Search

Background: Although several studies have demonstrated a link between obesity and cognitive function, the majority have primarily utilized body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, ignoring the distribution of body fat. Evidence regarding the association of metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF), a proposed measurement for visceral adipose tissue (VAT), with cognitive function remains limited. We mainly aimed to investigate this association in older adults in the United States., Methodology: Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011 to 2014. Weighted linear regression models were adopted to examine the association of METS-VF and cognitive function scores, with further exploration of these associations across different obesity subgroups. Smoothing curve analysis, along with threshold and saturation effect analysis, were conducted to explore potential non-linear relationships., Results: In the multivariable-adjusted model, participants in the highest quartile (Quartile 4) of METS-VF exhibited a β coefficient of -1.52 [95% CI (-2.43, -0.62)] for the CERAD score compared with those in the lowest quartile (Quartile 1). Threshold and saturation effect analysis revealed non-linear associations of METS-VF with DSST score and Z-score., Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that elevated METS-VF scores are inversely related to cognitive function, highlighting the importance of considering visceral fat distribution in cognitive health assessments.

Recent progress in materials chemistry has resulted in the development of several ceramic materials that are now being used in dental implants. The advantages of ceramic materials over conventional metallic materials are that they do not induce allergic reactions in individuals with metal allergies, they do not interfere with magnetic resonance imaging, and they provide improved esthetics. In addition, some ceramic materials are tougher than metallic materials and less brittle. However, despite these advantages, few ceramic dental implant materials are currently approved for use in Japan. In FY2022, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan commissioned a project called the "Project for the Development of a Guideline for the Evaluation of Ceramic Dental Implants," the goal of which was to consider how best to facilitate swift clinical development and approval of emerging ceramic dental implant materials. At a meeting of experts from professional societies, related industry organizations, and government agencies, the issues related to evaluation of the efficacy and safety of ceramic implant were discussed. Here, we summarize the outcomes of that meeting as a set of principles for the premarketing evaluation of ceramic dental implant materials in Japan., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Conflict of interest: Eiichi Hirose and Kiyoshi Watanabe are employees of PLATON JAPAN and GC CORPORATION, respectively. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated immune disease. Iguratimod (IGU) is a novel immunomodulatory agent for rheumatoid arthritis. No studies have been reported on the mechanism of IGU in the treatment of OLP, which deserves investigation., Methods: Samples were collected from two batches of non-erosive OLP, erosive OLP (EOLP) patients and healthy control subjects. In the first batch, the effects of IGU or the same volume of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on proliferation, apoptosis and migration of peripheral blood T lymphocytes (PBL T) were examined by CCK-8, flow cytometry and transwell assay respectively. The levels of IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, TGF-β and IL-10 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the second batch, the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells were determined by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after IGU or DMSO stimulation., Results: Compared with the control, IGU promoted apoptosis and inhibited migration, but had no significant effect on the proliferation of PBL T in OLP. IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α were decreased in OLP. TGF-β and IL-10 showed an upward trend in the IGU-treated EOLP. IGU decreased Th17 in OLP and reduced Th17/Treg ratio in EOLP. The percentage of Treg cells showed an upregulated trend but the difference was not statistically significant., Conclusion: IGU may intervene in the immune response of OLP by affecting functions of PBL T, improving the balance of Th17/Treg and regulating related cytokines., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Sophora flavescens Aiton (Fabaceae), a ubiquitous plant species in Asia, contains a wide range of pharmacologically active compounds, such as flavonoids, with potential anti-Alzheimer's disease (anti-AD) effects., Objectives: The objective of the study is to develop a quaternity method for the screening, isolation, extraction optimization, and activity evaluation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibiting compounds from S. flavescens to realize high-throughput screening of active substances in traditional Chinese medicine and to provide experimental data for the development of anti-AD drugs., Methods: With AChE as the target molecule, affinity ultrafiltration and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were applied to screen for potential inhibitors of the enzyme in S. flavescens. Orthogonal array experiments combined with the multi-objective Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III was used for the first time to optimize the process for extracting the active substances. Enzyme inhibition kinetics and molecular docking studies were performed to verify the potential anti-AD effects of the active compounds., Results: Five AChE-inhibiting compounds were identified: kushenol I, kurarinone, sophoraflavanone G, isokurarinone, and kushenol E. These were successfully separated at purities of 72.88%, 98.55%, 96.86%, 96.74%, and 95.84%, respectively, using the n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (4.0/5.0/4.0/5.0, v/v/v/v), n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (5.0/5.0/6.0/4.0, v/v/v/v), and n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (4.9/5.1/5.7/4.3, v/v/v/v) mobile phase systems. Enzyme inhibition kinetics revealed that kushenol E had the best inhibitory effect., Conclusion: This study elucidates the mechanism of action of five active AChE inhibitors in S. flavescens and provides a theoretical basis for the screening and development of anti-AD and other therapeutic drugs., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To investigate the potential of computed tomography (CT) images of median palatine suture (MP) for adult age estimation in the Northern and Southwestern Chinese populations. A total of 1110 cranial CT scans from individuals aged 10-79 years, including 557 northern Chinese and 553 southwestern Chinese, were collected for analysis. After volume reformation and multiplanar reconstruction, a total of 20 slices of median palatine suture were selected from each individual. The closure of sutures was analyzed into four stages, and the cumulative scores of 20 slices were recorded as the suture closure score (SCS). The correlations between SCS and age were compared among the two Chinese populations residing in diverse geographic regions. Regression models were established for age estimation. The estimation accuracy was evaluated based on the test set. The mean absolute error (MAE) and the correlation between predicted age and chronological age were calculated to evaluate estimation accuracy. The SCS of MP exhibited a significant correlation with age (0.613, northern male; 0.678, southwestern male; 0.730, northern female; 0.704, Southwestern female; 0.662, total). Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in SCS among different regions and sex groups (p < 0.001). The cubic regression model had the highest R2 value in all subjects, especially among Northern females and Southwestern males, while the power and quadratic regression models showed the highest R2 value in Northern males and Southwestern females, respectively. In the test set, the Northern cohort demonstrated a lower MAE (9.06 ± 7.32 years, males; 9.17 ± 5.28 years, females) compared to the Southwestern cohort (9.19 ± 7.49 years, male; 10.61 ± 6.83 years, female). Additionally, it was observed that males exhibited a lower MAE than females in both regional groups. This study demonstrated the potential utility of CT images of the MP for age estimation in Chinese populations, emphasizing the significance of incorporating regional and sex factors within this context., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of Sichuan University. Informed consent: Informed consent was waived because of the retrospective nature. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Research involving human participants and/or animals: Human participants only. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The development of a novel multifunctional adsorbent for the sensitive detection and capture of antibiotic residues in environmental and food samples presents a significant challenge. In this study, we synthesized a pioneering nanocomposite, ILs@PC, by encapsulating task-specific ionic liquids (ILs) within nitrogen-doped porous carbon (PC) derived from metal-triazolate frameworks. This ILs@PC nanocomposite functions as a multifunctional adsorbent in dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE), enabling simultaneous sorptive removal, sensitive detection, and molecular sieve selection. The ILs@PC demonstrated enhanced adsorption efficiency and sensitivity for sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) compared to the pristine PC, attributed to the nanoconfinement effect of the ILs and the influence of pore volume on this effect. When integrated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the ILs@PC-based DSPE method achieved a detection limit of 0.75-1.88 μg L -1 for SAs, along with satisfactory recoveries of 86.0 %-111.9 %. Additionally, a portable syringe device was developed to facilitate rapid on-site extraction and enrichment of SAs. The practicality of this method was validated through its successful application in detecting SAs in real samples, including lake water and milk. This approach highlights its potential for efficient and rapid monitoring of antibiotic residues in both environmental and food systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The performance of blue devices utilizing perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) has lagged remarkably behind that of green light-emitting diodes because of low luminescence quantum yields and poor spectral stability. Here, benefiting from the rapid and short diffusion paths within the nanosized silicalite-1 (N-Si-1) zeolite (∼40 nm) channels, CsPbBr 3 PQDs encapsulated within N-Si-1 show a high dispersion with an ultrasmall particle size of ∼2.38 nm and a blue emission of 474 nm with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 44.4%. Subsequently, the surface hydrophobization of CsPbBr 3 -N-Si-1 using octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS) enables ultrastable blue luminescence. A white-light-emitting diode (WLED) device with CIE color coordinates (0.31, 0.28) was constructed by combining CsPbBr 3 -M (blue), CsPbBr 3 -N-Si-1 (green), and KSF:Mn 4+ phosphor (red) on a 365 nm chip. This work introduces a feasible strategy to modulate the emission of CsPbBr 3 PQDs through a strong confinement effect within a hydrophobic nanozeolite matrix, offering promising applications in backlight displays.

