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Two circularly polarized antenna arrays, which reduce two redundant OAM modes, are proposed in this paper. One antenna array is composed of 8 right-handed circularly polarized (RHCP) antennas and radiates OAM mode l in x component, OAM mode l in y component and OAM mode (l+1)in z component. The other antenna array has 8 left-handed circularly polarized (LHCP) antennas and transmits OAM mode l in x component, OAM mode l in y component and OAM mode (l−1)in z component. The RHCP and LHCP antenna arrays produce OAM waves with fewer redundant OAM modes compared to the traditional single-direction antenna array. The feed excitations of the two circularly polarized antenna arrays have the same feeding system, which includes power dividers and phase shifters. The reflection coefficient parameters, radiation patterns and phase distributions are measured to display the radiated characteristics of the two proposed methods. Both the simulation and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Abstract The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its benefits in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and small tumors are unclear. This study aims to compare survival differences between clinical T1 TNBC receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). Data for patients with clinical T1 TNBC were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were categorized according to whether they received chemotherapy before or after surgery. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used to minimize the influence of confounding factors. OS and BCSS were compared between the two treatment sequences using Kaplan–Meier and univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The study included 6249 women with T1 TNBC. In multivariate analysis, compared with that in the AC group, the hazard ratio for death in the NAC group was 1.54 (95% confidence interval 1.26–1.89, p

Abstract Elymus nutans Griseb. (E. nutans), a pioneer plant for the restoration of high quality pasture and vegetation, is widely used to establish artificial grasslands and ecologically restore arid and salinized soils. To investigate the effects of drought stress and salt stress on the physiology and endogenous hormones of E. nutans seedlings, this experiment configured the same environmental water potential (0 (CK), − 0.04, − 0.14, − 0.29, − 0.49, − 0.73, and − 1.02 MPa) of PEG-6000 and NaCl stress to investigate the effects of drought stress and salt stress, respectively, on E. nutans seedlings under the same environmental water potential. The results showed that although the physiological indices and endogenous hormones of the E. nutans seedlings responded differently to drought stress and salt stress under the same environmental water potential, the physiological indices of E. nutans shoots and roots were comprehensively evaluated using the genus function method, and the physiological indices of the E. nutans seedlings under the same environmental water potential exhibited better salt tolerance than drought tolerance. The changes in endogenous hormones of the E. nutans seedlings under drought stress were analyzed to find that treatment with gibberellic acid (GA3), gibberellin A7 (GA7), 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), 6-(y,y-dimethylallylaminopurine) (2.IP), trans-zeatin (TZ), kinetin (KT), dihydrozeatin (DHZ), indole acetic acid (IAA), and 2,6-dichloroisonicotininc acid (INA) was more effective than those under drought stress. By analyzing the amplitude of changes in the endogenous hormones in E. nutans seedlings, the amplitude of changes in the contents of GA3, GA7, 6-BA, 2.IP, TZ, KT, DHZ, IAA, isopentenyl adenosine (IPA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), and abscisic acid was larger in drought stress compared with salt stress, which could be because the endogenous hormones are important for the drought tolerance of E. nutans itself. The amplitude of the changes in the contents of DHZ, TZR, salicylic acid, and jasmonic acid was larger in salt stress compared with drought stress. Changes in the content of melatonin were larger in salt stress compared with drought stress, which could indicate that endogenous hormones and substances are important for the salt tolerance of E. nutans itself.

Abstract Respiratory failure, intracranial hemorrhage and infection were more common in hyperleukocytic acute myeloid leukemia patients than in non-hyperleukocytic leukemia patients. Compared with non-apheresis treatment, the white blood cells decreased significantly and the infection rate decreased after apheresis treatment. However, the treatment time of leukapheresis in patients with hyperleukocytic leukemia is very long, while it is more damaging to cells. In this study, which conducted a retrospective analysis on patients with hyperleukocytic acute myeloid leukemia, the process of centrifugation of normal cells and patients’ cells by apheresis machine was simulated in vitro. Through selecting 5 healthy persons and 11 patients with hyperleukocytic acute myeloid leukemia, extracting their blood samples and performing in vitro centrifugation at different speeds or duration, we observed the changes of the numbers and morphology of peripheral blood cells in healthy people and patients, so as to explore the optimal centrifugation parameters during leukapheresis. The cells obtained by the optimal centrifugation parameters were cryopreserved and two groups of mice (10 mice in each group) were used to establish leukemia animal models. Through the research, it is found that when the centrifugal speed is below 6000 rpm, the damage to blood cells in healthy people and in patients with hyperleukocytic leukemia is not obvious. When the centrifugal speed is above 6000 rpm, the platelets will be damaged significantly. The cells obtained under the optimal centrifugation parameters can be successfully cryopreserved and used to establish leukemia animal models. This study is of great significance for improving the efficiency and reducing the side effects of leukapheresis, and is helpful to improve the treatment of white blood cells reduction.

Abstract Background To compare the effects of a 3D head-up system and microscope eyepiece-assisted simulated vitrectomy intraocular illumination on the ocular surface of an operator. Methods This was a prospective randomized controlled study. According to the application system, thirty ophthalmic operators (60 eyes) were randomly divided into 3D and eyepiece groups. Under different intensities of intraocular illumination, operators in both groups viewed the fundus model through a 3D display screen or microscopic eyepiece for 2 h. Objective examinations and a subjective symptom questionnaire were used immediately after the test to evaluate the ocular surface of the operators. Objective examinations included nonintrusion tear meniscus height (NIKTMH), nonintrusion break-up time (NIKBUT), and bulbar redness and strip meniscometry tube (SMTube) measurements. Statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS 26.0 software. Results After the test, the NIKTMH, NIKBUT and SMTube measurements decreased; however, the degree of change varied among the groups of different systems. The differences between the 3D group and the eyepiece group in NIKTMH measurements, SMTube measurements, subjective symptom scores (eye dryness, difficulty focusing, and cervical pain), and light intensity reaching the ocular surface of the operators were statistically significant (P

Abstract Background Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), the recently updated construct for quantifying cardiovascular health, is related to the risks of cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to evaluate associations of LE8 score with the multi-territorial extent of atherosclerosis in a community-dwelling population. Methods Data were derived from the baseline cross-sectional survey of the PolyvasculaR Evaluation for Cognitive Impairment and vaScular Events (PRECISE) study in Lishui City. The LE8 included overall, medical and behavior LE8 scores, and were categorized as low (

Objective: To explore the optimal reconstruction algorithm for volume rendering imaging (VR), improving the diagnostic efficacy of linear fractures of nasal bone area. Methods: Adult CT images of the nasal bone from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively included, and 100 patients with linear fracture and 35 patients without fracture in the nasal region were randomly selected and underwent post-processing of VR with Smooth, Standard, Sharp, and Bone algorithms, respectively. Two radiologists scored the VR with and without fracture, the display of the nasal foramen, and the image quality in a double-blind method. The CT phantom was used for measuring the noise power spectrum (NPS), task transfer function (TTF) and detectability index \begin{document}$(d') $\end{document} of the CT images of different reconstruction algorithms using the same scanning protocol. Results: The diagnostic efficacy for linear nasal fractures varied between VR_Standard, VR_Sharp, and VR_Bone, with higher scores for the display of the nasal foramen in VR_Sharp than in VR_Standard and higher image quality scores in VR_Sharp than in VR_Standard and VR_Bone. As the sharpness of the reconstruction algorithm increased, the amount of noise and spatial resolution gradually increased. The NPSpeak and TTF50% for the Standard, Sharp, and Bone groups were (225.85 HU2·mm2, 0.42), (416.67 HU2·mm2, 0.53), and (1888.20 HU2·mm2, 0.8), respectively. The Sharp group had the highest \begin{document}$d' $\end{document} value when the diameter of the target to be measured was 1 mm. Conclusion: VR_Sharp has the best diagnostic efficacy for linear fractures in the nasal region, which better utilizes the value of VR in aiding diagnosis.

