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The launch of Sentinel-1 satellite introduces a novel approach for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR). However, its capabilities for topographic mapping are reportedly limited. It is very challenging to create high-quality digital elevation models (DEMs) from InSAR data in mountain area. The main goal of the study was to generate a new high-quality DEM by combining Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B data with a short temporal baseline and multiple perpendicular baselines from 43 to 143 m. Five DEMs were produced from five interferometric pairs. The five DEMs were fused to generate a more reliable fused DEM. The performance of the new DEMs was evaluated against ICESat-2/ATL06 product and global DEM products (NASADEM, advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) global digital elevation model (GDEM), and advanced land observing satellite ALOS World 3D-30 m). The results showed that all Sentinel-1 DEMs performed better than ASTER GDEM, four of DEMs had higher accuracies than NASADEM. The fused DEM with the vertical error of 9.08 m for steep terrain (slope>20°) revealed higher accuracy than three global DEMs. The accuracy of DEM was related to terrain slope and land cover type. The accuracies of DEMs decreased as slope increased. The DEMs in glacier area revealed higher errors than those in bare rock. Besides, there was no clear relationship between the perpendicular baseline and vertical accuracy of DEM. The interferometric pair with the shortest baseline (43 m) produced the worst quality DEM, while the interferometric pair with slightly shorter baseline (69 m) produced the highest quality DEM. The study revealed the outstanding accuracy of the new DEM product, which is very valuable data for local glacier research.

Abstract Background Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a catalytic subunit of telomerase and required for cancer development. This study aims to reveal its clinical utility for diagnosis and prognosis of resectable NSCLC. Methods TERT was quantitatively evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from 69 patients before and after the surgery. The prognostic value was evaluated by disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Circulating TERT in NSCLC patients were significantly higher than that in the healthy group, possessing the AUC of 0.90. Importantly, TERT change between pre- and post- operation was significantly correlated with OS and DFS (p = 0.022, p = 0.046 respectively), acted as the independent prognostic factors for DFS and OS, indicating it can serve as the promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Conclusions TERT change between pre- and post- resection can serve as the promising biomarker for prognosis of resectable NSCLC.

Abstract Background Disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH) is one of the neuroradiological characteristics of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), which makes statistical analyses of brain images difficult. This study aimed to develop and validate methods of accurate brain segmentation and spatial normalisation in patients with DESH by using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12). Methods Two hundred ninety-eight iNPH patients with DESH and 25 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent cranial MRI were enrolled in this study. We selected the structural images of 169 patients to create customised tissue probability maps and diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) templates for patients with DESH (DESH-TPM and DESH-Template). The structural images of 38 other patients were used to evaluate the validity of the DESH-TPM and DESH-Template. DESH-TPM and DESH-Template were created using the 114 well-segmented images after the segmentation processing of CAT12. In the validation study, we compared the accuracy of brain segmentation and spatial normalisation among three conditions: customised condition, applying DESH-TPM and DESH-Template to CAT12 and patient images; standard condition, applying the default setting of CAT12 to patient images; and reference condition, applying the default setting of CAT12 to HC images. Results In the validation study, we identified three error types during segmentation. (1) The proportions of misidentifying the dura and/or extradural structures as brain structures in the customised, standard, and reference conditions were 10.5%, 44.7%, and 13.6%, respectively; (2) the failure rates of white matter hypointensity (WMH) cancellation in the customised, standard, and reference conditions were 18.4%, 44.7%, and 0%, respectively; and (3) the proportions of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-image deficits in the customised, standard, and reference conditions were 97.4%, 84.2%, and 28%, respectively. The spatial normalisation accuracy of grey and white matter images in the customised condition was the highest among the three conditions, especially in terms of superior convexity. Conclusions Applying the combination of the DESH-TPM and DESH-Template to CAT12 could improve the accuracy of grey and white matter segmentation and spatial normalisation in patients with DESH. However, this combination could not improve the CSF segmentation accuracy. Another approach is needed to overcome this challenge.

Background: The pathophysiological and psychosocial factors influencing athletes with disabilities are crucial to their sports performance and well-being. This systematic review aims to provide evidence-based insights into how these factors should be adopted into coaching practice. Methods: The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Google Scholar was conducted, and studies were selected based on clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty-six studies met these criteria and were included in the thematic analysis. Results: In the pathophysiological domain, effective coaching requires adaptive training programs tailored to address the specific physical and physiological challenges of athletes with disabilities. These strategies include injury prevention, performance optimization, and management of muscle imbalance and altered musculoskeletal biomechanics. The psychosocial domain emphasizes the importance of emotional support, resilience-building, and social inclusion, with coaches playing a key role in helping athletes navigate challenges such as social stigma, emotional stress, and reduced self-confidence. Conclusion: This review underscores the necessity of a comprehensive coaching approach that integrates both pathophysiological and psychosocial considerations, enabling coaches to address the complex needs of athletes with disabilities. Synthesized findings provide actionable recommendations for individualized coaching strategies. These insights have significant implications for advancing coaching practices and promoting inclusivity in sports environments for all athletes.

Abstract The large anomalous Nernst effect in magnetic Weyl semimetals is one of the most intriguing transport phenomena, which draws significant attention for its potential applications in topological thermoelectrics. Despite frequent reports of substantial anomalous Nernst conductivity (ANC), methods to optimize Nernst thermoelectrics remain limited. The research reveals that the magnitude of the ANC is directly related to the sum of the anomalous Nernst and Hall angles. While the sign of the anomalous Hall angle is relatively stable in a certain material, the sign of the anomalous Nernst angle can be intrinsically tuned. Therefore, the ANC can be effectively optimized by regulating these angles to work in concert. This finding is verified by experimental modulation from iron‐doped magnetic topological material Co3Sn2S2. Additionally, a robust TlnT scaling law of the ANC over the temperature range of 40 to 140 K is observed in all studied samples, suggesting an intrinsic origin of the ANC. Considering the common opposite sign of the anomalous Nernst and Hall angles in many magnetic topological materials, the research offers an applicable scheme for optimizing the Nernst thermoelectrics.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects the entire joint, with synovial inflammation being a major pathological feature. Macrophages, as the most abundant immune cells in the synovium, have an M1/M2 imbalance that is closely related to the occurrence and development of OA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to effectively suppress inflammation in the treatment of OA, but they still pose issues such as immune rejection and tumorigenicity. The extracellular matrix (ECM), as a major mediator of MSCs' immunoregulatory effects, offers a cell-free therapy to circumvent these risks. In this study, we developed an ECM-functionalized hydrogel by combining MSC-derived ECM with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). To enhance the immunomodulatory potential of MSCs, we pre-stimulated MSCs with the inflammatory factor interleukin-6 (IL-6) present in OA. In vitro results showed that the ECM-functionalized hydrogel promoted M2 macrophage polarization and inhibited the expression of various inflammatory genes, strongly indicating the hydrogel's powerful immunoregulatory capabilities. In an in vivo rat OA model, the ECM-functionalized hydrogel significantly reduced synovial inflammation and cartilage matrix degradation, alleviating the progression of OA. Furthermore, we utilized proteomics and transcriptomics analysis to reveal that the hydrogel accomplished macrophage metabolic reprogramming by regulating mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, thereby reducing inflammation. These findings suggest that the ECM-functionalized hydrogel is a promising biomaterial-based strategy for treating OA by targeting key pathological mechanisms.

