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Heparin, a highly sulfated polysaccharide, is industrially produced for clinical applications. To realize highly efficient and selective adsorption of heparin from complex biological components (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids) remains a challenge in the isolation process. This study reported a simple and green approach to fabricate heparin adsorbent of quaternized Fe 3 O 4 @chitosan nanoparticles (QFCNs) by using the natural polysaccharides of chitosan coated and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde on the Fe 3 O 4 and further quaternized using glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride. The effects of adsorbent type, pH, initial heparin concentration, and temperature on the adsorption performance were investigated. The QFCNs demonstrated a high adsorption efficiency of 90.02 % and a remarkable adsorption capacity of 33.04 mg g -1 , surpassing the performance of previously reported adsorbents, and the adsorption process was found to be more closely aligned with the pseudo-first-order model, Langmuir and Sips isotherm model. Furthermore, the QCNFs exhibited a distinct selectivity for heparin in the presence of BSA at pH 7.0 in 0.3 mol L -1 of NaCl. The adsorption capacity of QFCNs was 1.63 times that of the commercial Amberlite FPA98Cl resin in the adsorption process of crude heparin, and the purity of the crude heparin was enhanced from 37.10 % to 78.10 %. Besides, the adsorption capacity remained at an acceptable level after five cycles. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results elucidated the heparin adsorption follows the mechanism of the electrostatic attraction with the quaternary ammonium groups of QCNFs. QFCNs could become an ideal adsorbent for the selective capture of heparin and other negatively charged natural polysaccharides, offering high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and facile recyclability., 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.)

Nowadays, benzimidazole and its derivatives are widely assembled into multifunctional materials with various properties such as mechanochromism, photochromism, thermochromism and electrochromism. Herein, two novel zinc(II) coordination compounds, [Zn 2 (L 2 )Br 4 ]·2H 2 O (1) and [Zn 2 (L 2 )Cl 4 ]·2H 2 O (2) (L 2 = tetra(1 H -benzo[ d ]imidazol-2-yl)ethene), have been constructed via one-pot facile synthesis from bis(1 H -benzo[ d ]imidazol-2-yl)methane (L 1 ) and zinc(II) salts. The ligand L 2 with a CC double bond was in situ formed by C-C coupling of two sp 3 -C atoms of L 1 in solvothermal synthesis, which provides a new strategy to generate the conjugation system conveniently. Impressively, complex 1 shows distinct fluorescence and phosphorescence dual emission due to the heavy atom effect of bromide ions. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit high-contrast mechanochromic luminescence properties due to the transformation from a crystalline state to an amorphous state. In addition, they also exhibited excitation wavelength-dependent luminescence in crystalline states and DMF systems. As the excitation wavelength increased, their luminescence color in DMF solution changed significantly from blue to yellow. Theoretical calculations show that the complexes have multiple emission centers due to the locally excited nature and intramolecular charge transfer. Due to their excellent excitation wavelength-dependent luminescence properties, PMMA films based on complexes 1 and 2 were prepared and could be applied in anti-counterfeiting and UV protection.

Aim: To investigate the potential mechanisms of A-V pattern and evaluate the surgical outcomes used in the treatment of sensory exotropia., Methods: The medical records of patients with sensory A-V pattern exotropia who underwent strabismus surgery between May 2014 to June 2019 was retrospectively reviewed. The control group included sensory exotropia patients without A-V pattern and concomitant A-V pattern exotropia patients with normal vision who undergone strabismus surgery over this same time period. Ocular alignment, best corrected visual acuity, oblique muscle function, and stereopsis records were collected., Results: Among the 843 eligible patients, 91 (10.79%; 39 males and 52 females) had A-pattern (54, 6.4%) or V-pattern (37, 4.4%). Age at onset of vision impairment was 4±5y and at the time of surgery was 25±9y. Statistically significant negative correlations were present between impaired visual acuity and the pre-operative exodeviation ( r =-0.198, P =0.016) and patterns ( r =-0.207, P =0.015). Age at surgery and exodeviation in patients with concomitant A-V pattern exotropia was significantly earlier as compared with that of sensory A-V pattern exotropia and sensory exotropia (both P <0.0001). There were no significant differences in these clinical variables between sensory exotropia with or without A-V pattern. Deviation and pattern were significantly reduced in patients receiving horizontal rectus surgery with or without oblique muscle surgery (both P <0.0001)., Conclusion: The prevalence of sensory A-V pattern exotropia in our study is 10.79%. Visual acuity represents an important factor contributing to the occurrence and development of A-V pattern. Isolated horizontal rectus surgery can provide a good option for the correction of sensory A-V pattern exotropia., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Zhu BB, None; Tang SY, None; Wang XJ, None; Fu LC, None; Yan JH, None., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Despite significant progress in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) still exhibits a high recurrence risk and a low 5-year survival rate. Reliable prognostic signatures are imperative for risk stratification in LUAD patients. This study encompassed 2740 patients from 23 LUAD cohorts, including one single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset, five bulk RNA-seq datasets, and 17 microarray datasets. Using scRNA-seq dataset, we defined a group of epithelial-specific transcription factors significantly over-represented in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene set (enrichment ratio [ER] = 5.80, Fisher's exact test p < .001), and the corresponding target genes were significantly enriched in the cancer driver gene set (ER = 2.74, p < .001), indicating of their crucial roles in the EMT process and tumor progression. We constructed a single-cell gene pairs (scGPS) signature, composed of 3521 gene pairs derived from the epithelial cell-specific transcription factor regulatory network, to predict overall survival (OS) of LUAD. High-risk patients identified by scGPS in the discovery cohort exhibited significantly worse OS compared to low-risk patients (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.29-2.46, log-rank p = 1.80 × 10 -4 ). The scGPS outperformed other established gene signatures and demonstrated robust prognostic stratification across various independent datasets, including microarray data and even early-stage LUAD patients. It remained an independent prognostic factor after adjusting for clinical and pathologic factors. In addition, combining scGPS with tumor stage further enhanced prognostic accuracy compared to using stage alone. The scGPS signature offers individualized prognosis estimations, showing significant potential for practical application in clinical settings., (© 2025 UICC.)

This study aimed to evaluate corneal stromal and endothelial alterations after vitrectomy using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), focusing on the implications of different surgical techniques and tamponades. In this prospective cohort study, a total of 99 eyes from 98 consecutive patients scheduled for vitrectomy were initially enrolled. Each subject underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation, including fundus examination, intraocular pressure assessment, and IVCM imaging. These evaluations were conducted preoperatively, as well as at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following surgery. Data were analyzed to correlate corneal cellular alterations with vitrectomy techniques and tamponades. Data from 80 eyes of 79 patients were used in the final analysis stratified into six groups based on the combination of surgical approach and tamponade used. Postoperatively, compared to baseline, posterior stromal cell density (SCD) significantly increased in patients who underwent phacoemulsification (Phaco) and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with C3F8 tamponade, while anterior SCD significantly decreased in patients treated with Phaco and silicone oil (SiO2). The prevalence of keratic precipitates, endothelial nucleation, and dark spots in the corneal endothelial layer significantly increased post-surgery and did not return to the preoperative baseline by the end of the follow-up period, especially in the group treated with Phaco and C3F8 tamponade. Endothelial cell loss was significantly higher at 3 months post-surgery, with rates of 9.16% for air tamponade, 8.86% for C3F8, 2.93% for SiO2, 9.24% for Phaco and C3F8, 11.58% for Phaco with IOL and C3F8, and 11.99% for Phaco with SiO2. By the end of the 12-month follow-up, losses were 8.12% for air, 9.39% for C3F8, 16.38% for SiO2, 3.39% for Phaco and C3F8, 10.65% for Phaco with IOL and C3F8, and 14.40% for Phaco with SiO2. Our IVCM-based study offers insights into the dynamic responses of corneal cells to vitreoretinal surgeries, focusing on the effects of Air, C3F8, and SiO2 tamponades, with and without Phaco. The distinct patterns of response observed in the C3F8 and SiO2 groups, both with and without Phaco, underscore the importance of carefully choosing the surgical procedure based on individual fundus conditions and implementing tailored postoperative care based on the tamponade used. Our findings lay the groundwork for further studies on the long-term effects of tamponade materials and the development of targeted therapies to mitigate corneal reactions related to vitrectomy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics statement: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and the Ethics Committee of the EYE & ENT Hospital (no.2023457), conforming to the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) can induce protein-mediated electroporation (PMEP) in voltage-gated ion channels. However, their effects on the tetrameric structure of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels remain unexplored. Our study pioneered the molecular dynamics (MD) investigation of the open-state (O) Kv channel to understand the effects of PMEP under unipolar and bipolar pulses (UP and BP). Our findings revealed that BP induces pore formation more effectively than UP. Additionally, the frequency of pore formation shows a more consistent decline with increased pulse interval under BP. We further examined three other distinct functional states─intermediate (C*), inactivated (I), and resting closed (C)─of Kv channels under BP. SF pores formed exclusively in the O state, while complex pores formed only in the O and C states. In conclusion, our study highlights BP's role in enhancing pore formation and specificity, offering insights into Kv channel PMEP and its therapeutic potential.

