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Correlating tree-ring parameters with daily resolved climate data is becoming increasingly common for understanding the complex relationships between tree growth and the surrounding environment. However, with an increased number of calculated correlations, there is an inherent risk of spurious significance. In this study, we present an analysis using synthetic weather and tree-ring data mimicking the statistical properties of ten real-world sites across Europe to quantify the extent to which numerous comparisons may inflate maximum correlations. Comparisons of different tree-ring proxies, considering varying overlapping period lengths and seasons, revealed 95th percentile correlation differences reaching 0.25 by chance. Using synthetic tree-ring chronologies with an assigned non-signal (r = 0.00), spurious correlations can reach statistical significance in over 60% of tests. Correlation inflation is greater when: (1) the climate-proxy relationship is weaker; (2) comparison periods are shorter; and (3) the length of seasonal windows is longer. Autocorrelation in the proxy records does not appear to have a major effect. These findings indicate that caution should be exercised when computing high numbers of correlations with limited observations. We provide tables listing correlation inflations for precipitation- and temperature-sensitive tree-ring chronologies that can inform interpretations of significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although weight loss is known to alleviate urinary incontinence (UI) symptoms, the effects of sex and body size on this relationship remain insufficiently explored. Materials and methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2018, comprising 28,161 participants. Weighted logistic regression analysis, fitted curves, and subgroup analysis were used to assess the association between the percentage of weight loss and UI. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to account for potential confounding factors. Results: After PSM, multivariate logistic regression showed an inverse relationship between weight loss percentage and UI risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94–0.99). Compared with weight loss percentages < 0%, the risk of UI significantly decreased with weight loss percentages > 5% (weight loss percentage 5.1–10%: OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70–1.00; weight loss percentage 10.1–15%: OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55–0.97; weight loss percentage > 15%: OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.39–0.70). Furthermore, subgroup analysis indicated that this relationship was more significant in males and non-overweight/non-obese populations. Conclusion: There was an inverse relationship between weight loss percentage and UI risk, with noticeable differences based on sex and body size. However, these findings warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of an effective recommender system is to provide accurate, varied, and personalized recommendations that align with the user's cognitive intents. Given their ability to represent structural and semantic information effectively, knowledge graphs (KGs) are increasingly being utilized to capture auxiliary information for recommendation systems. This trend is supported by the recent advancements in graph neural network (GNN)-based models for KG-aware recommendations. However, these models often struggle with issues such as insufficient user-item interactions and the misalignment of user intent weights during information propagation. Additionally, they face a popularity bias, which is exacerbated by the disproportionate influence of a small number of highly active users and the limited auxiliary information about items. This bias significantly curtails the effectiveness of the recommendations. To address this issue, we propose a Knowledge-Enhanced User Cognitive Intent Network (KeCAIN), which incorporates item category information to capture user intents with information aggregation and eliminate popularity bias based on causal reasoning in recommendation systems. Experiments on three real-world datasets show that KeCAIN outperforms state-of-the-art baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has strongly influenced the hydroclimatic cycle in arid regions. Here, we established the dendrochronology of spruce on the northern and southern slopes of the Qilian Mountains in the Hexi Corridor based on tree-ring width. The correlation response analysis showed that the radial growth of Picea crassifolia in the study area was limited mainly by precipitation from July of the previous year to June of the current year. Therefore, we developed July–June precipitation reconstructions for the northern and southern slopes of the Qilian Mountains, respectively, based on the ensemble model from the simple linear regression and K-nearest neighbor. Our new reconstructions displayed that during the past 257 years, the northern Qilian Mountains experienced 39 and 38 extreme wet and dry years, and 5 wet and 6 dry periods, respectively, and the southern Qilian Mountains experienced 61 and 51 extreme wet and dry years, and 6 wet and 6 dry periods, respectively. Spatial correlation using CRU precipitation and scPDSI grid data revealed that our reconstruction contains the precipitation signal that is representative of an extensive region of north-central China. The precipitation reconstruction includes major cyclicities of 2–5 years in the north and 7 years in the south, and they document drought/famine events in the late nineteenth century and during the 1920s–1930s. Water vapor from the Pacific Ocean is identified as the main factor responsible for high precipitation events in the study area, while low precipitation events were influenced by continental air masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS). This study aimed to explore the exact role and mechanism of circ_0002984 in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-mediated human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs). The model of smooth muscle cell phenotype switching was constructed by treating HVSMCs with ox-LDL. The levels of circ_0002984, let-7a-5p, and kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) were measured by quantitative real-time PCR or western blot assay. Cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU staining, wound healing assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry. The expression of cleaved-caspase-3 and KLF5 was examined by western blot. The relationship between let-7a-5p and circ_0002984 or KLF5 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay or RIP assay. The results showed that circ_0002984 and KLF5 were up-regulated, while let-7a-5p was down-regulated in AS patients and ox-LDL-disposed HVSMCs. Silence of circ_0002984 suppressed proliferation and migration, and promoted apoptosis in ox-LDL-stimulated HVSMCs. Moreover, circ_0002984 sponged let-7a-5p to regulate the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in ox-LDL-resulted HVSMCs. In addition, KLF5 was a target of let-7a-5p and its overexpression reversed the effect of let-7a-5p on the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in ox-LDL-treated HVSMCs. Also, circ_0002984 positively regulated KLF5 expression by absorbing let-7a-5p. The promotion effect of circ_0002984 on the proliferation and migration of ox-LDL-treated HVSMCs was reversed by KLF5 silencing. Taken together, depletion of circ_0002984 inhibited the proliferation and migration of ox-LDL-stimulated HVSMCs, which might be achieved by modulating the let-7a-5p/KLF5 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influences of shear amplitude and joint height on fatigue lifetime and fracture behavior of Cu/Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu/Cu joints with increasing current density were investigated. The results show that fatigue lifetime was shortened with increasing shear amplitude and current density but presented no joint height-dependency. A fatigue lifetime prediction model considering electric current stressing was proposed, and the predicted values were close to the experiment results. Additionally, when the current density increased, the fracture initially occurred in the solder matrix with a ductile mode, then shifted to partial at the solder/IMC layer interface with a ductile–brittle mixed mode, and finally migrated to complete at the solder/IMC layer interface with a brittle mode, showing a prominent ductile-to-brittle transition. These changes were mainly due to the sharply aggravated strain mismatch at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Methylation-related signatures play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and progression. However, their roles in the immune response in primary glioblastoma (GBM) remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed