Search

Nuclear receptor coactive 4 (NCOA4), which functions as a selective cargo receptor, is a critical regulator of the particularly autophagic degradation of ferritin, a process known as ferritinophagy. Mechanistically, NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy performs an increasingly vital role in the maintenance of intracellular iron homeostasis by promoting ferritin transport and iron release as needed. Ferritinophagy is not only involved in iron‐dependent responses but also in the pathogenesis and progression of various human diseases, including metabolism‐related, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. Therefore, ferritinophagy is of great importance in maintaining cell viability and function and represents a potential therapeutic target. Recent studies indicated that ferritinophagy regulates the signalling pathway associated with ferroptosis, a newly discovered type of cell death characterised by iron‐dependent lipid peroxidation. Although accumulating evidence clearly demonstrates the importance of the interplay between dysfunction in iron metabolism and ferroptosis, a deeper understanding of the double‐edged sword effect of ferritinophagy in ferroptosis has remained elusive. Details of the mechanisms underlying the ferritinophagy–ferroptosis axis in regulating relevant human diseases remain to be elucidated. In this review, we discuss the latest research findings regarding the mechanisms that regulate the biological function of NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy and its contribution to the pathophysiology of ferroptosis. The important role of the ferritinophagy–ferroptosis axis in human diseases will be discussed in detail, highlighting the great potential of targeting ferritinophagy in the treatment of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microplasma fractional radiofrequency (MP FRF) technology has been increasingly used for acne scars. Nevertheless, little evidence has analyzed the factors influencing its effectiveness before and during treatment. Aims: To evaluate the clinical factors affecting the effectiveness of MP FRF therapy for atrophic acne scars. Methods: We analyzed retrospectively the clinical data of 79 acne scar patients treated with MP FRF technology. The outcome of interest included the effectiveness and adverse events after MP FRF treatment. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to evaluate clinical factors associated with effectiveness after the initial session. Results: All patients received 115 sessions of MP FRF therapy (average: 1.5 sessions). Twenty‐eight (35.4%) patients improved moderately to excellently after one session. We found that the severe grade before treatment was negatively correlated with the effectiveness according to Goodman–Baron qualitative scores (OR = 0.02, 95% CI [0.001, 0.37], p = 0.009). The presence of icepick scars was also a negative correlation factor for the effectiveness (OR = 0.06, 95% CI [0.004, 1.00], p = 0.049). Furthermore, after excluding the effects of icepick scars and Goodman–Baron scores before treatment, ECCA scores were also correlated with effectiveness (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.01, 1.06], p = 0.009). Conclusion: MP FRF therapy was effective in treating atrophic acne scars with no permanent adverse events. The severity of Goodman–Baron qualitative scores and icepick scars were independent clinical factors affecting effectiveness, suggesting the possible requirement for additional treatments other than MP FRF for severe acne scars and icepick scars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haplotype‐resolved 3D chromatin architecture related to allelic differences in avian skeletal muscle development has not been addressed so far, although chicken husbandry for meat consumption has been prevalent feature of cultures on every continent for more than thousands of years. Here, high‐resolution Hi‐C diploid maps (1.2‐kb maximum resolution) are generated for skeletal muscle tissues in chicken across three developmental stages (embryonic day 15 to day 30 post‐hatching). The sequence features governing spatial arrangement of chromosomes and characterize homolog pairing in the nucleus, are identified. Multi‐scale characterization of chromatin reorganization between stages from myogenesis in the fetus to myofiber hypertrophy after hatching show concordant changes in transcriptional regulation by relevant signaling pathways. Further interrogation of parent‐of‐origin‐specific chromatin conformation supported that genomic imprinting is absent in birds. This study also reveals promoter‐enhancer interaction (PEI) differences between broiler and layer haplotypes in skeletal muscle development‐related genes are related to genetic variation between breeds, however, only a minority of breed‐specific variations likely contribute to phenotypic divergence in skeletal muscle potentially via allelic PEI rewiring. Beyond defining the haplotype‐specific 3D chromatin architecture in chicken, this study provides a rich resource for investigating allelic regulatory divergence among chicken breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodine, an essential trace element for the human body, plays a pivotal role in sustaining health. Malnutrition has emerged as a pressing public health concern, posing a significant threat to human well‐being. Iodine deficiency poses a substantial threat to the development of children, potentially leading to neurological developmental disorders and mental retardation. Conversely, excessive iodine intake can result in structural and functional abnormalities in the thyroid gland. In this study, we selected children aged 3–6 years through a stratified cluster sampling approach in six regions across China to explore the correlation between iodine nutrition and their physical growth. A total of 5920 preschool children participated in this study, with a median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of 177.33 [107.06, 269.92] μg/L. Among these children, 250 (4.2%) exhibited stunting, 180 (3.0%) were underweight, 198 (3.3%) experienced wasting, 787 (3.3%) were overweight and 414 (7.0%) were classified as obese. The multivariate linear regression revealed that UIC exhibited a positive correlation with body mass index z‐Score (BMIZ) in overweight children (β = 0.038; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.075). In normally growing children, the associations between UIC and height‐for‐age z‐score, weight‐for‐age z‐score and BMIZ displayed nonlinear patterns. Our findings suggest that iodine nutrition is adequate for Chinese children aged 3–6 years. Furthermore, iodine nutrition is intricately linked to the growth and development of these children. Consequently, it is imperative to implement decisive measures to prevent both iodine deficiency and excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the SWT model was improved by incorporating the Walker equation into the strain–life curve. The established model takes into account the material's sensitivity to mean stress by introducing the Walker exponent, w. Under uniaxial loading condition, the proposed model can reduce to the SWT model, Manson‐Coffin equation, and Walker model for w values of 0.5, 1, and 0, respectively. Under multiaxial symmetric loading, when w = 0.5, the proposed model can be simplified as another SWT correction model (CXH) proposed by Chen et al. The prediction accuracy of the established model was validated using about 200 data points collected from literature. These data points were obtained from tests conducted on eight different kinds of metals under various multiaxial loading paths. The verification results indicate that 96.8% and 97.9% of the data points fall within the factor‐of‐three boundary for the loading paths without and with mean stresses, respectively. Highlights: Shear terms have significant influence on fatigue damage under non‐proportional loading.An improved SWT model is proposed by incorporating Walker equation into strain–life curve.Procedures for determining the critical plane and damage parameters were presented.Good predictions are obtained for loadings with/without mean stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of neutrophil elastase inhibitor (sivelestat sodium) on gastrointestinal function in sepsis. A reanalysis of the data from previous clinical trials conducted at our center was performed. Septic patients were divided into either the sivelestat group or the non‐sivelestat group. The gastrointestinal dysfunction score (GIDS), feeding intolerance (FI) incidence, serum levels of intestinal barrier function and inflammatory biomarkers were recorded. The clinical severity and outcome variables were also documented. A total of 163 septic patients were included. The proportion of patients with GIDS ≥2 in the sivelestat group was reduced relative to that in the non‐sivelestat group (9.6% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.047) on the 7th day of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The FI incidence was also remarkably reduced in the sivelestat group in contrast to that in the non‐sivelestat group (21.2% vs. 37.8%, p = 