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Taking the representative bridge facilities of the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal as an example, uses the reverse transcription extraction method to refine cultural elements information, and classifies and analyzes to obtain the cultural gene identification framework of the Grand Canal bridge facilities. Based on this, various types of cultural genes are encoded according to the principle of cultural gene classification, in order to clarify the four major types of cultural genes: main genes, accessory genes, hybrid genes, and variant genes, forming a cultural gene encoding sequence map and analyzing their basic characteristics. The results show: 1) a cultural gene identification framework for the cultural genes of the Grand Canal bridge facilities composed of 6 gene categories, 8 identification factors, and 17 identification indicators has been established. 2) Accessory genes account for the largest proportion in the four major categories of cultural genes, followed by main genes, and the proportions of mixed genes and variant genes are the same. 3) The genetic features, functional positioning, and value inheritance paths contained in each type of cultural gene are different. The research results provide new ideas for the scientific protection and inheritance of the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal.

Abstract Background Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a challenging condition, primarily affecting young and middle-aged individuals, which results in hip dysfunction and, ultimately, femoral head collapse. However, the comparative effectiveness of joint-preserving procedures, particularly in the early stages of ONFH (ARCO stage I or II), remains inconclusive. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a novel technique called small-diameter core decompression (CD) combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), for the treatment of early-stage ONFH. Methods Clinical data of 40 patients (51 hips) with pre-collapse stage ONFH were retrospectively analyzed. Nineteen patients (23 hips) underwent small-diameter CD + PRP (group A) and 21 patients (28 hips) received conventional CD (group B) and follow-up was conducted every 3 months. Hip radiographs (X-rays and MRI) were evaluated using various ONFH staging systems (Preserved Angles, ARCO, JIC, and CHFJ stages). X-rays were performed at each follow-up to assess femoral head collapse and the rate of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Additionally, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Harris Hip Score (HHS), Charnley score, SF-36, Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to evaluate hip pain, function, quality of life, and psychological status. These assessments were conducted both preoperatively and at each follow-up visit. Results The mean follow-up duration in Group A was 11.57 months, with a femoral head survivorship of 82.61%. One hip underwent THA 14 months after the novel procedure. In Group B, with an average follow-up period of 11.32 months, femoral head survivorship was 60.71% (p = 0.111), and 2 hips required THA (p = 0.999). At the final follow-up, the VAS, stiffness, HHS and Charnley scores of Group A showed significant improvements compared to those in Group B. Quality of life, anxiety and insomnia were also significantly improved in the Group A compared to Group B. Conclusion The application of PRP following CD results in significant pain relief, improved short-term functional outcomes, and enhanced quality of life compared to CD alone. However, whether it hinders disease progression in early ONFH and reduces the conversion rate to THA and femoral head collapse remains uncertain. Further research with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up is needed to validate these preliminary findings.

Abstract Aiming at the electrical safety problems of lithium‐ion battery system due to series arc fault, a finite element simulation model of square battery under series arc fault is established based on the magnetohydro‐dynamic equations. The arc voltages at different electrode spacings are analysed, and the electric field distribution, magnetic field distribution, arc temperature and flow velocity around the arc are investigated to determine the maximum values and locations of the electric field strength, magnetic density, arc temperature and flow velocity at the time of the arc fault. Then, on the basis of the series arc experimental platform, determine the value of the arc starting voltage and the critical power supply voltage that produces a stable arc, analyse the evolution of the arc burning time with different loop currents, the evolution of the arc of the separation gap, and then summarise the effect of the disaster on the battery. Finally, the errors of simulation and experimental arc voltage and battery surface temperature are analysed to verify the accuracy of the model.

Abstract Objective To investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on liver function and prognosis in patients with HBV infection. Methods A total of 154 HBV-positive patients (HBV ( +) group) and 154 HBV-negative patients (HBV (-) group) diagnosed with COVID-19 at Taizhou Hospital between December 10, 2022, and January 31, 2023, were included in this study. Clinical characteristics, treatment, and laboratory findings were collected from patients at three time points: before (T1), during (T2), and at the time of discharge (T3) from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results Compared to the HBV (-) group, the HBV ( +) group had a longer hospital stay (15 (9–22) days vs. 9 (5–16) days). Longitudinal comparisons of laboratory indicators from T1 to T3 showed a continuous decline in TP and ALB levels and a continuous increase in PT and TT levels in the HBV ( +) group. BUN levels increased during T2 and decreased thereafter. These differences were considered statistically significant (P 3 ULN from T1 to T2, including ALT (1.95%/5.19%), AST (3.25%/12.99%), ALP (1.95%/3.25%), GGT (4.55%/9.09%), TBIL (6.49%/9.09%), and DBIL (18.18%/22.73%). In the HBV (-) group, the elevations were mainly concentrated within 1–2 ULN, including AST (12.99%/22.08%), DBIL (10.39%/21.43%), BUN (12.99%/22.08%), CREA (20.13%/29.22%), and PLT (7.79%/14.94%). Furthermore, the incidence of liver injury from T1 to T3 was higher in the HBV ( +) group compared to the HBV (-) group (15.7% (20/127) vs. 7.2% (11/152), P

Abstract Objective Telomeres, made of repetitive DNA sequences and shelterin complexes, which were found at the ends of chromosomes and had been extensively studied in cancer research. However, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was still relatively scarce. In this study, we investigated the correlation between telomerase-related genes (TRGs) and the prognosis and immunotherapy of HCC patients to enhance clinical outcomes. Methods In this work, TRGs were gathered using TelNet, while clinical information and gene expression data for HCC patients were retrieved from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A risk prediction model based on TRGs was created using COX and Lasso regression analyses, with ROC curves used to assess prognostic efficacy. Univariate and multifactorial COX regression analyses were used to determine if the risk model had an independent impact on prognosis. Nomograms were created to enhance clinical usability, and calibration curves were used to assess predictive ability at various time points. The Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) score was used to analyze differences in immune infiltrating cells between risk groups. The study analyzed the relationship between risk ratings and drug treatment effectiveness using data from the CellMiner database. The hub gene was identified and its relationship to prognostic markers of HCC patients was examined. The expression of hub genes in immune cell subpopulations was also investigated by single-cell data. Results 2093 TRGs were identified, with 949 showing significant differences in expression between HCC and paracancerous tissues. Seven risk genes were overexpressed in tumor tissues, leading to lower survival rates in high-risk patients. Risk model could independently predict the prognosis of HCC patients. Analysis of tumor immune infiltrating cells revealed significant differences in cell abundance between risk groups, with notable variations in immune subset enrichment between subgroups. Higher risk scores correlated with increased sensitivity to sorafenib, mitoxantrone, oxaliplatin, gemcitabine, and entinostat, while sensitivity decreased for vincristine, etc. CDCA8 was identified as a key gene in the Protein Interaction Network, while high expression associated with poorer overall survival, tumor proliferation and metastasis. The results of single-cell data analysis suggest that CDCA8 may promote the development of HCC by affecting T lymphocytes. Conclusion The TRG-based risk model could predict HCC patient prognosis and closely linked to tumor immune environment, which could offer new possibilities for clinical treatment.

