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Hydrogen energy is an ideal source of renewable energy. It has the advantages of high energy density and green sustainability, so developing highly efficient hydrogen production is significant. Producing hydrogen by water electrolysis has the advantages of cleanliness and pollution-free, and it has a wide range of application prospects. However, low-cost, stable, and efficient hydrogen production is still with challenges. Herein, zirconium aminobenzenedicarboxylate metal–organic frameworks (UIO-66-NH2) is prepared by solvent thermal synthesis with 2-aminoterephthalic acid (H2BDC-NH2) as an organic ligand and Pt(acac)2 as Pt precursor. After high-temperature pyrolysis treatment (N2 atmosphere), Pt is loaded on the carbon doping with nitrogen (NC). Acid etching treatment using HF is also performed to remove the reducing metal substances (e.g., Zr) forming during UIO-66-NH2 pyrolysis. The Pt/NC catalysts with various Pt contents (Pt/NC-1–6.2 wt%, Pt/NC-2–13.9 wt%, Pt/NC-3–17.5 wt%) are obtained with highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles. This method significantly reduces the Pt loading and cost. The effect of the Pt composition on the catalytic behaviors of Pt/NC for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is investigated. Pt/NC-2 has the best HER property in 0.5 M H2SO4 (100 mA cm−2), the overpotential is 116 mV, lower than 20 wt% commercial Pt/C (Pt/C). Its Tafel slope is also the lowest, only with 44.2 mV dec−1. Its good stability is demonstrated in cycling stability testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large depolarization field in single‐domain PbTiO3 is anticipated to drive the spatial separation of photogenerated charge carriers and enable potential active sites for photocatalytic overall water splitting reaction. However, the negatively polarized surface usually cannot provide sufficient active sites for water oxidation to oxygen because of lacking oxygen vacancies, inevitably hindering photocatalytic water splitting reaction. Here, the ferroelectric polarization screening is reconstructed by a heteroepitaxial SrTiO3 film on the positively polarized surface of PbTiO3 nanoplates to generate abundant oxygen vacancies on the negatively polarized surface as active sites for water oxidation. Moreover, it is experimentally and theoretically revealed that the epitaxial SrTiO3 layer on the positively polarized surface is also beneficial for good dispersion of cocatalyst and the formation of low Schottky barrier height at the interface between the heterostructure and the cocatalyst for efficient electron transfer. Compared with pristine PbTiO3, the obtained PbTiO3/SrTiO3 heteroepitaxial structure with the simultaneous regulation of positively and negatively polarized surfaces delivered a greatly enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting with stoichiometric ratio (2:1) of hydrogen and oxygen evolution by a factor of 15 times. These findings might open up a new avenue for the design of ferroelectric photocatalysts with excellent activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Lignin upgrading to various functional products is promising to realize high-value utilization of low-cost and renewable biomass waste, but is still in its infancy. Herein, using industry waste lignosulfonate as the biomass-based carbon source and urea as the dopant, we constructed a heteroatom-doped porous carbon nanosheet structure by a simple NaCl template-assisted pyrolytic strategy. Through the synergistic effect of the NaCl template and urea, the optimized lignin-derived porous carbon catalyst with high content of active nitrogen species and large specific surface area can be obtained. As a result, the fabricated catalysts exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activity, as well as good methanol tolerance and stability, comparable to that of commercial Pt/C. Moreover, rechargeable Zn-air batteries assembled with this electrocatalyst have a peak power density of up to 150 mW cm-2 and prominent long-term cycling stability. This study offers an inexpensive and efficient way for the massive production of highly active metal-free catalysts from the plentiful, inexpensive and environmentally friendly lignin, offering a good direction for biomass waste recycling and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objective Background Design and Methods Results Conclusion Reporting Method This study aims to scrutinize the interconnected concepts, prevailing landscape and efficacy of personalized nursing within the framework of blockchain technology and to proffer a roadmap for prospective scholarly inquiries.The ethos of personalized nursing as a paradigm grounded in human‐centered care has been venerated as the pinnacle of nursing practice. Recent years have witnessed the emergence of groundbreaking technologies, notably blockchain, which have set the stage for the actualization of personalized nursing care. Nevertheless, a lacuna persists in the holistic comprehension surrounding the integration of blockchain technology within the domain of personalized nursing.We considered studies published in English from 2018 to the present. Databases searched included CINAHL, Pubmed, MEDLINE, Scopus. Sources of grey literature that were searched included ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. The eligibility of the studies was independently appraised by a pair of researchers. The findings are delineated through narratives and tabular presentations.The narrative findings are stratified into three primary domains: (1) the theoretical underpinnings of personalized nursing vis‐à‐vis the integration of blockchain technology; (2) delineation of the specific domains within nursing where blockchain applications are germane to personalized nursing; and (3) the demonstrable impact of blockchain technology on the efficacy of personalized nursing.Blockchain technology has wrought profound transformations in the landscape of personalized nursing. As blockchain technology continues to evolve, future scholarship necessitates elucidation on the conceptual intricacies of personalized nursing interfaced with blockchain technology, and broadening of the research purview to encompass a comprehensive understanding of the various applications of personalized nursing.This scoping review adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines and used the PRISMA‐ScR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Differences in demographic and environmental niches facilitate plant species coexistence in tropical forests. However, the adaptations that enable species to achieve higher demographic rates (e.g. growth or survival) or occupy unique environmental niches (e.g. waterlogged conditions) remain poorly understood. Anatomical traits may better predict plant environmental and demographic strategies because they are direct measurements of structures involved in these adaptations. We collected 18 leaf and twig traits from 29 tree species in a tropical freshwater swamp forest in Singapore. We estimated demographic parameters of the 29 species from growth and survival models, and degree of association toward swamp habitats. We examined pairwise trait–trait, trait–demography and trait–environment links while controlling for phylogeny. Leaf and twig anatomical traits were better predictors of all demographic parameters than other commonly measured leaf and wood traits. Plants with wider vessels had faster growth rates but lower survival rates. Leaf and spongy mesophyll thickness predicted swamp association. These findings demonstrate the utility of anatomical traits as indicators of plant hydraulic strategies and their links to growth–mortality trade‐offs and waterlogging stress tolerance that underlie species coexistence mechanisms in tropical forest trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: One Kirsten Ras (KRAS) G12C mutated non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient had improved poor performance status and obtained mixed response with the first‐line KRAS‐targeted treatment of sotorasib. After disease progression, partial response was achieved with chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. KRAS G12C mutated immunoenvironment in NSCLC may favor the immunotherapy. KRAS is one of the most commonly mutated genes, which used to be untargetable. The phase II CodeBreak 100 trial revealed 6.8‐month median progress‐free survival (PFS) and 12.5‐month overall survival (OS) in previously treated KRAS G12C‐mutant NSCLC patients treated with KRAS inhibitor, sotorasib. The specimens of the brain, lymph node (LN), and blood from the patient were analyzed by next‐generation sequencing. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry were performed for pathological characterization. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan were used for treatment response evaluation. The patient was diagnosed in a bad Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG‐PS) with metastatic KRAS G12C‐mutated lung adenocarcinoma who had achieved mixed response to sotorasib as the first‐line treatment. Although 5‐month PFS of the treatment with sotorasib was not surprising, the patient achieved significantly improved ECOG‐PS score from 4 to 1. Subsequently, partial response (PR) was achieved with the treatment of pemetrexed plus pembrolizumab. This case highlights superior efficacy of first‐line treatment with sotorasib for the advance untreated KRAS G12C‐mutant patients. The high efficacy of the treatment with chemotherapy plus immunotherapy revealed that immunoenvironment of KRAS G12C‐mutated patient may favor the immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway orchestrates its influence through a dynamic interplay of Hh proteins, the cell surface receptor Ptch1, Smo, and Gli transcription factors, contributing to a myriad of developmental events. Indian Hedgehog (Ihh) and Gli zinc finger transcription factor 1 (Gli1) play crucial roles in developmental regulation within the Hh signaling pathway. Ihh regulates chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and bone formation, impacting the development of cranial bones, cartilage, and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Losing Ihh results in cranial bone malformation and decreased ossification and affects the formation of cranial base cartilage unions, TMJ condyles, and joint discs. Gli1 is predominantly expressed during early craniofacial development, and Gli1+ cells are identified as the primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for craniofacial bones, crucial for cell differentiation and morphogenesis. In addition, a complex mutual regulatory mechanism exists between Gli1 and Ihh, ensuring the normal function of the Hh signaling pathway by directly or indirectly regulating each other's expression levels. And the interaction between Ihh and Gli1 significantly impacts the normal development of craniofacial tissues. This review summarizes the pivotal roles of Gli1 and Ihh in the intricate landscape of mammalian craniofacial development and outlines the molecular regulatory mechanisms and intricate interactions governing the growth of bone and cartilage exhibited by Gli1 and Ihh, which provides new insights into potential therapeutic strategies for related diseases or researches of tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient self-assembly method is proposed for synthesis of 3D Au/MOF-808 (Zr) composite nanostructures with a cerium metal-organic framework loaded with gold nanoparticles. We combine adsorption properties of MOF materials with surface plasmon resonance of noble metals to construct hotspot-dense 3D Au/MOF-808 (Zr) SERS substrates, by using a two-step method of solvothermal and reduction reactions. The results show that optimal SERS substrates are obtained from a volume ratio of gold nanoparticles to MOF-808 (Zr) solution of 4:1 and a self-assembly time of 2 h. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) is used as a molecular probe to characterize and analyze SERS properties of substrates of 3D Au/MOF-808 (Zr) prepared under the optimal process conditions, where the substrates are capable to detect R6G concentrations down to 10–10 M with a relative standard deviation of 8.81%. Finally, we applied the SERS substrates of 3D Au/MOF-808 (Zr) to the detection of pesticide thiram, and establish a quantitative determination method. 3D Au/MOF-808 (Zr) provides a sensitive detection of thiram in lake water by SERS with a detection limit of 1.49 × 10−9 M. Application tests show that a SERS enhancement factor of the MOF-based SERS substrates for the detection of thiram can be significantly increased to 5.91 × 105. Thus, the above results indicate that such substrate has high sensitivity, good adsorption, homogeneity, and reproducibility, which can be extended for sensitive detection of pesticide residues in food and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document, titled "Revisiting the role of pregnancy zone protein (PZP) as a cancer biomarker in the immunotherapy era," discusses the potential use of pregnancy zone protein (PZP) as a biomarker in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy response evaluation. The authors conducted a pan-cancer analysis of PZP expression levels and found that PZP expression varied among different cancer types. They also discovered that PZP expression was correlated with immune checkpoint genes and immune cell subtypes in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, the study revealed that higher PZP expression was associated with better response to anti-PD1 or anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy. The authors suggest that PZP may serve as a new biomarker for guiding immunotherapy in cancer treatment. [Extracted from the article]

The dual-quadrotors slung system may be utilized in the handling service of heavy and bulky loads. However, the coupled oscillations between the quadrotor attitudes and suspended load exhibit complicated dynamic behaviors, which degrade the safety and efficiency of the transport system. Although many works have been focused on the multiple quadrotors suspending a load, those prior studies did not consider the coupling effects between the quadrotor attitudes and the cable pendulum. This paper established a nonlinear dynamic model of dual-quadrotors carrying a slender beam undergoing planar motions, which described the coupled attitude-pendulum oscillations. Then a frequency estimator was resulted from the system parameters for investigating the dynamics. In addition, a novel combined modified model-following control and discontinuous piecewise smoother was proposed to suppress oscillations. The technical results in the simulations not only describe the dynamic behavior of the analytical model but also validate the effectiveness of the control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital assembly system is widely used in the automatic positioning of large aircraft components. Accurate posture measurement of the components remains challenging for high-precision assembly of the components with various engineering constraints. Existing methods often require repeated measurements of key features and are susceptible to the pronounced coupled effect, where various constraints mutually influence the solution of pose parameters. To enhance the efficiency and precision of posture measurement, this study proposes an on-line measurement method for the Foldable-wing Digital Assembly System. The key features and several reference points are measured once by the laser tracker. According to the assembly task sequence, a novel posture evaluation model with priority-based multi-constraints is established to calibrate these reference points which will be utilized as the new datum of posture measurement instead of the traditional key features. This model separately satisfies the various engineering constraints, such as coaxiality, gap, and basic positioning accuracy, in order of priority to avoid the coupling effect between different types of constraints. Consequently, features with higher priority can achieve higher accuracy without weight setting. Next, the reference points are automatically measured to calculate the posture parameters. Considering the uncertainty characteristics of the measuring instrument, the registration algorithm based on weighted total least squares adjustment is applied to reduce measurement uncertainty. Monte Carlo simulation results demonstrate the proposed method's ability to enhance positioning accuracy and reduce posture uncertainty, outperforming conventional methods. Finally, the practical application was successfully implemented, and all key features remained within tolerance. • Establish a novel posture evaluation model with priority-based multi-constraints to avoid the constraint coupling effect. • Measurement reference points are utilized as the new datum of posture measurement instead of the traditional key features. • The weighted total least squares adjustment is utilized to reduce the posture uncertainty caused by the laser tracker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the strength of complex networks is crucial for evaluating their functionality and monitoring system security. Two primary perspectives for measuring network robustness are connectivity and controllability, which quantify how well a network maintains connectivity and controllability after experiencing complete attacks. However, conventional robustness calculation methods that use simulation attacks can be impractical for large-scale networks. Recent research has explored the use of deep learning methods for network robustness prediction, including PCR (short for predictor of controllability robustness), which uses a VGG (short for visual geometry group)-based convolutional neural network (CNN) and a linear filter. However, PCR has limitations, including inaccurate edge importance differentiation and fluctuating output curves. This paper presents ATTRP, an attention-based robustness predictor, which addresses these limitations. ATTRP uses a novel convolutional neural network with channel and spatial attention mechanisms to improve prediction accuracy and a robustness filter based on Savitzky–Golay smoothing to rectify the robustness curve. Experimental studies demonstrate that ATTRP outperforms other predictors, with much lower errors, while its computational speed is far superior to that of traditional attacking simulation. Overall, our research provides a more effective and efficient means of predicting network robustness, with potential applications in monitoring system security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: It has been observed that the prognosis of patients with HER2‐positive metastatic breast cancer has improved significantly with HER2‐targeted agents. However, there is still a lack of evidence regarding first‐line anti‐HER2 treatment options for patients who have received adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant trastuzumab for HER2‐positive metastatic breast cancer. Besides, there are no reliable markers that can predict the efficacy of anti‐HER2 treatment in these patients. Methods: Patients who have received adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant trastuzumab for HER2‐positive metastatic breast cancer were enrolled. Pyrotinib plus albumin‐bound paclitaxel were used as first‐line treatment. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). The safety profile was also assessed. In order to explore predictive biomarkers using Olink technology, blood samples were collected dynamically. Results: From December 2019 to August 2023, the first stage of the study involved 27 eligible patients. It has not yet reached the median PFS despite the median follow‐up being 17.8 months. Efficacy evaluation showed that the ORR was 92.6%, and the DCR was 100%. Adverse events of grade 3 or higher included diarrhoea (29.6%), leukopenia (11.1%), neutropenia (25.9%), oral mucositis (3.7%), and hand‐foot syndrome (3.7%). Toll‐like receptor 3 (TLR3) and Proto‐oncogene tyrosine‐protein kinase receptor (RET) were proteins with significant relevance to PFS in these patients. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that pyrotinib plus albumin‐bound paclitaxel as a first‐line treatment regimen shows good efficacy and manageable safety for patients who have received adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant trastuzumab for HER2‐positive metastatic breast cancer. Besides, a significant association was identified between the expression levels of TLR3 and RET and the PFS in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study that examines the genetic and molecular characteristics of lung cancer patients who have transformed from one type of lung cancer to another. The study identifies two distinct subtypes based on the RB1 gene status of the patients. The findings suggest that RB1 and SMAD4 alterations are important factors in this transformation, and patients with RB1 mutations tend to have a longer time before the transformation occurs. The article highlights the importance of understanding the heterogeneity within this patient population in order to develop new treatments and improve outcomes. Additionally, the study develops a predictive model to assess the risk of transformation in patients with specific gene mutations. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the biology of transformed lung cancer and potential targets for therapy. [Extracted from the article]

