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Abstract Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a severe disease with substantial economic consequences for the swine industry. The DEAD-box helicase 3 (DDX3X) is an RNA helicase that plays a crucial role in regulating RNA metabolism, immunological response, and even RNA virus infection. However, it is unclear whether it contributes to PRRSV infection. Recent studies have found that the expression of DDX3X considerably increases in Marc-145 cells when infected with live PRRSV strains Ch-1R and SD16; however, it was observed that inactivated viruses did not lead to any changes. By using the RK-33 inhibitor or DDX3X-specific siRNAs to reduce DDX3X expression, there was a significant decrease in the production of PRRSV progenies. In contrast, the overexpression of DDX3X in host cells substantially increased the proliferation of PRRSV. A combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics investigations revealed that in PRRSV-infected cells, DDX3X gene silencing severely affected biological processes such as ferroptosis, the FoxO signalling pathway, and glutathione metabolism. The subsequent transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging displayed the typical ferroptosis features in PRRSV-infected cells, such as mitochondrial shrinkage, reduction or disappearance of mitochondrial cristae, and cytoplasmic membrane rupture. Conversely, the mitochondrial morphology was unchanged in DDX3X-inhibited cells. Furthermore, silencing of the DDX3X gene changed the expression of ferroptosis-related genes and inhibited the virus proliferation, while the drug-induced ferroptosis inversely promoted PRRSV replication. In summary, these results present an updated perspective of how PRRSV infection uses DDX3X for self-replication, potentially leading to ferroptosis via various mechanisms that promote PRRSV replication.

【Objective】To improve the linear fit between the reflected spectral center wavelength and external environmental variables in Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing system, this paper proposes to use particle swarm optimization of Gaussian process regression model to the field of FBG stress sensing.【Methods】For the reflectance spectral characteristics of the FBG, the paper studies the impact of the linear fit in the spectral fitting of FBG sensing system. The particle swarm algorithm is used to search for the optimal hyperparameters in the Gaussian process regression model in order to enhance the predictive performance of the reflectance spectral wavelength of the center. A FBG stress sensing experimental platform was built, and the FBG was laid on the strength beam. Different weights were applied to one end of the equal strength beam to produce axial strain on the FBG, and the reflectance spectral data were collected by the spectrometer and analyzed by linear fitting with the studied model. The results obtained by the unoptimized Gaussian process regression model, the maximum value method, the Gaussian fitting method, and the center of mass method were used as the control group.【Results】The results show that under the conditions of erbium-doped fiber amplifier output power of 10 dBm, transmission fiber distance of 50 m, and the number of sampling points of the spectrometer of 501, the linear fit between the reflected spectral center wavelength and the mass of the weights is better than that of the control group. The linear fit of the studied model can reach up to 0.951 9, which is improved compared with that of the control group. Under the conditions of 501, 251, 167 and 126 spectral sampling points, the studied model can improve the linear fit of the system to 0.990 0, which is a maximum improvement of 0.258 7 compared with the maximum value method.【Conclusion】The analysis results show that the Gaussian process regression model optimized by the particle swarm is able to effectively improve the linear fit of the FBG stress sensing system.

Abstract All-optical diffractive neural networks, as analog artificial intelligence accelerators, leverage parallelism and analog computation for complex data processing. However, their low space transmission efficiency or large spatial dimensions hinder miniaturization and broader application. Here, we propose a terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network on a planar diffractive platform for direct multi-target recognition. Our approach employs a spoof surface plasmon polariton coupler array to construct a diffractive network layer, resulting in a compact, efficient, and easily integrable architecture. We designed three schemes: basis vector classification, multi-user recognition, and MNIST handwritten digit classification. Experimental results reveal that the terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network successfully classifies basis vectors, recognizes multi-user orientation information, and directly processes handwritten digits using a designed input framework comprising a metal grating array, transmitters, and receivers. This work broadens the application of terahertz plasmonic metamaterials, paving the way for terahertz on-chip integration, intelligent communication, and advanced computing systems.

