Search

Abstract The insufficient availability and activity of interfacial water remain a major challenge for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, we propose an “on-site disruption and near-site compensation” strategy to reform the interfacial water hydrogen bonding network via deliberate cation penetration and catalyst support engineering. This concept is validated using tip-like bimetallic RuNi nanoalloys planted on super-hydrophilic and high-curvature carbon nanocages (RuNi/NC). Theoretical simulations suggest that tip-induced localized concentration of hydrated K+ facilitates optimization of interfacial water dynamics and intermediate adsorption. In situ synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy endorses an H* spillover-bridged Volmer‒Tafel mechanism synergistically relayed between Ru and Ni. Consequently, RuNi/NC exhibits low overpotential of 12 mV and high durability of 1600 h at 10 mA cm‒2 for alkaline HER, and demonstrates high performance in both water electrolysis and chlor-alkali electrolysis. This strategy offers a microscopic perspective on catalyst design for manipulation of the local interfacial water structure toward enhanced HER kinetics.

Abstract This study focuses on the prediction and management of carbon emissions (CE) under the backdrop of global warming, with a particular emphasis on developing spatial planning strategies for urban clusters. In this context, we integrate artificial intelligence technologies to devise an optimized spatial analysis method based on the attributes of multi-source, urban-level spatio-temporal big data on CE. This method enhances both the accuracy and interpretability of CE data processing. Our objectives are to accurately analyze the current status of CE, predict the future spatial distribution of urban CE in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and identify key driving factors. We aim to provide pragmatic recommendations for sustainable urban carbon management planning. The findings indicate that: (1) the algorithm designed by us demonstrates excellent fitting capabilities in the analysis of CE data in the YRD, achieving a fitting accuracy of 0.93; (2) it is predicted that from 2025 to 2030, areas with higher CE in the YRD will be primarily concentrated in the 'Provincial Capital Belt' and the 'Heavy Industry Belt'; (3) the economic foundation has been identified as the most significant factor influencing CE in the YRD; (4) projections suggest that CE in the YRD are likely to peak by 2030.

Abstract Fluid dynamics computations for tube-like geometries are crucial in biomedical evaluations of vascular and airways fluid dynamics. Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. However, vanilla PINNs often demand longer training times than conventional CFD methods for each specific flow scenario, limiting their widespread use. To address this, multi-case PINN approach has been proposed, where varied geometry cases are parameterized and pre-trained on the PINN. This allows for quick generation of flow results in unseen geometries. In this study, we compare three network architectures to optimize the multi-case PINN through experiments on a series of idealized 2D stenotic tube flows. The evaluated architectures include the ‘Mixed Network’, treating case parameters as additional dimensions in the vanilla PINN architecture; the “Hypernetwork”, incorporating case parameters into a side network that computes weights in the main PINN network; and the “Modes” network, where case parameters input into a side network contribute to the final output via an inner product, similar to DeepONet. Results confirm the viability of the multi-case parametric PINN approach, with the Modes network exhibiting superior performance in terms of accuracy, convergence efficiency, and computational speed. To further enhance the multi-case PINN, we explored two strategies. First, incorporating coordinate parameters relevant to tube geometry, such as distance to wall and centerline distance, as inputs to PINN, significantly enhanced accuracy and reduced computational burden. Second, the addition of extra loss terms, enforcing zero derivatives of existing physics constraints in the PINN (similar to gPINN), improved the performance of the Mixed Network and Hypernetwork, but not that of the Modes network. In conclusion, our work identified strategies crucial for future scaling up to 3D, wider geometry ranges, and additional flow conditions, ultimately aiming towards clinical utility.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants and a major determinant of plant growth and crop yield. Plants acquire nitrogen mainly in the form of nitrate and ammonium. Both nitrogen sources affect plant responses and signaling pathways in a different way, but these signaling pathways interact, complicating the study of nitrogen responses. Extensive transcriptome analyses and the construction of gene regulatory networks, mainly in response to nitrate, have significantly advanced our understanding of nitrogen signaling and responses in model plants and crops. In this study, we aimed to generate a more comprehensive gene regulatory network for the major crop, rice, by incorporating the interactions between ammonium and nitrate. To achieve this, we assessed transcriptome changes in rice roots and shoots over an extensive time course under single or combined applications of the two nitrogen sources. This dataset enabled us to construct a holistic co-expression network and identify potential key regulators of nitrogen responses. Next to known transcription factors, we identified multiple new candidates, including the transcription factors OsRLI and OsEIL1, which we demonstrated to induce the primary nitrate-responsive genes OsNRT1.1b and OsNIR1. Our network thus serves as a valuable resource to obtain novel insights in nitrogen signaling.

