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Abstract Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a group of chronic liver disease which ranges from simple steatosis (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and is characterized by lipid accumulation, inflammation activation, fibrosis, and cell death. To date, a number of preclinical studies or clinical trials associated with therapies targeting fatty acid metabolism, inflammatory factors and liver fibrosis are performed to develop effective drugs for NAFLD/NASH. However, few therapies are cell death signaling-targeted even though the various cell death modes are present throughout the progression of NAFLD/NASH. Here we summarize the four types of cell death including apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis in the NAFLD and the underlying molecular mechanisms by which the pathogenic factors such as free fatty acid and LPS induce cell death in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. In addition, we also review the effects of cell death-targeted therapies on NAFLD. In summary, our review provides comprehensive insight into the roles of various cell death modes in the progression of NAFLD, which we hope will open new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Abstract Obesity is a global issue that warrants the identification of more effective therapeutic targets and a better understanding of the pivotal molecular pathogenesis. Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is known to inhibit phospholipase A2, exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity. However, the specific effects of ANXA1 in obesity and the underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. Our study reveals that ANXA1 levels are elevated in the adipose tissue of individuals with obesity. Whole-body or adipocyte-specific ANXA1 deletion aggravates obesity and metabolic disorders. ANXA1 levels are higher in stromal vascular fractions (SVFs) than in mature adipocytes. Further investigation into the role of ANXA1 in SVFs reveals that ANXA1 overexpression induces lower numbers of mature adipocytes, while ANXA1-knockout SVFs exhibit the opposite effect. This suggests that ANXA1 plays an important role in adipogenesis. Mechanistically, ANXA1 competes with MYC binding protein 2 (MYCBP2) for interaction with PDZ and LIM domain 7 (PDLIM7). This exposes the MYCBP2-binding site, allowing it to bind more readily to the SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4) and promoting its ubiquitination and degradation. SMAD4 degradation downregulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) transcription and reduces adipogenesis. Treatment with Ac2-26, an active peptide derived from ANXA1, inhibits both adipogenesis and obesity through the mechanism. In conclusion, the molecular mechanism of ANXA1 inhibiting adipogenesis was first uncovered in our study, which is a potential target for obesity prevention and treatment.

Abstract To investigate the wear and corrosion of titanium alloy spinal implants in vivo, we evaluated removed implants and their surrounding scar tissues from 27 patients between May 2019 and April 2021. We performed scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and histological analysis. The results revealed metal-like particles in the soft tissues of seven patients, without any considerable increase in inflammatory cell infiltration. Patients with fractures showed lower percentages of wear and corrosion compared with other patients (42% and 17% vs. 59% and 26%). Polyaxial screws exhibited higher wear and corrosion percentages (53% and 23%) compared with uniaxial screws (39% and 3%), although in patients with fracture, the reverse was observed (20% and 0% vs. 39% and 3%). We found that titanium alloy spinal implants experience some degree of wear and corrosion in vivo. The titanium alloy particles formed by wear exhibited good histocompatibility, not causing inflammation, foreign body reactions, or osteolysis. Therefore, spinal implants should be removed cautiously when treating titanium alloy spinal metallosis. The wear and corrosion of the implants increase with the increase in implantation time, although the screw structure does not significantly affect these changes.

Abstract Children in malaria-endemic regions can experience repeated Plasmodium infections over short periods of time. Effects of re-infection on multiple co-existing CD4+ T cell subsets remain unresolved. Here, we examine antigen-experienced CD4+ T cells during re-infection in mice, using scRNA-seq/TCR-seq and spatial transcriptomics. TCR transgenic TEM cells initiate rapid Th1/Tr1 recall responses prior to proliferating, while GC Tfh counterparts are refractory, with TCM/Tfh-like cells exhibiting modest non-proliferative responses. Th1-recall is a partial facsimile of primary Th1-responses, with no upregulated effector-associated genes being unique to recall. Polyclonal, TCR-diverse, CD4+ T cells exhibit similar recall dynamics, with individual clones giving rise to multiple effectors including highly proliferative Th1/Tr1 cells, as well as GC Tfh and Tfh-like cells lacking proliferative capacity. Thus, we show substantial diversity in recall responses mounted by multiple co-existing CD4+ T cell subsets in the spleen, and present graphical user interfaces for studying gene expression dynamics and clonal relationships during re-infection.