Abstract As robots are increasingly participating in our daily lives, the quests to mimic human abilities have driven the advancements of robotic multimodal senses. However, current perceptual technologies still unsatisfied robotic needs for home tasks/environments, particularly facing great challenges in multisensory integration and fusion, rapid response capability, and highly sensitive perception. Here, we report a flexible tactile sensor utilizing thin-film thermistors to implement multimodal perceptions of pressure, temperature, matter thermal property, texture, and slippage. Notably, the tactile sensor is endowed with an ultrasensitive (0.05 mm/s) and ultrafast (4 ms) slip sensing that is indispensable for dexterous and reliable grasping control to avoid crushing fragile objects or dropping slippery objects. We further propose and develop a robotic tactile-visual fusion architecture that seamlessly encompasses multimodal sensations from the bottom level to robotic decision-making at the top level. A series of intelligent grasping strategies with rapid slip feedback control and a tactile-visual fusion recognition strategy ensure dexterous robotic grasping and accurate recognition of daily objects, handling various challenging tasks, for instance grabbing a paper cup containing liquid. Furthermore, we showcase a robotic desktop-cleaning task, the robot autonomously accomplishes multi-item sorting and cleaning desktop, demonstrating its promising potential for smart housekeeping.

Abstract Background Marginalised poor populations, characterised by poverty and social exclusion, suffer disproportionately from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and encounter substantial disparities in access to healthcare. This has further exacerbated the global HBV burden and precluded progress towards HBV elimination. This mixed-method systematic review aimed to synthesise their utilisation and influencing factors in HBV healthcare services, including screening, vaccination, treatment, and linkage-to-care. Methods Eleven databases were searched from their inception to May 4, 2023. Quantitative and qualitative studies examining the factors influencing HBV healthcare access among marginalised poor populations were included. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesise the pooled rates of HBV healthcare utilisation. The factors influencing utilisation were integrated and visualised using a health disparity research framework. Results Twenty-one studies were included involving 13,171 marginalised poor individuals: sex workers, rural migrant workers, irregular immigrants, homeless adults, and underprivileged individuals. Their utilisation of HBV healthcare ranged from 1.5% to 27.5%. Meta-analysis showed that the pooled rate of at least one dose of the HBV vaccine barely reached 37% (95% confidence interval: 0.26‒0.49). Fifty-one influencing factors were identified, with sociocultural factors (n = 19) being the most frequently reported, followed by behavioural (n = 14) and healthcare system factors (n = 11). Socio-cultural barriers included immigration status, prison history, illegal work, and HBV discrimination. Behavioural domain factors, including previous testing for sexually transmitted diseases, residential drug treatment, and problem-solving coping, facilitated HBV healthcare access, whereas hostility coping exerted negative influences. Healthcare system facilitators comprised HBV health literacy, beliefs, and physician recommendations, whereas barriers included service inaccessibility and insurance inadequacies. The biological and physical/built environments were the least studied domains, highlighting that geographical mobility, shelter capacity, and access to humanitarian health centres affect HBV healthcare for marginalised poor populations. Conclusions Marginalised poor populations encounter substantial disparities in accessing HBV healthcare, highlighting the need for a synergistic management approach, including deploying health education initiatives to debunk HBV misperceptions, developing integrated HBV management systems for continuous tracking, conducting tailored community outreach programmes, and establishing a human rights-based policy framework to guarantee the unfettered access of marginalised poor populations to essential HBV services.

To evaluate the efficacy of radiomics features extracted from preoperative high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans in distinguishing benign and malignant pulmonary pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs), a retrospective study of 395 patients from 2016 to 2020 was conducted. All nodules were randomly divided into the training and validation sets in the ratio of 7:3. Radiomics features were extracted using MaZda software (version 4.6), and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was employed for feature selection. Significant differences were observed in the training set between benign and malignant pGGNs in sex, mean CT value, margin, pleural retraction, tumor–lung interface, and internal vascular change, and then the mean CT value and the morphological features model were constructed. Fourteen radiomics features were selected by LASSO for the radiomics model. The combined model was developed by integrating all selected radiographic and radiomics features using logistic regression. The AUCs in the training set were 0.606 for the mean CT value, 0.718 for morphological features, 0.756 for radiomics features, and 0.808 for the combined model. In the validation set, AUCs were 0.601, 0.692, 0.696, and 0.738, respectively. The decision curves showed that the combined model demonstrated the highest net benefit.

