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Abstract Parametric representations of Feynman integrals have a key property: many, frequently all, of the Landau singularities appear as endpoint divergences. This leads to a geometric interpretation of the singularities as faces of Newton polytopes, which facilitates algorithmic evaluation by sector decomposition and asymptotic expansion by the method of regions. Here we identify cases where some singularities appear instead as pinches in parametric space for general kinematics, and we then extend the applicability of sector decomposition and the method of regions algorithms to such integrals, by dissecting the Newton polytope on the singular locus. We focus on 2 → 2 massless scattering, where we show that pinches in parameter space occur starting from three loops in particular nonplanar graphs due to cancellation between terms of opposite sign in the second Symanzik polynomial. While the affected integrals cannot be evaluated by standard sector decomposition, we show how they can be computed by first linearising the graph polynomial and then splitting the integration domain at the singularity, so as to turn it into an endpoint divergence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that obtaining the correct asymptotic expansion of such integrals by the method of regions requires the introduction of new regions, which can be systematically identified as facets of the dissected polytope. In certain instances, these hidden regions exclusively govern the leading power behaviour of the integral. In momentum space, we find that in the on-shell expansion for wide-angle scattering the new regions are characterised by having two or more connected hard subgraphs, while in the Regge limit they are characterised by Glauber modes.

Abstract Enhancing influenza vaccine cross-protection is imperative to alleviate the significant public health burden of influenza. Heterologous sequential immunization may synergize diverse vaccine formulations and routes to improve vaccine potency and breadth. Here we investigate the effects of immunization strategies on the generation of cross-protective immune responses in female Balb/c mice, utilizing mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) and protein-based PHC nanoparticle vaccines targeting influenza hemagglutinin. Our findings emphasize the crucial role of priming vaccination in shaping Th bias and immunodominance hierarchies. mRNA LNP prime favors Th1-leaning responses, while PHC prime elicits Th2-skewing responses. We demonstrate that cellular and mucosal immune responses are pivotal correlates of cross-protection against influenza. Notably, intranasal PHC immunization outperforms its intramuscular counterpart in inducing mucosal immunity and conferring cross-protection. Sequential mRNA LNP prime and intranasal PHC boost demonstrate optimal cross-protection against antigenically drifted and shifted influenza strains. Our study offers valuable insights into tailoring immunization strategies to optimize influenza vaccine effectiveness.

Abstract To determine the association between complement C1q and vulnerable plaque morphology among coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. We conducted a retrospective observational study of 221 CAD patients admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University. Intravascular optical coherence tomography was utilized to describe the culprit plaques’ morphology. Using logistic regression analysis to explore the correlation between C1q and vulnerable plaques, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis assess the predictive accuracy. As reported, the complement C1q level was lower in ACS patients than CCS patients (18.25 ± 3.88 vs. 19.18 ± 4.25, P = 0.045). The low complement-C1q-level group was more prone to develop vulnerable plaques. In lipid-rich plaques, the complement C1q level was positively correlated with the thickness of fibrous cap (r = 0.480, P = 0.041). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses suggested that complement C1q could be an independent contributor to plaques’ vulnerability. For plaque rupture, erosion, thrombus, and cholesterol crystals, the areas under the ROC curve of complement C1q level were 0.873, 0.816, 0.785, and 0.837, respectively (P

BackgroundCoronary artery disease (CAD) has a high incidence and poor prognosis worldwide. It has been confirmed that smartphone addiction (SA) habit can increase the incidence of hypertension and obesity in adolescents. However, the association of SA with CAD and its severity in Chinese adults remains largely unknown.MethodsA total of 700 Chinese adults (aged 18–70 years) including 350 CAD patients and 350 control subjects were enrolled. The Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) was used to measure SA habit, and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Multiple logistic regression was employed to analyze the relationship between SA habit and CAD.ResultsAfter adjusting for age, smoking, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other risk factors, there was a significant association between SA habit and CAD in adults (p 34) and low Gensini score group (≤34), respectively. Compared with low Gensini score group, patients in high Gensini score group were more likely to have SA habit (p = 0.049).ConclusionsThere is a positive association of SA habit with CAD and its severity in Chinese adults.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to summarize the design and methodology of a large-scale trial in northern China, the Beijing Angle Closure Progression Study (BAPS). This trial is designed to explore the 5-year incidence of primary angle-closure suspect (PACS) progressing to primary angle-closure (PAC) or primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and to determine the possible risk factors of disease progression.Methods/designThe BAPS is a clinic-based, multicenter, noninterventional trial conducted on a sample of urban Chinese adults. Consecutive eligible patients who meet PACS diagnostic criteria will be recruited from eight participating centers, with the trial commencing on August 4, 2022. The target sample size is set at 825 subjects, with follow up planned for a minimum period of 5 years. Baseline examination will include presenting visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), undilated slit-lamp biomicroscopy, stereoscopic evaluation of the optic disc, visual field test, optical coherence tomography evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer, ultrasound biomicroscopy and IOLMaster. Questionnaires will also be used to collect detailed personal history. Patients are scheduled to visit the glaucoma clinic every 12 months and may visit the emergency room in case of acute attack of angle closure. Study endpoints include acute PAC episodes, elevated IOP, peripheral anterior synechiae, glaucomatous visual field defect, or glaucomatous abnormality of optic nerve.DiscussionThe BAPS will provide data on the 5-year incidence of PACS progressing to PAC or PACG and determine the risk factors for disease progression. This study will also help redefine high-risk patients with PACS.

Abstract Primary angle closure disease (PACD) is a major cause of blindness worldwide. It has a high prevalence in East Asia, especially in China, which leads to a higher incidence of blindness than open-angle glaucoma. The aim of this study was to directly observe the circumlental space (CLS) in laser peripheral iridotomized eyes with PACD and to determine whether this structure plays a role in the pathogenesis of PACD. Fifty eyes of 50 patients with PACD, who had received laser peripheral iridotomy performed with neodymium:yttrium–aluminum-garnet were recruited from glaucoma clinics from March 2021 to May 2022, including 17 primary angle closure suspect (PACS), 16 primary angle closure (PAC) and 17 primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG). They were classified into two groups based on whether the ciliary process and the crystalline lens equator were in contact using slit-lamp photograph: the attached group and the unattached group. The demographic, clinical characteristics and anterior segment parameters measured from ultrasound biomicroscopy were compared between the attached group and the unattached group. Thirty-three eyes were assigned to the attached group and 17 eyes belonged to the unattached group. In the unattached group, the mean CLS was 0.10 ± 0.07 mm. No significant differences were identified between the different diagnosis groups in age, sex, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, white-to-white, axial length, central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, flat keratometry, steep keratometry or iridotomy diameter (p > 0.05). The unattached group had shorter trabecular-ciliary process distance (p = 0.021) and larger ciliary process area (p = 0.001) compared with the attached group. Small CLS and its potential effect (partial ciliary block) might be considered as one of the mechanisms of PACD.