Periphytic algae is an important primary producer in the river ecosystem, and it is one of the important indicators for the monitoring and evaluation of river water ecology. As a typical plateau river, the assembly process of the algae community in the Yarlung Zangbo River is still unclear. In May 2022 and July and September 2023, algae samples were collected, and water environmental factors were determined in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. The algal species were identified, and cell abundance and biomass were calculated using in vivo observation and fixed staining techniques to explore the diversity pattern of algae communities in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, to clarify the relative importance of deterministic and random processes in the assembly of algal communities, and to reveal the influencing factors driving the assembly process. The results showed that there were significant differences in the time of water environmental factors, mainly concentrated between spring, summer, summer, and autumn. A total of 274 species of algae were identified in the three seasons, belonging to 7 phyla, 9 classes, 18 orders, 31 families, and 63 genera, and the community differences between seasons were significant （ P =0.001）. They all showed Bacillariophyta-Chlorophyta-Cyanophyta, and the community assembly process of algae was affected by both a deterministic process and random process but was dominated by the deterministic process. The interspecific relationship was mainly cooperative, and the co-occurrence network in autumn showed stronger network complexity and connectivity. The pH and turbidity were important water environmental factors affecting the community structure of algae, which could indirectly affect the community assembly process of algae by driving the metabolic rate and ecological adaptability of algae species.

Genome-wide association studies have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, it is still challenging to determine the causal variants and to improve disease risk prediction. Here, we applied massively parallel reporter assays to perform NSCLC variant-to-function mapping at scale. A total of 1249 candidate variants were evaluated, and 30 potential causal variants within 12 loci were identified. Accordingly, we proposed three genetic architectures underlying NSCLC susceptibility: multiple causal variants in a single haplotype block (e.g. 4q22.1), multiple causal variants in multiple haplotype blocks (e.g. 5p15.33), and a single causal variant (e.g. 20q11.23). We developed a modified polygenic risk score using the potential causal variants from Chinese populations, improving the performance of risk prediction in 450,821 Europeans from the UK Biobank. Our findings not only augment the understanding of the genetic architecture underlying NSCLC susceptibility but also provide strategy to advance NSCLC risk stratification., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is the most lethal tumor arising from thyroid follicular epithelium. Lenvatinib is an off-label use option for ATC patients in many countries but an approved prescription in Japan. However, lenvatinib resistance is a substantial clinical challenge. Clinical ATC samples including lenvatinib-resistant tumors are used to build patient-derived cells and patient-derived xenografts. High-throughput drug screening and synergy analyses are performed to identify an effective combination partner for lenvatinib. Cellular functions are detected by cell senescence, apoptosis, cell cycle, cell viability and colony formation assays. CDK2 inhibition showed the significant synthetic lethality with lenvatinib via inhibiting G1/S transition and inducing cell senescence in ATC. High expression of CDK2 is associated with lenvatinib resistance and poor clinical outcomes of ATC patients. Lenvatinib increased protein expression of CDK2 in lenvatinib-resistant ATC cells. Mechanistically, lenvatinib inhibited protein degradation of CDK2 via reducing CDK2's interaction with the RACK1-FBW7 complex, which is involved in ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of CDK2. Combination of CDK2 inhibitors in clinical trials (Dinaciclib or PF-07104091) and lenvatinib markedly suppressed growth of xenograft tumors from the lenvatinib-resistant patient. The findings support the combination therapy strategy of lenvatinib and CDK2 inhibitor for lenvatinib-resistant ATC patients with high CDK2 expression., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly resistant to ferroptosis, which hinders the application of anti-ferroptosis therapy. Through drug screening, it is found that histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) significantly sensitized CRC to ferroptosis. The combination of HDACi and ferroptosis inducers synergically suppresses CRC growth both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, HDACi reduces ferroptosis suppressor protein (FSP1) by promoting its mRNA degradation. Specifically, it is confirmed that HDACi specifically targets HDAC1 and promotes the H3K27ac modification of fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO) and AlkB Homolog 5, RNA Demethylase (ALKBH5), which results in significant activation of FTO and ALKBH5. The activation of FTO and ALKBH5 reduces N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification on FSP1 mRNA, leading to its degradation. Crucially, lactylation of HDAC1 K412 is essential for ferroptosis regulation. Both Vorinostat (SAHA) and Trichostatin A (TSA) notably diminish HDAC1 K412 lactylation in comparison to other HDAC1 inhibitors, exhibiting a consistent trend of increasing susceptibility to ferroptosis. In conclusion, the research reveals that HDACi decreases HDAC1 K412 lactylation to sensitize CRC to ferroptosis and that the combination of HDACi and ferroptosis inducers can be a promising therapeutic strategy for CRC., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Xiao-xu-ming decoction (XXMD), a prominent traditional Chinese medicinal formula historically revered for stroke treatment, demonstrates pronounced efficacy in ameliorating ischemic stroke injury., Aim of the Study: This study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of XXMD on neuroprotection subsequent to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in vivo and in vitro., Materials and Methods: Neurobehavioral test, TTC staining, HE staining and nissl staining were used to examine the neuroprotective effect of XXMD on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. Additionally, we assessed cell viability and injury with CCK8 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. The changes in neuronal ultra-structure were observed after oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Network analysis combined with ultrahighperformance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) predicted the mechanism of XXMD on ischemic stroke injury. Furthermore, the expression of neuroplasticity-related proteins neurofilament 200 (NF200), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), synaptophysin (SYN), phosphorylated Janus kinase2 (p-JAK2), and phosphorylated signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analyses., Results: XXMD significantly improved Ethology, infarct area and pathological changes after MCAO and reperfusion, reducing morphological and ultrastructural alterations and decreased cell viability in HT22 cells induced by OGD/R. Network pharmacology showed that 1153 compounds of XXMD were matched. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis demonstrated that XXMD treated ischemia stroke mainly regulating inflammation reaction-related signaling pathways, atherosclerosish-related signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that TP53, AKT1, STAT3, and IL6 are closely bound to the corresponding active ingredients. XXMD treatment significantly reversed the above alternations. XXMD or AG490 up-regulated the expression of neuroplasticity-associated proteins, and reduced phosphorylation of JAK2, STAT3 expression following OGD/R., Conclusion: XXMD exerts neuroprotective effects by promoting neural plasticity via regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, indicating a promising alternative therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To observe the effect of heat-reinforcing needling on the expression profile of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) in the synovial tissue of rabbits with cold-syndrome type rheumatoid arthritis (RA), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of RA., Methods: A total of 18 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into normal, model and heat-reinforcing needling (acupuncture) groups, with 6 rabbits in each group. The RA model was established by injection of mixed solution (emulsifier) of ovalbumin powder(80 mg) + NaCl (20 mL) +Freund's complete adjuvant (20 mL), combined with cold compress (ice cube +crystal calcium chloride) of the knee-joint. In addition, rabbits of the normal and model groups received regular grasping and fixation in the same way as those of the acupuncture group. For rabbits of the acupuncture group, the heat-reinforcing needling stimulation was applied to bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36) for about 1 min, followed by retaining the needle for 30 min, once a day, for a total of 7 d. The rabbits' general condition was observed, and the knee joint circumference and pain threshold after intervention were measured. The knee-joint cavity effusion, synovial thickness, and internal blood flow signals were observed using a color Doppler ultrasound apparatus. Histopathological changes of synovium were observed using H.E. staining. The contents of serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the differential LncRNAs and biological functions in the synovial tissues were detected and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology. The expression levels of 5 significantly differentially expressed LncRNAs were verified using qPCR., Results: Compared with the normal group, the model group of rabbits showed a significant increase in the knee joint circumference ( P <0.05) and the content of serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 ( P <0.05), and a significant decrease in the pain threshold ( P <0.05), and diffuse synovial hyperplasia of the synovial membrane, joint effusion and abnormal blood flow signals, proliferated and thickened synovial lining, with visible capillary formation beneath the lining and a large number of inflammatory cell clustering. In comparison with the model group, the knee joint circumference, and the serum contents of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were obviously decreased ( P <0.05), while the pain threshold was notably increased ( P <0.05), and H.E. staining showed a reduction in the hyperplasia of synovial lining, with a milder inflammatory cell infiltration. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis displayed that a total of 142 LncRNAs were found to have opposite expression trends between the acupuncture group and the model group, of which 83 LncRNAs were up-regulated in the model group vs the normal group and down-regulated in the acupuncture group vs the model group, mainly involving the core functional clusters of cell cycle, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and cell senescence, and 59 LncRNAs were down-regulated in the model group vs the normal group, and up-regulated in the acupuncture group vs the model group, mainly involving the metabolic pathway, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling and AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. The results of qPCR showed that compared with the normal group, the expression levels of MSTRG.15448.1 and MSTRG.17571.1 in the synovial tissue of knee joint were significantly decreased ( P <0.05), and those of MSTRG.5134.1, MSTRG.13294.1 and MSTRG.15972.1 were significantly increased ( P <0.05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the expression levels of MSTRG.15448.1 and MSTRG.17571.1 were significantly increased ( P <0.05), and those of MSTRG.5134.1, MSTRG.13294.1 and MSTRG.15972.1 were significantly decreased ( P <0.05) in the acupuncture group., Conclusions: The heat-reinforcing needling can regulate the expression profile of LncRNAs in the RA synovial tissue, which may be one of the mechanisms underlying inhibition of synovial inflammatory response and improvement of symptoms.

