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Environmental antineoplastics such as sorafenib may pose a risk to humans through water recycling, and the increased risk of cardiotoxicity is a clinical issue in sorafenib users. Thus, developing strategies to prevent sorafenib cardiotoxicity is an urgent work. Empagliflozin, as a sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for type 2 diabetes control, has been approved for heart failure therapy. Still, its cardioprotective effect in the experimental model of sorafenib cardiotoxicity has not yet been reported. Real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR), immunoblot, and immunohistochemical analyses were applied to study the effect of sorafenib exposure on cardiac SGLT2 expression. The impact of empagliflozin on cell viability was investigated in the sorafenib‐treated cardiomyocytes using Alamar blue assay. Immunoblot analysis was employed to delineate the effect of sorafenib and empagliflozin on ferroptosis/proinflammatory signaling in cardiomyocytes. Ferroptosis/DNA damage/fibrosis/inflammation of myocardial tissues was studied in mice with a 28‐day sorafenib ± empagliflozin treatment using histological analyses. Sorafenib exposure significantly promoted SGLT2 upregulation in cardiomyocytes and mouse hearts. Empagliflozin treatment significantly attenuated the sorafenib‐induced cytotoxicity/DNA damage/fibrosis in cardiomyocytes and mouse hearts. Moreover, GPX4/xCT‐dependent ferroptosis as an inducer for releasing high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was also blocked by empagliflozin administration in the sorafenib‐treated cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissues. Furthermore, empagliflozin treatment significantly inhibited the sorafenib‐promoted NFκB/HMGB1 axis in cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissues, and sorafenib‐stimulated proinflammatory signaling (TNF‐α/IL‐1β/IL‐6) was repressed by empagliflozin administration. Finally, empagliflozin treatment significantly attenuated the sorafenib‐promoted macrophage recruitments in mouse hearts. In conclusion, empagliflozin may act as a cardioprotective agent for humans under sorafenib exposure by modulating ferroptosis/DNA damage/fibrosis/inflammation. However, further clinical evidence is required to support this preclinical finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few prospective studies explored the incidence and determinant of carotid atherosclerosis (CA) progression (CAP). This community-based prospective study focused on the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) treatments and glucose levels on CAP risks. Methods: We followed up a group of 657 CA-positive middle-aged adults and elders for CAP. CAP was defined as an increase in the total number of carotid plaque and/or an increase in diameter stenosis by at least 10%. Results: After 4.05 years of followed-up, CAP was detected in 364 (55.4%) subjects. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.805 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.374-2.358) and 0.694 (95% CI: 0.510-0.944) for elevated fasting plasma glucose (eFPG; FPG≥100 mg/dL) and glucose-lowering medications (GLM), respectively. As compared to GLM-negative+eFPG-positive subjects, the multivariable-adjusted HRs were 0.497 (95% CI: 0.373-0.662), 0.537 (95% CI: 0.306-0.942), and 0.586 (95% CI: 0.412-0.833) for GLM-negative +eFPG-negative, GLM-positive+eFPG-negative, and GLM-positive+ eFPG-positive subjects, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted risks of CAP were similar between GLM-negative+eFPG-negative and GLM-positive+ eFPG-positive subjects (p=0.77). Stratified analyses showed that the multivariable-adjusted HRs per 5.0 mg/dL increase in FPG were significantly increased among GLM-negative subjects (HR=1.131; 95% CI: 1.094-1.171) and non)significantly decreased among GLM-positive subjects (HR=0.985; 95% CI: 0.957-1.013). Conclusion: We found that more than 50% of CA-positive subjects had CAP in 4 years and higher FPG significantly increased and GLM significantly decreased the risks of CAP. Additionally, GLM and FPG demonstrated an interactive effect on CAP risks. It seems possible that GLM may induce effects beyond lowering glucose levels and subsequently lowers CAP risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gram-negative bacteria are the main bacterial pathogens infecting Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus; CGS) in captivity and the wild, causing substantial economic losses in the CGS industry. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis following infection remain unclear. Results: Spleen-derived macrophages from healthy CGS were isolated, cultured, and identified using density gradient centrifugation and immunofluorescence. A macrophage transcriptome database was established 0, 6, and 12 h post lipopolysaccharide stimulation using RNA-sequencing. In the final database 76,743 unigenes and 4,698 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were functionally annotated. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment results showed that DEGs were concentrated in toll-like receptor–nuclear factor kappa B-related immune pathways. Ten DEGs were validated 12 h after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Although the common LPS recognition receptor toll-like receptor 4 was not activated and the key adaptor protein MyD88 showed no significant response, we observed significant up-regulation of the following adaptors: toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-β, tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6, and transforming growth factor-β activated kinase 1, which are located downstream of the non-classical MyD88 pathway. Conclusions: In contrast to that in other species, macrophage activation in CGS could depend on the non-classical MyD88 pathway in response to bacterial infection. Our study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating CGS antibacterial responses, with implications for disease prevention and understanding immune evolution in amphibians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐healing transparent polymers are advantageous for various optoelectronic devices to improve resilience and durability. However, most of these materials have been applied only as flat films and do not address the need for optical structures that can manipulate light. Here optical microstructures embossed on a self‐healing polyurea film are presented which can autonomously recover from damage in ambient conditions. The polyurea film have a high optical transmittance above 90% and haze below 1.3%, and Young's modulus of 3.4 MPa. When applied as a protective light‐trapping layer for perovskite solar cells, the champion device shows improved short circuit current density from 23.7 to 25.0 mA·cm−2, and power conversion efficiency from 21.5% to 23.0%. Furthermore, the solar cell with the light‐trapping layer has improved impact resistance and can recover its performance after being scratched. It is envisioned that self‐healing optical structures can be realized for different geometries and materials in a range of optoelectronic applications to produce resilient and durable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical interface that maintains the central nervous system homeostasis by controlling the exchange of substances between the blood and the brain. Disruption of the BBB plays a vital role in the development of neuroinflammation and neurological dysfunction in sepsis, but the mechanisms by which the BBB becomes disrupted during sepsis are not well understood. Here, we induced endotoxemia, a major type of sepsis, in mice by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS acutely increased BBB permeability, activated microglia, and heightened inflammatory responses in brain endothelium and parenchyma. Concurrently, LPS or proinflammatory cytokines activated the NF-κB pathway, inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling in brain endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Cell culture study revealed that NF-κB p65 directly interacted with β-catenin to suppress Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Pharmacological NF-κB pathway inhibition restored brain