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CdIn 2 S 4 nanosheets ornamented ZnSn(OH) 6 microsquares (CIS/ZSOH) heterostructures were devised and fabricated using an easy hydrothermal procedure. The specimens were characterized exhaustively using diverse technologies and used to produce hydrogen. Compared with CdIn 2 S 4 and ZnSn(OH) 6 , CIS/ZSOH heterostructures presented remarkably superior photocatalytic activities. In addition, CIS/ZSOH-35% exhibited the optimized hydrogen production amount of 4 mmol g−1. Also, the reusable constancy of CIS/ZSOH-35% was very prominent. From relevant characterization results, CIS/ZSOH-35% possessed bigger specific surface area, stronger light-absorption ability and higher charge separation efficiency, which would benefit to improve the photocatalytic performance. Ultimately, the formation of type II heterojunction by CdIn 2 S 4 and ZnSn(OH) 6 was confirmed by the band structure and UPS analyses. The study might administer a charming approach to modify the broad band gap photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • Novel CdIn 2 S 4 /ZnSn(OH) 6 (CIS/ZSOH) heterostructures were fabricated using an easy hydrothermal approach. • The highest hydrogen production amount of 4 mmol g−1 was achieved over CIS/ZSOH-35%. • A type-II band alignment mechanism was suggested to explicate the enhancement of photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic acid is a type of polymeric, organic weak acid mixture with a core aromatic structure and main-component oxygen-containing functional group. Fulvic acid is a type of humic substance that can be dissolved in acid, alkali, or water. This study discusses the influence of different peptides on the molecular structure of fulvic acid, which was extracted from herbaceous, woody, and mossy peats using alkaline dissolution and acid precipitation methods. Analyses using infrared, UV-Vis, 13C-NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD), were conducted to compare the effects of different peat types on the content and molecular structure of fulvic acid. The woody peat fulvic acid content was the highest among all peat fulvic acids (0.38%). However, the yield of fulvic acid from herbaceous peat was the highest (2.53%). Herbaceous peat fulvic acid contains significant quantities of carbonyl, amino, methylene, carboxyl, and phenolic hydroxyl groups and ether bonds. Woody peat fulvic acid contains carbonyl and methoxy groups, benzenes, aromatic carbons, aromatic ethers, and phenols. The degree of aromatization of woody peat fulvic acid was the highest. Mossy peat fulvic acid contains high levels of hydroxy, methyl, methylene, and phenol groups and aromatic ethers. The structural differences in fulvic acids in the different types of peat were primarily manifested in the content of functional groups, with little influence from the types of functional groups. XRD analysis of the different peats revealed that their structures all comprised benzene rings. However, mossy peat contained more C=O and –COOH groups, whereas herbaceous peat contained more C–O groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effects of ADOPT-based problem solving model on cognitive impairment and motor function in stroke patients. A retrospective selection of 60 patients who came to our hospital for treatment and treatment due to stroke from December 2020 to December 2021. According to different nursing methods, they were divided into two groups. The research group adopted the nursing method based on the ADOPT problem-solving model and the control group adopted the conventional nursing model. Before nursing, the difference of positive and negative emotional performance between the two groups was not comparable (p>0.05). After nursing, the scores of negative emotions of the two groups of patients decreased, while the scores of positive emotions increased. In the control group, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was no comparable difference in mini-mental state examination scores between the two groups before nursing (p>0.05). After nursing, mini-mental state examination in both groups was improved and the research group was higher than the control group, and the difference was comparable (p<0.05). There was no comparable difference in CCS scores between the two groups before nursing (p>0.05). The CCS scores of both groups decreased after nursing and the difference between the study and the control group was comparable (p<0.05). The Barthel index in both groups increased after treatment and the research group was higher than the control group, and the difference was comparable (p<0.05). The nursing method based on the ADOPT problem solving model has a positive effect in the nursing of stroke patients, which is beneficial to regulate cognitive function, improve the motor function of stroke patients and promote the recovery of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulldozers, pivotal in earthworks, traditionally undergo supervision through labor-intensive and potentially unreliable manual methods. This research proposes a vision-based method for automating the monitoring of bulldozer operations. First, this research develops a specialized dataset for deep learning, the bulldozer earthmoving activity dataset. Following this, a novel multi-task video classification network (MTVTNet), the multi-task video transformer network, utilizing a video swin transformer architecture, is proposed. This network is adept at concurrently detecting the shoveling action, state, and soil classification of a bulldozer. The effectiveness of this model is demonstrated through its application in a real-world construction setting, achieving a remarkable 99.68% mean average precision. This method not only facilitates comprehensive automated supervision of bulldozer earthmoving activities but also serves as a valuable data source for assessing the operational efficiency of these machines. • An automatic method for earthwork activity classification is proposed. • Shoveling action, shoveling status and soil classification are detected simultaneously. • A video multi-task model based on Video Swin Transformer is developed. • Superior detection effects in both general and special scenes are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass carp, one of the major freshwater aquaculture species in China, is susceptible to grass carp reovirus (GCRV). GCRV is a non-enveloped RNA virus and has a double-layered capsid, causing hemorrhagic disease and high mortalities in infected fish. However, the tropism of GCRV infection has not been investigated. In this study, monoclonal antibodies against recombinant VP35 protein were generated in mice and characterized. The antibodies exhibited specific binding to the N terminal region (1–155 aa) of the recombinant VP35 protein expressed in the HEK293 cells, and native VP35 protein in the GCRV-II infected CIK cells. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that viruses aggregated in the cytoplasm of infected cells. In vivo challenge experiments showed that high levels of GCRV-II viruses were present in the gills, intestine, spleen and liver, indicating that they are the major sites for virus infection. Our study showed that the VP35 antibodies generated in this study exhibited high specificity, and are valuable for the development of diagnostic tools for GCRV-II infection. • Monoclonal antibodies against GCRV-II VP35 were generated and characterized. • GCRV-II VP35 monoclonal antibodies could specifically detect GCRV-II in the CIK cells and tissues. • Gills, intestine, spleen and liver of GCRV-II infected grass carp showed high levels of viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel CdIn 2 S 4 nanoparticles@MoS 2 microrods (CNPs@MMRs) heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The photocatalytic properties of CNPs@MMRs composites for H 2 generation were more prominent than those of the pure CdIn 2 S 4 and MoS 2. Among, CNPs@MMRs-40 exhibited the maximum H 2 evolution efficiency of 539 μmol g−1 h−1. Moreover, CNPs@MMRs-40 possessed excellent photochemical stability during 4 cycles of photocatalytic reactions. CdIn 2 S 4 nanoparticles were intimately decorated on the surface of MoS 2 microrods, which strengthened the absorption of visible light, facilitated the migration and separation of charge carriers. Consequently, photocatalytic efficiency of CNPs@MMRs composite was dramatically enhanced. • A novel CdIn 2 S 4 nanoparticles@MoS 2 microrods (CNPs@MMRs) heterojunction was fabricated. • CNPs@MMRs displayed boosted photocatalytic H 2 evolution performance under visible light. • Charges separation and transport were facilitated at the heterojunction interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on pedestrian trajectory prediction based on deep learning has made significant progress. However, the previous methods do not deeply explore the relationship between scene information and trajectory. Moreover, the training model requires massive data and only targets specific scenes, so the prediction performance is poor when the new scene samples are limited. To solve the above problems, a meta-inverse reinforcement learning-based framework, dubbed Meta-IRLSOT++, is proposed in this work. IRLSOT++ improves the solid baseline IRLSOT, and the main contributions are as follows: (1) An inverse reinforcement learning framework is introduced to explore