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Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting are common complications after surgery, and female patients are more likely to experience these adverse events. The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between the CHRM3 rs2165870 polymorphism and postoperative vomiting incidence in female patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Two hundred female patients who underwent elective laparoscopic surgery with subsequent patient-controlled intravenous analgesia using dexmedetomidine and sufentanil were prospectively enrolled. The CHRM3 rs2165870 and KCNB2 rs349358 polymorphisms were genotyped using MassARRAY SNP typing technology. Demographic data and preoperative laboratory results of all patients were recorded. Postoperative analgesia-related information, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and other adverse events were followed up and recorded for analysis. Results: No significant differences were observed in any of the demographic characteristics of these patients among the different genotype carriers (P>0.05). The percentages of patients with each genotype of CHRM3 were 67% (GG), 28.5% (GA) and 4.5% (AA). We found that the AA or A allele of the CHRM3 rs2165870 polymorphism elevated the risk of postoperative vomiting (AA versus GG; OR, 6.94; 95% CI, 1.49–32.46; P = 0.014; A versus G; OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.22–5.19; P = 0.012). The percentages of patients with each genotype of KCNB2 were 84.5% (TT), 15.5% (CT) and 0% (CC). There were no significant differences in the postoperative nausea or vomiting rate across the KCNB2 rs349358 polymorphisms (P>0.05). Conclusion: The CHRM3 rs2165870 polymorphism is associated with the occurrence of postoperative vomiting in female patients who have undergone laparoscopic surgery. The AA genotype or A allele of the CHRM3 rs2165870 polymorphism elevates the risk of postoperative vomiting. Trial registration: www.chictr.org.cn, registration number: ChiCTR2200062425. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) respond to deep brain stimulation (DBS) variably. However, how brain substrates restrict DBS outcomes remains unclear. Objective: In this article, we aim to identify prognostic brain signatures for explaining the response variability. Methods: We retrospectively investigated a cohort of patients with PD (n = 141) between 2017 and 2022, and defined DBS outcomes as the improvement ratio of clinical motor scores. We used a deviation index to quantify individual perturbations on a reference structural covariance network acquired with preoperative T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The neurobiological perturbations of patients were represented as z scored indices based on the chronological perturbations measured on a group of normal aging adults. Results: After applying stringent statistical tests (z > 2.5) and correcting for false discoveries (P < 0.01), we found that accelerated deviations mainly affected the prefrontal cortex, motor strip, limbic system, and cerebellum in PD. Particularly, a negative network within the accelerated deviations, expressed as "more preoperative deviations, less postoperative improvements," could predict DBS outcomes (mean absolute error = 0.09, R2 = 0.15). Moreover, a fusion of personal brain predictors and medical responses significantly improved traditional evaluations of DBS outcomes. Notably, the most important brain predictor, a pathway connecting the cognitive unit (prefrontal cortex) and motor control unit (cerebellum and motor strip), partially mediates DBS outcomes with the age at surgery. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that individual structural perturbations on the cognitive motor control circuit are critical for modulating DBS outcomes. Interventions toward the circuit have the potential for additional clinical improvements. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sugar industry is important for the economic development in China. Guangxi province is the largest sugar producer with over 60% of the total sugarcane cultivating area in the country. Research, development, and industrialization on the intensive processing and comprehensive utilization of sugarcane as a raw material will increase in the coming years. This article provides an overview of the development of diversified sugarcane deep processing, focusing on the current research development with special reference to the production of sugarcane wine, vinegar, sugarcane cell water, white sugar, and fructooligosaccharides in China, especially in Guangxi. The aim is to promote the second entrepreneurship of the sugar industry, upgrade the industrial chain, and provide advanced technologies to upgrade the quality and efficiency of the industry and achieve sustainable and healthy socioeconomic development in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Animal personalities could affect the behavior and physiology of both native and invasive species during biological invasion. However, little is known about the personality interaction effects on foraging behavior and growth between native and invasive species. We used the red-eared slider turtle and Chinese pond turtle as models to investigate how personality interactions effect the foraging behavior and growth of both these turtle species. The results showed that the foraging behavior of M. reevesii was mainly affected by the personality of T. scripta elegans. However, the foraging behavior of T. scripta elegans was effected by both their own personality and the personalities of M. reevesii. Additionally, the growth of both M. reevesii and T. scripta elegans were not effected by the personality combinations. The results revealed the mechanisms of personality interaction effects on the foraging behavior and growth of both native and invasive species during biological invasion. This study provides empirical evidence to help understand the effects of personalities on invasion dynamics. Animal personalities play a crucial role in invasion dynamics. During the invasion process, the behavioral strategies of native species vary among personalities, just as the invasive species exhibit variations in behavior strategies across personalities. However, the impact of personality interactions between native species and invasive species on behavior and growth are rarely illustrated. The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) is one of the worst invasive species in the world, threatening the ecology and fitness of many freshwater turtles globally. The Chinese pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) is one of the freshwater turtles most threatened by T. scripta elegans in China. In this study, we used T. scripta elegans and M. reevesii to investigate how the personality combinations of native and invasive turtles would impact the foraging strategy and growth of both species during the invasion process. We found that M. reevesii exhibited bolder and more exploratory personalities than T. scripta elegans. The foraging strategy of M. reevesii was mainly affected by the personality of T. scripta elegans, while the foraging strategy of T. scripta elegans was influenced by both their own personality and personalities of M. reevesii. Additionally, we did not find that the personality combination would affect the growth of either T. scripta elegans or M. reevesii. Differences in foraging strategy may be due to the dominance of invasive species and variations in the superficial exploration and thorough exploitation foraging strategies related to personalities. The lack of difference in growth may be due to the energy allocation trade-offs between personalities or be masked by the slow growth rate of turtles. Overall, our results reveal the mechanisms of personality interaction effects on the short-term foraging strategies of both native and invasive species during the invasion process. They provide empirical evidence to understand the effects of personality on invasion dynamics, which is beneficial for enhancing comprehension understanding of the personality effects on ecological interactions and invasion biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, Li2MgxZrO3+x (x = 0–1) +2 wt.