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Meeting the power demand from the transmission system operator is an important objective for power dispatch, which introduces a power supply-demand equality constraint coupling all the wind turbines among the wind farm into the optimization problem. For a large-scale wind farm, processing the global equality constraint in a centralized or distributed framework is time-consuming and computationally complex. Here we considered the fast and localized execution issue of the power optimal dispatch problems. A completely decentralized dynamic system was designed to optimize power flow while satisfying the electricity supply constraints. A voltage optimization problem with the global power constraints was decoupled into local wind turbine controllers based on the node-dependence nature, which is an inherent characteristic of wind farms and was fitted to the power sensitivity matrix in this paper. The local optimization problem was solved iteratively using the gradient projection method, and the system converged linearly to the equilibrium point. The simulations for the case studies performed in Simulink demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a near-global optimal performance using only local measurements., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in regulating tumor progression in multiple manner. However, little is known about whether lncRNA is involved in the translation regulation of proteins. Here, we identified that the suppressor of inflammatory macrophage apoptosis lncRNA (SIMALR) was highly expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues by analyzing the lncRNA microarray. Clinically, the high expression of SIMALR served as an independent predictor for inferior prognosis in NPC patients. SIMALR functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that promoted the proliferation and metastasis of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, SIMALR served as a critical accelerator of protein synthesis by binding to eEF1A2 (eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 2), one of the most crucial regulators in the translation machinery of the eukaryotic cells, and enhancing its endogenous GTPase activity. Furthermore, SIMALR mediated the activation of eEF1A2 phosphorylation to accelerate the translation of ITGB4/ITGA6, ultimately promoting the malignant phenotype of NPC cells. In addition, N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) enhanced the stability of SIMALR and caused its overexpression in NPC through the N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification. In sum, our results illustrate SIMALR functions as an accelerator for protein translation and highlight the oncogenic role of NAT10-SIMALR-eEF1A2-ITGB4/6 axis in NPC., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

A heat-driven catch-and-release strategy for CoCl 2 capture is described. It is based on the use of an immobilized neutral dicyclohexylacetamide-based receptor L supported on polystyrene (PS- L ). An X-ray diffraction analysis of a single crystal of L ·CoCl 2 revealed an ion-pair complex comprising a hexacoordinated cobalt cation [ L ·Co] 2+ and a tetrachlorocobaltate anion [CoCl 4 ] 2- . Temperature dependent binding was seen, as inferred from UV-vis spectroscopic studies. Fits to the van't Hoff equation yielded values of Δ H ° = 12.4 kJ/mol and Δ S ° = 56.0 J/K·mol for L + CoCl 2 , and Δ H ° = 16.5 kJ/mol and Δ S ° = 85.0 J/K·mol for PS- L + CoCl 2 in 95% ethanol. Consequently, cobalt capture and release are mediated by heating and cooling, respectively. The material PS- L exhibits a preference for binding cobalt over manganese and nickel as inferred from Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm analyses that revealed binding constants of K LF = 88.5 M -1 for CoCl 2 , 52.7 M -1 for MnCl 2 , and 49.7 M -1 for NiCl 2 . In a simulated ion mixture containing equimolar CoCl 2 , MnCl 2 , and NiCl 2 , ICP-MS analyses served to confirm that cobalt was selectively enriched to 52 mol % (from an initial level of ca. 32 mol %) after one catch-and-release cycle and 76.6% after three cycles. Our experimental results were validated by density functional theory calculations, which also show stronger binding of Co over Mn and Ni to L .

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Solanum torvum Sw. (ST) is used to clear heat toxins, promote blood circulation, and alleviate blood stasis. Therefore, this plant has traditionally been used as an ethnomedicine for common cold, chronic gastritis, and tumors., Aim of the Study: This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which ST induces ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the combination effect with lenvatinib, and the impact on lenvatinib-resistant cells., Materials and Methods: Cell viability assays were performed using different hepatoma cell lines treated with ST. Lipid peroxidation and iron assays were performed using flow cytometry. Molecules involved in the ferroptosis pathway were detected by Western blotting. Finally, a lenvatinib-resistant cell line was established to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of ST., Results: ST ethanol extract inhibited the growth of various hepatoma cell lines. A significant reduction in glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression was observed following ST treatment, which was accompanied by increased lipid peroxidation and Fe 2+ accumulation. ST induced ferroptosis mainly through heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. HO-1 knockdown reduced ST-induced lipid peroxidation and reversed GPX4 suppression. Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) also participated in ST-induced ferroptosis. ST and lenvatinib combination showed an additive effect, and ST retained its potential anti-HCC efficacy in a lenvatinib-resistant cell line., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the ethanol extract of ST inhibits hepatoma cell growth by inducing ferroptosis. ST displayed an additive effect with lenvatinib in Hep 3B cells and showed remarkable anti-HCC activity in lenvatinib-resistant Hep 3B cells. Collectively, the study shows that ST might have the potential to reduce lenvatinib use in clinical practice and salvage cases of lenvatinib resistance., 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 dynamics of ion transport at the interface is the critical factor for determining the performance of an electrochemical energy storage device. While practical applications are realized in concentrated electrolytes and nanopores, there is a limited understanding of their ion dynamic features. Herein, we studied the interfacial ion dynamics in room-temperature ionic liquids by transient single-particle imaging with microsecond-scale resolution. We observed slowed-down dynamics at lower potential while acceleration was observed at higher potential. Combined with simulation, we found that the microstructure evolution of the electric double layer (EDL) results in potential-dependent kinetics. Then, we established a correspondence between the ion dynamics and interfacial ion composition. Besides, the ordered ion orientation within EDL is also an essential factor for accelerating interfacial ion transport. These results inspire us with a new possibility to optimize electrochemical energy storage through the good control of the rational design of the interfacial ion structures.

To address the challenges posed by the narrow oxidation decomposition potential window and the characteristic of low ionic conductivity at room temperature of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), epichlorohydrin (PO), caprolactone (CL), and phthalic anhydride (PA) were employed in synthesizing di-block copolymer PCL-b-PPC and PCL-b-PPCP. The carbonate and ester bonds in PPC and PCL provide high electrochemical stability, while the polyether segments in PPC contribute to the high ion conductivity. To further improve the ion conductivity, we added succinonitrile as a plasticizer to the copolymer and used the copolymer to assemble lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with LiFePO 4 as the cathode. The LiFePO 4 /SPE/Li battery assembled with PCL-b-PPC electrolyte exhibited an initial discharge-specific capacity of 155.5 mAh·g -1 at 0.5 C and 60 °C. After 270 cycles, the discharge-specific capacity was 140.8 mAh·g -1 , with a capacity retention of 90.5% and an average coulombic efficiency of 99%, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance. The study establishes the design strategies of di-block polymer electrolytes and provides a new strategy for the application of LMBs.