Abstract Recent preclinical studies demonstrate a direct pathological role for the interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathway in mediating structural and functional delirium-like phenotypes in animal models of acute lung injury. Tocilizumab, an IL-6 pathway inhibitor, has shown reduced duration of ventilator dependency and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19. In this study, we test the hypothesis that tocilizumab is associated with reduced delirium/coma prevalence in critically ill patients with COVID-19. 253 patients were included in the study cohort, 69 in the tocilizumab group and 184 in the historical control group who did not receive tocilizumab. Delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) with a positive score indicating delirium. Coma was defined as a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale score of − 4 or − 5. Tocilizumab was associated with significantly greater number of days alive without delirium/coma (tocilizumab [7 days (IQR: 3–9 days)] vs control [3 days (IQR: 1–8 days)]; p

Uncommon high temperature intragranular acicular ferrite (IAF) transformation was found and discussed during semi-solid M2 steel cooling processing. The nucleation and growth behavior of IAF was clarified by combining in situ microscopy and other microstructural characterization methods. The effect of IAF on mechanical properties was investigated. The results showed that the fraction, morphology of IAF matrix and carbides was affected by the semi-solid cooling conditions. The high alloying elements and semi-solid controlled cooling contributed to the precipitation of granular and nano vanadium carbide (VC). The precipitation of nano VC carbide during semi-solid cooling could play an effective nucleation substrate for IAF. The orientation relationship between the VC carbide and IAF followed (011)α//(200)VC, [111]α//[011]VC orientation relationship and the lattice misfit was about 4.57%. Semi-solid processing could provide a new method for obtaining IAF. The growth rate of IAF during semi-solid processing is a relatively slow range of 0.7–7 μm/s. The IAF transformation during semi-solid cooling happened at extremely high temperature but much lower growth rate. The growth behavior might follow the diffusional transformation mode. The strength and hardness for semi-solid specimen were higher as compared with conventional forming procedure specimen. The compressive strength and hardness for semi-solid M2 steel could reach 4474 MPa and 65.6 HRC, respectively. The formation of IAF and fine carbide precipitation during semi-solid cooling process was the key factor for the mechanical response. The co-existence of IAF and fine carbide could be a new microstructural construction strategy to tailor the mechanical properties of semi-solid alloy steel.

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes severe threats to humans and livestock. Macrophages are the cell type preferentially infected by T. gondii in vivo. Protein phosphorylation is an important posttranslational modification involved in diverse cellular functions. A rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase (A-Raf) is a member of the Raf family of serine/threonine protein kinases that is necessary for MAPK activation. Our previous research found that knockout of A-Raf could reduce T. gondii-induced apoptosis in porcine alveolar macrophages (3D4/21 cells). However, limited information is available on protein phosphorylation variations and the role of A-Raf in macrophages infected with T. gondii. Methods We used immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) in combination with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to profile changes in phosphorylation in T. gondii-infected 3D4/21 and 3D4/21-ΔAraf cells. Results A total of 1647 differentially expressed phosphorylated proteins (DEPPs) with 3876 differentially phosphorylated sites (DPSs) were identified in T. gondii-infected 3D4/21 cells (p3T group) when compared with uninfected 3D4/21 cells (pho3 group), and 959 DEPPs with 1540 DPSs were identified in the p3T group compared with infected 3D4/21-ΔAraf cells (p3KT group). Venn analysis revealed 552 DPSs corresponding to 406 DEPPs with the same phosphorylated sites when comparing p3T/pho3 versus p3T/p3KT, which were identified as DPSs and DEPPs that were directly or indirectly related to A-Raf. Conclusions Our results revealed distinct responses of macrophages to T. gondii infection and the potential roles of A-Raf in fighting infection via phosphorylation of crucial proteins. Graphical Abstract

Abstract The popular convolutional neural networks (CNN) require data augmentation to achieve rotation invariance. We propose an alternative mechanism, Pre-Rotation Only at Inference stage (PROAI), to make CNN rotation invariant. The overall idea is to learn how the human brain observe images. At the training stage, PROAI trains a CNN with a small number using images only at one orientation. At the inference stage, PROAI introduces a pre-rotation operation to rotate each test image into its all-possible orientations and calculate classification scores using the trained CNN with a small number of parameters. The maximum of these classification scores is able to simultaneously estimate both the category and the orientation of each test image. The specific benefits of PROAI have been experimented on rotated image recognition tasks. The results shows that PROAI improves both the classification and orientation estimation performance while greatly reduced the numbers of parameters and the training time. Codes and datasets are publicly available at https://github.com/automlresearch/FRPRF .

Abstract Background Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), accounts for up to 90% of AMD-associated vision loss, ultimately resulting in the formation of fibrotic scar in the macular region. The pathogenesis of subretinal fibrosis in nAMD involves the process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurring in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Here, we aim to investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in the Wnt signaling during the EMT of RPE cells and in the pathological process of subretinal fibrosis secondary to nAMD. Methods In vivo, the induction of subretinal fibrosis was performed in male C57BL/6J mice through laser photocoagulation. Either FH535 (a β-catenin inhibitor) or Box5 (a Wnt5a inhibitor) was intravitreally administered on the same day or 14 days following laser induction. The RPE-Bruch's membrane-choriocapillaris complex (RBCC) tissues were collected and subjected to Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence to examine fibrovascular and Wnt-related markers. In vitro, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1)-treated ARPE-19 cells were co-incubated with or without FH535, Foxy-5 (a Wnt5a-mimicking peptide), Box5, or Wnt5a shRNA, respectively. The changes in EMT- and Wnt-related signaling molecules, as well as cell functions were assessed using qRT-PCR, nuclear-cytoplasmic fractionation assay, Western blot, immunofluorescence, scratch assay or transwell migration assay. The cell viability of ARPE-19 cells was determined using Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8. Results The in vivo analysis demonstrated Wnt5a/ROR1, but not Wnt3a, was upregulated in the RBCCs of the laser-induced CNV mice compared to the normal control group. Intravitreal injection of FH535 effectively reduced Wnt5a protein expression. Both FH535 and Box5 effectively attenuated subretinal fibrosis and EMT, as well as the activation of β-catenin in laser-induced CNV mice, as evidenced by the significant reduction in areas positive for fibronectin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, and active β-catenin labeling. In vitro, Wnt5a/ROR1, active β-catenin, and some other Wnt signaling molecules were upregulated in the TGFβ1-induced EMT cell model using ARPE-19 cells. Co-treatment with FH535, Box5, or Wnt5a shRNA markedly suppressed the activation of Wnt5a, nuclear translocation of active β-catenin, as well as the EMT in TGFβ1-treated ARPE-19 cells. Conversely, treatment with Foxy-5 independently resulted in the activation of abovementioned molecules and subsequent induction of EMT in ARPE-19 cells. Conclusions Our study reveals a reciprocal activation between Wnt5a and β-catenin to mediate EMT as a pivotal driver of subretinal fibrosis in nAMD. This positive feedback loop provides valuable insights into potential therapeutic strategies to treat subretinal fibrosis in nAMD patients.