% LiF ceramics with a rock salt structure were prepared by the solid‐state reaction method. The phase transition mechanism was systematically investigated by X‐ray diffraction, and first‐principles calculations. With a gradual increase in MgO content, the samples underwent a monoclinic‐Li2ZrO3 to tetragonal‐Li2ZrO3 to tetragonal‐Li2MgZrO4 to cubic‐phase transition. The variations of the microwave dielectric properties due to the phase transition were systematically analyzed by the multi‐phase mixtures law. In addition, CO2 adsorption of the samples was quantitatively analyzed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the long‐term stability of the Q × f of the samples was investigated. The optimal microwave dielectric properties were obtained in Li2Mg0.2ZrO3.2 ceramic at 950°C: εr = 19.5, Q × f = 44 500 GHz, and τf = 2.6 ppm/°C. In addition, the ceramic samples were compatible with Ag, which indicates that Li2MgxZrO3+x (x = 0−1) +2 wt.% LiF is a promising material for low‐temperature co‐fired ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) depends on participants adherence, making it crucial to assess and compare regimen options to enhance human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prophylaxis strategies. However, no prospective study in China has shown that the completion rate and adherence of single-tablet regimens in HIV PEP are higher than those of multi-tablet preparations. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the completion rate and adherence of two HIV PEP regimens. Methods: In this single-center, prospective, open-label cohort study, we included 179 participants from May 2022 to March 2023 and analyzed the differences in the 28-day medication completion rate, adherence, safety, tolerance, and effectiveness of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine, and dolutegravir (TDF/FTC + DTG). Results: The PEP completion rate and adherence were higher in the BIC/FTC/TAF group than in the TDF/FTC + DTG group (completion rate: 97.8% vs. 82.6%, P = 0.009; adherence: 99.6 ± 2.82% vs. 90.2 ± 25.29%, P = 0.003). The incidence of adverse reactions in the BIC/FTC/TAF and TDF/FTC + DTG groups was 15.2% and 10.3% (P = 0.33), respectively. In the TDF/FTC + DTG group, one participant stopped PEP owing to adverse reactions (1.1%). No other participants stopped PEP due to adverse events. Conclusions: BIC/FTC/TAF and TDF/FTC + DTG have good safety and tolerance as PEP regimens. BIC/FTC/TAF has a higher completion rate and increased adherence, thus, is recommended as a PEP regimen. These findings emphasize the importance of regimen choice in optimizing PEP outcomes. Trial registration: The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2200059994(2022-05-14), https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=167391). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel terahertz polarization isolator using a two-dimensional square lattice tellurium rod array is numerically investigated at the interesting band of 0.22 THz in this short paper. The isolator is designed by inserting six hexagonal tellurium rods into a fully polarized photonic crystals waveguide with high efficiency of −0.34 dB. The TE and TM photonic band gaps of the 7 × 16 tellurium photonic crystals are computed based on the plane wave expansion method, which happen to coincide at the normalized frequency domain from 0.3859(a/λ) to 0.4033(a/λ), corresponding to the frequency domain from 0.2152 to 0.2249 THz. The operating bandwidth of the tellurium photonic crystals waveguide covers 0.2146 to 0.2247 THz, calculated by the finite element method. The six hexagonal tellurium rods with smaller circumradii of 0.16a serve to isolate transverse electric waves and turn a blind eye to transverse magnetic waves. The polarization isolation function and external characteristic curves of the envisaged structure are numerically simulated, which achieves the highest isolation of −33.49 dB at the central frequency of 0.2104 THz and the maximum reflection efficiency of 98.95 percent at the frequency of 0.2141 THz. The designed isolator with a unique function and high performance provides a promising approach for implementing fully polarized THz devices for future 6G communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aldosterone plays important parts in development of cardio-metabolic diseases as end product of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. However, factors elevating circulating aldosterone are not clear, and lifestyle-related factors are suggested to be involved, whereas less studied. Therefore, we aimed to explore the association of lifestyle factors with plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) in community population. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited participants using multistage random sampling from Emin China in 2019, and collected data and fasting blood samples. The considered lifestyle factors included obesity parameters (neck circumference, abdominal circumference), alcohol consumption, blood pressure (BP), physical activity, sleep duration, sleep quality, mental state (depression and anxiety), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and lipid profiles (total cholesterol and triglyceride). PAC was measured using radioimmunoassay. We performed sex-stratified linear and logistic regressions to explore associated factors of PAC. Component analysis was further performed to identify the main factors affecting PAC. Results: Twenty-seven thousand four hundred thirty-six participants with 47.1% men were included. Obesity parameters (neck circumference, abdominal circumference), glucose metabolism (FBG), psychological status (anxiety status in men and women, depression status in men), BP, liver function (in men), lipid metabolism (TC and TG in men), sleep parameters (sleep quality in women), and renal function (in women) are the main factors associated with elevated PAC. Conclusion: lower physical activity, alcohol consumption, higher BP, fat accumulation, dyslipidemia, higher fasting blood glucose, and presence of depression and anxiety were the main factors associated with eleveated PAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-column model, with its advantages of low computational cost and fast execution speed, can assist users in gaining a more intuitive understanding of the impact of parameters on the simulated results of climate models. It plays a crucial role in the study of parameterization schemes, allowing for a more direct exploration of the influence of parameters on climate model simulations. In this paper, we employed various methods to conduct sensitivity analyses on the 11 parameters of the Single Column Atmospheric Model (SCAM). We explored their impact on output variables such as precipitation, temperature, humidity, and cloud cover, among others, across five test cases. To further expedite experimentation, we utilized machine learning methods to train surrogate models for the aforementioned cases. Additionally, three-parameter joint perturbation experiments were conducted based on these surrogate models to validate the combined parameter effects on the results. Subsequently, targeting the sensitive parameter combinations identified from the aforementioned experiments, we further conducted parameter tuning for the corresponding test cases to minimize the discrepancy between the results of SCAM and observational data. Our proposed method not only enhances model performance but also expedites parameter tuning speed, demonstrating good generality at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is worldwide healthcare burden with growing incidence and death rate. Emerging evidence demonstrated the compositional and functional differences of gut microbiota in patients with CKD. As such, gut microbial features can be developed as diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic target for CKD. Methods: To eliminate the outcome bias arising from factors such as geographical distribution, sequencing platform, and data analysis