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Recurrent events, including cardiovascular events, are commonly observed in biomedical studies. Understanding the effects of various treatments on recurrent events and investigating the underlying mediation mechanisms by which treatments may reduce the frequency of recurrent events are crucial tasks for researchers. Although causal inference methods for recurrent event data have been proposed, they cannot be used to assess mediation. This study proposed a novel methodology of causal mediation analysis that accommodates recurrent outcomes of interest in a given individual. A formal definition of causal estimands (direct and indirect effects) within a counterfactual framework is given, and empirical expressions for these effects are identified. To estimate these effects, a semiparametric estimator with triple robustness against model misspecification was developed. The proposed methodology was demonstrated in a real‐world application. The method was applied to measure the effects of two diabetes drugs on the recurrence of cardiovascular disease and to examine the mediating role of kidney function in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous Fenton-like degradation overcome the shortage of traditional Fenton system, which got the high catalytic efficiency, good stability, wide pH working range, and so on. However, it is still challenging to develop highly efficient and recyclable solid catalysts in wastewater treatment. Herein, we employed melamine sponge (MS) as a base material to fabricate heterogeneous Fe/Cu-tannic acid (TA) coated MS (MS-Fe/Cu-TA) through the dip-coating method. The porous 3D structure of MS can enhance the catalyst loading, and expose more active catalytic sites to absorb dyes from solution. The loaded Fe/Cu weight ratio, pH value, H2O2 dosage, and initial MB concentration on the catalytic activity were optimized to get highest methylene blue (MB) degradation efficiency. The MS survived five times of cyclic MB degradation, and degradation efficiency for other dyes (methyl orange, rhodamine B, malachite green) kept above 65%. This work brings potential insights for development of enhanced heterogeneous Fenton-like degradation for wastewater treatment. Herein, we employed melamine sponge (MS) as a base material to fabricate heterogeneous Fe/Cu-tannic acid (TA) coated MS (MS-Fe/Cu-TA) through the dip-coating method. The porous 3D structure of MS can enhance the catalyst loading, and expose more active catalytic sites to absorb dyes from solution. This work brings potential insights for development of enhanced heterogeneous Fenton-like degradation for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand infection is a rare complication in patients with diabetes. Its clinical outcomes depend on the severity of hand infection caused by bacteria, but the difference in bacterial species in the regional disparity is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of tropical and nontropical regions on bacterial species and clinical outcomes for diabetic hand. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Moreover, the bacterial species and clinical outcomes were analyzed with respect to multicenter wound care in China (nontropical regions). Both mixed bacteria (31.2% vs. 16.6%, p = 0.014) and fungi (7.5% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.017) in the nontropical region were significantly more prevalent than those in the tropical region. Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp. were dominant in gram-positive bacteria, and Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Proteus and Pseudomonas in gram-negative bacteria occupied the next majority in the two regions. The rate of surgical treatment in the patients was 31.2% in the nontropical region, which was significantly higher than the 11.4% in the tropical region (p = 0.001). Although the overall mortality was not significantly different, there was a tendency to be increased in tropical regions (6.3%) compared with nontropical regions (0.9%). However, amputation (32.9% vs. 31.3%, p = 0.762) and disability (6.3% vs. 12.2%, p = 0.138) were not significantly different between the two regions. Similar numbers of cases were reported, and the most common bacteria were similar in tropical and nontropical regions in patients with diabetic hand. There were more species of bacteria in the nontropical region, and their distribution was basically similar, except for fungi, which had differences between the two regions. The present study also showed that surgical treatment and mortality were inversely correlated because delays in debridement and surgery can deteriorate deep infections, eventually leading to amputation and even death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among many by-products of Web 2.0 come the wide range of potential image and text datasets within social media and content sharing platforms that speak of how people live, what they do, and what they care about. These datasets are imperfect and biased in many ways, but those flaws make them complementary to data derived from conventional social science methods and thus potentially useful for triangulation in complex decision-making contexts. Yet the online environment is highly mutable, and so the datasets are less reliable than censuses or other standard data types leveraged in social impact assessment. Over the past decade, we have innovated numerous methods for deploying Instagram datasets in investigating management or development alternatives. This article synthesizes work from three Canadian decision contexts – hydroelectric dam construction or removal; dyke realignment or wetland restoration; and integrating renewable energy into vineyard landscapes – to illustrate some of the methods we have applied to social impact assessment questions using Instagram that may be transferrable to other social media platforms and contexts: thematic (manual coding, machine vision, natural language processing/sentiment analysis, statistical analysis), spatial (hotspot mapping, cultural ecosystem modeling), and visual (word clouds, saliency mapping, collage). We conclude with a set of cautions and next steps for the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the dense-medium coal preparation process magnetite powder is used, however, due to poor recovery of the magnetite, the consumption of magnetite increases which ultimately reflects in the economics. In order to continuously and efficiently recover the magnetite, a novel three-phase conical magnetic separator based on the principle of an alternating magnetic field generated by a three-phase linear motor, was developed. The distribution law of the magnetic field in the separation chamber was studied, and the magnetic separator's basic structure and parameters were determined. By varying the feed rate, coil current, coil turns, and particle size, magnetic separation experiments were conducted and compared with traditional magnetic separators. The results confirmed the excellent sorting performance of the conical AC magnetic separator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the integral field unit (IFU) data from Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, we develop a new method to select galaxies with biconical ionized structures, building a sample of 142 edge-on biconical ionized galaxies. We classify these 142 galaxies into 81 star-forming galaxies, 31 composite galaxies, and 30 AGNs (consisting of 23 Seyferts and 7 LI(N)ERs) according to the [N  ii ]-BPT diagram. The star-forming bicones have bar-like structures while AGN bicones display hourglass structures, and composite bicones exhibit transitional morphologies between them due to both black hole and star formation activities. Star-forming bicones have intense star formation activities in their central regions, and the primary driver of biconical structures is the central star formation rate surface density. The lack of difference in the strength of central black hole activities (traced by dust attenuation corrected [O  iii ]λ5007 luminosity and Eddington ratio) between Seyfert bicones and their control samples can be naturally explained as that the accretion disc and the galactic disc are not necessarily coplanar. Additionally, the biconical galaxies with central LI(N)ER-like line ratios are edge-on disc galaxies that show strong central dust attenuation. The radial gradients of H α surface brightness follow the r −2.35 relation, roughly consistent with r −2 profile, which is expected in the case of photoionization by a central point-like source. These observations indicate obscured AGNs or AGN echoes as the primary drivers of biconical structures in LI(N)ERs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TBX1 gene plays a critical role in the development of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), a complex genetic disorder associated with various phenotypic manifestations. In this study, we performed in-silico analysis to identify potentially deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) within the TBX1 gene and evaluate their functional and structural impact on 22q11.2DS. A comprehensive analysis pipeline involving multiple computational tools was employed to predict the pathogenicity of nsSNPs. This study assessed protein stability and explored potential alterations in protein-protein interactions. The results revealed the rs751339103(C>A), rs780800634(G>A), rs1936727304(T>C), rs1223320618(G>A), rs1248532217(T>C), rs1294927055 (C>T), rs1331240435 (A>G, rs1601289406 (A>C), rs1936726164 (G>A), and rs911796187(G>A) with a high-risk potential for affecting protein function and stability. These nsSNPs were further analyzed for their impact on post-translational modifications and structural characteristics, indicating their potential disruption of molecular pathways associated with TBX1 and its interacting partners. These findings provide a foundation for further experimental studies and elucidation of potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment approaches for individuals affected by 22q11.2DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactivation from latency plays a significant role in maintaining persistent lifelong Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Mechanisms governing successful activation and progression of the EBV lytic phase are not fully understood. EBV expresses multiple viral microRNAs (miRNAs) and manipulates several cellular miRNAs to support viral infection. To gain insight into the host miRNAs regulating transitions from EBV latency into the lytic stage, we conducted a CRISPR/Cas9-based screen in EBV+ Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cells using anti-Ig antibodies to crosslink the B cell receptor (BCR) and induce reactivation. Using a gRNA library against >1500 annotated human miRNAs, we identified miR-142 as a key regulator of EBV reactivation. Genetic ablation of miR-142 enhanced levels of immediate early and early lytic gene products in infected BL cells. Ago2-PAR-CLIP experiments with reactivated cells revealed miR-142 targets related to Erk/MAPK signaling, including components directly downstream of the B cell receptor (BCR). Consistent with these findings, disruption of miR-142 enhanced SOS1 levels and Mek phosphorylation in response to surface Ig cross-linking. Effects could be rescued by inhibitors of Mek (cobimetinib) or Raf (dabrafenib). Taken together, these results show that miR-142 functionally regulates SOS1/Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk signaling initiated through the BCR and consequently, restricts EBV entry into the lytic cycle. Author summary: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common herpesvirus that infects most individuals worldwide and can persist in the body for life. Long-term viral persistence is established in part through latently infected memory B cells and periodic reactivation events which maintain viral reservoirs. To investigate functional roles for host non-coding RNAs in EBV latency and reactivation—specifically microRNAs—we conducted a genome-wide CRISPR screen in EBV-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells. By screening >1500 human miRNAs, we identified miR-142 as a potent regulator of the lytic cycle. When miR-142 was disrupted, latently infected BL cells responded rapidly to external reactivation triggers and exhibited significantly elevated levels of lytic viral proteins. Through mechanistic studies, we found that miR-142 regulates cell signaling pathways such as the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk pathway and can target SOS1 encoding a Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor. Heightened EBV reactivation in miR-142 mutant cells could be reversed using chemical inhibitors to Raf, Mek, or Sos1. These findings provide novel insight into the role of miR-142 in the EBV life cycle and further unveil potential for inhibiting Sos1 as a means to suppress EBV reactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Niobium species in 30Nb-Beta zeolite were anchored into silanol defects in form of (SiO) 2 Nb(OH)(=O). • High-electrophilic 30Nb-Beta could achieve a cyclohexene conversion of 51.1 % and TOF of 188.2 h−1. • H 2 O 2 activation pathway over (SiO) 2 Nb(OH)(=O) sites contains three steps. Dealuminated Beta zeolite has a large amount of silanol defects on its interface, which provides an ideal place for embedding metal species and creating metal active sites in a confined microenvironment. The confined metal sites as well as their surroundings are closely related to the reactant activation and transient state achievement. Hence, unraveling the confined metal sites is of great significance for the catalytic reaction process. Herein, niobium species were incorporated into the silanol defects over dealuminated Beta zeolite with a facile dry impregnation method, co-grinding the niobium precursor with dealuminated Beta zeolite support. The successful incorporation of niobium into the silanol defects for 30Nb-Beta zeolite was verified by DRIFT, 1H MAS NMR, UV–Vis and UV-Raman characterizations. XAS characterization and DFT calculations further disclosed that the confined Nb species existed as (SiO) 2 Nb(OH)(=O), containing two Si−O−Nb bonds, one Nb=O bond as well as one Nb−OH bond. The synthesized 30Nb-Beta zeolite catalyst displayed a superior cyclohexene conversion of 51.1%, cyclohexene oxide selectivity of 83.1% as well as TOF value of 188.2 h−1 ascribed to the inherent electrophilicity of Nb(V) for confined (SiO) 2 Nb(OH)(=O) species as well as the low oxygen transfer energy barrier for NbV−OOH species. Furthermore, the prepared 30Nb-Beta zeolite can be effectively employed to other cyclic alkene epoxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of viral transcription and replication activity in HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with low‐level viraemia (LLV) or previous low‐level viraemia (pre‐LLV) remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate and compare circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA levels in these patient groups with those achieving maintained virological response (MVR). This cross‐sectional study included 147 patients: 43 in the LLV group, 25 in the pre‐LLV group and 79 in the MVR group. Serum HBV RNA levels were assessed using specific RNA target capture combined with simultaneous amplification and testing method. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline characteristics between groups. Median HBV RNA levels were 6.9 copies/mL in the LLV group, 6.1 copies/mL in the pre‐LLV group and 3.8 copies/mL in the MVR group. After PSM, significantly higher HBV RNA levels were observed in the LLV group compared to the MVR group (p < .001), and the pre‐LLV group also showed higher HBV RNA levels than the MVR group (p < .001). Both LLV and pre‐LLV HBeAg‐positive CHB patients exhibited elevated circulating HBV RNA levels compared to those achieving MVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The causal relationship between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and infertility has remained unclear. Thus, we used Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate this relationship. Methods: Risk factors for SHBG were extracted from European individuals within the UK Biobank using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Summary-level data for infertility outcomes were obtained from the FinnGen dataset. The causal relationship between SHBG and infertility was examined using inverse variance weighted, weighted model, weighted median, and MR-Egger regression analyses. Additionally, Cochran's Q test and Egger intercept tests were used to confirm the heterogeneity and pleiotropy of identified instrumental variables (IVs). Results: Our findings revealed a significant negative association between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels and infertility, particularly with anovulation, a specific form of female infertility. However, SHBG did not exert a causal impact on male infertility or on female infertility of tubal origin. Conclusions: SHBG expression offers protection against the development of certain types of female infertility, suggesting it is a potential therapeutic target for infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early diagenetic nodules with low permeable and weather-resistant structures are considered to be favorable for biosignature preservation. Numerous nodular structures forming in neutral-to-alkaline and saline diagenetic fluids were previously identified at Gale Crater on Mars, yet their astrobiological significance remains poorly understood. In the Mars-like western Qaidam Basin, China, there are a multitude of carbonate nodules which can be analogous to those found at Gale Crater on Mars in terms of their formation backgrounds and post-depositional processes. In this study, we combine microscopic, spectroscopic, and geochemical methods to characterize the biosignature preservation of the Qaidam nodules. Carbonaceous materials, including an organic annulus inferred to be a fossil spore or algal filament microfossil, are observed in the Qaidam nodules. The total organic carbon contents of the Qaidam nodules are slightly higher than those of the surrounding fluvio-lacustrine deposits, suggesting that early diagenesis of the Qaidam nodules might facilitate the rapid entombment of biomass within magnesium carbonate or aragonite matrixes before complete degradation. The carbonate matrix showing alternating micritic and sparry layers as well as enrichment of 13C could have a physicochemical origin though the possibilities of biomineralization and organomineralization cannot be entirely ruled out. The 1-1350/1,600 distribution of carbonaceous materials implies the existence of carbon precursors of various subcellular components or coexisting organisms in pore waters. Organic carbon isotopes indicate the carbon fixation pathways such as the Calvin cycle or the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway utilized by organisms in pore waters. The findings of this study shed light into the taphonomy and detection of