IntroductionThe relationship between coaches and athletes with disabilities is critical for enhancing athletes' performance and psychosocial well-being. This study aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for coaches, sports organizations, and policymakers dedicated to supporting athletes with disabilities.MethodsA comprehensive analysis of existing literature was conducted. Five databases were searched, including PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. A total of 22 studies were included for thematic analysis.ResultsThis systematic review identifies key factors influencing the coach-athlete relationship in disabled sports. These factors are categorized into three main domains: professional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. In the professional domain, effective coaching requires sport-specific skills and adaptive techniques tailored to the unique needs of athletes with disabilities. Coaches must understand the technical and tactical aspects of each parasport and adapt training plans to optimize performance and foster independence. The interpersonal domain emphasizes communication strategies and team-building practices. Effective communication involves understanding athletes' needs and adapting approaches to maximize strengths. Building rapport, managing conflict, and fostering a supportive team environment are crucial for maintaining a positive coach-athlete relationship. The intrapersonal domain highlights the importance of self-reflection and continuous learning. Coaches who engage in self-reflection and professional development better understand their behaviors and biases, enabling them to tailor coaching strategies to the specific needs of athletes with disabilities. Continuous learning is essential for remaining responsive to the evolving needs of these athletes.DiscussionThis review underscores the importance of a holistic approach that integrates professional expertise, interpersonal skills, and intrapersonal awareness. By addressing these factors, it provides a foundation for developing more effective coaching strategies and supports for athletes with disabilities, ultimately enhancing their performance and well-being. Future research should explore cultural differences, the specific coaching needs of athletes with intellectual disabilities, and the impact of policies and structural barriers on the coach-athlete relationship in disabled sports.

Rolling bearings are essential transmission and support components in aircraft engines, playing a critical role in ensuring their safe and stable operation. Rolling bearing faults have a significant impact and should not be ignored. The effective diagnosis of bearing faults has always been a critical requirement for ensuring reliable operation. With the increasing demands of modern manufacturing to reduce costs and improve quality, the development of advanced bearing fault detection methods has become indispensable. This paper presents the brief review of recent trends in research on bearing failure modes, bearing fault detection and diagnosis methods, and development trends and prospects. This article provides a comprehensive review of the existing fault diagnosis methods for rolling bearings in four aspects: the integration of advanced sensor technology and advanced data processing technology, multimodal fusion, intelligent detection, and real-time monitoring. It discusses methods based on vibration analysis, acoustic methods, current-based methods, electromagnetic methods, infrared methods, radiographic methods, visual methods, and intelligent detection methods. This study reveals that the application of intelligent detection technology, multimodal fusion detection technology, and real-time online monitoring technology has achieved favorable results. In the future, bearing fault detection will develop in a more intelligent, integrated, and real-time direction.

Nervous system diseases represent a significant global burden, affecting approximately 16% of the world’s population and leading to disability and mortality. These conditions, encompassing both central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) disorders, have substantial social and economic impacts. Metformin, a guanidine derivative derived from a plant source, exhibits therapeutic properties in various health conditions such as cancer, aging, immune-related disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, cardiovascular ailments, and more. Recent studies highlight metformin’s ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, stimulate neurogenesis, and provide beneficial effects in specific neurological disorders through diverse mechanisms. This review discusses the advancements in research on metformin’s role and mechanisms in treating neurological disorders within both the central and peripheral nervous systems, aiming to facilitate further investigation, utilization, and clinical application of metformin in neurology.

Although understanding the wetting behavior of solid surfaces is crucial for numerous engineering applications, the mechanisms driving the motion of Wenzel drops on rough surfaces remain incompletely clarified. In this study, the contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of Wenzel drops on superhydrophobic surfaces are investigated from a thermodynamic perspective. The free energy of the system is theoretically analyzed, thereby determining the equilibrium contact angle. Based on the sessile drop method, the relationship between the free energy barrier and the drop volume is calculated quantitatively, enabling the determination of advancing and receding contact angles under zero free energy barrier conditions. The theoretical calculations agree well with the experimental data. These findings enhance the understanding of the interfacial interactions between Wenzel drops and superhydrophobic surfaces.

ABSTRACT In recent years, most studies on the gut microbiome have primarily focused on feces samples, leaving the microbial communities in the intestinal mucosa relatively unexplored. To address this gap, our study employed shotgun metagenomics to analyze the microbial compositions in normal rectal mucosa and matched feces from 20 patients with colonic polyps. Our findings revealed a pronounced distinction of the microbial communities between these two sample sets. Compared with feces, the mucosal microbiome contains fewer genera, with Burkholderia being the most discriminating genus between feces and mucosa, highlighting its significant influence on the mucosa. Furthermore, based on the microbial classification and KEGG Orthology (KO) annotation results, we explored the association between rectal mucosal microbiota and factors such as age, gender, BMI, and polyp risk level. Notably, we identified novel biomarkers for these phenotypes, such as Clostridium ramosum and Enterobacter cloacae in age. The mucosal microbiota showed an enrichment of KO pathways related to sugar transport and short chain fatty acid metabolism. Our comprehensive approach not only bridges the knowledge gap regarding the microbial community in the rectal mucosa but also underscores the complexity and specificity of microbial interactions within the human gut, particularly in the Chinese population.IMPORTANCEThis study presents a system-level map of the differences between feces and rectal mucosal microbial communities in samples with colorectal cancer risk. It reveals the unique microecological characteristics of rectal mucosa and its potential influence on health. Additionally, it provides novel insights into the role of the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer and paves the way for the development of new prevention and treatment strategies.