techniques, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the microbial differences between patients with CKD and healthy individuals based on multiple samples worldwide. A total of 980 samples from six references across three nations were incorporated from the PubMed, Web of Science, and GMrepo databases. The obtained 16S rRNA microbiome data were subjected to DADA2 processing, QIIME2 and PICRUSt2 analyses. Results: The gut microbiota of patients with CKD differs significantly from that of healthy controls (HC), with a substantial decrease in the microbial diversity among the CKD group. Moreover, a significantly reduced abundance of bacteria Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii) was detected in the CKD group through linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis, which may be associated with the alleviating effects against CKD. Notably, we identified CKD-depleted F. prausnitzii demonstrated a significant negative correlation with three pathways based on predictive functional analysis, suggesting its potential role in regulating systemic acidbase disturbance and pro-oxidant metabolism. Discussion: Our findings demonstrated notable alterations of gut microbiota in CKD patients. Specific gut-beneficial microbiota, especially F. prausnitzii, may be developed as a preventive and therapeutic tool for CKD clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "pace‐of‐life" syndrome (POLS) framework can encompass multiple personality axes that drive important functional behaviors (e.g., foraging behavior) and that co‐vary with multiple life history traits. Food hoarding is an adaptive behavior important for an animal's ability to adapt to seasonal fluctuations in food availability. However, the empirical evidence for the relationships between animal personality and hoarding behavior remains unclear, including its fitness consequences in the POLS framework. In this study, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), a social rodent, was used as a model system to investigate how boldness or shyness is associated with food hoarding strategies during the food hoarding season and their impact on over‐winter survival and reproduction at both individual and group levels. The results of this study showed that, compared with shy gerbils, bold gerbils had a lower effort foraging strategy during the food hoarding season and exhibited lower over‐winter survival rates. However, bold–shy personality differences had no effect on over‐winter reproduction. These findings suggest that the personality is a crucial factor influencing the foraging strategy during the food hoarding season in Mongolian gerbils. Personality may be related to energy states or the reaction to environmental changes (e.g., predation risk and food availability) in bold or shy social animals. These results reflect animal life history trade‐offs between current versus future reproduction and reproduction versus self‐maintenance, thereby helping Mongolian gerbils in adapting to seasonal fluctuations in their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and tolerance of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (BIC/FTC/TAF) use for 24 weeks in anti-retroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients in China. This single-center retrospective cohort study included ART-naïve patients who received BIC/FTC/TAF from July 2021 to April 2022. The proportion of patients with HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL at the end point of 24 weeks (virological suppression rate) was the primary outcome, and the changes in CD4 cell count, CD4/CD8 ratio, weight, blood lipid, and safety were secondary outcomes. A total of 80 ART-naïve patients were enrolled. The virological suppression rate was 86.3% at 24 weeks. The median CD4 cell count increased from 212 cells/μL (interquartile range [IQR]: 90.3–398.3) at baseline to 348 cells/μL (IQR: 219.8–541.0) at 24 weeks. The median CD4/CD8 ratio increased from 0.25 (IQR: 0.13–0.37) at baseline to 0.40 (IQR: 0.26–0.66) at 24 weeks. During the follow-up of 80 ART-naïve patients using BIC/FTC/TAF, 16 participants had adverse events; however, these events did not lead to drug withdrawal. This real-world cohort study showed that BIC/FTC/TAF could achieve good immunological and virological responses in ART-naïve patients. In addition, this study also shows good safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "pace‐of‐life" syndrome (POLS) framework can encompass multiple personality axes that drive important functional behaviors (e.g., foraging behavior) and that co‐vary with multiple life history traits. Food hoarding is an adaptive behavior important for an animal's ability to adapt to seasonal fluctuations in food availability. However, the empirical evidence for the relationships between animal personality and hoarding behavior remains unclear, including its fitness consequences in the POLS framework. In this study, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), a social rodent, was used as a model system to investigate how boldness or shyness is associated with food hoarding strategies during the food hoarding season and their impact on over‐winter survival and reproduction at both individual and group levels. The results of this study showed that, compared with shy gerbils, bold gerbils had a lower effort foraging strategy during the food hoarding season and exhibited lower over‐winter survival rates. However, bold–shy personality differences had no effect on over‐winter reproduction. These findings suggest that the personality is a crucial factor influencing the foraging strategy during the food hoarding season in Mongolian gerbils. Personality may be related to energy states or the reaction to environmental changes (e.g., predation risk and food availability) in bold or shy social animals. These results reflect animal life history trade‐offs between current versus future reproduction and reproduction versus self‐maintenance, thereby helping Mongolian gerbils in adapting to seasonal fluctuations in their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The efficacy and safety of ainuovirine+lamivudine+tenofovir (ANV+3TC+TDF) and efavirenz+lamivudine+tenofovir (EFV+3TC+TDF) have been confirmed in previous clinical trials; however, there are no related studies on patient‐reported outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these 2 antiretroviral therapy regimens and to understand the patient's symptom experience and subjective experience of sleep quality through patient‐reported outcomes. Methods: This is a single‐center prospective cohort study with 243 patients evaluated from October 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Virological effectiveness and patient‐reported outcomes results were analyzed. The primary endpoint was the proportion of HIV viral load <50 copies/mL (virological suppression rate) at 48 weeks and the changes in the HIV symptom index and Pittsburgh sleep quality index. Results: The virological suppression rates in the ANV+3TC+TDF and EFV+3TC+TDF groups were 83.6% (102/122) and 87.6% (106/121), respectively, at 48 weeks. In the ANV+3TC+TDF group, the scores of HIV symptom index and pittsburgh sleep quality index in the 48th week were lower than the baseline level (p < 0.05). Logistic regression results showed that the baseline regimen EFV+3TC+TDF was a risk factor for dizziness/lightheadedness (odds ratio = 3.153, 95% confidence interval: 1.473–6.748, p = 0.003), sadness/depression odds ratio = 2.404, 95% confidence interval:1.188–4.871, p = 0.015), and difficulty sleeping (odds ratio = 2.802, 95% confidence interval: 1.437–5.463, p = 0.002) at 48 weeks. Conclusions: Both regimens showed good virological effectiveness; however, compared with ANV+3TC+TDF, the EFV+3TC+TDF regimen reduced the prevalence of HIV‐related symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-test in vitro battery for genotoxicity testing (Ames and micronucleus) has in the majority of cases replaced the three-test battery (as two-test plus mammalian cell gene mutation assay) for the routine testing of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agrochemical metabolites originating from food