Abstract Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a crucial treatment for sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (S-AKI), but it is uncertain which S-AKI patients should receive immediate RRT. Identifying the characteristics of patients who may benefit the most from RRT is an important task. This retrospective study utilized a public database and enrolled S-AKI patients, who were divided into RRT and non-RRT groups. Uplift modeling was used to estimate the individual treatment effect (ITE) of RRT. The validity of different models was compared using a qini curve. After labeling the patients in the validation cohort, we characterized the patients who would benefit the most from RRT and created a nomogram. A total of 8289 patients were assessed, among whom 591 received RRT, and 7698 did not receive RRT. The RRT group had a higher severity of illness than the non-RRT group, with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score of 9 (IQR 6,11) vs. 5 (IQR 3,7). The 28-day mortality rate was higher in the RRT group than the non-RRT group (34.83% vs. 14.61%, p

Fertilization significantly influences soil quality and its sustainable use in urban garden maintenance. The widespread application of inorganic fertilizers has raised ecological concerns due to their potential environmental impacts. Organic fertilizers, while beneficial, often have slow effects and are costly. Biofertilizers, with their eco-friendly nature and low carbon footprint, are gaining attention for their multifaceted role in supporting plant growth. Despite the focus on fruit trees, vegetables, and medicinal plants, ornamental plants have been understudied. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a novel microbial fertilizer, ‘natural soil biotin’, on Rhododendron plants, specifically the Azalea hybrid ‘Carnation’. The study employed a comparative approach to assess the impact of different fertilization strategies on soil properties, microbial diversity, enzyme activity, plant morphology, and physiological parameters. The application of ‘natural soil biotin’ was compared with the use of inorganic and organic fertilizers. The combined application of ‘natural soil biotin’ was found to effectively enhance soil properties and mitigate the impact of other fertilizers on soil pH. It also improved the relative abundance of beneficial microbial groups such as Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. Furthermore, the mixed application significantly increased the activities of urease and sucrase in Rhododendron plants, which promoted their growth, development, and stress resistance. The results indicate that the mixed application of ‘natural soil biotin’ with inorganic and organic fertilizers not only improved the soil quality but also enhanced the efficiency of fertilizer utilization. This approach led to increased economic and environmental benefits in Rhododendron cultivation. The findings contribute to the foundation for soil improvement and ecological restoration, suggesting that ‘natural soil biotin’ could be a promising alternative or supplement to traditional fertilization methods in sustainable landscape architecture.

Hepatitis C virus positive (HCV+) organ donors offer a viable strategy for expansion of the heart donor pool without an increased risk of recipient mortality. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is an effective tool for graft surveillance in heart transplant (HT) recipients. However, there are no data comparing CMR findings in HT recipients based on donor HCV status. The aim of this propensity score matched case-control study was to evaluate baseline CMR characteristics of HCV+ HT recipients and HCV- HT recipients, as well as compare cardiac allograft structure, function, performance, and tissue characterization between groups. CMR normative values did not differ between groups in matched analysis. There were no significant differences in CMR-derived biventricular function, strain, late gadolinium enhancement, or myocardial tissue characteristics by parametric mapping. This study suggests CMR can be a valuable tool for surveillance in HCV+ HT patients, and abnormalities on imaging should not be attributed to HCV infection.

The outbreak of an epidemic often stimulates the generation of public awareness about epidemic prevention. This heightened awareness encourages individuals to take proactive protective measures, thereby curbing the transmission of the epidemic. Previous research commonly adopts an assumption that each individual has the same probability of awakening self-protection awareness after infection. However, in the real-world process, different individuals may generate varying awareness responses due to the differences in the amount of information received. Therefore, in this study, we first propose a coupled awareness-epidemic spreading model, where the self-initiated awareness of each individual can be influenced by the number of aware neighbors. Subsequently, we develop a Micro Markov Chain Approach to analyze the proposed model and explore the effects of different dynamic and structural parameters on the coupled dynamics. Findings indicate that individual awareness awakening can effectively promote awareness diffusion within the proposed coupled dynamics and inhibit epidemic transmission. Moreover, the influence of awareness diffusion on epidemic transmission exhibits a metacritical point, from which the epidemic threshold increases with the increase in the awareness diffusion probability. The research findings also suggest that the increase in the average degree of virtual-contact networks can reduce the value of the metacritical point, while the change in the average degree of the physical-contact networks does not affect the metacritical point. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments on four real networks and obtain results consistent with the above conclusions. The systematic research findings of this study provide new insights for exploring the interaction between individual awareness and epidemic transmission in the real world.

ObjectivesThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among patients with ischemic stroke is relatively high. The visceral fat area (VFA) is a predictor of MetS. This study aimed to estimate sex-specific optimal cut-off values of VFA and MetS risk factors among patients with ischemic stroke.MethodsA cross-sectional study including 851 patients with ischemic stroke was conducted between March 2019 and January 2020 in a tertiary hospital in the northeast of China. VFA was measured using the dual bioelectrical impedance method. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate MetS risk factors, and the VFA cut-off value was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.ResultsThe overall prevalence of MetS was 43.4%. After adjusting for potential confounders, female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 2.86, p

Several cardiovascular illnesses are associated with aberrant activation of cellular pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, cuproptosis, disulfidptosis, and macrophage polarisation as hallmarks contributing to vascular damage and abnormal cardiac function. Meanwhile, these three novel forms of cellular dysfunction are closely related to mitochondrial homeostasis. Mitochondria are the main organelles that supply energy and maintain cellular homeostasis. Mitochondrial stability is maintained through a series of regulatory pathways, such as mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy. Studies have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., impaired mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy) promotes ROS production, leading to oxidative stress, which induces cellular pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, cuproptosis, disulfidptosis and macrophage M1 phenotypic polarisation. Therefore, an in-depth knowledge of the dynamic regulation of mitochondria during cellular pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, cuproptosis, disulfidptosis and macrophage polarisation is necessary to understand cardiovascular disease development. This paper systematically summarises the impact of changes in mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy on regulating novel cellular dysfunctions and macrophage polarisation to promote an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and provide corresponding theoretical references for treating cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract Numerous factors influence mountain biodiversity variation across elevational gradients and recognizing the relative importance is vital for understanding species distribution mechanisms. We examined oribatid mites at nine elevations (from 600 to 2200 m a.s.l) and four vegetation types from mixed coniferous and broad‐leaved forests to alpine tundra on Changbai Mountain. We assessed the contribution of environmental factors (climatic and local factors) and spatial processes (geographic or elevation distances) to oribatid mite community assembly and identified 59 oribatid mite species from 38 families and 51 genera. With increasing elevation, species richness and the Shannon index declined significantly, whereas abundance followed a hump‐shaped trend. Soil TP, NH4+‐N, MAT, MAP, and elevation were the critical variables shaping oribatid mite communities based on random forest analysis. Moreover, environmental and spatial factors, and oribatid mite communities were significantly correlated based on Mantel and partial Mantel tests. Local characteristics (3.9%), climatic factors (1.9%), and spatial filtering (8.8%) played crucial roles in determining oribatid mite communities across nine elevational bands (based on variation partitioning analyses of abundance data). Within the same vegetation types, spatial processes had relatively little effects, with local characteristics the dominant drivers of oribatid mite community variation. Environmental and spatial filters together shape oribatid mite community assembly and their relative roles varied with elevation and vegetation type. These findings are crucial for the conservation, restoration, and management of Changbai mountain ecosystems in the context of climate change, along with the prediction of future vertical biotic gradient pattern evolution.