Psychological resilience is a protective factor of depression. However, the neuroimaging characteristics of the relationship between psychological resilience and brain imaging in depression are not very clear. Our objectives were to explore the brain functional imaging characteristics of different levels of resilience in female patients with depression. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on 58 female depressed patients. According to the resilience score, participants were divided into three groups: Low resilience (Low-res), Medium resilience (Med-res) and High resilience (High-res). We compared the differences in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) among the three groups and correlated psychological resilience with ALFF and FC. According to ALFF, there was a higher activation in RI and RPG in the High-res compared with Med-res and Low-res, but no significant differences between Med-res and Low-res. The FC between the RPG and supramarginal gyrus (SG) in the High-res was significantly stronger than that in the Med-res and the Low-res, and the FC of the Med-res is stronger than that of the Low-res. Both ALFF and FC were positively correlated with the score of resilience. The sample size of this study was relatively small and it lacked healthy controls. The results of this study could be considered preliminary. Among female patients with depression, patients with higher psychological resilience had higher resting state activation in the RI and RPG and had a stronger interaction between the RPG and the SG. • There are few studies to explore the relationship between psychological resilience and resting brain function in female patients with depression. • We found that the female depressed patients with higher psychological resilience had higher resting state activation in the insula and postcentral gyrus and had a stronger interaction between the postcentral gyrus and the supramarginal gyrus. • This study helps to identify biomarkers of different levels of resilience in female patients with depression, and lays the foundation for preventing depression and developing new treatment methods through the enhancement of psychological resilience [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aurivillius compounds‐based photocatalysts have attracted extensive interest largely due to their ferroelectric properties and modifiable characteristics arising from the alternate stacking of structural units. However, the interfacial Schottky barrier between such semiconducting compounds as light absorbers and metallic cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution restrains the transfer of photogenerated electrons, resulting in low photocatalytic overall water splitting activity and stability. Here, an anions‐induced surface structure transformation strategy is employed to modulate the interface structure between Bi3TiNbO9 as a typical Aurivillius compound and the cocatalyst Rh by in situ growing ultrathin Bi2MoO6 heterolayer on the surface of Bi3TiNbO9 nanosheets. The introduction of Bi2MoO6 heterolayer lowers the energy barrier near the Bi3TiNbO9 surface, which can facilitate the transfer of the photogenerated electrons from bulk to surface and thus the reduction of Rh cocatalyst for highly active hydrogen production. Compared with the Bi3TiNbO9‐Rh photocatalyst, the proportion of low‐valence metallic Rh0 in Bi2MoO6 heterolayer‐modified Bi3TiNbO9‐Rh (Bi3TiNbO9‐Bi2MoO6‐Rh) is improved by 7.76%, giving rise to a photocatalytic overall water splitting activity enhancement by a factor of 4.74. This strategy emphasizes the importance of interface regulation in promoting the transfer of photogenerated charge carriers in Aurivillius‐type photocatalysts, providing an effective pathway for designing and fabricating high‐performance photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw incorporation into soil contributes significantly to the sustainable development of agriculture. To investigate the impact of tobacco straw returns on a tobacco–rice replanting system, we designed an experiment with two straw return levels and a control group: T1 (full return), T2 (root return), and CK (no straw return). Over a three-year field experiment in rice fields in South China, we assessed the effects of tobacco straw return on soil quality, microbial diversity, dry matter accumulation, and yield composition of rice. The results demonstrated that returning tobacco straw to the field effectively enhanced rice yield by positively influencing various soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Compared to those in the CK treatment, as the soil porosity increased from 9.0% to 12.4%, the mean weight diameter of the soil aggregates substantially increased, ranging from 28.7% to 45.2%. There were significant increases in soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and alkaline dissolved nitrogen. Soil sucrase activity increased between 29.8% and 44.9%, and urease activity increased between 4.3% and 62.2% over the three consecutive years of straw return. The diversity index of soil fungi significantly increased. Additionally, rice yield increased markedly, ranging from 1.8% to 5.1%. Overall, the enhancement effect of T1 surpassed that of T2. According to our comprehensive analysis, the incorporation of tobacco straw into the field was found to enhance the physical properties of the soil, elevate soil enzyme activity, and increase the abundance of soil microorganisms. Consequently, this practice led to improved rice yield and a reduction in agricultural waste output. Overall, the return of tobacco straw to the field represents a clean and dependable approach in rice-cultivated tobacco areas to improve soil health and rice productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting rice straw in situ return is an important strategy for improving soil quality. From 2018 to 2021, we investigated the effects of rice straw return with microbial agents and film covering technology on soil physical and chemical properties at different layer depths, as well as the soil microbial community structure, in Hunan, southern China. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of microbial agents (T1), film mulch covering (T2), and the application of microbial agents combined with film mulch (T3) on the soil physicochemical properties and microbial community after rice straw in situ return. The results show that, after three years of continuous treatment, T3 significantly increased the soil temperature by 17.76–22.97%, T2 significantly increased the water content by 34.27–46.23%, and T1 and T3 significantly increased the soil pH. The addition of microbial agents combined with film mulch resulted in a notable increase in both the number of OTUs and the Chao1 index of soil microorganisms. Additionally, the model of promoting rice straw in situ return (the application of a microbial agent combined with film mulch) was shown to promote the growth of beneficial soil microorganisms. RDA was used for the investigation, and the findings showed that soil microorganisms were significantly influenced by the TOC content, pH, and water content. These findings provide evidence of an effective method for accelerating the decomposition of late rice straw and guiding soil improvement in tobacco–rice rotation regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global reliance on oil and gas pipelines for energy transportation is increasing. As the pioneering review in the field of ultrasonic defect detection for oil and gas pipelines based on bibliometric methods, this study employs visual analysis to identify the most influential countries, academic institutions, and journals in this domain. Through cluster analysis, it determines the primary trends, research hotspots, and future directions in this critical field. Starting from the current global industrial ultrasonic in-line inspection (ILI) detection level, this paper provides a flowchart for selecting detection methods and a table for defect comparison, detailing the comparative performance limits of different detection devices. It offers a comprehensive perspective on the latest ultrasonic pipeline detection technology from laboratory experiments to industrial practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of thermal cycle annealing (TCA) at high temperatures on the defect density and morphology of GaAs epilayers grown on (001) Si substrates. Several types of TCA combined with dislocation filter layers (DFLs) were introduced to reduce the defect densities in the GaAs grown on Si substrates. Plan-view transmission electron microscopy shows that the defect density of a 2.7 μm-thick GaAs/Si template with optimized TCA and DFLs is 1.4 × 107 cm−2, lower than a 1.1 μm-thick GaAs/Si template by a factor of 40. The surface roughness of the optimized GaAs/Si template is 1.3 nm after insertion of the DFLs. Additionally, optically pumped InP quantum dot micro-disk lasers (MDLs) were fabricated on these GaAs/Si templates to evaluate the template quality. Room-temperature continuous-wave lasing of 1.5 μm-diameter MDLs was observed, with ultralow lasing thresholds ranging from 0.5 to 2 μW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White matter, a densely packed collection of myelinated axons, plays an essential part in neural networks. With high spatial resolution and deep penetration, multi-photon microscopy (MPM) is promising for white matter imaging in animal models in vivo. The third harmonic generation (THG) signal can be generated from white matter, but the bottom part of the white matter layer generates weak THG due to its high scattering. Here, we demonstrate an in vivo labeling and imaging technology, capable of visualizing the white matter layer in the mouse brain, combining fluorescence labeling with MitoTracker Red and three-photon fluorescence (3PF) microscopy excited at the 1700 nm window. 