Search

Background Methods Results Conclusions Onychocryptosis is a common pathological condition requiring clinical intervention. Selecting an appropriate and effective treatment based on individual patient circumstances is crucial.We compared the efficacy and safety of the modified Noel's technique and matrix phenolization in 107 participants with onychocryptosis. Participants were divided into two groups: 75 nails (73 patients) were treated with the modified Noel's technique (modified Noel's group), while 42 nails (34 patients) were treated with matrix phenolization (Phenol group). Outcomes on clinical cure rates and postoperative complications from both groups were collected. Additionally, the efficacy of the modified Noel's technique was assessed in 31 nails with stage IV onychocryptosis.After 18 months, among the remaining 102 patients (110 nails), the modified Noel's group exhibited fewer complications (5.88% vs. 45.2%, P < 0.001) with similar cure rates (P = 0.62). Furthermore, there was a shorter healing time in the modified Noel's group (13.5 ± 1.4 vs. 27.6 ± 2.3 days, P < 0.001). Postoperative pain was notable in the modified Noel's group on the first postoperative day (P < 0.001), with a significant decrease in the pain score 2 weeks after surgery (P = 0.407). Postoperative nail plate narrowing was observed in the Phenol group (33%). Moreover, the modified Noel's technique achieved a 100% cure rate in stage IV patients.The modified Noel's technique, offering precise excision of the proliferative nail fold and strategic suturing, is suitable for stage IV patients and for those who find significant aesthetic impact unacceptable following narrowed plate postmatrix phenolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with a complex pathogenesis, and a large number of studies have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction is an important causative factor for PD, whereas dysregulation of mitochondrial quality control is a key factor leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, and that aberrant mitochondrial biogenesis, fusion/fission imbalance, and mitochondrial hyperautophagy are closely associated with the onset of PD, but the role of the mitochondrial quality control system in the progression of PD is unclear. Therefore, this paper reviews the mechanism of mitochondrial quality control system in PD, with the aim of providing new ideas and theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the duration of sleep per day and cardiovascular metabolic multimorbidity (CMM) in older adults and to identify how many hours of sleep per day can lead to a lower risk of CMM in older adults. CMM are a common syndrome in the older adults. There may be an association between sleep duration and CMM in older adults, with both insomnia and sleep deprivation having an impact on the health of older adults. Therefore, it is important to explore the possibility that older adults who sleep for a few hours per day may have a lower prevalence of CMM. The study included 9710 older adults. The sleep duration in this study was assessed by the question "How many hours of sleep do you currently get in a day? ". Older adults were defined as having CMM when they had two or more of the five categories of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke or cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore the association among sleep duration and CMM. Restrictive cubic splines were used to examine the shape of the association among sleep duration and the CMM. The STROBE checklist was used for this cross-sectional study. The mean age was 84.78 ± 11.73 years, with 55.5 % being female. Of the total sample, 21.3 % were CMM. When all covariates were adjusted, there was dose–response relationship between sleep duration and CMM. The dose-response relationship between CMM and sleep duration showed that older adults had a lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic multimorbidity when they slept 9 h and 10 h per day. With the increasing population of older adults, the number of older adults suffering from CMM continues to rise, and adequate sleep time can effectively prevent the occurrence of CMM. We should pay attention to the sleep problem of the older adults. This study provided information for healthcare providers to identify circumstances that increase cardiovascular metabolic multimorbidity and suggest the appropriate sleep duration per day to reduce the risk of disease in older adults. Because of the public database data used in this study, all data were collected by survey agency personnel, so this section is not applicable to this study. • There is a dose-response relationship between sleep duration per day and cardiovascular metabolic multimorbidity in older adults. • The results of the dose-response relationship between sleep duration per day and cardiovascular metabolic multimorbidity in older adults showed that older adults who slept 9 or 10 hours per day had the lowest rates of cardiovascular metabolic multimorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a wide-band, low-profile antenna is presented for a high-integration phased array system. The proposed antenna, implemented using a tightly coupled array, operates over roughly the X-K frequency band and is performant at 8 GHz–18.5 GHz. The antenna can scan to ± 60 degrees in both the E- and H-planes. Compared to previous tightly coupled antennas with smaller element spacing, the antenna in this paper reaches 9.4 mm, which corresponds to 0.58   λ of high frequency, suitable for engineering application conditions in production. The antenna can be soldered to BGA T/R chips in this space. Additionally, to facilitate flexible assembly for large arrays, the antenna is manufactured modularly using four elements and its parasitic radiation is analyzed. Then, a method for repressing parasitic radiation is presented. Finally, the antenna is fabricated and measured in a microwave chamber, exhibiting an excellent pattern and scanning radiation. The measured performance agrees with the full-wave finite array simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is an emerging technique for the clinical diagnosis of infectious disease that has rarely been used for the diagnosis of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis. This study compared mNGS detection with conventional culture methods for the on etiological diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites and evaluated the clinical effect of mNGS. Methods: A total of 109 patients with ascites due to cirrhosis were included in the study. We compared mNGS with conventional culture detection by analyzing the diagnostic results, pathogen species and clinical effects. The influence of mNGS on the diagnosis and management of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis was also evaluated. Results: Ascites cases were classified into three types: spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) (16/109, 14.7%), bacterascites (21/109, 19.3%) and sterile ascites (72/109, 66.1%). In addition, 109 patients were assigned to the ascites mNGS-positive group (80/109, 73.4%) or ascites mNGS-negative group (29/109, 26.6%). The percentage of positive mNGS results was significantly greater than that of traditional methods (73.4% vs. 28.4%, P < 0.001). mNGS detected 43 strains of bacteria, 9 strains of fungi and 8 strains of viruses. Fourteen bacterial strains and 3 fungal strains were detected via culture methods. Mycobacteria, viruses, and pneumocystis were detected only by the mNGS method. The mNGS assay produced a greater polymicrobial infection rate than the culture method (55% vs. 16%). Considering the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) counts, the overall percentage of pathogens detected by the two methods was comparable, with 87.5% (14/16) in the PMN ≥ 250/mm3 group and 72.0% (67/93) in the PMN < 250/mm3 group (P > 0.05). Based on the ascites PMN counts combined with the mNGS assay, 72 patients (66.1%) were diagnosed with ascitic fluid infection (AFI) (including SBP and bacterascites), whereas based on the ascites PMN counts combined with the culture assay, 37 patients (33.9%) were diagnosed with AFI (P < 0.05). In 60 (55.0%) patients, the mNGS assay produced positive clinical effects; 40 (85.7%) patients had their treatment regimen adjusted, and 48 patients were improved. The coincidence rate of the mNGS results and clinical findings was 75.0% (60/80). Conclusions: Compared with conventional culture methods, mNGS can improve the detection rate of ascites pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and has significant advantages in the diagnosis of rare pathogens and pathogens that are difficult to culture; moreover, mNGS may be an effective method for improving the diagnosis of ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis, guiding early antibiotic therapy, and for reducing complications related to abdominal infection. In addition, explaining mNGS results will be challenging, especially for guiding the treatment