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Abstract The physical characteristics of electromagnetic waves are combined with digital information in coding metasurfaces. Coding metasurfaces enable precise control of beams by flexibly designing coding sequences. However, achieving continuous multivariate modulation of electromagnetic waves on passive flexible coded metasurfaces remains a challenge. Previous passive coding metasurfaces have a fixed phase difference between adjacent coding units throughout the operating frequency band, and when the coding pattern is defined, the coded metasurface can only achieve a single electromagnetic function. Our proposed frequency coding metasurface units vary linearly in phase difference over the operating frequency band with different phase sensitivities. Frequency coding metarsurfaces enable a wide range of tunable and versatile electromagnetic energy radiation, without introducing any active devices and changing the coding pattern. As a demonstration of the concept, we have shown theoretically and numerically that frequency coding metasurface can achieve successive transformations of electromagnetic functions, including multi-beam generation, anomalous deflection and diffuse scattering. In addition, beam sweeping function is achieved by means of spatially non-periodically distributed frequency coding metasurface. When the frequency of the incident wave is changed, the deflection angle of the beam is also changed. In addition to the tunability of properties, research on coding metasurfaces has tended to be limited to rigid materials. Flexible coding metasurfaces have potential applications in microwave antennas, radar and aircraft. The passive flexible frequency coding metasurfaces provide a novel approach to manipulating electromagnetic waves with increased design flexibility. This promises applications in microwave antennas, radar, aircraft, and satellite communications.

Highlights Transient response plays a crucial role as a performance indicator for organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), particularly in their application in high-speed logic circuits and neuromorphic computing systems. This review presents a systematic overview on the fundamental principles underlying OECT transient responses, emphasizing the essential roles of transient electron and ion dynamics, as well as structural evolution, in both volatile and non-volatile behaviors. We also discuss the materials, morphology, device structure strategies on optimizing transient responses.

Abstract Nucleic acid tests are essential for the accurate diagnosis and control of infectious diseases. However, current assays are not easily scalable for a large population, due to the requirement of laboratory settings or special equipment. Here, we developed an integrated box for instant nucleic acid screening which fully integrates nucleic acid release, amplification, and results visualization for self-service standalone test. Importantly, the operation of the box runs on a novel gamepad-like interface, which allows deployment of the box in home settings and operation by users without any prior professional training. The performance of the box is empowered by an RNA extraction-free sample inactivation process and nested recombinase polymerase amplification chemistry and exhibits sensitivity comparable to reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction with high specificity for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in a reaction time of 30 minutes directly from fresh swab sample to results. These innovations make the box a novel platform for a convenient, accurate, and deployable point-of-care testing scheme.

Abstract This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of malic acid (MA) and citric acid (CA) on the nutritional composition, fermentation quality, rumen degradation rate, and microbial diversity of a mixture of apple pomace and corn protein powder during ensiling. The experiment used apple pomace and corn protein powder as raw materials, with four groups: control group (CON), malic acid treatment group (MA, 10 g/kg), citric acid treatment group (CA, 10 g/kg), and citric acid + malic acid treatment group (MA, 10 g/kg + CA, 10 g/kg). Each group has 3 replicates, with 2 repetitions in parallel, subjected to mixed ensiling for 60 days. The results indicated: (1) Compared to the CON group, the crude protein content significantly increased in the MA, CA, and MA + CA groups (p 0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Lentilactobacillus in the MA, CA, and MA + CA groups was significantly higher than in the control group (p

Abstract The detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) holds significant importance in the early diagnosis of cancer. However, current methods are hindered by limited accessibility and specificity. This study proposes a rapid and convenient Cas12a-based assay for the direct detection of CEA in clinical serum samples, aiming to address these limitations. The protocol involves a rolling machine operation, followed by a 5-min Cas12a-mediated cleavage process. The assay demonstrates the capability to detect human serum with high anti-interference performance and a detection limit as low as 0.2 ng/mL. The entire testing procedure can be accomplished in 75 min without centrifugation steps, and successfully reduced the limit of detection of traditional DNA walking machine by 50 folds. Overall, the testing procedure can be easily implemented in clinical settings. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma metastasizing to the brain results in a notable increase in patient mortality. The high incidence and its impact on survival presents a critical unmet need to develop an improved understanding of its mechanisms. Methods To identify genes that drive brain metastasis of tumor cells, we collected cerebrospinal fluid samples and paired plasma samples from 114 lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastasis and performed 168 panel-targeted gene sequencing. We examined the biological behavior of PMS2 (PMS1 Homolog 2)-amplified lung cancer cell lines through wound healing assays and migration assays. In vivo imaging techniques are used to detect fluorescent signals that colonize the mouse brain. RNA sequencing was used to compare differentially expressed genes between PMS2 amplification and wild-type lung cancer cell lines. Results We discovered that PMS2 amplification was a plausible candidate driver of brain metastasis. Via in vivo and in vitro assays, we validated that PMS2 amplified PC-9 and LLC lung cancer cells had strong migration and invasion capabilities. The functional pathway of PMS2 amplification of lung cancer cells is mainly enriched in thiamine, butanoate, glutathione metabolism. Conclusion Tumor cells elevated expression of PMS2 possess the capacity to augment the metastatic potential of lung cancer and establish colonies within the brain through metabolism pathways.