Objectives: Subclinical myocardial involvement is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but differences between new onset and longstanding SLE are not fully elucidated. This study compared myocardial involvement in new onset versus longstanding SLE using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)., Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 24 drug-naïve new onset SLE patients, 27 longstanding SLE patients, and 20 healthy controls. All participants underwent clinical evaluation and CMR examination. We analyzed left ventricular (LV) morphological, functional parameters, and tissue characterization parameters: native T1, T2, extracellular volume fraction (ECV), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)., Results: Both new onset and longstanding SLE groups showed elevated native T1, T2, and ECV values compared to the control group (all P < 0.05). Additionally, the new onset SLE group exhibited higher T2 values compared to the longstanding SLE group [55.3 vs. 52.8 ms, P < 0.05]. The new onset group also demonstrated higher left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVi), LV end-systolic volume index (LVSVi), and LV mass index (LVMi) than controls (all P < 0.05), with LVEDVi significantly higher than in the longstanding group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: CMR tissue characterization imaging can detect early myocardial involvement in patients with new onset and longstanding SLE. Patients with new onset SLE exhibit more pronounced myocardial edema than those with longstanding SLE. This suggests that SLE patients are at risk of myocardial damage at various stages of the disease, underscoring the need for early monitoring and long-term management to prevent the progression of myocardial remodeling., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: Previous research has suggested a link between the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and metabolic disorder; however, the findings have been inconsistent. To date, the majority of metabolomics studies have focused on AD, resulting in a relative paucity of research on early-stage conditions such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) underexplored. In this study, we employed a comprehensive platform for the early screening of individuals with MCI using high-throughput targeted metabolomics., Method: We included 171 participants including 124 individuals with MCI and 47 healthy subjects. Univariate statistical analysis was conducted using t -tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, with p -values corrected by the Benjamini-Hochberg method. The screening criteria were set at FDR < 0.05 and fold change (FC) > 1.5 or < 0.67. Multivariate analysis was performed using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), where differential metabolites were identified based on variable influence on projection (VIP) scores (VIP > 1 and FDR < 0.05). Random forest analysis was used to further evaluate the ability of the metabolic data to distinguish effectively between the two groups., Results: A total of 14 differential metabolites were identified, leading to the discovery of a biomarker panel consisting of three plasma metabolites including uric acid, pyruvic acid and isolithocholic acid that effectively distinguished MCI patients from healthy subjects., Discussion: These findings have provided a comprehensive metabolic profile, offering valuable insights into the early prediction and understanding of the pathogenic processes underlying MCI. This study holds the potential for advancing early detection and intervention strategies for MCI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Meng, Cheng, Qu, Song, Zhang, Zeng, Zhang and Li.)

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been suggested to play paradoxical roles in patients with heart failure. The role of EAT in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients remains unclear. We aimed to assess the associations between the dynamic changes EAT and left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) in DCM patients based on baseline and follow-up CMR., Methods: In this prospective study, we consecutive enrolled DCM patients with baseline and follow-up cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examinations. All participating patients underwent 1-2 years of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) at follow-up. The EAT was measured as pericardial and epicardial fat thickness, and paracardial fat volume, while the abdominal adiposity was measured in terms of subcutaneous and visceral fat thickness. The univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of changes in abdominal and epicardial adiposities with the presence of LVRR., Results: A total of 232 patients (mean age, 45.7 ± 15.1 years, 157 male) at baseline were enrolled. After a period of GDMT with a median duration of 15.5 months (interquartile range, 12.5-19.1 months) all participants underwent follow-up CMR with the same standardized protocol. Patients who reached LVRR showed a significant increment in EAT parameters compared to those who did not. After adjusting for age, sex, and delta changes of body mass index (BMI), the increment of pericardial fat thickness (odds ratio [OR]: 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27 to 1.83; p < 0.001), epicardial fat thickness (OR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.68 to 2.63; p < 0.001), and paracardial fat volume (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.02; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with LVRR., Conclusions: In DCM patients, the CMR-derived EAT parameters increased after 1-2 years of GDMT and significantly correlated with improved ventricular structure and function, independent of changes in BMI and abdominal adiposity, which may indicate the potential protective role of EAT in DCM patients., Trial Registration: URL: https://www., Clinicaltrials: gov ; Unique identifier: ChiCTR1800017058., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of West China Hospital and has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; ID: ChiCTR1800017058). All procedures were carried out following the Declaration of Helsinki (2000), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The development of lanthanide-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) using for luminescence sensing and selective gas adsorption applications is of great significance from an energy and environmental perspective. This study reports the solvothermal synthesis of a fluorine-functionalized 3D microporous Tb-MOF with a face-centered cubic ( fcu ) topology constructed from hexanuclear clusters (Tb 6 O 30 ) bridged by fdpdc ligands, formulated as {[Tb 6 (fdpdc) 6 ( μ 3 -OH) 8 (H 2 O) 6 ]·4DMF} n ( 1 ), (fdpdc = 3-fluorobiphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate). Complex 1 displays a 3D framework with the channel of 7.2 × 7.2 Å 2 (measured between opposite atoms) perpendicular to the a -axis. With respect to Ba 2+ cation, the framework of activated 1 ( 1a ) exhibits high selectivity and reversibility in luminescence sensing function, with an LOD of 4.34665 mM. According to the results of simulations, compared to other small gas molecules (CO 2 , N 2 , H 2 , CO, and CH 4 ), activated 1 ( 1a ) shows a high adsorption selectivity for C 2 H 2 at 298 K.

Pathogenic long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) secrete autoreactive antibodies, exacerbating autoimmune diseases and complicating solid organ transplantation. Targeted elimination of the autoreactive B cell pool represents a promising therapeutic strategy, yet current treatment modalities fall short in depleting mature PCs. Here, we demonstrate that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, targeting B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) utilizing a split-receptor design, offer a controlled and effective therapeutic strategy against LLPCs. Dimerizing agent-regulated immune-receptor complex (DARIC) T cells demonstrated robust rapamycin-dependent targeting of tumor and PCs. Notably, in humanized mouse models, DARIC T cells regulated peripheral human immunoglobulin levels through specific elimination of human LLPCs from the bone marrow. Furthermore, DARIC constructs were efficiently integrated into the T cell receptor α constant (TRAC) locus while maintaining potent antigen-specific cytotoxicity. These findings underscore the potential of split-receptor CAR T cells in autoimmune and transplant medicine, highlighting their versatility in applications beyond oncology., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests A.A. was a previous employee of 2seventy Bio and is a current employee of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals., (Copyright © 2024 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful diagnostic tool for assessing cardiac structure and function. Traditional breath-held imaging protocols, however, pose challenges for patients with arrhythmias or limited breath-holding capacity. We introduce Motion-Guided Deep Image prior (M-DIP), a novel unsupervised reconstruction framework for accelerated real-time cardiac MRI. M-DIP employs a spatial dictionary to synthesize a time-dependent template image, which is further refined using time-dependent deformation fields that model cardiac and respiratory motion. Unlike prior DIP-based methods, M-DIP simultaneously captures physiological motion and frame-to-frame content variations, making it applicable to a wide range of dynamic applications. We validate M-DIP using simulated MRXCAT cine phantom data as well as free-breathing real-time cine and single-shot late gadolinium enhancement data from clinical patients. Comparative analyses against state-of-the-art supervised and unsupervised approaches demonstrate M-DIP's performance and versatility. M-DIP achieved better image quality metrics on phantom data, as well as higher reader scores for in-vivo patient data.