Abstract Compared with simple formations, EPB (earth pressure balance) shield tunnelling in composite formations encounters severe problems with muck conditioning and require improved muck conditioning technology to fulfil expectations for continuous and efficient excavation. In the Nanchang Metro Line 4 Project, a water-rich sand-argillaceous siltstone composite formation is encountered. With a high moisture content and complex composite formation ratio, it is quite difficult to determine the optimum muck conditioning scheme, and thus, muck spewing accidents frequently occur during the tunnelling process. In this study, laboratory muck conditioning tests are conducted for five ratios of stratum, from a full section water-rich sand formation to a water-rich sand-argillaceous siltstone composite formation. The muck conditioner ratio for EPB shield tunnelling in such composite formations is dynamically optimized based on an analysis of propulsion speed, penetration rate, thrust force and torque of the shield machine in the field. The following muck conditioning scheme is obtained: (1) For the full-section water-rich sand layer, foam and bentonite slurry should have similar proportions, namely, the foam injection ratio is 10–15% and the bentonite slurry injection ratio is 10%. (2) As the argillaceous siltstone content increases from 10 to 90%, the foam injection rate gradually increases from 20 to 50%, and the bentonite slurry injection rate gradually decreases from 20% to 0. (3) If the argillaceous siltstone content is 10%, then CMC polymer with an injection ratio of 1% is required. Once the argillaceous siltstone content exceeds 70%, it is necessary to add mudstone dispersant solution (1:5) with a volume ratio of 2 to 3%. According to the analysis of the field tunnelling parameters, including penetration rate, total shield thrust and cutterhead torque, the optimization of the muck conditioning scheme proposed based on laboratory tests is proved effective and deserves further application.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) have garnered significant attention in cancer research because of their potential for precise spatiotemporal drug release tailored to high ROS levels within tumors. Despite the challenges posed by ROS distribution heterogeneity and endogenous supply constraints, this review highlights the strategic alliance of ROS-responsive DDSs with photodynamic therapy (PDT), enabling selective drug delivery and leveraging PDT-induced ROS for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. This review delves into the biological importance of ROS in cancer progression and treatment. We elucidate in detail the operational mechanisms of ROS-responsive linkers, including thioether, thioketal, selenide, diselencide, telluride and aryl boronic acids/esters, as well as the latest developments in ROS-responsive nanomedicines that integrate with PDT strategies. These insights are intended to inspire the design of innovative ROS-responsive nanocarriers for enhanced cancer PDT.

Background: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) contributes to over one-third of preterm births, and PPROM infants are more susceptible to infections. However, the risk factors remain poorly understood. We here aim to investigate the association of duration of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and environmental microbiota with the gut microbiota and infection in PPROM infants. Methods: Forty-six premature infants were recruited from two hospitals, and infant fecal and environmental samples were collected. 16 s rRNA sequencing was performed to analyze the fecal and environmental microbiome. Human inflammatory cytokines in cord vein plasma were measured. Results: The gut microbiota composition of PPROM infants was different from that of non-PPROM infants, and the microbiome phenotypes were predicted to be associated with a higher risk of infection, further evidenced by the significantly increased levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in cord vein plasma of PPROM infants. The diversity of the gut microbiota in PPROM infants increased significantly as the duration of PROM excessed 12 h, and Pseudomonas contributed significantly to the dynamic changes. The Pseudomonas species in the gut of PPROM infants were highly homologous to those detected in the ward environment, suggesting that prolonged PROM is associated with horizontal transmission of environmental pathogens, leading to a higher risk of infection. Conclusions: This study highlights that the duration of PROM is associated with the accumulation of environmental pathogens in the gut of PPROM infants, which is a risk factor for nosocomial infections. Improving environmental hygiene could be effective in optimizing the clinical care of PPROM infants.

Hard carbon (HC) is regarded as the most prospective anode material for sodium-ion batteries. Biomass HC is favored due to the advantages of being inexpensive and easily available. Herein, hydrothermal treatment of poplar lateral branches at 220 °C for 4 h was employed as the first synthesis step for HC precursor with yield of 48.5%. The obtained precursor was subjected to the second step of carbonization under nitrogen atmosphere at 1200 °C, 1400 °C, and 1600 °C for synthesis of HC anode materials. Advantages of two step synthesis were confirmed in terms of inorganic impurities elimination, HC yield, and electrochemical performance. Inorganic impurities reduced from 0.46% in poplar wood to 0.26% in precursor. The HC yield was 34.6% for precursor from hydrothermal treatment of poplar wood, which was much higher than HC yield of 18.5% from direct carbonization of poplar wood. The obtained HC anode materials manifested high capacity, strong rate performance, and long-term stability for sodium-ion batteries as indicated by the capacity of 333 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C and 285 mA h g-1 at 2 C, and capacity retention of 92.9% after 200 cycles at 1 C. This research provides an eco-friendly approach for the high-value utilization of woody biomass as anode material for sodium-ion batteries.

Abstract Background No specific triglyceride-lowering therapy is recommended in patients with hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP), primarily because of the lack of quality evidence. This study aimed to describe practice variations in triglyceride-lowering therapies for early HTG-AP patients and assess whether more rapid triglyceride decline is associated with improving organ failure. Methods This is a multicentre, prospective cohort study recruiting HTG-AP patients with elevated plasma triglyceride (> 11.3 mmol/L) admitted within 72 h from the onset of symptoms. Patients were dichotomised on study day 3 into either target reaching (plasma triglyceride ≤ 5.65 mmol/L) or not. The primary outcome was organ failure-free days (OFFD) to 14 days of enrolment. The association between target-reaching and OFFD was modelled. Additionally, the slope in plasma triglyceride over the first three days in response to treatment was calculated, and its association with OFFD was assessed as a sensitivity analysis. Results Among the 300 enrolled patients, 211 underwent exclusive medical treatment, and 89 underwent various blood purification therapies. Triglyceride levels were available in 230 patients on study day 3, among whom 122 (53.0%) had triglyceride levels of ≤ 5.65 mmol/l. The OFFD was not different between these patients and those in whom plasma triglyceride remained > 5.65 mmol/L [median (IQR): 13 (10–14) vs. 14 (10–14), p = 0.46], even after adjustment for potential confounders. For the decline slopes, there was no significant change in OFFD with a steeper decline slope [risk difference, − 0.088, 95% CI, − 0.334 to 0.158, p = 0.48]. Conclusions Triglyceride-lowering therapies vary greatly across centres. More rapid triglyceride decline was not associated with improving incidence and duration of organ failure.

Abstract Objective Construction of a neuroblastoma (NB) prognostic predictive model based on pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) to improve individualized management of NB patients. Methods The NB cohort GSE49711 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and a total of 498 patients were enrolled into the study, which were randomized into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 1:1, with 250 patients in the training set and 248 patients in the test set. A risk prediction model was constructed using the training set, and the GSE49711 cohort and test set were used as internal validation to verify the reliability of the model. Independent predictors associated with prognosis were screened using univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses, and risk score models were constructed. Single-cell gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to assess the relationship between PRGs and the tumor immune microenvironment. Nomograms were constructed to extend the clinical usability of the model and the reliability of the model was verified using ROC curves and calibration curves. Protein interaction networks of risk genes were mapped using the String database, and the expression of PRGs in NB cell lines was staged using the CCLE database. Results A prognostic model was first developed with the training set: the risk score formula was (− 0.30 × GSDMB) + (− 0.46 × IL-18) + (− 0.21 × NLRP3) + (0.56 × AIM2). Patients were categorized into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score value. Survival analysis showed that NB patients in the high-risk group had a significantly lower survival rate than those in the low-risk group (P

Abstract Seed size, a key determinant of rice yield, is regulated by brassinosteroid (BR); however, the BR pathway in rice has not been fully elucidated. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of the quantitative trait locus Rice Big Grain 1 (qRBG1) from single-segment substitution line Z499. Our data show that qRBG1 Z is an unselected rare promoter variation that reduces qRBG1 expression to increase cell number and size, resulting in larger grains, whereas qRBG1 overexpression causes smaller grains in recipient Nipponbare. We demonstrate that qRBG1 encodes a non-canonical BES1 (Bri1-EMS-Suppressor1)/BZR1(Brassinazole-Resistant1) family member, OsBZR5, that regulates grain size upon phosphorylation by OsGSK2 (GSK3-like Kinase2) and binding to D2 (DWARF2) and OFP1 (Ovate-Family-Protein1) promoters. qRBG1 interacts with OsBZR1 to synergistically repress D2, and to antagonistically mediate OFP1 for grain size. Our results reveal a regulatory network controlling grain size via OsGSK2–qRBG1–OsBZR1–D2–OFP1 module, providing a target for improving rice yield.

