Search

Abstract Objective Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common complication following off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) and is associated with significant morbidity. This study aims to evaluate the correlation of systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) with postoperative delirium (POD) in patients with cerebral infarction undergoing OPCABG. Methods The perioperative cohort study included 321 patients who underwent OPCABG. Patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of POD: the delirium group (n = 113) and the non-delirium group (n = 208). Baseline characteristics, including gender, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), surgery duration, hypertension, age, and smoking history were analyzed. SII and SIRI values were calculated preoperatively, and their association with POD was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of SII and SIRI. Results Statistical differences between SII and SIRI in the two groups (P

Objective To explore the effectiveness of intraovarian injection of platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in the treatment of patients with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR), aiming to provide new diagnostic and therapeutic ideas for the treatment. Methods A total of 22 patients with DOR who underwent autologous PRP ovarian injection at the Reproductive Medical and Genetic Center of Qinzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were collected. Among them, 12 patients underwent assisted reproductive technology for pregnancy. The patient′s anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), basal luteinizing hormone (LH) and basal estradiol (E2) levels were observed. Results The levels of AMH, AFC, basal FSH, basal LH and basal E2 in 22 patients improved after treatment compared with those before treatment. Of the 12 patients who received assisted reproduction, 2 had IVF cycle canceled due to poor ovarian reaction. Ten patients obtained embryos, of which 5 obtained high-quality embryos. Conclusion Intraovarian injection of autologous PRP can effectively improve ovarian reserve function in patients with DOR.

Abstract Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) is a promising brain stimulation method that can target deep brain regions by delivering an interfering current from surface electrodes. Most instances of tTIS stimulate the brain with a single-frequency sinusoidal waveform generated by wave interference. Theta burst stimulation is an effective stimulation scheme that can modulate neuroplasticity by generating long-term potentiation- or depression-like effects. To broaden tTIS application, we developed a theta burst protocol using tTIS technique to modulate neuroplasticity in rats. Two cannula electrodes were unilaterally implanted into the intact skull over the primary motor cortex. Electrical field of temporal interference envelopes generated by tTIS through cannula electrodes were recorded from primary motor cortex. Theta burst schemes were characterized, and motor activation induced by the stimulation was also evaluated simultaneously by observing electromyographic signals from the corresponding brachioradialis muscle. After validating the stimulation scheme, we further tested the modulatory effects of theta burst stimulation delivered by tTIS and by conventional transcranial electrical stimulation on primary motor cortex excitability. Changes in the amplitude of motor evoked potentials, elicited when the primary motor cortex was activated by electrical pulses, were measured before and after theta burst stimulation by both techniques. Significant potentiation and suppression were found at 15 to 30 min after the intermittent and continuous theta burst stimulation delivered using tTIS, respectively. However, comparing to theta burst stimulations delivered using conventional form of transcranial electrical stimulation, using tTIS expressed no significant difference in modulating motor evoked potential amplitudes. Sham treatment from both methods had no effect on changing the motor evoked potential amplitude. The present study demonstrated the feasibility of using tTIS to achieve a theta burst stimulation scheme for motor cortical neuromodulation. These findings also indicated the future potential of using tTIS to carry out theta burst stimulation protocols in deep-brain networks for modulating neuroplasticity.

