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Abstract Photon‐counting detector‐based computed tomography (PCD‐CT) is an advanced realization of spectral CT, the multi‐energy projection data is captured from the same object, hence, CT images can provide additional spectral resolution, making it possible to perform material decomposition. However, multiple projections may have a low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), such that CT images suffer from noise. To handle this problem, a spectral CT image reconstruction method based on anisotropic sparse transformation (AST) is proposed. To increase the quality of reconstruction, AST through an anisotropic guided filter (AGF) and L0 quasi norm is proposed. Then, as a new regularization, AST is introduced into an iterative reconstruction process, generating an AST‐based method. Moreover, to utilize the correlation among projection data, the average image serves as the guidance image of AGF, it varies with the iterative index, resulting in a technique of dynamic average image (DAI). The AST‐based model involves L0 quasi norm minimization, hence an effective strategy is employed to solve the corresponding problem. A series of experiments were performed. The experiment showed that, compared to other listed methods, the result of the AST‐based method can achieve better visualization and higher quantitative indexes, hence it has application potential in the medical imaging field.

Abstract Assessing street walkability is a critical agenda in urban planning and multidisciplinary research, as it facilitates public health, community cohesion, and urban sustainability. Existing evaluation systems primarily focus on objective measurements, often neglecting subjective assessments and the diverse walking needs influenced by different urban spatial elements. This study addresses these gaps by constructing a comprehensive evaluation framework that integrates both subjective and objective dimensions, combining three neighbourhood indicators: Macro-Scale Index, Micro-Scale Index, and Street Walking Preferences Index. A normalization weighting method synthesizes these indicators into a comprehensive index. We applied this framework to assess the street environment within Beijing’s Fifth Ring Road. The empirical results demonstrate that: (1) The framework reliably reflects the distribution of walkability. (2) The three indicators show both similarities and differences, underscoring the need to consider the distinct roles of community and street-level elements and the interaction between subjective and objective dimensions. (3) In high-density cities with ring-road development patterns, the Macro-Scale Index closely aligns with the Comprehensive Index, demonstrating its accuracy in reflecting walkability. The proposed framework and findings offer new insights for street walkability research and theoretical support for developing more inclusive, sustainable and walkable cities.

Abstract Accurate molecular representation of compounds is a fundamental challenge for prediction of drug targets and molecular properties. In this study, we present a molecular video-based foundation model, named VideoMol, pretrained on 120 million frames of 2 million unlabeled drug-like and bioactive molecules. VideoMol renders each molecule as a video with 60-frame and designs three self-supervised learning strategies on molecular videos to capture molecular representation. We show high performance of VideoMol in predicting molecular targets and properties across 43 drug discovery benchmark datasets. VideoMol achieves high accuracy in identifying antiviral molecules against common diverse disease-specific drug targets (i.e., BACE1 and EP4). Drugs screened by VideoMol show better binding affinity than molecular docking, revealing the effectiveness in understanding the three-dimensional structure of molecules. We further illustrate interpretability of VideoMol using key chemical substructures.

Abstract In view of the cost and reliability issues caused by mechanical position sensors, position sensorless control (PSC) of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) has received widespread attention. A series of rotor position estimation (RPE) schemes have been developed, in which the phase‐locked loop (PLL) plays an important role. However, the conventional phase‐locked loops face two thorny issues, one is the degradation of RPE performance under motor acceleration and deceleration conditions, and the other is high noise sensitivity. To this end, an adaptive gain PLL (AG‐PLL) is proposed for PSC of PMSM drives. The gains of the loop filter in the proposed AG‐PLL are adaptively adjusted with the estimation error in order to find a compromise between the estimation performance under motor acceleration and deceleration conditions and the noise sensitivity. Moreover, the proposed scheme avoids increasing the order of the PLL, so its dynamic performance is also guaranteed. The proposed scheme is tested based on the hardware‐in‐the‐loop platform.

Abstract Background Accurate prediction of compound-protein interaction (CPI) plays a crucial role in drug discovery. Existing data-driven methods aim to learn from the chemical structures of compounds and proteins yet ignore the conceptual knowledge that is the interrelationships among the fundamental elements in the biomedical knowledge graph (KG). Knowledge graphs provide a comprehensive view of entities and relationships beyond individual compounds and proteins. They encompass a wealth of information like pathways, diseases, and biological processes, offering a richer context for CPI prediction. This contextual information can be used to identify indirect interactions, infer potential relationships, and improve prediction accuracy. In real-world applications, the prevalence of knowledge-missing compounds and proteins is a critical barrier for injecting knowledge into data-driven models. Results Here, we propose BEACON, a data and knowledge dual-driven framework that bridges chemical structure and conceptual knowledge for CPI prediction. The proposed BEACON learns the consistent representations by maximizing the mutual information between chemical structure and conceptual knowledge and predicts the missing representations by minimizing their conditional entropy. BEACON achieves state-of-the-art performance on multiple datasets compared to competing methods, notably with 5.1% and 6.6% performance gain on the BIOSNAP and DrugBank datasets, respectively. Moreover, BEACON is the only approach capable of effectively predicting knowledge representations for knowledge-lacking compounds and proteins. Conclusions Overall, our work provides a general approach for directly injecting conceptual knowledge to enhance the performance of CPI prediction.

Abstract To evaluate the effects of different delivery methods on the pelvic floor structure and function among primiparas by transperineal ultrasound, with a view to providing guidance for early postpartum intervention. Primiparas who underwent postpartum examination with transperineal ultrasound were recruited. Subjects were divided according to mode of delivery (vaginal and cesarean delivery). General information (including age, pre-pregnancy BMI and neonatal weight) were collected, and transperineal ultrasound was performed to measure such indicators as the levator hiatus areas in resting, constrictive anal and maximum Valsalva states, the posterior vesicourethral angles and distances between vesical neck and posterior inferior margin of pubic symphysis in resting and maximum Valsalva states, as well as the vesical neck mobility and urethral rotation angle in maximum Valsalva state. The inter-group differences in ultrasound indicators between the resting and Valsalva states were compared to analyze the postpartum incidences of pelvic floor dysfunctions like stress urinary incontinence, urethral funnel formation, bladder prolapse and uterine prolapse in primiparas. The levator hiatus areas in resting, constrictive anal and maximum Valsalva states were all larger in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean delivery group (P

Abstract Cirrhosis represents a significant global health challenge, characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates that severely impact human health. Timely and precise prognostic assessments of liver cirrhosis are crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality rates as they enable physicians to identify high-risk patients and implement early interventions. This paper features a thorough literature review on the prognostic assessment of liver cirrhosis, aiming to summarize and delineate the present status and constraints associated with the application of traditional prognostic tools in clinical settings. Among these tools, the Child–Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scoring systems are predominantly utilized. However, their accuracy varies significantly. These systems are generally suitable for broad assessments but lack condition-specific applicability and fail to capture the risks associated with dynamic changes in patient conditions. Future research in this field is poised for deep exploration into the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with routine clinical and multi-omics data in patients with cirrhosis. The goal is to transition from static, unimodal assessment models to dynamic, multimodal frameworks. Such advancements will not only improve the precision of prognostic tools but also facilitate personalized medicine approaches, potentially revolutionizing clinical outcomes.