endothelial Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity and mitigated BBB disruption and neuroinflammation in septic mice. Furthermore, genetic or pharmacological activation of brain endothelial Wnt/β-catenin signaling substantially alleviated LPS-induced BBB leakage and neuroinflammation, while endothelial conditional ablation of the Wnt7a/7b co-receptor Gpr124 exacerbated the BBB leakage caused by LPS. Mechanistically, Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation rectified the reduced expression levels of tight junction protein ZO-1 and transcytosis suppressor Mfsd2a in brain endothelial cells of mice with endotoxemia, inhibiting both paracellular and transcellular permeability of the BBB. Our findings demonstrate that endotoxemia-associated systemic inflammation decreases endothelial Wnt/β-catenin signaling through activating NF-κB pathway, resulting in acute BBB disruption and neuroinflammation. Targeting the endothelial Wnt/β-catenin signaling may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for preserving BBB integrity and treating neurological dysfunction in sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histones methyltransferase NSD3 targeting H3K36 is frequently disordered and mutant in various cancers, while the function of NSD3 during cancer initiation and progression remains unclear. In this study, it is proved that downregulated level of NSD3 is linked to clinical features and poor survival in lung adenocarcinoma. In vivo, NSD3 inhibited the proliferation, immigration, and invasion ability of lung adenocarcinoma. Meanwhile, NSD3 suppressed glycolysis by inhibiting HK2 translation, transcription, glucose uptake, and lactate production in lung adenocarcinoma. Mechanistically, as an intermediary, NSD3 binds to PPP1CB and p‐STAT3 in protein levels, thus forming a trimer to dephosphorylate the level of p‐STAT3 by PPP1CB, leading to the suppression of HK2 transcription. Interestingly, the phosphorylation function of PPP1CB is related to the concentration of carbon dioxide and pH value in the culture environment. Together, this study revealed the critical non‐epigenetic role of NSD3 in the regulation of STAT3‐dependent glycolysis, providing a piece of compelling evidence for targeting the NSD3/PPP1CB/p‐STAT3 in lung adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aronia melanocarpa, a plant rich in anthocyanins, has been studied for its potential to regulate blood sugar and blood lipids, although the specific mechanism is not yet understood. This research aims to identify the differential bacterial flora and elucidate the mechanism by which it improves glucose and lipid metabolism disorders through 16S rDNA gene sequencing. The study reveals the protective effect of Aronia melanocarpa extract (AME) on liver damage in type 2 diabetic rats. Experimental results demonstrate that AME can effectively modulate the abundance of intestinal flora, reduce colon tissue damage, enhance the weight of diabetic rats, and lower levels of fasting blood sugar, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TG). Additionally, liver morphology analysis shows that AME can effectively mitigate liver tissue structural damage in type 2 diabetic rats. In conclusion, AME regulates glucose and lipid metabolism by influencing intestinal flora, ultimately regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the catastrophic bushfire from a micro‐pollution point of view, and there is also very limited understanding of the emerging contamination of microplastics and nanoplastics. Upon exposure to fire, plastic items, such as water tanks, may release a substantial quantity of microplastics and nanoplastics, as characterized in this study through the analysis of residual debris. Using Raman imaging with the scanning pixel size down to 100 nm × 100 nm, we over‐scan the sample surface to collect a hyperspectral matrix. In order to map and convert the scanning hyperspectral matrix to an image, we compare and advance the chemometrics of algorithms, including logic and principal component analysis (PCA), to extract the weak signal of microplastics and particularly nanoplastics, which enables us to directly visualize the different degrees of burning. By doing so, we can identify the microplastics and nanoplastics down to ˜100 nm, which means that we can break through the diffraction limit of the laser which is ˜296 nm (λ/2NA) to capture nanoplastics. Using statistical analysis, we estimate that 1.4–4.7 million micro‐ and nanoplastics per cm2 can be left behind by the mimicked‐bushfire‐burned plastic tank. This study suggests that bushfire can accelerate the release of micro‐ and nanoplastics in the environment. This study not only contributes essential insights into the micro‐pollution consequences of fire burning but also underscores the urgency of addressing this understudied aspect to inform environmental conservation strategies and public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most prevalent malignant tumor. Hepatocellular carcinogenesis is closely linked to apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation. Diosmetin and chrysin, are two flavonoid compounds, exhibit anti‐inflammatory and anticancer properties. In this study, the TCGA database was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes between normal subjects and HCC patients. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics analyses were employed to assess the binding affinity of chrysin and diosmetin to key proteins in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/NF‐κB signaling pathway. Western blotting and RT‐qPCR were used to measure the protein and gene expression within this pathway. The results indicated that HCC patients had elevated levels of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, and P65 proteins compared to normal subjects, which adversely affected patient survival. Molecular docking and dynamics studies demonstrated that diosmetin and chrysin are effectively bound to these four proteins. In vitro experiments revealed that the combination of diosmetin and chrysin could induce apoptosis, enhance autophagy, reduce inflammatory mediator production, and improve the tumor cell microenvironment by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/NF‐κB signaling pathway. Notably, the synergy score for the combination of diosmetin (25 μM) and chrysin (10 μM) was 16. Thus, the diosmetin–chrysin combination shows promise as an effective therapeutic approach for hepatocellular carcinoma due to its strong synergistic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous emulsion homo- and co-polymerization of lauryl methacrylate (LMA), a strong hydrophobic monomer with long carbon chain, is quite challenging. In this study, a long carbon chain emulsifier N-390 was used as the primary emulsifier to facilitate the emulsion copolymerization of LMA with other acrylate monomers through the mutual hydrophobic interaction between N-390 and LMA, and ultimately polyacrylate latex pressure sensitive adhesives modified by LMA via pre-emulsified semi-continuous seeded emulsion polymerization process were synthesized. The effects of LMA on the resulting latex and PSA properties was comprehensively examined. Both FTIR and 1H NMR spectra indicated that LMA has been successfully introduced into copolymer chain with the aid of long carbon chain emulsifier N-390. The results also showed that the introduction of LMA will contribute to decrease in particle size and zeta potential, while increase viscosity and gel content of the acrylate PSA latex. Moreover, as the LMA content increased, the latex PSA films demonstrated gradual improvements in both water resistance and thermal stability. Finally, for the long carbon chains adhesive film, the shear strength was improved greatly while at the sacrifice of loop tack and peel strength, when compared to counterparts without LMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination has emerged as a significant environmental concern, necessitating the development of effective degradation technologies. Among these technologies, ultrasonication has gained increasing attention. However, there is still limited knowledge of its scale-up or on-site applications due to the complexity of real-world conditions and its high energy consumption. Herein, we