the differential expression of specific members of T cell exhaustion-related pathways in GBM from the perspective of T cell exhaustion. We further screened for significantly negatively correlated methylation sites as candidate methylation markers for T cell exhaustion. Using consensus clustering, we divided the samples into two categories with significant differences in overall survival (OS). We then performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to construct the T Cell Exhaustion Methylation (TEXM) signature. Finally, we confirmed that this signature served as an independent prognostic factor, and further characterized it in terms of drug resistance and immunotherapy. Results: We identified 95 significantly differentially expressed T cell exhaustion-related genes and 51 methylation markers associated with T cell exhaustion. The cancer samples were classified according to methylation site markers, thus indicating two subtypes with significant differences in OS: subtype A and subtype B. Tumor scores, stromal scores, tumor purity, and ESTIMATE scores all showed significant differences between subtypes (P < 0.05). Univariate Cox regression analysis identified five methylation sites significantly associated with OS, and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to construct the TEXM signature model by using these five methylation sites. Significant differences in OS were found between the groups with high and low TEXM signature scores, on the basis of calculation of the TEXM signature scores of tumor samples and using the median score to divide them into high and low score groups. Survival analysis revealed that the high score group had poorer OS and DFS than the low score group in the validation set. Notably, we observed a significant difference in drug sensitivity between the high and low TEXM signature score groups, with the high score group showing higher drug resistance and poorer prognosis. The tumor immune state, as predicted with Tracking Tumor Immunophenotype (TIP), revealed significant differences in antitumor immune scores between the high and low TEXM signature score groups. Finally, we identified 43 significantly differentially regulated metabolism-associated biological processes. Conclusion: The epigenetic methylation-related TEXM signature plays a key role in driving differential immune responses in GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent measurement of B (B + → K + ν ν ¯) by Belle-II reveals a 2.8 σ deviation from the Standard Model (SM) prediction. Combining this with a prior Belle measurement of B (B 0 → K ∗ 0 ν ν ¯) , the upper bound of the ratio B (B 0 → K ∗ 0 ν ν ¯) / B (B + → K + ν ν ¯) is notably smaller than the SM prediction. In this work, tensions are solved within the framework of Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT). The flavor-changing-neutral-current (FCNC) and charged-current observables of either down-type ( b → s ν ν ¯ , b → s ℓ + ℓ - , and b → u i ℓ ν ¯ ) or up-type ( u j → u i ν ν ¯ , u j → u i ℓ + ℓ - , and u j → s ℓ ν ¯ ) processes, described by low-energy effective field theory (LEFT) operators, are interconnected by a minimal set of four SMEFT operators at the electroweak scale. Subsequently, we obtain the latest ranges of Wilson coefficients for these four operators through a global fit that accommodates flavor anomalies such as R K (∗) , R D (∗) , and B (B → K (∗) ν ν ¯) . Our findings reveal that predictions for B (B + → τ + ν τ) and B (D s + → τ + ν τ) align well with measured values from Belle and BESIII, based on the fitted coefficients. The predicted branching fraction for B 0 → K ∗ 0 ν ν ¯ is (1.42 ± 0.74) × 10 - 5 , closely approaching the current experimental upper limit. Anticipation surrounds the rare decay B s → τ + τ - , expected in the near future with a branching fraction on the order of 10 - 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence of state changes on brucellosis, a stochastic brucellosis model with semi-Markovian switchings and diffusion is proposed in this paper. When there is no switching, we introduce a critical value R s and obtain the exponential stability in mean square when R s < 1 by using the stochastic Lyapunov function method. Sudden climate changes can drive changes in transmission rate of brucellosis, which can be modelled by a semi-Markov process. We study the influence of stationary distribution of semi-Markov process on extinction of brucellosis in switching environment including both stable states, during which brucellosis dies out, and unstable states, during which brucellosis persists. The results show that increasing the frequencies and average dwell times in stable states to certain extent can ensure the extinction of brucellosis. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate the analytical results. We also suggest that herdsmen should reduce the densities of animal habitation to decrease the contact rate, increase slaughter rate of animals and apply disinfection measures to kill brucella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing an active and stable anode catalyst for the proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEM-WE) is a critical objective to enhance the economic viability of green hydrogen technology. However, the expensive iridium-based electrocatalyst remains the sole practical material with industrial-level stability for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. Ruthenium-based catalysts have been proposed as more cost-effective alternatives with improved activity, though their stability requires enhancement. The current urgent goal is to reduce costs and noble metal loading of the OER catalyst while maintaining robust activity and stability. In this study, we design a Ru-based OER catalyst incorporating Pb as a supporting element. This electrocatalyst exhibits an OER overpotential of 201 mV at 10 mA·cm−2, simultaneously reducing Ru noble metal loading by ∼ 40%. Normalization of the electrochemically active surface area unveils improved intrinsic activity compared to the pristine RuO2 catalyst. During a practical stability test in a PEM-WE setup, our developed catalyst sustains stable performance over 300 h without notable degradation, underscoring its potential for future applications as a reliable anodic catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Portal hypertension leads to hepatic artery dilatation and a higher risk of bleeding. We tried to identify the bleeding risk after gastroesophageal varices (GOV) treatment using hepatic artery diameter of contrast-enhanced CT. Methods: Retrospective retrieval of 258 patients with cirrhosis who underwent contrast-enhanced CT from January 2022 to May 2023 and endoscopy within one month thereafter at Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University. Cirrhotic patients before GOV treatment were used as the test cohort (n = 199), and cirrhotic patients after GOV treatment were used as the validation cohort (n = 59). The grading and bleeding risk was classified according to the endoscopic findings. Arterial-phase images of contrast-enhanced CT were used for coronal reconstruction, and the midpoint diameter of the hepatic artery was measured on coronal images. The optimal cutoff value for identifying bleeding risk was analyzed and calculated in the test cohort, and its diagnostic performance was evaluated in the validation cohort. Results: In the test cohort, hepatic artery diameters were significantly higher in high-risk GOV than in low-risk GOV [4.69 (4.31, 5.56) vs. 3.10 (2.59, 3.77), P < 0.001]. With a hepatic artery diameter cutoff value of 4.06 mm, the optimal area under the operating characteristic curve was 0.940 (95% confidence interval: 0.908–0.972), with a sensitivity of 0.887, a specificity of 0.892, a positive predictive value of 0.904, and a negative predictive value of 0.874 for identifying bleeding risk in the test cohort, while in the validation cohort, the sensitivity was 0.885, specificity was 0.939, positive predictive value was 0.920, and negative predictive value was 0.912. Conclusion: Hepatic artery diameter has high diagnostic performance in identifying bleeding risk after GOV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase equilibria for the CaO–MgO–SiO2–13 wt pct Al2O3–50 wt pct TiO2 system were experimentally investigated at 1400 °C in air atmosphere, employing the high-temperature equilibration and quenching method. Seven distinct phases were identified, encompassing a liquid phase, a liquid phase with perovskite (CaTiO3), a liquid phase with rutile (TiO2), a liquid phase with anosovite (M3O5), a liquid phase with anosovite and rutile, a liquid phase with anosovite and spinel, and a liquid phase with perovskite and spinel. Additionally, an experimentally verified isotherm at 1400 °C was obtained and conducted a comparative analysis with predictions generated using FactSage software. Overall, the