Liver ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury is a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related disease that occurs during liver transplantation and resection and hinders postoperative liver function recovery. Current approaches to alleviate liver I/R injury have limited effectiveness due to the short circulation time, poor solubility, and severe side effects of conventional antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs. Herein, a universal strategy is proposed to fabricate a Trojan horse-like biohybrid nanozyme (THBN) with hepatic-targeting capabilities. Tannic acid (TA) mediates adeno-associated virus (AAV8) decoration onto 2D Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets, resulting in THBN with a size of 116.2 ± 9.5 nm. Remarkably, THBN exhibits catalase (CAT)-like activity, broad-spectrum ROS scavenging activity and targeted delivery to liver tissue owing to the presence of AAV8. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed the efficacy of THBN in attenuating liver I/R injury by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress and inhibiting hepatocellular apoptosis. RNA-seq analysis suggests that THBN may alleviate liver I/R injury by activating the PKC pathway. The effective targeting and therapeutic capabilities of THBN represent an advancement in nanotherapeutics for hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury, shedding light on the promising potential of this next-generation nanotherapeutic approach., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Enshi Yulu tea (ESYL) is the most representative of steamed green tea in China, but its aroma formation in processing is unclear. Thus, the ESYL volatiles during the whole industrial processing were investigated using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry., Results: A total of 134 volatiles were identified. Among these, 31 differential volatiles [P < 0.05 and variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1] and 25 key volatiles [relative odor activity value (rOAV) and/or the ratio of each rOAV to the maximum rOAV (ROAV) > 1.0] were screened out, wherein β-ionone and nonanal were the most key odorants. Besides, the sensory evaluation combined with multivariate statistical analysis of volatiles pinpointed spreading, fixation, first drying, and second drying as the key processing steps that have a pronounced influence on the aroma quality of ESYL. Furthermore, the oxidative degradation of unsaturated fatty acids, synthesis of monoterpenes, and degradation of carotenoids were the main metabolic pathway for the formation of key odorants., Conclusion: The study provides comprehensive insights into the volatile characteristics during the industrial processing of ESYL and promote our understanding of the aroma formation in steamed green teas. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Cost-efficient material with an ingenious design is important in the engineering applications of flexible energy storage and electromagnetic (EM) protection. In this study, bimetallic ZnCo 2 S 4 (ZCS) polyhedral nanoparticles homogenously embedded in the surface of porous N-doped carbon nanofiber membranes (ZCS@PCNFM) have been fabricated by electrospinning technique combined with carbonization and hydrothermal processes. As a self-assembled electrode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the bimetallic ZCS nanoparticles possess rich redox reactions, good electrical conductivity, and pseudocapacitive properties, while the three-dimensional (3D) multiaperture architecture of the nanofiber film not only shortens the transfer spacing of lithium ions and electrons but also effectively tolerates the volume variation during lithiation and delithiation cycles. Benefiting from the above merits, the ZCS@PCNFM electrode exhibits good cycle performance (662.3 mA h/g at 100 mA/g after 100 cycles), superior rate capacity (401.3 mA h/g at 1 A/g) and an extremely high initial specific capacity of 1152.2 mAh/g at 100 mA/g. Meanwhile, depending on the hierarchical nanostructure and multi-component heterogeneous interface effects constructed by 3D inlaid architecture, the ZCS@PCNFM nanocomposite exhibits fascinating microwave absorption (MA) characteristics with a superhigh reflection loss (RL) of -49.7 dB at a filling content of only 20 wt% and corresponding effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL<-10 dB) of 5.2 GHz ranging from 12.8 to 18.0 GHz at 2.2 mm., 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.)

A nuclear-localized cysteine desulfhydrase, LCD1, plays a crucial role in mediating endogenous hydrogen sulfide production in tomatoes. However, the mechanism underlying the nuclear localization of SlLCD1 is not yet fully understood. In this study, it was found that SlLCD1 specifically interacted with nuclear import receptor importin α3 (SlIMPA3). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that silencing SlIMPA3 through virus-induced gene silencing or introducing mutations in SlIMPA3 via CRISPR/Cas9 significantly accelerated fruit ripening. Moreover, enhanced chlorophyll degradation, carotenoid accumulation, and premature upregulation of ripening-associated genes in the slimpa3 mutant indicated SlIMPA3 to be a negative regulator of fruit ripening and leaf senescence. Besides, SlIMPA3 deletion resulted in excessive hydrogen peroxide accumulation in fruits and leaves, potentially leading to premature leaf senescence and accelerated fruit ripening in the slimpa3 mutant. SlIMPA3 exhibited pronounced nuclear localization with weak distribution in the cytoplasm. SlLCD1 showed specific nuclear localization; however, after GFP tagging in slimpa3 -edited tomato leaves, it migrated to the cytoplasm, suggesting that SlIMPA3 mediated the nuclear localization of SlLCD1. SlLCD1 transient expression in slimpa3 mutant fruits indicated that it did not inhibit tomato ripening following the SlIMPA3 mutation. In summary, our study revealed that SlIMPA3 interacted with SlLCD1 to facilitate its nuclear entry. Mutations in SlIMPA3 led to premature fruit ripening and leaf senescence, likely due to disrupted reactive oxygen species homeostasis resulting from SlLCD1 mislocalization in the slimpa3 mutant.

