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Qianyu Bai,1,* Yichi Zhang,1,* Runqiu Cai,1 Haiyan Wu,1 Huiqun Fu,2 Xuemei Zhou,2 Jie Chai,3 Xuepeng Teng,3 Tianlong Liu1 1National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2 101 Institute of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xuemei Zhou, 101 Institute of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, South Fourth Ring West Road No.188, Beijing, 100070, Email zxmcaur@126.com; Tianlong Liu, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, Beijing, 100193, Email liutianlong@cau.edu.cnBackground: In the past decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a major threat to global public health. Long-term, chronic otitis media is becoming more challenging to treat, thus the novel antibiotic alternative agents are much needed.Methods: ZnO@TiO2@AMP (ATZ NPs) were synthesized through a solvothermal method and subjected to comprehensive characterization. The in vitro and in vivo antibacterial effect and biocompatibility of ATZ NPs were evaluated. For the antibacterial mechanism exploration, we utilized the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer to detect and analyze the hydroxyl radicals produced by ATZ NPs.Results: ATZ NPs exhibited a spherical structure of 99.85 nm, the drug-loading rate for ZnO was 20.73%, and AMP within ATZ NPs was 41.86%. Notably, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of ATZ NPs against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) were 10 μg/mL, and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) value of ATZ NPs against S. aureus, and S. pneumoniae were 50 μg/mL. In comparison to the model group, the treatment of otitis media with ATZ NPs significantly reduces inflammatory exudation in the middle ear cavity, with no observable damage to the tympanic membrane. Both in vivo and in vitro toxicity tests indicating the good biocompatibility of ATZ NPs. Moreover, EPR spectroscopy results highlighted the superior ability of ATZ NPs to generate hydroxyl radicals (·OH) compared to ZnO NPs.Conclusion: ATZ NPs exhibited remarkable antibacterial properties both in vivo and in vitro. This innovative application of advanced ATZ NPs, bringing great promise for the treatment of otitis media.Keywords: nanoparticles, otitis media, zinc oxide, mesoporous titanium dioxide, antimicrobial peptide, antimicrobial, hydroxyl radical

Zheng Wang,1,* Xiaoxi Wang,2,* Fei Cheng,2 Xue Wen,2 Shi Feng,2 Fang Yu,2 Hui Tang,2 Zhengjin Liu,3 Xiaodong Teng2 1Department of Neurology, Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhengjin LiuDepartment of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, 201 Hubin South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, 361004, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail liuzhengjin@163.comXiaodong TengDepartment of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail teng1102069@zju.edu.cnBackground: Glioma is a common intracranial malignant tumor with high rates of invasiveness and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of rapamycin in glioma.Methods: U118-MG cells were treated with and without rapamycin in vivo and then collected for RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were screened and verified. MiR-26a-5p was selected for functional verification, and the target gene of miR-26a-5p was identified. The effects of miR-26a-5p on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy were also investigated.Results: In total, 58 up-regulated and 41 down-regulated DEMs were identified between rapamycin-treated and untreated U118-MG cells. MiR-26-5p levels were up-regulated in U118-MG cells treated with 12.5 μM rapamycin, and death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) expression, a direct miR-26a-5p target gene, was down-regulated. Rapamycin substantially inhibited cell proliferation and cell percentage in the S phase and promoted cell apoptosis; miR-26a-5p inhibitor increased cell proliferation and cell cycle and decreased cell apoptosis; DAPK1 overexpression further induced cell proliferation, increased the cell number in the S phase, and inhibited apoptosis in glioma cells. Notably, rapamycin increased the autophagy-related Beclin1 protein expression levels and the LC3 II/I ratio.Conclusion: Rapamycin exerts anti-tumor effects by promoting autophagy in glioma cells, which was dependent on the miR-26a-5p/DAPK1 pathway activation by rapamycin.Keywords: rapamycin, autophagy, RNA sequencing, glioma cells, miR-26a-5p, death-associated protein kinase 1