ABSTRACT Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum (L. plantarum) are frequently identified in various niches, but their dual-species interaction, especially with C. albicans in yeast form, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the dual-species interaction of L. plantarum and C. albicans, including proliferation, morphology, and transcriptomes examined by selective agar plate counting, microscopy, and polymicrobial RNA-seq, respectively. Maintaining a stable and unchanged growth rate, L. plantarum inhibited C. albicans yeast cell proliferation but not hyphal growth. Combining optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy, cell-to-cell direct contact and co-aggregation with L. plantarum cells surrounding C. albicans yeast cells were observed during dual-species interaction. Reduced C. albicans yeast cell proliferation in mixed culture was partially due to L. plantarum cell-free culture supernatant but not the acidic environment. Upon polymicrobial transcriptomics analysis, interesting changes were identified in both L. plantarum and C. albicans gene expression. First, two L. plantarum quorum-sensing systems showed contrary changes, with the activation of lamBDCA and repression of luxS. Second, the upregulation of stress response-related genes and downregulation of cell cycle, cell survival, and cell integrity-related pathways were identified in C. albicans, possibly connected to the stress posed by L. plantarum and the reduced yeast cell proliferation. Third, a large scale of pathogenesis and virulence factors were downregulated in C. albicans, indicating the potential interruption of pathogenic activities by L. plantarum. Fourth, partial metabolism and transport pathways were changed in L. plantarum and C. albicans. The information in this study might aid in understanding the behavior of L. plantarum and C. albicans in dual-species interaction.IMPORTANCEThe anti-Candida albicans activity of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum has been explored in the past decades. However, the importance of C. albicans yeast form and the effect of C. albicans on L. plantarum had also been omitted. In this study, the dual-species interaction of L. plantarum and C. albicans was investigated with a focus on the transcriptomes. Cell-to-cell direct contact and co-aggregation with L. plantarum cells surrounding C. albicans yeast cells were observed. Upon polymicrobial transcriptomics analysis, interesting changes were identified, including contrary changes in two L. plantarum quorum-sensing systems and reduced cell survival-related pathways and pathogenesis determinants in C. albicans.

The Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, poses a significant threat to global agricultural products. Although pheromone-based technologies show promise for P. interpunctella management, limitations such as single-sex targeting necessitate exploring complementary strategies. Vegetable-based oils represent a potential alternative but their efficacy, sex-specificity, and interaction with sex pheromones remain unclear. To address these questions, we first examined the attraction of P. interpunctella female and male adults to 10 commercially available vegetable oils in semi-field conditions. Sesame, olive, and blended oils were the most attractive, capturing significantly more adults compared to other oils. We then evaluated the effectiveness of these three attractive oils and their combinations with P. interpunctella sex pheromones in a grain warehouse. Traps baited with these oils captured significantly more females and males compared to control traps without attractants; however, the addition of sex pheromones did not improve male capture and significantly reduced female capture, suggesting an inhibitory effect. Finally, we demonstrated that female mating status (mated vs. virgin) did not influence the attractiveness of traps baited with these effective oils. Our findings highlight the potential of standalone traps baited with blended, olive, or sesame oil as a practical, economic, and effective management strategy for P. interpunctella in storage facilities.

Lactate, an important metabolic product, provides energy to neural cells during energy depletion or high demand and acts as a signaling molecule in the central nervous system. Recent studies revealed that lactate-mediated protein lactylation regulates gene transcription and influences cell fate, metabolic processes, inflammation, and immune responses. This review comprehensively examines the regulatory roles and mechanisms of lactylation in neurodevelopment, neuropsychiatric disorders, brain tumors, and cerebrovascular diseases. This analysis indicates that lactylation has multifaceted effects on central nervous system function and pathology, particularly in hypoxia-induced brain damage. Highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic target, lactylation may play a significant role in treating neurological diseases. By summarizing current findings, this review aims to provide insights and guide future research and clinical strategies for central nervous system disorders.

Abstract The response rate of cancer immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) varies among patients, making it challenging to pre-determine whether a particular patient will respond to immunotherapy. While gene mutation is critical to the treatment outcome, a framework capable of explicitly incorporating biology knowledge has yet to be established. Here we aim to propose and validate a mutation-based deep learning model for survival analysis on 1571 patients treated with ICI. Our model achieves an average concordance index of 0.59 ± 0.13 across nine types of cancer, compared to the gold standard Cox-PH model (0.52 ± 0.10). The “black box” nature of deep learning is a major concern in healthcare field. This model’s interpretability, which results from incorporating the gene pathways and protein interaction (i.e., biology-aware) rather than relying on a ‘black box’ approach, helps patient stratification and provides insight into novel gene biomarkers, advancing our understanding of ICI treatment.

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related disease characterised by the accumulation of senescent chondrocytes, which drives its pathogenesis and progression. Senescent cells exhibit distinct features, including mitochondrial dysfunction and the excessive accumulation and release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are highly correlated and lead to a vicious cycle of increasing senescent cells. Stem cell therapy has proven effective in addressing cellular senescence, however, it still has issues such as immune rejection and ethical concerns. Microvesicles (MVs) constitute the primary mechanism through which stem cell therapy exerts its effects, offering a cell-free approach that circumvents these risks and has excellent anti-ageing potential. Nonetheless, MVs have a short in vivo half-life, and their secretion composition varies considerably under diverse conditions. This study aims to address these issues by constructing a ROS-responsive hydrogel loaded with pre-stimulant MVs. Through responding to ROS levels this hydrogel intelligently releases MVs, and enhancing mitochondrial function in chondrocytes to improving cellular senescence. Result We employed Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) as a stem cell-specific stimulus to generate IFN-γ-microvesicles (iMVs) with enhanced anti-ageing effects. Simultaneously, we developed a ROS-responsive carrier utilising 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA)-modified silk fibroin (SF) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This carrier served to protect MVs, prolong longevity, and facilitate intelligent release. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the Hydrogel@iMVs effectively mitigated cell senescence, improved mitochondrial function, and enhanced cellular antioxidant capacity. In vivo experiments further substantiated the anti-ageing capabilities of the Hydrogel@iMVs. Conclusion The effect of MVs can be significantly enhanced by appropriate pre-stimulation and constructing a suitable carrier. Therefore, we have developed a ROS-responsive hydrogel containing IFN-γ pre-stimulated iMVs to target the characteristics of ageing chondrocytes in OA for therapeutic purposes. Overall, this novel approach effectively improving mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating the balance between mitochondrial fission and fusion, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species was reduced, finally, alleviates cellular senescence, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for OA.

At present, 3D mine scene construction mainly adopts the method of creating basic models and then integrating the scene by using 3ds MAX, MAYA and other software, which is inefficient and difficult. In order to achieve simple and efficient 3D scene construction, based on Unity3D engine platform, a 3D mine digitizing editing system with real-time rendering, 3D roadway modeling, environment modeling, gas solving, scene roaming and other functions has been developed by embedding the basic model library with external interfaces, and embedding the algorithms of roadway construction, ventilation solution and gas spread. The practice shows that the scene constructed by the system has good effect and is widely used in mine cognition, self rescue and escape, emergency rescue, auxiliary decision-making and other simulation training exercises. It has strong practicability.