Ionic skin can mimic human skin to sense both temperature and pressure simultaneously. However, a significant challenge remains in creating precise ionic skins resistant to external stimuli interference when subjected to pressure. In this study, we present an innovative approach to address this challenge by introducing a highly anisotropic nanofluidic ionic skin (ANIS) composed of carboxylated cellulose nanofibril (CNF)-reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibrillar network achieved through a straightforward one-step hot drawing method. The inherent anisotropic nanostructures endowed the ANIS with a modulus (20.9 ± 4.9 MPa) comparable to that of human cartilage and skin, alongside higher fracture energy (41.4 ± 0.3 kJ/m 2 ) and fatigue threshold (1360 J/m 2 ). Incorporating carboxylated CNF not only improves the negative potential but also increases the ionic conductivity of ANIS up to 0.001 S/cm, even at very low ionic concentration (1.0 × 10 -6 M). Furthermore, the ANIS exhibits pressure-independent temperature sensitivity due to its high deformation-resistant performance. Thus, this work introduces a facile strategy for fabricating ANIS with pressure-independent thermosensing properties, promising prospects for practical healthcare applications.

This study explored the action mechanism of Jiawei Xionggui Decoction in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) by integrating mouse brain tissue metabolomics and network pharmacology. Six-month-old amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1(APP/PS1) mice were selected and divided into the APP/PS1 group and Jiawei Xionggui Decoction intervention group, with age-matched C57BL/6 mice serving as controls. Cognitive abilities and pathological damage in the mice were observed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry(GC-MS/MS) technology was utilized to analyze the metabolic profiles of mice brain tissue. Differential metabolites were screened, and relevant metabolic pathways were enriched. Network pharmacology was adopted to screen the active components of Jiawei Xionggui Decoction, so as to construct a protein-protein interaction network of its core targets for AD treatment and conduct Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analysis of potential targets for Jiawei Xionggui Decoction in treating AD. Finally, a &quot;metabolite-reaction-enzyme-gene&quot; network was constructed for combined analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology. The results showed that Jiawei Xionggui Decoction significantly reversed the trends of 18 differential metabolites involved in 15 metabolic pathways such as glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and tricarboxylic acid cycle(TCA) in mouse brain tissue. Furthermore, 383 core targets of Jiawei Xionggui Decoction were implicated in pathways like the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) signaling pathway and calcium signaling pathway. Overall analysis indicated that energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism were crucial metabolic pathways for Jiawei Xionggui Decoction in treating AD. The findings suggest that Jiawei Xionggui Decoction can protect neuronal cells in mouse brain tissue, thus improving cognitive impairment.

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly advances, its deployment within the medical sector presents substantial ethical challenges. Consequently, it becomes crucial to create a standardized, transparent, and secure framework for processing medical data. This includes setting the ethical boundaries for medical artificial intelligence and safeguarding both patient rights and data integrity. This consensus governs every facet of medical data handling through artificial intelligence, encompassing data gathering, processing, storage, transmission, utilization, and sharing. Its purpose is to ensure the management of medical data adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements, while safeguarding patient privacy and data security. Concurrently, the principles of compliance with the law, patient privacy respect, patient interest protection, and safety and reliability are underscored. Key issues such as informed consent, data usage, intellectual property protection, conflict of interest, and benefit sharing are examined in depth. The enactment of this expert consensus is intended to foster the profound integration and sustainable advancement of artificial intelligence within the medical domain, while simultaneously ensuring that artificial intelligence adheres strictly to the relevant ethical norms and legal frameworks during the processing of medical data.

Unexplained fever poses significant diagnostic challenges in resource-limited settings like Bamako, Mali, where overlapping endemic diseases include malaria, HIV/AIDS, yellow fever, typhoid, and others. This study aimed to elucidate the infectious etiologies of acute febrile illnesses in this context. Acute febrile patients of any age were enrolled after informed consent or assent. Baseline clinical and demographic data were collected, and samples were analyzed by using rapid diagnostic tests, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, ELISA, and virus-targeted metagenomic sequencing (virome capture sequencing platform for vertebrate viruses [VirCapSeq-VERT]). Among 108 enrolled subjects, most were male (51.9%) and under 15 years old (56.5%). Measles virus was identified in 39.8% of cases, primarily among children. Other findings included Plasmodium spp. (12%), Salmonella spp. (13%), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; 8.7%). The virome capture sequencing platform for vertebrate viruses was used for 101 subjects, corroborating many routine test results and identifying additional cases of measles virus (1), SARS-CoV-2 (5), and numerous other agents. Notably, nearly all subjects showed evidence of herpesviruses (90%) and anelloviruses (98%). Hemorrhagic fever viruses were not observed. With the inclusion of VirCapSeq-VERT, identifiable pathogens were found in 79.6% of cases, leaving 20.4% without a clear etiology. The identification of more than one concurrent pathogen was common (41.5%). Integrating metagenomic sequencing with routine laboratory diagnostic testing enhances the detection of pathogens in acute febrile illnesses, highlighting its potential value in identifying infectious etiologies in resource-limited settings.

Tic disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs in children or adolescents, often attracting the attention of others due to involuntary, repetitive, and non-rhythmic tics, and drug therapy often causes negative emotions in children and their families due to its significant adverse reactions, poor compliance, and tendency of recurrence after drug withdrawal. In recent years, comprehensive behavioral intervention has shown great potential as a safe and effective treatment modality for tic disorders, with few adverse reactions. This article reviews the advances in the application of comprehensive behavioral intervention for tic disorder in China and abroad in the past 5 years, in order to provide a reference for clinical application.

Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets (TWPT) have traditionally been used to treat certain inflammatory diseases. This study validated TWPT as a novel application in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment through multiple targets, thereby expanding its clinical medication scope. TWPT exhibited a low toxicity and a significantly antihepatoma effects in vitro and in vivo . Through network pharmacology analysis, we found TWPT attenuated the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by multi-targeting, including IL-6, MMP9, TNF-α and VEGFA. Additionally, TWPT targeted IL-6 to regulate downstream pathways, including the PI3K/Akt, JAK2/STAT3, and MAPK signaling pathways. Thus, TWPT could be developed as a potential therapeutic drug for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Introduction: Sports gains reflect the sports development of college students, which is a direct reflection of the quality of school sports work, while the perception of sports environment, physical activity behavior, and self-efficacy in sports learning are closely related to their sports gains, which directly affects their effectiveness and interest in sports learning., Objective: To investigate the effects of perceived sports environment on Chinese college students' sport gains, and to verify the mediating roles of physical activity behavior and self-efficacy in sport learning., Methods: A survey of 2,207 Chinese university students was conducted using the sport environment perception scale, sport gain scale, physical activity behavior scale, and sport learning self-efficacy scale., Results: (1) There were significant differences in age and gender between college students' perceptions of sport environment, sport gains, sport exercise behavior, and sport learning self-efficacy, and the mean scores of each scale were better for male students than for female students. (2) Perception of sports environment was significantly positively correlated with sports gain, and perception of sports environment had a direct positive effect on sports gain. In addition, sport environment perception positively predicted physical activity behavior and sport learning self-efficacy; physical activity behavior significantly predicted sport learning self-efficacy and sport gains; physical learning self-efficacy was a significant positive predictor of sport gains. (3) Physical activity behavior and physical learning self-efficacy played a significant chained mediating role between perceived physical environment and physical gains. These results are important for promoting physical education learning outcomes among college students and provide a theoretical basis for developing interventions. However, there are limitations to this study, such as the specificity of the sample and the self-reported data used. Future research could expand the sample and utilize multiple assessment methods to validate these 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 Wu, Gao and Xiang.)

