Search

Immunotherapy is revolutionizing oncology, but its therapeutic efficiency is still limited by the off-target toxicities and poor antitumor immune responses. By integrating the drug-loaded nanoparticles (DMnSH) with the unique metabolic traits of Veillonella parvula (Vei), a probiotic-nanomedicine conjugate Vei@DMnSH biohybrid is elaborately designed for enhanced cancer chemo-immunotherapy. Specifically, Vei@DMnSH can accumulate in hypoxic tumor sites and simultaneously consume lactate and cysteine to reverse the lactate-associated immunosuppression and impede the biosynthesis of GSH. In addition, the DMnSH nanoparticles will rapidly deplete intracellular GSH and disassemble to release DOX and Mn 2+ . Accompanied by the two-pronged GSH depletion, the Mn 2+ -mediated Fenton-like reaction can effectively generate oxidative hydroxyl radicals to induce heavy redox imbalance. Combined with the therapeutic effect of DOX, robust immunogenic cell death is provoked and subsequently activates antitumor adaptive immunity with a tumor suppression rate over 82%, synergistically enhancing the therapeutic outcomes of cancer chemo-immunotherapy.

Two meningococcal serogroup B vaccines are licensed for use in the United States. In August 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed the label for the meningococcal serogroup B MenB-4C vaccine (Bexsero) from a 2-dose schedule (intervals of 0 and ≥1 month) to a 2-dose schedule (0 and 6 months) and added a 3-dose schedule (0, 1-2, and 6 months), based on new immunogenicity data. On October 24, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to update its recommendations for the MenB-4C dosing interval and schedule to align with the new FDA label. ACIP recommends extending the interval for the 2-dose series of MenB-4C from 0 and ≥1 month to 0 and 6 months for healthy adolescents and young adults aged 16-23 years based on shared clinical decision-making and has added a recommendation for a 3-dose series with doses administered at 0, 1-2, and 6 months for persons aged ≥10 years at increased risk. The updated ACIP recommendations for MenB-4C align with existing ACIP recommendations for the other FDA-licensed meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, MenB-FHbp (Trumenba)., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Charlotte A. Moser reports receipt of an advance from Columbia University Press for co-authoring “Vaccines and Your Family: Separating Fact from Fiction” in 2024. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Objectives: Early in the outbreak, to predict the final size of the COVID-19 outbreak in Dalian, Liaoning province, China, the finding can be used to provide a scientific reference for timely adjustment of prevention and control strategies., Methods: Data from COVID-19 patients were collected from August 26 to September 14 2022. Early in the outbreak, a Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Quarantine-Recovered (SEIQR) dynamics model with an epidemic amplifier effect, based on the basic model, was developed to fit the data and predict the final size of the COVID-19 outbreak in Dalian, Liaoning province, China. The mean absolute relative error(MARE), root mean squared error(RMSE) and mean absolute error(MAE) were used to assess the predictive capacity of the model., Results: From 26 August to 14 September 2022, 1132 confirmed cases and infected asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 (558 males and 574 females) were reported in Dalian. There were two epidemic amplifiers in this outbreak, namely, T Market and H Hotel. The outbreak size predicted by the combined application of the SEIQR model with these two amplifiers is 1168.34 cases, and MARE, RMSE and MAE compared to the actual value from September 1 to 14 is 1.894%, 21.473 and 17.492 respectively According to the fitting results of the basic SEIQR model, if there was no epidemic amplifier in this outbreak, the final outbreak size was 349.96 cases, which means that the T Market and H Hotel increased 822 infections through amplification., Conclusions: Early in the outbreak, it was effective and reliable to use the SEIQR transmission dynamics model with the amplifier effect to predict the final size of the COVID-19 outbreak in Dalian, Liaoning province, China, and the result can provide a theoretical basis for the early closing of the COVID-19 epidemic amplifier sites. Furthermore, the epidemic amplifier effect added to the model can solve the homogeneous mixing hypothesis problem that does not match the actual spread of infectious diseases but commonly used by researchers in the construction process of the dynamic model., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 An et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella, is an economically important pest of potato crops worldwide. So far, the application of chemical pesticides is the major measure to manage PTM, but it induces serious deleterious impacts on the environment and human health. Here, we screened the entomopathogenic fungi that are lethal to PTM, and tested their sublethal impacts on PTM development, mortality, and reproduction as well as that of ectoparasitic mite Pyemotes zhonghuajia, a natural enemy of PTM., Results: Among 13 tested entomopathogenic fungal strains in three genera, Beauveria Vuillemin, Cordyceps Fries, and Talaromyces Benjamin, Cordyceps fumosorosea (strain KY1136) and Beauveria bassiana (strain KY1115) caused a significantly higher mortality in PTM eggs, larvae, and pupae. Median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) of both strains prolonged PTM immature development, shortened adult longevity, and reduced fecundity and life table parameters in terms of intrinsic rate of increase (r m ), net reproductive rate (R 0 ), and finite rate of increase (λ). The LC 50 value of KY1136 (1.9 × 10 6 spores/mL) was lower than that of KY1115 (9.0 × 10 6 spores/mL), indicating the greater potential for biological control of PTM by KY1136. Both strains had no significant impact on P. zhonghuajia survival and reproduction. Increasing P. zhonghuajia density reduced PTM feeding and pupation rate, while the combined application of P. zhonghuajia and entomopathogenic fungi had no additional effect in inhabiting PTM feeding and pupation., Conclusion: Entomopathogenic fungal strains Cordyceps fumosorosea KY1136 and Beauveria bassiana KY1115 are the potential biological control agents of PTM, but do not impose a negative impact on the natural enemy. Our study provides insights into the integrated pest management of PTM by combining the entomopathogenic fungi and an ectoparasitic mite. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a recognized cause of allograft dysfunction in lung transplant recipients due to the presence of donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies (DSAs). Here, we reported that a 69-year-old woman with underlying connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) developed recurrent fever with elevated white blood cells, C-reactive protein (CRP) and new ground-glass opacities on chest computed tomography (CT) early after double lung transplantation. After a thorough investigation for infection, rejection and relapse of primary immune diseases, the patient was found to be panel-reactive antibody (PRA) positive and DSAs positive. Pathology of the transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) revealed positive histology suggestive of AMR and positive C4d staining. The final diagnosis was definite clinical AMR. Following treatment with plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) infusion, the patient's condition improved significantly, and the patient was discharged from hospital.