0.034). Furthermore, the sivelestat group had fewer days of FI [4 (3, 4) vs. 5 (4–6), p = 0.008]. The serum levels of d‐lactate (p = 0.033), intestinal fatty acid‐binding protein (p = 0.005), interleukin‐6 (p = 0.001), white blood cells (p = 0.007), C‐reactive protein (p = 0.001), and procalcitonin (p < 0.001) of the sivelestat group were lower than those of the non‐sivelestat group. The sivelestat group also demonstrated longer ICU‐free days [18 (0–22) vs. 13 (0–17), p = 0.004] and ventilator‐free days [22 (1–24) vs. 16 (1–19), p = 0.002] compared with the non‐sivelestat group. In conclusion, sivelestat sodium administration appears to improve gastrointestinal dysfunction, mitigate dysregulated inflammation, and reduce disease severity in septic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, carriers are designed to deliver pharmaceutical (featuring small drug‐molecules) and biopharmaceutical (featuring large‐molecule drugs, e.g., antibodies, proteins, etc.) active ingredients and platform that is capable of transporting nanoparticles is rare. Herein, the fabrication of a supramolecular carrier with a nano‐grid structure for the entrapment of liposomes and exosomes is reported. The nano‐grid particles (NGP) are made of cyclodextrins as elementary units which are widely used to load drugs through host–guest inclusion complexes, whilst its secondary structure further formed the NGP tertiary architectures, enabling the entrapment of nanoparticles. The NGP features stimuli responsiveness, tunable surface charge, and good biocompatibility. The entrapped liposomes in NGP present enhanced distribution in lungs and extended duration of action in mice. And elongated release profiles for over 14 days is obtained for exosomes—making one‐of‐its‐kind unique platform to load and deliver nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol remote sensing typically relies on reflected shortwave radiation and thus lacks nighttime retrievals. Here we made an original attempt to retrieve nighttime aerosol optical depth (AOD) by utilizing longwave measurements in the atmospheric window region from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) instrument. A machine‐learning based algorithm is developed using AIRS longwave radiance and auxiliary data as the input and AOD from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) as well as reanalysis surface temperature as the output. Independent validation indicates good agreement with lunar AOD derived from surface photometers. An overall increase in nighttime AOD compared to daytime is also uncovered, which is further corroborated by surface and space lidar measurements. The theoretical basis of the algorithm is further verified using radiative transfer simulations. Our approach substantially extends the potential of hyperspectral longwave measurements and offers valuable insights into nighttime aerosol properties. Plain Language Summary: Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is an important parameter for understanding the effects of aerosols on the Earth's atmosphere and air quality. However, current satellite‐based methods for estimating AOD mainly rely on reflected sunlight, thus lacking the capability of deriving aerosol properties at night. In this study, we develop a novel machine‐learning based method for estimating nighttime AOD using longwave far infrared measurements from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) satellite instrument. Our algorithm shows satisfactory performance with good agreements with surface AOD derived from moonlight, as well as from space lidar. Through radiative transfer simulations, we were able to verify the theoretical basis of our method and establish a relationship between AOD and the longwave measurements. This new approach greatly expands our ability to estimate AOD during nighttime and provides valuable insights into day‐time aerosol variability. Key Points: Nighttime AOD is successfully retrieved from satellite longwave radiance measurementsResults agree well with AERONET lunar AOD and CALIPSO nighttime AODNighttime AOD is found to be overall higher than daytime AOD globally [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely used in clinical practice to treat diseases related to central nervous system (CNS) damage. However, the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) constitutes a significant impediment to the effective delivery of TCM, thus substantially diminishing its efficacy. Advances in nanotechnology and its applications in TCM (also known as nano‐TCM) can deliver active ingredients or components of TCM across the BBB to the targeted brain region. This review provides an overview of the physiological and pathological mechanisms of the BBB and systematically classifies the common TCM used to treat CNS diseases and types of nanocarriers that effectively deliver TCM to the brain. Additionally, drug delivery strategies for nano‐TCMs that utilize in vivo physiological properties or in vitro devices to bypass or cross the BBB are discussed. This review further focuses on the application of nano‐TCMs in the treatment of various CNS diseases. Finally, this article anticipates a design strategy for nano‐TCMs with higher delivery efficiency and probes their application potential in treating a wider range of CNS diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with sleep disturbances. However, mechanisms underlying these interactions remain unclear. Male acute and chronic sleep deprivation (SD) mice were used for this study. Mice in the chronic SD group exhibited anxiety‐ and depression‐like behaviors. We further performed high‐throughput genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis to screen for featured differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the esophageal tissue. The acute SD group, comprised 25 DEGs including 14 downregulated and 11 upregulated genes. Compared with the acute SD group, more DEGs were present in the chronic SD group, with a total of 169 DEGs, including 88 downregulated and 81 upregulated genes. Some DEGs that were closely related to GERD and associated esophageal diseases were significantly different in the chronic SD group. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction verified the downregulation of Krt4, Krt13, Krt15 and Calml3 and upregulation of Baxl1 and Per3. Notably, these DEGs are involved in biological processes, which might be the pathways of the neuroregulatory mechanisms of DEGs expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal studies have shown that virus infection causes changes in host chromatin accessibility, but little is known about changes in chromatin accessibility of plants infected by viruses and its potential impact. Here, rice infected by rice stripe virus (RSV) was used to investigate virus‐induced changes in chromatin accessibility. Our analysis identified a total of 6462 open‐ and 3587 closed‐differentially accessible chromatin regions (DACRs) in rice under RSV infection by ATAC‐seq. Additionally, by integrating ATAC‐seq and RNA‐seq, 349 up‐regulated genes in open‐DACRs and 126 down‐regulated genes in closed‐DACRs were identified, of which 34 transcription factors (TFs) were further identified by search of upstream motifs. Transcription levels of eight of these TFs were validated by reverse transcription‐PCR. Importantly, four of these TFs (OsWRKY77, OsWRKY28, OsZFP12 and OsERF91) interacted with RSV proteins and are therefore predicted to play important roles in RSV infection. This is the first application of ATAC‐seq and RNA‐seq techniques to analyse changes in rice chromatin accessibility caused by RSV infection. Integrating ATAC‐seq and RNA‐seq provides a new approach to select candidate TFs in response to virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: This was the first article reported a fatal case of chlorfenapyr poisoning in a child, and the typical symptoms before death include high fever, severe sweating, coma, and limb stiffness, and elevation of myocardial enzymes and myoglobin; neurological symptoms tend to appear earlier in children than in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Ovarian leiomyoma and abdominal wall leiomyoma are both rare clinical entities. Here, we report the rare case with ovarian leiomyoma accompanied by a neglected abdominal wall leiomyoma to raise the awareness of clinicians of ovarian leiomyoma and multiple occurrences of benign leiomyoma for appropriate diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our purpose was to develop and evaluate the clinical outcomes of a nursing plan as a rooming‐in practice for enhanced recovery of women with preeclampsia following a cesarean section. The authors developed a postoperative enhanced recovery nursing plan as a rooming‐in practice for women with preeclampsia based on summarizing evidence‐based best practices. The authors used convenience sampling to select women with preeclampsia after a cesarean section from the obstetrics department of a Class A tertiary hospital in Nanjing, China, as the participants in our study. There were 30 women in the experimental group. The postoperative enhanced recovery nursing care plan was