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Two-dimensional spintronics has become a hot topic in recent years due to its advantages and potential in manipulating electron spins. In this paper, the electronic structures and magnetic properties of the Janus NbSSe monolayer are calculated using first-principles and Monte Carlo methods. Our study shows that the ground state of the material is a ferromagnetic metal. Under carrier doping, it undergoes a second-order phase transition from metal to half-metal, achieving 100% spin polarization, and enhancing or weakening ferromagnetic coupling. The value of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy is 570.96 μeV, and doping with an appropriate concentration of holes can transform the easy magnetization axis from in-plane to out-of-plane. Since the out-of-plane mirror symmetry is broken, we study the charge changes in the layer under the action of an external electric field. Due to the combined action of the external electric field and the built-in electric field, the layer exhibits a unique charge transfer mode. It is predicted that the Curie temperature of the material is about 156 K. When doped with 4.01 × 1013 cm−2 (0.04 holes per atom) concentration holes, the Curie temperature can reach about 350 K, indicating that the Curie temperature of the material can be reasonably controlled by regulating the carrier concentration. The coercive force calculated from the hysteresis loop is 0.01 T, and its hysteresis loss is low, showing its response to the external magnetic field. All of the above results indicate the application potential of this material in spin-electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance and stable spintronic devices have garnered considerable attention in recent years. Based on first-principle and Monte Carlo calculations, we demonstrate that under reasonable carrier doping, H-VSe2 exhibits 100% spin polarization, a magnetic anisotropy energy of 581 μeV, a tunable easy-axis, and a Curie temperature of 330 K. Moreover, Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions in H-VSe2 and magnetic hysteresis loops are determined theoretically for the first time, which provides more precise and comprehensive descriptions of its magnetic properties under finite temperatures and external magnetic field. This work suggests that H-VSe2 is a powerful candidate for spintronic devices, and it provides solid theoretical support for future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating high-performance and stable spintronics devices has been a research hotspot in recent years. In this paper, we employed first-principles methods and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to explore the structure, electronic, and magnetic properties of monolayer NbSe2, as well as its behavior under carrier concentration modulation. The research on the electronic structure reveals that by introducing an appropriate amount of holes, the material can undergo a transition from metal to a half-metal state, achieving 100% high spin polarization. Investigation of magnetic crystalline anisotropy shows that the magnetic crystal anisotropy energy of 1210 μeV in out-of-plane is beneficial to maintain ferromagnetic order at high temperatures. In addition, doping with suitable carriers can effectively enhance or strengthen the ferromagnetic coupling in NbSe2 so that the magnetization easy axis is shifted. This reveals the potential application prospects of NbSe2 in electronically controlled spintronic devices. Analysis of the Fermi surface shows that both holes and electron doping increase the Fermi velocity of the material. The effect of hole doping is particularly significant, indicating its potential application in Fermi velocity engineering. Under the theoretical framework of the extended two-dimensional Ising model, based on MC simulation, the Curie temperature (TC) of NbSe2 is predicted to be 162 K. The effects of carrier concentration and the magnetic field on the magnetic and thermal properties of monolayer NbSe2 are simulated. The results show that appropriately increasing the hole doping concentration and magnetic field is conducive to obtaining ferromagnetic half-metallic materials with TC higher than room temperature, which provides theoretical support for experimental preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fault diagnosis method for the basic process of microbial growth in wastewater treatment based on interval estimation technology is proposed. First, a nonlinear microbial growth model is converted into a linear time‐varying system. A time‐varying observer is then designed for the generated system, which takes into account an L∞$$ {L}_{\infty } $$ performance. Furthermore, a zonotope‐based set‐membership estimation algorithm is analyzed to synchronize interval estimation operations. In addition, interval residuals are computed from the generated interval state estimation and fault diagnosis is performed for a wastewater treatment bioprocess with sensor fault signals. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed fault diagnosis strategy for the wastewater treatment bioprocess is illustrated through numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Keen Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic disabling disease characterized by joint pain and dysfunction, which seriously affects patients' quality of life. Recent studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was a promising treatment for KOA. Purpose: Investigate the effects of tDCS on pain and physical function in patients with KOA. Methods: Randomized controlled trials related to tDCS and KOA were systematically searched in the PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, CINHL, and Web of Science databases from inception to July 23, 2024. The pain intensity was evaluated using the visual analog scale or the numeric rating scale, and the pain sensitivity was assessed using conditioned pain modulation, pressure pain threshold, heat pain threshold, or heat pain tolerance. The physical function outcome was evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index or the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4. Results: Seven studies with a total of 503 participants were included. Compared to sham tDCS, tDCS was effective in reducing the short-term pain intensity (SMD: -0.58; 95% CI: -1.02, -0.14; p = 0.01) and pain sensitivity (SMD: -0.43; 95% CI: -0.70, -0.16; p = 0.002) but failed to significantly improve the long-term pain intensity (SMD: -0.26; 95% CI: -0.59, 0.08; p = 0.13) in KOA patients. In addition, tDCS did not significantly improve the short-term (SMD: -0.13; 95% CI: -0.35, 0.08; p = 0.22) and long-term (SMD: 0.02; 95% CI: -0.22, 0.25; p = 0.90) physical function in patients with KOA. Conclusions: The tDCS can reduce short-term pain intensity and sensitivity but fails to significantly relieve long-term pain intensity and improve the physical function in patients with KOA. Thus, tDCS may be a potential therapeutic tool to reduce short-term pain intensity and pain sensitivity in patients with KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of stress on risk‐taking or risk‐averse behavior in decision‐making has been inconclusive in previous research, with few studies revealing the underlying neural mechanisms. This study employed event‐related potentials technique and combined a social cold pressor assessment test with a mental arithmetic task to induce stress responses, aiming to investigate the influence of exogenous stress on the risk decision‐making process. Stress induction results indicated that, in addition to raising heart rate and blood pressure, stress responses were accompanied by enhanced negative emotions, diminished positive emotions, and alterations in neural activity. The outcomes of risk decision‐making showed that stress did not significantly affect risk preference or time of choice but did reduce the feedback‐related negativity/reward positivity, with a particularly significant effect observed for large outcomes. Stress also altered the amplitude of the P3 component, with stress decreasing the P3 value for winning outcomes relative to losing outcomes. The study suggests that understanding how stress affects risk preference should consider the emotional valence induced by stress. Contrary to the reward sensitivity hypothesis, stress weakened reward sensitivity. Stress led to changes in the allocation of cognitive resources for outcome evaluation: compared to negative outcomes, stress reduced cognitive resources for positive outcomes, which might be related to the enhanced negative emotions induced by stress. The study highlights the importance of focusing on the subjective emotional experience induced by stress in future research on stress and risk decision‐making. We find that stress with negative emotions weakens reward sensitivity, which challenges the reward sensitivity hypothesis. Stress also modifies cognitive resource allocation for outcome evaluation: compared to negative outcomes, stress reduced cognitive resources for positive outcomes. This study underscores the significance of incorporating emotional experiences induced by stress into future investigations about stress and risk decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of big data, the fields