OBJECTIVE:. ICU delirium commonly complicates critical illness associated with factors such as cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time and the requirement of mechanical ventilation (MV). Recent reports associate hyperoxia with poorer outcomes in critically ill children. This study sought to determine whether hyperoxia on CPB in pediatric patients was associated with a higher prevalence of postoperative delirium. DESIGN:. Secondary analysis of data obtained from a prospective cohort study. SETTING:. Twenty-two-bed pediatric cardiac ICU in a tertiary children’s hospital. PATIENTS:. All patients (18 yr old or older) admitted post-CPB, with documented delirium assessment scores using the Preschool/Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU and who were enrolled in the Precision Medicine in Pediatric Cardiology Cohort from February 2021 to November 2021. INTERVENTIONS:. None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:. Of 148 patients, who underwent cardiac surgery, 35 had delirium within the first 72 hours (24%). There was no association between hyperoxia on CPB and postoperative delirium for all definitions of hyperoxia, including hyperoxic area under the curve above 5 predetermined Pao2 levels: 150 mm Hg (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.176 [0.605–2.286], p = 0.633); 175 mm Hg (OR 1.177 [95% CI, 0.668–2.075], p = 0.572); 200 mm Hg (OR 1.235 [95% CI, 0.752–2.026], p = 0.405); 250 mm Hg (OR 1.204 [95% CI, 0.859–1.688], p = 0.281), 300 mm Hg (OR 1.178 [95% CI, 0.918–1.511], p = 0.199). In an additional exploratory analysis, comparing patients with delirium within 72 hours versus those without, only the z score for weight differed (mean [sd]: 0.09 [1.41] vs. –0.48 [1.82], p < 0.05). When comparing patients who developed delirium at any point during their ICU stay (n = 45, 30%), MV days, severity of illness (Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 Score) score, CPB time, and z score for weight were associated with delirium (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:. Postoperative delirium (72 hr from CPB) occurred in 24% of pediatric patients. Hyperoxia, defined in multiple ways, was not associated with delirium. On exploratory analysis, nutritional status (z score for weight) may be a significant factor in delirium risk. Further delineation of risk factors for postoperative delirium versus ICU delirium warrants additional study.

Background: Adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is a common acute abdominal complication. Although non-surgical treatment is the primary treatment approach, more and more studies show that surgical treatment can reduce the incidence rate. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis (LA) has many advantages of minimally invasive surgery.But not all patients with ASBO are suitable for LA. Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to summarize the keys to successful LA by analyzing the extensive literature. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed for articles on laparoscopic treatment of ASBO published between January 2000 and February 2024. This scoping review followed the framework suggested by Arksey and O'Malley for a scoping review. Results: By analyzing the included studies we found that LA does have many advantages and can be performed safely. However, the prerequisite is to select patients with simple adhesions whenever possible and to focus on reasonable intraoperative measures. To improve the success rate of LA, we summarized the following characteristics of patients: no contraindications related to pneumoperitoneum, few previous abdominal operations (≤2), no pregnancy, bowel dilatation < 4 cm in diameter, simple adhesions, no diffuse peritonitis, no history of abdominal radiotherapy,

Introduction: Plant polysaccharide are widely studied as potential prebiotics because of their potential to protect and enhance the immunity of lambs.Methods: In this study, the polysaccharide content of Alhagi maurorum Medik from Aksu (AK) and Shanshan (SS) at different cutting periods was determined, and the functions of Alhagi maurorum Medik polysaccharide were investigated to useas an immunomodulator.Results: Our results indicated that the content of Alhagi maurorum Medik polysaccharide is the highest at the maturity stage, and the polysaccharide content of Alhagi maurorum Medik produced in Shanshan area is higher as compared to the Aksu area. The serum IgG, duodenum IgA, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10 contents, jejunum IgA, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-17 contents, ileum IgA, IL-17 contents, duodenum villus height, crypt depth and jejunum crypt depth of lambs were significantly adjusted in the SS group as compared to CK control group and AK groups (p < 0.05). Furthemore, the sequencing results showed that SS polysaccharide promoted the release of large amounts of IgA and enhanced the immunal function of intestine by regulating the IgA production pathway and B-cell receptor signaling to activate B cells in the T-dependent pathway.Discussion: Altogether, Alhagi maurorum Medik polysaccharide from SS group holds a promising potential to be used as a valuable immunopotentiator for optimizing the immune system of intestine in lambs.

BackgroundDue to the influence of theories, tools, and methodologies in studying well-being, sports science has predominantly focused on subjective well-being, with less attention given to psychological well-being and even less to the integrated study of comprehensive well-being. This study aims to analyze the relationship between yoga exercise intervention and the comprehensive well-being of college students and to explore the mechanism of a yoga exercise intervention to improve the comprehensive well-being of female college students.MethodsWith 92 female college students as subjects, the “Comprehensive Well-being Scale” was used, and research methods such as yoga exercise intervention, questionnaire surveys, qualitative analysis, expert interviews, and statistical analysis were employed to investigate the role of a yoga exercise intervention on the comprehensive well-being of female college students.ResultsAmong the nine dimensions of comprehensive well-being, the three dimensions of subjective well-being and the two dimensions of psychological well-being (health concern and personality growth) of female college students were significantly improved. Additionally, four other dimensions of psychological well-being also showed significant improvement. Furthermore, the improvement in the life satisfaction of female college students’ subjective well-being was mainly achieved through yoga meditation, while partner yoga posture practice could help individuals gradually form a stable pattern of altruistic behavior.ConclusionYoga exercise intervention can improve the comprehensive well-being of female college students and can be an effective counseling method for college students’ mental health education.

Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. syn. B. rapa), a widely cultivated leafy vegetable, faces significant challenges in annual production due to high-temperature stress, which adversely affects plant weight and quality. The need for an effective solution to mitigate these impacts is imperative for sustainable horticulture. This study explored the effects of a novel biofertilizer, natural soil biotin (NSB), on Chinese cabbage under high-temperature conditions. NSB, rich in organic matter-degrading enzymes, was applied to assess its impact on crop yield, growth, nutrient use efficiency, product quality, and safety. The study also examined the soil microbial community response to NSB application, particularly the changes in the rhizosphere soil’s fungal population. The application of NSB led to an increase in the abundance of Oleomycetes, which was associated with a decrease in the diversity and abundance of harmful fungi in the rhizosphere soil. This microbial shift promoted the growth of Chinese cabbage, enhancing both plant weight and quality by fostering a more favorable growth environment. Furthermore, NSB was found to reduce lipid peroxidation in Chinese cabbage leaves under high-temperature stress (40°C/30°C, 16 h/8 h, 24 h) by boosting antioxidant enzyme activity and osmoregulatory substance content. The findings suggest that the NSB application offers a promising approach to environmentally friendly cultivation of Chinese cabbage during high-temperature seasons. It contributes to improving the crop’s adaptation to climate change and soil degradation, supporting the development of sustainable agricultural practices. The integration of NSB into agricultural practices presents a viable strategy for enhancing the resilience of Chinese cabbage to high-temperature stress, thereby potentially increasing yield and improving the quality of the produce, which is crucial for the advancement of sustainable horticulture.