Background: Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis, and gaps remain in understanding the determinants influencing disease outcomes., Objective: To characterise the gut microbiota feature and identify potential probiotics that could ameliorate the development of NKTCL., Design: This cross-sectional study employed shotgun metagenomic sequencing to profile the gut microbiota in two Chinese NKTCL cohorts, with validation conducted in an independent Korean cohort. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses were applied to assess associations between identified marker species and patient outcomes. Tumour-suppressing effects were investigated using comprehensive in vivo and in vitro models. In addition, metabolomics, RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and lentiviral-mediated gene knockdown system were used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms., Results: We first unveiled significant gut microbiota dysbiosis in NKTCL patients, prominently marked by a notable reduction in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii which correlated strongly with shorter survival among patients. Subsequently, we substantiated the antitumour properties of F. prausnitzii in NKTCL mouse models. Furthermore, F. prausnitzii culture supernatant demonstrated significant efficacy in inhibiting NKTCL cell growth. Metabolomics analysis revealed butyrate as a critical metabolite underlying these tumour-suppressing effects, validated in three human NKTCL cell lines and multiple tumour-bearing mouse models. Mechanistically, butyrate suppressed the activation of Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway through enhancing histone acetylation, promoting the expression of suppressor of cytokine signalling 1., Conclusion: These findings uncover a distinctive gut microbiota profile in NKTCL and provide a novel perspective on leveraging the therapeutic potential of F. prausnitzii to ameliorate this malignancy., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Research on plastic pollution is crucial, particularly with the recent emphasis on converting waste plastics into oil for sustainable energy. Very few studies have utilized artificial neural network (ANN) modeling for plastic thermal conversion, such as predicting fuel yield from mixed plastics and performing sensitivity analyses to identify which plastics produce more oil. Meanwhile, no study has conducted a comparative analysis of different models for catalytic and non-catalytic thermal conversion of various plastics, nor has a sensitivity analysis of process parameters using ANN for oil production. This study aims to (1) validate and predict oil yield across different catalytic and non-catalytic thermal conversion processes for plastics using MATLAB-based ANN training; (2) perform sensitivity analysis on process parameters affecting oil production; and (3) forecast oil yield using virtual input parameters not included in real experiments. The models demonstrate R 2 values near 1 and mean squared error (MSE) values close to zero, indicating strong validation. For catalytic polyethylene (PE) pyrolysis, the impact ranking is reaction temperature (36.9 %) > pressure (32.1 %) > Zn loading in ZSM5 (30.9 %). In non-catalytic PE and biomass co-torrefaction, the impact ranking is reaction temperature (47.2 %) > feedstock-to-solvent ratio (23.9 %) > biomass-to-PE ratio (16.6 %) > experimental duration (12.1 %). For catalytic mixed plastic (MP) torrefaction, the ranking is reaction temperature (54.8 %) > duration (18.4 %) > solid-to-liquid ratio (15.9 %) > NaOH amount (10.8 %). In non-catalytic MP pyrolysis, the significance ranking is particle size (44.51 %) > pyrolysis temperature (34.4 %) > pyrolysis duration (21.06 %). Accordingly, temperature, catalyst loading, and duration are critical for catalytic processes, while particle size and temperatures affect non-catalytic pyrolysis. The predicted and experimental outcomes differ by only 1 to 3, demonstrating that the models accurately simulate the predicted values. This study uses ANN sensitivity analysis to compare catalytic and non-catalytic methods, offering insights into scale-up applications and sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The root of Stemona tuberosa Lour has been used to treat tuberculosis, scabies, and eczema. Polysaccharides are among its main bioactive ingredients. A low-molecular-weight (1819 Da) polysaccharide (SPS2-A) was obtained from the root of S. tuberosa Lour by optimizing three-phase partitioning, purified using an ion chromatography column, and its effects and mechanisms were investigated. Structural analysis revealed that SPS2-A contained arabinose, galactose (Gal), glucose (Glc), xylose, and mannose. The SPS2-A backbone structure comprised sugar residues →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4)-α-D-Galp-(1→, and →4,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→, while the side chain primarily comprised α-D-Glcp-(1 → connected to the O-6 position of the residue →4,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→. In vitro, SPS2-A downregulated the expression of interleukin-6 in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. In vivo, SPS2-A significantly downregulated the expression of myeloperoxidase, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue. Western blotting analysis indicated that SPS2-A reduced lung inflammation in mice with sepsis-induced acute lung injury by activating the nuclear factor κB pathway. These results suggest that SPS2-A is a potential anti-inflammatory candidate for the treatment of sepsis-induced acute lung injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Azo compounds, particularly azo dyes, are widely used but pose significant environmental risks due to their persistence and potential to form carcinogenic by-products. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are effective in degrading these stubborn compounds, with Oxone activation being a particularly promising method. In this study, a unique nanohybrid material, raspberry-like CuCo alloy embedded carbon (RCCC), is facilely fabricated using CuCo-glycerate (Gly) as a template. With the incorporation of Cu into Co, RCCC is essentially different from its analogue derived from Co-Gly in the absence of Cu, affording a popcorn-like Co embedded on carbon (PCoC). RCCC exhibits a unique morphology, featuring a hollow spherical layer covered by nanoscale beads composed of CuCo alloy distributed over carbon. Therefore, RCCC significantly outperforms PCoC and Co 3 O 4 for activating Oxone to degrade the toxic azo contaminant, Azorubin S (AS), in terms of efficiency and kinetics. Furthermore, RCCC remains highly effective in environments with high NaCl concentrations and can be efficiently reused across multiple cycles. Besides, RCCC also leads to the considerably lower E a of AS degradation than the reported E a values by other catalysts. More importantly, the contribution of incorporating Cu with Co as CuCo alloy in RCCC is also elucidated using the Density-Function-Theory (DFT) calculation and synergetic effect of Cu and Co in CuCo contributes to enhance Oxone activation, and boosts generation of SO 4 •- and • OH. The decomposition pathway of AS by RCCC + Oxone is also comprehensively investigated by studying the Fukui indices of AS and a series of its degradation by-products using the DFT calculation. In accordance to the toxicity assessment, RCCC + Oxone also considerably reduces acute and chronic toxicities to lower potential environmental impact. These results ensure that RCCC would be an advantageous catalyst for Oxone activation to degrade AS in water., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Lung transplantation patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have high mortality. However, the impact of the Omicron variant in lung transplantation patients is unclear. This study focuses on lung transplant patients diagnosed with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave, and investigate the clinical presentations, outcomes and pulmonary function., Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, we enrolled lung transplantation patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 2022 to December 2022. Demographic, laboratory and pulmonary function data were recorded. Pre-COVID-19 pulmonary function data were obtained from the closest routine test, and post-COVID-19 tests were arranged after release from isolation., Results: Of the 22 enrolled patients, four were admitted to general wards for treatment and observation, and two needed oxygen support. All of the patients recovered from COVID-19. There were no significant decreases in forced vital capacity (FVC) (2.3 ± 0.6 vs. 2.2 ± 0.8 L, p = 0.363) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) (2.0 ± 0.6 vs. 1.9 ± 0.8 L, p = 0.269) after COVID-19 infection. Daily prednisolone dose and serum tacrolimus levels were significantly correlated to the duration of positive COVID-19 test and change in FEV1. Patients who did not receive a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccination had a significantly longer positive test duration (9.1 ± 4.1 vs. 26.6 ± 24.4 days, p = 0.05), and greater decrease in FEV1 (23.6 ± 137.3 vs. -331.8 ± 537.8 L, p = 0.040)., Conclusions: In this study, lung transplant patients infected with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave had low rate of severe disease and mortality. Immunosuppressive medications and COVID-19 vaccination were correlated with viral clearance and pulmonary function after COVID-19 infection., (Copyright © 2024 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The experience of pain is complex, involving both sensory and affective components, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that formalin-induced pain behaviors coincide with increased responses in glutamatergic neurons within the anterior paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVA). Furthermore, we describe non-overlapping subpopulations of PVAVgluT2 neurons involved in sensory and affective pain processing, whose activity varies across different pain states. Activating PVA glutamatergic neurons is sufficient to induce mechanical hypersensitivity and aversion behaviors, whereas suppression ameliorates formalin-induced pain. Furthermore, we identify the segregation of PVA VgluT2 projections to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), each influencing specific aspects of pain-like behavior. This finding provides an important insight into the mechanism of distinct components of pain, highlighting the pivotal role of PVA in mediating different aspects of pain-like behavior with distinct circuits., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This review explores the expanding role of electrochemical sensors across diverse domains such as environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and food quality assurance. In recent years, iron-based electrocatalysts have emerged as promising candidates for enhancing sensor performance. Notable for their non-toxicity, abundance, catalytic activity, and cost-effectiveness, these materials offer significant advantages. However, further investigation is needed to fully understand how iron-based materials' physical, chemical, and electrical properties influence their catalytic performance in sensor applications. It explores the overview of electrochemical sensor technology, examines the impact of iron-based materials and their characteristics on catalytic activity, and investigates various iron-based materials, their advantages, functionalization, and modification techniques. Additionally, the review investigates the application of iron-based electrode material composites in electrochemical sensors for real sample detections. Ultimately, continued research and development in this area promise to unlock new avenues for using iron-based electrode materials in sensor applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Poor chemotherapy efficacy in pancreatic cancer is attributed to limited drug permeation caused by the dense extracellular matrix (ECM) and drug degradation induced by tumor-colonizing bacteria. Here, a tumor-targeting probiotic-nanosystem is elaborately designed to remodulate ECM and selectively regulate tumor-colonizing bacteria for improving chemo-immunotherapy against pancreatic cancer. Specifically, drug-loaded liposomes are conjugated with Clostridium Butyricum (CB) via matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)-responsive peptide to construct a probiotic-nanosystem. Particularly, vactosertib (VAC, a transforming growth factor-β1 receptor inhibitor) is delivered by probiotic-nanosystem to silence the active pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) for inhibiting the development of ECM, resulting in a loosened ECM and providing a golden opportunity for the deep penetration of chemotherapy drugs and immune cells. Subsequently, gemcitabine (GEM) is efficiently delivered into the core of tumors via probiotic-nanosystem, achieving an enhanced chemotherapy efficacy. Noteworthily, CB can alleviate γ-proteobacteria-mediated GEM degradation through competitively reducing the contents of γ-proteobacteria and promoting the amounts of tumor-inhibiting bacteria, thereby significantly potentiating the therapeutic effect of GEM. The engineered probiotic-nanosystem can not only enhance the GEM-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) of a pancreatic tumor to activate antitumor immune responses but also markedly increase the tumor-infiltration of effector immune cells to heighten tumoricidal immunity, offering a promising strategy for chemo-immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Evidence for the efficacy of pharmacological therapies for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is growing. However, there is no consensus on the most effective treatment for HFrEF. This study aimed to evaluate the most effective combination of pharmacological therapy in patients with HFrEF., Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL up to Feb 2022, to include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the efficacy of pharmacological treatment among adults (≥ 18 years) with a diagnosis of HFrEF (defined by a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 45%). The outcomes of interest included all-cause death, cardiovascular (CV) death, and hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). A random network meta-analysis using a frequentist framework model was employed to calculate the pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and rank the treatments., Results: We included 49 RCTs involving 90,529 participants with HFrEF. For reducing all-cause mortality, the combination of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), beta-blockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) was most effective (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.32-0.66). For CV death, the combination of ACEI, BB, MRA, and Vericiguat showed the highest efficacy (RR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12-0.90). Regarding reducing HHF, the combination of ACEI, BB, MRA, and SGLT2i as well as the combination of ACEI, BB, MRA, and Ivabradine were equally the most effective (both RR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.18-0.39)., Conclusion: This study provides robust evidence supporting the use of combination therapies in HFrEF management, with newer agents offering incremental benefits when added to established guideline-directed medical therapy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: A significant research gap exists regarding the role of tissue exosomes in intrauterine adhesions (IUAs). This study aims to investigate the involvement of miR-195-5p and its regulatory network in IUAs through the analysis of tissue exosomes., Methods: Exosomes from rat uterine tissue with intrauterine adhesions were analyzed via transcriptomics to identify downstream target genes of miR-195-5p, cross-referencing with the human endometrial transcriptomics database GSE224093. Dual luciferase labeling confirmed miRNA-target gene interactions. The therapeutic efficacy of a miR-195-5p agonist was assessed in vivo through HE staining, Masson staining, and mating tests. The mechanisms underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and myofibroblast transdifferentiation in endometrial fibrosis were investigated both in vitro and in vivo using RT-PCR, Western Blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Migration ability of endometrial stromal cells was evaluated using CCK8, scratch tests, and Transwell assays. Finally, the clinical potential of miR-195-5p was compared with autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells., Results: The expression of miR-195-5p in uterine tissue exosomes from intrauterine adhesions was found to be decreased. Treatment with a miR-195-5p agonist resulted in improved endometrial health, reduced fibrosis, increased glandular density, and enhanced birth rates in rats. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that miR-195-5p decreased ECM deposition, reduced myofibroblast transdifferentiation, and inhibited the migration of endometrial stromal cells. This was achieved through the downregulation of YAP expression in the Hippo pathway and the upregulation of Smad7. Notably, the therapeutic efficacy of miR-195-5p agonists was comparable to that of stem cell therapy, offering promising avenues for clinical application., Conclusions: Differential expression of miR-195-5p in tissue exosomes can reduce ECM deposition and myofibroblast transdifferentiation, improving endometrial fibrosis by regulating the YAP-Smad7 pathway in the Hippo signaling cascade., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study involves the collection of human endometrium and animal as part of the project titled ‘Study on the mechanism of miR-195-5p improving the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of endometrial adhesion through YAP-SMAD7, which was approved by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Animal Care Committee (Approval No. and Date: 2023-179, May 18, 2023). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study's objective was to explore whether certain parameters measurable by dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) performed 24 h after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) can predict subsequent hemorrhagic transformation., Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) managed with EVT who had follow-up DECT within 24 h post-EVT between January 2019 and December 2023. Clinical and image parameters were recorded for predictive factor analysis. The primary outcome was hemorrhagic transformation, which was determined by using follow-up computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and 3-month post-EVT favorable functional outcome, as defined by a modified ranking scale (mRS) score of ≤2., Results: A total of 152 patients were included in this study. Multivariable analysis showed that the VNC-ASPECT score ( p = 0.002) and superior sagittal sinus density ( p = 0.01) were significantly associated with hemorrhagic transformation. For in-hospital survival rate analysis, post-EVT NIHSS measured 24 h post-EVT was an effective predictor, with a cutoff value of 23 (≤23: 88% vs. >23: 52.1%; p < 0.001). For functional outcome analysis, age ( p < 0.001), tPA prior to EVT ( p = 0.017), NIHSS 24 h post-EVT ( p = 0.001), and VNC-ASPECT score ( p < 0.003) were associated with a favorable functional outcome 3 months after EVT., Conclusions: The VNC-ASPECT score was associated with both hemorrhagic transformation and a 3-month post-EVT favorable functional outcome, and could therefore be an useful predictor for the development of hemorrhagic transformation.