Abstract In recent years, digital dentistry has increasingly utilized advanced image analysis techniques, such as image classification and disease diagnosis, to improve clinical outcomes. Despite these advances, the lack of comprehensive benchmark datasets is a significant barrier. To address this gap, our research team develop LMCD-OR, a substantial collection of oral radiograph images designed to support extensive artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics. LMCD-OR comprises 3,818 digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) oral X-ray images from local medical institutions that are meticulously annotated to provide broad category information for both primary dental outpatient services and detailed secondary disease diagnoses. This dataset is engineered to train and validate multiclassification models to improve the precision and scope of oral disease diagnostics. To ensure robust dataset validation, we employ four cutting-edge visual neural network classification models as benchmarks. These models are tested against rigorous performance metrics, demonstrating the ability of the dataset to support advanced image classification and disease diagnosis tasks. LMCD-OR is publicly available at http://dentaldataset.zeroacademy.net .

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women and poses a significant health burden, especially in China. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, patient variability and limited early detection contribute to poor outcomes. This study examines the role of CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment to identify new biomarkers that improve prognosis and guide treatment strategies. Methods CD8 + T-cell marker genes were identified using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and a CD8 + T cell-related gene prognostic signature (CTRGPS) was developed using 10 machine-learning algorithms. The model was validated across seven independent public datasets from the GEO database. Clinical features and previously published signatures were also analyzed for comparison. The clinical applications of CTRGPS in biological function, immune microenvironment, and drug selection were explored, and the role of hub genes in BC progression was further investigated. Results We identified 71 CD8 + T cell-related genes and developed the CTRGPS, which demonstrated significant prognostic value, with higher risk scores linked to poorer overall survival (OS). The model’s accuracy and robustness were confirmed through Kaplan-Meier and ROC curve analyses across multiple datasets. CTRGPS outperformed existing prognostic signatures and served as an independent prognostic factor. The role of the hub gene TTK in promoting malignant proliferation and migration of BC cells was validated. Conclusion The CTRGPS enhances early diagnosis and treatment precision in BC, improving clinical outcomes. TTK, a key gene in the signature, shows promise as a therapeutic target, supporting the CTRGPS’s potential clinical utility.

Abstract Background The present study aimed to investigate the impact of the light-emitting diode (LED) green light alone or in combination with melatonin on pecking-related hormone regulation during incubation under normal and under hormonal stress conditions in breeder eggs. This study was divided into 2 experiments: In the first experiment effect of LED green light incubation on pecking-related hormones under normal conditions, on Hy-line brown (low pecking phenotype) and Roman pink (high pecking phenotype) eggs were tested. The 296 eggs of each strain were divided into two groups: LED green light incubation and dark incubation (control), each containing four replicates (37 eggs/replicate). The second experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of LED green light incubation alone or in combination with melatonin under hormonal stress conditions on Roman pink eggs. A total of 704 Roman pink eggs were taken and divided into four groups, each consisting of 176 eggs. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups, LED green light-regulated incubation and dark incubation with 88 eggs per subgroup, having 4 replicates of 22 eggs each. The groups were as follows: corticosterone solution injection (CI), corticosterone + melatonin mixed solution injection (CMI), Phosphate buffer solution injection (PI), and no injection (UI). Results Results of the first experiment revealed a higher level of serotonin hormone and lower corticosterone hormone in Hy-Line brown embryos compared to Roman pink embryos during dark incubation. The LED green light incubation significantly (P

Abstract Background Due to the unique working environment and nature of work in emergency departments, nurses are prone to experiencing compassion fatigue (CF), leading to job burnout and attrition. As more Generation Z (Gen Z) nurses enter the emergency department with distinct personality traits compared to previous generations, studying their experiences with CF will inform future management strategies. Methods The qualitative phenomenological research method was utilised to investigate CF among Gen Z emergency nurses at a hospital in Shanghai, China. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological analysis method. Study participants were purposively selected. Results Three main themes and nine sub-themes emerged from the study: secondary traumatic stress, including physiological symptoms, psychological symptoms, and behavioral changes; cumulative effects, including impaired empathy, interference with family life, and post-traumatic growth (PTG); coping strategies, including cognitive reconstruction, seeking support, and facilitating action. Conclusions The aim of this study is to investigate the experience of CF among Gen Z emergency nurses, providing managers with a reference for future management strategies. The significance of multi-dimensional support for Gen Z emergency nurses is underscored by our findings. Additionally, interventions that enhance resilience and competency can facilitate their psychological transformation after experiencing CF and promote accelerated personal growth.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the latent profile of nurses' mental workload (MWL) and explore the influencing factors via a person-centred approach. Methods: From March to July 2023, a quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate 526 Chinese clinical nurses from five tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, by using demographic information, the Perceived Social Support Scale, Simplified Coping Skill Questionnaire, and NASA-Task Load Index. Latent profile analyses were performed using Mplus 7.3 software. Pearson’s chi-squared and logistic regression analysis was done using SPSS 24.0 software. Results: Three profiles of mental workload were identified based on the nurses’ responses to the mental workload assessment, designated as “low MWL-high self-rated (n = 70, 13.3%)”, “moderate MWL (n = 273, 51.9%)”, and “high MWL-low self-rated (n = 183, 34.8%)”. Based on the analysis of the three subtypes, nurses with working years < 5 years (χ2 = 12.135, P

Abstract Background Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after one-lung ventilation (OLV) significantly impact patient prognosis and quality of life. Objective To study the impact of an optimal inspiratory flow rate on PPCs in thoracic surgery patients. Methods One hundred eight elective thoracic surgery patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups in this consort study (control group: n = 53 with a fixed inspiratory expiratory ratio of 1:2; and experimental group [flow rate optimization group]: n = 55). Measurements of Ppeak, Pplat, PETCO2, lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn), respiratory rate, and oxygen concentration were obtained at the following specific time points: immediately after intubation (T0); immediately after starting OLV (T1); 30 min after OLV (T2); and 10 min after 2-lung ventilation (T4). The PaO2:FiO2 ratio was measured using blood gas analysis 30 min after initiating one-lung breathing (T2) and immediately when OLV ended (T3). The lung ultrasound score (LUS) was assessed following anesthesia and resuscitation (T5). The occurrence of atelectasis was documented immediately after the surgery. PPCs occurrences were noted 3 days after surgery. Results The treatment group had a significantly lower total prevalence of PPCs compared to the control group (3.64% vs. 16.98%; P = 0.022). There were no notable variations in peak airway pressure, airway plateau pressure, dynamic lung compliance, PETCO2, respiratory rate, and oxygen concentration between the two groups during intubation (T0). Dynamic lung compliance and the oxygenation index were significantly increased at T1, T2, and T4 (P

Abstract Background The period of standardized training is a transitional stage when Generation Z newly graduated registered nurses (Gen Z NGRNs) change their role from student to nurse. Affected by the COVID-19, they lack clinical practice and practicum experience in emergency departments in their university studies. At the beginning of career, they are under great pressure. Resilience is one of the factors that reduce their stress level and increases endurance. It is of interest to understand how this representative group of nurses gained and played the experience of resilience early in their careers. Objective To explore Gen Z NGRNs’ experience and process of resilience, to provide a new perspective and theoretical basis for psychological rehabilitation or intervention of medical staff who experienced transition shock. Methods This study employed a qualitative design based on the phenomenological approach. 18 nurses from a third-level class-A hospital in Shanghai who participated in standardized training in emergency department were enrolled using purposive sampling. Data collection was through in-depth and semi-structured interviews and continued until reaching data saturation. Results The investigation uncovered three themes and ten subthemes. Pressure and challenge contained high workload and high risk coexist, death’s stress response, more emergencies and high professional requirements. Coping and adaptation contained team help, psychological restructuring, peer support, transformational leadership. Reflection and planning contained enhance learning, appreciate life. Conclusions Our study described the embodiment and coping experience of the physical and mental stress faced by Gen Z NGRNs during their standardized training in the emergency department. It is emphasized that nurse educators should pay attention to the character and actual needs of Gen Z NGRNs, explore and formulate strategies, so as to guide NGRNs to quickly adapt and grow in the new role. The ultimate goal is to increase nurse retention and improve the quality of nursing.

Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) with anti-HMGCR antibody positivity is characterized by proximal extremity weakness, increased creatine kinase, and extensive muscle edema. There is an urgent need to find more appropriate treatment options for anti-HMGCR IMNM patients who do not respond well to conventional therapy in the acute phase. With the advent of targeted biologics, new treatment options are available. We report on a 66-year-old anti-HMGCR IMNM patient who initially presented with a 1-month history of progressive proximal extremity weakness and dysphagia with markedly elevated creatine kinase. The patient did not respond to conventional high-dose glucocorticoid and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, and his symptoms rapidly deteriorated over the 2 weeks after this treatment, with worsening limb weakness that prevented walking, marked proximal muscle atrophy, and weight loss. After one cycle (four infusions) of efgartigimod, the patient’s symptoms improved markedly and he has since (for several months) remained in a good clinical state.

IntroductionClassical Muscovy duck reovirus (C-MDRV) and goose-origin Muscovy duck reovirus (Go-MDRV) infections cause “Liver white-spots disease” in Muscovy duckling and gosling. It is difficult to differentiate the infections caused by C-MDRV and Go-MDRV using conventional serological methods.MethodsSpecific primers were designed and synthesized according to σNS and λA nucleotide sequences of C-MDRV and Go-MDRV, respectively. The PCR amplified products were cloned into the pMD-18-T vector. The recombinant plasmid DNA was used to establish an SYBR Green І based duplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of C-MDRV and Go-MDRV using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. The specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability of the methodology were examined based on the optimization of the reaction system and amplification conditions.ResultsC-MDRV and Go-MDRV were identified by their distinctive melting temperatures with 84.50 ± 0.25°C for C-MDRV and 87.50 ± 0.20°C for Go-MDRV, respectively. The amplifications were specific, and other non-targeted waterfowl viruses employed in this study did not show normalized melting peaks. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variations were between 0.05 and 1.83%, demonstrating good repeatability. The detection limits of this assay were 51.4 copies·μl−1 for C-MDRV and 61.8 copies·μl−1 for Go-MDRV, respectively. A total of 45 clinical samples were tested by RT-qPCR, with positive rates of 15.56% for C-MDRV and 22.22% for Go-MDRV, without co-infections.DiscussionThese results suggest that this duplex RT-qPCR method is highly sensitive, specific, and reproducible. The HRM assay established in this study provides a powerful tool for the differential detection and epidemiological investigation of C-MDRV and Go-MDRV.

Abstract Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) antioxidant signaling is involved in liver protection, but this generalization overlooks conflicting studies indicating that Nrf2 effects are not necessarily hepatoprotective. The role of Nrf2/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in cholestatic liver injury (CLI) remains poorly defined. Here, we report that Nrf2/HO-1 activation exacerbates liver injury rather than exerting a protective effect in CLI. Inhibiting HO-1 or ameliorating bilirubin transport alleviates liver injury in CLI models. Nrf2 knockout confers hepatoprotection in CLI mice, whereas in non-CLI mice, Nrf2 knockout aggravates liver damage. In the CLI setting, oxidative stress activates Nrf2/HO-1, leads to bilirubin accumulation, and impairs mitochondrial function. High levels of bilirubin reciprocally upregulate the activation of Nrf2 and HO-1, while antioxidant and mitochondrial-targeted SOD2 overexpression attenuate bilirubin toxicity. The expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 is elevated in serum of patients with CLI. These results reveal an unrecognized function of Nrf2 signaling in exacerbating liver injury in cholestatic disease.

Abstract Traditionally, lactate has been considered a ‘waste product’ of cellular metabolism. Recent findings have shown that lactate is a substance that plays an indispensable role in various physiological cellular functions and contributes to energy metabolism and signal transduction during immune and inflammatory responses. The discovery of lactylation further revealed the role of lactate in regulating inflammatory processes. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the paradoxical characteristics of lactate metabolism in the inflammatory microenvironment and highlight the pivotal roles of lactate homeostasis, the lactate shuttle, and lactylation (‘lactate clock’) in acute and chronic inflammatory responses from a molecular perspective. We especially focused on lactate and lactate receptors with either proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects on complex molecular biological signalling pathways and investigated the dynamic changes in inflammatory immune cells in the lactate-related inflammatory microenvironment. Moreover, we reviewed progress on the use of lactate as a therapeutic target for regulating the inflammatory response, which may provide a new perspective for treating inflammation-related diseases.

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma, a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, demands precise prognostic indicators for effective management. The presence of spread through air space (STAS) indicates adverse tumor behavior. However, comparative differences between 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography(PET)/computed tomography(CT) and CT in predicting STAS in lung adenocarcinoma remain inadequately explored. This retrospective study analyzes preoperative CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT features to predict STAS, aiming to identify key predictive factors and enhance clinical decision-making. Methods Between February 2022 and April 2023, 100 patients (108 lesions) who underwent surgery for clinical lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled. All these patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT, thin-section chest CT scan, and pathological biopsy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT image characteristics. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify a cut-off value. Results Sixty lesions were positive for STAS, and 48 lesions were negative for STAS. The STAS-positive was frequently observed in acinar predominant. However, STAS-negative was frequently observed in minimally invasive adenocarcinoma. Univariable analysis results revealed that CT features (including nodule type, maximum tumor diameter, maximum solid component diameter, consolidation tumor ratio, pleural indentation, lobulation, spiculation) and all 18F-FDG PET/CT characteristics were statistically significant difference in STAS-positive and STAS-negative lesions. And multivariate logistic regression results showed that the maximum tumor diameter and SUVmax were the independent influencing factors of CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT in STAS, respectively. The area under the curve of maximum tumor diameter and SUVmax was 0.68 vs. 0.82. The cut-off value for maximum tumor diameter and SUVmax was 2.35 vs. 5.05 with a sensitivity of 50.0% vs. 68.3% and specificity of 81.2% vs. 87.5%, which showed that SUVmax was superior to the maximum tumor diameter. Conclusion The radiological features of SUVmax is the best model for predicting STAS in lung adenocarcinoma. These radiological features could predict STAS with excellent specificity but inferior sensitivity.