Abstract Background Although simple renal cyst (SRC) is a kind of structural alterations of kidney with age, the relationship between SRC and renal function is still obscure. We investigated the relationship between SRC and renal function in Chinese population. Methods The medical records of 41,842 individuals who underwent physical examinations at the Health Check-up Center at our institution in 2018 were reviewed. According to whether with SRC, they were divided into no-SRC and SRC groups. SRCs were classified into subgroups based on number (

Fine-grained radar target classification based on single-band, such as wideband or narrowband, poses challenges even when utilizing deep learning methods. Since different bands reflect distinct characteristics of the targets, we focus on the fine-grained classification of radar aircraft benefits from dual-band data. However, the selection of complementary dual-band features and the fusion of decisions from two bands are the key issues that need to be addressed. In order to tackle these issues, we propose a framework for fine-grained radar target classification called mutual-attention guided feature extraction and adaptative decision fusion. In this article, we propose a mutual attention selection mechanism to explore the complementary feature information between wideband and narrowband data. Furthermore, the wideband and narrowband features make distinct contributions to determine the class types. In order to address the uncertainty associated with the contribution of the wideband and narrowband data, we propose a new adaptive decision fusion strategy that adaptively assigns different weights to model the contribution uncertainty. We conducted extensive experiments on a homebrew simulated dual-band fine-grained aircraft dataset, which includes the high resolution range profile signal and the jet engine modulation signal. Compared with other classification methods, the proposed approach exhibits a remarkable classification accuracy of 95.5$\%$ in our homebrew dataset and maintains an impressive accuracy of 87.4$\%$ even in challenging environments with a 5 dB SNRs. Moreover, it achieves exceptional inference speeds of up to 3073 data pairs per second on the GPU: RTX3090. The results demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed method.

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies have shown that sarcopenia was associated with depression among older adults. However, most of these investigations used a cross-sectional design, limiting the ability to establish a causal relation, the present study examined whether sarcopenia was associated with incident depressive symptoms. Methods This is a prospective cohort study with participants from the Western China Health and Aging Trends (WCHAT) study. Participants could complete anthropometric measurements and questionnaires were included. The exposure was sarcopenia, defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019, the outcome was depressive symptoms, evaluated by GDS-15. We excluded depression and depressive symptoms at baseline and calculated the risk of incident depressive symptoms during the follow-up year. Results A total of 2612 participants (mean age of 62.14 ± 8.08 years) were included, of which 493 with sarcopenia. 78 (15.82%) participants with sarcopenia had onset depressive symptoms within the next year. After multivariable adjustment, sarcopenia increased the risk of depressive symptoms (RR = 1.651, 95%CI = 1.087–2.507, P = 0.0187) in overall participants. Such relationship still exists in gender and sarcopenia severity subgroups. Low muscle mass increased the risk of depressive symptoms (RR = 1.600, 95%CI = 1.150–2.228, P = 0.0053), but low muscle strength had no effect (RR = 1.250, 95%CI = 0.946–1.653, P = 0.117). Conclusions Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for depressive symptoms, Precautions to early detect and targeted intervene for sarcopenia should continue to be employed in adult with sarcopenia to achieve early prevention for depression and reduce the incidence of adverse clinical outcomes.

Abstract We compute the three-loop correction to the universal single-soft emission current for the case of scattering amplitudes with two additional color-charged partons. We present results valid for QCD and N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super-symmetric Yang-Mills theory. To achieve our results we develop a new integrand expansion technique for scattering amplitudes in the presence of soft emissions. Furthermore, we obtain contributions from single final-state parton matrix elements to the Higgs boson and Drell-Yan production cross section at next-to-next-to-next-to-next-to leading order (N4LO) in perturbative QCD in the threshold limit.

In this work, the electron irradiation effects and post-irradiation annealing (PIA) response on SiC MOSFETs were investigated and analyzed in terms of the evolution of oxide- and interface-trap charges after irradiation and PIA. It is found that the electron irradiation leads to the significant decrease of Ron, degraded blocking characteristics, and negative shift of capacitance characteristics, which can be ascribed to the promoted generation of positively charged oxide and interface traps by irradiation. Interestingly, these degraded electrical properties can be partly or completely recovered by room-temperature (RT) anneal, which is associated with the difference in the sensitivity to the oxide/interface charge variations in the channel, JFET, and termination region. Surprisingly, the positive charge in the oxide presents an incomplete recovery, which is suggested to result from the tunneling electrons from SiC and thus the subsequent electron capture by positively charged oxygen vacancy in the oxide. Whereas, the irradiation-induced interface-trap charges are fully eliminated even after RT anneal for 15 days. Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) characterizations shows that the interface defects with the energy band from EC − 0.14 eV to EC − 0.7 eV are enhanced by irradiation and exhibits similar dependence on the filling pulse as the near-interface traps. However, the irradiation-induced interface state density (Dit) distributions show a recovery behavior after RT storage, which is suggested to be resulted from the change in the charge states of interface defects from the electron trapping.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been considered to progressively lose their self-renewal and differentiation potentials prior to the commitment to each blood lineage. However, recent studies have suggested that megakaryocyte progenitors (MkPs) are generated at the level of HSCs. In this study, we newly identified early megakaryocyte lineage-committed progenitors (MgPs) mainly in CD201−CD48− cells and CD48+ cells separated from the CD150+CD34−Kit+Sca-1+Lin− HSC population of the bone marrow in adult mice. Single-cell colony assay and single-cell transplantation showed that MgPs, unlike platelet-biased HSCs, had little repopulating potential in vivo, but formed larger megakaryocyte colonies in vitro (on average 8 megakaryocytes per colony) than did previously reported MkPs. Single-cell RNA sequencing supported that HSCs give rise to MkPs through MgPs along a Mk differentiation pathway. Single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed that MgPs expressed Mk-related genes, but were transcriptionally heterogenous. Clonal culture of HSCs suggested that MgPs are not direct progeny of HSCs. We propose a differentiation model in which HSCs give rise to MgPs which then give rise to MkPs, supporting a classic model in which Mk-lineage commitment takes place at a late stage of differentiation.

Summary: The potential impact of renal function-related cardiovascular remodeling on associated cardiovascular risk has not been previously investigated. Hence, we conducted multiple mediation analyses in the UK Biobank study to evaluate this association. Using multiple Cox models, we found lower renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate based on cystatin C, eGFR-cysC) was independently related to increased risks of various cardiovascular events and mortalities. Multivariable linear regression revealed a progressive relationship between declining eGFR-cysC and adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling and impaired systolic function. In Cox models, larger LV volume, mass, as well as decreased systolic function, were significantly correlated with adverse events, particularly in heart failure. Mediation analyses showed that undesirable LV remodeling and cardiometabolic diseases were independent mediators. Our study explores the connections between reduced renal function and poor cardiovascular phenotypes, as well as their significant independent role in mediating renal function–cardiovascular outcome relationships.