Local oral microbiota are closely related to the tumorigenesis and therapeutic response of oral cancer. In this study, we have validated that oral commensal Porphyromonas gingivalis ( P. gingivalis ) is highly responsible for chemoresistance and contributes to the poor therapeutic outcome of traditional chemotherapy. Accordingly, the biologically derived nanovesicles from ginger (GDNVs) with excellent P. gingivalis elimination ability are explored to transport the clinically used drug paclitaxel (PTX) for potentiating the therapeutic efficiency. Taking advantage of active targeting and inhibition abilities of GDNVs against P. gingivalis , the PTX-loaded GDNVs nanosystem (P-GDNVs) can enrich in the P. gingivalis -colonized tumor tissues and effectively inhibit the growth of P. gingivalis for downregulating the IL-6/pSTAT3/P-gp pathway, thereby reducing the efflux of intracellular drugs to overcome chemoresistance. By evaluating both P. gingivalis -infected tumor cells and P. gingivalis -infiltrated tumor-bearing mice, P-GDNVs show a much enhanced tumor cell killing effect, as compared with free PTX. This naturally occurring nanotherapeutic system represents an effective bioactive material for targeted elimination of host microbiota to boost therapeutic response, showing great promise to combat commensal microbiota-rich tumors.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO - ), as an important reactive nitrogen species, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of intracellular redox homeostasis, signal transduction, cell growth and metabolism, and other physiological processes. Organelles are important for regulating ONOO - , and the dysregulation of ONOO - in organelles is closely related to various diseases. Therefore, it is essential to monitor ONOO - in cellular organelles, including mitochondria, lysosome, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, and lipid droplets. However, the latest advances in organelle-targeting ONOO - fluorescent probes have not been reviewed systematically. In this review, we focus on the design, sensing mechanism, and organelle-targeting imaging applications of ONOO - fluorescent probes that were reported since 2018. This review will help to facilitate the comprehension of organelle-targeting fluorescent probes for the detection of ONOO - .