FactSage 8.1 software exhibited a notable tendency to overestimated the liquidus temperatures in the M3O5 and spinel phases regions when compared to the experimentally determined values. This disparity may be attributed to limitations in the FactSage 8.1 software database which lack of Al2TiO5 in the "FToxid-PSEU" solution species, as it indicated a large liquid phase region in the CaO–MgO–SiO2–13 wt pct Al2O3–50 wt pct TiO2 system at 1400 °C than what we experimentally determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermoresponsive molecularly imprinted hydrogel sensor was constructed for the specific selective recognition of enterovirus 71 (EV71). Due to the introduction of the thermosensitive monomer N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), when the imprinted hydrogel is incubated with the virus at 37℃, the surface specific imprinting cavity will specifically recognize and capture the target virus EV71. When the temperature rises to 45℃, the combined EV71 is rapidly released due to changes in the shape and function of the imprinted sites. The MIP hydrogel-based viral sensor developed recognized, captured, and released the target virus in a non-invasive way. The imprinting factor of the target virus was 5.2, suggesting high selectivity, and the detection limit was 7.1 fM, suggesting high sensitivity. Detection was rapid, as adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 30 min. This method provides a new sustainable avenue for the simple and rapid detection of viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the risk of immune-associated pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors, the meta-analysis was designed. Method: The difference in risk of immune-associated pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors was assessed by two different meta-analysis methods, the Mirror-pairing and the PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of eighty-eight reports were used for meta-analysis, while thirty-two studies were used for the Mirror-pairing. Both PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors (used alone or combined with chemotherapy) increased the risk of developing immune-related pneumonitis (P < 0.00001; P < 0.00001). Based on indirect analyses results (subgroup analyses), the risk of PD-L1-induced pneumonitis was weaker than that of PD-1 inhibitors when the control group was chemotherapy (OR = 3.33 vs. 5.43) or placebo (OR = 2.53 vs. 3.19), while no obvious significant differences were found (P = 0.17; P = 0.53). For the Mirror-pairing-based meta-analysis, the risk of PD-1-induced pneumonitis was significantly higher than that of PD-L1 inhibitors (OR = 1.46, 95%CI [1.08, 1.98], I2 = 0%, Z = 2.47 (P = 0.01)). However, this difference was not significant, when they were combined with chemotherapy (OR = 1.05, 95%CI [0.68, 1.60], I2 = 38%, Z = 0.21 (P = 0.84)). Conclusion: Both PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors increased the risk of immune-related pneumonitis, while the risk of PD-1-induced pneumonitis was significantly higher than that of PD-L1 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In humans, ACTN2 mutations are identified as highly relevant to a range of cardiomyopathies such as DCM and HCM, while their association with sudden cardiac death has been observed in forensic cases. Although ACTN2 has been shown to regulate sarcomere Z-disc organization, a causal relationship between ACTN2 dysregulation and cardiomyopathies under chronic stress has not yet been investigated. Objective: In this work, we explored the relationship between Actn2 dysregulation and cardiomyopathies under dexamethasone treatment. Methods: Previous cases of ACTN2 mutations were collected and the conservative analysis was carried out by MEGA 11, the possible impact on the stability and function of ACTN2 affected by these mutations was predicted by Polyphen-2. ACTN2 was suppressed by siRNA in H9c2 cells under dexamethasone treatment to mimic the chronic stress in vitro. Then the cardiac hypertrophic molecular biomarkers were elevated, and the potential pathways were explored by transcriptome analysis. Results: Actn2 suppression impaired calcium uptake and increased hypertrophy in H9c2 cells under dexamethasone treatment. Concomitantly, hypertrophic molecular biomarkers were also elevated in Actn2-suppressed cells. Further transcriptome analysis and Western blotting data suggested that Actn2 suppression led to the excessive activation of the MAPK pathway and ERK cascade. In vitro pharmaceutical intervention with ERK inhibitors could partially reverse the morphological changes and inhibit the excessive cardiac hypertrophic molecular biomarkers in H9c2 cells. Conclusion: Our study revealed a functional role of ACTN2 under chronic stress, loss of ACTN2 function accelerated H9c2 hypertrophy through ERK signaling. A commercial drug, Ibudilast, was identified to reverse cell hypertrophy in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinators seek high quality nectar and pollen rewards critical for their growth and reproduction. Volatile emissions from inflorescences may signal plant health and floral resource quality to these flower-visiting insects. To understand the relationship between floral volatile emission and pollinator preference in a field setting, we conducted a replicated garden experiment consisting of 18 native perennial species from three different plant families with varying nutritional resource quality. We collected flower-visiting insects and floral volatile emissions over two field seasons, detecting over 60 volatile compounds and over 150 insect species. We collated trait data of visiting insects (bee or non-bee, body size, degree of sociality, nesting behavior, and whether the visitor was non-native) and evaluated interactions between these traits and volatile composition. Among the insect traits, bees and larger visitors had negative associations with sesquiterpenes, while in contrast visitors with complex nesting behaviors and social insects had positive associations. When comparing plant traits with bee traits, bee visitors had negative associations with purple inflorescences and larger insects and social insects both had positive associations with yellow inflorescences. We tested for direct associations between volatile class and insect taxa and found that sesquiterpenes had a strong positive relationship with hoverfly presence. This work demonstrates the complexity of floral volatiles as signals for pollinating insects and how floral scent composition allows individual compounds to act synergistically or antagonistically. These results can help us to better understand pollinator preferences and visitation patterns in the broad context of chemical ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute cholecyctitis is a common condition which requires immediate or elective surgical interventions and this condition is one among the common causes for emergency hospitalization among the elderly population. However, controversies have been observed with the use of anti-thrombotic agents in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecyctectomy. Few studies have reported increased risk of bleeding in patients with anticoagulants whereas other studies have reported no significant bleeding outcomes. Nevertheless, the lack of evidence-based guidelines further complicates decision-making. In this analysis we aimed to systematically assess the impact of anti-thrombotic therapy on bleeding outcomes and thrombosis following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane database, Google scholar, Web of Science and http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for relevant publications based on anti-thrombotic therapy among patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The endpoints in this analysis included: intra-operative bleeding, post-operative bleeding, blood loss, patients requiring blood transfusion and thrombotic complications. The Revman 5.4 software was used to analyze data in this analysis. Risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to represent the data following analysis. A total number of 4008 participants (enrollment period 2002–2019) were included in this analysis whereby 756 participants were assigned to an anti-thrombotic therapy and 3592 participants were in the control group. Our results showed that antithrombotic therapy was associated with significantly higher risk of intra-operative bleeding (RR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.77–2.79; P = 0.00001), post-operative bleeding (RR: 4.77, 95% CI: 1.13–20.10; P = 0.03), and blood loss (RR: 3.01, 95% CI: 1.13–8.06; P = 0.03). Patients requiring blood transfusion (RR: 4.80, 95% CI: 1.90–12.13; P = 0.0009) were also significantly higher in the anti-thrombotic group. However, thrombotic complications (RR: 2.17, 95% CI: 0.50–9.42; P = 0.30) were not significantly