Vacuum induction melting has proven to be a cost-efficient way to fabricate TiNi alloys with excellent compositional homogeneity and uniformity. However, the high reactivities of TiNi alloys generate aggressive melt attacks with a particular ceramic crucible. Here, the performance of AlN crucible for melting TiNi alloys was investigated, and the underlying mechanisms for the interfacial interactions were revealed. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using AlN crucibles for induction melting of TiNi alloys. Specifically, melt infiltration was suppressed and thus physical erosion was diminished by reducing the apparent porosity of the crucible. Further investigations combined with a theoretical analysis revealed that the TiN barrier layer distributed on the crucible surface was formed in situ due to crucible/melt interactions, which protected the ceramic matrix from further melt attack and limited the contaminant levels. Our work provides a viable pathway for the preparation of high-quality TiNi alloys via induction melting.

Abstract Background Osimertinib has become standard care for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whereas drug resistance remains inevitable. Now we recognize that the interactions between the tumor and the tumor microenvironment (TME) also account for drug resistance. Therefore, we provide a new sight into post-osimertinib management, focusing on the alteration of TME. Methods We conducted a retrospective study on the prognosis of different treatments after osimertinib resistance. Next, we carried out in vivo experiment to validate our findings using a humanized mouse model. Furthermore, we performed single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq) of tumor tissue from the above treatment groups to explore the mechanisms of TME changes. Results Totally 111 advanced NSCLC patients have been enrolled in the retrospective study. The median PFS was 9.84 months (95% CI 7.0–12.6 months) in the osimertinib plus anti-angiogenesis group, significantly longer than chemotherapy (P = 0.012) and osimertinib (P = 0.003). The median OS was 16.79 months (95% CI 14.97–18.61 months) in the osimertinib plus anti-angiogenesis group, significantly better than chemotherapy (P = 0.026), the chemotherapy plus osimertinib (P = 0.021), and the chemotherapy plus immunotherapy (P = 0.006). The efficacy of osimertinib plus anlotinib in the osimertinib-resistant engraft tumors (R-O+A) group was significantly more potent than the osimertinib (R-O) group (P

Abstract While electrochemical N2 reduction presents a sustainable approach to NH3 synthesis, addressing the emission- and energy-intensive limitations of the Haber-Bosch process, it grapples with challenges in N2 activation and competing with pronounced hydrogen evolution reaction. Here we present a tandem air-NOx-NOx −-NH3 system that combines non-thermal plasma-enabled N2 oxidation with Ni(OH)x/Cu-catalyzed electrochemical NOx − reduction. It delivers a high NH3 yield rate of 3 mmol h−1 cm−2 and a corresponding Faradaic efficiency of 92% at −0.25 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in batch experiments, outperforming previously reported ones. Furthermore, in a flow mode concurrently operating the non-thermal plasma and the NOx − electrolyzer, a stable NH3 yield rate of approximately 1.25 mmol h−1 cm−2 is sustained over 100 h using pure air as the intake. Mechanistic studies indicate that amorphous Ni(OH)x on Cu interacts with hydrated K+ in the double layer through noncovalent interactions and accelerates the activation of water, enriching adsorbed hydrogen species that can readily react with N-containing intermediates. In situ spectroscopies and density functional theory (DFT) results reveal that NOx − adsorption and their hydrogenation process are optimized over the Ni(OH)x/Cu surface. This work provides new insights into electricity-driven distributed NH3 production using natural air at ambient conditions.

Abstract The applications of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) for lasers and single photon sources strongly rely on their density and quality. Establishing the process parameters in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for a specific density of QDs is a multidimensional optimization challenge, usually addressed through time-consuming and iterative trial-and-error. Here, we report a real-time feedback control method to realize the growth of QDs with arbitrary density, which is fully automated and intelligent. We develop a machine learning (ML) model named 3D ResNet 50 trained using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) videos as input instead of static images and providing real-time feedback on surface morphologies for process control. As a result, we demonstrate that ML from previous growth could predict the post-growth density of QDs, by successfully tuning the QD densities in near-real time from 1.5 × 1010 cm−2 down to 3.8 × 108 cm−2 or up to 1.4 × 1011 cm−2. Compared to traditional methods, our approach can dramatically expedite the optimization process and improve the reproducibility of MBE. The concepts and methodologies proved feasible in this work are promising to be applied to a variety of material growth processes, which will revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing for optoelectronic and microelectronic industries.

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECT) have shown great potential in diverse applications; however, in many OECTs, their slow transient response has thus far limited their practical use. One reason for the slow response is the complex interplay between lateral and vertical ion transport that has so far been poorly understood. In this work, we study the impact of lateral ion transport on OECT transient response, introduce a robust pre-charging method to manipulate the slow lateral ion transport. This approach leads to quicker ion redistribution and improved switching speeds. We show the general utility of pre-charging method in enhancing the switching speeds across various material systems, characterized by both low and high ion mobilities, and across different device architectures, achieving nearly symmetric speeds for both on-switching and off-switching. Moreover, we showcase the efficacy of the pre-charging method in enabling slow OECTs to capture rapid signals in real-world applications. Our findings present a groundbreaking strategy for enhancing the response times of OECT devices and deepening our understanding of the transient mechanisms in OECT device.

Global aging is a tendency of the world, as is the increasing prevalence of diabetes, and the two are closely linked. In our early research, Enteromorpha prolifera oligosaccharide (EPO) possesses the excellent ability of anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic. We aim to further explore the deeper mechanism of how EPO delays aging and regulates glycometabolism. EPO effectively impacts crotonylation procession to enhance glucose metabolism and reduce cell senescence in aging diabetic rats. Crotonylation modification of XPO1 influences the expression of critical genes, including p53, CDK1, and CCNB1, which affect cell cycle regulation and aging. Additionally, EPO improves glucose metabolism by inhibiting the crotonylation modification of HSPA8-K126 and activating the AKT pathway. EPO promotes crotonylation of histones in intestinal cells, influencing the aging process by increasing the butyric acid-producing bacteria Ruminococcaceae. The observed enhancement in pyrimidine metabolism underscores EPO’s potential role in regulating intestinal health, presenting a promising avenue for delaying aging. In summary, our findings affirm EPO as a naturally bioactive ingredient with significant potential for anti-aging and antidiabetic interventions.