Background: The clinical outcomes between left-sided colon cancer and middle/low rectal cancer seem to be different. This study aimed to examine the effect of primary tumor location regarding the left-sided colon and middle/low rectum on the overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent colorectal hepatic metastasectomy., Methods: Patients who underwent colorectal hepatic metastasectomy were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to the primary tumor location (left-sided colon and middle/low rectum). Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test, and continuous variables were analyzed using the Student t test. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The prognostic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses using Cox proportional hazards regression models., Results: Overall, 365 patients were enrolled. Patients with left-sided colon cancer had significantly better OS than those with middle/low rectal cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 0.725; P = .018), with median OS estimates of 48 and 38 months, respectively. In the subgroup analysis of RAS mutations, patients with left-sided colon cancer had significantly prolonged OS compared with those with middle/low rectum cancer (HR, 0.608; P = .034), with median OS estimates of 49 and 26 months, respectively. This observation was limited to patients with RAS mutations., Conclusion: According to our findings, patients with middle/low rectal cancer had poorer survival outcome and should not be categorized together with patients with left-sided colon cancer in terms of OS after colorectal hepatic metastasectomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The combined value of the tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in patients with colon cancer (CC) is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of composite tumor markers in the prognosis of CC., Methods: Patients who underwent curative resection of colon adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The tumor marker status before and after the operation was used to divide the patients into groups according to the number of tumor markers with abnormal expression, and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of different groups were compared. The impact of changes in composite tumor markers in the perioperative period on outcomes was further explored., Results: Ultimately, 531 patients were enrolled in the study. As the number of preoperative and postoperative elevated tumor markers increased, both RFS and OS rates became lower (both P <0.05). Further analysis revealed that the number of elevated tumor markers after resection can significantly affect the outcomes (both P <0.05). In patients with abnormal preoperative tumor markers, normalization of markers after surgery was a protective factor for prognosis (both P <0.05), and patients with postoperative elevated levels of both tumor markers had a 5.5-fold and 6-fold increase in the risk of recurrence and death. In addition, patients with elevated markers after surgery had a high risk of recurrence within 5 years after colectomy., Conclusions: Postoperative tumor markers had a better ability to differentiate postoperative outcomes in patients with CC than preoperative tumor markers. Patients whose tumor markers normalized after surgery had a better prognosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Locally advanced rectal tumors are typically treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Short-course chemoradiotherapy (SCRT, 2500 cGy in five fractions) is a convenient alternative to concurrent chemoradiotherapy with long-course radiotherapy (CCRT, 4500 cGy in 25 fractions) without sacrificing efficacy. We aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of SCRT and CCRT in patients with mid- and low- rectal tumors who underwent total mesorectal excision using real-world data., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent radical resection after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy from 2011 to 2022. We analyzed the clinicopathological findings and prognostic factors for disease-free and overall survival in the SCRT and CCRT groups and compared the outcomes using propensity score matching., Results: Among the 66 patients in the two groups, no disparities were noted in the demographic features, pathological remission, or downstaging rates. Nonetheless, the SCRT group exhibited superior 3-year disease-free survival (81.8% vs 62.1%, p = 0.011), whereas the overall survival did not differ significantly between the two groups. The initial carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and neoadjuvant SCRT were associated with the recurrence rates [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.13-4.10; HR = 0.19-0.74], but the harvested lymph node count was not (HR = 0.51-1.97)., Conclusion: Among patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, SCRT combined with four cycles of FOLFOX was shown to enhance short-term disease-free survival. Factors impacting recurrence include the initial CEA level and SCRT, but not the harvested lymph node count., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2024, the Chinese Medical Association.)

Background: Ulcerative colitis is an emerging global health concern that poses a significant threat to human health and can progress to colorectal cancer if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Currently, the biomarkers used clinically for diagnosis and dynamic severity monitoring lack disease specificity., Methods: Mouse models induced with 2%, 2.5%, and 3% DSS were utilized to simulate human UC with varying severities of inflammation. Transcriptome sequencing technology was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control group and each treatment group. Functional enrichment analysis of the KEGG database was performed for shared DEGs among the three treatment groups. DEGs that were significantly and strongly correlated with DSS concentrations were identified using Spearman correlation analysis. Human homologous genes of the interested DEGs were searched in the HomoloGene database, and their regulation patterns in UC patients were validated using the GSE224758 dataset. These genes were then submitted to the DisGeNET database to identify their known associations with human diseases. Online tools, including SignalP 6.0 and DeepTMHMM 1.0, were used to predict signal peptides and transmembrane helices in the amino acid sequences of human genes homologous to the DEGs of interest., Results: A total of 1,230, 995, and 2,214 DEGs were identified in the 2%, 2.5%, and 3% DSS-induced groups, respectively, with 668 DEGs common across all three groups. These shared DEGs were primarily associated with signaling transport, pathogenesis, and immune response. Through extensive screening, LGI2 and PRSS22 were identified as potentially novel biomarkers with higher specificity and ease of detection for the early diagnosis and dynamic severity monitoring of human UC, respectively., Conclusion: We have identified two potentially novel biomarkers, LGI2 and PRSS22 , which are easy of detection and more specific for human UC. These findings provide new insights into the accurate diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of this persistent disease., 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., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Chen, Huang, Yang, Wang, Yang, Huang and Ding.)

Pollution control and environmental protection of the Yangtze River have received major attention in China. However, modeling the river's pollution load remains challenging due to limited monitoring and unclear spatiotemporal distribution of pollution sources. Specifically, anthropogenic activities' contribution to the pollution have been underestimated in previous research. Here, we coupled a hydrodynamic-based water quality (HWQ) model with a machine learning (ML) model, namely attention-based Gated Recurrent Unit, to decipher the daily pollution loads (i.e., chemical oxygen demand, COD; total phosphorus, TP) and their sources in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River from 2014 to 2018. The coupled HWQ-ML model outperformed the standalone ML model with KGE values ranging 0.77-0.91 for COD and 0.47-0.64 for TP, while also reducing parameter uncertainty. When examining the relative contributions at the Middle Yangtze River Hankou cross-section, we observed that the main stream and tributaries, lateral anthropogenic discharges, and parameter uncertainty contributed 15, 66, and 19% to COD, and 58, 35, and 7% to TP, respectively. For the Lower Yangtze River Datong cross-section, the contributions were 6, 69, and 25% for COD and 41, 42, and 17% for TP. According to the attention weights of the coupled model, the primary drivers of lateral anthropogenic pollution sources, in descending order of importance, were temperature, date, and precipitation, reflecting seasonal pollution discharge, industrial effluent, and first flush effect and combined sewer overflows, respectively. This study emphasizes the synergy between physical modeling and machine learning, offering new insights into pollution load dynamics in the Yangtze River., 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.)

High-energy-density Li-CO 2 batteries are promising candidates for large-capacity energy storage systems. However, the development of Li-CO 2 batteries has been hindered by low cycle life and high overpotential. In this study, we propose a CO 2 -based thermoplastic polyurethane (CO 2 -based TPU) with CO 2 adsorption properties and excellent self-healing performance to replace traditional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the cathode binder. The CO 2 -based TPU enhances the interfacial concentration of CO 2 at the cathode/electrolyte interfaces, effectively increasing the discharge voltage and lowering the charge voltage of Li-CO 2 batteries. Moreover, the CO 2 fixed by urethane groups (-NH-COO-) in the CO 2 -based TPU are difficult to shuttle to and corrode the Li anode, minimizing CO 2 side reactions with lithium metal and improving the cycling performance of Li-CO 2 batteries. In this work, Li-CO 2 batteries with CO 2 -based TPU as the multifunctional binders exhibit stable cycling performance for 52 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A g -1 , with a distinctly lower polarization voltage than PVDF bound Li-CO 2 batteries.