of biomedicine and economics generate massive data with skew characteristics. Numerous methods have been proposed for modeling either skewed or massive data, whereas most existing methods cannot allow a direct handling of massive and skewed data. We first investigate the subsampling algorithms for skew-normal mode regression model, which include uniform subsampling, leverage subsampling, optimal subsampling, and vector mode subsampling. Since the aforementioned algorithms mainly leverage the value of the information module to calculate the sampling probability without accounting for the residuals in the modeling process. This observation motivates us to propose a novel residual subsampling method with applications to massive data. We then employ the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to carry out simulation studies to compare the performance of various sampling methods under various information quantities. Finally, a real-data example is provided for illustrative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Utilizing computer vision technology to automate the measurement of pig carcass traits is of significant importance for genetic selection in breeding and enhancing the economic efficiency. However, currently, there is limited research, both domestically and internationally, on the measurement of pig carcass traits. This study proposes an automated system for measuring carcass traits using deep learning methods. The system aims to standardize and accelerate the acquisition of carcass traits from large groups of subjects. This approach seeks to uncover numerous micro-effect variant loci that have not yet been explored through large-sample GWAS analyses. Pig carcass traits are among the most economically significant characteristics and are crucial for genetic selection in breeding and enhancing the economic efficiency. Standardized and automated carcass phenotyping can greatly enhance the measurement efficiency and accuracy, thereby facilitating the selection and breeding of superior pig carcasses. In this study, we utilized phenotypic images and data from 3912 pigs to propose a deep learning-based approach for the automated determination of pig carcass phenotypic traits. Using the YOLOv8 algorithm, our carcass length determination model achieves an average accuracy of 99% on the test set. Additionally, our backfat segmentation model, YOLOV8n-seg, demonstrates robust segmentation performance, with a Mean IoU of 89.10. An analysis of the data distribution comparing manual and model-derived measurements revealed that differences in the carcass straight length are primarily concentrated between −2 cm and 4 cm, while differences in the carcass diagonal length are concentrated between −3 cm and 2 cm. To validate the method, we compared model measurements with manually obtained data, achieving coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.9164 for the carcass straight length, 0.9325 for the carcass diagonal length, and 0.7137 for the backfat thickness, indicating high reliability. Our findings provide valuable insights into automating carcass phenotype determination and grading in pig production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear-thinning hydrogels have emerged for endoscopic submucosal dissection, while wound intervention after surgery has rarely been mentioned. Herein, a catechol-modified chitosan hydrogel with shear-thinning property was developed for simultaneously facilitating endoscopic submucosal dissection and postoperative wound healing. Benefiting from the shear-thinning and self-healing characteristics, the asprepared hydrogel showed easily endoscopic injectability. It also performed very well as submucosal cushion, which could remain above 70% after injection for 120 min in ex vivo porcine large intestine model. In fact, the cushion height of normal saline dramatically decreased to 46% of the initial height at 30 min. Ag nanoparticles encapsulated into the network endowed the hydrogel with almost reached 100% antibacterial effect against E. coli and S. aureus. The hemolysis ratio of the hydrogel was calculated to be as low as 0.8%. Combined with good hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility, the as-prepared hydrogel displayed much higher in vivo wound closure and healing efficacy than normal saline. These results demonstrated the superiority of the shear-thinning chitosan hydrogel in facilitating clinical endoscopic submucosal dissection surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Changle goose (CLG), a Chinese indigenous breed, is celebrated for its adaptability, rapid growth, and premium meat quality. Despite its agricultural value, the exploration of its genomic attributes has been scant. Our study entailed whole‐genome resequencing of 303 geese across CLG and five other Chinese breeds, revealing distinct genetic diversity metrics. We discovered significant migration events from Xingguo gray goose to CLG and minor gene flow between them. We identified genomic regions through selective sweep analysis, correlating with CLG's unique traits. An elevated inbreeding coefficient in CLG, alongside reduced heterozygosity and rare single nucleotide polymorphisms (RSNPs), suggests a narrowed genetic diversity. Genomic regions related to reproduction, meat quality, and growth were identified, with the GATA3 gene showing strong selection signals for meat quality. A non‐synonymous mutation in the Sloc2a1 gene, which is associated with reproductive traits in the CLG, exhibited significant differences in allelic frequency. The roles of CD82, CDH8, and PRKAB1 in growth and development, alongside FABP4, FAF1, ESR1, and AKAP12 in reproduction, were highlighted. Additionally, Cdkal1 and Mfsd14a may influence meat quality. This comprehensive genetic analysis underpins the unique genetic makeup of CLG, providing a basis for its conservation and informed breeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While treatment is a definitive therapeutic component in the management of inflammatory skin conditions, adjunctive skin care comprising of appropriate cleansing, moisturization, and photoprotection are just as important. Cleansing, treatment, moisturization, and photoprotection (CTMP) constitute the four major components of holistic skincare routine for dermatological conditions. However, inadequate patient understanding of the condition, limited resources for physicians, and insufficient time for patient education during busy dermatological consultations are the main obstacles to establishing a holistic skincare routine in the real world. Aims: This study aimed to identify key challenges in the implementation of a holistic skincare routine, and offer practical guidance to physicians to improve adoption in the management of acne, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and sensitive skin syndrome. Methods: An expert panel comprising of nine dermatologists from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand convened to develop consensus statements to stimulate real‐world adoption of holistic skincare routine in acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and sensitive skin syndrome using the Delphi approach. Results: Consensus was defined as ≥80% of panel rating statement as ≥8 or median rating of ≥8. The final statements were collated to develop consensus recommendations to encourage adoption of holistic skincare routine. Conclusion: Promoting patient education on the skin condition, training support staff in patient counseling, and offering physician training opportunities are the key strategies to encourage real‐world adoption of CTMP as a holistic skincare routine. The consensus recommendations presented here should be considered in all dermatology patients to accomplish the ultimate goals of improved treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the outbreak of major emerging infectious diseases, virus droplets can survive in the environment as aerosols for hours to days, and their impact on human infectious diseases is often overlooked. In addition, the speed of transmission of infectious diseases is often closely related to transportation. Therefore, studying the impact of environmental viruses and transportation on disease development is significant for effective infectious disease prevention and control. We proposed a degenerate reaction–diffusion infectious disease model (SEAIR) considering environmental virus interference and established a well-posedness and threshold system for this model. We have obtained the system solution approaches the disease-free equilibrium (피0) when the basic reproduction number ℛ0 ≤ 1. The system has at least one positive steady state solution (PSS) when ℛ0 > 1. This paper used a non-standard finite difference method discretization model while data fitting and parameter estimation were performed based on data provided by the Health Commission. Further sensitivity analysis was conducted on ℛ0. At the same time, we also discussed the impact of various parameters in the early stages of the outbreak of major emerging infectious diseases on the development of the disease. Research found that even if the contact rate between people is controlled at a shallow level, the disease may persist. In the early stages of major emerging outbreak of infectious diseases, immediately