As a pivotal branch within the realm of differential equations, the theory of oscillation holds a crucial position in the exploration of natural sciences and the construction of modern control theory frameworks. Despite the extensive research conducted globally, focusing on individual or combined analyses of key elements such as explicit damping terms, positive and negative coefficients, time-varying delays, and nonlinear neutral terms, systematic investigations into the oscillatory behavior of even-order differential equations that concurrently embody these four complex characteristics remain scarce. This paper, by establishing reasonable assumptions, innovatively presents two crucial criteria, aiming to preliminary delve into the oscillation patterns of even-order differential equations under specific complex settings. In the course of the study, a variety of mathematical techniques, such as Riccati transformation, calculus scaling methods, and partial integration, have been utilized by the researchers to perform the necessary derivations and confirmations.

Abstract Sleep disorders significantly impact the quality of life for many individuals, which remain largely unrecognized. It is widely believed that dietary nutrient intake plays a crucial role in promoting healthy sleep patterns. However, there is lack of research focusing on cancer survivors. This study utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database to investigate the correlation between dietary nutrient intake and sleep disorders in cancer survivors. Analyzing data from 2882 cancer survivors in NHANES spanning from 2005 to 2018. Dietary nutrient intake was evaluated through two 24-h dietary recalls. Weighted multivariable logistic regression model was employed to further applied to explore the association between dietary fiber intake and sleep disorders while controlling for relevant confounding factors. Additionally, the nonlinear and dose–response relationships were explored using restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression along with smooth curve fitting and threshold effect analysis. Stratified analysis and interaction analysis were conducted to assess the consistency of the results. Univariable and multivariable analysis demonstrated that dietary fiber intake showed negative correlation with sleep disorders (P 0.05). Notably, no statistically significant interactions were observed in all subgroup analyses except poverty income ratio (PIR) (P for interaction

Leaf nitrogen allocation plays a crucial role in determining both photosynthetic function and structural development of plants. However, the effects of drought, salt stress, and their combination on leaf nitrogen allocation, and how these affect mesophyll conductance (gm) and photosynthesis, remain poorly understood. In this study, we first investigated variations in photosynthetic characteristics and leaf nitrogen allocation, and analyzed the relationship between gm and leaf nitrogen allocation ratios in Ginkgo biloba under drought, salt and combined drought-salt stress. The results showed that all stress treatments significantly reduced the photosynthesis in G. biloba, with the combined drought-salt stress having the most significant inhibitory effect on the plant’s physiological characteristics. Under combined drought-salt stress, the limitation of photosynthesis due to gm (MCL) was significantly greater than under individual drought or salt stress. In contrast, the limitation due to stomatal conductance (SL) was similar to that observed under drought but higher than under salt stress. No significant differences in biochemical limitations (BL) were found across all stress treatments. Further research suggests that the increase in MCL under combined drought-stress treatment may be linked to a greater allocation of leaf nitrogen to non-photosynthetic apparatus (e.g., cell structure) and a smaller allocation to photosynthetic enzymes (i.e., ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, Rubisco). This is supported by the positive correlation between gm and the proportion of nitrogen allocated to the carboxylation system (Pr), as well as the negative correlation with the non-photosynthetic nitrogen ratio (Pnp). These findings help to advance our understanding of the mechanisms of photosynthesis and plant adaptability under combined drought-salt stress.

Coastal erosion is the leading marine hazard in the Abandoned Yellow River Delta, and coastal erosion vulnerability assessment is essential for disaster mitigation and risk reduction. To comprehensively reflect the erosion status of the coast of the Abandoned Yellow River Delta, a ICVI index that integrates the composition of coastal dynamics(Mean tidal range, Mean significant wave height, Storm surge height), coastal morphology(Seawall Elevation, Rate of coastline change, Rate of tidal flat erosion, Coastal slope, Tidal flat width), and socioeconomic indicators(Population density, Land use, Roads, Artificial protection) was constructed. After that, the coastal erosion vulnerability assessment of the Abandoned Yellow River Delta was carried out, and the physical and socioeconomic vulnerability was calculated and then combined to create an integrated coastal vulnerability index (ICVI). The driving factors and the interactions between these factors of coastal erosion vulnerability were analyzed by using a geodetector method. The results showed that the proportions of the very high, high, medium, low, and very low vulnerability of the whole coast were 13.62%, 19.31%, 18.29%, 27.28%, and 21.5%, respectively. The very high vulnerable areas were mainly distributed in Xiangshui, Binhai, and Sheyang. The coastal erosion vulnerability generally showed a distribution pattern high in the north and low in the south. The spatial differentiation of coastal erosion vulnerability results from the synergistic effect of multiple factors such as coastal dynamics, coastal morphology, and socioeconomic indicators, among which Rate of tidal flat erosion is the dominant factor in the spatial differentiation of coastal erosion vulnerability. The interaction results showed that coastal erosion protection requires the synergistic effect of multiple measures, especially coastline protection and tidal flats erosion protection, which are the most beneficial for coastal erosion protection. The vulnerability maps developed in this study can provide reliable spatial information for the relevant authorities to formulate better erosion risk mitigation policies.

Identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yield traits using single-segment substitution lines (SSSL) is essential for both targeted breeding and functional analysis of key genes. Here, a wide-grain rice chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL), Z708, carrying four substitution segments from Jinhui35 in the genetic background of Xihui18, was used to identify the QTL associated with grain size. Seven QTL for yield-related traits (qGW4, qRLW4, qGWT4, qGW5, qRLW5, qGWT5, and qGPP5) were identified on the substitution segments of the fourth and fifth chromosomes of Z708. Subsequently, four SSSLs (S1-S4), which harbored 16 QTL for yield traits, were constructed using molecular marker-assisted selection. These lines (S1-S4) exhibited a significant increase in yield per plant compared to that of Xihui18. Among them, qGW4, which controls wide grains, belongs to a single dominant gene action in S1 based on the frequency distribution of grain width and chi-square test analysis. Finally, qGW4 was fine-mapped to the interval of 80-kb (minimum) and 310-kb (maximum) using both traditional fine mapping and overlapping substitution mapping of the newly constructed secondary SSSLs (S5-S8). Within this interval, four previously unreported candidate genes were predicted.

ABSTRACT Introduction The interplay between emotional disorders and thyroid disorders has been subject to numerous observational studies, which have consistently reported associations but have failed to establish clear causal links due to the multifactorial etiology and influences. We conducted a bidirectional two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the genetic causal association between emotional disorders and thyroid disorders. Methods We employed several methods, including inverse‐variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, weighted mode, and MR Egger regression. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted using MR‐Egger, MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier (MR‐PRESSO), Cochran's Q, and leave‐one‐out methods. Results IVW results showed negative causal relationships between bidirectional emotional disorders and hypothyroidism, toxic single thyroid nodules in thyrotoxicosis, and hyperthyroidism/toxicity. Additionally, there was a positive causal relationship between anxiety disorders and hypothyroidism. IVW results of reverse MR analysis estimates revealed a positive causal relationship between hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, and recurrent or chronic depression. Additionally, there was a negative causal relationship between hyperthyroidism/toxicity and bipolar disorder. Conclusion This bidirectional two‐sample MR study preliminarily reveals a complex, bidirectional causal relationship between emotional disorders and thyroid disorders, particularly highlighting the role of thyroid dysfunction in the development of certain emotional disorders and vice versa.

Background: The present study aims to explore the metastasis-related signatures in connection with tumor microenvironment (TME), revealing new molecular targets promising in improving osteosarcoma (OS) patients’ outcomes. Methods: The high-throughput sequencing data was downloaded from the TARGET database and performed the ESTIMATE algorithm. Metastasis-related information was obtained from the GSE21257 dataset. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the stromal and immune cell infiltration patterns were identified. DEGs with similar biological functions were grouped into the same module by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and MCODE analysis. Prognostic DEGs were selected in two datasets through survival analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to find metastasis-related modules and genes. RT-PCR was utilized to evaluate the expression of the key prognostic DEGs associated with metastasis in OS patients. Results: The median scores of the stromal and immune groups of OS samples were 58 and -416, and a total of 200 overlapping DEGs were identified. These DEGs basically played fundamental roles in immune response relevant GO terms and were clustered into 9 different modules. Among them, 24 metastasis-related DEGs were selected from the GSE21257 dataset which contains the stromal and immune cell infiltration patterns. Finally, IRF8, HLA-DMA, and HLA-DMB were proved to exhibit significant higher expression levels in cancerous tissues than in para-cancerous tissues for OS patients. Conclusion: We identified three principal genes as promising signatures for predicting the survival the prognosis of OS patients. Exploration of metastasis-related signatures in TME may be valuable for enhancing treatment strategies for OS.