provide an overview of recent advancements in the ultrasonic degradation of PFAS toward hybrid technologies. This review contains information regarding the physical and chemical properties of PFAS, followed by an exploration of degradation challenges, the mechanisms of ultrasonication, and recent experimental findings in this field. The key factor affecting ultrasonication is cavitation intensity, which depends on ultrasonic frequency, power density, and PFAS structure. Its main advantages include the generation of reactive species without chemicals and the compatibility with other degradation technologies, while its main disadvantages are high energy consumption and limited applications to liquid-based media. We also highlight the integration of ultrasonication with other advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to create hybrid systems for enhanced degradation of PFAS in order to significantly improve PFAS degradation efficiency, with enhancement factors ranging between 2 and 12. Finally, we discuss prospects for scaling up the ultrasonic degradation of PFAS and address the associated limitations. This review aims to deepen the understanding of ultrasonication technology in addressing PFAS contamination and to guide future research and development efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the fine-tuning of the optical resonance wavelength (ORW) of surface-micromachined optical ultrasound transducer (SMOUT) arrays to enable ultrasound data readout with non-tunable interrogation light sources for photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT). Permanent ORW tuning is achieved by material deposition onto or subtraction from the top diaphragm of each element with sub-nanometer resolution. For demonstration, a SMOUT array is first fabricated, and its ORW is tuned for readout with an 808 nm laser diode (LD). Experiments are conducted to characterize the optical and acoustic performances of the elements within the center region of the SMOUT array. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional PACT (photoacoustic computed tomography) is also performed to evaluate the imaging performance of the ORW-tuned SMOUT array. The results show that the ORW tuning does not degrade the optical, acoustic, and overall imaging performances of the SMOUT elements. As a result, the fine-tuning method enables new SMOUT-based PACT systems that are low cost, compact, powerful, and even higher speed, with parallel readout capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive understanding of the neural circuits involving the ventral tegmental area is essential for elucidating the anatomofunctional mechanisms governing human behaviour, in addition to the therapeutic and adverse effects of deep brain stimulation for neuropsychiatric diseases. Although the ventral tegmental area has been targeted successfully with deep brain stimulation for different neuropsychiatric diseases, the axonal connectivity of the region is not fully understood. Here, using fibre microdissections in human cadaveric hemispheres, population-based high-definition fibre tractography and previously reported deep brain stimulation hotspots, we find that the ventral tegmental area participates in an intricate network involving the serotonergic pontine nuclei, basal ganglia, limbic system, basal forebrain and prefrontal cortex, which is implicated in the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, cluster headaches and aggressive behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain size and shape are critical agronomic traits that directly impact rice grain yield. Identifying genes that control these traits can provide new strategies for yield improvement. In this study, we characterized a rice mutant, reduced grain length (rgl), which exhibited decreased grain length due to reduced cell proliferation. Map‐based cloning identified a base deletion in OsRGL2, a gene encoding a keratin‐associated protein (KAP), as the cause of the mutant phenotype. CRISPR‐Cas9‐generated OsRGL2 knockout mutants also displayed reduced grain length, confirming its role. OsRGL2 transcripts were detected in various tissues, with relative higher gene expression in young panicles, and OsRGL2 was localized to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of OsRGL2 increased grain size by promoting cell proliferation in the spikelet hull and significantly enhanced grain yield per plant. Importantly, OsRGL2 was found to interact with RGB1, indicating that OsRGL2 positively regulates grain size and yield through its interaction with RGB1. Additionally, OsRGL2 regulated the expression of cell cycle‐related genes, further elucidating its role in grain development. These findings demonstrate that OsRGL2 is a positive regulator of grain size in rice, and manipulating its expression may offer a novel strategy for enhancing rice grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune evasion by cancer cells poses a significant challenge for natural killer cell–based immunotherapy. Pyroptosis, a newly discovered form of programmed cell death, has shown great potential for enhancing the antitumor immunity of natural killer cells. Consequently, targeting pyroptosis has become an attractive strategy for boosting natural killer cell activity against cancer. In this study, various assays were conducted, including natural killer cell cytotoxicity assays, flow cytometry, xenograft tumor models, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, to assess natural killer cell–mediated cell killing, as well as gene and protein expressions. The results indicated that euphohelioscopin A, a potential pyroptosis activator, enhances natural killer cell–mediated lysis of tumor cells, resulting in inhibiting tumor growth that could be reversed by natural killer cell depletion. Furthermore, we found that euphohelioscopin A significantly enhanced IFNγ production in natural killer cells and synergistically upregulated GSDME with IFNγ in cancer cells. Euphohelioscopin A also increased the cleavage of GSDME, promoting granzyme B–induced pyroptosis, which could be reversed by GSDME knockdown and IFNγ blockade. Overall, the findings suggested that euphohelioscopin A enhanced natural killer cell–mediated killing of cancer cells by triggering pyroptosis, making euphohelioscopin A a promising pyroptosis activator with great potential for use in natural killer cell–based cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tumor size and differentiation grade on long term survival in patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) after lobectomy and segmentectomy. Patients and Methods: Patients with stage T1–2N0M0 LUAD who underwent lobectomy and segmentectomy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Patients were stratified as grade I (well differentiated), grade II (moderately differentiated), and grade III/IV (poorly differentiated/undifferentiated) carcinomas. The effect of tumor size on overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) was evaluated using the multivariate Cox regression model, including the interaction between tumor size, type of surgery, and tumor differentiation grade. The inverse probability of treatment weighting method was used to adjust for bias between the groups. Results: A total of 19,857 patients were identified, including 18,759 (94.4%) who underwent lobectomy and 1098 (5.5%) who underwent segmentectomy. A three-way interaction among tumor size, differentiation grade, and type of surgery was observed in the overall cohort. After stratifying by differentiation grade, plots of interaction revealed that lobectomy was associated with improved survival compared with segmentectomy when the tumor size exceeded 23 mm for grade I LUAD and 14 mm for grade II LUAD. No interaction was observed between the studied factors in grade III/IV carcinomas. Conclusions: This study interpreted the interaction between tumor size and type of surgery on long-term survival in patients with early stage LUAD and established a tumor size threshold beyond which lobectomy provided survival benefits compared with segmentectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light is a key environmental factor regulating reproduction in avians. However, the mechanism of light intensity regulating