Polyurethane (PU) foams, pivotal in modern life, face challenges suh as fire hazards and environmental waste burdens. The current reliance of PU on potentially ecotoxic halogen-/phosphorus-based flame retardants impedes large-scale material recycling. Here, our demonstrated controllable catalytic cracking strategy, using cesium salts, enables self-evolving recycling of flame-retardant PU. The incorporation of cesium citrates facilitates efficient urethane bond cleavage at low temperatures (160 °C), promoting effective recycling, while encouraging pyrolytic rearrangement of isocyanates into char at high temperatures (300 °C) for enhanced PU fire safety. Even in the absence of halogen/phosphorus components, this foam exhibits a substantial increase in ignition time (+258.8%) and a significant reduction in total smoke release (-79%). This flame-retardant foam can be easily recycled into high-quality polyol under mild conditions, 60 °C lower than that for the pure foam. Notably, the trace amounts of cesium gathered in recycled polyols stimulate the regenerated PU to undergo self-evolution, improving both flame-retardancy and mechanical properties. Our controllable catalytic cracking strategy paves the way for the self-evolutionary recycling of high-performance firefighting materials.

Introduction: Essential tremor (ET) comprises motor and non-motor-related features, whereas the current neuro-pathogenetic basis is still insufficient to explain the etiologies of ET. Although cerebellum-associated circuits have been discovered, the large-scale cerebral network connectivity in ET remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the ET in terms of functional connectivity as well as network. We hypothesized that the resting-state network (RSN) within cerebrum could be altered in patients with ET. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to evaluate the inter- and intra-network connectivity as well as the functional activity in ET and normal control. Correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationship between RSN metrics and tremor features. Results: Comparison of inter-network connectivity indicated a decreased connectivity between default mode network and ventral attention network in the ET group ( p < 0.05). Differences in functional activity (assessed by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, ALFF) were found in several brain regions participating in various RSNs ( p < 0.05). The ET group generally has higher degree centrality over normal control. Correlation analysis has revealed that tremor features are associated with inter-network connectivity (|r| = 0.135-0.506), ALFF (|r| = 0.313-0.766), and degree centrality (|r| = 0.523-0.710). Conclusion: Alterations in the cerebral network of ET were detected by using resting-state fMRI, demonstrating a potentially useful approach to explore the cerebral alterations in ET.

Background: The evolution of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAD) is intricately linked to alterations in the pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT). In recent epochs, characteristics of the PCAT have progressively ascended as focal points of research in CAD risk stratification and individualized clinical decision-making. Harnessing radiomic methodologies allows for the meticulous extraction of imaging features from these adipose deposits. Coupled with machine learning paradigms, we endeavor to establish predictive models for the onset of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)., Purpose: To appraise the predictive utility of radiomic features of PCAT derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in forecasting MACE., Methods: We retrospectively incorporated data from 314 suspected or confirmed CAD patients admitted to our institution from June 2019 to December 2022. An additional cohort of 242 patients from two external institutions was encompassed for external validation. The endpoint under consideration was the occurrence of MACE after a 1-year follow-up. MACE was delineated as cardiovascular mortality, newly diagnosed myocardial infarction, hospitalization (or re-hospitalization) for heart failure, and coronary target vessel revascularization occurring more than 30 days post-CCTA examination. All enrolled patients underwent CCTA scanning. Radiomic features were meticulously extracted from the optimal diastolic phase axial slices of CCTA images. Feature reduction was achieved through a composite feature selection algorithm, laying the groundwork for the radiomic signature model. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess clinical variables. A multifaceted logistic regression analysis facilitated the crafting of a clinical-radiological-radiomic combined model (or nomogram). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration, and decision curve analyses (DCA) were delineated, with the area under the ROC curve (AUCs) computed to gauge the predictive prowess of the clinical model, radiomic model, and the synthesized ensemble., Results: A total of 12 radiomic features closely associated with MACE were identified to establish the radiomic model. Multivariate logistic regression results demonstrated that smoking, age, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were significantly correlated with MACE. In the integrated nomogram, which amalgamated clinical, imaging, and radiomic parameters, the diagnostic performance was as follows: 0.970 AUC, 0.949 accuracy (ACC), 0.833 sensitivity (SEN), 0.981 specificity (SPE), 0.926 positive predictive value (PPV), and 0.955 negative predictive value (NPV). The calibration curve indicated a commendable concordance of the nomogram, and the decision curve analysis underscored its superior clinical utility., Conclusions: The integration of radiomic signatures from PCAT based on CCTA, clinical indices, and imaging parameters into a nomogram stands as a promising instrument for prognosticating MACE events., (© 2024 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.)

Objective: Previously, we have successfully purified and synthesized viscolin, an agent derived from Viscum coloratum extract, which has shown significant potential in the treatment of stroke. Our study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of viscolin., Methods: We first assessed the cytotoxicity of viscolin on primary neuronal cultures and determined its antioxidant and radical scavenging properties. Subsequently, we identified the optimal dose-response of viscolin in protecting against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity., Results: Our results demonstrated that viscolin at a concentration of 10 μM effectively reduced neuronal cell death up to 6 hours after glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. Additionally, we investigated the therapeutic window of opportunity and the potential of viscolin in preventing necrotic and apoptotic damage in cultured neurons exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation-induced neurotoxicity. Our findings showed that viscolin treatment significantly reduced DNA breakage, prevented the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol, increased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, and reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells. Additionally, our in vivo investigation demonstrated a reduction in brain infarction following middle cerebral artery occlusion., Conclusion: Viscolin has potential utility as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of stroke.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is not only the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), but it also has a significant impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and it has been variably associated with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Even though its pathogenesis is still incompletely understood, oxidative stress is believed to play an important role. Hypothyroidism related to later stages of HT can be treated with levothyroxine substitution therapy; various approaches such as selenium supplementation and iodine-restricted diets have been proposed as disease-modifying treatments for earlier stages, and even thyroidectomy has been suggested for refractory cases of painful HT. Nevertheless, many patients still report suboptimal HRQoL, highlighting an unmet medical need in this area. The concepts and approaches of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating HT are not broadly known in the West. Here, we provide an overview of TCM for HT, including combinations of TCM with selenium. We encompass evidence from clinical trials and other studies related to complex TCM prescriptions, single herbs used in TCM, and phytochemicals; wherever possible, we delineate the probable underlying molecular mechanisms. The findings show that the main active components of TCM for HT have commonly known or presumed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which may account for their potential utility in HT. Further exploring the practices of TCM for HT and combining them with evidence- and mechanism-based approaches according to Western standards may help to identify new strategies to alter the clinical course of the disease and/or to treat patients' symptoms better and improve their HRQoL.

A high-nuclear Co-added polyoxometalate (CoAP) was synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction: H 14.5 K 9 Na 7.5 -{[Co 8 (μ 2 -OH)(μ 3 -OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 (Co(H 2 O)GeW 6 O 26 )( B -α-GeW 9 O 34 ) 2 ][BO(OH) 2 ][Co 12 (μ 2 -OH)(μ 3 -OH) 5 (H 2 O) 3 (Co(H 2 O)GeW 6 O 26 )(GeW 6 O 26 )( B -α-GeW 9 O 34 )]}·46H 2 O ( 1 ). The polyoxoanion of 1 contains a large Co 20 cluster gathered by lacunary GeW 6 O 26 and GeW 9 O 34 subunits. 1 represents a one-dimensional (1D) chain formed by adjacent polyoxoanions coupling through a CoO 6 double bridge, showing the first example of a high-nuclear CoAP-based inorganic chain. 1 served as an efficient electrocatalyst in oxygen evolution reactions (OERs).