Yao Deng,1,* Shunxian Zhang,2,* Chaoqun Ning,2 Yongkang Zhou,3 Xuejiao Teng,2 Xiuping Wu,2 Yanhong Chu,2 Yingfang Yu,2 Jiaxu Chen,2 Liguang Tian,2 Wei Wang1 1Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasites and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai 200025, People’s Republic of China; 3The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liguang TianNational Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasites and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai City 200025, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail jztlg@126.comWei WangKey Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province 214064, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail wangwei@jipd.comBackground: Blastocystis is a common enteric parasite of controversial pathogenic roles in human diseases. Although the prevalence of Blastocystis infections has been investigated in a diverse range of populations, there is little knowledge on the molecular epidemiology and risk factors of Blastocystis infections among general populations in southeastern China.Materials and Methods: A total of 507 individuals were randomly selected in Yunnan province, China from July 2016 to March 2017. Stool specimens were sampled for detection of Blastocystis sp. using PCR assay, and the risk factors of Blastocystis infections were identified. Blastocystis isolates were subtyped, and the associations of Blastocystis infections and subtypes with clinical manifestations were examined.Results: The overall detection rate of Blastocystis sp. was 9.47% (95% CI: 7.13– 12.44%). Toilet type (OR = 3.248, 95% CI: 1.245– 8.473), anemia (OR = 2.601, 95% CI: 1.245– 8.473) and type of daily drinking water (OR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.557– 6.213) were identified as risk factors of Blastocystis infections; however, Blastocystis infections showed no associations with clinical symptoms. Four subtypes (ST1 to ST4) were characterized in Blastocystis isolates, in which ST3 was predominant (4.73%, 95% CI: 3.2– 6.94%), followed by ST1 (3.16%, 95% CI: 1.95– 5.07%), ST4 (1.38%, 95% CI: 0.07– 2.82%) and ST2 (0.2%, 95% CI: 0– 1.11%). In addition, ST1 subtype infection was found to correlate with anemia (OR = 4.66, 95% CI: 1.631– 14.314).Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of Blastocystis infections among general populations in Yunnan province, southwestern China, and toilet type, anemia and type of daily drinking water are risk factors of Blastocystis infections. ST3 is the dominant subtype of Blastocystis sp. characterized, and ST1 correlates with anemia. Improving hygiene conditions, developing healthy lifestyles and intensifying health education programs are strongly recommended to reduce the prevalence and transmission potential of Blastocystis infections.Keywords: Blastocystis sp., molecular epidemiology, risk factor, subtype, clinical manifestation, southwestern China

Bijia Song, Yang Li, Xiufei Teng, Xiuyan Li, Yanchao Yang, Junchao Zhu Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Junchao ZhuDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhujunchao1@hotmail.comObjective: Postoperative sleep disorders can cause serious adverse effects on postoperative outcomes. The purpose of our study was to compare the effects of the timing of surgery under general anesthesia on intraoperative anesthetic drug requirements, postoperative sleep quality and pain in patients.Materials and Methods: Eighty-four patients who underwent selective laparoscopic abdominal surgeries under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to the Day Group (8:00– 12:00) or the Night Group (18:00– 22:00). The portable sleep monitor (PSM) was used to determine sleep quality on the night before surgery (Sleep-preop), the first night after surgery (Sleep POD 1), and the third night after surgery (Sleep POD 3). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate postoperative pain scores and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used for assessing insomnia symptoms. The total dose of general anesthetics required and adverse effects after surgery were also assessed.Results: Compared to Sleep-preop, patients presented with a lower sleep efficiency and a higher AIS score during Sleep POD 1 and Sleep POD 3. Furthermore, the Night Group had a significantly lower proportion of rapid eye movement sleep, stable sleep, and unstable sleep than did the Day Group at Sleep POD 1 and Sleep POD 3. The dosage of propofol and remifentanil required in the Day Group was significantly higher than that in the Night Group. Furthermore, patients in the Day Group had better pain relief, with a lower VAS score at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. The incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting and dizziness were significantly higher in the Night Group than those in the Day Group.Conclusion: Morning operations required a higher dose of anesthetic drugs than did evening operations, which may be related to the circadian rhythm. The degree of postoperative sleep disorders was greater when the operation was performed in the evening than in the morning, which was also associated with increased pain perception and increased incidence of postoperative adverse effects. Thus, our results suggest that patients with hyperalgesia and sleep disorders may benefit from operations performed in the morning.Keywords: morning operation, evening operation, sleep quality, general anesthesia, circadian rhythm

Bijia Song, Yang Li, Xiufei Teng, Xiuyan Li, Yanchao Yang, Junchao Zhu Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Junchao ZhuDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhujunchao1@hotmail.comObjectives: The aim of our study was to compare the effect of using dexmedetomidine (DEX) during the daytime operation or the nighttime operation under general anesthesia on postoperative sleep quality and pain of patients.Methods: Seventy-five patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic abdominal surgeries under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive operation in the Day Group (8:00–12:00) and the Night Group (18:00–22:00). The Portable Sleep Monitor (PSM) was performed on the following 3 nights: the night before surgery (Sleep 1), the first night after surgery (Sleep 2), and the third night after surgery (Sleep 3). Postoperative pain scores using visual analogue scoring scale, subjective sleep quality using the Athens Insomnia Scale, total dose of general anesthetics and PCA pump press numbers were also recorded.Results: Intraoperative administration of DEX for patients in the Day Group could improve sleep quality with a higher sleep efficiency and a lower AIS subjective sleep quality than patients in the Night Group at Sleep 2 (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) and Sleep 3 (P < 0.001, respectively). There were marked lower rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and Stable sleep in the Night Group than that in the Day Group at Sleep 2 (P < 0.001 and P = 0.032, respectively) and Sleep 3 (P < 0.001, respectively). Patients in the Day Group have better pain relief and less PCA pump press numbers than patients in the Night Group.Conclusion: Using dexmedetomidine during the daytime operation can better improve postoperative sleep quality and pain than nighttime operation in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgeries.Keywords: dexmedetomidine, sleep quality, general anesthesia, postoperative pain