ovarian development is still unclear. In this study, 5-week-old (5 wk) partridge broiler breeders were randomly divided into a low-light-intensity group (LL group) and a natural-light-intensity group (NL group) (n = 100). In the rearing period (5 wk to 22 wk), the light intensity of the LL group and NL group were 0.41 ± 0.05 lux and 45.39 ± 1.09 lux, and in the laying period (23 wk to 32 wk) they were 23.92 ± 0.06 lux and 66.93 ± 0.76 lux, respectively. Samples were collected on 22 wk and 32 wk. The results showed that the LL group had a later age at first egg and a longer laying period than the NL group. Serum P4 and LH levels in the LL group were higher than in the NL group on 22 wk (p < 0.05). On 32 wk, P4, E2, LH and FSH levels in the LL group were lower than in the NL group (p < 0.05). Ovarian transcriptomics and metabolomics identified 128 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 467 differential metabolites (DMs) on 22 wk; 155 DEGs and 531 DMs on 32 wk between two groups. An enrichment analysis of these DEGs and DMs identified key signaling pathways, including steroid hormone biosynthesis, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. In these pathways, genes such as CYP21A1, SSTR2, and NPY may regulate the synthesis of metabolites, including tryptamine, triglycerides, and phenylalanine. These genes and metabolites may play a dominant role in the light-intensity regulation of ovarian development and laying performance in broiler breeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the influences of 1p/19q co-deletion on structural connectivity alterations in patients with dominant hemisphere insular diffuse gliomas. Methods: We incorporated 32 cases of left insular gliomas and 20 healthy controls for this study. Using diffusion MRI, we applied correlational tractography, differential tractography, and graph theoretical analysis to explore the potential connectivity associated with 1p/19q co-deletion. Results: The study revealed that the quantitative anisotropy (QA) of key deep medial fiber tracts, including the anterior thalamic radiation, superior thalamic radiation, fornix, and cingulum, had significant negative associations with 1p/19q co-deletion (FDR = 4.72 x 10-5). These tracts are crucial in maintaining the integrity of brain networks. Differential analysis further supported these findings (FWER-corrected p < 0.05). The 1p/19q non-codeletion group exhibited significantly higher clustering coefficients (FDRcorrected p < 0.05) and reduced betweenness centrality (FDR-corrected p < 0.05) in regions around the tumor compared to HC group. Graph theoretical analysis indicated that non-co-deletion patients had increased local clustering and decreased betweenness centrality in peritumoral brain regions compared to co-deletion patients and healthy controls (FDR-corrected p < 0.05). Additionally, despite not being significant through correction, patients with 1p/19q co-deletion exhibited lower trends in weighted average clustering coefficient, transitivity, small worldness, and global efficiency, while showing higher tendencies in weighted path length compared to patients without the codeletion. Conclusion: The findings of this study underline the significant role of 1p/19q co-deletion in altering structural connectivity in insular glioma patients. These alterations in brain networks could have profound implications for the neural functionality in patients with dominant hemisphere insular gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the Li-ions conduction network and transport dynamics in polymer electrolyte is crucial for developing reliable all-solid-state batteries. In this work, advanced nano- X-ray computed tomography combined with Raman spectroscopy and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance are used to multi-scale qualitatively and quantitatively reveal ion conduction network of poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO)-based electrolyte (from atomic, nano to macroscopic level). With the clear mapping of the microstructural heterogeneities of the polymer segments, aluminium-oxo molecular clusters (AlOC) are used to reconstruct a high-efficient conducting network with high available Li-ions (76.7%) and continuous amorphous domains via the strong supramolecular interactions. Such superionic PEO conductor (PEO-LiTFSI-AlOC) exhibites a molten-like Li-ion conduction behaviour among the whole temperature range and delivers an ionic conductivity of 1.87 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 35 °Ϲ. This further endows Li electrochemical plating/stripping stability under 50 μA cm−2 and 50 μAh cm−2 over 2000 h. The as-built Li|PEO-LiTFSI-AlOC|LiFePO4 full batteries show a high rate performance and a capacity retention more than 90% over 200 cycling at 250 μA cm−2, even enabling a high-loading LiFePO4 cathode of 16.8 mg cm−2 with a specific capacity of 150 mAh g−1 at 50 °Ϲ. The sluggish ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes has been a long-standing concern. Here, authors present a multiscale study of the lithium ion conduction network of poly(ethylene) oxide-based electrolytes and elucidate how aluminium-oxo molecular clusters improve the transport properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) deficiency is the most conspicuous obstacle to limit the cancer immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-PD-1 antibody, have achieved great success in clinical practice. However, due to the limitation of response rates of ICIs, some patients fail to benefit from monotherapy. Thus, novel combination therapy that could improve the response rates emerges as new strategies for cancer treatment. Here, we reported that the natural product rocaglamide (RocA) increased tumor-infiltrating T cells and promoted Th17 differentiation of CD4+ TILs. Despite RocA monotherapy upregulated PD-1 expression of TILs, which was considered as the consequence of T cell activation, combining RocA with anti-PD-1 antibody significantly downregulated the expression of PD-1 and promoted proliferation of TILs. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that RocA could fuel the T cell anti-tumor immunity and revealed the remarkable potential of RocA as a therapeutic candidate when combining with the ICIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-TiN composite coating is widely used as a protective coating due to its good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In this study, Ni-TiN nanocomposite coatings were prepared by ultrasonic-assisted jet electrodeposition. The growth mechanism and properties of the composite coatings in ultrasonic-assisted jet electrodeposition were studied. It was found that the surface morphology of the composite coating changed significantly with the increase in the concentration of nano TiN particles. Ultrasonic affects the selective orientation of the coating, and both lead to grain refinement. The addition of ultrasonic promotes the growth of (111) crystalline surfaces of the coating. Ultrasonic-assisted jet electrodeposition reduced tip discharge and nanoparticle agglomeration, and the surface quality, physical and chemical properties of the nanocomposite coating were significantly improved. The microhardness of the Ni-TiN composite coating was as high as 622.4 HV, the maximum adhesion was 27.2 N, and the corrosion resistance was the best with the corrosion current density at 1.898 μA cm−2, when the amount of nano TiN was 10 g/L. This method will provide a reference for improving the growth uniformity of jet electrodeposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing utilization of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in many consumer products is of concern due to their eventual release into the natural environment and induction of potentially adverse impacts. The behaviour and environmental impacts of ZnO-NPs could be altered through their interactions with environmentally coexisting substances. This study investigated the changes in the behaviour of ZnO-NPs in the presence of coexisting organic pollutants (such as perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA]), natural organic substances (i.e., humic acid [HA]), and electrolytes (i.e., NaCl and CaCl2) in simulated waters. The size, shape, purity, crystallinity, and