3PF signals are several times higher than THG signals, resulting in deeper imaging of the white matter layer with the former. Our results indicate that 3PF microscopy is a promising technology for white matter imaging in the deep brain in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the standard procedure for the treatment of cervical spinal stenosis (CSS), but complications such as adjacent segment degeneration can seriously affect the long-term efficacy. Currently, posterior endoscopic surgery has been increasingly used in the clinical treatment of CSS. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of single-segment CSS patients who underwent full endoscopic laminotomy decompression or ACDF. Methods: 138 CSS patients who met the inclusion criteria from June 2018 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into endoscopic and ACDF groups. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to adjust the imbalanced confounding variables between the groups. Then, perioperative data were recorded and clinical outcomes were compared, including functional scores and imaging data. Functional scores included Visual Analog Scale of Arms (A-VAS) and Neck pain (N-VAS), Japanese Orthopedic Association score (JOA), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and imaging data included Disc Height Index (DHI), Cervical range of motion (ROM), and Ratio of grey scale (RVG). Results: After PSM, 84 patients were included in the study and followed for 24–30 months. The endoscopic group was significantly superior to the ACDF group in terms of operative time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, and hospital stay (P < 0.001). Postoperative N-VAS, A-VAS, JOA, and NDI were significantly improved in both groups compared with the preoperative period (P < 0.001), and the endoscopic group showed better improvement at 7 days postoperatively (P < 0.05). The ROM changes of adjacent segments were significantly larger in the ACDF group at 12 months postoperatively and at the last follow-up (P < 0.05). The RVG of adjacent segments showed a decreasing trend, and the decrease was more marked in the ACDF group at last follow-up (P < 0.05). According to the modified MacNab criteria, the excellent and good rates in the endoscopic group and ACDF group were 90.48% and 88.10%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Full endoscopic laminotomy decompression is demonstrated to be an efficacious alternative technique to traditional ACDF for the treatment of single-segment CSS, with the advantages of less trauma, faster recovery, and less impact on cervical spine kinematics and adjacent segmental degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper proteostasis is indispensable for the long-term maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The TRiC/CCT (chaperonin-containing TCP-1) complex, a key constituent of cellular machinery facilitating accurate protein folding, has remained enigmatic in its specific function within HSPCs. Here we show that conditional knockout (KO) of Cct5 significantly impairs the maintenance of murine HSPCs. Primary and secondary transplantation experiments unequivocally demonstrate the incapacity of Cct5 KO HSPCs to reconstitute both myeloid and lymphoid lineage cells in recipient mice, highlighting the pivotal role of the TRiC/CCT complex in governing these cellular lineages. Furthermore, leveraging an integrated approach that merges a Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) database with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of HSPCs, our analysis reveals intricate interactions between Cct5 and vital transcription factors crucial for HSC homeostasis. Notably, Cct5 engages with MYC, PIAS1, TP53, ESR1, HOXA1, and JUN, intricately regulating the transcriptional landscape governing autophagy, myeloid differentiation, and cytoskeleton organization within HSPCs. Our study unveils the profound significance of TRiC/CCT complex-mediated proteostasis in orchestrating the maintenance and functionality of HSPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion This study investigates the DP7‐C/miR‐26a complex as a stable entity resulting from the combination of miR‐26a with the immunomodulatory peptide DP7‐C. Our focus is on utilizing DP7‐C loaded with miR‐26a to modulate the immune microenvironment in bone and facilitate osteogenesis.The DP7‐C/miR‐26a complex was characterized through transmission electron microscopy, agarose electrophoresis, and nanoparticle size potentiometer analysis. Transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity of DP7‐C were assessed using flow cytometry and the CCK‐8 assay. We validated the effects of DP7‐C/miR‐26a on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and macrophages RAW 264.7 through gene expression and protein synthesis assays. A comprehensive evaluation of appositional bone formation involved micro‐CT imaging, histologic analysis, and immunohistochemical staining.DP7‐C/miR‐26a, a nanoscale, and low‐toxic cationic complex, demonstrated the ability to enter BMSCs and RAW 264.7 via distinct pathways. The treatment with DP7‐C/miR‐26a significantly increased the synthesis of multiple osteogenesis‐related factors in BMSCs, facilitating calcium nodule formation in vitro. Furthermore, DP7‐C/miR‐26a promoted M1 macrophage polarization toward M2 while suppressing the release of inflammatory factors. Coculture studies corroborated these findings, indicating significant repair of rat skull defects following treatment with DP7‐C/miR‐26a.The DP7‐C/miR‐26a system offers a safer, more efficient, and feasible technical means for treating bone defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine potential associations between an elevated TyG index and an increased risk of OA prevalence. Methods: 3,921 participants with OA from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015–2020) were included in this study. Participants were categorized into quartiles based on TyG index, which was determined using the formula: Ln [triglyceride (mg/dL) fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Weighted multivariable regression, subgroup analyses, and threshold effect analyses were performed to calculate the independent association between TyG index and OA. Results: A total of 25,514 people were enrolled, with a mean TyG index of 8.48 ± 0.65. The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis after full adjustment showed a significant association between higher TyG index values and an increased risk of OA. Specifically, each incremental unit increase in the TyG index was associated with a 634% higher risk of OA [OR = 7.34; 95% CI: 2.25, 23.93; p = 0.0010]. Based on interaction tests, age, gender, BMI, and smoking status did not significantly affect the relationship between the TyG index and OA, while diabetes showed a stronger positive correlation between the TyG index and OA. Conclusion: An increased risk of OA was associated with a higher TyG index. TyG could be a valuable predictor of OA and offer novel perspectives on the assessment and treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the journal "Unmanned Systems" that celebrates Professor Zongli Lin's 60th birthday. It provides a summary of his educational background and career achievements in the field of control theory and its applications. The editorial also mentions his contributions to research, publications, professional service, and leadership in various organizations. Additionally, the document introduces a special issue that features 18 papers from Professor Lin's former classmates, collaborators, and friends, covering topics related to autonomous systems and automation technologies. The editorial expresses gratitude to the authors and reviewers who contributed to the special issue. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the development and application of an event-triggered distributed observer for a leader-following consensus problem in multiple rigid body systems. The authors present a design framework called the distributed observer based approach, which involves designing control laws and a distributed observer to estimate the state of the leader. The main result of the article is the existence of upper bounds for certain variables in the system. The article also discusses the convergence of the system and presents a lemma and theorem to prove the convergence. Additionally, the article applies the event-triggered distributed observer to the leader-following adaptive consensus problem of multiple uncertain rigid body systems and provides a numerical example to illustrate the result. The paper concludes by acknowledging support received and suggesting future directions for improvement. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] No direct comparison has been performed between different programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors for first-line treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The feasibility of using PD-L1-expression-guided immunotherapy remains unknown. In this open-label, phase 2 study (NCT04252365), patients with advanced NSCLC without EGFR or ALK alterations were randomized (1:1) to receive sintilimab or pembrolizumab monotherapy (PD-L1 expression ≥ 50%), or sintilimab or pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy (PD-L1 expression < 50%). The sample size was calculated by optimal two-stage design. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). The study included 71 patients (sintilimab arms, n = 35; pembrolizumab arms, n = 36) and met its primary endpoint, with a confirmed ORR of 51.4% (18/35) in the sintilimab arms. The confirmed ORR (95% confidence interval) was 46.2% (19.2%, 74.9%) and 42.9% (17.7%, 71.1%) for patients treated with sintilimab and pembrolizumab monotherapy; and 54.5% (32.2%, 75.6%) and 45.4% (24.4%, 67.8%) for those treated with sintilimab- and pembrolizumab-based combination therapies. The median progression-free survival was 6.9 versus 8.1 months for all sintilimab-treated versus all pembrolizumab-treated patients, respectively, in which it was 7.6 versus 11.0 months in monotherapy and 7.4 versus 7.1 months in combination therapies. The median overall survival was 14.9 versus 21.3 months for all sintilimab-treated versus all pembrolizumab-treated patients, respectively, in which it was 14.9 versus 22.6 months in monotherapy and 14.7 versus 17.3 months in combination therapies. Treatment-related adverse events were consistent with safety outcomes of monotherapy and combination therapy in previous phase III studies. However, the incidence of rash was higher with sintilimab than pembrolizumab monotherapy. This is the first prospective phase 2 study to directly compare two anti-PD-1 antibodies as first-line treatment in advanced NSCLC. Sintilimab was efficacious and well-tolerated irrespective of PD-L1 expression level in patients with advanced NSCLC and had similar efficacy and safety to pembrolizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is imperative to study individual brain functioning toward understanding the neural bases responsible for individual behavioral and clinical traits. The complex and dynamic brain activity varies from area to area and from time to time across the entire brain, and BOLD-fMRI measures this spatiotemporal activity at large-scale systems level. We present a novel method to investigate task-evoked whole brain activity that varies not only from person to person but also from task trial to trial within each task type, offering a means of characterizing the individuality of human brains when performing tasks. For each task trial, the temporal correlation of task-evoked ideal time signal with the time signal of every point in the brain yields a full spatial map that characterizes the whole brain's functional co-activity (FC) relative to the task-evoked ideal response. For any two task trials, regardless of whether they are the same task or not, the spatial correlation of their corresponding two FC maps over the entire brain quantifies the similarity between these two maps, offering a means of investigating the variation in the whole brain activity trial to trial. The results demonstrated a substantially varied whole brain activity from trial to trial for each task category. The degree of this variation was task type-dependent and varied from subject to subject, showing a remarkable individuality of human brains when performing tasks. It demonstrates the potential of using the presented method to investigate the relationship of the whole brain activity with individual behavioral and clinical traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centred approach that triggers learning by presenting problems cenarios early in the learning process.Flipped classrooms have been used in various disciplines using various models.Pre-class e- learning in aflipped classrooms can enrich knowledge acquisition in PBL teaching. This study was conducted to explore nursing students'experience of flipped classroom combined with problem-based learning in a paediatric nursing course. Method: This descriptive qualitative study was conducted between January and June 2022.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nursing students who were participated in flipped classrooms combined with PBL teaching in a paediatric nursing course at Soochow university in China. Nursing students were selected using a purposive sampling method until no new data were generated (n = 16). Results: We identified ten sub-themes and four higher-order themes based on these sub-themes: (1)stimulating interest in learning and enhancing autonomous learning,(2)improving independent thinking and problem-solving skills,(3)cultivating team work spirit, and (4) gaining knowledge and improving skills.The findings of our research contribute to show the effectiveness of the flipped classroom combined with PBL in a paediatric nursing course. Conclusion: The flipped classroom combined with PBL in a paediatric nursing course can enhances communication and cooperation abilities among nursing students, promoting common progress and the comprehensive development of nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe thermal environment in a geostationary orbit is more complicated than a low orbit. Thermal deformation is a primary factor to deteriorate geometric quality of remote imaging of geostationary optical satellites. The on-orbit geometric quality testing of the SDLT-1 satellite of China shows that the light of sight (LOS) deformation in longitude and latitude are 26 pixels and 14 pixels, respectively, which do not meet the accuracy requirements. Therefore, a novel on-orbit geometric calibration method based on star observation is proposed to improve the geometric deformation. The imager embodied stars are employed as sources to evaluate the developed method and compared with the traditional procedure based upon landmarks. The results show that the geometric accuracy of the new approach is 3.2 pixels which is improved compared to traditional calibration method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate response of tropical Southeast Asia to abrupt climate change originating from high northern latitudes remains poorly understood. Here, marine sediments recovered from the Northwest Borneo Trough are analyzed to trace variations in terrigenous material composition associated with sea level and palaeoflood activities over the past 40 ka. We describe for the first time the influence of sea level change on terrigenous deposition from a tropical island with small mountainous rivers surrounded by narrow continental shelves and the coupling between North Atlantic dynamics and climate feedbacks in tropical Southeast Asia during the Dansgaard‐Oeschger stadials. This study demonstrates that climate oscillations occurring at high northern latitudes can be transmitted to tropical Southeast Asia through the functions of sea level, the East Asian winter monsoon and the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Such information is fundamental to correctly assessing future sea level rise and flood risks in tropical Southeast Asia. Plain Language Summary: Sea level rise and extreme climate events are two global climate issues currently faced by humanity under the background of global warming. However, the climate feedbacks in tropical Southeast Asia remain unknown, although portions of this region are now densely populated. Here, a gravity core retrieved from the Northwest (NW) Borneo Trough is employed to reveal variations in terrigenous material composition and their controlling factors over the past 40 ka. We found that the terrigenous sediments delivered to the NW Borneo Trough are primarily sourced from NW Borneo, and their deposition is mainly controlled by sea level change and flooding. Further in‐depth analysis reveals that northern high‐latitude cooling could cause floods in NW Borneo both in the modern and during the past by influencing the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and/or the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Furthermore, our new records suggest that a stronger EAWM during cold stadials could have transported high levels of northerly moisture to NW Borneo, resulting in relatively higher speleothem δ18O values in NW Borneo. In short, abrupt climate changes in the high‐latitude Northern Hemisphere can be transmitted to tropical Southeast Asia through the functions of sea level, the EAWM and the ITCZ. Key Points: Sea level change and flooding are the main controlling factors for terrigenous deposition from tropical Southeast AsiaNorthern high‐latitude cooling could lead to the outbreak of floods in Northwest Borneo via atmospheric teleconnectionClimate oscillations occurring at high northern latitudes can be transmitted to tropical Southeast Asia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report room temperature (RT) continuous-wave (CW) lasing of quantum well (QW) lasers grown on (001) Si substrates emitting at 980 nm. Two different QW structures, including conventional compressively strained InGaAs/GaAs QWs and strain-compensated InGaAs/GaAs/GaAsP QWs, were investigated. Photoluminescence properties and device performance of both structures on native GaAs and (001) Si substrates are discussed. By adding GaAsP barriers to the InGaAs/GaAs QWs, the lowest threshold current density of ridge waveguide edge-emitting QW lasers obtained on Si is 550 A/cm2, measured on a 10 μm × 2 mm device at RT. The working temperature of the InGaAs/GaAs/GaAsP QW lasers grown on Si can be over 95 °C in the CW mode. This work suggests a feasible approach to improve the 980 nm laser performance on Si for monolithic optoelectronic integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y-shaped