of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Retropharyngeal lymphadenectomy is challenging. This study investigated a minimally invasive approach to salvage retropharyngeal lymphadenectomy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: An anatomical study of four fresh cadaveric heads was conducted to demonstrate the relevant details of retropharyngeal lymphadenectomy using the endoscopic transoral medial pterygomandibular fold approach. Six patients with nasopharyngeal cancer with retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence, who underwent retropharyngeal lymphadenectomy with the endoscopic transoral medial pterygomandibular fold technique at the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University from July to December 2021, were included in this study. Results: The anatomical study demonstrated that the endoscopic transoral medial pterygomandibular fold approach offers a short path and minimally invasive approach to the retropharyngeal space. The surgical procedure was well tolerated by all patients, with no significant post-operative complications. Conclusion: The endoscopic transoral medial pterygomandibular fold approach is safe and efficient for retropharyngeal lymphadenectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterials and MethodsResultsConclusionThis study aims to investigate the impact of specialized nursing care at fracture sites coordinated with disease progression monitoring in thoracolumbar spine fractures.Patients diagnosed with definitive thoracolumbar spine fractures and underwent surgical treatment at our hospital between February 2022 and August 2023 were selected. Patients were divided into a treatment group (specialized nursing care at fracture sites coordinated with disease progression monitoring) and a control group (conventional care) based on different nursing methods.A comparative assessment was conducted to evaluate the role and significance of specialized nursing care at fracture sites coordinated with disease progression monitoring in thoracolumbar spine fracture rehabilitation. The results showed that compared to conventional care, specialized nursing care at fracture sites coordinated with disease progression monitoring could better promote the recovery of patients’ neurological functions, alleviate pain, and effectively improve symptoms and functional recovery, thus enhancing patients’ quality of life and satisfaction.The study confirms the effectiveness of specialized nursing care at fracture sites coordinated with disease progression monitoring in clinical practice post thoracolumbar spine fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resinous stem of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg is the sole legally authorized source of agarwood in China. However, whether other tissue parts can be potential substitutes for agarwood requires further investigation. In this study, we conducted metabolic analysis and transcriptome sequencing of six distinct tissues (root, stem, leaf, seed, husk, and callus) of A. sinensis to investigate the variations in metabolite distribution characteristics and transcriptome data across different tissues. A total of 331 differential metabolites were identified by chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), of which 22.96% were terpenoids. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RNA sequencing were enriched in sesquiterpene synthesis via the mevalonate pathway. The present study establishes a solid foundation for exploring potential alternatives to agarwood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Neurodevelopmental impairments are closely linked to the basis of adolescent major psychiatric disorders (MPDs). The visual cortex can regulate neuroplasticity throughout the brain during critical periods of neurodevelopment, which may provide a promising target for neuromodulation therapy. This cross‐species translational study examined the effects of visual cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on neurodevelopmental impairments in MPDs. Methods: Visual cortex rTMS was performed in both adolescent methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) rats and patients with MPDs. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and brain tissue proteomic data in rats and fMRI and clinical symptom data in patients were analyzed. Results: The regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis of fMRI data revealed an increase in the frontal cortex and a decrease in the posterior cortex in the MAM rats, representing the abnormal neurodevelopmental pattern in MPDs. In regard to the effects of rTMS, similar neuroimaging changes, particularly reduced frontal ReHo, were found both in MAM rats and adolescent patients, suggesting that rTMS may reverse the abnormal neurodevelopmental pattern. Proteomic analysis revealed that rTMS modulated frontal synapse‐associated proteins, which may be the underpinnings of rTMS efficacy. Furthermore, a positive relationship was observed between frontal ReHo and clinical symptoms after rTMS in patients. Conclusion: Visual cortex rTMS was proven to be an effective treatment for adolescent MPDs, and the underlying neural and molecular mechanisms were uncovered. Our study provides translational evidence for therapeutics targeting the neurodevelopmental factor in MPDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endosperm is an essential part of wheat grains, and the accumulation of amyloplasts in endosperm determines the quality of wheat. Because waxy wheat has a special starch quality, there is a need to understand differences in endosperm and starch morphologies among waxy wheat cultivars. This study investigated differences in the endosperm and amyloplasts of two near-isogenic lines (Shimai19-P and Shimai19-N) and the wheat cultivar Shimai19 during various growth stages using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. At 8 days after pollination (DAP), with endosperm development, the amyloplast distributions in the different endosperm regions of the three wheat varieties were in the following order: center of ventral endosperm > subaleurone of ventral endosperm > center of dorsal endosperm > modified aleurone > subaleurone of dorsal endosperm. At 16 DAP, small amyloplasts appeared in the endosperm cells in all three wheat cultivars; subsequently, endosperm cell development until maturity was more rapid in Shimai19-N than in the other varieties. This study revealed variations in amyloplast accumulation among endosperm regions and waxy wheat varieties during wheat grain development, which improved the understanding of nutrient accumulation and nutrient transfer of wheat grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During early development, both genome‐wide epigenetic reprogramming and metabolic remodeling are hallmark changes of normal embryogenesis. However, little is known about their relationship and developmental functions during the preimplantation window, which is essential for the acquisition of totipotency and pluripotency. Herein, we reported that glutathione (GSH), a ubiquitous intracellular protective antioxidant that maintains mitochondrial function and redox homeostasis, plays a critical role in safeguarding postfertilization DNA demethylation and is essential for establishing developmental potential in preimplantation embryos. By profiling mitochondria‐related transcriptome that coupled with different pluripotency, we found GSH is a potential marker that is tightly correlated with full pluripotency, and its beneficial effect on prompting developmental potential was functionally conformed using in vitro fertilized mouse and bovine embryos as the model. Mechanistic study based on preimplantation embryos and embryonic stem cells further revealed that GSH prompts the acquisition of totipotency and pluripotency by facilitating ten‐eleven‐translocation (TET)‐dependent DNA demethylation, and ascorbic acid (AsA)‐GSH cycle is implicated in the process. In addition, we also reported that GSH serves as an oviductal paracrine factor that supports development potential of preimplantation embryos. Thus, our results not only advance the current knowledge of functional links between epigenetic reprogramming and metabolic remodeling during preimplantation development but also provided a promising approach for improving current in vitro culture system for assisted reproductive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(2S)-eriodictyol (ERD) is a flavonoid widely found in citrus fruits, vegetables, and important medicinal plants with neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, and anti-obesity effects. However, the microbial synthesis of ERD is limited by complex metabolic pathways and often results in a low production performance. Here, we engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae by fine-tuning the metabolism of the ERD synthesis pathway. The results showed that the ERD titer was effectively increased, and the intermediate metabolites levels were reduced. First, we