BackgroundThe debate continues on whether combining core decompression (CD) with regenerative therapy provides a more effective treatment for early femoral head necrosis than CD alone. This systematic review and meta-analysis endeavored to assess its efficacy.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library through July 2024 for RCTs and cohort studies evaluating the impact of core decompression (CD) with regenerative therapy versus CD alone in early-stage osteonecrosis (ARCO I, II or IIIa or Ficat I or II) of the femoral head (ONFH). Bias was evaluated using the Cochrane ROB 2.0 for RCTs and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies. The primary outcome was disease progression, measured by the incidence of staging advancement and total hip arthroplasty (THA) conversion. Clinical outcomes, including VAS, HHS, WOMAC, and Lequesne index, were secondary measures. Subgroup analyses were performed for variables such as age, BMI, follow-up period, and dosage in the bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) group, with results depicted in forest plots.ResultsThis study represented a total of seven RCTs (mean follow-up time 36.57 months) and eight cohort trials (mean follow-up time 74.18 months) involving 954 hips. CD, when combined with agents, exhibited considerably enhanced efficacy over CD alone (risk ratio (RR) = 0.55 (95% CI 0.39–0.77), p < 0.001, I2 = 54%) and 0.59 (95% CI 0.43–0.81), p = 0.001, I2 = 51%), respectively). However, a significant difference was exclusive to the CD combined with BMAC group in terms of stage progression outcomes (stage progression, RR = 0.47 (95% CI 0.28–0.78), p = 0.004, I2 = 67%); THA conversions, RR = 0.41 (95% CI 0.32–0.52), p < 0.001, I2 = 43%). Secondary outcomes (VAS, HHS, WOMAC score and Lequesne index) showed improved results when CD was combined with other regenerative agents, such as bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), etc. In the reported data, the regenerative group demonstrated significantly higher rates of subjective improvement in pain and functional outcomes compared to those in the CD group (71.74% (66/92) vs. 56.38% (53/94). Subgroup analysis revealed superior outcomes in the low-dose (less than 20 mL) BMAC group and patients aged under 40 years old in stage progression rate and THA conversion rate.ConclusionCD, when combined with regenerative therapy, can diminish hip pain and enhance functionality, but its ability to slow disease progression remains uncertain. BMAC presents a more substantiated efficacy evidence than other agents, with low-doses of BMAC in patients under 40 years potentially slowing ONFH progression. Nonetheless, the high heterogeneity and relatively short follow-up time of these studies make it difficult to draw accurate conclusions, which necessitates verification through future trials comparing CD versus CD combined with regenerative therapy, with a focus on extended follow-up periods.Systematic Review Registrationidentifier CRD42023467873.

Recently, with the continuous consumption of energy, building energy conservation has been popular in the energy field. In response to the high computational cost, slow convergence speed, and low accuracy of existing optimization design methods for building energy efficiency, this study first built a multi-objective optimization model for building energy efficiency on the ground of the annual energy consumption of buildings and the quantity of uncomfortable hours for users. Then it introduces a multi-agent model auxiliary mechanism to improve the decomposition based multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithm, and then solves the multi-objective optimization model for building energy efficiency. In order to select the optimal decision variable of the algorithm, the decision parameters were analyzed and found that the performance was optimal when the number of samples, aggregation number and base model were set to 25.3 and 20. The improved multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithm on the ground of decomposition has average supervolume and running time values of 32416.13 and 1774.58 seconds under office buildings, and 7899.13 and 3616.96 seconds under residential buildings, respectively. In addition, the annual user discomfort time of office buildings is 555.28h, which is lower than other comparison algorithms. In summary, the optimal performance of the algorithm when the decision variable is set to 25.3 and 20. The algorithm proposed by the research institute has superior performance and has certain application value in selecting the optimal solution for building energy-saving design.

To solve poor engineering performance of copper-tungsten alloys operated at high temperatures, 3D network tungsten frameworks were prepared using a selective laser melting (SLM) process, and then copper was melted and diffused into these tungsten network structures to form copper matrix composites with different copper contents (i.e. Cu-10vol%W and Cu-30vol%W). Their mechanical/electrical properties and arc ablation performance were characterized. Results showed the obtained CuW composites were dense with good interfacial bonding, and the connected Cu phases formed a heat conduction channel and improved electrical and thermal conductivities of the composites. Electrical conductivities of Cu-30W and Cu-10W composites were 44.7% and 80.3% IACS, and their thermal conductivities at 25°C were 247.5 and 375.4 W/(m·K), respectively. The W-skeleton grid structure in the composites showed enhanced effects on impact toughness and anti-friction/wear resistance. Tensile strengths of Cu-30W and Cu-10W composites measured at 300°C were 95 MPa and 135 MPa, and their impact toughness values were 11.25 and 15.25 J/cm2, respectively. For the arc ablation performance, the copper phase of CuW composite was identified as the key influencing phase, whereas the W skeleton effectively hindered the spread of arc spots, inhibited quick melting of copper phases, and played effective support and protection functions.

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to provide data for the clinical features of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and the molecular characteristics of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from paediatric patients in China. We conducted a multi-centre prospective study for IPD in 19 hospitals across China from January 2019 to December 2021. Data of demographic characteristics, risk factors for IPD, death, and disability was collected and analysed. Serotypes, antibiotic susceptibility, and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of pneumococcal isolates were also detected. A total of 478 IPD cases and 355 pneumococcal isolates were enrolled. Among the patients, 260 were male, and the median age was 35 months (interquartile range, 12–46 months). Septicaemia (37.7%), meningitis (32.4%), and pneumonia (27.8%) were common disease types, and 46 (9.6%) patients died from IPD. Thirty-four serotypes were detected, 19F (24.2%), 14 (17.7%), 23F (14.9%), 6B (10.4%) and 19A (9.6%) were common serotypes. Pneumococcal isolates were highly resistant to macrolides (98.3%), tetracycline (94.1%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (70.7%). Non-sensitive rates of penicillin were 6.2% and 83.3% in non-meningitis and meningitis isolates. 19F-ST271, 19A-ST320 and 14-ST876 showed high resistance to antibiotics. This multi-centre study reports the clinical features of IPD and demonstrates serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance of pneumococcal isolates in Chinese children. There exists the potential to reduce IPD by improved uptake of pneumococcal vaccination, and continued surveillance is warranted.

Study region: Thirteen catchment regions of the Yellow River basin, located in northern China. Study focus: Drought is a natural phenomenon characterized by a water deficiency that impacts various aspects of the hydrological cycle. Water deficit signals propagate through the hydrological system and are manifested in the sequential occurrence of meteorological drought, agricultural drought, and hydrological drought. The climate and underlying surface continuously influence the propagation of drought. Hence, it is imperative to investigate the attribution mechanism of drought propagation under the influence of climate and underlying surface. New hydrological insights for the region: This study provides a theoretical attribution analysis framework for drought propagation time, including statistical and physical mechanisms. From the point of view of statistical analysis, this study found that the difference between meteorological drought and hydrological drought trend statistics was significantly correlated with the propagation time. And from the analyses of the water-energy coupled equation show that the contribution of climate and underlying surface to runoff was significantly correlated with the propagation time. From the point of view of physical mechanisms, hydrometeorological and underlying surface factors are important variables affecting drought propagation time, and the results of regression analyses provide empirical formulas for drought propagation time. Unlike previous studies, this study delved into the attribution mechanism of drought propagation time through regional comparisons. These findings are expected to be helpful for local drought management efforts and mitigation of associated losses.