sealing rings of a 140-MPa cage throttle valve were studied at temperatures of − 46 °C, 25 °C, and 180 °C. First, we determined the constitutive model parameters of the ring materials (polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), PTFE with 5% carbon fiber, PTFE with 5% carbon fiber and 5% glass fiber, PTFE with 10% carbon fiber (10C-PTFE), and PTFE with 10% carbon fiber and 10% glass fiber) at three temperatures through uniaxial tensile testing. Next, we investigated the influence of interference, lip front angle, and lip back angle on sealing performance and determined the maximum von Mises stresses and maximum contact stresses of the inner and outer lips. Based on those results, 10C-PTFE was established as the best material for Y-shaped sealing rings. A sealing ring with an interference of 0.25 mm, a lip front angle of 75°, and a lip back angle of 16° can simultaneously meet the sealing requirements at all three temperatures and has the best sealing performance. Finally, the obtained optimal sealing ring parameters were used to produce sealing parts, and a testing device was designed to complete the PR1 (Performance Requirements 1) testing. The testing results show that the Y-shaped sealing ring developed here can achieve 140-MPa sealing capability at − 46 °C, 25 °C, and 180 °C with qualified sealing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic fibrous materials with good thermal insulation properties are in great demand for the thermal protection of vehicles and spacecraft. Here, ultra-fine flexible Y 2 Si 2 O 7 fibrous membranes with excellent thermal insulation performance are fabricated via electrospinning followed by high-temperature heat treatment. Benefiting from the ultra-fine fibrous structure, the Y 2 Si 2 O 7 fibrous membrane was lightweight (∼0.126 g/cm3) and high porosity (97.11%). Meanwhile, the obtained fibrous membranes exhibited low thermal conductivity (∼0.067 W m−1 K−1 at 27 °C, ∼0.299 W m−1 K−1 at 1000 °C), high-temperature resistance (∼1300 °C), excellent flexibility, and good reflectance in the wavelength of 500–2500 nm (average 89.72%). This research demonstrates a novel fabrication process for preparing flexible Y 2 Si 2 O 7 fibrous membranes, but also the flexible Y 2 Si 2 O 7 fibrous membranes are promising thermal insulation materials at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD) can be effectively treated using platelet-rich plasma (PRP). While the exact process is fully understood, it is believed that using pure PRP (P-PRP) without leukocytes is a better option for preventing IVDD. Semaphorin-3A (Sema3A), an inhibitor of angiogenesis and innervation, is essential for preserving IVDD's homeostasis. Whether PRP prevents IVDD by modifying Sema3A has yet to receive much research. This work aims to clarify how P-PRP affects Sema3A when IVDD develops in vitro. Methods: Nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) isolated from 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 10 ng/ml IL-1β and then treated with P-PRP or leukocyte platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP) in vitro, followed by measuring cell proliferation, apoptosis and microstructures, inflammatory gene and Sema3A expression, as well as anabolic and catabolic protein expression by immunostaining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: In comparison with L-PRP, P-PRP had a higher concentration of growth factors but a lower concentration of inflammatory substances. P-PRP increased the proliferation of NPCs, while IL-1 relieved the amount of apoptosis due to its intervention. Anabolic genes, aggrecan, and collagen II had higher expression levels. MMP-3 and ADAMTS-4, two catabolic or inflammatory genes, showed lower expression levels. Sema3A activity was enhanced after P-PRP injection, whereas CD31 and NF200 expression levels were suppressed. Conclusions: P-PRP enhanced the performance of NPCs in IVDD by modifying the NF-κB signaling pathway and encouraging Sema3A expression, which may offer new therapy options for IVDD. The translational potential of this article: The findings provide a new therapeutic target for the treatment of IVDD and show a novel light on the probable mechanism of PRP and the function of Sema3A in the progression of IVDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

10.3390/ijms23158818 9 Xu H., Li S., Kazeem B.B., Ajadi A.A., Luo J., Yin M., Liu X., Chen L., Ying J., Tong X. Five rice seed-specific NF-YC genes redundantly regulate grain quality and seed germination via interfering gibberellin pathway. Many high-yield and environmental adaptability crop varieties have been bred using plant genomics and gene diversity [[3]]. Investigating the genes controlling rice yield, quality, and stress resistance using genomics leads to significant improvement. In recent years, plant genomics has made significant progress following the development of biotechnology. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Given its apparent benefits, early mobilization is becoming increasingly important in spinal surgery. However, the time point at which patients first get out of bed for mobilization after spinal surgery varies widely. Beginning in January 2022, we conducted a study of early mobilization (mobilization within 4 h postoperatively) following multi-segment lumbar decompression and fusion surgery in elderly patients. The study goal was to better understand elderly patients' perceptions of early mobilization and ultimately contribute to the improvement of elderly patients' perioperative experiences and quality of life. Methods: We employed a qualitative descriptive study design involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Forty-five consecutive patients were invited, among whom 24 were enrolled and completed the qualitative investigation from February to June 2022. Of these 24 patients, 10 underwent early mobilization (mobilization within 4 h postoperatively) and 14 underwent mobilization at ≥ 24 h postoperatively. Three researchers conducted a 15-question interview the day before each patient's discharge. The interviews were audio-recorded, and content analysis was used to assess the data. Results: Six themes regarding the patients' experiences and concerns about early mobilization were identified: worries, benefits, daily routines, pain, education, and support. The study results revealed the obstacles in early mobilization practice and highlighted the importance of perioperative education on early mobilization. Conclusions: Clear and explicit guidance on early mobilization and a multidisciplinary mobilization protocol that incorporates a comprehensive pain management plan are essential for effective patient education. These measures may have positive effects on reducing patients' stress and anxiety regarding postoperative early mobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telemedicine can offer a convenient option for patients, but physicians and health care system administrators may be concerned about safety and subsequent follow-up. This retrospective study in a large integrated health care system compares treatment (medication prescription, laboratory and imaging orders) and follow-up visits (office, emergency department, hospitalization) between video or telephone telemedicine and in-person office visits in the primary care setting. Visual Abstract. Telemedicine Versus In-Person Primary Care: Treatment and Follow-up Visits Telemedicine can offer a convenient option for patients, but physicians and health care system administrators may be concerned about safety and subsequent follow-up. This retrospective study in a large integrated health care system compares treatment (medication prescription, laboratory and imaging orders) and follow-up visits (office, emergency department, hospitalization) between video or telephone telemedicine and in-person office visits in the primary care setting. Background: Beyond initial COVID-19 pandemic emergency expansions of telemedicine use, it is unclear how well primary care telemedicine addresses patients' needs. Objective: To compare treatment and follow-up visits (office, emergency department, hospitalization) between primary care video or telephone telemedicine and in-person office visits. Design: Retrospective design based on administrative and electronic health record (EHR) data. Setting: Large, integrated health care delivery system with more than 1300 primary care providers, between April 2021 and December 2021 (including the COVID-19 pandemic Delta wave). Patients: 1 589 014 adult patients; 26.5% were aged 65 years or older, 54.9% were female, 22.2% were Asian, 7.4% were Black, 22.3% were Hispanic, 46.5% were White, 21.5% lived in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status, and 31.8% had a chronic health condition. Measurements: Treatment outcomes included medication or antibiotic prescribing and laboratory or imaging ordering. Follow-up visits included in-person visits to the primary care office or emergency department or hospitalization within 7 days. Outcomes were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics overall and stratified by clinical area (abdominal pain, gastrointestinal concerns, back pain, dermatologic concerns, musculoskeletal pain, routine care, hypertension or diabetes, and mental health). Results: Of 2 357 598 primary care visits, 50.8% used telemedicine (19.5% video and 31.3% telephone). After adjustment, medications were prescribed in 46.8% of office visits, 38.4% of video visits, and 34.6% of telephone visits. After the visit, 1.3% of in-person visits, 6.2% of video visits, and 7.6% of telephone visits had a 7-day return in-person primary care visit; 1.6% of in-person visits, 1.8% of video visits, and 2.1% of telephone visits were followed by an emergency department visit. Differences in follow-up office visits were largest after index office versus telephone visits for acute pain conditions and smallest for mental health. Limitations: In the study setting, telemedicine is fully