diffusion coefficients in bcc Ti–Cr–Mo alloys were determined using the Matano-Kirkaldy method and numerical inverse method respectively. The diffusion coefficients obtained from the above two methods exhibit good consistency. The atomic mobility parameters for the Ti–Cr–Mo systems were provided with the assistance of HitDIC software. A three-dimensional plot of interdiffusivities was generated for chromium and molybdenum contents ranging from 0 to 20 mol % and 0–14 mol %. Moreover, the application of the Arrhenius equation enabled the determination of changes in frequency factors and activation energies concerning temperature and composition.

More than 600 Chinese specimens of Armillaria were identified by mating tests, Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition (GCPSR), and comparison of morphological characteristics. Sixteen Chinese Biological Species (CBS) of Armillaria were identified by 30,340 mate pair combinations. Fifteen Chinese Phylogenetic Species (CPS) were recognised based on Independent Evolutionary Lineage (IEL) recognition and concatenated six-gene analysis (actin, h3h, hisps, LSU rDNA, rpb1, and tef1α). All the biological species and phylogenetic species were identical and possessed the same species boundary, except for CBS K (A. mellea) and CBS G (A. mellea ssp. nipponica) which were the same phylogenetic species. On the basis of CBS and CPS, eight new species of Armillaria in China were distinguished using macro and micro morphology, and they are described as A. algida, A. amygdalispora, A. bruneocystidia, A. luteopileata, A. pungentisquamosa, A. sinensis, A. tibetica, and A. violacea. This study indicates that the GCPSR approach provides the same resolution as mating tests in identification of Armillaria species.

In this work, Mg/Al composite plates with different thickness ratios were prepared by the asymmetrical rolling process with differential temperature rolls and isothermal symmetrical rolling. Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of matrix and composite materials with different thicknesses were analyzed. Influence of thickness ratios on the coordinated deformability of heterogeneous metals and interface toughness under the action of temperature gradient and shear force was investigated. Results show that the relative deformation rates of matrix and composite materials converge gradually under the influence of work hardening of Mg/Al layer. The Mg layer is mainly DRXed grains and texture intensity gradually weakens with increasing thickness ratio. The Al layer is mostly dominated by subgrains and deformed grains, which have a strong correlation with thickness ratio. Strength and plasticity of composites first increase and then decrease with increasing thickness ratio. Fracture of composite plate occurs in intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Thickness of IMCs has a strong positive correlation with thickness ratio. When the thickness ratio of AZ31B/Al6061 for 5, the relative thickness of IMCs is the largest and the relative bonding strength is the smallest. When the thickness ratio of AZ31B/Al6061 for 3, there is no element aggregation in IMCs, and the comprehensive mechanical properties of composite plate are comparatively better.

Abstract Importance Vitiligo is a chronic skin disorder causing depigmentation. There is a lack of evidence-based medical evidence regarding ruxolitinib efficacy and safety for vitiligo. Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib cream in the treatment of vitiligo. Methods The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched. The literature screening was independently conducted by two reviewers. Data extraction and synthesis For continuous variables, weighted mean difference (WMD) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was performed. For dichotomous outcomes, we calculated the odds ratios (ORs) or risk ratios (RRs), and their corresponding 95% CIs. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Main outcomes and measures Symptoms, quality of life, and safety were evaluated using various measures, including the Facial Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (F-VASI), Total Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (T-VASI), Facial Body Surface Area (F-BAS), Total Body Surface Area (T-BAS) and Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs). Results Three trials, involving a total of 830 participants from nine countries were included (female 388, 46.7%, male 442, 53.3%). The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the likelihood of participants achieving F-VASI75 (OR, 4.34 [95% CI 2.67–7.06]; high), F-VASI50 (OR 4.71 [95% CI 3.24–6.84]; high), T-VASI75 (OR 2.78 [95% CI 1.10–7.00]; moderate), and T-VASI50 (OR 4.47 [95% CI 2.52–7.92]; high) when compared ruxolitinib to vehicle. Ruxolitinib was associated with more lowered percentage change of F-VASI scores (MD − 32.79 [95% CI − 36.37 to − 29.21]; moderate), and T-VASI scores (MD − 20.22 [95% CI − 23.11 to − 17.33]; moderate) from baseline compared to vehicle. There may not be a significant difference in the occurrence of TEAEs between ruxolitinib and vehicle (RR 1.46 [95% CI 0.85–2.49]; high). Conclusions The findings suggest that ruxolitinib cream holds promise as a treatment option for vitiligo. Further long-term studies are needed to assess its sustained efficacy and safety profile. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42023431112.