Osteoporosis (OP) is a globally prevalent bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and heightened fracture risk, posing a significant health and economic challenge to aging societies worldwide. Osteoimmunology-an emerging field of study-investigates the intricate relationship between the skeletal and the immune systems, providing insights into the immune system's impact on bone health and disease progression. Recent research has demonstrated the essential roles played by various immune cells (T cells, B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells, granulocytes, and innate lymphoid cells) in regulating bone metabolism, homeostasis, formation, and remodeling through interactions with osteoclasts (OC) and osteoblasts (OB). These findings underscore that osteoimmunology provides an essential theoretical framework for understanding the pathogenesis of various skeletal disorders, including OP. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its active ingredients have significant clinical value in OP treatment. Unfortunately, despite their striking multieffect pathways in the pharmacological field, current research has not yet summarized them in a comprehensive and detailed manner with respect to their interventional roles in immune bone diseases, especially OP. Consequently, this review addresses recent studies on the mechanisms by which immune cells and their communication molecules contribute to OP development. Additionally, it explores the potential therapeutic benefits of TCM and its active components in treating OP from the perspective of osteoimmunology. The objective is to provide a comprehensive framework that enhances the understanding of the therapeutic mechanisms of TCM in treating immune-related bone diseases and to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Drought and cold stresses co-occur in nature, and significantly limited agricultural productivity in northwest China. Their effects on plant photosynthesis, physiology and biochemistry, and microstructure have been extensively studied, but their combined stress mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, growth chamber experiments were conducted using the Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) with the 'HZ' and 'ZQ' germplasms, our goal was to clarify the responses of leaves to cold (C), drought (D), and combined (D&C) stresses in the morphology, photosynthesis, physiology and biochemistry, and microstructure. The results showed that three stress types significantly suppressed growth, reduced photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic capacity, and photosynthetic enzyme activities, with 'ZQ' being more sensitive than 'HZ'. C stress (12/36 h) improved chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in 'HZ' (except for photochemical quenching coefficient), while D and D&C stresses diminished these parameters of both germplasms. Under single and combined stresses, leaf thickness and cuticle thickness generally increased then decreased with stress duration, except for 'ZQ' under D stress. D stress increased reactive oxygen species, relative conductivity, malondialdehyde content and stomatal density, while inhibited stomatal size. Conversely, C stress exacerbated the negative effects of drought on these traits. The D&C stress enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and proline content, which were similar to the responses to D stress, except for 'ZQ' under D&C stress. After 24 h of stress relief, the recoveries degree of most traits in plant under D and D&C stresses were similar, with 'HZ' recovering more than 'ZQ'. This study indicated drought played a dominant role in combined stress. However, some unique responses could not be inferred from the superimposed effects of some single stresses., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Juanxia Li reports was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31560667). Juanxia Li reports was provided by Gansu Forestry and Grassland Bureau Grassland Ecological Restoration and Management Science and Technology Support Project (GSLC-2020-3). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the separate and joint association between snoring and total sleep duration with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in both genders within Chinese rural community., Methods: The Henan Rural Cohort Study included a total of 28093 participants. Data on snoring and total sleep duration were obtained through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Binary logistic regression was employed to assess the correlation between snoring and total sleep duration with T2DM., Results: The prevalences of T2DM were 8.53% in males and 9.27% in females. Males exhibited a higher prevalence of snoring (34.90%) compared to females (22.42%), and the median of total sleep duration was also longer in males (8.83 h) than in females (8.67 h), respectively (P < 0.001). Females who snored had an adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for T2DM of 1.19 (1.06, 1.35) when contrasted with non-snorers. Compared with optimal total sleep duration (6-8 h), longer total sleep duration (≥ 8 h) increased the prevalence of T2DM by 17% (95%CI: 3%, 32%) in females. Additionally, the participants with shorter total sleep duration (< 6 h) and snoring have the highest risk of T2DM, with an increase of 91% (95%CI: 20%, 204%) than those with optimal total sleep duration and non-snorers in females. These significant associations were not found in males., Conclusions: Snoring and longer total sleep duration independently elevated the prevalence of T2DM. Meantime, a synergistic relationship was observed between snoring and total sleep duration with a higher prevalence of T2DM. These associations exhibited gender-specific differences., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethical approval All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were approved by the ethics committee of Zhengzhou University (Code: [2015] MEC (S128)), and were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration. Consent to participate The informed consent from every participant was obtained before the onset of the study. Consent for publication All authors have approved the final version for publication. Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The healing of diabetic wounds (DW) is challenging due to the complex microenvironment, manifesting severe bacterial infections, persistent inflammation, and excessive oxidative stress. Therefore, overcoming these impediments to restore the wound microenvironment to a normal state is critical points and challenges in the development of effective DW dressings. Herein, a B/TF hydrogel was developed in our study using Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP), borax, and the tannic acid/ferric iron (TA/Fe 3+ ) complex. The crosslinking of the hydrogel constructed by dynamic borate bonds not only impart remarkable physical properties to the hydrogel, but also exhibited responsive release of BSP and TA/Fe 3+ complex to pH and glucose levels. Incorporating the TA/Fe 3+ complex provided notable near-infrared (NIR) photothermal properties to the hydrogel, thereby demonstrating significant photothermal antibacterial activity and antioxidant capability. Additionally, the B/TF hydrogel effectively regulated the transformation of macrophages from the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Animal experiments have also effectively confirmed that the treatment with B/TF hydrogel combined with NIR radiation promoted the regeneration of skin tissue in DW. In summary, the developed multifunctional B/TF hydrogel showed advantages and met clinical requirements for treating DW., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Solvent flotation primarily relies on the variations in the activity of substances to adsorb target compounds onto the surface of bubbles, thereby facilitating the process of separation and extraction. This technology has the advantages of high separation efficiency, gentle process, and simple operation, making it widely applicable across various fields. This article reviews relevant research from the past decade to analyze the factors influencing this technology. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive overview of its applications in detecting organic matter in environmental samples and extracting bioactive compounds from natural products, while also anticipating upcoming trends in its development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid formation requires fatty acid desaturase (FADS), which is strongly linked to cancer progression. Nevertheless, it's unclear how FADS3 functions in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)., Methods: HNSCC cases were retrieved from TCGA and GEO databases, and FADS members with transcriptionally differential expression were identified. Clinical survival, tumor microenvironment (TME), and potential pathogenic mechanism in HNSCC were also investigated. These results were validated using tissue staining, flow cytometry and functional studies in HNSCC cell lines., Results: When comparing HNSCC to normal epithelial tissues, FADS3 expression was much higher in the former. FADS3 upregulation was correlated with poor clinical outcomes. FADS3 was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival in HNSCC patients. KEGG, GO, and GSEA revealed that FADS3 expression correlated with several immune-related pathways and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Knocking down FADS3 restrained HNSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT. Single-cell dataset analysis showed an association between FADS3 and TME features. Further investigation revealed that FADS3 high tumor was accompanied with less CD8 + T cells in situ tissue and peripheral blood. FADS3 was positively correlated with immune-related molecules and could predict the adverse efficacy of immunotherapy. Finally, we constructed a CYTOR/hsa-let-7c-5p axis regulating FADS3 expression in HNSCC progression., Conclusions: FADS3 may represent a target for treatment in HNSCC, which is linked to prognosis, EMT, immune infiltration, and ceRNA regulatory network of HNSCC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is gradually increasing in the elderly population. At the same time, frailty has become one of the research hotspots in the field of geriatrics. Bibliometric analyses help to understand the direction of a field. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the status and emerging trends of frailty in CKD patients., Data and Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was screened for relevant literature published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2021. Next, publications were analyzed for information including authors, journals, cited references, citing journals, institutions, countries and regions, high-frequency keywords and co-citations using VOSviewer, Microsoft Excel, and R software., Results: A total of 2223 articles were obtained, from which 613 relevant articles were selected based on title and abstract screening. There was an upward trend in the number of annual publications and Johansen KL was considered the most contributing author in the field. The Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology was the most productive research journal. Johns Hopkins University is the most published organization. The United States is the global leader in the field and contributes the most to research. Research hotspots focus on epidemiological studies of frailty and frailty intervention., Conclusions: This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of CKD and frailty research. Key findings highlight the current focus on early screening and assessment of frailty in CKD patients, as well as physical function interventions in frail patients.