Abstract Glucose plays a central role in tumor metabolism and development and is a target for novel therapeutics. To characterize the response of cancer cells to blockade of glucose uptake, we collected time-resolved microscopy data to track the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We then developed a mechanism-based, mathematical model to predict how a glucose transporter (GLUT1) inhibitor (Cytochalasin B) influences the growth of the MDA-MB-231 cells by limiting access to glucose. The model includes a parameter describing dose dependent inhibition to quantify both the total glucose level in the system and the glucose level accessible to the tumor cells. Four common machine learning models were also used to predict tumor cell growth. Both the mechanism-based and machine learning models were trained and validated, and the prediction error was evaluated by the coefficient of determination (R 2). The random forest model provided the highest accuracy predicting cell dynamics (R 2 = 0.92), followed by the decision tree (R 2 = 0.89), k-nearest-neighbor regression (R 2 = 0.84), mechanism-based (R 2 = 0.77), and linear regression model (R 2 = 0.69). Thus, the mechanism-based model has a predictive capability comparable to machine learning models with the added benefit of elucidating biological mechanisms.

The three successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that erupted from 2023 November 27–28, provide the first opportunity to shed light on the entire process of a shock propagating through, sequentially compressing, and modifying two preceding CMEs using in situ data from Solar Orbiter, Wind, and STEREO-A. We describe the interaction of the three CMEs as follows: CME-1 and CME-2 interacted with each other at distances close to the Sun. Subsequently, the shock (S3) driven by CME-3 caught up with and compressed ICME-2 before 0.83 au, forming a typical shock–ICME interaction event observed by the Solar Orbiter. The S3 continued to propagate, crossing ICME-2 and propagating into ICME-1 as observed by Wind, and completely overtaking both ICME-1 and ICME-2 at STEREO-A. The interaction between S3 and the preceding two ICMEs leads to a clear compression of preceding ICMEs including an increase in magnetic field (∼150%) and a reduction in the interval of ICMEs. It presents direct and compelling evidence that a shock can completely traverse two preceding CMEs, accompanied by a significant decrease in shock strength (magnetic compression ratio decrease from 1.74 to 1.49). Even though the three ICMEs interact significantly in the heliosphere, their magnetic field configurations exhibit coherence at different observation points, especially for ICME-3. Those results highlight the significant implications of shock–CME interactions for CME propagation and space weather forecasting.

BackgroundGait is a potential diagnostic tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to arm movements during walking, and there is currently no consensus on gait asymmetry. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine whether arm motion and gait asymmetry could be utilized for identifying MCI and AD.MethodsIn total, 102 middle-aged and elderly individuals were included in the final analysis and were assigned to the following three groups: AD (n = 27), MCI (n = 35), and a normal control group (n = 40). Gait and cognitive assessments were conducted for all participants. Gait detection included a single-task gait with free-speed walking and a dual-task gait with adding a cognitive task of successive minus seven to walking. Original gait parameters were collected using a wearable device featuring the MATRIX system 2.0. Gait parameters were shortened to several main gait domains through factor analysis using principal component extraction with varimax rotation. Subsequently, the extracted gait domains were used to differentiate the three groups, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was calculated.ResultsFactor analysis of single-task gait identified five independent gait domains: rhythm symmetry, rhythm, pace asymmetry, arm motion, and variability. Factor analysis of the dual-task gait identified four gait domains: rhythm, variability, symmetry, and arm motion. During single-task walking, pace asymmetry was negatively correlated with MoCA scores and could distinguish between the AD group and the other two groups. Arm motion was not associated with MoCA scores, and did not exhibit adequate discrimination in either task.ConclusionCurrently, there is no reliable evidence suggesting that arm motion can be used to recognize AD or MCI. Gait asymmetry can serve as a potential gait marker for the auxiliary diagnosis of AD but not for MCI.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, a potential “Super-bug” and a typical biofilm forming bacteria. With usage of large amount of antibiotics, the residual antibiotics in clinical settings further complicate the colonization, pathogenesis and resistance of S. aureus. This study aimed at investigating the phenotypical and global gene expression changes on biofilm formation of a clinical S. aureus isolate treated under different types of antibiotics. Firstly, an isolate Guangzhou-SAU749 was selected from a large sale of previously identified S. aureus isolates, which exhibited weak biofilm formation in terms of biomass and viability. Secondly, 9 commonly prescribed antibiotics for S. aureus infections treatment, together with 10 concentrations ranging from 1/128 to 4 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) with 2-fold serial dilution, were used as different antibiotic stress conditions. Then, biofilm formation of S. aureus Guangzhou-SAU749 at different stages including 8 h, 16 h, 24 h, and 48 h, was tested by crystal violet and MTS assays. Thirdly, the whole genome of S. aureus Guangzhou-SAU749 was investigated by genome sequencing on PacBio platform. Fourthly, since enhancement of biofilm formation occurred when treated with 1/2 MIC tetracycline (TCY) and 1/4 MIC streptomycin (STR) since 5 h, the relevant biofilm samples were selected and subjected to RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis. Last, expression of two component system (TCS) and biofilm associated genes in 4 h, 8 h, 16 h, 24 h, and 48 h sub-MIC TCY and STR treated biofilm samples were performed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Although most antibiotics lowered the biomass and cell viability of Guangzhou-SAU749 biofilm at concentrations higher than MIC, certain antibiotics including TCY and STR promoted biofilm formation at sub-MICs. Additionally, upon genome sequencing, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR on biofilm samples treated with sub-MIC of TCY and STR at key time points, genes lytR, arlR, hssR, tagA, clfB, atlA and cidA related to TCS and biofilm formation were identified to contribute to the enhanced biofilm formation, providing a theoretical basis for further controlling on S. aureus biofilm formation.

Background: Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is a recalcitrant medical condition that affects many women of reproductive age. The importance of biofilm formation by Candida in RVVC has been recently questioned. This study aimed to elucidate the fundamental growth modes of Candida in the vagina of patients with RVVC or sporadic vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and to assess their roles in the persistence of RVVC. Methods: Vaginal tissues were sampled from twelve patients clinically and microbiologically diagnosed as RVVC or VVC at a post-antifungal-treatment and asymptomatic period. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization in combination with Candida-specific 18S rRNA probes and viable fungal burden were used to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate Candida growth in the human vagina. The presence of Candida biofilm extracellular polymeric substances was examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy and biopsy sections pre-stained with Concanavalin A. Histopathological analysis was carried out on infected vaginal tissues stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Lastly, the susceptibility of epithelium-associated Candida biofilms to fluconazole at the peak serum concentration was evaluated. Results: Candida species grew on the vaginal epithelium of RVVC patients as morphologically disparate biofilms including monolayers, microcolonies, and macro-colonies, in addition to sporadic adherent cells. Candida biofilm growth on the vaginal epithelium was associated with mild lymphocytic infiltration of the vaginal mucosa. These epithelium-based Candida biofilms presented an important characteristic contributing to the persistence of RVVC that is the high tolerance to fluconazole. Conclusions: In summary, our study provides direct evidence to support the presence of Candida biofilms in RVVC and an important role of biofilm formation in disease persistence.