formulated for five postoperative time points and incorporated management of blood pressure, temperature, and fluids, as well as monitoring of complications, pain management, activity and rest, diet management, and breastfeeding. The control group consisted of 30 women who received routine nursing care and health education. The authors compared levels of maternal self‐efficacy, breastfeeding efficacy, anxiety, pain scores, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prevention compliance before and after the intervention. Women in the experimental group had a self‐efficacy score of 7.5 ± 0.63, which was higher than that in the control group (5.4 ± 0.85); they had a higher breastfeeding efficacy score of 7.13 ± 0.68 when compared to the control group (4.23 ± 0.86); the anxiety score was 6.7 ± 1.62, which was lower than that in the control group (10.03 ± 1.87); and the pain score was lower at 3.26 ± 0.52 when compared to the control group (3.83 ± 0.83). All the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Postoperative blood pressure was controlled within the target range, and the rate of DVT prevention compliance increased in the experimental group. The implementation of a postoperative enhanced recovery nursing intervention for women with preeclampsia as part of the rooming‐in practice was effective in helping manage the blood pressure, pain, and fluids of women with preeclampsia, improved their postoperative self‐management ability and breastfeeding efficacy, reduced their anxiety levels, improved their compliance with the prevention of related complications, and ultimately promoted enhanced postoperative recovery, thereby guaranteeing the safety of mothers and newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraspecific variation, which may arise through the interplay between environmental heterogeneity and adaptive variation, has consequences for the resilience of species to climate change. Here, we revealed the levels of intraspecific genomic variation and its causes in a widespread brown alga (Sargassum horneri). Our datasets included both benthic and floating samples from 20 populations sampled along a latitudinal gradient in the Chinese marginal seas. We prepared two datasets: 1) 4628 filtered single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for all samples, and 2) 20,735 filtered SNPs for only benthic samples. We conducted genotype‐environment association analyses and outlier tests to identify adaptive loci for each dataset. Both neutral and adaptive SNPs revealed a deep genetic split between benthic populations in the North Yellow Sea (NYS) and East China Sea. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that temperature is a major factor driving adaptive divergence of benthic populations. Predictions of the lineage‐level species distribution model revealed severe habitat loss of S. horneri in the NYS and eastern coasts of Korea under RCP8.5 in the 2100 s; however, the low‐latitude boundary remained stable. Based on these results, we speculate that low‐latitude populations may have high resilience to global warming. The dispersal routes of floating samples were determined by coastal currents; however, restricted gene flow between regions was detected. Thus, we speculate that opportunities for the recovery of depleted populations through natural gene flow may be limited. This study highlights the importance of applying conservation strategies (e.g., assisted gene flow) to protect coastal species from local extinction in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid fossil fuels still support the development of the energy and chemical industry. The clean and efficient utilization of solid fossil fuels can effectively alleviate the problems of energy shortage and environmental pollution. An in‐depth understanding of the kinetic process, models, and mechanism of pyrolysis of solid fossil fuels is also of great significance for the exploration and utilization technologies of petroleum resources. Thermogravimetric analysis is an effective method to study the pyrolysis process and kinetics with the advantages of high sensitivity, repeatability, and reliability for data acquisition. Researchers have conducted a lot of research on the thermogravimetric kinetics of solid fossil fuels in recent years, but there is a lack of systematic summary and comparison of kinetic methods, research progress, and trends. Therefore, a comprehensive study on pyrolysis kinetic principles, methods, and models of solid fossil fuels by thermogravimetric analysis is carried out in this paper. The influencing factors of pyrolysis kinetics of solid fossil fuels using thermogravimetry are elaborated and discussed in detail. This study also provides progress in recent years and prospects of thermogravimetric kinetics of solid fossil fuels. It is expected that this paper can provide certain technical support and theoretical guidance for the research on pyrolysis kinetics based on thermogravimetric analysis, and the exploration and development, clean, and efficient utilization of solid fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniature robots have been widely studied and applied in the fields of search and rescue, reconnaissance, micromanipulation, and even the interior of the human body benefiting from their highlight features of small size, light weight, and agile movement. With the development of new smart materials, many functional actuating elements have been proposed to construct miniature robots. Compared with other actuating elements, piezoelectric actuating elements have the advantages of compact structure, high power density, fast response, high resolution, and no electromagnetic interference, which make them greatly suitable for actuating miniature robots, and capture the attentions and favor of numerous scholars. In this paper, a comprehensive review of recent developments in miniature piezoelectric robots (MPRs) is provided. The MPRs are classified and summarized in detail from three aspects of operating environment, structure of piezoelectric actuating element, and working principle. In addition, new manufacturing methods and piezoelectric materials in MPRs, as well as the application situations, are sorted out and outlined. Finally, the challenges and future trends of MPRs are evaluated and discussed. It is hoped that this review will be of great assistance for determining appropriate designs and guiding future developments of MPRs, and provide a destination board to the researchers interested in MPRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat flow is a geothermal parameter for indicating the heat source distribution and evaluating geothermal reservoirs. Only 1,230 heat flow points are distributed unevenly in China, mainly concentrated in high‐temperature geothermal and southeast regions. The Songliao Basin is a potential geothermal field in China. Still, only 20 measurement points are known, making evaluating the geothermal genetic mechanism difficult. Sparse data interpolation using deep learning methods is highly accurate and widely used in fields such as image processing. In this work, we propose a deep neural network for predicting heat flow in the Songliao Basin. More than 4,000 global heat flows and 23 geological and geophysical parameters are used as reference constraints for training. The uncertainty error of the prediction is estimated based on the correlation and distance‐based generalized sensitivity analysis. The results show that the maximum heat flow is 85 mW/m2, the average is 67.1 mW/m2, and the error with the measured data is 10.64%. The previous geophysical and geological interpretation results indicate that the heat flow is higher in the west and lower in the east, with high anomalies in the central region, which may be related to the uplift of the deep mantle and the depression of the shallow low‐velocity sedimentary layer. Some high‐temperature melt bodies are in the deep layers, forming the current potential geothermal field. The measured data validates that the DNN is an effective method for predicting regional‐scale heat flow, providing reliable heat source information for evaluating geothermal resources. Plain Language Summary: Geothermal has received extensive global attention as a new renewable energy resource. Geothermal heat flow (GHF) is crucial among various indicators for assessing potential geothermal fields, with over 20,000 measurement points worldwide. However, due to the expensive cost of drilling measurements, the spatial distribution of heat flow points could be more balanced, posing challenges to geothermal exploration and investigation. Traditional heat flow prediction methods rely on interpolation based on sparse measurement points to estimate the regional heat flow distribution. However, spatial variations in the measurement points often affect the prediction results, leading to lower accuracy. Therefore, this study proposes a deep learning approach to establish the complex relationship between heat flow and geological/geophysical features, aiming to estimate the heat flow distribution in the target area. The proposed method has been successfully applied to heat flow prediction in the