surface charge of the ZnO-NPs in simulated water after different interaction intervals (such as 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks) at a controlled pH of 7 were examined using various characterization techniques. The results indicated alterations in the size (such as 162.4 nm, 1 day interaction to >10 µm, 3 weeks interaction) and zeta potential (such as −47.2 mV, 1 day interaction to −0.2 mV, 3 weeks interaction) of the ZnO-NPs alone and when PFOA, electrolytes, and HA were present in the suspension. Different influences on the size and surface charge of the nanoparticles were observed for fixed concentrations (5 mM) of the different electrolytes. The presence of HA-dispersed ZnO-NPs affected the zeta potential. Such dispersal effects were also observed in the presence of both PFOA and salts due to their large aliphatic carbon content and complex structure. Cation bridging effects, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and van der Waals forces could be potential interaction forces responsible for the adsorption of PFOA. The presence of organic pollutants (PFOA) and natural organic substances (HA) can transform the surface characteristics and fate of ZnO-NPs in natural and sea waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable and self‐healing soft electronics have led to a significant emphasis on their potential in creating versatile, conformable, and sustainable electronic modules. Among conductive additives, Liquid metals (LMs), combining both solid and liquid characteristics, have gained widespread attention due to their versatile physical, chemical, and electrical properties as well as self‐healing capability, biocompatibility, and recyclability. The fluidity of LMs facilitates adaptability to various experimental conditions and components for specific applications. Moreover, the oxide shell on LMs exhibits strong compatibility with surface functionalization and polymerization processes, enhancing the development of reliable composite materials. Herein, an in‐depth analysis of the fundamental properties and characteristics of LMs while addressing their current drawbacks, such as unpredictable reactivity and poor surface stability, is presented. To harness the advantages of LMs, their integration is extensively discussed with polymeric materials through various grafting strategies, leading to the development of macromolecular composites with exceptional softness, solubility, surface functionalization, and versatility. Furthermore, the applications of LMs within LM‐elastomer composites, particularly focusing on their relevance in specific fields such as flexible electronics, are investigated. Finally, LMs' future prospects are emphasized by highlighting their compatibility with self‐healing polymers, thereby providing pathways for major breakthroughs of LMs based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for life‐cycle carbon emission assessment of steel frame structures in seismic zones, with a particular focus on emerging self‐centering steel structures with reduced residual deformation and enhanced seismic resilience. The proposed framework is illustrated through a life‐cycle embodied carbon (EC) emission study on an office building located at Los Angeles, USA. Different structural bracing systems are considered for comparison, namely, conventional concentrically braced frame (CBF), bucking‐restrained braced frame (BRBF), and self‐centering braced frames (SCBFs). The life cycle assessment (LCA) of EC emissions mainly involves four phases: (1) components manufacturing phase, (2) construction phase, (3) operation and maintenance phase, and (4) EC emissions related to seismic hazard. For the last stage, the engineering demand parameter (EDP) is obtained through incremental dynamic analysis (IDA), and combined with the fragility function and the seismic risk curve to obtain the expected EC emissions related to seismic hazard over the life cycle. Among other findings, the results show that: (1) In the manufacturing process, the EC emissions of the emerging SCBFs are slightly increased (by up to 1.4%) compared with the two other conventional steel frames. (2) During the construction, operation, and maintenance phases, there is no difference in the EC emissions for the different structural systems. (3) The EC emissions related to potential seismic risk are reduced by up to 65.3% when the proposed self‐centering structural system (P‐SCBF) is used. (4) Compared with the CBF, the total EC emission over a 100‐year lifespan can be reduced by up to 14.6% when the P‐SCBF is used. Due to the limited deformation capacity of braces, the EC emissions of CBF and BRBF are more sensitive to increases in the intensity measure (IM). Since a building becomes difficult to repair when the maximum residual inter‐story drift exceeds 0.5%, BRBF and CBF are more susceptible to demolition due to unacceptable residual deformation, leading to higher EC emissions. The EC reduction efficiency of the emerging steel frames become more remarkable with increasing life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unilateral moyamoya disease (MMD) represents a distinct subtype characterised by occlusive changes in the circle of Willis and abnormal vascular network formation. However, the aetiology and pathogenesis of unilateral MMD remain unclear. In this study, genetic screening of a family with unilateral MMD using whole-genome sequencing helped identify the c.1205 C > A variant of FOXM1, which encodes the transcription factor FOXM1 and plays a crucial role in angiogenesis and cell proliferation, as a susceptibility gene mutation. We demonstrated that this mutation significantly attenuated the proangiogenic effects of FOXM1 in human brain endothelial cells, leading to reduced proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Furthermore, FOXM1 c.1205 C > A results in increased apoptosis of human brain endothelial cells, mediated by the downregulation of the transcription of the apoptosis-inhibiting protein BCL2. These results suggest a potential role for the FOXM1 c.1205 C > A mutation in the pathogenesis of unilateral MMD and may contribute to the understanding and treatment of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma circulating P‐selectin glycoprotein ligand‐1 (PSGL‐1) levels and its clinical correlation in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are unknown. The study determined plasma PSGL‐1 levels in EOC patients and investigated its relationship with clinicopathological factors and prognosis. Plasma PSGL‐1 levels were measured using ELISA in 69 patients with EOC, 34 patients with benign ovarian cystadenoma, and 36 healthy controls. Subsequently, the relationship between PSGL‐1 levels and clinicopathological characteristics of patients, as well as the prognosis of EOC patients, was examined. Additionally, the specificity and sensitivity of plasma PSGL‐1 were assessed through ROC curve analysis. Plasma PSGL‐1 was upregulated in EOC patients compared with healthy subjects and/or patients with benign ovarian cystadenoma (p < 0.01). Elevated levels of PSGL‐1 in the plasma were positively associated with advanced FIGO stage (p < 0.001), tumor size (p = 0.001), tumor metastasis (p = 0.036), and tumor recurrence (p = 0.013), while was negatively correlated with residual tumor size (p < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that high plasma PSGL‐1 levels were associated with progression‐free survival (p = 0.0345). In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, PSGL‐1 (HR = 1.456, p = 0.009) was an independent prognostic marker. Plasma PSGL‐1 levels distinguished EOC patients and healthy individuals (AUC = 0.905), patients at late and early FIGO stages (AUC = 0.886), and metastatic and non‐metastatic EOC (AUC = 0.722). The expression of plasma PSGL‐1 is significantly increased in patients with EOC, serving as a reliable biomarker to differentiate between healthy individuals and those with EOC. Furthermore, PSGL‐1 in patients is correlated with prognostic indicators, such as advanced FIGO stage, tumor lymph node metastasis, and progression‐free survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the longstanding challenge of soft body dynamics with frictional contact through a novel combination of Projective