Abstract The powerful capability of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) in tailoring electromagnetic waves and fields has put them under the spotlight in wireless communications. However, the current designs are criticized due to their poor frequency selectivity, which hinders their applications in real-world scenarios where the spectrum is becoming increasingly congested. Here we propose a filtering RIS to feature sharp frequency-selecting and 2-bit phase-shifting properties. It permits the signals in a narrow bandwidth to transmit but rejects the out-of-band ones; meanwhile, the phase of the transmitted signals can be digitally controlled, enabling flexible manipulations of signal propagations. A prototype is designed, fabricated, and measured, and its high quality factor and phase-shifting characteristics are validated by scattering parameters and beam-steering phenomena. Further, we conduct a wireless communication experiment to illustrate the intriguing functions of the RIS. The filtering behavior enables the RIS to perform wireless signal manipulations with anti-interference ability, thus showing big potential to advance the development of next-generation wireless communications.

Previous studies have indicated that Sunflower Seed Peptide (SSP)-Ca and peanut peptide (PP)-Ca improve Ca bioavailability and enhance bone mineral density in low-Ca diet-fed male mice. However, the mechanisms of SSP-Ca and PP-Ca act in bone metabolism, and whether their effect is affected by sex remain unclear. In this study, 5 week-old female KM mice were fed a low-Ca diet and gavaged with different doses of SSP-Ca, PP-Ca, or CaCO3 for 5 weeks. SSP-Ca and PP-Ca supplementation ameliorated femur binding toughness, BMD and microarchitecture. SSP-Ca and PP-Ca intake increased the bone type I collagen levels and Co1la1 mRNA expression. SSP-Ca and PP-Ca intake also significantly increased the serum P1NP levels. In conclusion, SSP-Ca and PP-Ca promote bone mass accumulation in growing female mice fed with a low-Ca diet by improving Ca bioavailability and bone type I collagen synthesis. The study provided novel insights for Ca supplementation in adolescence.

Abstract Air pollution exposure is closely linked to population age and socioeconomic status. Population aging and imbalance in regional economy are thus anticipated to have important implications on ozone (O3)‐related health impacts. Here we provide a driver analysis for O3 mortality burden due to respiratory disease in China over 2013–2050 driven by population aging and regional inequity. Unexpectedly, we find that population aging is estimated to result in dramatic rises in annual O3 mortality burden in China; by 56, 101–137, and 298–485 thousand over the periods 2013–2020, 2020–2030, and 2030–2050, respectively. This reflects the exponential rise in baseline mortality rates with increasing age. The aging‐induced mortality burden rise in 2030–2050 is surprisingly large, as it is comparable to the net national mortality burden due to O3 exposure in 2030 (359–399 thousand yr−1). The health impacts of O3 pollution, shown as mortality burden per capita, are inequitably distributed, with more severe effects in less developed provinces than their developed counterparts by 23.1% and 21.5% in 2019 and 2030, respectively. However, the regional inequity in O3 mortality burden is expected to be mitigated in 2050. This temporal variation reflects evolving demographic dividend characterized by a larger proportion of younger individuals in developed regions. These findings are critical for targeted improvement of healthcare services to ensure the sustainability of social development.

Metabolic diseases are a group of disorders caused by metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more. Increasing research indicates that, beyond inherent metabolic irregularities, the onset and progression of metabolic diseases are closely linked to alterations in the gut microbiota, particularly gut bacteria. Additionally, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has demonstrated effectiveness in clinically treating metabolic diseases, notably diabetes. Recent attention has also focused on the role of gut viruses in disease onset. This review first introduces the characteristics and influencing factors of gut viruses, then summarizes their potential mechanisms in disease development, highlighting their impact on gut bacteria and regulation of host immunity. We also compare FMT, fecal filtrate transplantation (FFT), washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), and fecal virome transplantation (FVT). Finally, we review the current understanding of gut viruses in metabolic diseases and the application of FVT in treating these conditions. In conclusion, FVT may provide a novel and promising treatment approach for metabolic diseases, warranting further validation through basic and clinical research.