the trajectory–scene association to achieve task-level scene understanding, enhancing the correlation between trajectory and scene. The trajectory heat maps describing pedestrians dynamic characteristics are leveraged to align better the trajectory and scene semantic segmentation predicted by TopFormer. (2) A Transformer-based encoder–decoder network is proposed to fuse the trajectory and plan cues for better generating multi-modal trajectories with multi-head attention. The social graph attention and pseudo-oracle predictor are introduced to capture pedestrians' social interactions and intent states, ameliorating trajectory prediction performance. (3) Meta-learning is leveraged to achieve collaborative training based on IRLSOT++ to improve the model generalization in new scenes, enabling fast adaptation of trajectory prediction. Experimental results on the Stanford Drone Dataset (SDD) indicate that IRLSOT++ can precisely forecast future trajectories by improving IRLSOT, decreasing Average Displacement Error/ Final Displacement Error (ADE/FDE) values from 9.66/13.05 to 8.36/12.28. Moreover, the meta-learning strategy quickly adapts IRLSOT++ to the new scene, achieving ADE/FDE values of 7.31/11.02 and 15.42/26.55 when T p r e d is set to 12 and 24, respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative experimental results show that Meta-IRLSOT++ has accuracy and fast adaptability, which is beneficial for real-world trajectory prediction tasks. • We propose Meta-IRLSOT++ to achieve fast adaptation of trajectory prediction. • We resort to IRL to explore the trajectory–scene association for scene understanding. • Trajectory heat maps are used to align the trajectory and scene cues. • Transformer-based encoder–decoder is used to fuse path plan and trajectory. • MAML is introduced to enable the prediction model quickly adapt to the new scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare the value of two dynamic contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Images (DCE-MRI) reconstruction approaches, namely golden-angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP) and view-sharing with golden-angle radial profile (VS-GR) reconstruction, and evaluate their values in assessing response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) in patients with esophageal cancer (EC).Methods: EC patients receiving nCT before surgery were enrolled prospectively. DCE-MRI scanning was performed after nCT and within 1 week before surgery. Tumor Regression Grade (TRG) was used for chemotherapy response evaluation, and patients were stratified into a responsive group (TRG1 + 2) and a non-responsive group (TRG3 + 4 + 5). Wilcoxon test was utilized for comparing GRASP and VS-GR reconstruction, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test was performed for each parameter to assess response, and Spearman test was performed for analyzing correlation between parameters and TRGs, as well as responder and non-responder. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was utilized for each significant parameter to assess its accuracy between responders and non-responders.Results: Among the 64 patients included in this cohort (52 male, 12 female; average age of 59.1 ± 7.9 years), 4 patients showed TRG1, 4 patients were TRG2, 7 patients were TRG3, 11 patients were TRG4, and 38 patients were TRG5. They were stratified into 8 responders and 56 non-responders. A total of 15 parameters were calculated from each tumor. With VS-GR, 10/15 parameters significantly correlated with TRG and response groups. Of these, only AUCmax showed moderate correlation with TRG, 7 showed low correlation and 2 showed negligible correlation with TRG. 8 showed low correlation and 2 showed negligible correlation with response groups. With GRASP, 13/15 parameters significantly correlated with TRG and response groups. Of these, 10 showed low correlation and 3 showed negligible correlation with TRG. 11 showed low correlation and 2 showed negligible correlation with TRG. Seven parameters (AUC* > 0.70, P < 0.05) showed good performance in response groups.Conclusions: In patients with esophageal cancer on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, several parameters can differentiate responders from non-responders, using both GRASP and VS-GR techniques. GRASP may be able to better differentiate these two groups compared to VS-GR. Trial registration for this prospective study: ChiCTR, ChiCTR-DOD-14005308. Registered 2 October 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration of low‐dimensional Pb‐free halide perovskites with high stability and outstanding properties is still a pursuing target for developing integrated optoelectronic devices. Herein, comprehensive computational screening of a new class of two‐dimensional (2D) all‐inorganic Pb‐free A3B2X9 perovskites is performed based on the first‐principles calculations. The results indicate that the structural and electronic properties of 2D A3B2X9 structures strongly depend on the B‐X bonding interactions, which makes that their thermodynamic stability follows the trend of A3Bi2X9≈A3Sb2X9>A3In2X9>A3Ga2X9 and their interlayer interactions show a reversal trend. Owing to the lack of lone‐pair electron effect, A3In2X9 indicate direct bandgap characteristics and present the relatively smaller bandgaps and higher electron mobilities than A3Sb2X9 and A3Bi2X9. Benefit from optimal bandgaps (0.8–2.1 eV) and large absorption coefficients (104–105 cm−1) in the visible region, A3B2I9 (B = In, Sb, Bi) exhibit high power conversion efficiency up to 18.2%. Moreover, A3B2I9 (B = Sb, Bi) is verified as efficient photocatalysts for overall water splitting. The theoretical solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency of Rb3Bi2I9 and Cs3Bi2I9 are >16%. This work suggests huge potential of 2D A3B2X9 perovskites for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A deep-red emission fluorescent probe (DRP-Cys) for Cys based on a hemicyanine scaffold was developed. • A tailed malononitrile group could chromatically shift excitation/emission wavelengths to the deep-red emission range. • The probe could detect Cys with an ultrafast response time of about 1 min and a low limit of detection of 10 nM • The probe was also successfully applied for visualizing endogenous Cys in living HeLa cells and mice. It is still challenging how to selectively and sensitively detect cysteine in living systems which plays crucial roles in many physiological and biological processes. Here, we developed a deep-red emission fluorescent probe (DRP-Cys) for Cys based on a hemicyanine scaffold. A tailed malononitrile group could chromatically shift excitation/emission wavelengths to avoid the limitations such as photo-damage or auto-fluorescence in biological samples. Compared with other amino acids, Cys could trigger the Michael addition reaction to release a dramatic enhancement in fluorescence centering at around 645 nm in DMSO aqueous solution under physiological conditions with an ultrafast response time of about 1 min and a low limit of detection of 10 nM which significantly benefited from the introduction of the malononitrile moiety. The probe was also successfully applied for visualizing endogenous Cys in living HeLa cells and mice with low cytotoxicity and good cell-membrane permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As the second most abundant transition metal after iron in biological systems, Zn2+ takes part in various fundamental life processes such as cellular metabolism and apoptosis, neurotransmission. Thus, the development of analytical methods for fast detection of Zn2+ in biology and medicine has been attracting much attention but still remains a huge challenge. In this report, we develop a novel Zn2+-specific light-up fluorescent probe based on intramolecular charge transfer combined with chelation enhanced fluorescence induced by structural transformation. Addition of Zn2+ in vitro can induce a remarkable color change from colorless to green and a strong fluorescence enhancement with a red shift of 43 nm. Moreover, the probe shows an extremely low detection limit of 13 nM and ultra-fast response time of less than 1 s. The Zn2+ sensing mechanism was fully supported by TDDFT calculations as well as HRMS and 1H NMR titrations. The recognition of Zn2+ in living Hela cells as well as the MTT assay demonstrate that the probe can rapidly light-up detect Zn2+ in vivo with low cytotoxicity and good cell-permeability. Furthermore, the probe can also be successfully applied to bioimaging Zn2+ in living zebrafish. Graphical Abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A novel Zn2+-specific light-up fluorescent probe is prepared on the modulation of ICT and CHEF. • The probe shows an extremely low detection limit of 13 nM and ultra-fast response time of less than 1 s. • The probe can be successfully applied to bioimaging Zn2+ in living HeLa cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ocean acidification and warming is widely reported to affect the ability of marine bivalves to calcify, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In particular, the response of their calcifying fluid carbonate chemistry to changing seawater carbonate chemistry remains poorly understood. The present study deciphers sources of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the calcifying fluid of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) reared