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), is a major bacterial disease in rice. Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) from Xanthomonas can induce host susceptibility (S) genes and facilitate infection. However, knowledge of the function of Xoc TALEs in promoting bacterial virulence is limited. In this study, we demonstrated the importance of Tal10a for the full virulence of Xoc. Through computational prediction and gene expression analysis, we identified the hexokinase gene OsHXK5 as a host target of Tal10a. Tal10a directly binds to the gene promoter region and activates the expression of OsHXK5. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in the effector binding element (EBE) of OsHXK5 significantly increases rice resistance to Xoc, while OsHXK5 overexpression enhances the susceptibility of rice plants and impairs rice defense responses. Moreover, simultaneous editing of the promoters of OsSULTR3;6 and OsHXK5 confers robust resistance to Xoc in rice. Taken together, our findings highlight the role of Tal10a in targeting OsHXK5 to promote infection and suggest that OsHXK5 represents a potential target for engineering rice resistance to Xoc., (© 2024 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To evaluate organ at risk (OAR) auto-segmentation in the head and neck region of computed tomography images using two different commercially available deep-learning-based auto-segmentation (DLAS) tools in a single institutional clinical applications., Methods: Twenty-two OARs were manually contoured by clinicians according to published guidelines on planning computed tomography (pCT) images for 40 clinical head and neck cancer (HNC) cases. Automatic contours were generated for each patient using two deep-learning-based auto-segmentation models-Manteia AccuContour and MIM ProtégéAI. The accuracy and integrity of autocontours (ACs) were then compared to expert contours (ECs) using the Sørensen-Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Mean Distance (MD) metrics., Results: ACs were generated for 22 OARs using AccuContour and 17 OARs using ProtégéAI with average contour generation time of 1 min/patient and 5 min/patient respectively. EC and AC agreement was highest for the mandible (DSC 0.90 ± 0.16) and (DSC 0.91 ± 0.03), and lowest for the chiasm (DSC 0.28 ± 0.14) and (DSC 0.30 ± 0.14) for AccuContour and ProtégéAI respectively. Using AccuContour, the average MD was<1mm for 10 of the 22 OARs contoured, 1-2mm for 6 OARs, and 2-3mm for 6 OARs. For ProtégéAI, the average mean distance was<1mm for 8 out of 17 OARs, 1-2mm for 6 OARs, and 2-3mm for 3 OARs., Conclusions: Both DLAS programs were proven to be valuable tools to significantly reduce the time required to generate large amounts of OAR contours in the head and neck region, even though manual editing of ACs is likely needed prior to implementation into treatment planning. The DSCs and MDs achieved were similar to those reported in other studies that evaluated various other DLAS solutions. Still, small volume structures with nonideal contrast in CT images, such as nerves, are very challenging and will require additional solutions to achieve sufficient results., 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., (Copyright © 2024 Johnson, Press, Simone, Shen, Tsai, Hu, Yu, Apinorasethkul, Ackerman, Zhai, Lin and Huang.)

LuxR-type regulators play pivotal roles in regulating numerous bacterial processes, including bacterial motility and virulence, thereby exerting a significant influence on bacterial behavior and pathogenicity. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola , a rice pathogen, causes bacterial leaf streak. Our research has identified VmsR, which is a response regulator of the two-component system (TCS) that belongs to the LuxR family. These findings of the experiment reveal that VmsR plays a crucial role in regulating pathogenicity, motility, biofilm formation, and the production of extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) in Xoc GX01. Notably, our study shows that the vmsR mutant exhibits a reduced swimming motility but an enhanced swarming motility. Furthermore, this mutant displays decreased virulence while significantly increasing EPS production and biofilm formation. We have uncovered that VmsR directly interacts with the promoter regions of fliC and fliS , promoting their expression. In contrast, VmsR specifically binds to the promoter of gumB , resulting in its downregulation. These findings indicate that the knockout of vmsR has profound effects on virulence, motility, biofilm formation, and EPS production in Xoc GX01, providing insights into the intricate regulatory network of Xoc .

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an automated Tomotherapy (TOMO) planning method for cervical cancer treatment, and to validate its feasibility and effectiveness., Materials and Methods: The study enrolled 30 cervical cancer patients treated with TOMO at our center. Utilizing scripting and Python environment within the RayStation (RaySearch Labs, Sweden) treatment planning system (TPS), we developed automated planning methods for TOMO and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) techniques. The clinical manual TOMO (M-TOMO) plans for the 30 patients were re-optimized using automated planning scripts for both TOMO and VMAT, creating automated TOMO (A-TOMO) and automated VMAT (A-VMAT) plans. We compared A-TOMO with M-TOMO and A-VMAT plans. The primary evaluated relevant dosimetric parameters and treatment plan efficiency were assessed using the two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test for statistical analysis, with a P-value < 0.05 indicating statistical significance., Results: A-TOMO plans maintained similar target dose uniformity compared to M-TOMO plans, with improvements in target conformity and faster dose drop-off outside the target, and demonstrated significant statistical differences (P +  < 0.01). A-TOMO plans also significantly outperformed M-TOMO plans in reducing V 50Gy , V 40Gy and D mean for the bladder and rectum, as well as D mean for the bowel bag, femoral heads, and kidneys (all P +  < 0.05). Additionally, A-TOMO plans demonstrated better consistency in plan quality. Furthermore, the quality of A-TOMO plans was comparable to or superior than A-VMAT plans. In terms of efficiency, A-TOMO significantly reduced the time required for treatment planning to approximately 20 min., Conclusion: We have successfully developed an A-TOMO planning method for cervical cancer. Compared to M-TOMO plans, A-TOMO plans improved target conformity and reduced radiation dose to OARs. Additionally, the quality of A-TOMO plans was on par with or surpasses that of A-VMAT plans. The A-TOMO planning method significantly improved the efficiency of treatment planning., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Despite docetaxel combined with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) being the established treatment for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), there are patients who do not respond positively to this form of therapy. However, the mechanisms underlying this lack of benefit remain unclear. DCAF7 is identified as a chemoresistance gene attenuating the response to TPF therapy in NPC patients. DCAF7 promotes the cisplatin resistance and metastasis of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, DCAF7 serves as a scaffold protein that facilitates the interaction between USP10 and G3BP1, leading to the elimination of K48-linked ubiquitin moieties from Lys76 of G3BP1. This process helps prevent the degradation of G3BP1 via the ubiquitin‒proteasome pathway and promotes the formation of stress granule (SG)-like structures. Moreover, knockdown of G3BP1 successfully reversed the formation of SG-like structures and the oncogenic effects of DCAF7. Significantly, NPC patients with increased levels of DCAF7 showed a high risk of metastasis, and elevated DCAF7 levels are linked to an unfavorable prognosis. The study reveals DCAF7 as a crucial gene for cisplatin resistance and offers further understanding of how chemoresistance develops in NPC. The DCAF7-USP10-G3BP1 axis contains potential targets and biomarkers for NPC treatment., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Lithium metal has been treated as one of the most promising anode materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries due to its extremely high theoretical capacity. However, its practical application is hindered by inhomogeneous lithium deposition and uncontrolled dendrite growth. In this work, we prepared a three-dimensional nickel foam (NF)-based current collector with a lithiophilic interface layer through facile hydrothermal and coating methods. The lithiophilic Ni 3 S 2 array synthesized via a hydrothermal method has been demonstrated to facilitate the nucleation of Li + . Moreover, it has been observed that the outer coating comprising LPP effectively enhances the inward diffusion of Li + . Additionally, this interface layer can serve as an isolating barrier between the electrodes and the electrolyte. The prepared LPP-Ni 3 S 2 @Ni shows significant reversibility both in symmetric cells (1200 h, 1 mA cm -2 ) and half-cells (CE: 99.60%, 500 cycles, 1 mA cm -2 ) with low interfacial resistance (35 Ω). Full cells with LiFePO 4 as a cathode also exhibit promising electrochemical performance with over 76.78% capacity retention over 200 cycles at 1 C.