Dynamics for elasticity simulation and Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers for frictional contact handling. The approach utilizes parallel local strain projection for deformable bodies and nonlinear Projected Gauss-Seidel for contact with Coulomb friction, consolidated by a pre-factorized global strain propagation step. Integration of contact stabilization, Matchstick anisotropic friction, and Rayleigh damping enhances reliability and usability. Effectiveness, accuracy, and computational efficiency are demonstrated in challenging cases, including multi-layer and persistent contacts. With a CPU-based parallel implementation, our method achieves visually plausible and stable simulation results at an interactive framerate in moderate-scale scenes, showcasing its applicability across various graphics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron-based shape memory alloy (Fe-SMA) is an emerging class of material having a great potential for civil engineering, especially seismic engineering applications. However, the behavior of Fe-SMA strongly depends on temperature-sensitive martensitic transformation, and thus the influence of temperature on the behavior of Fe-SMA should receive particular attention. The current study experimentally investigates how temperature variation affects the mechanical properties, including monotonic tensile strength, low cycle fatigue (LCF), and impact toughness, of Fe-SMA (Fe-17Mn-5Si-10Cr-5Ni in wt%), with a particular focus on its low-temperature behavior. Specifically, the considered temperatures used for conducting monotonic tensile and LCF tests were −40°C , −10°C , and 20°C, whereas the range of temperature for impact toughness tests was from −100°C to 20°C. Additional tests were performed on S30408 stainless steel and conventional Q355 structural steel for comparison purposes. The experimental results suggest that low temperature leads to increased strength and reduced ductility of Fe-SMA. The impact toughness of Fe-SMA is comparable with that of S30408 steel, exhibiting ductile fracture characteristic observed even at −100°C. Fe-SMA outperforms conventional steels with an evidently greater LCF life given the considered temperature variation; although, its LCF life decreases at lower temperatures due to the inhibited reversible martensite transformation. This study also provides a set of practical parameters that facilitate constitutive modeling and strain-based fatigue life prediction of Fe-SMA under various temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plastic is generating global pollution and the replacement such as bioplastic has been developed to mitigate the pollution. To this end, the fate, transformation and pathway of bioplastics need more research. For example, the fragmentation of bioplastic can release small debris that can be categorised as microplastics, which is tested herein by taking an example of a compostable plastic that is used as a bin bag on our kitchen table to collect the food residues. Results: First, we employ matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to identify the main components of the bioplastic bag as polymer and starch. Next, we use Raman imaging to monitor the stability under laser illumination, in an oven at ~ 60 °C for ~ 2 weeks, or in the presence of tap water for half a year. Basically, the compostable plastic is stable under these conditions. Thirdly, however, once used as table-bin bag with involvement of food residues, within ~ 1 week, the bioplastic bag is broken and biodegraded to release debris. The derivate surface groups are effectively monitored and directly visualised via Raman imaging, and cross-checked with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The yielded small molecule such as formic acid is also identified, along with the released debris of microplastics, with the help of on-site extraction of the fragmented sample and imaging analysis algorithm of the hyper spectrum. Conclusions: After one week, the bag in the waste bin fragments, releasing a significant amount of debris. This could pose a functional issue if users intend to use the bag for at least a week, and could become a potential environmental problem if the waste is dispersed uncontrollably. In general, further research is needed to potentially distinguish the persistent conventional microplastics from the bioplastic fragments, to effectively mitigate the plastic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) is a human parvovirus that causes lower respiratory tract infections in young children. It contains a single-stranded (ss) DNA genome of ~5.5 kb that encodes a small noncoding RNA of 140 nucleotides known as bocavirus-encoded small RNA (BocaSR), in addition to viral proteins. Here, we determined the secondary structure of BocaSR in vivo by using DMS-MaPseq. Our findings reveal that BocaSR undergoes N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification at multiple sites, which is critical for viral DNA replication in both dividing HEK293 cells and nondividing cells of the human airway epithelium. Mechanistically, we found that m6A-modified BocaSR serves as a mediator for recruiting Y-family DNA repair DNA polymerase (Pol) n and Pol K likely through a direct interaction between BocaSR and the viral DNA replication origin at the right terminus of the viral genome. Thus, this report represents direct involvement of a viral small noncoding RNA in viral DNA replication through m6A modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging studies have consistently demonstrated concurrent activation of the human precuneus and temporal pole (TP), both during resting‐state conditions and various higher‐order cognitive functions. However, the precise underlying structural connectivity between these brain regions remains uncertain despite significant advancements in neuroscience research. In this study, we investigated the connectivity of the precuneus and TP by employing parcellation‐based fiber micro‐dissections in human brains and fiber tractography techniques in a sample of 1065 human subjects and a sample of 41 rhesus macaques. Our results demonstrate the connectivity between the posterior precuneus area POS2 and the areas 35, 36, and TG of the TP via the fifth subcomponent of the cingulum (CB‐V) also known as parahippocampal cingulum. This finding contributes to our understanding of the connections within the posteromedial cortices, facilitating a more comprehensive integration of anatomy and function in both normal and pathological brain processes. Practitioner Points: Our investigation delves into the intricate architecture and connectivity patterns of subregions within the precuneus and temporal pole, filling a crucial gap in our knowledge.We revealed a direct axonal connection between the posterior precuneus (POS2) and specific areas (35, 35, and TG) of the temporal pole.The direct connections are part of the CB‐V pathway and exhibit a significant association with the cingulum, SRF, forceps major, and ILF.Population‐based human tractography and rhesus macaque fiber tractography showed consistent results that support micro‐dissection outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study introduces a novel system called MCP for estimating the poses of multiple chickens using advanced deep learning techniques. Through automatically detecting and analyzing the postures of chickens, the MCP system helps to assess their behavior and welfare more effectively. The developed system uses a method known as transfer learning, which improves its accuracy and efficiency. The test results show that our system performs well, making it a valuable tool for poultry managers and researchers aiming to enhance animal welfare through technology. This work paves the way for future advancements in animal behavior analysis and could be adapted to other species as well. Poultry managers can better understand the state of poultry through poultry behavior analysis. As one of the key steps in behavior analysis, the accurate estimation of poultry posture is the focus of this research. This study mainly analyzes a top-down pose estimation method of multiple chickens. Therefore, we propose the "multi-chicken pose" (MCP), a pose estimation system for multiple chickens through deep learning. Firstly, we