Abstract Background Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women globally. Over-activated estrogen receptor (ER) α signaling is considered the main factor in luminal breast cancers, which can be effectively managed with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like tamoxifen. However, approximately 30–40% of ER + breast cancer cases are recurrent after tamoxifen therapy. This implies that the treatment of breast cancer is still hindered by resistance to tamoxifen. Recent studies have suggested that post-translational modifications of ERα play a significant role in endocrine resistance. The stability of both ERα protein and its transcriptome is regulated by a balance between E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases. According to the current knowledge, approximately 100 deubiquitinases are encoded in the human genome, but it remains unclear which deubiquitinases play a critical role in estrogen signaling and endocrine resistance. Thus, decoding the key deubiquitinases that significantly impact estrogen signaling, including the control of ERα expression and stability, is critical for the improvement of breast cancer therapeutics. Methods We used several ER positive breast cancer cell lines, DUB siRNA library screening, xenograft models, endocrine-resistant (ERα-Y537S) model and performed immunoblotting, real time PCR, RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, and luciferase activity assay to investigate the function of USP36 in breast cancer progression and tamoxifen resistance. Results In this study, we identify Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 36 (USP36) as a key deubiquitinase involved in ERα signaling and the advancement of breast cancer by deubiquitinases siRNA library screening. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that USP36, but not its catalytically inactive mutant (C131A), could promote breast cancer progression through ERα signaling. Conversely, silencing USP36 inhibited tumorigenesis. In models resistant to endocrine therapy, silencing USP36 destabilized the resistant form of ERα (Y537S) and restored sensitivity to tamoxifen. Molecular studies indicated that USP36 inhibited K48-linked polyubiquitination of ERα and enhanced the ERα transcriptome. It is interesting to note that our results suggest USP36 as a novel biomarker for treatment of breast cancer. Conclusion Our study revealed the possibility that inhibiting USP36 combined with tamoxifen could provide a potential therapy for breast cancer.

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is an important veterinary pathogen and a noteworthy threat to human and animal health. Recently, there has been a significant rise in the number of moose fatalities caused by this rare, endemic species in China. Currently, there is an increasing trend in conducting whole-genome analysis of C. perfringens strains originating from pigs and chickens, whereas fewer studies have been undertaken on Elaphurus davidianus-originating strains at the whole-genome level. Our laboratory has identified and isolated five C. perfringens type A from affected Elaphurus davidianus. The current study identified the most potent strain of C. perfringens, which originated from Elaphurus davidianus, and sequenced its genome to reveal virulence genes and pathogenicity. Our findings show that strain CX1-4 exhibits the highest levels of phospholipase activity, hemolytic activity, and mouse toxicity compared to the other four isolated C. perfringens type A strains. The chromosome sequence length of the CX1-4 strain was found to be 3,355,389 bp by complete genome sequencing. The current study unveils the genomic characteristics of C. perfringens type A originating from Elaphurus davidianus. It provides a core foundation for further investigation regarding the prevention and treatment of such infectious diseases in Elaphurus davidianus.

Abstract Decreased myocardial capillary density has been reported as an important histopathological feature associated with various heart disorders. Quantitative assessment of cardiac capillarization typically involves double immunostaining of cardiomyocytes (CMs) and capillaries in myocardial slices. In contrast, single immunostaining of basement membrane protein is a straightforward approach to simultaneously label CMs and capillaries, presenting fewer challenges in background staining. However, subsequent image analysis always requires expertise and laborious manual work to identify and segment CMs/capillaries. Here, we developed an image analysis tool, AutoQC, for automatic identification and segmentation of CMs and capillaries in immunofluorescence images of basement membrane. Commonly used capillarization-related measurements can be derived from segmentation results. By leveraging the power of a pre-trained segmentation model (Segment Anything Model, SAM) via prompt engineering, the training of AutoQC required only a small dataset with bounding box annotations instead of pixel-wise annotations. AutoQC outperformed SAM (without prompt engineering) and YOLOv8-Seg, a state-of-the-art instance segmentation model, in both instance segmentation and capillarization assessment. Thus, AutoQC, featuring a weakly supervised algorithm, enables automatic segmentation and high-throughput, high-accuracy capillarization assessment in basement-membrane-immunostained myocardial slices. This approach reduces the training workload and eliminates the need for manual image analysis once AutoQC is trained.