BackgroundCD38 and CD47 are expressed in many hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM), B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Here, we evaluated the antitumor activities of CD38/CD47 bispecific antibodies (BsAbs).MethodsFive suitable anti-CD38 antibodies for co-targeting CD47 and CD38 BsAb were developed using a 2 + 2 “mAb-trap” platform. The activity characteristics of the CD38/CD47 BsAbs were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo systems.ResultsUsing hybridoma screening technology, we obtained nine suitable anti-CD38 antibodies. All anti-CD38 antibodies bind to CD38+ tumor cells and kill tumor cells via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). Five anti-CD38 antibodies (4A8, 12C10, 26B4, 35G5, and 65A7) were selected for designing CD38/CD47 BsAbs (IMM5605) using a “mAb-trap” platform. BsAbs had higher affinity and binding activity to the CD38 target than those to the CD47 target, decreasing the potential on-target potential and off-tumor effects. The CD38/CD47 BsAbs did not bind to RBCs and did not induce RBC agglutination; thus, BsAbs had much lower blood toxicity. The CD38/CD47 BsAbs had a greater ability to block the CD47/SIRPα signal in CD38+/CD47+ tumor cells than IMM01 (SIRPα Fc fusion protein). Through Fc domain engineering, CD38/CD47 BsAbs were shown to kill tumors more effectively by inducing ADCC and ADCP. IMM5605–26B4 had the strongest inhibitory effect on cellular CD38 enzymatic activity. IMM5605–12C10 had the strongest ability to directly induce the apoptosis of tumor cells. The anti-CD38 antibody 26B4 combined with the SIRPα-Fc fusion proteins showed strong antitumor effects, which were better than any of the mono-therapeutic agents used alone in the NCI-H929 cell xenograft model. The CD38/CD47 BsAbs exhibited strong antitumor effects; specifically, IMM5605–12C10 efficiently eradicated all established tumors in all mice.ConclusionA panel of BsAbs targeting CD38 and CD47 developed based on the “mAb-tarp” platform showed potent tumor-killing ability in vitro and in vivo. As BsAbs had lower affinity for binding to CD47, higher affinity for binding to CD38, no affinity for binding to RBCs, and did not induce RBC agglutination, we concluded that CD38/CD47 BsAbs are safe and have a satisfactory tolerability profile.

Abstract Objectives Earlier electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with earlier percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and better patient outcomes. However, the exact relationship between timely ECG and timely PCI is unclear. Methods We quantified the influence of door‐to‐ECG (D2E) time on ECG‐to‐PCI balloon (E2B) intervention in this three‐year retrospective cohort study, including patients from 10 geographically diverse emergency departments (EDs) co‐located with a PCI center. The study included 576 STEMI patients excluding those with a screening ECG before ED arrival or non‐diagnostic initial ED ECG. We used a linear mixed‐effects model to evaluate D2E's influence on E2B with piecewise linear terms for D2E times associated with time intervals designated as ED intake (0–10 min), triage (11–30 min), and main ED (>30 min). We adjusted for demographic and visit characteristics, past medical history, and included ED location as a random effect. Results The median E2B interval was longer (76 vs 68 min, p 10 min than in those with timely D2E. The proportion of patients identified at the intake, triage, and main ED intervals was 65.8%, 24.9%, and 9.7%, respectively. The D2E and E2B association was statistically significant in the triage phase, where a 1‐minute change in D2E was associated with a 1.24‐minute change in E2B (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44–2.05, p = 0.003). Conclusion Reducing D2E is associated with a shorter E2B. Targeting D2E reduction in patients currently diagnosed during triage (11–30 min) may be the greatest opportunity to improve D2B and could enable 24.9% more ED STEMI patients to achieve timely D2E.

Abstract Background Owing to an increase in life expectancy, it is common for the older adults to suffer from chronic diseases that can result in disability and a low quality of life. This study aimed to explore the influence of chronic diseases and multimorbidities on activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) in an older Chinese population. Methods Based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2018), 9,155 older adults aged 65 years and above were included in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, chronic diseases, ADLs, and IADLs. The impact of factors affecting ADL and IADL impairment in older adults was analysed using binary logistic regression. Results In total, 66.3% participants had chronic diseases. Hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease were among the top chronic diseases. Of these, 33.7% participants had multimorbidities. The most common combination of the two chronic diseases was hypertension and heart disease (11.2%), whereas the most common combination of the three chronic diseases was hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes (3.18%). After categorising the older adults into four age groups, dementia, visual impairment, and hearing impairment were found to be more prevalent with increasing age. The prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, gastrointestinal ulcers, arthritis and chronic nephritis gradually increased with age until the age of 75 years, peaked in the 75–84 years age group, and then showed a decreasing trend with age. Multimorbidity prevalence followed a similar pattern. Regression analysis indicated that the increase in age group and the number of chronic diseases independently correlated with impairments in ADL as well as IADL. Additionally, gender, physical activity, educational background, obesity, depressive symptoms, and falls also had an impact on ADLs or IADLs. Conclusion Chronic diseases and multimorbidities are common in older adults, and it is important to note that aging, multimorbidity, obesity, and unhealthy lifestyle choices may interfere with ADLs or IADLs in older adults. Therefore, it is imperative that primary healthcare providers pay special attention to older adults and improve screening for multimorbidity and follow-up needs.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in gene expression in the complete transcripts of Congenitalpulmonary airwaymalformation (CPAM) of the lung using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. There were 20 cases involving children with CPAM were used for selection of study sample. NGS was used to establish RNA-Seq libraries for the two groups of samples separately, and both groups were conducted to differential expression analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis. The pathways of the differential genes were analyzed to find the enriched target pathways. A total of 592 genes were expressed with significant differences (CPAM vs. normal tissue, P

Estimation of key indicators in rivers was usually conducted with use of monitoring data of Internet of Things. Currently, it has been a more practical demand to extract key indexes in rivers from the perspective of visual remote sensing, rather than data-driven perspective. As consequence, this study aims to explore the deep learning-based key indicators extraction method from remote sensing images of rivers. First of all, a large amount of river-related remote sensing images, including high-resolution satellite images and aerial photographs, are collected. Then, U-Net structure is utilized as the backbone network to realize semantic segmentation via multimodal feature fusion. On this basis, fine-grained vision features are extracted to estimate values of key indicators. Finally, the width and flow velocity of the river are identified and verified. Using deep convolutional neural networks and recurrent neural networks for feature extraction and modeling, the model can infer and estimate relevant information of rivers by learning key features from images. Empirically, we have also carried out some experiments on real-world remote sensing images to evaluate the proposal. The results indicate that our method performs well in extracting key indicators of rivers, and has higher accuracy compared to traditional methods. In addition, we also conduct sensitivity analysis on the model and find that it has certain stability to factors that affect river characteristics, such as geographical environment and climate conditions.