Purposes By analyzing the session partial key disclosure camouflage attack (P-KCI) in Lippold security model, it is found that the existing certificateless key agreement protocols have security defects that they can’t resist the P-KCI attack. Methods In this paper, eight different key combination disclosure attacks of session partial key disclosure camouflage attack in Lippold security model are summarized. Besides, the security defects of existing certificateless key agreement protocols are analyzed by using these attacks. Findings A secure and efficient pairing-free CT-AKA protocol that can perfectly resist P-KCI attack is proposed, and its security is analyzed in an extended extended-Canetti-Krawczyk(eCK) model. Conclusions Compared with other existing similar protocols, the proposed protocol is more secure, and the calculated loss is reduced by 28.4%.

Abstract Background Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas (TDAVFs) are abnormal shunts between meningeal arteries and the intradural venous system located in the tentorial dura mater, which typically manifest with haemorrhage or progressive neurological disorders. TDAVFs with pure ocular presentation have been rarely reported. Case Presentations The case of a 56-year-old man presented with unilateral eye redness, proptosis and elevated intraocular pressure was reported herein, which was caused by a TDAVF. The fistula was fed by the left posterior cerebral artery and posterior meningeal artery. The drainage was into the basal vein and internal cerebral veins, which led the arterial blood flow forward to the left superior ophthalmic vein directly. The redundant blood flow caused the rise of episcleral venous pressure, leading to the clinical presentations. Gamma knife radiosurgery was performed then considering the delicate vascular structure and its deep location. The corkscrew hyperaemia was gradually alleviated after the surgery, but the intraocular pressure remained elevated at follow-ups. Conclusion Dural arteriovenous fistulas which are not directly connected to cavernous sinus could cause ocular presentations like proptosis, eye redness and ocular hypertension.

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is the fibrosis within the uterine cavity. It is the second most common cause of female infertility, significantly affecting women's physical and mental health. Current treatment strategies fail to provide a satisfactory therapeutic outcome for IUA patients, leaving an enormous challenge for reproductive science. A self-healing adhesive hydrogel with antioxidant properties will be highly helpful in IUA prevention. In this work, we prepare a series of self-healing hydrogels (P10G15, P10G20, and P10G25) with antioxidant and adhesive properties. Those hydrogels exhibit good self-healing properties and can adapt themselves to different structures. They possess good injectability and fit the shape of the human uterus. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibit good tissue adhesiveness, which is desirable for stable retention and therapeutic efficacy. The in vitro experiments using P10G20 show that the adhesive effectively scavenges ABTS+, DPPH, and hydroxyl radicals, rescuing cells from oxidative stress. In addition, P10G20 offers good hemocompatibility and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. Furthermore, P10G20 lowers down the in vivo oxidative stress and prevents IUA with less fibrotic tissue and better endometrial regeneration in the animal model. It can effectively downregulate fibrosis-related transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Altogether, these adhesives may be a good alternative for the clinical treatment of intrauterine adhesion.

Objectives Triglyceride glucose (TyG) represents a consistent surrogate biomarker and index of insulin resistance (IR), IR has also been linked to skeletal muscle mass loss (SMM-L). Here, we evaluated the association between SMM-L and the TyG index (TyGi).Design An analytical cross-sectional study.Setting Tertiary care hospitals.Participants 36 275 participants who underwent health checks between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2020.Primary and secondary outcome measures A bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to assess the body composition, SMM-L was defined as low ASMI (total limb lean mass/height2) and TyGi was calculated as ln(triglycerides (mg/dL)×fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2).Results A total of 36 275 subjects were included in the study, of which 58.46% were male, with a mean age of 43.74±12.33 years. The prevalence of low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was 17.7% and the mean TyGi was 8.56±0.64. TyGi was found to be significantly correlated with low SMM in all subjects (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.75 to 2.00, p

ABSTRACTVibrio cholerae adapts to the host environment by altering gene expression. Because of the complexity of the gut microbiome, current in vivo V. cholerae transcriptome studies have focused on microbiota-undeveloped conditions, neglecting the interaction between the host’s commensal gut microbiota and V. cholerae. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of fully colonized adult mice in vivo using V. cholerae coated-magnetic chitin beads (vcMCB). This provides a simple yet powerful method for obtaining high-quality RNA from V. cholerae during colonization in mice. The transcriptome of V. cholerae recovered from adult mice infected with vcMCB shows differential expression of several genes when compared to V. cholerae recovered from the infant mouse and infant rabbit model. Some of these genes were also observed to be differentially expressed in previous studies of V. cholerae recovered from human infection when compared to V. cholerae grown in vitro. In particular, we confirmed that V. cholerae resists the inhibitory effects of low pH and formic acid from gut microbiota, such as Anaerostipes caccae and Dorea formicigenerans, by downregulating vc1080. We propose that the vc1080 product may protect V. cholerae from formic acid stress through a novel acid tolerance response mechanism. Transcriptomic data obtained using the vcMCB system provide new perspectives on the interaction between V. cholerae and the gut microbiota, and this approach can also be applied to studies of other pathogenic bacteria.

Abstract We study the application of the method of regions to Feynman integrals with massless propagators contributing to off-shell Green’s functions in Minkowski spacetime (with non-exceptional momenta) around vanishing external masses, p i 2 → 0 $$ {p}_i^2\to 0 $$ . This on-shell expansion allows us to identify all infrared-sensitive regions at any power, in terms of infrared subgraphs in which a subset of the propagators become collinear to external lightlike momenta and others become soft. We show that each such region can be viewed as a solution to the Landau equations, or equivalently, as a facet in the Newton polytope constructed from the Symanzik graph polynomials. This identification allows us to study the properties of the graph polynomials associated with infrared regions, as well as to construct a graph-finding algorithm for the on-shell expansion, which identifies all regions using exclusively graph-theoretical conditions. We also use the results to investigate the analytic structure of integrals associated with regions in which every connected soft subgraph connects to just two jets. For such regions we prove that multiple on-shell expansions commute. This applies in particular to all regions in Sudakov form-factor diagrams as well as in any planar diagram.