Background: Signet ring cell adenocarcinoma (SRCC) of the bladder is a rare and aggressive histological subtype of bladder cancer. Due to its infrequency, the understanding of its clinical behaviour, treatment strategies, and outcomes remains limited, being primarily derived from isolated case reports and series. Objective: To systematically review and analyse the available literature on SRCC of the bladder, emphasizing its clinical characteristics, diagnostic approaches, treatment modalities, and outcomes. Material and Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Medline following the PRISMA guidelines, including case reports, case series, observational studies, and clinical trials reporting on bladder SRCC. Results: We included 38 articles reporting on 77 patients, primarily males (79.2%), with a median age of 64 years. The most common presenting symptoms were haematuria (64.8%) and lower urinary tract symptoms (46.3%). All the diagnoses were based on histopathological examination of bladder tissue samples and immunohistochemistry. Mixed histological types of bladder cancer were found in 20.7% of cases, most commonly urothelial carcinoma (61.1%). The treatments varied, with 53.2% of patients undergoing radical cystectomy, 24.7% receiving radiotherapy, and 16.9% receiving chemotherapy. The five-year survival rates were 9.4%. Conclusion: Bladder SRCC presents aggressively, with varied treatment strategies; however, radical cystectomy appears to be the optimal means of surgical management for organ-confined disease. The overall survival rate is low, highlighting the need for further research to understand and manage this rare bladder cancer variant. All patients should undergo evaluation to exclude extravesical primaries. This systematic review contributes to a better understanding of this disease and may guide clinical management strategies.

Abstract Preventing avoidable venous-thrombo-embolism (VTE) is a priority to improve patient and service outcomes after total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA), but compliance with relevant clinical guidelines varies. This study aims to determine the degree to which prophylaxis was compliant with Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) VTE prophylaxis guidelines and whether non-compliance is associated with increased risk of VTE. A prospective multi-centre cohort study of adults with osteoarthritis undergoing primary TKA/THA was completed at 19 high-volume public and private hospitals. Data were collected prior to surgery and for one-year post-surgery. Logistic regression was undertaken to explore associations between non-compliance with AOA VTE prophylaxis guidelines and symptomatic 90-day VTE outcomes. Data were analysed for 1838 participants from 19 sites. The rate of non-compliance with all clinical guideline recommendations was 20.1% (N = 369), with 14.1% (N = 259) non-compliance for risk-stratified prophylaxis, 35.8% (N = 658) for duration, and 67.8% (N = 1246) for other general recommendations. Symptomatic VTE was experienced up to 90-days post-surgery by 48 people (2.6%). Overall guideline non-compliance (AOR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.4 to 1.3, p = 0.86) was not associated with a lower risk of symptomatic 90-day VTE. Results were consistent when people with high bleeding risk were excluded (AOR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.44 to 2.34, p = 0.89). Non-compliance with the AOA VTE prophylaxis guidelines was not associated with risk of 90-day VTE after arthroplasty. This counterintuitive finding is concerning and necessitates a rigorous review of the AOA VTE prevention clinical guideline.

Abstract Plants are capable of altering root growth direction to curtail exposure to a saline environment (termed halotropism). The root cap that surrounds root tip meristematic stem cells plays crucial roles in perceiving and responding to environmental stimuli. However, how the root cap mediates root halotropism remains undetermined. Here, we identified a root cap-localized NAC transcription factor, SOMBRERO (SMB), that is required for root halotropism. Its effect on root halotropism is attributable to the establishment of asymmetric auxin distribution in the lateral root cap (LRC) rather than to the alteration of cellular sodium equilibrium or amyloplast statoliths. Furthermore, SMB is essential for basal expression of the auxin influx carrier gene AUX1 in LRC and for auxin redistribution in a spatiotemporally-regulated manner, thereby leading to directional bending of roots away from higher salinity. Our findings uncover an SMB-AUX1-auxin module linking the role of the root cap to the activation of root halotropism.

IntroductionEjection fraction (EF) is widely used to evaluate heart function during heart failure (HF) due to its simplicity compared but it may misrepresent cardiac function during ventricular hypertrophy, especially in heart failure with preserved EF (HFpEF). To resolve this shortcoming, we evaluate a correction factor to EF, which is equivalent to computing EF at the mid-wall layer (without the need for mid-layer identification) rather than at the endocardial surface, and thus better complements other complex metrics.MethodThe retrospective cohort data was studied, consisting of 2,752 individuals (56.5% male, age 69.3 ± 16.4 years) admitted with a request of a troponin test and undergoing echocardiography as part of their clinical assessment across three centres. Cox-proportional regression models were constructed to compare the adjusted EF (EFa) to EF in evaluating risk of heart failure admissions.ResultComparing HFpEF patients to non-HF cases, there was no significant difference in EF (62.3 ± 7.6% vs. 64.2 ± 6.2%, p = 0.79), but there was a significant difference in EFa (56.6 ± 6.4% vs. 61.8 ± 9.9%, p = 0.0007). Both low EF and low EFa were associated with a high HF readmission risk. However, in the cohort with a normal EF (EF ≥ 50%), models using EFa were significantly more associative with HF readmissions within 3 years, where the leave one out cross validation ROC analysis showed a 18.6% reduction in errors, and Net Classification Index (NRI) analysis showed that risk increment classification of events increased by 12.2%, while risk decrement classification of non-events decreased by 16.6%.ConclusionEFa is associated with HF readmission in patients with a normal EF.