at two pH (8.1 and 7.7) and temperature (16 and 22 °C) levels for five weeks. Stable carbon isotopic ratios of seawater DIC, mussel soft tissues and shells were measured to determine the relative contribution of seawater DIC and metabolically generated carbon to the internal calcifying DIC pool. At pH 8.1, the percentage of seawater DIC synthesized into shell carbonate decreases slightly from 83.8% to 80.3% as temperature increases from 16 to 22 °C. Under acidified conditions, estimates of percent seawater DIC incorporation decreases clearly to 65.6% at 16 °C and to 62.3% at 22 °C, respectively. These findings indicate that ongoing ocean acidification and warming may interfere with the calcification physiology of M. edulis through interfering with its ability to efficiently extract seawater DIC to the calcifying front. Highlights • Sources of Mytilus edulis shell carbonate are deciphered through carbon isotopic analysis. • With increasing temperature, the percent metabolic carbon incorporation into shell increases. • Exposure to low pH also results in an increase of metabolic carbon taken up into shell. • Ongoing climate change reduces the ability of M. edulis to extract seawater carbon to calcify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed controlled coarse-grained reconfigurable arrays (CGRAs) enable efficient execution of irregular control flows by reconciling divergence in the processing elements (PEs). To further improve performance by better exploiting spatial parallelism, the triggered instruction architecture (TIA) eliminates the program counter and branch instructions by converting control flows into predicate dependencies as triggers. However, pipeline stalls, which occur in pipelines composed of both intra and inter-PEs, remain a major obstacle to the overall performance. In fact, the stalls in distributed controlled CGRAs pose a unique problem that is difficult to resolve by previous techniques. This work presents a triggered-issuance and triggered-execution (TITE) paradigm in which the issuance and execution of instructions are separately triggered to further relax the predicate dependencies in TIA. In this paradigm, instructions are paired as dual instructions to eliminate stalls caused by control divergence. Tags that identify the data transmitted between PEs are forwarded for acceleration. As a result, pipeline stalls of both intra- and inter-PEs can be significantly minimized. Experiments show that TITE improves performance by 21 percent, energy efficiency by 17 percent, and area efficiency by 12 percent compared with a baseline TIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in using monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) for optoelectronic devices because of its inherent direct band gap characteristics. However, the weak absorption of monolayer MoS 2 restricts its applications, novel concepts need to be developed to address the weakness. In this work, monolayer MoS 2 monolithically integrates with plane microcavity structure, which is formed by the top and bottom chirped distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), is demonstrated to improve the absorption of MoS 2 . The optical absorption is 17-fold enhanced, reaching values over 70% at work wavelength. Moreover, the monolayer MoS 2 -based photodetector device with microcavity presents a significantly increased photoresponse, demonstrating its promising prospects in MoS 2 -based optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder of the brain. Clinically, epileptic seizures are usually detected via the continuous monitoring of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals by experienced neurophysiologists.Objective: In order to detect epileptic seizures automatically with a satisfactory precision, a new method is proposed which defines hybrid features that could characterize the epileptiform waves and classify single-channel EEG signals.Methods: The hybrid features consist of both the ones usually used in EEG signal analysis and the Kraskov entropy based on Hilbert-Huang Transform which is proposed for the first time. With the hybrid features, EEG signals are classified and the epileptic seizures are detected.Results: Three datasets are used for test on three binary-classification problems defined by clinical requirements for epileptic seizures detection. Experimental results show that the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the proposed methods outperform two state-of-the-art methods, especially on the databases containing signals from different sources.Conclusions: The proposed method provides a new avenue to assist neurophysiologists in diagnosing epileptic seizures automatically and accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a second messenger, hydrogen peroxide plays significant roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes and is related to various diseases including inflammatory disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. Two-photon (TP) fluorescent probes reported for the detection of endogenous H 2 O 2 are rare and most have drawbacks such as slow response and low sensitivity. In this report, we demonstrate a simple H 2 O 2 -specific TP fluorescent probe ( TX-HP ) containing a two-photon dye 6-hydroxy-2,3,4,4a-tetrahydro-1H-xanthen-1-one ( TX ) on the modulation of the ICT process. The probe exhibits a rapid fluorescent response to H 2 O 2 in 9 min with both high sensitivity and selectivity. The probe can detect exogenous H 2 O 2 in living cells. Furthermore, the probe is successfully utilized for imaging H 2 O 2 in liver tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel structure with bilayer hybrid graphene/metal (G/M) gratings to realize tunable double Fano resonances has been proposed. Different band gaps can be obtained by applying voltages on the bilayer graphenes. Due to the tunability of the hybrid structure, two different resonances are separately tuned under various parametric conditions. The Fano resonances are produced by the interaction between the metal and graphene gratings, the related mechanism is investigated by the electric field distribution and transmission phase. The superior characteristics of the separately tunable double Fano resonances indicate a promising application in THz optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crawler crane overturning often results in many casualties and property damage. However, the existing research on overturning prevention mainly focuses on the internal factors of crawler cranes while ignoring the environmental factors represented by the subgrade bearing capacity. On this basis, this work summarizes three types of dangerous work zones including dangerous work zone with pit, dangerous work zone with unhardened area, and dangerous work zone with water with poor subgrade bearing capacity and develops an automated method for detection. A Mask Transformer model is adopted by using Swin Transformer as backbone network to recognize and segment the images obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle. The detected images are transformed into a safety risk map that provides the driver with risk information about the dangerous work zone. Results show that the model proposed, which has been applied in a real engineering project, achieves a good detection effect. • An automated detection method of dangerous work zone for crawler crane driving is proposed. • Three types of dangerous work zone with poor subgrade bearing capacity are summarized. • Swin Transformer is applied for image recognition and segmentation with UAV images on site. • Safety risk map for crawler crane driving was built in the metro construction project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRDM14 (PRDI-BF1 and RIZ domain-containing 14), a transcription factor, plays important roles in primordial germ cell specification and embryonic stem cell pluripotency, and supports the maintenance of self-renewal by promoting the expression of stem cell markers while also repressing the expression of differentiation factors. As a proto-oncogene, the ectopic expression of PRDM14 can enhance breast cell growth and reduce breast cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Conversely, knockdown of PRDM14 expression induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells and restores their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Here, we sought to identify the role of PRDM14 in 293T cells. PRDM14-infected 293T cells exhibited an abnormal morphology, and we found that ectopic expression of PRDM14 inhibits colony formation, cell proliferation and metastasis. In addition, our data indicated that PRDM14 influences the G1/S phase transition of 293T cells by inducing the expression of cell cycle regulators. In conclusion, these results showed that PRDM14 inhibits 293T cell proliferation by influencing the G1/S phase transition and impacts cell migration by regulating the level of MMP/TIMP expression, thus mediating extracellular matrix degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRDM1 (PR domain containing 1) is a transcriptional repressor that affects the expression of numerous genes involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying PRDM1-regulated gene expression in the DF-1 cell line remain to be elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of PRDM1 in cell proliferation and