find the position of each chicken from the image via the chicken detector; then, an estimate of the pose of each chicken is made using a pose estimation network, which is based on transfer learning. On this basis, the pixel error (PE), root mean square error (RMSE), and image quantity distribution of key points are analyzed according to the improved chicken keypoint similarity (CKS). The experimental results show that the algorithm scores in different evaluation metrics are a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.652, a mean average recall (mAR) of 0.742, a percentage of correct keypoints (PCKs) of 0.789, and an RMSE of 17.30 pixels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that transfer learning has been used for the pose estimation of multiple chickens as objects. The method can provide a new path for future poultry behavior analysis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Chronological age (CAge), biological age (BAge), and accelerated age (AAge) are all important for aging‐related diseases. CAge is a known risk factor for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); However, the evidence of association of BAge and AAge with BPH is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association of CAge, Bage, and AAge with BPH in a large prospective cohort. Method: A total of 135,933 males without BPH at enrolment were extracted from the UK biobank. We calculated three BAge measures (Klemera–Doubal method, KDM; PhenoAge; homeostatic dysregulation, HD) based on 16 biomarkers. Additionally, we calculated KDM‐BAge and PhenoAge‐BAge measures based on the Levine method. The KDM‐AAge and PhenoAge‐AAge were assessed by the difference between CAge and BAge and were standardized (mean = 0 and standard deviation [SD] = 1). Cox proportional hazard models were applied to assess the associations of CAge, Bage, and AAge with incident BPH risk. Results: During a median follow‐up of 13.150 years, 11,811 (8.690%) incident BPH were identified. Advanced CAge and BAge measures were associated with an increased risk of BPH, showing threshold effects at a later age (all P for nonlinearity <0.001). Nonlinear relationships between AAge measures and risk of BPH were also found for KDM‐AAge (P = 0.041) and PhenoAge‐AAge (P = 0.020). Compared to the balance comparison group (−1 SD < AAge < 1 SD), the accelerated aging group (AAge > 2 SD) had a significantly elevated BPH risk with hazard ratio (HR) of 1.115 (95% CI, 1.000–1.223) for KDM‐AAge and 1.180 (95% CI, 1.068–1.303) for PhenoAge‐AAge, respectively. For PhenoAge‐AAge, subgroup analysis of the accelerated aging group showed an increased HR of 1.904 (95% CI, 1.374–2.639) in males with CAge <50 years and 1.233 (95% CI, 1.088–1.397) in those having testosterone levels <12 nmol/L. Moreover, AAge‐associated risk of BPH was independent of and additive to genetic risk. Conclusions: Biological aging is an independent and modifiable risk factor for BPH. We suggest performing active health interventions to slow biological aging, which will help mitigate the progression of prostate aging and further reduce the burden of BPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary challenge in Multimodal sentiment analysis (MSA) lies in developing robust joint representations that can effectively learn mutual information from diverse modalities. Previous research in this field tends to rely on feature concatenation to obtain joint representations. However, these approaches fail to fully exploit interactive patterns to ensure consistency and differentiation across different modalities. To address this limitation, we propose a novel framework for multimodal sentiment analysis, named CDML (Consistency and Difference using a Multitask Learning network). Specifically, CDML uses an attention mechanism to assign the attention weights of each modality efficiently. Adversarial training is used to obtain consistent information between modalities. Finally, the difference among the modalities is acquired by the multitask learning framework. Experiments on two benchmark MSA datasets, CMU-MOSI and CMU-MOSEI, showcase that our proposed method outperforms the seven existing approaches by at least 1.3% for Acc-2 and 1.7% for F1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common disease in elderly men. There is increasing evidence that periodontitis increases the risk of BPH, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of the key periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in the development of BPH. Methods: The subgingival plaque (Sp) and prostatic fluid (Pf) of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis were extracted and cultured for 16S rDNA sequencing. Ligature-induced periodontitis, testosterone-induced BPH and the composite models in rats were established. The P. gingivalis and its toxic factor P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g-LPS) were injected into the ventral lobe of prostate in rats to simulate its colonization of prostate. P.g-LPS was used to construct the prostate cell infection model for mechanism exploration. Results: P. gingivalis, Streptococcus oralis, Capnocytophaga ochracea and other oral pathogens were simultaneously detected in the Pf and Sp of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis, and the average relative abundance of P. gingivalis was found to be the highest. P. gingivalis was detected in both Pf and Sp in 62.5% of patients. Simultaneous periodontitis and BPH synergistically aggravated prostate histological changes. P. gingivalis and P.g-LPS infection could induce obvious hyperplasia of the prostate epithelium and stroma (epithelial thickness was 2.97- and 3.08-fold that of control group, respectively), and increase of collagen fibrosis (3.81- and 5.02-fold that of control group, respectively). P. gingivalis infection promoted prostate cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and upregulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6; 4.47-fold), interleukin-6 receptor-α (IL-6Rα; 5.74-fold) and glycoprotein 130 (gp130; 4.47-fold) in prostatic tissue. P.g-LPS could significantly inhibit cell apoptosis, promote mitosis and proliferation of cells. P.g-LPS activates the Akt pathway through IL-6/IL-6Rα/gp130 complex, which destroys the imbalance between proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cells, induces BPH. Conclusion: P. gingivalis was abundant in the Pf of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis. P. gingivalis infection can promote BPH, which may affect the progression of BPH via inflammation and the Akt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerobic hyperthermophile "Fervidibacter sacchari" catabolizes diverse polysaccharides and is the only cultivated member of the class "Fervidibacteria" within the phylum Armatimonadota. It encodes 117 putative glycoside hydrolases (GHs), including two from GH family 50 (GH50). In this study, we expressed, purified, and functionally characterized one of these GH50 enzymes, Fsa16295Glu. We show that Fsa16295Glu is a ß-1,3-endoglucanase with optimal activity on carboxymethyl curdlan (CM-curdlan) and only weak agarase activity, despite most GH50 enzymes being described as ß-agarases. The purified enzyme has a wide temperature range of 4-95°C (optimal 80°C), making it the first characterized hyperthermophilic representative of GH50. The enzyme is also active at a broad pH range of at least 5.5-11 (optimal 6.5-10). Fsa16295Glu possesses a relatively high kcat/KM of 1.82 × 107 s-1 M-1 with CMcurdlan and degrades CM-curdlan nearly completely to sugar monomers, indicating preferential hydrolysis of glucans containing ß-1,3 linkages. Finally, a phylogenetic analysis of Fsa16295Glu and all other GH50 enzymes revealed that Fsa16295Glu is distant from other characterized enzymes but phylogenetically related to enzymes from thermophilic archaea that were likely acquired horizontally from "Fervidibacteria." Given its functional and phylogenetic novelty, we propose that Fsa16295Glu represents a new enzyme subfamily, GH50_3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a novel error analysis for fractional Carathéodory type differential equations with time irregular coefficients. It is based on the filtered probability space, with Banach spaces