Songliao Basin, accompanied by an uncertainty analysis technique that provides confidence intervals for the prediction results. These findings offer direct evidence for the geothermal formation mechanisms and thermal evolution laws in the Songliao Basin. Key Points: We propose a deep neural network (DNN) method for predicting terrestrial heat flowCorrelation and Distance‐based Generalized Sensitivity Analysis (DGSA) methods are used to evaluate the uncertainty of DNN predicted heat flow resultsThe prediction of terrestrial heat flow in the Songliao Basin provides direct evidence for deep heat source channels and geothermal genesis mechanisms [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the prescribed tracking performance control problem is addressed for uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown periodically time‐varying parameters and arbitrary switching signal. By utilizing radial basis function neural network and fourier series expansion, an approximator is developed to overcome the difficulty of identifying unknown periodically time‐varying and nonlinearly parameterized functions. To achieve the ideal tracking control performance and eliminate the influence of filtering error, a novel command filter‐based adaptive neural network prescribed tracking performance controller is designed by introducing a filtering compensation mechanism. Differently from the standard Backstepping technique, the proposed control scheme eliminates the "explosion of complexity" problem and relaxes the constraint condition on the reference signal. And then, it is warranted that the closed‐loop system is semi‐globally ultimately uniformly bounded and the tracking error is always limited to the specified region bounded by the performance functions. Three simulation examples are used to demonstrate the feasibility of the developed technique in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a common and thorny problem, influencing the life quality severely. This study aimed to elucidate the reorganization of the primary sensory cortex (S1) and the regulatory mechanism of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) in the presence of allodynia or hyperalgesia after left spinal cord hemisection injury (LHS). Methods: Through behavioral tests, we first identified mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia following LHS. We then applied two‐photon microscopy to observe calcium activity in S1 during mechanical or thermal stimulation and long‐term spontaneous calcium activity after LHS. By slice patch clamp recording, the electrophysiological characteristics of neurons in lPBN were explored. Finally, exploiting chemogenetic activation or inhibition of the neurons in lPBN, allodynia or hyperalgesia was regulated. Results: The calcium activity in left S1 was increased during mechanical stimulation of right hind limb and thermal stimulation of tail, whereas in right S1 it was increased only with thermal stimulation of tail. The spontaneous calcium activity in right S1 changed more dramatically than that in left S1 after LHS. The lPBN was also activated after LHS, and exploiting chemogenetic activation or inhibition of the neurons in lPBN could induce or alleviate allodynia and hyperalgesia in central neuropathic pain. Conclusion: The neuronal activity changes in S1 are closely related to limb pain, which has accurate anatomical correspondence. After LHS, the spontaneously increased functional connectivity of calcium transient in left S1 is likely causing the mechanical allodynia in right hind limb and increased neuronal activity in bilateral S1 may induce thermal hyperalgesia in tail. This state of allodynia and hyperalgesia can be regulated by lPBN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast China (NEC) is one of the most severely impacted regions by fire and biomass burning in the country. Notably, fires in this area have exhibited an increasing trend over the past decade, contrasting with the extensive pollution reduction observed in other parts of China. In this study, we combine observational data analysis and climate model simulations to demonstrate that the escalation of spring fire activities in NEC is likely induced by a decline in Bering Sea ice concentration during preceding months. This Arctic‐driven teleconnection contributes to increased temperatures and decreased precipitation in NEC through reduced vertical wind shear, anomalously northerly wind transport, and the formation of a high‐pressure center with descending airflow. These changes are conducive to fire ignition and expansion. Furthermore, this linkage may be amplified in future warmer scenarios. This mechanism holds significant implications for predicting decadal fire activity and furthering our understanding of global environmental projections. Plain Language Summary: In Northeast China (NEC), a region severely impacted by fire and biomass burning, there has been an increasing trend in fires over the past decade. This contrasts with pollution reduction seen in other parts of the country. It is therefore necessary to investigate the potential causes of this trend. Here, we show this increase in spring fires is likely due to a decrease in ice concentration in the Bering Sea during earlier months. The Arctic‐driven teleconnection will increase the temperature and decrease the precipitation in NEC through reduced vertical wind shear, anomalously north wind transport, and the local high‐pressure center with descending airflow. These changes create a hotter and drier condition in NEC that is conducive to fire activities. Furthermore, this connection could be more pronounced in future warmer scenarios, emphasizing the essential need for sustainable development routes with lower greenhouse gas emissions. This finding has important implications for forecasting fire activity across NEC and advancing the global environmental projection. Key Points: The escalation of fire in Northeast China during the past decade is strongly linked with the decline of Bering Sea ice concentrationWeakened vertical wind shear, the high‐pressure center and northerly winds induced by warmer Bering Sea might explain the teleconnectionThis linkage could potentially be intensified in a warmer world [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study created a comprehensive Country Diversity Score (CDS) index to measure the degree of journal internationality from a diversity perspective, based on publishing authors' affiliation countries. It calculates CDS values and analyses their distribution across countries, publication languages, disciplines, subjects, and journal impact factor (JIF) quartiles for 11,481 journals, and addresses the correlation between CDS and JIF. Empirical studies indicate that journals with authors evenly distributed across more countries are more likely to obtain a higher CDS value. English publications have a relatively high CDS worldwide, and the non‐English publications of a country have a lower CDS than its English‐language publications. In addition, this study found a positive correlation between journal internationality and JIF in terms of the geographical distribution of publishing authors. Implications and recommendations for improving geographical authorship diversity, particularly in the context of internationalization, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wolbachia can modulate the reproductive development of their hosts in multiple modes, and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most well‐studied phenotype. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is highly receptive to different Wolbachia strains: wCcep strain from the rice moth Corcyra cephalonica and wMel strain from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster could successfully establish and induce CI in transinfected whiteflies. Nevertheless, it is unknown what will happen when these two exogenous Wolbachia strains are co‐transinfected into a new host. Here, we artificially transinferred wCcep and wMel into the whitefly and established double‐ and singly‐transinfected B. tabaci isofemale lines. Reciprocal crossing experiments showed that wCcep and wMel induced a complex of CI phenotypes in the recipient host, including unidirectional and bidirectional CI. We next sequenced the whole genome of wCcep and performed a comparative analysis of the CI factor genes between wCcep and wMel, indicating that their cif genes were phylogenetically and structurally divergent, which can explain the crossing results. The amino acid sequence identity and structural features of Cif proteins may be useful parameters for predicting their function. Structural comparisons between CifA and CifB provide valuable clues for explaining the induction or rescue of CI observed in crossing experiments between transinfected hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral venous abnormalities, distinct from traditional arterial diseases, have been linked to brain atrophy in a previous community‐based cohort study, specifically in relation to the reduction of deep medullary veins (r‐DMVs). To better understand the properties and biological functions of serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cerebral venous disease‐associated brain atrophy, EVs are extracted from the serum of both participants with r‐DMV and normal controls and analyzed their proteomic profiles using Tandem Mass Tag label quantitation analysis. Phenotypic experiments showed that EVs from individuals with r‐DMVs are able to disrupt the normal functions of neurons, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells, and induce A1 reactive astrocytes. Additionally, this study provided a comprehensive characterization of the proteomic profile of DMV EVs and found that the collagen hydroxyproline is upregulated, while complement C3 is downregulated in the r‐DMV group, suggesting that r‐DMV may not be a simple pathological phenomenon and highlighting the potential involvement of EVs in the progression of brain atrophy in r‐DMVs which has implications for the development of future therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conventional fractional lasers (FLs) are well‐established treatments for acne scars with some inevitable adverse events. Fractional picosecond laser (FPL) is increasingly used for acne scars. Aims: To compare the efficacy and safety of FPL with non‐picosecond FLs for acne scars. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched. We also searched ClinicalTrials, WHO ICTRP, and ISRCTN websites. A meta‐analysis was conducted to assess the clinical improvement and adverse events after FPL compared with other FLs. Results: Overall, seven eligible studies were included. Three physician evaluation systems showed no difference between FPL and other FLs in clinical improvement of atrophic acne scars (MD = 0.64, 95% CI:−9.67 to 10.94; MD = −0.14, 95% CI:‐0.71 to 0.43; RR = 0.81, 95% CI:0.32 to 2.01). Patient‐assessed effectiveness was also not significantly different between FPL and other FLs (RR = 1.00, 95% CI:0.69 to 1.46). Although temporary pinpoint bleeding was more common after FPL (RR = 30.33, 95% CI:6.14 to 149.8), the incidence of post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) and pain level were lower for FPL (RR = 0.16, 95% CI:0.06 to 0.45; MD = −1.99, 95% CI:−3.36 to −0.62). Additionally, edema severity after treatment did not differ between the two groups (MD = −0.35, 95% CI:−0.72 to 0.02). As for the duration of erythema, no difference between FPL and nonablative FL groups (MD = −1.88, 95% CI:−6.28 to 2.51). Conclusions: FPL seems similar to other FLs regarding clinical improvement of atrophic acne scars. With lower PIH risk and pain scores, FPL is more suitable for acne scar patients prone to PIH or sensitive to pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with insidious early symptoms, easy metastasis, postoperative recurrence, poor drug efficacy, and a high drug resistance rate when surgery is missed, leading to a low 5‐year survival rate. Research on the pathogenesis and drugs is particularly important for clinical treatment. Animal models are crucial for basic research, which is conducive to studying pathogenesis and drug screening more conveniently and effectively. An appropriate animal model can better reflect disease occurrence and development, and the process of anti‐tumor immune response in the human body. This review summarizes the classification, characteristics, and advances in experimental animal models of HCC to provide a reference for researchers on model selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Category verbal fluency test (CVFT) has been widely used to assess and monitor the cognitive capacities in epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Pronounced discrepancy in CVFT performance has been found in individuals with different cognitive statuses. This study aimed to combine the psychometric and morphometric approaches to decode the complex verbal fluency performance in senior adults with normal ageing and neurocognitive disorders. Methods: This study adopted a two‐stage cross‐sectional design involving quantitative analyses of neuropsychological and neuroimaging data. In study I, capacity‐ and speed‐based measures of CVFT were developed to evaluate the verbal fluency performance in normal ageing seniors (n = 261), those with mild cognitive impairment (n = 204), and those with dementia (n = 23) whose age range is from 65 to 85 years. In study II, structural magnetic resonance imaging‐informed gray matter volume (GMV) and brain age matrices were calculated in a subsample (n = 52) from Study I through surface‐based morphometry analysis. With age and gender as covariates, Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine the associations of CVFT measures, GMV, and brain age matrices. Results: Speed‐based measures showed extensive and stronger associations with other cognitive functions than capacity‐based measures. The component‐specific CVFT measures showed shared and unique neural underpinnings with lateralized morphometric features. Moreover, the increased CVFT capacity was significantly correlated with younger brain age in mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD) patients. Conclusion: We found that the diversity of verbal fluency performance in normal ageing and NCD patients could be explained by a combination of memory, language, and executive abilities. The component‐specific measures and related lateralized morphometric correlates also highlight the underlying theoretical meaning of verbal fluency performance and its clinical utility in detecting and tracing the cognitive trajectory in individuals with accelerated ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon‐containing ceramics fibers are ideal candidates for thermal resistance due to their incomparable thermo‐stability and chemical stability. Research into anti‐oxidation behavior of silicon‐containing ceramics through metal elements doping is important for the application in extreme high‐temperature environment. Thus, uniform belts‐like Zr‐doped SiOC ceramics fibers were successfully prepared by electrospinning and polymer‐derived ceramics routine with polycarbosilane (PCS) and zirconium butoxide as precursors. The morphology and dimension of the fibers were conveniently controlled by tuning PCS concentration, types of spinning additives and pyrolysis temperature. The ceramics fibers were composed of SiC, ZrO2 and SiO2 crystals, accompanied with amorphous SimZrnCxOy. The structure and compositions realized the excellent thermal stability above 1300°C and the enhanced flexibility. The obtained fibers maintained ultra‐low thermal conductivity of.038–.053 W/(m·K). Thus, the materials were anticipated to be ideal for the thermal insulation up to 1400°C or higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: White matter injury (WMI) significantly affects neurobehavioral recovery in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients. Gut dysbiosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. Oxymatrine (OMT) has therapeutic effects on inflammation‐mediated diseases. Whether OMT exerts therapeutic effects on WMI after ICH and the role of gut microbiota involved in this process is largely unknown. Methods: Neurological deficits, WMI, gut microbial composition, intestinal barrier function, and systemic inflammation were investigated after ICH. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed to elucidate the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of ICH. Results: OMT promoted long‐term neurological function recovery and ameliorated WMI in the peri‐hematoma region and distal corticospinal tract (CST) region after ICH. ICH induced significant and persistent gut dysbiosis, which was obviously regulated by OMT. In addition, OMT alleviated intestinal barrier dysfunction and systemic inflammation. Correlation analysis revealed that gut microbiota alteration was significantly correlated with inflammation, intestinal barrier permeability, and neurological deficits after ICH. Moreover, OMT‐induced gut microbiota alteration could confer protection against neurological deficits and intestinal barrier disruption. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that OMT ameliorates ICH‐induced WMI and neurological deficits by modulating gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salt‐reducing pickling method has been applied to the industrial production of zhacai. In order to reveal the succession of the microbial community structure and flavor components during the pickling process, this study used PacBio Sequel to sequence the full length of 16S rRNA (bacteria, 1400 bp) and ITS (fungi, 1200 bp) genes, and detected flavor components simultaneously, including organic acids, volatile flavor components (VFC), monosaccharides, and amino acids. Eleven phyla and 148 genera were identified in the bacterial community, and 2 phyla and 60 genera in the fungal community. During the four stages of pickling, the dominant bacterial genera were Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus, while the dominant fungal genera were Aspergillus, Kazachstania, Debaryomyces, and Debaryomyces, respectively. There were 32 main flavor components (5 organic acids, 19 VFCs, 3 monosaccharides, and 5 amino acids). Correlation heat mapping and bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis showed that the flora having close relation to flavor components included 14 genera of bacteria (Leuconostoc, Clostridium, Devosia, Lactococcus, Pectobacterium, Sphingobacterium, Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, Halanaerobium, Tetragenococcus, Chromohalobacter, Klebsiella, Acidovorax, and Acinetobacter) and 3 genera of fungi (Filobasidium, Malassezia, and Aspergillus). This study provides detailed data regarding the microbial community and flavor components during the salt‐reducing pickling process of zhacai, which can be used as a reference for the development and improvement of salt‐reducing pickling methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an aggressive plasma cell malignancy, causing a number of deaths worldwide every year. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transduced T‐cell therapy has been a promising immunotherapy against hematological malignancies. Methods: In this study, we developed a second‐generation CAR construct and generated CAR‐T cells targeting CD38 molecule. Then effects of CAR‐T cells against MM cell lines were evaluated. Results: CD38‐CAR‐T cells showed higher cytotoxicity to MM cell lines and primary MM cells than that of control T cells in vitro. Over 50% MM1.s and RPMI8226 cells were killed by CAR‐T cells even at effector to target ratio of 1:100. CAR‐T cells also showed an enhanced cytotoxicity against primary MM cells. CAR‐T cells could be activated and produced a variety of cytokines in a target‐dependent manner. In vivo test indicated that CAR‐T cells also showed significant antitumor effect on xenograft mice models. Conclusion: These results indicated a promising therapeutic strategy of CD38‐CAR‐T cells against MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant advances in multiple myeloma (MM) over the past 15 years led to exciting changes in the management of MM patients in China, which in turn brought about the early diagnoses, precise risk stratifications, and improved prognoses. Methods: We summarized the dynamic changes in the management of newly diagnosed (ND) MM in a national medical center, crossing the old and novel drug era. Demographics, clinical characteristics, first‐line treatment, response rate, and survival were retrospectively collected among NDMMs diagnosed in Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from January 2007 to October 2021. Results: Of the 1256 individuals, median age was 64 (range 31–89) with 45.1% patients >65 years. About 63.5% were male, 43.1% were at ISS stage III and 9.9% had light‐chain amyloidosis. Patients with abnormal ratio of free light chain (80.4%), extramedullary disease (EMD, 22.0%), and high‐risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCA, 26.8%) were detected by novel detection techniques. The best confirmed ORR was 86.5%, including 39.4% with CR. Short‐ and long‐term PFS and OS rates persistently increased each year along with increasing novel drug applications. Median PFS and OS were 30.9 and 64.7 months. Advanced ISS stage, HRCA, light‐chain amyloidosis and EMD independently predicted an inferior PFS. First‐line ASCT indicated a superior PFS. Advanced ISS stage, elevated serum LDH, HRCA, light‐chain amyloidosis, and receiving PI/IMiD‐based regimen versus PI+IMiD‐based regimen independently indicated a poorer OS. Conclusions: In brief, we illustrated a dynamic landscape of MM patients in a national medical center. Chinese MM patients evidently benefited from newly introduced techniques and drugs in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online mental health communities have become a major platform where individuals can talk about their mental health problems and obtain social support. This study aims to understand the antecedents of perceived usefulness among members in an online mental health community, while providing reference for the managers and users of online mental health communities. We obtained a total of 143,190 posts from ReachOut.com released by the CLPsych2017 shared task. Then, we used text mining to derive the independent and dependent variables. Next, a structural equation model observing the perceived usefulness of online mental health community members was constructed from the perspective of an information adoption model. The informativeness of help‐seeking posts had a significant positive relationship with the information quality of reply posts; the information quality of reply posts was a significant positive predictor of perceived usefulness, with the information quality of reply posts partially mediating the relationship between the informativeness of help‐seeking posts and perceived usefulness. The information provided by online mental health community members' help‐seeking posts and the quality of replies were found to be the factors that influenced perceived usefulness. This study highlights the importance of the information quality of reply posts and provides useful insights for administrators who can help users to improve their response quality and obtain the support they need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the long‐term efficacy of no‐touch radiofrequency ablation (NT‐RFA) for treating single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) less than 3 cm. Methods: A total of 331 patients with HCC less than 3 cm undergoing RFA in Southwest Hospital from 2015 to 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were divided into NT‐RFA group (n = 113) and conventional RFA (C‐RFA) group (n = 218). The survival rate, local tumor progression (LTP) and intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR) of the two groups were calculated and compared. Results: A significant difference was observed in ablation range (p = 0.000) and safety margin (p = 0.000) between the two groups. The 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, 4‐and 5‐year overall survival (OS) rates in NT‐RFA and C‐RFA group were 99.12%, 93.73%, 76.18%, 57.00%, 45.17% and 99.08%, 89.91%, 71.26%, 54.28%, 41.77%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.281). The 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, 4‐and 5‐year recurrence‐free survival (RFS) rates in NT‐RFA and C‐RFA group were 78.51%, 52.59%, 41.02%, 34.36%, 30.92% and 68.81%, 44.95%, 30.88%, 23.73%, 22.88%, respectively. The two groups differed significantly (p = 0.044). The 1‐, 3‐and 5‐year LTP‐free survival rates in NT‐RFA and C‐RFA group were 87.12%, 74.99%, 72.32% and 75.75%, 65.52%, 65.52%, respectively. The two groups also differed significantly (p = 0.024). Furthermore, the RFS rates of D ≤ 2 cm subgroups in NT‐RFA and C‐RFA groups differed significantly (p = 0.037), while the RFS rates of 2 cm < D ≤ 3 cm subgroups in two groups showed no significant difference (p = 0.578). Conclusions: The RFS rates of single HCC less than 3 cm treated by NT‐RFA was significantly higher than that of C‐RFA. Due to a larger ablation range and safety margin, NT‐RFA could significantly reduce LTP and improve RFS. Dual‐electrode NT‐RFA can significantly improve the RFS rate of patients with HCC less than 2 cm, but there is no obvious advantage compared with C‐RFA in the treatment of HCC over 2 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interpretability of the model is a hot issue in the field of computer vision. Score‐CAM is a kind of interpretable CAM method with good discrimination and gradient free calculation. It is a representative work in this field. However, it has the disadvantages of long calculation time and incomplete heatmap coverage. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved Score‐CAM method named FIMF Score‐CAM, which can fast integrate multiple features. Its contribution is reflected in two aspects: The weight of the feature map is directly calculated by using the feature template. Unlike Score‐CAM, this model greatly saves computation time because it only requires one convolutional calculation. Another contribution is that the feature map used to generate the heatmap integrates various semantic features of the local space, so that the heatmap of the object of interest can be generated with more complete coverage and better interpretation. The FIMF Score‐CAM is superior to the existing mainstream models in interpreting the visual performance and fairness indicators of the decision‐making, having more complete explanations of object classes and the advantage of faster calculation speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moreover, the results of serum BDG and the CSF routine test results gradually improved. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and CSF serum (1,3)- -D-glucan (BDG) were used to aid in the diagnosis, and serum BDG was used to track the efficacy of antifungal therapy. This implied that serum BDG levels were useful in therapeutically monitoring CNS I Candida i infections, which is consistent with the results of Salvatore et al.[10] In conclusion, we report the first case of encephalomyelitis caused by I Candida parapsilosis i . Pathogens that cause fungal infections in the central nervous system (CNS) include the I Cryptococcus i , I Aspergillus i , I Histoplasma capsulatum i , and I Candida i species, among which the I Candida i species are uncommon. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Fractional radiofrequency (FRF) is increasingly used for acne scars. The common coexistence of acne scars and active acne is a challenge in the timely management of acne scarring. Aims: We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of FRF treatment with the lasers for acne and/or acne scars. Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Compared with the lasers, a meta‐analysis was conducted to assess the clinical improvement and adverse events after FRF treatment. Results: Eight randomized controlled trials were included. FRF group was more effective than the laser group in patient‐evaluated acne improvement (RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.01 ∼ 1.80). Regardless of observer assessment or patient evaluation, the FRF group was as effective as the laser group in treating atrophic acne scars (RR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.78 ∼ 1.08; RR =1.15, 95% CI: 0.99 ∼ 1.34). Although there was no difference in pain level and crusting time between the two groups (SMD =0.20, 95% CI: −0.72 ∼ 1.12; SMD = −0.93, 95% CI: −2.38 ∼ 0.52), PIH incidence of FRF was significantly lower than that of the laser group (RR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.04 ∼ 0.35). The duration of erythema after FRF treatment was also obviously shorter than that after the laser treatment (SMD = −0.78, 95% CI: −1.37 ∼ −0.18). Subgroup analysis showed that at least a 12‐week follow‐up was required to observe the full effects of FRF. Conclusions: FRF could be a better choice for atrophic acne scar patients with active acne. FRF is superior in treating atrophic acne scar patients prone to pigmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disease with irreversible and continuous progression. It has become the fifth most burdensome disease and the third most deadly disease globally. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of COPD are urgent, and it is also important to clarify the pathogenesis of it. Smoking is the main and most common risk factor for COPD. Cigarette smoke (CS) can cause lung inflammation and other pathological mechanisms in the airways and lung tissue. Airway inflammation is one of the important mechanisms leading to the pathogenesis of COPD. Recent studies have shown that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is involved in the occurrence and development of respiratory diseases, including COPD. HMGB1 is a typical damage‐associated molecular pattern (DAMP) protein, which mainly exerts its activity by binding to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) and further participate in the process of airway inflammation. Studies have shown that the abnormal expression of HMGB1, RAGE, and TLR4 are related to inflammation in COPD. Herein, we discuss the roles of HMGB1, RAGE, and TLR4 in CS/cigarette smoke extract‐induced inflammation in COPD, providing a new target for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LINKED CONTENT: This article is linked to Wu et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17667 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17843 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence emphasizes the functional impacts of host microbiome on the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are limited mechanistic insights into the contribution of microbial biomolecules especially microbial peptides toward modulating immune homeostasis. Here, by mining the metagenomics data of tonsillar microbiome, a deficiency of the encoding genes of lantibiotic peptides salivaricins in RA patients is identified, which shows strong correlation with circulating immune cells. Evidence is provided that the salivaricins exert immunomodulatory effects in inhibiting T follicular helper (Tfh) cell differentiation and interleukin‐21 (IL‐21) production. Mechanically, salivaricins directly bind to and induce conformational changes of IL‐6 and IL‐21 receptors, thereby inhibiting the bindings of IL‐6 and IL‐21 to their receptors and suppressing the downstream signaling pathway. Finally, salivaricin administration exerts both prophylactic and therapeutic effects against experimental arthritis in a murine model of RA. Together, these results provide a mechanism link of microbial peptides‐mediated immunomodulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uracil‐DNA glycosylase (UDG) initiates base excision repair (BER) by removing damaged or modified nucleobases during DNA repair or mammalian demethylation. The UDG superfamily consists of at least six families with a variety of catalytic specificities and functions. Deinococcus radiodurans, an extreme radiation resistant bacterium, contains multiple members of UDG enzymes within its genome. The present study reveals that the putative protein, DR0022, is a uracil‐DNA glycosylase that requires acidic conditions for its glycosylase activity, which is the first case of such an enzyme within the UDG superfamily. The key residues in the catalytic motifs are investigated by biochemical, enzyme kinetics, and de novo structural prediction, as well as molecular modeling analyses. The structural and catalytic roles of several distinct residues are discussed in light of predicted and modeled DR0022 glycosylase structures. The spontaneous mutation rate analysis performed in a dr0022 deficient D. radiodurans strain indicated that the dr0022 gene plays a role in mutation prevention. Furthermore, survival rate analysis in a dr0022 deficient D. radiodurans strain demonstrated its role in stress resistance, including γ‐irradiation. Additionally, the novel acid UDG activity in relationship to its in vivo roles is discussed. This work underscores the functional diversity in the UDG superfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Crohn's disease (CD) mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) inflammation affects enteritis through the interaction between the mesentery and intestine, and we previously found that poorly differentiated mesenteric adipocytes were related to its inflammatory features. Pygopus2 (Pygo2) is a key negative regulator of adipocyte differentiation. We aimed to determine whether Pygo2 participates in CD mesenteric lesions and whether Pygo2 knockdown would be beneficial in a CD model (Il‐10−/− mice). Methods: Pygo2 expression in MAT from control and CD patients and Il‐10−/− mice was measured by immunohistochemistry. Lentiviral transfection was used to regulate Pygo2 expression in Il‐10−/− mice, and the effects on mesenteric adipocyte differentiation, inflammation, and dysfunction during spontaneous colitis, as well as the possible mechanism, were investigated. Results: Pygo2 expression was increased in MAT from CD patients and Il‐10−/− mice, and its expression correlated with poor adipocyte differentiation and inflammation. Pygo2 knockdown significantly ameliorated colitis in Il‐10−/− mice. Moreover, the downregulation of Pygo2 gene expression could promote adipocyte differentiation and inhibit adipocyte inflammation in vivo and in vitro, and the effects were at least partly mediated by the Axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2)/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) pathway. Conclusions: The increase in Pygo2 may be related to mesenteric adipocyte poor differentiation and inflammatory features of CD, and Pygo2 inhibition could alleviate CD‐like colitis by improving mesenteric lesions by regulating the Axin2/GSK3β pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA), which mandates disclosure of industry payments to physicians, on physician prescribing of branded statins.Data Sources: Administrative claims data from 2011 to 2015 from three large national commercial insurers were provided by the Health Care Cost Institute.Study Design: We adopted a difference-in-differences and event study design, leveraging the control group of physicians in two states, MA and VT, which implemented state laws on disclosure of industry payments prior to the national PPSA. To further address potential confounding caused by differences in prescribing patterns across states, our analytical sample includes physicians practicing in border counties between the treatment (NH, NY, and RI) and control (MA and VT) states.Data Collection: We restricted our sample to physicians who had at least 50 new-fill prescription claims for statins during the five-year study period, with at least one new-fill prescription claim each year.Principal Findings: We found that the PPSA led to a 7% (p < 0.001) reduction in monthly new prescriptions of brand-name statin over the study period, with little change in generic prescribing. The reduction in branded prescriptions was concentrated among physicians with the highest tercile of drug spending pre-PPSA, with a decrease of 15% (p < 0.001) in new branded statin prescriptions. The decline was most prominent after mandated reporting of industry payments began before the payment data was published.Conclusions: The PPSA may have achieved its intended effect of reducing branded prescriptions at least in the short run, particularly among