Abstract Background Electronic health records (EHRs) are digital records of individual health information. However, their adoption and utilization remain low. This study explores the factors influencing the implementation of EHRs through a questionnaire survey to enhance individual awareness and adoption of EHRs. Methods A questionnaire and an expert rating scale were developed sequentially, and the consistency of the scores from five experts was calculated using Kendall’s W to generate a final questionnaire. A non-parametric test was utilized to analyze differences in continuous data that did not follow a normal distribution. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages (%), the chi-square test was employed for group comparisons, and multiple logistic regression was implemented to assess individuals’ awareness and adoption of EHRs. Results In total, 1,341 survey questionnaires were distributed between January and December 2022, with 1,337 valid responses (99.7%). The results indicated that the proportion of participants who were aware of EHRs and had a bachelor’s degree or higher education, an income of ≥$700 per month, residence in urban areas, possessed self-care abilities, and underwent annual physical examinations was significantly higher than that without awareness of EHRs (P

Abstract Background As the most common subtype of adult muscular dystrophy worldwide, large cohort reports on myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) in China are still lacking. This study aims to analyze the genetic and clinical characteristics of Chinese Han DM1 patients. Methods Based on the multicenter collaborating effort of the Pan-Yangtze River Delta Alliance for Neuromuscular Disorders, patients with suspected clinical diagnoses of DM1 were genetically confirmed from January 2020 to April 2023. Peak CTG repeats in the DMPK gene were analyzed using triplet repeat-primed PCR (TP-PCR) and flanking PCR. Time-to-event analysis of onset age in females and males was performed. Additionally, detailed clinical features and longitudinal changes from the disease onset in 64 DM1 patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale were used to quantify the severity of daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Results Among the 211 genetically confirmed DM1 patients, the mean age at diagnosis was 40.9 ± 12.2 (range: 12–74) with a male-to-female ratio of 124:87. The average size of CTG repeats was 511.3 (range: 92–1945). Among the DM1 patients with comprehensive clinical data (n = 64, mean age 41.0 ± 12.0), the age at onset was significantly earlier in males than in females (4.8 years earlier, p = 0.026). Muscle weakness (92.2%), myotonia (85.9%), and fatigue (73.4%) were the most prevalent clinical features. The predominant involved muscles at onset are hands (weakness or myotonia) (52.6%) and legs (walking disability) (42.1%). Of them, 70.3% of patients had daytime sleepiness, 14.1% had cataract surgery, 7.8% used wheelchairs, 4.7% required ventilatory support, and 1.6% required gastric tubes. Regarding the comorbidities, 4.7% of patients had tumors, 17.2% had diabetes, 23.4% had dyspnea, 28.1% had intermittent insomnia, 43.8% experienced dysphagia, and 25% exhibited cognitive impairment. Chinese patients exhibited smaller size of CTG repeats (468 ± 139) than those reported in Italy (613 ± 623), the US (629 ± 386), and Japan (625 [302, 1047]), and milder phenotypes with less multisystem involvement. Conclusion The Chinese Han DM1 patients presented milder phenotypes compared to their Caucasian and Japanese counterparts. A male predominance and an early age of onset were identified in male Chinese Han DM1 patients.

Objective Poor conditions in the intraoral environment often lead to low-quality photos and videos, hindering further clinical diagnosis. To restore these digital records, this study proposes a real-time interactive restoration system using segment anything model. Methods Intraoral digital videos, obtained from the vident-lab dataset through an intraoral camera, serve as the input for interactive restoration system. The initial phase employs an interactive segmentation module leveraging segment anything model. Subsequently, a real-time intraframe restoration module and a video enhancement module were designed. A series of ablation studies were systematically conducted to illustrate the superior design of interactive restoration system. Our quantitative evaluation criteria contain restoration quality, segmentation accuracy, and processing speed. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the processed videos was evaluated by experts. Results Extensive experiments demonstrated its performance on segmentation with a mean intersection-over-union of 0.977. On video restoration, it leads to reliable performances with peak signal-to-noise ratio of 37.09 and structural similarity index measure of 0.961, respectively. More visualization results are shown on the https://yogurtsam.github.io/iveproject page . Conclusion Interactive restoration system demonstrates its potential to serve patients and dentists with reliable and controllable intraoral video restoration.

Background: Non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) are used to screen for trisomy 21, 18, and 13. This study investigated NIPT performance and the clinical significance of its results. Methods: Pregnant women (n = 282,911) participating in a free NIPT (April 2018–December 2021) were screened for common trisomies, and the results were retrospectively analyzed. NIPT performance was evaluated by its positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity. Results were analyzed using number, percentage, and chi-squared/t-test analyses. Results: After NIPT screening, patients with common trisomies (n = 746) included 457 with T21, 160 with T18, and 129 with T13. Seven false negative cases were identified. High PPV (86.81 %, 56.81 %, 18.18 %), sensitivity (99.25 %, 98.33 %, 100.00 %), and specificity (99.98 %, 99.98 %, 99.97 %) values were detected for trisomy 21, 18, and 13, respectively. The PPVs of common trisomies were significantly different between pregnant women older than 35 (85.53 %, 136/159) and those aged 35 or younger (58.90 %, 311/528) (χ2 = 125.02, P = 2.20e-16). As the NIPT uptake increased from 2018 to 2021, live-born birth defect incidence decreased. Conclusion: NIPT performed well in screening for T21, T18, and T13. Our discoveries offer an important and useful guideline in laboratory and clinical genetic counseling.

Pseudolaric acid B (PAB), an acid isolated from the roots of Pseudolarix kaempferi gorden, has shown antitumour effects through multiple mechanisms of action. The objective of this study was to investigate the anticancer effect of PAB on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its underlying mechanism. In our experiments, we observed that PAB decreased cell viability, inhibited colony formation, induced cell cycle arrest, impeded scratch healing, and increased apoptosis in H1975 and H1650 cells. Additionally, PAB treatment enhanced the fluorescence intensity of MDC staining in NSCLC cells, upregulated the protein expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 II (LC3 II), and downregulated the expression of sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/P62). Combined treatment with PAB and chloroquine (CQ) increased the protein expression levels of LC3 II and P62 while decreasing the apoptosis of H1975 and H1650 cells. Moreover, treatment with PAB led to significant mTOR inhibition and AMPK activation. PAB combined with compound C (CC) inhibited autophagy and apoptosis. Furthermore, PAB treatment increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in NSCLC cells, which correlated with the modulation of the AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway and was associated with autophagy and apoptosis. Finally, we validated the antitumour growth activity and mechanism of PAB in vivo using athymic nude mice bearing H1975 tumour cells. In conclusion, our findings suggest that PAB can induce apoptosis and autophagic cell death in NSCLC through the ROS-triggered AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway, making it a promising candidate for future NSCLC treatment.

PURPOSE: Through three neurocritical care unit (NCCU) surveys in China, we tried to understand the development status of neurocritical care and clarify its future development. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey method and self-report questionnaires, the number and quality of NCCUs were investigated through three steps: administering the questionnaire, sorting the survey data, and analyzing the survey data. RESULTS: At the second and third surveys, the number of NCCUs (76/112/206) increased by 47% and 84%, respectively. The NCCUs were located in tertiary grade A hospitals or teaching hospitals (65/100/181) in most provinces (24/28/29). The numbers of full-time doctors (359/668/1337) and full-time nurses (904/1623/207) in the NCCUs increased, but the doctor–bed ratio and nurse–bed ratio were still insufficient (0.4:1 and 1.3:1). CONCLUSION: In the past 20 years, the growth rate of NCCUs in China has accelerated, while the allocation of medical staff has been insufficient. Although most NCCU hospital bed facilities and instruments and equipment tend to be adequate, there are obvious defects in some aspects of NCCUs.