We incorporate a practical data assimilation methodology into our previously established experimental-computational framework to predict the heterogeneous response of glioma cells receiving fractionated radiation treatment. Replicates of 9L and C6 glioma cells grown in 96-well plates were irradiated with six different fractionation schemes and imaged via time-resolved microscopy to yield 360- and 286-time courses for the 9L and C6 lines, respectively. These data were used to calibrate a biology-based mathematical model and then make predictions within two different scenarios. For Scenario 1, 70% of the time courses are fit to the model and the resulting parameter values are averaged. These average values, along with the initial cell number, initialize the model to predict the temporal evolution for each test time course (10% of the data). In Scenario 2, the predictions for the test cases are made with model parameters initially assigned from the training data, but then updated with new measurements every 24 hours via four versions of a data assimilation framework. We then compare the predictions made from Scenario 1 and the best version of Scenario 2 to the experimentally measured microscopy measurements using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Across all fractionation schemes, Scenario 1 achieved a CCC value (mean ± standard deviation) of 0.845 ± 0.185 and 0.726 ± 0.195 for the 9L and C6 cell lines, respectively. For the best data assimilation version from Scenario 2 (validated with the last 20% of the data), the CCC values significantly increased to 0.954 ± 0.056 (p = 0.002) and 0.901 ± 0.061 (p = 8.9e-5) for the 9L and C6 cell lines, respectively. Thus, we have developed a data assimilation approach that incorporates an experimental-computational system to accurately predict the in vitro response of glioma cells to fractionated radiation therapy.

Abstract A novel recursive cascaded full‐resolution residual network (RCFRR‐Net) for abdominal four‐dimensional computed tomography (4D‐CT) image registration was proposed. The entire network was end‐to‐end and trained in the unsupervised approach, which meant that the deformation vector field, which presented the ground truth, was not needed during training. The network was designed by cascading three full‐resolution residual subnetworks with different architectures. The training loss consisted of the image similarity loss and the deformation vector field regularization loss, which were calculated based on the final warped image and the fixed image, allowing all cascades to be trained jointly and perform the progressive registration cooperatively. Extensive network testing was conducted using diverse datasets, including an internal 4D‐CT dataset, a public DIRLAB 4D‐CT dataset, and a 4D cone‐beam CT (4D‐CBCT) dataset. Compared with the iteration‐based demon method and two deep learning‐based methods (VoxelMorph and recursive cascaded network), the RCFRR‐Net achieved consistent and significant gains, which demonstrated that the proposed method had superior performance and generalization capability in medical image registration. The proposed RCFRR‐Net was a promising tool for various clinical applications.

The remarkable efficacy of cancer immunotherapy has been established in several tumor types. Of the various immunotherapies, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are most extensively used in the treatment of many cancers in clinics. These inhibitors restore the suppressed antitumor immune response and inhibit tumor progression by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling. However, the low response rate is a major limitation in the clinical application of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Therefore, combination strategies that enhance the response rate are the need of the hour. In this investigation, PT-100 (also referred to as Talabostat, Val-boroPro, and BXCL701), an orally administered and nonselective dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitor, not only augmented the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 therapy but also significantly improved T immune cell infiltration and reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The combination of PT-100 and anti-PD-1 antibody increased the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, the mRNA expression of T cell-associated molecules was elevated in the tumor microenvironment. The results further suggested that PT-100 dramatically reduced the ratio of tumor-associated macrophages. These findings provide a promising combination strategy for immunotherapy in lung cancer.

Summary: Azoospermia is a significant cause of male infertility, with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) being the most severe type of spermatogenic failure. NOA is mostly caused by congenital factors, but our understanding of its genetic causes is very limited. Here, we identified a frameshift variant (c.201_202insAC, p.Tyr68Thrfs∗17) and two nonsense variants (c.1897C>T, p.Gln633∗; c.2005C>T, p.Gln669∗) in KCTD19 (potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 19) from two unrelated infertile Chinese men and a consanguineous Pakistani family with three infertile brothers. Testicular histological analyses revealed meiotic metaphase I (MMI) arrest in the affected individuals. Mice modeling KCTD19 variants recapitulated the same MMI arrest phenotype due to severe disrupted individualization of MMI chromosomes. Further analysis showed a complete loss of KCTD19 protein in both Kctd19 mutant mouse testes and affected individual testes. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the pathogenicity of the identified KCTD19 variants and highlight an essential role of KCTD19 in MMI chromosome individualization.

Background: As a novel energy homeostasis regulator, Adropin not only plays a vital part in meditating energy metabolism, but also has a certain correlation with atherosclerotic diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Adropin on the long-term prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: 162 recruited patients with AMI were divided into low Adropin group (Adropin

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM) for thousands of years. The holistic view of TCM and the “multitarget” characteristics of Chinese medicine have unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of T2DM. TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment are effective for T2DM; however, currently, the therapeutic effect of TCM is generally evaluated by asking for patients' subjective feelings, or by checking the changes in relevant indicators. The main problems are that the patient's descriptions are unclear and subjective, and although the self-reported symptoms may have improved significantly, the relevant indicators are sometimes not obvious, which cannot truly reflect the therapeutic effect of TCM. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a novel, sensitive, and noninvasive method to quantitatively evaluate the therapeutic effect of TCM. Methods: In this study, ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) was measured at four sites of hands of T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency before treatment and after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment with TCM. The UPE intensity and spectral distribution were calculated and analyzed using the results measured at these four sites. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to quantify the correlation between the UPE parameters and the syndrome scores of TCM. Results: The UPE intensity of T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency decreased gradually with the course of the treatment and was significantly lower than that before the treatment. The ratio of photon counts between the wavelength ranges of 495–550 nm and 550–610 nm after the treatment was higher than that before the treatment and negatively correlated with the corresponding syndrome scores so that the degree of symptoms improvement could be characterized by the ratio (495–550 nm/550–610 nm). Conclusions: The therapeutic effect of TCM in T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency can be shown at the level of UPE. UPE is a potential and noninvasive tool for evaluating the therapeutic effect of TCM in patients with T2DM.

Using the Stream Interaction Regions list from the Tianwen-1/Mars Orbiter Magnetometer (MOMAG) data between 2021 November and 2021 December and from Wind observations, we present an accurate prediction for the arrival time and in situ parameters of corotating interaction regions (CIRs) when the Earth and Mars have large longitudinal separations. Since CIRs were detected earlier at Earth than at Mars during the period examined, we employ Earth-based CIR detections for predicting CIR observations at Mars. The arrival time is calculated by the Parker spiral model under the assumption of steady corotation of the Sun and coronal holes, while the in situ parameters are derived from Wind data through radial dependent scaling laws. The CIR prediction results are compared to the actual observations obtained from the MOMAG and Mars Ion and Neutral Particle Analyzer instruments onboard Tianwen-1, as well as the Magnetometer and Solar Wind Ion Analyzer instruments onboard MAVEN. The predicted arrival time is close to the observed values with relative errors less than 10%, and the expected in situ data show a good consistency with the Martian measurements. The comparison results indicate that the prediction method has good performance and will be helpful for comparative analysis with Tianwen-1 observations at Mars in the future.