In our report, we present the case of a 60-year-old adult with symptomatic indirect carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs). All venous outflow routes from the cavernous sinus were absent except for an engorged left superficial middle cerebral vein, which extended through the left vein of Labbé to the left transverse sinus and then to right transverse-sigmoid sinus. We approached the diseased cavernous sinus retrogradely, starting from the right femoral vein and passing through the right transverse-sigmoid sinus, left transverse sinus, and left vein of Labbé, ultimately reaching the left CCFs. Embolization was performed using coils, successfully obliterating the fistulas without complications. This case represents the second reported approach through the vein of Labbé for CCFs and the first using a trans-Labbé vein from a contralateral approach (video 1), proving advantageous by avoiding an acute angle between the vein of Labbé and the ipsilateral sigmoid sinus.1-6neurintsurg;jnis-2024-022311v1/V1F1V1Video 1Embolization of CCF using a Trans-Labbé vein from a contralateral approach.‍., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda , is a major polyphagous pest that mainly feeds on maize and other cash crops. Understanding S. frugiperda 's behavior on different host plants facilitates the development of effective integrated pest management (IPM) plans. Therefore, this study investigated the oviposition preferences of S. frugiperda females among different host plants using no-choice, two-choice, and multiple-choice bioassays. In no-choice bioassays, para grass, Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) (Poales: Poaceae); maize, Zea mays (L.) (Poales: Poaceae); and napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum (Schumach) (Poales: Poaceae) were identified as highly attractive, while sweet sorghum, Sorghum dochna (Forssk.) (Poales: Poaceae); sunhemp, Crotalaria juncea (L.) (Fabales:Fabacea); Egyptian clover, Trifolium alexandrinum (L.) (Fabales:Fabacea); desmodium, Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) (Fabales:Fabacea); natal grass, melinis repens (Zizka) (Poales: Poaceae); molasses grass, Melinis minutiflora (P.Beauv.) (Poales: Poaceae); and mung bean, Vigna radiata (R. wilczek) (Fabales: Fabaceae) exhibited reduced oviposition effects. Two-choice bioassays revealed different levels of attractiveness and repellency among different plant combinations. In multiple-choice bioassays, mimicking an intercropping scenario, differences in the number of eggs and egg mass were observed for M:S:D:W (maize, sunhemp, desmodium, and cage wall), S:D:M:W (sunhemp, desmodium, maize, and cage wall), and D:M:S:W (desmodium, maize, sunhemp, and cage wall). This study provides insights into the egg-laying preferences of S. frugiperda females among different host plants, valuable for the management of S. frugiperda . This encourages further research and further identification of novel repellent and attractant host plants, which will ultimately contribute to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly crop production practices and techniques.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic rate and safety of postoperative complications between transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) and transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) in patients with lung transplantation. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent TBCB or TBLB in the Department of Lung Transplantation in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from June 2017 to June 2024 was conducted to determine the postoperative complications and analyze clinical characteristics, procedures, diagnostic rates and safety. Results: Thirty-five and 153 patients with lung transplantation received TBCB and TBLB, respectively. Patients who received TBCB had lower preoperative oxygenation index ( t' =2.4, P <0.01). Meanwhile, the pathological diagnosis rate (85.7% vs. 45.7%, χ ²=18.27, P <0.01) and clinical diagnosis rate (94.2% vs. 69.9%, χ ²=8.80, P <0.01) of patients who received TBCB were significantly higher than those who received TBLB. There was no significant difference in the incidence of severe bleeding (2.9% vs. 0.7%, χ ²=1.3, P =0.86) and pneumothorax (0 vs. 3.9%, χ ²=0.43, P =0.24) between patients receiving TBCB and TBLB. The most common complications after lung transplantation in the group of TBCB were chronic lung allograft dysfunction (45.4%, 15/33), antibody mediated rejection (18.2%, 6/33) and organizing pneumonia (12.2%, 4/33). While antibody mediated rejection (29.9%, 32/107), chronic lung allograft dysfunction (16.8%, 18/107), and pneumonia (16.8%, 18/107) were more frequent in the patients who received TBLB. Conclusions: TBCB has a high diagnostic value for postoperative complications after lung transplantation, with an acceptable complication rate of bleeding and pneumothorax.

Objective: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common neuromuscular disorder with an incidence rate of 4.9%. Research on the impact of Kinesio taping (KT) on electroneurography in individuals with CTS is limited, highlighting a significant gap in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of KT on palm numbness, pain intensity, hand grip strength, and median nerve electroneuromyography in individuals with mild to moderate CTS., Method: This was a randomized, controlled, parallel design study. Twenty-seven participants diagnosed with CTS through hospital outpatient clinics were randomly assigned to either the control or KT group. The outcome measurements included hand grip strength, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), and electroneurography, assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks of intervention. The statistical method used was non-parametric analysis, comparing differences with the median and interquartile range (IQR)., Results: Both the KT and control groups significantly improved the numbness grades, hand grip strength, and the BCTQ. The kinesio-taping group demonstrated an improvement in grip strength with a median increase of 2.21 kg (IQR: 0.65-3.79 kg), compared to the control group, which showed a median increase of only 0.70 kg (IQR: 0.22-1.45 kg). Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between the two groups ( p  = 0.039), with an effect size of r  = 0.33., Conclusion: This study suggested that KT can be a supplementary treatment to relieve pain intensity, enhance hand grip strength, and improve sensory conduction velocity, motor latency, and motor amplitude., Clinical Trial Registration: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN82192319, ISRCTNregistry (No. ISRCTN82192319)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Chen, Chou, Hsu, You, Wang, Cheng, Lui, Liu and Guo.)

Two new Cordyceps -like species, Perennicordycepszongqii and Purpureocilliumzongqii , isolated from a larva and soil, are introduced. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses based on multigene datasets (ITS, LSU, RPB2 and TEF ) support the establishment of the new species. Moreover, new species in the families Polycephalomycetaceae and Ophiocordycipitaceae were introduced into Tiankeng and the valley for the first time. Further attention needs to be paid to the diversity of other Cordyceps -like fungi in the special eco-environment of the karst region., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Wan-Hao Chen, Dan Li, Jian-Dong Liang, Xiu-Xiu Ren, Jie-Hong Zhao, Yan-Feng Han.)

Radiotherapy combined with a radiosensitizer represents an important treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Only a few chemotherapy agents are currently approved as radiosensitizers for targeted therapy. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers, with approximately ~500,000 new diagnosed cases and 145,000 deaths worldwide per year. The incidence of new cases continues to increase in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Croton tonkinensis and Curcuma longa on cell viability in OSCC cells. The HNSCC cell line OML1 and its radiation-resistant clone OML1-R were used. The anticancer effect and the mechanism of action of Croton tonkinensis and Curcuma longa in OSCC cells were analyzed by using cell viability assays, Western blot analysis, and Tranwell migration assays. The results showed that Croton tonkinensis concentration-dependently reduced the viability of OML1 and OML1-R (radioresistant) cells by downregulating the levels of AKT/mTOR mediators, such as p110α, p85, pAKT (ser473), p-mTOR (ser2448), and p-S6 Ribosomal (ser235/236). We found that cotreatment of OML1 and OML1R cells with either zVAD-FMK (apoptosis inhibitor), Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor), or chloroquine (CQ, an autophagy inhibitor) markedly reduced cell death. These results demonstrate that Croton tonkinensis exhibits anti-proliferation activity and highlight the therapeutic potential of small-molecule inhibitors against PI3K/mTOR signaling for radiosensitization in HNC treatment.