Two patch antennas that can generate two or four orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes are designed and verified to work at frequency band from 2.2GHz to 2.7GHz. One antenna is composed of two single OAM mode monopole patch antenna systems with one common ground plane and it can generate two OAM modes: mode $l =1$ and mode $l = -1$ . This antenna is designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. Its reflection coefficients, radiation patterns, phase distributions and isolation between two different OAM mode channels are obtained. Phase distributions of the two OAM modes are measured to show the effectiveness of the antenna to generate two OAM modes. Channel isolation between these two OAM modes is 25.72dB at 2.598GHz and more than 15dB at the frequency band from 2.585GHz to 2.62GHz. The measurement results have shown that this two-OAM-mode antenna can produce two isolated channels at the same frequency band. Another monopole patch antenna has been designed and verified by simulation to be able to generate four OAM modes. This four-OAM-mode antenna provides an example that this kind of multiplexed monopole patch antennas can multiplex more OAM modes together.

Abstract Background The durable oocyst wall formed from the contents of wall-forming bodies (WFBs) protects Eimeria parasites from harsh conditions and enhances parasite transmission. Comprehending the contents of WFBs and proteins involved in oocyst wall formation is pivotal to understanding the mechanism of the oocyst wall formation and the search for novel targets to disrupt parasite transmission. Methods Total proteins extracted from WFBs and the oocyst wall of Eimeria necatrix were subjected to comparative proteomic analysis using tandem mass tag in conjunction with liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry techniques. After functional clustering analysis of the identified proteins, three proteins, including E. necatrix disulfide isomerase (EnPDI), thioredoxin (EnTrx) and phosphoglycerate kinase (EnPGK), were selected for further study to confirm their potential roles in oocyst wall formation. Results A total of 3009 and 2973 proteins were identified from WFBs and the oocyst wall of E. necatrix, respectively. Among these proteins, 1102 were identified as differentially expressed proteins, of which 506 were upregulated and 596 downregulated in the oocyst wall compared to the WFBs. A total of 108 proteins, including compositional proteins of the oocyst wall, proteases, oxidoreductases, proteins involved in glycosylation, proteins involved in synthesis of the acid-fast lipid layer and proteins related to transport, were proposed to be involved in oocyst wall formation. The approximate molecular sizes of native EnPDI, EnTrx and EnPGK proteins were 55, 50 and 45 kDa, respectively. EnPDI was present in both type 1 and type 2 WFBs, EnTrx was present only in type 2 WFB2 and EnPGK was present only in type 1 WFBs, whereas all of them were localized to the outer layer of the oocyst wall, indicating that all of them participate in the formation of the oocyst wall. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the proteomes of WFBs and the oocyst wall of E. necatrix. The data obtained from this study form a basis for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying oocyst wall formation of Eimeria parasites. They also provide valuable resources for future studies on the development of novel therapeutic agents and vaccines aimed at combating coccidian transmission. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Direct, site-specific methods of protein functionalization are highly desirable for biotechnology. However, such methods are challenging due to the difficulty of chemically differentiating a single site within a large protein. Herein, we propose “metal binding targeting” strategy and develop a Copper Assisted Sequence-specific conjugation Tag (CAST) method to achieve rapid (second order rate 8.1 M−1 s−1), site-specific protein backbone chemical modification with pinpoint accuracy. We demonstrate the versatility of CAST conjugation by preparing various on-demand modified recombinant proteins, including a homogeneous antibody-drug conjugate with high plasma stability and potent efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Thus, CAST provides an efficient and quantitative method to site-specifically attach payloads on large, native proteins.

ABSTRACT: Herbal polysaccharides are extensively studied as vaccine adjuvants due to their safety and potent immunoenhancing activity. This study aimed to analyze the structure of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl polysaccharide (LSP50) and investigate its adjuvant activity for the H9N2 vaccine in broiler chickens. Structural analysis revealed that LSP50 primarily consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose, and galactose with molar ratios of 23.12: 12.28: 10.87: 8.26: 2.64: 22.82 respectively. The adjuvant activity of LSP50 was evaluated, which showing significant enhancements compared to the H9N2 group. Parameters including the immune organ index, H9N2 specific IgG level, cytokines contents (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5), and the proportion of CD3e+CD8aT+cells were significantly increased in the LSP50 group (P < 0.05). Additionally, sequencing results showed that LSP50 modulates the immune response by regulating PLA2G12B and PTGDS genes involved in the arachidonic acid pathway. These findings were further validated through qPCR analysis to affirm the reliability of the sequencing data. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that LSP50 exhibits potent adjuvant activity, enhancing both cellular and humoral immunity.

Purpose: The integrator subunit (INTS) family, a group exclusive to metazoans, participates in various biologic processes. However, their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unexplored. Methods: Public databases were utilized to investigate the transcriptional and protein expression, and clinical relevance of the INTS family in HCC. Meanwhile, the effects of INTS13 knockdown and overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis were studied using HCC cell lines. Results: The mRNA expression of most INTSs were higher in tumor than normal tissues. Higher expression of INTS1/2/3/4/7/8/9/11/12/13 were correlated with poorer overall survival (OS) in Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed higher level of INTS13 was an independent prognostic factor for shorter OS. Furthermore, genetic alteration of INTS3/6/7/8/9/10 were found in HCC patients and was associated with shorter disease-free survival and progression-free survival. INTS1/2/3/5/7/11/13/14 were associated with activation of tumor-induced immune response and immune infiltration in HCC. Knockdown of INTS13 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCC cell lines, while overexpression of INTS13 had the opposite effect. Conclusion: Our results indicate that INTS13 is an independent prognostic biomarker in HCC. Furthermore, INTS13 enhances cell proliferation and decreases cell apoptosis in HCC cell lines leading to a poorer OS in HCC patients.

O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic post-translational modification that diversifies the proteome. Its dysregulation is associated with neurological disorders that impair cognitive function, and yet identification of phenotype-relevant candidate substrates in a brain-region specific manner remains unfeasible. By combining an O-GlcNAc binding activity derived from Clostridium perfringens OGA (CpOGA) with TurboID proximity labeling in Drosophila, we developed an O-GlcNAcylation profiling tool that translates O-GlcNAc modification into biotin conjugation for tissue-specific candidate substrates enrichment. We mapped the O-GlcNAc interactome in major brain regions of Drosophila and found that components of the translational machinery, particularly ribosomal subunits, were abundantly O-GlcNAcylated in the mushroom body of Drosophila brain. Hypo-O-GlcNAcylation induced by ectopic expression of active CpOGA in the mushroom body decreased local translational activity, leading to olfactory learning deficits that could be rescued by dMyc overexpression-induced increase of protein synthesis. Our study provides a useful tool for future dissection of tissue-specific functions of O-GlcNAcylation in Drosophila, and suggests a possibility that O-GlcNAcylation impacts cognitive function via regulating regional translational activity in the brain.