Here, Forster et al. compare 1354 cultured commensal strains (540 species) to 45,403 pathogen strains (12 species), identifying 64,188 MGE-mediated antibiotic resistance gene transfer events between the two groups, and show that 15 broad host range MGEs are able to transfer between phyla.

To explore the pharmacogenomic markers that affect the platinum-based chemotherapy response in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), we performed a two-cohort of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), including 34 for WES-based and 433 for microarray-based analyses, as well as two independent validation cohorts. After integrating the results of two studies, the genetic variations related to the platinum-based chemotherapy response were further determined by fine-mapping in 838 samples, and their potential functional impact were investigated by eQTL analysis and in vitro cell experiments. We found that a total of 68 variations were significant at P

With a growing body of literature on the topic of ecosystem service (ES), there is an urgent need to summarize ES research in the context of ecological restoration programs (ERPs) in China and identify knowledge gaps for future directions. We conducted a systematic literature review of articles to examine the use of ES approaches for ERP assessments. Our results showed that previous studies mainly focused on the Shaanxi Province, and more than half of the reviewed studies considered no more than three ES types simultaneously. All ES categories were not covered equally; most of the studies focused on provisioning and regulating services, while cultural services have received little attention. Although regional-scale and short-term assessments dominated the reviewed papers, we suggest that multiple temporal and spatial scales for ERP assessments should be given more attention in future work. Moreover, we highlight that an oversimplified land use/land cover (LULC) categorization scheme may potentially lead to inaccuracies and biases in ESs detection under restoration programs. Based on this review, our findings can guide future ERP assessments by using the ES approach. Meanwhile, given the global LULC change brought by the proliferation of plantations under ERPs, our results are also expected to provide a path forward to assess ESs associated with LULC change globally.

Objectives The aims of the study were to assess the management of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the goal achievement, as well as to investigate the association between baseline LDL-C level, lipid-lowering treatment (LLT), and stroke recurrence in patients with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).Design Our study was a post hoc analysis of the Third China National Stroke Registry (CNSR-III).Setting We derived data from the CNSR-III - a nationwide clinical registry of ischaemic stroke and TIA based on 201 participating hospitals in mainland China.Participants 15,166 patients were included in this study with demographic characteristics, etiology, imaging, and biological markers from August 2015 to March 2018.Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was a new stroke, LDL-C goal (LDL-C

Due to the uninterrupted flight of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the varying phase of the intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) in the IRS-assisted UAV communication system, it is very difficult to estimate the channel information of the system accurately. The traditional solutions try to model the whole communication system as an autoencoder including encoder, channel, and decoder. However, the autoencoder needs to be retrained when the environment changes and the generalization ability is lousy. To solve above problems, a novel C1DAE-ANIL algorithm is proposed to estimate the channel information of the IRS-assisted UAV communication system. On one hand, one-dimensional convolution is introduced to the traditional multi-perceptron autoencoder (MLPAE) for enhancing the encoding and decoding performances of the one-dimensional convolutional autoencoder (C1DAE). On the other hand, the meta-learning is applied to the C1DAE, and the almost no inner loop (ANIL) algorithm is used to find an optimal initial parameter vector of the C1DAE to realize the rapid training in dynamic environments. Compared with the existing contenders, the simulation results show that the end-to-end communication model using the C1DAE-ANIL algorithm not only improves the accuracy of channel estimation but also greatly accelerates the training process in dynamic environments.

Hypomyelination with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and leg spasticity (HBSL), caused by aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (DARS1) gene mutations, is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported worldwide; thus, reports on HBSL treatment are few. In this review, we summarized the clinical manifestations, imaging features, treatment methods, and gene mutations responsible for HBSL based on relevant studies and cases.

We present two multipoint interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) detected by the Tianwen-1 and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft at Mars and the BepiColombo (0.56 au ∼0.67 au) upstream of Mars from 2021 December 5 to 31. This is the first time that BepiColombo is used as an upstream solar wind monitor ahead of Mars and that Tianwen-1 is used to investigate the magnetic field characteristics of ICMEs at Mars. The Heliospheric Upwind Extrapolation time model was used to connect the multiple in situ observations and the coronagraph observations from STEREO/SECCHI and SOHO/LASCO. The first fast coronal mass ejection event (∼761.2 km s ^−1 ), which erupted on December 4, impacted Mars centrally and grazed BepiColombo by its western flank. The ambient slow solar wind decelerated the west flank of the ICME, implying that the ICME event was significantly distorted by the solar wind structure. The second slow ICME event (∼390.7 km s ^−1 ) underwent an acceleration from its eruption to a distance within 0.69 au and then traveled with the constant velocity of the ambient solar wind. These findings highlight the importance of background solar wind in determining the interplanetary evolution and global morphology of ICMEs up to Mars distance. Observations from multiple locations are invaluable for space weather studies at Mars and merit more exploration in the future.

IntroductionCurrently, little is known about Chinese-speaking primary progressive aphasia (PPA) patients compared to patients who speak Indo-European languages. We examined the demographics and clinical manifestations, particularly reading and writing characteristics, of Chinese patients with PPA over the last two decades to establish a comprehensive profile and improve diagnosis and care.MethodsWe reviewed the demographic features, clinical manifestations, and radiological features of Chinese-speaking PPA patients from 56 articles published since 1994. We then summarized the specific reading and writing errors of Chinese-speaking patients.ResultsThe average age of onset for Chinese-speaking patients was in their early 60's, and there were slightly more male patients than female patients. The core symptoms and images of Chinese-speaking patients were similar to those of patients who speak Indo-European languages. Reading and writing error patterns differed due to Chinese's distinct tone and orthography. The types of reading errors reported in Chinese-speaking patients with PPA included tonal errors, regularization errors, visually related errors, semantic errors, phonological errors, unrelated errors, and non-response. Among these errors, regularization errors were the most common in semantic variant PPA, and tonal errors were specific to Chinese. Writing errors mainly consisted of non-character errors (stroke, radical/component, visual, pictograph, dyskinetic errors, and spatial errors), phonologically plausible errors, orthographically similar errors, semantic errors, compound word errors, sequence errors, unrelated errors, and non-response.ConclusionThis paper provides the latest comprehensive demographic information and unique presentations on the reading and writing of Chinese-speaking patients with PPA. More detailed studies are needed to address the frequency of errors in reading and writing and their anatomical substrates.