Background: Two classes of newer glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, improve cardiovascular and renal outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, racial and ethnic minority groups carry higher cardiovascular risks but have lower access to newer GLDs. Contextual-level social determinants of health (SDOH) may be the underlying factor associated with newer GLD adoption., Objective: To identify the association between contextual-level SDOH and real-world adoption of newer GLDs among Medicare beneficiaries and to examine the nonstationarity in the associations., Methods: Data were from 15% random samples of January 2017 to December 2018 nationwide Medicare beneficiaries. We identified patients with T2D who did not use newer GLDs in the year before the index date-January 1, 2018-and followed the cohort for 1 year to record their status of initiating a newer GLD. We used a geographically weighted multivariable Poisson regression model to determine to what extent the SDOH-newer GLD initiation association (β coefficient) varied geographically., Results: We identified 795,469 eligible Medicare beneficiaries with T2D during the study period from our dataset. Of the study cohort, mean age was 73.1 (SD = 10.5) years, 424,312 (53.3%) were female, 562,994 (70.8%) were non-Hispanic White, 96,891 (12.2%) were non-Hispanic Black, 84,744 (10.6%) were Hispanic, and 29,645 (3.7%) were Asian/Pacific Islander. Newer GLD initiation was negatively associated with the percentage of the population reporting non-Hispanic Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and unemployment, as revealed by nonspatial regression analyses. The county-level median household income was also associated with higher newer GLD initiation. The spatial analysis presented distinct distributions of local parameter estimates for each contextual-level SDOH., Conclusions: We identified key contextual-level SDOH associated with real-world adoption of newer GLDs and explored their geographic variation through spatially explicit, data-driven analytical approaches. Identifying areas of strong association between SDOH and newer GLD initiation is crucial for policymakers to allocate resources and develop interventions that address structural inequities.

The pervasive issue of microplastics in aquatic environments presents a formidable challenge to traditional water treatment methodologies, including those utilizing KMnO 4 . This study pioneers advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) method aimed at improving the degradation of PE microplastics by employing a dual treatment strategy that combines KMnO 4 oxidation with UV irradiation. Detailed analysis of the surface modifications and chemical functional groups of the treated PE microplastics revealed the establishment of Mn-O-Mn linkages on their surfaces. Weight reductions of 3.9%, 4.9%, and 7.5% were observed for the KMnO 4 /UVA, KMnO 4 /UVB, and KMnO 4 /UVC treatments over seven days, respectively. The emergence of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups played a crucial role in accelerating the degradation process. Notably, the combined application of UVC rays and KMnO 4 resulted in the most effective degradation of PE microplastics observed in our study. The process significantly enhanced the formation of MnO 2 particles from KMnO 4 oxidation, with concentrations ranging from 0.036 to 0.070 mM for KMnO 4 /UVA, 0.066-0.097 mM for KMnO 4 /UVB, and 0.086-0.180 mM for KMnO 4 /UVC. Furthermore, the influence of varying pH levels, KMnO 4 concentrations, and different water sources on the degradation efficacy was investigated. The pivotal role of free radicals and reactive manganese species in promoting the degradation of PE microplastics was identified. A comparative evaluation with treatments solely utilizing KMnO 4 or UV light highlighted the enhanced effectiveness of the combined approach, demonstrating its potential as an efficient solution for reducing microplastic contamination in aquatic systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the associations between time interval from myomectomy to pregnancy (TIMP) and subsequent pregnancy and obstetric complications, and to explore whether these associations vary according to maternal age at birth., Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted from 2008 to 2017. Data were extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database and the Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database, comprising 2024 379 births from 1 391 856 pregnancies. Eligible cases were identified using diagnostic and procedure codes; 4006 first singleton births in 4006 women after their first laparotomic myomectomy were identified. We estimated the risks of pregnancy and obstetric outcomes according to TIMP (<6, 6-11, and ≥12 months). Subgroup analysis was performed by further dividing according to maternal age at birth (18-34 vs ≥35 years old)., Results: We observed higher risks of gestational hypertensive disorders (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-3.18, P = 0.005) and neonatal death (aOR 4.59, 95% CI 1.49-14.18, P = 0.008) for TIMP of <6 months versus TIMP of 6-11 months. Likewise, a TIMP ≥12 months was associated with increased risks of gestational hypertensive disorders (aOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.14-2.58, P = 0.010), and neonatal death (aOR 3.27, 95% CI 1.16-9.24, P = 0.025) versus a TIMP of 6-11 months. In subgroup analysis, women over 35 years old still had higher risks of gestational hypertensive disorders when TIMP was <6 months (aOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.17-4.37, P = 0.015) or ≥12 months (aOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.17-3.54, P = 0.012), and a higher risk of neonatal death when TIMP was <6 months (aOR 4.05, 95% CI 1.06-15.53, P = 0.041); whereas women aged 18-34 years old did not., Conclusions: This study suggests that a TIMP between 6 and 11 months is associated with lower risks of gestational hypertensive disorders and neonatal death compared with a TIMP <6 months or ≥12 months, especially for women over 35 years old., (© 2024 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

The quality of protective immunity plays a critical role in modulating vaccine efficacy, with native antigens often not able to trigger sufficiently strong immune responses for pathogen killing. This warrants creation of structure-based vaccine design, leveraging high-resolution antigen structures for mutagenesis to improve protein stability and efficient immunization strategies. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying structure-based vaccine design using CspZ-YA, a vaccine antigen from Borrelia burgdorferi , the bacteria causing Lyme disease (LD), the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Compared to wild-type CspZ-YA, we found CspZ-YA I183Y and CspZ-YA C187S required lower immunization frequency to protect mice from LD-associated manifestations and bacterial colonization. We observed indistinguishable human and mouse antigenicity between wild-type and mutant CspZ-YA proteins after native infection or active immunization. This supports our newly generated, high-resolution structures of CspZ-YA I183Y and CspZ-YA C187S , showing no altered surface epitopes after mutagenesis. However, CspZ-YA I183Y and CspZ-YA C187S favored the interactions between helices H and I, consistent with their elevated thermostability. Such findings are further strengthened by increasing ability of protective CspZ-YA monoclonal antibodies in binding to CspZ-YA at a physiological temperature (37°C). Overall, this study demonstrated enhanced intramolecular interactions improved long-term stability of antigens while maintaining protective epitopes, providing a mechanism for structure-based vaccine design. These findings can ultimately be extended to other vaccine antigens against newly emerging pathogens for the improvement of protective immunity.

This article studies the leader-following consensus problem for a class of linear multiagent systems over a directed graph with aperiodically sampled outputs. First, a novel distributed impulsive-observer-based consensus protocol is designed. This protocol requires only the output measurements at sporadic time instants for the observer and control gain design. Second, by using time-varying Lyapunov function techniques, sufficient conditions for exponential stability of a class of linear impulsive systems are established; subsequently, these stability results are applied for the distributed impulsive observer design. Different from the existing related works, the impulsive observer gain designed in this work is decoupled from the graph properties. As a result, once the impulsive observer gain is designed for one network topology, it can be directly used for other network topologies, as long as the graph properties and the dynamics of local agents satisfy certain conditions. Furthermore, the resilience of the designed protocol is tested under denial of service (DoS) attacks. It is shown that the protocol is robust with respect to low-frequency DoS attacks occurring in the observer communication network. Finally, two examples illustrating the validity and effectiveness of the proposed protocol are included.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary mucormycosis treated with and without surgery. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study. We retrieved "pulmonary mucormycosis" from the electronic medical records of China-Japan Friendship Hospital between 2016 and 2022. A total of 29 patients with pulmonary mucormycosis were collected. There were 19 males and 10 females with a median age of 49 (47, 67) years. Mann-Whitney U test, χ² test, Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test were used to compare the differences between groups. Results: The most common underlying disease was diabetes (19, 65.5%). The most frequent imaging findings were consolidation (25, 86.2%) and nodule or mass (21, 72.4%). Bronchial stenosis (16, 55.2%), obstruction by fungal plugs (18, 62.1%), pseudomembranous necrotizing bronchitis (19, 65.5%) were common. Treatment strategies were developed by the multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Among 16 patients who did not undergo surgery, 10 had bilateral multifocal lesions and 6 had unifocal lesions. All patients received antifungal therapies, and surgeries were performed in 13 (44.8%) patients. Patients who underwent surgery had numerically lower in-hospital mortality (15.4% vs. 31.3%, P =0.410). Involvement of unilateral multiple lesions was more common in patients who underwent surgeries (6/13 vs. 1/16, P =0.019). Patients who underwent surgery were more likely to have lobar and segmental bronchial involvement (13/13 vs. 9/16, P =0.007). A total of 15 patients underwent mNGS, 14 (93.3%) had positive results. Performing metagenomic next generation sequencing for diagnosis shortened the time from disease onset to diagnosis (log-rank P =0.014). Conclusion: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing aided early diagnosis. The patients who underwent surgery included unilateral multiple lesions and visualisation of endobronchial abnormalities on lobar or segmental bronchus in unilateral lung.