Tingting Che,1 Xiaochun Teng,1 Qun Huang,1 Yanfei Mu,2 Xianjun Tang,2 Xiaosong Mu,2 Youneng Wei1 1Department of Endocrinology, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China; 2Chongqing Cancer Institute, Hospital and Cancer Center, Chongqing, China Background: Depressive and anxiety symptoms could seriously affect the quality of life of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. Currently, little is known about the efficacy and acceptability of agomelatine versus fluoxetine in treating these symptoms in T2DM subjects. Therefore, this study was performed to find out which one was better in treating these symptoms in T2DM subjects.Materials and methods: T2DM subjects with depressive and anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to receive either fluoxetine (30–40 mg/day) or agomelatine (25–50 mg/day). The treatment was continued for 12 weeks. The data of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) were collected (at baseline and also at weeks 4, 8 and 12) to assess the depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The metabolic parameters, including body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. The treatment-related adverse events during the scheduled treatment period were recorded to compare the acceptability of these two drugs.Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, the average HDRS and HARS scores were significantly decreased in both groups. The average HDRS scores were not significantly different between the two groups, although the agomelatine group had a lower average HDRS score. The response and remission rates were similar between the two groups, and these two drugs had no significant effects on BMI and FPG. However, compared with the fluoxetine group, the agomelatine group had the significantly lower average HARS score (p=0.0017) and lower average HbA1c level (p

Yujia Deng,1 Lei Wang,1,2 Lite Ge,1,3 Da Duan,1 Yi Zhuo,1 Ting Yuan,1 Weiping Yan,1 Peiqi Huang,1 Xiaohua Teng,1 Ming Lu1,3 1Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University (163 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army), Changsha, 2Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Haikou Hospital, Xiangya School of Central South University, Haikou, 3Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China Objective: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), a member of a highly conserved family of six insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs), can regulate several cellular processes through IGF-dependent or IGF-independent pathway. Recent studies have provided solid evidence for the importance to delineate that olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC)-conditioned medium (OCM) can not only facilitate the differentiation of neural stem cell line (C17.2) into neurons, but also promote the survival and proliferation. We have previously reported that IGFBP-2 was detected in OCM. This study is designed to investigate the roles of IGFBP-2 for the regulation of C17.2 differentiation and proliferation.Methods and results: IGFBP-2 was identified and upregulated in OCM to compare with astrocytes-conditioned medium by shotgun proteomics and semiquantitative proteomic analysis. In order to investigate whether exogenous IGFBP-2 could stimulate proliferation in C17.2 cells and differentiate it into glia or neuron, we used various concentrations of IGFBP-2 to induce C17.2 cells which were cultured in DMEM/F12. The results showed that exogenous IGFBP-2 can promote proliferation in C17.2 cells, but had little effect on differentiation. Interestingly, we also found that IGFBP-2 could induce C17.2 cells to differentiate into astrocytes, while inhibiting their differentiation into neurons in a dose-dependent manner when cultured C17.2 cells in OCM. Changes in cell morphology were imaged under a light microscope, and proliferating cells were counted. Cell viability was determined by MTT. In addition, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect protein expression patterns of proliferation-related antigen, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, neuroectodermal stem cell marker, neuron specific class III beta tubulin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein.Conclusion: Exogenous IGFBP-2 could stimulate proliferation in C17.2 cells, and promote the differentiation of C17.2 cells into astrocytes induced by OCM. Its mechanism is related to activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway. Keywords: IGFBP-2, C17.2 cells, proliferation, differentiation

Abstract Light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) that infiltrate into the subsurface are commonly described in two distinct zones: the source zone and the plume zone. A precise differentiation between these zones is essential for constraining further migration and selecting an effective remediation method. In this study, we employ the induced polarization (IP) method to characterize the contaminants. Six time domain IP survey lines were conducted at a former chemical plant contaminated with LNAPLs. Even though the contaminated areas corresponding to BTEX concentration above 180 mg/kg are less than 5 mS/m, the source and plume zones cannot be distinguished by conductivity alone. However, a noticeable difference in phase ( $$\varphi$$ φ ) between the two zones is observed, and the threshold phase value corresponding to a critical concentration of 450 mg/kg is 20 mrad. Moreover, the normalized chargeability ( $$M_{n}$$ M n ) threshold for the source zone is 80 mS/m, and the corresponding $$M_{n}$$ M n differences between the source and plume zones are more significant than those in $$\varphi$$ φ . These results illustrate that changes in polarization characteristics associated with BTEX concentrations can aid in further distinguishing between the source and plume zones. Ultimately, it is concluded that IP imaging is a well-suited method for LNAPL investigations that permits an improved characterization of different contaminated zones, which can facilitate the optimization of drillings for further site assessment and remediation.