For the first time, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) zinc with a styryl group (ZnStq) dispersed in poly(N-vinylcarbazole) matrix (ZnStq_R:PVK, where R = H, Cl, OCH3) were fabricated. The ZnStq_R:PVK films made via the spin-coating method were used as the active layer in these devices. The produced OLEDs showed strong electroluminescence with yellow emissions at 590, 587 and 578 nm for the ZnStq_H:PVK, ZnStq_Cl:PVK and ZnStq_OCH3:PVK, respectively. For all the studied thin films, the main photoluminescence emission bands were observed between 565 and 571 nm. The OLED with the ZnStq_OCH3:PVK layer with a narrow electroluminescence spectrum was found to have sufficient color purity to produce ultra-high-resolution displays with reduced power consumption (full width at half maximum of 59 nm, maximum brightness of 2244 cd/m2 and maximum current efficiency of 1.24 cd/A, with a turn-on voltage of 6.94 V and a threshold voltage of 7.35 V). To characterize the photophysical properties of the active layer, the ZnStq_R:PVK layers samples were additionally deposited on glass and silicon substrates. We found that the obtained results predestine ZnStq_R:PVK layers for use in the lighting industry in the future.

Abstract Background Currently, the accepted effective method for assessing blood volume status, such as measuring central venous pressure (CVP) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), is invasive. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility and validity of the ratio of the femoral vein diameter (FVD) to the femoral artery diameter (FAD) for predicting CVP and mPAP and to calculate the cut-off value for the FVD/FAD ratio to help judge a patient’s fluid volume status. Methods In this study, 130 patients were divided into two groups: in group A, the FVD, FAD, and CVP were measured, and in group B, the FVD, FAD, and mPAP were measured. We measured the FVD and FAD by ultrasound. We monitored CVP by a central venous catheter and mPAP by a Swan-Ganz floating catheter. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. The best cut-off value for the FVD/FAD ratio for predicting CVP and mPAP was obtained according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The FVD/FAD ratio was strongly correlated with CVP (R = 0.87, P

Abstract Caspase-8 is a unique member of caspases with a dual role in cell death and survival. Caspase-8 expression is often lost in some tumors, but increased in others, indicating a potential pro-survival function in cancer. By analyzing transcriptome of enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer cells, we found that resistance was conferred by a mild caspase-8 upregulation that in turn led to NF-κB activation and the subsequent upregulation of the downstream IL-8. Mechanistically, we found that the pro-survival and enzalutamide-resistance-promoting features of caspase-8 were independent of its proteolytic activity, using a catalytically-inactive caspase-8 mutant. We further demonstrated that caspase-8 pro-apoptotic function was inhibited via cFLIP binding. Moreover, high caspase-8 expression was correlated with a worse prognosis in prostate cancer patients. Collectively, our work demonstrates that enzalutamide-resistance is mediated by caspase-8 upregulation and the consequent increase in NF-κB/IL-8 mediated survival signaling, highlighting caspase-8 and NF-κB as potential therapeutic targets to overcome enzalutamide-resistance in CRPC.

ABSTRACT Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are frequently co-isolated in food, although playing different roles. This study aimed at investigating the microbial interaction between L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae, especially cell-cell direct interaction and their mechanism. Cell-cell and supernatant-cell coculture models were set up, with CFU counting, OD600 measurement, optical and atomic force microscopy performed to examine the growth and morphology of L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae cells. In cell-cell coculture model, L. plantarum cells inhibited S. cerevisiae growth (inhibition rate ~80%) with its own growth pattern unaffected. Cell-cell aggregation happened during coculture with surface roughness changed and partial S. cerevisiae cell lysis. Mature (24 h) L. plantarum cell-free culture supernatant showed inhibition (35%-75%) on S. cerevisiae growth independent of pH level, while supernatant from L. plantarum-S. cerevisiae coculture showed relatively stronger inhibition. Upon transcriptomics analysis, hypothesis on the mechanism of microbial interaction between L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae was demonstrated. When L. plantarum cell density reached threshold at 24 h, all genes in lamBDCA quorum sensing (QS) system was upregulated to potentially increase adhesion capability, leading to the aggregation to S. cerevisiae cell. The downregulation of whole basic physiological activity from DNA to RNA to protein, cell cycle, meiosis, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, as well as growth maintenance essential genes ari1, skg6, and kex2/gas1 might induce the decreased growth and proliferation rate and partial death of S. cerevisiae cells in coculture. IMPORTANCE L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae are frequently co-isolated in food, although playing different roles. The co-existence of L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae could result in variable effects, raising economic benefits and safety concerns in food industry. Previous research has reported the microbial interaction between L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae mainly rely on the signaling through extracellular metabolites. However, cell-cell aggregation has been observed with mechanism remain unknown. In the current study, the microbial interaction between L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae was investigated with emphasis on cell-cell direct interaction and further in-depth transcriptome level study showed the key role of lamBDCA quorum sensing system in L. plantarum. The results yield from this study demonstrated the antagonistic effect between L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae.

Introduction Perfusion imaging according to the DEFUSE 3 or DAWN criteria has been applied to select patients with large vascular occlusive stroke undergo endovascular therapy (EVT) in the extended time window. Emerging studies have shown that collateral blood flow-based criteria may be as effective as DEFUSE 3 and DAWN criteria for the evaluation of EVT eligibility beyond 6 hours. We will conduct a meta-analysis to compare collateral status-based criteria with DEFUSE 3 or DAWN criteria.Methods and analysis We will conduct a search for the studies comparing collateral blood flow-based imaging with CT perfusion using the DEFUSE 3 or DAWN criteria in selecting patients with acute ischaemic stroke undergo EVT in the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases between November 2017 and November 2021. We will also search the sources of grey literature, the reference lists of included studies and the newly published studies during the review period. Two investigators will independently screen the eligible studies and extract data. The study quality will be assessed by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or the Cochrane risk bias tool. Stata V.17 will be used to conduct data analysis.Ethics and dissemination Patient informed consent and ethics approval are not necessary as this study uses only published studies. The finding of this meta-analysis will be propagated through committee conferences or peer-reviewed journals.PROSPERO registration number CRD42021281928.

Purple soil is a type of global soil that is referred to by various names in different countries, which makes it difficult to understand, utilize, and ameliorate purple soil internationally. Soil Taxonomy (ST) and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) are the most widely used soil classification systems in the world. The aim of this study was to clarify the classification of purple soil in ST and the WRB and to establish a reference between different classification systems of purple soil. Therefore, based on the current principles and methods of the ST and WRB systems, 18 typical purple soil profiles in the eastern Sichuan Basin were identified, retrieved, and classified. Then, the soil units of the WRB were compared with those of ST and the Chinese Soil Taxonomy (CST). The results revealed that the 18 typical purple soil profiles could be classified into three soil orders, four soil group orders, and seven soil subgroups in ST and four reference soil groups (RSGs) in the WRB; each profile had its own unique principal and supplementary qualifier combinations within the soil units. It was found that when compared with the ST system, the WRB and CST systems had stronger abilities to distinguish purple soil. In addition, the WRB system was able to more comprehensively consider soil characteristics such as soil layer thickness, ferric horizon, soil color, texture mutations, and carbonate through qualifiers. However, the CST system added diagnostic characteristics, such as the lithologic characteristics of purplish sandstones and shales and the ferric properties and alic properties at the soil group and subgroup levels, which enhanced the differentiation ability of the purple soil at the subgroup level.