Various vaccine platforms were developed and deployed against the COVID-19 disease. The Fc-mediated functions of IgG antibodies are essential in the adaptive immune response elicited by vaccines. However, the long-term changes of protein subunit vaccines and their combinations with messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are unknown. A total of 272 serum and plasma samples were collected from individuals who received first to third doses of the protein subunit Medigen, the mRNA (BNT, Moderna), or the adenovector AstraZeneca vaccines. The IgG subclass level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Fc-N glycosylation was measured using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Antibody-dependent-cellular-phagocytosis (ADCP) and complement deposition (ADCD) of anti-spike (S) IgG antibodies were measured by flow cytometry. IgG1 and 3 reached the highest anti-S IgG subclass level. IgG1, 2, and 4 subclass levels significantly increased in mRNA- and Medigen-vaccinated individuals. Fc-glycosylation was stable, except in female BNT vaccinees, who showed increased bisection and decreased galactosylation. Female BNT vaccinees had a higher anti-S IgG titer than that of males. ADCP declined in all groups. ADCD was significantly lower in AstraZeneca-vaccinated individuals. Each vaccine produced specific long-term changes in Fc structure and function. This finding is critical when selecting a vaccine platform or combination to achieve the desired immune response., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Medical Virology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Plants take up metals, including essential micronutrients [iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn)] and the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd), from soil and accumulate these metals in their edible parts, which are direct and indirect intake sources for humans. Multiple transporters belonging to different families are required to transport a metal from the soil to different organs and tissues, but only a few of them have been fully functionally characterized. The transport systems (the transporters required for uptake, translocation, distribution, redistribution, and their regulation) differ with metals and plant species, depending on the physiological roles, requirements of each metal, and anatomies of different organs and tissues. To maintain metal homeostasis in response to spatiotemporal fluctuations of metals in soil, plants have developed sophisticated and tightly regulated mechanisms through the regulation of transporters at the transcriptional and/or posttranscriptional levels. The manipulation of some transporters has succeeded in generating crops rich in essential metals but low in Cd accumulation. A better understanding of metal transport systems will contribute to better and safer crop production.

Wound management remains a great challenge for clinicians due to the complex physiological process of wound healing. Porous silicon (PSi) with controlled pore morphology, abundant surface chemistry, unique photonic properties, good biocompatibility, easy biodegradation and potential bioactivity represent an exciting class of materials for various biomedical applications. In this review, we focus on the recent progress of PSi in the design of advanced sensing and delivery systems for wound management applications. Firstly, we comprehensively introduce the common type, normal healing process, delaying factors and therapeutic drugs of wound healing. Subsequently, the typical fabrication, functionalization and key characteristics of PSi have been summarized because they provide the basis for further use as biosensing and delivery materials in wound management. Depending on these properties, the rise of PSi materials is evidenced by the examples in literature in recent years, which has emphasized the robust potential of PSi for wound monitoring, treatment and theranostics. Finally, challenges and opportunities for the future development of PSi-based sensors and delivery systems for wound management applications are proposed and summarized. We hope that this review will help readers to better understand current achievements and future prospects on PSi-based sensing and delivery systems for advanced wound management., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Data augmentation is a popular way for few-shot learning (FSL). It generates more samples as supplements and then transforms the FSL task into a common supervised learning problem for a solution. However, most data-augmentation-based FSL approaches only consider the prior visual knowledge for feature generation, thereby leading to low diversity and poor quality of generated data. In this study, we attempt to address this issue by incorporating both prior visual and prior semantic knowledge to condition the feature generation process. Inspired by some genetic characteristics of semi-identical twins, a novel multimodal generative FSL approach was developed named semi-identical twins variational autoencoder (STVAE) to better exploit the complementarity of these modality information by considering the multimodal conditional feature generation process as a process that semi-identical twins are born and collaborate to simulate their father. STVAE conducts feature synthesis by pairing two conditional variational autoencoders (CVAEs) with the same seed but different modality conditions. Subsequently, the generated features of two CVAEs are considered as semi-identical twins and adaptively combined to yield the final feature, which is considered as their fake father. STVAE requires that the final feature can be converted back into its paired conditions while ensuring these conditions remain consistent with the original in both representation and function. Moreover, STVAE is able to work in the partial modality-absence case due to the adaptive linear feature combination strategy. STVAE essentially provides a novel idea to exploit the complementarity of different modality prior information inspired by genetics in FSL. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our work achieves promising performances in comparison to the recent state-of-the-art approaches, as well as validate its effectiveness on FSL under various modality settings.

Two new prenylxanthone derivatives, asperidulins A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), along with a known emodin analogue ( 3 ) were isolated from an apple-derived fungus Aspergillus nidulans KIB-HACM-01. Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of HRMS, NMR, and comparisons of specific optical rotation. Asperidulin B ( 2 ) exhibited a moderate cytotoxicity against A549 and BEAS-2B with an IC 50 values of 13.62 ± 0.41 and 11.27 ± 0.52 μM, and methyl-averantin ( 3 ) showed moderate cytotoxicities against all six tested cell lines (HL-60, A549, SMMC-7721, MDA-MB-231, SW480, BEAS-2B) with IC 50 values ranging from 8.93 ± 0.56 to 35.27 ± 0.25 μM.

Poly(propylene carbonate-co-phthalate) (PPC-P) is an amorphous copolymer of aliphatic polycarbonate and aromatic polyester; it possesses good biodegradability, superior mechanical performances, high thermal properties, and excellent affinity with CO 2 . Hence, we fabricate PPC-P foams in an autoclave by using subcritical CO 2 as a physical blowing agent. Both saturation pressure and foaming temperature affect the foaming behaviors of PPC-P, including CO 2 adsorption and desorption performance, foaming ratio, cell size, porosity, cell density, and nucleation density, which are investigated in this research. Moreover, the low-cost PPC-P/nano-CaCO 3 and PPC-P/starch composites are prepared and foamed using the same procedure. The obtained PPC-P-based foams show ultra-high expansion ratio and refined microcellular structures simultaneously. Besides, nano-CaCO 3 can effectively improve PPC-P's rheological properties and foamability. In addition, the introduction of starch into PPC-P can lead to a large number of open cells. Beyond all doubt, this work can certainly provide both a kind of new biodegradable PPC-P-based foam materials and an economic methodology to make biodegradable plastic foams. These foams are potentially applicable in the packaging, transportation, and food industry.

The binder ratio in a commercial lithium-ion battery is very low, but it is one of the key materials affecting the battery's performance. In this paper, polycarbonate-based polymers with liner or chain extension structures are proposed as binders. Then, dry LiFePO 4 (LFP) electrodes with these binders are prepared using the solvent-free method. Polycarbonate-based polymers have a high tensile strength and a satisfactory bonding strength, and the rich polar carbonate groups provide highly ionic conductivity as binders. The batteries with poly (propylene carbonate)-plus (PPC-P) as binders were shown to have a long cycle life (350 cycles under 1 C, 89% of capacity retention). The preparation of dry electrodes using polycarbonate-based polymers can avoid the use of solvents and shorten the process of preparing electrodes. It can also greatly reduce the manufacturing cost of batteries and effectively use industrial waste gas dioxide oxidation. Most importantly, a battery material with this kind of polycarbonate polymer as a binder is easily recycled by simply heating after the battery is discarded. This paper provides a new idea for the industrialization and development of a novel binder.