Abstract Magnons, bosonic quasiparticles carrying angular momentum, can flow through insulators for information transmission with minimal power dissipation. However, it remains challenging to develop a magnon-based logic due to the lack of efficient electrical manipulation of magnon transport. Here we show the electric excitation and control of multiferroic magnon modes in a spin-source/multiferroic/ferromagnet structure. We demonstrate that the ferroelectric polarization can electrically modulate the magnon-mediated spin-orbit torque by controlling the non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure in multiferroic bismuth ferrite thin films with coupled antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric orders. In this multiferroic magnon torque device, magnon information is encoded to ferromagnetic bits by the magnon-mediated spin torque. By manipulating the two coupled non-volatile state variables—ferroelectric polarization and magnetization—we further present reconfigurable logic operations in a single device. Our findings highlight the potential of multiferroics for controlling magnon information transport and offer a pathway towards room-temperature voltage-controlled, low-power, scalable magnonics for in-memory computing.

Ya Shen,1,2,&ast; Shun-Shun Cui,3,&ast; Xiao-Bao Teng,2,&ast; Ming-Feng Han,2 Yan-Bei Zhang1 1Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Fuyang Infectious Disease Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, 236000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Fuyang People’s Hospital, Fuyang, 236000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yan-Bei Zhang, Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 of Jixi Road, Shushan District, Hefei, 230000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-13093340370, Email zhangyanbeizyb@126.com Ming-Feng Han, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Fuyang Infectious Disease Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, No.1088 of Yinghexi Road, Yingzhou District, Fuyang, 236000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-16655800262, Email mingfeng_han@126.comObjective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Tropheryma whipplei (TW) infection in the population and to investigate the clinical symptoms, as well as the laboratory and imaging characteristics of patients testing positive for TW using next-generation sequencing (NGS).Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 1346 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples collected between January 2021 and September 2023. The case group comprised patients with TW detected using NGS while the control group included 65 randomly chosen Gram-positive bacterial infection patients without TW. Comparative analyses were carried out on the basic demographics, laboratory parameters, and imaging findings between the two groups. Additionally, the case group underwent an in-depth examination of underlying diseases, pathogens, final diagnoses, treatment strategies.Results: The case group comprised of 51 patients with TW, constituting 3.8% of the total. There was no significant difference in gender and age between the case and control groups (P = 0.84, P = 0.07). Symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, wheezing, fever, and hemoptysis are less commonly detected in the case group with a higher incidence of chest pain when compared to the control group (P > 0.05). The case group exhibited decreased albumin levels and increased C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels compared to normal levels. Imaging findings in the case group commonly included nodules, patchy images, and interstitial changes, the most common underlying disease is cardiovascular disease, and the most frequently co-occurring pathogen is the human herpesvirus. Among the case group, 27 patients received a final diagnosis of pneumonia, and 3 patients clinically diagnosed with Whipple’s disease demonstrated improvement in both symptoms and imaging after treatment.Conclusion: NGS revealed a relatively low overall detection rate of TW-positive patients using BALF. TW was more prevalent in middle-aged and elderly male patients characterized by symptoms such as cough, expectoration, shortness of breath, and fever. Chest imaging in these cases typically showed nodules and interstitial changes.Keywords: bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, feature, image, NGS, Tropheryma whipplei

Abstract Background Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare fibroblastic mesenchymal tumor that mostly involves the pleura and infrequently involves extra-pleural sites. De novo SFT of the kidney is uncommon, and malignant SFT is extremely rare. Case presentation We report a case of a 51-year-old man with a large malignant SFT in the left kidney. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of SFT based on typical morphology, nuclear STAT6 expression, and NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion. The malignant subtype was determined by a large tumor size (≥ 15 cm) and high mitotic counts (8/10 high-power fields). KRAS mutation was identified by DNA sequencing. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) was diffusely and strongly expressed in tumor cells, however, hypoglycemia was not observed. Hyperglycemia and high adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration were observed one month after surgery. Hormone measurements revealed normal blood cortisol and aldosterone levels, and increased urinary free cortisol level. A pituitary microadenoma was identified using brain magnetic resonance imaging, which may be responsible for the promotion of hyperglycemia. Conclusions We report a case of renal malignant SFT with a KRAS mutation, which was previously unreported in SFT and may be associated with its malignant behavior. Additionally, we emphasize that malignant SFT commonly causes severe hypoglycemia due to the production of IGF2. However, this effect may be masked by the presence of other lesions that promote hyperglycemia. Therefore, when encountering a malignant SFT with diffuse and strong IGF2 expression and without hypoglycemia, other lesions promoting hyperglycemia need to be ruled out.