This is an article in the field of ceramics and composites. To achieve the resource utilization of fly ash and accurately assess the compressive strength of fly ash concrete, three predictive models for compressive strength were constructed using machine learning modeling techniques, including traditional linear regression, decision tree, and support vector machine models. These models were utilized to model and analyze the compressive performance of the concrete. Firstly, a corresponding experimental database was established, with seven input parameters including cement, fly ash, water reducer, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, water, and curing age, and the compressive strength as the output parameter. Based on 10-fold cross-validation, the performance of the three models on the training set was evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error, and correlation coefficient, and their performance on the test set was compared. The results showed that curing age had a high correlation with compressive strength (0.60), and the correlation of fly ash with compressive strength was higher than that of cement. The traditional linear regression model exhibited an RMSE of 7.27 and 5.91 on the training and test sets, respectively. The decision tree model showcased an RMSE of 2.72 and 9.23 on the respective sets, while the support vector machine model yielded an RMSE of 5.34 and 4.09. Overall, the support vector machine model exhibited good accuracy and robust performance in predicting the compressive strength of fly ash concrete. This research can provide strength design guidance for concrete using fly ash and promote the resource utilization of fly ash.

Let $ G = (V(G), E(G)) $ be a simple connected graph with vertex set $ V(G) $ and edge set $ E(G) $. The atom-bond sum-connectivity (ABS) index was proposed recently and is defined as $ ABS(G) = \sum_{uv\in E(G)}\sqrt{\frac{d_{G}(u)+d_{G}(v)-2}{d_{G}(u)+d_{G}(v)}} $, where $ d_{G}(u) $ represents the degree of vertex $ u\in V(G) $. A connected graph $ G $ is called a unicyclic graph if $ |V(G)| = |E(G)| $. In this paper, we determine the maximum ABS index of unicyclic graphs with given diameter. In addition, the corresponding extremal graphs are characterized.

Abstract Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a liquid biopsy have great potential in clinical applications and basic cancer research, but their clinical use in gastric cancer remains unclear. This study investigated whether CTCs could be used as a potential prognosis predictor in patients with gastric cancer. A total of 120 patients with pathologically confirmed gastric cancer were enrolled from January 1, 2015, to December 1, 2019. All patients were initially diagnosed without previous treatment, and then the number of CTCs was detected using the NEimFISH method before radical surgical resection. Regular follow-up was performed in all patients, and the correlations between the number of CTCs and clinical endpoints, such as disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), were evaluated. The univariate and multivariate hazard ratios were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model. Based on the number of CTCs, we defined CTCs ≥ 2 per 7.5 mL of whole blood as the positive group and CTCs

Abstract Organic waste treatment is a major driver of global carbon emissions, thus its low-carbon utilization is essential yet unclear. Through a life cycle assessment of organic waste data from 34 provincial-level regions in China, we have determined that the synergistic and integrated utilization scheme (URIRP) with organic fertilizer and biochar as the primary products can reduce the annual life cycle carbon emissions from 6.9 Mt CO2e to 2.83 Mt CO2e. This reduction can offset 6% of the carbon emissions from the electricity industry mainly through carbon sequestration by application of biochar-based fertilizer, and fossil fuel displacement by bio-energy. Moreover, URIRP can promote the recycling of N and P, reduce annual emission of air pollutants by 866 Mt, and increase topsoil organic matter content by 0.25‰ and economic efficiency by 135%. These findings indicate that URIRP could realize sustainable management of UROSW with significant environmental and economic benefits, and contribute to the realization of China’s carbon neutrality goal.

The total saline-alkaline land area in China is about 99.13 million hectares distributed across northern China, coastal areas, and areas along the bank of the Huanghe River. About 46 million hectares of saline-alkaline water areas are distributed around these saline-alkaline lands, most of which are thalassic and characterized by a high pH value in excess of 8.8 associated with high-carbonate alkalinity concentrations and various types of ion imbalances. Saline-alkaline waters are stressful environments in which only relatively few organisms are able to survive. Consequently, most of the saline-alkaline water resources have been desolate for a long time. The effective utilization of saline-alkaline water resources will benefit restoration of saline-alkaline habitats and the expansion of aquaculture space. Naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii) are endemic to the austere saline-alkaline environment of Qinghai Lake. Due to overfishing in the 1960s and environmental changes in the lake area, the resources necessary for naked carp survival in Qinghai Lake declined substantially. At present, the major measures to protect the naked carp and maintain the ecological balance of Qinghai Lake are through a fishing ban and artificial stocking and releasing. The feeding behavior of fish under natural conditions has obvious rhythm characteristics, which is an important research topic for healthy aquaculture. To explore the characteristics of self-feeding rhythm and growth performance of fish in a saline-alkaline environment and provide basic data for the protection of native saline-alkaline fish, naked carp were taken as representative in this study. First, the freshwater and lake water group with natural photoperiod (14L: 10D) and the lake water group with darkness (24D) were set. The artificial lake water was prepared according to the ionic composition of Qinghai Lake, with the contents of Na+ 23.05%, K+ 1.34%, Ca2+ 0.11%, Mg2+ 6.88%, HCO3– 7.09%, CO32– 5.07%, Cl– 40.39%, and SO42– 16.07%. The measured salinity of the artificial lake water was 15.08, and the carbonate alkalinity was 27.53 mmol/L. According to the local photoperiod of Qinghai Province, the whole day was divided into five periods as 05:00–08:00, 8:00–11:00, 11:00–15:00, 15:00–19:00, and 19:00–05:00. The feeding rhythm experiment lasted for 5 d, and the average food intake of each period was calculated. The results showed that naked carp had an obvious daily feeding rhythm during their natural photoperiod. In the natural photoperiod, the feeding peak was from 08:00 to 11:00, and the low feeding period was from 05:00 to 08:00 in freshwater. In the lake water, naked carp showed high and continuous feeding from 08:00 to 19:00, and their average hourly feed intake was significantly higher than that from 05:00 to 08:00 and 19:00 to 05:00. Therefore, naked carp were determined to be the daytime feeding fish type. In addition, the high proportion and the continuous feeding in daytime in lake water indicated that the osmotic and acid-base regulation of naked carp in saline-alkaline water may enhance their diurnal feeding rhythm. Whereas in the continuous dark environment, the feeding rhythm of naked carp was weakened, and the average hourly food intake of each period was similar. To explore the growth performance of naked carp under a self-feeding rhythm, the lake water group and the freshwater control group with natural photoperiod were set up. After 63 days of self-feeding, the individual body length and weight of the naked carp were measured after being anesthetized with MS-222. The length growth rate (1.19±0.17)%, weight growth rate (10.66±0.98)%, and specific growth rate (0.16±0.02)%/d of naked carp in the lake water group were significantly lower than those in the freshwater group [length growth rate (18.66±0.41)%, weight growth rate (67.32±3.05)%, and specific growth rate (0.82±0.03)%/d)], indicating that the growth of naked carp was inhibited by high salinity and carbonate alkalinity environment. The parameter b of body length-weight relationship curve of the naked carp in both the lake water group and the freshwater group was less than three, which showed that the naked carp was a negative allometric growth fish. The b value of the lake water group was lower than that of the freshwater group, and the body length of naked carp increased faster than body weight in the lake water. The growth characteristics of naked carp were affected by the high saline-alkaline environment. The self-feeding rhythm and growth performance of naked carp provided a basic knowledge for creating a feeding strategy for fish cultured in a saline-alkaline environment and recovering endangered native saline-alkaline fish.

Abstract Enabling soft shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) with self‐healing is an effective strategy to extend its service life; however, the tradeoff between high mechanical strength and rapid self‐healing to meet the practical applications remains a challenge. Herein, we prepared a polyurethane (PU) with polycarbonate diol as a soft segment, incorporating urea bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds through chain extenders. This material, denoted as PU‐NSS75, exhibited a remarkable tensile strength of 51.4 MPa, attributed to the synergistic energy dissipation effect of urea hydrogen bonding and dynamic disulfide bonds during stretching, leading to enhanced mechanical properties of the PU. The dynamic nature of the bonds, including hydrogen bonding and disulfide bonds, endowed the PU with exceptional self‐healing capabilities. Furthermore, leveraging the reversible mechanism of disulfide bonds under UV irradiation at room temperature, PU‐NSS75 achieved complete self‐healing within 1 min. This photoinduced dynamic chemical bonding also facilitated rapid reconfigure the original shape of the soft SMPU at room temperature, thus broadening its potential applications. This study offers a design approach to enhance soft shape memory polyurethane materials, while the rapid self‐healing and shape reconfiguration provide new avenues for expanding the applications of shape memory polyurethanes.