reducing the use of transportation can effectively reduce the speed of disease spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonicotinoids (NEOs), highly selective toward insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, are extensively used due to their effectiveness against pests and relative non‐toxicity to vertebrates. However, their prolonged persistence in soil and water has led to frequent detection in food and environmental samples, posing significant environmental and health concerns. Recent research indicates these pesticides infiltrate aquatic ecosystems, threatening aquatic life and human health. Here, we improved the ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry method for detecting NEOs in water samples, increasing its sensitivity to fulfill forthcoming detection needs. This approach enables the simultaneous quantification of eight NEOs and five NEO metabolites in diverse water sources, including tap, surface, groundwater, sewage, and seawater. Our method achieves remarkably low detection limits for direct injection (0.78–1.7 ng/L) and solid‐phase extraction methods (0.13–0.25 ng/L). Critically, our findings reveal that boiling domestic drinking water doesn't degrade NEOs; instead, it increases their concentration due to water evaporation. A 6‐min boiling period can amplify pesticide concentration by 4–5 times, presenting a significant hazard in culinary practices of specific regions where prolonged cooking could lead to alarmingly high levels of these insecticides. This research underscores the importance of monitoring and mitigating NEO contamination in water sources to safeguard environmental and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the prognostic value of muscle invasion (MI), a key histopathological feature of tumor aggressiveness, and construct a superior prognostic prediction model combining the current TNM staging system. Materials and Methods: MI was analyzed in the whole‐slide images from a total of 301 patients with primary buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma (BMSCC). Survival times of patients with/without MI were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. MI was further combined with the TNM staging system to explore its predictive value for prognosis. Moreover, 204 cases of head and neck carcinoma from the TCGA database were included. Results: MI positive rate reached to 76% (229/301) in patients with BMSCC. MI was associated with poor overall survival (p = 0.012) and disease‐free survival (p = 0.022). The novel system (TNM staging combined with MI) revealed strong predictive performance, with the largest area under the curve (OS: p < 0.001, DFS: p < 0.004). MI and the established classification system were also had good predictive ability in the TCGA cohort. Conclusions: MI is an independent predictor of poor prognosis of BMSCC. The inclusion of MI in prediction system can augment the risk stratification of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and may assist in the clinical decision‐making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) often leads to deleterious complications after stroke patients receive reperfusion therapy. Exercise preconditioning (EP) has been reported to facilitate brain function recovery. We aim to explore the specific mechanism of EP in CIRI. Methods: Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomized into Sham, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and EP groups (n = 11). The rats in the EP group received adaptive training for 3 days (10 m/min, 20 min/day, with a 0° incline) and formal training for 3 weeks (6 days/week, 25 m/min, 30 min/day, with a 0° incline). Then, rats underwent MCAO surgery to establish CIRI models. After 48 h, neurological deficits and cerebral infarction of the rats were measured. Neuronal death and apoptosis in the cerebral cortices were detected. Furthermore, RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate the specific mechanism of EP on CIRI, and qPCR and Western blotting were further applied to confirm RNA sequencing results. Results: EP improved neurological deficit scores and reduced cerebral infarction in MCAO rats. Additionally, pre‐ischemic exercise also alleviated neuronal death and apoptosis of the cerebral cortices in MCAO rats. Importantly, 17 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through RNA sequencing, and these DEGs were mainly enriched in the HIF‐1 pathway, cellular senescence, proteoglycans in cancer, and so on. qPCR and Western blotting further confirmed that EP could suppress TIMP1, SOCS3, ANGPTL4, CDO1, and SERPINE1 expressions in MCAO rats. Conclusion: EP can improve CIRI in vivo, the mechanism may relate to TIMP1 expression and HIF‐1 pathway, which provided novel targets for CIRI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bidirectional relationship between cognitive function and depressive symptoms has been extensively reported. However, the potential mechanisms are still not clear. We aim to longitudinally investigate whether physical activity mediates the bidirectional relationships between cognitive function and specific dimensions of depressive symptoms. Data from 6,787 individuals aged ≥50 of 2014/15 (T1), 2016/17 (T2), and 2018/19 (T3) waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Cognitive function was assessed by domains of memory, orientation in time, and executive function. Physical activity was measured with the intensity and frequency of participation. Specific dimensions of depressive symptoms were assessed by the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, distinguishing between cognitive-affective and somatic symptoms. Cross-lagged panel models were used to investigate the mediating role of physical activity in the bidirectional relationships between cognitive function and two dimensions of depressive symptoms. Poorer cognitive function was indirectly associated with worse cognitive-affective symptoms (indirect effect = −0.002, 95% CI : −0.004, −0.001) through lower physical activity levels. Poorer cognitive function was also indirectly associated with worse somatic symptoms (indirect effect = −0.003, 95% CI : −0.006, −0.002) through lower physical activity levels, and the reverse mediation was observed as well (indirect effect = −0.002, 95% CI : −0.004, −0.001). There is no distinction between potential within-person and between-person effects. Collaborative interventions of physical activity are beneficial in protecting cognitive function and mental health in older adults. • Explored mediator role of physical activity in the bidirectional relationships of cognitive function and depressive symptoms. • Divided depressive symptoms into specific dimensions to explore the possible mechanisms. • Fitted a longitudinal cross-lagged panel model to assess more robust mediating effects. • Physical activity are beneficial in protecting cognitive function and mental health in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniature scroll compressors (MSCs) are recognized for their superior characteristics—compact design, silent operation and energy-saving performance. One of its main challenges is to maintain dynamic sealing between the fixed and orbiting scrolls during the operation. This paper adopts a passive magnet mechanism (PMM) to balance the axial gas force in MSCs. The PMM with an integral magnet configuration (IMC) is investigated first, and the dimensions of the magnet and fixed ring are found as the paramount factors to determine the magnitude of axial magnetic force. However, the IMC is unable to follow the unsteady characteristics of the target axial gas force, so the scrolls will experience a large period of over-sealing during its operation. To overcome this limitation, an innovative modular magnet configuration (MMC) is proposed and investigated. The height of each magnet segment is treated as individual design variable, and genetic algorithm optimization is carried out to seek for the best force balance performance according to two indices—maximum force difference (MFD) and integral-average force difference (IAFD). With precise design of each magnet segment, the MMC is able to provide unsteady magnetic force and thus better balance performance. Compared with the IMC, the improvements are up to 52 % reduction of MFD and 66 % reduction of IAFD. The derived superior MMC designs reveal a common characteristic that the "N" and "E" magnets have short segments at their outer fringe and the "S" and "W" magnets have short segments at their inner fringe. The axial magnetic force characteristics of the IMC and MMC are validated by prototype experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A visible-light induced selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides or sulfones was reported at ambient temperature in H2O under catalyst-free conditions, using oxygen as a green oxidant. The surfactants play a key role in this oxidation, and sulfoxides or sulfones were obtained in high yields, respectively, promoted by different surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of versatile hydrogels in a facile and effective manner represents a pivotal challenge in the field of biomaterials. Herein, a novel strategy is presented for preparing on‐demand degradable hydrogels with multilevel responsiveness. By employing