Lp(Ω; Rd) and then discretized using the randomized numerical method, which is a prototype derived from the Monte Carlo method. We derive Lp(Ω; Rd) error estimates where these estimates also under the low regularity that the function f is not assumed to be differentiable. The convergence order is also studied. Finally, we present numerical examples that validate the theoretical conclusions, as well as to highlight the usefulness of our technique and the accuracy of error analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the mines closed, the groundwater level quickly rises, and pollutants in the underground space will migrate outward along the flow channel, causing pollution to the surrounding environment. The different morphologies of interlayer fractures in the goaf fracture zone are one of the main flow channels, including interlayer expansion fracture. Fracture expansion can impact a local flow field, which, in turn can affect solute transport characteristics. The microscale flow field and solute transport behavior in fracture with different expansion characteristics were investigated by a microscale visualization experiment. The experimental results indicate that there is a significant difference in the pressure gradient between different expansion regions. When nonlinear flow characteristics (reflux or eddy) begin to occur within the expansion region, the pressure gradient value also begins to deviate from Darcy's law under the same Re. The maximum velocity position changes from the centerline to the upper and lower surfaces of the expansion region, a low velocity region is generated in the main flow channel, which moves to the outlet as Re increase, and the cross-section velocity curve also transforms into a bullet shape as Re increase. By developing a set of programs to establish a relationship between the average image luminance and the tracer particles concentration, the solute concentration variation curve in the expansion region was obtained. The process of solute invasion into fractures is divided into four stages. The change in the local flow field caused by the different expansion characteristics directly affects the duration of these four stages. As the area of the region increases, the proportion of the main channel area decreases relatively, the difference between the solute concentration curve of the whole fracture and the expansion region gradually decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems caused by micro-pressure waves (MPWs) are increasingly prominent with increase in train speed. Considering different models of trains, which may have differences in nose lengths (Ln), and certain extreme terrains where it is unsuitable to construct the buffer hood outside the tunnel, this study numerically investigated the adaptive relationship between Ln and variable-section tunnel parameters [i.e., the length (L1) and area (S1) of the entrance expansion section] for minimizing the MPW. The results show that, as Ln rises from 5 to 13 m, the formation of the MPW peak is continuously delayed, and the peak value of the MPW decreases; while the optimal L1 remains at 20 m for different Ln. Additionally, the optimal S1 scarcely changes with the increase in Ln as well, between 151 and 156 m2, and its ratio to the section area of the main tunnel (70 m2) is approximately 2.2. The optimal parameters of the entrance expansion section play a universal role for trains with different Ln, which can alleviate the MPW amplitude with a value of 58% or higher. The findings can provide significant support for designing tunnels and tunnel hoods, focusing on alleviating acoustic noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In early-stage endometrial cancer, aggressive histologic types (grade 3 endometrioid, serous, clear cell, carcinosarcomas, undifferentiated, mixed, and other unusual types) are associated with an increased risk of distant metastases and worse survival. However, the optimal adjuvant treatment for these patients remains controversial. The present study investigated the outcomes of different adjuvant treatments in patients with 2023 FIGO stage IIC endometrial cancer. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with 2023 FIGO stage IIC endometrial cancer who underwent surgery followed by either adjuvant treatment or observation from 2000 to 2020 at two tertiary centers in Korea and Taiwan. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional-hazards models. We also analyzed recurrence patterns after different adjuvant treatments. Results: A total of 272 patients were identified; 204 received adjuvant treatment postoperatively, whereas 68 only underwent observation. Adjuvant treatment was not associated with improved RFS or OS. Non-endometrioid histologic types (p=0.003) and presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI, p=0.002) were associated with worse RFS, whereas only non-endometrioid histologic types impacted OS (p=0.004). In subgroup analyses, adjuvant treatment improved OS in patients with LVSI (p=0.020) and in patients with both LVSI and grade 3 endometrioid histologic type (p=0.007). We found no difference in locoregional and distant recurrence between patients undergoing adjuvant treatment or observation. Conclusion: In this study, the addition of adjuvant treatment was associated with an OS benefit for patients with LVSI, especially those with grade 3 endometrioid tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity, a burgeoning global health issue, is increasingly recognized for its detrimental effects on the central nervous system, particularly concerning the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This manuscript delves into the intricate relationship between obesity and BBB dysfunction, elucidating the underlying phenotypes and molecular mechanisms. We commence with an overview of the BBB's critical role in maintaining cerebral homeostasis and the pathological alterations induced by obesity. By employing a comprehensive literature review, we examine the structural and functional modifications of the BBB in the context of obesity, including increased permeability, altered transport mechanisms, and inflammatory responses. The manuscript highlights how obesity-induced systemic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation contribute to BBB disruption, thereby predisposing individuals to various neurological disorders. We further explore the potential pathways, such as oxidative stress and endothelial cell dysfunction, that mediate these changes. Our discussion culminates in the summary of current findings and the identification of knowledge gaps, paving the way for future research directions. This review underscores the significance of understanding BBB dysfunction in obesity, not only for its implications in neurodegenerative diseases but also for developing targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, wide‐color gamut perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are commonly controlled through halide composition tuning. However, the formation of perovskite crystals involving different ion radii of halogens often results in structural fragility and ionic defects, leading to emission instability during operation. This study showcases a novel approach to achieving a homogeneous and low‐defect crystalline state by regulating the thermodynamic nucleation mechanism of sky‐blue perovskite, thereby enhancing emission stability. Utilizing oxygen‐plasma treatment, a highly uniform surface energy is ensured for the nickel oxide acting as a hole transport layer. This treatment not only induces homogeneous nucleation of the perovskite layer but also effectively suppresses crystal defects. Simultaneously, the uniform surface energy alleviates halide phase separation caused by Ostwald ripening. Upon optimizing the fabrication conditions for sky‐blue perovskite, the resulting PeLEDs, featuring an electroluminescent peak at 486 nm, attain a luminance of 1125.3 cd m−2 with exceptional electroluminescent stability and a T50 lifetime. Furthermore, gaining insights into the thermodynamic nucleation mechanism in mix‐halides and perovskites contributes to the advancement of research on sky‐blue PeLEDs and offers valuable perspectives for future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]