and feed as well as from water treatment. The guidance for testing agrochemical groundwater metabolites, however, still relies on the three-test battery. Data collated in this study from 18 plant protection and related materials highlights the disparity between the often negative Ames and in vitro chromosome aberration data and frequently positive in vitro mammalian cell gene mutation assays. Sixteen of the 18 collated materials with complete datasets were Ames negative, and overall had negative outcomes in in vitro chromosome damage tests (weight of evidence from multiple tests). Mammalian cell gene mutation assays (HPRT and/or mouse lymphoma assay (MLA)) were positive in at least one test for every material with this data. Where both MLA and HPRT tests were performed on the same material, the HPRT seemed to give fewer positive responses. In vivo follow-up tests included combinations of comet assays, unscheduled DNA synthesis, and transgenic rodent gene mutation assays, all gave negative outcomes. The inclusion of mammalian cell gene mutation assays in a three-test battery for groundwater metabolites is therefore not justified and leads to unnecessary in vivo follow-up testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flourish of deep learning frameworks and hardware platforms has been demanding an efficient compiler that can shield the diversity in both software and hardware in order to provide application portability. Among the existing deep learning compilers, TVM is well known for its efficiency in code generation and optimization across diverse hardware devices. In the meanwhile, the Sunway many-core processor renders itself as a competitive candidate for its attractive computational power in both scientific computing and deep learning workloads. This paper combines the trends in these two directions. Specifically, we propose swTVM} that extends the original TVM to support ahead-of-time compilation for architecture requiring cross-compilation such as Sunway. In addition, we leverage the architecture features during the compilation such as core group for massive parallelism, DMA for high bandwidth memory transfer and local device memory for data locality, in order to generate efficient codes for deep learning workloads on Sunway. The experiment results show that the codes generated by swTVM} achieve 1.79× improvement of inference latency on average compared to the state-of-the-art deep learning framework on Sunway, across eight representative benchmarks. This work is the first attempt from the compiler perspective to bridge the gap of deep learning and Sunway processor particularly with productivity and efficiency in mind. We believe this work will encourage more people to embrace the power of deep learning and Sunway many-core processor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Osimertinib is regarded as a promising third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who developed T790M. However the adverse effects, primarily fatigue, remain an overwhelming deficiency of Osimertinib, hindering it from achieving adequate clinical efficacy for such NSCLC. Ganoderma lucidum has been used for thousands of years in China to combat fatigue, while Ganoderma Lucidum spores powder (GLSP) is the main active ingredient. The aim of this study is to investigate whether GLSP is sufficiently effective and safe in improving fatigue and synergizing with Osimertinib in non-squamous NSCLC patients with EGFR mutant. Method/design A total of 140 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either de-walled GSLP or placebo for a duration of 56 days. The primary outcome measure is the fatigue score associated with EGFR-TKI adverse reactions at week 8, evaluated by the Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer Patients (QLQ-C30). Secondary outcomes include evaluation of treatment effectiveness, assessment of quality of life (QoL), and exploration of immune indicators and gut microbiota relationships. Following enrollment, visits are scheduled biweekly until week 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction-heating graphitization furnaces are widely used to produce high-purity graphite products due to their high heating rate, high-limit temperatures, safety, cleanliness, and precise control. However, the existing induction-heating systems based on copper coils have limited energy efficiency. This paper proposes a new induction-heating graphitization furnace based on graphene coils. Due to the excellent high-temperature resistance of the macroscopic graphene material, the coil can be placed closer to the graphite heater, which improves the electromagnetic efficiency; the coil itself does not need to pass cooling water, which reduces the heat loss of the furnace and ultimately results in a higher energy efficiency of the induction furnace. In this paper, a numerical model of the induction-heating process is established and verified, the temperature-field and electromagnetic-field distributions of the heating process are analyzed by using the model, and the energy balance calculations are performed for the original furnace and the new furnace. Through a comparison, it was found that the new furnace possesses an electromagnetic efficiency of 84.87% and a thermal efficiency of 20.82%, and it can reduce the energy consumption by 33.34%, compared with the original furnace. In addition, the influence of the coil parameters on the performance of the induction furnace is discussed. By changing the coil conductivity, the induction furnace can achieve an energy efficiency of 17.76%–18.11%. This study provides new ideas for the application of macroscopic graphene materials in high-temperature induction heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crosstalk between reactive astrocytes and infiltrated immune cells plays a critical role in maintaining blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. However, how astrocytes interact with immune cells and the effect of their interaction on BBB integrity after hemorrhagic stroke are still unclear. By performing RNA sequencing in astrocytes that were activated by interleukin-1α (IL-1α), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and complement component 1q (C1q) treatment, we found CCL5 was among the top upregulated genes. Immunostaining and western blot results demonstrated that CCL5 was increased in mice brain after hemorrhagic stroke. Flow cytometry showed that knockout of astrocytic CCL5 reduced the infiltration of CD8+ but not CD4+ T and myeloid cells into the brain (p < 0.05). In addition, knockout CCL5 in astrocytes increased tight junction-related proteins ZO-1 and Occludin expression; reduced Evans blue leakage, perforin and granzyme B expression; improved neurobehavioral outcomes in hemorrhagic stroke mice (p < 0.05), while transplantation of CD8+ T cells reversed these protective effects. Moreover, co-culture of CD8+ T cells with bEnd.3 cells induced the apoptosis of bEnd.3 cells, which was rescued by inhibiting perforin. In conclusion, our study suggests that CCL5 mediated crosstalk between astrocytes and CD8+ T cells represents an important therapeutic target for protecting BBB in stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunotherapy brings new hope to patients with advanced gastric cancer. However, liver metastases can reduce the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) may be the cause of this reduction in efficacy. SPP1 + TAMs are considered to have immunosuppressive properties. We aimed to investigate the involvement of SPP1 + TAMs in the metastasis of gastric cancer. Methods: The single-cell transcriptome was combined with batched BULK datasets for analysis. Animal models were used to verify the analysis results. Results: We reveal the interaction of SPP1 + TAMs with CD8 + exhausted T cells in metastatic cancer. Among these interactions, GDF15-TGFBR2 may play a key immunosuppressive role. We constructed an LR score to quantify interactions based on ligands and receptors. The LR score is highly correlated with various immune features and clinical molecular subtypes. The LR score may also guide the prediction of the efficacy of immunotherapy and prognosis. Conclusions: The crosstalk between SPP1 + TAMs and CD8 + exhausted T cells plays a key immunosuppressive role in the gastric metastatic cancer microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, spinel-structured (1-x)Mg2TiO4-xLi4/3Ti5/3O4 (0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.9) ceramic samples were fabricated by a conventional solid-state method. The samples exhibited a disordered-to-ordered-to-disordered structural transition with an increase in the x value. The compositional dependence of microwave dielectric properties of the samples was discussed with respect to the chemical bond characteristics. The dielectric constant (εr) was proved to be affected by the molar volume molecular polarizability and average bond ionicity (Afi). The quality factor (Q × f) was mainly dependent on the defect (i.e., Ti3+ and oxygen vacancy) population in the samples. Moreover, the temperature coefficient of the resonance frequency (τf) was confirmed to be affected by the Ti–O bond energy. The optimal microwave dielectric properties (εr = 26.0, Q × f = 36,500 GHz, and τf = 2.4 ppm/ºC) were achieved at x = 0.75. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron content can be used as a proxy for the intensity of weathering and pedogenesis, which reflect long‐term climate cycles and short‐term climate fluctuations and events. In this study, a typical loess–palaeosol sequence for 19.85 m in thickness deposited since 423 ka BP in northeastern China was investigated, and its iron pools were determined. The results reveal that with increasing depth, the abundances of different forms of iron are consistent with the changes in the magnetic susceptibility. Iron (Fe) in all forms is more abundant in the palaeosol than in the loess. The silicate‐bound Fe pool (Fer = Fet − Fed) accounts for 60.4% of the total Fe (Fet), indicating weak pedogenesis. The Fe in the crystalline oxides (Fec = Fed − Feo) is predominantly free Fe (Fed), with a crystallinity [Fey = (Fed − Feo) × 100 / Fed] of as high as 97.2%. The coefficients of variation of the different forms of iron associated with the soil depth are as follows: Fec > Fed > poorly crystalline Fe (Feo) > Fer > Fet. The distribution of the forms of Fe throughout the profile is a clear indicator of the pedogenesis. The Fed, Fec, and Fe freeness (freeness = Fed × 100 / Fet) correlate with the magnetic susceptibility. The neoformation of iron (Fe) oxides was closely related to the degree of pedogenesis. More crystalline Fe oxides were found in the soil layers corresponding to warm interglacial periods. We detected variations in the abundance of the Fe pools for characterizing climate fluctuations that occurred in a short period of time. In this study, we demonstrated that when used in combination with dating techniques, morphological development indices, and magnetic susceptibility, the measurement of soil Fe pools can be extremely useful for tracing the iron evolution in the Earth's critical zone and reconstructing past climatic events in loess–palaeosol sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular understanding of the solid–liquid interface is challenging but essential to elucidate the role of the environment on the kinetics of electrochemical reactions. Alkali metal cations (M+), as a vital component at the interface, are found to be necessary for the initiation of carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) on coinage metals, and the activity and selectivity of CO2RR could be further enhanced with the cation changing from Li+ to Cs+, while the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Herein, using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations with explicit solvation and enhanced sampling methods, we systematically investigate the role of M+ in CO2RR on Cu surface. A monotonically decreasing CO2 activation barrier is obtained from Li+ to Cs+, which is attributed to the different coordination abilities of M+ with *CO2. Furthermore, we show that the competing hydrogen evolution reaction must be considered simultaneously to understand the crucial role of alkali metal cations in CO2RR on Cu surfaces, where H+ is repelled from the interface and constrained by M+. Our results provide significant insights into the design of electrochemical environments and highlight the importance of explicitly including the solvation and competing reactions in theoretical simulations of CO2RR. Alkali metal cations affect CO2 electroreduction performance. Here, the authors provide a comprehensive molecular understanding of the alkali metal cation effects on both CO2 activation and competing hydrogen evolution based on explicit solvation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly transparent Ho:Y2O3 ceramics for laser diode lighting were prepared using the vacuum sintering method with 0.3 at.% Nb2O5 as a sintering additive. The microstructures, transmittance, and luminescence properties of the Ho:Y2O3 ceramic samples were investigated in detail. The transmittance levels of all samples with various Ho3+ concentrations reached ~81.5% (2 mm thick) at 1100 nm. Under the excitation of 363 nm (ultraviolet) or 448 nm (blue) light, Ho:Y2O3 transparent ceramic samples showed that green emission peaked at 550 nm. The emission intensity was strongly affected by the concentration of Ho3+ ions, reaching its highest level in the sample doped with 1 at.% Ho3+. The CIE coordinates of the luminescence were in the green region (i.e., the CIE coordinates of the sample doped with 1 at.% Ho3+ were [0.27, 0.53] and [0.30, 0.69], under the excitation of 363 nm and 448 nm light, respectively). The possibility of its application as laser diode lighting was reported. Under the excitation of 450 nm blue laser, the sample doped with 0.5 at.% Ho3+ had the best performance: the saturated luminous flux, lumen efficiency, and the luminescence saturation power densities were 800 lm, 57.7 lm/W, and 17.6 W/mm2, respectively. Furthermore, the materials have high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength due to their host of rare-earth sesquioxide. Thus, Ho:Y2O3 transparent ceramics are expected to be a promising candidate for green-light-emitting devices for solid-state lighting, such as laser diode lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing nanostructures into bulk thermoelectric materials is an effective strategy for reducing lattice thermal conductivity (κlat). However, large numbers of hanging bonds emerge on account of lattice mismatch usually at the interfaces between nanostructures and matrix, thereby significantly deteriorating carrier mobility (µH) and seriously limiting thermoelectric performance. Here, utilizing the cointroduction of Gd‐Cu2Te into n‐type PbSe as a paradigm, the zT could be greatly improved. The conduction band flattening caused by Gd doping can successfully compensate for the small Seebeck coefficient in n‐type PbSe, thus achieving extraordinary electrical performance. Further advanced electron microscopy and X‐ray absorption fine structure spectra directly demonstrate that most of the Cu forms nanoscale Cu2Se precipitates, especially a unique semi‐coherent interface between the PbSe matrix and the Cu2Se nanoprecipitate is observed for the first time. Such nanoprecipitate accompanied by the semi‐coherent interface not only ensures higher µH as an excellent charge transfer mediator but also collectively scatters the heat‐carrying phonons over a wide frequency range to obtain the ultralow κlat, resulting in the prominent improvement of the ratio µH/κlat. The present finding represents an important step forward in electron–phonon decoupling via constructing semi‐coherent nanostructure and interface engineering, which should be applicable for other thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veillonella spp. are Gram-negative opportunistic pathogens present in the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive tracts of mammals. An abnormal increase in Veillonella relative abundance in the body is closely associated with periodontitis, inflammatory bowel disease, urinary tract infections, and many other diseases. We designed a pair of primers