Objectives: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a hybrid procedure that allows reversal of blood flow away from the brain while placing a stent through direct surgical access of the common carotid artery. It has been shown to have a lower risk of perioperative stroke compared with any prospective trial of transfemoral carotid artery stenting. However, intraoperative injuries related to the procedure and its management are not well characterized. One of the intraoperative complications seen in TCAR is iatrogenic carotid artery dissection (CD). We aim to add qualitative insight in further characterizing CDs and its management in this emerging technology., Methods: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database for surveillance of all medical devices approved for use. This database was queried for all cases associated with Silk Road Medical's ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System from September 2016 to October 2020. Case narratives related to CD were individually analyzed to determine time of injury (intraoperative, recovery, and post-discharge follow-up). CD reporting was further analyzed for the associated procedural event at the time of injury, number of access attempts to CD repair, and type of CD repair. Reports associated with CD repair were further categorized into endovascular repair and open surgical repair., Results: Of the 115 unique adverse events in the database, there were 58 CDs. Most were identified intraoperatively ( n = 55), while three were incidentally found postoperatively. Overall, sheath placement was the most common procedural event attributed to CD ( N = 34). There was adequate narrative information about CD repair in 54 patients. Intraoperative repair was performed in 52 cases and two were repaired after post-discharge follow-up imaging was performed.Among CDs that did not require additional access to engage the true lumen, the proportion of endovascular repair (62.5%) was significantly higher ( p = .044) compared to the proportion of open surgical repair (37.5%). However, the proportion of open surgical repair (75%) was significantly higher than the proportion of endovascular repair (25%) in CDs with persistent failure to engage the true lumen despite ≥2 access attempts ( p = .039)., Conclusion: CD is the most common injury related to TCAR as reported on MAUDE. The most commonly reported procedural event associated with CD was sheath placement. The rate of intraoperative endovascular and open surgical CD repair was associated with whether the access to the true lumen of the carotid artery required additional access attempts or not. This should add qualitative insight among the vascular surgery community regarding intraoperative management of CDs from a TCAR procedure., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Electroreduction of Cr(VI) coupled with in-situ precipitation of Cr(III) on the cathode is a promising method for removing Cr(VI) from wastewaters. However, the influence of coexisting anions in wastewaters on the electrochemical removal process remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of common inorganic anions, including nitrate (NO 3 - ), chloride (Cl - ), phosphate (PO 4 3- ) and sulfate (SO 4 2- ), on the electrochemical removal processes of Cr(VI). The results indicated that HCrO 4 - was directly electrochemically reduced to Cr 3+ , and the OH - generated through electro-mediated water reduction could complex with Cr 3+ , thereby transforming Cr 3+ into chromium hydroxide (Cr(OH) 3 ) coated at cathode. Coexisting anions would partially penetrate the alkaline Cr(III) complexes, inhibiting the formation of Cr(OH) 3 passivation layer and promoting the electroreduction of Cr(VI), whose penetration ability followed the order of SO 4 2-  > PO 4 3-  > Cl -  > NO 3 - . Both the inhibitory effect on Cr(III) precipitation and promoting effect on Cr(VI) reduction were intensified with increasing concentrations of these anions in the range of 1-100 mmol L -1 . Accordingly, after electrolysis of 10 mg L -1 Cr(VI) at an initial pH of 3.0 and -0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), the highest electrochemical reduction ratio of Cr(VI) (99.9%) was achieved in the presence of 100 mmol L -1 SO 4 2- , while the total Cr removal ratio was minimal (3.3%). In contrast, the presence of NO 3 - at 1 mmol L -1 resulted in a nearly lowest reduction ratio of Cr(VI) (92.9%), with the maximum total Cr removal ratio (92.8%). These findings provide new insights into the electrochemical removal mechanisms of Cr(VI) in complex solution environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The orographic evolution of the Himalaya-Tibet Mountain system continues to be a subject of controversy, leading to considerable uncertainty regarding the environment and surface elevation of the Tibetan Plateau during the Cenozoic era. As many geoscientific (but not paleontological) studies suggest, elevations close to modern heights exist in vast areas of Tibet since at least the late Paleogene, implicating the presence of large-scale alpine environments for more than 30 million years. To explore a recently proposed alternative model that assumes a warm temperate environment across paleo-Tibet, we carried out a phylogeographic survey using genomic analyses of samples covering the range of endemic lazy toads (Scutiger) across the Himalaya-Tibet orogen. We identified two main clades, with several, geographically distinct subclades. The long temporal gap between the stem and crown age of Scutiger may suggest high extinction rates. Diversification within the crown group, depending on the calibration, occurred either from the Mid-Miocene or Late-Miocene and continued until the Holocene. The present-day Himalayan Scutiger fauna could have evolved from lineages that existed on the southern edges of the paleo-Tibetan area (the Transhimalaya = Gangdese Shan), while extant species living on the eastern edge of the Plateau originated probably from the eastern edges of northern parts of the ancestral Tibetan area (Hoh Xil, Tanggula Shan). Based on the Mid-Miocene divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction, we propose that uplift-associated aridification of a warm temperate Miocene-Tibet, coupled with high extirpation rates of ancestral populations, and species range shifts along drainage systems and epigenetic transverse valleys of the rising mountains, is a plausible scenario explaining the phylogenetic structure of Scutiger. This hypothesis aligns with the fossil record but conflicts with geoscientific concepts of high elevated Tibetan Plateau since the late Paleogene. Considering a Late-Miocene/Pliocene divergence time, an alternative scenario of dispersal from SE Asia into the East, Central, and West Himalaya cannot be excluded, although essential evolutionary and biogeographic aspects remain unresolved within this model., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Differentiation of the cause of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is challenging in cases with co-existing hypertension. CMR offers assessment of diffuse myocardial abnormalities via T1 mapping with extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and macroscopic fibrosis via late gadolinium enhancement imaging (LGE). The goal of the study was to understand if CMR parameters can differentiate hypertensive cardiomyopathy (HC) from cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in patients with hypertension and heart failure, using endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) as the gold standard., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with hypertension, LVH, and heart failure undergoing EMB due to uncertain diagnosis. CMR parameters including cine, LGE characteristics, T1 mapping, and ECV were analyzed., Results: A total of 34 patients were included (mean age 66.5 ± 10.7 years, 79.4% male). The final EMB-based diagnosis was HC (10, 29%), light chain (AL) CA (7, 21%), and transthyretin (ATTR) CA (17, 50%). There was a significant difference in subendocardial LGE (p = 0.03) and number of AHA segments with subendocardial LGE (p = 0.005). The subendocardial LGE pattern was most common in AL-CA (85.7%) and African American with HC (80%). ECV elevation (≥ 29%) was present in all patients with CA (AL-CA: 57.6 ± 5.2%, ATTR-CA: 59.1 ± 15.3%) and HC (37.3 ± 4.5%)., Conclusions: Extensive subendocardial LGE pattern is not pathognomonic for CA but might also be present in African American patients with longstanding or poorly controlled HTN. The ECV elevation in HC with HF might be more significant than previously reported with an overlap of ECV values in HC and CA, particularly in younger African American patients., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Urushiol is recognized as a sustainable coating material with superior properties; however, it faces significant challenges in applications such as petrochemicals and marine engineering due to surface oil contamination. This study aimed to enhance the cleanability of urushiol-based coatings through hydrophilic modification. Polyethylene glycol monooleate (PEGMO) was identified as an appropriate hydrophilic macromonomer and utilized as a modifier to develop a novel urushiol-based coating, termed P(U-PEGMO), via thermal curing. The results indicated that copolymerization occurred between urushiol and PEGMO during the curing process, forming a stable urushiol copolymer with favorable compatibility. The incorporation of PEGMO greatly improved the surface hydrophilicity of the coatings, as evidenced by a reduction in the water contact angle to below 30° when the modifier content reached 30% or higher, demonstrating a high degree of surface hydrophilicity. This enhanced property imparted the modified coating with underwater superoleophobicity and reduced oil adhesion, thereby facilitating the removal of oil. The cleaning performance was evaluated using a simple water rinsing method, after which, less than 2.5 wt% of oil residues remained on the surface of the modified coating. The high hydrophilicity is considered responsible for the coating's easy-cleaning capability. In addition, the modified coatings exhibited improved flexibility and impact resistance, albeit with a slight decrease in hardness.