Abstract The NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in protecting the host from infection and aseptic inflammation, and its regulatory mechanism is not completely understood. Dysregulation of NLRP3 can cause diverse inflammatory diseases. HECTD3 is a E3 ubiquitin ligase of the HECT family that has been reported to participate in autoimmune and infectious diseases. However, the relationship between HECTD3 and the NLRP3 inflammasome has not been well studied. Herein, we show that HECTD3 blocks the interaction between NEK7 and NLRP3 to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation. In BMDMs, Hectd3 deficiency promotes the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the secretion of IL-1β, while the overexpression of HECTD3 inhibits these processes. Unexpectedly, HECTD3 functions in an E3 activity independent manner. Mechanically, the DOC domain of HECTD3 interacts with NACHT/LRR domain of NLRP3, which blocks NLRP3-NEK7 interaction and NLRP3 oligomerization. Furthermore, HECTD3 inhibits monosodium urate crystals (MSU)-induced gouty arthritis, a NLRP3-related disease. Thus, we reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of NLRP3 by HECTD3 and suggest HECTD3 could be a potential therapeutic target for NLRP3-dependent pathologies.

Somatostatin, a naturally produced neuroprotective peptide, depresses excitatory neurotransmission and exerts anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on the retina. In this review, we summarize the progress of somatostatin treatment of diabetic retinopathy through analysis of relevant studies published from February 2019 to February 2023 extracted from the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Insufficient neuroprotection, which occurs as a consequence of declined expression or dysregulation of retinal somatostatin in the very early stages of diabetic retinopathy, triggers retinal neurovascular unit impairment and microvascular damage. Somatostatin replacement is a promising treatment for retinal neurodegeneration in diabetic retinopathy. Numerous pre-clinical and clinical trials of somatostatin analog treatment for early diabetic retinopathy have been initiated. In one such trial (EUROCONDOR), topical administration of somatostatin was found to exert neuroprotective effects in patients with pre-existing retinal neurodysfunction, but had no impact on the onset of diabetic retinopathy. Overall, we concluded that somatostatin restoration may be especially beneficial for the growing population of patients with early-stage retinopathy. In order to achieve early prevention of diabetic retinopathy initiation, and thereby salvage visual function before the appearance of moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, several issues need to be addressed. These include the needs to: a) update and standardize the retinal screening scheme to incorporate the detection of early neurodegeneration, b) identify patient subgroups who would benefit from somatostatin analog supplementation, c) elucidate the interactions of somatostatin, particularly exogenously-delivered somatostatin analogs, with other retinal peptides in the context of hyperglycemia, and d) design safe, feasible, low cost, and effective administration routes.

Abstract Background The main challenge in personalized treatment of breast cancer (BC) is how to integrate massive amounts of computing resources and data. This study aimed to identify a novel molecular target that might be effective for BC prognosis and for targeted therapy by using network-based multidisciplinary approaches. Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were first identified based on ESTIMATE analysis. A risk model in the TCGA-BRCA cohort was constructed using the risk score of six DEGs and validated in external and clinical in-house cohorts. Subsequently, independent prognostic factors in the internal and external cohorts were evaluated. Cell viability CCK-8 and wound healing assays were performed after PTGES3 siRNA was transiently transfected into the BC cell lines. Drug prediction and molecular docking between PTGES3 and drugs were further analyzed. Cell viability and PTGES3 expression in two BC cell lines after drug treatment were also investigated. Results A novel six-gene signature (including APOOL, BNIP3, F2RL2, HINT3, PTGES3 and RTN3) was used to establish a prognostic risk stratification model. The risk score was an independent prognostic factor that was more accurate than clinicopathological risk factors alone in predicting overall survival (OS) in BC patients. A high risk score favored tumor stage/grade but not OS. PTGES3 had the highest hazard ratio among the six genes in the signature, and its mRNA and protein levels significantly increased in BC cell lines. PTGES3 knockdown significantly inhibited BC cell proliferation and migration. Three drugs (gedunin, genistein and diethylstilbestrol) were confirmed to target PTGES3, and genistein and diethylstilbestrol demonstrated stronger binding affinities than did gedunin. Genistein and diethylstilbestrol significantly inhibited BC cell proliferation and reduced the protein and mRNA levels of PTGES3. Conclusions PTGES3 was found to be a novel drug target in a robust six-gene prognostic signature that may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for BC.

This is an essay in the field of ceramics and composites. With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the production of power lithium-ion batteries has increased dramatically. However, due to the short service life of power Li-ion batteries and their imminent mass retirement, it is necessary to effectively manage power Li-ion batteries in a resourceful manner. This paper first introduces the main components of power lithium-ion batteries and clarifies the stepwise utilization and pre-treatment process before their cathode materials are recycled. It focuses on an overview of the thermal, wet and biological recycling technologies for used power lithium-ion battery cathode materials, and presents the opportunities and challenges faced by biological recycling in the resourceful disposal of used power lithium-ion battery cathode materials. Our results can provide a certain reference for the green resource-based recycling of power lithium-ion batteries and promote the healthy development of the new energy vehicle industry.

Abstract Adenotonsillectomy is the most common daytime surgery performed on children. Anesthesiologists must select the optimal combination of drugs to ensure effective anesthesia effect and prompt recovery in children. The optimal induction dose of ciprofol in children is unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of different doses of ciprofol on anesthesia induction in children undergoing daytime adenotonsillectomy and provide a reference for clinical use. 144 children aged 3–12 years, ASA I-II, undergoing daytime adenotonsillectomy, were included in this clinical trial. The children were randomly divided into three groups and given 0.4 mg/kg (C4), 0.6 mg/kg (C6), or 0.8 mg/kg (C8) of ciprofol for anesthesia induction. The primary outcome was intubation conditions. Vital signs and injection pain were also recorded. The rates of unacceptable intubation conditions were 30.6%, 8.7%, and 8.2% in the C4, C6, and C8 groups (P value

Abstract Accumulated evidence showed that thyroid diseases induced cognitive decline. However, the relationship between thyroid hormones (THs) and cognition in older euthyroid people is still unclear. Our study aimed to estimate the association between THs within the euthyroid range and cognition in community-dwelling older adults in China. Data were extracted from a cohort study on the health status of rural older adults from the Guizhou province in China (HSRO). Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were measured using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Linear regression and a binary logistic regression model were used to explore the relationship between THs and cognition in euthyroidism (TSH level of 0.27 ~ 4.20mIU/L). A total of 957 euthyroidism individuals were included in this study, with a mean (SD) age of 71.34 (6.35) years. In individuals with euthyroidism, serum TSH and FT3 levels were positively associated with cognition (TSH:β = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01 ~ 0.11, P = 0.03; FT 3 :β = 0.07, 95% CI 0.01 ~ 0.12, P = 0.01); and serum FT3 and TSH levels were significantly associated with cognitive domains (P

Abstract Kiwifruit decay caused by endophytic fungi is affected by exogenous pathogens that trigger changes in fungal community composition and interact with the endophytic fungal community. Four fungal pathogens of kiwifruit were identified. These were Aspergillus japonicus, Aspergillus flavus, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Penicillium oxalicum. Except for P. oxalicum, the remaining three species represent newly described pathogens of kiwifruit. All four fungal species caused disease and decay in mature kiwifruit. Results of the fungal community analysis indicated that three pathogens that A. japonicus, A. flavus and P. oxalicum were the most dominant, however, other fungal species that did not cause disease symptoms were also present. Positive interactions between fungal species were found in asymptomatic, symptomatic, and infected kiwifruit. The ability of all four pathogens to infect kiwifruit was confirmed in an inoculation experiment. The presence of any one of the four identified pathogens accelerated decay development and limited the postharvest longevity of harvested kiwifruit. Results of the study identified and confirmed the ability of four fungal species to infect and cause decay in harvested kiwifruit. Changes in the structure and composition of the kiwifruit microbiome during the decay process were also characterized. This provides a foundation for the further study of the microbiome of kiwifruit and their involvement in postharvest diseases.