The fruits of Cornus officinalis are used not only as a popular health food to tonify the liver and kidney, but also as staple materials to treat dementia and other age-related diseases. The pharmacological function of C. officinalis fruits with or without seeds is controversial for treating some symptoms in a few herbal prescriptions. However, the related metabolite and pharmacological information between its pericarps and seeds are largely deficient. Here, comparative metabolomics analysis between C. officinalis pericarps and seeds were conducted using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry, and therapeutic effects were also evaluated using several in vitro bioactivity arrays (antioxidant activity, α-glucosidase and cholinesterase inhibitory activities, and cell inhibitory properties). A total of 499 secondary metabolites were identified. Thereinto, 77 metabolites were determined as key differential metabolites between C. officinalis pericarps and seeds, and the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway was identified as the most significantly different pathway. Further, 47 metabolites were determined as potential bioactive constituents. In summary, C. officinalis seeds, which demonstrated higher contents in total phenolics, stronger in vitro antioxidant activities, better α-glucosidase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities, and stronger anticancer activities, exhibited considerable potential for food and health fields. This work provided insight into the metabolites and bioactivities of C. officinalis pericarps and seeds, contributing to their precise development and utilization.

In this study, the Kevin–Voigt viscoelastic constitutive relationship is used to investigate the vibration characteristics and stability of a functionally graded viscoelastic(FGV) fluid-conveying pipe with initial geometric defects under thermal–magnetic coupling fields. First, the nonlinear dimensionless differential equations of motion are derived by applying Timoshenko beam theory. Second, by solving the equilibrium position of the system, the nonlinear term in the differential equations of motion is approximated as the sum of the longitudinal displacement at the current time and longitudinal displacement relative to the position, and the equations are linearized. Third, these equations are discretized using the Galerkin method and are numerically solved under simply supported conditions. Finally, the effects of dimensionless temperature field parameters, dimensionless magnetic field parameters, thermal–magnetic coupling, initial geometric defect types, and the power-law exponent on the complex frequency of the pipe are examined. Results show that increasing the magnetic field intensity enhances the critical velocity of first-order mode instability, whereas a heightened temperature variation reduces the critical velocity of first-order diverge instability. Under thermal–magnetic fields, when the magnetic field intensity and temperature difference are simultaneously increased, their effects on the complex frequency can partially offset each other. Increasing the initial geometric defect amplitude increases the imaginary parts of the complex frequencies; however, for different types of initial geometric defect tubes, it exhibits the most distinct influence only on a certain order.

Abstract Background Pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA) is an uncommon fundus disease characterized by perivenous aggregations of pigment clumps and retinochoroidal atrophy distributed along the retinal veins. We report a Chinese female case of unilateral PPRCA with acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG). Case presentation A 50-year-old Chinese female presented with vision loss and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in the right eye and then underwent trabeculectomy. She referred to our clinic for further evaluation and treatment. The funduscopic examination revealed grayish retinochoroidal atrophy and osteocyte-like pigment clumping lesions along the retinal veins and peripapillary preretinal hemorrhage in the right eye. The patient also presented with AACG in the same eye on the basis of past medical history of acute attack, shallow anterior chamber depth (ACD), narrow angle showed by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and glaucomatous neuropathy identified by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Other examinations like fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA), electroretinogram (ERG) and electrooculography (EOG) all confirmed the aforementioned diagnose. Conclusion PPRCA is a rare disease, uncommon in females and symmetrical in both eyes. We present a rare case of unilateral PPRCA accompanied with AACG.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) represents a leading cause of death globally. Key to AMI recovery is timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment, ideally within 3 h of symptom onset. Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is the gold standard yet a low cTnT result cannot rule out AMI at early times. Here, we develop a three-biomarker joint strategy for early and accurate diagnosis of AMI via an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoarray coupled with robust machine learning. The ECL immunoarray is based on an array microchip with a single-electrode and chemiluminescent immuno-Gold (ciGold) nanoassemblies. The ciGold immunoarray was obtained by successively assembling nanocomposites of Cu2+/cysteine complexes and N-(aminobutyl)-N-(ethylisoluminol) bifunctionalized gold nanoparticles combined with chitosan and antibody conjugated gold nanoparticles on the surface of a microchip. Three biomarkers, including cardiac troponin I, heart type fatty acid binding protein, and copeptin, were simultaneously detected in 260 serum samples from patients presenting with chest pain by an innovative multiplexed ECL immunoarray, and classified via the three-biomarker joint assessment model using support vector machines. The model achieved perfect discrimination (100% sensitivity and specificity) for AMI vs non-AMI patients, substantially higher than cTnT alone. Within 12 h of symptom onset, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) misclassified >20% of patients, while the joint biomarker assessment model retained perfect accuracy. As the time between symptom onset and testing became shorter, the degree to which the joint assessment model outperformed hs-cTnT increased. The proposed three-biomarker joint strategy is obviously superior to hs-cTnT for early and accurate diagnosis of AMI, hopefully reducing AMI mortality and saving limited medical resources.

ObjectiveTo review and analyze the functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities in the brain olfactory network (ON) of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with olfactory dysfunction (CRSwOD) and explore the relationship between these FC abnormalities and olfactory dysfunction, providing clues to the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying CRSwOD.MethodsFC analysis on the ON of patients with CRSwOD and patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without olfactory dysfunction (CRSsOD) identified the regions of the ON with abnormal FC in CRSwOD patients, and the correlation between abnormal FC and clinical scales for chronic rhinosinusitis was analyzed.Results(1) Compared with the CRSsOD group, CRSwOD patients showed decreased FC between the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the right middle frontal gyrus, (2) Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the FC value between the right middle frontal gyrus and the left OFC (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.852, sensitivity: 0.821, specificity: 0.800, p

Embedding learning is essential in various research areas, especially in natural language processing (NLP). However, given the nature of unstructured data and word frequency distribution, general pre-trained embeddings, such as word2vec and GloVe, are often inferior in language tasks for specific domains because of missing or unreliable embedding. In many domain-specific language tasks, pre-existing side information can often be converted to a graph to depict the pair-wise relationship between words. Previous methods use kernel tricks to pre-compute a fixed graph for propagating information across different words and imputing missing representations. These methods require predefining the optimal graph construction strategy before any model training, resulting in an inflexible two-step process. In this paper, we leverage the recent advances in graph neural networks and self-supervision strategy to simultaneously learn a similarity graph and impute missing embeddings in an end-to-end fashion with the overall time complexity well controlled. We undertake extensive experiments to show that the integrated approach performs better than several baseline methods.

Increasing preclinical and clinical results have demonstrated that mRNA vaccines efficiently prevent infectious diseases and are safe in animal models and humans. In this study, we fabricated a multivalent influenza mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine with mRNAs of hemagglutinins from influenza H1N1 and H3N2 viruses, matrix protein 1, and nucleoprotein. We found that cutaneous immunization with mRNA LNPs induced strong Th1 and Th2 cellular immunity with robust antigen-specific antibody titers and increased cytokine-secreting splenocytes and antibody-secreting cells. The supplement of cGAMP improved the immunogenicity of mRNA LNPs. Compared with αGC or cGAMP/αGC adjuvanted mRNA LNP formulations in our study, cGAMP mRNA LNPs induced more robust antibody responses. Enhanced cellular immunity with more IL-4 and IFN-γ secreting cells and effector memory T cell populations in spleens, as well as increased CD4+ resident memory (TRM) T cells in lungs were observed in cGAMP mRNA LNPs immunized group. These results demonstrated that cGAMP is an effective adjuvant for cutaneous vaccination of multivalent mRNA LNP vaccines in mice to induce stronger immune responses in the spleen and lung, and the cGAMP-adjuvanted mRNA LNPs protected against homologous and heterologous viral infection.