selenol‐dichlorotetrazine nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) to synthesize hydrogels under mild conditions in a buffer solution, the necessity of additives or posttreatments can be obviated. The nucleophilic and redox reactions between selenol and tetrazine culminate in the formation of three degradable chemical bonds—diselenide, aryl selenide, and dearomatized selenide—in a single, expeditious step. The resultant hydrogel manifests exceptional adaptability to intricate environments in conjunction with self‐healing and on‐demand degradation properties. Furthermore, the resulting material demonstrated light‐triggered antibacterial activity. Animal studies further underscore the potential of integrating metformin into Se‐Tz hydrogels under green light irradiation, as it effectively stimulates angiogenesis and collagen deposition, thereby fostering efficient wound healing. In comparison to previously documented hydrogels, Se‐Tz hydrogels exhibit controlled degradation and drug release, outstanding antibacterial activity, mechanical robustness, and bioactivity, all without the need for costly and intricate preparation procedures. These findings underscore Se‐Tz hydrogels as a safe and effective therapeutic option for diabetic wound dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Exosomes are extracellular vesicles, measuring 40–160 nm in diameter, that are released by many cell types and tissues, including adipose tissue. Exosomes are critical mediators of intercellular communication and their contents are complex and diverse. In recent years, accumulating evidence has proved that multiple adipose tissue‐derived exosomal noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of diverse metabolic diseases, such as obesity. In this narrative review, we focus on the adipose tissue‐derived exosomal ncRNAs, especially exosomal miRNAs, and their dysregulation in multiple types of metabolic diseases. A deeper understanding of the role of adipose tissue‐derived exosomal ncRNAs may help provide new diagnostic and treatment methods for metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Building on conservation of resources theory, our study investigates how inclusive human resource management (IHRM) promotes nurses' innovative behavior through job crafting and further examines the moderating role of shared leadership. Background. Nurses' involvement in innovation is essential to improve nursing care delivery and accommodate changing medical environments, especially in the face of crisis events like the COVID-19 outbreak. However, knowledge about the relationship between human resource management and nurses' innovative behavior remains scarce. Methods. We collected three-wave data from 338 on-duty registered nurses at four public hospitals in China from November 2022 to January 2023. We used SPSS 22 to conduct hierarchical regressions to test our hypotheses. Results. IHRM positively predicted innovative behavior of nurses with the mediating role of job crafting. In addition, we found that IHRM was more effective in promoting job crafting and subsequent innovative behavior when nurses perceived high levels of shared leadership. Conclusion. IHRM initiated by the organization and shared leadership style are two collaborative approaches to facilitating nurses' job crafting, thereby responding to the imperative need to foster nurses' innovative behavior. Implications for Nursing Management. The present study emphasizes the important roles of IHRM and shared leadership in promoting nurses' job crafting and subsequent innovative behavior, providing theoretical and practical implications for nursing management in the current dynamic and challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) carry open reading frames (ORFs) that can be translated into micropeptides, although noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been previously assumed to constitute a class of RNA transcripts without coding capacity. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that ncRNA-derived micropeptides exhibit regulatory functions in the development of many tumours. Although some of these micropeptides inhibit tumour growth, others promote it. Understanding the role of ncRNA-encoded micropeptides in cancer poses new challenges for cancer research, but also offers promising prospects for cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize the types of ncRNAs that can encode micropeptides, highlighting recent technical developments that have made it easier to research micropeptides, such as ribosome analysis, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics methods, and CRISPR/Cas9. Furthermore, based on the distribution of micropeptides in different subcellular locations, we explain the biological functions of micropeptides in different human cancers and discuss their underestimated potential as diagnostic biomarkers and anticancer therapeutic targets in clinical applications, information that may contribute to the discovery and development of new micropeptide-based tools for early diagnosis and anticancer drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five kinds of traditional Chinese medicines, namely Rhizoma Dioscorea Bulbiferac, Rhodiola rosea L, Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, Houttuynia cordata Thunb, and Ophioglossum pedunculosum Desv, were used as raw materials to extract crude polysaccharides using water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. The total polysaccharide content and in vitro antioxidant activity were determined; Crude polysaccharides extracted from traditional Chinese medicines were loaded into chitosan to prepare hydrogel dressings. Subsequently, the microstructure, swelling capacity, water retention, antioxidant activity, blood compatibility, and wound healing promotion ability of the obtained hydrogels were investigated. Results showed that the total polysaccharide content of Rhodiola rosea L crude polysaccharide was the highest at 77.6%. All groups of crude polysaccharide solutions exhibited certain antioxidant capacity. The crude polysaccharide solution derived from Rhizoma Dioscorea Bulbiferac demonstrated the most potent scavenging activity towards ABTS+ radicals, whereas the same solution emerged as the most effective in neutralizing DPPH radicals. Alternatively, the crude polysaccharide solution isolated from Ophioglossum pedunculosum Desv exhibited superior scavenging capability towards hydroxyl radicals. Lastly, the crude polysaccharide solution originating from Rhodiola rosea L was found to possess the highest overall reducing power. With the loading of traditional Chinese medicine crude polysaccharides, the pore size of the traditional Chinese medicine crude polysaccharide hydrogel increased, the swelling capacity enhanced, while water retention and antioxidant properties decreased to some extent. Compared to the control group, mice in the Rhizoma Dioscorea Bulbiferac crude polysaccharide hydrogel group and the Houttuynia cordata Thunb crude polysaccharide hydrogel group showed significant wound recovery, reduced scabbing, and the appearance of skin appendages such as hair follicles and sebaceous glands, with no infiltration of inflammatory cells. Additionally, at a concentration of 2000 μg/ mL crude polysaccharides, all polysaccharide hydrogels demonstrated high hemocompatibility. The crude polysaccharide hydrogel loaded with Rhizoma Dioscorea Bulbiferac and Houttuynia cordata Thunb had an obvious effect on accelerating wound recovery, and are wound dressings with potential application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). In this study we aimed to explore the causal association between physical activity or sedentary behavior and the risk of FD and IBS. Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed. Candidate genetic instruments for physical activity and sedentary behavior were retrieved from the latest published Genome‐Wide Association Study (GWAS), which included up to 703 901 participants. Summary‐level GWAS data for FD (8 875 cases and 320 387 controls) and IBS (9 323 cases and 301 931 controls) were obtained from the FinnGen study. The causal effects were mainly estimated by inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept test, leave‐one‐out analysis, and the funnel plot. Results: No significant association of moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), leisure screen time (LST), sedentary behavior at work (SDW), and sedentary commuting (SDC) with the risk of FD was found. However, there was a suggestive correlation between MVPA and the decreased risk of FD (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.99, P = 0.047). Genetically predicted MVPA decreased the risk of IBS (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40–0.84, P = 0.004), while increased LST was positively associated with IBS risk (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15–1.53, P < 0.001). No causal effects of SDW or SDC on IBS risk were observed. Conclusion: MVPA and LST are causally linked to the development of IBS, which will facilitate primary prevention of IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose disturbances are a common comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and have been extensively studied in the past. However, few studies have explored glucose disturbances in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and risk factors of glucose disturbances in FEDN MDD patients to understand the relationship between MDD and glucose disturbances in the acute early phase and provide important implications for therapeutic interventions. Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited a total of 1718 MDD patients. We collected their socio-demographic information, clinical data, and blood glucose indicators.17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and the positive symptom subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess their depression, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, respectively. The prevalence of glucose disturbances in FEDN MDD patients was 13.6%. Depression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms, body mass index (BMI) levels and suicide attempts rates were higher in the group with glucose disorders than in the group without glucose disorders among patients with first-episode drug-naive MDD. Correlation analysis showed that glucose disturbances were associated with HAMD score, HAMA score, BMI, psychotic symptoms and suicide attempts. Furthermore, binary logistic regression showed that HAMD score and suicide attempts were independently associated with glucose disturbances in MDD patients. Our findings suggest that the prevalence of comorbid glucose disturbances is very high in FEDN MDD patients. Moreover, more severe depressive symptoms and higher suicide attempts are correlated with glucose disturbances in MDD FEDN patients in the early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the interval between bilateral cochlear implantation on the development of bilateral peripheral auditory pathways as revealed by the electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (EABR). Methods: Fifty-eight children with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. Among them, 33 children received sequential bilateral cochlear implants (CIs), and 25 children received simultaneous bilateral CIs. The bilateral EABRs evoked by electrical stimulation from the CI electrode were recorded on the day of second-side CI activation. Results: The latencies of wave III (eIII) and wave V (eV) were significantly shorter on the first CI side than on the second CI side in children with sequential bilateral CIs but were similar between the two sides in children with simultaneous bilateral CIs. Furthermore, the latencies were prolonged from apical to basal channels along the cochlea in the two groups. In children with sequential CIs, the inter-implant interval was negatively correlated with the eV latency on the first CI side and was positively correlated with bilateral differences in the eIII and eV latencies. Conclusions: Unilateral CI use promotes the maturation of ipsilateral auditory conduction function. However, a longer inter-implant interval results in more unbalanced development of bilateral auditory brainstem pathways. Bilateral cochlear implantation with no or a short interval is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handmade Cloning (HMC) is a pivotal technique for cloning pig embryos. Despite its significance, the low efficiency of this method hampers its widespread application. Although numerous factors and signaling pathways influencing embryo development have been studied, the mechanisms underlying low developmental capacity and insufficient reprogramming of cloned embryos remain elusive. In the present study, we sought to elucidate key regulatory factors involved in the development of pig HMC embryos by comparing and analyzing the gene expression profiles of HMC embryos with those of naturally fertilized (NF) embryos at the 4-cell, 8-cell, and 16-cell stages. The results showed that ZFP42 expression is markedly higher in NF embryos than in cloned counterparts. Subsequent experiments involving the injection of ZFP42 messenger RNA (mRNA) into HMC embryos showed that ZFP42 could enhance the blastocyst formation rate, upregulate pluripotent genes and metabolic pathways. This highlights the potential of ZFP42 as a critical factor in improving the development of pig HMC embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of suicide is high among major depressive adolescents. Poor sleep quality has been documented as a significant risk factor for suicide, influencing perceived social support. Enhanced social support acts as a buffer against suicidal ideation and positively impacts resilience, reducing the prevalence of suicidal ideation. This reciprocal relationship between sleep quality, social support and resilience forms the basis for understanding the mechanisms contributing to suicidal ideation in major depressive adolescents. Methods: A total of 585 major depressive adolescents aged 11 to 24 years was conducted to explore these associations. Assessments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Pearson correlation and Model 6 in the SPSS program were employed for chain mediating tests. Results: Better sleep quality positively predicted decreased suicide ideation (β = 0.207, p < 0.01) and predicted lower perceived social support (β = −0.226, p < 0.01) and resilience (β = −0.355, p < 0.01). Perceived social support positively predicted increased resilience (β = 0.422, p < 0.01) and negatively predicted suicide ideation (β = −0.288, p < 0.01). Resilience negatively predicted suicide ideation (β = −0.187, p < 0.01). Sleep quality indirectly predicted suicide ideation through perceived social support and resilience, with a mediation value of 0.0678 (95% CI [0.0359, 0.1060]), constituting 10.65% of the total effect. Conclusions: This study establishes that sleep quality indirectly predicts suicide ideation in major depressive adolescents, mediated independently by perceived social support and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shadow banks, such as investment funds, hedge funds, and mortgage finance companies, have grown rapidly in recent years. We analyze the link between monetary policy and the growth of shadow banks and, by extension, financial stability in Canada. Using monthly financial market data from 1991 to 2015, we first find that contractionary monetary policy does not cause the expected reduction in shadow bank business loans and mortgage loans as it does in chartered bank credit. This suggests that as shadow banks have grown in importance, the effectiveness of monetary policy in reducing inflation has been impaired. We find evidence to support that hypothesis using a two-stage time-varying coefficient Bayesian vector autoregression approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exploring the neural basis related to different mood states is a critical issue for understanding the pathophysiology underlying mood switching in bipolar disorder (BD), but research has been scarce and inconsistent. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 162 patients with BD: 33 (hypo)manic, 64 euthymic, and 65 depressive, and 80 healthy controls (HCs). The differences of large-scale brain network functional connectivity (FC) between the four groups were compared and correlated with clinical characteristics. To validate the generalizability of our findings, we recruited a small longitudinal independent sample of BD patients (n = 11). In addition, we examined topological nodal properties across four groups as exploratory analysis. Results: A specific strengthened pattern of network FC, predominantly involving the default mode network (DMN), was observed in (hypo)manic patients when compared with HCs and bipolar patients in other mood states. Longitudinal observation revealed an increase in several network FCs in patients during (hypo)manic episode. Both samples evidenced an increase in the FC between the DMN and ventral attention network, and between the DMN and limbic network (LN) related to (hypo)mania. The altered network connections were correlated with mania severity and positive affect. Bipolar depressive patients exhibited decreased FC within the LN compared with HCs. The exploratory analysis also revealed an increase in degree in (hypo)manic patients. Conclusions: Our findings identify a distributed pattern of large-scale network disturbances in the unique context of (hypo)mania and thus provide new evidence for our understanding of the neural mechanism of BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacground: Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) has a high incidence of postoperative systemic inflammation response syndrome (SIRS), and perioperative endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) disruption can be one of the predisposing factors. We hypothesized that EGL shedding happened earlier in OPCABG which can influence on postoperative SIRS, and sevoflurane might preserve EGL better than propofol. Methods: We randomly allocated 50 patients undergoing OPCABG to receive either sevoflurane-sufentanil or propofol-sufentanil anesthesia. Plasma syndecan-1, heparan sulfate (HS), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), IL-6, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured. Blood samples were collected at 6 timepoints: induction (T1), before grafting (T2), after grafting(T3), surgery done (T4), postoperative day1 (POD1,T5) and POD2 (T6). SIRS criteria