and a probe based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of Veillonella and conducted real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to quantify the abundance of Veillonella in fecal samples. These two methods were tested for specificity and sensitivity using simulated clinical samples. The sensitivity of qPCR was 100 copies/μL, allowing for the accurate detection of a wide range of Veillonella concentrations from 103 to 108 CFU/mL. The sensitivity of ddPCR was 11.3 copies/μL, only allowing for the accurate detection of Veillonella concentrations from 101 to 104 CFU/mL because of the limited number of droplets generated by ddPCR. ddPCR is therefore more suitable for the detection of low-abundance Veillonella samples. To characterize the validity of the assay system, clinical samples from children with inflammatory bowel disease were collected and analyzed, and the results were verified using isolation methods. We conclude that molecular assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene provides an important tool for the rapid diagnosis of chronic and infectious diseases caused by Veillonella and also supports the isolation and identification of Veillonella for research purposes. Key points: • With suitable primer sets, the qPCR has a wider detection range than ddPCR. • ddPCR is suitable for the detection of low-abundance samples. • Methods successfully guided the isolation of Veillonella in clinical sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is characterized by acute neurovisceral attacks that are precipitated by the induction of hepatic 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (ALAS1). In erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), sun exposure leads to skin photosensitivity due to the overproduction of photoreactive porphyrins in bone marrow erythroid cells, where heme synthesis is primarily driven by the ALAS2 isozyme. Cimetidine has been suggested to be effective for the treatment of both AIP and EPP based on limited case reports. It has been proposed that cimetidine acts by inhibiting ALAS activity in liver and bone marrow for AIP and EPP, respectively, while it may also inhibit the hepatic activity of the heme catabolism enzyme, heme oxygenase (HO). Here, we show that cimetidine did not significantly modulate the activity or expression of endogenous ALAS or HO in wildtype mouse livers or bone marrow. Further, cimetidine did not effectively decrease hepatic ALAS activity or expression or plasma concentrations of the putative neurotoxic porphyrin precursors 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG), which were all markedly elevated during an induced acute attack in an AIP mouse model. These results show that cimetidine is not an efficacious treatment for acute attacks and suggest that its potential clinical benefit for EPP is not via ALAS inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veillonella spp. are Gram-negative opportunistic pathogens present in the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive tracts of mammals. An abnormal increase in Veillonella relative abundance in the body is closely associated with periodontitis, inflammatory bowel disease, urinary tract infections, and many other diseases. We designed a pair of primers and a probe based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of Veillonella and conducted real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to quantify the abundance of Veillonella in fecal samples. These two methods were tested for specificity and sensitivity using simulated clinical samples. The sensitivity of qPCR was 100 copies/μL, allowing for the accurate detection of a wide range of Veillonella concentrations from 103 to 108 CFU/mL. The sensitivity of ddPCR was 11.3 copies/μL, only allowing for the accurate detection of Veillonella concentrations from 101 to 104 CFU/mL because of the limited number of droplets generated by ddPCR. ddPCR is therefore more suitable for the detection of low-abundance Veillonella samples. To characterize the validity of the assay system, clinical samples from children with inflammatory bowel disease were collected and analyzed, and the results were verified using isolation methods. We conclude that molecular assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene provides an important tool for the rapid diagnosis of chronic and infectious diseases caused by Veillonella and also supports the isolation and identification of Veillonella for research purposes. Key points: • With suitable primer sets, the qPCR has a wider detection range than ddPCR. • ddPCR is suitable for the detection of low-abundance samples. • Methods successfully guided the isolation of Veillonella in clinical sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the short‐ and long‐term impacts of overinvestments on the profitability of Chinese agri‐food processing firms. We construct an overinvestment age variable measured as the number of years since the most recent overinvestment and use a two‐way fixed effects model based on firm‐level data for the Chinese agri‐food‐processing industry from 1998 to 2013 to conduct the research. We find that the profitability of firms improves during the first and second years following the most recent overinvestment. However, from the third year onward, profitability declines, and the restraining effect increases year by year. In addition, we find that regional differences and differences in financing constraints can explain the heterogeneity of the overinvestment age affecting firm profitability. [EconLit Citations: D22, L25, L66]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gastric cancer (GC) is a severe disease with high mortality. There is an immediate demand for GC prognostic markers. The biological role of the lethal (3) malignant brain tumor-like 3 (L3MBTL3) has been investigated in human malignancies, but its involvement in GC is not well understood. This research seeks to better understand L3MBTL3's prognostic significance and expression profiles in GC. We examined the expression and prognostic significance of L3MBTL3 in GC using bioinformatic analysis. A functional enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the potential mechanisms. The correlations between L3MBTL3 and immune infiltration were determined based on the TIMER database. Our work revealed that L3MBTL3 is a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker for GC, opening new avenues for research and treatment. Recent research has linked lethal (3) malignant brain tumor-like 3 (L3MBTL3) to cancer aggressiveness and a dismal prognosis, but its function in gastric cancer (GC) is unclear. This research investigated the association between L3MBTL3 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of GC cases, as well as its prognostic value and biological function based on large-scale databases and clinical samples. The results showed that L3MBTL3 expression was upregulated in malignant GC tissues, which was associated with a shortened survival time and poor clinicopathological characteristics, including TNM staging. A functional enrichment analysis including GO/KEGG and GSEA illustrated the enrichment of different L3MBTL3-associated pathways involved in carcinogenesis and immune response. In addition, the correlations between L3MBTL3 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells were determined based on the TIMER database; the results showed that L3MBTL3 was associated with the immune infiltration of macrophages and their polarization from M1 to M2. Furthermore, our findings suggested a possible function for L3MBTL3 in the regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment of GC. In summary, L3MBTL3 has diagnostic potential, and it also offers new insights into the development of aggressiveness and prognosis in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of oxyfluoride rock salt-structured Li3+xMgNbO5Fx (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.25) ceramic specimens were prepared via a solid-state reaction route. The phase composition, microstructures, and microwave dielectric properties of the samples were investigated. The chemical bond