Volatile constituents are critical to the flavor of tea, but the changes in Enshi Yulu tea during the processing have not been clearly understood. Using headspace solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) techniques, we analyze the aroma components of Enshi Yulu tea and changes in them during the processing stages. In total, 242 volatile compounds were identified. From fresh leaves to the shaping process in tea production, there are significant decreases in overall aroma substances, followed by increases after drying. Linalool is the dominant aroma component in Enshi Yulu tea, with a proportion of 12.35%, followed by compounds such as geraniol (7.41%), 2,6-dimethyl-5-heptene (6.93%), phenylmethanol (5.98%), isobutyl acetate (4.16%), hexan-1-ol (3.95%), 2-phenylacetaldehyde (3.80%), and oct-1-ene-3-ol (3.34%). The number of differential volatile components varied by production stage, with 20 up- and 139 down-regulated after steaming, 24 down-regulated after rolling, 60 up- and 51 down-regulated after shaping, and 68 up- and 13 down-regulated after drying. Most variation in expression occurred because of steaming, and the least during the rolling stage. PLS-DA analysis revealed significant differences in aroma components throughout processing and the identification of 100 compounds with higher relative contents, with five distinct change trends. Phenylmethanol, phenylacetaldehyde, (2E) -non-2-enal, oct-1-ene-3-ol, and cis -3-hexenyl hexanoate could exert a profound influence on the overall aroma quality of Enshi Yulu tea during processing. The results offer a scientific foundation and valuable insights for understanding the volatile composition of Enshi Yulu tea and its changes during the processing.

Background: The CALLY index, which is derived from C-reactive protein (CRP) content, serum albumin level, and total lymphocyte count, reflects the immune, nutritional, and inflammatory status of the body. Lack of sufficient evidence on the correlation between the CALLY index and the prognosis of cancer patients with various cancer forms. This study seeks to elucidate the association between the CALLY index and mortality from all causes as well as specific causes in cancer patients within a U.S., Methods: This investigation encompassed 3511 cancer-afflicted adults from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES) spanning 1999 to 2018. The CALLY index was measured at baseline only. The relationship between the CALLY index and mortality from both all causes and cancer specifically was examined using Cox proportional hazards models. Additionally, restricted cubic spline, piecewise linear regression, and various subgroup and sensitivity analyses were employed., Results: Over a median follow-up of 103 months, 1,355 deaths occurred, and the incidence of all-cause mortality for these participants was 38.34%. Our findings indicate that an elevated CALLY index correlates with a diminished risk of all-cause mortality. Upon applying a natural logarithmic transformation to the CALLY index, the comprehensively adjusted model revealed that each one-unit increment in ln CALLY corresponded to a 18% decrease in all-cause mortality risk among cancer patients (HR = 0.82, 95% CI:0.79-0.86). Analyses of mortality due to cardiac and cancer-related causes yielded consistent results, which were robust across various subgroup and sensitivity analyses., Conclusion: The CALLY index demonstrated a linear and negative association with all-cause mortality, as well as mortality caused by cancer and cardiac conditions, highlighting its significant prognostic value in patients with oncological conditions., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. This study utilized publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was approved by the National Center for Health Statistics Ethics Review Board. All participants provided informed consent at the time of data collection by NHANES. Consent for publication: Not applicable. This manuscript does not contain any individual person’s data in any form. Competing interests: The authors declare that no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest influenced the research conducted., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fidelity estimation is a necessary tool for evaluating noise in quantum measurement and quantum computation. The traditional fidelity estimation is to calculate the distance between two density matrices by employing direct fidelity estimation, which consumes too much copies of state. To reduce the number of copies of the state, we develop optimal fidelity estimation by proposing an optimal model. It calculates the minimum number of copies of state given a fixed value for the fidelity deviation. The result shows it saves a large number of copies of state compared with traditional approach (Direct Fidelity estimation) that is developed several years ago.The number of copies of the state employed increases slower than linear increase with increase of the dimension of density matrix when pauli measurement basis is applied. In addition, it consumes roughly a constant number of copies of the state with the increase of dimension of density matrix when the measurement bases are freely chosen., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Livestock and poultry meat consumption play an important role in the dietary structure of Chinese residents. However, the extent of residues of veterinary drugs and heavy metal contamination in livestock and poultry meat and their by-products within Hunan province is not extensively studied. This survey aimed to fill this gap by assessing the presence of 76 veterinary drug residues in Hunan province. Additionally, heavy metals in pork and pig liver were also assessed. The obtained findings suggest that residues of veterinary drugs are still present in livestock and poultry meat, as well as their by-products, within Hunan province. However, the contamination of heavy metals remained within the food safety limits. These results underscore the significance of establishing more refined criteria for assessing human exposure, taking into account factors such as consumption patterns, product varieties and chemical compounds of interest.

Measles is vaccine-preventable extremely contagious disease caused by the measles virus. High vaccination coverage is needed to prevent outbreaks of disease. Although molecular surveillance of measles is critical to characterize outbreaks and track viral evolution, few whole-genome sequences of measles virus from West Africa are available despite continual outbreaks in the region. Using VirCapSeq-VERT, an enhanced and comprehensive metagenomic sequencing technique that allows for simultaneous identification of all vertebrate viruses, 23 wild-type near-complete genomes of measles virus from across Mali were obtained from samples collected between January 2012 to October 2022. Other febrile rash illnesses were also identified by VirCapSeq-VERT, demonstrating the advantage of using broad detection agnostic methods when the clinical diagnosis is unclear. Whereas one measles virus sequence was consistent with measles vaccine-associated rash illness (VARI), the remaining 38 were classified within the B3.1 genotype. Broad surveillance throughout Mali reveals regional measles virus transmission across West and Central Africa into Mali, while local clinical testing in Bamako shows stable sequence conservation within genotype B3.1 evolving from Nigerian sequences. The genomic information generated in this study is critical in addressing the lack of whole genome sequences available in West Africa and these findings show the importance of phylogenetically tracking measles outbreaks given recent increases in measles cases globally., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Any competing interests were declared. All authors read and approved the final version., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: This study aims to explore the diagnostic significance of basal sex hormone levels and pelvic B-mode ultrasound in the context of central precocious puberty (CPP) in female children., Methods: A cohort study was conducted at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2014 to January 2024. The study enrolled female children exhibiting early breast development before the age of 8 and subjected them to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation tests. Subsequently, the participants were categorized into a CPP cohort and a non- CPP cohort, each comprising 75 individuals. Comparative analysis was performed on the basal luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, uterine length and ovarian volume between the two cohorts., Results: The results show no significant differences were observed in age and body mass index (BMI) between the CPP and non-CPP groups (both p > 0.05). However, basal LH levels, uterine length, and ovarian volume were significantly higher in the CPP group compared to the non-CPP group (all p < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that basal LH levels, uterine length, and ovarian volume were independent risk factors for CPP in female children (all p < 0.05). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for basal LH, ovarian volume, and uterine length were 0.823, 0.752 and 0.730, respectively. The combined diagnosis of these three factors significantly improved diagnostic performance, with an AUC of 0.931 (95% confidence interval (CI) : 0.891-0.972), a sensitivity of 88.00%, and a specificity of 86.70%., Conclusions: The integration of basal levels of sex hormones and pelvic B-mode ultrasound holds considerable importance in the diagnosis of CPP in young girls, offering a non-invasive, accessible and cost-effective method for clinical assessment. Therefore, its utilization is highly recommended., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©2024 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press.)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with a high mortality rate, primarily due to liver metastasis. This study explores the role of centromere protein N (CENP-N) in mediating the methylation of septin 9 (SEPT9) and its subsequent effects on aerobic glycolysis and liver metastasis in CRC. We employed in vitro and in vivo experiments, including single-cell RNA sequencing, methylation-specific PCR (MSP), ChIP assays, and various functional assays to assess the impact of CENP-N and SEPT9 on CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metabolic reprogramming. Our data reveal that CENP-N directly interacts with SEPT9, enhancing its methylation at specific lysine residues. This modification significantly upregulates key glycolytic enzymes, thereby promoting aerobic glycolysis, CRC cell proliferation, and migration. In vivo studies further demonstrate that the CENP-N/SEPT9 axis facilitates liver metastasis of CRC, as confirmed by fluorescence imaging and histological analysis. This study identifies a novel pathway where CENP-N-mediated methylation of SEPT9 drives metabolic reprogramming and metastasis in CRC. These findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for inhibiting CRC progression and liver metastasis, offering new insights into CRC pathogenesis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the National Cancer Center (No. NCC2024A258). Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: This study aimed to determine the effect and mechanism of the Decoction of Yougui Wan combined with Wuzi Yanzong Wan (DYWWYW), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, in a mouse model with thin endometrium induced by 95% ethanol., Methods: Thin endometrium mice were treated with progynova (0.002 mg) as well as a low and high dose of DYWWYW (0.05 and 0.5 mL DYWWYW, respectively, diluted in 2 mL normal saline). Western blotting and qRT-PCR analyses were performed to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels, respectively, of integrin αγβ3 and leukaemia inhibitor factor (LIF) in uterus tissues. Serum oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were determined via ELISA. The remaining thin endometrium mice were mated with male mice, and the number of embryos implanted in the different groups was calculated., Results: A high dose of DYWWYW effectively ameliorated the injury of endometrium caused by 95% ethanol. The levels of oestradiol, progesterone, αγβ3 and LIF in thin endometrium mice treated with a high dose of DYWWYW were also significantly elevated. Additionally, a high dose of DYWWYW remarkably increased the number of embryo implantations in mice with thin endometrium., Conclusion: DYWWYW has improvement effects on thin endometrium by elevating the levels of endogenous oestradiol, progesterone, αγβ3, and LIF in a mouse model.