Objective In order to solve the problems of low efficiency and poor precision of traditional APM (automated people mover system), it is necessary to study the APM technology for track misalignment detection. Method The line laser sensor is used to obtain the track data, and track misalignment is identified and measured based on multi-dimensional image processing and point cloud processing technologies. Track contour data is firstly visualized, and image processing is then used to identify and locate track misalignment. Meanwhile, dynamic sequence is fused to determine whether the track status recognized by image recognition algorithm is consistent in a continuous period of time, thus solving the interference of single track section misjudgment and improving the accuracy of misalignment identification and positioning.After accurate identification and positioning of the misalignment, the track point cloud data obtained by scanning is processed by filtering and plane fitting to obtain the misalignment value. Result & Conclusion The test results from the actual line of Shanghai Metro Pujiang Line show that the multi-dimensional image processing technology and point cloud processing technology can realize accurate identification and positioning of track misalignment with high precision and good repeatability, meeting the requirements of track inspection.

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer, which originates from the human colon or rectum, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Timely diagnosis and interventional therapy can significantly improve the prognostic survival of colorectal cancer patients, making regular screening and early detection essential. Aim To investigate the regulatory function of lncRNA CTBP1-DT (CTBP1-DT) on colorectal cancer cells and to assess its diagnostic significance. Methods A total of 102 patients with colorectal cancer and 92 healthy individuals were selected. The levels of CTBP1-DT and microRNA-30a-5p (miR-30a-5p) in serum and cell samples of the above subjects were compared by RT-qPCR. The effects of CTBP1-DT and miR-30a-5p dysregulation on the biological functions of colorectal cancer cells were analyzed via CCK-8, flow cytometry and Transwell assays. In addition, the ability of CTBP1-DT and miR-30a-5p to early identify colorectal cancer patients was determined through ROC curve. Results Serum CTBP1-DT was elevated in patients with colorectal cancer, which was obviously higher than in healthy controls. The expression of serum miR-30a-5p was downregulated in colorectal cancer. Both CTBP1-DT and miR-30a-5p have the value of distinguishing colorectal cancer, and the combined diagnostic ability is higher. Knockdown of CTBP1-DT directly targeted miR-30a-5p to repress cell activity and metastatic ability, whereas deregulation of miR-30a-5p eliminated the above inhibitory effects. Conclusion Overexpression of CTBP1-DT has a certain application potential in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer and may be a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

This study optimized the integrated die-casting of an aluminum alloy longitudinal beam and tower component using no heat-treated aluminum alloy. Leveraging material properties and part geometry, a pouring system was designed and refined through mold flow analysis. This optimized the velocity, temperature distribution, and air entrapment to reduce defects like shrinkage porosity. The optimized pouring parameters were 695 °C melt temperature, 210 °C initial mold temperature, and 4.9 m/s shot speed. This reduced shrinkage porosity by 10.4% versus the original design. Die-casting trials with the optimized pouring system produced defect-free castings. The critical load-bearing section of the die casting had a yield strength of 184 MPa and elongation of 10.9%, which can meet the production requirements. In summary, based on the optimization of pouring system by mold flow analysis, by developing the integrated die casting process for aluminum alloy. Not only the defects are eliminated, but also the castings with sufficient mechanical properties are produced.

In the automatic sorting process, overlapping translucent and flexible workpieces on the conveyor belt, blurring the imaging edge features of translucent and flexible workpieces is a challenge to locate the upper and lower workpieces spatially, we propose a method for locating translucent and flexible workpieces spatially under the overlapping environment in conjunction with the most common automatic sorting of translucent and flexible workpieces such as infusion tube drip buckets. Firstly, we propose a rectangular surface light source based on 650 nm band and monocular CCD for imaging translucent workpieces such as infusion tube drip buckets and optimize the imaging parameters. Secondly, we study a feature matching recognition algorithm for flexible workpieces that are prone to deformation, construct a mapping relationship between the position of overlapping layers and imaging quality of translucent and flexible workpieces such as infusion tube drip buckets based on clarity and information entropy, and establish The mapping relationship between the position of the overlapping layers and the imaging quality of translucent and flexible workpieces such as infusion tube drip buckets is constructed based on clarity and information entropy, and a local spatial coordinate conversion model is established. Finally, the spatial positioning coordinates of overlapping and non-overlapping translucent and flexible workpieces in the local coordinate system are identified, and the results show that the imaging method and theory can be effectively applied to the identification of overlapping and spatial positioning coordinates in the automatic sorting of translucent workpieces such as infusion tube drip buckets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of different strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on malolactic fermentation (MLF), antioxidant activity, and aroma of ciders. A commercial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and six indigenous L. plantarum strains were co-inoculated into apple juice to induce simultaneous alcoholic fermentation (AF) and MLF. The findings indicated that despite belonging to the same species, the different L. plantarum strains significantly differed (p