Due to its powerful capability and high efficiency in big data analysis, machine learning has been applied in various fields. We construct a neural network platform to constrain the behaviors of the equation of state of nuclear matter with respect to the properties of nuclear matter at saturation density and the properties of neutron stars. It is found that the neural network is able to give reasonable predictions of parameter space and provide new hints into the constraints of hadron interactions. As a specific example, we take the relativistic mean field approximation in a widely accepted Walecka-type model to illustrate the feasibility and efficiency of the platform. The results show that the neural network can indeed estimate the parameters of the model at a certain precision such that both the properties of nuclear matter around saturation density and global properties of neutron stars can be saturated. The optimization of the present modularly designed neural network and extension to other effective models is straightforward.

Resveratrol (RES) is a class of natural polyphenolic compounds known for its strong anti-apoptotic and antioxidant properties. Granulosa cells (GCs) are one of the important components of ovarian follicles and play crucial roles in follicular development of follicles in the ovary. Here, we explored the effects of RES on the proliferation and functions of yak GCs. Firstly, we evaluated the effect of RES dose and time in culture on the viability of GCs, and then the optimum treatment protocol (10 μM RES, 36 h) was selected to analyze the effects of RES on the proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, lipid droplet content, ATP production, and steroidogenesis of GCs, as well as the expression of related genes. The results show that RES treatment significantly (1) increased cell viability and proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis by upregulating BCL-2 and SIRT1 genes and downregulating BAX, CASP3, P53, and KU70 genes; (2) increased the proportion of GCs in the S phase and upregulated CCND1, PCNA, CDK4, and CDK5 genes; (3) reduced ROS accumulation and MDA content and increased GSH content, as well as upregulating the relative expression levels of CAT, SOD2, and GPX1 genes; (4) decreased lipid droplet content and increased ATP production; (5) promoted progesterone (P4) secretion and the expression of P4 synthesis-related genes (StAR, HSD3B1, and CYP11A1); and (6) inhibited E2 secretion and CYP19A1 expression. These findings suggest that RES at 10 μM increases the proliferation and antioxidant properties, inhibits apoptosis, and promotes ATP production, lipid droplet consumption, and P4 secretion of yak GCs.

Abstract We introduce a secure hardware device named a QEnclave that can secure the remote execution of quantum operations while only using classical controls. This device extends to quantum computing from the classical concept of a secure enclave that isolates a computation from its environment to provide privacy and tamper-resistance. Remarkably, our QEnclave only performs single qubit rotations but can nevertheless be used to secure an arbitrary quantum computation even if the qubit source is controlled by an adversary. More precisely, by attaching a QEnclave to a quantum computer, a remote client controlling the QEnclave can securely delegate its computation to the server solely using classical communication. We investigate the security of our QEnclave by modeling it as an ideal functionality named remote state rotation (RSR). We show that this resource, similar to the previously introduced functionality of remote state preparation, allows blind delegated quantum computing with perfect security. Our proof under the Abstract Cryptography framework shows the construction of remote state preparation from remote state rotation while preserving security. An immediate consequence is the weakening of the requirements for blind delegated computation. While previous delegated protocols relied on a client that can either generate or measure quantum states, we show that this same functionality can be achieved with a client that only transforms quantum states without generating or measuring them.

Abstract Background Previous studies exploring usual alcohol consumption and falls risk were scarce in China. In addition, the dose–response relationship has not been explored so far. This study aims to estimate the association between usual alcohol consumption and risk of falls among middle-aged and older Chinese adults based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which is representative of the population of the entire country. Methods Baseline survey data in 2015 and follow-up data in 2018 in CHARLS were utilized. Alcohol consumption was calculated in grams per day (gr/day) according to self-reported drinking data and categorized accordingly to The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (DGC) 2016. Fall was obtained from self-reported information. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the association of usual alcohol consumption with risk of falling. The dose–response relationship was also explored using restricted cubic splines. Results A total of 12,910 middle-aged and older participants were included from the CHARLS 2015, of which 11,667 were followed up in 2018. We found that former, moderate, and excessive drinkers were at higher fall risk compared to never drinkers (former: OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05–1.46; moderate: OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.06–1.41; excessive: OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.15–1.61) in the longitudinal analysis. Similarly, individuals with moderate and excessive alcohol consumption were at increased risk of falling in the cross-sectional analysis (moderate: OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02–1.37; excessive: OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.11,1.57). No significant increased risk of falls was found for former drinkers (former: OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.96–1.34). We observed a significant non-linear relationship. Conclusions Our study suggests that usual alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of falls, highlighting the key role of alcohol intake on the fall risk, which needed consideration in developing intervention and prevention strategies for reducing falls among middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

As one of the most successful pathogenic organisms, Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) has evolved sophisticated regulatory mechanisms to overcome host stress. During long-term colonization by V. cholerae in adult mice, many spontaneous nonmotile mutants (approximately 10% at the fifth day post-infection) were identified. These mutations occurred primarily in conserved regions of the flagellar regulator genes flrA, flrC, and rpoN, as shown by Sanger and next-generation sequencing, and significantly increased fitness during colonization in adult mice. Intriguingly, instead of key genes in DNA repair systems (mutS, nfo, xthA, uvrA) or ROS and RNS scavenging systems (katG, prxA, hmpA), which were generally thought to be associated with bacterial mutagenesis, we found that deletion of the cyclin gene dps significantly increased the mutation rate (up to 53% at the fifth day post-infection) in V. cholerae. We further determined that the dpsD65A and dpsF46E point mutants showed a similar mutagenesis profile as the Δdps mutant during long-term colonization in mice, which strongly indicated that the antioxidative function of Dps directly contributes to the development of V. cholerae nonmotile mutants. Methionine metabolism pathway may be one of the mechanism for ΔflrA, ΔflrC and ΔrpoN mutant increased colonization in adult mice. Our results revealed a new phenotype in which increased fitness of V. cholerae in the host gut via spontaneous production nonmotile mutants regulated by cyclin Dps, which may represent a novel adaptation strategy for directed evolution of pathogens in the host.