and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were examined. Results: There were neither differences of syndecan-1, HS, IL-6 nor of SIRS criteria or SOFA score between the sevoflurane and propofol groups. All patients were pooled as a single group for further statistical analyses, plasma syndecan-1 (P < 0.001) and IL-6 (P < 0.001) increased significantly as a function of time; syndecan-1 increasing correlated significantly with the duration of coronary graft anastomosis (r = 0.329, P = 0.026). Syndecan-1(T3) correlated significantly with ANP(T3) (r = 0.0.354, P = 0.016) and IL-6 (T5) (r = 0.570, P < 0.001). The maximum value of IL-6 correlated significantly with SIRS (r = 0.378, P = 0.010), the maximum value of SOFA score (r = 0.399, P = 0.006) and ICU days (r = 0.306, P = 0.039). The maximum value of SOFA score correlated significantly with the occurrence of SIRS (r = 0.568, P < 0.001) and ICU days (r = 0.338, P = 0.022). Conclusions: OPCABG intraoperative early EGL shedding caused of grafts anastomosis greatly affected postoperative SIRS and SOFA score, sevoflurane did not clinically preserve EGL better. Trial registration: ChiCTR-IOR-17012535. Registered on 01/09/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Na‐dendrites and the dissolution of organic cathodes are two major challenges that hinder the development of sodium‐organic batteries (SOBs). Herein, a multifunctional Janus separator (h‐BN@PP@C) by using an interfacial engineering strategy, is proposed to tackle the issues of SOBs. The carbon layer facing the organic cathode serves as a barrier to capture dissolved organic materials and enhance their utilization. Meanwhile, the h‐BN layer facing the Na anode possesses high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength, which mitigates the occurrence of localized‐temperature "hot spots" and promotes the formation of a NaF‐enriched SEI, thereby suppressing dendrite growth. Consequently, the Janus separator enables a stable Na plating/stripping cycling for 1000 h at 3 mA cm−2. Equipped with the Janus separator, organic cathodes including dibenzo[b,i]thianthrene‐5,7,12,14‐tetraone (DTT), pentacene‐5,7,12,14‐tetrone and Calix[4]quinone cathodes demonstrate high capacity and remarkable cycling performance. In particular, the DTT exhibits a bipolar co‐reaction storage mechanism and achieves an ultrahigh capacity (≈342.6 mAh g−1), long‐term cycling stability (capacity decay rate of 0.15% per cycle over 550 cycles at 500 mA g−1) and fast kinetics (1000 mA g−1≈2.8 C). This study offers a straightforward, effective, and promising solution to address the challenges in SOBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a self-renewal mechanism that maintains homeostasis and can promote tissue regeneration by regulating inflammation, reducing oxidative stress and promoting cell differentiation. The interaction between biomaterials and tissue cells significantly affects biomaterial-tissue integration and tissue regeneration. In recent years, it has been found that biomaterials can affect various processes related to tissue regeneration by regulating autophagy. The utilization of biomaterials in a controlled environment has become a prominent approach for enhancing the tissue regeneration capabilities. This involves the regulation of autophagy in diverse cell types implicated in tissue regeneration, encompassing the modulation of inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix formation. In addition, biomaterials possess the potential to serve as carriers for drug delivery, enabling the regulation of autophagy by either activating or inhibiting its processes. This review summarizes the relationship between autophagy and tissue regeneration and discusses the role of biomaterial-based autophagy in tissue regeneration. In addition, recent advanced technologies used to design autophagy-modulating biomaterials are summarized, and rational design of biomaterials for providing controlled autophagy regulation via modification of the chemistry and surface of biomaterials and incorporation of cells and molecules is discussed. A better understanding of biomaterial-based autophagy and tissue regeneration, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms, may lead to new possibilities for promoting tissue regeneration. CNV4r3KmCJoH5sXtXL-Ceo Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an adaptive slicing method for optimizing STL model manufacturing details, addressing the issue of traditional slicing methods being unable to accurately identify model details in 3D printing. The method utilizes the angle difference between the normal vectors of intersecting triangular facets of neighboring slice planes and the print direction and it sets an angle variation threshold to determine the presence of vertical sharp corners in the current slice. Additionally, the method employs the combined triangle method to calculate the contour curve area of the current slice plane, using an area variation threshold to determine the presence of parallel sharp corners. For slices without model details, the slice thickness is determined using an adaptive slicing method based on triangular plane normal vectors. For slices with model details, the final slice thickness is chosen as the minimum value obtained from the two discriminatory bases mentioned above. Based on MATLAB simulation experiment results demonstrate that the adaptive slicing method of this paper improves the model manufacturing accuracy by 19.3% and the estimated printing time only increases by 4 min, which compared to the adaptive slicing method based on triangular facet normal vectors. The adaptive slicing method of this paper ensures both manufacturing efficiency and accuracy, which effectively preserves the model manufacturing details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Ni-doped LiMn 2 O 4 spinel oxides were studied as the cathode materials of low temperature proton ceramic fuel cell. Increasing the content of doping Ni to 0.5, the calculated active energy of the polarization process of the cell decreased from 0.62 to 0.49 eV. The cell performance increased with the Ni doping of LiMn 2 O 4 cathode, and the optimal power density reached to 547 mW cm−2 at 550 °C with a low polar resistance of 0.42 Ω cm2 for LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4. Ni partially replacing Mn at the B site could increase the content of Mn4+, resulting in the increase of oxygen vacancy content to maintain the charge balance, which is beneficial to the oxygen reduction reaction. These results demonstrate that spinel oxide could be a promising cathode material with highly oxygen reduction activity for advanced low temperature solid ceramic fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface engineering is one of the key issues in fabricating efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we introduced self-assembled molecules of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetic acid (PAA) and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylpropionic acid (PPA) as a multifunctional linker to modify the buried interface between SnO2 and the Cs/FA perovskite. These modifiers can simultaneously bond to the SnO2 surface and chemically interact with perovskite to passivate the surface defects. Moreover, the PAA/PPA can facilitate the crystal growth of perovskite to form high-quality films. Accordingly, the defect density and trap-assisted charge recombination at the interface and within the perovskite are markedly reduced. Additionally, the large dipole moments of modifiers induce the modulation of energy level of SnO2, resulting in the favorable band alignment and thus the enhanced electron extraction and transport. As a result, PPA is certified to be more effective in interfacial regulation, and the Cs/FA-based PSC produces a significantly increased PCE of 22.2% with inhibited hysteresis, higher than the control (20.0%) and PAA-modified (21.5%) ones. Meanwhile, the unencapsulated devices with PAA/PPA modification presented much better ambient and thermal stability than the control device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the previous study, the properties, separation efficiencies, and anti-fouling performances of TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membrane made via non-solvent-induced phase separation were investigated. SEM, contact angle measurement, ATR-FTIR, and other methods were used to characterize the membranes, and then the pure water flux (PWF) and dye rejection were measured. The TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by stepwise solution blending method. Compared to the pristine PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membrane, the anti-fouling and pure water flux performances were enhanced as the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles. The pure water flux of TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded membranes was significantly increased and could even reach 3368.2 LMH at 5 bar much greater than that of the pristine PEEKWC/PEI ultrafiltration membrane (1423.8 LMH), remaining a retention rate for BBR higher than 98.5%. And the TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membranes exhibited a certain degree of increase of FRR (higher than 80%) after UV illumination. After a series of characterisation, the dye wastewater