BackgroundDigital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is currently the most effective diagnostic method for vascular diseases, but it is still subject to various factors, resulting in uncertain diagnosis. Therefore, a new technology is needed to help clinical doctors improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.PurposeThe objective of the study was to investigate the effect of utilizing color-coded parametric imaging techniques on the accuracy of identifying active bleeding through DSA, the widely accepted standard for diagnosing vascular disorders.MethodsSeveral variables can delay the diagnosis and treatment of active bleeding with DSA. To resolve this, we carried out an in vitro simulation experiment to simulate vascular hemorrhage and utilized five color-coded parameters (area under curve, time to peak, time-of-arrival, transit time, and flow rate of contrast agent) to determine the optimal color coding parameters. We then verified it in a clinical study.ResultsFive different color-coded parametric imaging methods were compared and the time-of-arrival color coding was the most efficient technique for diagnosing active hemorrhage, with a statistically significant advantage (P

Abstract Antiferromagnets (AFM) hold significant promise as ideal candidates for high‐density and ultrafast memory applications. Electrical manipulation of exchange bias (EB) has emerged as an effective solution to integrate AFMs into magnetic memories as active elements. In particular, spin‐orbit torque antiferromagnetic random‐access memory (SOT‐ARAM) is recently been demonstrated by using an AFM/FM hybrid free layer, which can simultaneously satisfy field‐free switching and good device scalability. However, the switching current density of the exchange bias in SOT‐ARAM devices is still high, and novel functionalities are exploited in this device scheme. In this study, the all‐electrical manipulation of the ARAM devices through the interplay of SOT and spin‐transfer torque (STT) is reported, both in three‐terminal and two‐terminal configurations. The SOT current density achieves a 40% reduction thanks to the incorporation of the STT current. Macrospin simulations are performed to illustrate the underlying mechanism. Further, a majority gate that can be decomposed into reconfigurable AND/OR functionalities in a single ARAM device is demonstrated, with an operation speed as fast as 2 ns. The results can advance the development of high‐performance memories and in‐memory computing.

This study aimed to explore the use of Ulva lactuca polysaccharide (ULP) as a preservative for perch (Lateolabrax maculatus) fillets stored under refrigeration at 4 °C. Fresh perch fillets were treated with ULP (7–10 kDa) and potassium sorbate, respectively, to evaluate their effectiveness in inhibiting bacterial growth and maintain freshness. A 0.5% ULP solution significantly decreased the pH value, total volatile basic nitrogen value, thiobarbituric acid value, and total bacterial count of perch fillets. ULP solution delayed the changes in whiteness and texture of fillets, as well as protein degradation. The acute toxicity experiment further evaluates the safety and reliability of ULP. Simultaneously, utilizing 16S rRNA techniques, the ULP solution inhibited microorganisms known for their strong spoilage capabilities, such as Pseudomonas, Actinetobacter, and Shewanella. Microorganisms with a weaker ability to cause corruption became the dominant bacteria, such as Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium, thereby exerting a degree of inhibition against spoilage.

Bio-inspiration offers researchers innovative perspectives and methodologies, stimulating the advancement of high-performance, high-durability, and added-value materials, structures, and products. Inspired by the lightweight, high-strength, and highly stable glass sponges (GSs), five types of glass sponge lattice structures (GSLSs) were successfully designed and manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM) with Ti6Al4V. By conducting a comparative analysis of unit cell design and manufacturing deviations, we assess their impact on the compressive properties of GSLSs. Notably, the original GSLS with circle-/grid-like heterogeneous geometries exhibits outstanding overall compression performance, including stability, stress dispersion and unique cell-by-cell and layer-by-layer fracture mechanisms among GSLSs, which are attributable to their reinforced diagonal struts and heterogeneous unit cells. Hence, three strategies for unit cell design and optimization were proposed. These discoveries guide the future design and optimization of lattice structures (LSs) and offer potential applications for GSLSs in aerospace, biomedicine, automobiles, architecture, and wearable products.

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease that causes extensive damage to oligodendrocytes and neurons leading to demyelination and axonal degeneration. In this study, we co-transplanted cell grafts containing oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) combined with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which were reported to promote OPCs survival and migration, into rat contusion models to promote functional recovery after SCI. Methods OPCs were derived from iPSCs and identified by immunofluorescence at different time points. Functional assays in vitro were performed to evaluate the effect of HUVECs on the proliferation, migration, and survival of OPCs by co-culture and migration assay, as well as on the neuronal axonal growth. A combination of OPCs and HUVECs was transplanted into the rat contusive model. Upon 8 weeks, immunofluorescence staining was performed to test the safety of transplanted cells and to observe the neuronal repairment, myelination, and neural circuit reconstruction at the injured area; also, the functional recovery was assessed by Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan open-field scale, Ladder climb, SEP, and MEP. Furthermore, the effect of HUVECs on grafts was also determined in vivo. Results Data showed that HUVECs promote the proliferation, migration, and survival of OPCs both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, 8 weeks upon engraftment, the rats with OPCs and HUVECs co-transplantation noticeably facilitated remyelination, enhanced functional connection between the grafts and the host and promoted functional recovery. In addition, compared with the OPCs-alone transplantation, the co-transplantation generated more sensory neurons at the lesion border and significantly improved the sensory functional recovery. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that transplantation of OPCs combined with HUVECs significantly enhances both motor and sensory functional recovery after SCI. No significance was observed between OPCs combined with HUVECs group and OPCs-alone group in motor function recovery, while the sensory function recovery was significantly promoted in OPCs combined with HUVECs groups compared with the other two groups. These findings provide novel insights into the field of SCI research.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging technology is crucial for maritime vessel monitoring. However, the inherent characteristics of SAR images, such as limited feature resolution and speckle noise, pose a series of challenges for ship detection. Although existing research has made great progress in improving the model detection accuracy, it often comes at the cost of reduced efficiency and increased computational complexity. To address this issue, we propose a lightweight SAR ship detection model based on YOLOv5s, named GS-YOLO. Firstly, we adopt C3GhostV2 modules as the lightweight backbone to enhance the computational efficiency which is based on GhostNetV2 and GConv. In the neck, Squeeze and Excitation (SE) attention is employed to strengthen the feature extraction ability for small targets and improve the SAR ship detection precision. Furthermore, we develop a novel XIoU loss function to reinforce the accuracy and robustness of our model. Comparative experiment results on the HRSID dataset show that the proposed GS-YOLO achieves a significant increase in detection precision from 88.2% to 92.7% and the mean Average Precision (mAP) from 90.5% to 94.3%. In addition, the parameters are effectively reduced, achieving a good balance between detection speed and accuracy.