Background: People are very concerned about the adverse effects of Omicron infection on delivery modes, duration of labor, and the postpartum status of pregnant women and neonates. Methods: 382 pregnant women (Omicron group: 136 cases; non-Omicron group: 246 cases) giving birth in our hospital were collected, demographic characteristics, vaccination, clinical manifestation and medication, delivery outcomes of pregnant women and neonates were recorded. Delivery outcomes were compared between the Omicron and non-Omicron groups, acute infection and non-acute infection groups to explore the relationship between adverse delivery outcomes and Omicron infection. Results: Pregnant women in the Omicron group had a longer hospitalization time (6.3 ± 3.6 days vs.5.5 ± 2.3 days), more 2-hour postpartum hemorrhage (291.7 ± 104.9 mL vs.262.7 ± 91.2 mL) and higher neonatal-pediatric transfer rate (20.6 % vs. 2.8 %), which might be associated with fetal distress, prenatal fever and pneumonia/respiratory distress. Neonates transferred to pediatrics due to jaundice were unique in the Omicron group. Fever-pregnant women have a more prolonged second stage of labor and hospital stay while coughing or expectoration ones have a shorter third stage of labor. Delivery outcomes did not differ whether the infected pregnant women were in the acute phase and whether to use antipyretics. Conclusion: Omicron infection can increase the 2-hour postpartum hemorrhage volume and the neonatal-pediatric transfer rate. The symptoms can affect the duration of labor and hospital stay. However, whether the infected pregnant women are in the acute phase or use antipyretics do not affect the delivery outcome.

Background Six randomized trials have not detected a difference between intravenous alteplase plus endovascular thrombectomy and endovascular thrombectomy alone in stroke. Tenecteplase, a recombinant human tenecteplase tissue‐type plasminogen activator, is a genetically modified variant of alteplase. It is unclear whether the outcomes are different if alteplase is replaced with tenecteplase. This trial aims to determine whether intravenous tenecteplase within 4.5 hours of time last known well confers benefit in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large‐vessel occlusion who undergo endovascular thrombectomy. Methods BRIDGE‐TNK (Thrombectomy With Versus Without rhTNK‐tPA in Stroke) is an investigator‐initiated, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open‐label trial with blinded end point evaluation conducted at 40 thrombectomy‐capable centers in China. This trial will randomize 544 patients with intravenous thrombolysis–eligible stroke (272 in each arm) with large‐vessel occlusion within 4.5 hours of last known well to receive bridging intravenous tenecteplase with endovascular thrombectomy (tenecteplase‐plus‐thrombectomy group) or endovascular thrombectomy alone (thrombectomy‐alone group). The primary outcome is the proportion of patients achieving functional independence, defined as a score of 0 to 2 on the modified Rankin Scale, at 90 days. Safety will be assessed via symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage at 48 hours and death at 90 days. Conclusions BRIDGE‐TNK will provide important data on the role of intravenous tenecteplase before endovascular thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large‐vessel occlusion who can be treated within 4.5 hours of last known well. Registration URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT04733742.

Abstract The frequency‐domain reflection (FDR) has been demonstrated to be a trustworthy technique in solving the defect location of power cable by field experiments. However, the location spectrum of the FDR requires manual window smoothing and can be disturbed by spurious peaks. Aiming at these shortcomings of FDR, a new method of cable defect location based on Burg power spectral (BPS) is introduced in this paper. The idea of this method is to use linear difference variance to fit the distribution of reflection coefficient spectrum and build an auto‐regressive (AR) model. The Burg algorithm is employed to estimate the coefficients model and calculate the power distribution of the AR model. Then, the cable defects will be located by BPS with high precision and resolution. In this method, the fast Fourier transform (FFT) with windowed function is replaced by an AR model without windowed function. This suppressed the impact of spurious peaks or spectrum leakage in FFT on the localization defects, and the localization resolution is higher. Finally, we validate the feasibility and effectiveness of BPS through experiments conducted on a 500 m laboratory cable and a 9.6 km submarine cable.

ABSTRACT Phage-antibiotic synergy (PAS) represents a superior treatment strategy for pathogen infections with less probability of resistance development. Here, we aim to understand the molecular mechanism by which PAS suppresses resistance in terms of population evolution. A novel hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) phage H5 was genetically and structurally characterized. The combination of H5 and ceftazidime (CAZ) showed a robust synergistic effect in suppressing resistance emergence. Single-cell Raman analysis showed that the phage-CAZ combination suppressed bacterial metabolic activities, contrasting with the upregulation observed with phage alone. The altered population evolutionary trajectory was found to be responsible for the contrasting metabolic activities under different selective pressures, resulting in pleiotropic effects. A pre-existing wcaJ point mutation (wcaJG949A) was exclusively selected by H5, conferring a fitness advantage and up-regulated activity of carbohydrate metabolism, but also causing a trade-off between phage resistance and collateral sensitivity to CAZ. The wcaJ point mutation was counter-selected by H5-CAZ, inducing various mutations in galU that imposed evolutionary disadvantages with higher fitness costs, and suppressed carbohydrate metabolic activity. H5 and H5-CAZ treatments resulted in opposite effects on the transcriptional activity of the phosphotransferase system and the ascorbate and aldarate metabolism pathway, suggesting potential targets for phage resistance suppression. Our study reveals a novel mechanism of resistance suppression by PAS, highlighting how the complexity of bacterial adaptation to selective pressures drives treatment outcomes.IMPORTANCEPhage-antibiotic synergy (PAS) has been recently proposed as a superior strategy for the treatment of multidrug-resistant pathogens to effectively reduce bacterial load and slow down both phage and antibiotic resistance. However, the underlying mechanisms of resistance suppression by PAS have been poorly and rarely been studied. In this study, we tried to understand how PAS suppresses the emergence of resistance using a hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) strain and a novel phage H5 in combination with ceftazidime (CAZ) as a model. Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which PAS drives altered evolutionary trajectory of bacterial populations, leading to suppressed emergence of resistance. The findings advance our understanding of how PAS suppresses the emergence of resistance, and are imperative for optimizing the efficacy of phage-antibiotic therapy to further improve clinical outcomes.

BackgroundThe efficacy of the angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) sacubitril/valsartan (SV) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been established. Two meta-analyses have demonstrated its significant role in enhancing ventricular remodeling. However, the effectiveness and safety of its use in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remain unclear.Methods and resultsUp to October 2023, we searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for studies involving ESRD patients treated with ARNI. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Effect sizes were reported as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 10 studies, encompassing 649 patients. ARNI was associated with improvements in blood pressure and left ventricular (LV) function in ESRD patients, including systolic blood pressure (SBP) (MD −12.76 mmHg; 95% CI, −18.03 to −7.5 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (MD −6.41 mmHg; 95% CI, −8.10 to −4.72 mmHg), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (MD, 4.61%; 95% CI, 1.78%−7.44%). Hemoglobin levels improved, but there were no significant statistical differences in other biomarkers for dialysis. Sacubitril/valsartan was generally well tolerated in ESRD patients. Improved indices of left ventricular function were noted at 6 months and were more pronounced at 12 months. A linear relationship between LVEF and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) was observed, as indicated by a high correlation coefficient (r-value).ConclusionARNI effectively reduces blood pressure and enhances left ventricular function in dialysis patients, with early treatment associated with greater benefits. ARNI also demonstrates a favorable safety profile in this population. Further prospective studies are required to fully understand the long-term efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in dialysis patients.