This study outlines the development of a three-dimensional model for the crankshaft-bearing and a multi-body dynamics model for a four-stroke marine diesel engine. The models are constructed through a simulation approach that integrates the finite element method and multi-body dynamics method. Additionally, the Greenwood/Tripp asperity contact theory and average flow model are incorporated. The investigation also delves into the dynamic coupling between the crankshaft-bearing multi-body system and the mixed lubrication effects, accounting for lubricating oil as a thermo-electrohydrodynamic model and the journal as an elastomer. The study meticulously examines the lubrication characteristics of main bearings in marine diesel engines during normal operational conditions and scrutinizes the impact of various parameters on crankshaft-bearings. The study concludes by offering recommendations and technical support for innovative optimization design and model enhancement of diesel engine crankshaft-bearings.

The Belt and Road initiative is an important strategy of the Chinese government to promote international cooperation, and China-Cambodia cooperation is one of the important initiatives to implement the Belt and Road initiative. In recent years, Cambodia's four coastal provinces have experienced rapid population growth, accelerated urbanization and increased marine exploitation activities, which have put tremendous pressure on the coastal zone ecosystem and urgently require the establishment of a reasonable and effective coastal zone management system. By combing through the current Cambodia's coastal zone management system and institutions, this paper finds that there are five major problems in the management of Cambodian coastal zone, such as lack of comprehensive laws and regulations, poor management of pollutant discharge, enforcement and supervision policies to be improved, insufficient ability to obtain data, and insufficient public participation. The paper puts forward suggestions on improving the coastal zone management system, strengthening coastal zone management capacity building, and enhancing public awareness of coastal zone protection. On this basis, three directions for China-Cambodian coastal zone management cooperation are proposed to provide references for improving Cambodia′s coastal zone management system and promoting in-depth cooperation in the field of coastal zone management between China and Cambodia.

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key players in tumorigenesis and tumour progression. However, the biological functions and potential mechanisms of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) are unclear. Methods The novel lncRNA POU6F2-AS1 was identified through bioinformatics analysis, and its expression in CRC patients was verified via qRT–PCR and FISH. In vitro and in vivo experiments, such as BODIPY staining, Oil Red O staining, triglyceride (TAG) assays, and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were subsequently performed with CRC specimens and cells to determine the clinical significance, and functional roles of POU6F2-AS1. Biotinylated RNA pull-down, RIP, Me-RIP, ChIP, and patient-derived organoid (PDO) culture assays were performed to confirm the underlying mechanism of POU6F2-AS1. Results The lncRNA POU6F2-AS1 is markedly upregulated in CRC and associated with adverse clinicopathological features and poor overall survival in CRC patients. Functionally, POU6F2-AS1 promotes the growth and lipogenesis of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, METTL3-induced m6A modification is involved in the upregulation of POU6F2-AS1. Furthermore, upregulated POU6F2-AS1 could tether YBX1 to the FASN promoter to induce transcriptional activation, thus facilitating the growth and lipogenesis of CRC cells. Conclusions Our data revealed that the upregulation of POU6F2-AS1 plays a critical role in CRC fatty acid metabolism and might provide a novel promising biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a severe subtype of hemorrhagic stroke. The molecular mechanisms of its secondary brain damage remain obscure. To investigate the alterations in gene and metabolite levels following SAH, we construct the transcriptome and metabolome profiles of the rat cerebral cortex post-SAH using whole transcriptome sequencing and untargeted metabolomics assays. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that there were 982 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 540 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between the sham group and SAH 1d, and 292 DEGs and 254 DEMs between SAH 1d and SAH 7d. Most notably, DEGs were predominantly involved in the activation of immune and inflammatory pathways, particularly the Complement and coagulation cascades, TNF signaling pathway, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Metabolic analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways of Arginine and proline, Arachidonic acid, Folate biosynthesis, Pyrimidine, and Cysteine and methionine were remarkably affected after SAH. Metabolites of the above pathways are closely associated not only with immune inflammation but also with oxidative stress, endothelial cell damage, and blood–brain barrier disruption. This study provides new insights into the underlying pathologic mechanisms of secondary brain injury after SAH and further characterization of these aberrant signals could enable their application as potential therapeutic targets for SAH.