In this article, a honeycomb vertical surrounding gate access transistor array scheme is proposed to further decrease the DRAM cell area with aggressively shrink bit line (BL) pitch and word line (WL) pitch adopting the ZigZag BL and WL air gap. To verify the process feasibility, process flow emulation is optimized by virtual fabrication with SEMulator3D®. Moreover, the ZigZag BL feasibility in lithography process is evaluated by optical proximity correction (OPC) simulation. In addition, the parasitic capacitance of BL and WL decrease 22.8% and 76.8%, respectively, as compared to reference paper. And the electrical properties of the proposed device are simulated by three-dimensional technology computer aided design (3D TCAD). The GIDL effect is prohibited through prolonging the drain extension and reducing its doping concentration. Finally, the surrounding gate transistor can achieve high on-state current ( $30~\mu \text{A}$ ) at $\text{V}_{\mathrm {g}}=1.5$ V and off-state current below 0.1 fA at $\text{V}_{\mathrm {d}}= -0.2$ V. These results are beneficial for the direction of pathfinding for increasing the density and decreasing the energy consumption of DRAM.

Abstract The electrical control of the non-trivial topology in Weyl antiferromagnets is of great interest for the development of next-generation spintronic devices. Recent studies suggest that the spin Hall effect can switch the topological antiferromagnetic order. However, the switching efficiency remains relatively low. Here, we demonstrate the effective manipulation of antiferromagnetic order in the Weyl semimetal Mn3Sn using orbital torques originating from either metal Mn or oxide CuOx. Although Mn3Sn can convert orbital current to spin current on its own, we find that inserting a heavy metal layer, such as Pt, of appropriate thickness can effectively reduce the critical switching current density by one order of magnitude. In addition, we show that the memristor-like switching behaviour of Mn3Sn can mimic the potentiation and depression processes of a synapse with high linearity—which may be beneficial for constructing accurate artificial neural networks. Our work paves a way for manipulating the topological antiferromagnetic order and may inspire more high-performance antiferromagnetic functional devices.

Abstract Background KRAS mutation is one of the most common oncogenic drivers in NSCLC, however, the response to immunotherapy is heterogeneous owing to the distinct co-occurring genomic alterations. KRAS/LKB1 co-mutated lung adenocarcinoma displays poor response to PD-1 blockade whereas the mechanism remains undetermined. Methods We explored the specific characteristics of tumor microenvironment (TME) in KL tumors using syngeneic KRAS G12D LKB1 −/− (KL) and KRAS G12D TP53 −/− (KP) lung cancer mouse models. The impact of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor on KL lung tumors was investigated in vitro and in vivo through evaluation of both KL cell lines and KL lung cancer mouse models. Results We identified KL tumors as “immune-cold” tumors with excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen deposition that formed a physical barrier to block the infiltration of CD8+T cells. Mechanistically, abundant activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) resulted from FAK activation contributed to the formation of the unique TME of KL tumors. FAK inhibition with a small molecular inhibitor could remodel the TME by inhibiting CAFs activation, decreasing collagen deposition and further facilitating the infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells, including CD8+ T cells, DC cells and M1-like macrophages into tumors, hence, converting “immune-cold” KL tumors into “immune-hot” tumors. The combined FAK inhibitor and PD-1 blockade therapy synergistically retarded primary and metastatic tumor growth of KL tumors. Conclusions Our study identified FAK as a promising intervention target for KL tumors and provided basis for the combination of FAK inhibitor with PD-1 blockade in the management of KL lung cancers.

Esophageal cancer is an upper gastrointestinal malignancy with a bleak prognosis. It is still being explored in depth due to its complex molecular mechanisms of occurrence and development. Lipids play a crucial role in cells by participating in energy supply, biofilm formation, and signal transduction processes, and lipid metabolic reprogramming also constitutes a significant characteristic of malignant tumors. More and more studies have found esophageal cancer has obvious lipid metabolism abnormalities throughout its beginning, progress, and treatment resistance. The inhibition of tumor growth and the enhancement of antitumor therapy efficacy can be achieved through the regulation of lipid metabolism. Therefore, we reviewed and analyzed the research results and latest findings for lipid metabolism and associated analysis techniques in esophageal cancer, and comprehensively proved the value of lipid metabolic reprogramming in the evolution and treatment resistance of esophageal cancer, as well as its significance in exploring potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Abstract Phosphorus (P) is the key nutrient thought to limit primary productivity on geological timescales, and hence P bioavailability exerted a major influence on Earth’s surface oxygenation dynamics through the Precambrian, with ensuing implications for biological evolution. Here, we document highly elevated P contents in non-glacial Ediacaran (635–541 Ma) iron formations from Northwestern China, with P dominantly occurring as carbonate fluorapatite formed during early diagenesis. These analyses, in combination with marine sediment P contents and phosphorite abundance data, point to a state change in oceanic P concentrations during the Ediacaran, which we attribute to enhanced recycling from marine sediments under redox-stratified conditions. Subsequent elevated rates of primary productivity and organic carbon production may have sustained the contemporaneous first appearance of complex deep marine habitats, and would have increased the extent and stability of surface water oxygen concentrations, leading to conditions conducive to the subsequent evolution of more complex animals.