BackgroundThe disorder of uric acid metabolism is closely associated with gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) dysregulation, but the biological mechanism is unclear, limiting the development of uric acid-lowering active polysaccharides. Konjac glucomannan (KGM) could attenuate metabolic disturbance of uric acid and modulate the gut microbiota. However, the relationship between uric acid metabolism and gut microbiota is still unknown.MethodsIn this study, The fecal samples were provided by healthy volunteers and hyperuricemia (HUA) patients. Fecal samples from healthy volunteers was regarded as the NOR group. Similarly, 10% HUA fecal suspension was named as the HUA group. Then, fecal supernatant was inoculated into a growth basal medium containing glucose or KGM, and healthy fecal samples were designated as the NOR-GLU and NOR-KGM groups, while HUA fecal samples were designated as the HUA-GLU and HUA-KGM groups. All samples were cultured in an anaerobic bag system. After fermentation for 24 h, the samples were collected for further analysis of composition of intestinal microbiota, SCFAs concentration and XOD enzyme activity.ResultsThe results showed that KGM could be utilized and degraded by the gut microbiota from HUA subjects, and it could modulate the composition and structure of their HUA gut microbiota to more closely resemble that of a healthy group. In addition, KGM showed a superior modulated effect on HUA gut microbiota by increasing Megasphaera, Faecalibacterium, Lachnoclostridium, Lachnospiraceae, Anaerostipes, and Ruminococcus levels and decreasing Butyricicoccus, Eisenbergiella, and Enterococcus levels. Furthermore, the fermentation solution of KGM showed an inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase (XOD) enzyme activity, which might be due to metabolites such as SCFAs.ConclusionIn conclusion, the effect of KGM on hyperuricemia subjects was investigated based on the gut microbiota in vitro. In the present study. It was found that KGM could be metabolized into SCFAs by HUA gut microbiota. Furthermore, KGM could modulate the structure of HUA gut microbiota. At the genus level, KGM could decrease the relative abundances of Butyricicoccus, Eisenbergiella, and Enterococcus, while Lachnoclostridium and Lachnospiraceae in HUA gut microbiota were significantly increased by the addition of KGM. The metabolites of gut microbiota, such as SCFAs, might be responsible for the inhibition of XOD activity. Thus, KGM exhibited a superior probiotic function on the HUA gut microbiota, which is expected as a promising candidate for remodeling the HUA gut microbiota.

Abstract The rapid evolution of clinical medicine, materials science, and regenerative medicine has rendered traditional implantable scaffolds inadequate for addressing the complex therapeutic demands of various diseases. Currently, implantable scaffolds in clinical practice are mainly made of metal, with the disadvantages of high stiffness, poor toughness, and low deformation. This paper offers a thorough review of shape memory scaffolds (SMSs), emphasizing their distinctive self‐recovery and adaptive functionalities that enhance compatibility with injured tissues, surpassing the capabilities of conventional metallic biomaterials. It delves into the limitations of current clinical scaffolds and the requisite performance metrics for effective implants and outlines the essential materials and fabrication methods for SMSs. Moreover, we enumerate the biomedical applications of SMMs with different response types, including thermology‐responsive, water‐responsive, and light‐responsive. The discussion extends to the burgeoning applications of SMSs in biomedical engineering, including their utility in bone tissue engineering, cardiovascular stenting, tubular structures, and cardiac patches, which underscore their potential in minimally invasive procedures and dynamic tissue interactions. This review concludes with an analysis of current challenges and prospects, providing valuable insights for developing and applying SMSs in the biomedical sector.

The study evaluated the stability of an oligopeptide (Lys-Arg-Gln-Lys-Tyr-Asp, KRQKYD) and its transport mechanism by simulating gastrointestinal digestion and a model of human intestinal Caco-2 monolayer cells in vitro. In this study, the effects of environmental factors (temperature, pH and NaCl concentration) and simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the stability of KRQKYD were evaluated by indicators of the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in an alcoholinduced hepatocyte injury model. The results showed that KRQKYD still maintained satisfactory hepatocyte-protective activity after treatment with different temperatures (20−80 ℃), pH (3.0−9.0), NaCl concentration(1%−7%) and simulated gastrointestinal digestion, which indicated that KRQKYD showed good stability to environmental factors and simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, the intact KRQKYD could be absorbed in a model of Caco-2 monolayer cells with a Papp value of (9.70 ± 0.53) × 10−7 cm/s. Pretreatment with an energy inhibitor (sodium azide), a competitive peptide transporter inhibitor (Gly-Pro) and a transcytosis inhibitor wortmannin did not decrease the level of transepithelial KRQKYD transport, indicating that the transport mechanism of KRQKYD was not associated with energy dependent, vector mediated and endocytosis. The tight junction disruptor cytochalasin D signif icantly increased the level of transepithelial KRQKYD transport (P＜0.05), suggesting that intact KRQKYD was absorbed by paracellular transport.

Abstract Fracture development in the overlying strata of a quarry is a key factor leading to aquifer water loss. Clearly understanding the fracture characteristics of deeply weakly cemented overburden is of significant importance for water-preserved mining. In order to investigate further the laws governing fracture evolution and zoning characteristics of deep, weakly cemented overlying strata, research methods, including theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and engineering measurement, are employed. The calculation method of seepage velocity is derived by using the formula for the vertical permeability coefficient of the mining aquiclude. Based on the relationship between the seepage velocity of the aquiclude and the recharge velocity of the overlying aquifer under critical water conservation conditions, a quantitative formula characterizing the water-blocking capacity of the aquiclude is proposed. It is found that the variation in permeability of the aquiclude is negatively correlated with the distance from the working face. Consequently, the fracture zoning characteristics of deeply weakly cemented overburden rock, centered around the water-blocking capacity of fractured rock strata, are summarized. The simulation analysis of the evolution of fractures in overlying rock reveals that the compaction range of fractures increases as the working face lengthens. However, the overall development range of fractures remains largely unchanged. Additionally, the expansion of the tensile fracture range occurs solely in the vertical direction as mining height increases, while the compaction range of fractures gradually diminishes. Microseismic monitoring indicates higher incidences of fractures in the structural equilibrium zone and severe fracture zone, with more frequent occurrences of tensile and shear failures. Conversely, the mild fracture zone exhibits fewer occurrences of fractures.

Abstract Uterine leiomyoma invading internal iliac vein and consequently disseminating into the right atrium is an extremely rare condition, and surgical strategy is controversial. Here, we reported a specific case with successful surgical resection through one-stage total hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, and the intracardiovascular lesion. This procedure would be an optimal choice for uterine leiomyoma invading inferior vena cava and spreading to right atrium.

In the context of the increasing scale of bridges and the increasing service life of bridges, it is very important to carry out efficient, accurate and intelligent bridge operation and maintenance. In recent years, advanced equipment, technology and intelligent algorithms have developed rapidly. It is necessary to apply advanced equipment and algorithms to bridge operation and maintenance business to facilitate the digitalization and intelligence of bridge operation and maintenance. To grasp the research progress on the bridge intelligent operation and maintenance, this paper summarizes the research progress in recent years from the aspects of intelligent detection equipment and technology, intelligent monitoring equipment and technology, intelligent data analysis, intelligent evaluation and early warning, and intelligent repair and maintenance. According to the review, more and more smart devices have been used to replace human beings to detect dangerous and hidden bridge components. At the same time, image processing, radar and other technologies have been used to analyze component damage more objectively and quantitatively. To solve the shortcomings of traditional sensors such as short life and low robustness, more non-contact measurement methods have been proposed. Scholars have proposed various intelligent algorithms to process the massive amount of bridge health monitoring data to improve the quality of the data. To achieve the rapid perception of bridge status and timely early warning of structural abnormalities, different from traditional theoretical calculations, scholars have tried to use data-driven methods to intelligently evaluate and early warning of bridge structural status. In terms of intelligent repair and maintenance, more intelligent algorithms have been used to optimize structural maintenance strategies and determine the best maintenance time by integrating multi-source heterogeneous data. All these provide strong support for the automation, digitization and intelligence of bridge operation and maintenance.