Background: To evaluate and compare the long-term efficacy of medical treatments for normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in controlling intraocular pressure (IOP), and establish a hierarchical ranking based on their effectiveness. 'Long-term' is defined as a treatment duration of over 12 weeks in randomised controlled trials (RCTs)., Methods: This systematic review and model-based network meta-analysis (MBNMA) collected data of 795 patients with 997 eyes from RCTs. Patients with NTG were selected based on strict inclusion/exclusion criteria, with randomsation procedures and masking as reported in the individual trials. Eight different medications were compared, including prostaglandin analogues, beta-blockers, brimonidine, unoprostone isopropyl, brovincamine, and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). Notably, PEA is an oral medication, while other drugs are topical agents., Results: Primary outcome is the long-term efficacy of IOP control across medications with different follow-up durations. Among the eight medications, PEA demonstrates the highest efficacy (Surface under the cumulative ranking, SUCRA = 7.46%), followed by two prostaglandin analogues: travoprost (SUCRA = 6.86%) and latanoprost (SUCRA = 6.76%), then two beta-blockers: nipradilol (SUCRA = 4.90%) and timolol (SUCRA = 4.89%). Both brimonidine and unoprostone isopropyl have SUCRA scores below 4.0%, indicating modest but limited efficacy. Brovincamine has the lowest SUCRA score (1.32%), reflecting minimal effectiveness., Conclusions: This study revealed PEA as a promising agent for long-term IOP control in NTG patients, suggesting potential use as primary or adjunctive therapy. The outcomes call for PEA's consideration in clinical practice and highlight the need for further research into its long-term efficacy and safety for NTG., (© 2024 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.)

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are 2D materials in which the layers are stacked together by van der Waals forces. Although TMDs are expected to be promising for electronic applications, forming a uniform electrode on them is challenging because of the low adhesion forces between metals and TMDs. This study focuses on improving the quality of metal electrodes by introducing atomic H to create surface defects, using Ni on WS 2 as an example. The detailed effects of H etching and subsequent Ni growth were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and synchrotron-based X-ray photoemission (XPS) techniques. Our studies reveal that introducing point defects of ∼3.05 × 10 11 cm -2 on the WS 2 surface, results in a significant shift in Ni growth from the Volmer-Weber to a near Frank-van der Merwe mode. The origin of the change is the bond formation between the Ni and W atoms, which is expected to realize ohmic contact. The optimization of metal-TMD interfaces offers valuable insights for advanced applications.

Racial and ethnic minorities bear a disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications, with social determinants of health (SDoH) recognized as key drivers of these disparities. Implementing efficient and effective social needs management strategies is crucial. We propose a machine learning analytic pipeline to calculate the individualized polysocial risk score (iPsRS), which can identify T2D patients at high social risk for hospitalization, incorporating explainable AI techniques and algorithmic fairness optimization. We use electronic health records (EHR) data from T2D patients in the University of Florida Health Integrated Data Repository, incorporating both contextual SDoH (e.g., neighborhood deprivation) and person-level SDoH (e.g., housing instability). After fairness optimization across racial and ethnic groups, the iPsRS achieved a C statistic of 0.71 in predicting 1-year hospitalization. Our iPsRS can fairly and accurately screen patients with T2D who are at increased social risk for hospitalization., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Two new species, Chlorocilliumsinense and Calcarisporiumguizhouense , isolated from a spider and fruiting body of Cordyceps sp., are introduced. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses based on multigene datasets (ITS+LSU+ RPB2 + tef -1alpha) support the establishment of the new species. A combined dataset of ITS, LSU, RPB2 , and tef -1alpha showed the taxonomic placement of Chlorocillium in Clavicipitaceae for the first time. Pseudometarhizium is regarded as a synonym of Chlorocillium and two Pseudometarhizium species are transferred into the latter based on the phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Wan-Hao Chen, Dan Li, Jian-Dong Liang, Xiu-Xiu Ren, Jie-Hong Zhao, Yan-Feng Han.)