cell cycle by forced expression of PRDM1 in DF-1 cells. Our results showed an absence of endogenous PRDM1 in this cell line, while exogenous PRDM1 was specifically localized to the nucleus. Ectopic expression of PRDM1 inhibited DF-1 cell proliferation and altered clonal morphology. Furthermore, PRDM1 overexpression caused an increase in the G0/G1 phase population. The levels of p53 mRNA and the p53-regulated p21 WAF1 and MDM2 genes were significantly increased in DF-1 cells transfected with the PRDM1 expression vector. Examination of the Rb pathway further revealed that Rb, E2F-1 and p15 INK4b alternate reading frame (ARF) mRNA were also significantly increased after transient transfection. Interestingly, the mRNA expression levels of multiple chicken cyclin genes were also increased. These results show that PRDM1 overexpression induced G0/G1 arrest in DF-1 cells through multiple parallel mechanisms, including the p53 and Rb pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: Dermoscopy images often suffer from blur and uneven illumination distortions that occur during acquisition, which can adversely influence consequent automatic image analysis results on potential lesion objects. The purpose of this paper is to deploy an algorithm that can automatically assess the quality of dermoscopy images. Such an algorithm could be used to direct image recapture or correction. Methods: We describe an application-driven no-reference image quality assessment (IQA) model for dermoscopy images affected by possibly multiple distortions. For this purpose, we created a multiple distortion dataset of dermoscopy images impaired by varying degrees of blur and uneven illumination. The basis of this model is two single distortion IQA metrics that are sensitive to blur and uneven illumination, respectively. The outputs of these two metrics are combined to predict the quality of multiply distorted dermoscopy images using a fuzzy neural network. Unlike traditional IQA algorithms, which use human subjective score as ground truth, here ground truth is driven by the application, and generated according to the degree of influence of the distortions on lesion analysis. Results: The experimental results reveal that the proposed model delivers accurate and stable quality prediction results for dermoscopy images impaired by multiple distortions. Conclusion: The proposed model is effective for quality assessment of multiple distorted dermoscopy images. Significance: An application-driven concept for IQA is introduced, and at the same time, a solution framework for the IQA of multiple distortions is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Gastrocnemius tendinosis (GT) is one potential cause for posterior knee pain, commonly overlooked on clinical examinations and imaging. This study assesses the frequency of GT on MR imaging in a convenience sample based on a database search and associations with other articular pathologies and clinical findings.Subjects and Methods: With IRB approval, retrospective review was completed on 300 randomly selected MR knee exams performed from February 2009 to June 2010. Following de-identification, axial T2 and sagittal PD images, with or without fat suppression, were reviewed by 2 radiologists. The gastrocnemius tendon femoral attachments were graded as normal, mild (few cysts, thickening, intermediate signal) or severe GT (multiple cysts, marrow edema, tear). Select associated MR findings of internal derangement were documented. Clinical charts were reviewed for clinical presentation, physical exam findings, and select demographics.Results: The inter-observer reliability for presence/grading of GT was very high (kappa statistic=0.97). Frequency of GT was 50.33%, most frequently involving medial head of gastrocnemius (63.6%). Grades of GT were 41.7% and 17.2% for mild and severe respectively. Univariate analysis showed statistically significant relationship between grade of GT with arthrosis (p=0.05) and clinical joint effusion (p=0.02). Multivariate analysis showed higher odds of severe GT for individuals with medial plus lateral GT. Statistical significance was noted for presence of both GT and ACL tear (13.9%; p=0.02).Conclusion: Significant findings of our analysis included GT presented with predominant involvement of medial head of gastrocnemius tendon, mild in severity, strong association with ACL tear, presented frequently as posterior knee pain, limited joint motion and clinical joint effusion. However, there was no statistically significant association between demographic features and medical comorbidities in the patients. Increased understanding of frequency of GT allows more accurate reporting of MR knee exam and systematic search for associated abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the increasing environmental concerns and requirements for high-quality foods, edible films and coatings (based on proteins, polysaccharides, natural phenolic active substances, etc.) are being developed as effective alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. Gelatin is extracted from collagen. It is an ideal material for food packaging due to its versatile advantages such as low price, polymerization, biodegradability, good antibacterial and antioxidant properties, etc. However, gelatin film exists poor waterproof and mechanical properties, which limit its developments and applications in food packaging. Previous studies show that pure gelatin can be modified by adding active ingredients and incorporating them with bio-polymers to improve its mechanical properties, aiming to achieve the desirable effect of preservation. This review mainly shows the preparation and molding ways of gelatin-based edible films and the applications of gelatin modified with other biopolymers. Furthermore, this review provides the latest advances in gelatin-based biodegradable packaging and food applications that exhibit outstanding advantages in food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Four brominated aliphatic hydrocarbons (1–4), including a novel brominated ene-tetrahydrofuran named as mutafuran H (1), and five sterols (5–9) were isolated from the South China Sea sponge Xestospongia testudinaria. The structure of 1 was determined on the basis of NMR (1H, 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, 1H–1H COSY, and NOESY), MS, and optical rotation analysis. Known compounds were identified by comparison of their NMR data with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1–4, and 6–9 were evaluated for their toxicity against Artemia salina larvae, and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) causes high mortality and large economic losses in cultured shrimp. The VP28, VP19 and VP15 genes encode viral structural proteins of WSSV. In this study, hens were immunized with recombinant plasmid (pCI-VP28/VP19/VP15) with linkers or with inactivated WSSV, which used CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) and Freund''s adjuvant as adjuvant, respectively. Egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) from hens immunized with inactivated vaccine and DNA vaccine was obtained, purified and used for protection of Metapenaeus ensis shrimp against WSSV. The data showed that the antibody response of the hens immunized with the DNA vaccine was improved by CpG ODNs as adjuvant, but was still inferior to inactivated WSSV in both sera and egg yolks. Using specific IgY from hens immunized with inactivated WSSV and DNA vaccine to neutralize WSSV, the challenged shrimp showed 73.3% and 33.3% survival, respectively. Thus, the results suggest that passive immunization strategy with IgY will be a valuable method against WSSV infection in shrimp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early Computed Tomography Scores (pc-ASPECTS) is a rapid method of measuring early ischemic changes. However, there was no agreement study about pc-ASPECTS. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the agreement on pc-ASPECTS based on non-contrast CT (NCCT) and CT angiography (CTA) source images in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO). Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with acute BAO from January 2022 to August 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China. The NCCT and CTA were scored independently by 15 raters during 2 different reading sessions at least 3 weeks apart. The pc-ASPECTS based on NCCT and CTA were analyzed on the full scale or were dichotomized (0–6 vs. 7–10, 0–7 vs. 8–10, and 0–8 vs. 9–10). The level of agreement was measured using Fleiss κ statistics. Results: The median (IQR) CT-based pc-ASPECTS was 8 (6.75–9). The interrater agreement for CT-based pc-ASPECTS (κ = 0.133 [0.132–0.133]) and CTA-based pc-ASPECTS (κ = 0.204 [0.203–0.204]) was slight for all raters. Dichotomizations obtaining the highest concordance for the CT-based pc-ASPECTS (0–6 vs. 7–10) and the CTA-based pc-ASPECTS (0–8 vs. 9–10) failed to increase the interrater agreement to a substantial level (κ = 0.350 [0.348–0.351] and 0.396 [0.395–0.398], respectively). Intrarater agreement for global CT-based pc-ASPECTS was less than substantial for the 14/15 raters and reached the level of substantial for the 3/15 raters with dichotomization. Conclusions: Agreement between clinicians assessing CT-based and CTA-based pc-ASPECTS cannot be sufficient to make reproducible clinical decisions and assessments. The dichotomization failed to improve interrater and intrarater agreement to the level of substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image quality assessment (IQA) research strongly depends upon subjective experiments to provide ground truth to train and evaluate the IQA algorithms. These subjective experiments are cumbersome and expensive. An objective method based on human visual characteristics is proposed to generate the ground truth for distortion images. The proposed metric called Normalised Objective Distortion Score (NODS), using the logarithm of distortion parameter as the image quality score, is easily realised so that much manpower and time cost can be saved. The effectiveness of NODS has been analysed through experiments on five state‐of‐the‐art IQA algorithms, and the result shows that the NODS is stable and can work as well as the subjective score when evaluating the performance of the IQA algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and originates junction of the oropharynx and nasal cavity, where stratified squamous epithelium and respiratory epithelium are the lining. To elucidate the mechanisms by which EBV transforms the nasopharyngeal epithelium, a pseudostratified multiple-layer model with cilia forming on the apical surface by air-liquid interface (ALI) culture of primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells was established. We showed: (1) ALI cultures formed stratified epithelia and maintained the diversity of cells found in the airway epithelium, such as ciliated, muco-secretory, and basal cells. (2) Polarized stratified epithelium was more susceptible to EBV infection than monolayer cells. (3) EBV infection in ALI cultures was verified by showing EBV-encoded RNA expressions. (4) EBV infection disrupted the integrity of the epithelium. Thus, our model can be used not only to examine the pathogenesis of pre-neoplastic EBV-infected cells, but also to develop anti-EBV therapy or early stage NPC treatment. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a human oncogenic virus that causes several types of tumor, such as Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). NPC tumor cells are clonal expansions of latently EBV-infected epithelial cells. However, the mechanisms by which EBV transforms the nasopharyngeal epithelium is hampered, because of the lack of good in vitro model to pursue oncogenic process. Our primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cell cultures developed pseudostratified epithelium at the air-liquid interface, which was susceptible to EBV infection. Using the highly sensitive RNA in situ hybridization technique, we detected viral infection in diverse cell types, including ciliated cells, goblet cells, and basal cells. EBV-encoded small RNA-positive cells were more frequently detected in the suprabasal layer than in the basal layer. We established the most physiologically relevant EBV infection model of nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. This model will advance our understanding of EBV pathogenesis in the development of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of SnS 2 /ZnIn 2 S 4 (x -SS/ZIS) photocatalysts with different mass ratios of SnS 2 were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The resulted composites were used for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light excitation. All the SS/ZIS composites exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for H 2 evolution. Obviously, the highest H 2 evolution rate of 769 μmol g−1 h−1 was observed over 2.5-SS/ZIS, which was approximately 10.5 times that of the ZnIn 2 S 4 (73 μmol g−1 h−1). The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the successful construction of SnS 2 /ZnIn 2 S 4 heterojunctions, leading to rapid charge separation and fast transfer of the photo-generated electrons and holes under light irradiation. On the basis of PL, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), photocurrent measurements and the H 2 evolution tests, a plausible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. • SnS 2 /ZnIn 2 S 4 composites were synthesized from SnS 2 nanosheets and ZnIn 2 S 4 microspheres. • SnS 2 /ZnIn 2 S 4 heterojunctions enhanced photocatalytic H 2 production under visible light. • Efficient charge separation and transfer at the heterojunctions explained the improved performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean acidification can negatively impact marine bivalves. Pivotal to projecting their fate is the ability to acclimate and adapt to shifts in seawater chemistry. Transgenerational plasticity enables marine bivalves to acclimate, yet the underlying mechanisms at different levels of biological organization remain poorly understood. Here, we performed a transgenerational experiment to understand biochemical responses of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum , following exposure to moderately reduced seawater pH (from 8.1 to 7.7). Activities of tissue calcification-relevant enzymes, such as carbonic anhydrase (CA), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), energy-metabolizing enzymes, such as Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) and Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase (CMA), as well as tissue energy reserves (glycogen, lipid and protein) were assayed. With decreasing seawater pH, adult R. philippinarum exhibited significantly increased CA activity, and especially the clams with a history of transgenerational exposure displaying significantly higher CA activity than those spawned from parents exposed to ambient seawater pH. Yet, ACP and ALP activities remained unaffected. Transgenerational exposure to reduced seawater pH led to significant increases of NKA activity, while no transgenerational response of CMA activity was observed. Tissue glycogen and lipid contents were significantly depleted under acidified conditions regardless of transgenerational exposure. Yet, transgenerational alleviation in the net protein degradation was found. These findings suggest that our current understanding of transgenerational responses is still limited by the achievable time-window possible in the laboratory. While the energetic budget is lower under acidified conditions, there is no evidence of transgenerational recovery in term of energetic budget. Therefore, this work demonstrates that the critical basis of ocean acidification resilience can most likely be explained in energetic terms. Unlabelled Image • Transgenerational exposure to seawater acidification significantly increased the activity of carbonic anhydrase. • A significant decrease of Na+/K+-ATPase activity was seen in transgenerationally acclimated clams under acidified conditions. • Tissue protein degradation was alleviated following transgenerational exposure to seawater acidification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple dual-emission fluorescent biothiol probe was designed and synthesized. • The probe could discriminate cysteine from homocysteine and glutathione in both blue and green channels. • The probe could be successfully applied for visualizing biothiols in living HeLa cells and zebrafish. Cellular biothiols function crucially and differently in physiological and pathological processes. However, it is still challenging to detect and discriminate thiols within a single one molecule, especially for cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy). In this study, a simple two-emission turn-on fluorescent biothiol probe (ICN-NBD) was rationally designed and synthesized through a facile ether bond linking 7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD) and phenanthroimidazole containing a cyano tail. The probe in the presence of Cys elicited two fluorescence responses at 470 nm and 550 nm under excitation at 365 nm and 480 nm, respectively, because of the concomitant generation of both the fluorophore and NBD- N -Cys. In contrast, addition of Hcy and glutathione (GSH) could result in only a blue fluorescence enhancement at 470 nm. which was reasonably attributed to rearrangement from NBD- S -Hcy/GSH to NBD- N -Hcy/GSH as a result of geometrical constraints or solvent effects. Therefore, the fluorescent probe with the NBD scaffold could detect biothiols and simultaneously discriminate Cys from Hcy/GSH in both blue and green channels. The probe has been successfully applied for visualizing biothiols in living cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is frequently accompanied by perineural invasion (PNI), which is associated with excruciating neuropathic pain and malignant progression. However, the relationship between PNI and tumour stromal cells has not been clarified. Methods: The dorsal root ganglia or sciatic nerves nerve model was used to observe the paracrine interaction and the activation effect among Schwann cells, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), and pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Next generation sequencing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation were used to explore the specific paracrine signalling between TAMs and Schwann cells. Results: We demonstrated that more macrophages were expressed around nerves that have been infiltrated by pancreatic cancer cells compared with normal nerves in murine and human PNI specimens. In addition, high expression of CD68 or GFAP is associated with an increased incidence of PNI and indicates a poor 5-year survival rate in patients with PDAC. Mechanistically, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) activate Schwann cells via the bFGF/PI3K/Akt/c-myc/GFAP pathway. Schwann cells secrete IL-33 to recruit macrophages into the perineural milieu and facilitate the M2 pro-tumourigenic polarisation of macrophages. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the bFGF/IL-33 positive feedback loop between Schwann cells and TAMs is essential in the process of PNI of PDAC. The bFGF/PI3K/Akt/c-myc/GFAP pathway would open potential avenues for targeted therapy of PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research explored the factors influencing early neurological outcomes (ENO) in patients who had vertebrobasilar artery occlusion (VBAO) and received endovascular treatment (EVT), as well as examining the causal influence of ENO on the prognosis of VBAO patients. Methods: A retrospective review was carried out on patients from 65 Chinese stroke centers, all within 24 h of the estimated occlusion time. ENO includes early neurological improvement (ENI) and early neurological deterioration (END), defined as a decrease or an increase of at least 4 points in NIHSS score between baseline and 24 h after EVT. Death within 24 h after EVT was also considered as END. END was further divided into explained END and unexplained END (unEND). Independent predictors of ENO and the association between ENO and outcomes in patients with VBAO were determined using center-adjusted analyses. The study developed a multivariate logistic regression model to examine the comparative risk of unEND versus explained END on the clinical outcomes in VBAO patients. Results: A total of 2,257 patients were included. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03–1.30) and successful reperfusion (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02–1.30) were associated with ENI. Baseline NIHSS (OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.53–0.68), successful reperfusion (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71–0.89), and puncture to reperfusion time (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.03–1.33) were associated with END. When examining 3-month prognostic indexes, both END and ENI were found to be linked to the 3-month outcomes, but in opposite directions. A subgroup analysis of END suggested that unEND typically demonstrated a more favorable prognosis compared to explained END, although the prognosis remained generally unfavorable. Conclusions: ENO, whether they manifested as early improvement or deterioration, were linked to the prognosis of VBAO patients undergoing EVT. The outcomes after unEND were more favorable than those following explained END. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently, serotype 4 fowl adenovirus (FAdV-4) has spread widely and caused huge economic loss to poultry industry. However, little is known about the molecular pathogenesis of FAdV-4. Fiber protein is thought to be vital for its infection and pathogenesis. Results: Two novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the fiber-1 protein of FAdV-4 were generated, designated as mAb 3B5 and 6H9 respectively. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) showed that both mAbs only reacted with the FAdV-4 and FAdV-10, not with other serotypes including FAdV-1, FAdV-5, FAdV-6, FAdV-7, FAdV-8 and FAdV-9 tested. Although both mAbs did not recognize the linear epitopes, they could efficiently immunoprecipitate the fiber-1 protein in LMH cells either infected with FAdV-4 or transfected with pcDNA3.1-Fiber-1. Moreover, mAb 3B5 as a capture antibody and HRP-conjugated mAb 6H9 as a detection antibody, a novel sandwich ELISA for efficient detection of FAdV-4 was generated. The limit of detection of the ELISA could reach to 1000 TCID50/ml of FAdV-4 and the ELISA could be efficiently applied to detect FAdV-4 in the clinical samples. Conclusion: The two mAbs specific targeting fiber-1 generated here would pave the way for further studying on the role of fiber-1 in the infection and pathogenesis of FAdV-4, and the established mAb based sandwich ELISA would provide an efficient diagnostics tool for detection of FAdV-4/10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the MRI radiomics signatures in predicting pathologic response among patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Methods: Patients who underwent NACT from March 2015 to October 2019 were prospectively included. Each patient underwent esophageal MR scanning within one week before NACT and within 2–3 weeks after completion of NACT, prior to surgery. Radiomics features extracted from T2-TSE-BLADE were randomly split into the training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. According to the progressive tumor regression grade (TRG), patients were stratified into two groups: good responders (GR, TRG 0 + 1) and poor responders (non-GR, TRG 2 + 3). We constructed the Pre/Post-NACT model (Pre/Post-model) and the Delta-NACT model (Delta-model). Kruskal–Wallis was used to select features, logistic regression was used to develop the final model. Results: A total of 108 ESCC patients were included, and 3/2/4 out of 107 radiomics features were selected for constructing the Pre/Post/Delta-model, respectively. The selected radiomics features were statistically different between GR and non-GR groups. The highest area under the curve (AUC) was for the Delta-model, which reached 0.851 in the training set and 0.831 in the validation set. Among the three models, Pre-model showed the poorest performance in the training and validation sets (AUC, 0.466 and 0.596), and the Post-model showed better performance than the Pre-model in the training and validation sets (AUC, 0.753 and 0.781). Conclusions: MRI-based radiomics models can predict the pathological response after NACT in ESCC patients, with the Delta-model exhibiting optimal predictive efficacy. Clinical relevance statement: MRI radiomics features could be used as a useful tool for predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in esophageal carcinoma patients, especially in selecting responders among those patients who may be candidates to benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Key Points: • The MRI radiomics features based on T2WI-TSE-BLADE could potentially predict the pathologic response to NACT among ESCC patients. • The Delta-model exhibited the best predictive ability for pathologic response, followed by the Post-model, which similarly had better predictive ability, while the Pre-model performed less well in predicting TRG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ductus arteriosus (DA), bridging the aorta and pulmonary artery, immediately starts closing after birth. Remodeling of DA leads to anatomic obstruction to prevent repatency. Several histological changes, especially extracellular matrices (ECMs) deposition and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) migration bring to anatomic closure. The genetic etiology and mechanism of DA closure remain elusive. We have previously reported a novel copy number variant containing Vav2 in patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) patients, but its specific role in DA closure remains unknown. The present study revealed that the expression of Vav2 was reduced in human patent DA, and it was less enrichment in the adjacent aorta. Matrigel experiments demonstrated that Vav2 could promote SMC migration from PDA patient explants. Smooth muscle cells with Vav2 overexpression also presented an increased capacity in migration and downregulated contractile-related proteins. Meanwhile, SMCs with Vav2 overexpression exhibited higher expression of collagen III and lessened protein abundance of lysyl oxidase, and both changes are beneficial to DA remodeling. Overexpression of Vav2 resulted in increased activity of Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA in SMCs. Further investigation noteworthily found that the above alterations caused by Vav2 overexpression were particularly reversed by Rac1 inhibitor. A heterozygous, rare Vav2 variant was identified in PDA patients. Compared with the wild type, this variant attenuated Vav2 protein expression and weakened the activation of downstream Rac1, further impairing its functions in SMCs. In conclusion, Vav2 functions as an activator for Rac1 in SMCs to promote SMCs migration, dedifferentiation, and ECMs production. Deleterious variant potentially induces Vav2 loss of function, further providing possible molecular mechanisms about Vav2 in PDA pathogenesis. These findings enriched the current genetic etiology of PDA, which may provide a novel target for prenatal diagnosis and treatment. Key messages: Although we have proposed the potential association between Vav2 and PDA incidence through whole exome sequencing, the molecular mechanisms underlying Vav2 in PDA have never been reported. This work, for the first time, demonstrated that Vav2 was exclusively expressed in closed DAs. Moreover, we found that Vav2 participated in the process of anatomic closure by mediating SMCs migration, dedifferentiation, and ECMs deposition through Rac1 activation. Our findings first identified a deleterious Vav2 c.701C>T variant that affected its function in SMCs by impairing Rac1 activation, which may lead to PDA defect. Vav2 may become an early diagnosis and an effective intervention target for PDA clinical therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive value of fetal and neonatal echocardiographic parameters for neonatal coarctation repair in fetuses suspected of coarctation of the aorta (CoA), establish a prediction model for neonatal coarctation repair, and verify its predictive effectiveness and clinical applicability. Methods. From September 2017 to September 2022, fetuses suspected with CoA were enrolled. They were divided into two groups based on the need for neonatal coarctation repair. Fetal and neonatal echocardiographic parameters and clinical characteristics were collected retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were applied to select significant predictors, which were further used to establish the nomogram prediction model. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was employed to quantify its discrimination ability. The calibration curve was drawn for internal verification, and the decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC) were used to evaluate the clinical applicability of the prediction model. Results. This study included 50 infants suspected of CoA prenatally, of which 16 (32%) received aortic coarctation repair in the neonatal period and 34 (68%) did not. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the fetal echocardiographic parameter aortic isthmus/ductus arteriosus (AoI/DA) diameter ratio and the neonatal echocardiographic parameters such as the distance from left common carotid to left subclavian artery (LCSA) and the diameter of distal transverse aortic arch (DTAA) were independent predictors for neonatal coarctation repair. The ROC curve of the model showed excellent predictive value (AUC = 0.943). The calibration curve of the prediction model exhibited good fitness. The DCA and CIC demonstrated that the model had good clinical utility. Conclusion. The prediction model, which combines the fetal echocardiographic parameter AoI/DA diameter ratio and the neonatal echocardiographic parameters distance of LCSA and DTAA diameter, has an exceptional level of clinical value and prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiophenol (PhSH) is toxic to the environment and biological systems although it is an indispensable material in the synthetic processes of chemical products. In this work, we designed and synthesized a malonitrile-based colorimetric and deep-red emission fluorescent dosimeter specifically for thiophenol detection by switching on the intramolecular charge transfer process. The 2,4-dinitrobenzene moiety in the probe could be cleaved by thiophenol, which led to strong deep-red fluorescence increase at 645 nm (50-fold) with a low detection limit of 9 nM. The maximum plateau of emission intensity was reached in about 30 min after the addition of thiophenol. Simultaneously, the presence of thiophenol could result in a prominent color change from orange to blue. Furthermore, the dosimeter could quantitatively sense thiophenol spiked in water samples and successfully visualize thiophenol in living SH-SY5Y cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective · To explore the possible pathogenic gene of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) by whole exon sequencing and verify its function. Methods · One hundred TAPVC children (case group) and one hundred and twenty healthy children (control group) in Xinhua Hospital and Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from 2014 to 2019 were included. The blood samples from the two groups of children were collected, and whole blood genomic DNA was extracted for exon sequencing to screen out the potential pathogenic genes of TAPVC. Harmful mutation sites of pathogenic genes were screened through Mutation Taster, SIFT and PolyPhen-2 websites, and then conducted by Sanger sequencing. The wild-type (wild-type group) and mutant (mutant group) plasmids of PDX1 were transfected into HUVEC cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the effects of mutations on mRNA and protein levels of PDX1, respectively. The STRING database was used to analyze the interaction between proteins, and qPCR was used to determine the expressions of downstream genes regulated by PDX1. Results · Pathogenic PDX1 was found in TAPVC children, and Sanger sequencing revealed two novel variants in the gene: c. C237A (P33T) and c. C237G (P33A). Compared with the wild-type group, there was no significant difference in PDX1 mRNA levels in the two mutant groups, but there was a significant increase in relative protein expression of the CA group and CG group, which was 2.9 and 3.4 times higher than the wild-type group, respectively (P= 0.000, P=0.001). Protein interaction analysis demonstrated that PDX1 was associated with SOX17. qPCR results showed that overexpression of PDX1 could downregulate the expression of SOX17 in HUVEC. Conclusion · The two novel PDX1 missense mutations can affect the process of PDX1 post-transcriptional translation, indicating that PDX1 may participate in the occurrence and development of TAPVC by regulating SOX17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to determine whether liraglutide could effectively reduce insulin resistance (IR) by regulating Sestrin2 (SESN2) expression in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells by examining its interactions with SESN2, autophagy, and IR. L6 cells were incubated with liraglutide (10–1000 nM) in the presence of palmitate (PA; 0.6 mM), and cell viability was detected using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. IR-related and autophagy-related proteins were detected using western blotting, and IR and autophagy-related genes were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Silencing SESN2 was used to inhibit the activities of SESN2. A reduction in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was observed in PA-treated L6 cells, confirming IR. Meanwhile, PA decreased the levels of GLUT4 and phosphorylation of Akt and affected SESN2 expression. Further investigation revealed that autophagic activity decreased following PA treatment, but that liraglutide reversed this PA-induced reduction in autophagic activity. Additionally, silencing SESN2 inhibited the ability of liraglutide to up-regulate the expression of IR-related proteins and activate autophagy signals. In summary, the data showed that liraglutide improved PA-induced IR in L6 myotubes by increasing autophagy mediated by SESN2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of prognostic genes can help in the clinical management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is little overlap in the prognostic genes identified in different NSCLC studies. One reason for this may be the inadequate sample size. Here, the effect of sample size on prognostic genes analysis was investigated based on 515 stage II/III NSCLC cases from two cohorts detected by whole-exome sequencing. Prognostic genes analysis was repeatedly performed 100 times for each sample size level using random resampling methods. In stage II lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) cases from the TCGA Pan-Lung Cancer cohort, the number of statistically significant prognostic genes first increased with sample size in a power law, then fluctuated steadily, and finally decreased slightly. The power law growth curves were also observed in stage III LUAD and LUSC cases from the TCGA Pan-Lung Cancer cohort and stage III Chinese LUAD cases from the OncoSG cohort. The correlation R2 of the fitted power law growth curves were all greater than 0.99. In addition, at the sample size level where the number of prognostic genes peaked, the mean proportion of true prognostic genes in patients with stage II LUAD and LUSC was 28.32% and 23.12%, which could partly explain the little overlap in prognostic genes between reports. In conclusion, the number of prognostic genes takes a power law growth with the sample size in NSCLC, independent of histopathological subtype, race, and stage. These results also show how sample size affects the reliability of prognostic genes and will aid trial design for genomic mutation-based prognostic studies in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn2+ plays fundamental roles in cellular metabolism and apoptosis, as well as neurotransmission. However, how to fast detect Zn2+ in biology is still challenging and meaningful. In this study, we rationally synthesized a simple OFF–ON fluorescent probe for fast detection of Zn2+ based on intramolecular charge transfer and chelation-enhanced fluorescence. Addition of Zn2+ into the probe induced a significant fluorescence enhancement with a bathochromic shift of 55 nm. Moreover, the probe demonstrated excellent sensitivity (detection limit = 0.072 μM) and outstanding selectivity toward Zn2+ and an ultra-fast response rate of two seconds. The recognition mechanism of the probe toward Zn2+ was fully confirmed by HRMS and 1H NMR spectra, as well as TDDFT calculations. Furthermore, the probe could rapidly visualize Zn2+ in living cells and zebrafish models in bioimaging experiments with low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Asprosin is a newly discovered adipose factor secreted by white fat, which is involved in glucose metabolism and inflammation. Neuregulin-4 (Nrg-4) is a new adipose factor released from brown adipose tissue and is considered to play an important role in metabolism. This study aims to explore the association between serum Asprosin, Nrg-4 level and coronary heart disease(CHD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) and the diagnostic value. Patients and methods: 157 patients with T2DM were enrolled from Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University between December 2020 to July 2021. These patients were divided into T2DM without CHD group (T2DM-0, n = 80) and T2DM with CHD (T2DM-CHD, n = 77). Serum Asprosin and Nrg-4 expression was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the correlations between Asprosin or Nrg-4 and clinical and biochemical indicators were analyzed. A receiver operating characteristics curve analysis and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. Results: Serum Asprosin level of the T2DM-CHD group were significantly higher and Nrg-4 level significantly lower than those of the T2DM-0 group.Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum Asprosin levels were significantly positively correlated with diabetes course,history of hypertension, fasting plasma glucose(FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1C), triglycerides(TG),triglyceride glucose index(TyG index) and urea, and negatively correlated with ALT (all p < 0.05). Nrg-4 was negatively correlated with history of hypertension, body mass index(BMI), FPG, HbA1C, TG, and TyG indexes (all p < 0.05), and positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)(p < 0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting potential confounders, Asprosin was a risk factor for diabetes mellitus, Nrg-4 was a protective factor.The AUC of Asprosin for diagnosing T2DM-CHD was 0.671 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.584–0.759), and the AUC of the Nrg4 index for diagnosing T2DM-CHD was 0.772 (95% CI 0.700-0.844). The AUC of Asprosin and Nrg-4 for the combined diagnosis of T2DM-CHD was 0.796 (95% CI 0.726–0.864). Conclusion: Asprosin and Nrg-4 may be novel diagnostic biomarkers for T2DM with CHD, as they effectively improved the diagnostic accuracy for T2DM-CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate whether fetal echocardiographic parameters were predictive of the postnatal surgical treatment required for fetuses with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Methods: The fetal echocardiographic and postnatal clinical data of all cases of prenatal TOF at Xinhua Hospital from 2016 to 2020 were reviewed. Patients were categorized based on the operation type, and cardiac parameters were compared between groups. Results: Of the 37 fetuses assessed, the development of the pulmonary valve annulus (PVA) was significantly poorer in the transannular patch group. Patients with a prenatal PVA z‐score (Schneider's method) ≥ –2.645, a PVA z‐score (Lee's method) ≥ –2.805, a PVA/aortic valve annulus diameter ratio ≥.697, and a pulmonary annulus index ≥.823 were more likely to undergo pulmonary valve‐sparing surgery. There was a strong correlation between prenatal and postnatal PVA z‐scores. The PVA growth potential was greater in the pulmonary valve‐sparing surgery group. Conclusions: PVA‐related parameters evaluated by fetal echocardiography can predict the type of surgical intervention required and are valuable in improving prenatal counseling in fetal cases of TOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of ƞ phase induced by the C‐loss for the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of WC–Co cemented carbides largely deteriorates the fracture toughness. The current approach of mixing C additive into powder cannot mitigate the ƞ phase formation. This study proposed a new carbon compensation strategy of coating carbon resource on powder surface by fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition to address this issue. C nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were selectively deposited on WC–Co powder to make uniform C‐ and CNTs‐coated powders by tuning the deposition temperature. Compared with CNTs‐coated powder and C–WC–Co powder mixtures, the C‐coated powder was more effective in impeding the ƞ phase formation because it had higher reactivity and stronger dissolution ability to compensate the C‐loss in the Co–W–C liquid. However, the single‐carbon compensation was not enough to eliminate the ƞ phase due to the extreme nonequilibrium characteristics of LPBF, which required secondary heat treatment. The conventional heat treatment procedure of 1000°C for 3 h eliminated the ƞ phase for the C‐coated powder but failed for the C–WC–12Co powder mixtures. Because of the absence of ƞ phase, the heat‐treated sample made from C‐coated powder exhibited the highest transverse rupture strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus is (EBV) a ubiquitous virus prevalent in 90% of the human population. Transmitted through infected saliva, EBV is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and is further implicated in malignancies of lymphoid and epithelial origins. In the past few decades, research efforts primarily focused on dissecting the mechanism of EBV-induced oncogenesis. Here, we present an alternate facet of the oncovirus EBV, on its applications in research and therapy. Finally, discussions on the prospective utilization of EBV in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) diagnosis and therapy will also be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (MCSFR) is a cell lineage marker for monocytes/macrophages and has been applied for cell typing in mammals. However, lack of high-quality monoclonal antibodies hampers isolation and functional characterization of monocytes/macrophages in fish. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the extracellular region of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella , Ci) MCSFR using the recombinant protein produced in the E. coli cells was generated in this study. Western blotting showed the mAb could recognize the native Ci MCSFR protein derived from tissues and the recombinant Ci MCSFR protein expressed in the E. coli cells and HEK293 cells. The antibody did not cross-react with the MCSFR homolog in zebrafish, indicating that it has good species specificity. Immunofluorescence analysis showed MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages distributed in the gills, hindgut, head kidney and spleen of healthy grass carp. Furthermore, Aeromonas hydrophila infection resulted in increased MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages in the lamina propria and epithelium of hindgut mucosa. In addition, Flavobacterium columnare infection led to the infiltration of MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages in the gills, and interestingly, the MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages in the gill lamellae but not filaments are activated to produce IL-4/13A and IL-4/13B, while MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages in the hindgut did not produce IL-4/13A and IL-4/13B. Our results indicate that monocytes/macrophages are participated in mediating mucosal immune responses to bacterial infections and will help understand host immune defense to bacterial diseases. • Monoclonal antibodies were generated against grass carp MCSFR and characterized. • MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages were increased in the intestine after infection with Aeromonas hydrophila. • MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages were increased in the gills after infection with bacterial pathogens. • MCSFR+ monocytes/macrophages in the gill lamellae but not filaments were activated to produce IL-4/13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) are a complicated subtype of congenital heart defects for which the genetic basis is poorly understood. Many studies have demonstrated that the transcription factor SOX7 plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular development. However, whether SOX7 single nucleotide variants are involved in AVSD pathogenesis is unclear. To explore the potential pathogenic role of SOX7 variants, we recruited a total of 100 sporadic non-syndromic AVSD Chinese Han patients and screened SOX7 variants in the patient cohort by targeted sequencing. Functional assays were performed to evaluate pathogenicity of nonsynonymous variants of SOX7. We identified three rare SOX7 variants, c.40C > G, c.542G > A, and c.743C > T, in the patient cohort, all of which were found to be highly conserved in mammals. Compared to the wild type, these SOX7 variants had increased mRNA expression and decreased protein expression. In developing hearts, SOX7 and GATA4 were highly expressed in the region of atrioventricular cushions. Moreover, SOX7 overexpression promoted the expression of GATA4 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that SOX7 could directly bind to the GATA4 promoter and luciferase assays demonstrated that SOX7 activated the GATA4 promoter. The SOX7 variants had impaired transcriptional activity relative to wild-type SOX7. Furthermore, the SOX7 variants altered the ability of GATA4 to regulate its target genes. In conclusion, our findings showed that deleterious SOX7 variants potentially contribute to human AVSD by impairing its interaction with GATA4. This study provides novel insights into the etiology of AVSD and contributes new strategies to the prenatal diagnosis of AVSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]