The status of surrounding rocks dramatically influences the safety of construction workers, so the quality assessment of surrounding rocks has great significance. The uniaxial saturated compressive strength of rock (X1), the quality index of surrounding rock (X2), the frictional coefficient of the structural surface (X3), the joint spacing (X4), the state of groundwater(X5), and the integrity coefficient (X6) are selected as the initial evaluation index. Then, the game theory combination weighting-normal cloud model is introduced. Second, the certainty degree matrix of each index is established, and the weight coefficients of assessment indexes are determined based on the game theory combination weighting method. Finally, the quality level of surrounding rocks is judged. Compared with the traditional methods, the proposed model solves the fuzziness and randomness of different indexes, improves the reliability of the assessment process, and enhances the predictive accuracy of assessment results. In addition, it can provide a solution scheme for the evaluation indicators, which are difficult to quantify, and reduce the influence of human factors. The results obtained from the suggested model are consistent with the current specification. Its accuracy approaches 100%, and the method is feasible for the quality level assessment of surrounding rocks, providing a new technique and approach to assessing the risk level of surrounding rocks.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global environmental pollutant with neurotoxicity, which can easily crosses the blood–brain barrier and cause irreversible damage to the human central nervous system (CNS). CNS inflammation and autophagy are known to be involved in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. Meanwhile, MeHg has the potential to induce microglia-mediated neuroinflammation as well as autophagy. This study aims to further explore the exact molecular mechanism of MeHg neurotoxicity. We conducted in vitro studies using BV2 microglial cell from the central nervous system of mice. The role of inflammation and autophagy in the damage of BV2 cells induced by MeHg was determined by detecting cell viability, cell morphology and structure, reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant function, inflammatory factors, autophagosomes, inflammation and autophagy-related proteins. We further investigated the relationship between the inflammatory response and autophagy induced by MeHg by inhibiting them separately. The results indicated that MeHg could invade cells, change cell structure, activate NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and autophagosome, release a large amount of inflammatory factors and trigger the inflammatory response and autophagy. It was also found that MeHg could disrupt the antioxidant function of cells. In addition, the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome alleviated both cellular inflammation and autophagy, while inhibition of autophagy increased cellular inflammation. Our current research suggests that MeHg might induce BV2 cytotoxicity through inflammatory response and autophagy, which may be mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome activated by oxidative stress.

The direct growth of III–V semiconductors on silicon holds tremendous potential for photonics applications. However, the inherent differences in their properties lead to defects in the epitaxial layer, including threading dislocations (TDs), antiphase boundaries (APBs), and thermal cracks, significantly impacting device performance. Current processes struggle to suppress these defects simultaneously, necessitating the development of methods to inhibit TDs and APBs in a thin buffer on silicon. This study introduces a GaSb buffer layer during GaAs epitaxy on a silicon (001) substrate. This approach successfully suppresses defect formation by promoting the formation of interfacial misfit dislocation arrays at both the AlSb/Si and GaAs/GaSb interfaces. The resulting GaAs layer exhibits a step-flow surface with a rough mean square of ∼3.8 nm and a full width at half maximum of 158 arcsec. Remarkably, the growth is achieved without any observable interfacial intermixing. Building on this platform, InAs/GaAs quantum dots are grown with a density of 3.8 × 1010 cm−2, emitting at a wavelength of 1288 nm. This breakthrough holds immense promise for developing high-quality GaAs films with reduced defect densities on silicon for O band lasers, laying the foundation for the mass production of silicon-based integrated circuits.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of early postoperative seizures in patients with glioma through meta-analysis.MethodsCase–control studies and cohort studies on the prevalence and risk factors of early postoperative seizures in glioma patients were retrieved from various databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, and the retrieval deadline for the data was 1 April 2023. Stata15.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsThis review included 11 studies consisting of 488 patients with early postoperative seizures and 2,051 patients without early postoperative seizures. The research findings suggest that the prevalence of glioma is complicated by seizures (ES = 19%, 95% confidence interval [CI] [14%−25%]). The results also indicated a history of seizures (RR = 1.94, 95% CI [1.76, 2.14], P = 0.001), preoperative dyskinesia (RR = 3.13, 95% CI [1.20, 8.15], P = 0.02), frontal lobe tumor (RR = 1.45, 95% CI [1.16, 1.83], P = 0.001), pathological grade ≤2 (RR = 1.74, 95% CI [1.13, 2.67], P = 0.012), tumor≥ 3 cm (RR = 1.70, 95% CI [1.18, 2.45], P = 0.005), tumor resection (RR = 1.60, 95% CI [1.36, 1.88], P = 0.001), tumor edema ≥ 2 cm (RR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.40, 2.25], P = 0.001), and glioma cavity hemorrhage (RR=3.15, 95% CI [1.85, 5.37], P = 0.001). The multivariate analysis results showed that a history of seizures, dyskinesia, tumor ≥3 cm, peritumoral edema ≥2 cm, and glioma cavity hemorrhage were indicated as risk factors for glioma complicated with early postoperative seizures.SignificanceBased on the existing evidence, seizure history, dyskinesia, frontal lobe tumor, pathological grade ≤2, tumor ≥3 cm, partial tumor resection, edema around tumor ≥2 cm, and glioma cavity hemorrhage are indicated as risk factors for glioma complicated with early postoperative seizures.