Abstract Background The neonatal outcomes across different percentiles of birth weight for gestational age are still unclear. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted within 57 tertiary hospitals participating in the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) from 25 provinces throughout China. Infants with gestational age (GA) 24+0-31+6 weeks who were admitted within 7 days after birth were included. The composite outcome was defined as mortality or any one of neonatal major morbidities, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), cystic periventricular leukomalacia (cPVL), severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and sepsis. Multivariable logistic regressions using generalized estimating equation approach were conducted. Results A total of 8380 infants were included with a mean GA of 30 (28–31) weeks. Of these, 1373 (16.5%) were born at less than 28 weeks, while 6997 (83.5%) had a GA between 28 and 32 weeks. Our analysis indicated that the risk of composite outcomes was negatively associated with birth weight for gestational age, and compared to the reference group, the multiple-adjusted ORs (95%CI) of composite outcomes were 4.89 (3.51–6.81) and 2.16 (1.77–2.63) for infants with birth weight for gestational less than 10th percentile and 10th -30th percentile, respectively. The ORs (95%CI) of mortality, NEC, BPD, severe ROP, and sepsis in infants with birth weight for gestational age at 10th-30th percentile were 1.94 (1.56–2.41), 1.08 (0.79–1.47), 2.48 (2.03–3.04), 2.35 (1.63–3.39), and 1.39 (1.10–1.77), respectively. Conclusion Our study suggested that the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes increased significantly when the birth weight for gestational age was below the 30th percentile. Regular monitoring and early intervention are crucial for these high-risk infants.

The genus Albatrellus is an important group of stipitate terrestrial fungi in the order Russulales. Some species in the genus form ectomycorrhizae, mostly with trees of Pinaceae; some are well-known edible mushrooms. However, its diversity and biogeography are unclear. Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on Albatrellus were carried out by morphological examination, which included detailed observations of the fruiting body, spore shape and size, and other key features, together with potential hosts. These observations were then compared and analysed using multi-locus molecular phylogenetic analyses, including the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (tef1), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb1), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2), the small subunit mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), and the small subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nucSSU). The results demonstrated that the species of Albatrellus formed eight clades. Nine new species are described and illustrated, and two new combinations are proposed. A total of 38 species are accepted in Albatrellus worldwide. Of those species, 26, 7, and 8 species are distributed in Asia, Europe, and North America, respectively. The divergence time indicated that the maximum crown age of Albatrellus was approximately 70.5 million years ago, and East Asia and North America are the likely ancestral areas. Dispersal and differentiation to other continents occurred during the late Paleocene and Miocene. Three kinds of dispersal routes are proposed: East Asia and Europe, East Asia and North America, and Europe and North America.

Abstract Lymphocyte activating gene-3 (LAG3) is a distinctive T cell co-receptor that is expressed on the surface of lymphocytes. It plays a special inhibitory immune checkpoint role due to its unique domain and signaling pattern. Our aim is to explore the correlation between LAG3 in cancers and physiological processes related to a range of cancers, as well as build LAG3-related immunity and prognostic models. By comprehensively using of datasets and methods from TCGA, GTE-x and GEO databases, cBioPortal, HPA, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, Spearman, CellMinerTM, we delved deeper into the potential impact of the LAG3 in cancer development. These include expression differences, Localization of tumor cell subsets, immune infiltration, matrix infiltration, gene mutations, DNA methylation, signaling pathways and prognosis. Furthermore, we explored LAG3 interactions with different drugs. LAG3 is highly expressed in ACC (p

Uncertainties on results of reactor physics calculations basically originate from uncertainties of solvers, modeling parameters and nuclear data. The uncertainty quantification (UQ) of import core parameters is critical for the safety and reliability of the innovative nuclear reactor designs. In this paper, the UQ of the keff due to the neutron cross section data and the manufacturing tolerance of modeling parameters for a small prismatic high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) was reported. The stochastic sampling (SS) method, the sensitivity analysis (SA) method and the polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method have been adopted during the UQ process. Firstly, the sensitivity analysis of keff to nuclear data was performed and uncertainties were calculated with sensitivity coefficients and covariance matrix of cross sections. The numerical results show that the keff uncertainty due to the neutron cross section data is about 511 pcm, among which 311 pcm are introduced by the neutron cross sections of the graphite and 28Si, the considerable fraction of contribution compared to the conventional 235U and 238U. In addition, the SS method and PCE method were used to assess keff uncertainties owing to 25 modeling parameters, including important geometry dimensions and material compositions. A large number of input parameters were sampled and physical calculations were repeatedly conducted for each set of sampled parameters. In the PCE analysis, Legendre basis was used to construct polynomials on the assumption that all modeling parameters followed a uniform distribution and the linear regression method was adopted to solve for the coefficients. The analysis results indicate that the control of the uranium loading is the most critical manufacturing requirement. Although the uncertainties of the sizes of TRISO particles are large due to the manufacturing capacity, as long as the total loading of uranium is chosen as an individual control parameter and decoupled from other modeling parameters, keff uncertainty introduced by 25 modeling parameters can be reduced from about 1 950 pcm to about 420 pcm, among which the thickness of carbon layers of TRISO particles, the total loading and the enrichment of uranium have the most significant contributions. As far as the UQ analysis methods are concerned, the PCE and the SA methods show better efficiency than the SS method, and they can produce the total uncertainty and the individual uncertainty due to each parameter simultaneously. In addition, the PCE method gives a surrogate model at the same time to predict the keff for different modeling parameters without resolving to the time-consuming design calculations.