Myricetin (1), Quercetin (2), Kaempferol (3) and Kaempferide (4) were flavonoids with phenolic hydroxyl groups. The antioxidant and pharmacological mechanisms of them were investigated in detail. The lowest hydroxyl dissociation enthalpies of 1, 2, 3 and 4 were calculated by DFT, respectively. The hydroxyl dissociation enthalpies of the four flavonoids at the O2 site are the highest. By analyzing the intramolecular hydrogen bonds and HOMO-LUMO orbitals of the four flavonoids, the reasons for their divergence of hydroxyl dissociation enthalpies and antioxidant mechanisms were further investigated. The UV-vis and IR spectra of four flavonoids were compared. The interactions about electrostatic attraction, p-π conjugation and hydrogen bond combined the flavonoid with the target protein closely. The root mean square deviation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ combined with 1, 2 and 3 increased, while that of PPARγ combined with 4 decreased., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Understanding the determinants of long-term liver metastasis (LM) outcomes in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients is crucial. We established the feature selection model of intratumoral microbiome at the surgery, achieving robust predictive accuracies of 0.953 and 0.897 AUCs in discovery (n = 74) and validation (n = 34) cohorts, respectively. Notably, despite the significant reduction in LM occurrence with adjuvant imatinib (AI) treatment, intratumoral microbiome exerted independently stronger effects on post-operative LM. Employing both 16S and full-length rRNA sequencing, we pinpoint intracellular Shewanella algae as a foremost LM risk factor in both AI- and non-AI-treated patients. Experimental validation confirmed S. algae's intratumoral presence in GIST, along with migration/invasion-promoting effects on GIST cells. Furthermore, S. algae promoted LM and impeded AI treatment in metastatic mouse models. Our findings advocate for incorporating intratumoral microbiome evaluation at surgery, and propose S. algae as a therapeutic target for LM suppression in GIST., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Water pollution has caused problems in coastal areas, rivers, lakes, and other important water sources around the world as a result of inappropriate waste management. Meanwhile, these pollutants are harmful to humans and aquatic life. Textile dye effluent methyl orange (MO) was used in this work for dye degradation studies employing nanocomposites. As a result, the importance of synthesizing pure ZnO and Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles with composites of ZnCo 2 O 4 (zinc cobaltite) nanorods in three various proportions (90:10, 75:25, and 50:50) is emphasized in this study. Many advanced approaches were used to assess the various features of these materials, including size and shape. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to determine the vibrational modes of the materials. The absorption measurements were then carried out using UV-vis spectroscopic techniques, and the photocatalytic breakdown of MO was done under visible light irradiation. The findings revealed that pure materials were inadequate for visible light activity, resulting in decreased degradation efficiencies. Spinel cobaltite structures have potential degradation efficiency under visible light, while ZnCo 2 O 4 (50:50) catalyst has superior degradation efficiency of 59.8% over MO. The crystallite size, morphology, functional group, absorption wavelength, and band gap all play important roles in enhancing the material's photocatalytic activity under visible light. Meanwhile, ZnCo 2 O 4 spinel structures are crucial for increasing charge carriers and reducing electron-hole recombination. As a result, zinc cobaltite minerals are widely used in industrial dye degradation applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Epidemiological and preclinical studies have indicated a factual association between gut microbiota dysbiosis and high incidence of colitis. Dietary polysaccharides can specifically shift the composition of gut microbiome response to colitis. Here we validated the preventive role of polysaccharides from Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 'Chachiensis' (PCRCP), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, in colitis induced by dextrose sodium sulfate (DSS) in both rats and mice. We found that treatment with PCRCP not only significantly reduced DSS-induced colitis via down-regulating colonic inflammatory signaling pathways including PI3K-Akt, NLRs and NF-κB, but also enhanced colonic barrier integrity in rats. These protective activities of PCRCP against DSS-induced injuries in rats were in part due to the modulation of the gut microbiota revealed by both broad-spectrum antibiotic (ABX)-deleted bacterial and non-oral treatments. Furthermore, the improvement of PCRCP on colitis was impaired by intestinal neomycin-sensitive bacteria in DSS-exposed mice. Specifically, in vivo and in vitro treatment with PCRCP led to a highly sensible enrichment in the gut commensal Parabacteroides goldsteinii. Administration of Parabacteroides goldsteinii significantly alleviated typical symptoms of colitis and suppressed the activation of PI3K-Akt-involved inflammatory response in DSS-exposed mice. The anti-colitic effects of Parabacteroides goldsteinii were abolished after the activation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway by lipopolysaccharide treatment in mice exposed to DSS. This study provides new insights into an anti-colitic mechanism driven by PCRCP and highlights the potential prebiotic of Parabacteroides goldsteinii for the prevention of ulcerative colitis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Hypoxia and lactate-overexpressed tumor microenvironment always lead to poor therapeutic effect of radiotherapy. Here, platinum nanoparticles-embellished hafnium metal-organic framework (Hf-MOF-Pt NPs) were elaborately integrated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (SO) to construct an engineered biohybrid platform (SO@Hf-MOF-Pt) for enhancing radiotherapy. Benefiting from the tumor-targeting and metabolic respiration characteristics of SO, SO@Hf-MOF-Pt could enrich in tumor sites and continuously metabolize the overexpressed lactate, which specifically downregulated the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), thereby relieving the radiosuppressive tumor microenvironment to some extent. Moreover, SO@Hf-MOF-Pt would react with tumor-overexpressed hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) to generate oxygen (O 2 ) and further inhibit the expression of HIF-1α, resulting in the downregulation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA) and subsequently reducing the lactate production. Under these multiple cascaded effects, the radiosuppressive tumor microenvironment was significantly reshaped, thus potentiating the radiosentization of SO@Hf-MOF-Pt and remarkably amplifying the therapeutic outcomes of radiotherapy. The designed biohybrid SO@Hf-MOF-Pt represented promising prospects in sensitizing radiotherapy via bacterium-based metabolic regulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the most common liver diseases. The crucial role of lipid droplets (LDs) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), two important biomarkers in the pathophysiology of DILI, has spurred considerable efforts to accurately visualize H 2 O 2 and LDs for elucidating their functions in the progression of DILI. However, construction of a single fluorescent probe that is able to simultaneously image H 2 O 2 and LDs dynamics remains to be a challenging task. Therefore, it is of great demand to develop a novel fluorescent probe for tracking the LDs status and H 2 O 2 fluctuation in drug-induced liver injury., Results: We developed an "AIE + ESIPT" fluorescent probe TPEHBT for dual-imaging of LDs and H 2 O 2 during DILI process. TPEHBT displayed greatly enhanced fluorescent response to H 2 O 2 by generating an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophore TPEHBT-OH with aggregation induced emission (AIE) properties. TPEHBT exhibits high selectivity, sensitivity (LOD = 4.73 nM) and large Stokes shift (320 nm) to H 2 O 2 . Interestingly, TPEHBT can light up LDs with high specificity. The probe was favorably applied in the detection of endogenous and exogenous H 2 O 2 in living cells, and notably in the simultaneous real-time visualization of H 2 O 2 generation and LDs accumulation during DILI process. Moreover, TPEHBT was able to image H 2 O 2 generation in zebrafish animal model with APAP-induced liver injury., Significance: For the first time, probe TPEHBT was applied in the dual-imaging of H 2 O 2 fluctuation and LDs status in APAP-induced liver injury model in vitro and in vivo. The present findings strongly suggest that TPEHBT is a promising tool for monitoring H 2 O 2 and LDs dynamics in DILI progression., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN), a severe organ manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), significantly impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue) and Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) have been validated to measure HRQoL in SLE, but not specifically in LN. Patient-reported symptoms of LN are not well-reported. We assessed the content validity and relevance of these measures in evaluating patients with LN and their LN-related experiences., Methods: This qualitative, interview-based study enrolled patients with LN from three US sites from a larger, retrospective survey study. The interview comprised an open-ended concept elicitation part and a more structured cognitive part. Concept elicitation was used to identify relevant themes describing the patients' experiences. Patients were asked to describe their LN-related symptoms, the severity and impact of those symptoms and their satisfaction with treatment. A cognitive interview approach evaluated the appropriate understanding of the items, instructions, and response options and asked patients about their understanding of the FACIT-Fatigue or LupusQoL measures, their relevance to the condition, and any aspects of confusion or need for better clarity of the questionnaires. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. The concept elicitation data were coded, while the cognitive interview data were tabulated to present the participants' responses next to the interview questions to support the evaluation of their understanding of the questionnaire items., Results: Overall, 10 patients participated in FACIT-Fatigue and another 10 in LupusQoL interviews; 18 patients were female, 10 were Black (self-reported) and 17 were receiving maintenance treatment for LN with stable disease activity. When patients recalled their symptoms, 670 expressions of varying symptoms were reported. All patients described pain, discomfort, and energy-related symptoms. Urinary frequency and non-joint swelling were most frequently attributed to LN rather than SLE. Patients felt the questions asked in the FACIT-Fatigue and LupusQoL surveys were relevant to their LN experience., Conclusions: The symptoms reported by patients with LN were consistent with symptoms reported by the overall SLE population. However, patients indicated that some symptoms of LN were more profound than symptoms of SLE alone, affecting a broad range of areas of daily life activity and resulting in a higher burden on their HRQoL. FACIT-Fatigue and LupusQoL demonstrated content relevance as meaningful tools for patients with LN. However, further quantitative data collection is needed to ensure that these patient-reported outcome tools demonstrate good measurement properties in an LN population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease is a serious bacterial infection that disproportionally affects American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Hib vaccination with a monovalent Hib conjugate vaccine consisting of Hib capsular polysaccharide (polyribosylribitol phosphate [PRP]) conjugated to outer membrane protein complex of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, PRP-OMP (PedvaxHIB, Merck and Co., Inc.) has historically been preferred for AI/AN infants, who are at increased risk for invasive Hib disease, because it provides substantial protection after the first dose. On June 26, 2024, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that a hexavalent, combined diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP), inactivated poliovirus (IPV), Hib conjugate, and hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine, DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB (Vaxelis, MSP Vaccine Company) should be included with monovalent PRP-OMP in the preferential recommendation for AI/AN infants because of the PRP-OMP Hib component. A primary Hib vaccination series consisting of either 1) monovalent PRP-OMP (2-dose series at ages 2 and 4 months) or 2) DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB (3-dose series at ages 2, 4, and 6 months) is preferred for AI/AN infants. DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB is only indicated for use in infants at ages 2, 4, and 6 months and should not be used for the booster doses of Hib, DTaP, or IPV vaccines. For the booster dose of Hib vaccine, no vaccine formulation is preferred for AI/AN children; any Hib vaccine (except DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) should be used. This report summarizes evidence considered for these recommendations and provides clinical guidance for the use of Hib-containing vaccines among AI/AN infants and children., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed by any authors.