Abstract The limited success of current targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer underscores an urgent demand for novel treatment modalities. The challenge in mitigating this malignancy can be attributed to the digestive organ expansion factor (DEF), a pivotal yet underexplored factor in pancreatic tumorigenesis. The study uses a blend of in vitro and in vivo approaches, complemented by the theoretical analyses, to propose DEF as a promising anti‐tumor target. Analysis of clinical samples reveals that high expression of DEF is correlated with diminished survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Crucially, the depletion of DEF significantly impedes tumor growth. The study further discovers that DEF binds to p65, shielding it from degradation mediated by the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway in cancer cells. Based on these findings and computational approaches, the study formulates a DEF‐mimicking peptide, peptide‐031, designed to disrupt the DEF‐p65 interaction. The effectiveness of peptide‐031 in inhibiting tumor proliferation has been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. This study unveils the oncogenic role of DEF while highlighting its prognostic value and therapeutic potential in pancreatic cancer. In addition, peptide‐031 is a promising therapeutic agent with potent anti‐tumor effects.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading age-related disorders worldwide, with their prevalence increasing annually. Cathepsins are protein-degrading enzymes essential for processes such as intracellular protein breakdown, apoptosis, and immune responses. Recent studies suggest a potential link between cathepsins and CVDs, yet the exact causal relationship remains to be elucidated. To address this, we propose using Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the causal relationships between cathepsins and CVDs.Methods: We obtained single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for cathepsins from the INTERVAL study, a publicly accessible genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset. Outcome SNP data were sourced from seven distinct GWAS datasets, ensuring a comprehensive analysis across multiple cardiovascular outcomes. For MR analysis, we primarily employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, known for its efficiency when all SNPs are valid instruments. This was supplemented by the weighted median and MR-Egger methods to provide robustness against potential violations of MR assumptions, such as pleiotropy. The IVW method offers precision and efficiency, the weighted median method adds robustness against invalid instruments, and the MR-Egger method helps identify and correct for pleiotropic biases. Cochran’s Q test was utilized to assess heterogeneity, and sensitivity analyses were conducted using MR-PRESSO and the leave-one-out approach.Results: The strength of the associations between exposure and outcome was measured using odds ratios (ORs), and results were presented with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The cathepsin E increases the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) (OR = 1.053%, 95% CI: 1.007–1.101, p = 0.024) and ischemic stroke (IS) (OR = 1.06%, 95% CI: 1.019–1.103, p = 0.004). Conversely, cathepsin L2 decreases the risk of chronic heart failure (CHF) (OR = 0.922%, 95% CI: 0.859–0.99, p = 0.025) and atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR = 0.956%, 95% CI: 0.918–0.996, p = 0.033). Cathepsin O was associated with an increased risk of IS (OR = 1.054%, 95% CI: 1.008–1.102, p = 0.021) and AF (OR = 1.058%, 95% CI: 1.02–1.098, p = 0.002).Conclusion: Our MR analysis reveals that cathepsin E is a risk factor for MI and IS, cathepsin L2 offers protective effects against CHF and AF, and cathepsin O increases the risk for IS and AF.

Background and aimsPatients with relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma(r/r aBCL)who progressed after CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CD19CART) had a poor prognosis. Application of CAR T-cells targeting a second different antigen (CD20) expressed on the surface of B-cell lymphoma as subsequent anti-cancer salvage therapy (CD20-SD-CART) is also an option. This study aimed to evaluate the survival outcome of CD20-SD-CART as a salvage therapy for CD19 CART treatment failure.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with aBCL after the failure of CD19 CART treatment at Beijing Gobroad Boren Hospital from December 2019 to May 2022. Patients were subsequently treated with CD20CART therapy or non-CART therapy (polatuzumab or non-polatuzumab).ResultsA total of 93 patients were included in the study, with 54 patients receiving CD20-SD-CART therapy. After a median follow-up of 18.54 months, the CD20-SD-CART group demonstrated significantly longer median progression-free survival (4.04 months vs. 2.27 months, p=0.0032) and median overall survival (8.15 months vs. 3.02 months, p

Abstract Background In December 2022, a large‐scale epidemic occurred in China due to Omicron variant of SARS‐CoV‐2. This study explored risk factors for Omicron infection in transplant recipients at our institution and investigated the factors influencing the severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron infection among recipients of allo‐HSCT. Methods This single‐center study investigated totally 63 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients infected with Omicron variant at the Beijing GoBroad Boren Hospital Transplant Center during December 2022 and analyzed their risk factors. Results The study included 63 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients who developed Omicron infection. There were 34 mild and 29 moderate to severe cases. Their median age was 22 years (range, 1–65 years), with the male‐to‐female ratio being 1:1.1. Acute myeloid leukemia (53.97%), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (42.86%), and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (3.17%) were underlying diseases. The median time between HCT and Omicron infection was 8.45 months. Significant predictive factors for moderate to severe Omicron infection included older age (p