treatment property of membranes was assessed through filtration of Coomassie brilliant blue and Congo red solutions and researches were conducted on the anti-fouling capabilities of membranes. The TiO 2 nanoparticle embedded PEEKWC/PEI cross-linked ultrafiltration membranes exhibited self-cleaning efficiency with lower irreversible fouling ratio. The pure water flux recovery ratio following dye fouling was higher after being exposed to UV irradiation, which could be attributed to the TiO 2 nanoparticles' photocatalytic destruction of organic pollutants. [Display omitted] • A simple and effective improving method by incorporating TiO 2 nanoparticles. • Enhanced self-cleaning performances by the the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles. • The pure water flux of embedded membranes could reach 3368.2 L·m−2·h−1 at 5 bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the well-documented health benefits of the probiotic Saccharomyces, its application in oral health has not been comprehensively assessed. Dental caries is a transmissible disease initiated by acid production of cariogenic bacteria and yeast, such as Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, on tooth enamel and followed by subsequent enamel demineralization. Here, we investigated the effect of two Saccharomyces strains (Saccharomyces boulardii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on S. mutans–C. albicans cross-kingdom interactions using a cariogenic planktonic model. Viable cells, pH changes, and gene expression were measured. S. cerevisiae and S. boulardii inhibited the growth of C. albicans in dual- and multi-species conditions at 4, 6, and 20 h. Saccharomyces also inhibited C. albicans hyphal formation. Furthermore, Saccharomyces reduced the acidity of the culture medium, which usually plummeted below pH 5 when S. mutans and C. albicans were present in the model. The presence of Saccharomyces maintained the culture medium above 6 even after overnight incubation, demonstrating a protective potential against dental enamel demineralization. S. boulardii significantly down-regulated S. mutans atpD and eno gene expression. Overall, our results shed light on a new promising candidate, Saccharomyces, for dental caries prevention due to its potential to create a less cariogenic environment marked by a neutral pH and reduced growth of C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease that is common and relapses easily. While the importance of keratinocyte proliferation in psoriasis development is well‐documented, the specific functional subpopulations of epidermal keratinocytes associated with this disease remain enigmatic. Materials and Methods: Therefore, in our analysis of single‐cell transcriptome data from both normal and psoriatic skin tissues, we observed significant increases in certain keratinocytes in the stratum corneum (KC) and stratum granulosum (KG) within psoriatic skin. Furthermore, we identified upregulated expression of specific secreted factors known to promote inflammatory responses. Additionally, we conducted a KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on these identified subsets. Results: In the stratum corneum, the expression of FTL was upregulated in HIST1H1C+KC. S100P+KC displayed a significant increase in the expression of both S100P and S100A10, whereas PRR9+KC showed upregulated expression of DEFB4B, S100A8, and S100A12. SLURP1+KC was characterized by elevated expression levels of IL‐36G, SLURP1, and S100A12. Meanwhile, in the stratum granulosum, KRT1+KG highly expressed SLURP1, S100A7, S100A8, and S100A9, while DEFB4B expression was upregulated in PI3+KG. Our findings indicated that subsets within the stratum corneum primarily participate in pathways related to MAPK, NOD‐like receptors, HIF‐1, cell senescence, and other crucial processes. In contrast, subsets in the stratum granulosum were predominantly associated with pathways involving MAPK, NOD‐like receptors, HIF‐1, Hippo, mTOR, and IL‐17. Conclusion: These findings not only uncover the keratinocyte subsets linked to psoriasis but also unveil the molecular mechanisms and related signaling pathways that drive psoriasis development. This knowledge opens new horizons for the development of innovative clinical treatment strategies for psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apparent friction coefficient, namely Heim’s ratio, is a prevalent dimensionless parameter to represent landslides’ mobility. Many empirical and theoretical models have been developed on the Heim’s ratio and landslides’ volume. However, studies on the ratio and their slope angles are lacking. Here, we performed a series of laboratory landslides at different slope angles to explore their mobility and motion characteristics. Our results show that the runout of the laboratory landslides decreases linearly with an increase in slope angles. A theoretical relationship between the apparent friction coefficient and slope angle is proposed, based on a hypothesis that the ratio of energy dissipation occurring when an object collides with a plane is power law to its impact angle. The relationship shows well approximation to our experimental data, and data from Crosta (IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 26:012004, 2015) and natural landslides. We also obtain that the coefficients of apparent friction and effective friction are almost identical at low slope angles. The dimensionless length and area of the laboratory landslides increase first and then decrease during their whole motion. The maximum area of them during their motion decreases with an increase in slope angles. The study will support studies on the morphological variation during the whole motion and mobility of landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Ni-doped LiMn 2 O 4 spinel oxides were studied as the cathode materials of low temperature proton ceramic fuel cell. Increasing the content of doping Ni to 0.5, the calculated active energy of the polarization process of the cell decreased from 0.62 to 0.49 eV. The cell performance increased with the Ni doping of LiMn 2 O 4 cathode, and the optimal power density reached to 547 mW cm−2 at 550 °C with a low polar resistance of 0.42 Ω cm2 for LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4. Ni partially replacing Mn at the B site could increase the content of Mn4+, resulting in the increase of oxygen vacancy content to maintain the charge balance, which is beneficial to the oxygen reduction reaction. These results demonstrate that spinel oxide could be a promising cathode material with highly oxygen reduction activity for advanced low temperature solid ceramic fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Financial toxicity, defined as the financial distress experienced by patients related to their cancer care, can adversely impact clinical outcomes. Little is known about financial toxicity and associated factors among patients with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study of 669 patients shows that financial toxicity was prevalent in patients with breast cancer, particularly those with metastatic disease, during COVID-19. Lower income and elevated depression symptom severity were the primary factors associated with greater financial toxicity and socioeconomic stress from COVID-19. Patient financial burden is substantial and must be considered when managing breast cancer. This study reported the prevalence of financial distress (financial toxicity (FT)) and COVID-19-related economic stress in patients with breast cancer (BC). Patients with BC were recruited from the Ciitizen platform, Breastcancer.org, and patient advocacy groups between 30 March and 6 July 2021. FT was assessed with the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) instrument. COVID-19-related economic stress was assessed with the COVID-19 Stress Scale. Among the 669 patients, the mean age was 51.6 years; 9.4% reported a COVID-19 diagnosis. The prevalence rates of mild and moderate/severe FT were 36.8% and 22.4%, respectively. FT was more prevalent in patients with metastatic versus early BC (p < 0.001). The factors associated with FT included income ≤ USD 49,999 (adjusted odds ratio (adj OR) 6.271, p < 0.0001) and USD 50,000–USD 149,999 (adj OR 2.722, p < 0.0001); aged <50 years (adj OR 3.061, p = 0.0012) and 50–64 years (adj OR 3.444, p = 0.0002); living alone (adj OR 1.603, p = 0.0476); and greater depression severity (adj OR 1.155, p < 0.0001). Black patients (adj OR 2.165, p = 0.0133), patients with income ≤ USD 49,999 (adj OR 1.921, p = 0.0432), or greater depression severity (adj OR 1.090, p < 0.0001) were more likely to experience COVID-19-related economic stress. FT was common in patients with BC, particularly metastatic disease, during COVID-19. Multiple factors, especially lower income and greater depression severity were associated with financial difficulties during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate whether insula network connectivity modulates the relationship between apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotype, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (Aβ, Tau, and pTau) and cognition across Alzheimer's disease (AD) spectrum. Methods: Forty‐six cognitive normal (CN), 35 subjective memory complaint (SMC), 41 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 32 AD subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were obtained. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the main effects and interaction of the APOE genotype and disease status on the insula functional connectivity (IFC) network. Mediation and moderation analysis were performed to investigate whether IFC strengths regulate the association between APOE genotype, CSF biomarkers and cognition. Additionally, the support vector machine (SVM) model integrating APOE genotype, CSF biomarkers, and neuroimaging biomarkers (insula volumes and altered regional IFCs) was used to classify the AD spectrum. Results: The interactive effect of the APOE genotype and disease on the insula network was found in the left medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed.L), right anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC.R), and bilateral thalamus (THA.B). The functional connectivities (FCs) in the left insula (LIns) connecting with the left posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG.L), SFGmed.L, and right lingual gyrus (LING.R) were correlated with cognition. LIns‐SFGmed.L and LIns‐pMTG.L FCs could moderate the effects of Tau on cognition. Furthermore, LIns‐SFGmed.L FC may suppress the association between APOE genotype and cognition. More importantly, the integrated biomarkers from the SVM model yielded strong powers for classifying the AD spectrum. Conclusions: Insula functional connectivity regulated the association between APOE genotype, CSF Tau and cognition and provided stage‐dependent biomarkers for early differentiation of the AD spectrum. The present study used a cross‐sectional design. Follow‐up studies are needed to validate the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid emergence of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data presents remarkable opportunities for broad investigations through integration analyses. However, most integration models are black boxes that lack interpretability or are hard to train. Results: To address the above issues, we propose scInterpreter, a deep learning-based interpretable model. scInterpreter substantially outperforms other state-of-the-art (SOTA) models in multiple benchmark datasets. In addition, scInterpreter is extensible and can integrate and annotate atlas scRNA-seq data. We evaluated the robustness of scInterpreter in a variety of situations. Through comparison experiments, we found that with a knowledge prior, the training process can be significantly accelerated. Finally, we conducted interpretability analysis for each dimension (pathway) of cell representation in the embedding space. Conclusions: The results showed that the cell representations obtained by scInterpreter are full of biological significance. Through weight sorting, we found several new genes related to pathways in PBMC dataset. In general, scInterpreter is an effective and interpretable integration tool. It is expected that scInterpreter will bring great convenience to the study of single-cell transcriptomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotransformation of ursonic acid (1) by two fungal strains Aspergillus ochraceus CGMCC 3.5324 and Aspergillus oryzae CGMCC 3.407 yielded thirteen new compounds (4, 5, 7–10, and 13–19), along with five recognized ones. The structural details of new compounds were determined through spectroscopic examination (NMR, IR, and HR-MS) and X-ray crystallography. Various modifications, including hydroxylation, epoxidation, lactonization, oxygen introduction, and transmethylation, were identified on the ursane core. Additionally, the anti-neuroinflammatory efficacy of these derivatives was assessed on BV-2 cells affected by lipopolysaccharides. It was observed that certain methoxylated and epoxylated derivatives (10, 16, and 19) showcased enhanced suppressive capabilities, boasting IC50 values of 8.2, 6.9, and 5.3 μM. Such ursonic acid derivatives might emerge as potential primary molecules in addressing neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation aimed to isolate and identify predatory fungal strains and evaluate their efficacy in mitigating the effects of plant-parasitic nematodes. We successfully isolated three distinct nematophagous fungal strains from soil samples, identified as Arthrobotrys megalosporus, A. oligospora, and A. sinensis, using conventional and molecular identification methodologies. In vitro trials illustrated the high capture efficiency of these fungi against plant-parasitic nematodes. Over an exposure period of 48 h to Aphelenchoides besseyi, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and Ditylenchus destructor, A. megalosporus (GUCC220044) displayed predation rates of 99.7%, 83.0%, and 21.1%, respectively. A. oligospora (GUCC220045) demonstrated predation rates of 97.3%, 97.3%, and 54.6%, and A. sinensis (GUCC220046) showed rates of 85.1%, 68.3%, and 19.0% against the same cohort of nematodes. The experimental outcomes substantiate that all three identified fungal strains demonstrate predatory activity against the tested nematodes, albeit with varying efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential futurism is an important subgenre of futuristic science fiction in China, with the greatest number of works and the richest content. Several important works in this genre have gained widespread influence. Experiential futuristic works focus on conveying the experience of the future through words, and often use considerable appeal to call on people to pay attention to and to think about the future. Such works can be divided into two types: those attempting to convey the experience of a stand-alone technology and those attempting to convey a panoramic experience. The methods for creating experiential futuristic fiction include wonder creation, perception reinforcement, immersion creation, emotion activation and cognitive enhancement. Experiential futuristic works play a pioneering role in today's era of virtual reality and the metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of dry and hot (DH) days in South China in summer has a negative impact on social development and human health. This study explored the variation characteristics of DH days and the possible reasons for this knotty problem. The findings revealed a notable increase in the number of DH days across most stations, indicating a significant upward trend. Additionally, DH events were observed to occur frequently. The number of DH days increased during 1970–1990, decreased from 1991 to 1997, and stayed stable after 1997. The key climate factors affecting the interannual variability of the number of DH days were the Indian Ocean Basin warming (IOBW) in spring and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM). Compared with the negative phase of IOBW, in the positive phase of IOBW, 500 hPa and 850 hPa geopotential height enhanced, the West Pacific subtropical high strengthened and extended abnormally to the west, more solar radiation reached the surface, surface outgoing longwave radiation increased, and there was an anomalous anticyclone in eastern South China. The atmospheric circulation characteristics of the positive and negative phases of ESAM were opposite to those of IOBW, and the abnormal circulation of the positive (negative) phases of ESAM was unfavorable (favorable) for the increase in the number of DH days. A long-term prediction model for the number of summer DH days was established using multiple linear regression, incorporating the key climate factors. The correlation coefficient between the observed and predicted number of DH days was 0.65, and the root-mean-square error was 2.8. In addition, independent forecasts for 2019 showed a deviation of just 1 day. The results of the independent recovery test confirmed the stability of the model, providing evidence that climatic factors did have an impact on DH days in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egg production is the most important economic trait in laying hens. To identify molecular markers and candidate genes associated with egg production traits, such as age at first egg (AFE), weight at first egg (WFE), egg weight (EW), egg number (EN), and maximum consecutive egg laying days (MCD), a genome-wide analysis by whole genome sequencing was performed in Shuanglian chickens. Through whole genome sequencing and quality control, a total of 11,006,178 SNPs were obtained for further analysis. Heritability estimates ranged from moderate to high for EW (0.897) and MCD (0.632), and from low to moderate (0.193~0.379) for AFE, WFE, and EN. The GWAS results showed 11 genome-wide significant SNPs and 23 suggestive significant SNPs were identified to be associated with EN, MCD, WFE, and EW. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed twenty-seven SNPs associated with EN were located in a 0.57 Mb region on GGA10, and clustered into five blocks. Through functional annotation, three candidate genes NEO1, ADPGK, and CYP11A1, were identified to be associated with EN, while the S1PR4, LDB2, and GRM8 genes was linked to MCD, WFE, and EW, respectively. These findings may help us to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying egg production traits in chickens and contribute to genetic improvement of these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]