Background: In March 2022, a severe outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant occurred in Shanghai. This study aimed to determine disease severity, clinical features, clinical outcome in hospitalized patients with the Omicron variant and evaluate the effectiveness of one-dose, two-dose, and three-dose inactivated vaccines in reducing viral loads, disease course, ICU admissions and severe diseases. Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis was performed on 5,170 adult patients (≥18 years) identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive with Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction admitted at Shanghai Medical Center for Gerontology between March 2022 and June 2022. Demographic information, laboratory data, immunization status, clinical characteristics and outcomes were extracted from electronic medical records. Results: Among 5,170 enrolled patients, the median age was 53 years, and 2,861 (55.3 %) were male. 71.0 % were mild COVID-19 cases, and cough (1,137 [22.0 %]), fever (592 [11.5 %]), sore throat (510 [9.9 %]), and fatigue (334 [6.5 %]) were the most common symptoms on the patient’s first admission. The median length of hospital stay was 8.7 ± 4.5 days. In multivariate logistic analysis, booster vaccination can significantly reduce ICU admissions and decrease the severity of COVID-19 outcome when compared with less doses of vaccine (OR = 0.75, 95 %CI, 0.62–0.91, P ≤ 0.005; OR = 0.99, 95 %CI, 0.99–1.00, p

Oil bodies (OB) are subcellular organelles that store lipids in plant seeds, which are composed of neutral triacylglycerol (TAG), a monolayer of polar phospholipids surrounding TAG, and proteins embedded in the phospholipid membrane. The composition and unique structure of OB make it have good oxidation stability. OB can be extracted by water extraction and enzyme-assisted extraction. As a natural pre-emulsified oil-in-water emulsion, OB emulsions have been gradually used to replace synthetic oil droplets and are promising for broad applications in the fields of food, medicine and animal husbandry. Therefore, it is of practical significance to explore the effects of OB composition and structure as well as environmental factors on the oxidation stability of OB emulsions. In this paper, the composition, structure and extraction process of OB, the oxidation stability of OB emulsions and future prospects for its application in the food field are reviewed, which can provide a reference for the development and utilization of OB.

Abstract Purpose Dexmedetomidine (Dexmed) is a highly selective alpha 2 adrenoceptor (α2-AR) agonist with excellent sedation and analgesic effects and is frequently used in breast cancer surgery. However, the exact impact of Dexmed on breast cancer prognosis is still unclear. The primary objective of this pilot study was to explore study feasibility (recruitment and dropout rates) for future large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the hypothesis that intraoperative Dexmed reduced recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients after breast cancer surgery. Methods Interviews with patients were performed during the anesthetic preoperative visit for informed consent. Adult females scheduled for a mastectomy due to primary breast cancer were 1:1 randomised to saline (Group Control) or Dexmed (Group Dexmed) treatment groups. The primary outcomes were descriptions of study feasibility (recruitment and dropout rates). We also performed a preliminary analysis of RFS (time from surgery to the earliest date of recurrence/metastasis) and OS (time from surgery to the date of all-cause death) and collected data on percentages/numbers of circulating immune cells at pre- and 24 h post-operation. Results A total of 964 patients were screened; 40% (385/964) met the inclusion criteria, among which 39% (150/385) were enrolled and randomly assigned to either Group Control (n = 75) or Group Dexmed (n = 75). The median follow-up duration was 49 months (interquartile range (IQR): 34–58 months) for Group Control and 48 months (IQR: 33–60 months) for Group Dexmed. Five percent (5%, 8/150) patients were lost to follow-up and 1% (2/150) died. There was no significant difference in RFS and OS. The percentage/number of natural killer (NK), B and T-cell subsets and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio were similar between groups at 24 h post-operation. Conclusion The pilot study was feasible to deliver. In a future definitive trial, the lower recruitment rate may be improved by increasing the number of anesthesiologists involved in the study. The study about the effects of Dexmed on long-term prognoses of breast cancer patients that is planned to follow this pilot study is a large-scaled randomized control study with the aim of providing evidence-based guidelines for rational use of Dexmed in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Trial registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on October 20, 2016 (ID: NCT03109990). Graphical Abstract

Abstract Purpose While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global pandemic, millions of patients with COVID-19 have recovered and returned to their families and work, although the key factors of sequela-free survival remain unknown. Here we determine key factors associated with sequela-free survival of patients with COVID-19. Methods Sequela-free survival is defined as having none of the long-term sequelae measured with the Activity of Daily Living (ADL) Scale, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnoea Scale, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Carcinologic Handicap Index (CHI) and Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-M). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the key factors of sequela-free survival. Results The follow-up period for the 464 patients was 10 August to 30 September 2020. Of these, 424 patients completed the assessment of all scales. 30.2% (128 of 424) were categorised as sequela-free at follow-up. The most common sequelae were psychosocial problems (254 [57.7%]), respiratory function abnormality (149 [32.6%]) and cardiac function abnormality (98 [21.5%]). Risk factors associated with COVID-19 sequelae were anaemia on admission, longer duration from the onset of symptoms to admission and increasing of age, whereas anaemia treatment was a protective factor against sequelae. A haemoglobin level of