In this study, we systematically investigated the emulsifying capabilities of myofibrillar protein (MP)- and MP peptide (MPP)-based conjugates synthesized through intensification techniques: water bath (WB), microwave, ultrasound, and the combined ultrasound-microwave (UM) methods. Compared with WB, microwave, and ultrasound treatments, the combined UM treatment greatly promoted the glycation reaction because ultrasound and microwave mutually reinforced modification effects. The resultant conjugate structure tended to unfold with more flexible conformation and homogeneous morphology. Moreover, the emulsifying properties of conjugates developed with single and combined ultrasound-assisted glycation displayed substantial improvement, and pre-hydrolysis further enhanced these performances, as observed in the Principal Component Analysis as well. Remarkably, MPP grafted by maltodextrin with the assistance of a combined UM field produced the smallest and most uniform emulsion system, positioning it as the most efficient emulsifier among all the fabricated glycoconjugates. Our study highlighted the potential of synergistically applying ultrasound and microwave techniques to develop a well-performance glycation with an ideal conjugate structure, in which they would be associated into a strong film that provided the robust physical barrier, creaming stability, heat retention, and oxidation resistance. These findings offered a basis for better utilizing complex ultrasonic technology to develop novel and improved MP-based food products.

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are widely used in the biomedical field and can enter the central nervous system through the blood-brain barrier, causing damage to hippocampal neurons. However, the specific mechanism remains unclear. In this experiment, HT22 cells were selected as the experimental model in vitro, and the survival rate of cells under the action of SiNPs was detected by MTT method, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were tested by the kit, the ultrastructure of the cells was observed by transmission electron microscope, membrane potential (MMP), calcium ion (Ca2+) and apoptosis rate were measured by flow cytometry, and the expressions of mitochondrial functional protein, mitochondrial dynein, mitochondrial autophagy protein as well as apoptosis related protein were detected by Western blot. The results showed that cell survival rate, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, ATP and MMP gradually decreased with the increase of SiNPs concentration, while intracellular ROS, Ca2+, LDH and apoptosis rate increased with the increase of SiNPs concentration. In total cellular proteins,the expressions of mitochondrial functional proteins VDAC and UCP2 gradually increased, the expression of mitochondrial dynamic related protein DRP1 increased while the expressions of OPA1 and Mfn2 decreased. The expressions of mitophagy related proteins PINK1, Parkin and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ increased and P62 gradually decreased, as well as the expressions of apoptosis related proteins Apaf-1, Cleaved-Caspase-3, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bax and Cyt-C. In mitochondrial proteins, the expressions of mitochondrial dynamic related proteins DRP1 and p-DRP1 were increased, while the expressions of OPA1 and Mfn2 were decreased. Expressions of mitochondrial autophagy associated proteins PINK1, Parkin, LC3II/LC3I increased, P62 decreased gradually, as well as the expressions of apoptosis related proteins Cleaved-Caspase-3, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 increased, and Cyt-C expressions decreased. To further demonstrate the role of ROS and DRP1 in HT22 cell apoptosis induced by SiNPs, we selected the ROS inhibitor N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) and Dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) inhibitor Mdivi-1. The experimental results indicated that the above effects were remarkably improved after the use of inhibitors, further confirming that SiNPs induce the production of ROS in cells, activate DRP1, cause excessive mitochondrial division, induce mitophagy, destroy mitochondrial function and eventually lead to apoptosis.

The study aimed to uncover the molecular response of juvenile Sebastes schlegelii to air exposure stress by identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may underlie their anti-stress mechanisms. Juvenile Sebastes schlegelii were subjected to varying durations of air exposure stress. The total RNA was extracted from whole tissues and sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. The transcriptome data were analyzed to identify DEGs through pairwise comparisons across a control group and two experimental groups exposed to air for 40 s and 2 min 30 s, respectively. The comparative DEG analysis revealed a significant number of transcripts responding to air exposure stress. Specifically, 5173 DEGs were identified in the 40 s exposure group (BS) compared to the control (BC), 6742 DEGs in the 2 min 30 s exposure group (BD) compared to the control (BC), and 2653 DEGs when comparing the BD to the BS group. Notably, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed an enrichment of DEGs associated with peptidase activity and extracellular regions, suggesting a role in the organism’s stress response. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis pointed to the involvement of metabolic pathways, which are crucial for energy management under stress. The upregulation of protein digestion and absorption pathways may indicate a physiological adaptation to nutrient scarcity during stress. Additionally, the identification of antibiotic biosynthesis pathways implies a potential role in combating stress-induced infections or damage. The identified DEGs and enriched pathways provide insights into the complex anti-stress response mechanisms in juvenile Sebastes schlegelii. The enrichment of peptidase activity and extracellular region-related genes may reflect the initiation of tissue repair and immune response following air exposure. The connection between protein digestion and absorption pathways and anti-stress capabilities could be interpreted as a metabolic readjustment to prioritize energy-efficient processes and nutrient assimilation during stress. The role of antibiotic biosynthesis pathways suggests a defensive mechanism against oxidative stress or microbial invasion that might occur with air exposure.

Additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D printing, is a fabrication method characterized by a layer-by-layer deposition process [...]