integrated with ongoing EHRs and with clinicians, and the study examines an insured population during the late COVID-19 pandemic period. Observational comparison lacks detailed severity or symptom measures. Follow-up was limited to 7 days. Clinical area categorization uses diagnosis code rather than symptom. Conclusion: In-person return visits were somewhat higher after telemedicine compared with in-person primary care visits but varied by specific clinical condition. Primary Funding Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although disc large associated protein family (DLGAP5) has been reported to be involved in a variety of tumor pathologic processes, its expression and mechanism in gallbladder cancer (GBC) are still uncertain. Macrophages were divided into M1 and M2 macrophages. TAM is more closely defined as M2 polarized macrophages, which plays a key role in cancer progression. Objective: To clarify the role of disc large associated protein family (DLGAP5) in gallbladder cancer (GBC) progression and investigate the mechanism. Methods: Differential genes in 10 normal paracancer tissues and 10 GBC tissues in GSE139682 from NCBI-GEO were analyzed by R language. Bioinformation analysis and clinical sample analysis were performed to detect DLGAP5 expression in GBC and its correlation with prognosis. CCK-8, EDU, transwell, wound closure, and Immunoblot were performed to detect its effects on the function of GBC cells. GST-pulldown showed the direct interact between DLGAP5 and cAMP. Macrophage polarization assay was further conducted to detect the effects of DLGAP5 on macrophage M2 polarization. The tumor growth assays were further conducted to confirm its role in mice. Results: Biological analysis and clinical samples confirmed that DLGAP5 was increased in GBC and strongly related to poor prognosis in patients with GBC. After overexpression of DLGAP5 in GBC cell lines, such as GBC-SD and NOZ cells, cell proliferation and migration were enhanced, and macrophages were polarized to M2. However, after DLGAP5 is knocked down, there is opposite effect. Mechanistically, DLGAP5 promotes the growth and migration of GBC-SD and NOZ cells and the M2 polarization of THP-1-derived macrophages by activating cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway. In vivo, GBC-SD with DLGAP5 knockdown was subcutaneously injected into nude mice. It was found that after DLGAP5 knockdown, both tumor volume and tumor were reduced, and indicators related to proliferation and M2 polarization decreased. Conclusion: Our study shows that DLGAP5 is significantly elevated in GBC and is strongly related to poor prognosis in patients with GBC. DLGAP5 promotes GBC proliferation, migration, and M2 polarization of macrophages through cAMP pathway, which provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of GBC and may become a promising therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There has been controversy over whether to carry out online medical inquiries and electronic prescription for first-visit patients. While Internet hospitals have become crucial to ensure providing online diagnosis and prescription needs for first-visit COVID-positive patients. Objective We describe the results and advantages of online medical treatment during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and analyse the results and advantages of online medical treatment. Methods Data were collected from the patients who received online medical inquiry services through the COVID-19 Special Section of our Internet hospital. The user demographic characteristics, user behaviour, clinical symptoms and medical records were collected. Baseline data of offline outpatient patients were also collected. Results A total of 16 173 online medical inquiries were included. The daily online outpatient service volume reached a peak of 2446 person-times. The median age was 29.92 years (SD 15.59), ranging from 20–39 years (n  = 8870, 54.84%). A total of 89.20% (n  = 14 426/16 173) patients had epidemic-related symptoms. Moreover, 23.35% of the people were diagnosed as COVID-19-positive through antigen or nucleic acid testing. Furthermore, 86.61% (14 008/16 173) of the patients visited our hospital for the first time or had no offline physical outpatient service record within the past 3 months. The demand for medical inquiries was mainly for drug dispensing, followed by medication guidance and disease diagnosis. And 2.07% (334/16 173) of the patients needed to go to the offline hospital for further treatment. Conclusion The service model of the COVID-19 Special Section based on Internet hospitals provided the public with the necessary medical support during the COVID-19 outbreak. It provides a reference for future pandemics or public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limestone karsts are renowned for extremely high species richness and endemism. Aspidistra (Asparagaceae) is among the highly diversified genera distributed in karst areas, making it an ideal group for studying the evolutionary mechanisms of karst plants. The taxonomy and identification of Aspidistra species are mainly based on their specialized and diverse floral structures. Aspidistra plants have inconspicuous flowers, and the similarity in vegetative morphology often leads to difficulties in species discrimination. Chloroplast genomes possess variable genetic information and offer the potential for interspecies identification. However, as yet there is little information about the interspecific diversity and evolution of the plastid genomes of Aspidistra. In this study, we reported chloroplast (cp) genomes of seven Aspidistra species (A. crassifila, A. dolichanthera, A. erecta, A. longgangensis, A. minutiflora, A. nankunshanensis, and A. retusa). These seven highly-conserved plastid genomes all have a typical quartile structure and include a total of 113 unique genes, comprising 79 protein-coding genes, 4 rRNA genes and 30 tRNA genes. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of Aspidistra cp genomes. We identified eight divergent hotspot regions (trnC-GCA-petN, trnE-UUC-psbD, accD-psaI, petA-psbJ, rpl20-rps12, rpl36-rps8, ccsA-ndhD and rps15-ycf1) that serve as potential molecular markers. Our newly generated Aspidistra plastomes enrich the resources of plastid genomes of karst plants, and an investigation into the plastome diversity offers novel perspectives on the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of Aspidistra species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lacustrine shale of deep Shahezi Formation in the Songliao basin has great gas potential, but its pore evolution, heterogeneity, and connectivity characteristics remain unclear. In this work, total organic carbon analysis, rock pyrolysis, X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, the particle and crack analysis system software, low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption experiment, fractal theory, high‐pressure mercury injection experiment and nuclear magnetic resonance experiment were used to study the Shahezi shale from Well SK‐2. The result indicated that the organic pores in Shahezi shale are not developed, and the intergranular and intragranular pores are mainly formed by illite‐dominated clay. As the burial depth increases, the pore size and slit‐shaped pores formed by clay decrease, and dissolved pores in the feldspar and carbonate minerals and dissolved fractures in the quartz increase. The pore evolution is affected by clay, compaction, and high‐temperature corrosion. Based on the pore structure characteristics reflected by the pore size distribution and pore structure parameters obtained by multiple experimental methods, the pore development and evolution are divided into three stages. During stage I and II, the pore heterogeneity of the shale reservoirs increases with the depth, the physical properties and pore connectivity deteriorate, but the gas‐bearing property is good. In stage III, the pore heterogeneity is the highest, its gas generation and storage capacity are low, but the increase of micro‐fractures makes pore connectivity and gas‐bearing better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Laparoscopic hepatectomy has become a common management strategy for liver tumors owing to its less invasive nature and enhanced visual perspective. Yet, its use in the caudate lobe poses challenges. This study evaluates the experiences of patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatic tumors in the caudate lobe and aims to propose strategies for performing such procedures. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of twelve patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatic caudate lobe resection at the Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University. Results: All twelve laparoscopic procedures were successful, with none requiring conversion to open surgery. The surgical methods varied: five cases involved simple resection of the Spiegel lobe, one case involved total caudate lobe resection, three cases involved paravena cava lobe resection, and three cases involved resection of the caudate process. The operation time ranged from 49 to 319 min (mean, 219 min). Intraoperative blood loss ranged from 20 to 500 ml, averaging 194 ml. No patients needed blood transfusions during or after the operation, and there were no instances of postoperative bleeding, bile leakage, or abdominal infection. Conclusion: Given adequate control of hepatic inflow, sufficient exposure to the surgical field, and an appropriate approach, laparoscopic hepatectomy in the caudate lobe could potentially become a standard surgical technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parvoviruses are icosahedral, nonenveloped viruses with single-stranded DNA genomes of approximately 5 kb in length. In recent years, parvoviruses have frequently mutated and expanded their host range to cause disease in many wild animals by altering their tissue tropism. Animal infection mainly results in acute enteritis and inflammation of other organs. In this study, we used a viral metagenomic method to detect a novel parvovirus species in a red-crowned crane that died due to severe diarrhea in China. Results: The presence of the viral genome in the kidney, lung, heart, liver, and intestine were confirmed by PCR. Histopathological examination of the intestine showed a large number of infiltrated inflammatory cells. The JL21/10 strain of the red-crowned crane parvovirus was first isolated from the intestine. Whole-genome sequence analysis showed that JL21/10 shared high identity with the red-crowned crane Parvovirinae strains yc-8 at the nucleotide level (96.61%). Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome and NS1 gene revealed that the JL21/10 strain clustered with strains in chicken and revealed a close genetic relationship with the red-crowned crane parvovirus strains.The complete of VP2 gene analysis showed that JL21/10 shared identity with the red-crowned crane yc-8 strains (97.7%), chicken (55.4%),ducks(31.0%) and geese(30.1%) at the amino acid level. The result showed that red-crowned crane parvovirus may be cross-species transmission to chicken. However, There is little possibility of transmission to ducks and geese. Conclusion: This is the first isolation and identification of a parvovirus in red-crowned crane that was associated with severe diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the trajectory planning and control problem of multi-spacecraft formation reconstruction in the presence of obstacles. By expressing spacecraft dynamics relative to a leader spacecraft in the formation, an integrated planning and control approach named predictive null-space-based behavior control (PNSBC) is proposed. First, a planner using null-space-based behavior control (NSBC) is designed at an upper layer to resolve multi-task conflicts. Here, both global tasks, e.g. formation keeping, and local tasks, e.g. obstacle avoidance, are considered. Second, a tracking controller is designed at the bottom layer using decentralized model predictive control. Unlike traditional two-layer approaches that treat planning and control separately, the proposed PNSBC integrates the planning and control in two ways: 1) the planner provides reference trajectories for the controller to track; 2) the model predictive control (MPC) controller provides predicted trajectories that can be employed by the planner for future task priority predictions, which extends the capability of NSBC from one-step planning to multi-step predicting. In addition, the computational burden of the MPC controller is greatly reduced by putting the nonlinear obstacle avoidance constraints into the planner as a local task. Simulation results show that such integrated approach has better performance in terms of safety constraint guarantee, fuel consumption and travel distance when compared against traditional non-integrated approaches, or all-in-one MPC methods, while constraints and task objectives are fully satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) is a plant-specific transcription factor (TF), which plays an essential role in the regulation of plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. However, little information is available on the specific roles of WOX TFs in sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), which is a perennial aquatic plant with important edible, ornamental, and medicinal values. We identified 15 WOX TFs distributing on six chromosomes in the genome of N. nucifera. A total of 72 WOX genes from five species were divided into three clades and nine subclades based on the phylogenetic tree. NnWOXs in the same subclades had similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Cis-acting element analysis of the promoter regions of NnWOXs found many elements enriched in hormone induction, stress responses, and light responses, indicating their roles in growth and development. The Ka/Ks analysis showed that the WOX gene family had been intensely purified and selected in N. nucifera. The expression pattern analysis suggested that NnWOXs were involved in organ development and differentiation of N. nucifera. Furthermore, the protein–protein interaction analysis showed that NnWOXs might participate in the growth, development, and metabolic regulation of N. nucifera. Taken together, these findings laid a foundation for further analysis of NnWOX functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced catalysis for organic transformation is essential for the synthesis of high-value compounds. Atomic metal species recently emerged as highly effective catalysts for organic reactions with high activity and metal utilization. However, developing efficient atomic catalysts is always an attractive and challenging topic in the modern chemical industry. In this work, we report the preparation and activity enhancement of nitrogen- and sulfur-codoped holey graphene (NSHG) with the anchoring of atomic metal Pd. When employed as the catalyst for nitroarenes reduction reactions, the resultant Pd/NSHG composite exhibits remarkably high catalytic activity due to the co-existence of dual-active components (i.e., catalytically active NSHG support and homogeneous dispersion of atomic metal Pd). In the catalytic 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction reaction, the efficiency (turnover frequency) is 3.99 × 10−2 mmol 4-NP/(mg cat.·min), which is better than that of metal-free nitrogen-doped holey graphene (NHG) (2.3 × 10−3 mmol 4-NP/(mg cat.·min)) and NSHG carbocatalyst (3.8 × 10−3 mmol 4-NP/(mg cat.·min)), the conventional Pd/C and other reported metal-based catalysts. This work provides a rational design strategy for the atomic metal catalysts loaded on active doped graphene support. The resultant Pd/NSHG dual-active component catalyst (DACC) is also anticipated to bring great application potentials for a broad range of organic fields, such as organic synthesis, environment treatment, energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mammals have circadian rhythms that regulate their behavior and physiology. Improper feeding can disrupt these rhythms and harm animal health. This study looked at the effects of feeding time and amount on growing rabbits in northern China during spring. Four groups of rabbits were given different feeding regimens, and the results showed that nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding had the best outcomes. This regimen improved the rabbits' growth, circadian rhythm, and body temperature while reducing the risk of diarrhea and death. The group that had whole day diet-restricted feeding had higher daytime body temperatures but no significant difference in feed conversion rate. The study aimed to explore the impact of feeding timing (whole day vs. nighttime) and feeding amount (unrestricted vs. restricted) on the growth, behavior, circadian rhythm, and overall well-being of growing rabbits in northern China during spring. It is essential to consider feeding methods when raising animals to maintain their health and well-being. Mammals exhibit circadian rhythms in their behavior and physiological activities to adapt to the diurnal changes of the environment. Improper feeding methods can disrupt the natural habits of animals and harm animal health. This study investigated the effects of feeding amount and feeding time on growing rabbits in northern China during spring. A total of 432 healthy 35-day-old weaned rabbits with similar body weight were randomly assigned to four groups: whole day diet-unrestricted feeding (WUF), whole day diet-restricted feeding (WRF), nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding (NUF), and nighttime diet-restricted feeding (NRF). The results showed that nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding improved performance, circadian rhythm of behavior, and body temperature, while reducing the risk of diarrhea and death. WRF group increased daytime body temperature but had no significant difference in feed conversion rate. The study suggests that nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding in spring can improve the growth and welfare of rabbits in northern China. Our study underscores the pivotal role of feeding timing in enhancing animal health. Future investigations should delve into the underlying mechanisms and expand the application of this strategy across seasons and regions to improve rabbit husbandry practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organelles play core roles in living beings, especially in internal cellular actions, but the hidden information inside the cell is difficult to extract in a label-free manner. In recent years, terahertz (THz) imaging has attracted much attention because of its penetration depth in nonpolar and non-metallic materials and label-free, non-invasive and non-ionizing ability to obtain the interior information of bio-samples. However, the low spatial resolution of traditional far-field THz imaging systems and the weak dielectric contrast of biological samples hinder the application of this technology in the biological field. In this paper, we used an advanced THz scattering near-field imaging method for detecting chloroplasts on gold substrate with nano-flatness combined with an image processing method to remove the background noise and successfully obtained the subcellular-grade internal reticular structure from an Arabidopsis chloroplast THz image. In contrast, little inner information could be observed in the tea chloroplast in similar THz images. Further, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and mass spectroscopy (MS) were also used to detect structural and chemical differences inside the chloroplasts of Arabidopsis and tea plants. The preliminary results suggested that the interspecific different THz information is related to the internal spatial structures of chloroplasts and metabolite differences among species. Therefore, this method could open a new way to study the structure of individual organelles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]