Impact toughness has a strong size effect, which restricts the accurate evaluation of material toughness and safety of structural design. However, our understanding of the internal mechanical mechanism that influences the size effect remains incomplete. To fill this gap, this paper adopts the method of combining experiment, theory, and simulation. From the point of view of the dependence of plastic and fracture behavior of material on stress state, the internal mechanical mechanism of the size effect of impact toughness (αk) was studied. Firstly, the Charpy impact tests of different sizes were carried out on Al 6061. αk was divided into cracking initiation toughness (αini) and cracking growth toughness (αgro). The variation of αini and αgro with specimen size was analyzed. Then, through a series of tests, the influence of stress state on the plastic and fracture behavior of Al 6061 was studied. To simulate the whole process of the Charpy impact test, an uncoupled 3D fracture model was proposed. Subsequently, a stress state dependent yield function, modified Voce hardening law, and the proposed fracture model were used to simulate the Charpy impact tests. The predicted results were in good agreement with the tests. Finally, the internal mechanical mechanisms of the size effects of αini and αgro were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The αini and αgro have significant size effects, and there are significant differences between them. (2) The internal mechanical mechanism of the size effect of αini was revealed; that is, the dependence of the plastic behavior of the material on the stress state is the internal root cause of the dependence of αini on the specimen size. (3) The internal mechanical mechanism of the size effect of αgro was revealed; that is, the dependence of the plastic behavior of the material on the stress state and the fracture behavior of the material under ultra-high stress triaxiality is the internal fundamental reason affecting the size effect of αgro. (4) This study reveals the internal complex and intimate relationships between plastic behavior, fracture behavior, toughness behavior, stress state, and the size effect, providing a valuable reference for accurate and comprehensive understanding, evaluation, and selection of metal materials.

Abstract Adipose tissue development begins in the fetal period, and continues to expand after birth. Dysregulation of adipose tissue during weaning may predispose individuals to lifelong metabolic disorders. However, the developmental remodeling of adipose tissue during weaning remains largely unexplored. Here we comprehensively compare the changes in mouse subcutaneous white adipose tissue from 7 days after birth to 7 days after weaning using single-cell RNA sequencing along with other molecular and histologic assays. We characterize the developmental trajectory of preadipocytes and indicate the commitment of preadipocytes with beige potential during weaning. Meanwhile, we find immune cells unique to weaning period, whose expression of extracellular matrix proteins implies potential regulation on preadipocyte. Finally, the strongest cell-cell interaction during weaning determined by the TGFβ ligand-receptor pairs is between preadipocytes and endotheliocytes. Our results provide a detailed and unbiased cellular landscape and offer insights into the potential regulation of adipose tissue remodeling during weaning.

The promotion of electric vehicles brings notable environmental and economic advantages. Precisely estimating the state of health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries is crucial for maintaining their efficiency and safety. This study introduces an SOH estimation approach for lithium-ion batteries that integrates multi-feature analysis with a convolutional neural network and kolmogorov-arnold network (CNN-KAN). Initially, we measure the charging time, current, and temperature during the constant voltage phase. These include charging duration, the integral of current over time, the chi-square value of current, and the integral of temperature over time, which are combined to create a comprehensive multi-feature set. The CNN’s robust feature extraction is employed to identify crucial features from raw data, while KAN adeptly models the complex nonlinear interactions between these features and SOH, enabling accurate SOH estimation for lithium batteries. Experiments were carried out at four different charging current rates. The findings indicate that despite significant nonlinear declines in the SOH of lithium batteries, this method consistently provides accurate SOH estimations. The root mean square error (RMSE) is below 1%, with an average coefficient of determination (R2) exceeding 98%. Compared to traditional methods, the proposed method demonstrates significant advantages in handling the nonlinear degradation trends in battery life prediction, enhancing the model’s generalization ability as well as its reliability in practical applications. It holds significant promise for future research in SOH estimation of lithium batteries.