Background: Fabry disease (FD) usually mimics hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Decreased native T1 mapping and a unique late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) pattern by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging are specific imaging markers for FD., Purpose: Explore the performance of multiparametric CMR imaging in screening for FD in patients with a HCM phenotype., Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort of 602 patients with a HCM phenotype was assessed from April 2012 to December 2022. Participants underwent CMR imaging and genetic testing. FD diagnosis was according to genetic testing and enzyme-activity test of α-galactosidase A. Multiparameter CMR imaging included cardiac function, native T1 mapping, extracellular volume (ECV), T2 mapping, LGE, and myocardial strains. Diagnostic performance of CMR parameters in identifying FD from HCM was done by analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves., Results: FD prevalence was 1.8% (11 cases) in this cohort with HCM. Native T1 mapping was significantly lower in FD compared with HCM (FD vs. HCM: native T1 mapping: 1174.08 ± 60.60 vs. 1293.94 ± 55.86, p < 0.001). Ventricular function, mass, ventricular wall thickness, and strains did not show significant differences between the two groups. Binary logistic regression and analysis of ROC curves demonstrated myocardial native T1 mapping of the left ventricular basal slice had the best performance in screening for FD in patients with a HCM phenotype (cutoff: 1216 ms; AUC: 0.947; sensitivity: 91%; specificity: 90%)., Conclusion: Native T1 mapping is the best parameter for screening FD in a Chinese population with a HCM phenotype., Key Points: Question The prevalence of Fabry Disease (FD) in the study population is unknown and the efficacy of cardiac MRI (CMR) parameter screening for FD needs validating. Findings We report the prevalence of FD among a Chinese hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) cohort and found T1 mapping is the best CMR parameter for screening FD. Clinical relevance Native T1 mapping is the best CMR parameter for screening FD in the HCM cohort, providing an effective method for rapid screening of FD in clinic, which may help identify patients for early treatment of FD., Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standards Guarantor The scientific guarantor of this publication is Yucheng Chen, MD, FACC, FSCMR, Professor, Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guoxue Xiang No. 37, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, P. R. China. Conflict of interest The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. Statistics and biometry No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Informed consent Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study. Ethical approval Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Study subjects or cohorts overlap No study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported. Methodology ProspectiveDiagnostic studyPerformed at one institution, (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Purpose: This study aims to explore the value of multiple indicators in the evaluation of risk factors for intestinal adhesion (IA) after appendectomy in children with acute appendicitis (AA)., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 608 patients who underwent appendectomy in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Medical Center of Jilin Province from January 2017 to April 2023, with a one-year follow-up period to record the occurrence of IA after appendectomy. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to screen the risk factors of postoperative IA, and a prediction model was established to predict postoperative IA., Results: There were 527 patients in the non-IA group and 81 patients in the IA group. Binary Logistic regression was used to determine the strength of correlation with postoperative intestinal adhesion. The risk factors identified were as follows: DS ≥ 43 h (OR = 3.903, 5points), CRP ≥ 65 mg/L (OR = 3.424, 4.5points), PCT ≥ 0.9 µg/L (OR = 8.683, 8points), Surgical duration ≥ 100 min (OR = 6.457, 7points), Appendiceal perforation (OR = 6.073, 6.5points), Postoperative exhaust time ≥ 55 h (OR = 14.483, 10points). After test, the nomogram drawn based on binary logistic regression can obtain good prediction efficiency. In the training set, the area under the curve was 0.960, the sensitivity was 0.898, and the specificity was 0.905. In the test set, the area under the curve was 0.957, the sensitivity was 0.864, and the specificity was 0.906., Conclusion: Postoperative exhaust time ≥ 55 h has a high risk of IA after appendicitis surgery in children. Early recovery of intestinal peristalsis function is essential. This scoring model is a novel and promising method for predicting postoperative IA., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was conducted in accordance with the 1975 Helsinki Declaration ethical guidelines and the study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Children’s Medical Center of Jilin Province [Approval number: 2024-LW-020]. Due to the retrospective nature of the study, informed consent was waived. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The modulation of the electrostatic potential barrier at grain boundaries determines the performance of many ceramic-based electronics such as varistors. However, conventional protocols relying on complex doping and annealing processes inevitably increase the inhomogeneity of microstructure, which may jeopardize the performance stability and mechanical reliability in service. Instead of doping, herein we demonstrate an effective strategy to modulate the potential barrier in ZnO-based low-voltage varistors by exploiting internal stress-induced piezoelectric polarization. The local residual stress as large as ~1 GPa can be created in the ZnO matrix by incorporating ultra-stiff nanodiamond particles using a cold sintering process. As a result, the composite with only 2 wt% of nanodiamond exhibits a prominent nonlinear current-voltage response at a low switch voltage of 15.7 V/mm, which is ascribed to the depressed barrier height induced by the distinct effects of positively and negatively charged polarization on grain boundaries. More strikingly, the large internal stress can significantly enhance the strength of the composite by more than 230% compared with the monolith, owing to the highly strengthened grain boundaries and crack-tip bridging from prestressed nanodiamonds. These findings add internal stress as a new dimension to design mechanically robust ceramic electronics with high performance., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Previous research has suggested a heightened risk of acute myocarditis after COVID-19 infection. However, it is not clear from existing work whether this risk is higher than would be expected after comparable viral respiratory infections. This information is important to guide risk assessments and clinical practice., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of US administrative health claims was conducted to compare the rates of myocarditis after COVID-19 with that after influenza infection and describe the clinical use of diagnostic assessments.Patients with either incident COVID-19 diagnosis (between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021) or incident influenza diagnosis (between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2018), with at least 12 months of continuous enrolment prior to index date and without a previous diagnosis of myocarditis were included.The primary outcome was clinically diagnosed acute myocarditis recorded after COVID-19 or influenza infection. Results are reported as covariate-adjusted subdistribution HRs from competing risk regression with COVID-19 considered as the exposure of interest and influenza as the reference group. Death was considered a competing risk., Results: 1 120 760 adult COVID-19 patients and 439 278 adult influenza patients were identified, of which 669 (0.06%) adult COVID-19 patients and 91 (0.02%) adult influenza patients received a diagnosis of myocarditis. The myocarditis rate per 1000 person-years was 0.73 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.78) for adult COVID-19 patients and 0.24 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.28) for adult influenza populations. In models comprehensively adjusted for demographic and clinical risk factors, COVID-19 diagnosis (compared with influenza diagnosis), cardiac comorbidities, being male and under the age of 30 were independently associated with an increased risk of myocarditis in the year after diagnosis., Conclusions: These findings support a distinct link between COVID-19 and myocarditis, which appears greater than after a similar viral respiratory infection. As such, a greater degree of clinical suspicion and investigation according to existing diagnostic pathways is recommended., Competing Interests: Competing interests: This study was performed as an academic and commercial partnership and funded by Bayer AG. OB, AKF and CH are Bayer AG employees. AM is an employee of Bayer Consumer Care AG. The