The use of anti-inflammatory peptides (AIPs) as an alternative therapeutic approach for inflammatory diseases holds great research significance. Due to the high cost and difficulty in identifying AIPs with experimental methods, the discovery and design of peptides by computational methods before the experimental stage have become promising technology. In this study, we present BertAIP, a bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT)-based method for predicting AIPs directly from their amino acid sequence without using any other information. BertAIP implements a BERT model to extract features of a protein, and uses a fully connected feed-forward network for AIP classification. It was constructed and evaluated using the AIP datasets that were reconstructed from the latest Immune Epitope Database. The experimental results showed that BertAIP achieved an accuracy of 0.751 and a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.451, which were higher than other commonly used methods. The results of the independent test suggested that BertAIP outperformed the existing AIP predictors. In addition, to enhance the interpretability of BertAIP, we explored and visualized the amino acids that the model considered important for AIP prediction. We believe that the BertAIP proposed herein will be a useful tool for large-scale screening and identifying novel AIPs for drug development and therapeutic research related to inflammatory diseases.

Abstract Bacteria have evolved various response systems to adapt to environmental stress. A protease-based derepression mechanism in response to DNA damage was characterized in Deinococcus, which is controlled by the specific cleavage of repressor DdrO by metallopeptidase PprI (also called IrrE). Despite the efforts to document the biochemical, physiological, and downstream regulation of PprI-DdrO, the upstream regulatory signal activating this system remains unclear. Here, we show that single-stranded DNA physically interacts with PprI protease, which enhances the PprI-DdrO interactions as well as the DdrO cleavage in a length-dependent manner both in vivo and in vitro. Structures of PprI, in its apo and complexed forms with single-stranded DNA, reveal two DNA-binding interfaces shaping the cleavage site. Moreover, we show that the dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium of PprI is also important for its cleavage activity. Our data provide evidence that single-stranded DNA could serve as the signal for DNA damage sensing in the metalloprotease/repressor system in bacteria. These results also shed light on the survival and acquired drug resistance of certain bacteria under antimicrobial stress through a SOS-independent pathway.

Abstract Upcycling of CO2 into fuels by virtually unlimited solar energy provides an ultimate solution for addressing the substantial challenges of energy crisis and climate change. In this work, we report an efficient nanostructured Ru/MnOx catalyst composed of well-defined Ru/MnO/Mn3O4 for photo-thermal catalytic CO2 hydrogenation to CH4, which is the result of a combination of external heating and irradiation. Remarkably, under relatively mild conditions of 200 °C, a considerable CH4 production rate of 166.7 mmol g−1 h−1 was achieved with a superior selectivity of 99.5% at CO2 conversion of 66.8%. The correlative spectroscopic and theoretical investigations suggest that the yield of CH4 is enhanced by coordinating photon energy with thermal energy to reduce the activation energy of reaction and promote formation of key intermediate COOH* species over the catalyst. This work opens up a new strategy for CO2 hydrogenation toward CH4.

Abstract Magnetic skyrmions have great potential for developing novel spintronic devices. The electrical manipulation of skyrmions has mainly relied on current-induced spin-orbit torques. Recently, it was suggested that the skyrmions could be more efficiently manipulated by surface acoustic waves (SAWs), an elastic wave that can couple with magnetic moment via the magnetoelastic effect. Here, by designing on-chip piezoelectric transducers that produce propagating SAW pulses, we experimentally demonstrate the directional motion of Néel-type skyrmions in Ta/CoFeB/MgO/Ta multilayers. We find that the shear horizontal wave effectively drives the motion of skyrmions, whereas the elastic wave with longitudinal and shear vertical displacements (Rayleigh wave) cannot produce the motion of skyrmions. A longitudinal motion along the SAW propagation direction and a transverse motion due to topological charge are simultaneously observed and further confirmed by our micromagnetic simulations. This work demonstrates that acoustic waves could be another promising approach for manipulating skyrmions, which could offer new opportunities for ultra-low power skyrmionics.

Abstract The poor dispersibility of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) is considered to be the main drawback limiting their application in anti-corrosive coatings. In this work, the problem is solved by combining LDHs with graphene (Gr). A facile electrochemically assisted deposition technique (EAT) is developed to prepare Gr/LDH micro/nano-containers. The high-barrier Gr and LDHs synergistically build a ‘labyrinth effect’ to lengthen the diffusion path of corrosive mediums. Moreover, corrosion inhibitors can be released from the interlayer galleries of LDHs and impede corrosion of metal substrate by substituting the aggressive ions. Therefore, the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) coatings doped with Gr/LDH micro/nano-containers pre-loaded with inhibitors 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) have both passive and active corrosion protection properties and provide excellent protection to copper substrate.