biosignatures in terrestrial playa nodules, with potential applications for biosignature exploration on Mars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) plays a very important role in various diseases. However, the precise involvement of DHA in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), relation to the equilibrium between M1 and M2 cells, remains uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of DHA in SLE and its effect on the M1/M2 cells balance. SLE mice model was established by pristane induction. Flow cytometry was employed to measure the abundance of M1 and M2 cells within the peripheral blood of individuals diagnosed with SLE. The concentrations of various cytokines, namely TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10, within the serum of SLE patients or SLE mice were assessed via ELISA. Immunofluorescence staining was utilized to detect the deposition of IgG and complement C3 in renal tissues of the mice. We conducted immunohistochemistry analysis to assess the expression levels of Collagen-I, a collagen protein, and α-SMA, a fibrosis marker protein, in the renal tissues of mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, and Periodic acid Schiff staining were used to examine histological alterations. In this study, we employed qPCR and western blot techniques to assess the expression levels of key molecular markers, namely CD80 and CD86 for M1 cells, as well as CD206 and Arg-1 for M2 cells, within kidney tissue. Additionally, we investigated the involvement of the MAPK signaling pathway. The Venny 2.1 online software tool was employed to identify shared drug-disease targets, and subsequently, the Cytoscape 3.9.2 software was utilized to construct the "disease-target-ingredient" network diagram. Protein-protein interactions of the target proteins were analyzed using the String database, and the network proteins underwent enrichment analysis for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. The results showed that an increase in M1 cells and a decrease in M2 cells within the peripheral blood of individuals diagnosed with SLE. Further analysis revealed that prednisone (PDN) combined with DHA can alleviate kidney damage and regulate the balance of M1 and M2 cells in both glomerular mesangial cells (GMC) and kidney. The MAPK signaling pathway was found to be involved in SLE kidney damage and M1/M2 balance in the kidney. Furthermore, PDN and/or DHA were found to inhibit the MAPK signaling pathway in GMC and kidney. We demonstrated that PDN combined with DHA attenuates SLE by regulating M1/M2 balance through MAPK signaling pathway. These findings propose that the combination of PDN and DHA could serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for SLE, as it has the potential to mitigate kidney damage and reinstate the equilibrium of M1 and M2 cells. • PDN combined with DHA reduced SLE. • PDN combined with DHA regulating M1/M2 balance. • PDN together with DHA inhibits the MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to our recent studies on hydrophobicity, this work is aimed at understanding the dependence of hydrophobic interactions on the shape of a solute's surface. It has been observed that dissolved solutes primarily affect the structure of interfacial water, which refers to the top layer of water at the interface between the solute and water. As solutes aggregate in a solution, hydrophobic interactions become closely related to the transition of water molecules from the interfacial region to the bulk water. It is inferred that hydrophobic interactions may depend on the shape of the solute surface. To enhance the strength of hydrophobic interactions, the solutes tend to aggregate, thereby minimizing their surface area-to-volume ratio. This also suggests that hydrophobic interactions may exhibit directional characteristics. Moreover, this phenomenon can be supported by calculated potential mean forces (PMFs) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, where different surfaces, such as convex, flat, or concave, are associated with a sphere. Furthermore, this concept can be extended to comprehend the molecular packing parameter, commonly utilized in studying the self-assembly behavior of amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of friction vibration signals and identify the vibration excitation source at the start and stop stage of microtextured end face of dry gas seals. Design/methodology/approach: The friction pair consists of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film microtextured seal ring and a spiral groove seal ring. Friction vibration signal feature extraction method based on harmonic wavelet packet and spectrum analysis was proposed. Signals were collected using acceleration sensor, acquisition card and LabVIEW software. Vibration acceleration signal was decomposed into 32 frequency bands using MATLAB wavelet packet transformation. The 32nd band coefficient was extracted for reconstruction, time-domain and spectral waveforms were obtained and spectra before/after denoising were compared. Findings: The end face of the DLC film microtextured seal ring generates a good dynamic pressure effect, and the friction and vibration reduction effects are obvious. The harmonic wavelet packet can decompose the vibration signal conveniently and precisely. In the case of this experiment, the frequency of vibration of the seal ring is 7500 HZ. Originality/value: The results show that the method is effective for the processing of friction vibration signal and the identification of vibration excitation source. The findings will provide ideas for the frictional vibration signal processing and basis for further research in the field of tribology of dry gas seal ring. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2024-0084/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside (purity >98%) were isolated from black chokeberry by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and an animal experiment was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetics of two anthocyanin monomers after intravenous administration. The results showed that cyanidin-3-O-galactoside has preferable druggability than cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside in pharmacokinetic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of state of health (SOH), a crucial aspect of battery management systems, necessitates accurate and reliable estimations for lithium-ion batteries. However, achieving high-precision SOH estimation using the deep extreme learning machine (DELM) in complex environments is challenging due to the instability caused by its random key parameters. To address this, we propose a novel approach that combines the improved bald eagle search (IBES) algorithm with DELM. By utilizing the IBES algorithm, we can extract highly relevant health indicators from the battery's parameter curve during charging and discharging, as well as the incremental capacity curve. These indicators serve as inputs to the constructed estimation model, which predicts SOH under different working conditions. The proposed method has been validated using publicly available experimental data, with an overall error in SOH estimation of less than 1%. In comparison to the existing model, the proposed method achieves RMSE, MAE, and MAPE values lower than 0.35%, 0.26%, and 0.21%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the proposed method excels in terms of both the speed and accuracy of SOH estimation, showcasing its enhanced robustness and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an acoustic emission (AE) detection method for refined oil storage tanks which is aimed towards specialized places such as oil storage tanks with high explosion-proof requirements, such as cave oil tanks and buried oil tanks. The method utilizes an explosion-proof acoustic emission instrument to detect the floor of a refined oil storage tank. By calculating the time difference between the defective acoustic signal and the speed of acoustic wave transmission, a mathematical model is constructed to analyze the detected signals. An independent channel AE detection system is designed, which can store the collected data in a piece of independent explosion-proof equipment, and can analyze and process the data in a safe area after the detection, solving the problems of a short signal acquisition distance and the weak safety protection applied to traditional AE instruments. A location analysis of the AE sources is conducted on the bottom plate of the tank, evaluating its corrosion condition accurately. The consistency between the evaluation and subsequent open-tank tests confirms that using AE technology effectively captures corrosion signals from oil storage tanks' bottoms. The feasibility of carrying out online inspection under the condition of oil storage in vertical steel oil tanks was verified through a comparison with open inspections, which provided a guide for determining the inspection target and opening order of large-scale oil tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 (CN) photocatalyst with both recyclability and efficient photocatalytic performance was synthesized by the hydrothermal method and achieved practice value enhancement. The optimal composite was identified as Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 combined with 5 wt% NiFe 2 O 4 (CN-5), exhibiting the capability to decompose 98.2% of RhB within 90 min. Remarkably, the photocatalytic activity remained above 90% even after 4 recycling cycles, and the magnetization saturation reached 2.6 emu/g, showcasing exceptional magnetic properties and photocatalytic stability. Meanwhile, characterization analysis proved successful compounding of NiFe 2 O 4 , and the specific surface area of CN-5 was slightly enhanced. The heterojunction structure generated by direct binding in CN-5 significantly reduced the photogenerated carrier complexation rate. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism indicated that the degradation of RhB followed the Z-type heterojunction mechanism, and photo-induced ·O 2 − played a pivotal role, followed by h+ and ·OH. In summary, the composite magnetic photocatalyst Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 could offer a promising alternative for wastewater purification. • Novel magnetic composite Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 displayed remarkable photocatalytic properties. • Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 /NiFe 2 O 4 offers economic viability and environmental sustainability. • A Z-type heterojunction was generated directly between Bi 12 O 15 Cl 6 and NiFe 2 O 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar activity, such as sunspots and flares, has a great impact on humans, living beings, and technologies in the whole world. Changes in sunspots will influence high-frequency and space-navigation radio communications. Based on the full-disk, southern and northern hemispheres sunspot areas (SAs) data in 1874–2023 from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (RGO) USAF/NOAA, extreme value theory (EVT) is applied to predict the trend of the 25th and 26th solar cycles (SCs) in this work. Two methods with EVT, the block maxima (BM) approach and the peaks-over-threshold (POT) approach, are employed to research solar extreme events. The former method focuses on each block's maximum sunspot areas value and is applied for the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. The latter method aims to select the extreme values exceeding a threshold value and is used to obtain the generalized Pareto (GP) distribution. It is the first time that the EVT is applied on the sunspot areas data from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (RGO) USAF/NOAA. The analysis indicates that the estimated 8-year return levels for sunspot areas are 5701 and 6258 using the two methods, while the estimated 19-year return levels are all 7165. This suggests that the trends of the 25th and 26th solar cycles will be stronger than that of the 24th solar cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report discusses a female patient with axial spondyloarthritis (AS) who developed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) after being treated with secukinumab (SEC), an interleukin-17 inhibitor. The patient had a family history of AS and psoriasis, and her symptoms worsened after starting SEC treatment. She experienced upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal bleeding. The report highlights the association between SEC and the exacerbation of gastrointestinal symptoms leading to IBD. It also mentions the low incidence rate of IBD in patients treated with SEC and the lack of reports on neurological damage associated with SEC use. [Extracted from the article]

Over the past decade, controlled supramolecular polymerization has been extensively studied and gradually shifted to supramolecular block copolymerization. Supramolecular block copolymers (BCPs) are considered the holy grail for developing supramolecular materials with new functionalities due to their fascinating structures and ability to introduce diverse functions. From a thermodynamic view to kinetic aspects, great progress has been made in the synthetic strategies of BCPs in the past few years. This Concept summarizes various strategies to realize supramolecular block copolymerization. The focus is on providing researchers with a methodological basis for achieving heterogeneous nucleation‐elongation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe hyperinflammatory syndrome characterized by excessive activation of NK cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, subsequently leading to macrophage activation and increased cytokine production. Misdiagnosis due to nonspecific clinical presentations and inadequate understanding of the disease can significantly jeopardize the safety of both the mother and the infant. We report a case of pregnancy combined with HLH and conduct a literature review to provide insights into the diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related HLH. Case Presentation: We discussed a case of a pregnant woman with persistent postpartum fever, serum ferritin, and elevated liver function, who failed to respond to repeated anti-infective therapy and was diagnosed with HLH after multidisciplinary diagnostic treatment. We gave dexamethasone treatment, and the patient's temperature and blood cells quickly returned to normal. Finally, exome sequencing revealed heterozygous variation in UNC13D gene, so we considered this case as pregnancy combined with primary HLH (pHLH). Conclusion: We report the case of HLH diagnosed during pregnancy and show that early diagnosis and timely intervention can prevent rapid disease progression, reduce maternal mortality rates, and improve survival rates. Additionally, molecular genetic testing can confirm pathogenic gene mutations, providing essential genetic counseling for patients with pHLH who plan to conceive a healthy child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the identification of tumor deposits (TDs) and the prognostic significance of an MRI tumor regression grade for TDs in patients with rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). Methods: Ninety-one patients with cT3 or cT4 rectal cancer who underwent surgery following nCRT between August 2014 and June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Changes in pre-nCRT MRI-detected TDs (mrTDs) were described as mrTD regression grade. The diagnostic performance of post-nCRT MRI-detected TDs (ymrTDs) was compared with histopathological reference standard. The correlation between ymrTDs, mrTD regression grade, and disease-free survival (DFS) was assessed. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of ymrTDs were 88.00% and 89.39%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.887 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.803–0.944). The 3-year DFS of patients with positive ymrTDs was significantly lower than of the negative group (44.83% vs 82.73%, p < 0.001). The 3-year DFS was 33.33% for patients with poor regression of mrTDs following nCRT and 55.56% for those with moderate regression, compared to 69.23% in good responders and 83.97% in patients without mrTDs (p < 0.001). On multivariable Cox regression, mrTD regression grade was the only independent MRI factor associated with DFS (p = 0.042). Conclusions: Diagnostic performance of ymrTDs was moderate. The mrTD regression grade was independently correlated with DFS, which may have a prognostic implication for treatment and follow-up. Clinical relevance statement: Patients with poor regression of MRI-detected tumor deposits may benefit from more aggressive treatments, such as chemoradiation therapy plus induction or consolidation chemotherapy. Key Points: • MRI provides a preoperative and noninvasive way to visualize tumor deposits (TDs) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). • Post-nCRT MRI-detected TDs are a poor prognostic marker in cT3 and cT4 rectal cancer patients. • The regression of MRI-detected TDs after nCRT is associated with an improved disease-free survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Eu(DBM) 3 DETA is a newly synthesized, unreported lanthanide crystal complex. • Eu(DBM) 3 DETA has both excellent photoluminescence and triboluminescence properties. • Eu(DBM) 3 DETA can recover to its original PL and TL properties after recrystallization. • Piezoelectric effect on crystals during breakage provide excellent TL properties. • Eu(DBM) 3 DETA can display stress visualization differences of handwriting signatures. Investigation of photoluminescence (PL) and fracture-induced triboluminescence (TL) is necessary for the development of both fundamental theories and practical applications in mechanical energy conversion; however, most known PL/TL-emitting materials are confined to inorganic systems. In this study, a novel lanthanide-based crystalline complex (LnCC), Eu(DBM) 3 DETA was synthesized via the synergistic coordination of Eu3+ with DBM (Dibenzoylmethane) and DETA (Diethylenetriamine) units, leading to the formation of brighter LnCC with bright red emission, high PL quantum yields (57.19 %) and unique TL characteristics. The key to success in obtaining Eu(DBM) 3 DETA is the utilization of DETA molecule as synergistic ligand, presenting block crystals with higher coordination number of Eu3+ ions via recrystallization. Due to the dense accumulation of cross-linked three-dimensional frameworks through van der Waals interactions, the fracture-induced piezoelectric effect results in charge separation and excitation through the resultant electric field and discharge, triggering a fast TL response of Eu(DBM) 3 DETA and expanding the possibilities of the quantitative stress sensing. Importantly, amorphous powders can still recover to their original PL and TL emission intensities after recrystallization in cyclic crystal-to-amorphous phase transitions. The unique PL and TL characteristics of Eu(DBM) 3 DETA provide promising opportunities to display stress visualization differences of electronic signatures under different forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new tirucallane-type triterpenoids, polystanins H–K (1–4), were obtained from the stems and leaves of Aphanamixis polystachya. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of the spectroscopic data and comparison with literature data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed week inhibitory effects against NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. All the isolates were investigated for their antifungal activities against drug-resistant Candida albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamane superlattice generated by the interlayer bonding of twisted bilayer graphene (IB-TBG) has attracted much attention thanks to its excellent properties inherited from bulk diamond, as well as the versatile modulation of physical and mechanical properties, which may open up novel electronic applications. In this work, we have systematically studied the in-plane and interlayer mechanical behaviors of IB-TBG through molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical analysis by considering different structural parameters, such as the twisted angle, stack pattern, and interlayer bonding density. It is found that interlayer bonding density plays a crucial role in determining the in-plane and interlayer shear mechanical properties of IB-TBG. Both the in-plane tensile modulus and strength follow the same linear attenuation relationship with interlayer bonding density for different twisted angles and stacked patterns, while the interlayer shear modulus increases with interlayer bonding density following the same power law, and the critical shear strain of failure linearly decreases with interlayer bonding density. Furthermore, two failure modes are observed under shear deformation, i.e., the failure of interlayer bonding (mode I) and fracture of graphene sheets (mode G). Then, theoretical prediction is carried out by considering the balance of in-plane tension and interlayer shear, which can identify the two failure modes well. The results presented herein yield useful insights for designing and tuning the mechanical properties of IB-TBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify a fading AGN SDSS J220141.64+115124.3 from the internal Product Launch-11 (MPL-11) in Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. The central region with a projected radius of |$\sim$| 2.4 kpc is characterized as LINER-like line ratios while the outskirts extended to |$\sim$| 15 kpc show Seyfert-like line ratios. The |${\rm{[O {\small III}]}}$| |$\lambda$| 5007 luminosity of the Seyfert regions is a factor of 37 (2) higher than the LINER regions without (with) dust attenuation correction, suggesting that the AGN activity decreases at least |$\sim$| 8 |$\times$| 10 |$^3$| yr (⁠|$\sim$| 2.4 kpc/light-speed) ago. We model the emission line spectra in the central region with double Gaussian components (a narrow core and a broad wing) and analyse the properties of each component. The narrow core component mostly co-rotates with the stellar disc, whereas the broad wing component with a median of the velocity dispersion |$\sim$| 300 km s |$^{-1}$| is related to a wind outflow. The kinematic position angle (PA) of the ionized gas shows an |$\sim 20^{\circ }$| twist from the galaxy centre to 1.5 effective radius. The median of the PA difference between the gas and stellar components is as large as |$\sim 50^{\circ }$| within 0.4 effective radius. The tidal feature in DESI image and star–gas misalignment suggest this galaxy is a merger remnant. Combining all these observational results as well as public available X-ray and MIR luminosities, we confirm this is a fading AGN, the merger process kick-started the central engine to quasar phase which ionized gas composed of tidal debris, and now the activity of the central black hole decreases. The discontinuity in |${\rm{[O {\small III}]}}$| |$\lambda$| 5007 flux and EQW maps is due to multiple AGN outbursts triggered by merger remnant gas inflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apolipoprotein AV (APOA5) lowers plasma triglyceride (TG) levels by binding to the angiopoietin-like protein 3/8 complex (ANGPTL3/8) and suppressing its capacity to inhibit lipoprotein lipase (LPL) catalytic activity and its ability to detach LPL from binding sites within capillaries. However, the sequences in APOA5 that are required for suppressing ANGPTL3/8 activity have never been defined. A clue to the identity of those sequences was the presence of severe hypertriglyceridemia in two patients harboring an APOA5 mutation that truncates APOA5 by 35 residues ("APOA5Δ35"). We found that wild-type (WT) human APOA5, but not APOA5Δ35, suppressed ANGPTL3/8's ability to inhibit LPL catalytic activity. To pursue that finding, we prepared a mutant mouse APOA5 protein lacking 40 C-terminal amino acids ("APOA5Δ40"). Mouse WT-APOA5, but not APOA5Δ40, suppressed ANGPTL3/8's capacity to inhibit LPL catalytic activity and sharply reduced plasma TG levels in mice. WT-APOA5, but not APOA5Δ40, increased intracapillary LPL levels and reduced plasma TG levels in Apoa5-/- mice (where TG levels are high and intravascular LPL levels are low). Also, WT-APOA5, but not APOA5Δ40, blocked the ability of ANGPTL3/8 to detach LPL from cultured cells. Finally, an antibody against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the last 26 amino acids of mouse APOA5 reduced intracapillary LPL levels and increased plasma TG levels in WT mice. We conclude that C-terminal sequences in APOA5 are crucial for suppressing ANGPTL3/8 activity in vitro and for regulating intracapillary LPL levels and plasma TG levels in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) can increase the risk of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease and obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD), which usually have a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore the impact of MetS on left ventricular (LV) deformation and function in OCAD patients and investigate the independent factors of impaired LV function and deformation. Materials and methods: A total of 121 patients with OCAD and 52 sex- and age-matched controls who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance scanning were enrolled in the study. All OCAD patients were divided into two groups: OCAD with MetS [OCAD(MetS+), n = 83] and OCAD without MetS [OCAD(MetS−), n = 38]. LV functional and global strain parameters were measured and compared among the three groups. Multivariable linear regression analyses were constructed to investigate the independent factors of LV impairment in OCAD patients. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to test the prediction efficiency of MetS for LV impairment. Results: From controls to the OCAD(MetS−) group to the OCAD(MetS+) group, LV mass (LVM) increased, and LV global function index (LVGFI) and LV global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) decreased (all p < 0.05). Compared with the OCAD(MetS−) group, the LV GLPS declined significantly (p = 0.027), the LVM increased (p = 0.006), and the LVGFI decreased (p = 0.043) in the OCAD(MetS+) group. After adjustment for covariates in OCAD patients, MetS was an independent factor of decreased LV GLPS (β = − 0.211, p = 0.002) and increased LVM (β = 0.221, p = 0.003). The logistic multivariable regression analysis and ROC analysis showed that combined MetS improved the efficiency of predicting LV GLPS reduction (AUC = 0.88) and LVM (AUC = 0.89) increase. Conclusions: MetS aggravated the damage of LV deformation and function in OCAD patients and was independently associated with LV deformation and impaired LV strain. Additionally, MetS increased the prediction efficiency of increased LVM and decreased LV GLPS. Early detection and intervention of MetS in patients with OCAD is of great significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Information about the effect of curcumin supplementation on the cecum of Eimeria tenella-infected broilers is scarce. This study examined the effects of curcumin on the growth performance, antioxidant system, intestinal integrity, and microbiota structure of broilers infected with E. tenella. Thus, this study provided a reference for using curcumin as a healthy feed additive. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary curcumin supplementation on growth performance, anticoccidial index, antioxidant capacity, intestinal inflammation, and cecum microbiota in broilers infected with Eimeria tenella. A total of 234 one-day-old broilers were categorized into three treatments, with six replicates per treatment containing 13 broilers each. The three treatments included the control group, Eimeria tenella group, and Eimeria tenella + curcumin (200 mg/kg) group. The feeding trial lasted for 42 days, during which the broilers were orally administered with 0.9% saline or 5 × 104 Eimeria tenella oocysts on day 14 of the study. On day 17 and day 21, one bird per replicate was selected for slaughtering. Results indicated an increased survival rate and anticoccidial index and improved productive performance in coccidia-infected broilers with curcumin supplementation. Furthermore, curcumin enhanced the serum antioxidant capacity in Eimeria tenella-infected broilers, evidenced by increased serum catalase activity (3d, 7d), as well as decreased malondialdehyde level (3d, 7d) and nitric oxide synthase activity (7d) (p < 0.05). Curcumin also improved intestinal inflammation and barrier function, evidenced by the downregulation of interleukin (IL)-1β (3d, 7d), TNF-alpha (TNF-α) (3d, 7d), and IL-2 (7d) and the up-regulated mRNA levels of claudin-1 (7d), zonula occludens (ZO-1; 3d, 7d), and occludin (3d, 7d) in the ceca of infected broilers (p < 0.05). Eimeria tenella infection significantly disrupted cecum microbial balance, but curcumin did not alleviate cecum microbial disorder in broilers infected with Eimeria tenella. Collectively, curcumin supplementation enhanced growth performance and anticoccidial index in Eimeria tenella-infected broilers via improving antioxidant ability and cecum inflammation without affecting cecum microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rigid three‐dimensional (3D) polycyclic propellanes have garnered interest due to their unique conformational spaces, which display great potential use in selectivity, separation and as models to study through‐space electronic interactions. Herein we report the synthesis of a novel rigid propellane, trinaphtho[3.3.3]propellane triimide, which comprises three imide groups embedded on a trinaphtho[3.3.3]propellane. This propellane triimide exhibits large bathochromic shift, amplified molar absorptivity, enhanced fluorescence, and lower reduction potential when compared to the subunits. Computational and experimental studies reveal that the effective through‐space π‐orbitals interacting (homoconjugation) occurs between the subunits. Single‐crystal XRD analysis reveals that the propellane triimide has a highly quasi‐D3h symmetric skeleton and readily crystallizes into different superstructures by changing alkyl chains at the imide positions. In particular, the porous 3D superstructure with S‐shaped channels is promising for taking up ethane (C2H6) with very good selectivity over ethylene (C2H4), which can purify C2H4 from C2H6/C2H4 in a single separation step. This work showcases a new class of rare 3D polycyclic propellane with intriguing electronic and supramolecular properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rigid three‐dimensional (3D) polycyclic propellanes have garnered interest due to their unique conformational spaces, which display great potential use in selectivity, separation and as models to study through‐space electronic interactions. Herein we report the synthesis of a novel rigid propellane, trinaphtho[3.3.3]propellane triimide, which comprises three imide groups embedded on a trinaphtho[3.3.3]propellane. This propellane triimide exhibits large bathochromic shift, amplified molar absorptivity, enhanced fluorescence, and lower reduction potential when compared to the subunits. Computational and experimental studies reveal that the effective through‐space π‐orbitals interacting (homoconjugation) occurs between the subunits. Single‐crystal XRD analysis reveals that the propellane triimide has a highly quasi‐D3h symmetric skeleton and readily crystallizes into different superstructures by changing alkyl chains at the imide positions. In particular, the porous 3D superstructure with S‐shaped channels is promising for taking up ethane (C2H6) with very good selectivity over ethylene (C2H4), which can purify C2H4 from C2H6/C2H4 in a single separation step. This work showcases a new class of rare 3D polycyclic propellane with intriguing electronic and supramolecular properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Indigenous peoples, and racial and ethnic minorities around the world experience significant mental health inequities. Telepsychiatry can contribute to addressing these inequities among these populations. However, it is first crucial to ensure the cultural safety of this tool as a critical step toward health equity. This review aimed to collate evidence regarding cultural adaptations, barriers, opportunities, and facilitators for telepsychiatry services supporting minority groups. Method: Using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline, we conducted a systematic scoping review and thematic analysis. Six databases were searched using the PICO framework, i.e., population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes.. Additional literature was identified through reference lists screening. We developed a table for data extraction, and the extracted data were further analyzed following Braun and Clarke's approach for thematic analysis. Results: A total of 1514 citations were screened with a final total of 58 articles included in the review. The themes related to telepsychiatry cultural adaptations emphasize the crucial role of community involvement and quality service delivery. Identified barriers were associated with service and infrastructure, and service users' socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Opportunities and facilitators for telepsychiatry were enhanced access and rapport, and multi-organizational collaborations and partnerships. Discussion: This review identified factors that can guide the adaptation of telepsychiatry evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples and racial and ethnic minorities. Telepsychiatry programs must be specifically designed for the population they seek to serve, and this review offers emerging insights into critical factors to consider in their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone acetylation is highly conserved across eukaryotes and has been linked to gene activation since its discovery nearly 60 years ago. Over the past decades, histone acetylation has been evidenced to play crucial roles in plant development and response to various environmental cues. Emerging data indicate that histone acetylation is one of the defining features of "open chromatin," while the role of histone acetylation in transcription remains controversial. In this review, we briefly describe the discovery of histone acetylation, the mechanism of histone acetylation regulating transcription in yeast and mammals, and summarize the research progress of plant histone acetylation. Furthermore, we also emphasize the effect of histone acetylation on seed development and its potential use in plant breeding. A comprehensive knowledge of histone acetylation might provide new and more flexible research perspectives to enhance crop yield and stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most crucial task of petroleum geology is to explore oil and gas reservoirs in the deep underground. As one of the analysis techniques in petroleum geological research, rock thin section identification method includes particle segmentation, which is one of the key steps. A conventional sandstone thin section image typically contains hundreds of mineral particles with blurred boundaries and complex microstructures inside the particles. Moreover, the complex lithology and low porosity of tight sandstone make traditional image segmentation methods unsuitable for solving the complex thin section segmentation problems. This paper combines petrology and image processing technologies. First, polarised sequence images are aligned, and then the images are transformed to the HSV colour space to extract pores. Second, particles are extracted according to their extinction characteristics. Last, a concavity and corner detection matching method is used to process the extracted particles, thereby completing the segmentation of sandstone thin section images. The experimental results show that our proposed method can more accurately fit the boundaries of mineral particles in sandstone images than existing image segmentation methods. Additionally, when applied in actual production scenarios, our method exhibits excellent performance, greatly improving thin section identification efficiency and significantly assisting experts in identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemophilia A (HA) is a common X-linked recessive hereditary bleeding disorder. Coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) is insufficient in patients with HA due to the mutations in the F8 gene. The restoration of plasma levels of FVIII via both recombinant B-domain-deleted FVIII (BDD-FVIII) and B-domain-deleted F8 (BDDF8) transgenes was proven to be helpful. FVIII-Padua is a 23.4 kb tandem repeat mutation in the F8 associated with a high F8 gene expression and thrombogenesis. Here we screened a core enhancer element in FVIII-Padua for improving the F8 expression. In detail, we identified a 400 bp efficient enhancer element, C400, in FVIII-Padua for the first time. The core enhancer C400 extensively improved the transcription of BDDF8 driven by human elongation factor-1 alpha in HepG2, HeLa, HEK-293T and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with different genetic backgrounds, as well as iPSCs-derived endothelial progenitor cells (iEPCs) and iPSCs-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs). The expression of FVIII protein was increased by C400, especially in iEPCs. Our research provides a novel molecular target to enhance expression of FVIII protein, which has scientific value and application prospects in both viral and nonviral HA gene therapy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transparent [Li 0.04 (K 0.5 Na 0.5) 0.96 ]NbO 3 +0.5mol% Er 2 O 3 (KNNLN-Er) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by stereolithography technique. The influence of different sintering holding time (4h∼8h) on the micromorphology, relative density, shrinkage, electric properties, and photoluminescence properties were systematically investigated. The KNNLN-Er ceramics show the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal structures. The grain size increases obviously and then decreases slightly with the holding time increasing. The KNNLN-Er ceramics exhibit good piezoelectric performance (piezoelectric constant d 33 ∼97 pC/N, electromechanical couple coefficient k t ∼0.36) and the moderate transparency of 34% when the holding time is 6h during sintering at 1120°C. Besides, the intensity of the photoluminescence emission spectra increases with the holding time increasing. Furthermore, in order to estimate the properties of the KNNLN-Er transparent ceramics, an ultrasonic transducer with a center frequency of 10.5 MHz was fabricated, which can be used for photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging. The results indicate that the KNNLN-Er ceramics have potential for multimode imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel electrochemical immunosensor for detecting potential depression biomarker Apolipoprotein A4 (Apo-A4) was developed using a multi-signal amplification approach. Firstly, the sensor utilized a modified electrode material, NG-PEI-COF, combining bipyridine-functionalized covalent organic framework (COF) and polyethyleneimine-functionalized nitrogen-doped graphene (NG-PEI), providing high surface area and excellent electron transfer capability for the first-stage amplification in electrical signal conduction. Subsequently, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were further electrodeposited onto the electrode, providing good biocompatibility and abundant binding sites for immobilizing the target antigen, thus achieving the second-stage amplification in target recognition and binding. To address the lack of redox properties of the antigen, a tracer probe was formed by loading AuNPs, anti-Apo-A4, and toluidine blue (TB) successively onto COF, leading to the third-stage amplification in signal conversion. The constructed electrochemical immunosensor TB/Ab/AuNPs/COF-Apo-A4/AuNPs/NG-PEI-COF/GCE exhibited excellent detection performance against Apo-A4 with a linear range of 0.01 to 300 ng mL−1 and had a low detection limit of 2.16 pg mL−1 (S/N = 3). In addition, the biosensor had good reproducibility (RSD = 2.31%), stability, and significant anti-interference performance toward other depression biomarkers. The sensor has been successfully used for the quantitative detection of Apo-A4 in serum, providing potential applications for detecting Apo-A4 in the clinic and serving as a reference for constructing sensing methods based on COF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign airway stenosis (BAS) means airway stenosis or obstruction that results from a variety of non-malignant factors, including tuberculosis, trauma, benign tumors, etc. In consideration of the currently limited research on microRNAs in BAS, this study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of miR-34c-5p in BAS. The expression of miR-34c-5p in BAS granulation tissues showed a significant down-regulation compared with the normal control group. Moreover, miR-34c-5p mimics suppressed the proliferation and differentiation of human bronchial fibroblasts (HBFs) and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE). Conversely, miR-34c-5p inhibitors aggravated those effects. A dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-34c-5p can target MDMX rather than Notch1. The over-expression of MDMX can reverse the inhibiting effect of miR-34c-5p on HBFs proliferation, differentiation and EMT. Furthermore, the expressions of tumor protein (p53) and PTEN were down-regulated following the over-expression of MDMX. In addition, the expressions of PI3K and AKT showed an up-regulation. In conclusion, miR-34c-5p was down-regulated in BAS and may inhibit fibroblast proliferation differentiation and EMT in BAS via the MDMX/p53 signaling axis. These findings expand the understanding of the role of miR-34c-5p and will help develop new treatment strategies for BAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in computational performance and medical simulation technology have made significant strides, particularly in predictive diagnosis. This study focuses on the blood flow simulation reduced-order models, which provide swift and cost-effective solutions for complex vascular systems, positioning them as practical alternatives to 3D simulations in resource-limited medical settings. The paper introduces a visualization platform for patient-specific and image-based 1D–0D simulations. This platform covers the entire workflow, from modeling to dynamic 3D visualization of simulation results. Two case studies on, respectively, carotid stenosis and arterial remodeling demonstrate its utility in blood flow simulation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: This study assessed Australian adults' attitudes towards government actions to protect children from digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products. Methods: An online survey was undertaken by Australian adults aged 18–64 recruited via two national panels in December 2019 (N = 2044). Results: Most respondents (69%) agreed the Government should protect children from unhealthy food and drink marketing and advertising broadly. Those who agreed most commonly indicated children should be protected up to age 16 (34%) or 18 (24%). There was widespread support for government actions to stop unhealthy food and drink marketing on digital platforms (e.g., internet sites) (68%–69%) and various digital marketing techniques (e.g., advertising by brands on social media) (56%–71%). A total ban on targeting unhealthy food and drink marketing to children online received the highest level of support (76%). Most respondents (81%) disagreed unhealthy food and drink companies should be able to collect children's personal information for marketing purposes. Support for examined actions was generally higher among older adults, more educated adults and more frequent internet users, lower among males, and similar between parents and non‐parents. Conclusions: There is public perception that the government is responsible for protecting children, well into adolescence, from unhealthy food and drink marketing broadly. Widespread public support extends to specific actions to reduce children's exposure to digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products. So What?: Implementation of policies to protect children from digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products would be well received by the Australian public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The impact of immunosuppression on prognosis of carbapenem-resistant organism (CRO) bloodstream infection (BSI) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between immunosuppression and mortality of CRO-BSI and to identify the risk factors associated with mortality in immunosuppressed patients. Methods: This retrospective study included 279 patients with CRO-BSI from January 2018 to March 2023. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between the immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients. The relationship between immunosuppression and 30-day mortality after BSI onset was assessed through logistic-regression analysis, propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Factors associated with mortality in immunosuppressed patients were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 88 immunocompetent and 191 immunosuppressed patients were included, with 30-day all-cause mortality of 58.8%. Although the 30-day mortality in immunosuppressed patients was significantly higher than in immunocompetent patients (46.6% vs. 64.4%, P = 0.007), immunosuppression was not an independent risk factor for mortality in multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio [OR] 3.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74–18.89; P = 0.123), PSM (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.60–3.18; P = 0.449,) or IPTW (OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.58–3.36; P = 0.447). For patients with CRO-BSI, regardless of immune status, appropriate antibiotic therapy was associated with decreased 30-day mortality, while Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired infection and thrombocytopenia at CRO-BSI onset were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion: Despite the high mortality rate of CRO-BSI, immunosuppression did not affect the mortality. Appropriate antibiotic therapy is crucial for improving the prognosis of CRO-BSI, regardless of the immune status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate targets through which Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction aids in treating myocardial infarction (MI) using network pharmacology in combination with molecular docking. The principal active ingredients of Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction were identified from the TCMSP database using the criteria of drug-likeness ≥30% and oral bioavailability ≥0.18. Interactions and pathway enrichment were investigated using protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, respectively. Active component structures were docked with those of potential protein targets using AutoDock molecular docking relative softwares. HIF1A was of particular interest as it was identified by the PPI network, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. In conclusion, the use of network pharmacology prediction and molecular docking assessments provides further information on the active components and mechanisms of action Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper addresses the challenge of generalized zero-shot learning, where the label of a target image may belong to either a seen or an unseen category. Previous methods for this task typically learn a joint embedding space where image features and