successfully reconstructed the de novo synthesis pathway of p-coumaric acid in S. cerevisiae and fine-tuned the metabolic pathway using promoter engineering and terminator engineering for the high-level production of (2S)-naringenin. Subsequently, the synthesis of ERD was achieved by introducing the ThF3′H gene from Tricyrtis hirta. Finally, by multiplying the copy number of the ThF3′H gene, the production of ERD was further increased, reaching 132.08 mg L−1. Our work emphasizes the importance of regulating the metabolic balance to produce natural products in microbial cell factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the potential digenic inheritance of SERPINB7 and SERPINA12 variants in Chinese patients with Nagashima-type palmoplantar keratosis (NPPK). NPPK is a common condition in East Asia characterized by diffuse palmoplantar erythema and hyperkeratosis. The study conducted genetic testing on 197 patients diagnosed with NPPK and found that approximately 70% had biallelic SERPINB7 variants, while six patients had biallelic SERPINA12 variants. Additionally, 12 patients displayed potential digenic inheritance of both SERPINB7 and SERPINA12 variants. The study identified two novel variants in SERPINA12 and suggested that monoallelic variants in both genes may contribute to the NPPK phenotype. Further research is needed to understand the exact function of these genes and their co-effect in NPPK. [Extracted from the article]

For Si/C anodes, achieving excellent performance with a simple fabrication process is still an ongoing challenge. Herein, we report a green, facile and scalable approach for the in situ synthesis of Si@C anodes during the electrode manufacturing process by partially carbonizing Si nanoparticles (Si NPs) and dual polymers at a relatively low temperature. Due to the proper mass ratio of the two polymer precursors and proper carbonization temperature, the resultant Si-based anode demonstrates a typical Si@C core–shell structure and has strong mechanical properties with the aid of dual-interfacial bonding between the Si NPs core and carbon shell layer, as well as between the C matrix and the underlying Cu foil. Consequently, the resultant Si@C anode shows a high specific capacity (3458.1 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1), good rate capability (1039 mAh g−1 at 4 A g−1) and excellent cyclability (77.94% of capacity retention at a high current density of 1 A g−1 after 200 cycles). More importantly, the synthesis of the Si@C anode is integrated in situ into the electrode manufacturing process and, thus, significantly decreases the cost of the lithium-ion battery but without sacrificing the electrochemical performance of the Si@C anode. Our results provide a new strategy for designing next-generation, high-capacity and cost-effective batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Defects in the Golgi enzyme beta‐galactoside‐alpha‐2,3‐sialyltransferase‐III (ST3Gal‐III) caused by biallelic ST3GAL3 gene variants are associated with human neurodevelopmental disorders. Although ST3GAL3 gene variants have been linked to developmental and/or epileptic encephalopathy 15 (DEE15), their presence has only been reported in nine patients; however, the real frequency may be masked by insufficient screening. Methods: Phenotypic information was collected from a male patient with severe psychomotor developmental delay and epileptic seizures, and genetic testing was done using whole exome sequencing. A molecular dynamics simulation analysis was performed to assess the potential impacts of the identified ST3GAL3 variants on the ST3Gal‐III protein function, and a literature review was conducted to compare this case with previously described cases and assess disease manifestation and genetic characteristics. Results: The patient inherited compound heterozygous ST3GAL3 gene variants, NM_006279.5:c.809G>A (p.Arg270Gln) and c.921dupG (p.Thr308fs*8). Neither variant had been previously reported in the general population. The p.Arg270Gln variant disrupted a hydrogen bond in the simulated ST3Gal‐III protein structure. Among 25 patients with ST3GAL3 gene defects, eight ST3GAL3 gene variants were identified, and five variants had DEE signs. Conclusion: Patients with DEE15 may have novel ST3GAL3 gene variants, and this study may be the first clinical report of their occurrence in a Chinese patient. These variants should be considered when evaluating patients presenting with unexplained early‐onset epileptic encephalopathy, severe developmental delay, and/or intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis, a critical medical condition instigated by infections, profoundly alters molecular and cellular immune responses. This study focused on the GSE54514 dataset obtained from the GEO database to uncover the complex gene expression patterns and related pathways in sepsis. A total of 42 genes were found to be expressed differently in septic patients compared to those of healthy individuals. The enrichment analyses of pathways revealed the disruption of natural immune pathways such as toll-like receptor signaling, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and NOD-like receptor signaling. Through ssGSEA analysis, we revealed a strong association between sepsis and immune cell dynamics, finding significant correlations with HLA-related genes and distinct immune cell populations. Furthermore, genes such as CCL5, CD274, CD3E, and CD8A were linked with pathways, notably the "ribosome" pathway, suggesting potential roles in sepsis-related immune responses. The extensive examination provides fresh perspectives on the gene expression and pathway changes in sepsis, laying the groundwork for upcoming therapeutic interventions and a more profound comprehension of this intricate condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modified transmission eigenvalue (MTE) problem was introduced in [S. Cogar, D. Colton, S. Meng and P. Monk, Modified transmission eigenvalues in inverse scattering theory, Inverse Problems 33 2017, 12, Article ID 125002] and used as a target signature for nondestructive testing. In this paper, we study the inverse spectral problem to reconstruct the modified transmission eigenvalues using Cauchy data. We propose a reciprocity gap functional method and show that the MTEs can be determined by solving some linear ill-posed integral equations. Numerical examples for both absorbing and non-absorbing media are presented to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To research the effects of autonomic neuropathy of the digestive system induced by bortezomib on clinical efficacy and quality of life. A total of 150 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) were hospitalized in our department from January 2018 to December 2021, and treated with bortezomib-based combination regimens. To observe the incidence of autonomic neuropathy of the digestive system and analyse the correlations between the severity of autonomic neuropathy and the efficacy, survival, age, underlying diseases and personal history. The incidence of autonomic neuropathy of the digestive system was 60.0%. The overall response rate (ORR), 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate and 2-year overall survival (OS) rate in the grade 3 group of autonomic neuropathy were significantly lower than those in the grade 1–2 group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Age, constipation, diabetes, fracture/spinal cord compression in bed and history of alcoholism were positively correlated with the risk of autonomic neuropathy of the digestive system (P < 0.05). The autonomic neuropathy of the digestive system was significantly alleviated in most patients after the timely adjustment of the treatment regimen, and bortezomib could continue to be administered. The incidence of autonomic neuropathy of the digestive system induced by bortezomib is high, and its severity is closely related to efficacy, advanced age, constipation, diabetes, fracture/spinal cord compression in bed and history of alcoholism. Early detection and early treatment are necessary to better treat the disease and reverse the autonomic neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autistic traits (ATs) are frequently reported in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to examine ATs in children with ADHD from both behavioral and neuroimaging perspectives. Methods: We used the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) to assess and define subjects with and without ATs. For behavioral analyses, 67 children with ADHD and ATs (ADHD + ATs), 105 children with ADHD but without ATs (ADHD − ATs), and 44 typically developing healthy controls without ATs (HC − ATs) were recruited. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data and analyzed the mean amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (mALFF) values (an approach used to depict different spontaneous brain activities) in a sub-sample. The imaging features that were shared between ATs and ADHD symptoms or that were unique to one or the other set of symptoms were illustrated as a way to explore the "brain–behavior" relationship. Results: Compared to ADHD-ATs, the ADHD + ATs group showed more global impairment in all aspects of autistic symptoms and higher hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI). Partial-correlation analysis indicated that HI was significantly positively correlated with all aspects of ATs in ADHD. Imaging analyses indicated that mALFF values in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG), left parietal lobe (PL)/precuneus, and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) might be specifically related to ADHD, while those in the right MTG might be more closely associated with ATs. Furthermore, altered mALFF in the right PL/precuneus correlated with both ADHD and ATs, albeit in diverse directions. Conclusions: The co-occurrence of ATs in children with ADHD manifested as different behavioral characteristics and specific brain functional alterations. Assessing ATs in children with ADHD could help us understand the heterogeneity of ADHD, further explore its pathogenesis, and promote clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) actively take up and metabolize glucose to acquire immunosuppressive and pro-tumor functions. Glucose metabolites mediate post-translational modifications of histone and nonhistone substrates in TAMs to reshape tumor microenvironment and promote tumor progression. Glucose metabolism triggers exchanges of metabolites, cytokines, and signaling molecules among TAMs and other TME components, leading to varied biological and pathological effects. Switching TAMs from pro-tumor toward antitumor function can be achieved by modulating glucose metabolism to enhance antitumor immunity. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are critical in promoting tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. In adapting to metabolic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME), TAMs reprogram their metabolisms and acquire immunosuppressive and pro-tumor properties. Increased glucose metabolism in TAMs leads to the accumulation of a variety of oncometabolites that exhibit potent tumor-promoting capacity via regulating gene expression and signaling transduction. Glucose uptake also fuels O-GlcNAcylation and other post-translational modifications to promote pro-tumor polarization and function of TAMs. Glucose metabolism coordinates interactions between TAMs and various types of cells in the TME, creating a complex network that facilitates tumor progression. Targeting glucose metabolism represents a promising strategy to switch TAMs from pro-tumor toward anti-tumor function for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the contribution of a modified definition of markedly hypoechoic in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Methods: A total of 1031 thyroid nodules were included in this retrospective multicenter study. All of the nodules were examined with US before surgery. The US features of the nodules were evaluated, in particular, the classical markedly hypoechoic and modified markedly hypoechoic (decreased or similar echogenicity relative to the adjacent strap muscles). The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of classical/modified markedly hypoechoic and the corresponding ACR-TIRADS, EU-TIRADS, and C-TIRADS categories were calculated and compared. The inter- and intraobserver variability in the evaluation of the main US features of the nodules was assessed. Results: There were 264 malignant nodules and 767 benign nodules. Compared with classical markedly hypoechoic as a diagnostic criterion for malignancy, using modified markedly hypoechoic as the criterion resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity (28.03% vs. 63.26%) and AUC (0.598 vs. 0.741), despite a significant decrease in specificity (91.53% vs. 84.88%) (p < 0.001 for all). Compared to the AUC of the C-TIRADS with the classical markedly hypoechoic, the AUC of the C-TIRADS with the modified markedly hypoechoic increased from 0.878 to 0.888 (p = 0.01); however, the AUCs of the ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS did not change significantly (p > 0.05 for both). There was substantial interobserver agreement (κ = 0.624) and perfect intraobserver agreement (κ = 0.828) for the modified markedly hypoechoic. Conclusion: The modified definition of markedly hypoechoic resulted in a significantly improved diagnostic efficacy in determining malignant thyroid nodules and may improve the diagnostic performance of the C-TIRADS. Clinical relevance statement: Our study found that, compared with the original definition, modified markedly hypoechoic significantly improved the diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules and the predictive efficacy of the risk stratification systems. Key Points: • Compared with the classical markedly hypoechoic as a diagnostic criterion for malignancy, the modified markedly hypoechoic resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity and AUC. • The C-TIRADS with the modified markedly hypoechoic achieved higher AUC and specificity than that with the classical markedly hypoechoic (p = 0.01 and < 0.001, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1– x)BaV 2 O 6 - x LiF (x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) ceramics with an ultra-low sintering temperature of 475 °C were synthesized using the standard solid-state reaction method. The ceramics demonstrated a remarkable enhancement in the quality factor (Qf), reaching a maximum value of 16,800 GHz at x = 0.10, which is 5.6 times higher than that of pure BaV 2 O 6 ceramics obtained in this work. A near-zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ f = 1.44 ppm/°C) was simultaneously achieved, together with a dielectric constant ε r of 11.54. Additionally, the chemical compatibility between the present ceramics and the Al electrode was confirmed. Moreover, a millimeter-wave antenna with an excellent S 11 value of −50.3 dB, and a large bandwidth of 3.44 GHz was fabricated using the 0.9BaV 2 O 6 -0.1LiF ceramic as the dielectric resonator. These results highlight the potential application prospects of (1– x)BaV 2 O 6 - x LiF ceramics in the ultra-low temperature co-fired ceramic technology and 5 G millimeter-wave antennas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear 2-arboricity of a graph G , denoted by la 2 (G) , is the least integer k such that G can be partitioned into k edge-disjoint forests, whose components are paths of length at most 2. A 1-planar graph is a graph that can be drawn in the Euclidean plane such that each edge crosses at most one edge. An IC-planar is a 1-planar graph satisfying the condition that each vertex is incident with at most one crossing edge. It is shown in this paper that every IC-planar graph G with maximum degree Δ has la 2 (G) ≤ ⌈ Δ + 1 2 ⌉ + 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by internet technology, online has become the main way of news dissemination, but redundant information such as navigation bars and advertisements affects people's access to news content. The research aims to enable users to obtain pure news content from redundant web information. Firstly, based on the narrative characteristics of literary news, the Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) algorithm is employed to extract pure news content from the analyzed web pages. The algorithm uses keyword matching, text analysis, and semantic processing to determine news content's boundaries and key information. Secondly, the news text classification algorithm (support vector machine, K-nearest neighbor, AdaBoost algorithm) is selected through comparative experiments. The news extraction system based on keyword feature and extended Document Object Model (DOM) tree is constructed. DOM technology analyzes web page structure and extracts key elements and information. Finally, the research can get their narrative characteristics by studying the narrative sequence and structure of 15 American literary news reports. The results reveal that the most used narrative sequence in American literary news is sequence and flashback. The narrative duration is dominated by the victory rate and outline, supplemented by scenes and pauses. In addition, 53.3% of the narrative structures used in literary news are time-connected. This narrative structure can help reporters have a clear conceptual structure when writing, help readers quickly grasp and understand the context of the event and the life course of the protagonists in the report, and increase the report's readability. This research on the narrative characteristics of American literature news can provide media practitioners with a reference on news narrative techniques and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For reducing the adjacent segment degeneration of the lumbar spine, the interspinous process device as a kind of flexible non-fusion device was designed to overcome the deficiencies associated with rigid fusion devices. However, it was not clear how the interspinous process device influenced the human spine system, especially the lumbar spine under a vibration environment. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of StenoFix under the vibration condition and also to optimize the structure of the device to obtain better biomechanical performance. A finite element model of the intact lumbar spine was developed and validated. The surgical finite element model was constructed by implanting the interspinous process device StenoFix. Using topology optimization, a new device StenoFix-new was redesigned. The results showed that the interspinous process device decreased vibration amplitudes of annulus stress and intradiscal pressure under vibration at the surgical level. The redesigned StenoFix-new with the smaller stiffness exhibited a better dynamic flexibility performance than StenoFix. In addition, the range of motions of StenoFix-new was closer to the intact model than StenoFix at the surgical level. These results might encourage the designers to give more consideration to the dynamic characteristics of the human spine on the premise of ensuring the safety and strength of implanted devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the wave propagation characteristics for a bi-directional functional grading of barium titanate (BaTiO3) and cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) porous nanoshells, the porosity distribution of which is simulated by the honeycomb-shaped symmetrical and asymmetrical distribution functions. The nonlocal strain gradient theory (NSGT) and first-order shear deformation theory are used to determine the size effect and shear deformation, respectively. Nonlocal governing equations are derived for the nanoshells by Hamilton's principle. The resulting dimensionless differential equations are solved by means of an analytical solution of the combined exponential function after dimensionless treatment. Finally, extensive parametric surveys are conducted to investigate the influence of diverse parameters, such as dimensionless scale parameters, radius-to-thickness ratios, bi-directional functionally graded (FG) indices, porosity coefficients, and dimensionless electromagnetic potentials on the wave propagation characteristics. Based on the analysis results, the effect of the dimensionless scale parameters on the dispersion relationship is found to be related to the ratio of the scale parameters. The wave propagation characteristics of nanoshells in the presence of a magnetoelectric field depend on the bi-directional FG indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-predator element because of fear from predator population in prey–predator models has an excellent significance and it is able to lessen the duplicate of prey population to a positive degree. In this paper, a delayed prey–predator model including fear effect and predator-taxis sensitivity is studied. Local stability and occurrence of Hopf bifurcation are analyzed by fixing the time delay as the bifurcating parameter. Then, a series of sufficient criteria for global stability is established by designing a suitable Lyapunov function. Furthermore, direction and stability of the Hopf bifurcation are studied. Lastly, numerical simulation outcomes are performed to confirm our theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present a delayed predator–prey model with cannibalism including a prey, a juvenile predator and an adult predator. The adult predator hunts not only the prey but also the juvenile predator. The alternative resource is considered to reduce cannibalism in predator species. The main results are demonstrated by local stability and Hopf bifurcation. Sufficient criteria for local stability of the interior equilibrium point and the exhibition of a Hopf bifurcation are derived. Global stability is analyzed via designing a suitable Lyapunov function. Additionally, stability of the Hopf bifurcation is explored. Finally, numerical simulations are executed to validate the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PD-L1+ exosome have been reported to be a promising prognostic biomarker in various cancers. However, its clinical value in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been defined yet. In this study, a total of 165 plasma samples from 78 patients with DLBCL undergoing standard first-line R-CHOP regimens were collected at three different time points (pretreatment, and after 3 and 6 cycles of R-CHOP) to determine the proportions of PD-L1+ exosomes by flow cytometry. We found that high pretreatment plasma PD-L1+ exosome correlated with indicators of poor clinical outcome that included high Ki-67 expression (P = 0.02), double expressor lymphoma (P = 0.005), immunohistochemical PD-L1+ tumor tissue (P = 0.006), and the baseline maximal standardized uptake values (P = 0.0003). Pretreatment plasma PD-L1+ exosome was an independent factor by multivariate analysis with logistic regression (P = 0.0301). Moreover, the pretreatment PD-L1+ exosome was a strong predictor of final treatment responses of either CR or non-CR by ROC analysis (P < 0.001). PD-L1+ exosome level declined significantly in patients who experienced CR (pretreatment vs. after 3 cycles/after 6 cycles, P < 0.05), but not in the non-CR group. Intriguingly, plasma PD-L1+ exosome after 3 cycles (AUC = 0.857; 95%CI: 0.728–0.939) might represent a more sensitive indicator than radiographic assessment after 3 cycles (AUC = 0.626; 95%CI: 0.477–0.758) for evaluating the therapeutic response of DLBCL patients (P = 0.0136). Our results suggest that plasma PD-L1+ exosomes may represent a new biomarker for the dynamic monitoring of treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two types of non-invasive, radiation-free, and inexpensive imaging technologies that are widely employed in medical applications are ultrasound (US) and infrared thermography (IRT). The ultrasound image obtained by ultrasound imaging primarily expresses the size, shape, contour boundary, echo, and other morphological information of the lesion, while the infrared thermal image obtained by infrared thermography imaging primarily describes its thermodynamic function information. Although distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules requires both morphological and functional information, present deep learning models are only based on US images, making it possible that some malignant nodules with insignificant morphological changes but significant functional changes will go undetected. Results: Given the US and IRT images present thyroid nodules through distinct modalities, we proposed an Adaptive multi-modal Hybrid (AmmH) classification model that can leverage the amalgamation of these two image types to achieve superior classification performance. The AmmH approach involves the construction of a hybrid single-modal encoder module for each modal data, which facilitates the extraction of both local and global features by integrating a CNN module and a Transformer module. The extracted features from the two modalities are then weighted adaptively using an adaptive modality-weight generation network and fused using an adaptive cross-modal encoder module. The fused features are subsequently utilized for the classification of thyroid nodules through the use of MLP. On the collected dataset, our AmmH model respectively achieved 97.17% and 97.38% of F1 and F2 scores, which significantly outperformed the single-modal models. The results of four ablation experiments further show the superiority of our proposed method. Conclusions: The proposed multi-modal model extracts features from various modal images, thereby enhancing the comprehensiveness of thyroid nodules descriptions. The adaptive modality-weight generation network enables adaptive attention to different modalities, facilitating the fusion of features using adaptive weights through the adaptive cross-modal encoder. Consequently, the model has demonstrated promising classification performance, indicating its potential as a non-invasive, radiation-free, and cost-effective screening tool for distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The source code is available at https://github.com/wuliZN2020/AmmH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Toremifene (TOR) is widely used as an antineoplastic drug and has an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis in mesenteric desmoid tumors and vascular intracranial solitary fibrous tumors. However, no study has investigated the direct effect of TOR on vascular cells. This study aimed at exploring the effect of TOR on the behaviors of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Methods: Human aortic umbilical vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs) were treated by TOR. Cell morphology, migration, adhesion, and proliferation assay were investigated. The cell cycle, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species were assessed using flow cytometry. Caspase-3 and 9 activities were assayed using Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 Activity Assay kits, respectively. Immunofluorescence and Western blot assays were carried out to characterize protein expressions of PCNA, p53, and Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. Results: TOR damaged cytoskeleton, inhibited VSMC proliferation, migration, and adhesion, and induced abnormal cell morphology and apoptosis. The antiproliferative activity of TOR was associated with the induction of G0/G1 phase arrest, blocking the cell cycle. TOR disrupted intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhanced p53 expression and the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9. Thus, TOR-induced apoptosis by the mitochondrial signaling pathway. Additionally, TOR induced decreased Rho, ROCK, MLC, and pMLC proteins. Collectively, TOR may affect multiple behaviors of VSMCs by damaging cytoskeleton through the Rho/ROCK pathway. Conclusion: The adverse effect of TOR on VSMCs could be considered as an important aspect of tumor growth inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic pathways play a crucial role in understanding the biochemistry of organisms. In metabolic pathways, modules refer to clusters of interconnected reactions or sub-networks representing specific functional units or biological processes within the overall pathway. In pathway modules, compounds are major elements and refer to the various molecules that participate in the biochemical reactions within the pathway modules. These molecules can include substrates, intermediates and final products. Determining the presence relation of compounds and pathway modules is essential for synthesizing new molecules and predicting hidden reactions. To date, several computational methods have been proposed to address this problem. However, all methods only predict the metabolic pathways and their types, not the pathway modules. To address this issue, we proposed a novel deep learning model, DeepRT that integrates message passing neural networks (MPNNs) and transformer encoder. This combination allows DeepRT to effectively extract global and local structure information from the molecular graph. The model is designed to perform two tasks: first, determining the present relation of the compound with the pathway module, and second, predicting the relation of query compound and module classes. The proposed DeepRT model evaluated on a dataset comprising compounds and pathway modules, and it outperforms existing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let D be a digraph with vertex set V(D) and arc set A(D). An antidirected Hamiltonian path (resp. cycle) of D is a Hamiltonian path (resp. cycle) in which consecutive arcs have opposite directions and each arc of D occurs exactly once. Let α 2 (D) = max { | W | : W ⊆ V (D) and D[W] has no 2-cycle } be the α 2 (D) -stable number. In this paper, we show that every weakly connected digraph D with α 2 (D) = 2 has an antidirected Hamiltonian path. Secondly, we determine two families of well-characterized strongly connected digraphs H and M such that for any strongly connected digraph D ∈ H ∪ M which has no antidirected Hamiltonian cycle. And finally, we further prove that every strongly connected digraph D with α 2 (D) = 2 has an antidirected Hamiltonian cycle if and only if |V(D)| is even and D ∉ H ∪ M . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 electrochemical conversion on copper electrocatalysts demonstrates selectivity and activity towards multicarbon compounds such as ethylene. However, the complex product distribution, as well as the wasted carbon and electrons in non-target products such as HCOOH, CO, and H2, can significantly increase the energy input and separation costs. As a result, we designed an electro-bio tandem reactor using copper electrocatalysts and microorganisms to transform CO2 into specific multicarbon compounds in both the gas and liquid phases. The unavoidable reducing products from electrocatalysis, including HCOOH in the liquid phase, and CO and H2 in the gas phase, can be consumed and recycled as electron donors or better carbon feedstocks for selective acetate synthesis in Moorella thermoacetica via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway. In neutral electrolytes, the faradaic selectivity of acetate in liquid products is the highest (79.6%) for Cu-based CO2 electroreduction, and the electron conversion rate to ethylene and acetate is the highest for microbial electrosynthesis (8113.8 mmol h−1 m−2), demonstrating a green design for CO2 upcycling targeting multicarbon products via the parallel integration of electrocatalysis and fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders associated with periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH) are characterized by phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. NEDD4L mutation can lead to PVNH7. However, at present, only eight NEDD4L pathogenic variants have been identified across 15 cases of PVNH7 worldwide. Given this dearth of evidence, the precise correlations between genetic pathogenesis and phenotypes remain to be determined. Methods: This report discusses the case of a 19‐month‐old male child with cleft palate, seizures, psychomotor retardation, and hypotonia, for whom we verified the genetic etiology using Trio‐whole‐exome and Sanger sequencing to analyze the potential pathogenicity of the mutant protein structure. Mutant plasmids were constructed for in vitro analyses. After transfection into human 293 T cells, the mutant transcription process was analyzed using real‐time PCR (RT‐PCR), and levels of mutant protein expression were examined using western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) experiments. Results: Genetic analyses revealed a novel missense mutation Gln900Arg, located in the homologous to E6‐APC terminal (HECT) domain of NEDD4L and that the parents were wild‐type, suggestive of a de novo mutation. The variant was predicted to be pathogenic by bioinformatics software, which also suggested alterations in the structural stability of the mutant protein. RT‐PCR results indicated that the mutation did not affect mRNA expression, whereas WB and IF results indicated that the level of mutant protein was significantly reduced by 41.07%. Conclusion: Functional experiments demonstrated that Gln900Arg probably did not lead to transcriptional abnormalities in this patient, instead leading to increased ubiquitination activity owing to the constitutive activation of the HECT domain, thereby promoting protein degradation. Extensive clinical reports should be generated for patients presenting with PVNH and/or polymicrogyria, developmental delay, syndactyly, and hypotonia to increase the pool of evidence related to NEDD4L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is a common sleep disorder with a high prevalence. The apnea hypopnea index (AHI) is an important indicator used to diagnose the severity of SAHS disorders. The calculation of the AHI is based on the accurate identification of various types of sleep respiratory events. In this paper, we proposed an automatic detection algorithm for respiratory events during sleep. In addition to the accurate recognition of normal breathing, hypopnea and apnea events using heart rate variability (HRV), entropy and other manual features, we also presented a fusion of ribcage and abdomen movement data combined with the long short-term memory (LSTM) framework to achieve the distinction between obstructive and central apnea events. While only using electrocardiogram (ECG) features, the accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and F1 score of the XGBoost model are 0.877, 0.877, 0.876, and 0.876, respectively, demonstrating that it performs better than other models. Moreover, the accuracy, sensitivity, and F1 score of the LSTM model for detecting obstructive and central apnea events were 0.866, 0.867, and 0.866, respectively. The research results of this paper can be used for the automatic recognition of sleep respiratory events as well as AHI calculation of polysomnography (PSG), which provide a theoretical basis and algorithm references for out-of-hospital sleep monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the rising popularity of post-retirement work and its potential benefits for older adults' mental health, this study examined older adults' adaptation ability as a conditional factor for the impact of post-retirement work on depression. Quantitative data from 1433 working older adults and 1433 non-working older adults were analyzed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS to test a moderated regression model with adaptation ability as the moderator. Results showed that older adults with lower adaptation ability demonstrated significantly lower depression if they worked (vs. did not work). Older adults with higher adaptation ability exhibited significantly higher depression if they worked (vs. did not work). These findings were subsequently verified with a robustness check. Overall, post-retirement work did not