Abstract Background The mitosis-to-meiosis switch during spermatogenesis requires dynamic changes in gene expression. However, the regulation of meiotic transcriptional and post-transcriptional machinery during this transition remains elusive. Results We report that methyltransferase-like protein 16 (METTL16), an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer, is required for mitosis-to-meiosis transition during spermatogenesis. Germline conditional knockout of Mettl16 in male mice impairs spermatogonial differentiation and meiosis initiation. Mechanistically, METTL16 interacts with splicing factors to regulate the alternative splicing of meiosis-related genes such as Stag3. Ribosome profiling reveals that the translation efficiency of many meiotic genes is dysregulated in METTL16-deficient testes. m6A-sequencing shows that ablation of METTL16 causes upregulation of the m6A-enriched transcripts and downregulation of the m6A-depleted transcripts, similar to Meioc and/or Ythdc2 mutants. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrate that the methyltransferase activity site (PP185-186AA) of METTL16 is necessary for spermatogenesis. Conclusions Our findings support a molecular model wherein the m6A writer METTL16-mediated alternative splicing and translation efficiency regulation are required to control the mitosis-to-meiosis germ cell fate decision in mice, with implications for understanding meiosis-related male fertility disorders.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) versus chemotherapy on the prognosis of real‐world diffuse pleural mesothelioma patients in China. Methods Clinical data of 90 patients with diffuse pleural mesothelioma from 2019 to 2022 were collected from Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: the ICIs‐treated group (n = 46) and the chemotherapy‐only group (n = 44). The efficacy and safety of immunotherapy relative to chemotherapy at different treatment stages were explored. Results The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 10.0 and 7.0 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 24.7 and 15.8 months in the ICIs‐treated group and the chemotherapy group, respectively. The ICIs‐treated group showed an 11% increase in objective response rate (ORR) (52.2% vs. 41.0%) and an 8.0% increase in disease control rate (DCR) (78.3% vs. 70.0%) compared to the chemotherapy group. The Kaplan–Meier curves demonstrated significant PFS (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38–0.98; p = 0.038) and OS (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.26–0.86; p = 0.011) benefits of receiving immunotherapy over chemotherapy alone. Subgroup analysis according to treatment timing showed the same trend. Conclusion In patients with nonsurgical diffuse pleural mesothelioma, immunotherapy achieved better survival benefits compared to chemotherapy in both first‐ and second‐/third‐line treatments. The early addition of immunotherapy improved survival in patients with nonsurgical diffuse pleural mesothelioma.

AIM: To analyze changes in the ocular surface parameters of keratoconus after long-term wearing of rigid gas permeable contact lens(RGPCL).METHODS:Prospective case study. A total of 113 keratoconus patients(213 eyes)fitted with RGPCL in the optometry center of Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2018 to January 2022 were included. They were divided into three groups according to the severity of keratoconus, including 42 cases(80 eyes)in mild keratoconus group, 54 cases(102 eyes)in moderate keratoconus group and 17 cases(31 eyes)in severe keratoconus group. Furthermore, the non-invasive tear break-up time(NIBUT), non-invasive tear meniscus height(NITMH), red eye index, lipid layer thickness, fluorescent corneal staining, meibomian gland secretory function, Schirmer I test and ocular surface disease index(OSDI)scores were observed by Keratograph analyzer before and after wearing RGPCL for 1 wk, 1, 3, 6, 12 mo, respectively.RESULTS: There were no statistical significance in the age, NIBUT, NITMH, lipid layer thickness, meibomian gland secretory function and Schirmer I test among the three groups(P>0.05), while there were statistical significance in the sphere, cylinder, spherical equivalent, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), non-contact intraocular pressure(IOPNCT), anterior, posterior corneal surface Kmax, corneal surface thickness at the thinnest point, eye redness index, fluorescent corneal staining, and OSDI(P

Abstract Intrastromal cell therapy utilizing quiescent corneal stromal keratocytes (qCSKs) from human donor corneas emerges as a promising treatment for corneal opacities, aiming to overcome limitations of traditional surgeries by reducing procedural complexity and donor dependency. This investigation demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of qCSKs in a male rat model of corneal stromal opacity, underscoring the significance of cell-delivery quality and keratocyte differentiation in mediating corneal opacity resolution and visual function recovery. Quiescent CSKs-treated rats display improvements in escape latency and efficiency compared to wounded, non-treated rats in a Morris water maze, demonstrating improved visual acuity, while stromal fibroblasts-treated rats do not. Advanced imaging, including multiphoton microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy, revealed that qCSK therapy replicates the native cornea’s collagen fibril morphometry, matrix order, and ultrastructural architecture. These findings, supported by the expression of keratan sulfate proteoglycans, validate qCSKs as a potential therapeutic solution for corneal opacities.