theory was employed to reveal the composition dependence of the microwave dielectric properties of the Li3+xMgNbO5Fx samples. The optimal microwave dielectric properties of εr = 16.1, Q × f = 79200 GHz, τf=-40.8 ppm/°C were obtained in the specimen with x = 0.75 when sintered at 900℃. Additionally, the Li3.75MgNbO5F0.75 ceramics showed excellent chemical compatibility with Ag electrodes, which suggests that the present samples are promising candidate materials for low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultra-small size InGaN red micro-LED has attracted a lot of research interest for AR micro-display applications. However, it still faces the challenge of maintaining the emission wavelength and efficiency that meet the needs of micro-display in small size and high current density. Here, we demonstrate 1–20 μm InGaN red micro-LEDs based on freestanding GaN substrates, showing enhanced indium incorporation compared with those grown on traditional sapphire substrates. For the 1 μm devices, an external quantum efficiency (on-wafer) of 0.86% and a wavelength of 613.6 nm are achieved at a current density of 50 A/cm2. In addition, the emission uniformity of 1 μm array grown on GaN substrates is significantly superior to that grown on sapphire substrates. These results indicate that freestanding GaN substrates are benefits for improving performance of red InGaN micro-LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research assumed deep buried loess as the initial composition of the overlying paleosol and failed to address the long-term continuous pedogenic weathering history in the deep loess-paleosol sequence, which was attributed to little understanding on the difference between loess and paleosol in the long-term deep loess-paleosol sequence. To distinguish between the loess and paleosol, in the long-term deep loess-paleosol sequence in northeast China, the morphology, dust deposition fluxes, geochemical characteristics, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size distributions were investigated. Results showed that the loess layers buried at depth could be differentiated from the paleosol by their poor pedogenic development. The presence of coarser grains in the loess as well as lesser amounts of clay and Fe–Mn coatings compared to paleosol indicated weaker weathering of the loess. Also, optical iron clay films deposited on the surface of the skeleton particles were less visible in the loesses than in the paleosols. From the loess evolution perspective, the pedogenic formation process of the newly formed loess soils should be considered as important as that of the reddish paleosol layer based on criteria of formation time, depth within profile, and morphological characteristics. The formation of the reddish or yellowish paleosol layer was constrained by pedogenic environments associated with climatic change and by the relative rates of deposition and pedogenesis. The terms "loessal paleosol" and "loessal paleosol sequence" are suggested to aid in systematically and consistently addressing the long-term pedogenic weathering evolution recorded in the complex formation of deep loess and paleosol sequences in pedology research. The long-term deep loessal sediments of Northeast China are loessal paleosols, which cannot be simply used as a reference for the overlying paleosol and be deducted from pedogenesis consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulating electron transport rate and ion concentrations in the local microenvironment of active site can overcome the slow kinetics and unfavorable thermodynamics of CO2 electroreduction. However, simultaneous optimization of both kinetics and thermodynamics is hindered by synthetic constraints and poor mechanistic understanding. Here we leverage laser-assisted manufacturing for synthesizing CuxO bipyramids with controlled tip angles and abundant nanograins, and elucidate the mechanism of the relationship between electron transport/ion concentrations and electrocatalytic performance. Potassium/OH− adsorption tests and finite element simulations corroborate the contributions from strong electric field at the sharp tip. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry unveil the dynamic evolution of critical *CO/*OCCOH intermediates and product profiles, complemented with theoretical calculations that elucidate the thermodynamic contributions from improved coupling at the Cu+/Cu2+ interfaces. Through modulating the electron transport and ion concentrations, we achieve high Faradaic efficiency of 81% at ~900 mA cm−2 for C2+ products via CO2RR. Similar enhancement is also observed for nitrate reduction reaction (NITRR), achieving 81.83 mg h−1 ammonia yield rate per milligram catalyst. Coupling the CO2RR and NITRR systems demonstrates the potential for valorizing flue gases and nitrate wastes, which suggests a practical approach for carbon-nitrogen cycling. Controlling the kinetics and thermodynamics of electrochemical processes is essential to achieve high-performance multielectron reduction. Here, the authors report laser-induced copper bipyramids with abundant nanograins and controlled tip angles for enhanced multielectron CO2 and nitrate reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metals have excellent valence electrical properties and unique electronic state distribution and are regarded as potential materials for improving thermoelectric performance. However, the impact of transition metals on thermoelectric materials is restricted to the solid solution limit and doping efficiency, reinforcing the shortcomings in systematic research. Here, thermoelectric properties of transition metal (Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo)-doped PbS are compared and analyzed systematically based on the formation enthalpy. The DFT calculation indicates that the doping (except Zr) leads to the bandgap expansion and the density of states distortion near the Fermi level, while the localization property of the latter results in an invalid resonance level. The formation enthalpy dominates the carrier concentration due to the opposite trend of carrier concentration and formation enthalpy. The formation enthalpy of Zr, Ti, and Nb doping is more negative than others, leading to the more significant optimization of carrier concentration. The Moss–Burstein effect promotes the bandgap expansion, leading to weaker bipolar effects for Zr, Ti, and Nb doping. Eventually, the thermoelectric performance for Ti, Zr, and Nb doping is superior to others at high temperature. The Hume-Rothery rule of the formation enthalpy supplementation is more suitable for the doping and alloying in thermoelectricity. Thermodynamic stability analysis based on the formation enthalpy contribute the PbS-based thermoelectric devices evaluation. The present finding demonstrates the significant effect of formation enthalpy on the thermoelectric properties of PbS and provides a useful avenue for the doping modification and thermodynamic stability analysis of other thermoelectric alloy materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huisgen‐click curing systems are widely used in solid propellant binders due to their low humidity sensitivity and mild reaction conditions. However, the rigid triazole rings from the Huisgen‐click reaction decrease the molecular moving ability and increase decomposition temperature, lowering the mechanical and combustion performance. Thus, we bonded the Huisgen‐click system and polyester binders with urethane, forming microphase separation and improving chemical stability. The results show that the elongation at break, tensile strength, and Young's modulus of the binders increase by 533.3%, 201.2%, and 1263.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the urethane reduces the thermal resistance index of the binders from 191.2 to 179.2°C, which means better combustion performance. Further mechanism study reveals that the urethane leads to microphase separation, which aggregates the hard segments and weakens their restriction effect on the molecular motion of polyether. Such a microphase separation brings comprehensive improvement in the mechanical properties of the solid propellants and probably can be used in other multi‐component systems of energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) and dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG + 3TC) are well tolerated and effective in clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these two schemes in a real-world setting and to obtain the first dataset for switching to BIC/FTC/TAF and DTG + 3TC in a Chinese population. Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study in China included participants who switched to DTG + 3TC or BIC/FTC/TAF between January 2020 and February 2023. The main endpoint was the proportion of participants with HIV-1 RNA levels of ≥ 50 copies/mL. Safety, tolerance, and the incidence of low-level viremia (LLV) were evaluated. Results: A total of 525 participants were included, 454 of whom were included in the PP analysis. At week 48, the proportions of participants with HIV-1 RNA ≥ 50 copies/mL were 4.4% (10/225) for DTG + 3TC and 6.1% (14/229) for BIC/FTC/TAF; virological efficacy did not differ significantly between the two groups. Consistent results were obtained in an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. The incidences of LLV were 3.6% (7/193) and 4.9% (10/206), respectively. During the study, none of the participants stopped taking drugs because of a lack of efficacy or adverse reactions. Conclusions: Both regimens are well tolerated and effective for switching HIV-1 infection therapy. However, the detection of genotypic drug resistance should be considered when baseline virological non-suppression is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, was initially used to treat cancer in women and more recently to induce conditional gene editing in rodent hearts. However, little is known about the baseline biological effects of tamoxifen on the myocardium. In order to clarify the short-term effects of tamoxifen on cardiac electrophysiology of myocardium, we applied a single-chest-lead quantitative method and analyzed the short-term electrocardiographic phenotypes induced by tamoxifen in the heart of adult female mice. We found that tamoxifen prolonged the PP interval and caused a decreased heartbeat, and further induced atrioventricular block by gradually prolonging the PR interval. Further correlation analysis suggested that tamoxifen had a synergistic and dose-independent inhibition on the time course of the PP interval and PR interval. This prolongation of the critical time course may represent a tamoxifen-specific ECG excitatory-inhibitory mechanism, leading to a reduction in the number of supraventricular action potentials and thus bradycardia. Segmental reconstructions showed that tamoxifen induced a decrease in the conduction velocity of action potentials throughout the atria and parts of the ventricles, resulting in a flattening of the P wave and R wave. In addition, we detected the previously reported prolongation of the QT interval, which may be due to a prolonged duration of the ventricular repolarizing T wave rather than the depolarizing QRS complex. Our study highlights that tamoxifen can produce patterning alternations in the cardiac conduction system, including the formation of inhibitory electrical signals with reduced conduction velocity, implying its involvement in the regulation of myocardial ion transport and the mediation of arrhythmias. A Novel Quantitative Electrocardiography Strategy Reveals the Electroinhibitory Effect of Tamoxifen on the Mouse Heart（Figure 9）. A working model of tamoxifen producing acute electrical disturbances in the myocardium. SN, sinus node; AVN, atrioventricular node; RA, right atrium; LA, left atrium; RV, right ventricle; LV, left ventricle [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ainuovirine/lamivudine/tenofovir is a novel antiretroviral therapy regimen used to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. This study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetics of ainuovirine/lamivudine/tenofovir in HIV-1-infected patients aged ≥ 65 (elderly patients) and ≤ 40 years (young patients). Methods: This prospective, open-label, parallel controlled clinical study included 15 young and 15 elderly patients. Blood (1 mL) was collected 30 min before dosing and at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 h after dosing, to measure the plasma concentrations of ainuovirine/lamivudine/tenofovir. Safety was assessed by monitoring the adverse events, physical examinations, and clinical laboratory tests. Results: Plasma concentrations of each ainuovirine/lamivudine/tenofovir component reached peak levels 1–4 h after dosing and gradually decreased during the remaining observation period. Compared with the young group, ainuovirine had significantly higher T1/2Ke, AUC0–24, and AUC0–inf (all P < 0.05) in the elderly group, whereas Ke (P = 0.002) was significantly lower. However, the Cmax and Tmax of ainuovirine did not differ significantly. Lamivudine and tenofovir also had a significantly higher Cmax (p = 0.004 and p = 0.008, respectively) and AUC0–inf (P = 0.014 and P = 0.006, respectively) in the elderly group, whereas there was no significant difference in Tmax, Ke, and T1/2Ke. Ainuovirine/lamivudine/tenofovir was well tolerated in both the young and elderly groups. Conclusion: This study suggests that the ainuovirine/lamivudine/tenofovir regimen might be an effective and safe treatment regimen for HIV-1-infected patients aged ≥ 65 years and ≤ 40 years. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and develop optimal dosing regimens for elderly HIV-1-infected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to their bioactive compounds and beneficial health effects, functional foods and plant-based natural medicines are widely consumed. Due to its bioactivities, vinegar is one of them that helps humans. Sugarcane original vinegar (SOV) is a special vinegar made from sugarcane as a raw material through biological fermentation processes. Methods: The objective of this study was to assess the effects of sugarcane original vinegar on growth performance, immune response, acute oral toxicity, bacterial reverse mutation, mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus, mouse spermatogonial chromosome aberration, mammalian bone marrow cell chromosome aberration changes, and serum characteristics in mice. Distortion parameters were used to assess its safety, and at the same time, the functionality of SOV was monitored during experimentation. Results: The results show that the SOV has no damage or inhibitory effect on the bone marrow red blood cells of mice and no mutagenic or distortion-inducing effects on the bone marrow cell chromosomes or spermatogonia chromosomes, so it is safe to eat. SOV can improve blood lipids and reduce blood lipid content. Discussion: The study results provide data basis for the intensive processing of sugarcane and the development of high-value SOV products. Sugarcane original vinegar has a beneficial impact on performance, immune response, and chromosomal aberration. The production application influences the vinegar's quality and, consequently, its health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1 − x)SrLaAlO4 − xCaYAlO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) ceramic samples were prepared via a high-temperature solid-state method at 1500 °C. The phase assemblage, relative density, microstructures, chemical bond characteristics, and microwave dielectric properties of the specimens were investigated. All samples were confirmed to be consisted of a Ruddlesden–Popper (R–P) phase with relatively high relative density levels (i.e., ~ 95%). The dielectric constant (εr) was found to be mainly dependent on the relative density. The quality factor (Q × f) was dominated by a synergic effect of the total lattice energy and the tolerance factor. Additionally, the temperature coefficient of the resonance frequency (τf) was influenced by the total bond energy (Etotal) and the linear thermal expansion coefficient. The optimal microwave dielectric properties (i.e., εr = 18.5, Q × f = 49,700 GHz, and τf = 0.7 ppm/°C) were achieved at x = 0.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]