higher. Through this analysis, we concluded that anti-thrombotic therapy was associated with significantly increased risks of intra-operative and post-operative bleeding events following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients requiring blood transfusion were also significantly higher. Therefore, stopping anti-thrombotic agents prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy could significantly minimize bleeding risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex pediatric cardiac disease is associated with brain impairment and neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly in patients requiring cardiac surgery for aortic arch anomalies. This study examines the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of perioperative brain injury in children undergoing aortic arch repair who had aortic arch anomalies. A total of 145 children with aortic arch anomalies in our center undergoing aortic arch repair between January 2014 and December 2022 were enrolled. There were 129 (89.0%) with coarctation of the aorta (COA) and 16 (9.7%) with interrupted aortic arch (IAA). Risk factor analysis of brain injuries was done using perioperative imaging and included symptoms of hemorrhagic stroke, arterial ischemic stroke, white matter injury, cerebral sinus venous thrombosis, and other pathologies. Preoperatively, 50/145 (34.5%) patients had brain injuries. Multivariate analysis showed that an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke was associated with newborns (odds ratio [OR], 2.09 [95% CI 0.08–3.50]), isolated COA (OR, 3.69 [95% CI 1.23–7.07]), mechanical ventilation (MV) ([OR, 2.56 [95% CI 1.25–4.03]), and sepsis (OR, 1.73 [95% CI 0.46–3.22]). Newborns ([OR, 1.91 [95% Cl 0.58–3.29]) and weight-for-age z score ([OR, −0.45 [95% CI −0.88 to −0.1]) were associated with an increased risk of white matter injury. New postoperative brain injuries were present in 12.9% of the patients (16/124). Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) was associated with new postoperative brain injuries compared with deep hypothermic low-flow (DHLF) plus antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) (([OR, 2.67 [95% CI, 0.58–5.75])). Isolated COA was almost associated with new postoperative brain injuries (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, −0.04 to 2.32]). Children diagnosed with isolated COA appeared to have a higher risk of perioperative brain injury, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. We focused on the intrinsic mechanism by which changes in hemodynamics caused by COA result in perioperative brain injury. Further research will be needed to optimize the personalized treatment and cerebral perfusion techniques for complex pediatric cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-relaxation-time discrete Boltzmann model for compressible non-ideal gases with adjustable specific heat ratio is proposed, and the impact of surface tension on Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) is investigated from two perspectives: macroscopic and non-equilibrium characteristics. In terms of physical cognition, (1) it is found that there are two critical surface tensions: the upper critical value and the lower critical value. When the surface tension is below the lower critical value, the RTI evolution aligns qualitatively with the case without surface tension. As the surface tension coefficient increases, the inhibitory effect on RTI evolution gradually strengthens. When the surface tension is greater than the upper critical value, the disturbance interface tends to be stable after multiple oscillations. When the surface tension is in between, the perturbation interface first reverses, or even multiple reverses, and then destabilizes and develops rapidly. (2) A series of new kinetic behavior characteristics are given, and it is found that some behavior characteristics have important reference value for the control of system behavior. For example, the first peak in the growth rate of the global average non-organized momentum flux strength D2 corresponds to the onset of the regular nonlinear stage. The peak in the growth rate of the global average non-organized energy flux strength D3,1 marks the beginning of the re-acceleration stage. The onset of the uniform acceleration stage in the growth rate of the global average non-equilibrium strength DTNE corresponds to the system transitioning into the regular nonlinear stage, while its terminal point (also the peak) corresponds to the system entering the re-acceleration stage. These insights enhance understanding of RTI mechanisms in complex fluids kinetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immune system can lead to a variety of renal diseases through direct or indirect mechanisms. In immune-mediated nephropathy, though standardized treatment, there are still a small number of patients with further decline in renal function, which may even progress to renal failure; sodium-glucose cotransporter protein 2 (SLC5A2,SGLT2) inhibitors not only can significantly reduce blood glucose, but also have an additional protective effect on the kidneys and the heart; this review concludes the potential mechanism of the renal protective effect of SGLT2i and the new advances in the recent years in common immune-mediated nephropathies, which can provide new theoretical references to optimize the therapeutic strategy of common immune-mediated nephropathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication can promote coordination in cooperative Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL). Nowadays, existing works mainly focus on improving the communication efficiency of agents, neglecting that real-world communication is much more challenging as there may exist noise or potential attackers. Thus the robustness of the communication-based policies becomes an emergent and severe issue that needs more exploration. In this paper, we posit that the ego system1) trained with auxiliary adversaries may handle this limitation and propose an adaptable method of Multi-Agent Auxiliary Adversaries Generation for robust Communication, dubbed MA3C, to obtain a robust communication-based policy. In specific, we introduce a novel message-attacking approach that models the learning of the auxiliary attacker as a cooperative problem under a shared goal to minimize the coordination ability of the ego system, with which every information channel may suffer from distinct message attacks. Furthermore, as naive adversarial training may impede the generalization ability of the ego system, we design an attacker population generation approach based on evolutionary learning. Finally, the ego system is paired with an attacker population and then alternatively trained against the continuously evolving attackers to improve its robustness, meaning that both the ego system and the attackers are adaptable. Extensive experiments on multiple benchmarks indicate that our proposed MA3C provides comparable or better robustness and generalization ability than other baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the impact of brainstem auditory evoked potentials monitoring, as well as anatomical characteristics, in relation to their influence on hearing deficits. A total of 851 patients diagnosed with idiopathic hemifacial spasm underwent microvascular decompression treatment were recruited in our study. A nomogram was developed based on the regression analysis. Nomogram performance was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC), decision curve analyses and calibration curve. The rate of positive wave V change was also higher in the hearing deficit group (71.8% vs no hearing deficit group, p < 0.001). Furthermore, greater retraction depth (0.78 ± 0.25 cm vs 0.55 ± 0.12 cm, p < 0.001), duration (74.43 ± 15.74 min vs 55.71 ± 7.01 min, p < 0.001) and retraction distance (4.38 ± 0.38 cm vs 4.17 ± 0.24 cm, p = 0.001) were evident in the hearing deficit patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that positive wave V change (OR 5.43), greater retraction depth (OR 55.57) and longer retraction duration (OR 1.14) emerged as significant independent predictors of postoperative hearing deficit. The external validation cohort exhibited a favorable discrimination with an AUC of 0.88. The calibration curves further confirmed the reliability of the predicted outcome in relation to the observed outcome in the external validation cohort (p = 0.89). The decision curves demonstrated that the nomogram outperformed the All or None scheme when the threshold probability ranged from > 2% to < 60% in the external validation cohort. We constructed a nomogram, including wave V, retraction depth, and retraction duration, which can effectively predict the occurrence of hearing deficits and has good clinical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of peritoneal drainage and its type on prognosis, encompassing postoperative recovery and complications, in pediatric patients (≤ 16 years old) following appendectomy based on the grade of appendicitis. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed pediatric patients (≤ 16 years old) with appendicitis who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in our center from January 2017 to January 2024 and classified them into grade I–V based on the grade of appendicitis, with V representing the most serious cases. The patients were grouped according to drainage status and type. The main clinical outcomes included postoperative rehabilitation indexes such as time to resume a soft diet, time to remove the drain, duration of postoperative antibiotic use and length of hospitalization (LOH), as well as postoperative complications including intra-abdominal abscess (IAA), ileus and wound infection (WI), and readmission within 30 days after surgery. Results: A total of 385 pediatric patients with appendicitis were included in the study and divided into No-drainage (ND) group (n = 74), Passive drainage (PD) group (n = 246) and Active drainage (AD) group (n = 65) according to drainage status and type. Compared to the other two groups, the ND group had a significantly shorter time to resume a soft diet, duration of postoperative antibiotic use and LOH, and these differences were statistically significant. Similar findings were observed in grade I patients too (P < 0.05). In all cases examined here, the AD group had a significantly shorter time for drain removal compared to the PD group (3.04 [1–12] vs 2.74 [1–15], P = 0.049); this difference was also evident among grade I patients (2.80 [1–6] vs 2.47 [1–9], P = 0.019). Furthermore, within the same grade, only in grade IV did the AD group exhibit a shorter duration of postoperative antibiotic use compared to the PD group (4.75 [4–5] vs 8.33 [5–15], P = 0.009). Additionally, the LOH in the AD group was longer than that in the PD group (8.00 [4–13] vs 4.75 [4–5], P = 0.025). Among all cases, the ND group exhibited significantly lower incidences of overall complications and WI compared to the other two groups (P < 0.05). Additionally, the incidence of IAA in the ND group was significantly lower than that in the PD group (0% vs 5.3%, P = 0.008 < 0.0167). Furthermore, although there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of overall complications, IAA, ileus, and WI between the PD and AD groups during grade ≥ II analysis (P > 0.05), a higher readmission rate within 30 days was observed in the PD group compared to the AD group; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that a higher grade of appendicitis was associated with an increased risk of overall complications and IAA as well as a longer duration of postoperative antibiotic use and LOH. Conclusion: The appendicitis grade is a crucial indicator for predicting postoperative IAA and LOH. In patients with grade I appendicitis, peritoneal drainage, even if active drainage, is not recommended; For patients with grade ≥ II appendicitis, active drainage may be more effective than passive drainage in reducing the duration of postoperative antibiotic use and LOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we make a study of the τ− → ωπ−ντ decay in the framework of low-energy effective field theory. The J P G decompositions of the quark currents and the ωπ final state show that, besides the Standard Model vector interaction, only the non-standard tensor interaction can have a non-zero contribution to the decay. To discuss its effect, a reliable calculation of the ωπ tensor form factors is necessary. After constructing the Lagrangian of resonance chiral theory with external tensor sources, we calculate both the vector and tensor form factors with the relevant resonance couplings determined by combining the QCD short-distance constraints, the fit to the spectral function of τ− → ωπ−ντ decay, as well as the matching between the O p 4 odd-intrinsic-parity operators after integrating out the vector resonances and the O p 6 operators of chiral perturbation theory. The new physics effect is then investigated in the distributions of the spectral function and the forward-backward asymmetry of τ− → ωπ−ντ decay. We find that the spectral function is dominated by the Standard Model, and the non-standard tensor contribution is negligible. However, since the forward-backward asymmetry can be only generated with a non-zero tensor interaction, the observable is quite sensitive to this kind of new physics. A future measurement of the observable at the Belle II experiment as well as at the proposed Tera-Z and STCF facilities is, therefore, strongly called for to check the existence of such a non-standard tensor interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) benefit from an effective electrolyte system design in both terms of their safety and energy storage capability. Herein, a series of precursor membranes with high porosity were produced using electrospinning technology by mixing PVDF and triblock copolymer (PS-PEO-PS), resulting in a porous structure with good interconnections, which facilitates the absorbency of a large amount of electrolyte and further increases the ionic conductivity of gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs). It has been demonstrated that post-cross-linking of the precursor membranes increases the rigidity of the nanofibers, which allows the polymer film to be dimensionally stable up to 260 °C while maintaining superior electrochemical properties. The obtained cross-linked GPEs (CGPEs) showed high ionic conductivity up to 4.53×10−3 S·cm−1. With the CGPE-25, the assembled Li/LiFePO4 half cells exhibited good rate capability and maintained a capacity of 99.4% and a coulombic efficiency of 99.3% at 0.1 C. These results suggest that the combination of electrospinning technique and post-cross-linking is an effective method to construct polymer electrolytes with high thermal stability and steadily decent electrochemical performance, particularly useful for Lithium-ion battery applications that require high-temperature usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Team adaptation to new cooperative tasks is a hallmark of human intelligence, which has yet to be fully realized in learning agents. Previous studies on multi-agent transfer learning have accommodated teams of different sizes but heavily relied on the generalization ability of neural networks for adapting to unseen tasks. We posit that the relationship among tasks provides key information for policy adaptation. We utilize this relationship for efficient transfer by attempting to discover and exploit the knowledge among tasks from different teams, proposing to learn an effect-based task representation as a common latent space among tasks, and using it to build an alternatively fixed training scheme. Herein, we demonstrate that task representation can capture the relationship among teams and generalize to unseen tasks. Thus, the proposed method helps transfer the learned cooperation knowledge to new tasks after training on a few source tasks. Furthermore, the learned transferred policies help solve tasks that are difficult to learn from scratch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic cerebral ischemia is a complex form of stress, of which the most common hemodynamic characteristic is chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH). Lasting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can drive neurological disorders. Targeting ER stress shows potential neuroprotective effects against stroke. However, the role of ER stress in CCH pathological processes and the effects of targeting ER stress on brain ischemia are unclear. Here, a CCH rat model was established by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. Rats were treated with 4-PBA, URB597, or both for 4 weeks. Neuronal morphological damage was detected using hematoxylin–eosin staining. The expression levels of the ER stress–ASK1 cascade-related proteins GRP78, IRE1α, TRAF2, CHOP, Caspase-12, ASK1, p-ASK1, JNK, and p-JNK were assessed by Western blot. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and iNOS were assessed by RT-PCR. For oxygen–glucose deprivation experiments, mouse hippocampal HT22 neurons were used. Apoptosis of the hippocampus and HT22 cells was detected by TUNEL staining and Annexin V-FITC analysis, respectively. CCH evoked ER stress with increased expression of GRP78, IRE1α, TRAF2, CHOP, and Caspase-12. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the interaction between TRAF2 and ASK1. ASK1/JNK signaling, inflammatory cytokines, and neuronal apoptosis were enhanced, accompanied by persistent ER stress; these were reversed by 4-PBA and URB597. Furthermore, the ASK1 inhibitor GS4997 and 4-PBA displayed synergistic anti-apoptotic effects in cells with oxygen–glucose deprivation. In summary, ER stress-induced apoptosis in CCH is associated with the IRE1α/TRAF2/ASK1/JNK signaling pathway. Targeting the ER stress–ASK1 cascade could be a novel therapeutic approach for ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of multiferroicity in 2D magnets, whether magnetic and polar skyrmions can coexist within a single topological entity has emerged as an important question. Here, we study Janus 2D magnets CrInX3 (X=Se, Te) for a comprehensive investigation of the magnetic ground state, magnetic excited state, and corresponding ferroelectric polarization by first-principles electronic structure calculations and Monte Carlo simulations. Specifically, we have thoroughly elucidated the magnetic exchange mechanisms, and have fully exemplified the magnetic field dependence of the magnon spectrum. More importantly, our study reveals a previously unrecognized, remarkably large spin-spiral-induced ferroelectric polarization (up to 194.9 μC/m2) in both compounds. We propose an approach to identify polar skyrmions within magnetic skyrmions, based on the observed direct correlation between spin texture and polarization density. Elucidating this correlation not only deepens our understanding of magnetic skyrmions but also paves the way for innovative research in the realm of multiferroic skyrmions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to experimentally investigate the influence of several key factors, including basicity, Al2O3 content, TiO2 content, SiO2/Al2O3 ratio, and titanium reduction, on the melting properties of electric furnace slags containing titanium in the CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3–50%TiO2 system. The findings revealed that the melting temperature decreased with an increase in the CaO/SiO2 ratio, Al2O3 content, and SiO2/Al2O3 ratio, while it increased with higher TiO2 content. To achieve a low melting temperature for the slags and an appropriate phase composition for titanium extraction, it is advisable to maintain a low CaO/SiO2 ratio within the range of 0.6–0.7, and an Al2O3 content of 13% is recommended. Higher TiO2 content is associated with elevated liquidus temperatures, while conversely, the SiO2/Al2O3 ratio exhibits an inverse relationship. Efforts were made to limit the titanium reduction during smelting to a maximum of 0.4. Anosovite (MgTi2O5), CaAl2Si2O8, Mg(Al, Ti)2O4, spinel (MgAl2O4), augite (Ca(Mg, Fe, Al) (Al, Si)2O6) and Ca12Al14O33 were the primary phases in titanium slag. The calculated viscosity results align with the trends observed in the melting property results. Furthermore, the liquidus temperatures were obtained through FactSage aligns with the pattern observed in the melting temperature. These findings will serve as a valuable technical foundation to support the development of the direct reduction smelting process for the comprehensive utilization of vanadium titanomagnetite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperproliferative diseases are the first step for tumor formation; thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) mRNA is closely related to cell proliferation. Therefore, the risk of malignant proliferation can be identified by sensitively detecting the variance in TK1 mRNA concentration, which can be used for tumor auxiliary diagnosis and monitoring tumor treatment. Owing to the low abundance and instability of TK1 mRNA in real samples, the development of a sensitive and fast mRNA detection method is necessary. A DNA nanosensor that can be used for detecting TK1 mRNA based on bipedal 3D DNA walker–driven proximal catalytic hairpin assembly (P-CHA) was developed. P-CHA hairpins were hybridized to a linker DNA strand coupled with magnetic nanoparticles to increase their local concentrations. The bipedal DNA walking on the surface of NPs accelerates reaction kinetics using the proximity effect. Taking advantage of the signal amplification of P-CHA as well as the rapid reaction rate of the DNA walker in 80 min, the proposed sensor detects TK1 mRNA with a low detection limit of 14 pM and may then be applied to clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of rock burst tendency of rock masses with different sizes plays a key role in the prevention of rock burst. Through theoretical analysis, it is proposed that uniaxial compressive strength and deformation modulus ratio are the key mechanical parameters affecting rock burst occurrence. In order to find out the size effect of uniaxial compressive strength and deformation modulus ratio, theoretical analysis and uniaxial compression experiment are carried out on rock samples with different heights, different cross-sectional areas and different volumes. The results show that the smaller the uniaxial compressive strength is, the larger the deformation modulus ratio is, and the more likely rock burst are to occur. On the contrary, rock burst is still not easy to generate. The uniaxial compressive strength of rock samples with different heights, different cross-sectional areas and different volumes increases with the increase of rock sample size. The deformation modulus ratio of rock samples with different heights and different volumes shows an upward trend on the whole, while that of rock samples with different cross-sectional areas shows a downward trend on the whole. The fracture forms of rock are analyzed using the energy conversion law in the process of deformation and failure for three kinds of rock with different shapes and sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient separation of photogenerated carriers and surface reactions is the crucial factor in achieving successful photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, a novel Pt@Co-T@T@M hollow sphere was prepared by a template-assisted method. Pt was anchored on the inner surface of Co-doped TiO2 shell, serving as electron collectors and active sites for reduction reaction, while MnOX was immobilized on the outer surface of TiO2 shell for oxidation reaction. Under simulated one-sun (AM 1.5G) illumination, the as-prepared Pt@Co-T@T@M hollow spheres exhibited a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 7.304 mmol g−1 h−1, which is 114 times higher than that of T@T hollow spheres. The exceptional photocatalytic water-splitting performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between homojunction and spatial dual-cocatalyst, which promotes enhanced spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and reduces recombination. This study highlights the importance of precise and rational control over photocatalyst structure for achieving highly efficient water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering construction (such as water conservancy project, road engineering, and so on) in mountain areas bring mass of waste soil and rock fragment, whose stability is critical to the ecological environment and the safe operation of engineering facilities. The biggest waste dump of the Pumped Storage Power Station Project in Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, China, with a volume of 7 million m³ and a maximum height of 240 m, is to be located at the origin of Mahua Valley. To assess the potential risk of the waste dump, reconnaissance, geomorphological analysis was undertaken to provide basic data. The potential failure area and volume was determined utilizing Flac3D depending on strength reduction method. The kinematic process and the potential hazards after failure was presented by Particle flow code. The results showed that the factor of safety of the waste dump under heavy precipitation was 1.15, less than the stability requirement of slope in hydropower station, and the potential failure volume was about 4.8 million m³. The scenario-based debris mass run-out paths indicated that, considering the worst cases scenario, the ground ventilation platform and ventilation tunnel exit on the right bank of the gully might be destroyed rapidly by landslide debris. Besides, the debris flow would accumulate at the gully mouth, and even run into the lower reservoir. Thus, more attention should be taken to increase the stability of the waste dump. These results are useful information for decision support and future hazard assessment of such engineering project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-infrared microcavity lasers have important applications in biosensing, mid-infrared spectroscopy, and environmental monitoring. However, the low output power of existing mid-infrared microcavity lasers hinders their practical use. This drawback is attributed to the insufficient laser gain medium, which limits the development of mid-infrared whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) lasers. To address this issue, we have employed ion implantation-enhanced etching to fabricate Tm:YAG thin films as effective gain media for mid-infrared WGM lasers. The Tm:YAG thin film, with a thickness of 2 µm, exhibits excellent fluorescence characteristics. Subsequently, the Tm:YAG thin film is processed