Tackling the intricacies of network dismantling in complex systems poses significant challenges. This task has relevance across various practical domains, yet traditional approaches focus primarily on singular metrics, such as the number of nodes in the Giant Connected Component (GCC) or the average pairwise connectivity. In contrast, we propose a unique metric that concurrently targets nodes with the highest degree and reduces the GCC size. Given the NP-hard nature of optimizing this metric, we introduce MaxShot, an innovative end-to-end solution that leverages graph representation learning and reinforcement learning. Through comprehensive evaluations on both synthetic and real-world datasets, our method consistently outperforms leading benchmarks in accuracy and efficiency. These results highlight MaxShot’s potential as a superior approach to effectively addressing the network dismantling problem.

ObjectiveThe aberrant mobilization and activation of various T lymphocyte subpopulations play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), yet the regulatory mechanisms underlying these processes remain poorly understood. Our study is premised on the hypothesis that the dysregulation of immune checkpoint molecules on T lymphocytes disrupts kidney homeostasis, instigates pathological inflammation, and promotes DKD progression.MethodsA total of 360 adult patients with DKD were recruited for this study. The expression of immune checkpoint molecules on T lymphocytes was assessed by flow cytometry for peripheral blood and immunofluorescence staining for kidney tissue. Single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from the kidneys of DKD mouse model were analyzed.ResultsPatients with DKD exhibited a reduction in the proportion of CD3+TIM-3+ T cells in circulation concurrent with the emergence of significant albuminuria and hematuria (p=0.008 and 0.02, respectively). Conversely, the incidence of infection during DKD progression correlated with an elevation of peripheral CD3+TIM-3+ T cells (p=0.01). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant inverse relationship between the proportion of peripheral CD3+TIM-3+ T cells and severe interstitial mononuclear infiltration (OR: 0.193, 95%CI: 0.040,0.926, p=0.04). Immunofluorescence assays demonstrated an increase of CD3+, TIM-3+ and CD3+TIM-3+ interstitial mononuclear cells in the kidneys of DKD patients as compared to patients diagnosed with minimal change disease (p=0.03, 0.02 and 0.002, respectively). ScRNA-seq analysis revealed decreased gene expression of TIM3 on T lymphocytes in DKD compared to control. And one of TIM-3's main ligands, Galectin-9 on immune cells showed a decreasing trend in gene expression as kidney damage worsened.ConclusionOur study underscores the potential protective role of TIM-3 on T lymphocytes in attenuating the progression of DKD and suggests that monitoring circulating CD3+TIM3+ T cells may serve as a viable strategy for identifying DKD patients at heightened risk of disease progression.

Fusarium wilt of banana caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is a soil-borne disease, and it is devastating. At present, the biological control using antagonistic microorganisms to mitigate TR4 is one of the best strategies as a safe and green way. Yunnan has abundant and diverse microbial resources. Using the dual-culture method, the antagonistic endophytic fungi against TR4 were isolated and screened from the root nodule of Dolichos lablab. The effect of the highest antagonistic activity strain on the morphology of the TR4 mycelium was observed using the scanning electron microscope. According to morphological characteristics and sequence analysis, the strain was identified. The biocontrol effect and plant growth promotion were investigated by greenhouse pot experiment. Using the confocal laser scanning microscope and the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, the dynamics of TR4 infestation and the TR4 content in banana plant roots and corms would also be detected. In this study, 18 native endophytic fungi were isolated from a root nodule sample of Dolichos lablab in the mulch for banana fields in Yuxi, Yunnan Province, China. The YNF2217 strain showed a high antagonistic activity against TR4 in plate confrontation experiments, and the inhibition rate of YNF2217 is 77.63%. After TR4 culture with YNF2217 for 7 days in plate confrontation experiments, the morphology of the TR4 mycelium appeared deformed and swollen when observed under a scanning electron microscope. According to morphological characteristics and sequence analysis, the strain YNF2217 was identified as Pochonia chlamydosporia. In the greenhouse pot experiment, the biocontrol effect of YNF2217 fermentation solution on TR4 was 70.97% and 96.87% on banana plant leaves and corms, respectively. Furthermore, YNF2217 significantly promoted the growth of banana plants, such as plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf number, pseudostem girth, and both the aboveground and underground fresh weight. Observations of TR4 infestation dynamics in banana roots and corms, along with real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, verified that YNF2217 inoculation could significantly reduce the TR4 content. Therefore, YNF2217 as P. chlamydosporia, which was found first time in China and reported here, is expected to be an important new fungal resource for the green control of Fusarium wilt of banana in the future.

Background: Increasing evidence has shown a link between immune cells and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to determine the causal association between 731 immune cell signatures and AD in this study. Methods: We extracted genetic variants of 731 immune cell traits and AD from the publicly available GWAS dataset. The immune features included median fluorescence intensity (MFI), relative cellular (RC), absolute cellular (AC) and morphological parameters (MP). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was the main MR analysis method, and sensitivity analyses were used to validate the robustness, heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy of the results. Results: After FDR adjustment, seven immune phenotypes were found to be associated significantly with AD risk: HLA DR on CD33− HLA DR+ (OR = 0.938, PFDR = 0.001), Secreting Treg %CD4 (OR = 0.972, PFDR = 0.021), HLA DR+ T cell AC (OR = 0.928, PFDR = 0.041), Activated & resting Treg % CD4 Treg (OR = 1.031, PFDR = 0.002), CD33 on CD33dim HLA DR+ CD11b+ (OR = 1.025, PFDR = 0.025), CD33 on CD14+ monocyte (OR = 1.026, PFDR = 0.027) and CD33 on CD66b++ myeloid cell (OR = 1.027, PFDR = 0.036). Conclusions: These findings demonstrated seven immune phenotypes were significantly associated with AD risk. This may provide researchers with a new perspective in exploring the biological mechanisms of AD and may lead to the exploration of earlier treatment.

Abstract Background To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of refractive astigmatism (RA) and corneal astigmatism (CA) in preschool children and school-aged children in Shanghai, China. Methods In this school-based, cross-sectional study, 4–15 years old children across three learning stages of kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school underwent noncycloplegic autorefraction and completed comprehensive questionnaires involving time spent on daily homework and outdoor activities. Data from the right eyes were analysed. Results Overall, 7084 children (mean ± standard deviation (SD) of age: 8.08 ± 3.11 years) were included, and the prevalence rates of RA/CA ( ≤ − 1.0 D) in children were 15.8%/64% in kindergartens, 16.5%/65% in primary schools, and 32.8%/76.9% in junior high schools. The magnitude and prevalence of RA and CA all increased with age or with learning stage (all P

The extract of peanut shell extract (PSE) is firstly utilized as a novel eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for the mitigation of corrosion on carbon steel in 0.5 M sulfuric acid medium. The corrosion inhibition performance and adsorption properties of PSE were researched via weight loss, electrochemical measurements and surface characterization analysis. It is demonstrated that the PSE acts as a mixed type inhibitor with a superb inhibition ability of 95 % with the addition of 300 mg/L PSE. The adsorption of the active ingredients in PSE on steel surface contributes to effective corrosion inhibition. The outstanding inhibition efficiency and straightforward extraction method with environment-friendly solvent convincingly demonstrate that the PSE possesses promising application prospects to be a novel eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor in industrial corrosion mitigation.