This study aims to assess the association between nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), varenicline, and untreated smoking with the risk of developing eye disorders. We employed a new-user design to investigate the association between NRT use and the incidence of eye disorders by the Taiwan National Health Insurance program. This study included 8416 smokers who received NRT and 8416 smokers who did not receive NRT (control group) matched using propensity scores between 2007 and 2018. After adjustment for relevant factors, a multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that compared with untreated smokers, NRT use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of macular degeneration (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13-0.87, P = 0.024). When stratified by dose, short-term NRT use (8-28 defined daily doses) was associated with significantly lower risk of glaucoma (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16-0.80, P = 0.012) and a trend toward reduced risk of cataract (HR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.36-1.01, P = 0.053) compared to no treatment. However, these associations were not observed with long-term NRT use. The results of this real-world observational study indicate that NRT use, particularly short-term use, was associated with a lower risk of certain eye disorders compared to no treatment for smoking cessation. Long-term NRT use did not demonstrate the same benefits. Thus, short-term NRT may be a beneficial treatment strategy for reducing the risk of eye disorders in smokers attempting to quit. However, further evidence is required to verify these findings and determine the optimal duration of NRT use., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

There is a growing and urgent need for developing novel biomaterials and therapeutic approaches for efficient wound healing. Microneedles (MNs), which can penetrate necrotic tissues and biofilm barriers at the wound and deliver active ingredients to the deeper layers in a minimally invasive and painless manner, have stimulated the interests of many researchers in the wound-healing filed. Among various materials, polymeric MNs have received widespread attention due to their abundant material sources, simple and inexpensive manufacturing methods, excellent biocompatibility and adjustable mechanical strength. Meanwhile, due to the unique properties of nanomaterials, the incorporation of nanomaterials can further extend the application range of polymeric MNs to facilitate on-demand drug release and activate specific therapeutic effects in combination with other therapies. In this review, we firstly introduce the current status and challenges of wound healing, and then outline the advantages and classification of MNs. Next, we focus on the manufacturing methods of polymeric MNs and the different raw materials used for their production. Furthermore, we give a summary of polymeric MNs incorporated with several common nanomaterials for chronic wounds healing. Finally, we discuss the several challenges and future prospects of transdermal drug delivery systems using nanomaterials-based polymeric MNs in wound treatment application., 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.)

Chemoresistance is a main reason for treatment failure in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but the exact regulatory mechanism underlying chemoresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma remains to be elucidated. Here, we identify PJA1 as a key E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in nasopharyngeal carcinoma chemoresistance that is highly expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with nonresponse to docetaxel-cisplatin-5-fluorouracil induction chemotherapy. We find that PJA1 facilitates docetaxel resistance by inhibiting GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Mechanistically, PJA1 promotes the degradation of the mitochondrial protein PGAM5 by increasing its K48-linked ubiquitination at K88, which further facilitates DRP1 phosphorylation at S637 and reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, resulting in suppression of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis and the antitumour immune response. PGAM5 knockdown fully restores the docetaxel sensitization effect of PJA1 knockdown. Moreover, pharmacological targeting of PJA1 with the small molecule inhibitor RTA402 enhances the docetaxel sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, high PJA1 expression indicates inferior survival and poor clinical efficacy of TPF IC in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Our study emphasizes the essential role of E3 ligases in regulating chemoresistance and provides therapeutic strategies for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on targeting the ubiquitin-proteasome system., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate a dose rate optimization framework based on the spot-scanning patterns to improve ultrahigh-dose-rate coverage of critical organs at risk (OARs) for proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) FLASH radiation therapy (ultrahigh dose-rate (often referred to as >40 Gy per second) delivery) and present implementation of a genetic algorithm (GA) method for spot sequence optimization to achieve PBS FLASH dose rate optimization under relatively low nozzle beam currents., Methods and Materials: First, a multifield FLASH plan was developed to meet all the dosimetric goals and optimal FLASH dose rate coverage by considering the deliverable minimum monitor unit constraint. Then, a GA method was implemented into the in-house treatment platform to maximize the dose rate by exploring the best spot delivery sequence. A phantom study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the dose rate optimization. Then, 10 consecutive plans for patients with lung cancer previously treated using PBS intensity-modulated proton therapy were optimized using 45 GyRBE in 3 fractions for both transmission and Bragg peak FLASH radiation therapy for further validation. The spot delivery sequence of each treatment field was optimized using this GA. The ultrahigh-dose-rate-volume histogram and dose rate coverage V 40GyRBE/s were investigated to assess the efficacy of dose rate optimization quantitatively., Results: Using a relatively low monitor unit/spot of 150, corresponding to a nozzle beam current of 65 nA, the FLASH dose rate ratio V 40GyRBE/s of the OAR contour of the core was increased from 0% to ∼60% in the phantom study. In the patients with lung cancer, the ultrahigh-dose-rate coverage V 40GyRBE/s was improved from 15.2%, 15.5%, 17.6%, and 16.0% before the delivery sequence optimization to 31.8%, 43.5%, 47.6%, and 30.5% after delivery sequence optimization in the lungs-GTV (gross tumor volume), spinal cord, esophagus, and heart (for all, P < .001). When the beam current increased to 130 nA, V 40GyRBE/s was improved from 45.1%, 47.1%, 51.2%, and 51.4% to 65.3%, 83.5%, 88.1%, and 69.4% (P < .05). The averaged V 40GyRBE/s for the target and OARs increased from 12.9% to 41.6% and 46.3% to 77.5% for 65 and 130 nA, respectively, showing significant improvements based on a clinical proton system. After optimizing the dose rate for the Bragg peak FLASH technique with a beam current of 340 nA, the V 40GyRBE/s values for the lung GTV, spinal cord, esophagus, and heart were increased by 8.9%, 15.8%, 22%, and 20.8%, respectively., Conclusions: An optimal plan quality can be maintained as the spot delivery sequence optimization is a separate independent process after the plan optimization. Both the phantom and patient results demonstrated that novel spot delivery sequence optimization can effectively improve the ultrahigh-dose-rate coverage for critical OARs, which can potentially be applied in clinical practice for better OARs-sparing efficacy., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To analyze the composition of abnormal hemoglobin and the relationship between genotype and phenotype by screening abnormal hemoglobin in a subpopulation of Guizhou, China., Patients and Methods: Routine blood evaluation, capillary electrophoresis of hemoglobin, and mutation of α - and β - thalassemia genes were evaluated in 19,976 individuals for thalassemia screening in Guizhou. Sanger sequencing of HBA1, HBA2 and HBB genes was performed in samples with abnormal bands or unexplained increases of normal bands. The types of abnormal hemoglobin were obtained by sequence analysis., Results: Abnormal hemoglobin was detected in 84 individuals (detection rate, 0.42%). Ten types each of α and β globin chain variants were detected, including most commonly Hb E, Hb New York and Hb Port Phillip. In this study, the abnormal Hb Mizuho was identified for the first time in a Chinese population, and a novel abnormal hemoglobin Hb Guiyang (HBA2: c.151C > A) was detected for the first time. Except for Hb Mizuho, other abnormal hemoglobin heterozygotes without thalassemia or iron deficiency had no significant hematological changes., Conclusion: This study enriched the molecular epidemiological data of abnormal hemoglobin in Guizhou, China and provided reference data for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis of abnormal hemoglobin., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article., (© 2024 Chen et al.)