using focused ion beam to form microdisks with a diameter of 30 µm. Under 785 nm laser pumping, the maximum output power of the Tm:YAG microdisk at 2023.1 nm is 229 µW, with a slope efficiency of 2.9%. This work demonstrates the outstanding potential of Tm:YAG as a mid-infrared laser gain medium, providing a new option for the development of mid-infrared lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nd-Fe-B anisotropic magnetic powders were subjected to tempering and ball milling processes. Analysis of the magnetic properties, structure, and physical phase revealed that the following: the integrated magnetic properties of the magnetic powder were the best when the tempering temperature and time were separately 650 °C and 20 min, for DOA = 0.73, Br = 6.547 kGs, Hcj = 12.255 kOe, and (BH)max = 7.117 MGOe. When the DR temperature is 860 °C, the tempering temperature is 650 °C, and the tempering time is 20 min, the ideal magnetic properties of the magnetic powder are DOA = 0.69, Br = 6.238 kGs, Hcj = 14.67 kOe, and (BH)max = 7.060 MGOe. The integrated magnetic properties of the magnetic powders were optimal when the ball milling speed, time, and doped Cu content were 350 rpm, 2 h, and 10 wt%, for DOA = 0.62, Br = 4.96 kGs, Hcj = 9.86 kOe, and (BH)max = 4.39 MGOe. The ideal tempering temperature and time can promote the diffusion of Nd-rich phase to the grain boundaries, strengthen the pinning effect on the magnetic domains, and improve the coercivity of the magnetic powder. The ideal ball milling speed and time can effectively reduce the particle size of the main phase particles of the magnetic powder and the large particles of the Nd-rich phase, so that the Nd-rich phase is uniformly distributed at the grain boundaries, to achieve the effect of de-magnetization coupling and improve the coercivity of the magnetic powder. After ball milling the magnetic powder doped with an appropriate amount of Cu powder, Cu induces the precipitation of a certain amount of Nd in the main phase of Nd2Fe14B. This Nd is uniformly distributed at the grain boundaries, achieving the effect of repairing the grain boundaries, thereby improving the coercivity of the magnetic powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The significance of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients who initially have clinically node-positive (cN +) status but achieve downstaging to ypN0 following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains uncertain. This study aims to assess the impact of PMRT in this patient subset. Methods: Patients were enrolled from West China Hospital, Sichuan University from 2008 to 2019. Overall survival (OS), Locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and assessed with the log-rank test. The impact of PMRT was further analyzed by the Cox proportional hazards model. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the selection bias. Results: Of the 333 eligible patients, 189 (56.8%) received PMRT, and 144 (43.2%) did not. At a median follow-up period of 71 months, the five-year LRFS, DMFS, BCSS, and OS rates were 99.1%, 93.4%, 96.4%, and 94.3% for the entire cohort, respectively. Additionally, the 5-year LRFS, DMFS, BCSS, and OS rates were 98.9%, 93.8%, 96.7%, and 94.5% with PMRT and 99.2%, 91.3%, 94.9%, and 92.0% without PMRT, respectively (all p-values not statistically significant). After multivariate analysis, PMRT was not a significant risk factor for any of the endpoints. When further stratified by stage, PMRT did not show any survival benefit for patients with stage II-III diseases. Conclusion: In the context of comprehensive treatments, PMRT might be exempted in ypN0 breast cancer patients. Further large-scale, randomized controlled studies are required to investigate the significance of PMRT in this patient subset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peroxisome is a versatile organelle that performs diverse metabolic functions. PEX3, a critical regulator of the peroxisome, participates in various biological processes associated with the peroxisome. Whether PEX3 is involved in peroxisome-related redox homeostasis and myocardial regenerative repair remains elusive. We investigate that cardiomyocyte-specific PEX3 knockout (Pex3-KO) results in an imbalance of redox homeostasis and disrupts the endogenous proliferation/development at different times and spatial locations. Using Pex3-KO mice and myocardium-targeted intervention approaches, the effects of PEX3 on myocardial regenerative repair during both physiological and pathological stages are explored. Mechanistically, lipid metabolomics reveals that PEX3 promotes myocardial regenerative repair by affecting plasmalogen metabolism. Further, we find that PEX3-regulated plasmalogen activates the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway via the plasma membrane localization of ITGB3. Our study indicates that PEX3 may represent a novel therapeutic target for myocardial regenerative repair following injury. The authors show that PEX3, as an essential regulator of peroxisome-related functions, promote myocardial regenerative repair through plasmalogen metabolism, facilitating plasma membrane localization of ITGB3 and activating the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avoiding the formation of anosovite phase during the ilmenite reduction process is crucial for the preparation of boiling chloride stove. In this study, the dominant regions of different reduction products of ilmenite in CO-CO2 system and the phase transformation behavior of pure ilmenite in the reduction process were studied by XRD and SEM-EDS analysis. It was confirmed that the reduction of ilmenite (FeTiO3) at < 1150°C went through two stages: the formation of metal iron (Fe) with rutile (TiO2) and metal iron (Fe) with anosovite (Ti3O5). At > 1150°C, the reduction of ilmenite went through two stages: the formation of metal iron (Fe) with pseudobrookite (FeTi2O5) and metal iron (Fe) with anosovite (Ti3O5). As a typical ilmenite resource, Panzhihua ilmenite is used to study the reduction behavior of actual ore in CO-CO2 system. The reaction of forming metal iron (Fe) with pseudobrookite (FeTi2O5) could occur at 1000°C, and magnesium was dissolved in the product during the formation of anosovite. The presence of magnesium reduces the dominant area of metal iron (Fe) with rutile (TiO2), which is not conducive to the reduction of iron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus peels are rich in flavonoids, and some valuable flavonoids with health benefits, such as polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), are found almost exclusively in citrus peels. While the peels usually regarded as by-product, leading to source waste. As a traditional method, drying is helpful to increase added-value of peels which can be used as medicine. However, the variations in variety and quantity of flavonoids during drying processes of citrus peel remain unknown. In this study, Guanxi honey pomelo peel investigated the effect of different drying methods on flavonoids content in citrus peels. Five drying techniques, namely, freeze-drying (FD) and hot air drying (HAD) at 30 °C, 50 °C, 70 °C and 90 °C were used employed for drying the pomelo peels and HPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis identified 39 flavonoids changes in flavonoids across samples. FD proved to better preserve most glycosidic flavonoids. Flavonoid aglycones could be better preserved in samples of HAD at 30 ℃, 50 ℃ HAD and 90 ℃ HAD. Specifically, HAD at 30 ℃ and 50 ℃ HAD is beneficial for obtaining more valued polymethoxyflavones such as 5-hydroxy-6,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone, 5,7,8,4′-tetramethoxyflavone and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone. The 90℃ HAD resulted in the highest content of naringenin and 5,7,8,4′-tetramethoxyflavanone. This study demonstrated the transformation characteristics of flavonoids in pomelo peel under varying drying conditions, providing benefits for comprehensive utilization of pomelo peel in extracting valued-added flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been discovered to serve as vital regulators in atherosclerosis (AS). However, the role and mechanism of circ_0002331 in AS process are still unclear. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with ox-LDL to establish an in vitro model for AS. The expression levels of circ_0002331, Cyclin D2 (CCND2) and ELAVL1 were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and angiogenesis were assessed by EdU assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay and tube formation assay. The protein levels of CCND2, ELAVL1, and autophagy-related markers were detected using western blot analysis. IL-8 level was analyzed by ELISA. The relationship between ELAVL1 and circ_0002331 or CCND2 was analyzed by RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay. Moreover, FISH assay was used to analyze the co-localization of ELAVL1 and CCND2 in HUVECs. Our data showed that circ_0002331 was obviously downregulated in AS patients and ox-LDL-induced HUVECs. Overexpression of circ_0002331 could promote proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis, while inhibit apoptosis, autophagy and inflammation in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs. Furthermore, CCND2 was positively regulated by circ_0002331, and circ_0002331 could bind with ELAVL1 to promote CCND2 mRNA stability. Besides, CCND2 overexpression suppressed ox-LDL-induced HUVECs dysfunction, and its knockdown also reversed the regulation of circ_0002331 on ox-LDL-induced HUVECs dysfunction. In conclusion, circ_0002331 might be a potential target for AS treatment, which could improve ox-LDL-induced dysfunction of HUVECs via regulating CCND2 by binding with ELAVL1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A novel QTL, TaqW-6B of water-extractable arabinoxylan content in the wheat grain on chromosome 6BL was identified and fine mapped in a narrow region 3.8 Mb. Water-extractable arabinoxylan (WE-AX), an important component of hemicellulose, is associated with various abundant health benefits. In this study, QTLs for WE-AX content were detected in two populations: (1) a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population with 164 lines derived from a cross between Avocet and Chilero (AC population) genotyped with diversity array technology (DArT), and (2) a natural population of 243 varieties (CH population) genotyped with the Axiom wheat 660 K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. A stable QTL Qwe-ax.haust-6B, explaining 8.51–15.59% of the phenotypic variance, was mapped in the physical interval 459.38–572.09 Mb on the long arm of chromosome 6B in the AC population, tightly linked with DArT markers 3,944,740 and 4,991,038 under three experimental conditions. The Qwe-ax.haust-6B was further narrowed down to be delimited in the physical interval 516.47–571.58 Mb on chromosome 6BL, explaining 5.86–16.27% of the phenotypic variance in the CH population. Furthermore, we developed high-throughput kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers to reconstruct the genetic linkage map in the AC population, and Qwe-ax.haust-6B was fine mapped into a narrow region named TaqW-6B, which was compressed between KASP-6B-3 and KASP-6B-6 at a physical distance of 3.8 Mb. In the meanwhile, the markers were also validated in a natural population of 160 wheat lines (NP population). Consequently, this study is of great importance to provide the theoretical basis for cloning the key gene and developing functional markers for molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is a type of mature B lymphocyte clonal proliferative tumor with a specific immunophenotype. Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) have been approved for the treatment of CLL/SLL. However, the efficacy and safety of new-generation BTKi-based regimens have not been systematically studied. In this systematic review, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of new-generation BTKi-based regimens for the treatment of patients with CLL/SLL. A comprehensive search on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. up to January 31, 2023, was conducted by us. Studies reporting data on CLL/SLL patients treated with new-generation BTKi were included. We assessed the overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, and 24-month OS/PFS rates for efficacy analysis. For safety analysis, we evaluated the incidence of grade ≥ 3 adverse events (AEs). The meta-analysis included twenty studies. The pooled ORR for new-generation BTKi was 92% (95% CI, 89–95%, I2 = 80.68%, P = 0.00), while the pooled CR rate was 10% (95% CI, 6–14%, I2 = 88.11%, P = 0.00). Research has found that the new-generation BTKi-based therapy had higher efficacy under the following treatment conditions: < 65 years old, treatment-naive (TN)-CLL, and BTKi combination therapy. The ORR/CR rates and 24-month OS/PFS rates of BTKi combination therapy were higher than that of BTKi monotherapy. Compared to acalabrutinib monotherapy, zanubrutinib monotherapy demonstrated higher ORR/CR rates and 24-month OS/PFS rates. Common grade ≥ 3 AEs included cytopenia and hypertension. The new-generation BTKi-based therapy has good tolerance and provides incremental benefits for CLL/SLL patients. Despite the superior efficacy of BTKi combination therapy compared to monotherapy, its AEs rates are relatively high. Compared to acalabrutinib, Zanubrutinib may be the preferred monotherapy for CLL. However, randomized-controlled studies are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, more frequent and intense climate events have seriously threatened the operation of water transfer projects in the Pacific Rim region. However, the role of climatic change in driving runoff variations in the water source areas of these projects is unclear. We used tree-ring data to reconstruct changes in the runoff of the Hanjiang River since 1580 CE representing an important water source area for China's south-north water transfer project. Comparisons with hydroclimatic reconstructions for the southwestern United States and central Chile indicated that the Pacific Rim region has experienced multiple coinciding droughts related to ENSO activity. Climate simulations indicate an increased likelihood of drought occurrence in the Pacific Rim region in the coming decades. The combination of warming-induced drought stresses with dynamic El Niño (warming ENSO) patterns is a thread to urban agglomerations and agricultural regions that rely on water transfer projects along the Pacific Rim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-atom photocatalysts exhibit outstanding performance in energy and environmental photocatalysis, due to their exceptional capabilities in enhancing light-harvesting, charge transfer dynamics, and surface reactions. The key to preparing single-atom photocatalysts lies in developing an appropriate metal-support that can prevent aggregation or sintering during synthetic procedures. In this work, a Co(II)-urea complexe in-situ formed in melamine was employed as single-atom Co precursors to synthesize an efficient single-atom Co decorated P doped g-C3N4 (Co/PCN) photocatalyst. The high-angle annular dark field transmission electron microscope (HAADF-TEM) results indicated abundant Co single atoms were immobilized in the g-C3N4 matrix. Under visible-light irradiation, the as-prepared photocatalysts show remarkably enhanced photocatalytic performance. Especially, loaded with 1.5 wt% single atoms Co, the optimized Co/PCN exhibits H2 evolution of 892.5 µmol g−1 h−1, which is 33 times higher than that of PCN, and even twice as much as that of Pt-loaded g-C3N4 (Pt/PCN). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the synergistic effect between single-atom Co and P doping, which facilitates efficient light harvesting, charge separation, and migration. It is believed that this study paves a new avenue for developing high-efficiency single-atom photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop and validate a pathomics signature for predicting the outcomes of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL). Methods: In this study, 132 whole-slide images (WSIs) of 114 patients with PCNSL were enrolled. Quantitative features of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides were extracted using CellProfiler. A pathomics signature was established and validated. Cox regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Calibration, decision curve analysis (DCA), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were performed to assess the significance and performance. Results: In total, 802 features were extracted using a fully automated pipeline. Six machine-learning classifiers demonstrated high accuracy in distinguishing malignant neoplasms. The pathomics signature remained a significant factor of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in the training cohort (OS: HR 7.423, p < 0.001; PFS: HR 2.143, p = 0.022) and independent validation cohort (OS: HR 4.204, p = 0.017; PFS: HR 3.243, p = 0.005). A significantly lower response rate to initial treatment was found in high Path-score group (19/35, 54.29%) as compared to patients in the low Path-score group (16/70, 22.86%; p < 0.001). The DCA and NRI analyses confirmed that the nomogram showed incremental performance compared with existing models. The ROC curve demonstrated a relatively sensitive and specific profile for the nomogram (1-, 2-, and 3-year AUC = 0.862, 0.932, and 0.927, respectively). Conclusion: As a novel, non-invasive, and convenient approach, the newly developed pathomics signature is a powerful predictor of OS and PFS in PCNSL and might be a potential predictive indicator for therapeutic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]