prevent depression for the entire sample; working only alleviated depression among older adults with limited adaptation ability. Older adults with stronger adaptation ability could better maintain their mental health by staying retired. This study fills a knowledge gap regarding the relationship between post-retirement work and mental health. Implications for aging societies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as a representative inflammatory disease, currently has multiple effective treatment options available and new therapeutic strategies are being actively explored to further increase the treatment options for patients with IBD. Furthermore, biologic agents and small molecule drugs developed for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) have evolved toward fewer side effects and more accurate targeting. Novel inhibitors that target cytokines (such as IL-12/23 inhibitors, PDE4 inhibitors), integrins (such as integrin inhibitors), cytokine signaling pathways (such as JAK inhibitors, SMAD7 blocker) and cell signaling receptors (such as S1P receptor modulator) have become the preferred treatment choice for many IBD patients. Conventional therapies such as 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, immunomodulators and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents continue to demonstrate therapeutic efficacy, particularly in combination with drug therapy. This review integrates research from chemical, biological and adjuvant therapies to evaluate current and future IBD therapies, highlighting the mechanism of action of each therapy and emphasizing the potential of development prospects. [Display omitted] ● Both cytokines and cytokine signaling pathways can be new therapeutic targets for IBD. ● The importance of conventional therapy for IBD, such as anti-TNF-α antibodies, cannot be ignored. ● Conventional and novel therapy options for IBD can complement each other. ● Novel small molecule drugs such as JAK inhibitor play an important role in the treatment of IBD. ● Novel biologics such as IL-12/23 inhibitors and integrin inhibitors reflect the advantages and development potential of precision medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To extract facial features with different receptive fields and improve the decision fusion performance of network ensemble, a symmetric multi-scale residual network (SMResNet) ensemble with a weighted evidence fusion (WEF) strategy for facial expression recognition (FER) was proposed. Firstly, aiming at the defect of connecting different filter groups of Res2Net only from one direction in a hierarchical residual-like style, a symmetric multi-scale residual (SMR) block, which can symmetrically extract the features from two directions, was improved. Secondly, to highlight the role of different facial regions, a network ensemble was constructed based on three networks of SMResNet to extract the decision-level semantic of the whole face, eyes, and mouth regions, respectively. Meanwhile, the decision-level semantics of three regions were regarded as different pieces of evidence for decision-level fusion based on the Dempster-Shafer (D-S) evidence theory. Finally, to fuse the different regional expression evidence of the network ensemble, which has ambiguity and uncertainty, a WEF strategy was introduced to overcome conflicts within evidence based on the support degree adjustment. The experimental results showed that the facial expression recognition rates achieved 88.73%, 88.46%, and 88.52% on FERPlus, RAF-DB, and CAER-S datasets, respectively. Compared with other state-of-the-art methods on three datasets, the proposed network ensemble, which not only focuses the decision-level semantics of key regions, but also addresses to the whole face for the absence of regional semantics under occlusion and posture variations, improved the performance of facial expression recognition in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormones (active form T3) are naturally potent compounds that influence energy expenditure, cholesterol metabolism, and fat oxidation. T3 would be an effective anti-obesity drug if it would not be delivered to the heart and bones, which leads to serious side effects, such as cardiovascular and bone thyrotoxicity, muscle wasting, and so on. In this study, we designed a targeted drug delivery system that is a glucagon-modified liposome to deliver T3 to the liver and adipose tissues. The liposomes exhibited excellent properties, including uniform nanoscale particle size, good physicochemical stability, and adequate drug release behavior. More importantly, the glucagon-modified liposomes were enriched in the liver, which minimized the undesired bone and cardiovascular thyrotoxicity of T3. Compared to the control group, T3-loading glucagon-modified liposomes could effectively decrease body weight, reverse hepatic steatosis, and correct hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in ob/ob mice, without the undesired cardiovascular and bone thyrotoxicity. These findings indicate that delivery of thyroid hormone by glucagon-modified liposomes may provide an effective strategy for anti-obesity therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Arma chinensis (Fallou) is an important predator of several agricultural and forestry pests. We tested the effects of three different prey species on the biological parameters of the predatory Ar. chinensis under laboratory conditions. These prey species consisted of Antheraea pernyi pupa, Plodia interpunctella larvae and Leptinotarsa decemlineata larvae. The results showed that prey species elicited a significant effect on development times, total survival rate, adult acquisition rate and reproduction. In contrast, the female proportion, survival rates of 3rd instars and 5th instars not significantly affected by prey species. An. pernyi pupa were the most suitable prey among those tested, and led to high survival rates, short development times, and high fecundity of Ar. chinensis. P. interpunctella larvae were also relatively favorable prey, whereas L. decemlineata larvae were less suitable and resulted in reduced development, survival and fecundity. Therefore, P. interpunctella larvae and L. decemlineata larvae can be fed to Ar. chinensis for turning both their harms into benefits and reducing the feeding and breeding costs of Ar. chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of tacrolimus treatment on refractory recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) patients with elevated serum IL-33/ST2 levels. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of refractory RSA patients with elevated peripheral blood IL-33/ST2 levels or an elevated Th1/Th2 cell ratio. A total of 149 women were enrolled, each of whom had had at least 3 serial miscarriages and was confirmed to have elevated peripheral blood IL-33/ST2 levels or an elevated Th1/Th2 cell ratio. These women were randomly divided into two groups. The tacrolimus group (n = 75) received basic therapy with the addition of tacrolimus (Prograf). Tacrolimus was administered at a dose of 0.05 ~ 0.1 mg/kg/day from the end of the menstrual period to the beginning of the next menstrual period or to the 10th week of pregnancy. In contrast, basic therapy with the addition of placebo was given to the placebo group (n = 74). The main study outcome was the delivery of healthy newborns without deformities. Results: A total of 60 (80.00%) patients in the tacrolimus group and 47 (63.51%) patients in the placebo group delivered healthy newborns [P = 0.03, odds ratio = 2.30; 95% confidence interval (1.10 ~ 4.81)]. The peripheral blood IL-33/ST2 levels and Th1/Th2 cell ratio of the tacrolimus group were much lower than those of the placebo group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We validated our previous finding that serum IL-33 and sST2 concentrations are related to RSA. Immunosuppressive treatment with tacrolimus was demonstrated to be a promising method to treat refractory RSA with immune bias disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating nitrate is actively absorbed by salivary glands and secreted into the oral cavity, where it is reduced to nitrite by oral nitrate-reducing bacteria. This process has previously been considered harmful because nitrate and nitrite can promote the formation of potentially carcinogenic N-nitrosamines. However, recent studies have shown that nitrate may have other physiological functions, and it can serve as a precursor for the systemic production of nitric oxide (NO) and perform NO-like functions, such as promoting vasodilation, regulating metabolic diseases, alleviating senescence, and protecting the digestive system. Inside the oral cavity, NO is likely to inhibit sensitive species as part of the nonspecific oral immune system. Exogenous administration of nitrate can maintain a balance in the pH of saliva. Oral nitrate-reducing bacteria can control the progression of caries by metabolizing lactic acid and reducing its accumulation, which is beneficial to