Background: Aerobic glycolysis and the cell cycle are well-established tumor hallmarks. Understanding their relationship could help to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms of breast cancer (BC) and suggest potential new strategies for treatment. Methods: Glycolysis-related genes (GRGs) were downloaded from the Reactome database and screened using univariate Cox analysis. The consensus clustering method was employed to identify a glycolytic activity signature (GAS) using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. A nomogram risk prediction model was constructed using coefficients from univariate Cox analysis. Immune cell infiltration was evaluated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and the ESTIMATE algorithm. Gene co-expression modules were created using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify hub genes. Gene expression in three BC cell lines was quantified using Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymera (qRT-PCR). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data was used to examine the relationship between GAS and hub genes. The sensitivity of different groups to cell cycle-related clinical drugs was also examined. Results: BC with high GAS (HGAS) showed high tumor grade and recurrence rate. HGAS was a prognostic indicator of worse overall survival (OS) in BC patients. HGAS BC showed more abundant immune cells and significantly higher expression of immunomodulators compared to BC with low GAS (LGAS). HGAS BC also showed enhanced cell cycle pathway, with high mRNA and protein expression levels of Cyclin B2 (CCNB2), a key component of the cell cycle pathway. Importantly, scRNA-seq analysis revealed that elevated CCNB2 expression was positively correlated with HGAS in triple-negative BC (TNBC). This was validated in clinical samples from TNBC patients. High expression of CCNB2 was found in three BC cell lines, and was also an indicator of poor prognosis. HGAS BC showed high sensitivity to several cell cycle-related clinical drugs, with 9 of these also showing activity in BC with high CCNB2 expression. Conclusions: HGAS was associated with enhanced cell cycle pathway and immune activity in BC. These results suggest that CCNB2 is a potential key therapeutic target in BC patients.

Rolling bearings are prone to failure due to the complexity and serious operational environment of rotating equipment. Intelligent fault diagnosis based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has become an effective tool to ensure the reliable operation of rolling bearings. However, interference caused by environmental noise and variable working conditions can affect the data. To solve this problem, we propose an improved fault diagnosis method called deep convolutional neural network based on multi-scale features and mutual information (MMDCNN). In our approach, a multi-scale convolutional layer is placed at the front end of a 1D_CNN to maximize the retention of the multi-scale initial features. Meanwhile, the key fault features are further enhanced adaptively by introducing a self-attention mechanism. Then, the composite loss function is constructed by maximizing mutual information as an auxiliary loss based on cross-entropy loss; thus, the proposed method can extract robust fault features with high generalization performance. To demonstrate the superiority of MMDCNN, we compared the performance of our scheme with several existing deep learning models on two datasets. The results show that the proposed model successfully achieves bearing fault diagnosis with interference from noise and variable working conditions, possessing a powerful fault feature extraction capability.

Abstract Background Nurses’ secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth are closely related, but for newly graduated nurses, there are few reports to evaluate the specific path between these three. The aim of this study was to investigate examine the mediating role of compassion satisfaction in secondary traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among newly graduated nurses. Methods From March 2021 to May 2021, a total of 330 newly graduated nurses from five tertiary hospitals in China were enrolled, and asked to complete questionnaires regarding secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation model were used in this study. A STROBE checklist was used to report findings. Results The scores of secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth of newly graduated nurses were 27.11 ± 4.94 (score range: 10–50), 31.89 ± 6.22 (score range: 10–50) and 56.47 ± 20.41 (score range: 0-100), respectively. Additionally, structural equation modeling showed that compassion satisfaction mediated the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth with the partial mediating effect of 0.089. Conclusions Newly graduated nurses may experience moderate secondary traumatic stress, but their posttraumatic growth is at a low level, and compassion satisfaction significantly affects the relationship between the two. Nursing managers should strengthen psychological evaluation, and promote their posttraumatic growth by improving their level of compassion satisfaction.

Abstract Background Islet transplantation is used therapeutically in a minority of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, successful outcomes are hampered by early islet β-cell loss caused by immune rejection and autoimmunity. Recent studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cells can enhance islet function both in vitro and in vivo by secreting ligands that activate islet G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is an MSC-secreted GPCR ligand, whereas the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is a negative regulator of STAT3-activating cytokines. Here, we determined whether improvement in islet function mediated by exogenous SDF-1 is impaired by SOCS3 in experimental models of T1D. Methods Isolated islets were cultured for 48 h with SDF-1. Cytokine-induced apoptosis was measured immediately. Islets from Socs3 −/− mice were pre-cultured with exogenous SDF-1 and transplanted underneath the kidney capsule of C57BL/6 mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Blood glucose levels were monitored for 28 days. AMD3100, an antagonist of the SDF-1 ligand CXCR4, was administered subcutaneously to islet transplanted mice to inhibit CXCR4 before and after transplantation. Results SDF-1 protected islet cells from cytokine-induced apoptosis in vitro. SOCS3-knockout (KO) islets pretreated with SDF-1 were effective in reducing blood glucose in non-obese diabetic mice in vivo. We found that SDF-1 elicits localized immunosuppression in transplanted SOCS3-KO islets. Immunomodulation was observed when SOCS-KO islets were preconditioned with SDF-1. Gene expression and flow cytometric analyses revealed significantly decreased immune cell infiltration, inflammatory cytokines, and concomitant increases in FOXP3+ regulatory T cells, alternatively activated M2 macrophages, and dendritic cell phenotypes. Administration of AMD3100 impaired the SDF-1-mediated improvement in SOCS3-KO islet function and local immune suppression. Conclusion SDF-1 improves the function of islet grafts in autoimmune diabetes through regulation by CXCR4; however, the presence of SOCS3 reverses the protective effect of SDF-1 on islet grafts. These data reveal a molecular pathway that can elicit localized immunosuppression and delay graft destruction in transplanted islets.

Lake ice is sensitive to climate change.Under the background of global warming， lake ice is generally declining， and even some lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may not freeze in the future.Lakes are widely distributed in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau， but there are few studies on lake ice simulation.In addition， the understanding of lake ice characteristics and its freezing coefficients on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is still relatively limited.The freezing coefficient A0 of Qinghai Lake was calculated by the degree-day approach for ice growth， using the lake ice thickness measurement data from fly-by-wire radar， meteorological observation data of Qinghai Lake， ERA5-Land reanalysis data， MODIS land surface temperature data and Aqua/MODIS satellite remote sensing images.The results show that A0 has spatial and temporal heterogeneity in Qinghai Lake， and the former is more obvious than the latter.Both the degree-day approach and the energy balance-based analytical model are applied to simulate the lake ice evolution of Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.The results show that， compared with the degree-day method， the simulations of the start of ice formation， the end of melting and the thickness of lake ice for the 2018 -2019 ice season of Qinghai Lake by the energy balance-based analytic Model are more consistent with the observations.The analytical model is a better method than the degree-day method for simulating the ice of Qinghai Lake.It incorporates the effects of radiation， energy exchange， meteorological elements， lake depth and other factors， thus improving the physical processes and compensating for the fact that the accuracy of the degree-day method of simulation depends on the first date of freezing and cannot simulate the melting process.