This study establishes the first core collection (CC) for Taiwanese Phalaenopsis orchids to preserve genetic diversity and key traits essential for breeding and research, thereby enhancing breeding efficiency without the need for a large maintained parent population. We examined 207 commercial orchid cultivars from ten nurseries, characterized by two phenotypes and genotypic data from eight simple sequence repeat markers. Multiple imputation was applied to estimate missing phenotypes, minimizing potential uncertainties and ensuring the reliability of population structure analysis. Weighted k -means clustering identified seven distinct clusters, highlighting substantial genetic diversity. We proposed a two-step phenotype and genotype strategy and modified genetic distance algorithms to effectively preserve both phenotypic and genetic diversity while retaining key features. Consequently, 22 core accessions were selected, distributed across seven clusters, and representing the orchid germplasm collection. Our evaluation revealed significant diversity preservation, particularly in distinct characteristics and rare features, outperforming other methodologies. Pedigree background analysis further confirmed the representativeness of the CC in maintaining diverse genetic materials. We emphasized the importance of evaluating the CC by detailing the criteria and statistical analyses used to ensure the quality, representativeness, and effectiveness of the selected accessions. This study contributes to orchid breeding, conservation efforts, and sustainable agricultural practices by providing a valuable and comprehensive resource. In conclusion, our research establishes a groundbreaking CC, offering insights into the genetic landscape of Taiwanese Phalaenopsis orchids and highlighting potential advancements in breeding commercially desirable varieties., Competing Interests: Y-YL was employed by Brother Orchid Nursery Co., Ltd., T-CL and T-JL were employed by Wonderorchids Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lai, Chen, Wu, Chen, Chen, Lin, Lin, Lin and Kao.)

Aging, a process of functional decline with the increase of chronological age, is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. Aging shows significant individual differences, which is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Accurate measurement of physiological age helps identify individuals with accelerated aging and those at high risk for chronic diseases and mortality, which would promote individual health management and precision medicine for healthy aging. In this paper, we summarize the omics-based aging clocks and discuss their current and future applications.

Bacterial diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract continue to be a major worldwide cause of human morbidity and mortality. Among various enteric pathogens, Shigella spp. are some of the most common and deadly bacterial pathogens. They are responsible for ~125 million worldwide cases of shigellosis, and ~14,000 deaths annually, the majority in children under the age of 5 and occurring in developing countries. Preventing and treating shigellosis with conventional drugs (e.g., vaccines and antibiotics) has proven to be very difficult. Here, we assessed the safety and tolerability of ShigActive™, a lytic bacteriophage preparation targeting Shigella spp., in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase 1 clinical trial. Ten participants randomized 4:1 received ShigActive™ or placebo co-administered with sodium bicarbonate orally three times daily for 7 days. Solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) were observed for 29 days. Fifty percent of the subjects receiving ShigActive™ reported mild GI-related symptoms, while one participant experienced moderate fatigue. No serious or medically attended AEs occurred through day 90. Additionally, no significant differences in GI-associated inflammatory mediators or fecal microbiome changes were observed between placebo- and ShigActive™-treated subjects, or from a participants' baseline value. The results of this first-in-human (FIH) randomized, controlled Phase 1 trial of ShigActive™ demonstrate that it is safe and well tolerated when orally administered with no significant differences compared to placebo controls.

Background: This study investigated the potential associations between neighborhood characteristics, rurality, ethnicity/race, and breast cancer screening outcomes in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in Central Texas. Limited access to preventive medical care can impact screening rates and outcomes. Previous research on the effects of factors such as rurality, neighborhood socioeconomic status, and education level on cancer prevention behaviors has yielded inconsistent results., Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from a state-funded breast and cervical cancer screening programs for disadvantaged and medically underserved individuals. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to assess the impact of residency characteristics (rurality, educational attainment, unemployment, and poverty) on abnormal breast cancer screening outcomes, with individual level (age, ethnicity, race, and education) as control variables., Results: During the studied time, there were 1,139 women screened and 134 abnormal mammograms found. Residency characteristics were not significantly associated with abnormal mammography outcomes at 0.05. However, individual factors are strongly associated with abnormal screening results. Non-Hispanic or Latino white women had increased odds of abnormal clinical outcomes compared with Hispanic or Latino women (OR = 2.03, CI 1.25-3.28; p = 0.004). Additionally, women residing in counties with more than 30% of the population completing college had increased odds of abnormal mammogram outcomes compared with counties with less than 15% college attainment (OR = 2.89, CI 0.99-8.38; p = 0.051)., Conclusions: This study found a significant correlation between area-level educational characteristics and abnormal mammography outcomes. Future research should explore the contextual risk factors influencing breast cancer occurrence and develop targeted interventions for this population., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Background: Our facial skin hosts millions of microorganisms, primarily bacteria, crucial for skin health by maintaining the physical barrier, modulating immune response, and metabolizing bioactive materials. Aging significantly influences the composition and function of the facial microbiome, impacting skin immunity, hydration, and inflammation, highlighting potential avenues for interventions targeting aging-related facial microbes amidst changes in skin physiological properties., Results: We conducted a multi-center and deep sequencing survey to investigate the intricate interplay of aging, skin physio-optical conditions, and facial microbiome. Leveraging a newly-generated dataset of 2737 species-level metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), our integrative analysis highlighted aging as the primary driver, influencing both facial microbiome composition and key skin characteristics, including moisture, sebum production, gloss, pH, elasticity, and sensitivity. Further mediation analysis revealed that skin characteristics significantly impacted the microbiome, mostly as a mediator of aging. Utilizing this dataset, we uncovered two consistent cutotypes across sampling cities and identified aging-related microbial MAGs. Additionally, a Facial Aging Index (FAI) was formulated based on the microbiome, uncovering the cutotype-dependent effects of unhealthy lifestyles on skin aging. Finally, we distinguished aging related microbial pathways influenced by lifestyles with cutotype-dependent effect., Conclusions: Together, our findings emphasize aging's central role in facial microbiome dynamics, and support personalized skin microbiome interventions by targeting lifestyle, skin properties, and aging-related microbial factors. Video Abstract., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The relationship among polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometrial cancer (EC), and glycometabolism remains unclear. We explored shared genes between PCOS and EC, using bioinformatics to unveil their pathogenic connection and influence on EC prognosis. Gene Expression Omnibus datasets GSE226146 (PCOS) and GSE196033 (EC) were used. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify the central genes. Candidate markers were screened using dataset GSE54250. Differences in marker expression were confirmed in mouse PCOS and human EC tissues using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The effect of PGD on EC proliferation and migration was explored using Ki-67 and Transwell assays. PGD's impact on the glycometabolic pathway within carbon metabolism was assessed by quantifying glucose content and lactic acid production. R software identified 31 common genes in GSE226146 and GSE196033. Gene Ontology functional classification revealed enrichment in the "purine nucleoside triphosphate metabolism process," with key Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways related to "carbon metabolism." The PPI network identified 15 hub genes. HK2, NDUFS8, PHGDH, PGD, and SMAD3 were confirmed as candidate markers. The RT-PCR analysis validated distinct HK2 and PGD expression patterns in mouse PCOS ovarian tissue and human EC tissue, as well as in normal and EC cells. Transfection experiments with Ishikawa cells further confirmed PGD's influence on cell proliferation and migration. Suppression of PGD expression impeded glycometabolism within the carbon metabolism of EC cells, suggesting PGD as a significant PCOS risk factor impacting EC proliferation and migration through modulation of single carbon metabolism. These findings highlight PGD's pivotal role in EC onset and prognosis., (© 2024 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)