Abstract Background To construct and compare merged models integrating clinical factors, MRI-based radiomics features and deep learning (DL) models for predicting pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods Totally 197 patients with LARC administered surgical resection after nCRT were assigned to cohort 1 (training and test sets); meanwhile, 52 cases were assigned to cohort 2 as a validation set. Radscore and DL models were established for predicting pCR applying pre- and post-nCRT MRI data, respectively. Different merged models integrating clinical factors, Radscore and DL model were constituted. Their predictive performances were validated and compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analyses (DCA). Results Merged models were established integrating selected clinical factors, Radscore and DL model for pCR prediction. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of the pre-nCRT merged model were 0.834 (95% CI: 0.737–0.931) and 0.742 (95% CI: 0.650–0.834) in test and validation sets, respectively. The AUCs of the post-nCRT merged model were 0.746 (95% CI: 0.636–0.856) and 0.737 (95% CI: 0.646–0.828) in test and validation sets, respectively. DCA showed that the pretreatment algorithm could yield enhanced clinically benefit than the post-nCRT approach. Conclusions The pre-nCRT merged model including clinical factors, Radscore and DL model constitutes an effective non-invasive tool for pCR prediction in LARC.

Abstract Background MADS-box transcription factors have been shown to be involved in multiple developmental processes, including the regulation of floral organ formation and pollen maturation. However, the role of the MADS-box gene family in floral development of the alpine plant species Coptis teeta Wall, which is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is unknown. Results Sixty-six MADS-box genes were identified in the C. teeta genome. These genes were shown to be unevenly distributed throughout the genome of C. teeta. The majority of which (49) were classified as type I MADS-box genes and were further subdivided into four groups (Mα, Mβ, Mγ and Mδ). The remainder were identified as belonging to the type II MADS-box gene category. It was observed that four pairs of segmental and tandem duplication had occurred in the C. teeta MADS-box gene family, and that the ratios of Ka/Ks were less than 1, suggesting that these genes may have experienced purifying selection during evolution. Gene expression profiling analysis revealed that 38 MADS-box genes displayed differential expression patterns between the M and F floral phenotypes. Sixteen of these MADS-box genes were further verified by RT-qPCR. The 3D structure of each subfamily gene was predicted, further indicating that MADS-box genes of the same type possess structural similarities to the known template. Conclusions These data provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of dichogamy and herkogamy formation in C. teeta and establish a solid foundation for future studies of the MADS-box genes family in this medicinal plant species.

Abstract Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a major global health concern due to its high mortality and disability rates. Hemorrhagic transformation, a common complication of AIS, leads to poor prognosis yet lacks effective treatments. Preclinical studies indicate that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment within 12 h of AIS onset alleviates ischemia/reperfusion injuries, including hemorrhagic transformation. However, clinical trials have yielded conflicting results, suggesting some underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed that HBO treatments beginning within 1 h post reperfusion significantly alleviated the haemorrhage and neurological deficits in hyperglycemic transient middle cerebral arterial occlusion (tMCAO) mice, partly due to the inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pro-inflammatory response in microglia. Notably, reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the anti-inflammatory and protective effect of early HBO treatment, as edaravone and N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine (NAC), two commonly used antioxidants, reversed the suppressive effect of HBO treatment on NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation in microglia. Furthermore, NAC countered the protective effect of early HBO treatment in tMCAO mice with hyperglycemia. These findings support that early HBO treatment is a promising intervention for AIS, however, caution is warranted when combining antioxidants with HBO treatment. Further assessments are needed to clarify the role of antioxidants in HBO therapy for AIS.