Abstract Background New nurses are prone to workplace deviant behavior in the constrained hospital environment, which will not only directly affect the safety of patients, but also reduce the work efficiency of nurses and bring negative results to the hospital. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived organizational justice, emotional labor, psychological capital, and workplace deviant behavior of new nurses. Methods A cross-sectional study was used in this study. A survey was conducted in 5 hospitals in Henan Province, Chain from February to April 2023. The sample size was 546. The questionnaire included general information, perceived organizational justice scale, emotional labor scale, psychological capital scale, and workplace deviant behavior scale. SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS Macro were used for data analysis. PROCESS Model 4 and Model 14 were used to verify the model. Results This study displays that perceived organizational justice was negatively correlated with emotional labor and workplace deviant behavior, and emotional labor was positively correlated with workplace deviant behavior. Meanwhile, emotional labor plays a partial mediating role between perceived organizational justice and workplace deviant behavior, accounting for 32.7% of the total effect. Moreover, the path of emotional labor on workplace deviant behavior is moderated by psychological capital. Conclusion This study further understood the workplace deviant behavior of new nurses, and provided a new perspective for solving this problem. Nurse managers can reduce workplace deviant behavior by enhancing the perceived organizational justice and psychological capital of new nurses and improving emotional labor.

Abstract Hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy and macroangiopathy. STING, which is a newly discovered regulator of innate immunity, has also been reported to play an important role in various metabolic diseases. However, the role of STING in diabetes-induced endothelial cell dysfunction is unknown. In this study, we established a diabetic macroangiopathy mouse model by streptozotocin (STZ) injection combined with high-fat diet (HFD) feeding and a glucotoxicity cell model in high glucose (HG)-treated rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs). We found that STING expression was specifically increased in the endothelial cells of diabetic arteries, as well as in HG-treated RAECs. Moreover, genetic deletion of STING significantly ameliorated diabetes-induced endothelial cell dysfunction and apoptosis in vivo. Likewise, STING inhibition by C-176 reversed HG-induced migration dysfunction and apoptosis in RAECs, whereas STING activation by DMXAA resulted in migration dysfunction and apoptosis. Mechanistically, hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress promoted endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA release, which subsequently activated the cGAS-STING system and the cGAS-STING-dependent IRF3/NF-kB pathway, ultimately resulting in inflammation and apoptosis. In conclusion, our study identified a novel role of STING in diabetes-induced aortic endothelial cell injury and suggested that STING inhibition was a potential new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetic macroangiopathy. Video Abstract

Abstract Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa, a traditional medicinal herb of the Umbelliferae family, has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the anti-lung cancer effects of two compounds extracted from A. acutiloba flowers: kaempferol-3-O-α-L-(4″-E-p-coumaroyl)-rhamnoside (KAE) and platanoside (PLA). MTT, cell colony formation, and cell migration (scratch) assays revealed that both KAE (100 μM) and PLA (50 μM and 100 μM) inhibited the viability, proliferation, and migration of A549 cells. Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assays showed that KAE and PLA also induced the generation of reactive oxygen species in A549 cells. Morphologically, A549 cells swelled and grew larger under treatment with KAE and PLA, with the most significant changes at 100 μM PLA. Fluorescence staining and measurement of lactate dehydrogenase release showed that the cells underwent pyroptosis with concomitant upregulation of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Furthermore, both KAE and PLA induced upregulation of NF-κB, PARP, NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-caspase-1, and GSDMD expression in A549 cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that these compounds interact with NLRP3, augment NLRP3’s binding affinity with ASC, and stimulate the assembly of the inflammasome, thereby inducing pyroptosis. In conclusion, KAE and PLA, two active components of A. acutiloba flower extract, had significant anti-lung cancer activities exerted through regulation of proteins related to the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Abstract The reductions in aerosols often exacerbate climate warming. It remains unclear how to effectively alleviate PM2.5 pollution while minimizing the penalty on climate warming. Here we identify the clean air measures in China that are associated with low aerosol climate penalty efficiency (ACPE), which is defined as aerosol radiative forcing per unit PM2.5 concentration reduction. The measures in transportation, residential combustion, and open burning sectors generally caused lower ACPE [0.07, 0.24, and 0.10 (W m−2)/(μg m−3)] than those from other sectors [0.34–0.46 (W m−2)/(μg m−3)]. This is ascribed to relatively small decreases in cloud concentration nuclei per unit PM2.5 reduction in these sectors, which is further attributed to either relatively low aerosol hygroscopicity or relatively small decrease in aerosol number. Most measures in the former three sectors have low ACPE of