High-concentration soy protein isolate was subjected to ultrasonication for viscosity reduction to assist the process of limited enzymatic hydrolysis. Ultrasonication (20 kHz, 10 min, 160 W/L) effectively reduced the viscosity of soy protein isolate at a comparatively high concentration of 14 % (w/v) and promoted the limited enzymatic hydrolysis (controlled degree of hydrolysis of 12 %) with a higher peptide yield than that of the conventional method. The correlations between substrate viscosity and peptide yield, as well as the viscosities of the resulting hydrolysates, were studied. The findings revealed positive correlations between the viscosities of the substrate and hydrolysate, underscoring the potential impact of altering substrate viscosity on the final product. Furthermore, the utilization of ultrasonic viscosity reduction-assisted proteolysis has shown its capability to improve the functional and physicochemical properties, as well as the protein structure of the hydrolysate, while maintaining the same level of hydrolysis. It is worth noting that there were significant alterations in particle size (decrease), β-sheet content (increase), β-turn content (increase), and random coil content (increase). Interestingly, ultrasonication unexpectedly impeded the degradation of molecular mass in proteins during proteolysis, while increasing the hydrophobic properties of the hydrolysate. These findings aligned with the observed reduction in bitterness and improvement in emulsifying properties and water-holding capacity.

AimTo investigate the association between cognitive function and body composition in older adults.MethodsWe collected data on 2080 older adults (>60 years of age) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 1999–2000 and 2001–2002. Candidate variables included: demographic data (sex, age, race, education level, marital status, poverty-to-income ratio), alcohol consumption, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, total bone mineral density, and total fat mass. A logistic regression model was established to analyze the association between cognitive function and body composition in older adults. In addition, stratified logics regression analysis was performed by sex and age.ResultsBone mineral density significantly affects cognitive function in older adults (p

Abstract Background This study aims to providing a reliable method that has good compliance and is easy to master to improve the accuracy of NMLE diagnosis. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed 122 cases of breast non-mass-like enhancement (NMLE) lesions confirmed by postoperative histology. MRI features and clinical features of benign and malignant non-mass enhancement breast lesions were compared by using independent sample t test, χ 2 test and Fisher exact test. P

Ecological flow is a restrictive condition set for human water consumption in water resources management to protect river ecosystems. However, uncertainties in hydrological conditions, changes in regulatory capacity, and temporal-spatial differences bring difficulties to the implementation and supervision of ecological flows. By analyzing the relevant concept and connotation of ecological flow, it is concluded that the ecological flow regimes suitable for practical application should be a dynamic interval rather than a fixed value. Therefore, an improved ecological flow calculation method was proposed, which is to increase the feasible lifting volume for different ecological service objects based on the determined ecological baseflow. Taking two cross-sections of the Weihe River as an example, the ecological flow was calculated by comprehensively considering the factors of inflow, fish survival, landscape, and agricultural irrigation. The result shows the lifting volume occurred in the high flow season (April–June), and the maximum ecological flow of LJC and WJB cross-sections was 20.2 and 16.0 m3/s, respectively. Moreover, it is a generalized approach that can be extended to a more complicated river system, and the calculation results have reliability and adaptability in integrated water regulation. HIGHLIGHTS The variable interval analysis method has a positive contribution to the results' rationality.; Intervals are more adaptive than a value or a set of values in ecological flow calculations.; The proposed strategies can bring the flow regimes more in line with practical requirements.;

Abstract Background Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis with a worldwide presence that is caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Active regulation of apoptosis is an important immune mechanism by which host cells resist the growth of T. gondii or avoid excessive pathological damage induced by this parasite. Previous studies found that upregulated expression of microRNA-185 (miR-185) during T. gondii infection has a potential role in regulating the expression of the ARAF gene, which is reported to be associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. Methods The expression levels of miR-185 and the ARAF gene were evaluated by qPCR and Western blot, respectively, in mice tissues, porcine kidney epithelial cells (PK-15) and porcine alveolar macrophages (3D4/21) following infection with the T. gondii ToxoDB#9 and RH strains. The dual luciferase reporter assay was then used to verify the relationship between miR-185 and ARAF targets in PK-15 cells. PK-15 and 3D4/21 cell lines with stable knockout of the ARAF gene were established by CRISPR, and then the apoptosis rates of the cells following T. gondii infection were detected using cell flow cytometry assays. Simultaneously, the activities of cleaved caspase-3, as a key apoptosis executive protein, were detected by Western blot to evaluate the apoptosis levels of cells. Results Infection with both the T. gondii ToxoDB#9 and RH strains induced an increased expression of miR-185 and a decreased expression of ARAF in mice tissues, PK-15 and 3D4/21 cells. MiR-185 mimic transfections showed a significantly negative correlation in expression levels between miR-185 and the ARAF gene. The dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that ARAF was a target of miR-185. Functional investigation revealed that T. gondii infection induced the apoptosis of PK-15 and 3D4/21 cells, which could be inhibited by ARAF knockout or overexpression of miR-185. The expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 protein were significantly lower in cells with ARAF knockout than in normal cells, which were consistent with the results of the cell flow cytometry assays. Conclusions Toxoplasma gondii infection could lead to the upregulation of miR-185 and the downregulation of ARAF, which was not related to the strain of T. gondii and the host cells. Toxoplasma gondii infection could regulate the apoptosis of host cells via the miR-185/ARAF axis, which represents an additional strategy used by T. gondii to counteract host-cell apoptosis in order to maintain survival and reproduce in the host cells. Graphical Abstract

Coal gangue, as a mixture of carbon, silicon and aluminum, can be used for the preparation of composite materials. It shows a good prospect as the preparation of composite materials can avoid the difficulties of element separation and impurity interference. In this paper, activated carbon-mesoporous silica composite (AC-SiO2) was prepared from coal gangue by alkali fusion, acid leaching and other processes. The effects of reaction conditions on the pore volume and specific surface area of coal gangue-based AC-SiO2 were investigated; then the phase transformation during the preparation of coal gangue-based AC-SiO2 was studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that several experimental parameters of alkali fusion and acid leaching process were related to the pore volume and specific surface area of coal gangue-based AC-SiO2, among which the KOH-impregnated concentration, roasting temperature and HCl-leached concentration were the most important factors. The kaolinite and quartz in coal gangue would be transformed into potassium nepheline and potassium silicate phases, and the solid carbon would be transformed into activated carbon, when the KOH-impregnated concentration was ≥ 10.7 mol/L and the roasting temperature was ≥ 700 °C; AC-SiO2 was further formed by acid leaching process, when HCl-leached concentration ≥ 6.0 mol/L. At the optimized conditions, the conversion ratio of carbon and silicon in coal gangue is 90.28%, and the yield can reach 40.2%. The micropore and mesopore of AC-SiO2 were formed by the accumulation of lamellae (the micropores and mesopores account for 1/2, specific surface area was about 835.1 m2/g, average pore diameter was about 2.97 nm and total pore volume was about 0.62 cm3/g) was prepared. The prepared AC-SiO2 had obvious adsorption on the different molecular weight pollutants of methyl orange and Rhodamine B, and the adsorption capacity of methyl orange and Rhodamine B were exceed 99.01 mg/g and 99.87 mg/g, respectively.

Abstract HIV-1 capsid (CA) stability is important for viral replication. E45A and P38A mutations enhance and reduce core stability, thus impairing infectivity. Second-site mutations R132T and T216I rescue infectivity. Capsid lattice stability was studied by solving seven crystal structures (in native background), including P38A, P38A/T216I, E45A, E45A/R132T CA, using molecular dynamics simulations of lattices, cryo-electron microscopy of assemblies, time-resolved imaging of uncoating, biophysical and biochemical characterization of assembly and stability. We report pronounced and subtle, short- and long-range rearrangements: (1) A38 destabilized hexamers by loosening interactions between flanking CA protomers in P38A but not P38A/T216I structures. (2) Two E45A structures showed unexpected stabilizing CANTD-CANTD inter-hexamer interactions, variable R18-ring pore sizes, and flipped N-terminal β-hairpin. (3) Altered conformations of E45Aa α9-helices compared to WT, E45A/R132T, WTPF74, WTNup153, and WTCPSF6 decreased PF74, CPSF6, and Nup153 binding, and was reversed in E45A/R132T. (4) An environmentally sensitive electrostatic repulsion between E45 and D51 affected lattice stability, flexibility, ion and water permeabilities, electrostatics, and recognition of host factors.