academic authors were not paid to write this article and report no competing interests., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) substrate in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is complex in distribution and intramural location., Objectives: This study sought to test the hypothesis that myocardial lipomatous metaplasia (LM) is a vital anatomic substrate for VT corridors in patients with NICM and VT, and that LM stabilizes current propagation in VT corridors., Methods: Among 49 patients with NICM in the 2-center INFINITY (Prospective Intra-Myocardial Fat Deposition and Ventricular Tachycardia in Cardiomyopathy) Study, potential VT viable corridors within the myocardial scar and/or LM were computed from late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance images and were registered with electroanatomical maps. Corridors passing through VT entrance, isthmus, and/or exit sites, estimated by entrainment or pace mapping, were defined as VT corridors. LM was separately distinguished from scar using computed tomography. The SD of current amplitude along each corridor was measured., Results: Compared with 151 non-VT corridors, 35 VT corridors traversed a substantially higher volume of LM, with a median 236.6 mg (IQR: 13.5-903.4 mg) vs 5.8 mg (IQR: 0.0-57.9 mg) (P < 0.001). Among corridors with computable current amplitude, 28 VT corridors exhibited substantially lower current variation along the corridors, with SD 8.0 μA (25th-75th percentile: 6.1-10.3 μA) vs 14.9 μA (25th-75th percentile: 8.5-23.7 μA) among 71 non-VT corridors (P < 0.001). Individual VT circuit sites (95 out 118) were highly colocalized with LM., Conclusions: VT circuitry corridors in NICM are more likely to traverse LM and exhibit reduced current amplitude variation compared with bystander corridors., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The INFINITY (Prospective Intra-Myocardial Fat Deposition and Ventricular Tachycardia in Cardiomyopathy) study is funded by the National Institute of Health grant 1R01HL142893-01. Dr Xu is funded by American Heart Association Postdoctoral fellowship (23POST909139). Dr Witschey is supported by NIH R01 HL169378, R01 HL137984 and P41 EB029460. The study was also supported by software and funds from ADAS Software. Dr Nazarian is a consultant for Biosense Webster and Dyne Pharmaceuticals; and principal investigator for research funding from Biosense Webster, ADAS Software, and the US NIH. Dr Marchlinski has served as a consultant for Abbott Medical, Biosense Webster, Biotronik, and Medtronic Inc. Drs Callans and Chrispin have served as consultants for Abbott Medical, Biosense Webster and Boston Scientific. The University of Pennsylvania Conflict of Interest Committee manages all commercial arrangements. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on older adults in traditional nursing homes, Green Houses (GHs), and Continuing Care Retirement Communities-Nursing Homes (CCRCNHs)., Methods: COVID-19 cases and deaths from CMS and LTCFocus data across 11 states from 6/2020 to 9/2022 were used, and Poisson regressions to compare care settings while adjusting for covariates., Results: CCRCNH and GH residents were older (84.4 and 83.1 years) than those in traditional NHs (77.5 and 77.6 years, p < 0.0001), with more female and White individuals. COVID-19 risk was higher in CCRCNHs (RR 1.51, 95 % CI 1.10-2.07), large NHs (RR 1.57, 95 % CI 1.14-2.15), and highest in small NHs (RR 1.80, 95 % CI 1.32-2.47). Mortality rates across NH types showed no significant difference., Conclusion: The study shows that smaller, person-centered GHs are more effective in controlling COVID-19 infection, suggesting a need to rethink care models to incorporating GH features for better outcomes. GEORGE2 07-AUG-2024 11:31., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Metal(loid) contaminants in food pose a global health concern. This study offers a global analysis of the impact of nanomaterials (NMs) on crop responses to metal(loid) stresses. Our findings reveal that NMs have a positive effect on the biomass production of staple crops (22.8%), while showing inhibitory effects on metal(loid) accumulation in plants (-38.3%) and oxidative damage (-21.6%) under metal(loid) stress conditions. These effects are influenced by various factors such as NM dose, exposure duration, size and composition. Here we introduce a method using interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy values by integrating the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution and entropy weights to compare the effectiveness of different NM application patterns. These results offer practical insights for the application of NMs in similar multi-criteria decision-making scenarios, contributing to sustainable agriculture and global food safety., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Wetland methane (CH 4 ) emissions have a significant impact on the global climate system. However, the current estimation of wetland CH 4 emissions at the global scale still has large uncertainties. Here we developed six distinct bottom-up machine learning (ML) models using in situ CH 4 fluxes from both chamber measurements and the Fluxnet-CH 4 network. To reduce uncertainties, we adopted a multi-model ensemble (MME) approach to estimate CH 4 emissions. Precipitation, air temperature, soil properties, wetland types, and climate types are considered in developing the models. The MME is then extrapolated to the global scale to estimate CH 4 emissions from 1979 to 2099. We found that the annual wetland CH 4 emissions are 146.6 ± 12.2 Tg CH 4  yr -1 (1 Tg = 10 12  g) from 1979 to 2022. Future emissions will reach 165.8 ± 11.6, 185.6 ± 15.0, and 193.6 ± 17.2 Tg CH 4  yr -1 in the last two decades of the 21st century under SSP126, SSP370, and SSP585 scenarios, respectively. Northern Europe and near-equatorial areas are the current emission hotspots. To further constrain the quantification uncertainty, research priorities should be directed to comprehensive CH 4 measurements and better characterization of spatial dynamics of wetland areas. Our data-driven ML-based global wetland CH 4 emission products for both the contemporary and the 21st century shall facilitate future global CH 4 cycle studies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) growth is regulated by intricate gene networks and hormone secretions, positively correlating with sugarcane yield. There is a rising interest in exploring how the candidate genes found in sugarcane respond to plant growth. In this study, we simulated a typical growth environment to obtain accurate phenotypic data and screened for potential genes associated with plant growth through transcriptomics. Compared to Saccharum GuiTang 42, the other variety Saccharum GuiTang 44 exhibited earlier germination, a higher emergence rate, thicker pseudostems, taller plants, and a more extensive root system. The middle buds formed the greatest number of roots, followed by the lower and upper buds. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and jasmonic acid effectively promoted bud development, while abscisic acid and trans-zeatin exhibited negative correlations with sugarcane bud growth. Transcriptome data from the upper, middle, and lower buds revealed 24,158 differentially expressed genes in all three comparisons, with MAPK signaling emerging as a critical pathway. The photosynthesis-antenna protein pathway is vital for middle and lower bud development during root germination. Lastly, key gene modules related to differences in hormone content between the two varieties were defined through weighted correlation network analysis and identified. The module significantly associated with IAA was enriched in pathways such as Proteasome and Protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and the upregulation of key genes involved in this gene module had a highly significant positive correlation with bud outgrowth combined with IAA secretion. In conclusion, we have elucidated the pathways of hormones during sugarcane growth and the interactions between IAA and critical genes. These in-depth findings may guide modern sugarcane breeding., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

With the continuous advancement of electronic technology, the application of high-voltage integrated circuits is becoming increasingly prevalent in fields such as power systems, medical devices, and industrial automation. The reference circuit within high-voltage integrated circuits must not only exhibit insensitivity to temperature variations but also maintain stability across a broad voltage supply. This paper presents a bandgap reference (BGR) source capable of operating over a wide input range. This BGR employs a high-order curvature compensation method to eliminate nonlinear voltage terms, resulting in minimal temperature drift. The circuit achieves an impressive temperature coefficient (TC) of 0.88 ppm/°C over a temperature range from -40 °C to 130 °C. To ensure stable operation within a 4-40 V range, the design incorporates a pre-regulation circuit that stabilizes the supply voltage of the BGR core at a fixed value, thereby enhancing the ability to withstand variations in power supply voltage.