Abstract Due to its ability to adapt to a variety of electromagnetic (EM) environments, the sensing‐enabled metasurface has garnered significant attention. However, large‐scale EM‐field sensing to obtain more information is still very challenging. Here, an adaptive information metasurface is proposed to enable intelligent sensing and wave manipulating simultaneously or more specifically, to realize intelligent target localization and beam tracking adaptively. The metasurface is composed of an array of meta‐atoms, and each is loaded with two PIN diodes and a sensing‐channel structure, for polarization‐insensitive and programmable beamforming and sensing. By controlling the state of the PIN diode, the proposed meta‐atom has 1‐bit phase response in the designed frequency band, while the sensing loss keeps higher than ‐10 dB for both “ON” and “OFF” states. Hence there is nearly no interaction between the beamforming and sensing modes. Experiments are conducted to show multiple functions of the metasurface, including intelligent target sensing and self‐adaptive beamforming, and the measured results are in good agreement with the numerical simulations and theoretical calculations.

There is a close dynamic coupling relationship between tectonic and mineralization. Long-term research and observation have found that the formation and location of sandstone-type uranium deposits are obviously controlled by the formation of target layer and the subsequent tectonic uplift and denudation events. In order to describe the formation mechanism and process of different types and horizons of uranium deposits in detail and more reasonably, realize the transformation from theoretical model to prospecting model, and establish a new method and approach for target prediction that can be easily applied, a series of studies has been carried out on the uranium deposits (points) around the Kalamari Mountain in the eastern part of Junggar Basin. The study adopts the methods of the basin structural framework division, the research on burial and denudation history and the apatite fission track simulation in the source area. It is found that different types of uranium deposits (spots) in the periphery of the Kalamari Mountain are different products of the same metallogenic system, namely, uplift and denudation evolution. The basin subsidence curve and apatite fission track simulation in the source area show that the eastern Junggar basin has experienced 160−140, 90−70 Ma and about 20 Ma three rapid uplift and denudation stages since the Middle and Late Jurassic. These tectonic events have induced obvious uranium mineralization. The scale and stage of uranium mineralization are controlled strictly by the intensity and stage of tectonic uplift and denudation. In the process of uranium mineralization, tectonic development and evolution play a leading role. Large-scale uranium mineralization is mainly developed in the structural slope zone with a complete mineralization system. For example, the Kamusite progradation (denudation) multi-period same-direction superposition and the Beisantai retrogradation far source uranium mineralization model can often form some large-scale deposits. In general, a large-scale uranium mineralization will not develop in the sections with complex and variable structural forms, such as the piedmont area at the southern edge of the Kalamari Mountain. The summary of the above regional tectonic uplift, uranium mineralization sequence and ore-control combination provide a scientific basis for the prediction of uranium mineralization prospect in this area, and can be applied to the prospecting of sandstone-type uranium deposits in other basins.