Lung macrophages constitute the first line of defense against airborne particles and microbes and are key to maintaining pulmonary immune homeostasis. There is increasing evidence suggesting that macrophages also participate in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), including the modulation of inflammatory responses and the repair of damaged lung tissues. The diversity of their functions may be attributed to their polarized states. Classically activated or inflammatory (M1) macrophages and alternatively activated or anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages are the two main polarized macrophage phenotypes. The precise regulatory mechanism of macrophage polarization is a complex process that is not completely understood. A growing body of literature on immunometabolism has demonstrated the essential role of immunometabolism and its metabolic intermediates in macrophage polarization. In this review, we summarize macrophage polarization phenotypes, the role of immunometabolism, and its metabolic intermediates in macrophage polarization and ALI/ARDS, which may represent a new target and therapeutic direction.

AimTo examine the direction, strength and causality of the associations of resting heart rate (RHR) with cardiac morphology and function in 20,062 UK Biobank participants.Methods and resultsParticipants underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and we extracted CMR biventricular structural and functional metrics using automated pipelines. Multivariate linear regression adjusted for the main cardiovascular risk factors and Two-sample Mendelian Randomization analyses were performed to assess the potential relationship, grouped by heart rate and stratified by sex. Each 10 beats per minute increase in RHR was linked with smaller ventricular structure (lower biventricular end-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume), poorer left ventricular (LV) function (lower LV ejection fraction, global longitude strain and global function index) and unhealthy pattern of LV remodeling (higher values of myocardial contraction fraction), but there is no statistical difference in LV wall thickness. These trends are more pronounced among males and consistent with the causal effect direction of genetic variants interpretation. These observations reflect that RHR has an independent and broad impact on LV remodeling, however, genetically-predicted RHR is not statistically related to heart failure.ConclusionWe demonstrate higher RHR cause smaller ventricular chamber volume, poorer systolic function and unhealthy cardiac remodeling pattern. Our findings provide effective evidence for the potential mechanism of cardiac remodeling and help to explore the potential scope or benefit of intervention.

Accurate and standardized quantification of reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) results relies on the use of a dependable reference gene. The precise control of transgene expression in terms of both spatial and temporal aspects necessitates the utilization of tissue-specific gene promoters. However, the identification of stable reference genes across various tissues, particularly in fruits at different ripening stages, as well as tissue-specific genes in bitter gourds, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we employed RNA-Seq-based transcriptome datasets obtained from nine tissues to comprehensively screen for new reference genes (NRGs) and tissue-specific genes. Through the utilization of five algorithms in conjunction with qRT-PCR analysis, we successfully identified two highly stable reference genes, namely HMG1/2 and PHOS32, from a pool of 11 NRGs and five traditional reference genes (TRGs). To validate their reliability, we performed expression pattern analysis of two genes associated with fruit ripening (McACO1 and McACO2) using HMG1/2 and PHOS32, as well as an unstable reference gene, HSCP2. Furthermore, we conducted qRT-PCR validation of 12 tissue-specific genes using HMG1/2 as the reference gene. This study not only contributes to the precise normalization of target genes in bitter gourd but also provides a solid foundation for regulating transgenes through the utilization of suitable tissue-specific promoters.

Novel goose parvovirus (NGPV), a genetic variant of goose parvovirus, has been spreading throughout China since 2015 and mainly infects ducklings with the symptoms of growth retardation, beak atrophy, and protruding tongue, leading to huge economic losses every year. A safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed to control NGPV infection. In this study, virus-like particles (VLPs) of NPGV were assembled and evaluated for their immunogenicity. The VP2 protein of NGPV was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells using baculovirus as vector. The VP2 protein was efficiently expressed in the nucleus of insect cells, and the particles with a circular or hexagonal shape and a diameter of approximately 30 nm, similar to the NGPV virion, were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The purified particles were confirmed to be composed of VP2 using western blot and TEM, indicating that the VLPs of NGPV were successfully assembled. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of the VLPs of NGPV was evaluated in Cherry Valley ducks. The level of NGPV serum antibodies increased significantly at 1–4 weeks post-immunization. No clinical symptoms or deaths of ducks occurred in all groups after being challenged with NGPV at 4 weeks post-immunization. There was no viral shedding in the immunized group. However, viral shedding was detected at 3–7 days post-challenge in the non-immunized group. Moreover, VLPs can protect ducks from histopathological lesions caused by NGPV and significantly reduce viral load in tissue at 5 days post-challenge. Based on these findings, NGPV VLPs are promising candidates for vaccines against NGPV.

Organic leafy vegetables face challenges related to potential substitution with non-organic products and vulnerability to dehydration and deterioration. To address these concerns, visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VIS-NIR) combined with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was employed in this study to rapidly distinguish between organic and non-organic leafy vegetables. The organic category includes organic water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsskal), amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. ramosa Hort.), and pakchoi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis (Linnaeus) Kitamura), while the non-organic category consists of their four non-organic counterparts. Binary classification was performed on the reflectance spectra of these vegetables’ leaves and stems, respectively. Given the broad range of the VIS-NIR spectrum, stability selection (SS), random forest (RF), and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the importance of the wavelengths selected by genetic algorithm (GA). According to the GA-selected wavelengths and their SS-evaluated values and locations, the significant bands for leaf spectra classification were identified as 550–910 nm and 1380–1500 nm, while 750–900 nm and 1700–1820 nm were important for stem spectra classification. Using these selected bands in the LDA classification, classification accuracies of over 95% were achieved, showcasing the effectiveness of utilizing the proposed method to rapidly identify organic leafy vegetables and the feasibility and potential of using a cost-effective spectrometer that only contains necessary bands for authenticating.

Let $ \mathfrak{L} $ and $ A $ be Lie triple systems, and let $ \theta_A $ be a representation of $ \mathfrak{L} $ on $ A. $ We first construct the third-order cohomology classes by derivations of $ A $ and $ \mathfrak{L}, $ then obtain a Lie algebra $ G_{\theta_A} $ with a representation $ \Phi $ on $ H^3(\mathfrak{L}, A), $ where $ \theta_A $ is given by an abelian extension $ 0\longrightarrow A\longrightarrow {\tilde {\mathfrak{L}}} \xrightarrow{\pi} \mathfrak{L}\longrightarrow 0. $ We study obstruction classes for extensibility of derivations of $ A $ and $ \mathfrak{L} $ to those of $ \tilde{\mathfrak{L}}. $ An application of $ \Phi $ is discussed.

Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that is characterized by ongoing discomfort and can be challenging to manage effectively. This study aimed to identify genes associated with neuropathic pain through transcriptome analysis in order to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this chronic, difficult-to-treat pain.Methods: We conducted transcriptome analysis using a training datasetof 202 individuals, including patients with neuropathic pain and healthy controls.Results: Our analysis identified five genes (GTF2H2, KLHL5, LRRC37A4P, PRR24, and MRPL23) that were significantly differentially expressed in the tissue of patients with neuropathic pain compared to controls. We constructed a neuropathic pain signature using these five genes and validated it using an independent dataset of 25 individuals. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that this signature had a high level of accuracy in differentiating between neuropathic pain patients and healthy controls, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83 (95% CI 0.65–1).Discussion: These findings suggest that these five genes may be potential therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain.