Heat stress transcription factors (HSFs) are core factors of plants in response to heat stress (HS), but their regulatory network is complicated and remains elusive in a large part, especially HSFBs. In this study, we reported that the LlERF012-LlHSFA1 module participates in heat stress response (HSR) by directly regulating HSF pathway in lily (Lilium longiflorum). LlHSFB1 was confirmed as a positive regulator in lily thermotolerance and a heat-inducible AP2/ERF member LlERF012 (Ethylene Response Factor 012) was further identified to be a direct trans-activator of LlHSFB1. Overexpression of LlERF012 elevated the thermotolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis and lily, but silencing LlERF012 reduced thermotolerance in lily. Further analysis showed LlERF012 interacted with LlHSFA1, which led to enhanced transactivation activity and DNA-binding capability of LlERF012. In addition, LlERF012 also directly activated the expression of LlHSFA1 by binding its promoter. As expected, we found that LlERF012 bound the promoters of LlHSFA2, LlHSFA3A, and LlHSFA3B to stimulate their expression, and LlERF012-LlHSFA1 interaction enhanced these activation effects. Overall, our data suggested that LlERF012 was a key factor for lily thermotolerance and the LlERF012-LlHSFA1 interaction synergistically regulated the activity of the HSF pathway including the class A and B members, which might be of great significance for coordinating the functions of different HSFs., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Deficiency in DNA-damage repair (DDR) genes, often due to disruptive coding variants, is linked to higher cancer risk. Our previous study has revealed the association between rare loss-of-function variants in DDR genes and the risk of lung cancer. However, it is still challenging to study the predisposing role of rare regulatory variants of these genes., Methods: Based on whole-genome sequencing data from 2984 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 3020 controls, we performed massively parallel reporter assays on 1818 rare variants located in the promoters of DDR genes. Pathway- or gene-level burden analyses were performed using Firth's logistic regression or generalized linear model., Findings: We identified 750 rare functional regulatory variants (frVars) that showed allelic differences in transcriptional activity within the promoter regions of DDR genes. Interestingly, the burden of frVars was significantly elevated in cases (odds ratio [OR] = 1.17, p = 0.026), whereas the burden of variants prioritized solely based on bioinformatics annotation was comparable between cases and controls (OR = 1.04, p = 0.549). Among the frVars, 297 were down-regulated transcriptional activity (dr-frVars) and 453 were up-regulated transcriptional activity (ur-frVars); especially, dr-frVars (OR = 1.30, p = 0.008) rather than ur-frVars (OR = 1.06, p = 0.495) were significantly associated with risk of NSCLC. Individuals with NSCLC carried more dr-frVars from Fanconi anemia, homologous recombination, and nucleotide excision repair pathways. In addition, we identified seven genes (i.e., BRCA2, GTF2H1, DDB2, BLM, ALKBH2, APEX1, and RAD51B) with promoter dr-frVars that were associated with lung cancer susceptibility., Interpretation: Our findings indicate that functional promoter variants in DDR genes, in addition to protein-truncating variants, can be pathogenic and contribute to lung cancer susceptibility., Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Youth Foundation of Jiangsu Province, Research Unit of Prospective Cohort of Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Polysaccharides are one of the main active components of Schisandra chinensis and have been shown to possess diverse biological activities. In this study, we investigated the preventive effect of Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide (SCP) on alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) by chronic-plus-binge ethanol feeding and the underlying mechanisms. The results suggest that supplementation with SCP prevents ALD by modulating gut microbiota and tryptophan (Trp) metabolism. SCP significantly enriched intestinal Lactobacillus, especially Lactobacillus reuteri, restored the content of intestinal indole derivatives (TRM, IAA, ILA, IALD) that can activate the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), increased the colon AHR pathway activity, repaired intestinal barriers damage, reduced the circulating LPS, and inhibited the liver inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid accumulation. The in vitro Trp metabolizing capacity was used to selected for a strain of L.reuteri whose in vitro proliferation was similarly promoted by SCP. Importantly, the gavage of the L.reuteri increased intestinal TRM content in mice. In addition, its ALD preventive effects were consistent with SCP and dependent on the colon AHR pathway. Our findings confirm that SCP may prevent ALD by mudulating the gut microbial-Trp metabolism-AHR pathway axis, suggesting that supplementation with the prebiotic SCP is an effective way to prevent ALD., 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.)