Abstract Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by long-term hyperglycaemia, which leads to microangiopathy and macroangiopathy and ultimately increases the mortality of diabetic patients. Endothelial dysfunction, which has been recognized as a key factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy and macroangiopathy, is characterized by a reduction in NO bioavailability. Oxidative stress, which is the main pathogenic factor in diabetes, is one of the major triggers of endothelial dysfunction through the reduction in NO. In this review, we summarize the four sources of ROS in the diabetic vasculature and the underlying molecular mechanisms by which the pathogenic factors hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, adipokines and insulin resistance induce oxidative stress in endothelial cells in the context of diabetes. In addition, we discuss oxidative stress-targeted interventions, including hypoglycaemic drugs, antioxidants and lifestyle interventions, and their effects on diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction. In summary, our review provides comprehensive insight into the roles of oxidative stress in diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Tidal creeks play a vital role in influencing geospatial evolution and marsh ecological communities in coastal landscapes. However, evaluating the geospatial characteristics of numerous creeks across a site and understanding their ecological relationships pose significant challenges due to the labor-intensive nature of manual delineation from imagery. Traditional methods rely on manual annotation in GIS interfaces, which is slow and tedious. This study explores the application of Attention-based Dense U-Net (ADU-Net), a deep learning image segmentation model, for automatically classifying creek pixels in high-resolution (0.5 m) orthorectified aerial imagery in coastal Georgia, USA. We observed that ADU-Net achieved an outstanding F1 score of 0.98 in identifying creek pixels, demonstrating its ability in tidal creek mapping. The study highlights the potential of deep learning models for automated tidal creek mapping, opening avenues for future investigations into the role of creeks in marshes’ response to environmental changes.

Clustering protocols for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs) have gained widespread attention due to their importance in reducing network complexity. Congestion occurs when the intra-cluster load is greater than the upper limit of the intra-cluster information transmission capacity, which leads to a dramatic deterioration of network performance despite the reduction of network complexity. To avoid congestion, we propose a node load and location-based clustering protocol for UASNs (LLCP). First, a node load and location-based optimization mechanism is proposed. The number of cluster members is optimized based on node load and location to maximize the number of cluster members while avoiding congestion. Then, a node degree and location-based cluster member selection mechanism is proposed to select the optimal cluster members. Finally, a priority-based clustering mechanism is proposed. The node clustering order is adjusted based on the clustering priority to maximize the reduction of network complexity by increasing the average number of cluster members. Simulation results show that our proposed LLCP minimizes the network complexity while avoiding congestion.

The construction of CO2 geological storage GIS (Geographic Information System) basic data platform is an important basis for deploying the CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage) full-chain demonstration project. By studying typical carbon storage data platforms at home and abroad, the characteristics of carbon storage data are analyzed: multi-source, multi-scale, and multi-type. There are several areas that need to be further investigated: the platform function is basically a data storage management display, and a further enhancement of model embedding and dynamic analysis is needed. Research on the synergy between CO2 storage and energy resources needs to be further strengthened. On this basis, the basic data management and processing platform architecture of CO2 geological storage GIS is preliminarily designed based on the data of Map GIS spatial database and SQL Server attribute database, and the system is constructed by using the Microsoft. Net Frame development framework and the Web GIS technology. The core logical structure of the system is divided into four layers, namely, resource data layer, technical support layer, business application layer, and user permission layer. There are three peripheral support systems including the security system, management support system and standard specification system. The key technologies of data platform construction include the multi-heterogeneous data fusion of carbon sequestration geological GIS data and three models, i.e., secondary development and import of sequestration capacity evaluation model, source and sink matching dynamic model, and energy and resource collaboration model. Four interfaces are preliminarily designed including the data platform home page interface, thematic maps and results output interface, basin-level results map interface, storage potential - source and sink matching - energy and resources collaborative data analysis interface. The construction of the CO2 geological storage GIS basic data management and processing platform will provide a scientific basis for the selection of carbon reduction and decarburization solutions at the source, the selection of geological storage sites for CCUS regional large-scale deployment and the implementation of CCUS large-scale demonstration projects.