Dengue virus (DENV) causes approximately 390 million dengue infections worldwide every year. There were 22,777 reported DENV infections in Tainan, Taiwan in 2015. In this study, we sequenced the C-prM-E genes from 45 DENV 2015 strains, and phylogenetic analysis based on C-prM-E genes revealed that all strains were classified as DENV serotype 2 Cosmopolitan genotype. Sequence analysis comparing different DENV-2 genotypes and Cosmopolitan DENV-2 sequences prior to 2015 showed a clade replacement event in the DENV-2 Cosmopolitan genotype. Additionally, a major substitution C-A314G (K73R) was found in the capsid region which may have contributed to the clade replacement event. Reverse genetics virus rgC-A314G (K73R) showed slower replication in BHK-21 and C6/36 cells compared to wildtype virus, as well as a decrease in NS1 production in BHK-21-infected cells. After a series of passaging, the C-A314G (K73R) mutation reverted to wildtype and was thus considered to be unstable. Next generation sequencing (NGS) of three sera collected from a single DENV2-infected patient at 1-, 2-, and 5-days post-admission was employed to examine the genetic diversity over-time and mutations that may work in conjunction with C-A314G (K73R). Results showed that the number of haplotypes decreased with time in the DENV-infected patient. On the fifth day after admission, two new haplotypes emerged, and a single non-synonymous NS4A-L115I mutation was identified. Therefore, we have identified a persistent mutation C-A314G (K73R) in all of the DENV-2 isolates, and during the course of an infection, a single new non-synonymous mutation in the NS4A region appears in the virus population within a single host. The C-A314G (K73R) thus may have played a role in the DENV-2 2015 outbreak while the NS4A-L115I may be advantageous during DENV infection within the host., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Tsai 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.)

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are anticipated to meet the demand for high energy density, but the growth of lithium dendrites seriously hinders its practical application. Herein, we constructed a kind of composite separator (ZIF-90@PP) consisting of zeolite imidazole framework-90 (ZIF-90) and polypropylene (PP) to promote the uniform deposition of Li + and inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites. The aldehyde groups interacting with TFSI - and the nitrogen-containing negative groups attracting Li + of ZIF-90 can facilitate the dissociation of LiTFSI to release more Li + , thus alleviating the influence of space charge near the electrode surface and accelerating the transfer of Li + . Not only does the excellent electrolyte wettability of ZIF-90 enhance the electrolyte retention capacity of the separator, but the orderly nano-channels in ZIF-90 also restrict the free migration of anions and homogenize the distribution of Li + . Consequently, the functional separator achieves a long-term stable Li plating/stripping cycling for over 780 h at 2 mA cm -2 . Moreover, an impressive average coulombic efficiency of 98.67% at 0.5 C after 300 cycles is realized by Li || LFP full cells based on ZIF-90@PP with a capacity retention rate of 71.22%. The high-rate and long cycling performance of the modified Li || LFP cells further demonstrates the advantages of the ZIF-90@PP composite separator.

Under international advocacy for a low-carbon and healthy lifestyle, ambient PM2.5 pollution poses a dilemma for urban residents who wish to engage in outdoor exercise and adopt active low-carbon commuting. In this study, an Urban Air Health Navigation System (UAHNS) was designed and proposed to assist users by recommending routes with the least PM2.5 exposure and dynamically issuing early risk warnings based on topologized digital maps, an application programming interface (API), an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model, and two-step spatial interpolation. A test of the UAHNS's functions and applications was carried out in Wuhan city. The results showed that, compared with trained random forest (RF), LightGBM, Adaboost models, etc., the XGBoost model performed better, with an R 2 exceeding 0.90 and an RMSE of approximately 15.74 μg/m 3 , based on data from national air and meteorological monitoring stations. Further, the two-step spatial interpolation model was adopted to dynamically generate pollution distribution at a spatial resolution of 300 m*300 m. Then, an exposure comparison was performed under randomly selected commuting routes and times in Wuhan, showing the recommended routes for lower PM2.5 exposure made effectively help. And the route difference ratios of about 14.9 % and 16.9 % for riding and walking, respectively. Finally, the UAHNS platform was integrally realized for Wuhan, consisting of a real-time PM2.5 query, a one-hour PM2.5 prediction function at any location, health navigation on city map, and a personalized health information query., 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 Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to analyze the current situation of outcome indicators in randomized controlled trial(RCT) of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment for Alzheimer's disease(AD), so as to provide a reference for establishing a core indicator set in this field. The researchers systematically searched CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sino Med, EMbase, PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library. Independent screening of literature and extraction of information was conducted according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, the Ro B 2. 0 tool was used for bias risk assessment. A total of 78 RCTs were included, involving 6 379 patients,with 122 kinds of outcome indicators. According to functional attributes, the outcome indicators could be categorized into seven groups:TCM diseases(3 kinds, 13 times), symptoms and signs(26 kinds, 196 times), physical and chemical tests(68 kinds, 149 times),qua-lity of life(1 kind, 2 times), long-term prognosis(2 kinds, 2 times), economic evaluation(0 kind), safety events(21 kinds,194 times), and other indicators(1 kind, 1 time). The results show that the literature evaluation of RCTs of TCM treatment for AD is generally risky, and there are some problems in the selection of outcome indicators, such as lack of TCM characteristics, insignificant distinction between primary and secondary outcome indicators, lack of long-term prognosis and economic evaluation indicators, and non-standard safety event reports. It is suggested that future researchers should establish a core indicator set for AD that highlights the characteristics of TCM and then work to improve the quality of clinical trials.

In posterior spine surgery, retractors exert pressure on paraspinal muscles, elevating intramuscular pressure and compromising blood flow, potentially causing muscle injury during ischemia-reperfusion. Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761), known for its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties and its role in treating cerebrovascular diseases, is investigated for its protective effects against muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury in vitro and in vivo. Animals were randomly divided into the control group, receiving normal saline, and experimental groups, receiving varying doses of EGb761 (25/50/100/200 mg/kg). A 2-h hind limb tourniquet-induced ischemia was followed by reperfusion. Blood samples collected pre-ischemia and 24 h post-reperfusion, along with muscle tissue samples after 24 h, demonstrated that EGb761 at 1000 μg/mL effectively inhibited IL-6 and TNF-α secretion in RAW 264.7 cells without cytotoxicity. EGb761 significantly reduced nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and increased glutathione (GSH) levels compared to the control after 24 h. Muscle tissue sections revealed more severe damage in the control group, indicating EGb761's potential in mitigating inflammatory responses and oxidative stress during ischemia-reperfusion injury, effectively protecting against muscle damage., (© 2024 The Author(s). Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.)