the homeostasis of the oral microecology. In the current manuscript, we reviewed nitrate-reducing bacteria and their nitrate-metabolizing functions during the development of caries. Furthermore, we listed the effects of probiotics and dietary modification, which may be a promising method to prevent the occurrence of caries. We believe that this review provides novel ideas for the prevention of caries and treatment in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation Z (Gen Z) has emerged as the largest and most challenging consumer group for destination marketers. This study investigates the varying effects of social media marketing activities (SMMAs) on Gen Z travel behaviors. A comparative analysis approach between Gen Z and other generations was used to assess the attributes of SMMAs and their role in tourism destination visits. Gen Z tourists were more susceptible to the four traits of SMMAs (entertainment, trendiness, interaction, and word-of-mouth) when choosing destinations and were more likely to pay a premium for visiting than their generational counterparts. Gen Z females were more likely to be influenced by SMMA customization and word-of-mouth features, while Gen Z males were more sensitive to the entertainment features of SMMAs. These findings deepens marketers' understanding of Gen Z travelers' preferences and behaviors so that they provide constructive directions for marketers to implement effective SMMAs strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article elaborates on the dispersion of waves in piezoelectric sandwich nanoplates resting on a viscoelastic foundation. The nanoplate comprises a functionally graded (FG) graphene-reinforced composite core layer with two piezoelectric surface layers. By combining the Halpin–Tsai model and related mixture rules, the properties of the composite material have been obtained. The Euler–Lagrange equation is obtained using the third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) and Hamilton's principle. Subsequently, based on the nonlocal strain gradient theory (NSGT), the equation of motion is presented. Finally, the effects of scale parameters, hygrothermal conditions, graphene distribution, and viscoelastic foundation on the propagation characteristics are numerically studied. The results reveal that the scale effect is more evident when the wave number is larger. Furthermore, critical damping increases with a rise in the wavenumber and Winkler modulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two important flavonoids, kaempferol and quercetin possess remarkably potent biological impacts on human health. However, their structural complexity and low abundance in nature make both bulk chemical synthesis and extraction from native plants difficult. Therefore microbial production via heterologous expression of plant enzymes can be a safe and sustainable route for their production. Despite several attempts reported in microbial hosts, the production levels of kaempferol and quercetin still stay far behind compared to many other microbial-produced flavonoids. Results: In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered for high production of kaempferol and quercetin in minimal media from glucose. First, the kaempferol biosynthetic pathway was reconstructed via screening various F3H and FLS enzymes. In addition, we demonstrated that amplification of the rate-limiting enzyme AtFLS could reduce the dihydrokaempferol accumulation and improve kaempferol production. Increasing the availability of precursor malonyl-CoA further improved the production of kaempferol and quercetin. Furthermore, the highest amount of 956 mg L− 1 of kaempferol and 930 mg L− 1 of quercetin in yeast was reached in fed-batch fermentations. Conclusions: De novo biosynthesis of kaempferol and quercetin in yeast was improved through increasing the upstream naringenin biosynthesis and debugging the flux-limiting enzymes together with fed-batch fermentations, up to gram per liter level. Our work provides a promising platform for sustainable and scalable production of kaempferol, quercetin and compounds derived thereof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of determining the shape of an object from knowledge of the far-field of a single incident wave in two-dimensional elasticity was considered. We applied an iterative hybrid method to tackle this problem. An advantage of this method is that it does not need a forward solver, and therefore, the exact boundary condition is not essential. By deriving the Fréchet derivatives of two boundary operators, we established reconstruction algorithms for objects with Dirichlet, Neumann, and Robin boundary conditions; by introducing a general boundary condition, we also established the reconstruction algorithm for objects with unknown physical properties. Numerical experiments showed the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii can infect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, causing a global toxoplasmosis zoonotic epidemic. Surface antigen 1 (SAG1) protein is expressed at the proliferative tachyzoite stage, whereas matrix antigen 1 (MAG1) is expressed at the bradyzoite and tachyzoite stages. These two proteins were found to perform protective roles in previous studies; however, their synergetic protective efficacy as a DNA vaccine against toxoplasmosis has not been clarified. In this study, we constructed recombinant pcDNA3.1(+)-TgMAG1 (pMAG1), pcDNA3.1(+)-TgSAG1 (pSAG1), and pcDNA3.1(+)-TgMAG1-TgSAG1 (pMAG1-SAG1) plasmids and administered them intramuscularly to immunize mice. The levels of anti-T. gondii IgG in serum and cytokines, such as Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and Interferon (IFN)-γ, in splenocytes were measured using ELISA and the respective culture supernatants. Lethal doses of T. gondii (type I) RH strain tachyzoites were administered to immunized mice, and mortality was assessed. Conversely, mice infected with low doses of tachyzoites were monitored to determine their survival rates, and parasite burden analyses of the brains and livers were conducted. The bivalent TgMAG1 and TgSAG1 DNA vaccines exhibited excellent protective immunity against toxoplasmosis in mice, with higher serum IgG and splenocyte IFN-γ release levels, longer survival days, and reduced parasite burden in the brain and liver tissues (p < 0.05). These findings provide a new perspective for the development of T. gondii vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a highly prevalent indolent lymphoma, and the risk of histological transformation is approximately 2–3% per year. Transformation of FL generally occurs in the same lineage (B cell lineage). Another rare form of disease progression is the transformation of neoplastic B-cells to another cell lineage such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The low incidence of B-myeloid transformation associated with poor prognosis hinders the establishment of model systems to identify molecular mechanisms. A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with FL and achieved a satisfactory response after six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone). Approximately one month after treatment terminated, the disease progressed to AML with an increased white blood cell count and abnormal coagulation. Interestingly, nucleotide sequence analysis of the genomic region encoding the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable domain showed the possibility of homologous transformation from lymphoma to leukemia cells. Although the patient experienced transient improvement after undergoing treatment with one cycle of idarubicin and cytarabine combined with etoposide, she relapsed and died 8 days after venetoclax salvage therapy. Patient with B-myeloid transformation was associated with an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. Conventional strategies for treating histologically transformed AML were ineffective. However, treatment with a Bcl-2 inhibitor could serve as an option. Here we review the literature relevant to this rare histological transformation of FL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of exposure to news frames on attitudes toward Syrian refugee admissions and anti-immigrant sentiment. Findings show that framing Syrian refugees, ranging from benefits, victims to a security threat did invoke changes of attitudes toward admitting Syrian refugees. Participants reading a benefit frame story expressed more favorable opinions on accepting Syrian refugees than participants in the threat frame condition. In contrast to the extant literature, arguing victim frame enhances positive attitudes, the findings suggested that participants, who were exposed to a victim frame story yielded stronger anti-immigrant sentiment than participants who read a threat frame story. These findings advance scholarship on media framing of refugees and its effect on anti-immigrant sentiment and have important refugee admission policy and advocacy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]