Euphorbia jolkinii dominates the subalpine meadows in Shangri-La (Southwest China) owing to its potent allelopathic effects. However, the effects underlying its allelopathy require further characterization at the physiological and molecular levels. In this study, the physiological, biochemical, and metabolic mechanisms underlying E. jolkinii allelopathy were investigated using Arundinella hookeri as a receptor plant. The treatment of A. hookeri seedlings with E. jolkinii aqueous extract (EJAE) disrupted their growth by inhibiting photosynthesis, disrupting oxidation systems, and increasing soluble sugar accumulation and chlorophyll synthesis. Collectively, this causes severe impairment accompanied by abnormal photosynthesis and reduced biomass accumulation. Moreover, EJAE treatment suppressed gibberellin, indoleacetic acid, zeatin, salicylic acid, and jasmonic acid levels while promoting abscisic acid accumulation. Further metabolomic analyses identified numerous differentially abundant metabolites primarily enriched in the α-linolenic, phenylpropanoid, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways in EJAE-treated A. hookeri seedlings. This study demonstrated that E. jolkinii exhibits potent and comprehensive allelopathic effects on receptor plants, including a significant disruption of endogenous hormone synthesis, the inhibition of photosynthesis, an impairment of membrane and oxidation systems, and changes in crucial metabolic processes associated with α-linolenic, phenylpropanoid, and flavonoid biosynthesis. Thus, our study provides a solid theoretical foundation for understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying E. jolkinii allelopathy.

Individual tree structure and wood density are important indicators of forest quality and key parameters for biomass calculation. To explore the extraction accuracy of individual tree structure parameters based on LiDAR technology, as well as the correlation between individual tree structure parameters, resistance value and wood density can be beneficial for providing new ideas for predicting wood density. Taking a 23-year-old Ginkgo plantation as the research object, the tree QSM (Quantitative Structure Model) was constructed based on terrestrial and backpack LiDAR point clouds, and the individual tree structure parameters were extracted. The accuracy of estimating structure parameters based on two types of point clouds was compared. A wood density prediction model was constructed using principal component analysis based on the resistance, diameter, tree height, and crown width. The accuracy verification was carried out and it showed that the estimation accuracies of individual tree structure parameters (DBH, tree height, and crown width) extracted from tree QSM constructed based on TLS and BLS all had R2 > 0.8. The estimation accuracy of DBH based on TLS was slightly higher than that based on BLS, and the estimation accuracy of tree height and crown width based on TLS was slightly lower than that based on BLS. BLS has great potential in accurately obtaining forest structure information, improving forest information collection efficiency, promoting forest resource monitoring, forest carbon sink estimation, and forest ecological research. The feasibility of predicting the wood basic density based on wood resistance (R2 = 0.51) and combined with DBH, tree height, and crown width (R2 = 0.49) was relatively high. Accurate and non-destructive estimation of the wood characteristics of standing timber can guide forest cultivation and management and promote sustainable management and utilization of forests.

In this research, we explored the application of ‘thermal swing’ thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) in diesel engines, aiming to surpass the performance of conventional TBCs. Traditional TBCs often suffer from limitations like consistently high surface temperatures and a delayed response to sudden variations in cylinder temperatures, which adversely impact engine efficiency. To overcome these challenges, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology was employed to engineer TBCs with the sought-after ‘thermal swing’ feature. Comparative simulations were conducted to assess the thermal characteristics of PEO coatings on pistons, in contrast to standard La2Zr2O7 coatings. The steady-state thermal analysis revealed that PEO coatings maintained a lower peak temperature compared to La2Zr2O7 coatings under similar thermal insulation conditions, indicating a superior ability of the PEO coatings in heat dissipation and in sustaining lower surface temperatures.In the transient thermal analysis, focusing on temporal temperature variations, the PEO coatings exhibited a markedly quicker and more robust response to cylinder temperature fluctuations. This indicates that PEO coatings are highly effective in adapting swiftly to temperature changes, thereby contributing to enhanced engine performance. Additionally, the PEO coating demonstrated a notable reduction in the end temperature (TE), which is crucial for mitigating the heating effect on intake gas, in comparison to La2Zr2O7 coatings with equivalent thermal insulation properties. However, it was observed that this advantage significantly decreased when the PEO coating thickness surpassed 0.3 mm. Drawing from these observations, it is concluded that PEO coatings hold several thermal advantages over La2Zr2O7 coatings, particularly in terms of thermal load management and responsiveness to in-cylinder temperature shifts. These benefits are most pronounced when the PEO coating maintains a thickness below 0.3 mm.

Summary: This study investigated host responses to long COVID by following up with 89 of the original 144 cohorts for 1-year (N = 73) and 2-year visits (N = 57). Pulmonary long COVID, characterized by fibrous stripes, was observed in 8.7% and 17.8% of patients at the 1-year and 2-year revisits, respectively, while renal long COVID was present in 15.2% and 23.9% of patients, respectively. Pulmonary and renal long COVID at 1-year revisit was predicted using a machine learning model based on clinical and multi-omics data collected during the first month of the disease with an accuracy of 87.5%. Proteomics revealed that lung fibrous stripes were associated with consistent down-regulation of surfactant-associated protein B in the sera, while renal long COVID could be linked to the inhibition of urinary protein expression. This study provides a longitudinal view of the clinical and molecular landscape of COVID-19 and presents a predictive model for pulmonary and renal long COVID.

The phenotyping of plant roots is essential for improving plant productivity and adaptation. However, traditional techniques for assembling root phenotyping information are limited and often labor-intensive, especially for woody plants. In this study, an advanced approach called accurate and detailed quantitative structure model-based (AdQSM-based) root phenotypic measurement (ARPM) was developed to automatically extract phenotypes from Ginkgo tree root systems. The approach involves three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the point cloud obtained from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to extract key phenotypic parameters, including root diameter (RD), length, surface area, and volume. To evaluate the proposed method, two approaches [minimum spanning tree (MST)-based and triangulated irregular network (TIN)-based] were used to reconstruct the Ginkgo root systems from point clouds, and the number of lateral roots along with RD were extracted and compared with traditional methods. The results indicated that the RD extracted directly from point clouds [coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.99, root-mean-square error (RMSE) = 0.41 cm] outperformed the results of 3D models (MST-based: R2 = 0.71, RMSE = 2.20 cm; TIN-based: R2 = 0.54, RMSE = 2.80 cm). Additionally, the MST-based model (F1 = 0.81) outperformed the TIN-based model (F1 = 0.80) in detecting the number of first-order and second-order lateral roots. Each phenotyping trait fluctuated with a different cloud parameter (CP), and the CP value of 0.002 (r = 0.94, p < 0.01) was found to be advantageous for better extraction of structural phenotypes. This study has helped with the extraction and quantitative analysis of root phenotypes and enhanced our understanding of the relationship between architectural parameters and corresponding physiological functions of tree roots.

Abstract Acute asthma exacerbation refers to the progressive deterioration of asthma symptoms that is always triggered by virus infection represented by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). After RSV infection, exaggerated Th2‐mediated pulmonary inflammation is the critical pathological response of asthmatic patients with acute exacerbation. Significantly, airway epithelial cells, being the primary targets of RSV infection, play a crucial role in controlling the pulmonary inflammatory response by releasing airway epithelial cell‐derived exosomes (AEC‐Exos), which potentially influence the development of asthma. However, the specific role of AEC‐Exos in acute asthma exacerbation after RSV infection remains obscure. The purpose of this study was to determine the distinct function of AEC‐Exos in exacerbating acute asthma following RSV infection. Blockade of exosomes by GW reduce the enhanced pulmonary inflammation significantly. Specifically, the enhanced Th2 inflammation was induced by AEC‐Exos thorough transportation of hsa‐miR‐155‐5p–Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) pathway during acute asthma exacerbation. Targeted inhibition of hsa‐miR‐155‐5p blocks the exaggerated Th2 inflammation effectively in mice with acute asthma exacerbation. In summary, our study showed that during acute asthma exacerbation after RSV infection, AEC‐Exos promote the enhanced Th2 inflammation through transportation of increased hsa‐miR‐155‐5p, which was mediated partly through SIRT1‐mediated pathway. hsa‐miR‐155‐5p is a potential biomarker for early prediction of acute asthma exacerbation.