Shale gas release in canister can significantly enrich our understanding in gas-in-place characteristics. However, studies on shale gas release characteristics and its controlling factors are rare. In this study, gas release curves of 52 shale samples and 3 coal samples were measured using wellsite canister testing technique. According to curve shape, three curve patterns including L-shaped, S-shaped, and M-shaped are identified, and the difference among three curve patterns mainly lies in the fractional gas volume released in surface temperature stage. To evaluate the dependence of released gas content on shale properties, the variation in released gas content with organic matter, minerals, porosity, permeability, specific surface area, and pore volume is analyzed and found that the released gas content shows a strong dependence on the properties that control or could increase gas adsorption and diffusion capacity, such as TOC content, specific surface area, and permeability, while showing no dependence on the properties that control free gas storage capacity, such as minerals, porosity, and pore volume. Additionally, correlations of released gas content with adsorbed/free gas show that the released gas during canister testing is the gas that was in the adsorbed state in reservoir, and the free gas has been lost during coring, as well as a fraction of adsorbed gas. Above findings provide insightful information not only on gas-in-place evaluations but also on the dynamic behavior of adsorbed/free gas from producing well.

Summary: Bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas consume preferred carbon substrates in nearly reverse order to that of enterobacteria, and this process is controlled by RNA-binding translational repressors and regulatory ncRNA antagonists. However, their roles in microbe-plant interactions and the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. Here we show that root-associated diazotrophic Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501 preferentially catabolizes succinate, followed by the less favorable substrate citrate, and ultimately glucose. Furthermore, the Hfq/Crc/CrcZY regulatory system orchestrates this preference and contributes to optimal nitrogenase activity and efficient root colonization. Hfq has a central role in this regulatory network through different mechanisms of action, including repressing the translation of substrate-specific catabolic genes, activating the nitrogenase gene nifH posttranscriptionally, and exerting a positive effect on the transcription of an exopolysaccharide gene cluster. Our results illustrate an Hfq-mediated mechanism linking carbon metabolism to nitrogen fixation and root colonization, which may confer rhizobacteria competitive advantages in rhizosphere environments.

Abstract Background Depression may be the most common cause of emotional distress later in life and can significantly reduce the quality of life in elderly individuals. Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by the continuous loss of skeletal muscle mass and decreased strength and function. In recent years, many studies have shown a correlation between sarcopenia and depression. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression among individuals with sarcopenia and to ascertain whether sarcopenia is independently associated with depression. Methods We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases for papers on sarcopenia published up to 31 August 2021. We reviewed the literature on the number of individuals with sarcopenia, the number of individuals with both sarcopenia and depression, and the odds ratio (OR) of sarcopenia to depression. Statistical analyses were performed using Meta‐DiSc 1.4 software and Stata version 12.0. Results Nineteen articles met the inclusion criteria for review: nine reported both prevalence and ORs, four described prevalence only, and six detailed the ORs only. Regarding prevalence, there were 1476 cases of sarcopenia and 364 of depression in the selected studies; the mean age of the patients was 75.5 years, and the overall prevalence of depression was 0.28 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21–0.36]. Significant heterogeneity was noted (P

In this study, the combined process of slow filtration and low pressure nanofiltration (NF) has been used to deeply remove the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in a secondary effluent, and the mechanism of ARGs removal has been subsequently explored. It is observed that the optimal filtration rate for the slow filtration without biofilm, slow filtration with the aerobic heterotrophic biofilm, slow filtration with the nitrification biofilm and slow filtration with the denitrification biofilm to remove tet A, tet W, sul I, sul II and DOC is 20 cm/h, and the slow filtration with the aerobic heterotrophic biofilm exhibits the highest removal amount. The slow filtration with biofilms removes a high extent of free ARGs. As compared with the direct NF of the secondary effluent and the slow filtration without biofilm-NF, the slow filtration with the aerobic heterotrophic biofilm-NF combined process exhibits the best ARGs removal effect. The microbial population structure and the high filtration rate in the aerobic heterotrophic biofilm promote the removal of ARGs. Strengthening the removal of 16S rDNA, intI 1 and DOC can improve the ARGs removal effect of the combined process. Overall, the slow filtration-NF combined process is a better process for removing ARGs. HIGHLIGHTS Advanced treatment reduces the concentration of ARGs in the secondary effluent.; The combined process of slow filtration and low pressure nanofiltration can significantly remove ARGs.; Organic matter removal is related to ARGs removal.; The type of biofilm and the filtration rate affect the removal effect.;

The stems of Dendrobium chrysotoxum (DC) are commonly used as health-promoting foods due to their excellent biological activities. However, the stems of D. thyrsiflorum (DT) are often used to meet the scarcity of DC in production because of their highly similar morphology. However, the related metabolomic and bioactive information on the stems of DC and DT are largely deficient. Here, secondary metabolites of DC and DT stems were identified using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, and their health-promoting functions were evaluated using several in vitro arrays. A total of 490 metabolites were identified in two stems, and 274 were significantly different. We screened out 10 key metabolites to discriminate the two species, and 36 metabolites were determined as health-promoting constituents. In summary, DT stems with higher extract yield, higher total phenolics and flavonoids, and stronger in vitro antioxidant activities demonstrated considerable potential in food and health fields.

The 2 μm wavelength belongs to the eye-safe band and has a wide range of applications in the fields of lidar, biomedicine, and materials processing. With the rapid development of military, wind power, sensing, and other industries, new requirements for 2 μm solid-state laser light sources have emerged, especially in the field of lidar. This paper focuses on the research progress of 2 μm solid-state lasers for lidar over the past decade. The technology and performance of 2 μm pulsed single longitudinal mode solid-state lasers, 2 μm seed solid-state lasers, and 2 μm high power solid-state lasers are, respectively, summarized and analyzed. This paper also introduces the properties of gain media commonly used in the 2 μm band, the construction method of new bonded crystals, and the fabrication method of saturable absorbers. Finally, the future prospects of 2 μm solid-state lasers for lidar are presented.

Binary metallic alloy nanomaterials (NMs) have received significant attention because of their widespread application in photoelectrocatalysis, electronics, and engineering. Although various synthetic methods have been adopted to prepare binary alloy NMs, the formation of bimetallic alloy NMs by irradiating the mixed solutions of metal salts and metal powders, using a nanosecond pulsed laser in the absence of any reducing agent, is rarely reported. Herein, we report a simple method to fabricate PtX (X = Ag, Cu, Co, Ni) alloy NMs by laser irradiation. Taking PtAg alloys as an example, we present the growth dynamics of the PtAg alloys by laser irradiating a mixture solution of bulk Pt and AgNO3. The experimental process and evidenced characterization indicate that the photothermal evaporation induced by laser irradiation can cause the fragmentation of the bulk Pt into smaller parts, which alloy with Ag atoms extracted from Ag+ by solvated electrons (e−aq) and free radicals (Haq). These alloys were used as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), proving their potential application. Notably, in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution, the PtNi alloy exhibited higher HER activity (44 mV at 10 mA/cm−2) compared to the untreated bulk Pt (72 mV). Our work provides unique insights into the growth processing of valuable Pt-based bimetallic alloy NMs by laser-assisted metallic alloying, which paves a path for the development of bimetallic alloy electrocatalysts.