Therapeutic HPV vaccines that induce potent HPV-specific cellular immunity and eliminate pre-existing infections remain elusive. Among various candidates under development, those based on DNA constructs are considered promising because of their safety profile, stability, and efficacy. However, the use of electroporation (EP) as a main delivery method for such vaccines is notorious for adverse effects like pain and potentially irreversible muscle damage. Moreover, the requirement for specialized equipment adds to the complexity and cost of clinical applications. As an alternative to EP, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that are already commercially available for delivering mRNA and siRNA vaccines are likely to be feasible. Here, we have compared three intramuscular delivery systems in a preclinical setting. In terms of HPV-specific cellular immune responses, mice receiving therapeutic HPV DNA vaccines encapsulated with LNP demonstrated superior outcomes when compared to EP administration, while the naked plasmid vaccine showed negligible responses, as expected. In addition, SM-102 LNP M exhibited the most promising results in delivering candidate DNA vaccines. Thus, LNP proves to be a feasible delivery method in vivo, offering improved immunogenicity over traditional approaches.

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate the improvement effect and serum metabolomic analysis of co‐fermented collagen peptide‐jackfruit juice (FPJ) against immunosuppression in cyclophosphamide‐induced mice. Serum samples were analyzed using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) targeted metabolomics technology, including the normal group, model group, and FPJ group, and determine if such treatments were able to revert immunosuppression‐related metabolic changes to normal status. The results showed that 32 differential metabolites were upregulated and 42 metabolites were downregulated in the model group compared with the normal group. After FPJ intervention, there was a trend of normal callback. Adenosine, inosine, guanosine, 2‐deoxyadenosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, d‐xylulose‐5‐phosphate, ribulose‐5‐phosphate, phenylpyruvic acid, hippuric acid, 3‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)‐propionic acid, 3‐ureidopropionate, uridine, dCDP and malonic acid may be used as predictive markers of immunosuppression. Notably, these biomarkers were involved in purine metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, phenylalanine metabolism, and pyrimidine metabolism. In this study, FPJ inhibited oxidative stress and improved the gut microbes by regulating the disorders of metabolic pathways. The metabolomics approach developed herein provides novel insight into the metabolic disturbances associated with immunosuppression, which will contribute to understanding the mechanism of FPJ on immunosuppression further and providing a basis for further research.

Hazard evaluation of concrete dam fractures is vital for safe operations. The width (S1), length (S2), and depth (S3) of fractures are adopted as the assessment index, and the game theory combination weighting-normal cloud model is introduced. The normal cloud model of certain dam fractures is subsequently established. The weight coefficients of each index are calculated using game theory combination weighting, and the certainty degree of each index is determined using the cloud model. Finally, the hazard levels of the concrete dam fractures are judged. The proposed model solves the fuzziness and randomness of different indexes; the conclusions demonstrate that the model is feasible for the hazard assessment of concrete dam fractures, and its accuracy is very high; therefore, a new approach can be provided for future hazard-level assessments of concrete dam fractures.

The seismic stability assessment of slopes is important for the evaluation of slope instability, so an accurate estimation of the seismic stability level of slopes is vital. However, many factors affect the seismic stability of slopes, and their instability has a certain fuzziness and randomness. The principal component analysis–cloud model is introduced at first to assess the seismic stability of slopes. Second, the index coefficients are calculated using the principal component analytical method. Then, the characteristic value of the normal cloud model is obtained based on the classification standards of different indexes, and the relevant evaluation model is established. The conclusions are drawn that the method is feasible for the accurate assessment of the seismic stability of slopes, and its accuracy is very high. So, the suggested model can be widely applied in many fields, and a new approach can be provided for the future seismic stability assessment of slopes.

Combined central and peripheral demyelination (CCPD) is an extremely rare disease characterized by inflammatory demyelination in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Herein, we reported case of a 14-year-old teenager who initially presented with the symptoms of acute myelitis (AM). Subsequently, the patient developed symptoms consistent with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which was supported by nerve conduction studies (NCV) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Throughout the course of the disease, the patient experienced abdominal pain and abnormal liver function. After a comprehensive evaluation, we determined that the abnormal liver function was a result of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, which may have acted as a trigger for GBS. The patient was treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and Rituximab, resulting in symptom relief and clinical improvement after therapy and follow-up. This case highlights the potential responsiveness and reversibility of CCPD. Given the heterogeneous nature of CCPD, there is currently no standardized diagnostic criteria or clear consensus on its treatment. Therefore, we recommend a thorough assessment of all possibilities and the development of consolidated management guidelines based on available data for this disorder.

Ulva polysaccharide (ULP) as main active ingredient of Ulva lactuca, has good pharmacological activity. This study further explored its anti-tumor mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with wet experiments and bioinformatic analyses. Results indicate that the differential proteins after ULP treatment are mainly enriched in immunomodulatory and complement pathways, among which the immune molecule CD5L and the key proteins of the membrane attack complex (MAC) are significantly upregulated, and the expression of MAC proteins are positively correlated with the expression of CD5L. Moreover, results from TIMER2.0 indicated that CD5L expression had positive correlation with CD8 + T cell infiltration in HCC, and single cell RNA-Seq analysis showed CD5L positive macrophage cells have higher expression of CFP, C1QA, C1QB, and C1QC, which are key molecular of complement cascades. Take together, the results suggest that ULP may exerts its anti-tumor activity by induces the expression of CD5L in HCC.