Background: Rapidly identifying pathogens and determining their antimicrobial susceptibilities using samples directly from flagged blood culture bottles pose significant challenges for clinical laboratories. Thus, a cost-effective and efficient sample-processing method is urgently needed to address this issue. To fulfill this need, we developed a novel protocol to rapidly identify pathogens and determine their antimicrobial susceptibilities using samples directly from blood culture bottles., Methods: Samples were either processed by the Sepsityper kit or our in-house methods. In our approach, we processed the samples using either a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) or a NaOH-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, followed by membrane filtration (MF) and centrifugation. Subsequently, the samples were analyzed using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) for identification and the Vitek® 2 for antimicrobial susceptibility determination., Results: In this study, 122 clinical blood culture samples were analyzed, and our MF protocol displayed enhanced accuracy in identifying gram-positive organisms (n = 58) and gram-negative bacilli (n = 64) compared to the Sepsityper method. In particular, the Triton-MF and SDS-MF techniques outperformed Sepsityper in identifying gram-negative bacilli, with accuracy rates of 92.2 %, 85.9 %, and 78.1 %, respectively. Notably, both the Triton-MF and SDS-MF methods exhibited high categorical agreement (CA) for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for carbapenem against Enterobacterales, with CAs of 100 % and 98.7 %, respectively. Additionally, both methods exhibited a perfect CA and essential agreement of 100 % for Enterococcus faecium AST for vancomycin., Conclusion: These findings strongly indicate that our MF methods have the potential to streamline the identification and AST of bacteria in positive blood cultures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Blonanserin (BNS) is a well-tolerated and effective drug for treating schizophrenia., Aim: To investigate which types of patients would obtain the most benefit from BNS treatment., Methods: A total of 3306 participants were evaluated in a 12-week, prospective, multicenter, open-label post-marketing surveillance study of BNS. Brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) scores were calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of BNS, and its safety was assessed with the incidence of adverse drug reactions. Linear regression was used to screen the influencing factors for the reduction of BPRS total score, and logistic regression was used to identify patients with a better response to BNS., Results: The baseline BPRS total score (48.8 ± 15.03) decreased to 27.7 ± 10.08 at 12 weeks ( P < 0.001). Extrapyramidal symptoms (14.6%) were found to be the most frequent adverse drug reactions. The acute phase, baseline BPRS total score, current episode duration, number of previous episodes, dose of concomitant antipsychotics, and number of types of sedative-hypnotic agents were found to be independent factors affecting the reduction of BPRS total score after treatment initiation. Specifically, patients in the acute phase with baseline BPRS total score ≥ 45, current episode duration < 3 months, and ≤ 3 previous episodes derived greater benefit from 12-week treatment with BNS., Conclusion: Patients in the acute phase with more severe symptoms, shorter current episode duration, fewer previous episodes, and a lower psychotropic drug load derived the greatest benefit from treatment with BNS., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Hai-Yun Li is an employee of Sumitomo Pharma (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. The other authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are critical components of innate immunity in diverse organisms, including plants, vertebrates, and insects. This study identified and characterized a novel Lepidoptera-specific AMP, named lepidoptin, from the invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Lepidoptin is a 116-amino acid protein containing a signal peptide and a novel β-sandwich domain that is distinct from previously reported AMPs. Temporal and spatial expression analyses revealed a significant upregulation of the lepidoptin gene in vivo and in cultured SF9 cells in response to pathogens. Molecular docking analysis identified a specific binding cavity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and binding assays confirmed that lepidoptin can bind to pathogen-associated molecular patterns, bacteria, and fungi. Recombinant lepidoptin exhibited potent antibacterial activity by inducing bacterial agglutination, inhibiting bacterial growth, increasing bacterial membrane permeability, and preventing biofilm formation. Lepidoptin also showed antifungal activity against the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana by inhibiting spore germination, increasing fungal cell permeability, and increasing reactive oxygen species. Injection of recombinant lepidoptin into S. frugiperda larvae increased survival after B. bassiana infection, whereas knockdown of lepidoptin by RNA interference decreased larval survival. In addition, lepidoptin showed antimicrobial activity against the plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum by inhibiting spore germination and alleviating disease symptoms in wheat seedlings and cherry tomatoes. This study demonstrates the remarkable dual functionality of lepidoptin in enhancing S. frugiperda immunity and controlling plant pathogens, making it a promising candidate for biocontrol strategies in both pest management and plant disease prevention., (© 2024 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Introduction: Wastewater surveillance is an important technique to monitor public health and is being studied extensively for pandemic prevention, force health protection and readiness, and as a potential early warning system for chem-bio defense. Wastewater surveillance has traditionally relied on techniques such as quantitative PCR or targeted sequencing, both of which are microbe- or disease-specific tools. Newer pan-viral metagenomics strategies may provide higher specificity for pathogens of interest, resulting in a lower false negative rate and reduced sequencing of undesired background nucleic acids. One such system, VirCapSeq-VERT, has been developed to target all vertebrate virus pathogens; until recently, its application has been limited to clinical samples. The objective of this study was to use VirCapSeq-VERT to interrogate wastewater samples from the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, Colorado, to determine its utility in assessing complex samples and its potential application in public health surveillance., Materials and Methods: Biweekly samples were analyzed from February 2022 through May 2023. Samples were collected from the wastewater treatment facility at USAFA before treatment and stored at -20 °C until total nucleic acid (tNA: DNA and RNA) extraction. tNA was then subject to the probe-based capture system, VirCapSeq, and run through a collection of public bioinformatics pipelines to identify captured viral pathogens and perform phylogenetic analysis. It was determined by the USAFA IRB that the study was non-human subject research and was deemed exempt., Results: In total, 68 families of viruses were identified, comprising thousands of individual strains. This study focused on viruses responsible for gastrointestinal dysfunction as a test of the use of the VirCapSeq-VERT to identify human pathogenic viruses within a complex and highly enriched biological sample. Four enteric viruses dominated the wastewater samples, with Adenoviridae most prevalent before the cadet winter recess (December 17, 2022-January 4, 2023) and Astroviridae most abundant thereafter., Conclusion: Although gastroenteritis outbreaks at USAFA are commonly attributed to norovirus because of clinical presentation and the acute nature of the illness-often diagnosed and treated without confirmatory stool testing-this virus was not found in high prevalence in these wastewater samples. Among adenoviruses, F serotype 41 predominated, suggesting a role in gastrointestinal infections among the cadet population. Phylogenetic investigation of adenovirus and norovirus exposed common variants with seasonal distributions. These findings may prompt correlational studies to assess the clinical predictive capability of VirCapSeq-VERT and to determine the utility of wastewater monitoring as an outbreak early warning system., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

Although Enshi Yulu tea (ESYL) possesses a distinctive fragrance, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on its primary volatiles or aroma genesis. This study aims to elucidate the dynamics in the profiles of aromas and volatiles through aroma profiling analysis and headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 10 aroma attributes and 128 volatiles were identified in ESYL, with geraniol and linalool exhibiting the highest levels, and alcohols constituting the predominant proportion. Besides, a relative odor activity value (ROAV) based molecular aroma wheel was constructed, revealing 12 key odorants with ROAVs >1, wherein linalool, β-ionone, and nonanal ranked highest. Notably, steaming and final drying emerged as critical steps for ESYL aroma development, while the non-enzymatic degradation of fatty acids likely contributed to the formation of its fresh aroma. These findings significantly enhance our comprehension of ESYL aroma formation., 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.)

We utilized a pan-viral capture sequencing assay, VirCapSeq-VERT, to assess viral diversity in rodents from the Eastern Province of Zambia as a model for pre-pandemic viral reservoir surveillance. We report rodent adeno-, parvo-, paramyxo-, and picornaviruses that represent novel species or isolates, including murine adenovirus 4, two additional species in the genus Chaphamaparvovirus , two paramyxoviruses distantly related to unclassified viruses in the genus Jeilongvirus , and the first Aichivirus A sequence identified from rodents in Africa. Our results emphasize the importance of rodents as a reservoir for potential zoonotic viruses.

Herein, a Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 @Bi 25 FeO 40 heterostructure with a high specific surface area of 30.07 m 2 g -1 and abundant heterogeneous interfaces was successfully fabricated and applied to supercapacitors for the first time. The Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 @Bi 25 FeO 40 electrode exhibits a high specific capacity (550.8 F g -1 at 1.0 A g -1 ) and good cycling stability (75% capacitance retention and 92.3% coulombic efficiency after 3000 cycles at 5.0 A g -1 ), significantly outperforming the pure Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 or Bi 25 FeO 40 electrode. This work proposes an effective interfacial engineering strategy to enhance supercapacitor performance.