Abstract Pattern‐recognition receptors (PRRs) have been shown to promote tumour metastasis via sensing tumour cell‐derived small extracellular vesicles (EVs). Nucleotide‐binding oligomerisation domain 1 (NOD1), a cytoplasmic PRR, plays a role in colorectal cancer (CRC) by detecting bacterial products. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the effects of NOD1, following identification of CRC cell‐derived EVs (CRC‐EVs), to potentiate CRC liver metastasis (CRC‐LM), remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that CRC‐EVs activate NOD1 in macrophages to initiate secretion of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. NOD1‐activated macrophages also promote CRC cell migration, while in a murine model of liver metastasis (LM), NOD1‐deficient mice exhibit reduced metastasis following CRC‐EV treatment. Furthermore, cell division cycle 42 (CDC42), a small Rho guanosine‐5′‐triphosphate (GTP)ase, is delivered by CRC‐EVs into macrophages where it activates NOD1. In addition, EVs from the plasma of patients with CRC‐LM mediate NOD1 activation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Moreover, high NOD1 expression in tumour tissues is associated with poor prognosis of CRC‐LM. Our findings suggest that CRC‐EVs activate NOD1 to promote tumour metastasis, thus, NOD1 may serve as a potential target in the diagnosis and treatment of CRC‐LM.

Abstract Background Since the outbreak of COVID-19, it has been documented that old age and underlying illnesses are associated with poor prognosis among COVID-19 patients. However, it is unknown whether sarcopenia, a common geriatric syndrome, is associated with poor prognosis among older COVID-19 patients. The aim of our prospective cohort study is to investigate the association between sarcopenia risk and severe disease among COVID-19 patients aged ≥60 years. Method A prospective cohort study of 114 hospitalized older patients (≥60 years) with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia between 7 February, 2020 and 6 April, 2020. Epidemiological, socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data on admission and outcome data were extracted from electronic medical records. All patients were assessed for sarcopenia on admission using the SARC-F scale and the outcome was the development of the severe disease within 60 days. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to identify the association between sarcopenia and progression of disease defined as severe cases in a total of 2908 person-days. Result Of 114 patients (mean age 69.52 ± 7.25 years, 50% woman), 38 (33%) had a high risk of sarcopenia while 76 (67%) did not. We found that 43 (38%) patients progressed to severe cases. COVID-19 patients with higher risk sarcopenia were more likely to develop severe disease than those without (68% versus 22%, p

The mammalian heart possesses entire regeneration capacity after birth, which is lost in adulthood. The role of the kinase network in myocardial regeneration remains largely elusive. SGK3 (threonine-protein kinase 3) is a functional kinase we identified previously with the capacity to promote cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac repair after myocardial infarction. However, the upstream signals regulating SGK3 are still unknown. Based on the quantitative phosphoproteomics data and pulldown assay, we identified cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) as a novel therapeutic target in regeneration therapy. The direct combination between CDK9 and SGK3 was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). CDK9 is highly expressed in the newborn period and rarely detected in the adult myocardium. In vitro, the proliferation ratio of primary cardiomyocytes was significantly elevated by CDK9 overexpression while inhibited by CDK9 knockdown. In vivo, inhibition of CDK9 shortened the time window of cardiac regeneration after apical resection (AR) in neonatal mice, while overexpression of CDK9 significantly promoted mature cardiomyocytes (CMs) to re-enter the cell cycle and cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI) in adult mice. Mechanistically, CDK9 promoted cardiac repair by directly activating SGK3 and downstream GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. Consequently, our study indicated that CDK9 might be a novel target for MI therapy by stimulating myocardial regeneration.

ObjectiveTo explore whether biological rhythm disturbance mediates the association between perceived stress and depressive symptoms and to investigate whether ego resilience moderates the mediation model.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out using an online self-report questionnaire distributed to college students from September 2021 to October 2021. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Perceived Stress Severity (PSS-10), the Biological Rhythms Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), and Ego Resilience (ER-96) were used for investigation. SPSS 23 was used for data analyses. The significance of mediation was determined by the PROCESS macro using a bootstrap approach.ResultsAmong the participants, 9.2% (N = 1,282) exhibited significant symptoms of depression. Perceived stress was positively associated with depressive symptoms, and biorhythm partially mediated this relationship. The direct and indirect effects were both moderated by ego resilience. Perceived stress had a greater impact on depressive symptoms and biorhythm for college students with lower ego resilience, and the impact of biorhythm on depressive symptoms was also stronger for those with lower ego resilience. Perceived stress had an impact on depressive symptoms directly and indirectly via the mediation of biorhythm.ConclusionSchools and educators should guide college students to identify stress correctly and provide effective suggestions to deal with it. Meanwhile, maintaining a stable biorhythm can protect college students from developing depressive symptoms. Students with low resilience should be given more attention and assistance.

BackgroundMaternal stress during pregnancy can raise the risk of mental disorders in offspring. The continuous emergence of clinical concepts and the introduction of new technologies are great challenges. In this study, through bibliometric analysis, the research trends and hotspots on prenatal stress (PS) were explored to comprehend clinical treatments and recommend future scientific research directions.MethodsStudies on PS published on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed. Bibliometric analysis was conducted according to the number of publications, keywords, journals, citations, affiliations, and countries. With the data collected from the WoSCC, visualization of geographic distribution; clustering analysis of keywords, affiliations, and authors; and descriptive analysis and review of PS were carried out.ResultsA total of 7,087 articles published in 2011–2021 were retrieved. During this period, the number of publications increased. Psychoneuroendocrinology is the leading journal on PS. The largest contributor was the United States. The University of California system was leading among institutions conducting relevant research. Wang H, King S, and Tain YL were scholars with significant contributions. Hotspots were classified into four clusters, namely, pregnancy, prenatal stress, oxidative stress, and growth.ConclusionThe number of studies on PS increased. Journals, countries, institutions, researchers with the most contributions, and most cited articles worldwide were extracted. Studies have mostly concentrated on treating diseases, the application of new technologies, and the analysis of epidemiological characteristics. Multidisciplinary integration is becoming the focus of current development. Epigenetics is increasingly used in studies on PS. Thus, it constitutes a solid foundation for future clinical medical and scientific research.