AimThe aim of this study was to assess the relationship of circadian syndrome and stroke.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional analysis of 11,855 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database between 2005 and 2018, and collected the baseline characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to explore the association between circadian syndrome and stroke. Simultaneously, subgroup analyses based on the difference of gender, race, and components associated with circadian syndrome also were performed. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were calculated in this study.ResultsAll the participants were divided into the non-stroke group and the stroke group. There were approximately 3.48% patients exclusively with stroke and 19.03% patients exclusively with circadian syndrome in our study. The results suggested that the risk of stroke in patients with circadian syndrome was higher than that in patients without circadian syndrome (OR = 1.322, 95 CI%: 1.020–1.713). Similar associations were found in women with circadian syndrome (OR = 1.515, 95 CI%: 1.086–2.114), non-Hispanic whites with circadian syndrome (OR = 1.544, 95 CI%: 1.124–2.122), participants with circadian syndrome who had elevated waist circumference (OR = 1.395, 95 CI%: 1.070–1.819) or short sleep (OR = 1.763, 95 CI%: 1.033–3.009).ConclusionCircadian syndrome was associated with the risk of stroke. Particularly, we should pay more close attention to the risk of stroke in those populations who were female, non-Hispanic whites, had the symptoms of elevated waist circumference or short sleep.

ABSTRACT As increasing evidence emerges that interstrain genetic diversity among Candida albicans clinical isolates underpins phenotypic variation compared to the reference isolate SC5314, new genetic tools are required to interrogate gene function across strain backgrounds. Here, the SAT1-flipper plasmid was reengineered to contain a C. albicans codon optimized hygromycin B resistance gene (CaHygB). Cassettes were PCR-amplified from both SAT1-flipper and CaHygB-flipper plasmids using primers with homologous sequences flanking target genes of interest to serve as repair templates. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes containing proprietary CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs), universal transactivating CRISPR RNA (tracrRNA), and Cas9 protein were assembled in vitro and transformed, along with both repair templates, by electroporation into C. albicans. Homozygous deletion of the ADE2 gene results in red-pigmented colonies and this gene was used to validate our approach. Both in SC5314 and a variety of clinical isolates (529L, JS15, SJCA1, TW1), homozygous gene targeting was nearly 100% when plating on media containing nourseothricin and hygromycin B with transformation efficiencies exceeding 104 homozygous deletion mutants per μg of DNA. A gene reversion system was also employed with plasmids pDUP3 and pDIS3 engineered to contain the ADH1 terminator and an overlap extension PCR-mediated approach combined with CRISPR-Cas9 targeting at the NEUT5 neutral locus. A variety of single or compound mutants (Δ/Δals3, Δ/Δcph1 Δ/Δefg1, Δ/Δece1) and their revertant strains were constructed and phenotypically validated by a variety of assays, including biofilm formation, hyphal growth, and macrophage IL-1β response. Thus, we have established a cloning-free, modular system for highly efficient homozygous gene deletion and reversion in diverse isolates. IMPORTANCE Recently, phenotypic heterogeneity in Candida albicans isolates has been recognized as an underappreciated factor contributing to gene diversification and broadly impacts strain-to-strain antifungal resistance, fitness, and pathogenicity. We have designed a cloning-free genetic system for rapid gene deletion and reversion in C. albicans clinical isolates that interlaces established recyclable genetic systems with CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The SAT1-flipper was reengineered to contain CaHygB encoding resistance to hygromycin B. Using a modular PCR-mediated approach coupled with in vitro ribonucleoprotein assembly with commercial reagents, both SAT1- and CaHygB-flipper cassettes were simultaneously integrated at loci with high efficiency (104 transformants per μg DNA) and upward of 99% homozygous gene targeting across a collection of diverse isolates of various anatomical origin. Revertant strains were constructed by overlap extension PCR with CRISPR-Cas9 targeted integration at the NEUT5 locus. Thus, this facile system will aid in unraveling the genetic factors contributing to the complexity of intraspecies diversity.

Abstract Background In China, more than 20 million patients with chronic hepatitis B need antiviral treatment. Side effects of antiviral treatment such as renal complications can be problematic, particularly in an aging population. Methods The data were retrospectively extracted from the hospital medical charts of five centers in eastern China from January 1 to December 31, 2018. Results A total of 8309 patients with CHB was enrolled in this study. The median age of the patients was 46 years. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hepatic cirrhosis was respectively 3.49%, 4.42%, and 23.72%. The prevalence of these comorbidities increased with age (P

Abstract Persisters are a sub-population of genetically sensitive bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment by entering a dormant state. The emergence of persisters from dormancy after antibiotic withdrawal leads to recurrent infection. Indole is an aromatic molecule with diverse signalling roles, including a role in persister formation. Here we demonstrate that indole stimulates the formation of Escherichia coli persisters against quinolone antibiotics which target the GyrA subunit of DNA gyrase. However, indole has no effect on the formation of E. coli persisters against an aminocoumarin, novobiocin, which targets the GyrB subunit of DNA gyrase. Two modes of indole signalling have been described: persistent and pulse. The latter refers to the brief but intense elevation of intracellular indole during stationary phase entry. We show that the stimulation of quinolone persisters is due to indole pulse, rather than persistent, signalling. In silico docking of indole on DNA gyrase predicts that indole docks perfectly to the ATP binding site of the GyrB subunit. We propose that the inhibition of indole production offers a potential route to enhance the activity of quinolones against E. coli persisters.

Abstract Background Shivering is a frequent complication after spinal anesthesia. Increasing studies have compared the effect of intravenous dexmedetomidine and intravenous tramadol on shivering after spinal anesthesia, hence we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to compare dexmedetomidine with tramadol on the treatment of post-spinal anesthesia shivering. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched to find the eligible studies comparing the effect of dexmedetomidine and tramadol on the treatment of shivering after spinal anesthesia. Mean difference (MD) or risk ratio (RR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to analyze the outcomes. I2 test was conducted to assess the heterogeneity of the included trials. We utilized Review Manager 5.3 to perform statistical analyses. Results Thirteen randomized controlled trials including 864 subjects were included. Dexmedetomidine had higher effective rate of shivering control (RR =1.03; 95%CI [1.01, 1.06], P = 0.01, I2 = 14%), shorter time to cease shivering (MD = -2.14; 95%CI [− 2.79, − 1.49], P