their corresponding class prototypes are directly aligned. However, this can be difficult due to the inherent gap between the visual and semantic space. To overcome this challenge, we propose a novel learning framework that relaxes the alignment requirement. Our approach employs a metric learning-based loss function to optimize the visual embedding model, allowing for different penalty strengths on within-class and between-class similarities. By avoiding pair-wise comparisons between image and class embeddings, our approach achieves more flexibility in learning discriminative and generalized visual features. Our extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of our method with performance on par with the state-of-the-art on five benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rescaling digital images for display on various devices, while simultaneously removing noise, has increasingly become a focus of attention. However, limited research has been done on a unified framework that can efficiently perform both tasks. In response, we propose INDIRECT (INvertible and Discrete noisy Image Rescaling with Enhancement from Case-dependent Textures), a novel method designed to address image denoising and rescaling jointly. INDIRECT leverages a jointly optimized framework to produce clean and visually appealing images using a lightweight model. It employs a discrete invertible network, DDR-Net, to perform rescaling and denoising through its reversible operations, efficiently mitigating the quantization errors typically encountered during downscaling. Subsequently, the Case-dependent Texture Module (CTM) is introduced to estimate missing high-frequency information, thereby recovering a clean and high-resolution image. Experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves competitive performance across three tasks: noisy image rescaling, image rescaling, and denoising, all while maintaining a relatively small model size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-source domain generalization for person re-identification, named Domain Generalizable Person Re-Identification (DG-ReID), refers to training on multiple source domains and testing on unseen target domains. However, the performance of the current methods is rather unsatisfactory. In this paper, we propose the Multi-Source Adaptive Meta-Learning (MAM) framework to push the limit of DG-ReID. First, MAM is built on the novel Multi-Source Adaptive Feature Refinement (MAFR) block, which simultaneously acquires domain-generalized features and domain-unique features on different domains. MAFR consists of three key components: the fine-grained feature extraction (FGFE) branch, the refined feature supplementation (RFS) branch, and the feature fusion (FF) module. Through these blocks, the interrelationships between different domains are explored, facilitating the extraction of features that are both generalized and discriminative. To capture domain-adaptive information, MAFR incorporates a meta-weight generator to effectively capture domain-adaptive information. Second, MAM leverages the principles of meta-learning during training to acquire more powerful generalization features. A total of three novel loss functions are proposed to train the proposed MAM including the clustering loss, the unknown domain identification loss, and the non-parametric identification loss. Last, we further design a novel meta-feature sampling method to diversify features used in the meta-testing stage for better generalization capability. The effectiveness of the proposed method is extensively evaluated on multiple benchmarks, and the results provide comprehensive validation. For instance, our MAM framework presents a promising solution to the challenge of domain generalization in person re-identification. Specifically, under evaluation protocol-2, the MAM framework exhibits improvements of 1.0% and 0.9% in mAP and rank-1 metrics, respectively, compared to the previous state-of-the-art method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Protein‐based nanoparticles have gained considerable interest in recent years due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functional properties. However, nanoparticles formed from hydrophobic proteins are prone to instability under environmental stress, which restricts their potential applications. It is therefore of great importance to develop green approaches for the fabrication of hydrophobic protein‐based nanoparticles and to improve their physicochemical performance. RESULTS: Gliadin/shellac complex nanoparticles (168.87 ~ 403.67 nm) with various gliadin/shellac mass ratios (10:0 ~ 5:5) were prepared using a pH‐driven approach. In comparison with gliadin nanoparticles, complex nanoparticles have shown enhanced stability against neutral pH, ions, and boiling. They remained stable under neutral conditions at NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 mmol L−1 and even when boiled at 100 °C for 90 min. These nanoparticles were capable of effectively reducing oil–water interfacial tension (5 ~ 11 mNm−1) but a higher amount of shellac in the nanoparticles compromised their ability to lower interfacial tension. Moreover, the wettability of the nanoparticles changed as the gliadin/shellac mass ratio changed, leading to a range of three‐phase contact angles from 52.41° to 84.85°. Notably, complex nanoparticles with a gliadin/shellac mass ratio of 8:2 (G/S 8:2) showed a contact angle of 84.85°, which is considered suitable for the Pickering stabilization mechanism. Moreover, these nanoparticles exhibited the highest emulsifying activity of 52.42 m2 g−1 and emulsifying stability of 65.33%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study revealed that gliadin/shellac complex nanoparticles exhibited excellent resistance to environmental stress and demonstrated superior oil–water interfacial behavior. They have strong potential for further development as food emulsifiers or as nano‐delivery systems for nutraceuticals. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) working group proposed core outcome sets (COS) to address the heterogeneity in outcome measures in clinical studies. According to the recommendations of COMET, performing systematic reviews (SRs) usually was the first step for COS development. However, the SRs that serve as a basis for COS are not specifically appraised by organizations such as COMET regarding their quality. Here, we investigated the status of SRs related to development of COS and evaluated their methodological quality. Methods: We conducted a search on PubMed to identify SRs related to COS development published from inception to May 2022. We qualitatively summarized the disease included in SR topics, and the studies included in the SRs. We evaluated the methodological quality of the SRs using AMSTAR 2.0 and compared the overall quality of SRs with and without protocols using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: We included 175 SRs from 23 different countries or regions, and they mainly focused on five diseases: musculoskeletal system or connective tissue disease (n = 19, 10.86%), injury, poisoning, or certain other consequences of external causes (n = 18, 10.29%), digestive system disease (n = 16, 9.14%), nervous system disease (n = 15, 8.57%), and genitourinary system disease (n = 15, 8.57%). Although 88.00% of SRs included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), only a few SRs (23.38%) employed appropriate tools to assess the risk of bias in RCTs. The assessment results on the basis of AMSTAR 2.0 indicated that most SRs (93.71%) were rated as ‘’critically low’’ to ‘’low’’ in terms of overall confidence. The overall confidence of SRs with protocols was significantly higher than that without protocols (P <.001). Compared to the SRs with protocols on Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET), SRs with protocols on PROSPERO were of better overall confidence (P =.017). Conclusion: The overall quality of published SRs regarding COS development was poor. Our findings emphasize the need for researchers to carefully select the disease topic and strictly adhere to the requirements of optimal methodology when conducting a SR for the establishment of a COS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children obesity is a serious public health problem drawing much attention around the world. Recent research indicated that gut microbiota plays a vital role in children obesity, and disturbed gut microbiota is a prominent characteristic of obese children. Diet and exercise are efficient intervention for weight loss in obesity children, however, how the gut microbiota is modulated which remains largely unknown. To characterize the feature of gut microbiota in obese children and explore the effect of dietary and exercise on gut microbiota in simple obese children, 107 healthy children and 86 obese children were recruited, and among of the obese children 39 received the dietary-exercise combined weight loss intervention (DEI). The gut microbiota composition was detected by the 16S amplicon sequencing method. The gut microbiota composition was significantly different between obese children and the healthy cohort, and DEI significantly reduced the body weight and ameliorated the gut microbiota dysbiosis. After DEI, the abundance of the Akkermansia muciniphila was increased, while the abundance of the Sutterella genus was decreased in simple obese children. Our results may provide theoretical reference for future personalized obesity interventions based on gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]