A key step in developing engineered B cells for therapeutic purposes is evaluation in immunocompetent, large-animal models. Therefore, we developed methods to purify, expand, and differentiate non-human primate (NHP; rhesus macaque) B cells. After 7 days in culture, B cells expanded 10-fold, differentiated into a plasma cell phenotype (CD38, CD138), and secreted immunoglobulin G. Using single-cell sequencing and flow cytometry, we verified the presence of plasma cell genes in differentiated NHP B cells and unearthed less-recognized markers, such as CD59 and CD79A. In contrast with human cells, we found that the immune checkpoint molecule CD274 (PD-L1) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules were upregulated in NHP plasma cells in the transcriptional data. Lastly, we established the conditions for efficient transduction of NHP B cells with adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, achieving a delivery rate of approximately 60%. We envision that this work will accelerate proof-of-concept studies using engineered B cells in NHPs., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests R.G.J. and D.J.R. hold equity in and serve on the scientific advisory board of Be Biopharma, Inc. S.K. is currently an employee at Astellas Pharma, Y.H. is currently an employee of Sonoma Biotherapeutics, and C.L. is currently an employee of Sartorius AG., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To assess left atrial (LA) strain parameters using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging feature tracking (cardiac MRI-FT) for differentiating hypertensive heart disease (HHD) from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which are two left ventricular hypertrophic diseases that could present with similar morphologies in early stage but differ in clinical symptoms and treatment strategies. 45 patients with HHD, 85 patients with HCM (non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy [HNCM, n = 45] and obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy [HOCM, n = 40]) and 30 healthy controls (HC) were retrospectively included. LA volumes, strain, and strain rate were determined by manually contouring on the two- and four-chamber views of the CMR-FT module using CVI 42 software. LA volume parameters including LA maximum, precontraction, and minimum volume index, and total, passive, and active emptying fractions were obtained using the biplane methods. The LA strain parameters, including total strain (εs), passive strain (εe), active strain (εa), peak positive strain rate (SRs), early peak negative strain rate (SRe), and late peak negative strain rate (SRa), were obtained from the LA strain curve. The LA strain and LA strain rate were impaired in both HHD group and HCM group, and they were the most severely impaired in the HOCM group. εs (AUC = 0.691, P = 0.006; the best cutoff value, 25.1%), εa (AUC = 0.654, P = 0.027; the best cutoff value, 10.5%), SRs (AUC = 0.710, P = 0.003; the best cutoff value, 0.81 1/s) and SRa (AUC = 0.667, P = 0.016; the best cutoff value, -1.30 1/s) showed significant differences in the identification between HHD and HNCM. All LA strain parameters were different in the identification between HHD and HOCM (all P < 0.05).LA strain parameters can be helpful for differentiating HHD from HCM, providing valuable insights for diagnosis., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine.)

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a perfluoroalkyl compound, is linked to congenital heart diseases, though its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that PFOA induces cardiac defects through the inhibition of the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway, leading to oxidative damage in cardiomyocytes. In this study, zebrafish embryos exposed to PFOA showed significant cardiac malformations and dysfunction, characterized by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) production, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. Additionally, we observed dysregulation in the expression of key cardiac development genes (vmhc, gata4, nkx2.5, and sox9b). PFOA also reduced the expression of keap1, nrf2, and ho-1. After overexpression of Nrf2, levels of ROS and MDA decreased, while levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px increased. Additionally, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac malformations were alleviated. These findings have suggested that PFOA induces oxidative stress through Keap1/Nrf2 pathway inhibition, ultimately leading to cardiac defects., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Xing Liu reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The relationship between vitamin D and depression has garnered significant attention in recent years. However, the efficacy of vitamin D in ameliorating depression among specific subgroups of older patients remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the impact of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms and the prevalence of depression in older adults. Additionally, the study sought to examine potential moderating factors, including differences among population subgroups and various supplementation strategies., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to March 2024. The RevMan 5.3 software was utilized to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) and to evaluate the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The objective was to determine the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in alleviating depressive symptoms or treating depression in older adults., Results: This meta-analysis encompassed eleven studies, comprising a total of 21,561 participants. The findings did not indicate a statistically significant therapeutic benefit of vitamin D supplementation for depression in older patients [SMD: -0.10; 95% CI: (-1.19, 0.00); p  = 0.05]. Subgroup analyses revealed that the efficacy of vitamin D intervention in geriatric depression correlated with several factors, including baseline serum 25(OH)D levels, the dosage of the intervention, gender, and the initial presence of depressive symptoms or a diagnosis of depression., Conclusion: The current evidence is insufficient to conclusively establish the significant efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in alleviating depressive symptoms among older patients. Consequently, additional randomized controlled trials are warranted to further validate the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and depression in the older adults., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Fu, Zhang, Chen, Yu, Yan, Jing, Yu, Li and Guo.)

The precise theranostic strategy of fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) can effectively mitigate the adverse effect of photosensitizers in normal cells and tissues. However, low tumor enrichment and high diffusivity of photosensitizers significantly compromise the imaging accuracy and PDT effect. In this study, we have developed a nitroreductase (NTR)-activated and self-immobilizing photosensitizer CyNT-F, which showed enhanced enrichment in tumor tissues and facilitated precise and sustained imaging as well as PDT for hypoxia tumors. mPEG- b -PDPA nanomicelles encapsulating photosensitizers underwent dissociation and released CyNT-F in tumor cells. CyNT-F and NTR enzymatically reacted in situ to generate highly reactive quinone methide, subsequently covalently binding to adjacent proteins for fluorescence and PDT activation. CyNT-F exhibited longer intracellular retention (7 days) and effectively inhibited the tumor growth of solid hypoxia tumor. We believe the activatable and self-immobilizing strategy of PDT presents a novel methodology for minimizing the adverse effect and enabling spatiotemporally accurate ablation of diseased cells and tissues., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background: The pathogenesis of psoriasis involves the interaction between keratinocytes and immune cells, leading to immune imbalance. While most current clinical treatment regimens offer rapid symptom relief, they often come with significant side effects. Tetrastigma hemsleyanum polysaccharides (THP), which are naturally nontoxic, possess remarkable immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties., Methods: In this study, we utilized an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mouse model and a LPS/IL-6-stimulated HaCaT model. The potential and mechanism of action of THP in psoriasis treatment were assessed through methods including Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scoring, histopathology, flow cytometry, immunoblotting, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: Percutaneous administration of THP significantly alleviated symptoms and manifestations in IMQ-induced psoriatic mice, including improvements in psoriatic skin appearance (erythema, folds, scales), histopathological changes, decreased PASI scores, and spleen index. Additionally, THP suppressed abnormal proliferation of Th17 cells and excessive proliferation and inflammation of keratinocytes. Furthermore, THP exhibited the ability to regulate the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway., Conclusion: Findings from in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that THP can inhibit abnormal cell proliferation and excessive inflammation in lesional skin, balance Th17 immune cells, and disrupt the interaction between keratinocytes and Th17 cells. This mechanism of action may involve the modulation of the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, offering potential implications for psoriasis treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD)-induced cervical and lumbar herniations are debilitating diseases. The function of intervertebral disc (IVD) mainly depends on the cartilage endplate (CEP), which provides support and waste removal. Therefore, IDD stems from the degeneration of CEP. Our study shows that the expression of lactotransferrin (LTF), an iron-binding protein, is significantly decreased in degenerated human