physicians most likely to have engaged in excessive or low-value prescribing of branded drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the amount of inclusions during the steelmaking process as much as possible and much earlier plays a vital role in improving the quality of steel products. To reveal the dissolution mechanism of inclusions in slag during the converter tapping process, some comparison experiments were conducted by adding isolated spherical alumina balls as inclusions in CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–FetO–MgO slag, and FetO content up to 10% was contained in slag. The results showed that the dissolution rate of alumina balls in the slag was mainly affected by the diffusion of Al2O3, and the diffusion coefficients of Al2O3 were 4.2 × 10–11, 7.5 × 10–11, and 1.5 × 10–10 m2/s at 1500℃, 1550℃, and 1600℃, respectively. In addition, the upgraded diffusion‐distance‐controlled dissolution model (DDD‐Model), in which FetO content was introduced and applied in the study. The results illustrated that the Al2O3 inclusion apparent dissolution rate was improved by a high FetO content, increasing CaO/SiO2 and raising the temperature as soon as possible at the early stage of the converter tapping process. It is not necessary to increase the FetO content in the slag to enhance the dissolution rate of the Al2O3 inclusion at the last tapping stage. The predicted complete dissolution time of spherical Al2O3 inclusions with 1000 µm in diameter based on the upgraded DDD‐Model was approximately 1796 s during the actual converter tapping process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor air quality can result in a variety of respiratory disorders. However, the air quality index (AQI) and the level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the progression and prognosis of nonsmall‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are unclear. Methods: We launched a cohort study focused on the relationship between air quality and overall survival as well as progression, incorporating data from 590 patients with NSCLC in our medical center between November 1, 2013 and March 1, 2016. Forty‐nine patients from Sichuan Cancer Hospital were used for validation. Results: Cases with poorer AQI 6 months before NSCLC diagnosis were more likely to progress to stage III to IV NSCLC than controls (OR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.35–5.24, p = 0.005). Similarly, if exposed to high levels of PM2.5 during these 6 months, overall survival was poor (HR [95% CI] = 1.53 [1.13, 2.07], p = 0.006). According to multivariate analysis, age, gender, KPS, PM2.5, hyperlipemia, and NSCLC stage were independent risk factors of overall survival. A predictive model developed by these factors above yielded a favorable agreement (C‐index = 0.758) on the calibration curve. External validation was conducted by 46 patients from Sichuan Cancer Hospital displaying an AUC of 0.724 (0.684–0.763). Conclusions: PM2.5 and AQI levels affect disease progression and long‐term survival in NSCLC patients. An overall survival prediction model based on the PM2.5 level can help clinicians predict the risk of death in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust activities are closely related to local meteorological conditions partly driven by remote ocean variability. Here, we investigate the impact of tropical Pacific, North Atlantic, and Arctic ocean variability on dust activities in the Gobi Desert and North China and attempt to quantify their contributions. Three individual Sea Surface Temperature (SST) forcing experiments were performed to simulate the teleconnection from the three ocean basins. Two random forest regression models were established to link the meteorological variables to boreal Spring Dust Activity Frequency (SDAF). Results show that with SST (sea ice concentration for the Arctic) anomaly, tropical Pacific SST variability results in the most change in SDAF in the Gobi Desert, whereas the North Atlantic SST variability plays a more critical role in North China. Considering the observed SST variability, the tropical Pacific becomes more critical in affecting dust activities in both regions. Plain Language Summary: Dust activities are closely related to local meteorological conditions, which can be largely affected by the variability in remote oceans. Considering the prevalence of dust storms in the Gobi Desert and North China area in local spring each year, we investigate the impact of relative changes in the tropical Pacific, North Atlantic sea surface temperature, and Arctic sea ice concentration on boreal spring dust activities in these two regions. Our results show that when Sea Surface Temperature (SST) (sea ice area fraction for the Arctic) fluctuates by 1%, the change in the tropical Pacific leads to the most dust activity frequency changes in the Gobi Desert, whereas in the dust transport area of North China, the change in the North Atlantic plays a more critical role. Considering the observed SST variability, the tropical Pacific is more important in affecting dust activities in both regions. The finding can be helpful in the modeling and prediction of dust activities over northeastern Asia. Key Points: The dust activity frequency in the Gobi Desert showed interdecadal variability, whereas it decreased in North China from 1981 to 2021Warmer North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature (SST), cooler Niño 1 + 2 SST, and less Arctic sea ice concentration cause more spring dust activities in both regionsNiño 1 + 2 SST forcing dominates the dust activity in the Gobi Desert, whereas North Atlantic forcing is vital for North China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at fast small target detection in high‐resolution maritime surveillance radars, this letter proposes a fast detection method using multiple salient features extracted from radar returns and principal component analysis (PCA) in the feature space. It consists of offline clutter feature subspace selection and online fast decision. The PCA of the training feature vectors of sea clutter is computed to generate the recombined features for compact representation of sea clutter features, and the training feature vectors of simulated target returns plus sea clutter are used to find the optimal clutter feature subspace spanned by significant recombined features. The distance of a feature vector under test from the optimal clutter feature subspace is used as the test statistic for fast online decision. Experimental results on the recognised and open IPIX and CSIR radar databases show that the proposed detector reduces decision time up to two scales of magnitude and keeps competitive performance in comparison with the existing feature‐based detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For example, after fitting the age-bias correction coefficients from the training set, a child with a predicted brain age of 10 years gets an age bias-corrected brain age of 4 years, and an elderly with a predicted brain age of 80 years gets an age-bias corrected brain age of 94 years (Figure 1). Taken together, as we look toward future research focused on brain age prediction, a healthy control group with same mean age and age range as the targeted clinical groups is necessary to generate the age-bias correction coefficients when applying the BrainAGE as an aging biomarker in clinical populations. MRI-informed cortical features for brain age prediction in age-specific adulthoods. [Extracted from the article]

Background and Purpose: As the only ionotropic receptor in the 5‐HT receptor family, the 5‐HT3 receptor (5‐HT3R) is involved in psychiatric disorders and its modulators have potential therapeutic effects for cognitive impairment in these disorders. However, it remains unclear how 5‐HT3Rs shape synaptic plasticity for memory function. Experimental Approach Extracellular as well as whole‐cell electrophysiological recordings were used to monitor hippocampal LTP and synaptic transmission in hippocampal slices in 5‐HT3AR knockout or 5‐HT3AR‐GFP mice. Immunocytochemistry, qRT‐PCR and western blotting were used to measure receptor expression. We also assessed hippocampal dependent cognition and memory, using the Morris water maze (MWM) and novel object recognition. Key Results: We found that 5‐HT3R dysfunction impaired hippocampal LTP in Schaffer collateral (SC)‐CA1 pathway in hippocampal slices, by facilitating GABAergic inputs in pyramidal cells. This effect was dependent on 5‐HT3Rs on axon terminals. It resulted from reduced expression and function of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) co‐localized with 5‐HT3Rs on axon terminals, and then led to diminishment of tonic inhibition of GABA release by CB1Rs. Inhibition of CB1Rs mimicked the facilitation of GABAergic transmission by 5‐HT3R disruption. Consequently, mice with hippocampal 5‐HT3R disruption exhibited impaired spatial memory in MWM tasks. Conclusion and Implications: These results suggest that 5‐HT3Rs are crucial in enabling hippocampal synaptic plasticity via a novel CB1R‐GABAA‐dependent pathway to regulate spatial memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]