The vigorous development of two-dimensional (2D) materials brings about numerous opportunities for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their unique 2D layered structure, large specific surface area, outstanding mechanical and flexibility properties, etc. Modern technologies for production of 2D materials include but are not limited to mechanochemical (solid-state/liquid-phase) exfoliation, the solvothermal method and chemical vapor deposition. In this review, strategies leading to the production of 2D materials via solid-state mechanochemistry featuring traditional high energy ball-milling and Sichuan University patented pan-milling are highlighted. The mechanism involving exfoliation, edge selective carbon radical generation of the 2D materials is delineated and this is followed by detailed discussion on representative mechanochemical techniques for tailored and improved lithium-ion storage performance. In the light of the advantages of the solid-state mechanochemical method, there is great promise for the commercialization of 2D materials for the next-generation high performance LIBs.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis (DM), a rare autoimmune disease affecting the skin and muscles. However, the genetic basis underlying dysfunctional mitochondria and the development of DM remains incomplete.Methods: The datasets of DM muscle and skin tissues were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The mitochondrial related genes (MRGs) were retrieved from MitoCarta. DM-related modules in muscle and skin tissues were identified with the analysis of weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA), and then compared with the MRGs to obtain the overlapping mitochondrial related module genes (mito-MGs). Subsequently, differential expression genes (DEGs) obtained from muscle and skin datasets were overlapped with MRGs to identify mitochondrial related DEGs (mito-DEGs). Next, functional enrichment analysis was applied to analyze possible relevant biological pathways. We used the Jvenn online tool to intersect mito-MGs with mito-DEGs to identify hub genes and validate them using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry staining. In addition, we evaluated immune infiltration in muscle and skin tissues of DM patients using the one-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and predicted potential transcription factor (TF) -gene network by NetworkAnalyst.Results: The WGCNA analysis revealed 105 mito-MGs, while the DEG analysis identified 3 mito-DEGs. These genes showed functional enrichment for amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Through the intersection analysis of the mito-MGs from the WGCNA analysis and the mito-DEGs from the DEG set, three DM mito-hub genes (IFI27, CMPK2, and LAP3) were identified and validated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry analysis. Additionally, positive correlations were observed between hub genes and immune cell abundance. The TF-hub gene regulatory network revealed significant interactions involving ERG, VDR, and ZFX with CMPK2 and LAP3, as well as SOX2 with LAP3 and IFI27, and AR with IFI27 and CMPK2.Conclusion: The mito-hub genes (IFI27, CMPK2, and LAP3) are identified in both muscles and skin tissues from DM patients. These genes may be associated with immune infiltration in DM, providing a new entry point for the pathogenesis of DM.

IntroductionThere are no standardized assessment criteria for selecting nutritional risk screening tools or indicators to assess reduced muscle mass (RMM) in the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. We aimed to compare the consistency of different GLIM criteria with Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and protein-energy wasting (PEW).MethodsIn this study, nutritional risk screening 2002 first four questions (NRS-2002-4Q), Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF) tools were used as the first step of nutritional risk screening for the GLIM. The RMM is expressed using different metrics. The SGA and PEW were used to diagnose patients and classify them as malnourished and non-malnourished. Kappa (κ) tests were used to compare the concordance between the SGA, PEW, and GLIM of each combination of screening tools.ResultsA total of 157 patients were included. Patients with Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1–3 accounted for a large proportion (79.0%). The prevalence rates of malnutrition diagnosed using the SGA and PEW were 18.5% and 19.7%, respectively. The prevalence of GLIM-diagnosed malnutrition ranges from 5.1% to 37.6%, depending on the different screening methods for nutritional risk and the different indicators denoting RMM. The SGA was moderately consistent with the PEW (κ = 0.423, p

Background: Rituximab (RTX) is a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets CD20 and is frequently used in the treatment of membranous nephropathy (MN). Analysis of the therapeutic efficacy and safety of RTX in treating MN in practice and a comparative pharmacoeconomic analysis of the RTX and traditional tacrolimus (TAC) regimens can provide valuable insights to aid decision-making by the government and relevant medical insurance departments.Methods: We conducted a statistical analysis of medical records from patients diagnosed with MN who underwent RTX treatment between 1 January 2019 and 1 January 2023. The TAC data were obtained from the clinical literature. The efficacy rates and incidence of adverse effects (AEs) were calculated to compare the efficacy and safety of RTX and TAC. Based on the patient’s disease status, we developed a Markov model to compare the total cost, remission rate, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the two regimens. Both univariate and probability sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the stability of the developed model.Results: The RTX group enrolled 53 patients with MN, and the 12-month overall efficacy rate was not significantly different from that of the TAC group with 35 patients (86.79% vs. 71.4%, p = 0.0131); however, the relapse rate was significantly lower in the RTX group (3.77% vs. 22.8%, p = 0.016). The RTX group demonstrated no severe AEs (SAEs), while the TAC group demonstrated six cases of SAEs, including 4 cases of severe pneumonia, 1 case of lung abscess and 1 case of interstitial lung disease, accounting for 7.89% of traditional tacrolimus-treated patients. The baseline analysis results revealed that over a 5-year post-treatment period, RTX increased quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) by 0.058 and costs by ¥7,341. Assuming three times the 2022 domestic gross domestic product as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold per QALY, the ICER of RTX compared to TAC was ¥124,631.14/QALY, which is less than the WTP threshold of ¥257,094/QALY, indicating that RTX treatment is approximately two times more cost-effective compared to TAC.Conclusion: The current analysis indicates that despite the expensive unit price of RTX, it remains a cost-effective treatment option for MN compared to TAC.

Genike, the imatinib (IM)-alpha form is widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients in China. We wanted to investigate whether there are differences in IM plasma concentrations, adverse events, health-related quality of life (QOL) and outcomes between patients treated with Genike and Glivec. Thirty included GIST patients receiving IM treatment were matched to either Genike or Glivec according to gastrectomy, body weight, body surface area and sex. There was no statistically significant difference in IM trough plasma levels between the two groups. There were no significant differences in very common adverse events of IM between the Genike and Glivec groups. IM was well tolerated, although it was associated with a significant change in cognitive function (P < 0.001), fatigue (P = 0.015), pain (P = 0.015), nausea/vomiting (P = 0.029), insomnia (P = 0.019), diarrhea (P = 0.003) and financial difficulties (P < 0.001). Physical functioning, financial burden and insomnia were significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.026). Until Aug. 2022, there was no significant difference in time to imatinib treatment failure (TTF) between the two groups. In conclusion, there was no difference in IM plasma concentration and adverse events between Genike and Glivec. Both Genike and Glivec could partially decrease the QOL of GIST patients. Physical functioning was worse in Genike group than in Glivec group, while the economic burden and symptoms of insomnia in Glivec patients were worse. There was no significant difference in TTF between the two groups.