and rat CEP tissues. In addition, we found that LTF knockdown promoted calcification, senescence, and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in human endplate chondrocytes. Furthermore, the in vivo experiment results confirmed that the JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibitor AG490 significantly reversed these effects. In addition to investigating the role and mechanism of LTF in CEP degeneration, this study provides a theoretical basis and experimental evidence to improve IDD treatment., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Functional fibers composed of textiles are considered a promising platform for constructing electronic skin (e-skin). However, developing robust electronic fibers with integrated multiple functions remains a formidable task especially when a complex service environment is concerned. In this work, a continuous and controllable strategy is demonstrated to prepare e-skin-oriented ceramic fibers via coaxial wet spinning followed by cold isostatic pressing. The resulting core-shell structured fiber with tightly compacted Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles in the core and highly ordered aramid nanofibers in the shell exhibit excellent tensile strength (316 MPa) with ultra-high elongation (33%). Benefiting from the susceptible contacts between conducting ceramic nanoparticles, the ceramic fiber shows both ultrahigh sensitivity (gauge factor = 2141) as a strain sensor and a broad working range up to 70 °C as a temperature sensor. Furthermore, the tunable core-shell structure of the fiber enables the optimization of impedance matching and attenuation of electromagnetic waves for the corresponding textile, resulting in a minimum reflection loss of -39.1 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth covering the whole X-band. Therefore, the versatile core-shell ceramic fiber-derived textile can serve as a stealth e-skin for monitoring the motion and temperature of robots under harsh conditions., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from Evodia rutaecarpa were screened, prepared, and evaluated. To screen the lipophilic alkaloid active constituents in E. rutaecarpa, we improved and optimized an ultrafiltration system. Three acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, dehydroevodiamine, evodiamine, and rutecarpine, were screened. Addressing the limitations of the traditional response surface methodology (RSM) for multiobjective screening, we integrated RSM with the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III to achieve the optimal extraction of these active ingredients. High-speed countercurrent chromatography was used to isolate the active components using a two-phase solvent system: n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (3.0:2.5:3.5:2.0, v/v/v/v) and ethyl acetate/methanol/water (3.0:1.0:4.0, v/v/v). The nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed the structures of the compounds, and molecular docking and dynamics simulations assessed the inhibitory effects of the chemical components on AChE, which were consistent with the findings of the ultrafiltration experiments. We also confirmed the neuroprotective properties of these compounds against glutamate-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. Overall, we achieved the systematic optimization of multitarget compound extraction and lipophilic alkaloid ultrafiltration screening, as well as preparation and activity validation, laying the groundwork for the development of AChE inhibitors from lipophilic alkaloids., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: To facilitate the clinical use of cardiac T1ρ, it is important to understand the impact of age and sex on T1ρ values of the myocardium., Purpose: To investigate the impact of age and gender on myocardial T1ρ values., Study Type: Cross-sectional., Population: Two hundred ten healthy Han Chinese volunteers without cardiovascular risk factors (85 males, mean age 34.4 ± 12.5 years; 125 females, mean age 37.9 ± 14.8 years)., Field Strength/sequence: 1.5 T; T1ρ-prepared steady-state free precession (T1ρ mapping) sequence., Assessment: Basal, mid, and apical short-axis left ventricular T1ρ maps were acquired. T1ρ maps acquired with spin-lock frequencies of 5 and 400 Hz were subtracted to create a myocardial fibrosis index (mFI) map. T1ρ and mFI values across different age decades, sex, and slice locations were compared., Statistical Tests: Shapiro-Wilk test, Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, linear regression analysis, one-way analysis of variance and intraclass correlation coefficient., Significance: P value <0.05., Results: Women had significantly higher T1ρ and mFI values than men (50.3 ± 2.0 msec vs. 47.7 ± 2.4 msec and 4.7 ± 1.0 msec vs. 4.3 ± 1.1 msec, respectively). Additionally, in males and females combined, there was a significant positive but weak correlation between T1ρ values and age (r = 0.27), while no correlation was observed between the mFI values and age (P = 0.969)., Data Conclusion: We report potential reference values for cardiac T1ρ by sex, age distribution, and slice location in a Chinese population. T1ρ was significantly correlated with age and sex, while mFI was only associated with sex., Evidence Level: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Introduction: Advance directives (ADs) promote patient autonomy in end-of-life (EOL) care, including an individual's EOL medical treatment preferences. This study aims to better understand preferences regarding EOL medical treatment among community-dwelling adults (18 and older) residing in the United States and examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and EOL medical treatment preferences., Methods: Utilizing a cross-sectional study and snowball sampling methodology, community-dwelling adults completed a survey containing two different ADs and a questionnaire with sociodemographic information. Univariate analyses were used to summarize EOL medical treatment preferences among the sample, and bivariate analyses (Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests) were performed to examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, and race/ethnicity) and EOL medical treatment preferences., Results: The mean age of the 166 participants was 50 (SD: 21.65, range: 18-93), with 58.4% being White and 61.4% being female. Generally, when EOL scenarios involved brain damage or a coma, more participants indicated that they did not want life-support treatment. Age and race were both associated with EOL medical treatment preferences, but no significant differences were observed in the bivariate results by gender. Largely, young and middle-aged adults, along with Black participants, were more likely to prefer more aggressive EOL medical treatments than older adults and White participants., Conclusion: Overall, EOL medical treatment preferences varied among participants. The study findings indicate that adults develop different preferences for EOL medical treatment, with some of the variation attributable to sociodemographic characteristics such as age and race., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Modeling solvation dynamics and properties is crucial for developing electrolytes for electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices. This work reports an on-the-fly multi-objective Bayesian optimization (OTF-MOBO) method to parameterize force fields for modeling ionic solvation structures, thermodynamics, and transport properties using molecular dynamics simulations. By leveraging solvation-free energy and solvation radii as training data, we employ the data-driven OTF-MOBO algorithm to actively optimize the force field parameters. The modeling accuracy was evaluated in molecular dynamics simulations until the Pareto front in the parameter space was reached through minimized prediction errors in both solvation-free energy and solvation radii. Using transition metal redox ions (Fe3+/Fe2+, Cr3+/Cr2+, and Cu2+/Cu+) in aqueous solution as examples, we demonstrate that simple force fields combining the Lenard-Jones potential and Coulombic potential can achieve relative error below 2% in both solvation free energy and solvation radii. The optimized force fields can be further extrapolated to predict solvation entropy and diffusivities with relative error below 10% compared with experiments., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Diabetic ulcers (DUs) usually suffer from severe infections, persistent inflammation, and excessive oxidative stress during the healing process, which led to the microenvironmental alternation and severely impede DU healing, resulting in a delayed wound healing. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a medical dressing that can address these problems simultaneously. To this end, self-healing composite hydrogels were prepared in this study utilizing Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) and Berberine (BER) with borax via borate ester bond. The chemical and mechanical properties of the BSP/BER hydrogels were characterized, and their wound healing performance was investigated in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that the BSP/BER hydrogel significantly accelerated wound healing in DU mice with the healing rate of 94.90 ± 1.81% on the 14th day by using BSP/BER5, and this outstanding performance was achieved by the multi-targeted biological functions of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, which provided favorable microenvironment for orderly recovery of the wound. Aside from exhibiting the antibacterial rate of over 90% against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the BSP/BER5 hydrogel could significantly reduce NO levels 4.544 ± 0.32 µmol/L to exert its anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, it demonstrated a hemolysis rate and promotes cell migration capabilities at (34.92 ± 1.66%). With the above features, the developed BSP/BER hydrogel in this study could be the potential dressing for clinical treatment of DU wound., (© 2024. The Author(s).)