Abstract Background Overall Survival (OS) and Progression-Free Interval (PFI) as survival times have been collected in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). It is of biomedical interest to consider their dependence in pathway detection and survival prediction. We intend to develop novel methods for integrating PFI as condition based on parametric survival models for identifying pathways associated with OS and predicting OS. Results Based on the framework of conditional probability, we developed a family of frailty-based parametric-models for this purpose, with exponential or Weibull distribution as baseline. We also considered two classes of existing methods with PFI as a covariate. We evaluated the performance of three approaches by analyzing RNA-seq expression data from TCGA for lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma (LUNG), brain lower grade glioma and glioblastoma multiforme (GBMLGG), as well as skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). Our focus was on fourteen general cancer-related pathways. The 10-fold cross-validation was employed for the evaluation of predictive accuracy. For LUNG, p53 signaling and cell cycle pathways were detected by all approaches. Furthermore, three approaches with the consideration of PFI demonstrated significantly better predictive performance compared to the approaches without the consideration of PFI. For GBMLGG, ten pathways (e.g., Wnt signaling, JAK-STAT signaling, ECM-receptor interaction, etc.) were detected by all approaches. Furthermore, three approaches with the consideration of PFI demonstrated better predictive performance compared to the approaches without the consideration of PFI. For SKCM, p53 signaling pathway was detected only by our Weibull-baseline-based model. And three approaches with the consideration of PFI demonstrated significantly better predictive performance compared to the approaches without the consideration of PFI. Conclusions Based on our study, it is necessary to incorporate PFI into the survival analysis of OS. Furthermore, PFI is a survival-type time, and improved results can be achieved by our conditional-probability-based approach.

The Hymenochaetales is an order with most species as wood-inhabiting fungi that have high phylogenetic complexity and morphological diversity. Species in this order play important roles in forest ecosystems and include wood decomposers, pathogens, and those that form ectomycorrhizal associations. However, we have limited knowledge of the patterns of large-scale evolutionary history of the order. In this study, using 171 genomes, including 113 newly assembled, we reconstructed the phylogenomic relationships, divergence times, biogeographic patterns, morphological evolution of basidiomata, and patterns of speciation/extinction in the Hymenochaetales. The phylogenomic relationships of 12 families within the Hymenochaetales suggested that 10 families can be accepted, and 2 families rejected. Molecular clock dating analyses suggested that the Hymenochaetales possibly started a rapid family-wide and genus-wide radiation during the early Cretaceous to late Jurassic and Cretaceous, respectively. Reconstruction of the ancestral state implied that Hymenochaetales probably originated from the temperate regions of Asia, with the basidiomata of the common ancestor likely being a corticioid species that rapidly transformed between the early Cretaceous and late Jurassic, coinciding with radiations at the family level. Furthermore, we detected a gradually increasing trend of speciation, extinction, and net diversification rates. We provided large-scale genomes of the Hymenochaetales and revealed evolutionary history patterns, which are key to understanding the evolution of fungi.

Abstract Objectives Evidence suggests that environmental support, personality traits, and psychological factors can influence seasonal changes in human mood and behavior, particularly in rural middle-aged women and older people. This study aimed to quantify the associations between personality traits, seasonal affective disorder symptoms, and sun exposure in rural older people. Methods This study is a cross-sectional analytical study, the participants were 300 rural older persons from 12 natural villages and 5 geriatric service centers in 4 different cities in Jiangxi Province, China. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Personal Inventory of Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (PIDS-SA-SimpChi), and the Sunlight Exposure Scale were used to conduct follow-up interviews throughout the year. Spatial analysis was performed using ArcGIS and Geodetic Probes. The data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and Amos 23.0 mediated models. Results Rural older people with low sun exposure exhibited higher personality trait scores (p

Abstract Agent-based modeling and simulation have evolved as a powerful tool for modeling complex systems, offering insights into emergent behaviors and interactions among diverse agents. Recently, integrating large language models into agent-based modeling and simulation presents a promising avenue for enhancing simulation capabilities. This paper surveys the landscape of utilizing large language models in agent-based modeling and simulation, discussing their challenges and promising future directions. In this survey, since this is an interdisciplinary field, we first introduce the background of agent-based modeling and simulation and large language model-empowered agents. We then discuss the motivation for applying large language models to agent-based simulation and systematically analyze the challenges in environment perception, human alignment, action generation, and evaluation. Most importantly, we provide a comprehensive overview of the recent works of large language model-empowered agent-based modeling and simulation in multiple scenarios, which can be divided into four domains: cyber, physical, social, and hybrid, covering simulation of both real-world and virtual environments, and how these works address the above challenges. Finally, since this area is new and quickly evolving, we discuss the open problems and promising future directions. We summarize the representative papers along with their code repositories in https://github.com/tsinghua-fib-lab/LLM-Agent-Based-Modeling-and-Simulation .