Summary: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a nucleotide-containing metabolite, can be incorporated into the RNA 5′-terminus to result in NAD-capped RNA (NAD-RNA). Since NAD has been heightened as one of the most essential metabolites in cells, its linkage to RNA represents a critical but poorly studied modification at the epitranscriptomic level. Here, we design a highly sensitive method, DO-seq, to capture NAD-RNAs. Using Drosophila, we identify thousands of previously unexplored NAD-RNAs and their dynamics in the fly life cycle, from embryo to adult. We show the evidence that chromosomal clustering might be the structural basis by which co-expression can couple with NAD capping on physically and functionally linked genes. Furthermore, we note that NAD capping of cuticle genes inversely correlates with their gene expression. Combined, we propose NAD-RNA epitranscriptome as a hidden layer of regulation that underlies biological processes. DO-seq empowers the identification of NAD-capped RNAs, facilitating functional investigation into this modification.

Background: Both cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection at different anogenital sites, but the infection features of high-risk (HR) HPVs at these sites and their association with cervical lesions have not been well characterized. Given the limitation of cervical HPV 16/18 test in screening patients with high-grade CIN (CIN 2+), studies on whether non-16/18 HR-HPV subtype(s) have potential as additional indicator(s) to improve CIN 2+ screening are needed. Methods: The infection of 15 HR-HPVs in vulva, anus, vagina, and cervix of 499 Chinese women was analyzed, and CIN lesion-associated HR-HPV subtypes were revealed. Results: In addition to the well-known cervical-cancer-associated HPV 16, 52, and 58, HPV 51, 53, and 56 were also identified as high-frequency detected subtypes prevalently and consistently present at the anogenital sites studied, preferentially in multi-infection patterns. HPV 16, 52, 58, 56, and 53 were the top five prevalent subtypes in patients with CIN 2+. In addition, we found that cervical HPV 33/35/52/53/56/58 co-testing with HPV 16/18 might improve CIN 2+ screening performance. Conclusion: This study provided a new insight into HR-HPV screening strategy based on different subtype combinations, which might be used in risk stratification clinically.

The relationship of PAX1/JAM3 methylation as well as HPV viral load (VL) with cervical lesions has been reported, but their role in persistent HPV infection without cervical high-grade lesions has not been fully elucidated. A total of 231 females diagnosed with persistent HPV infection and pathologically confirmed absence of high-grade cervical lesions were selected from the Colposcopy Outpatient Clinic of Peking University People’s Hospital, from March 2023 to December 2023. They were categorized into two groups based on the duration of HPV infection: the HPV persistent less than 3 years group and the more than 3 years group. PAX1/JAM3 methylation and HPV VL were determined by real-time PCR and BioPerfectus Multiplex Real-Time (BMRT)-HPV reports type-specific VL/10,000 cells, respectively. The average age of individuals with HPV infection lasting more than 3 years was higher compared to those with less than 3 years (48.9 vs. 45.1 years), with a statistically significant difference. Among the participants, 81.8% (189/231) had no previous screening. The methylation levels of JAM3 and PAX1 were significantly higher in individuals with HPV infection persisting for more than 3 years compared to those with less than 3 years, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between PAX1 and JAM3 methylation (p < 0.001), which could be used as cumulative evidence of HPV infection duration before the occurrence of precancerous lesions. The incidence of vaginal intraepithelial lesions was higher in individuals with HPV infection persisting for more than 3 years compared to those with less than 3 years, and HPV VL can be used as an indicative biomarker for concurrent cervical–vaginal lesions, especially for HPV other than 16/18 genotypes.

We address the challenge of identifying meaningful communities by proposing a model based on convex game theory and a measure of community strength. Many existing community detection methods fail to provide unique solutions, and it remains unclear how the solutions depend on initial conditions. Our approach identifies strong communities with a hierarchical structure, visualizable as a dendrogram, and computable in polynomial time using submodular function minimization. This framework extends beyond graphs to hypergraphs or even polymatroids. In the case when the model is graphical, a more efficient algorithm based on the max-flow min-cut algorithm can be devised. Though not achieving near-linear time complexity, the pursuit of practical algorithms is an intriguing avenue for future research. Our work serves as the foundation, offering an analytical framework that yields unique solutions with clear operational meaning for the communities identified.

The effects of air pollution on physical health are well recognized, with many studies revealing air pollution’s effects on vision disorder, yet no relationship has been established. Therefore, a meta-analysis was carried out in this study to investigate the connection between vision disorder and ambient particles (diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5), diameter ≤ 10 µm (PM10)) and gaseous pollutants (nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3)). Twelve relevant studies published by 26 February 2024 were identified in three databases. A pooled odds ratios (ORs) of 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained using random-effects meta-analysis models. Meta-analysis results revealed that for every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and NO2 exposure, a substantially higher incidence of vision disorder was observed (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.19; OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.16). No significant correlation existed between exposure to PM10, SO2 and CO and vision disorder. However, O3 exposure was negatively associated with vision disorder. In addition, subgroup analyses revealed that PM2.5 exposure was significantly correlated with the risk of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration and that children and adolescents were more susceptible to NO2 and PM2.5 than adults. Overall, exposure to air pollutants, especially PM2.5 and NO2, may increase the incidence of vision disorder.

During the steady operation of the 9FF square bale corn stalk pulverizer, the rapidly rotating spindle drives the hammers and impellers to form a complicated airflow field environment in the crushing chamber. The flow field characteristics in the crushing chamber can affect the motion law of stalks, thus influencing the pulverizing effect of the hammer blades on stalks and the ejection of materials. Based on establishing the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculation model of the crushing chamber in the 9FF square bale corn stalk pulverizer, in this paper, the effect of three groups of components, such as the hammer rack and blades, hammer rack and blades and the sieve, as well and the sieve and the impeller, on the distribution characteristics of airflow field in the crushing chamber. The simulation results show that the hammer piece group, screen, and impeller in the crushing room can effectively improve the crushing quality of materials, with the crushing efficiency and conveying efficiency at the highest speed of 3000 r/min.