To enhance the heat transfer inside the helically coiled tubes, a kind of internally finned helically coiled tubes is proposed. Compared to the smooth helically coiled tubes, the heat transfer and flow resistance characteristics of internally finned helically coiled tubes are investigated numerically. Influence of fin number, pitch and coil diameter on the performance is analyzed. Empirical correlations to calculate the Nusselt number and friction factor of internally finned helically coiled tubes are summarized. The helically coiled tubes heat exchangers are divided equally into several cells and the theoretical analysis of energy flow in each cell is carried out. According to the established equations of heat transfer, the calculation method for single-stream helically coiled tubes heat exchangers and multi-stream helically coiled tubes heat exchangers is proposed. The geometric model and thermohydraulic model are built up, and the design software for internally finned helically coiled tubes heat exchangers is developed based on Python. Take two cases of helically coiled tubes heat exchangers as examples, smooth helically coiled tubes and internally finned helically coiled tubes (fin number is six) are applied to validate the accuracy of calculations results obtained by design software. The results show that the deviation of outlet temperature and pressure drop is less than 7 % and 11 %, respectively. When applying internally finned helically coiled tubes, the heat transfer coefficient of the tube side is increased by approximately 30 %. The corresponding pressure drop and heat load is higher. The outlet temperature proves that the heat transfer is more insufficient in the case of internally finned helically coiled tubes (fin number is six).

A novel double shell-passes multi-layer helically coiled tubes heat exchanger (DSMHCTHE) is proposed to improve the flow and heat transfer performance of the shell side. It was studied by using conjugate heat transfer numerical model. By changing coil diameter and pitch, the influence of coil torsion on the performance of the heat exchangers was investigated in the range of 0.0637–0.3183, and compared with the conventional multi-layer helically coiled tubes heat exchangers (MHCTHE). Two kinds of heat exchangers were optimized by using multi-objective optimization differential evolution algorithm. The results indicate that the coil pitch has a greater effect on the overall heat transfer coefficient, and the effects of coil pitch variations in the inner and outer helically coiled tubes follow different patterns. Compared with MHCTHE, the heat transfer rate of DSMHCTHE are increased by 13.9 %–19.1 %, the comprehensive performance is increased by 13.0 %–18.0 %, and the heat transfer entropy generation number and friction entropy generation number are lower. It shows that DSMHCTHE have better application potential as heat exchangers.

Abstract Background Previous studies have highlighted the crucial role of Wnt7B in the development of various cancers, including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers. However, research into the involvement of Wnt7B is often confined to specific tumor types, with a noticeable lack of comprehensive studies spanning multiple cancer forms. The potential of Wnt7B as a diagnostic or prognostic cancer biomarker has not been fully explored. Methods In this study, we combined bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry analyses to examine the expression patterns and functions of Wnt7B in cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues across a range of tumors. Results Our data indicate that Wnt7B may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in certain cancers. Conclusion We found significant upregulation of Wnt7B expression levels in the majority of cancer cases examined. Furthermore, Wnt7B can influence cancer prognosis by modulating the tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, and tumor stemness, among other factors. Additionally, we examined the associations between anticancer drug sensitivity and Wnt7B expression, which could aid in the development of more precise clinical therapies.

Abstract Long‐range thalamocortical communication is central to anesthesia‐induced loss of consciousness and its reversal. However, isolating the specific neural networks connecting thalamic nuclei with various cortical regions for state‐specific anesthesia regulation is challenging, with the biological underpinnings still largely unknown. Here, simultaneous electroencephalogram‐fuctional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG‐fMRI) and deep brain stimulation are applied to the intralaminar thalamus in macaques under finely‐tuned propofol anesthesia. This approach led to the identification of an intralaminar‐driven network responsible for rapid arousal during slow‐wave oscillations. A network‐based RNA‐sequencing analysis is conducted of region‐, layer‐, and cell‐specific gene expression data from independent transcriptomic atlases and identifies 2489 genes preferentially expressed within this arousal network, notably enriched in potassium channels and excitatory, parvalbumin‐expressing neurons, and oligodendrocytes. Comparison with human RNA‐sequencing data highlights conserved molecular and cellular architectures that enable the matching of homologous genes, protein interactions, and cell types across primates, providing novel insight into network‐focused transcriptional signatures of arousal.