In this study, ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UA-ATPE) was adopted to extract flavonoids from Rosa roxburghii Tratt and investigated its inhibitory effect of this flavonoid on xanthine oxidase activity in vitro. In this experiment, flavonoids yield of Rosa roxburghii Tratt was taken as the index to verify the single factor and response surface optimization of flavonoids extraction process. The optimal extraction process was obtained as follows: Under the condition of 32% C2H5OH-20% (NH4)2SO4 two-phase aqueous extraction system, the yield of flavonoids was 140.57±1.78 mg/g when the solid-liquid ratio was 1:59 (g/g), the ultrasonic time was 30 min, the temperature was 50 ℃, and the power was 320 W. Under these conditions, the IC50 value of xanthine oxidase was 12.72 mg/mL in vitro, indicating a good inhibitory activity. The experiment showed that the optimized technology of UA-ATPE extraction of flavonoids from Rosa roxburghii Tratt effectively improved the yield of flavonoids from Rosa roxburghii Tratt. And the flavonoids extracted from Rosa roxburghii Tratt had a good effect of inhibiting the activity of xanthine oxidase and could be used as a natural xanthine oxidase inhibitor.

For industry image data, this paper proposes an image classification method based on stochastic configuration networks and multi-scale feature extraction. The multi-scale features are extracted from images of different scales using deep 2DSCN, and the hidden features of multiple layers are also connected together to obtain more informational features. The integrated features are fed into SCNs to learn a classifier which improves the recognition rate for different categories. In the experiments, a handwritten digit database and an industry hot-rolled steel strip database are used, and the comparison results demonstrate the proposed method can effectively improve the classification accuracy.

To address the challenges associated with supervising workers who wear safety belts while working at heights, this study proposes a solution involving the utilization of an object detection model to replace manual supervision. A novel object detection model, named ESE-YOLOv8, is introduced. The integration of the Efficient Multi-Scale Attention (EMA) mechanism within this model enhances information entropy through cross-channel interaction and encodes spatial information into the channels, thereby enabling the model to obtain rich and significant information during feature extraction. By employing GSConv to reconstruct the neck into a slim-neck configuration, the computational load of the neck is reduced without the loss of information entropy, allowing the attention mechanism to function more effectively, thereby improving accuracy. During the model training phase, a regression loss function named the Efficient Intersection over Union (EIoU) is employed to further refine the model’s object localization capabilities. Experimental results demonstrate that the ESE-YOLOv8 model achieves an average precision of 92.7% at an IoU threshold of 50% and an average precision of 75.7% within the IoU threshold range of 50% to 95%. These results surpass the performance of the baseline model, the widely utilized YOLOv5 and demonstrate competitiveness among state-of-the-art models. Ablation experiments further confirm the effectiveness of the model’s enhancements.

To investigate the effects of B. subtilis on the specific immune response of lactating sows to E. coli and the diarrhea rate in suckling piglets, thirty large white sows with similar farrowing dates were randomly divided into two groups: a feedback feeding (i.e., feeding a homogenate of intestinal contents and tissues from E. coli-infected piglets to sows; FB) group and a feedback feeding with B. subtilis (FB + BS) group. Serum, colostrum, and intestinal tissues from sows and piglets were collected to assess the immune response and intestinal barrier function at weaning. T and B cells from Peyer’s patches (PPs) and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) in lactating mice (with treatments consistent with the sows’) were isolated to explore the underlying mechanism. The results showed that, compared with the FB group, the reproductive performance of sows and the growth performance of their offspring were effectively improved in the FB + BS group. Moreover, the levels of IgG/IgA and those of IgG/IgA against E. coli in the serum and colostrum of sows in the FB+BS group were increased (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+, CD4+CXCR5+PD1+, and B220+IgA+ cells in MLNs and PPs, and the IgA levels in the mammary glands of mice, were also increased in the FB + BS group (p < 0.05). Notably, in suckling piglets in the FB + BS group, the diarrhea rate was decreased (p < 0.05), and the intestinal barrier function and intestinal flora composition at weaning were significantly improved. Overall, these results indicated that B. subtilis feed supplementation combined with feedback feeding in pregnant and lactating sows can reduce diarrhea in suckling piglets by enhancing the maternal immune response against E. coli and intestinal barrier function in their offspring, improving survival rates and pre-weaning growth.

Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to health, with 99% of the world’s population living where the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines were not met. In addition to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, the brain is another potential target of air pollution. Population- and experiment-based studies have shown that air pollution may affect mental health through direct or indirect biological pathways. The evidence for mental hazards associated with air pollution has been well documented. However, previous reviews mainly focused on epidemiological associations of air pollution with some specific mental disorders or possible biological mechanisms. A systematic review is absent for early effect biomarkers for characterizing mental health hazards associated with ambient air pollution, which can be used for early warning of related mental disorders and identifying susceptible populations at high risk. This review summarizes possible biomarkers involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic changes linking air pollution and mental disorders, as well as genetic susceptibility biomarkers. These biomarkers may provide a better understanding of air pollution’s adverse effects on mental disorders and provide future research direction in this arena.

For vibration signals, this paper proposes an ensemble classification method based on stochastic configuration networks (SCNs). Firstly, the time–frequency analysis methods are used to obtain the frequency spectrum signal and time–frequency images. The sample data in the frequency domain and the time–frequency domain can characterize fault information from different perspectives. The hybrid data that consist of the sample data from the two domains are used to build a SCN model. Moreover, a SCNs ensemble method is proposed to solve the fault classification problem, and the sub-classifiers are built to extract fault features from different training data. In the experiment, the bearing and gear fault datasets are used for performance comparison. The experimental results show that the proposed SCNs ensemble model obtains good classification results, and compared with the deep learning methods, the SCN modeling process is more simple and effective for industrial data classification.

Study region: The study region was the Tuojiang River, a tributary of the upper Yangtze River. Study focus: Sediment phosphorus (P) release remains unclear in the Tuojiang River in Southwest China. The sediments were collected from the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Tuojiang River in this study. The potential of sediment P release (percentage saturation of zero equilibrium P concentration, EPCsat) was determined by isotherm experiments. The influential factors and mechanisms on sediment P release were explored. New hydrological insights for the region: The sediment mainly acted as a source to release P. Phosphorus bound by Fe oxides (Fe-P), organic matter (OM), water temperature (T), and the P content originally adsorbed on sediment (Q0) were the most influential factors on the EPCsat. The pH, T, or disturbance had the greatest effect on the content of exchangeable P (Ex-P), organic P (Org-P), and Fe-P. FeCl3 has an inhibitory effect on sediment P release. Fe-P mainly participates in the sediment P release process. The release kinetics were well fitted to the pseudo-second-order model. These results obtained could help to understanding the P pollution status of sediment, improve our knowledge of the sediment P release mechanisms and provide significant information for further management of P pollution in sediment.