Camptothecin is a complex monoterpenoid indole alkaloid with remarkable antitumor activity. Given that two C-10 modified camptothecin derivatives, topotecan and irinotecan, have been approved as potent anticancer agents, there is a critical need for methods to access other aromatic ring-functionalized congeners (e.g., C-9, C-10, etc.). However, contemporary methods for chemical oxidation are generally harsh and low-yielding when applied to the camptothecin scaffold, thereby limiting the development of modified derivatives. Reported herein, we have identified four tailoring enzymes responsible for C-9 modifications of camptothecin from Nothapodytes tomentosa, via metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. These consist of a cytochrome P450 (NtCPT9H) which catalyzes the regioselective oxidation of camptothecin to 9-hydroxycamptothecin, as well as two methyltransferases (NtOMT1/2, converting 9-hydroxycamptothecin to 9-methoxycamptothecin), and a uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferase (NtUGT5, decorating 9-hydroxycamptothecin to 9-β-D-glucosyloxycamptothecin). Importantly, the critical residues that contribute to the specific catalytic activity of NtCPT9H have been elucidated through molecular docking and mutagenesis experiments. This work provides a genetic basis for producing camptothecin derivatives through metabolic engineering. This will hasten the discovery of novel C-9 modified camptothecin derivatives, with profound implications for pharmaceutical manufacture., (© 2024 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Iron (Fe) needs to be delivered to different organs and tissues of above-ground parts for playing its multiple physiological functions once it is taken up by the roots. However, the mechanisms underlying Fe distribution are poorly understood. We functionally characterized OsOPT7, a member of oligo peptide transporter family in terms of expression patterns, localization, transport activity and phenotypic analysis of knockdown lines. OsOPT7 was highly expressed in the nodes, especially in the uppermost node I, and its expression was upregulated by Fe-deficiency. OsOPT7 transports ferrous iron into the cells coupled with proton. Immunostaining revealed that OsOPT7 is mainly localized in the xylem parenchyma cells of the enlarged vascular bundles in the nodes and vascular tissues in the leaves. Knockdown of OsOPT7 did not affect the Fe uptake, but altered Fe distribution; less Fe was distributed to the new leaf, upper nodes and developing panicle, but more Fe was distributed to the old leaves. Furthermore, knockdown of OsOPT7 also resulted in less Fe distribution to the leaf sheath, but more Fe to the leaf blade. Taken together, OsOPT7 is involved in the xylem unloading of Fe for both long-distance distribution to the developing organs and local distribution within the leaf in rice., (© 2024 The Authors New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Six new dimeric 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones (1-6) were successfully isolated from the ethanol extract of agarwood of Aquilaria filaria from Philippines under HPLC-MS guidance. Compounds 1-6 are all dimers formed by linking 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone and flindersia 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone via a single ether bond, and the linkage site (C5-O-C8'') of compound 2 is extremely rare. A variety of spectroscopic methods were used to ascertain their structures, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis, HRESIMS, and comparison with literature. The in vitro tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activities of each isolate were assessed. Among these compounds, compound 2 had a tyrosinase inhibition effect with an IC 50 value of 27.71 ± 2.60 μM, and compound 4 exhibited moderate inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with an IC 50 value of 35.40 ± 1.04 μM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that this article has no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A sensitive and precise HPLC-DAD method with pre-column PMP derivatization was established and validated, for analyzing the polysaccharides in Bacillus Calmette-Guérin polysaccharide and nucleic acid (BCG-PSN) isolates, after acid hydrolysis. And the HPLC fingerprint profiling was used to analyze its monosaccharide composition. The monosaccharide concentration-peak area calibration curve was of good linearity (R 2  > 0.99), over the range of 0.016-0.08 mg/mL for mannose or 0.24-1.20 mg/mL for glucose, with high recovery of 93-105 % for quality control samples. The intra-day RSD values of mannose and glucose concentration were less than 2.5 % and 2.1 %, respectively, and their inter-day RSD values were less than 4.3 % and 2.2 %, respectively, and remained stable for up to 14 days. This method also remained durable against changes in chromatographic parameters, but it's susceptible to the flow rate of mobile phase. Additionally, the method was applied to analyze the content of mannose and glucose in 22 batches BCG-PSN powder and 17 batches BCG-PSN injection. The results showed that the HPLC-DAD fingerprint spectra of all the BCG-PSN powder and BCG-PSN injection samples had a high degree of similarity, with the similar indexes up to 0.999 and 0.998, respectively. The HPLC-DAD method with pre-column PMP derivatization is highly rapid, effective, visual, and accurate for determination of monosaccharide contents. The validated method was successfully applied to the analysis of polysaccharide in both BCG-PSN powder and injection., 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.)

Bisphenols threaten human health and sensitive detection is crucial. The present study aims to develop ternary composites of copper metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) with AuAg microstructures. The composite structure was formed by a galvanic displacement reaction and confirmed using SEM. A binder-free catalyst was used to study the electrochemical redox reaction of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS); an irreversible cyclic voltammetric signal at +0.70 V and + 0.91 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), in the dynamic range of 20 nM to 2.0 mM, and 10 nM to 1.0 mM, with limits of detection of 2.9 nM, and 3.2 nM (S/N = 3) was obtained. Practical analysis was applied to frozen tomatoes, tuna fish, milk powder, PET bottles, raw milk, and urine samples with a recovery rate of 94.00-100.80% (n = 3). Voltammetric results were validated using HPLC detection with high precision. The sensor is a promising alternative platform for measuring BPA in food samples., 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 Ltd.)

River water quality has been significantly impacted by climate change and extreme weather events worldwide. Despite increasing studies on deep learning techniques for river water quality management, understanding which riverine water quality parameters can be well predicted by meteorologically-driven deep learning still requires further investigation. Here we explored the prediction performance of a traditional Recurrent Neural Network, a Long Short-Term Memory network (LSTM), and a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) using meteorological conditions as inputs in the Dahei River basin. We found that deep learning models (i.e., LSTM and GRU) demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in predicting multiple water quality parameters at daily scale, including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorous, and total nitrogen, but not turbidity. The GRU model performed best with an average determination coefficient of 0.94. Compared to the daily-average prediction, the GRU model exhibited limited error increment of 10-40 % for most water quality parameters when predicting daily extreme values (i.e., the maximum and minimum). Moreover, deep learning showed superior performance in collective prediction for multiple water quality parameters than individual ones, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the river water quality dynamics from meteorological data. This study holds the promise of applying meteorologically-driven deep learning techniques for water quality prediction to a broader range of watersheds, particularly in chemically ungauged areas., 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.)

Objective: Pyrotinib is a novel irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has shown efficacy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study explored the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in the treatment of HER2-positive MBC patients in the real world., Methods: From September 2018 to February 2022, 137 female patients with HER2-positive MBC treated in this center were enrolled in this study. The follow-up period ended on January 12, 2023. The primary endpoint of this study was progression-free survival (PFS). Overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), central nervous system (CNS)-PFS, CNS-ORR, CNS-CBR, CNS-DCR, and adverse event (AE) were the secondary endpoints., Results: The ORR, DCR and CBR were 41.98 % (55/131), 87.79 % (115/131) and 44.27 % (58/131) in this cohort, respectively. The median PFS for this cohort was 10.37 months [95 % confidence interval (CI): 9.205-11.535] and the median OS was 37.53 months (not reached). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that trastuzumab sensitivity was an independent predictor of improved PFS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.579 (0.371-0.904, p=0.016)] and improved OS [0.410 (0.213-0.790, p=0.008)]. Patients treated with a pyrotinib-based regimen as second-line and third-or-post-line therapy had poorer PFS [second-line: 3.315 (1.832-6.000, p<0.001); third-or-post-line: 3.304 (1.749-6.243, p<0.001)] and OS [second-line: 4.631 (1.033-20.771, p=0.045); third-or-post-line: 5.738 (1.212-27.174, p=0.028)]. There were 38 brain metastases (BM) patients in this study, the CNS-mPFS [14.37 months (7.815-20.925) vs. 7.83 months (7.047-8.613), p=0.375] and mOS [not reached vs. 36.40 months (18.551-54.249), p=0.034] were better in brain radiotherapy (BRT) group than NBRT group. 18.98 % (26/137) of patients experienced grade 3 or higher diarrhea. No AE-related death was reported., Conclusion: This study confirms the promising antitumor activity and acceptable safety of real-world pyrotinib-based regimens for the treatment of HER2-positive MBC patients, particularly those who are trastuzumab-sensitive and who are receiving pyrotinib-based regimens as advanced first-line therapy. It has also been demonstrated that these regimens combined with BRT, provide better intracranial responses and long-term survival benefits for these patients with BM., 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.)