Abstract The engineered TadA variants used in cytosine base editors (CBEs) present distinctive advantages, including a smaller size and fewer off-target effects compared to cytosine base editors that rely on natural deaminases. However, the current TadA variants demonstrate a preference for base editing in DNA with specific motif sequences and possess dual deaminase activity, acting on both cytosine and adenosine in adjacent positions, limiting their application scope. To address these issues, we employ TadA orthologs screening and multi sequence alignment (MSA)-guided protein engineering techniques to create a highly effective cytosine base editor (aTdCBE) without motif and adenosine deaminase activity limitations. Notably, the delivery of aTdCBE to a humanized mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) mice achieves robust exon 55 skipping and restoration of dystrophin expression. Our advancement in engineering TadA ortholog for cytosine editing enriches the base editing toolkits for gene-editing therapy and other potential applications.

Study region: Dongting Lake, Southern China. Study focus: Lakes play a crucial role in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which focuses on water-related ecosystems. Here, we devised a methodology to estimate Dongting Lake water storage and analyze their dynamic changes for monitoring SDG 6.6.1 from 2001 to 2020. This study not only provide a geospatial perspective for monitoring water storage for SDG 6.6.1 under the climate oscillations and human impacts in a large floodplain lake but also provide an important scientific basis for improving the optimal allocation of water resources of the Dongting Lake area. New hydrological insights: Remote sensing data are preferable for establishing water storage models during dry seasons, whereas water level is more reliable during wet seasons. Over the past 20 years, average annual water storage in the lake regions has displayed relatively stable fluctuations with an upward trend since 2015. During the wet season, East Dongting Lake has the largest storage capacity, while most of the water resources are concentrated in South Dongting Lake during the dry season. The water storage deviation reached up to 20 %, with a notable negative deviation of more than 10 % during 2011–2015 caused by a severe drought. Related to the stable operation of the Three Gorges Project and the conservation policy initiated by the Chinese government, Dongting Lake is in a stable and recovery period.

PurposeTo investigate the impact of preoperative contrast-enhanced CT-based radiomics model on PD-1 prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.MethodsThe study included 105 HCC patients (training cohort: 72; validation cohort: 33) who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT and received systemic sorafenib treatment after surgery. Radiomics score was built for each patient and was integrated with independent clinic radiologic predictors into the radiomics model using multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsSeventeen radiomics features were finally selected to construct the radiomics score. In multivariate analysis, serum creatine and peritumoral enhancement were significant independent factors for PD-1 prediction. The radiomics model integrated radiomics signature with serum creatine and peritumoral enhancement showed good discriminative performance (AUC of 0.897 and 0.794 in the training and validation cohort). Overall survival (OS) was significantly different between the radiomics-predicted PD-1-positive and PD-1-negative groups (OS: 29.66 months, CI:16.03-44.40 vs. 31.04 months, CI: 17.10-44.07, P

The first publication on the use of teletechnology in heart and large blood vessels dates back to 1961. Since then, the study of teletechnology in heart and large blood vessels has become popular, and the number of publications has drastically increased. Hence, it is imperative to establish a comprehensive research framework that enables researchers and other stakeholders to understand the use of remote technologies in heart and large blood vessels. To bridge this gap, bibliometrics was used, a novel approach to determine the most prolific countries, institutions, journals, authors, source topics, funding agencies, and the most popular category of remote technologies and solutions for disease rehabilitation. The corpus was extracted from the WOS core database and analyzed using CiteSpace 6.2R7 and VOS Viewer 1.6.18 versions. The number of publications has grown since the start of the 21st century, with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy being the most productive nations. The most commonly used remote technology was a 24 h dynamic electrocardiogram (ECG) and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The most researched objective indicators were heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output. The primary research focused on daily life, physical activity, exercise endurance, and quality of life. Moreover, heart failure and coronary artery disease were the most extensively researched diseases.

Most farmers in China show an strange attitude towards food sale channels:they prefer low priced channel rather than high priced channel. This paper examines the mechanism by which food price affect farmers’ choices of sale channels and the role played by risk aversion, based on the 2022 China Land Economic Survey. The results indicate that higher prices are more likely to lead farmers to choose dealers who are private buyers offering flexible terms, compared with depots which are government procurement centers ensuring stable prices and other channels. It reveals that the underlying reason for farmers’ choices is the certainty effect, which causes farmers to prefer dealers offering certain profits over depots with uncertain profits, despite the high prices. It is further found that risk aversion has a mediating effect on the relationship between food price and farmers’ choices of sale channels.