Seed vigor is an important trait closely related to improved seed quality and long-term germplasm conservation, and it gradually decreases during storage, which has become a major concern for agriculture. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of seed vigor loss in terms of genes remain largely unknown in quinoa. Here, two cultivars of quinoa seeds with different storage performance, Longli No.4 (L4) and Longli No.1 (L1), were subjected to transcriptome sequencing to decipher the pathways and genes possibly related to vigor loss under artificial aging. Multispectral imaging features and germination phenotypes showed significantly less seed vigor loss in L1 than in L4, indicating L1 seeds having stronger aging resistance and storability. Totally, 272 and 75 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were, respectively, identified in L4 and L1 during aging. Transcriptomic analysis further revealed the differences in metabolic pathways, especially, flavonoid biosynthesis, TCA cycle, and terpenoid backbone biosynthesis were significantly enriched in L4 seeds, while carbon metabolism in L1 seeds, which involved key genes such as CHS, CHI, AACT, ENO1, IDH, NADP-ME, and HAO2L. It indicated that the adverse effects on flavonoids and terpenoids induced by aging might be the significant reasons for more vigor loss in storage sensitive seeds, whereas storage tolerant seeds had a stronger ability to maintain carbon metabolism and energy supply. These findings elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism of seed vigor loss in quinoa, which also provided novel insights into improving seed vigor through modern molecular breeding strategies.

IntroductionEndoglucanase (EG) and cellobiohydrolase (CBH) which produced by microorganisms, have been widely used in industrial applications.MethodsIn order to construct recombinant bacteria that produce high activity EG and CBH, in this study, eg (endoglucanase) and cbh (cellobiohydrolase) were cloned from the rumen microbial genome of yak and subsequently expressed independently and co-expressed within Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 (L. lactis NZ9000).ResultsThe recombinant strains L. lactis NZ9000/pMG36e-usp45-cbh (L. lactis-cbh), L. lactis NZ9000/pMG36e-usp45-eg (L. lactis-eg), and L. lactis NZ9000/pMG36e-usp45-eg-usp45-cbh (L. lactis-eg-cbh) were successfully constructed and demonstrated the ability to secrete EG, CBH, and EG-CBH. The sodium carboxymethyl cellulose activity of the recombinant enzyme EG was the highest, and the regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) was the specific substrate of the recombinant enzyme CBH, and EG-CBH. The optimum reaction temperature of the recombinant enzyme CBH was 60°C, while the recombinant enzymes EG and EG-CBH were tolerant to higher temperatures (80°C). The optimum reaction pH of EG, CBH, and EG-CBH was 6.0. Mn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ could promote the activity of CBH. Similarly, Fe2+, Ba2+, and higher concentrations of Ca2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ could promote the activity of EG-CBH. The addition of engineered strains to whole-plant corn silage improved the nutritional quality of the feed, with the lowest pH, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents observed in silage from the L. lactis-eg group (p

Carbon dots (CDs) prepared from biomass usually produce poor quantum yield and reproducibility. A fine separation of raw materials may enhance the fluorescence performance. In this work, embryos of cumin seeds were precisely chosen as the carbon source to prepare (CDs) through hydrothermal method. The obtained product (CDs-E) possessed a higher quantum yield of 10.60 % than those synthesized with testas or whole seeds, which may be due to the relatively smaller particle size and more C-N functional groups. Rutin, as a common natural active component, could quench the fluorescence of CDs-E notably through internal filtering effect. Herein, a highly selective fluorescent sensor based on CDs-E for detecting rutin was proposed with a linearity range of 0.05 ∼ 30 μM and a detection limit of 0.015 μM obtained. Additionally, the developed method was successfully applied for the detection of rutin in Flos Sophorae, rutin tablets and capsules. This work showed the significance of fine classification for natural carbon source in preparation of CDs and provided a feasible method for quality monitoring of rutin-related pharmaceuticals, health care products and traditional Chinese medicinal materials.