Objective: The right upper transversal hepatectomy (RUTH) is considered a complex technique of parenchymal-sparing hepatectomies. The intraoperative management of the right hepatic vein (RHV) is still controversial because it may cause obstruction of outflow in the remnant hepatic segment. The aim of this study is to present our experience of laparoscopic RUTH and the strategy of RHV resection and reconstruction in different settings., Methods: Five patients who underwent laparoscopic RUTH for liver tumor were enrolled retrospectively. Clinical and pathological features of the patients, peri-operative treatment, as well as short- and long-term outcomes were collected for analysis., Results: Laparoscopic RUTH was successfully performed in all five patients. Two individuals underwent RUTH while preserving RHV. Among the remaining patients who underwent RUTH with RHV resection, one patient underwent RHV reconstruction but the others did not. Immediate or long-term venous related complications did not occurred in a median follow-up period of nine months., Conclusions: Laparoscopic RUTH surgery for tumors in the right upper region of the liver is safe and feasible. The strategic workflow we proposed for the resection and reconstruction of the RHV offers a reliable method for preserving liver parenchyma and reducing the risk of postoperative liver failure., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Consumption of more plant-based foods is gaining popularity, but the role of healthy versus unhealthy plant-based diets in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remains inconclusive., Objectives: We investigated associations of plant-based diet indices (PDIs) with incident CVDs in a prospective cohort study and conducted an updated meta-analysis., Methods: We included 3507 men and 5345 women of the population-based Rotterdam Study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke per SD increment of an overall PDI, healthy PDI (hPDI) and unhealthy PDI (uPDI), among men and women separately. We combined our findings with previously published effect estimates in an updated meta-analysis., Results: We documented 2015 CVD cases (1231 CHD and 952 stroke) during 107,290 person-years follow-up. Among men, the PDI and hPDI were associated with a 7 % (HR 0.93, 95 % CI 0.87-0.99) and 8 % (HR 0.92, 95 % CI 0.86-0.98) lower CVD risk. Among women, there was evidence suggesting a U-shaped association of the PDI with stroke (p non-linearity  < 0.01). In meta-analyses including up to 43,067 incident CVD cases among 359,740 participants from nine studies, the PDI and hPDI, were associated with a lower CVD riskand the uPDI with a higher CVD risk (pooled HRs [95 % CI], per SD, PDI: 0.94 [0.91-0.97], I 2  = 50.4 %; hPDI: 0.94 [0.91-0.98], I 2  = 74.7 %; uPDI: 1.03 [1.01-1.06], I 2  = 49.0 %)., Conclusions: Our findings support recommendations to consume relatively more healthy plant-based foods for CVD prevention. Potential differences by sex and non-linear associations warrant further investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: POCD is a common complication among patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), it is linked to loss of independence and reduced quality of life., Aim: To examine the association between postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), postoperative delirium (POD) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)., Design: A prospective cohort study., Methods: Patients who underwent elective isolated CABG were enrolled. POCD was assessed by a set of cognitive function tools. Delirium was assessed using the CAM-ICU. The logistic regression analyses were used to identify the predictive value of POD or IL-6 on POCD. The path analysis was used to analyse the relationship among POD, IL-6 and POCD., Results: A total of 212 patients were enrolled, with 25.0% of patients developing POD and 32.5% developing POCD. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with POD had a four-fold increased hazard of POCD (OR = 3.655), and patients with IL-6 ≥ 830.50 pg/mL at the 6th hours after surgery had a 5-fold increased risk of experiencing POCD (OR = 5.042). However, the mediation effect of POD between IL-6 and POCD was not statistically significant (β = 0.059, p = .392)., Conclusions: POD and IL-6 at the 6th hour after surgery (≥830.50 pg/mL) are two potent predictors for POCD, while POD did not play a mediation effect between IL-6 and POCD., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Early identification of risk factors (e.g., delirium assessment and testing for serum IL-6 levels) by clinical nurses for POCD may contribute to the clinical practice for the targeted prevention nursing strategies., (© 2024 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.)

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins comprise one of the largest families of transcription factors in plants, which play roles in plant development, secondary metabolism, and the response to biotic/abiotic stresses. However, the roles of bHLH proteins in thermotolerance are largely unknown. Herein, we identified a heat-inducible member of the bHLH family in lily (Lilium longiflorum), named LlbHLH87, which plays a role in thermotolerance. LlbHLH87 was rapidly induced by transient heat stress, and its encoded protein was localized to the nucleus, exhibiting transactivation activity in both yeast and plant cells. Overexpression of LlbHLH87 in Arabidopsis enhanced basal thermotolerance, while silencing of LlbHLH87 in lily reduced basal thermotolerance. Further analysis showed that LlbHLH87 bound to the promoters of HEAT STRESS TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A2 (LlHSFA2) and ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE 3 (LlEIN3) to directly activate their expression. In addition, LlbHLH87 interacted with itself and with SPATULA (LlSPT) protein. LlSPT was activated by extended heat stress and its protein competed for the homologous interaction of LlbHLH87, which reduced the transactivation ability of LlbHLH87 for target genes. Compared with that observed under LlbHLH87 overexpression alone, co-overexpression of LlbHLH87 and LlSPT reduced the basal thermotolerance of lily to sudden heat shock, but improved its thermosensitivity to prolonged heat stress treatment. Overall, our data demonstrated that LlbHLH87 regulates thermotolerance via activation of LlEIN3 and LlHSFA2, along with an antagonistic interaction with LlSPT., (© 2024 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: Coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with changed serum soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) will experience microalbuminuria and even kidney dysfunction. However, the role of sRAGE for microalbuminuria in CHD is still not established. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sRAGE and early kidney dysfunction in CHD patients., Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, sRAGE and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) were measured in hospitalized CHD patients who have undergone coronary arteriography to evaluate the distinction and correlation between sRAGE and uACR., Results: There were 127 CHD patients (mean age: 63.06 ± 10.93 years, 93 males) in the study, whose sRAGE were 1.83 ± 0.64 μg/L. The sRAGE level was higher in kidney injury group (uACR ≥ 30 mg/g) compared with no kidney injury group (uACR < 30 mg/g) [(2.08 ± 0.70 vs. 1.75 ± 0.61) μg/L, P < 0.05]. Moreover, the positive correlation between serum sRAGE and uACR was significant in CHD patients (r = 0.196, P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression suggests sRAGE as a predictor for microalbuminuria in CHD patients [Odd Ratio = 2.62 (1.12-6.15), P < 0.05)]. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of sRAGE is higher than that of the traditional indicators of renal function such as creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate, indicating sRAGE might have a good performance in evaluating early kidney injury in CHD patients [AUC is 0.660 (0.543-0.778), P < 0.01)]., Conclusions: Serum sRAGE was positively correlated to uACR and might serve as a potential marker to predict early kidney injury in CHD patients., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.)

Background: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a critical condition arising from prolonged physical exertion in high temperatures that typically presents with normal hemoglobin levels. However, atypical presentations can also occur, leading to significant complications such as hemolytic anemia and organ dysfunction., Case Summary: This case report describes a male patient who experienced moderate-to-severe anemia that was difficult to correct, with a confirmed diagnosis of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia accompanying multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, indicative of critical EHS. Despite intensive resuscitation efforts, the patient's condition deteriorated, necessitating admission to the intensive care unit for advanced management., Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of recognizing atypical presentations of EHS, particularly that with significant hemolytic anemia and concurrent organ failure. Clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion for these complications in patients displaying symptoms of heat-related illness, especially when caused by strenuous activity, as early diagnosis and intervention are crucial to improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study examines intergenerational support (IGS) and its impact on the subjective well-being of older adults in Chinese families, focusing on both upward and downward support. Data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies show considerable mutual support between parents and children. Support from children to parents significantly improves the well-being of older adults, while support from parents to children has less impact. Contrary to expectations, the interaction between upward and downward support does not significantly affect the well-being of older adults. We categorized IGS into four family types and found that families with upward-IGS reported higher well-being than those with no IGS. Our findings underscore the central role of financial support and caregiving activities in enhancing the subjective well-being of older adults. These findings also suggest a policy recommendation for refining social eldercare systems in China to alleviate family pressures associated with eldercare responsibilities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Dwarf bamboo ( Fargesia denudata ) is a crucial food source for the giant pandas. With its shallow root system and rapid growth, dwarf bamboo is highly sensitive to drought stress and nitrogen deposition, both major concerns of global climate change affecting plant growth and rhizosphere environments. However, few reports address the response mechanisms of the dwarf bamboo rhizosphere environment to these two factors. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of drought stress and nitrogen deposition on the physicochemical properties and microbial community composition of the arrow bamboo rhizosphere soil, using metagenomic sequencing to analyze functional genes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycles. Both drought stress and nitrogen deposition significantly altered the soil nutrient content, but their combination had no significant impact on these indicators. Nitrogen deposition increased the relative abundance of the microbial functional gene nrfA , while decreasing the abundances of nirK , nosZ , norB , and nifH . Drought stress inhibited the functional genes of key microbial enzymes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, but promoted those involved in galactose metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and hemicellulose degradation. NO 3 - -N showed the highest correlation with N-cycling functional genes ( p < 0.01). Total C and total N had the greatest impact on the relative abundance of key enzyme functional genes involved in carbon degradation. This research provides theoretical and technical references for the sustainable management and conservation of dwarf bamboo forests in giant panda habitats under global climate change.